Together In Mission

February 1, 2022

By Phil Rushton
Lead Pastor

While away on study leave last week I heard an inspiring sermon based on the story of Paul’s shipwreck in Acts 27. Danielle Strickland explored how Paul’s experience of being shipwrecked en route to Rome speaks into our current cultural moment right now. Paul’s plans were dramatically disrupted. He thought he could make a significant impact for Christ by heading to the center of power in Rome. Instead, his ship was destroyed and he ended up on washing ashore on the island of Malta.

What is notable in this story is how God is still at work in the disruption. God calls Paul to speak a word of hope to his fellow shipmates saying, “Keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.” Though the ship was lost, the people were spared. While on the boat there is also a powerful moment that draws on language of the Lord’s Supper. In the middle of the storm it says Paul, “took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves.” Paul and his companions experience provision in the storm. Finally, when Paul lands on the shore of Malta, God uses him to minister to and heal people on the island.

Strickland used this story to speak hope into the disruptions and detours we have faced over the past couple of years. This has been long season of disruption and adaptation to difficult circumstances. Some of the “ships” we have relied on or trusted in have been broken down. Yet, this story challenges us to have eyes to see where God is working in the disruption. I invite you to reflect on where you have seen God at work over these past two years. Where have you seen signs of God’s salvation even in times of loss? Where have there been signs of God’s provision and presence in the storm? Where are their opportunities for ministry in the places we currently find ourselves?

The hope of this dramatic story is that God can work in the disruptions and detours. While it is appropriate to lament the loss of our various ships or the disruptions to our plans, we are also invited to see how God’s kingdom is emerging in and around us in the storm.

In this edition of Together In Mission, we have a chance to pause and notice some of the things God is doing in our midst. Steven Shetterly shares an update on how God has brought together an unexpected coalition of people to welcome refugees in the midst of the disruption of the fall of Afghanistan. Pastor Jeff, shares with us an update about how we are continuing to disciple our teenagers in this upcoming season.

As we continue to navigate a season that has been marked by instability and loss, I pray that we might have eyes to see the ways that God is at work in our midst.

By Jeff Grosskopf
Youth Pastor

Here at Bellingham Covenant Church, we believe strongly in giving our students hands-on experiences with their faith. This looks like weekly community gatherings, service projects, retreats, and summer trips. Our summer trips are intended to get us out of the building and into new environments—places where we can experience our relationship with Christ in new and unexpected ways. We currently have a 3-year rotation for our summer trips:

Year 1- UNITE (Denominational Event) (Summer 2022)
Year 2- In-Country Service Experience (Summer 2023)
Year 3- International/Multicultural Service Trip (Summer 2024)

The overall purpose of each summer trip is to explore with students how Christ is working throughout our world—and to invite them to join this redemptive work. This summer (2022) is our UNITE WEST trip!

WHAT IS UNITE WEST?

Unite West is a gathering of Covenant High School groups from across the west coast and Alaska for worship, connection and fun!
12 days and nights of fun, worship and friendships
Evening sessions with dynamic worship and powerful speakers
Morning sessions with strong teaching leading into personal and small group times
Afternoon activities such as sports tournaments, swimming, seminars, and more
We’ll sleep and eat in Biola University Dorms

THEME: BROADCAST THE GOSPEL

Jesus came to earth with a message. The message of a new and better Kingdom that would be free to anyone who believed in Him. His message was broadcast in many ways – conversations with his friends, sermons to the crowds, and miracles healing the hurting. Jesus also proclaimed His message through stories – tales with hidden meanings and deeper application to life. Jesus’ parables tell us so much about who He is and life in His kingdom. When we hear Jesus’ stories, we are forever changed. Our lives are given purpose, meaning and a mission. Changed lives become a BROADCAST about him to the world.

Be on the lookout for more information on how you can support our students and leaders as the prepare for this trip!

Unite West Information

By Steven Shetterly
Director of Local and Global Outreach

Steven, BCC’s Director of Local and Global Outreach, finished his time on staff with our church at the end of January. He is now working full time as Resettlement Manager for a new branch office of World Relief, a Christian refugee resettlement agency which recently began receiving arrivals of Afghan evacuees in Bellingham. Here is an excerpt from World Relief’s latest newsletter (find more information and sign up to receive the World Relief newsletter on their website.)

