Tiger Weekend

I am excited about this weekend coming up.

1. We have a Singspiration Saturday at 10:00 a.m. with breakfast.
2. We have live animals including a tiger at the main campus. I am asking the Orchards group who want to see the live animals to go on Saturday evening at the main campus to keep the Sunday morning services less crowded.
3. Then come to Orchards for the 9:30 service where we will be the only campus with a live Tigger--exclusive to the Orchards campus (R).
4. We have a potluck sponsored by the Hispanic ministry at 11:00 a.m. for both Generations Live and the Hispanics. Please bring your food with you into church so we know how much we have.
5. We will then hook up a Live Video feed from the main campus and watch the Animals on our Large screen while you eat lunch.
It will be a great weekend and hope to see you all there.
If you are willing to help out with some of the events please let me know at markk@livinghopechurch.com

Pastor Mark

Great Weekend

The Kids' Day on Sunday was an awesome experience with clowns, balloons and face painting.

I trust your kids enjoyed the day just as my kids enjoyed the fun from the day.

This next weekend has many of your excited with Pastor John being back and sharing with us about his time down under.

Remember the women's brunch at our home this Saturday if you have signed up for it.

We also have our next singspiration on Saturday, September 29, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. with breakfast. Hope to see you all there.

Mark

Late August

The summer is almost over and the weather left us a long time ago.

There are several things happening at Orchards the next few weeks I want to let you know about.

1. There are a few ministry opportunities helping people if some of you are able. We have an older lady who needs to move into an apartment and can't move the furniture herself. If any of you could help her please let me know.
2. Remember we have our senior life group on Thursday at 10:00 a.m.
3. This Thursday Evening (August 23) there is Life Group training in the auditorium.
4. Our monthly singspiration will be Saturday August 25 at 10:00 a.m. with pancakes and songs that deal with our series on ARK. We will sing songs about animals, creation and storms.
5. Thursday, August 30, at 7:00 p.m. we will be showing the movie "8 Below" about dogs and the south pole and having Ice Cream Sunday's.
6. Sunday, September 16, at 5:00 p.m. we will be having a campus potluck with a movie at 6:00 ish.

Mark

Beginning of August

Summer is in full swing again.

We are invited to the Luau at Orchards Villiage August 4 at noon. They are located just south of Living Hope's main campus at the northeast corner of 99th and 117th ave.

This Sunday August 5 our theme in the Ark series will be birds. So, any stuffed birds or shirts with birds would be great--not that we are going to "the birds."

Next Sunday August 12 will be our potluck so hope to see you there at 11:00 a.m.

Our next singspiration is on the calendar for August 25 at 10:00 a.m. and our theme will be music dealing with ARK so we are singing songs about animals, creation and protection (in the ARK).

Pastor Mark

This weekend

Remember our singspiration Saturday at 10:00 a.m. with breakfast.

Sunday we begin the series ARK "surviving family storms". You will want to come to Orchards as we have some special activities and props for this Sunday.

Hope to see you by 9:30 Sunday.

Pastor Mark

Transient Life

Last night we attended the memorial service for Shelly's cousin, Stephanie, who died at age 40 of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). The pastor made a joke "the death rate for all people still hovers around 100%). We are all going to die unless Jesus comes back first. What struck me as I sat there is how many people of such varied ages that I knew or knew of had passed away in the last few weeks. We aren't guaranteed a long life and need to live today as it may be our last. So, how do we live so well that we also die well no matter our age?

Stephanie was a believer in Jesus and lived her life until the very end with her faith and hope in Christ. I have performed and attended hundreds of services but this one was unique. Stephanie planned her service to the smallest detail. Her testimony through the whole service is that there is Hope. Shelly and I saw Stephanie a week before she died and she radiated the hope and peace that can only come through her faith in her relationship with Jesus Christ.

Shawn Lewis closed Stephanie's service with the song "With Hope" by Steven Curtiss Chapman that talks about people who die young when they could have had so much more time, but they don't. I was reminded of my 14 year old niece who died in August 1999 right after that song was written and we used it at her service.

Those of you who were at church Sunday or watch on the net saw the story of Maggie. I had the privilege to meet Maggie at Sunnyside hospital about a month ago. I had never seen her before since she hadn't attended since I arrive at Living Hope. But there was a lady whose body had almost completely wasted away who have spunk. Her eyes sparkled, her smile glowed and her spirit radiated peace and joy. We prayed for healing and she received her ultimate healing just two weeks later. She was praying for healing to remain on earth and yet having a peace if God called her home which he did.

