Important Building Update

I am fully aware that it has been a while since we talked about the proposed building rental and I do apologize. Here is the latest...

The downtown building located at South 13th and Tacoma seems to no longer be an option for us. In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving talks slowed down and we were wondering what was going on. At the same time we were growing in NCC Kids. We had over 30 kids for three weeks straight. (Praise God!) We quickly did some math on the new building and began to see that the kids rooms would only hold about 40-45 kids. This made us a little nervous. At the same time, the owner of the building decided he would like to finish the building and wait to see if he could get a better offer. They said they would keep us in mind in the coming months, but for now they would like to wait.

In the mean time, we decided to go ahead and move out of 711 St. Helens. That space has served us well, but now that we don't use it on Sunday we don't feel like it's worth the cost. This may cause some inconvenience as it has been helpful to have a central gathering space for mid-week events, prayer, and an office. We do feel it is best to store up some money with the hopes of having a 24/7 spot very soon. Please continue to pray in that direction. Our last day there is January 15th. If you have anything stored there please contact me so we can get it to you. In the mean time everything will be stored in the Hampton's basement. (So grateful for their generosity!)

We know it is God's heart to move powerfully in this city and we want to be a part of that! Let's keep pressing on into the purposes of God. The future is more glorious than the past!

With love,

Bo Noonan

Are You Getting Christmas Money???

There is still time to register for Mobilise and the Northwest Men's Conference! If that Christmas money comes in... this would be a great way to spend it!

For Mobilise register here...

http://www.mobiliseusa.org/cms/

For the Men's Conference register here...

http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=5c3deb54-507a-4134-85c2-99eadeb9a104

Prayer, Worship and the Lord's Supper...

Hey all,

This Sunday we will once again join for a morning of worship, prayer and sharing the Lord's supper. Please come along as we get closer to the master builder of this church! We will gather at 10 am at 711 St. Helens. Childcare is provided ... parents will be asked to spend 20 minutes in the kids room.

Hope to see you all there!

* We will also have our regular 4 pm meeting at Central Lutheran.

Where Will My Financial Gift Being Going?

Below is a video that informs us of where our financial gift for the NCC Christmas Party will be going. If you can't make the party, but would still like to give you can. Just indicate on a check that it is for Kenya or put cash in an envelope marked for Kenya and drop it in the offering on a Sunday. Thanks for your generosity!

East and West Africa - Christmas appeal from Newfrontiers on Vimeo.

REMINDER! The Party is this Friday!

On Friday, December 11th at 6 pm we will be celebrating Christmas together. This year we will gather at Central Lutheran for dinner, live music, games and much, much more. We ask that you bring a donation to help support our churches in Kenya. They have suffered greatly from famine and an unstable political situation. Every penny of your donation will go directly to the churches on the ground.

We will have a kids program as well! The kids will eat dinner with their parents and then head into one of the kids rooms.

Please feel free to invite friends and family!

RSVP here.

Unusual Sunday Issues!

As you may know, Central Lutheran is used by a few different churches. This can create some difficult scheduling issues. We have one this Sunday! There is a wedding scheduled at 4 pm in the main sanctuary. This doesn't affect us too much, but it does affect our parking situation. We would ask that no one would park in the church parking lot or the immediate block. I know this may create some problems. Consider carpooling and leaving closer spaces available to people with special needs and small kids.

Thank you for understanding! Ironically, I will preaching from Ephesians 5:21-33 on marriage! I plan on taking a few weeks to fully cover the topic. This may be a great opportunity to invite dating couples, engaged couples, or your married friends! Also, this is definitely for singles as they need to know what marriage is before they can pursue it. If you are in the category of never getting married... this will be good for you as you know people who are married. I think that covers all the bases!

By the way, don't forget that Saturday is the Alpha Holy Spirit sessions. We will start at 9 am and go until about 12 noon at 711 St. Helens. Lunch will be served!

Christmas Party!

On Friday, December 11th at 6 pm we will be celebrating Christmas together. This year we will gather at Central Lutheran for dinner, live music, games and much, much more. We ask that you bring a donation to help support our churches in Kenya. They have suffered greatly from famine and an unstable political situation. Every penny of your donation will go directly to the churches on the ground.

