From the desk of Denise Lemos Snoke...

It is good to return to the things that are good.  It is good to allow ourselves greater depths and breadths in worship. It is good to reflect the greatness of God.

At Neighborhood Church we are reentering into a season in which the arts are not only acknowledged, but encouraged and developed. This isn't about "pretty" or "performance," but rather about allowing the Holy Spirit deeper access to our spirits. Beauty is of God's very nature. Look around. Your soul breaths deeper in the vastness of His creation and the beauty that ministers to us in those moments of immersion. Artistic expressions reflect that which is happening within the artist. If there is great turmoil and unrest, it bleeds out into the artist's work. If there is great sadness and hopelessness, it is shared via the artist's medium. Equally, if the artist is in communion with the Holy Spirit, in full surrender and worship, that too with be communicated through the piece. And its message perpetuates at His impulse. That within itself is a miracle and truly beautiful.

The paintings I have been creating during worship at Neighborhood Church have ministered to me personally. Each one is an act of submission, trusting the Lord to do what He wants with my hands, my eyes, my talents. My desire is that His voice is heard in the paint and strokes and finished product. With each sitting, I expect Him to do great things. To speak to His people. And I encounter His presence and deep love often. However, I have also experienced insecurity (painting in front of people is FAR from my creative and introverted method), and doubt, concerned about the "success" of the piece (no pressure, right?!). Yet after worship has ended and I take a seat with my family, I step into a different role, one of spectator. I am able to be ministered to by what the Lord has done. And there is often relief, peace and surprise. Not that the art is great, but rather, there is a message, something to behold, something to hear.  And I am grateful the Lord acts despite my fleshly doubts.

I am also blessed by those of you whom have approached me during worship, communion (which lines up right behind me), or the dance break, expressing words of encouragement and sharing your insight to the painting in progress. Your words have ministered to me. Thank you. 

Several of you have also asked what the plan is for the pieces once completed. (Drum roll.....) They are now on display and available for purchase! If you have been ministered to by one (or more!) of them, you may now take them home, to your work place, or give them as gift. The money received is going to both the church and the artist in order to buy more quality supplies and also to establish the Arts Worship Ministry (real name TBD) at Neighborhood. On Sundays, you may find Daniel Blackman, or me if you're interested in a piece. Or during the week, you may speak with the church office. 

We believe in reaching out TO and THROUGH artists, extending Jesus to the community and beyond. We believe the Lord is waking up and preparing artists to use their talents to express His message of love and hope to people of all walks of life. Chico is a wonderfully artistic town that needs the hope and redemption that Christ's love brings. It's ripe for the picking!

Final note: if you are a creative and have been sensing God's prompting to become part of an arts uprising, please contact us. We would love hear what He is doing in you and if you wish, walk alongside you in your art. You may contact the church office, and they will put us in touch with you.

We are excited to see God's plan unfold and His greatness to be revealed through the arts!

AVANTI!

From the desk of Andrew Burchett...

“Summer” Psalm

A Psalm of Andrew, singer of songs and dreamer of dreams

My heart has become dry,

Like the cracked and dusty ground.

I have tried, and I have looked up to the heavens, praying for rain.

The heat and drought have made me weary and tired.

There are no clouds filled with refreshing rain in sight.

The vultures circle silently waiting for my demise

Like the circling of my enemies and those who look to steal from me.

There are men and women who are against me and who seek to discredit me.

The silence and loneliness of this place can be deafening.

For those who aspire and have ambition to such a place,

You must realize that this can be a land of great discouragement.  

But I know that you are here.

Like the morning fog that appears without warning or fanfare.

Like the flowers that push out from seemingly invisible buds,

You appear and bring the fragrance of heaven. 

You will bring streams of living water.

The life giving liquid will rush down the gullies and ravines of my parched soul

They will bring hope, life and peace again.

As the wave of water from your throne pours into my soul,

Trees, shrubs, plants, flowers and rich shade will be provided.

So, I will wait for you, O Lord. 

I will wait for the rain of your holy presence and the visit of your Spirit.

I will wait for you, O Lord.

I will wait for you to show me where you are working.

I will wait for you, no matter how dry I feel I’ve become. 

For I know that the summer is a challenge.

The summer makes me long for the refreshing of your spirit.

The summer is just a season. 

You are invited to write your own psalm during the month of June.  Please submit your digital copy to danielblackman@ncchico.org or, if you don’t have email, bring your no larger than 8.5 x11 inch, psalm to the front office by July 5.  All psalms will be displayed in the Fellowship Hall lobby for all to enjoy.  

From the desk of Andrew Burchett...

I wonder if we, as Americans have decided that the idea of a literal hell is unsophisticated and untrue.  Some feel that as modern thinkers we have outgrown this simplistic, old thinking.  As Christian authors, professors and pastors have begun emphasizing the grace of Jesus Christ, it sometimes gets extended to all people without condition.  With all the talk of “love winning” my concern is that we have rationalized away what God’s Word says on the topic of our eternal destination. 

Our society is growing more and more tolerant of all sorts of things that God commands us not to do.  I am fearful that American Christians (who don’t encounter much persecution) have decided that even entrusting their life to Jesus isn’t a requirement for getting to heaven. 

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through (by) me.” (John 14:6)  Jesus didn’t say he is “one of the ways,” or “a way you can choose if it fits your mindset.”  He clearly was exclusive in saying, I am THE way. 

This really bugs a lot of people who can’t stand the idea that a loving God would allow them to go to an unpleasant place.  They want the grace and forgiveness of God, without the truth and Lordship in their lives.  It seems to be a mindset that says, “I want all the benefits, but I don’t want it to cost me anything.”  Have we become embarrassed to follow such an exclusive savior?  Are we ashamed of the good news of the gospel because we have stopped believing in the bad news of hell as a destination without life in Jesus?

Our eternal salvation was not free; we were bought with a price (1 Cor. 6).  Jesus paid the penalty to offer us life to the fullest by giving His own life as a substitute for us.  John 1 talks about grace and truth being found in Jesus Christ.  You must take grace and truth together, not choose one without the other. 

This growing disbelief in eternal punishment minimizes the importance of sharing about the hope that Jesus brings us.  If you don’t think that there is a need for telling people about Jesus, you won’t ever share what you believe or share your story of faith (sometimes called a testimony).  This also will mean that the idea of missions will be reduced down to how many kind things you can do for people who are less fortunate than yourself.  While social justice issues and compassion projects are on God’s heart, they are matters that we ourselves should be investing in also. But unless they are accompanied by the message of the good news of Jesus Christ, we are no different than a government or other secular non-profit effort. 

