The Well

What's New at NCC?

2012-02-01T11:15:00.000-08:00

On this video...

Last message in the Imago Dei series is this Sunday.
Joining the Church this Friday night at the church offices.
Special Easter Outreach Offering on Feb. 12th
New website coming!

Saving and Awkward Moment

2012-01-26T09:47:00.000-08:00

For the sake of trying to save us all from an awkward moment... Regarding the Men's Breakfast... you will need to pay for your own meal... unless you can convince the guy next to you to cover you. Hope to see you all there!

Men's Breakfast/Joining the Church

2012-01-25T09:39:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, January 28th from 7 am-8:30 am we will host our first ever Men's Breakfast at the Harvester. This is not just for NCC men, please feel free to invite your friends. We are really looking forward to gathering the men for some encouragement, friendship and food. Hope to see all the men there!

Next up is the Joining the Church night. On Friday, February 3rd from 6 pm-8 pm we will gather at the church offices at Central Lutheran Church (409 N. Tacoma Ave. Tacoma, WA 98403) to talk about who we are and where we're going. If you haven't been to a Joining the Church night yet we ask that you would consider coming. We really believe the church is a people joined together on a mission. Dinner will be served so we need to know if you're coming. Please RSVP to Michael Gray.

We would also encourage anyone who has been to a Joining the Church night and still has some questions to come along.

What's new at NCC?

2012-01-19T14:21:00.000-08:00

Hello Church,

Hope you are all surviving 'snomagedden'! All jokes aside, it is treacherous out there, please be safe. Also please don't hesitate to contact your Community Group leader if you have any needs and you can't make it out of your house. It's a great time to get out and help your neighbor shovel their sidewalk or driveway. Check in on them, let them know you care.

Some upcoming events...

Joining the Church - Friday, February 3rd at 6 pm- 8pm at our offices at Central Lutheran Church (409 N. Tacoma Ave, Tacoma, WA 98403) Please let Michael Gray know if you can make it so we know how much food to have prepared. Dinner will be served. This event is for anyone who would like to know more about NCC and how they can get involved. If you've been before and still have some questions, please feel free to come along again.

Men's Breakfast - Saturday, January 28th 7 am- 8 am We thought we had the Denny's locked down, but somehow we got bumped. No worries, we will find a new place and let you know ASAP. Great chance for the men to get together, be challenged and pray together. Great opportunity to invite a friend.

This Sunday we start a new three week series called Imago Dei. We'll essentially be talking about why you exist and what you exist for. Please prayerfully consider inviting a friend to come along. Statistics show that 75% of people would attend a church gathering at least once if a friend invited them. Give it a shot!

With Much Love For You All!

Bo Noonan

Bible Reading Plans

2011-12-30T11:31:00.000-08:00

Hey all,

Tis the season to start your Bible Reading Plan! Remember, this an opportunity to learn about how much God loves you, not to earn love from God! Here is a link to a website with several different options. Go for it!!!

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2011/12/27/bible-reading-plans-for-2012/

What's New at NCC?

2011-12-23T10:26:00.002-08:00

What

2011-12-23T10:26:00.001-08:00

2011-12-15T16:42:00.000-08:00

Hello NCC!

Hope you are all taking time out to celebrate the birth of Jesus, enjoy family and friends, and get some rest. Hopefully, you all know by now that we will be gathering at Stadium High on Christmas Eve for our first ever Candlelight Service! The musicians and others are working hard to put together an amazing night of carols and the Christmas story. We've heard there may even be a trumpeter involved! Hope you can make it and invite some friends and family to celebrate with us.

Christmas and News Years Day fall on a Sunday this year. We will not be gathering on Christmas Day as it seems cruel and unusual to have the set-up team at Stadium at 8:15 on Christmas morning. That would definitely put us on the 'naughty' list! We will move our gathering on January 1st back to an 11 am start time (9:15 for the set-up team) and finish at 12 pm.

Due to this unusual schedule, we would ask that you would consider mailing in your tithe check since we will not have the offering boxes out on Christmas Eve. We have been amazed at how God has provided for this church through you all! Well done for being so faithful! Having said that, we are in a month to month financial situation and it wouldn't be wise for us to miss a week or two of receiving an offering. Checks can be mailed to:

New Community Church
409 N. Tacoma Ave
Tacoma, WA 98403

We thank God for all of you!

Merry Christmas,

Bo, Wes and Sam

Let's Party!!!

2011-12-07T09:27:00.000-08:00

We are really excited about the upcoming Christmas Party! We will eat together, play together, celebrate together, and raise funds for McCarver Elementary! Please consider inviting friends, workmates, family, and neighbors.

Here are the details...

When: Friday, December 16th 6:30 - 8:30
Where: McCarver Elementary (2111 S. J St, Tacoma, WA 98405)

Suggested donation of $10 a person or $20 a family - All proceeds will go to McCarver Elementary.

RSVP here so we know how much food to prepare. Hope to see you all there!

Advent

2011-11-29T10:20:00.000-08:00

Sunday kicked off the advent season. We, the Noonan's, have found a fun, helpful, and yet simple Advent devotional. It's called, A Jesus Advent Celebration ... every day unwraps more of his love. We were able to download it for free from http://www.aholyexperience.com/. If you are looking for something to do with your family this Advent season, you may want to take a look at this material. Here is a sample from the first day...

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 11:1-2 (NIV)

1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD

One bite of a fruit right there in the Garden and our tree of life fell.

Our hopes all crashed to the earth and the whole planet groaned and we’ve lived our whole
lives like stumps. Cut off from God.

And then out of our fallenness, out of our cut-down tree, springs this singular fragile shoot.
It’s the only hope we’ve got.

Out of a family line of obscurity, poverty and small account, comes a King. God is in the
business of clothing the neglected and unexpected in royal robes.

And out of the last and forgotten son of Jesse, comes forth one tender branch that will grow
into a crown of thorns… a rugged cross…. our ladder back to God. Jesus will go to
impossible lengths to rescue us.

It’s out of the stump of that fallen tree, watered with the living waters that flow from His
grace, that a twig sprouts that will be the sceptre that defeats sin… and lets us grow again.

Today we begin Advent. Today we begin the season of waiting… yearning. Today we can
feel it coming already – this new life stirring.

Lord God, let there come forth out of this fallen tree New Life, and cause me to see it
today – new growth in people all around me, even in the dead of winter.

Great Christmas Gifts

2011-11-22T10:05:00.000-08:00

We are excited to announce that we are selling new t-shirts and for the first time a zip up hoodie to raise money for several different needs at NCC, McCarver Elementary and elsewhere. Please consider buying one for yourself and one for your friend, family member, office mate, your worst enemy... whoever you'd like.

Download the form and either mail it with the cash or check to 409 N. Tacoma Ave, Tacoma, WA 98403 or bring the form and the money to a Sunday gathering.

This is a great opportunity to give a nice gift as well as support a great cause!

The Gift

2011-11-15T13:27:00.000-08:00

New Community Church believes in, values and desires the person and work of the Holy Spirit. At the heart of who we are as followers of Christ is a Spirit-filled and Spirit-led people. Therefore we are committed to teaching on the Holy Spirit as well as creating environments for us to encounter His presence. Please join us on Saturday, December 3rd as we teach on and encounter the Holy Spirit.

We will be meeting at the downtown Soma building (2320 Pacific Ave - corner of Pacific and 24th in downtown Tacoma). The entrance to the building is on Commerce St. and close parking is somewhat limited so we suggest you plan to arrive early to give yourself time. Coffee will be served at 8:40, the event starts at 9:00. We will wrap up at 1:30 (lunch is included). Childcare will be provided, but we would encourage using family or other means of childcare if you have the option as it's a long day for your kids to be in a Sunday school room!

Cost: $5/adult, $7/couple. Children: Free. Please pay at the door.

For the sake of food preparation and childcare needs please RSVP here.

Exciting News!

2011-11-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

Important points and links from this video:

Saturday, Dec. 3rd from 9 am- 1 pm is The Gift - A day of teaching on the Holy Spirit. We would love for everyone to be there! Please register at ncctacoma.org so we know how much food and childcare we will need.

Saturday, Dec. 24th from 7 pm -8 pm - Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Stadium High School. Invite everyone you know!

January 13-15 in St. Louis, MO - Mobilise USA - For people 18-29 years old. Register at mobiliseusa.org (We will be contributing $100 to everyone who registers. Early Bird registration ends Nov. 15th)

Two Important Updates...

2011-10-29T10:12:00.000-07:00

1. Hello Parents! This Sunday we are starting registration forms at NCC Kids. This will be an opportunity for you to let us know your children's allergies and any preferences you have concerning our policies. We want to serve you and your kids well, and we want to follow best practice to keep you, your kids, and NCC safe.

The forms won't take long to fill out - you can pick one up as you drop your kids off and then return it when you pick them up at the end of the meeting, or you can just fill them out before or after the meeting. Thank you!

2. Starting this Sunday we will be serving coffee and snacks from 9:30 am - 9:50 am. At 9:50 am we will put the coffee and food away... don't worry, we will bring the coffee and snacks back out at 11:30 am. We love to serve food and coffee at our gatherings as it creates a great atmosphere for fellowship, but we also want to make room for others to connect with Jesus and His church. The new folks are very good at getting into the auditorium at 10 am and we believe this will help us all be there with them. Thanks!