We will have a kids program as well! The kids will eat dinner with their parents and then head into one of the kids rooms.

Please feel free to invite friends and family!

RSVP here.

A BIG Morning of Worship, Prayer and the Lord's Supper

This Sunday morning we will gather at 711 St. Helens for a time of worship, prayer and the Lord's Supper. Some of you know that we are currently in the final stages of negotiations for a downtown meeting space. The building is 6,000 square feet and would serve all out meeting needs at this time as well as give us a place to base the mission out of. This will obviously be a topic of prayer and discussion on Sunday morning.

We will start at 10 am and go until 11:30 am. Childcare will be available, parents will be asked to sign up for a 20 minute time slot in the kids room.

Please come along as we move forward together and declare God's goodness and our dependence on Him!

The Return of Dwell

I'm happy to announce that this Sunday we will continue the Dwell interview series with Karol Barkley from the Toy Rescue Mission. The Toy Rescue Mission has been serving Tacoma for almost 20 years. Please come along and hear who they are and how we can help!

p.s. Thank you Natalie Eckart for serving there and giving me their contact information.

Candy and Volunteers

We are getting close to Harvest Party time! We still need as much candy as you can give. As mentioned on Sunday, the variety bags from Costco run about $12-$14. We will also take any other bags of candy you can give.

The nice folks at Destiny City Church are filling the bags this week and it would help them to have the candy sooner than later. If you are able to contribute please give me a ring ASAP.

(253) 241.6203

Also, if you are able to help before, during or after the party we are still in need of volunteers. This is going to be a great way to bless Tacoma! If you are interested in serving please contact me ASAP!

The setup team will meet at Central Lutheran at 12:45 pm on Saturday the 31st. The actual party begins at 6 pm and will run until 8:30 pm.

Thanks so much!!!!

Harvest Party!

I'm excited to announce that we have been invited to help other churches in hosting a HUGE Harvest Party at Mason Middle School (Proctor District) on Saturday, October 31st (Holloween). The event will be from 6-8:30 pm. We will be working with Destiny City Church and the Journey... and I believe one or two other churches. Everybody in attendance will receive a bag full of candy and a resource card that will include our church information. We are estimating 1,500 - 2,000 people in attendance!

Ways you can help....

1) We need help loading and setting up. If you're interested, that team will meet at Central Lutheran at 12:45 pm. They will be loading games and candy into vans and taking it all over to Mason Middle School.

2) Help man a game station. There will be games for all ages, including 30 Playstations! This will require you to be there from 5:45-8:30.

3) CANDY! They need lot's and lot's of candy. If you are a Costco member you can buy one or two of their big variety bags of candy. As a church we will be buying a bunch of those bags and your contribution can really help.

This event will provide a safe and fun alternative to kids in their families. They will also see a beautiful display of churches working together to bless the city! I'm so glad we have been invited in on this. Please let me know if you can help!

Thank you!

Bo Noonan

Worship, Prayer and the Lord's Supper

This Sunday morning we will gather for a morning of worship, prayer and sharing the Lord's Supper. We really value these times as they have proven to remind us of who the master builder of this church is. Terry Virgo writes, "We need to learn that prayer grows out of our appreciation of God. When we start by worshiping and being thrilled with God, it becomes natural to ask God to be true to his character and power and to take action in his world."

We worship and pray because we're not satisfied with what we can produce on our own. It's also a time to share the Lord's Supper and remember who made this all possible and how He did it.

We will start at 10 am and be done by 11:30 am. Childcare will be available. Parents will be asked to sign up for 20 minute slots in the kid's room.

Please Pray for the Philippines

Below is an email from Eden who leads a Newfrontiers church in the Philippines. Please do pray as the death toll is now over 200. Thank you!

Dear All,

We are really overwhelmed by the concern and support of our Newfrontiers Family. I have received a number of emails inquiring our situation here. Praise God that the water did not reach our receiving room but up to the first step of the stairs leading to our condo unit.

We had our scheduled prayer meeting last Saturday but only a handful came because it was already signal number 2. We even shortened the prayer meeting because the rain started to pour heavily and the street outside was already flooding. We stayed till 12:30 pm because we noticed some water dripping in the church.

Because of the rising flood water, we had to leave our car and waded into the murky water which was knee deep. There were a lot of commuters stranded and walked on the flooded street.

