blog.NightChurch.org

This week at NightChurch, we shared our constant desire to continue to develop a community that extends beyond the few hours on Sunday evenings that we get together in C3 each week. Sometimes this happens through official organization like bible studies or "small groups", and sometimes this happens more organically through simple relationships and introducing yourself to others at NightChurch. We currently have one Small Group that meets on Thursday night and another that is in the forming-up-stages that will be starting soon. I also noticed that our HAVES/NEEDS board had a couple of "HAVES" on it that may be of interest to you- check it out!



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*Looks like the ladies are rocking here, guys! I've heard rumblings of a "movie group/Film+Theology" and maybe a "Disc Golf group"- if you've got info or ideas, stick it on the board or email hello@NightChurch.org to get pointed in the right direction.

Jesus makes all things new. When we repent of sin and turn to Him, He changes our hearts and shows us how to love again. He takes what we break and remakes it into something beautiful. At NightChurch, we were excited to share in the redemption of the lives of the Hughes Family and celebrate with them as Jason and Nikki got (re)married during our service this past Sunday night!

Hooray!

Tonight at NightChurch, I shared a message about Hell, providing a Biblical foundation for a challenging topic. The only time Hell seems to be talked about is at funerals, where NOBODY is going to Hell, or by the jerk on the street corner where EVERYBODY is going to Hell. It takes a lot of nerve to talk about such a controversial topic that has become such a melting pot of ideas with ingredients ranging from ancient afterlife mythos to popculture to religious traditions and beyond. As Christians, we accept the Bible to be the Ultimate Truth, clarifying confusion, debunking myths, and providing a firm foundation to trust in.

In my extensive research on the topic this week, I came across a very helpful article by Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church on the subject. I'm a big fan of Pastor Mark and I am thankful for his example to me as a Bible teacher. I made the article available at NightChurch after the message, but I also would like to point to it here. It's called "To Hell with Hell?", and is very helpful if you're looking to learn more on the topic.



Also, we had a question sent in to our TXT line (360) 54JESUS: "How do we make the decision to be buried or burned to ash?". I provided an answer to that question on our Facebook page here. Let's be friends.

Tonight was a good night and I am thankful for the Truth in GOD's Word, and our church that is eager to hear it.
You are not going to want to miss next week at NightChurch, I promise you, it will rock your world. Trust me.

Not to brag or anything, but I'm kinda bragging about the gigantic nature of the screen we will be watching Super Bowl XLV on this Sunday. We'll be watching the Super Bowl on "tape delay" after our NightChurch service.



So here's the plan: turn off your TVs after the national anthem (Christina!), come down to C3 early and hang out, worship Jesus with us during the service, then watch the Packers vs Steelers on our huge screen afterwards while eating delicious food items that are sure to make you gain weight... in the heart because you'll be so happy you're spending quality time with friends. We'll be watching it all- the game, the commercials, the black eyed peas, and hopefully no wardrobe malfunctions. (The problem being the SB halftime committee would sentence us to 5+ more years of irrelevant half time talent.)
OK. That's enough out of me- see you on SUNDAY!

Listen in as two of our NightChurch family members share a story of GOD's Grace, Healing, and Protection in their lives.

We're playing ESPN's Gridiron Playoff Challenge again this year.

It's a very simple version of Fantasy Football that lasts just 4 weeks.

All you have to do is pick 9 players that you think will perform well each week, and they'll accumulate points for you as they play. The team with the most points at the end of the Super Bowl WINS!

To create an entry, and join our group, all you need is a free ESPN.com account.

for more rules and to sign up, go here:
http://games.espn.go.com/gridironpc/en/frontpage

Once you've created your entry, search and join our group "NightChurch"

On November 21- THIS SUNDAY, NightChurch will be collecting TURKEYS from our congregation to be distributed to underprivileged families through a partnering community organization. The turkeys can be brought to NightChurch before or after service. If you forget to bring yours, we'll have people hanging out after service so that you can run to Safeway and pick it up and drop them off on your way home. They will be delivered the week of November 22.



Also, we understand that times are tough in our community of Shelton and also in our community of NightChurch, so if you're in need of a turkey or Thanksgiving Day dinner items, please let us know and we would love to help meet your needs as well.
Please email: Turkey@NightChurch.org, call or TXT: (360)54JESUS, or fill out a comment card found in the back of C3 and place it in the offering box.