Sam Poe Traveling to Chicago

2011-10-25T10:31:00.000-07:00

Hello NCC,

As many of you know Sam Poe travels around to many of the Newfrontiers churches in the U.S. and abroad. This week he will be traveling to Chicago to be with Destination Church, a relatively knew church plant, to lay some biblical foundations. Please pray for his time there... He has given us a few prayer points...

'On Friday I will share in a meeting with their leadership team. Saturday will be an all day seminar on prophecy along with a meeting core leadership team to lay plans toward the development of prophetic ministry in the church. On Sunday I will be preaching at their main meeting. That evening I return home. David Harrington will be joining with me there in Chicago. I especially want us to pray that God would use us to impart something of prophetic ministry and foundations to the church there.'

Thanks!

Family Fun Night at McCarver!

2011-10-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

Serving at McCarver Elementary

2011-10-13T14:34:00.000-07:00

McCarver Elementary is a school on hilltop that we've adopted and are committed to serving. Here are three ways to get involved:

1. Family Fun Nights: Spend time with McCarver families at their monthly Family Fun Nights. Volunteers would either assist teachers as they do activities with students in the classroom or help provide childcare for 2-4-year-olds. The first Family Fun night is Thursday, October 27 from 5:30-7:30 PM.

2. Filling Backpacks - Each Friday a small group goes to McCarver around 9:30AM to fill backpacks with food for the weekend. It's very easy and takes about an hour. It's a great chance to connect with other people from the church and with McCarver parents. You can do as many or as few Fridays as you want/are able to.

3. Recess Monitoring: A chance to run around with the students during recess. You could monitor the swing, the playground, or a rousing game of soccer. Pick a day of the week or several days a month you can commit to, and show up ready for fun from 11:30AM to 1:20PM.

To get involved contact Jessica Cohoe (jesscohoe@gmail.com or 253-376-6819).

Baptisms and BBQ

2011-09-23T21:46:00.001-07:00

Join us on Sunday, October 2, 6 pm, at Central Lutheran Church for BBQ and Baptisms as we celebrate what God has done among us! If you are interested in being baptized, contact Bo Noonan.

As for the BBQ, New Community will provide the meat & buns, plates, drinks, cups & utensils. We're asking everyone to bring a dish to share based on their last name: Side Dish (A-M), Dessert (N-Z).

Please RSVP to Michael Gray.

Ladies Night Out Details

2011-09-09T14:03:00.000-07:00

Come join the ladies at the Church at Cedar Springs on Friday, September 23. Take the time to get to know each other and enjoy finger foods and entertainment. The night will end with worship and prayer. Free lattes from 6:30-7 with activities from 7-9PM. Let us know on a connect card if you want to carpool to the Cedar Springs building in Graham (13314 224th St. E., Graham, WA 98338).

First Friday - Sept 9th

2011-09-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

As Summer comes to a close, not weather wise of course, there is a real sense that as a church we are entering into a new season! It was a very exciting Summer at NCC as we blessed Tacoma, saw many new people join the church, and enjoyed some good old-fashioned fellowship!

I want to strongly encourage you to come this Friday to Central Lutheran at 6 pm for First Friday. We will spend quite a bit of time talking about Community Groups and the way forward through the Fall and Winter. Not to mention, we will eat together, worship together and pray together.

Please do RSVP so we know how much food to have. Really hope to see you all there!

Volunteers Needed

2011-08-23T16:17:00.001-07:00

We are still looking for some volunteers for the upcoming events at McCarver Elementary. On Tuesday, August 30th McCarver is hosting their annual back to school night. We will be there serving ice cream to the students and families. The event starts at 5:30 pm and will run until about 7:30 pm.

On Wednesday, August 31st we will be serving lunch to the teachers of McCarver as a way of showing appreciation. We could still use a few servers for this event. We will start at 11:30 am and it will last until about 12:30 pm.

If you are available to serve either of these events please contact Jessica Cohoe.

Important Announcement from Jessica Cohoe!

2011-08-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

Please check out this video... we are starting our BIG push to collect school supplies and uniforms for McCarver Elementary. Jessica gives some great instructions on how to get involved.

Save the Date - Ladies Night

2011-08-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

The NCC ladies have been invited to a Ladies Night at The Church at Cedar Springs (Newfrontiers Church in Graham). Here are the details so far...

Ladies Nite Out with The Church at Cedar Springs

Food, Fun and Fellowship

September 23 7-9pm; 6:30-7 free lattes

Graham, Washington

Prayer for Sam Poe

2011-08-08T14:20:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Below is a prayer request from Sam Poe. He will be traveling to St. Louis this week and would really appreciate your prayers... thanks!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This coming Tuesday, August 9, I will be flying out to St. Louis, MO to join with the elders and leaders of the Newfrontiers churches in that region for three days of prayer and sharing together.

I have been asked to bring some teaching sessions on developing prophetic ministry and prophetic teams in the local churches. I will be working in team with John Lanferman and Bryan Mowrey. I want to ask you here at NCC to please pray for God’s blessing and anointing upon this time together. I feel a particular desire to serve well in this area of equipping and training among those we are walking together with.

Important News from NCC!

2011-08-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

Please email Bo Noonan if you can come to First Friday!

This Sunday!

2011-07-26T11:39:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Just a reminder that we will be in Silverton, OR for Celebration NW this weekend. We won't be gathering at Stadium High School on Sunday. Please pass the word along to anyone you know who might not know. Thanks!

Bo

What's Happening at NCC? 7/21/11

2011-07-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

Here's what's happening at NCC this week!

Included in this video...

A big thank you for all that hard work you all are doing.
Be aware of guests on Sundays.
Celebration NW invite.
Announcement about upcoming NCC Camping Trip in Belfair, WA

Prayer for Sam Poe

2011-07-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, Sam Poe travels throughout our Newfrontiers churches building them up and training them on different topics. Below is a prayer request from him. Please do be in prayer for Sam and Marlene as he goes! Thanks!

I will be in Atlanta, GA this next week, July 19-27 at Jubilee Church, one of our sister churches in Newfrontiers. The purpose of the trip is to spend the week doing training in using Chronological Bible Storying in their small groups. It is their desire to help each person coming into the church to know God’s Big Salvation Story and begin to understand the part they have to play in that story.

I want to ask for the prayer support on NCC as I go. As some of you know I had a bout with diverticulitis (an intestinal infection) this weekend and certainly feel a special need for God’s strength and help. I am going as an extension of this church and greatly appreciate how God has joined us all together in his mission.

News for July 7th, 2011

2011-07-08T11:58:00.000-07:00

On this video...
Big thank you for serving so hard and faithfully at the Carnival and the Freedom Fair!

Be aware of visitors, please try to get into the auditorium about 9:58.

Celebration! Register online at http://celebration.newfrontiersusa.org/nw-home.html

What's New? 06-29-11

2011-06-29T14:13:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Check out the video to see what's going on at NCC!

Date Night At NCC!

2011-06-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

It's Date Night for NCC Parents!

On Saturday, July 9th, the Stave's small group want NCC parents to go out on a date, and they'll watch their kids!

To serve NCC parents, the Stave's small group will be watching kids from 5:00 PM to 10:30 PM on Saturday, July 9th. There will be food, games, movies, and prizes for the kids, as parents are encouraged to drop their kids off and go out on a date!

Parents are encouraged to leave their kids with the Stave's small group for any amount of time between 5 PM and 10:30 PM, and go out on a date. Parents can have a romantic dinner alone at home, go out for a night on the town, or take a stroll and grab dessert. The choice is up to the parents! Perhaps you would like to double date with someone at church, or maybe some neighbors, or spend the evening together alone.

If you want to go out on a date and drop your kids off with the Stave's small group, simply email Brad Stave at staveb@gmail.com or call at 253.414.2691. You'll need to let him know your kids' ages and when you plan on dropping off and picking up your kids. You can also respond via NCC's Facebook page.

You may consider double dating with a couple from the church or taking the opportunity to get to know a neighbor or workmate. Have fun!!!

Kids Carnival July 2nd at Wright Park

2011-06-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

Free Kids Carnival @ Wright Park

Saturday, July 2, 10am-2pm

Start out the holiday weekend with some kids fun in the park.

Free food, games, prizes, bouncy castle, inflatable obstacle course, and more!

All Are Welcome!!!

Sponsored by New Community Church - Tacoma.
ncctacoma.org
253.365.2553

First Friday - June 24th

2011-06-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that First Friday is this Friday at 6 pm at Central Lutheran. This will be an important time of talking, training, eating, praying, worship and sharing communion. Hope you all can make it! Please do RSVP to Michael Gray if you can make it.

NCC Kids Summer Announcement

2011-06-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hello NCC Parents!

We want to tell you about our exciting plans for the summer. Starting the first Sunday in July (the 3rd), the three and four-year-olds will be staying in the main meeting for worship. They'll be dismissed with the five and six-year-olds to learn some of the parables of Jesus and do some fun activities.

We look forward to serving you and your children this summer!

-The NCC Kids Team

4th of July Weekend

2011-06-17T10:06:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Hope you've heard by now NCC's plans for the 4th of July weekend. We will host a Kids Carnival at Wright Park on July 2nd from 10 am -2 pm. We got an amazing deal on bouncy equipment and will have 4 different ones for the price we typically pay for one! Kids are going to love that! We will also have games, prizes, food and other fun stuff.