There were 14 families of HGCC including Rodney Tagle's family whose houses were flooded. In the Bamboo village alone, we have a number of families who are homeless because the water is up to the chest and deepest was above the head. They were provided temporary shelter in evacuation centers provided by the local governments.

Saturday’s disaster saw Ondoy (international name Ketsana) pound the heaviest rain in more than 40 years on Metro Manila and neighboring areas. The weather bureau said that Saturday’s rain was equivalent to a one month rain and the nine-hour deluge left some areas of Metro Manila, a sprawling city of 12 million people, under 20 feet of water, with poor drainage systems and other failed infrastructure exacerbating the problem. Eighty percent of the metropolis was submerged and some people remained stranded on the second floors of their homes for two days.

Adding to the chaos, telephone and power services in some parts of the metropolis remained cut, while local government officials said survivors in makeshift evacuation camps were desperately short of food, water and clothes. In our area alone, we experienced 28 hours of brown out and we have to get water from the tank pail by pail. Because of this, we decided to cancel our Sunday service.

The church readily responded to our affected members. We gave them rice, assorted canned goods, milk, coffee, bath and laundry soaps, and biscuits. I know that this will only last a few days and we are still finding ways on how to restore their humble abode and move on from this nightmare.

One encouraging email that I received recently was from Phil Hardy when he said that the church was praying for us and that this would be a physical evidence of the storm of the Holy Spirit to come on the Philippines. Amen.

We believe that the recent calamity captivated the attention of the people as to the awesome power of the Most High God. And we pray that this will lead to an understanding of their need of a Savior and Lord and realize that only God is the ever present help in times of troubles.

For this, we ask for your prayers regarding the pathetic condition of our country brought about by the devastating flood.

Thank you for your concern and prayers.

For and in behalf of HGCC,

Eden

Alpha Meals

As Christians we are all called to make disciples. The beauty of the church is that we get to do this in team. Consider Andrew, one of Jesus' 12, he was always bringing people to Jesus. Nothing flashy, we don't read about him preaching amazing sermons, but he did invite people to meet Jesus. He did what he had grace to do.

As a church we believe the Alpha Course is an amazing way to make disciples. You can help by inviting friends, leading a discussion table, or something simple like making a salad, main dish, or dessert. Food is an important part of building relationships, and you can help make disciples by providing some food.

If you are interested in providing food for Alpha, please check the box on your connect card this Sunday, or contact me.

Together for the mission,

Bo Noonan

Baptism

This Saturday, September 26th at 4 pm we will be baptizing Kirsten Buttrum! I can't tell you how excited we are about this!

We will gather at Michael and Tina Gray's house. There address is 1707 S. Washington St., Tacoma 98405.

And of course, we will be BBQing! We will provide drinks, hamburgers and hot dogs (and all that goes with those). Please bring a side dish or a dessert if you can make it.

Email Michael to RSVP. Thanks!

Week of Prayer and Fasting!

We are about to embark on a week of prayer and fasting. Here is the schedule for the week....

Sunday - Morning of Worship, Prayer and Lord's Supper 10 am -11:30 (711 St. Helens) - Sunday Meeting 4 pm (Central Lutheran)
Monday - Prayer 6 pm -8 pm (711 St. Helens)
Tuesday - Prayer 6 pm -8pm (711 St. Helens)
Wednesday - Prayer 6 pm -8pm (711 St. Helens)
Thursday - Prayer 6 pm -8 pm (711 St. Helens)
Friday - Night of Worship 7 pm -8:30pm (Central Lutheran)
Saturday - Baptism 4 pm (The Grays - 1707 S. Washington St., Tacoma 98405)

Wow, what a week. Please prayerfully consider joining us in this week of corporate praying and fasting. We are NOT asking any body to do anything they don't feel comfortable doing. There is no condemnation! Let's keep pressing in to know God and to do his will in the city.

Daniel 11:32 says "...but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action."

Summit - Tonight

Just a reminder that we will be gathering for Summit tonight at 6 pm at 711 St. Helens. Dinner will be served and we will discuss the way forward for NCC. Childcare is provided. Hope to see you all there.

Where to next?