Sunday I received a call that a friend, aged 93, passed away. This friend, whose service I will do next week, has buried seven of her children through various tragedies and aliments as well as a grandson. Yet, in spite of all of these difficulties she still trusted God. She has had trouble breathing for several years and yet with each labored breath she radiated gentleness and joy as she spoke.

Having young children makes tears well up in my eyes when I hear of a young child passing away. Hailey Avery passed away a few weeks ago at a one year of age and I grieve and pray for the family.

Then in the last few weeks both Shelly and I have lost classmates with whom we went to school from elementary to high school.

A few weeks ago, some long time missionary friends 24 year old daughter died. She was living and walking as we all do then complained about not feeling well. She went into a and three days later died and there is no answer of what happened.

Take today to enjoy the moment to hug your family. To stop and look at someone needing a hand we never know how much time any of us have.

Pastor Mark

Middle of Summer

This last week I started wondering if summer was already gone. We had a swimming party Saturday at my in-laws for Samuel's 4th birthday and we couldn't swim as it has been so cold and wet.

Looks like summer is coming back and wanted to give you heads up on a few things with Orchards and Seniors.

This Thursday is our senior LifeGroup at 10:00 a.m. and we meet weekly and go over the message from Sunday.

This Saturday is our monthly Singspiration at 10:00 a.m. We are focusing on some Bill & Gloria Gaither songs. We provide breakfast. We will also have a cake and celebration for John Buskirk who turns . . . . 65 on Saturday--and I remember when John was 30!

Orchards Village at the corner of 99th street and 117th Ave has invited us to join them for a Hawaiian Luau at noon on August 4.

We have our next all campus potluck on August 12 at 11:00 a.m. between the Generations Live service and the Hispanic Service.

Pray for your safety and enjoyment this summer,

Pastor Mark

Cool summer

After our week of unseasonably warm weather we are now in a time of unseasonably cool and wet.
Thanks to Rich & Lois for opening their home last Friday for our picnic. It was an awesome time!
I wanted to remind everyone that we started the seniors Life Group on Thursday mornings at 10:00 a.m. at Orchards Campus. We are in the Bible and following the sermon from the previous Sunday.
This weekend is Baptism weekend and those wanting to be Baptized can come to Orchards at 9:30 and then we will be heading to the main campus for the 11:00 a.m. baptisms.
The picnic for this weekend has been cancelled so we can have the baptisms. But remember our next one is scheduled for August 12 at 11:00 a.m. and we are combining with the Hispanic service.
The next singspiration is Saturday July 28 at 10:00 at Orchards.

See you all there,
Pastor Mark

Orchards Events

This Sunday June 10 we will have Pastor John back with us. It is our last 11:30 a.m. service.
On June 17 we will have the 9:30 Generations Live service and the Hispanic service will meet at 12:30. Between these two services at about 11:30 we will have a barbeque and you all are invited.
After the great success of our previous senior singspiration we have an all campuses Living Hope singspiration on June 30 at 9:30 at Orchards.

It has been great to see the many lives being impacted and changed through Orchards Living Hope.

Pastor Mark

Amazed, awesome, excited

I am now in my first offical week and I am amazed to see how God is moving in the lives of people.

Sunday was awesome and it was good to see some people I haven't seen in a long while. I even saw two friends I have prayed would come join me at Orchards and they were there before I even had the chance to invite them--they found it themselves.

I am excited about the praise night at the Brush Prairie Campus this Friday night at 7:00. Monty and Lori, who lead the Orchards worship, are heading up this night and including participants from several of our other venues.

Only 35 more days to Easter!

Pastor Mark

First Blog

Welcome, to my first post of the Orchards Campus that we are calling Generations Live!

Now at the Orchards campus all generations are invited to worship together. So, if you are a multiple generation family and want to worship together come join us. If you love Living Hope and want to invite your grandparents you can bring them to the Orchards campus.

We anticipate God moving in our campus in these next several months. We expect to see God do miracles in the lives of people.

My first "official" day is March 1 with my first Sunday on March 4.There will be a dinner following the 9:30 service on March 11 to welcome our family to Orchards.

We are excited to start a senior adult group in the next month and if you want to come or help shoot me an e-mail at markk@livinghopechurch.com

Blessings,
Pastor Mark