Also, we will once again be at the Freedom Fair on Ruston Way. This is an amazing opportunity for us to connect with thousands of people! We will have a booth with Solarium set up. Solarium is a relational, non confrontational way of sharing Jesus with people. We will also be handing out free water to people as they walk up and down the hill to get to Ruston Way.

Below is the training and event schedule for that week. Please contact Bo Noonan if you are interested in being a part of an evangelism team that will receive training from two guys from St. Louis who have a track record of leading lot's of people to Jesus. This team will run the booth and walk people through Solarium as well as other evangelism opportunities that God may open up. This team can have as many people as sign up!

Otherwise, contact Michael Gray if you can serve at any of the events we are doing.

Evangelism Training - Friday, July 1st 1 pm - 4pm at Central Lutheran

All Church Prayer and Worship Gathering (No Dinner) - Friday, July 1st 6:30 pm - 8 pm at Central Lutheran

Kids Carnival at Wright Park - Saturday, July 2nd 10 am - 2 pm (Need people there at 8 am to help set up)

NCC at Stadium - Sunday, July 3rd 10 am - 11:30 am

Freedom Fair - Monday, July 4th 10 am - Fireworks (We will need people there at 8 am to help set up our booth) (Water distribution will start at 11 am and go until we run out!)

Please, please consider how you can serve at these events. I also really want to encourage you to sign up for the evangelism training. If you're like me, you can always use some encouragement and training in that area!

Thanks so much!!!!

Bo Noonan

What's Happening at NCC? June 08, 2011

2011-06-08T16:37:00.000-07:00

What's Happening at NCC?

2011-05-31T15:42:00.000-07:00

We are always trying to find affective ways to communicate what's going on at NCC... So I decided I would try and send out the weekly announcements via video for a while. Hope it helps!!!

Reminder: Picnic on Sunday!

2011-05-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that we will gather immediately after the meeting at Wright Park for a picnic. Bring a lunch for you and your family, games to play and a change of clothes if you decide to go in the spray park! Hope to see you all there!!!

Church Picnic! - Sunday, May 29th

2011-05-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day weekend is quickly approaching! We want to invite you, your family, and anyone else you know to come and join us at Wright Park immediately after our Sunday gathering on Sunday, May 29th for a picnic. We will gather where we hosted the Easter Egg Hunt, next to the children's playground. If the weather is nice there is a spray park there as well for the kids... and the kids at heart.

Please bring lunch for you and your family, plates, utensils, drinks, lawn chairs or blankets, and any games you'd like to share (ie lawn darts, football, baseball gloves and ball, frisbee)

We are not aloud to put stakes in the ground or use propane grills, so best to stick with a picnic lunch.

Hopefully the weather is good, but if it's raining the hard core Tacomans can still go for it! Others may want to just go home though.

McCarver Elementary Performance

2011-05-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

There has been a change in plans for the McCarver school play. They are working with the Missoula Children's Theater to put on a production that should prove to be very entertaining. There will only be one production this Saturday (May 14) at 2 pm. We have the volunteers needed for the show so we're just asking that you consider attending the show! It will be free and family friendly. Here is a link to the school where you can find directions....

http://www.tacoma.k12.wa.us/Schools/es/Pages/McCarver.aspx

Hope you can make it!!!

Baby Dedications

2011-05-04T13:30:00.000-07:00

At NCC we truly believe that babies are a gift from God and therefore we declare our trust in Him by dedicating our babies. This Sunday, which happens to be Mother's Day, we will be having Baby Dedications. If you have not already signed up to have your baby dedicated please do so by emailing Bo Noonan. If you are not sure about this and would like to ask some questions please feel free to do so by emailing Bo as well.

The Baby Dedications will take place right after the worship (singing) time at our usual Sunday gathering at Stadium High School.

First Friday - May 6

2011-05-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that First Friday is this Friday at 6:00 pm at Central Lutheran! Hope you all can make it! First Friday is a monthly gathering where we eat, worship, pray and do some teaching on leadership. It's also a great time of looking forward to what God is leading us into. We feel that this is for EVERYONE! We encourage you to come along. Childcare will be provided and so will food, so please RSVP so we have enough. RSVP by emailing Michael Gray.

Remember all that money we raised at the Christmas Party...

2011-04-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

Below is a letter from Heather Moss, wife of the principal of McCarver Elementary School. At our annual Christmas Party we raised enough money for McCarver to host the Missoula Children's Theater. Well, the time has come for the show to begin! Please read the letter and let us know how you can help them. Email Michael Gray if you are available.

............................................................................................................................................................

The time has come! Ruby Midgette (the school music teacher), Scott and I met last week to do the final planning for MCT at McCarver. We are so excited, and the kids are already all a-buzz about auditions and the play. The residency week starts in just under 3 weeks (May 9-14), and everyone is so excited! We have you and your congregation to thank, so thank you!

On the heels of our gratitude, however, comes a request for more help (you told me to ask!)...

IF you have members who are interested in helping more with this project, here are two ideas:

We have decided it would be best to feed dinner to the kids who are staying Mon-Fri for rehearsals (3:30-8:00 each night!), so they don't have to worry about packing a meal (or going without). We are looking for volunteers to host each dinner, which will feed about 50 kids and a handful of adults. Scott is asking St. Joseph's hospital staff to do one, and I think Scott and I will buy pizza one night -- would your church be willing to host dinner for the cast one night, as well?
The MCT team does a great job of managing the kids all week during rehearsals, but they/we will need help on Saturday to set up chairs and help get the kids in costumes and makeup. Is this something you might have 2-3 people help us with?

Finally, please be sure to come to one of the Saturday performances (I think they will be at 3:00 and 5:30, but I'll confirm as we get closer). We are not selling tickets, so you can just show up, and I know the McCarver community would love to have you there! I'll send a more formal invitation soon, but be sure to put it on your calendar -- May 14!!

Looking forward to talking again soon!

-- Heather Moss

NCC Kids Announcement

2011-04-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

On Easter Sunday ALL of the NCC Kids will be in the gymnasium the whole time. The only ones affected by this change are the 5-11s. They will not be in for worship. The NCC Kids teachers have created a special program for Easter... the kids are going to love it!

A Few Needs...

2011-04-21T11:02:00.001-07:00

Well, it's all happening now! We have invited thousands to Good Friday, the Easter Egg Hunt and Easter Sunday. We have spent the week praying and asking God to do what He does best... seek and save! Please join us tonight at Central Lutheran at 6:30 pm- 7:30 pm to pray again for the upcoming events and more. (No childcare provided tonight, but children are welcome!)

The good news is the Easter Egg Hunt has created quite the buzz... we have received phone calls about it, it's been posted on several blogs and news websites and invites have been handed out! This does mean we need more helpers though! We want to make sure we have a fun and safe event... this means lot's of people to help keep order. The volunteers will gather at Wright Park at 8 am to start the set-up or organizational process. Please consider coming... no need to RSVP for it, just show up!

Thanks so much!

Easter Egg Hunt Volunteers

2011-04-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

We are so excited about serving the city with our Easter Egg Hunt at Wright Park on Saturday, April 23rd from 10 am to 11:30 am. We are hoping to have over 5,000 eggs stuffed with candy! We will also have a bouncy castle and face painting.

We will need lot's of help to pull this off... from hiding eggs, registration table, manning the bouncy castle, helping the kids with the egg hunt... and more! Please, please let us know if you are available to help. This is a great opportunity to serve the city and invite them to our Easter service.

Contact Michael Gray for more info and to volunteer.

A Few Changes for This Sunday

2011-04-09T07:06:00.000-07:00

We will be making a few 'ONE TIME' adjustments for this Sunday. The beautiful venue that is Stadium High School is in demand and tomorrow we will be sharing the venue with a gymnastics competition. They will be in the gymnasium where our kids usually gather. This Sunday only our kids work will be downstairs in classrooms. We will have people available to point you in the right direction and get you signed in.

Another change is that we will be using the entrance in the front of the building closer to N. 1st St.

And finally, we will need to be out of the venue at 12 noon. The gymnastics competition will be having an awards ceremony in the performing arts center shortly after we are finished. We are typically out of the building around 12 noon any ways, we just need to be more sensitive this Sunday.

By the way, this is the Sunday where we will be talking about sex. Again, the topic will be PG-13 but parents should be aware that this is the subject and they should feel free to lead their children accordingly.

CPR Class

2011-04-05T14:11:00.000-07:00

NCC is offering a CPR class Saturday April 16th from 9 to noon at Central Lutheran. There is no cost and child care will not be provided. This is open to everyone (parents, babysitters, concerned citizens, etc...) but we would especially like to see you there if you are a Sunday school teacher and have not already received the training. If you have any questions please email Wes Swarthout. Hope to see you there!

We Need Eggs!

2011-03-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

Easter is coming! Now, I know that you know that Easter is not about bunnies and eggs, but do they know that? We are going to take the opportunity to invite the city to a Easter Egg Hunt at Wright Park on Saturday, April 23rd. This will be an excellent chance for us to provide some family fun for the city as well as invite them to our Easter gathering... where we'll let them in on the secret that Easter is not about bunnies and eggs.