Where do you go after preaching through a 28 part series on the whole Bible? Well, this week we have the privilege of having Dave Devenish with us. He will wrap up the From the Nations, to the Nations Conference with a message for New Community Church. The following week we will embark on a journey through the book of Ephesians.

The Apostle Paul wrote this letter from prison with the hopes of it getting circulated around to as many churches as possible. Fortunately for us, the 21st century church, it has been preserved in Scripture and continues to lay solid foundations.

This series will change us and challenge us as we look at what the church is supposed to be. In an age where the church appears to be loosing ground here in the United States, it is time for us to rise up and shine.

I can't wait to get into Ephesians. Please consider inviting friends and family, and pray that Jesus would continue to build his church here in Tacoma.

For His Glory,

Bo

Prayer, Worship and the Lord's Supper...

This Sunday morning we will be gather to worship, pray and share the Lord's supper. Please consider joining us as this is the engine room of the church. We worship because God is great and worthy of all praise. We pray because he is able to do far more than what we can conceive or imagine. We take the Lord's supper because it reminds us that his sacrifice is enough for us to know Him.

We will gather at 10 am on Sunday, Aug. 30th at 711 St. Helens.

Childcare will be available... parents will be asked to sign up for a 20 minute slot.

How Can a Church Help the Poor

I was so stirred and encouraged by this interview. Hope it does the same for you....

http://adrianwarnock.com/2009/08/how-churches-can-help-poor.html

From the Nations, To the Nations

We (NCC) are hosting a cross-cultural ministry conference called From the Nations, To the Nations on Sept. 4-6. This conference is for anyone who lives in a multi-cultural setting or would like to know how to be effective with the gospel in another cultural. I really don't think anyone is disqualified from this conference.

As the host church for this conference we would like to invite you to:

1. Attend - As Tacomans we live in a very diverse city. How can we be effective in building a multi-cultural church that reflects Heaven? We really belive this conference will propel us as a local church into new ministry.

2. Serve - There is a lot to do to pull this off. We will need people to help with registration, to man an information table as people from out of town will have questions about where to eat, directions, etc..., to drive people from the Tacoma Dome Best Western to the conference venue (which I think we will have locked down today)... and much more. Please fill out your connect card on Sunday if you are interested.

3. Be a Host - We have worked hard to keep the cost free for this conference. Some folks are flying in from places like Atlanta and Joplin, MO. It would be great if we could host them in homes so they don't have to stay in the hotel. If you are interested in this, call Bo or Michael Gray... or fill out your connect card on Sunday.

I can't wait for this conference! It's really going to be world changing!

Summit!

Summit is tomorrow night, Tuesday, August 11th! We have the privilege of having John Lanferman with us for this session. Dinner will be served at 6 and we should be done by 7:30 pm. Childcare will be provided.

Summit is for anyone at New Community Church who is serving or would like to serve. This is an opportunity for us to share vision, do some training, and dream about what God can do in this city.

The location is 711 St. Helens, Tacoma, WA 98402.

No Sunday Meeting on Aug. 9th

Just a reminder... really hoping no one shows up... that's a first for me!!!

Helpful Information for Celebration NW

Below is a letter sent out about Celebration NW. I am really looking forward to our time there! If you aren't going... don't foreget... no meeting on Sunday, Aug. 9th!

Celebration Northwest is coming soon! We're so excited to have you and your family be part of this gathering. God is on the move among us, and we believe for great things this weekend.

Following are some important changes and reminders regarding Celebration - please read them carefully to be sure you're up to speed.

Registration Hours
Registration will be open from 4PM - 7PM on Friday. Even if you're not staying on campus, you must register in order to attend the conference. If you're not able to register by 7PM Friday, there will be an opportunity immediately following the Friday Night session.

Friday Night Dinner
If you've signed up for the Friday Night Dinner, it will be served from 5:30PM - 6:30PM. You must register before you eat, so plan to arrive with adequate time. If you've not signed up for the dinner, there are several fast-food restaurants and grocery stores nearby.

Saturday Afternoon - Family Fun Time
We will have several activities available on Saturday afternoon for the whole family to enjoy. They will mostly be outdoors, where there is limited seating, so you may wish to bring a lawn chair.

