NextStep Fellowship

Hey NextStep Family!

Wow, what an unexpected dumping of snow we got! Unfortunately the heavy snow made for many trees down on the property which resulted in a power outage with restoration unlikely anytime before tomorrow afternoon … so the building is cold and dark! There will be no Sunday morning gathering this week.

Pastor Devin from our sister church in Centralia has offered to share the platform tomorrow and team preach so I’d encourage you to join Centralia Community Church of God’s service virtually (or even in person if you’d like to make the drive!). We will be in our Fully Surrendered series, learning about a God we can trust for spiritual sight. You can find the virtual service here along with location info if you do want to join in person: https://cccog.com/live

And as one member suggested, if you have snow then a “church service” playing out in God’s beautiful, cold, creation sounds like a great way to spend a Sunday!

Blessings,
Pastor Shay

We can meet this new week with joy because we are promised newness and freedom in Jesus! 🎉

The good news of Christmas is for the right now and the not yet: Christ has come, and Christ will come again. We live in the in between- between the manger and the second coming, between promise made and promise fulfilled- but we wait in hope, peace, joy, and love because God is already here with us! And this Sunday we invite you to celebrate the incredible gift of this good news with us! Merry Christmas!

This song is such a beautiful reminder of what God says to us, his children, when we’re at that place of overwhelm and exhaustion from trying to hold or control everything ourselves. There’s a heart cry we can read out of the lyrics that respond to God with a “yes, Father, please hold me.” Rest in that today friends, you don’t have to hold it all- just let Him hold you.

In this day, and always, may we look like Jesus in the places we work, live, and play. And, in doing so, may we bring glory to a good Father in whose image we were made.

The echoes are too loud for me to miss this week. God has been reminding in really obvious ways every day that I can come to him and find rest. I love Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of Jesus’ words in Matthew because it helps paint the picture of still being on mission- working with and alongside Jesus- in a way that gives rest and is light. Today I’m not doing anything if it’s not next to my Father, wrapped in His presence and filled with His Spirit! -Pastor Shay

This is the real, honest, prayer on my heart after a day that felt heavy. Jesus words have been running through my mind all day: come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest. So, in case I’m not the only one with a heavy heart- might God be inviting you to come to Him for rest too?

This week God keeps reminding me of His goodness. Not just the good nature of His character, but the way he gives such good things. I know God is good as the Creator and Savior, but I have also experienced God pouring out good things that seem to just be for delight and joy. I sense God telling me this week to remember He desires to give good gifts to His children, to look for evidence of His goodness, and to share about the goodness I have been blessed by. So this week I choose to call out the goodness of God in both the big things and the small, seemingly insignificant, yet utterly delightful things. He is indeed a good, good God!

Join us this upcoming Wednesday, September 10th at the Fairwood Night Market!

Enjoy a meal in our Family Area from one of the many food trucks, play some fun games, and explore all the amazing vendors and community members. Don’t forget to stop by and say hi — we’d love to see you there!