​Change is a part of life. I’m not sure that any of us really like change, but no one can escape from the idea that life is defined by change. Our church has changed over the years. Most recently with Pastor Cam resigning from his role as Youth Pastor and Worship Team leader, we are faced with some more changes. I believe these changes can and will be for the good of the church. I wanted to communicate with you a little about our direction.
 
Regarding our worship music, we have had a remarkable response of volunteers from our vocalists and instrumentalists in committing to taking our church forward with worship music. Katie Butters, in particular has volunteered to coordinate music ministry. This is a huge responsibility and we are so appreciative of her willingness to step into a very demanding role. Several others have volunteered to choose songs for a given Sunday. Others have offered to be the vocal leaders in our worship services. All in all, we have a good plan in place.
 
We are operating on two basic principles as we go: blended and sing-able. By blended, I mean that we want to worship God through songs from the past and the present and anywhere in-between. By sing-able, I mean our aim is to worship God together with songs as a body of believers. It is not our desire to have a team up front who performs for us so that we can see others worship God, instead we have a team up front who leads us into a place of authentic worship together.
 
Regarding student ministry, we are looking to put a strong emphasis into our Sunday morning Sunday school. Jake Torres has volunteered to take on teaching the middle and high school students. For the next year, he will be teaching an important course on gaining an overall insight into the big picture of the Bible (52 Major Stories of the Bible). For now, we are cutting back and will not hold a mid-week program for middle or high school students. We will however still plan special events periodically to encourage strong relationships.
 
One of the key ways we as a church can contribute to a vibrant youth ministry where youth are growing in their faith is to invest in their parents to be growing in their faith. Kids follow and do what they see their parents do. By encouraging more people to participate in Life Groups, we are encouraging parents to be growing in their faith. This, in turn, will contribute to a more complete youth ministry. In addition, we will provide times of training and togetherness directly for students. Beyond that, we will also look for ways to treat students as full participants in the body by inviting them to serve and participate just as anyone else would.
 
I anticipate that we will experience some bumps in the road, but I also believe we will absorb those together as a family of followers of Jesus. I also expect that this season ahead of us is one of incredible sweetness as we serve Jesus together.   

Father in heaven, there is much grief this morning for families who still haven't reconnected with loved ones, 5 of whom will not return. Please Father, hear us cry out to you and comfort these people. Help them to grieve as shock wears off. Place people in their lives who will be compassionate and supportive.

I also ask for your peace in our community. Many are shocked, horrified, and even grieving over the fact that something like this happened in our own community. Turn our hearts toward You. We know that this act was evil and unjust, but we only know that because You are righteous, just, and kind. Without You being the Light, we wouldn't even realize we were living in darkness.

Father, You see all and know all. I ask by Your mighty power that the man who did this would be caught and prevented from causing further harm to any other lives. So, please guide law enforcement officials in the right direction. I also ask that you would be a shield for them from harm.

I pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ, who died for us while we were His enemies, yet rose from the dead, and is alive today offering salvation to all who believe.
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We will spend some time in prayer for the victim's families, the community, and law enforcement tomorrow at our regularly scheduled worship service time of 11am at Faith Baptist Church of Skagit Valley -www.faithbaptistsv.org

Howe about: Celebrating Christmas

     I love Christmas time! From sleigh bells ringing to chestnuts roasting over an open fire to hearing reindeer on the rooftops, I just love the celebration of Christmas. Actually, I’ve never seen chestnuts roasting over an open fire nor have I heard reindeer prancing on a rooftop, but I still l love Christmas. I have, however, heard sleigh bells ring. One time in December on a mountain in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Dorothy and I rode in a two-horse-drawn-open sleigh. What a memorable experience that was!

        As a child, my family developed a few traditions for Christmas that I really enjoyed. From trudging through waist-deep snow to find the perfect tree to listening to the Oakridge Boys’ Christmas record (yes an actual record on a record player) while decorating the tree to helping my mom make and frost cookies, Christmas time brought great times and even better memories.