We have already received over 2,000 plastic eggs for the event! Thank you all so much! We are hoping to have at least 5,000 eggs for the hunt. We also are asking for pre-wrapped candy to put inside the eggs. (For sanitation reasons we can't have non-wrapped candy) Please consider purchasing some eggs and candy for this amazing opportunity to serve the city!

Here are some websites that sell plastic eggs for next to nothing...

Oriental Trading

US Toy

If you know a better place, go for it! For candy, hard to beat Costco. Thanks!

A Response to Sunday

2011-03-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Church,

I wanted to take a moment to comment on Sunday's gathering. I was pleased to see so many new faces, loved how the worship team lead us, and was surprised by my emotional response to the situation in the Middle-East.

I have spoken often about this family that has moved to a nation that has never had a Christian church in it's entire history. They are in great danger, but like Daniel in the den of lions they are perhaps in the safest place on earth, God's will.

This family has been shocked at the injustices toward women in this nation, especially toward the single mom's who have moved from Somalia to this nation to find work. These women have no voice, no advocate, no intercessor, and most likely never will unless someone steps outside of cultural boundaries and does something. Culturally they are the least of the least and are treated that way.

This is the part that killed me on Sunday, they don't have anyone to help care for their children while they go to work. Therefore, they tie their children together while they head out to work. A little while back the nation had flash floods and many of the children who were tied together drowned.

While trying to communicate this on Sunday a wave of emotions came over me that I have rarely experienced. I was more surprised than anyone that I was overcome like that. However, it was genuine and I pray that we would respond accordingly.

We are asking that you consider donating some money to this family who has rented a home for many of these refugee women and their children. They are hoping to rent another home soon. The children will be cared for in this home and the women will be treated with dignity. Another area of financial need is that this family had to quickly leave the country as civil war has broken out. They saw and heard gun fire and mortar fire. By God's grace they were able to get all their children and team out on time. If you've ever had to by a last minute plane ticket, you know it's not cheap. Money will go to them as well to help cover costs and hopefully also get them back into that nation.

We are a part of God's global Church, woven together for His renown. I love that so many of you carry that in your hearts as a reality. Let's be a part of extending God's Kingdom of justice, peace, righteousness and love to the dark corners of the earth. Will you help?

Thanks for being a great church!

Bo Noonan

Alpha!

2011-03-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

Why do we do Alpha?

The Alpha Course is a basic introduction to the Christian faith that has been attended by over 11 million people world wide. The reason we do it here at NCC is that it's a great fit to the vision we have as a church. Our vision is to establish church(es) where people's lives are supernaturally changed by God. Alpha provides an excellent environment for people to hear about Jesus, ask questions about Jesus, and have their lives changed by Jesus.

We really want to encourage all of you who haven't taken the Alpha Course to sign up for the Spring session. The Course is extremely helpful for those who wouldn't call themselves a Christian and for those who may have been a Christian for 20 years.

The Alpha Course is being held at the YMCA Morgan Family Branch on Pearl St. You DO NOT have to be a YMCA member to attend the Alpha Course. Childcare is provided for members and non-members for a small fee. Just check in at the information desk at the main entrance.

Dessert will be served, followed by a short talk, and then a time of discussion where no questions are off limits.

Please consider signing up for the Alpha Course! It begins Wednesday, March 23rd at 6:30 pm.

A Few Thoughts on This Sunday

2011-03-18T17:51:00.001-07:00

We are very excited about this new series we are embarking on this Sunday. The topic should prove to live up to the series name: A Series of Uncomfortable Subjects, first up, hell. Some things to consider...

1. Prayerfully consider who you can invite. In my personal experience, every time I ask God to lead me to someone to invite, He does. He wants to build His church and He wants to use you and I. Exciting stuff!

2. Be on time. Here's why. Most visitors are at least on time if not 10 minutes early. They are concerned about finding parking and not sticking out by walking in late. Your role in this is to do the same. Come ready to say hi to someone new, sign your kids in if you have any, have a cup of coffee, and then find your way into the auditorium by 10 am at the latest. We are committed to starting on time and it's a little awkward when we start with hand full of people, mostly visitors, sitting in the auditorium. The visitors get really nervous at that point and begin to wonder if they're it!

3. Find a seat in the lower level and toward the middle of the aisle. This way late people don't have to climb over you to find a seat. It helps to sit close to others, you know, that whole 'they will know we are Christians by our love for one another' thing. We are fully aware that new people may want to sit by themselves and try and figure this whole thing out. One thing we would love them to see is how much love is in the place!

I love this church! Really looking forward to gathering to the Risen Savior with all of you! See you then!

Parent Resource

2011-03-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you all know that the March NCC Kids resource is available for parents. Visit the NCC Kids site to download the resource.

Small Groups!

2011-03-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce the launch of SIX small group tracks starting the week of March 28th! Please click this link and sign up asap! Some of the groups have a max number of participants, so don't wait.

If you haven't been a part of the Alpha Course yet I want to encourage you to check it out. Alpha provides an opportunity for you to hear exactly what we believe at NCC and an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have. Topics include Who is Jesus?, Why Did Jesus Die?, Who is the Holy Spirit?, How Can I be Filled With the Holy Spirit? and many more... It will be hosted at the YMCA Morgan Family Branch. Childcare is available for ages 6 months to 6 years for a small fee.

I can't tell you how important these small groups are for us as we move forward! These groups are open to all NCCers as well as anyone you may know who is wondering about God and the church. Please consider inviting your friends to engage with you in a small group track.

A Series of Uncomfortable Subjects

2011-03-10T14:15:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to announce that on Sunday, March 20th we will embark on a new four part series entitled A Series of Uncomfortable Subjects. The goal of this series is to talk about four subjects that are often considered controversial and, well, uncomfortable, and apply the gospel to each one. I am really looking forward to bringing a biblical perspective to each of the following:

1. Hell (March 20th)
2. Money (March 27th)
3. Politics (April 3rd)
4. Sex* (April 10th)

Be assured that we are gearing all of these messages to unbelievers as well as believers. This is a great opportunity to invite workmates, friends, neighbors, and family. Although there may be some shocking things mentioned about these subjects, the goal is never to just shock people, rather to bring them to a place of worship of Jesus. That's our prayer!

*As far as the sex talk goes... I will keep it PG-13 and encourage parents of children who attend the meeting to use wisdom and discernment on whether or not their child should be in that meeting. The talk will be about God's creation and the gift of sex within the context of marriage. I will do my best to debunk cultural lies about sex and to keep before people a healthy biblical model for sex. I do think this is a very important issue in our culture and that the church cannot stay silent on it. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Joint Meeting/Baptism/BBQ

2011-03-02T11:53:00.000-08:00

This Sunday we will NOT be gathering at Stadium High School, instead we will be at Central Lutheran at 4pm for a joint meeting with Cedar Springs (Graham), Baptism and a BBQ! Not to mention, Terry Virgo will be preaching!!! What a privilege. Please consider inviting a friend along.

If you would like to be baptized or would like more information about baptism, please email Bo.

We will have our usual NCC Kids program available for all age groups.

We will be in the main sanctuary, please enter through the main entrance on Tacoma Ave.

NCC Kids Resource (Attention Parents)

2011-02-25T15:08:00.000-08:00

There is a new resource available to you online! Visit the New Community Church website to view the class topics, lesson plans, memory verses, themes, and questions to reinforce what your children are learning on Sunday at home. The website will be updated monthly for all the age groups above the nursery.

On the NCC website click kids or go to http://www.ncctacoma.org/kids.php and then click on the link for the resources for the current month.

We hope this serves you and gives you an opportunity to train your children to love God.

THANK YOU!

2011-02-24T10:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Church,

I wanted to take a minute to express my gratitude to all of you. You all have been so impressive in this season of transition! Your hard work, combined with smiles and laughter, have served us as we have successfully moved into Stadium High School. I know there are always a few kinks to work out, but overall, we are ready to increase our presence and to extend the kingdom of God in Tacoma! Well done!!!!

A few practical things we can do as we move forward.

1. Please consider sitting on the bottom level. Our hope is that the bottom level would be 70% full before we start to sit in the upper level. The ushers will help with that 70% thing! This seems like a small thing, but it shows the visitors that we are together as a people and not just individuals scattered in a big venue.

2. Please also consider sitting toward the middle of the row. As visitors and others come late it's uncomfortable for them to skooch pass people to find a seat. So of course they don't... they just go sit on the outside of an unoccupied row. Again, our visitors have all the rights when they come... including where they want to sit. We would ask that our NCCers would serve them by sitting toward the middle.

Now, I certainly understand that moms with little ones want to sit up top for more space. Totally fine! These are not hard rules, just another opportunity for us to welcome new people and show the city we are a people reconciled to God and to each other.

Again, thanks so much for your hard work and prayers as we move forward. These are extremely exciting times. These are also extremely important times as we play our role in fulfilling the Great Commission!

For Him,

Bo

RCM Conference and More

2011-02-24T10:29:00.000-08:00

We are very excited about the upcoming Reformed Charismatic Missional Conference on March 4-5. I know some have volunteered to serve at the conference, which is great, but also wanted to encourage some of you to just attend. The information presented will be challenging and uplifting! For more information and to register please click here.

Please also note that we won't be meeting at Stadium High on Sunday, March 6th. We will be at Central Lutheran at 4 pm to worship, receive teaching from Terry Virgo, baptize people and eat. We will be joined by Cedar Springs Church from Graham, WA. This should prove to be a fantastic time... feel free to invite whomever you'd like!