Where do you stand on this?  Have a conversation with someone about this topic today.  Decide what you believe, and think about what that belief will lead you to do. 

From the desk of Andrew Burchett...

Our tribe and denomination, the Christian and Missionary Alliance has a council every two years to celebrate what God is doing and refocus for future ministry.  There are five of us from our staff here attending the conference in Long Beach.  There are thousands of pastors, leaders, international workers and national leaders participating.   We enjoyed hearing Francis Chan speak twice yesterday and our president, Dr. John Stumbo, speak this morning. 

The emphasis of the identity of our movement is that “We are a Christ-centered, Acts 1:8 family.”  It is important that all things begin and end with Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:1-2).  Acts 1:8 talks about how we will accomplish our mission (the Great Commission of Matt. 28), in that we will accomplish His mission only because of the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us. 

There are 500,000 people in 2,000 U.S. Alliance churches that are supporting and have helped to reach over 6 million people in many more churches overseas.  This is a very large family! 

While the themes of Love, Proclaim, Reach and Launch are front and center this week, it is the message of LOVE that has captured the heart of our president and comes as a word to our churches to excel more in loving one another.  When Dr. Stumbo visited our church a few months back, he mentioned to me that he felt that his heart was being drawn to share this message with the entire Alliance family.  After hearing this, I made sure that he received Love Revolution, a book written by Gaylord Enns on this topic.  Just two days later I received a call from Dr. Stumbo that the he had read through the book and felt it was great confirmation to his heart. 

I am inspired and full of faith for our tribe, as the man God has chosen to lead this movement has tearfully and passionately shared with us.  He has a genuineness and authenticity that bridges generations and is willing to wrestle with hard questions and sticky issues. 

What does it look like for our church to be a church that truly loves?  I don’t want the cheap imitation of “nice” or “friendly.”  It is imperative that we walk in an authentic love for others within our church and outside its walls too.  What does love truly look like? I think it looks like a people who are known for listening intently to others when they share their hearts or stories.  I think it looks like loving people who don’t share our opinion or who live contrary to God’s Word.  I think it looks like loving people from different cultures and generations.  A truly loving church is one who is known for praying with and for others.  Love looks like sharing the truth about Jesus with others who need to know about him.  Love looks like having moments when you are “all in”; serving, blessing and helping others experience God. 

This next season may be a challenge for the church, as the world seems to be blurring the lines between right and wrong, and the darkness seems to be getting darker.  The way that others will know that Jesus was truly sent by the Father will be the love we show others (John 17).  Love is the authenticating mark of being a true Christian. 

As Neighborhood Church, in Chico, we will pursue after loving one another more completely.  As we follow the man who leads our movement, we will make every effort to grow and learn how to love in this season.  I can’t wait to see what God does in the midst of a church and a city that is committed to such a vision. 

From the desk of Denise Lemos Snoke...

“We, at Neighborhood Church, believe that God speaks through the arts and its variety of expressions...”

This line is the beginning of a draft we are working on to introduce an expanded dimension of worship at Neighborhood Church. It’s such a privilege to be part of a church family that not only recognizes the beauty and value of artistic expressions, but desires to call out and raise up those in whom God has placed a need to worship Him with their creativity.

We have all been created to worship. Bottom line. Can’t help it, change it, or even go on strike. Our very being cannot help but to worship. WHOM or WHAT we worship is dependent on our free will. But the very breath of God into our lungs created a space for which its main function is to reflect the love and glory of God back to Him. His very thumbprint of the creative is stamped on your soul. It is beautiful and expressive and holy.

With that said, I must accentuate that worship is not always pretty. It is not always “in the lines,” choreographed and pristine. Those attributes have their moments, but I am referring to visceral, messy, come as you are worship. How do we worship in those “earthened” places? That very word is one the Lord gave me years ago as I was trying to understand greater intimacy with Him and what it is to be fully human, in our original design. We so often associate our humanity with sin and our perpetual struggle to keep it at bay. I wasn’t okay with such a sentencing, so I pressed in, and the Lord showed me that the more earthened we become (the closer to our original design) the more we encounter Him. We are fearfully and wonderfully made in our humanness AND His likeness. And in that place, we cannot help but to worship Him!

My early artistic training was primarily in the musical and performing arts. It was when I moved to Chico for college that I learned visual artistic expression. At the same time, I was learning to hear God’s voice more clearly and as I surrendered more of my life to Him, I found His voice in my art as well. I had struggled with feeling out of place among my artistic friends in that my best artwork was without sketch or plan, but as a worshipful response to His initiative; a conversation between Creator and creature. The more I tried to be intentional about design or subject matter, the more lifeless my work seemed to be. I’ve even come to realize that the very tool I use in my hand can determine the level of dependence I have on Him. Recently I have started painting with my palette knife instead of brushes. There is a spontaneity and freedom of movement with my knife. I depend more on the Lord to guide each stroke and placement of paint. And that freedom and openness is visible in the artwork.

So, “messy worship”...This past Sunday as I was engaged in worship and painting the second piece of what I believe to be a blue series, I loaded my knife with pthalo blue, cerulean blue and unbleached white, and with my left hand began applying it to the canvas with gusto and “SPLAT!” Paint had flung on to the wall behind my easel. I laughed, was slightly embarrassed, and tried to wipe it off the wall as best I could in the moment. A few minutes later, my beloved two year old daughter came over to me and stood by my left side to watch me. As I embraced her with my left arm, I took the fully loaded knife to the canvas again, and “SPLAT!” Blue paint landed on her hair. Ha! Again, laughed, embarrassed, cleaned it unsuccessfully. Later at home, I found the same glorious combination of colors had found their way to my jeans. Seriously.  At the end of the day, the splattering is the collateral “damage” of messy worship. But there was freedom in the painting. Using a tool that causes me to lean in closer to the whispers of the Creator is spiritually freeing, but less than tidy in the physical.

What worship tool do you find in your hand at this time? Is God expanding your worship with new experiences, people, challenges, discovery of giftings? Is it messy? Do you feel awkward and fully reliant on His initiative? (Insert grinning emoticon here).

