Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The Perfect "Not Yet"

by: June Hoover

I am not what you would call a risk-taker. I like life to be safe, comfortable and predictable. I’m not a big fan of change. So even I was surprised when the words, “I’m going to leave and start my own business” came out of my mouth as I vented to my husband after a bad day at the office.

Like everyone, I had good days and “challenging” days at the office. Over the years, the hours seemed to get longer and the work more complex and less enjoyable. I had been looking for a change for quite a while, but I always sensed that God’s response was, “Not yet.”

As a CPA, people often asked me if I considered going out on my own. My answer was always a resounding “no.” Too much liability, thanks to the Enron scandal. Marketing and networking? Forget it – accountants are introverts, and I am no exception. And who was going to fix the paper jam in the copy machine or figure out why the internet wasn’t working? I am mechanically and technologically challenged.

But suddenly, here was this new idea from out of the blue. The first euphoria of declaring my intention to be my own boss (tempered by my husband’s wise advice that, “today probably isn’t the day to decide”) was followed by a rush of anxiety – what if I didn’t get any clients? Why did I think I could succeed at this? How would we be able to pay for two kids in college? I committed to pray for direction. I set April 15 (a magical day for accountants) as my quit day, unless God told me in the meantime to scrap the idea.

During the next weeks, the idea didn’t go away. I thought about how I could build my business around the things I really liked to do (and kiss multi-state corporate tax returns goodbye forever).

I continued to pray for direction and devised a timeline. Again God said, “Not yet.”
He showed me that it would be better, for many reasons, to wait until the end of the summer to start my business. I revised my timeline. More days were added to my countdown, but I knew I could not do this outside of His timing.

Throughout the spring and summer, I learned to put aside my own plans when God rescheduled them for me. The day I had planned to request a meeting with my bosses, I learned that one had extended his vacation by a week. The next week, the other boss was out of the office on the day I planned to tell them. After I finally gave them my notice, they requested that I hold off on telling the staff and my clients for a while –one more lesson in self-discipline and patience.

When I finally was able to share my news with my clients, a few asked to join me. It was flattering, but they would only need my services once a year, at tax time. In the meantime, the economy was tanking, tuition bills were looming, and I had to ask myself gently, “ARE YOU NUTS???”

The day before I left my job, my biggest and best client called me to tell me that their stockholders had voted to go with me. This meant monthly income and a far better start than I could have hoped for.

I love being on my own, and I know God has led me in this direction. He has brought me new business from unexpected places. Former clients have tracked me down in such a way that I can only imagine they had to call every Hoover in the phone book to find me.

Every day, I pray that God will guide me. This is uncharted territory for me and I know I cannot do it on my own. As I look back on all the times God said “Not yet,” I see that things wouldn’t have turned out as well if I had forged ahead.

I’m still technologically challenged, but I know who to call when I need help. And I’ve learned how to clear out jams in the copier all by myself!

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Christianity is not for sissies!

"Just 1", our current series at East Hills weekend services, has encouraged us to notice those around us and begin to pray for them, make points of connection with them and befriend them, and find ways to share the love of Jesus. One way we have done that in the last couple of weeks is to encourage each person to take the "One Minute Challenge". We are each encouraged to pray for one person at 1:00 for one minute. To help us remember we handed out bracelets with "ONE" printed on them. The following e-mail was sent to me by my friend Mary describing the interesting way this challenge is playing out in her life. I know you will enjoy reading it. ~Ann

Christianity Is NOT for Sissies!

During the months of September and October, I prayed, along with many others, for God to find my job for me; one “where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet,” to quote Frederick Buechner. He did exactly that. On October 31st, I began working with Young Life ministries as their Area Administrative Coordinator. I’ve been at work four days, feeling so much gratitude for the opportunity I’ve been given. We met for staff meeting on Wednesday, and began with prayer for one another. How different is that from my previous thirty years’ work experience?!?

But this story really begins with last Sunday’s challenge to take one of the blue “One” bracelets and commit to prayer every day for one minute at one o’clock for one person. As soon as the pastor explained the exercise, I asked God for whom I should pray. The Holy Spirit immediately whispered a name that took my breath away. It is someone I have despised and held in contempt. I’ve built almost twenty years of bitterness and resentment toward this person. They have hurt me in the past, and continue today to hurt people I love very much by their wounding words and actions.

They don’t know, or seem to want to know, the love of God through Jesus Christ. They have always rejected the idea as a “crutch” for “people who need that”. My daughter was sitting next to me in Saturday’s church service. I jokingly pretended to be having to force my hand to write down the name, holding my pen in my fist and practically tearing through the paper. She laughed when she saw the name I was writing, and put her hand over mine to “help” me finish writing.

At one o’clock the next afternoon, it wasn’t quite so funny. I had to begin by asking God to forgive me for my anger, bitterness, resentment and contempt for this person. It took more than one minute. I finally got to the prayer, “I know you love him, Lord. Please help me to see him the way You do. Without your Grace, I can’t pray for him without anger.”

On Tuesday morning I told my new boss about the experience, and asked him to pray for me, and for my “one person”. On Wednesday, the staff meeting I mentioned took place, and the other three staff members, familiar with their routine, shared from their hearts about their prayer need, and one of us prayed for them. Then, I shared this story, with the addition of the confirmation of Scripture I asked for and received that morning before work, during my time alone with the Father.