    When I got to be a little older, theology grew more important to me. I was presented with some ideas that made me wonder whether I, as a follower of Christ, ought to celebrate Christmas or not. I became aware that Jesus was likely not born in the winter/December time frame; I learned that the Christmas winter holiday basically developed out of a different pagan holiday. I had a pastor point out a passage of Scripture about not cutting down a tree, bringing it into your house, and decorating it with silver and gold. These things, among others began to cause me to question whether I ought to celebrate and enjoy Christmas and its traditions or not.

       For a period of time, I found myself in a deep moral quagmire. I wanted to enjoy Christmas and have a great time with a family of my own, but as a Christ-follower, I did not want to disobey or dishonor God. For a while, it meant that we did not celebrate Christmas much at all. I ended up acting more like Mr. Scrooge from “A Christmas Carol.” Just ask Dorothy. On second thought, you probably don’t want to open that can of worms.

      Do you enjoy Christmas and the Christmas season? Are you like me at all, do you like Christmas, but feel inwardly guilty that you enjoy this “pagan” or commercialized holiday? If yes, please tell me so I don’t feel alone. In all seriousness, if you have wondered about this, then I want to encourage you to consider this:

       Can a true Christ-follower enjoy Christmas and remain pleasing to God? I believe so. Here’s why: I am drawn to my LORD through celebrating Christmas. Not celebrating Christmas was more of trying to prove to others that I was “extra” righteous in the eyes of God, but all the while I was missing out on enjoying God. What I see in Scripture encourages us to enjoy this life and its joys while giving thanks to the God who gives life. “Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thess. 5:18).” “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory (1 Cor. 10:31).”

       Have you ever considered the great number of festivals that the Jews were commanded to observe. Imagine that! Being commanded to party! The purpose of so many of those festivals was for the people to remember and enjoy their God, the God above all gods who chose to make them His special possession. Now, the apostles in the New Testament made it clear that God was not requiring Gentile believers to become Jews in order to follow Jesus. Likewise, we are not required to follow the festivals as though they are laws for us. We can however learn from their example.

         Christmas is a holiday of our cultural context. We have the opportunity to enjoy this holiday as one who trusts in the Savior of the World. Do you invite the LORD with you in what you do? It would be a shame for us to secretly celebrate all or some of Christmas, but try to hide our enjoyment from God because we fear He doesn’t approve. It would be a greater shame if we were to not celebrate Christmas all the while longing inwardly to as we grow resentful towards God for taking all the fun out of life. If the pleasure of a feast, time with family and friends, giving gifts to others and similar things can bring us a little taste of the glory of the relationship with our Father in heaven, then let’s celebrate to the fullest … while giving glory and thanks to God!

        I do not intend to give license to do anything we desire. In all things, including celebrations, we ought to act with Christ-like character. I would certainly caution against the trap of consumerism especially since it can steal one’s contentment. I don’t think we ought to be celebrating Christmas by going to a Christmas party and being the first to get drunk (not the second or third either). A good rule of thumb is this: if you wouldn’t do it with Jesus present, you probably shouldn’t do it. If you can enjoy it with a clear conscience, then enjoy and give thanks and glory to God. I pray that we all will draw closer to our Almighty, Amazing Creator this Christmas season.  

Merry Christmas from the Howe’s!

Pastor Justin

PS. I’d be happy to discuss any specific concerns you might have about celebrating Christmas. Since I already went one paragraph too long, I had to stop writing. It was not the purpose of this article to address potential concerns. Rather, I hoped to encourage people to enjoy what is good about Christmas in order to give glory and thanks to God.            

“...We see the same thing in Matthew 13. There Jesus tells his disciples, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.’

I love this picture. Imagine walking in a field and stumbling upon a treasure that is more valuable than anything else you could work for or find in this life. It is more valuable than all you have now or will ever have in the future. 