He was so close. One of our expected arrivals had made it as far as SeaTac and there he stopped. His journey from Kabul through Qatar and Germany, enduring a weeks-long wait on a military base in the desert southwest--he had made it as far as SeaTac, a 30-minute flight from Bellingham, and he got stuck. What was falling as a cold rain in Seattle had turned into a major snowstorm in Bellingham, and this young man’s midnight arrival had been delayed, delayed and finally cancelled. By 2:00 in the morning I had contacted all the different parties involved, informed them of the delay, negotiated for meal vouchers for this traveler with no cash, no credit and no English, and had settled in for a short night of sleep at my office (slim chances of making it safely home with the snow still falling and drifting).

Refugee resettlement, it turns out, has its surprises. It has twists, turns, delays, cancellations and storms. It is not an easy, linear path from Point A to Point B when dealing with a multitude of governmental and nongovernmental agencies while trying to assist human beings who are fleeing for their lives in the middle of a global pandemic. These first several weeks of resettlement—opening months early in order to help with the massive refugee crisis facing our country—have felt very much like a monster storm. And yet even the biggest storms come to an end, and in the midst of it all there are moments of beauty: In this case, I have been especially humbled to see the effort of the community to welcome our new arrivals. Volunteers spending hours getting housing set up, buying groceries, cooking meals, helping our new neighbors figure out city buses and get enrolled in government services. Donors sending gift cards to local grocery stores, offering to help pay refugees’ rent, passing along very nice used vehicles to us, buying textbooks and beds and car seats from our Amazon Wish List. Neighbors calling or emailing to ask how they can assist with the family who just moved in next door, school officials working overtime to make arrangements for kids to start classes.

World Relief in Whatcom County has now welcomed 23 individuals since the beginning of December, and has started them on their path toward self-sufficiency and new life. Nothing about it has been easy; everything about it has been worthwhile. I’ve been so proud of our community and so encouraged by this rollout, despite the bumps in the road and the inevitable chaos of opening our doors in a storm. Our stranded traveler did eventually make it to Bellingham—weary from the extra time spent waiting, but happy to be here nonetheless. He was reunited with his brother, and they’ve begun English classes and are making connections in the community, riding the bus, playing soccer, asking when they can start work.

As this current storm abates and things calm down to a more manageable level of crazy, I can do nothing more than offer my thanks to all of you for the roles you have already played or will yet play in this story. It’s a beautiful thing that is happening, and you have made a tremendous impact in many lives.

New Members Class

Saturday Feb 5, 9-11:30 a.m
RSVP to phil@bellinghamcov.org
Childcare Available

Vespers: Contemplative Evening Worship

Sunday Feb 6, 6:30-7:15

Kid's Creation Care Play Day

Saturday Feb 26, 10-11:30 a.m.
RSVP to megan@bellinghamcov.org

Annual Meeting

Sunday Feb 27
Following Morning Worship

Lent Groups: A Six Week Spiritual Formation Journey

Starts Sunday March 6
Watch for Sign-ups

TOGETHER IN MISSION

January 1, 2022

By Pastor Phil
Lead Pastor

“After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it." Luke 2:43

Well, friends, the festivities are coming to an end for us as well. Christmas is over, the New Year has arrived, and this week many of us get back to work or school. We return to the regular rhythms of life. In the midst of this transition, I wonder if we have a tendency to leave Jesus behind as well?

I’ve noticed an interesting dynamic that seems to take place between Christmas Day and New Years Day. At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of a savior. We tell a story about our need for God’s intervention in our lives. God is our peace, our joy, and our hope! On New Year's day, however, we tend to become self-reliant again. We test out the capacity of our will power. We set goals, start diets, plan to get in shape, decide to read through the entire Bible, only to fall back into our bad habits by February 1.

I came across an article in the New York Times that cites a study saying 95% of New Year's resolutions are broken by February. The writer makes this concluding statement, “Studies suggest, then, that willpower is a limited resource.”

