Who's Your Legacy PAL Connection?

There has been a growing desire at AC3 to partner with and encourage families to grow and walk out their faith in Biblical community. But how?

Wendy Fahrney, a fellow AC3'r, has felt the nudge to be part of the answer. She's been wanting to do something that can help connect, encourage and grow AC3 families; young and old. Something that requires a minimal time commitment, is easy and focused. Something with a 'Secret Pal' element in it to keep it engaging and fun. Something like Legacy P.A.L. Connections 2016!

Legacy PAL Connections was born out of a desire to help nurture a  growing culture of PRAYER for the next generation in an ALLIANCE of adults, parents and youth who want to LIVE OUT their legacy of faith together.

There are a couple different ways to get plugged into Legacy PAL Connections 2016:

1. Become a Legacy PAL. (PAL Info Flyer) Legacy PALs are individuals who care about the next generation and come in many different shapes and sizes.  Some PALs may be young adults, while others are older. They may be single, while others are married. Even high school students who want to pray for, encourage and surprise a younger child at AC3 may be a Legacy PAL.

2. Nominate your child to have a Legacy PAL. (PAL Info Flyer) At the following link, you will find an easy and fun application form to fill out with the child. It will help your Legacy PAL to get to know your child and your family better so they can personalize their letters.  Please complete and turn applications in at the Kreek Kids Check-In Desk promptly and no later than March 31st. PALs will be assigned on a first come, first serve basis starting in March.

Imagine the impact a Legacy PAL might have on each child by praying for them regularly.

Imagine the curiosity and wonder a child might feel as they envision who their Legacy PAL might be.

Imagine warming the hearts of AC3 families and creating rich soil where the seeds of friendship can grow in biblical community at AC3.

Imagine you,  yes YOU, being an agent of change by saying yes to the nudge God may be giving you:)

If you would like to join us in this venture, be sure to download your application. The plan is to launch our Legacy PAL by April 1st, 2016.

Legacy PAL Coordinator: Wendy Fahrney 425-761-1021
Kreek Kids Director: Twila Crain 360-659-7335 EXT. 202
Youth Directors: B&B Crain 425-231-2364
Graphics used by Permission Kellie Ade: http://jumpseatpixie.blogspot.com/

Accepting the Challenge...Part 1

by Guest Blogger: Jaime Dodds

350 brunch attendees...50 children...20 childcare volunteers...320 mason jars...wood and burlap all over the place...months of prep. The AC3 20th anniversary celebration that took place in December was a major undertaking, and I felt called to accept the challenge after attending AC3 for fewer than five months. I enjoy event planning, but it had never been on this large a scale, and for a group of people that I was so unfamiliar with.

Why did I decide to take on this project on when I wasn’t even super familiar with the church?  What did I get myself into?  I really hope that I do not fail or let anyone down. These were all thoughts that went through my mind numerous times. I prayed for clarity and for the event to go as smooth as possible. And while there were a couple of little snags, they were so minor that unless you knew what the original plan for something was, you would never know it was not something in the vision.  

A month has passed, and I consider the banquet to be a major success. I had a few team members that helped in huge ways and to whom I am so thankful. We were able to take a middle school gym and disguise it enough that we could focus on the celebration and not the basketball hoops above our heads. And what a celebration it was!

The banquet consisted of many ideas coming together to not only celebrate the church in a way that had not been done before, but also to glorify God in a way that is not seen very often because of the scale of the event. Everything from food to decorations was planned deliberately with the theme of nature, sustainability, and authenticity that AC3 strives towards every day.  Burlap and brown paper covered the tables to give a rustic feel.  Mason jars were wrapped in burlap and twine, with ribbon thrown in to give some color. Bins of fresh cut holly and fir were brought it as accents for floating candles. All of the plates, cups, and flatware were compostable in order to keep the banquet as environmentally responsible as possible. Included in our delicious brunch were dairy-free and gluten-free options to appeal to those with dietary needs and restrictions. Every detail was thought out and planned for.  I tend to overthink scenarios, and while there were a couple of things that came up that nobody had thought of, we were able to work as a team and quickly take care of any little issues that arose. 

 We were able to have fun and rejoice in AC3 and how God has used our church to change so many lives over 20 years.  Along with our regular attendees, there were banquet attendees that came from out of town.  There were also those who grew up at AC3 and no longer attend, but who still love AC3 and wanted to celebrate its successes.  It was like a reunion and anniversary party rolled into one! I can only imagine the joy that God had that day over his children coming together in honor of a church that has touched so many lives and is still going strong after 20 years. 