You look around and notice that no one else realizes the treasure is here, so you cover it up quickly and walk away, pretending you haven’t seen anything. You go into town and begin to sell off all your possessions to have enough money to buy that field. The world thinks you’re crazy. ‘What are you thinking?’ your friends and family ask you. 

You tell them, ‘I’m buying that field over there.’


They look at you in disbelief. “That’s a ridiculous investment,’ they say. ‘Why are you giving away everything you have?’

You respond, ‘I have a hunch,’ and you smile to yourself as you walk away.

You smile because you know. You know that in the end you are not really giving away anything at all. Instead you are gaining. Yes, you are abandoning everything you have, but you are also gaining more than you could have in any other way. So with joy— with joy! you sell it all, you abandon it all. Why? Because you have found something worth losing everything else for. 

This is the picture of Jesus in the gospel. He is something— someone— worth losing everything for. And if we walk away from the Jesus of the gospel, we walk away from eternal riches. The cost of nondiscipleship is profoundly greater for us than the cost of discipleship. For when we abandon the trinkets of this world and respond to the radical invitation of Jesus, we discover the infinite treasure of knowing and experiencing him.”1


       Friends, do you realize that the gift of salvation offered by Jesus is this great treasure? What trinkets mesmerize you and capture your attention away from the greatest treasure? I believe that the more we understand how great a treasure we have in Christ, the more gladly we will seek Him, obey Him, and tell others about Him. 

       What do you do if you simply aren’t, “feeling it?” Please allow me to encourage you to stop what you are doing to seek Him through the Scriptures and prayer. If you can’t, then find a time in which you can get before God and plead with Him to reveal to you the greatness of knowing Him. Don’t give up. Don’t give up if He doesn’t arrive in a vision of a flaming chariot. Keep on digging and pleading with God. I believe God is pleased to have someone be diligent and persistent in seeking to find Him. 

“… When you depended on Yahweh, He handed them over to you. 9 For the eyes of Yahweh roam throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His…”
- 2 Chronicles 16:8b-9a


1Platt, David. Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, Multnomah Books, 2010, pages 17-18. 

       When Jesus invites us to follow Him, He invites us to take part of one of the wildest adventures you can imagine. He offers life at no cost to us, but at the ultimate price to Him which He already paid. In accepting the gift of life that He offers freely to us, we are granted complete freedom from the previous chains and oppression of darkness. By accepting His gift of life (which is for both now and forever), we are trading masters.

       Our freedom is not independence so that we, ourselves, are the end. Rather, our freedom is from an oppressive master who wants nothing but our destruction. Our freedom is to being a servant to a master more concerned about our well-being (in every possible way) than even we ourselves are. Now, the God of the Bible rules over us (those who have received the gift of life by believing in His name). We may express what God is doing in our lives by saying that we are to be “Christ-centered and gospel focused.” 

       Since Jesus Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are our new master, it would serve our mindsets and attitudes well to remember this truth. Our entire person belongs entirely to God. This includes our physical bodies, minds, emotions, our wills, and our spirits. Everything about us belongs to God.

       When the New Testament tells one to repent in order to follow Jesus, it is not saying that one can turn from one’s sins and be made clean on his own. In contrast, it is saying denounce the former master and all the works that you once did which were insufficient, unholy, and unrighteous. In denouncing the former, one turns to the new master. 

       Confession enters the scene after believing and turning to Christ as our new master. Confession enters because even though we’ve been purchased from the old master, we have not yet received the fullness of the promises of the new. We have brought baggage, habits, patterns of thinking and behaving from our old life into the new. So it is that when we fail, sin, break God’s law, and live the old way even as a servant to God, we must confess our sins. We must acknowledge that such an action, thought, or word was from our old self living in the old way, and we are reminded that we belong to God who would have us act according to His way (for our good). 