McCarver Family Fun Night!

2011-02-18T09:47:00.001-08:00

Thursday Feb 24th: McCarver Elementary needs volunteers for there Family Fun Night! They are serving dinner and will need helpers to set up, serve food, clean up ect. They are looking for a group of NCCers to help out from 6 - 8:30pm. This is a great way to serve one of the poorest schools in Tacoma and to show a bunch of kids (and adults) what the church is about. The first 8 people to sign up will be in! Please email info@ncctacoma.org if you want to come along.

Map to Stadium

2011-01-26T09:49:00.000-08:00

Well, one more week at Central Lutheran! I found Aaron Scott's word about God being our dwelling place to be so helpful! We find life, meaning, mission, hope and security in God, not in a building or a meeting. So here we go...

Joining the Church -Thursday, January 27th, 6 pm at Central Lutheran If you haven't checked out a Joining the Church night we highly recommend it. Attending doesn't mean you've signed you life away, just come and hear our heart and ask any questions you might have. Also, dinner is served so please RSVP to me.

Sunday, January 30th at Central Lutheran at 4 pm - Our last Sunday gathering at Central Lutheran. I will be preaching from John 6 on Jesus walking on water.

Friday, February 4th at 6 pm at Central Lutheran - First Friday - Come for dinner, leadership training, prayer and worship! Might be our most important one yet!

Sunday, February 6th at Stadium High School at 10 am - This is an open house... we will set up the kids rooms and the stage for worship, then gather for worship and prayer. You are welcome to come at 8:30 am to help the process if you'd like. Again, not a great Sunday to invite your friends too, however if they really want to come, then so be it!

Super Bowl Party! - Central Lutheran at 3:30 pm - Bring your best chile, meatballs, dip, etc... We will have a big potluck party. NCC will provide drinks and plates and utensils. If you are looking for comfort, feel free to bring your couch!

Sunday, February 13, 20, 27 - Gathering at Stadium High School at 10 am. We will continue to work through the Gospel of John.

March 4-5 Reformed, Charismatic, Missional Conference at Central Lutheran (in the main sanctuary).

Sunday, March 6th at 4pm - Joint Meeting with Cedar Springs (Newfrontiers Church in Graham) Terry Virgo will be preaching, baptisms and BBQ! If you'd like to be baptized, or know more about what that means, please contact me. At this point, Stadium High School has informed us that the Performing Arts Center is not available for us that morning, so this will be our only meeting that Sunday.

Sunday, March 13th at Stadium at 10 am - Start a new series, either called A Series of Uncomfortable Subjects or The Elephant in the Room, not sure yet. Rest assured, it will be gnarly. Stuff like, Sex, Money, Religion, Politics, you know... This is a great chance to invite any and all! Please be in prayer, asking the Spirit to lead you to people to invite to this series.

I am praying for each one of you in this transition. May we move forward together with courage and faith!

With Love,

Bo Noonan

First Friday!

2011-01-05T20:33:00.000-08:00

It's that time again! First Friday is this Friday, January 7th at 6 pm. It will be a great time to eat together, pray together, worship together, and grow in leadership together. Please be there!

We need to know if you are coming so we can have enough food. Email Michael Gray if you can make it!

This is one of the most exciting times in our young church's history. Our prayer is that move forward together!

Read the Bible in 2011

2010-12-30T15:35:00.000-08:00

It's hard to put into words the value of the Bible. The best advice I can give you when it comes to the Bible is... read it. Here is a link to a plan that will help you read the Bible in a year. I like this plan as it gives room for that occasional day off. Give it a shot, you won't regret it!

http://www.navpress.com/uploadedFiles/15074%20BRP.dj.pdf

Happy New Year!

Christmas Party

2010-12-11T19:59:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to purchase a ticket for the NCC Christmas Party on Saturday, December 18th! You can purchase the ticket this Sunday at our gathering, or by contacting the office. We are asking for a minimum donation of $10 per ticket. Kids are free! The evening will consist of live music, games, an impromptu Christmas pageant (you just may be the lead!), and a wonderful dinner. All proceeds from the evening will go to McCarver Elementary School. The party is open to everyone, so invite your friends, neighbors, family and workmates!

We will start at 6 pm and end about 8 pm. Even if you can't make it, please consider making a donation.

Frist Friday! - Part 2

2010-11-30T13:59:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited about the upcoming First Friday which is this Friday, December 3rd at 6 pm. Lee Yarborough will be with us. He's been pioneering and leading for decades in Mexico and beyond. He will share his wisdom on what it takes to be a leader in the church, and beyond. Please consider coming along!

Dinner will be served right at 6 pm. Childcare will be available.

We will gather at Central Lutheran in the Fireside Room (the one that is usually off limits, just past the bathrooms on the basement level).

For food sake, please RSVP by emailing me.

Christmas Shopping?

2010-11-12T09:12:00.001-08:00

There is a new feature to our website... an online store! We have loaded it up with recommended books and albums. We hope that your find these resources helpful and encouraging.

There is another aspect to this online store though. The store is made possible by a program that Amazon.com provides. Everything you purchase through our store is actually purchased through Amazon.com. You get their same low prices and shipping rates... and .... NCC gets a small percentage of the sale. Basically, Amazon.com sees us as an advertisement for them and therefore compensates us accordingly. We are essentially just recommending some resources for you.

Here's the even cooler deal! If you enter into Amazon.com through our website, but decide to move from purchasing a helpful book on marriage and decide to buy a 56 inch flat screen TV, we still get the compensation! As long as you enter into Amazon.com through our website we get credit for it.

So if you plan on doing some Christmas shopping through Amazon.com, why not enter through our site and support the mission?

First Friday!

2010-11-02T15:59:00.000-07:00

I can't express how excited I am about the upcoming First Friday which is this Friday night at Central Lutheran 6pm. The bottom line is we have a leadership crisis in our culture. We see this in church, but it's not isolated to just church. It's found in households, cities, the workplace, and in our nation. First Fridays serves as an opportunity for us to come and eat, worship, pray and talk about what it means for us to be leaders. All are welcome, as all are called to lead! We want to feed you and need to know how many of you are coming so please RSVP be emailing me.

Joining the Church

2010-10-21T15:01:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night is Joining the Church! We will gather at Central Lutheran at 6 pm to eat, hear about the church, and give you a chance to ask any question you want to ask. If you haven't been yet to a Joining the Church night, please consider coming. Childcare is available.

Please email me if you can make it... we want to make sure we have enough food!

Exciting NCC Kids News!

2010-10-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

What’s New at NCC Kids??

We are excited to announce that our kids’ program here at NCC is expanding to accommodate the steady growth we have seen over the recent months. It has been amazing to see all that God is doing in the lives of our kids! We look forward to watching them grow into all that God has created them to be.

As of Sunday, October 17^th, there are a few changes that will take place regarding the age groups and sign up process. We will now have four age groups which are: Nursery 0-2, Preschool 3-4, Lower elementary 5-6, and Upper elementary 7-12. Each group will be identified by the colors red, orange, yellow, and green, respectively.

The sign up process will be as follows: Nursery (Red) and Preschool (Orange) will have the sign up sheets in their classrooms upstairs. Parents will be able to sign in and drop off their kids in their rooms by 3:45 each Sunday. After the meeting, parents will need to sign their kids out as they pick them up. Our elementary groups (Yellow and Green) will be signed in downstairs at the table in the back of the auditorium. Both groups will remain downstairs for our time of worship and then will be taken upstairs to their classrooms by theirs respective teachers. Parents will then need to pick them up and sign them out upstairs at the end of the meeting.

We believe that these new groups and small changes in the sign in/out process will improve our program and make it easier for parents and teachers. Our goal is to keep making NCC Kids a place where parents, teachers, and kids can work together for the common goal of seeing lives supernaturally changed by God.

Huge thanks to all our volunteers who make all this possible. We truly appreciate all our teachers who have volunteered their time and energy to be a blessing in the lives of everyone at NCC Kids. Thanks for all your hard work!!

Wes and Malena Swarthout

NCC Kids Coordinators

Read2Me at McCarver Elementary

2010-10-07T10:16:00.000-07:00

McCarver is looking for people who like kids and like to read. No prepartation is needed for these sessions. Just come ready to read with a child.... Here are the opportunities...

McCarver:

Wednesday

9:30 – 10:15 Smith 3^rd grade

10:45 – 11:30 Miller 2^nd grade (session full)

1:25- 2:10 Sasaki 1^st grade

2:30 – 3:15 Kahn 2^nd grade

Thursday

10:45 – 11:30 Murphy 1^st grade

1:25 – 2:10 Hogan 3^rd grade

2:30 – 3:15 Nelson 2^nd grade

Friday

10:45 – 11:30 Thomas 1^st grade

If you are interested in serving in this way, please contact me.

BBQ/Baptisms/Joint Church Meeting

2010-10-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

Join us this Sunday (October 10) at 4 pm as we celebrate what God has done among us! We will be gathering for worship, a short time of teaching, baptisms and BBQ! If you are interested in being baptized, contact Bo Noonan.

We also have the privilege of the Church at Cedar Springs (Graham) joining us for the service. Let's show them our hospitality. Here are some ways you can help:

New Community will provide the meat & buns, plates, drinks, cups & utensils. We're asking everyone to bring a dish based on their last name: Dessert (A-M), Side Dish (N-Z).