Housing Considerations
Our housing team is working feverishly to place everyone in appropriate housing. Whenever possible, they've honored roommate requests, and placed each person in the best possible arrangement. Please be aware that some children may be assigned to sleep on the floor - if this is the case, our staff will contact you by Wednesday, August 5, and advise you to bring a mat or extra blanket for padding.
Due to the complexity of keeping families together, accomodating special needs, and honoring roommate requests all room assignments are final, and not subject to changes.

Correction
An e-mail was inadvertantly sent out on Saturday, August 1 which stated that there will be outdoor Basketball courts - this is not correct. We will have indoor 3-on-3 basketbell tournaments on Saturday during the Family Fun time.

Directions
George Fox University is located at: 1009 E North, Newberg, OR. Registration and all of our meetings will be located in Bauman Auditorium.

More info...
The Saturday evening session will include a time where we take up an offering for the greater work of Newfrontiers USA. Please prayerfully consider what you can give to the mission. Checks should be made out to Newfrontiers NW. Thank you so much!

No Sunday Meeting on Aug. 9th

Hopefully most of you know by now that we will be down in Newberg, OR for Celebration NW the weekend of August 7-9. Therefore, we will not be having our usual Sunday meeting on August 9th. Please pass this along to any of your friends who may not be going to Celebration NW. Thank you!

Celebration NW Registration Deadline

Hey all,

The price for Celebration NW is about to go up on Monday, July 20th. If you haven't registered and are planning to go, please register soon. If you, like others, are feeling the financial crunch of getting there, please let me (Bo) know asap. We will do all we can to help people get there. We feel like it's a great investment!

Here is a video to wet your appetite.

Summit

This Tuesday, July 14th, we will gather for Summit. Summit is for anyone who is serving, has served, will be serving at NCC. This Summit will focus on what we are trying to accomplish and we are going with our small groups. Please come along as we move forward together in establishing a church where lives are supernaturally changed by God!

Where: 711 St. Helens
When:Tuesday, July 14th, 6-7:30 pm
Dinner will be served!
Childcare will be provided this time! (No need to sign up for a 20 minute time slot)

Final Chance to Register for Camping Trip

If you plan on going to the NCC Camping Trip at Belfair State Park on July 17-19 and have not filled out a form, please email Beccy Stave ASAP. There is space available, but we need to know how much food to cook!

NCC Camping Trip

The camping trip is drawing near! Please do make sure you register by this Sunday. The camping trip is July 17-19 at Belfair State Park. Feel free to just camp on the Friday night. We are still having our Sunday meeting at 4 pm at Central Lutheran.

Immediately after the meeting on this Sunday, Beccy Stave will be giving more details on the camping trip. If you are planning on going on the trip, please stick around.

Also, don't forget to register for Celebration NW. A late fee will be applied if you register after July 2oth.

Worship, Prayer and the Lord's Supper

This Sunday, June 28th at 10 am we will gather to worship, pray and take the Lord's supper. We will gather at 711 St. Helens. This is such an important time for us at NCC. Please come along as we seek God and ask him to do what we can't do on our own!

There will be childcare. Parents will be asked to sign up for a 20 minute time slot.

A Way To Serve The Market

So many of you have offered to help at the market tomorrow! Thank you so much for wanting to serve the city in that way. One of the most important ways you can serve is by praying for the team on the ground.

Please pray for....

1. That our time would be fruitful. That we would be a blessing to many, many people.

2. That we would develop new relationships.

3. That God would orchestrate conversations that would open doors to people's hearts.

Thanks so much for praying! This really is the most important part of time at the market.

Summer Reading List

We thought you might like to have a few books in hand as you sit in the sun and enjoy the beautiful summer weather. I don't know about you, but I find it difficult to know which books are worth reading. The books below are books that have been helpful to us as a leadership team and we hope they bless you as well.

The Reason for God : Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller

God's Lavish Grace by Terry Virgo or Listen to Terry speak on grace here.

Death by Love: Letters from the Cross by Mark Driscoll

The Singing God: Discover the Joy of Being Enjoyed by God by Sam Storms

We hope these are helpful to you.

Tuesday Night Summit!

This Tuesday, June 9th, NCC will be hosting Summit. Summit is for anyone who serves or would like to serve in the church. We will gather at 711 St. Helens and begin at 6 pm with dinner. This week we will focus on our goals for our Sunday gatherings. Please come along!