I had spent some time complaining to God that morning about how many times our family had prayed for this person, tried to show love to them, and been ill-treated by them. Finally, I surrendered my will once again, and asked Him to confirm that I had heard from the Holy Spirit about this assignment, and turned to my book of devotions to select a reading. The passage? 1 John 4:20-21. The Message Bible states: “If anyone boasts, ‘I love God,’ and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.”

I confessed all this to my new cohorts at my new job, and asked for prayer to be able to forgive him, and for him to find Jesus precious to his heart through receiving His offer of salvation. They were kind and generous, and prayed with amazing insight, even mentioning in their prayers aspects of the circumstances I hadn’t mentioned in telling my story.

Today, I was knocked to my knees again. A letter in the mail from the pastor included a “Just-1” insert with a blank for filling in the person’s name that had been placed on my heart. I did that, not happily, but I did it. THEN I read Step 2! Invite that person to the December "It Would Take a Miracle" series at EHA! Well, my little efforts to get my heart right are like a small bird’s nest on a cliff edge being hammered by the wind and rain. I have to start all over again. It will take a miracle, and immeasurable amounts of God’s Grace, for me to have the courage and willingness to ask this person to come to this series. When I try to imagine them saying, “Yes,” it’s so unimaginable, I can’t get a picture of it in my mind. They don’t speak to me and I don’t speak to them. When we’re in each other’s presence by circumstance, we act as if the other person isn’t there.

God, help me.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

You Just Had To Be There

Words and pictures cannot accurately report what "simple truth" women's retreat was like. You just had to be there. You had to see the ocean view from the deck, you had to feel the balmy sunny windless weather, you had to see the deer grazing within arm's reach, you had to taste that amazing gravy.

Twenty-eight women attended the EHA retreat in Ocean Park, and we knew from the very beginning it would be great: Dessert the first evening was "Death by Chocolate". As far as we know no one really died from it, but it would have been worth it!

Our time together was marked by a real sense of unity and joy. During messages from God's word we heard about unity, diversity, and margin. We sang to guitar and piano music provided by Becky Cox. We played crazy games, had quiet times of reflection and prayer, and even shopped a little bit. There was something for everyone.

I came home blessed, refreshed, and so impressed with the women of East Hills and their talents and care for each other. And I fell deeper in love with a kind and caring Savior. That is the 'simple truth'.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Rockin' With The Forge

God is doing a mighty work in the Jr. High ministry at EHA. Not only are tons of kids showing up (and I mean tons if you weighed them all together on a huge elephant scale), but lives are being impacted and changed. We are seeing the unsaved drawn to Jesus! And that is exciting! On a typical night I show up at 5:30, prepping my heart and my body for the night's onslaught. Near 6:00 a few kids will have trickled in, and by 6:15 the place is a madhouse; balls flying everywhere; screams and laughter resounding throughout the lower building; and hugs and high fives creating a cacophony of smiles and joyous outbursts.

We play a few rousing games that get the blood moving, and I'm usually hoarse by this point. Then we file into the youth room and sing songs at a level that would register about a 2.5 on the Richter scale. After worship I share a brief message, trying to be relevant to the cultural issues these youth are facing in the world today. After that we play a closing game that will make them sleep well that night. It's awesome every week, because God is at work. At this point there are three leaders, and we are stretched pretty thin... so if you feel God's tug on your heart to help out, we could really use you! What can you expect if you show up? Lots of energy, lots of life, and a very sore back the next day! But it's so worth it! Even if you can't help out, I encourage everyone to come at least once to check out what God is doing in the Forge…!

Heart to Heart

This fall we decided to try Heart to Heart as evening only sessions.  This decision allows us to meet together as one group, and also allows guest speakers the opportunity to participate without having to prepare for two sessions.  Our current series, “10 Things Every Woman Needs to Know” is subtitled, “Practical wisdom for everyday…and eternity.”  We have had a great time hearing from guests on practical topics and are excited to hear the remaining presentations.  Also, each week, I have been privileged to share from God’s Word on related subjects.  It is truly exciting and energizing to open my Bible and put together messages that I know are specifically for the women of East Hills.  

God has been so good to bless us each week.  We enjoy the mid-week break, the snacks, and the excellent childcare.  All of this together allows us to grow closer together and closer to God.  Each message of this series stands alone, so that you can join in at anytime and be part of the community of women who are learning ten new things.

Kidville On The Move Update

The revised format of Kidville has had a trial run of a couple of weeks.  After lots of planning and rearranging, we have gotten underway on the rotation style of children’s ministry.  Last Spring when I began considering this way of doing kids’ ministry, I thought we were inventing something new that was a hybrid of traditional Sunday School and VBS.  Just last week I found online a book called “Rotation Style Sunday School” and found out that this is the newest trend in children’s ministry.  Too bad we didn’t’ write the book! 

The format moves kids each week from one specialty site to another where there is staff to teach in a variety of ways.  From a traditional story time to big motor activities, crafts, songs, and skits, each child will have the opportunity to participate in the way he or she learns best. For me, one of the most gratifying parts of this change has been the new people who have volunteered to staff it.  None of us knew on day one exactly what to expect and this staff has jumped on board to minister to kids in creative and effective ways.  

I think as you observe what is going on, hear from the kids themselves, and take a turn at helping out, you will see the value of Kidville On The Move.  Kids truly are important to us at East Hills and we know that our commitment will pay off.