We could also use some help in setting up before and serving during the meal.

Questions or interested in serving? Contact Michael Gray

Opportunities to Serve at McCarver Elementary!

2010-09-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

Hello NCC,

Thanks for taking an interest in serving McCarver Elementary School. We,the FYT (Frontier Year Team), have been there regularly for the past month, interacting with children who, despite lack of resources, have all been happy, lively and kind hearted. The fact that some of these children go home to impoverished or difficult homes, yet put on brave smiles at school, really makes us want to serve them more!

If you are looking for ways to volunteer, please see the opportunities below:

In October classes will begin after school for children to study and catch up on homework. The lady in charge of these, Nicole, is looking for volunteers from 4-5:30 pm to come to the school and help tutor .

The school is also in need of adults to monitor recess. Recesses run in half hour increments from 11:30 am-1:30 pm, outdoors when the weather is fine. Caleb and Matt have been enjoying themselves greatly playing soccer with the young lads, while Karissa has been supervising playground equipment.

More opportunities will soon be opened! If you want to serve the school and, through McCarver, reach the city of Tacoma please contact us!

The FYT, Caleb, Matt and Karissa

Celebration at McCarver!

2010-09-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

McCarver Elementary School Reunion

Page Content

Barbecue celebrating McCarver’s past and its future, as led by the Zina Linnik Project, will be held Sept. 25 from noon to 3 p.m.

City of Tacoma’s Alisa O’Hanlon said the construction of Zina Linnik Park brought about a coalition involving Tacoma Public Schools, Metro Parks, Tacoma City Council, Washington state legislature, local business leaders, university students and community leaders.

“Those of us who were part of McCarver ‘back in the day’ know how special and unique it was. We see the same extraordinary experience for students in the Zina Linnik Project,” said O’Hanlon.

Current and former McCarver teachers and students, their families and community members are invited to share old memories, tour the school and learn more about the Zina Linnik project. For more information, contact O’Hanlon at 253-591-5310.

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NCCers, it would be great to have a representation there. This is a great opportunity to see the school, network with others who love the school, and look for more opportunities for us to serve. Hope you can make it!

Technical Problem - SG Sign Ups

2010-09-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

In our attempts to advance in technology we have realized a glitch in our on-line sign up option. If you have signed up for a small group track online and you did not fill in every option (name, phone number, email) then you are actually not on the list. The system will not just process name only. So sorry for this inconvenience, but if you registered online and you think you didn't fill out all the blanks, please register again. There is no harm in double registering... so better safe than sorry.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Week of Prayer!

2010-09-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

We are very excited for this upcoming week of prayer. From Tuesday, September 21 to Sunday, September 26 we will have regular times of prayer together. I want to challenge you to come to at least one of the gatherings. We certainly don't expect that all of you will make it to all the gatherings (although don't let that stop you!), but we also know that it's good for us to come before God together as His people and to seek His kingdom. We will spend time worshiping Jesus, asking for breakthrough in certain areas, asking for His blessing on this city, and for cities beyond. In fact, on Sunday we are joining with people from all over the world to pray for Zimbabwe! We will have videos from church leaders in Zimbabwe, statistics, and hear their plan to see a nation restored.

Here is the schedule for the week....

Tues: 6:30-7:30 am and 6:00-7:00 pm at Central Lutheran
Wed: 6:00-7:00 pm at Central Lutheran
Thurs: 6:00-7:00 pm at Central Lutheran (WOMEN ONLY)
Fri: 6:30-7:30 am and 6:00-7:00 pm at Central Lutheran
Sat: No planned gatherings
Sun: 4:00 pm at Central Lutheran

Calling All Artists!

2010-09-10T13:58:00.000-07:00

Calling all artists! If you like to paint, draw, doodle, or etch-a-sketch, we need your help. We will be starting a new series walking through the Gospel of John and would like to feature your artwork for our sermon series.

Here's your assignment:
Step 1: Read through the Gospel of John.
Step 2: Look for a passage that stands out to you (it could be from the opening, narratives, healing encounters, Jesus' promise of the Holy Spirit, His prayer for unity, wherever).
Step 3: Create some art for that passage.
Step 4: Digitize it. (scan it, take a high-quality picture, etc.)
Step 5: Send it to us (info@ncctacoma.org) along with a description of your work including the passage that inspired it.

We'd like to have these by October 1.

Follow the Church in Zezi, Zimbabwe

2010-09-09T09:11:00.000-07:00

Marlene Poe just sent me a link that I wanted to share with all of you. There is a blog that updates and informs about the happenings with Crossroads Community Church in Kezi, Zimbabwe. This is the church that Sam and Marlene (and all of us) have been helping to plant there. Click on the link and become a follower of the blog!

Crossroads Community Church Blog

Also, if you would like to receive emails on how you can specifically pray for Sam and Marlene as they return to Zimbabwe email Wes Swarthout.

Small Group Registration!

2010-09-08T14:45:00.001-07:00

At New Community Church we absolutely love and value small groups! We are really excited about the five small group tracks being launched the week of September 27-October 1. Please follow the link below to learn more about the small group tracks being offered this fall and to REGISTER! Yes, that's right, we are offering online registration. If you registered on Sunday you DO NOT have to re-register online. If you can't remember if you did or didn't, just register online.

Also, if you missed Sunday's meeting, the message was on the importance of small groups. Please listen in on the audio for some inspiration!

To Register:
http://www.ncctacoma.org/smallgroups.php

To Listen to the Message:
http://www.ncctacoma.org/media.php

Update On McCarver Elementary

2010-09-02T09:35:00.000-07:00

We are off to a great start with McCarver Elementary. I can't tell you how impressed I've been with those who have served with such joyful hearts! Thank you so much! I know many of you have been praying and please continue to pray. Today is their first day of school!!!

Tuesday night's Back-To-School Ice Cream social went great. The staff were so grateful for our involvement in distributing uniforms and serving ice cream. In years past, the teachers were required to rotate into the uniform room and serve ice cream, which took them away from connecting with their new students and families/guardians. We had way more people than we needed for the job, but it sent a message to the school that we are all in!

By going to the community, we were able to collect a ton of school supplies and uniforms! It was a great return on taking a stroll down your streets and knocking on a few doors! The staff felt very confident that the supplies would be enough for a long time.

On Wednesday, a group of NCCers went over to McCarver to serve the teachers and staff lunch. This was their last planning day before the students returned and we felt it would be nice to let them know we were standing with them. Alexander Goeting made pulled pork, which was unreal, and we served chicken and salad as well. Each teacher received a business card from us with an encouragement to call us if they need anything.

We found out something very interesting while we were there. There is a group of teachers who have gathered before school to pray for the school. I couldn't help but feel that we were one answer to their prayers. I also can't help but wonder what God is up to!? So exciting.

Next week the three Year Teamers, Karissa, Matt and Caleb, will meet with the guidance counselor and find ways to serve on a regular basis. Please know though that this is not reserved to the Year Team. If you have time to tutor, monitor a recess, help with lunch, or whatever, please let us know!

So proud to serve with such a wonderful group of people! Thank you so much!

Want to Go to Zimbabwe?

2010-08-31T09:40:00.000-07:00

Newfrontiers-USA churches are putting together a team of people who have a heart to serve cross-culturally and we're sending them to serve alongside the churches in Zimbabwe. For more information please visit this site. If you are interested in going, please contact Bo Noonan.

Audio from the Marriage Course...

2010-08-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

Is now available...

http://bit.ly/d2EQJj

What is All This Apostolic Talk?

2010-08-18T13:40:00.001-07:00

In a recent interview, Terry Virgo explains the difference between being 'missional' and 'apostolic'. You may have heard us say that New Community Church is a part of an apostolic movement called Newfrontiers. This may help bring some clarity.

Terry Virgo: "Apostolic" vs. "Missional" from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Our Big Announcement!

2010-08-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

I am so grateful to be serving with such a wonderful group of people here at New Community Church. Your response to the following announcement on Sunday was phenomenal!

In case you missed it, here it is...

Last Spring two of our Small Groups used their outreach day to serve McCarver Elementary School on Hilltop. The school was incredibly grateful. In fact, the principal later mentioned to Jeff and Natalie Eckart that he wished a church would 'adopt' them! Who are we to say no!?!?!

So, starting this school year, we are adopting McCarver Elementary.

The demographic that makes up McCarver's district is the poorest in the state of Washington. The overwhelming majority of students do not live with both parents, and many live without either parent. Some come from shelters or even the streets. Needless to say, they don't have the funds for school supplies or the required school uniform.

We will essentially become the PTA. Making sure the kids have their uniforms, shoes, belts, jackets, and school supplies. This week our small groups will be dropping off grocery bags around their neighborhoods asking them to fill them with school supplies and uniforms. Some are going to their places of employment and asking them for donations as well.

On August 31 we will attend the back to school night and scoop ice cream so the teachers can be available to the students and parents/guardians.

Throughout the year we will be serving the teachers and students in various ways. We hope to tutor students, help organize recesses, support the teachers, and much more.

I am ecstatic about this as our heart is to bless this city! Thanks again for your eager response! Please do pray for resources to be released and for workers to step forward.

Don't Take Sam's Word For It!