Correction on Summit

Summit is actually Tuesday, June 9th. Sorry for any confusion. Dinner will still be served.

One More Date...

Oops!

Let's not forget Summit! I had a great time at the last Summit. Summit is for anyone at NCC who is serving or wants to serve. A meal will be served and some vision will be casted. We will also talk about some serving opportunities. The topic this time around will be centered on what we are trying to accomplish at our Sunday gatherings. Hope you can all make it!

Tuesday, June 2nd at 6 pm at 711 St. Helens Ave.

Important Information!

There is so much going on at NCC! Please make a note of the dates below!

• Sunday, May 31 - John Lanferman (leads Newfrontiers-USA) will be speaking at NCC

• Sunday, May 31 - Special Offering for Summer Outreach (Please indicate on check that its for summer outreach)

• June 2-10 - Noonan's on vacation (going east to see family!!)

• Thursday, June 18 - First Day for NCC at the Tacoma Farmer's Market

• July 17-19 - NCC Camping Trip (Belfair State Park... registration coming soon!)

• August 7-9 - Celebration Northwest (Newfrontiers churches in the NW coming together for worship and teaching @ George Fox University) Register here.

• September 4-6 - Cross-Cultural Training Conference (More info coming soon...)

Worship/Prayer/Lord's Supper

This Sunday we will be gathering at 10 am at 711 St. Helens for our monthly morning of Worship, Prayer and the Lord's Supper. Please come along as this is the heartbeat of the church!

Mother's Day!

This Sunday is Mother's Day! I hope you all get a chance to spend time as a family in the morning... eat brunch, breakfast in bed, flowers, a card, a walk, a trip to your favorite coffee shop, make a phone call to mom or grandma, etc... As the husband of a mother of two boys I am struggling to find a 'gift' that is worthy of this celebration, especially on our budget. "Thanks for putting up with crying, pooping, rowdy, back-talking, snot nosed boys.... here's a card!" What!?!?!

Here's the kicker. Mom's, despite the crying, pooping, rowdy, back-talking, snot nosed boys, love what they do. They wouldn't trade it in for anything. I'm not saying a nice card and perhaps a gift card for a massage wouldn't be well received. I'm just saying that it's hard to find an appropriate gift for the woman who went through labor and all kinds of other 'difficult' things, and is still working 168 hour weeks.

I can't help but think that this is a reflection of God's heart to us. He loves us because in his mercy he has called us out of darkness and into light making us sons and daughters. He loves us, because he loves us. He loves us because we are hidden in his perfect, unchanging Son.

In the same way that it's hard to find an appropriate gift for mom, it's often hard to know how to respond to God in light of his mercy, especially on our budget. Not only is it hard to know how to respond, but it can actually be devastating if we respond incorrectly.

One response in particular that is devastating is trying to find the 'gift' that we feel is equal to how much God has done for us. "Jesus died for me, I will repay him with my life." Not what God wants from us... as if we could actually do that. Acts 17:24-25 says, "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. "

Let's not belittle what God has done for us by trying to repay him. The proper response is worship! Just say thank you, I mean really say thank you. That's appropriate.

So give a gift to your wife, or your mom, or your grandma, but don't forget to just say thank you, I mean really say thank you.

p.s. Please RSVP for Summit if you are attending... again Tues., May 12th, 6-7:30 pm at 711 St. Helens... dinner will be served.

NCC Summit

We are advancing as a church which means things are changing, old things need to die and new things need to come to life. In this new phase the most crucial thing is that we move forward together. As in all relationships in life, communication is the key.

To help communicate with greater clarity our vision, our values (family traits), changes that need to be made, and where we need people to step up, we are launching a new once a month event called Summit. Summit is for anyone leading, serving or would like to serve at NCC. We will have dinner together, do some training/vision casting, and build together as we move forward in seeing a church established where lives are supernaturally changed by God.

The kids room will be open for kids to watch a video or play together, but there will be no organized care. It would be great for the kids to eat together with their parents and then parents can rotate in on 20 minute intervals.

Pumped!

