LHC Orchards

Tiger Weekend

2007-09-25T16:58:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-27T22:43:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-24T12:56:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-24T11:39:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-19T05:44:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-08T15:30:00.001-07:00

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

2007-03-05T21:00:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-22T16:53:00.000-08:00

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

God Continues To Amaze

2006-11-12T16:20:00.000-08:00

We celebrated our tenth year anniversary last weekend with nearly 4,800 people attending 9 services in four locations, 369 Baptisms, and even more salvation decisions. Left at 4am Monday morning for a the Drive Conference in Atlanta Georgia, got back in time to go straight to the Pastor's Appreciation Dinner, then six services with H.B. London from Focus on the family....

I was just looking at the stats and we are averaging nearly 600 people per week more than we did in October...

God is moving, and we need to keep figuring out ways to accomodate all the people that God is allowing us an opportunity to minister too!

So here we go again, we are ready to begin to "Live Feed" the Orchard's Campus and launch new/overflow services. Beginning next week November 18-19th we will move to two services at 9:30 and 11:30am. John is even talking about quickly moving to a 7pm Saturday Evening service...

We had several people sign up this week to come down and assist us beginning next week, plan on inviting your friends and hang on for the ride....

Please be praying for Sherry Curtiss who is in having surgery tomorrow Monday Nov. 13th.

Thanks for all you do in serving our Lord, you are each a great blessing and God has wonderful plans for each of our lives. It is a very busy time, but it is the best tired you will ever experience!! ONLY GOD!!!

God Bless,

Duane

Great Adventure

2006-09-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

Had a wonderful opportunity to go fishing with my Dad and Christian my 15 year old son...

Sunday after church we took off for Neah Bay the furthest Northwest point of the lower 48. It had changed drastically in the 16 years since I have been there. But the fishing is still some of the best in the world, and the scenery to die for.

The first morning we went out and caught a bunch of bottom fish and were surrounded by Grey Whales spoutting off all around us. Christian asked if I would cook some of the fish when we got back to the RV. I told him I would, but after 11 hours on the boat and another hour and a half of cleaning fish and the boat out I could hardly see straight so I bailed on cooking...

Next morning we headed out (porpoises escorting us, on the bow) to Canadian waters for Halibut fishing. Again Christian asked me if I would cook some of the fish that we were catching. I figured the right thing to do was to say yes, but I gave him a qualification: "If you catch something over 10 pounds I will cook fish. Within two minutes he hooked up with what would eventually be a 67 lb Halibut bleeding all over the boat....that night we shared a meal of some of the best fish any of us had ever tasted.

I made a judgement call to keep Christian out of school for his first two days of High School... His schooling is vital but the education, sights, sounds and relationship building that happened on this trip will be something we will always have as an outstanding memory.

Redeem your time, make the most of every opportunity.

God Bless,

Duane

Orchard's Begins New School Year

2006-09-01T14:08:00.000-07:00

So much going on and so little brain power to think about it....

God is awesome! We have our K-5th grades of New Generation Christian School coming back to the Orchard's Campus. They were all there two years ago before they joined us at the Brush Prairie Campus. The Jr High and High School will still be at Brush Prairie.

Our 10 am service is taking off and we have several new families attending that we are very excited about.

We are starting two new classes at 9am on Sunday morning September the 10th:

Rich Brosius will be teaching a bible basics class for four weeks in one of the modulars.

Dan Plotner and Duane Warren will be co teaching a spiritual gifts class in one of the modulars.

Dean Jenks is working to ensure that everyone knows about and is getting involved in Life Groups.

Ginger is training an amazing up-front team of greeters and hospitality folks.

The Carrol's are settleing in as our Worship Leaders.

Several men have approached me and we will be kicking off a monthly mens breakfast in October.

Several individuals have also asked about a united prayer effort, and we will have a prayer room that will be open in one of the modulars every Sunday morning at 9am.

Jr High is moving from Friday evenings at the campus to Wednesday's, except the first Wednesday of each month they will be with the HS and College at the Brush Prairie Campus.

Ecclesia (College Ministry) will continue meeting on Sunday evenings at the Orchard's Campus and then move to the Brush Prairie Campus the first Sunday of October.

Living Hope is looking toward building onto our Brush Prairie Campus, expand to Longview, Portland and perhaps Camas.

The Fishers Landing Team has found a potential permanent location for their satallite campus near Mill Plain and 172nd. Check out their site for further information.

God is blessing and things (as usual) are moving quickly. Things change and we stay flexible, but ultimately it is all for God's glory and He keeps showing up and drawing people to Himself.

Can't think of any place I would rather be.

Know that God loves you,

Pastor Duane