God's Perfect Timing

By: Jim Fishel

Have you ever said to yourself, “Now why did that happen? What am I supposed to learn from this? Is this just a random event that has no lesson to learn or benefit to me or others, or is God about to show me something special?”

Earlier this month Sharon and I and our friend Elaine Sharer were on our way home from Alberta, Canada when I asked myself all those questions. We were towing a small 4’x 8’ box trailer with perhaps 200 lbs in it. The route I had chosen was to go through Yakima, then Hwy 12 to I-5 and home. We were on a long uphill run on I-90 when my chauffer said “Jim wake up, we’ve got smoke coming out the back end.” Less than a half mile ahead was a rest stop so we kept going and came to a stop in the truck parking area. Oil was pouring out of the transmission.

Disaster always seems to draw a crowd, and just as I verified that the oil was from the transmission the man already parked next to us came over and said “tranny’s hot, happens a lot on that long grade”. I’m not always sure what to say when someone states the obvious so I just nodded, but he continued, “Do you have any ‘tranny fluid?” I didn’t and he said, “I have a couple of quarts you can have, and a funnel to put it in with.” I thanked him and tried to pay him but he wouldn’t take any money. This modern day ‘Good Samaritan’ said, “Just pass it on, there aren’t enough people who care nowadays to help.” Then he gave me a 3rd quart of fluid and left.

We had to wait for the transmission to cool down before we could continue and as we waited a young family in a pickup pulling a big travel trailer rolled in next to us. Oil was pouring out of the transmission and I walked up and said, “tranny’s hot, happens a lot on that long grade. Do you have any transmission fluid?”

In retrospect it seems obvious to me that the reason my transmission over heated was so I could be in the right place and at the right time to help the young family. We drove away from that rest stop rejoicing and praising God for His goodness to us and His perfect timing. Now if I could just see what I’m suppose to learn from the turn signals not working.

Parsonage Sale

After over a year without a tenant, the East Hills parsonage has been sold to Residential Resources for our asking price, $250,000.00. When occupied, a paid-off parsonage is a major asset. The use of the building was a form of compensation for staff that was equivalent to several hundred dollars a month, but with no cash outlay for the church. However, since Caleb and Becky Cox moved into their own home a year and a half ago, the parsonage has gone from an asset to a liability. With no pastoral staff member living there, its local property tax exemption had expired. Using it as a youth center or office space does not confer the exemption, so with no plans to use it as a residence, we would be paying taxes on it into the foreseeable future.

A sale of the parsonage would have paid for our recent remodel with a great deal left over, but the feeling of the Administration Board was that the remodel needed to stand on its own, supported by the current membership rather than the effort and giving of the past members who bought, maintained, and expanded the parsonage.
"For me, personally, I had always been opposed to selling the parsonage," Elder Tom Hight said. "We could, in effect, pay someone $600.00 a month, and here's our property appreciating, and we're not out of pocket. But we just came to a place where it made more sense to sell than to keep."

The church leadership put the house on the market in early July, and Residential Resources expressed interest within a few weeks. After the EHA members voted in favor of allowing the property to change hands, Pastor Nick closed the deal on our behalf. We asked for, and got, 10 percent up front. From that down payment, we paid the closing costs and the back property taxes that had already come due.
Founded in 1980, Residential Resources cares for both children and adults with developmental disabilities and other medical needs. They are a well-established non-profit agency and already own three other group homes in the Kelso-Longview area. They are also associated with AmeriCorps and United Way. After some modifications, the parsonage will serve as a home for disabled children. They have committed to paying off the property in two years.

We have not yet decided where and how to deposit the incoming payment. We have the ability to put it to work earning interest, but there are strict limits on what we can do with the principal itself. The Christian and Missionary Alliance allows member churches to spend money from the sale of property only on capital improvements, so we could not use it to pay pastors' salaries, for instance. The elders have proposed the idea of earmarking the money from the sale to help plant a daughter church."We were no longer tax-exempt and had no real hope or expectation of regaining that," Tom said. "That was really the entering wedge. And we had already years back considered that if we grew to a size where we could do this, that we wanted to daughter a church -- it's a long-range goal. The two are separate but parallel."

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Lunch Money

The money fast continues, and on Monday morning I was faced with a fresh dilemma. As I prepared for my day I remembered that I was scheduled to have lunch in Portland with an old friend. This is a friend who I had not seen since last summer, and who had paid for our last several lunches. When we made the date a couple of weeks ago I made a big deal about how it was really truly my turn to pay. Hmmm, now here I was with a week long no-spending policy. I couldn't make lunch and take it because I had not bought groceries and we were down to half a bag of ice and three eggs. Nothing there.

As I was describing my quandry to our son, Ross, I listed my possible options: 1) Flake out and ask my friend to pay (again), 2) Break my self-imposed rule and just buy lunch, or 3) Pay with a credit card and pretend like it is not real money. None of these sounded right and the option of cancelling lunch until a more conveneint time did not even enter my thinking.

Ross thought for a minute, then offered to buy lunch for my friend and me. He handed me some money and said, "Go for it Mom, it's on me." I feebly refused, even tried half heartedly to give back part of the money. "No", he said, "don't go on the cheap." So I carefully folded the money into my pocket and at lunch a few hours later explained the situation to my friend.

We splurged, ordered bevereges, lunch, then even split a dessert. When I paid I left a generous tip and still had $5 left. As we parted I asked her what she thought my ethical responsibility was about the $5: give it back to Ross, give it to her, or spend it? Her answer was quick: It was a gift, you should spend it all. So, on the way home from lunch, feeling a little drowsy, I stopped at a Starbuck's. I bought an iced coffee, then dropped all the change into the tip jar. I don't know if it was generosity or contrition, but it felt good.