2010-08-12T11:59:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love the most about being a part of New Community Church is our involvement in Zimbabwe! I know many of you have heard from Sam and Marlene Poe on their involvemnt, but check out this video interview of Mbonisi Malaba. Let's keep praying for the churches in Zimbabwe and particularly the church plant we are involved in in Kezi, Zimbabwe.

I particularly love Mbonisi's (aka Bones) explanation of the Sovereignty of God!

Interview with Mbonisi Malaba from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Marriage Restored

2010-08-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

I recently mentioned to a friend of mine that we were hosting John and Linda Lanferman's marriage course. He told me that they had done the course a few years back in his church. He then told me about a couple that attended the course who were on the brink of divorce. They said they had a loveless marriage and there was no hope. They went to the course with no expectation other than to feel worse about their marriage. God had other plans.

During the course God began to soften their hearts toward each other. John and Linda encouraged people who were struggling in their marriage to engage in a seven week process that has couples really work through issues together. At the end of this seven week process the couple didn't only agree not to get divorced, but they now have a love filled marriage.

If you haven't signed up yet, please consider doing so by emailing Michael Gray or visiting the facebook page. Please also consider bringing friends along who you know could benefit from this.

Looking forward to seeing you all on Friday night at 6:30 pm!

Marriage Course

2010-07-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

I want to strongly urge that all married couples or soon to be married couples attend this Marriage Course by John and Linda Lanferman. Whether your marriage needs help, encouragement, or just a refresher, this course is for you. John and Linda Lanferman do a fantastic job of communicating the mysteries, trials, joys and reality of marriage. You will find them to be very funny, very honest, and very helfpul. If we're honest, all of our marriages need at least encouragement.

Reports show that over 50% of first time marriages end in divorce. Unfortunately, the statistics for Christian marriages is the same. We need to protect and nurture our marriages as they exists to show how Jesus relates to the Church.

The course begins Friday, August 13th at 6:30 pm at Central Lutheran Church. (409 N. Tacoma Ave, Tacoma, WA 98402) Below is the full schedule. The cost is $10 per couple.

Please RSVP here...

Baptisms and BBQ

2010-07-25T13:32:00.000-07:00

Join us next Sunday (August 1) at 4 pm as we celebrate what God has done among us! We will be gathering for a worship, a short time of teaching, baptisms and a BBQ! If you are interested in being baptized, contact Bo Noonan.

Following the gathering, we're going to have a BBQ in the parking lot. New Community will provide the meat & buns, plates, cups & utensils. We're asking everyone to bring a dish based on their last name: side dish (A-G), salad (H-P), or dessert (Q-Z).

Questions? Contact Michael Gray

Reformed and Charismatic?

2010-07-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this video of Terry Virgo talking about being a biblically based charismatic movement.

Terry Virgo: Being Reformed and Charismatic from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Celebration Northwest!

2010-07-06T10:18:00.000-07:00

I am so grateful to be a part of a global family of churches! One of the things I love about Newfrontiers is that we are a movement of churches, not just church leaders. One expression of this is when we come together for Celebration Northwest at George Fox University in Newberg, OR. The eight Newfrontiers churches in the Northwest will come together August 6-8 to receive teaching, worship together, play together, eat together, and advance the mission together. We at NCC are so committed to this event that we will be closing down our usual Sunday gathering on August 8th.

We really want all of you to come to Celebration NW. We have put aside money to assist or to pay for people to go, so don't let money be an issue. If you do need final assistance, please do contact me ASAP and register before July 11th before the price goes up.

Here is a link to a video for recent Celebration MIDWEST Conference. This will give you a taste of what we're in for!

One final thought... You may want to take Friday, August 6th off work and leave Tacoma early as traffic around Portland get's nasty around 4 pm. It will make your day that much more pleasant!

Upcoming Events! Please Mark Your Calendars!

2010-06-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

We have an exciting week ahead! So much going on at New Community Church. Not only do Small Groups start, but we have the Transformation Team arriving!

Thursday, July 1

The Transformation Team arrives...

Friday, July 2

-The Transformation Team will be in training at Central Lutheran from 9 am to 5 pm.

-Prayer meeting at 6-7 pm at Central Lutheran

Saturday, July 3

-Free Family Carnival at Wright Park - 10 am - 2 pm (invite all your friends!)Bouncy castle, hot dogs, games, prizes, magic, and more...

-Joint Worship Gathering with Church at Cedar Springs (click for directions) in Graham - 5:30-8:30 (We will be BBQing, there will be child care and fun for the kids, worship and preaching from Jeff Gates)

Sunday, July 4

-Freedom Fair on Ruston Way - 10am-10pm (if you'd like to watch the fireworks with people in the church meet a the NCC booth at 7:30 pm)

-No Sunday Meeting at Central Lutheran (the church has left the building!)

You are all invited to be apart of as much of this as you want. We really encourage you to come out to Graham and meet new friends, eat and worship with the Church at Cedar Springs.

Please also pray that we would see lives supernaturally changed as we engage the city with the gospel.

Feel free to contact me with any questions or if you'd like to volunteer for anything we're doing.

A Few Things...

2010-06-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

1. There will not a be a prayer meeting this Friday night. (June 25th) A lot of people will be away at the camping trip.

2. If you haven't returned your Joining the Church response card yet please bring it on Sunday. You can just put it in the offering box.

3. If you have any questions about the Holy Spirit please feel free to email me and I will do my best to answer them on Sunday, via email, or one on one.

Thanks!

Small Group Registration

2010-06-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

This Sunday we will be announcing our Summer Small Group Tracks! You will also have a chance to register for one. The main themes of the summer are having fun and gathering people. Each group will exist to build community through BBQ's, hikes, fun in the park, kickball, etc... And to invite friends, family and neighbors into a 'non-churchy' environment. Please come on Sunday to hear more!!!

Also, don't forget prayer on Friday night from 6 pm-7 pm. David and Clare Andrews will be with us from Brighton, England. It will be a great chance to hear from them about what God has put in their hearts and for us to pray for them. We will gather at Central Lutheran.

Wild Goose Chase

2010-06-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

Mark Batterson writes, "Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit–An Geadh-Glas, or ‘the Wild Goose.’ The name hints at mystery." This coming Sunday, June 13th, we will embark on the chase. We will preach a series on the Holy Spirit called the Wild Goose Chase and together pursue the mystery of God's Holy Spirit indwelling in mere human beings.

The series will begin with a broad scope of God's presence with His people throughout history and what that means for us now and will end with narrowing in on the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to believers to equip them for the mission we have been called to.

I know this series will bring up quite a few questions, hence the mystery, and I will do my best to answer them each week. I encourage you to write down your questions on your connect cards and before each sermon I will try my best to address them. (No worries, you will remain anonymous.) If I can't get to them on a Sunday, I will respond to them via email or in person. If I plan on covering that question in a sermon I will let you know which sermon it will be covered in.

Our desire at NCC is to NOT pay lip service to the Holy Spirit, but to acknowledge, pursue and delight in the person of the Holy Spirit. I want to invite you to come with open hearts as we unpack the scriptures and chase the goose!

Perhaps you have a friend that would be interested in this series. Please invite them along!

Please Read!

2010-05-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

I wanted to follow up my Sunday message with a few thoughts on Joining the Church.

1. We are asking for all of you to come Thursday, June 3rd at 6:30 pm at Central Lutheran. We don't want to assume anything... if you were one of the original 8 adults on the church planting team or you came for the first time last week, we would like for you to be there. I know many of you have served and loved the church so well and we're not diminishing what you've done at all, we just want to take another step forward and call people to once again declare their commitment to NCC. Please RSVP to me so we can make sure we have enough food for everyone!

If you can't make it that night but want to state your intention please let me know.

2. We plan on running a Joining the Church night four times a year from here on out. We will have the booklets available for people who come and want to know more about who we are and how they can get involved.

3. By attending the night you are not necessarily stating your intentions to join NCC. The night will consist of dinner, a short time of clarification on our distinctive's as a local church, and hopefully a sufficient question and answer time. We would ask that you read the booklet before the evening and write down any questions you may have. We will then give you a chance to respond by filling out a card. We hope that your hearts are joined to what we are doing, but if not, no worries, we would love for you to continue to attend NCC gatherings or perhaps we can help you find a church that better suits you.

If you did not pick up a manual on Sunday night and would like one sooner than this coming Sunday, please email me and I will send you an electronic copy. If you didn't hear the message from Sunday you may find it helpful to listen to that as well.

Please do prayerfully consider coming along on Thursday, June 3rd at 6:30 pm (Central Lutheran)! Hope to see you all there.

On His Mission,

Bo Noonan

Pray and Eat!

2010-05-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

Husbands, your wife going to the Women's Conference? Come and pray at 6pm at Central Lutheran. Bring the kids. We'll eat pizza after the prayer meeting!

NCC Camping Trip

2010-05-12T11:03:00.000-07:00

The NCC Summer Camping Trip will be June 25-27 at Kopachuck State Park (in rural Gig Harbor). This year we will have a group site that is more private than previous years. Once again the cost will be very low and will prove to be a great time of hanging out and getting to know each other. More details will be released soon, but please do save the date!