Now don’t get me wrong. I believe in setting goals. As the old adage goes, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time!” Goals and plans can direct us in helpful ways. But I wonder if we struggle with our attempt to grow because we are relying on a limited resource. I wonder if we struggle because we have a tendency to leave Jesus behind.

Like Mary and Joseph sometimes we can simply go along with the crowd. Sometimes Jesus gets lost simply because we allow the rhythms of our busy world to set the agenda. Instead of approaching life with the question, “Who is Jesus calling me to be?,” we begin with the question, “What do I have to get done?” And suddenly the demands of everyday life build up and crowd out our deeper calling.

This week we begin a new year. We step out into the unknown full of hope and longing. But before we embark on this journey of 2022 let's begin by asking some deeper questions. Where is Jesus? How can I abide with Christ so that he can shape and form me into the person I long to become? What is he calling me to attend to in this new year?

This winter we are going to be asking some of these fundamental questions about who we are and what God is calling us to attend to. Starting on January 9 we are going to begin a new teaching series that looks at the core affirmations of our life together in the Covenant Church. My hope is that this reflection on our foundational beliefs and values will help us recenter our life together around who God is and what we are called to.

On a personal level and a corporate level my hope for us is this — as we begin 2022 let's not leave Jesus behind!

By Megan Mattix
Children’s Director

This year's Christmas play was a team effort! BCC families, Julie Rushton and myself were able to pull something together that I think the kids were proud of. My hope and prayer was that the kids would enjoy the story and the mystery of Christmas as they told the story themselves. Our kids were honored to have a chance to help lead the church in worship that Sunday. Thank you for being wonderfully kind participants.

Special thank you to Julie Rushton for providing the script and so much directorial and behind the scenes help.

Special thanks also to Jeff G for helping the kids sound their best and make sure everything translated (and looked) well!

Thank you to Ben Taylor and Christine Keiper for sharing your musical gifts with the kids. They had so much fun singing with you!

Thank you also to Kristin Chatelain, Geneyem Barrett, and Justin Mattix for helping lead our little ones during the play.

I appreciate you all! Enjoy these photos from that special day...

By Marvin & Dotty Marston

Dotty Jean and I have been going to Mazatlán Mexico with VISTA (dental and vision) for several years since retiring from dentistry and nursing. VISTA MISSIONS grew out of Seattle Christian High School’s Spanish classes and is now a separate organization. It partners with Shoulder to Shoulder which is a Mexican evangelistic organization, whose mission is to serve and empower 50+ protestant churches in the area. VISTA MISSIONS is a favorite team because it provides a much-needed service and gives the churches real status. STS prepares the church to be ready to present the gospel to each person served. They also follow-up with literature and home visits when there is an interest in becoming a Christ-follower. VISTA MISSIONS serves for a week but is simply an “insert” in the life of the local church providing an opportunity for them to grow, evangelize and disciple people in their own community.

November’s team was the first in 2 years due to COVID. Nineteen people were on the team: 13 in vision, 3 dentists, 2 sterilizing instruments, and one family doctor. The church was larger than usual which was great for ventilation and social distancing. We saw 800 people in 5 days. The best part was that 60 asked for spiritual follow-up.

Miraculously all 19 of us had negative COVID tests required for our flight home. We would never go on these mission trips without a prayer team. This year our prayer team consisted mostly of friends from our 2 BCC Bible Studies. Here’s some answers: (1) customs with lots of equipment went smoothly (can be very challenging); (2) all dental clinic days went well despite 2 dentists dropping out due to a family emergency and the break-down of one dental unit; (3) Dotty Jean’s Achillies injury improved during the week; (4) A Mexican interpreter, recently widowed (due to COVID), found purpose and began to heal while translating for us. During the week she painted her first picture since her husband’s death and gave it to us.

Thank you BCC for your great support! You have graciously allowed a collection box for glasses in the foyer. You have been prayer partners and some of you have spoken to us about joining VISTA MISSIONS for our next trip, in November 2022.

Gratefully,
Marvin & Dotty Jean
Mazatlan praise report Nov. 2021

Tell us about you and your family?