       Ultimately, being a follower of Christ Jesus means we live in the reality that He is King over all, specifically King over every aspect of our lives. As we grow in the fullness of this new certainty, we will realize that we cannot contain what God has done and is doing inside of us. It will come out. It ought to come out; it must come out.

       God’s transformation of our lives will come out. It will be displayed in the new ways we think, in the new way we talk, and in the new way we act. So, stop thinking discipleship is separate from evangelism. In other words, do not think of growing in our faith as something separate from sharing our faith. We will share our faith in Jesus as we grow in our faith in Jesus. We will not have one without the other. 

       Therefore, I ask you to consider this: “Is Jesus truly the King of your life?” Do you consider your thoughts, words, and actions by comparing them to the truth of Scripture? Are you talking about what God has done and is doing with others? May we continue in our respective journeys of faith wherever we find ourselves. Let’s live out this life with no higher goal than to know, love, and faithfully serve our new Master, Jesus Christ. 

A fellow servant,

Pastor Justin 

Details that do not matter: we improved or cleaned up 10 yards and washed likely more than 100 cars in the course of 3 nights. After meeting on Monday night, several families hit the streets in order to hand out coupons for the free car wash. God directed our steps even in this effort. It was good to see people knocking on the doors of the houses in our own backyard. Some people did present their coupon for a car wash later in the week.


Tuesday through Thursday started off with a bang, literally, as a lady in our congregation was rear ended at the intersection of Rio Vista and Anacortes Streets. She seems to be okay, but it was a difficult start to our exciting event. Apparently, the enemy of God was not in favor of our efforts. Nonetheless, the car wash and service projects were a large success. We received favor in the eyes of the people in our neighborhood, and it was such a blessing to share a true gift.

I loved hearing the stories at the car wash of how people continually offered money for our efforts. One lady even offered to donate to a charity in our name. One gentleman in particular attempted quite persistently to give some money after we had started to wash his car. After repeatedly telling him, "no, it's a gift," he asked me to take the money and give it to one of the children. Finally, after telling him that it was a gift just like the gift of salvation that we could not earn or pay for, he relented. He expressed his agreement with this truth.

Ron Van Pelt made a contact on Monday night that opened the door for one team to spread beauty bark for an older couple who struggled physically. That contact led to another. Further the first shared the leftover beauty bark with another neighbor that who needed some beauty bark. It was a beautiful picture of sharing a gift because of receiving a gift.  

Scott Solver led the charge in cleaning up the green house across the street from the church while Travis gave a good haircut to the line of bushes between the green house and the next house. Later, Scott chopped down the dead cherry tree. Well, actually he, Larry, and Travis each had a hand in bringing it down piece by piece. That particular neighbor attends Emmanuel Baptist in Mount Vernon, and she was simply overwhelmed by the blessing that it was to have that assistance.

There are several other stories to tell about how God arranged meetings with just the right people. From trying to pay for our work, to offering donations, and even promising church attendance people attempted to try to earn or pay for that which was a true gift. I believe we communicated the love of God if even in a small way with our community. It was awesome!

Friday, when we shared hamburgers and hotdogs at Maiben Park, we encountered some hurting people. Several folks took us up on our offer of a free burger or hotdog. One lady sat with us and began sharing some of her story. We discovered that she was homeless and unsure of where she'd sleep that night. We attempted to help, and I’m not sure how much we helped that night. But from her own lips, she was amazed and profoundly grateful for a simple gesture of God’s love instead of judgment or exploitation.

All in all, this outreach effort was a smashing success. I am so thankful for all the participation and support that everyone pitched in. There were some long hours following long days of work for some, but what a blessing. But at the end, we as a church shared the love of Christ with our neighbors, and that is something to be excited about!

Blessings,

Pastor Justin

We have an outreach week planned for the week of July 7th through the 11th. The word, outreach, is one that comes with many different perceptions. Since this is the first event labeled “outreach” that we are going to do since becoming your pastor, I wanted to take this opportunity to express my thoughts about it.