As we wrap up the David series, and enter into a season of Psalms this summer, consider going on a worship walkabout. Allow yourself to discover new parts of your expressive nature and press into hearing God’s voice singing new love songs over you. Pick up a pen, charcoal, pastels, clay, paint, origami paper, or even dried beans and a glue gun, play some worship music and see in what conversation you and the Creator find yourselves. You were created creative! Let’s inundate our church and the community with worshipful expressions of His love! To God be all the glory!

From the Desk of Andrew Burchett...

From the desk of Andrew Burchett:

Last weekend I, Andrew, had the honor of officiating the funeral of Bill Bagby, one of the spiritual fathers in my life.  Bill was a cowboy, a pastor, a writer and a friend.  He wrote a series of small booklets that he called, “Seeds of Wisdom.”  As I am preparing to preach this Sunday on worship, I read one of his seeds, and thought I would post the contents here for you to read…

“The Awesome Weapon of Worship”

Some year ago, someone sent me a formal looking greeting card.  On the front were simply the words, “Keep Looking Down!”  I thought, “What a weird card!”  But I couldn’t help but smile as I turned the page and read the message inside.  “You are seated in the heavenlies with Christ!”

No matter how hopeless things may look to us, when we finally see them as God sees them, our whole perspective changes.  That is why becoming a true worshiper is so critical.  Rather than letting fear focus us on all the things we can’t control, we lift our eyes and let faith focus us on the One for whom nothing is impossible.  Hallelujah!

A missionary from India once spoke of how he was so overwhelmed by the darkness and poverty around him that he didn’t even know how to pray.  But one word from the heart of God changed his whole perspective.  “Never pray because of the darkness of the night!  Pray because of the brightness of the Light!”

Nothing keeps your life in better perspective than heartfelt worship!  At a time when I was working through an issue in my own life, the Lord taught me something about worship I have never forgotten.  For a couple of days in prayer, I kept getting the same three Scripture verses and always in the same order.  “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:1. “In Your presence is fullness of joy.” And “But you are holy, who inhabit the praises of Israel.”  Psalm 22:3.  Since I didn’t grasp what He was trying to show me, He said: “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10. “In your presence is fullness of joy.” Psalm 16:11 and “But You are holy, who inhabit the praises of Israel.” Psalm 22:3.  Since I didn’t grasp what He was trying to show me, He said: “The times that lie ahead will require great spiritual strength.  The source is of that strength is My joy.  And the way you enter into My joy is by coming into My presence through praise and worship.”

As the Body of Christ, we have tried to reduce worship to a whole series of rules, methods, rituals and legalistic formulas.

But true worship is not about how old or how new the song is; the form or skill of presentation; the decibel level or instrumentation; the size of the group gathered or our own personal preferences in music.  It’s about heart to heart communion with the One who alone is worthy of all our affection and adoration.

A woman from a very structured denominational background once asked me what I thought about the way a particular prayer group worshiped.  Since she knew I had attended some of their meetings I answered, “You know, I don’t think it’s particularly important what I think about the way they worship!  And no offense, but I don’t think it matters what you think!  What matters is what God thinks!  In ouor arrogance and need to be in control, we forget that it’s not about us, it’s about Him.

Each form and style of worship has its own merits, but if we want the Lord to truly be enthroned upon our praises, we must ultimately give up our need to control and let the Holy Spirit guide us into His wonderful presence.

Maybe of all of the passages on worship Psalm 150 best expresses God’s desire for a people who would abandon themselves to all expressions of worship:  “Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!  Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with the stringed instruments and flutes!  Praise Him with the loud cymbals; Praise Him with high sounding cymbals!  Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!  Psalm 150:1-6

Maybe a question we should each ask ourselves is, “Do we know better than the Holy Spirit what would please the heart of the Father today? 

Worship is also one of the mightiest weapons we have been given for dealing with the forces of darkness that surrounds us. “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth.  You who set your glory above the heavens!  Out of the mouths of babes and infants You have ordained strength (praise) because of Your enemies, that you may silence the enemy and the avenger.” Psalm 8:1-2

Tired of being tormented by the enemy’s lies of fear, condemnation, depression and shame?  Silence him by becoming an extravagant worshiper.  Meditate on these and other passages on praising, blessing and worshiping God until it becomes as natural to you as breathing.  Let worship become your life-style.

2 Chronicles 20:12-25, Psalm 34:1-10, Psalm 103, Psalm 117, Psalm 139, Psalm 148, Psalm 149, Isaiah 61:1-3, John 4:23-24, Ephesians 1:3-6 and Revelation 5:11-14

From the desk of Andrew Burchett...

Over the years we have worked hard to get to know our neighbors.  We have done block parties, Easter egg hunts and left anonymous gifts on the door steps of others.  As time has passed, many people have moved in and out of the neighborhood, but some of us have been there since it was built (13 years ago). 

I am constantly asking myself what it looks like to love my neighbors.  There was a new way that presented itself this week.  We were out for a long walk on Sunday evening with friends at least a mile away when we got a phone call from a neighbor who felt a man was stalking her.  She was working on cleaning out her garage and a very creepy man was standing across the street leering at her.  With tons of stuff on her driveway, she felt she couldn’t go inside. 

She had called the cops already, but my friend and I decided to jog back to make sure she was safe.  As we went striding toward the corner of our block, there was a suspicious guy standing there, so we engaged him briefly and then ran down to the neighbor’s house.  She was concerned and glad that we had arrived.  We quickly learned that the man we had seen was, in fact, the same man who had been intimidating her, so we went to find him.  Meanwhile the police were looking for him in the parking lot of the mall. 

When we found the guy again, and questioned him, it became clear that his reasons for being in our neighborhood kept changing.  About that time, the Chico Police showed up again.  They took it from there, ended up searching his car and he disappeared.   Protecting others and making them feel safe was the way we loved our neighbors that night.  Word spread fairly quickly on our closed neighborhood facebook page, and several dads were seen either biking around the neighborhood or driving around to make sure everything was safe. 

What started as a scary situation for a single woman ended up with neighbors standing in the middle of the street laughing and enjoying each other’s company.  When one dad looked at me and said, “I think it’s time to get everyone together again,”   I knew that God was just creating a need and a hunger for community. 

One of the ways I love my neighbors is to help them feel safe.  That’s why we have shared our cell phone numbers with them, and make sure we make a point to tell them when we are out of town.  We are modeling living in community where we live.  It is not a burden -- it is one of our greatest joys. 

