A Word from the Pastor
July 2010
Three Days of Surfing with God
Little did I know last month, that I was going to have such a flood of “God happenings.” I thought I was just going to spiritually walk along the beach and occasionally have the water lap up on my feet. I found myself body surfing some “awesome waves, dude!”
Let me tell you about three consecutive days last month, Thursday through Saturday:
Chris Nelson, founder of Lost and Found Ministries, asked me to attend a pastors’ meeting at the Everett Union Gospel Mission. Chris told us to go in and get lunch but we were not allowed to sit with each other. We had to find a table with some of the men and get to know them. I had lunch with James and Peter. Peter was the more talkative. We shared how getting older does have some advantages. Peter said it took him until his 30’s to stop blaming others and situations and take responsibility for his own life. As we enjoyed a mission lunch of sandwiches, crackers, and soup he told me he owned a financial counseling business. I’m not sure he appreciated the irony.
James was less talkative but stirred me with his story. He had moved from Haiti seven months ago, just before the January 12, 7.0 earthquake devastated his country. He lost all his family and friends. As he was telling me this, I was looking for signs of despair, blame, anger, or something. There were none. Nor was James emotionally despondent. He talked in future terms about finding work. Without my prodding, he offered a possible reason for the destruction of his home. James had heard people say that since Haiti was so active in witchcraft and voodoo and unwilling to repent, God used this earthquake as punishment. I asked my new Haitian friend what he thought of this. “It’s hard.”
After lunch, we pastors met in a room with the Director of the Men’s and Women’s Mission, Sylvia Anderson, who has been in this position for ten years. I had met Sylvia some years ago when we borrowed a bus from the Awakening church and picked up some of the women and their children from the shelter for a picnic on our property. I like Sylvia. She combines compassion with street smarts. I gained several insights and ideas from our time together. Sylvia recommended the book, “When Helping Hurts” which addresses how we can actually hinder someone’s growth with our good intentions. Then there were three statements that I can’t stop thinking about: “The poor need to know we like them, not just love them.” “Relationships transform lives, not programs.” “It usually takes multiple attempts at Christianity before they are set free.”
Sylvia then shared stories of the men and women who have gotten their lives back together from becoming Followers of Jesus and learning life skills. This combination is critical.
That was Thursday.
Then our delegate, Linda Holt, and I attended the 2010 Leadership Summit on Friday and Saturday. As I read this year’s theme, Creating and Influencing Transformational Environments, I smiled. Although necessary business is done, the two days is about sharing what God is doing in people’s lives. There is much celebration. The first testimony came from Katie Zook. She was involved in ministry in Haiti on January 12 on the fourth floor of a typically built Haitian building. Katie found cover under a small desk and woke up hours later, trapped twelve feet off the ground. After being rescued and flown back to the US for leg and back surgery, and now sharing her story with us, she just wants to get back to Haiti to continue God’s work. Interesting that I just had lunch with my Haitian friend James the day before.
There were many other testimonies of transformed lives. We heard from teenagers, young adults, and older adults who now know the freedom in Jesus. In every story we heard, not one of them were ‘successful’ in their spiritual walk the first time. They all took a step toward Jesus and then fell back. The key: Their Christian friends did not give up on them and loved them through the journey. Just the day before I heard, “It usually takes multiple attempts at Christianity before they are set free.”
A spokesman for Urban Impact in the Rainier Valley gave a report on how God is transforming lives through such creative ministries as their health club and summer camps. He recommended the book, “When Helping Hurts.” That sounded familiar.
We celebrated the faithful work of four retiring ministers and their wives. Six new pastors were ordained, five transferred into our conference, four became first-time ministerial candidates, and twenty-three are continuing with their ministerial candidacy. Although the conference closed two churches, the two pastors and their wives were honored for their faithfulness and received a standing ovation from us.
The overriding theme for the Pacific Northwest Conference is “Partnering Together to Impact Eternity.” Each year we partner with more and more creative ministries to help transform and set lives free. An example is Not For Sale which fights against human trafficking. I was amazed to hear that over 17,000 slaves are brought into the US each year. Globally, the numbers are tragic.
Another new partnering minister is Heavenly Treasures, which takes high quality crafts from around the world and markets them in the US. All the proceeds go to alleviate poverty, plant churches, and support pastors. The founder, Cathy Gaulton, told us she has the spiritual gift of shopping. Her lucrative career as a buyer for such labels as Gucci, Prada, and Versace has opened many doors. Cathy’s connections are so vast that Heavenly Treasures will be at the Daytime Emmys as this year’s charity.
A few years ago at Leadership Summit there was a financial need for the Urban Impact summer camps. One of the pastors in the audience asked Matt Whitehead if we could take an offering right then to help. Matt couldn’t find any reason not to, so off we went. Each church pledged money to this ministry. Now, at each Leadership Summit we have a planned “Spontaneous Offering.” This year the ministry needs were a reliable vehicle for our Missionary to Nigeria, Phyllis Sortor, which would cost about $10,000 and the Special Friends camps at Warm Beach, which have expanded to four weeks, one of which will be overnight. When the auction-like atmosphere settled down, the churches pledged $34,100. Combine this with our individual giving that day of $4,650, and Phyllis will get her vehicle and the Special Friends camp is funded. EFMC pledged $300. We will have a special offering on August 15 to cover this pledge.
It was a wild three days for me last month. God took me from just sticking my toe in safe shore water into the big waves to see what is possible. I really do like riding the waves He creates.
Oh yes, and I was appointed to be your pastor for this coming church year. Surf’s up!