As many of you know, we have been looking at God's BIG Story over the last several weeks. The goal of the story telling is not only to educate on the Bible, but to also invite you to find your 'minor story' in God's 'major story'. The chronology of the Bible is: Creation - Chaos - Redemption - Re-Creation. The chronology of all our lives as Christians is the same. We truly hope and pray that you are finding your identity and purpose in 'Redemptive History'.

If you still feel like you are in the chaos stage of your story, hold on, we are coming to the Redeemer. I am so ready to talk about Jesus and how he is the fulfillment of the Law, Prophets and Psalms. He is the savior who jumps in to fulfill the covenants and to do what Israel, and we, could not do on our own. He is everything the Old Testament longed for and He is exactly what our hearts need. I just hope I don't explode from excitement before Sunday!

See you Sunday at 4 pm!

Prayer and Worship

This Sunday morning we will be gathering to worship and pray. God has given us a great vision to see lives supernaturally changed by HIM... therefore we need to ask HIM to lead us and to do what we cannot do on our own.

We will gather at 10 am at 711 St. Helens. See you all there!

Easter is Not Fair

Just over a week until Easter! This is a great opportunity to invite friends and family to church. On Easter Sunday I will be preaching on the unfairness of Easter. I often reflect on how upside down and unfair the kingdom of God is. I'm not complaining, it's just not fair. I am really looking forward to preaching this message and have been praying that God would give me lot's of people to invite to our meeting. I hope you do the same! Thanks to Waymond, we have a nice invite to hand out. There will be plenty of invites available for you to pick up on Sunday.

Another Test

Still having trouble with our email deliveries...

Delivery Issues (TEST)

For some reason a blog written last Thursday was delivered via email today. Sorry about that! Not sure why that happened, but hopefully it will be resolved soon! I hope this one goes out today, March 24!?!?!

Holy Spirit Saturday/Prayer and Worship Morning/Dwell

Big weekend for NCC!

On Saturday (March 21) we will be hosting the Alpha Holy Spirit Saturday. We will answer the questions Who is the Holy Spirit?, What does the Holy Spirit do? and How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?. All are welcome. We will begin at 9 am with some coffee and pastries and conclude at 1 pm. Lunch will be served. This will take place at 711 St. Helens Ave.

On Sunday (March 22) we will be having our monthly morning of worship and prayer. This is such an important time for us. We believe God has given us a great vision for this city, but we also know we cannot accomplish it on our own. We need Him! Join us at 10 am at 711 St. Helens Ave. as we worship our God and ask Him for a great church.

We will also continue our Dwell series with an interview of Justin Mayfield from the Tacoma Farmer's Market. We are huge fans of the Market and look forward to serving there again this summer! This will take place at our 4 pm meeting at Central Lutheran.

Easter is Coming!

Just wanted to put Easter Sunday on your radar. Sunday, April 12th is the day. As you know Easter is a chance to invite friends and families to hear about the cross and the empty tomb (aka the most important event in history!)

My friend Rick Hein recently posted this interesting piece of information. I thought it might stir us up some as we look forward to Easter Sunday!

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I find it sometimes humorous that church leaders seem to always be looking for "The Key" or the "Magic Principle" that will unlock church growth for them. Let's face it, there are no secret keys or formulas that will automatically make it all happen. This is confirmed by Chip Arn, President and CEO of Church Growth International. Arn has conducted over 50,000 interviews with people who were formerly outside of a connection with Jesus and asked them how it was they came to give their life to Jesus and get connected to a local church. Here is what his findings indicate.

• 1-2% noted that it was because a special need that arose in their life, such as a death or catastrophe.
• 2-3% said they simply decided to go to church one day.
• 1-6% said it was because they had a relationship with the pastor or someone else on the church staff.
• 1-2% said that someone knocked on their door and invited them to a church service.
• 4-5% were connected to Jesus and a local church because they got involved in some sort of Christian education (Sunday School, etc.)
• 2-3% were added as a result of some sort of church program.
• 75-90% of the people interviewed said they committed their life to Jesus and became part of a local church because a friend or relative talked to them about Jesus.

Silver Creek Fellowship's Women's Conference

Attention ladies! Silver Creek Fellowship is having their annual women's conference. The conference will be in Silverton, OR and will begin Friday, April 3 at 6 pm and will end on Saturday, April 4 at 4 pm. The fee is only $10 and housing will be provided by the church. You can register by filling out a registration form which can be found on our information table during our Sunday meeting.