What am I learning? That not spending money is more complicated that it sounds. You should try it sometime!

Saturday, October 04, 2008

Money and Kids

My spending fast continues. I have spent no money since Wednesday afternoon. I am surprised at how often I think about NOT spending money. Little things like cruising by Starbuck's on my way to church, or stopping by the grocery store on the way home are on hold for now.

So far the hardest thing has been not spending money on kids. We are trying to "train up a child in the way he [or she] should go" by taking our grandaughters to Kelso football games. As part of the bribery...I mean training...we buy them popcorn for the game. Well, this past Friday night I could not buy any. We usually buy two bags, one to eat, and one to spill, and that has worked out well. I felt like a real cheapskate when someone else volunteered to go to the concession stand and get the poor deprived girls their football treat. As it turned out, the popcorn was about the only good thing about Kelso football that night.

And then there is the whole half done birthday gift. A little friend has an October birthday and I had found a good start to a gift a couple of weeks ago, bought it, and planned to add something snazzy to the very practical item I had gotten. Alas, I did not get it done before the big spending fast kicked in. Now I am left with the option of cheating and buying something extra, giving just the practical part and hoping she is OK with that, or trying to find something around the house to add on. Do you think some re-gifted tealights would fill the bill?

Not spending is more complicated than I thought it would be!

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Show Me The Money!

Last month I read an article about a guy who decided to completely stop spending money for a week. The idea grabbed my attention since we have been talking around here about our October series on money. Heart to Heart is also doing a piece on money management. At home we are trying to simplify and consolidate our banking (planning to enter the wonderful world of on-line banking). So I have been thinking about money quite a bit.

The idea of a spending "fast" has really intrigued me, so as of yesterday, I began my one week of spending no money. Zero dollars and zero cents. When I first thought about doing this I figured I would buy a trunkful of groceries, get the car gassed up, and maybe have a little recreational shopping trip to Target, just to get prepared for all the non-spending I would do in the next seven days. However, life got busy and I never did any of that. And I am already feeling the effects of poor planning.

Last night was our first life group meeting. I wish I could tell you that I was so taken with the new spending fast that I chose not to go to the store and get food for our first-of-the-season-these-people-have-never-been-in-my-house-before-life-group. But, honestly, I just didn't want to go to the store. So I scrounged, a practice I expect to get more familiar with in the coming week. I found some really nice strawberries in the refrigerator, invented "punch" from a bottle of Squirt and some secret ingredients; but my real coup was some crackers on a cute little plate served with a spread made from half a container of cream cheese and a glob of forgotten gourmet cranberry mustard (surprisingly good).

So far, so good. I think it will be interesting to see how this little project impacts me. I am not a big shopper, but I will admit that there are times when I look into my empty wallet and wonder where the money went. It seems like it sort of melts away sometimes. But at least for today, I will be able to show you the money: it is still in my wallet. Now, I wonder if there are anymore of those crackers left for lunch...I'll keep you posted.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Heart to Heart Restart

One of our ministries for women is Heart to Heart. More than 10 years ago this began as a Bible study for women on Thursday Mornings. Three years ago we added an evening session for the growing number of working women in our church and community. Along the way we have added practical components to the mix while keeping our intention of providing a safe place for women to learn, laugh a lot, cry a little, and pray with and for each other.

This fall I am trying out a new format in response to the continually changing schedules and needs of East Hills women. As more women have entered and re-entered the work force our attendance at the Thursday evening session has grown to surpass the morning session. So I am going to try a session of Thursday Evening only Heart to Heart. From September 11th to November 20th we will hold Heart to Heart Thursday evenings only, 6:00-7:30, with refreshments and childcare provided. I hope all the "morning ladies" will give the evening sessions a try this semester.

Our fall series is called "10 Things Every Woman Needs To Know". Each week will have a practical topic such as what to do about a bad hair day, and a spiritual topic such as how to have a vibrant prayer life. Guest presenters will jump on board for some of the topics. Besides attending each week, there are several ways to be involved in supporting the women of East Hills and the community; I am hoping for someone to organize the arrangements for refreshments, and someone to do childcare for these 10 weeks.

I am so excited to get back to Heart to Heart; it is truly a unique place for women, and I love being part of it. If you have any questions about this new fall format or how you can be involved, see me at any weekend service, or just call the office at 423-0521. ~Ann

Kidville Season Beginning

Planning for Kidville is underway. A new season begins September 15/16 and will incorporate a new format. We are always thinking about ways to change and improve our children's programs, and I am excited to have our kids and their friends discover what is new for this season.

The classes for 3-year olds through 5th grade will be divided into three sections and be on a three week rotation. Each child will have a week of Bible story, a week of crafts, and a week of large motor skill activities; then back through the rotation again. Park & Ride Nursery care for infants through 2-years old will remain in it's current location.That is a pretty brief explanation of hours and hours of planning, thinking, praying, and researching.

A couple of the reasons for this format change are that it allows us to divide the elementary age kids into two smaller groups, and it allows people who do not necessarily want to teach in the traditional way a wonderful opportunity to have contact with our East Hills kids. For instance, if you feel awkward managing a traditional classroom setting, but you love to do crafts or lead games, this new set up allows you a perfect match for your God-given abilities.