Defining outreach can be a bit tricky. A google search revealed a basic definition: 1) the extent or length of reaching out; 2) an organization’s involvement with or activity in the community, especially in the context of social welfare; 3) and the extending of services or assistance beyond current or usual limits (google & Merriam Webster online). According to google, it’s also a word that has gained significant usage since about the 1960’s and 70’s. So what does it mean for a church to have an outreach event?

Well, let me share what I think it means for us to do outreach. I believe outreach is when we look past ourselves, our needs, our schedule, and our rhythm of life, and we intentionally reach out to others in our community placing their needs above our own. Specifically, as a follower of Christ, I believe that the greatest need people have is to know the Savior, Jesus Christ. Therefore, outreach must be done with a mindset of seeking to share the good news of life in Jesus with those who may not have received it or even heard it yet.

There are countless ways to do outreach even as I’ve defined it above. I like to keep it simple. This year’s outreach week will have the theme “it’s a gift.” The things we are going to do (scheduled in evenings for each night of the week) will be focused on demonstrating what a free gift is. I will publish a schedule in June for the exact times and plans. We are planning some service projects, car washes, and a barbeque in the park … as a free gift to anyone who wants what we are offering.

To give an idea of how we will communicate the good news using these gifts, here’s an example. The car wash will be entirely free to anyone who chooses to take advantage of the offer. Even if someone offers a donation for our efforts, we will all turn them down saying something like, “no thank you, you can’t pay for a gift. It’s kind of like what Jesus did for us by dying on a cross, rising from the dead, and offering us eternal life. We can’t pay for it, nor are asked to. We wanted you to know what that gift is like.” Perhaps the LORD will open doors to further conversation with people about their spiritual state.

For some the gesture will be about the only message they hear, others will get the gesture and a conversation, and for some it might be all the above and an invitation to church, and still others might even come to the point of faith as we share with them.   How awesome would that be? So, if you haven’t already, make plans to participate with us during our outreach week of July 7th – 11th. And, please plan to attend one of the preparatory meetings (dates and times tba). 

Blessings,

Pastor Justin

       At Faith, getting involved can mean several things and look differently with any given individual. Historically, anytime the church would do something, it was a good time for everyone to be involved. As a small church, most events are small group events. Over the last year, there has been enough growth numerically that it is not practical for everyone to participate in everything the church does. No one is nor should they be expected to be involved in every aspect of the church or every activity of the church. Regardless of whether the church only has thirty people or grows to more than a thousand, the goal will be to remain connected through small groups and teams.

       The Christian life is one that Scripture expresses as one lived in community with one another. While it may not be feasible to be personally close to everyone that comes to our church, it is possible to have meaningful interaction with some. With Jesus as our shared King, there can even be camaraderie with those we do not know. With this in mind, it is time to discuss the two ways that attenders and members will be encouraged to participate, by intentionally spending time in a small group and by developing a teamwork mindset.

       Small groups can be maintained in a number of ways. It can be through a Sunday school class, a home group, a service team, and so on. Each small group ought to have its own purpose, but that purpose can be quite diverse from small group to small group. One may be about growing in knowledge of Scripture, one may be about mentoring, another could be about service projects, still another could be focused on evangelistic opportunities, or it could even be mom’s with young kids just needing time to be together to decompress. Even the length of time a particular small group meets is open. Some small groups will have a short lifespan. Others may have a long lifespan. The big idea is that we operate together while fostering genuine concern and interest in one another’s lives. In short, we “live life” together.

       Teamwork will manifest itself in many forms also, but here is how it currently works. The church has a number of what we call, “committees” which perform a specific function of a felt need in the church body or building. These are teams of people who are organized to function cooperatively for a given task, objective, or area of responsibility. These groups are vital to the success of fulfilling our mission.