The theme of the conference is "A God of all Seasons" and will focus on Paul's instruction from Titus 2. Our very own Mary Lou Weissgerber will be one of the featured speakers.

If you plan to go, please contact Malena Swarthout as she is arranging rides.

Daylight Saving Time!

Just a friendly reminder that the clocks turn forward on Sunday! See you at 4 pm (or 15 minutes early...)

This Sunday!

I just wanted to remind you all that this Sunday, March 8th we will have Stephen van Rhyn with us. Stephen is the lead elder at Jubilee Community Church in Cape Town, South Africa which is a very influential Newfrontiers church (our family of churches). We have invited quite a few friends from the area and we really feel like this time will be significant for us as a new church. Please come along and invite a friend or 2. If you could show up about 15 minutes early and park on the upper parking level that would be very helpful.

See you all there!

Two Things....

1. This Sunday, February 22nd, we will gather in the morning for a time of worship and prayer. We will meet at 711 St. Helens at 10-11:30. We worship and pray because we know that the vision God has given us cannot be accomplished without his divine power. Please come along!

2. On Sunday March 8th we will have the privilege of having Stephen van Rhyn with us. Stephen is the lead elder of Jubilee Community Church in Cape Town, South Africa. Jubilee is a great multi-cultural church that has been a big influence on their city, nation and the nations. We are inviting our friends from Church at Cedar Springs in Graham, WA to join us for that meeting. This will be a great opportunity for us to get to know them better. Please consider coming about 15 minutes earlier than you do so we can make sure we have enough chairs out. This will be an exciting time for us and I'm sure Stephen will be a big blessing to us.

Dwell Series

This Sunday we have the privilege of having Chris Spivey with us for an interview. Chris is the Executive Director of the downtown YMCA. Please come along to hear the impact the YMCA is having on our city.

*The interview will take place after worship and just before Sam continues The Story.

Love to Hear It!

I have recently had several conversations with new people at NCC who have been so pleased about how welcomed they felt in our meetings. They have expressed how great it feels to come into our meeting and not only be greeted at the door, but to connect with people over coffee before and after the meeting. I really, really appreciate you all taking the time to serve these new people!

I liken our meeting to my house. I would never just open my door and let someone come into my house without saying hi to them and offering them something to eat or drink. Moreover, I wouldn't just greet them at the door, usher them into my living room and then leave them there for hours. The church is a family and we are given gifts in each and every visitor. I can live with someone coming to our meetings and not being able to line up with us theologically, or not being able to join our mission, but for someone to come and say no one would talk to me is just unacceptable.

All that to say, thank you so much for being so hospitable in our meetings! I love this church!

Worship, Prayer and the Lord's Supper

This Sunday morning from 10 am - 11:30 am we will gather to worship, pray and share the Lord's supper. These times have proven to be extremely important for us as a church, I'm sure this time will be no different. As we press into the Bible Story, Alpha, Small Groups, and engaging the city, let's remember that we need God to move! Hope you all can make it!

We will gather at 711 St. Helens.

Childcare will be available.... parents will be asked to sign up for a 20 minute slot.

Chronological Bible Storytelling Training Audio!

The audio is available from last Saturdays training day on Chronological Bible Storytelling. I highly recommend it as it is very central to what we are doing as a church in the coming months. Also, it will benefit you as you discover how to share the story effectively.

To listen to the training click here or subscribe to the New Community Church podcast via iTunes.

This Saturday... Training Day!

As a REMINDER...

On January 10, 2009 we will be having a seminar on the value of Chronological Bible Storytelling led by Sam and Marlene Poe. If you have a desire to learn more about sharing God’s Big Salvation Story this seminar is for you.

We will be sharing on the importance of biblical storytelling in today’s world. There will also be practical instruction on the art of good storytelling. This seminar will be especially helpful for anyone who has a desire to share the Good News with those who are not yet Christians, lead a small group, work with Children or to teach and train others in God’s Word.

We will begin our first session at 10:00 am and plan to finish by 3:30 in the afternoon. We will meet at 711 St. Helens, Tacoma, WA. There is no charge for the event. Please bring a sack lunch.