For each of the three semesters we have places for sixteen lead volunteers, plus helpers and specialists. It is my hope that all who have considered ministering to our church families through Kidville will boldly step forward to give this new format a try. There are many ways to be involved. Will you consider using your time and talent this year as Kidville On The Move gets going. You can truly make a difference in the life of a child.

Check out the available sign-up spots in the Welcome Center; I would love to answer any questions you have about how East Hills plans to impact kids and their families this year. ~Ann

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Ordination Celebration

May 24 we celebrated the ordination of Reverend Caleb Cox! Ordination is a two-year process that involves reading books, writing papers, attending ministry “module” workshops, and intense study which leads up to a grueling interview. Caleb took his two-hour interview in March and passed with flying colors.

Ordination it is a stamp of approval on Caleb’s ministry by the district leadership. This is a confirmation of what we at East Hills already know, that Caleb is a worthy servant of God who handles the Word well, and knows how to apply it to his own life and helps others do the same.
Many people from East Hills were in attendance as well as some special guests from out of state. Caleb and Becky’s families from California came for the event, some family friends of Caleb’s and his youth pastor from high school.

Caleb’s ordination mentor, Tim Heffer, a C&MA pastor in Lacey, WA, gave a charge to Caleb to live in the current of faith alongside such biblical heroes as David, Abraham, Deborah, and Noah. John Thompson, Caleb’s former youth pastor, spoke about Caleb’s compassion, artistic ability, leadership, empathy, and the value of his wife Becky. Erik Williams came from the district office to affirm that God says to Caleb “U Da Man.”

The evening also included a special presentation to Caleb from the rest of the staff at East Hills. Nick presented a sweatshirt from local high school RA Long, while Ann protested that he should receive her gift of a Kelso sweatshirt since he lives in Kelso. Jeff, our intern, came through with a sweatshirt from his alma mater, Cheyenne East High in Wyoming.

The evening concluded with a time of prayer and blessing on Rev. Caleb and Becky and a delightful reception that had been put together in honor of the occasion.

Remodel Completed

All of the time and energy put in by the willing volunteers of East Hills has paid off. The sanctuary remodel is finished! The stained glass window is installed, sound equipment is functioning well, and the chairs are getting worn in perfectly. The room comes complete with a new name "Main Hall." Our goal is to make this space accessible to the community for clubs, special events, and any other large events. Come check out the new space if you haven't yet seen it at one of our weekend services or during normal office hours. You can also see highlights of the project by clicking on the following link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPpcFV_CSFI

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Almost there!

The installation of the new stained glass represents the last contracted job of the church remodel. A few finishing touches do remain, such as replacing the outside sign and eliminating interference in the sound system, but major construction is now complete. The work itself took about three months and involved over 70 volunteers, and the Sanctuary Improvement Team had been meeting since April of last year to plan the remodeling. That team was Kirk Sherrell, Bob Shaw, Tom Hight, Katrina Mendenhall, Jeremy McAninch, Leon Rennells, and Jean Imholte. An East Hills Alliance trustee, Leon co-chaired the construction team along with Pastor Nick.

"We're real close," Leon said. "Nick was hoping it would happen overnight in a massive labor push, but unfortunately, that doesn't happen when you have contractors. Hopefully, it will serve the goals that we set for it."

Some of those goals had to to with basic upkeep. The roof in particular needed work to prevent leaks from damaging the church. Others were for convenience, such as plumbing in a sink at the coffee area. Beyond that, the team wanted to make the building more welcoming by improving its appearance, to increase the usefulness of the platform area, and to open new possibilities for the entire space by switching from pews to chairs.

Katrina had a big hand in the design and color selection of the sanctuary, although expert opinion, the consensus of the team, and feedback from the church body all factored in.

"Even myself, I was uneasy about how some of the colors would match," Leon said. "What's funny is that there's about five colors of beige in there, but when you look at it, it's hard to tell they're different. That was deliberate."

The new platform extends about three feet farther and is much more accessible. By removing the steps from the back and adding acoustical panels, we ended up with a much better site for a real drum set than we had before. The main speaker has been replaced and eight stage lights added. We have not yet figured out how much to use the new lighting in typical services, but it will definitely improve mime and drama performance.

One less obvious upgrade I personally appreciate is the balcony temperature control. Before work started, the loft was always hotter than the outside air during a Saturday night service, but with better insulation and a new air conditioner, we can now keep it cool in the summer. So you can expect to be more comfortable whether you are standing up front, sitting on one of the new chairs, or in the balcony.

Ultimately, though, the real goal is not to have a comfortable building for ourselves to spend time in, but one that helps us reach out to the lost and draw them into the love of Christ. We can reap a small reward now by looking around and seeing the improvements, but the real value will be in the lives of people who find it that much easier to start or strengthen a relationship with Christ because their surroundings make them feel welcome.

"There were so many times that we planned for something and it didn't work out per plan. It seemed like a mistake. And the way we resolved that mistake turned out to be God's will and was even better than we planned. God used it as a way to show His power. That was the neatest thing, to see God at work. God just put the right people in the right places. And he did provide the manpower. It was a God thing all around."

All-Star Camp coming June 23-27

East Hills has changed the format and location of our 2008 summer children's outreach. Rather than a traditional vacation Bible school held at the church itself, we are hosting the All-Star Camp at Barnes Elementary School, 9:00 to noon on June 23 through 27. This is a free event, open to kids entering first through fifth grades whether they attend EHA or not.