Have you introduced yourself to your neighbors?  Do you have enough relationship that you could call them if you felt threatened or if you needed help?  What does it look like to defend and protect others?  It is in our nature as believers to go after lost, vulnerable sheep and protect them.  Let’s start by crossing the street and saying “hello”.   

From the desk of Andrew Burchett...

In the Lord of Rings series, there were four hobbits talking to one another saying…

“But it does not seem that I can trust anyone,' said Frodo.

Sam looked at him unhappily. 'It all depends on what you want,' put in Merry. 'You can trust us to stick with you through thick and thin--to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours--closer than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo.”

-J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Have you ever felt like Frodo?  Frodo was struggling with who to trust, feeling like everyone around him wanted what he carried (the ring) and he didn’t know who was safe.  I listened to a story of betrayal so deep yesterday that even I felt the sting of disappointment and pain simply in hearing.  Once you have had a relationship fail and break apart under pressure, you know how hard it is to learn to trust others again.  If you have been hurt and you are afraid to trust others again, this is my prayer for you today…

Lord, we come to you and offer up to you our brokenness, and the pain of disappointment.  I choose by an act of my will to forgive ______________, and choose to bless them.  Give me your strength Lord to take new risks with others, protect me from my own desires to build up walls that would keep others out.  I ask that you would tear down the unhealthy walls I have already built to keep others away in fear.  I ask that you would teach me by your Holy Spirit what good healthy boundaries and limits look like.  Send me others who I can be of one heart with.  Amen. 

Merry’s response to Frodo is a wonderful response to the fear, loneliness and despair of a friend who has been hurt by others.  Merry is taking a few stones out of the wall Frodo has created and encouraging him to begin to trust again.  I like Merry’s attitude, it’s a persistence and long suffering that I want to have in my life.  He refuses to let his hurting friend lock himself up in a tower where real relationships will never thrive again, nor is he willing to let him run away.  Friends who are living out the command of Jesus to love one another, will keep reaching out.  If you are trying to relate to a discouraged and hurt “Frodo” in your life today, this prayer is for you…

Lord, thank you that you have plans for ______________.  I pray that you would bless them with wisdom and revelation from your throne today.  Holy Spirit, guide me, give me the right words to say, help me love my friend well.  Give me patience and grace for this situation.  We need new faith to believe that you came to make all things new – including relationships.  Show me where you would like me to sacrifice and give away my time, energy, money or other resources to help ______________ heal.  Teach me to listen, to be slow to speak, to ask good questions, and genuinely have a broken heart for the things that break your heart.  Use me Lord, I am available.  Speak to me and through me so that your kingdom would be built through gifts of friendship.  Amen. 

We exist to experience and share the life to the fullest that Jesus offered to us, our relationships are a key part of walking in community that will bring us the fullness of joy. 

From the desk of Andrew Burchett...

There are moments that are holy that you dare not observe as an outsider.  I’m thinking about moments like a bride and groom seeing each other for the first time, or sealing their covenant with a kiss.  The birth of a child is also one of those times where the world fades away and nothing else matters.  I witnessed a third holy moment yesterday that caused me to look away and choose to step back in reverence. 

My cell phone buzzed across the Starbucks table yesterday morning.  It was the call that a spiritual father in my life, Bill Bagby, had slipped from this life into heaven.  I scooped up my books and coffee and away I headed toward their home in Paradise. 

During the next three hours, we laughed and cried and thought a lot about Bill and the impact he has made on us.  It was a privilege for me to be there with four of his kids, to share those moments with them.  While we all spent moments at Bill’s bedside at different times, it was just before his body was taken away that the most holy of moments occurred.  Knowing that this would be the last time we would see his face, this side of heaven, the air began to get heavy with grief and the finality of the day. 

I found myself in the bedroom with Leo, Bill’s best friend, and the Bagby kids.  Spontaneously each person began to express their thanks to Bill for living a faithful life, for loving them well and reflecting on his Godly character.  At first, I felt like an intruder, who did not have the credentials to be present.  I stepped back three steps from the circle, unsure of the appropriateness of my involvement.  Although we all know we will see him again and do not grieve like those who have no hope, it was a bitterly sad time.

In those moments, I stared at the floor, unsure of where to look, or what to do.  It was as I studied the carpet that the Lord began to whisper to me.  I felt like I heard the questions, “Was he not a father to you as well?   Are you not a loved son whom he prayed for and invested in?   What do you have to express in this moment that you will not be able to say at his memorial service?  Don’t you see that you belong here too?”  I wrestled for a few minutes, having an internal argument with the Lord. 

Stepping forward hesitantly, I began to speak, to weep and express myself.  I felt invited into a holy moment, and quickly felt the hand of one of Bill’s daughters on my shoulder.  This shows the inclusiveness that Jesus is calling us to reflect to others as the Body of Christ.  Their acceptance of me as a “son” who was loved by their father didn’t take away from their special, longer relationship with their dad. 

It is my hope that we can model this kind of acceptance with others who visit and are investigating the faith.  I believe we are called to invite others into the holy moments that we are experiencing.   Inviting them into experiencing the life to the fullest that Jesus offers to us.

The other powerful aspect of my time yesterday is the example Bill set for us as a spiritual father.  When we are at our best, we are coming alongside others and helping them in their spiritual growth.  Bill was so accepting, so loving and nonjudgmental.  This didn’t mean that he was wishy-washy about truth; it meant that he lived a life full of grace.  My life is richer and reflects God’s grace more because of my time with Bill.  I want to reflect that grace to others and I desire for our church to live in that kind of generosity of heart and kindness. 

Help us Jesus to be a good reflection of your gracious character!

From the desk of Andrew Burchett...

I traveled to West Virginia to help officiate my aunt’s wedding this past week.  While I was in the tri-state area, I drove about 30 miles south to Olive Hill, Kentucky.  It is a small town that has flooded countless times when the river swells and devours the downtown area about once every twenty years.  I was the sixth generation Burchett to travel down the main street.  The past generations are buried in the Burchett cemetery. 

Upon visiting this final resting place on a hill near town, I was fascinated by the names on the gravestones that stand there silently honoring my family.   The epitaphs on the markers there spoke of life that kept on going.  While these people had clearly moved on from this life, phrase after phrase spoke of their faith in Jesus and life that goes on forever.  I can imagine my third great grandfather who started the cemetery in 1850 weeping as he laid his infant daughter into her grave, or his wife and mother just four years later.  His grief was probably deep, and I can imagine his visits to the hill in the 1860’s to put flowers on the grave as the civil war was being fought right down the road.  While he must have felt the pain of loss, the family did not grieve like those who have no hope. 