Having grown up in Bellingham, it is a joy to be back home. After living in the Midwestern states of South Dakota, Nebraska and Colorado, and then serving in our denomination’s offices in Chicago, heading to the Pacific Northwest was a welcome change. Mark and I are grateful to be sharing a home with my mother, Helen Trott. We live next to the old Armory building and look out over beautiful Bellingham Bay. Our two adult children live with their families in Anchorage and in Chicago. We have two grandchildren in each location.

When did you start attending BCC and what brought you here?

I began attending BCC (then called Mission Covenant Church) as an infant. This church has been my extended family for many years. It was here that I was given a strong biblical foundation through the faithful telling of the stories of God’s people. I learned here what it means to follow God’s heart into the world. I’ve been back at BCC for about six years. So much has changed here through the years and yet the essential character remains.

How long have you been on the Leadership Team and what compelled you to say “Yes” to that role?

Currently in my third year, I’ve been grateful to use the gifts God’s given me to serve a community that has played a significant part in forming me as a follower of Jesus. We are living in a particularly challenging time for congregations as they seek to hear God’s voice and discern their specific mission. Discerning God’s will together requires that leaders learn to listen both individually and collectively. I like being a part of that process as we seek to be a vital and thriving expression of Christ’s love in Whatcom county.

How can we be praying for you and your family?

Living through these challenging times offers great opportunity for learning to reflect the grace and love of Christ. Our home during this season has been our relational learning lab. Noticing when we’ve lacked patience or spoken more sharply than intended is an important step of spiritual growth. Just the noticing prompts an openness for transformation. So prayers for greater noticing and openness are always welcome. As a favorite line in one of our Covenant Affirmations declares, “It’s through transformed people that God transforms the world.” May it be so.

What would you most like to tell yourself at age 13?

Well, there are likely many things I’d like to say, but would she listen? If so, I’d say:
Be kind to yourself.
Believe it or not, everyone feels awkward now and then…especially when we don’t yet realize how very much we are loved by God.
Learn to listen to your body because it has wisdom to share.
Find your own voice and use it.

Tell us something that might surprise us about you.

I serve on the board of a nonprofit called PlayFull whose mission is to help people and organizations play from the inside out. Curious? You can learn more at PlayFull.org

What’s one thing you couldn’t live without?

I’m pretty sure I couldn’t live without a good cup of coffee. That’s just one of the many reasons I’m grateful to live here where being a coffee snob is a regular way of life. :)

Soul Space Contemplative Morning Prayer

Resumes Wednesday January 5
8:30 a.m. on Zoom

Life Together Classes / Kids and Youth Program Resume

Sunday January 9
10:45-11:45 a.m.

New Member Class

February 5
9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Lunch Provided
Please RSVP to Pastor Phil at phil@bellinghamcov.org

Vespers Service

February 6
6:30 p.m.
(Note, there will be no Vespers service in January)

TOGETHER IN MISSION

December 1, 2021

By Pastor Phil
Lead Pastor

Hi Church Family,
As we enter this Advent season my prayer is that we would make room for God to come more fully and deeply into our lives. We kicked off a new Advent preaching series this past Sunday titled “He Shall Be Called,” which looks at the names of the Messiah in Isaiah 9. These titles, I believe, have the capacity to expand our image of God. We see Jesus as not only a loving God, but also a wise counselor, mighty God, and prince of peace.

I think we are often working with a limited or distorted image of God. This has significant implications for our capacity to love, trust and follow God. I remember having coffee with a friend in Longview who had given up on the church and left the faith. We got to talking about Jesus. When he explained why he did not find Christ compelling I said, “I wouldn’t find the description you’ve made of Jesus very compelling either.” The image he had of Jesus was much different than the image I’ve come to love and trust in the scriptures. Often, I’ve found that it is not the Christ of scripture that people reject but a distorted or limited image of God. In last weeks sermon I quoted J.B. Phillips who writes:

“Many men and women today are often living with inner dissatisfaction, without any faith in God at all. This is not because they are particularly wicked or selfish or godless, but because they have not found with their adult minds a God big enough to count for life, big enough to fit in with the new scientific age, big enough to command their highest admiration and respect, and consequently their willing cooperation.”