VBS was split into five sites, with each child cycling through one site per day and seeing a different staff member at each one. Instead, All-Star Camp is broken into three tracks: soccer under Pastor Caleb Cox, cheer under Becca Reid, and arts under Rene Rennells. Pastor Ann Hight is the overall camp director. Each kid chooses a track at the beginning of the camp and spends each day under the supervision of that track's leadership team, hopefully allowing the kids and adults to build trust and relationships.

"Each of the tracks has really competent, talented staff that seem like a great fit," Ann said. "It has been amazing to watch the people who are going to be involved step into the right spots. We are looking at every activity from two directions: first, the kids from the North Kelso community who we don't know yet, and second, our Kidville citizens. We want this to be a positive and fun summer experience for both like previous VBSs have been. I believe we can do both well with the level of staff that we have seen step forward."

Even so, the departure from past summer ministry, both in what we do and where we do it, is a big undertaking. This is our first time running such a program away from East Hills. Barnes has a great deal to offer: not only do they have more and better indoor and outdoor facilities, they will serve lunch, and kids from the neighborhood can walk there much more easily. We expect about 125 kids, double what we have had in the past.

Each day will have its own theme, such as never quitting. During a break in activities, the speakers will relate the theme of the day to Biblical values, leading up to a salvation message on Thursday with an opportunity for the kids to respond. Friday will feature an exhibition soccer match with cheer and drama performances and hotdogs for the kids and their families. For those not interested in athletics, the arts track will include drama, cooking, and interesting and unusual crafts leading up to their own presentation on the last day.

"We are definitely out at the edge of our experience," Ann said. "All-Star Camp has been one of the most gratifying and encouraging programs that I've ever been part of. I am absolutely delighted to be a part of this."

About 30 people are already involved, but both large and small positions remain available. If you are interested in participating, contact Ann. One way everyone can help is to pray that the leaders will be able to form meaningful relationships with the kids. For church kids who want to attend, pre-registration is highly encouraged. The forms will be available in Kidville next week and through Barnes itself.

A Testimony in Hard Times

My name is Alyssa Hansen, mother of the sole baby boy attending East Hills Alliance. I have only been attending for about two years now, and have had a lot of life changes happen in that time. Most importantly, my fiance and I had a baby boy last October and it's been a roller coaster since. We both work full time, and I attend LCC 4-5 days a week. Between his student loan payments, two car payments, rent, utilities, tuition, etc...it's been a long year. One of my goals, since starting to attend East Hills regularly, has been to tithe on a regular basis. I have been faithful to this commitment, and have seen some major blessings. I wanted to attach a blog that I wrote about something that happened to us last week, just so that you know how blessed I feel to be attending East Hills and also to give praise to God by sharing this story:

"No matter what you’re going through..."

"...heaven's watching over you."
So, I got home from work yesterday, and it had been a pretty good day. It was busy at work and I had made good money. Which was good considering that Chris and I are getting a combined (maybe) 40 hours a week and super struggling with money. I know everyone is going through the same thing, so it's hard to complain too much. But, I've been at Sharis for over three years now and all of a sudden I have Saturdays, Sundays and another weekday off every week. Normally I'd be stoked to have the weekends off, but when you waitress it's the only time you can make really decent money.

But, the point of this blog wasn't to gripe about my schedule. I came home from work yesterday and the first thing Chris said was, "You should check out that card we got in the mail." I went over to the mail pile and found a blue envelope, no return address with a card inside that said, "No matter what you're going through, heaven's watching over you." It was a beautiful card, no signature...and had five 20 dollar bills inside. I instantly got goosebumps, because this kind of stuff doesn't happen everyday and it seriously felt like something way bigger had just said, "See, I told you it would be okay."

I have been attending a church that I really like for almost two years now. It's called East Hills Alliance and it's in Kelso. There are great people and great music. The head pastor is named Nick Stumbo and he's young and puts together simple, concise messages that really get to the point. Anyways, in the past two years, even if I slipped in attendance, I tried really hard to tithe every week, (give 10% of my income to the church). It's a touchy subject with some people, understandably, and I know that it's one of the reasons that a lot of people stay away from the church. But I don't think of it as greed on the church's part. For me, when broken down to it's simplest form, God gave it to me and it's my way of thanking him for always providing. In the last two years, since I've been tithing, so many things have happened as a direct result. Sometimes it was just the right amount of money at just the right time. One time it was Chris getting hired for a second job on the spot. Getting this house, and the way that it all came together I know was a direct result of having faith and trusting God.

And it's funny because last week the check that I wrote was literally $25 of my last $50 in my bank account. But I know that it's just as important to tithe when you're broke as it is to tithe when you're in a time of plenty. It's all about the trust that you'll be taken care of, and for me that's a hard thing, to basically put my faith in something out of my control....and even harder, trying to convince Chris that I know what I'm doing. But it's paid off every time.

So yeah, take it as you will. And if you are, or know of, the person who sent us the $100. You paid the remainder of our P.U.D. bill, and we thank you so, so much. You've also renewed my spirit and assured me that I'm putting my faith in all the right places. The card had no signature. I am holding onto it until I am in a place where I can help someone else, and I'm going to use that card.