Over the past two Sundays at NightChurch, we have been looking at Luke 15, where Jesus tells three different stories about GOD the Father's habit of looking long and hard for His People who are apart from Him. A few years ago I wrote a song about GOD's characteristic as "The Finder". As a supplement to our times at NightChurch together, I'd like to share it with you here:



You can download an mp3 of the song and read more about it RIGHT HERE.

This Summer, NightChurch raised $1200 to purchase a new roof for a local Shelton family. Today, some of us gathered together to install it. We worked hard, had fun, ate great food and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

Thank you to all those that came to work and donated money towards this project.





(SEE MORE PICTURES HERE.)

a note from Pastor Gary Schwarz, lead pastor of FBC (our parent church):
my comments will be in italics as they relate to NightChurch!



September 10, 2010,

Dear Members and Friends of FBC (including NightChurch),

I want to take a moment to thank you for your generosity and sacrificial giving at a financially difficult time. Because of your offerings to the Lord in August, we exceeded our monthly budget by $1,500. Last week’s giving was equally generous—$23,880. (Our donations go to FBC's general fund and thus add to these totals.)

These are hard times for many of us. Yesterday I made a tally of those who are unemployed, underemployed, or whose businesses have suffered a downturn, and I came up with 22 names! We are praying with you! And if you have not yet told us about your needs, please do, so we can pray for you too. (Please do communicate with someone from NightChurch leadership so that we can sympathize with and support you!)

For those who are struggling, I don’t want to add to your stress load. But for those who can continue giving sacrificially, please do so. September is historically our lowest month of giving, which means if we keep from falling behind this month, I am confident we’ll make it through the rest of the year in good shape. Let me add that we’re also keeping a tight rein on spending. Our two biggest budget items are missions and staff, and our staff has gone without any raises in their salaries for two years now. (Just a reminder that NightChurch does not have a staff position at FBC and is entirely volunteer driven)

Before I finish, let me remind you about an important upcoming event—our congregational meeting scheduled for Sunday afternoon, October 10, at 12:30 pm. This is your chance to ask questions and give us input about two timely issues—the status of Mason County Christian School, for which we provide oversight, and the possibility of adding an elevator and making improvements to our facility, like replacing the siding on the outside of our building. We want to hear from you before we proceed with any such expenditures. So please add this date to your calendar and make every effort to join us. (While the building issues don't directly impact us at C3, many of us at NightChurch do have a close relationship with MCCS.)

One more matter that will take place at that time is the affirmation of elders. Elders serve 3-year terms and must be affirmed by 67% of those present at a business meeting called for this purpose. This summer you heard from 5 elders who have served at least one 3-year term and are seeking to serve an additional 3 years—Len Williams, Mark Sawyer, Bill Swanson, Rich Unterseher, and Ryan Spurling. A few other men have also been suggested to us and we expect that one more name will be added to the list in the next week or two. Please prayerfully consider these men and, if you are a voting member, come ready to cast your ballot on October 10th. If you have concerns about the qualifications of any of these nominees, please share you concerns with an elder prior to that day. Or, if you have a suggestion for elder, please let us know that too. (The FBC elders are the governing body of the Church, which includes NightChurch, so please make an effort to attend this meeting and contribute your opinions and support to our covering.)

Finally, don't forget that we have an outdoor worship service and picnic scheduled for this coming Sunday morning at Kneeland Park beginning at 10:30 am. Right now the forecast is for rain. I'm praying that will change. But if it doesn't, please check your email Saturday afternoon or evening. We'll let you know at that time if we're meeting at the park or back at the church building for an indoor picnic. Whichever we do, I promise we'll have a great time of worship and fellowship. (Please feel free to join the larger FBC family at this gathering. NightChurch will be cooking burgers in order to serve our larger church body. Also, don't forget we'll behaving our last Summer BBQ at C3 this Sunday evening!)

I consider it a great privilege and responsibility to serve the Lord as one of your pastors. Thanks to all of you for making it a pleasure and joy as well!