1 Thessalonians 4:13 (NLT) says,  “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.”

Hope is in short supply when Jesus is absent.  I watched a commercial last night that said, “We don’t know where hope comes from…”  It has been said, “Hope is the soil that faith grows in.”  Hope comes from God, himself.

Romans 15:13 (NLT) says, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

As we walk toward embracing life to the fullest in every aspect of our day, may this hope that my forefathers carved into stones begin to spring up from God to us.  May you receive new hope and strength from our joyful God (Neh. 8:10) today.  Our Savior came to defeat death and kill off fear, as we learn to trust Him more and more.  

From the desk of Tom Mount...

It’s growing time!

One look around Chico these days tells you it is the season for growth, as blossoming flowers and the fresh green on trees testify to this magical time of year when dull winter gives way to vibrant spring. Our lives, too, reflect seasonal changes. While we want to nurture a constantly growing relationship with the Lord, there are certain seasons when taking advantage of growth opportunities leads to especially rapid spiritual gains.

There are two opportunities within the next week or so you want to be aware of. This Sunday, April 12, begins our new round of adult spiritual formation classes. There are two we are offering this spring: “Starting Well” for those newer to the Faith (Room 3703) and want to get grounded in such basic things as: learning who you are in Christ; how to have a daily quiet time; how to understand the Bible; and how to take the next steps of growth. And “Deeper” for those further along the journey who want to walk with God more intimately (Room 2701). Each class runs for 6 weeks and meets from 10:30am-12:00pm on Sundays in the middle school building, across from the gym.

If you completed the Focused Living Workshop in October or January and are ready to take the next step in discerning God's calling on your life, register this Sunday after the service for our April 17-18 Apex workshop, geared especially for those in their 40’s and 50s. Cost is $30/person or $50/couple and includes dinner Friday, lunch Saturday, workbook and materials. The workshop runs 6-9pm Friday night and 9am-4pm Saturday. There are some pre-workshop exercises to do before the event, so make sure you pick up your workbook when you register.

God is so delightful, and it is a privilege to know and serve Him. May we all learn to love and fear Him with whole hearts and grateful lives!

Yours in Christ –

Tom  

From the desk of Andrew Burchett...

This is a conversation I had last week with my seven year old daughter Amy, who we call, “Mimi.”

Mimi:  This is the best day ever

Dad:    Why is that?

Mimi:  I think every day is the best day ever

I have really been thinking about what my little fuzzy blonde headed daughter said in passing, for the past ten days.  What is your response to this seven year old wisdom? 

“Oh bless her heart; she just hasn’t lived enough life to know that this world is cold, cruel and hurtful.”

Or

“She is just saying that to get attention!  All those Burchies like to say things to get a response from others… she just exaggerating so people will listen to her.”

Or

“Did she say that because you just gave her chocolate and she is buttering you up to get a second piece?” 

None of those responses sum up where I think my daughter is coming from.  Sure, she’s a kid and she has a lot to learn, but I am learning something from her this time. 

How often are we really living life for the weekends or an upcoming vacation?  Do we view our week as something to survive and muddle through instead of days filled with opportunity and “God moments?”

Do we discount the true faith of a child or enthusiasm of a new follower of Jesus by internally or externally throwing water on the fire of their passion, zeal and faith?  Do we mutter quietly to ourselves that it’s just a matter of time before they are older, more jaded and less enthusiastic?  Are we planning on our kids and new followers of Jesus to walk into a life of adventure, a life of abundance and favor, or are we expecting them to be beaten down by society, culture and those who have been discouraged before them. 

I want to dream with God about what my neighborhood, workplace, and downtown area would look like when God is seen as the king.  I want us, as a people to take risks by praying crazy prayers and believing that God wants to do miracles in our relationships, bodies, hearts, work lives and finances.  We will be realistic - there will be very dark days, filled with very difficult circumstances.  But even so, as a church that exists to experience and share the full life that Jesus offers, I am here to say that I agree with Mimi.  When I walk with Jesus, I can say, “I think every day is the best day ever.”

From the desk of Andrew Burchett...

Last Sunday I spoke from John 10:10 and talked about the need for clarity & vision for our lives.  Our lives can be compared to flying an airplane through a perfect storm.  The clouds of confusion and the smoke of the spiritual war all around us can seriously obscure our view.  

It is my heart that each of us discovers our own identity as sons and daughters of God.  I am passionate about trying to shape a culture that is a “together” culture, with people walking and growing in community, together. 

As we walk and grow in the context of our church family, it is also critical for us to learn how we can connect, use our gifts and engage with others.  We exist to experience and share the life to the fullest that Jesus offers to us.  As His church, His body, His people sent to build His kingdom here on earth, becoming clearer on how our gifts work in concert with the gifts of others is critical. 

Last Sunday I challenged our church family to begin asking the Lord which of the following ways that we experience “life to the fullest”, do we need to ask the Lord to grow in us. The list is not a to-do list, this is not about working harder.  It is about asking God the right questions and turning our hearts toward Him in different areas. 

5 Ways that we experience Life to the Fullest

1. Being Connected to Jesus 

2. Growing & Developing

3. Spontaneously following the Spirit

4. Walking the Journey with Friends

5. Finding purpose in the Mission

Let me say just a thing or two about each of these five, so that you can ask the Lord which area you should be more sensitive to. 

Being Connected to Jesus 

This is about remaining connected to the source of life – to Jesus.  John 15 talks about Jesus as the vine, and we are like branches.  We must stay connected to the source of life.  This is a lifestyle of worship, not just signing praise songs, and connection moment by moment with God.  It is prayer without ceasing and listening for the whispers of the Holy Spirit.

Growing & Developing

We are called to be learners, disciples, of Jesus.  As his followers, we are to imitate Him and represent Him and reflect God’s image to the world.  This requires time in His word, and seeking others to teach, mentor and coach us into new places of spiritual growth.  We are called to use our influence (leadership) to help others experience this life to the fullest.  We want to constantly grow in our faith, and take intentional steps to keep growing.

Spontaneously following the spirit

It is so exciting to constantly be responding to what God is saying moment to moment.  He is always speaking, leading, guiding, directing us, if we are willing to position our hearts in a place to receive and hear what He has to say.  “He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the church.” This life with Jesus is an adventure as we watch to see where He is working, then go and join Him in the work that He is already doing.  This Spirit-led adventure is what we are growing toward.