I also wanted to share that God is working through me at my workplace, Sharis, and I have co-workers attending with me on and off. I know that God is softening hearts around me and I just keep sharing stories like this with them so that they might know that God is waiting to bless their lives as well.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Red, White, and True-Blue

Red, White, and True-Blue is an evening event that celebrates the value of friendship between women. It will be held July 2nd, Wednesday, from 6:00to 8:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall. Themed for the July 4th holiday, there will be food, conversation, prizes, and more. It promises to be an evening of relaxed fun with lots of laughter guaranteed. It is a great way to start your holiday weekend a little bit early. Ladies, watch for more details in coming weeks and be thinking of a true-blue friend you can invite!

Summer Kidville News

Kidville classes have had a successful run during this school year. Dedicated teachers and helpers have taught and tended kids in a variety of ways in Noah’s Park & Ride (newborn through age three), Fun Factory (age three through kindergarten), and Uptown (first through fifth grades). During the Spring quarter we added KidSpace, a special class just for fifth-graders. Directed by Tary and Chris Jenkins, this practical program was designed to help kids transition confidently in to middle school and into church youth group by equipping them in the basic beliefs of their Christian faith.

Currently we are gearing up for our summer Kidville programs. We want to give our regular teaching staff the summer off, but we also want to offer a quality program for all kids, both Saturday night and Sunday morning. Nearly 70 slots need to be filled to staff each class for the entire summer. We are currently over halfway to our goal and it looks like we will be able to run the summer program at the level we would like. If you have not yet seen what areas of service are available in the Kidville area for this summer, please check out the flyer in the Welcome Center. Your help is needed, even if you do not consider yourself a teacher. And if your kids are part of this program, we strongly encourage you to help out a few times this summer. I believe you will find joy and satisfaction in sharing your love of Jesus with our wonderful Kidville Citizens.

Next weekend for Father’s Day kids will have a unique opportunity to get together in the Fellowship Hall during regular class times and create a gift for someone special in their life. The design team is Ed and Candy Sanders; I know kids will have fun and parents will be delighted! Be sure your child is part of this end-of-the-year event.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Men's Retreat - "The Office"

The Annual Men's Retreat is coming up May 30th - June 1st. We hope you can join us for a great time of golfing, hanging out, and of course the annual Ultimate Man Feast. It will be taking place in Corbett, Oregon (15 miles East of Portland in the Gorge). Check out this video for more info and a good laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsU8k2Uvm5o


To sign up for the retreat, or for more info contact office@easthillsalliance.org

Remodel Progress


It's been a few weeks since the start of the remodel of our sanctuary. Much has happened. The walls are painted, doors are being hung, and switch covers are even going on the light switches. We are nearing the finish line. In the next two weeks we will be installing carpet, unloading new chairs, and putting the finishing touches on the space. If you would like to see some pictures of what is going on this week, click on the following link. http://easthillsallianceremodel.shutterfly.com/


Along with remodeling the space, we are seeking feedback about re-naming the room. Our intent is for the room to be a multi-use space that could even be used by community groups. Some of the favorite options are: Great Room, Auditorium, Main Hall, & Gathering Place. Please leave your feedback as well. We'd love to hear from you.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Construction Derby




As I sit here in the church office typing an article about the remodel, the sounds, smells, and sights of it filter through to me. Outside my window, I see workers putting the finishing touches on the brand new roof. I hear them pounding the final nails on the last side of the roof to be completed. And I smell the comforting scent of grilled cheese sandwiches prepared for the crew from EHA working in the sanctuary today. The project is in full swing. Walls have been demolished. Paneling has been pulled down. Doors have been removed. Now it's time to build the new pieces to replace the old. Today, for example, the platform is being expanded. New steps are leading up to an enlarged platform surface to make more room for dramas like the one performed last week.


Volunteers have been generous with their time and talents. Sunday afternoon, the pews were removed in record time. Monday & Tuesday, large crews removed paneling, carpet, sheet rock, walls, doors, and anything else in view. Work is right on schedule. The roofers should be finishing up in the next day. Although the sun is shining brightly, it is again raining. The rain has slowed up the work somewhat, and has caused a few downpours inside the sanctuary, but work continues anyway. The electricians are coming on Tuesday, and plan to be done by Thursday. This was one area that we didn't know how difficult it would be until the walls were opened up. "Things look good" according to Leon Rennells, project co-lead. "Some things are getting done that are on the list, and some things aren't, but it will all even out."


Thanks to all who have participated so far. There is plenty more work to be done. Stop by the church during the week to take a peek at the progress, or to offer your services. More photos of the project are available at http://easthillsallianceremodel.shutterfly.com/


Join us for the Good Friday service at 7:00 in the demolished sanctuary.


Join us this weekend as we meet at Kelso High School. Service begins at 10:30 in the auditorium, coffee & goodies are available at 10:00.


Friday, March 14, 2008

Demolition is Imminent

Work on the church remodel is underway both inside and out! The roofers have finished the addition and will be working their way across the north-south section of the roof this week as weather permits, installing a layer of two-inch insulation as they go. Inside, Tom Hight and Leon Rennells tore into the foyer wall last week and replaced the vent line coming from the downstairs plumbing. This made that penetration of the roof ready to be enclosed while also giving us a way to drain the foyer sink.

After the service this Sunday, March 16, all are invited to a meal at the church and to a work party that will remove the pews and move the musical instruments and other sound equipment to the fellowship hall. Everything not nailed down must go. On Tuesday the 18th, another work party is planned to tear out the sheetrock, trim, and paneling from the sanctuary to clear the way for the new installations. The following weekend, we will meet at Kelso High School for a combined Sunday service while the interior work is underway!