In Christ’s Love,

Pastor Gary

(NightChurch related comments by Justin)

So last night I finally saw Inception, which for me is somewhat of a shock since this is easily my most anticipated film of 2010. I love movies, and am looking forward to doing more movie reviews for the Nightchurch blog, but unfortunately the 2 and 4 year old girls both prevent me from seeing as many movies and as promptly as I would like. I will try and write a quick review for this movie (which I am sure most everyone else has already seen) but will attempt to limit the spoilers (although I will discuss key plot elements, so be forewarned).

The film is by my favorite director, Christopher Nolan (Dark Night, Batman Begins, Prestige, Memento) and stars Leonardo DiCaprio who despite how much I don't like Titanic, is becoming one of my favorite actors.

The script is an original work by Christopher Nolan (which is a refreshing change from the endless number of remakes and sub-par movies made around much better source material) and I would classify it as a Sci-Fi thriller/action movie. It also fits exactly with your expectations of summer blockbuster, with plenty of action and special effects, which Nolan has pulled off successfully in his last 2 Batman movies.

I went in to Inception with probably unrealistically high expectations, with all of the raving reviews, the cast, and the director I was expecting a great film. What I got was a really really good film, but ultimately I felt a bit disappointed in that Inception did not quite live up to my expectations.

The movie is a good movie, but unlike Dark Knight or Batman Begins, where the action IS the story, the action in Inception felt at times to be a bit forced, and got in the way of a good story/original idea. In particular, the entire snow fort set/world seemed awkward and cobbled together, without any reference to how or why it was there. Also, much like some of Nolan's other works, the movie I believe does have a definitive ending, but uses misdirection at the end to make the viewer question what they know.

I do recommend Inception, but after paying $10 for a theatre ticket I would probably rate it closer to a good DVD rental. And if you enjoy Inception, come talk to me at church and I would be happy to lend you other works by Christopher Nolan, of particular I would recommend is Memento. And it is in light of Memento that I believe Inception fails to deliver. See Memento is a smaller budget film that is built around deep character development, a murder mystery that keeps you guessing, and a unique style of story telling that helps you empathize with the main protagonist. In contrast Inception has an interesting story, but you never become fully invested in any of the characters except perhaps Cobb, but at the critical moments where the Cobb character is being revealed we are interrupted by action/special effects that distract from the character development instead of enhance it.

While I do appreciate a new story in the world of retreads, and I do enjoy Christopher Nolan's success, part of me wonders if that his success has limited his story telling somewhat. Because he is now a "big name" director, it is expected that he produce large summer blockbuster films. But where Christopher Nolan the director shines is in character development, especially in films like the Prestige and Memento where the action is almost non-existant. Even in Batman Begins and Dark Knight, while relying heavily on action sequences, the parts of both movies that stand out is the development of characters like Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins, and the Joker in Dark Knight. Inception had an interesting story with an interesting character in Dom Cobb, but unfortunately in my opinion the "action and special effects" actually got in the way of the story instead of contributing to it.

Overall I would probably give inception a B to a B+. It is still a good film, but as it is rated as the #4 movie of all time on IMDB right now, I believe the hype has gone a bit overboard on this film. I realize that I am probably in the minority of opinion on this, but this is my review so you get to hear my opinion :D

Hope everyone has a good Labor Day weekend, and if you would like to see more movie review posts, have specific requests for movies, or would like to see certain things appear in my movie reviews I would love to hear your comments. With Inception I was careful to try and not spoil the story, since I know that is a big part of watching the movie (and while it wasn't spoiled for me, the "big question" that was going to be posed at the end became readily apparent to me about 10 minutes in to the movie, but again I am a huge Christopher Nolan fan and that is how he does things), but in future reviews I hope to discuss the story a bit more and my take on certain things. But with Inception being a "reveal" movie I felt that if in my review I revealed the movie that would spoil others chances to enjoy the movie.

But if you would like to talk about Inception, your take on it, etc, feel free to chat with me at church or we can discuss it in the comments. If you haven't seen the movie, and don't want it spoiled, I suggest staying away from the comments. Because like I said, I do believe the movie had a definitive ending, and the director let us know, but also used misdirection at the end to pose doubt/questions in the viewers mind.

- Ryan

What's the best part of church on Sunday Nights?
Football on Sunday Mornings!