Twenty years is nothing to scoff at. From a church that was a handful of a people worshiping in a living room, to 200-300 people on any given weekend, it is a huge achievement that deserved to be honored. And while we were at a different building--which happened to be one of the first meeting sites of AC3--the banquet had the same feel of one of our “normal” weekend services. There was music, and a message delivered by Rick, a video put together by Nate Crain, and a drama.  The theme happened to be perseverance this time--where we have come from the past 20 years, and what we hope to do in the next 20 years--and what an amazing message it was.  This time, it was just done on a slightly larger scale. 

Thankful For...

By Guest Blogger: Jaime Dodds

Thankful For...

In October of 2010, my family made its way across the country from Virginia to our new home in Marysville.  It is a completely different world from the area where I grew up and I was completely out of my element. It used to be hosting dinners and elaborate kids’ birthday parties and having all of my family around for help, support, and the spur of the moment visit. We moved to an area where we did not know anyone and some of the neighbors literally turned their backs to us when we tried to introduce ourselves.  It was a shock to my system to say the least.

Things just kind of drifted along.  I made a couple of friends in the area but had another shock to my system when I was diagnosed with MS on August 1, 2012. All of the sudden, my life was filled with frequent medical appointments and I had to learn how to give myself injections to which I had horrible reactions.  Not my idea of fun, let me tell you!  I had one local friend during this time who was wonderful and would do anything that she could to help with all the crazy schedule planning.  Being military, she moved in 2013, and again I was in a state of upheaval.

My health took a turn in 2013 and I ended up in the hospital for a couple of days because of a bad MS exacerbation. I did not think that I was actually going to leave the hospital and the stress of not having a local support system just made the situation feel worse. I did a lot of praying and crying during that period of about 6 months where things were at their worst. I still skated along spiritually; believing, but not really having a church experience where I felt as if the Bible was actually being lived.

Last year, after a family complication, Chad and I decided that it was time.  Time to hunt down a church that would give us what needed to become closer to God. Google was the way we went. Looked at a few different options and AC3 was at the top of our list. We figured we would go to a few different churches until we found one the fit. So one weekend in October of 2014, we walked through the doors of AC3 and we have never looked back.

I am not one to get involved if I do not know people. I am painfully shy and pretty awkward. I have never liked speaking in front of people. It takes me a little while to be comfortable in front of people to even talk with them. I like to hang out in the background and not draw attention to myself. But something happened when I walked through those front doors of the church. I can only assume that God was trying to tell me that this is where I belong and it is a safe place because I took a huge leap out of my comfort zone. I have no other way to explain it. I jumped right in helping wherever I could and meeting people left and right. I am leading a team, am in charge of the church’s library, helping in the nursery and Creek Espresso, and was approached over the summer by Jamie Williamson to co-lead a mom’s support group. These are not things that I would have willingly taken on for an organization before walking into AC3. I definitely feel as if God is working through me after showing me that this is a safe place to work within.

My entire family has found a community, the likes of which we have never had before. People genuinely care about one another. When someone asks you if they can help with something, they mean it. This church community is definitely an extended family that can count on one another for support, whether it be a shoulder to cry on, help with a project around the house, meals for families going through a hard time...It does not matter what is needed, there is someone in this community that will help out, even if they are someone you haven’t had the opportunity to meet, yet.

The church community of AC3 not only acts like a family when it is a time of expressed need, but they act like a family because that is how they are. They take the need for a Christ-centered village seriously and do so because that is who they truly are. My family was invited to have Thanksgiving dinner with another church family month or so ago. Yes, it is known that we do not have any blood relatives near, but we also had not mentioned anything about it only being the five of us for Thanksgiving. To receive that invitation was a huge honor and means more to our family than that family will ever know. So when I sit down this year at Thanksgiving dinner, I will be thanking God for this amazing community that we were delivered to a little over a year ago. This community that has become family to us and has blessed us in so many ways. Thank you, AC3 family for being an amazing example of what a Christ-centered community is supposed to be.

Who are the Monsters in Your Life?

Monsters. We all have them. Monsters that steal our joy. Monsters that rob us of peace of mind. Monsters that lie and say, "You can't do that." "What you do doesn't matter." "You can't make a difference so don't even try." "You don't deserve it." "No one really cares anyway." "What makes you think you can succeed this time?" What Monster is whispering in your ears these days?

During our first ever Market Mentorship Project (MMP) Celebration Brunch, we ate, we laughed, we remembered, we cared for and we shared in the celebration of each individual's success. This was a time to celebrate and to encourage one another, to drive stakes securely in the ground so that when we lose our footing, we have something to grab and hold on to, keeping us moving forward and in the right direction.

As our celebration came to a close (just a few weeks before Halloween), it seemed like the perfect opportunity to ask them, "Who are the monsters that knock on their door, whisper in their ears and asks if they can come in and stay a while?"

Is it the 'Monster' of negative self talk? The one that tells you that you can't change,  you don't deserve it and even if you do take positive steps forward, no one cares so don't bother." This monster talks to us daily. Even the most positive individuals I know deal with the 'Monster of the Mind' on a daily basis.