Many of us have said yes to Jesus. We have invited him into our lives. Yet, I wonder if God wants to move into our lives more fully. I wonder if God wants us to open the shutters of our mind and heart and let the fullness of God’s light to enter those places of doubt, confusion and darkness. My hope is that we would encounter new dimensions of the greatness of God in our lives. I love this quote from Bill Robinson. I think it is an apt challenge for us to consider this Advent season:

“Let Jesus be Jesus. If you decide not to follow him, let it be the real Jesus you decide not to follow, not the picture painted by human lives that fall so short of Christ’s example. And if you do decide to follow Jesus, let it be the real Jesus you follow, not the Jesus you manufacture to accommodate your tastes. And if you decide to follow him, pour out your most precious gifts at his feet. Whatever you do, let Jesus be Jesus.”

In the midst of all that this season holds for us, let’s make room for Christ to enter our hearts!

In Christ,
Pastor Phil

By Janet Russell
Pastor of Christian Formation & Community Life

Advent Groups are an opportunity to join a small group for the four weeks of Advent (Nov 28 - Dec 19.) This year’s them for Advent Groups will follow our sermon and Art Wall theme focusing on the names of Jesus prophesied in Isaiah 9:6: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace….

Advent is the season four weeks before Christmas, when our lives are filled with gatherings with friends and family, finding a Christmas tree, decorating, baking, and searching for that perfect gift. We can push so hard in the weeks ahead of Christmas, that, when we arrive, we feel exhausted and a bit bewildered, wondering if we have missed what it is really all about. Why would you want to add one more commitment?

It sounds trite to say, “Jesus is the reason for the season,” but the reality is he is the reason for every season. He is the giver of our every breath. And as we anticipate celebrating his coming in the incarnation and the second coming, it is easy to lose perspective of what all the festivities and fuss are about!

Advent Groups provide an opportunity to reflect on Jesus together. Together, we create space for God to reveal himself through the scriptures and one another. Together, we reflect on the names of Jesus, who he is and why he matters.

“Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Together, we will meditate, discuss, and pray about what these words hold for us as a church and as individuals. How do they comfort us? How do they challenge us?

Don’t let Jesus get lost in the festivities. You can still join a group or pick up a study at the Welcome Kiosk or on our website.

This Advent may the reality that Jesus is your “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” bring you deep joy and meaning as you anticipate celebrating his coming.

By Kathy Sellereit

What does the construction of a fuel station in Tanzania and celebrating 10 years of International partnerships for Maasai students have to do with each other? Simply put in two words - “sustain hope.”

The back story of Return Home Secondary School:

In 2010, Dr. Tim Keiper took a 1 year sabbatical from his teaching position in the Secondary Education Department at WWU to teach at Mt. Meru University Arusha, Tanzania. During that time, Tim and Christine became well acquainted with one of the students, Wilson Lengima. As they prepared to return home at the conclusion of Tim’s sabbatical, Wilson and the village elders stepped up with conviction and said, “Dr. Tim, we need a school in our village, Losimingori!!” Tim and Christine’s prayerful response was, “We know this is for us to do. How can we ever ask for guidance again if we say no?”

In 10 years since its inception, God has faithfully provided in amazing ways! The school was built, new buildings and cafeteria were added, a clean water project was finished, teacher in-service training was conducted and a school chaplain hired. Knowing how easily their missions’ efforts could create dependence, Tim and Christine wisely built-in an end date (2029), a time when Return Home Secondary School would stand on its own financially and generate the needed funds to maintain and continue to educate many more students into the future.

“Sustain Hope,” The fuel station:

About 3 years ago, after years of discussing numerous business ideas, Wilson spawned the idea of building a Tanzanian fuel station where profits would support the school. At first, to the Maasai School 121 Board, the idea seemed unreachable, but with perseverance, extensive research and planning, along with Wilson’s purchase of the piece of property, the “green light” was given and the project began! Currently, the project is nearing completion, but will need additional funds to get it across the finish line. Just like in the U.S., Tanzanian building costs have been especially high this year and have exceeded the original budget.