       “Teams” will be the new title of these groups; we will no longer be calling them committees. According to the Encarta Dictionary, a committee refers to people who have been appointed to a position. Because people do not need to be appointed to these groups, the term, “teams” better describes what we are attempting to achieve. By the same dictionary, team refers to a “number of people organized to function cooperatively as a group.”  As a church, the goal for our teams is to function cooperatively to manage a specific area of responsibility.

       Allow me to urge you to find a team that you can be a part of. Working together to accomplish the mission and purpose of the church is found all throughout the New Testament. Being a part of a team helps each of us remember that no one is expected to live this Christian life alone. This is not member exclusive. Anyone can participate on a team at Faith. Team coordinators, formerly called committee chairpersons, are the only ones required to be members.

       For a list of current teams, you may simply request one from Pastor Justin, Pastor Cam, a deacon, or a secretary. If you have a suggestion for a new team, please share with Pastor Justin or a deacon. 

Blessings,

Pastor Justin

What kind of situation do you find yourself in at church? Is this your first time here and you are trying to figure out why this group is so weird? Have you been attending, but you aren’t sure about membership? Are you looking for a church to call home? Are you a member that is not sure what to do next? Are you a long-time member serving in too many ways and close to burn out? Are you a member who is serving in a way that excites and energizes you? Well, regardless of your unique situation, there is a place for you.

      First time guests: we are so glad you are here. Whether you came because we happened into your path or because someone dragged you here or because you are checking out all the churches in town, we are thankful that God brought you into our path for at least today. We hope to be a blessing to you. We even hope that you will come again and see what God will do with you and us.

      For attenders: we are so glad you are here. It takes time to be ready for the daunting commitment of membership. We understand that so we try to not put pressure on you to join. If this is where God has you for a time, then we welcome you. In fact, if this is where God has you, then we want you to feel free to participate in one of several ways. We hope you’ll get involved in some of the classes that go on in order to strengthen your faith; we hope you will share meals with us, get to know us,6 and allow us to get to know you. We welcome your thoughts, participation, and input into church services, group projects, outreach events, camps, and so on. You can even serve on a committee or team when not a member. Always feel free to ask if you have any ideas or curiosity about being further involved.

      For new members: we are so glad you are here. You have taken that giant step of courage and made a commitment to this church as this church has made a commitment to you. Now, you really want to plug into a place in which God has uniquely prepared for you to serve. I would recommend taking some time to pray asking God to lead you and to reveal the next step. Talk with a pastor or deacon about what areas you feel are strengths and ask about ways to get involved.

      It may take some time to figure out what to do. This is a bit of a trial and practice routine. You may start something and find that this is really not for you. That is okay! There is freedom to step back and to try something different. Perhaps God will work through a difficulty and shape you into the person He’s fashioning by His creative hands. We, as a church, are committed to working together in unity while operating in the grace of God. There has to be grace to make adjustments. Even in times when you step out of a role and no one immediately steps in to fill it. I believe that if it is truly needed, God will provide that person or the solution. God is good!

       For the long-time member near burn out: we are so glad you are here. So much of the work that has made this church function has been done thanks to you and people like you who are dedicated to living out your gifts and serving as often as needed and oftentimes more than needed. For you, I recommend a step back. If you are feeling exhausted and ready to quit everything, let me encourage you to take small steps toward re-energizing. Choose one or two areas of service or energy consumption and gracefully step out of them. Like everyone else, your number one responsibility is to please God. It’s more important to please God than the nursery coordinator, a deacon, or even the pastor. 

      For the energized member:  we are so glad you are here. I want to challenge you to continue in serving, but please do not add on too much. I really want to encourage becoming a mentor to someone else. Find someone with interest in a similar area of service, and take them alongside as you serve. We want to develop others as they come into the church. We will learn a lot from each other this way! There will be more to come on mentoring/apprenticeship style relationships next time.   

      In any case, we are glad you are here, and I hope this article helps encourage good participation no matter where you stand currently.

Pastor Justin