Walking the Journey with Friends

We were created to live life in community.  Our culture is independent and pushes us to isolate ourselves, but God has called us to be inter-dependent on one another.  When we use our God given gifts, talents and abilities in connecting & serving with others, we experience significance and meaning in our lives.  As the body of Christ (the Church) walks more and more in love and unity, powerful things happen. 

5. Finding purpose in the Mission

Jesus gave us a mission to share the good news about Him throughout the whole earth.  That mission to share His love and power with our neighbors, coworkers, friends, grocery store clerks, and people in other cultures and countries is still our main goal.  When we share the life that we have experienced with others, our joy increases.  As the people of God, we are constantly on mission.  Every relationship we have with another human is an opportunity for us to reflect His image to a watching world.  This brings deep meaning to every interaction we have with others, because we are called to share the gospel, and our lives as well. 

So, as you meditate on these five aspects of how we life out “life to the fullest,” which one is the Lord whispering to you to take a risk in, to step out, or ask others to help you discover how to grow?  

From the desk of Andrew Burchett...

What an amazing Sunday we had this past weekend with the leader of our tribe. If you didn’t make it to church, catch the podcast to hear the president of the denomination speaking about missions, then preaching Ps. 74 and telling his story. 

As a follow up, the pastoral leadership team had a chance to spend a few hours with Dr. Stumbo Monday morning and it was a very significant time. 

He shared that he was specifically grabbed by a prayer about us being “adopted in” as if NC was an orphan son, at the end of our Sunday leadership lunch meeting and remarked how the prophetic words he had received in the pre-service prayer time had blessed him and brought some clarity and peace to him.  He was very affirming as he spoke of the ongoing work we are doing here at NC.

During our time together on Monday, I took the opportunity to repent on behalf of Neighborhood Church of Chico, for at times being like a prodigal son, who left home and needed to ask for forgiveness.  I committed that that we will stay under the authority and blessing of this “Christ centered-Acts 1:8 family,” using our finances, time, influence and God given gifts to participate and bless the C&MA family the best we can.  It was intriguing to hear that I was the first person to repent to him in his presidency of almost two years. 

At the end of our time, Dr. Stumbo spoke this blessing over us as a church.  May you be blessed as you receive it and further catch the heart of this humble leader.

“May the love of the Father, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.  The love of the Father: so that you know you are fully embraced and adopted sons.  The grace of the Lord Jesus: knowing that you are full recipients of everything that He has in His heart for you and that nothing in your past, your failures or deficiencies, leadership mistakes or whatever, is in anyway an interruption to the flow of grace.  And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit: may you be blessed with an increasing understanding of your unique roll as a church and as an expression of the powerful work of the Holy Spirit and His intimacy with the human experience.  That Neighborhood Church would not be an imitator of anyone else and (you would walk fully in) your expression of what it means to walk in the Spirit as a congregation.  May you be blessed with the “we” of the New Testament.  The plural ya’ll walking in the Spirit.  Ya’ll keeping step with the Spirit. Ya’ll listening to the Spirit.  We are blessed to do that together, the unity of the Trinity who brings the love and grace and the fellowship together is a beautiful, integral expression. Amen.”

Be Encouraged church, it is still the year of Jubilee. 

From the desk of Andrew Burchett...

From the desk of Andrew Burchett...

When Jesus offers us “life to the fullest” in John 10:10, one of the things He is thinking about is our relationship with our neighbors.  Your neighbor can be the person in the next cubicle over at work, the mechanic in the shop next door, the gal who serves you coffee most mornings at the coffee shop, or the secretary at your child’s school.

In Luke 10:27 Jesus commands us, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

What does it look like to love your actual neighbor?  There are thousands of ways that we can love, care for, listen to and serve the people who live within a stone’s throw of our front door.   Many of the ways we can reach out to our neighbors require us spending at least a few minutes in our front yards, where we will see them and have opportunities to connect. 

This past Sunday I arrived home from lunch and decided to work on my birch wood tea light holders (one of my hobbies).  I was going to set up my sawhorses and equipment in the backyard, and there was a small twinge in my heart that said, “Set up in the front yard.”  I’ve learned to pay attention that sort of tug on my heart, and decided I would set up on the driveway. 

I put my headphones on with the baseball game, started running the saw and the press and trying to figure out what branches I could transform.  Complete with safety glasses, a V neck t-shirt, sweat dripping down my face and soon covered in fine, yellow sawdust, let me tell you, I was a vision to behold! 

In the middle of my project I noticed my neighbor had come out of her house and I thought I would just say hello (so I wasn’t being rude and ignoring her).  I pulled the headphones off and made a joke about how dressed up I was and playfully teased her about needing to water the flowers.  As I skipped up to her, I noticed that she didn’t really seem like she was interested in talking.  Just as I was about to turn around and walk away, I noticed that she was shaking.  So I decided to use the magic line of all ministry… “Are you okay?” 

Upon hearing the question, she paused, which told me everything I needed to know.  Then I looked for other clues, like the rash on her neck that is often produced by anxiety.  I had already noticed her hands were shaky, and the little wrinkles in her forehead were telling me that there was something she couldn’t figure out, no matter how hard she had tried. 

She answered and said, “Some really awful things just happened to me yesterday.”  I didn’t hesitate and offered, “Would it help to tell me about it?  I’m good at listening.”   The neighbor lady said, “Let me finish watering, then I’ll be over in a minute.”

Then I started praying.  I prayed quietly as I used a loud saw.  I prayed for her and for wisdom for me, and the strength to keep my mouth shut and to be able to listen well. 

A few minutes later, she and I were standing in the shade, and she was telling me about a difficult situation she is going through.  I kept asking questions and affirmed the fact that what she was going through was not easy.  I didn’t have any good solutions, I didn’t offer advice, I’m sure I didn’t look smart (especially with sawdust all over me).  At the end her story I simply asked, “Can I pray for you?”    She said, “That would be great,” and thanked me as we walked toward her house. 

In my mind, she would know to just bow her head and I would launch in and pray for her with my hand on her shoulder… but she kept walking away from me.  Then I realized I need to be clearer.  I said, “Let’s stop and why don’t I pray for you right now.” 