Maasai School 121 Board members invite you to join us to celebrate 10 years since that day the village elders reached out to us for the sake of their children, and to hear about the opportunity to give financially toward the completion of the fuel station project.

Why the words “sustain hope?” For many students, mostly girls, receiving a quality education can change the trajectory of their future and in turn affect their families and community. Education is “hope” for so many. Sustain, (ongoing fuel station profits), is how hope for a better future will be realized!

Maasai School 121 Board Members: Amy, Matt, Tim and Christine Keiper, Sarah and Mike McEvoy, Angie VandeMark, Brent and Ruth Droullard, Kathy and Eric Sellereit, and Angelica Wohlenburg.

Join us December 5th during Life Together to hear more about Maasai 121 in the Sanctuary!

By Joy Soltis

Sunday November 28th is the lst Sunday in Advent. You will enter the narthex to four new banners that visually present Isaiah 9:6-7. Since the early first century Christians have marked out these four weeks preceeding Jesus’ arrival as a season of reflecftion leading up to our celebration of his birth. We identify with the Isarelites who waited so long for the prophecies of a King to appear. And we join with Christians around the world who are waiting for the second coming of our Lord.

Those involved in the creation of these banners have found the process to be meaningful in their own lives through the collaboration, inspiration, designing and actual working with materials. In their own words:

Valerie Parez, who helped pick out the colors, laid out the shapes and did all of the sewing, shares these thoughts: “Working with pure cottons, wools, and linens is my favorite medium, so for me, the glitzy, shiny, slippery fabrics that we used in making these banners was challenging! But what a way to convey the absolute magnificence and wonder of what happened when God stepped into our world and "tented among us"! As I worked on this project, I kept imagining a child looking at the banners and delighting in the representations of angels, these magnificent beings that almost always began their conversations with humans with the words, ‘Fear not’ .”

Joy Soltis, who designed the patterns based on inspiration from other church banners, helped choose the fabrics and contributed to the layout, says, “the process was a prayer, a conversation, with God.” For her, “there wasn’t four words to work with but eight: Wonderful! Mighty! Eternal! Peace! Counselor! God! Father! Prince! The choice to use sparkle, reflection, gold, silver was an intentional one to represent the astonishment at what is about to break into the world. Placed against the darker blues and purples there is stark contrast with what we are about to experience.” And it will be life changing!

In addition to the banners are small paintings by Lora Kroons to represent the traditional four Advent candles. Judith Schwab also contributed her skills with the scissors.

The purpose of the Art Wall Ministry Team is to enhance the worship and fellowship at BCC. The desire of the team is to open our imaginations to a visual and written story. If you have an interest in being a part of this team, whether in creating visual arts, written or photo works; or to share in the collaboration of ideas, please contact Joy Soltis @360-325-3644; joysoltis@yahoo.com

This has been an Art Wall Ministry Team collaboration by Valerie Parez, Judith Schwab, Lora Kroons and Joy Soltis.

Tell us a bit about your family and when you joined BCC?

We have attended BCC since moving to Bellingham in 2006. Nathan and I were married in the church in 2009 and we have three kids. I previously worked as a case manager and resource coordinator for infants & children with developmental delays and disabilities. I have stayed home since 2013 with Ellen (8), Benjamin (6), and Molly (3).

How long have you been on the Leadership Team and what compelled you to say “Yes” to that role?

Currently, I am serving in my 5th year on the leadership team. I see serving on the lead team as a way to give back to the church, share my perspective, and represent the best interests of the congregation.

Where is your favorite place to be? What is your favorite thing to do?

My favorite place to be is at home, rotating between reading a big stack of books and napping in bed.

Where is the best place you've traveled and why?

Twice, I have traveled to Acadia National Park in Maine and cannot wait to go back. It is such a beautiful place which has amazing views and peaceful trails.

What is the weirdest job you've ever had?

I worked as a bouncer in a nightclub.

How can we be praying for you these days?

As our parents are getting older we would appreciate prayers for their health and our ability to care for and support them.