Or will it be the 'Monster' of greed that deceives them? Encouraging them to get 'more stuff' and then they will be truly happy. Although this monster can be convincing, the accumulation of stuff only weighs one down. Individuals, rich and poor, may have lots of stuff but 'more stuff' never makes one happy. These days I do my best to make choices in light of eternity. Building relationships always trump doing tasks or getting more stuff. To quote Francis Chan, “Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.” Seeds of Grace recently said goodbye to a dearly loved client and a retired volunteer reminding us that it's relationships that matter! Choose this day to do things in 'light of eternity' and you will not be disappointed.

And last but not least, would it be the 'Monster' of pride that will hold them back from achieving their God-given dreams? The pride monster says, "I can do it all on my own. I don't need anyone's help. I don't have time to pursue God or the plans he has for me Jeremiah 29:11. I am doing just fine thank you. I can handle life on my own."  But we celebrated and took pride in a job well done that day because this team of mentees completed this project as a team, not on their own and each one did so to the best of their ability. But when all is said and done, will the 'Monster' of pride take over and demand that they do life solo, without God and without those who care and expect them to live life to the best of their ability?

Although the monsters of negative self talk, greed and deceptive pride can be a very real distraction in life, we don't have to fear their demands when we walk in Truth. 2 Timothy 1:7 We can be ready when we see them sneaking around us, ready to devour who we are now and what God wants us to one day become. 1 Peter 5:8

Over the years, a few of my friends and acquaintances may think that I 'do' good things to earn brownie points with God, to get to heaven or that I 'do' things out of fear of God. But nothing can be farther from the truth. I DO things out of a love for God, who first loved us, and what he has DONE for us on the cross. John 3:16-17

HE>I,
Twila

2 Timothy 1:7 - For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Creek Espresso: This is Where I Belong

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others,

faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms."

1 Peter 4:10

Hello AC3! My Name is Stephanie Moddison. For those of you who don't know me, I'm the manager of Creek Espresso, the coffee bar in our lobby. 

My husband, Nate and I. 

I started coming to AC3 back in January 2013. We were just “checking out churches,” and AC3 happened to be the first one on the list. After a month of coming to weekend services, we were hooked. It felt right. It felt like this was the church for us. A church where we felt welcomed, regardless of our story.

Only a few months later, we started getting the urge to serve. But where? I was a very pregnant full time Café Manager and District Trainer at Barnes & Noble (with a horrendous commute). How would I possibly have time to serve? I’m too busy. I’m too tired. Maybe after I have the baby. I was full of excuses.

Fast forward to October 2013.

My husband started serving at AC3 by drumming once a month with the worship team. It made him so happy to be using his talents to serve the Lord and our church community.

I started asking myself, where do I belong?

After the New Year, we were so upset to find out that the C-Bar had closed. We reached out to find out what happened and if the lobby coffee bar would still be open. After finding out that the lobby coffee bar needed help, God was tapping me on the shoulder. This is where you’re gifted. This is where you can serve.

Is this where I belong?

I went to my first BAM (Business as Mission) meeting in February, and felt my calling. The lobby coffee bar needed help, and needed the gifts I have received to serve others. But I was hesitant. Even though I had recently become a stay at home mom, I still questioned the time commitment. I have an 8 month old. How would I possibly have time to serve AND sleep?

So I prayed.

I helped out with training and inventory for a few months while Jared handled the financial side of things. I wasn't “all in,” but I felt that I was serving just enough for what our family could handle at the time.

I kept praying. 

Please Lord; show me the path you want me to follow, I feel connected to this church. Connected to this coffee bar. I want to help. I want to belong to something meaningful. I want to serve YOU!

So He led me.

Things got easier. Systems were put in place. We made lots of changes to make the coffee bar more profitable for our Community Center. I was ready to be “all in!”

I took over full operations of the newly named Creek Espresso in September after feeling God answering my prayers. God is so good. The story of this transition is truly wonderful.

This is where I belong, Creek Espresso is my way of administering God’s grace.

Every week I look forward to what we can do to make Creek Espresso more successful. Every week I look forward to working with our amazing volunteers, who bring so much joy to this endeavor. And every week I thank God for His guidance and motivation to get me to where I am now.

So I will ask… where do you belong? Are you feeling the call to serve? Listen to that call, because the gifts you have received CAN make a difference. The gifts you have received have been given to you for a reason.

How can you administer God’s grace?

Creek Espresso is located in the lobby at Allen Creek Community Church.

Hours of operation:
Saturday 5:30pm-8pm (closed during service) & Sunday 8:30am-12pm.
We are always accepting new volunteers. If you're interested, stop by when we are open or email smoddison@gmail.com.

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