I'm kidding, of course, but if you enjoy football like I do, I'd like to invite you to play in a few mini-games with other people in our church and community this football season.

Maybe you've tried your hand at fantasy football in the past? Maybe you've been hearing a lot about this increasingly popular past time and want to give it a whirl? This is a great opportunity to play FREE, minimal time commitment, fantasy sports.

We have three game choices. You can choose to play in any or all of them. The rules and setup are really simple. All you need is a free ESPN.com account (register in the top right corner on their homepage), then you can signup and join our groups in each game.


1. Gridiron Challenge

This game challenges you to build a roster of pro football players consisting of 2 QBs, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, 1 Kicker, and 1 Team Defense, while staying under your team's $50m salary cap.
Click Here to Play
Group: NightChurch

2. Pig Skin Pick 'Em

This game challenges you to select the winner of each game throughout the 17-week NFL season.
Click Here to Play!
Group: NightChurch

3. Eliminator Challenge

Stay alive in ESPN's Eliminator Challenge by predicting just one pro football team to win each week. Sound easy? It's not, because you can't choose the same team more than once throughout the season. Compete against your friends and the overall ESPN pool - last man standing wins.
Click Here to Play!
Group: NightChurch

If you have any questions, please contact Justin@NightChurch.org or TXT (360) 54JESUS.

We’re not all that different.
by: Graydon Holden

most of us have the same fears and insecurities. most of us have the same hang-ups. we just assume that the people around us don’t deal with them since the people around us don’t tend to talk about them.

two of my many hang-ups are judging people.... and American Idol. the only part i really enjoy is the first few episodes where all the people who can’t sing try to sing.

well just today those two hang-ups of mine ran together perfectly. i ran across a post on facebook of this video featuring Jason Castro (a contestant on American Idol sometime back) but it was posted by a friend so i started watching it.



now i’m not saying i (or NightChurch) would put my stamp of approval on everything this fellow does, but i found many things that he said to be solid. things i think about and deal with in my own life.

then i began to wonder, “when was the last time i opened up and was that vulnerable about what i believe?” sometimes i don’t open my mouth about my beliefs. it’s not that i don’t believe, it’s just that i’m afraid of being inarticulate or saying something in a way that is cheesy or turns people off. i’m afraid of misrepresenting Christ.

now, for all my ridiculous inclinations toward feeling like i’m better or smarter than this fella (who seems to be a nice and genuine person) i found myself relating to him, appreciating what he was saying and respecting him for using the platform in the media he has to share what he believes (probably fully aware that many people would write him off as a conservative doofus who would not believe what he believed if he were educated enough to know better)

that’s a scary place to be but he owned it, with no real benefit to his career. he represented what he believes.

like i said: i’m a bit afraid of misrepresenting Chirst; but do i let that fear keep me from representing him at all?

i find more and more that i respect people who try and fail more than i respect those who wont try simply because they are afraid to fail.

so let me remind us, you and me, that more hearts have been led to God by loving fools who fail quite regulary than by intellectual parlance or perfect theology.

Hi NightChurch Family!

We're having a BBQ on 4th of July - THIS SUNDAY! - at Island Lake.
We will NOT be meeting in C3 this Sunday!

Instead, we'll be gathering at a friend's dock on Island Lake at 4:00pm to have some fun together.
NightChurch will be providing burgers, hot dogs, and condiments, and we plan to start eating at 4:30pm.
Please feel free to bring a Side, Salad, Desert, or Soda to share.
Bring your swim clothes and your favorite lawn games, and plan to hang out with us up until 8:00pm.
Unfortunately, because we are guests on this property, Fireworks won't be allowed.

DIRECTIONS:
Drive around Island Lake until you reach a black mailbox numbered 1781. It's the property on the lakeside of the road. There will be signs. Please park in the driveway or on the street infront of 1431 E Island Lake Drive (look for the signs!), which is about a 5 minute walk from the lake. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of parking at the lake.

View Larger Map


If you have questions now, or on the lake day, please call or txt (360) 54JESUS!

More info may be found on this handy-dandy flyer:


Important note: the lake property we are using doesn't have a bathroom so come prepared.
We hope this isn't a deal-breaker for anyone.