Tanzania Missions Presentation

Sunday, December 5
10:45 am in the Sanctuary

Blue Christmas Vespers Service

Sunday, December 5
6:30 pm in the Sanctuary

Kid’s Christmas Program

Sunday, December 12
During the Worship Service

World Relief Presentation

Sunday, December 12
10:45 am in the sanctuary
Featuring Chitra Hanstad of World Relief of Seattle

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

Friday, December 24
4:00 pm

TOGETHER IN MISSION

November 1, 2021

By Pastor Phil
Lead Pastor

Dear Church Family,
One of the prayer practices that I have found to be very formative for me is the prayer of examen. This prayer practice involves reviewing the day in gratitude and confession. The effect of this type of prayer is an increased awareness of the way God is at work in our daily experience. As this prayer has become more of a rhythm in my life I have realized how much I miss or forget if I do not pause to reflect.

It’s been on my heart to find ways for us to facilitate a reflective posture at a communal level here at BCC. It is important for us to regularly look back and notice the ways we see God at work in our midst. Without this intentionality we can easily overlook what God has been up to or where God is leading us.

The Psalms model this for us regularly. These corporate prayers often lead people through the act of remembering God’s faithfulness in the past in order to encourage them in the present and lead them into the future. Just this morning I was meditating on Psalm 78 in the prayer room here at BCC. Here, the psalmist invites the people to retell the stories of God’s faithfulness, recognizing their tendency to forget (Ps 78:10).

To facilitate a more reflective posture for us as a church, we are launching a monthly publication called Together in Mission. This publication will involve a short pastoral reflection, highlights from a couple of ministry teams, interviews with people in the church, and information about upcoming events and ministry opportunities. You might see this as a way of practicing the prayer of examen together in community. The name draws on our Covenant roots. The early Covenanters called themselves “Mission Friends.” Core to our identity as Christians is that we are a people sent out on mission together in community.

We will be e-mailing this monthly newsletter, but if you would prefer a printed copy we will have some available at the church on the first Sunday of each month. I will also include a short video reflection to coincide with the newsletter. If you have stories you would like to share in an upcoming edition of Together in Mission, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our administrative assistant Charity at charity@bellinghamcov.org.

Thank you for the great privilege of being your pastor. Julie and I are grateful to have landed here at BCC and have come to love and appreciate this fellowship of believers. I’m excited to see where God will lead us together in mission in the year to come!

In Christ,
Pastor Phil

By Steven Shetterly
Director of Local and Global Missions

I need to know there is justice

That it will roll in abundance

And that you’re building a city

Where we arrive as immigrants

And you call us citizens

And you welcome us as children home

-“Citizens” by Jon Guerra

Hebrews 11 is a well-known passage that functions as something of a Who’s Who list of notable Old Testament characters, with a short description of how each one lived by faith. Smack in the middle of the list, though, is an odd insertion—an aside that the author includes, which seeks to explain the essence of faith.

They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth… If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had the opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Heb. 11:13b, 15-16)

In the biblical narrative, it turns out that faith often involves a whole lot of picking up and moving from place to place. God’s people are not just “foreigners and aliens” in some disembodied spiritual sense, but a great many of the Bible’s best-known names were quite literally sojourners, travelers, immigrants. The repeated refrain throughout Scripture is that God’s people must love the foreigner, because they were foreigners in Egypt and because God Himself loves and provides for the stranger in the land (Deut. 10:18-19).

It’s with great excitement, then, that I am able to announce that we are weeks away from having the opportunity to live out these Scriptural injunctions to love the foreigner and welcome the stranger in a special way here in our community. In coordination with the Christian nonprofit World Relief, I’ve been working with a team of volunteers to explore the possibility of opening an office for refugee resettlement in Whatcom County—an office that would receive referrals from the federal government for permanent resettlement as our new neighbors. In May of 2021, I was officially hired by World Relief to lead the expanding effort in Whatcom County, even as I continued to work for Bellingham Covenant.