So, right there in the driveway, I prayed with my hand on her shoulder, and she stood there, with her head bowed, weeping.  God was giving her great peace in the midst of her storm.  I didn’t pray long, but I did ask her if she wanted to come over for tacos that evening.  She said she wasn’t sure if she would… but at dinner time, she arrived at the door. 

We talked and visited over tacos and she left more encouraged than when she arrived.  I couldn’t solve her problems, but I will continue to love her and pray for her situation. 

The question “Are you okay?” worked pretty well this time because the Holy Spirit was doing the work.  The conversation never would have happened, however, if I had done my wood working in the backyard. 

I want to encourage you to look for opportunities to connect with your actual neighbors and look for occasions to ask simple questions.  You might be shocked to see how God uses not-so-chance encounters to love your neighbors. 

From the desk of Andrew Burchett...

I am a storyteller, straight up.  Nothing excites me more than to tell someone about a great story, mostly because I want to speak truth and recognize the amazing things that God does.  There is always a testimony on my lips, even if the story describes my failure to do what God has called me to, and the lessons I have learned because I missed the mark.  

As I wrote in my journal this morning, I noticed this statement that I had written some months back… 

“My journey is not mine alone; it is being lived out in a community, and therefore, it is not only about me changing and being impacted but it has some influence on the church body too.” 

That statement is true of you as well.  

How God moves in your life and teaches you by His Spirit also affects the others around you.  If you are growing spiritually, others around you will be motivated, and encouraged to do the same.  Your passion is like a spark that lights fires in the people in your life.  When you delight in the things of God, the wonder in your eyes challenges each person that encounters you to seek Him.  

Some people are afraid to tell stories about what God is doing in their life because they think it’s selfish or puts the focus on them somehow.  When we keep what God is doing to ourselves, we rob others of a blessing, a lesson God wants to teach through our example (bad or good), and denies them an opportunity to celebrate God’s faithfulness and enter His gates with thanksgiving.  

At Neighborhood Church, we are a people who tell stories.  It is my deep desire that testimonies fill every conversation.  The heart has been compared to a storeroom that is waiting to filled up – what will you fill your heart with?  As I walk through each day, I pause an extra minute to hear stories of God’s faithfulness.  As I cram each story into my heart, I am praying that they will make my heart a thankful place.  We believe that as we hear stories of God coming through it begins to produce new faith and hope in us.  

So as you watch for where God is working around you, look for God’s faithfulness.  When you find examples of God coming through, stuff those things into your heart’s storeroom, move into a silent prayer of thanksgiving and ask God to do the same inside you.  When we fill our hearts with the stories of God’s goodness we begin to experience the life to the fullest that Jesus promised and the adventure of life with God soars.  

May you soar today. 

From the desk of Andrew Burchett

Today marks the beginning of the Lenten season, the six weeks that precede Easter.  It is Ash Wednesday.  It is a season that the Church of Jesus Christ has celebrated and observed for 2,000 years.  It is 46 days prior to Easter, with 40 of the days being “fast days” where one will deny himself/herself something (food, TV, social media, etc) for the purpose of being more focused on Jesus and conversation with Him in prayer.  It is a sacred season marked by reflection and worship.  Originally the practice of fasting for 40 days was intended to mirror the 40 days spent by Jesus in the desert where He fasted from food and was tempted (Matthew 4).

Ash Wednesday serves as a reminder to us that we are mortal, with special focus on Genesis 3:19, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  We can so easily drift into a place where we behave as if we were in God’s position, calling the shots, controlling our own lives instead of allowing Him to be Lord.  Ashes in the bible represented grieving and mourning loss, and repentance (turning from our way to God’s way).  For many of us, this day is an opportunity to confess our sins and seek forgiveness from God. 

We will not be holding an Ash Wednesday service tonight, but if you want to observe this sacred day, we encourage you to attend the Ash Wednesday service at St. Augustine’s Church downtown at 5:30pm.  Father Peter Hanson is one our loved friends here in the city and you will be blessed by his leadership. 

Today, I am taking extra time for reflection.  It was Socrates who said, “The life which is unexamined is not worth living.”  I encourage you to take some time in the quiet of solitude to think and pray about where God has you in this Lenten season.  Let’s take these next six weeks and really press in close to the heart of God, to learn from Him and enjoy His presence in new and different ways.     

From the desk of Amy Wadlow...

As believers and people who call Neighborhood Church our home, all of us are involved in missions. Some of us are “go-ers” and some of us are “senders”. In the past month, we’ve had the privilege of sending Stan and Patty Gibson back to Papua New Guinea for at least four years, we prayed for Addison and Brandon McNabb as they headed to Haiti for a short-term trip, last Sunday we prayed for the team heading to Jordan for two weeks and this Sunday we’ll be sending out a team headed to Peru.

In our Sunday services, you may have noticed we’re been talking more about missions. That’s because we are thrilled to be a part of the work the Lord is doing, whether that is in our neighborhood or other nations. God’s called us to bloom where we’re planted, but He’s also called us to go and make disciples of all nations. If you’re a “sender”, thank you for your financial partnership. We could not make the investment we do with our missionaries here in Chico, in Hawaii, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Indonesia, Bulgaria, Jordan, Cambodia, North Africa and the Middle East without you.

If you tithe to Neighborhood Church, you’re already a part of the sending. In fact, because of our monthly giving to the Christian and Missionary Alliance and because of your faithfulness and generosity in 2014, Alliance workers and churches were able to bring the hope only Jesus can offer to some of the world’s most broken and desperate places. We just got this update from the National Office…

·         Alliance workers you support are partnering with Alliance churches in the Arab Lands to care for those displaced by Syria’s civil war, the brutal advance of ISIS, and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

·         Citizens of Ukraine-devastated by recent political turmoil-are finding new reasons to be hopeful through workers you support.

·         People in or near Ebola-infected parts of West Africa are being taught to protect themselves from this deadly virus by Alliance workers you support.

·         Spiritual seekers throughout central Asia and North Africa are encountering Jesus through dreams and visions- and turning to Alliance workers you support for answers and interpretations.

·         The gospel is being proclaimed vibrantly throughout Latin America, Southeast Asia and West Africa-and experiencing revival throughout Europe-because you have sent and supported workers in these regions.

If you are a “go-er” we have opportunities available for you now and in the near future.

·         Spas and Christina are running a camp for the orphans they work with in Bulgaria and are looking for 3-6 more people to join a team coming from Red Bluff to help lead summer camp July 2-12.