Friday, February 01, 2008

All in favor...say aye!

This year's annual celebration and business meeting was held Sunday, January 27th at noon. After a pot luck lunch enjoyed by about 75 attendees and their kids, the kids were dismissed to their own play area and the meeting got underway. We began with a time of communion served at tables. Pastor Nick then shared his annual "State of the Church" message in which he noted that we have great people, a great staff, and a great God. We are ready to take the next step!

We established a quorum, approved the agenda and the minutes from last year's meeting, and noted that ministry reports have been published.

We then looked over the treasurer and assistant treasurers' reports and approved those. The election of the various ministry teams was accomplished by a unanimous vote. In fact, throughout the meeting not a single nay vote was cast! Finally we considered the budget for the coming year and approved it for $251,642.00.

The meeting was closed with a real sense of unity and purpose as we begin the next steps for our long planned sanctuary remodel. If you missed the meeting, reports are available in the church office.

It's a case of Mistaken Identity!

East Hills Women's Ministry begins a new Heart to Heart series on Thursday, February 21. Heart to Heart is a morning and evening time for women to get together for Bible study, prayer, and fellowship in a safe caring environment. Refreshments are provided and free childcare is available for the morning sessions.

Our new series, "Mistaken Identity", explores our understanding of who God really is. Do you see him has a cop? A genie in a bottle granting your wishes? The Old Man upstairs? How we relate to God depends upon our view of Him and this series will help us clarify and correct our mistaken ideas about His identity.

The first week we are pleased to welcome a guest speaker from north Carolina, Stef May. Don't miss this opportunity to connect in a community designed just for women of faith. For more information or to volunteer to help out in a variety of ways, contact Pastor Ann at ann@easthillsalliance.org.

Thursday mornings at 10AM, Thursday evenings at 6PM. In the Fellowship Hall at East Hills.

Thursday, January 31, 2008

"CHOSEN" Life Group

Our Life Group, led by Leon Rennells, consists of people that are empty-nesters, used to be empty-nesters, and/or are soon-to-be empty-nesters. Jean Imholte dubbed our group the “CHOSEN” (Couples Helping Others Survive Empty-Nesthood)! – but we certainly welcome anyone at any stage of life.

This session, we are meeting on Tuesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. Currently, we are alternating our weekly meeting place between Ed & Candy Sanders’ home in Kelso and Rick & Jean Imholte’s home in Longview. We share dinner together (a very important part of our evening!); and then we discuss the previous weekend’s message.

Although we all have grown-up children out on their own, our end of the evening prayer time seems to revolve heavily around their needs, more than any other topic.

Leon (our “captain!”) is very organized and cognizant of the time and makes every effort to keep us on track – which is much appreciated, especially by those that have an early morning schedule the next day.

But for being involved in a Life Group, we would not have had the great opportunity to really get acquainted with other people that we attend church with and that are at a similar stage in life. It has been a blessing and an honor to come to know our co-life groupers. We welcome couples and singles alike and invite anyone that would even like to come and just share a meal with us to please do so.

Candy Sanders

Life After Fifty Updates

Here are some announcements related to LAF, and a couple of offers and reminders for all.


1. Life After 50
February 4th 6 PM Potluck
McRaes will show slides of hiking in the Scottish Highlands.
A new "what to bring" list is avaalable. Contact Noel with any questions.
If at any time, you have something else you want to bring, that is fine.
This is just a general guideline.


2. February 19 LAF movie night
Tuesday evening 6:30pm "End of the Spear"
Bring popcorn and finger food to share if you want.


3. Take a hike
The McRaes invite you to come out for a hike on the trails of their property.
They have 40 acres in Rose Valley and walk on the trails almost everyday.
You may come almost any day -- just give a call.
There are even some places for a weiner roast or hike-in picnic as weather improves.


4. Check out the church family webiste at East Hills Alliance church on a regular basis for on-going information.


5. Noel McRae has an large discipleship related blog that can be searched.


6. Men's Bible study
Third Saturday of the month - 7:30am.
Feb 16.
For this time together read 1 Timothy and come prepared to share your insights, questions and encouragements from this letter.



Hope you can join this group for one or all of the events. It is a great time to share life, stories and laughter.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Annual Celebration Scheduled for January 27th

The Next Step


Have you ever been to an annual meeting that seemed to take all year? Well, we are intentional about making our annual meetings a true CELEBRATION! What's different about it?

First of all, everyone is invited. You don't need to be a member to attend and enjoy this Celebration. There is a business meeting included in the celebration with a members only vote, but we try to move it as quickly as possible, and the information and voting process is open to everyone.

Secondly, there is food involved. This year our Annual Celebration is a pot-luck lunch following the Sunday service. Bring a dish to share if you have time, and if you forget, enjoy the bounty that others will provide.

Thirdly, we are gathering together to Celebrate what God has done in our church body over the last year. We will celebrate salvations, baptisms, various ministries that have been going on throughout the year, and we will look ahead to what "The Next Step" for our church is. There will even be some discussion on the sanctuary remodel that will be taking place in the next few months. God is moving! Let's celebrate what He has done, and anticipate what He is going to do in this next year. We hope to see you there.

If you would like to look at copy of our annual reports and financial information before the meeting, stop by the office between 9 and 3 this week to pick up a copy. All of this information will also be available at the meeting on Sunday.