In September, our final approval from the State Department was received and since then things have been moving at a blistering pace to get ready to welcome our first refugee families in November. As everyone is acutely aware, this process is unfolding in the midst of an international refugee crisis; with the fall of Afghanistan in August, 50-60,000 Afghans were evacuated and have been living in difficult, unsustainable conditions on military bases in the U.S. and around the world ever since. The effort to welcome and integrate this number of refugees in a short amount of time can only be compared in recent history to the Indochinese refugee crisis following the Vietnam War. It will be a monumental effort, and with the opening of a resettlement office, Whatcom County will have the opportunity to play a small but important part in this story.

We expect to receive 15 individuals in November and December, with an additional 60 arriving through the rest of the fiscal year. God willing, these will be the first of many that we will be able to welcome, befriend and walk alongside in the years to come. The work of hiring and training staff, mobilizing volunteers, fundraising, and connecting with churches and other groups will carry on as these families begin to arrive and settle in.

Currently, we have a variety of needs—financial, material, and housing-related. Our website is regularly updated with information about current needs, the progress of the project and resources for learning more about refugees. Feel free to contact me at sshetterly@wr.org with any questions you have about all of this. Above all, we ask that you would pray for God’s continued guidance and grace over this project, and that more of His people would hear and respond to his call to extend radical hospitality to the stranger. In doing so, we look forward in faith toward the day when God welcomes all of us sojourners into the city he has made for his people.

*Whatcom County volunteers from a number of local churches had an opportunity earlier this month to visit World Relief Seattle and experience their “From Home to Home” refugee simulation.*

By Megan Mattix
Children’s Director

This year, in our congregation, we have adopted a new spiritual formation curriculum for our children called Godly Play.

Some quick facts on Godly Play:

Godly Play is a creative, imaginative approach to Christian formation and spiritual guidance.
Godly Play has a Montessori foundation with 40+ years of research and practice.
Godly Play values process, openness, discovery, community and relationships.
Godly Play models the worship life, stories, symbols and rituals of Christian congregations.
Godly Play allows children to make relevant and personal theological meaning at their own level.
Godly Play nurtures participants to larger dimensions of belief and faith through wondering and play.

Each Sunday our children up to 5th grade are invited in to a rhythm of worship. We leave the sanctuary having blessed and been blessed with our “The Lord Be With You” ritual. We then walk to our classrooms with all our helpers. We prepare to hear God’s word by taking our shoes off and calming our bodies outside of each classroom. Each child is then welcomed by name, one at a time, into the classroom by a Helper. Upon entering the classroom the Storyteller invites the child to join a circle they are making on the floor. The Storyteller then tells a story from the Bible by memory using visuals. So, kids are hearing, seeing, touching and sometimes even tasting the story for that day. After hearing the story, they are invited to wonder about the story. “I wonder if it was really stinky in the ark?”, “I wonder why God made people in the first place?” In God’s stories, there is so much to wonder about. We then invite the children to respond to the story. We have response choices that are available to them. Some choices we typically have are: art supplies, legos, prayer journals, blocks, etc. They have about 30 minutes to respond independently and sometimes they choose to work with a friend or two. We then “feast” together. We take time to enjoy a snack and some play time in the gym before heading back to our classrooms to regather our circle, pray for one another and be dismissed as parents come, one at a time.
We are still learning and growing in this new curriculum. My hope is that it continues to be a nourishing worship experience for our children and also for every adult Helper and Storyteller.

By Jeff Grosskopf
Youth Pastor/Director of Worship Technology

Can you believe that we’ve been live-streaming our worship services for over a full year now? Amid the COVD Pandemic, our church had to quickly adapt to the technical demands of what was going on around us. This meant updating our sanctuary to allow for live streaming. Sadly, the little tech booth we had before COVID just couldn’t handle the demands of what was needed. So, the day after Easter, we decommissioned and demolished that little booth to expand the space. Not only did we double the space, but we also doubled the size of our tech team. On any given Sunday, we have 7 tech volunteers showing up early to make sure our online community has access to our worship services. So thank you, tech team!!

I wanted to thank you, church family, for sticking with us as we navigate these changes.

I also want to thank the following people for dedicating their time and talents to make this tech booth a reality: