Seattle Sunset
(taken from Kerry Park overlook on Queen Anne Hill with Mt. Rainer in the background)
Early Morning - Coffee with Grant Fishbook
We left Kirkland, WA at 6:30am for an 8am coffee in Belingham, WA with Grant Fishbook, lead pastor at Christ the King Community Church. When Grant accepted the lead pastor position at Christ the King he had never been in a lead pastor role before. Grant literally jumped on google and searched for other pastors that had been in a similar position - brand new pastor inheriting a large church. He found Jud Wilhite in Las Vegas, called him up, and asked Jud if he could fly down and buy him lunch...he wanted to learn from Jud. That sparked a relationship that has continued to grow; now the two are great friends and often speak at each other's church.
It's simple, Grant's early humility has given way to great influence. When asked how he holds what has been given to him in an open palm amidst the pressure to sustain something that his community has never experienced (a mega church over 4,500) Grant says, "I have no right to control or own any part of it. The day that I start feeding the machine is the day that I start to lose fascination with what God is doing."
Late Morning - Bellingham, WA Gathering
Right after coffee with Grant we headed back to Christ the King where I had a chance to speak to the staff, share a litlte about the road trip, and thank them for being a part of such a great church. Afterwards we met with 8 local leaders who shared about the culture in the great northwest and what they are learning in the area of effective ministry to the young adult generation. Couple thoughts from our conversation regarding the young adult culture in the Bellingham area:
- "On average, there isn't a desire at all to be a part of an institutional church. People are highly independent. If they verbalize theology it is disjoined and disconnected, and it's ok with them. Community is a very high value but how community looks is eclectic. There is a value of being transient." (Derek Archer, Pastor of Community Development at Christ the King)
- "People want to be known but not labeled or categorized. There is a hesitance and resistance to institution." (Sam Middlebrook, Pastor of Worship & Arts at Christ the King)
- "They might belong before they believe. We've had many people that will serve and participate before making any decisions regarding faith. A good way to find success is inviting them to action before any discussion concerning beliefs." (Derek Archer & Rob Berreth, Lead Pastor for Redeemer South, church plant in Bellingham, WA)
Thanks to the following all stars for making this round table discussion so beneficial and enlightening: Josh Wright, Grant Fishbook, Derek Archer, Jason Manning, Peter Becker, Ryan Ervin, Rob Berreth, & Sam Middlebrook.
Lunch - Grant & Sam
Wade & I had the chance to grab a quick lunch with Grant Fishbook and Sam Middlebrook at a local Thai restaurant...love the spicy food! Amidst the jokes and pranks from Sam we had a blast just hanging out and talking more about life. These guys are a blast...if you are ever near Bellingham, WA you have to go by and meet the crew!
When we arrived back at Christ the King Mark Hinkleman from Immanuel Bible Church was to meet us after getting a twitter update that we were in town. It was so fun to be able to say hi and get a picture with Mark...love how technology can spark new face to face connections!
Afternoon/Evening - New Vagaond, Pure Seattle!
Johnny Driver, Young Adults Pastor at Living Hope Church in Vancouver, WA drove up today to become an honorary Vanagon Vagabond for two days. Wade, Johnny, and I drove around Seattle and took in some of the amazing sights before heading back to an evening dinner for the ages, cooked up by Wade's wife, Stacy. We made an unannounced stop at Mars Hill and met Mike Anderson & Matt Jensen, both on staff...great to meet these guys!
Here are some fun pics highlighting the rest of our day. I'd have to say it was a good day...
More updates from Seattle soon!