·         We’re taking a multi-generational team to build houses and love families in Vicente Guerrero, Mexico June 28-July 4.

·         Or, if you’d like to go further away, we’re looking at taking a team to Cambodia in early January 2015.

If you’re interested in any of these trips, please get in touch with me, I’d love to chat further.

Whether you’re a “go-er” or a “sender”, thank you for joining us as we partner with the work the Lord is doing through this church family. We’re looking forward to hearing the stories these teams come back with and celebrating with them all they saw God do. God is good and what an adventure it is to join Him in the work and lay our lives down for His calling.

May He meet you and bless you today!  

From the desk of Andrew Burchett...

We are in a new season at Neighborhood Church.  It is a season of building, restoring and dreaming. 

You may have heard that we have shifted our Sunday worship services from the dome to our Fellowship Hall.  As a leadership team, we decided to make this move because we believe Jesus was inviting us to join Him in investing in our people in new ways. 

We did not change buildings because we wanted to save money, although we are happy to repurpose some funds toward upgrading sound, lighting, décor, etc.  We are excited to be able to start with adding some additional lighting this week and a monitor on the back wall so the person on stage doesn’t have to keep turning around to read the screen.  The back wall monitor also helps our worship teams to have the worship lyrics visible. I’m very excited about that improvement!  We have wanted something similar in the dome for over 10 years but the size needed was so expensive we never felt like it was good stewardship to install one. 

One of the key reasons for the change is the feeling of togetherness and life that we experience in a smaller space.  Some of you have found it difficult to find a seat at the 10:30am service, but we are getting better at managing the space and have taken out the less comfortable folding chairs for the larger cushioned ones.  Our 8:30am service offers people an earlier service that is not crowded, yet.

As a kid, I went to church in the “square dome” and restoring this room further brings back many good memories of being a part of this church family before the dome existed. 

Sometime soon we will begin dreaming about what God has in mind for reworking and remodeling the inside of the dome.  We will let you know how you can be a part of the process.  We will be looking at small improvements like painting hand rails, all the way to large dreams of moving walls and creating a space within the superstructure.   I think this process will be really fun. 

I have a hunch that we are going to need the dome and the space it affords on Sunday mornings in the future, and we continue to seek the Lord and try to hear His voice and His leading for these things. In the meantime, the space is available still to host community events and we’re loving having people on our property that we otherwise wouldn’t have a chance to meet.

Thanks so much church family for your flexibility as we steadily make improvements.  We’re looking forward to seeing you Sunday, either at 8:30 or 10:30.

From the desk of Andrew Burchett...

From the desk of Andrew Burchett...

You may have heard that we have moved from our Sunday morning services from the dome to our fellowship hall.  You may have also heard that from now on we will have two services on Sundays, 8:30am and 10:30am in the room that was our old worship center.  So, why are we doing that?  I’m sure you have plenty of questions especially if you weren’t there for last Sunday’s service where we announced all of this to the congregation.

Perhaps you’re concerned that this will destroy our unity? Maybe you’re wondering if we are going to abandon the dome? And last but not least, where do we go from here?

In this email briefing, you will read about...

• How did we get here?
• Why are we making this change?
• Will this divide us and split our family?
• What is going to happen with the dome now?
• What do I need to do next?
• How did we get here?

A few months ago, I felt a stirring in my heart, and a hunch that things may be changing with our Sunday services soon.  I mentioned it to our board and we set a time to pray and talk about this in January.  I was beginning to think that perhaps the Lord was prompting us to move over to the fellowship hall for the summer... but then the heater in the dome failed.

When we moved over into the smaller worship space a few weeks ago, we were struck by the intimacy, excitement, the ability to hear others singing and togetherness we felt. That experience forced internal conversations to speed up and pushed us to pray and ask God what we should do, once the heater was fixed.

Why are we making this change?

So, as a leadership community, we prayed and listened to what God was asking us to do, and asked others to pray with us about this.  We feel that the Lord has confirmed it to us and is leading us to make an investment in moving to two services in a smaller worship space.  It is much more work for our children’s ministries, worship folks, the people who make coffee and church staff.  Even though this is more work, we believe that we are responding and following Jesus into a season of investment and growth.  We believe this investment will cause our church to grow, give a chance for those who serve in children’s ministry an opportunity to get to church, and allow us the opportunity to repair and improve the dome for the future.

Will this divide us and split our family?

It has been a luxury for most of our church body to worship all at the same time, and at times we will gather all together for events and special occasions in the dome.  Our two services, at 8:30 and 10:30 will have the same worship and the same teaching.  We place a high value in being Spirit led and we know that the Lord will probably lead us in different ways in the two services spontaneously.  Some of you have the fear of missing out, but the Lord wants to meet with you more than you want to meet with Him.  You will not miss out on anything the Lord wants you to experience. 

Sometimes we feel like we have 400 friends because we meet for church at the same time.  The truth is that we exist in multiple communities within the larger Neighborhood Church family.  Sociologists have said that the average person can’t maintain more than 150 meaningful relationships at the same time.  Those “facebook friends” aren’t necessarily all friends of yours - some are just people who like the pictures you post and your witty humor.

Multiple services often help people who have to miss church because of work.  The time between the worship services is also a prime time to see others who go to the other worship service over donuts and coffee.

What is going to happen with the dome now?

We are not abandoning the dome.  The dome was a dream in the heart of our founder Ken Backlund, back in the 1960’s before there was a building on this property.  It was his vision to create a venue that would serve as a gathering place for people in the North Valley - as a lighthouse to share the gospel.  It has served as our main worship space for the past 25 years.   It has been an amazing blessing to our church body and to the city over the years.

It is time to make much needed repairs and improvements to this huge building.  I also believe that the Lord is going to give us a new dream and vision for how the dome is to look and function.  We are very excited about dreaming together about how we might remodel and refresh the inside for use for the next 25 years.

What do I need to do next?

All you need to do at this point is show up on Sundays!  We are asking that you would be patient with us, as we make improvements to the “old sanctuary” where we are now meeting on Sundays.  We recognize that there are improvements we need to make, and systems to put into place.  Please let the church staff know if there is something you are seeing that needs attention.

This is a great journey that we are on together.  I know what we are doing seems unorthodox but sometimes that’s how God does things.  We are going to see God provide for needs, inspire new creativity and God’s Spirit move and change us, as we choose to come into alignment with Him and invest in His purposes.  Through all of this God will shape us into the image of his son and give us more of His abundant life.