Impact the World Around You and Beyond

2010-05-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

The third element of making/becoming a disciple of Jesus is impacting the world around you and beyond. The Bible is clear that God's plan of redemption includes all that he created. He has commissioned us to make disciples of all nations, all people groups, and history as we know it culminates in a new heaven and a new earth. Jesus isn't kidding when he said, "I am making everything new!"(Revelation 21:5)

He is uniting the nations as one new race on the earth, many different languages, many different colors, but all raised to life in Christ Jesus! A forgiven and commissioned people! With our chains held high, we march on the world proclaiming the best news an ear could hear. All disciples of Jesus are called to make an impact on the world around them and beyond.

In the diagram below, you see that all societies on the earth have these domains. When trying to sort out where we should start this mission we can become overwhelmed. Engaging in these domains simplifies how we do this. You may be a teacher, a nurse, or a banker, all of which, in reality, are mission fields. This puts a new perspective on Monday mornings.

We no longer have to just punch in and punch out, rather we live as a missionary (def. one sent with authority) to our domains. Sure we want to live that way in our neighborhoods as well, but the beauty of the domain you work in is that people all over the world are working in that same domain. This gives you an opportunity to have a global impact! Currently, some of the most effective kingdom proclaimers are not 'traditional missionaries', rather businessmen, ambassadors, teachers, and doctors. They have a lot easier access to nations that 'missionaries' might not have. They also relate to people a lot easier as they engage them in their domain. Then as life happens, the opportunities come to demonstrate and proclaim the kingdom of God.

When you engage in disciple making, make it clear that they weren't saved for themselves, rather for God's global mission! Train them to clearly communicate God's redemptive plan (see our podcast for a series called The Story). Practice communicating grace and mercy. The more confident you are in communicating something, the more likely you will actually spit it out when opportunity arises... and trust me, the opportunity will always arise. All humans are wired to try to figure out meaning.

Let's go for it! What if we were a church that made disciples?

Transformation Teams

2010-05-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

This summer you all have a great opportunity to serve other Newfrontiers churches in the US! Transformation Teams are being formed now to serve churches in Chicago, St. Louis, and Joplin, MO.... not to mention Tacoma! If you are interested in joining one of these teams check out this link.

As far as the team coming to Tacoma goes....

We will need people to house the out of town team members.
We will need help with the outreach we are doing (especially at the Freedom Fair!)

Please consider giving your time and resources to serving one of these churches!

http://newfrontiersusa.org/cms/transformationteams

Transparent Connections with Other Christians

2010-04-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

The second element of becoming/making disciples of Jesus that I mentioned on Sunday was Transparent Connections with Other Christians. This is rooted in the 'life on life' discipleship model.

The model we've often adopted in the West is the knowledge on knowledge model. Some one lectures, or recommends a book then expects that information to transform the listener. Not exactly the Jesus model. Jesus simply said come and follow me, not come to a one hour lecture. He withheld nothing from his disciples, living life in front of them and with them.

I often think of the time Jesus was sought out by his mom and brothers. They were trying to get him out of the public eye as they thought he was out of his mind. The disciples had a front row seat to this interaction. The rawness of a son interacting with his mom and brothers. How did he handle their accusations? How did he respond without being angry or disrespectful? This would have been difficult to cover in a lecture.

This is life on life. This is a messy, messy model, however it's highly effective. Just look at the results Jesus got.

Remember, Jesus had a method to sharing life...

He had 1 - John

He had 3 - John, Peter and James

He had the 12

He had the 70

And He had the masses

I find this to be so helpful. Who do I give my time and energy to? Who do I open up to? Who holds me accountable and who do I hold accountable? Who is really speaking into my life? i.e. my marriage, how I'm doing as a dad, my relationship with Jesus, my finances, my influence on people outside the church Who do I go to when I need encouragement and prayer?

Who is your 1? Your 3? Your 12? Your 70? Your masses?

I highly recommend that you figure this out and begin to live life on life with these people. I don't know what is more difficult to hear, that someone is really struggling, or that no one new this person was really struggling. I often hear this when divorce is on the table. "We had no idea they were struggling." The Gospel is that we have been reconciled to God and to each other. (Ephesians 2:16) We have been made new, not only that, but have been added to a new race of people. We all have the same story, creation - chaos - redemption - new creation. Shame and guilt have no hold on us. There is therefore now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.(Romans 8:1) We can be honest, we can speak freely with each other out of love.

I mentioned in the previous post that there is power in asking questions. This is how we get to know each other. We need to get over our western privacy issues and ask the hard questions and... answer the hard questions. There is too much at stake. The 1, 3, 12, 70, masses model helps us in this. We don't have to air our laundry to all, just to those who really care, those who can really help.

I pray New Community Church is full of transparent relationships!

More on Making Disciples...

2010-04-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

I hope Sunday's message on What if We Made Disciples? was inspiring, but I know it may have left some questions unanswered. I want to follow up that message with a series of posts that I hope fill in some gaps. Feel free to comment on each post and I will do my best to answer any questions you may have.

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The three crucial elements of discipleship are: 1) Interactive Relationship with God, 2) Transparent Connections with other Disciples (Christians), and 3) Impact the World Around You and Beyond. I'll post on each one separately.

Interactive Relationship With God

Becoming a disciple of Jesus and making a disciple of Jesus is first and foremost about Jesus becoming our Savior, Lord and the thing we treasure more than anything else in this life. In the Old Testament one of the ways God revealed himself was as El Shaddai, which can be translated, God the Enough. Is Jesus enough? This is a great question to ask ourselves and those we are discipling into Jesus.

Jesus doesn't become ultimate in our lives just through intellectual ascent. We can study the Scriptures and find his value, but we must also experience it in our lives. We must, as the Psalmist implores us to do, "taste and see that the Lord is good." (Psalm 34:8) I love this invitation!

How do we get to this place?

1) God's Holy Bible -

The Bible is the primary authority in our lives. It is everything we need to know about God, but certainly not everything there is to know about God. It shows the proven track record of God with His people. It shows us that God is the great Sovereign, the great King of all. It clearly lays out who we are in Christ. It tells us of the character and the attributes of God. The Bible is the history of redemption. It is totally God-breathed and all scriptures are useful for our lives.

But if we're honest, there are some portions of scripture that are difficult to understand. Below are some helpful tools to help us understand the scriptures. Remember, the primary lens that we must read the Bible through is God's plan of redemption. It is the central theme of the Bible. Everything in the Old Testament is a spotlight that shines toward a redeemer and everything in the New Testament shows us that Redeemer and the implication this Redeemer has on us. Teach people to love this gift. Teach people to hear God through His word, and to apply it to their lives. As they do, they will taste and see that He is good and enter into this interactive relationship with Him.

Helpful tools -

A Good Study Bible - NIV Study Bible or ESV Study Bible

A Good Reading Plan - Click here for multiple options, I really like this one (it has a plan if you fall behind a little)

Other Resources - How to Read the Bible For All it's Worth and New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition (There are a ton of other resources out there, these are very helpful for all to have on their bookshelves though.)

2) Through your life -

Paul simply says, 'imitate me'. 2 Corinthians 3 talks about us being letters of recommendations! We 'recommend' this new covenant of grace. As you shine with the glory of the Lord you lead people into worship and an interactive relationship with God. Be open about how you relate to God and what that looks like. This is how I pray, this is what my personal times of worship are like, this is what I do in the corporate times of worship, this is how I listen to God. Your life will demonstrate how to have an interactive relationship with God.

Then ask lot's and lot's of questions. Asking questions demonstrates that you care and are interested in that person. It will also help you gauge where that person is in this interactive relationship with God. I find it very peculiar when I meet with someone who wants to be 'discipled' and they never ask questions. It makes me wonder if they really want my input, or if their hiding something, or they want to prove to me how much they know. Both parties need to be open and honest about everything. This is life on life. This is Jesus' model of discipleship.

Jesus was a great question asker and the disciples asked Jesus some great questions too (and some dumb ones, which is helpful!). This is how we value people and train people.

Your life will show people how to have an interactive relationship with God. Like the Psalmist, we can invite people to taste and see that the Lord is good... through our lives. Does your life say Jesus is enough?

3) Worship, Worship, Worship!

Worship literally means to 'shape-worth' in something. It helps put everything in perspective. We need to discipline ourselves to worship in all situations. Worship puts everything in the right perspective. It was David's worship and understanding of God that killed Goliath. He knew who God was and he knew how God felt about His people... and then he acted on it.

Worship is not only for the tough times though. In the good times worship helps us to not grow self-righteous. We continue to ascribe worth to God, the maker of Heaven and Earth at all times. Worship is our primary calling as Christians. One day missions will end, but worship will never cease. As we declare the awesomeness of God in our lives, we really begin to taste and see!

One way to do this is to buy worship CD's, turn the volume up so you can't hear yourself sing, and let it rip. I mean really go for it. Know that God loves it when we come to him with nothing in our hands, without fear, without insecurity, but as His kids. Some people talk about having 'quiet times' with God... that's okay sometimes, but what about 'loud times' with God?

Finally, remember we are all in process. The grace of God is sufficient in all times. Walk through life with people. One sure way to lose a person is to run way ahead of them, they'll stop trying to keep up! We wouldn't teach kids to dunk a basketball before we teach them how to dribble, pass and make a lay up. Lay the foundation of grace in the person so they know where they stand before God and how they got into that place. Otherwise, we can easily lead people in legalism and striving. Enjoy the process of growing together!