Summer 2024
Together In Mission
Monthly Reflections from BCC
Ministry Renewal Leave
By Phil Rushton
Lead Pastor
Hi Church Family,
In his book, The Emotionally Healthy Church, Pete Scazzero writes:
The overall health of any church or ministry depends primarily on the emotional and spiritual health of its leadership. In fact, the key to successful spiritual leadership has much more to do with the leader’s internal life than with the leader’s expertise, gifts, or experience.
I tend to agree with Scazzero here, though I would amend this statement slightly. I think the health of any ministry depends primarily on the work of the Holy Spirit. However, it depends secondarily on emotionally and spiritually healthy leaders who are tending to their souls and keeping in step with the Spirit. In the midst of all the work of ministry, we need to prioritize our own spiritual formation.
To that end, I will be taking a six-week ministry renewal leave this summer from June 10 - July 20. I will be missing five Sundays, which will be covered by Pastor Adria, members of our Lead Team, as well as guest speakers Elliot Ritzema and Dave Benedict. Many Covenant churches have instituted shorter renewal leaves for pastors every 3-4 years, instead of longer sabbaticals every 7 years. These shorter times away are easier to schedule and allow for more frequent opportunities for study, rest, and renewal. It is hard to believe that I will be finishing up my fourth year here at BCC this summer!
The highlight of my time away will include a trip to rural Kentucky, where I will be embarking on a silent retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemane. I was able to secure a grant from the denomination to cover most of the costs of the trip. Gethsemane is the oldest monastery in North America, and it was the home of the influential spiritual writer and monk Thomas Merton. I was deeply impacted by Thomas Merton when I took a course on his writings during college.
While in Kentucky, I also plan to visit the Thomas Merton Memorial in downtown Louisville. There is a plaque that depicts an epiphany that Merton had while walking the streets of Louisville in the 1960s. He writes:
In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all these people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers. It was like waking from a dream of separateness, of spurious self-isolation in a special world. . . .
This moment captures the intersection of spirituality and mission. Merton’s contemplative practice ultimately led him into a deeper love for his neighbors and an active engagement with culture. In the later part of his life, he became a leading voice and advocate for the oppressed. His internal life of prayer became the engine that drove a fruitful life of missional engagement with the world around him.
In a similar way, my prayer is that this time of retreat and renewal will cultivate within me a renewed energy and passion for ministry and mission in the months to come. Please pray that these six weeks will be a time of renewal and rest. Pray also that this will be a good time of connection and fun for our family. We are planning a couple of weeks away together on the San Juan Islands and at Lake Whatcom.
I invite you to consider how this summer might be a time when you might carve out space for rest, prayer, and renewal as well. During the summer we are going to be preaching through the Psalms. We will be putting out a daily schedule of praying through all 150 Psalms over the next three months. We are also going to create opportunities for you to respond creatively to the Psalms. On September 8, we will be hosting an arts night, where you will be invited to share artwork, songs, poetry, or journal reflections with the community. I pray that this summer will be a rich time of renewal and prayer for our entire community.
I am so grateful to be your pastor!
In Christ,
Pastor Phil
All-Church Campout!
*June 20-23…and no, It’s not too late to sign up!
BCC Family Park Meet-Ups!
By Megan Mattix
Children’s Director
Summer park meet-ups are just a time for us as families to get together with our kids and play once a week during the summer! They are drop-in, no need to RSVP. Please invite neighbors and friends to join you as well! We have a Facebook group to stay connected week by week for any last-minute changes due to weather or otherwise. This Summer I've included two short/simple hikes. One is to Clayton Beach. The other is at Point Whitehorn. Looking forward to being outside together this Summer! Stay in touch via our Facebook group here.
Come join us on the following Thursdays from 9:30 AM-11:30 AM
June 27- Squalicum Creek Park
July 4- NO MEET UP
July 11- Point Whitehorn Walk/Play
July 18- Fairhaven Park
July 25- Birch Bay State Park August 1- Cornwall Park
August 8- Clayton Beach
August 15- Boulevard Park
August 22-Elizabeth Park
Welcoming Children in Jesus’ Name
By Adria Willett-Leonardo
Associate Pastor
This is the third summer our church is partnering with World Relief Western Washington to host a School Readiness Program for refugee children. This is a practical way for us to serve and welcome the most recent arrivals to our area, in the example of Jesus.
For those of you who are not familiar with World Relief, it is a Christian, non-profit refugee resettlement agency. Over the last couple of years that they have been operating in Whatcom County, they have welcomed around 200 new neighbors from a whole range of countries. All of these refugees have waited years to emigrate here, and all of them have fled situations of violence and persecution. World Relief strives to be a sustainable and holistic center of compassion and practical support by offering a variety of services to meet the needs of refugee families and build welcoming communities. Both BCC and Lettered Streets Covenant were integral partners in establishing the Whatcom County office of World Relief Western Washington.
The idea of the School Readiness Program is to help refugee children get up to speed academically and to help them adjust to the American system of schooling. We set up a typical school day in our building, with separate classrooms and electives. They experience what it is like to go to class, then transfer to lunch, and then go to the gym for physical education or outside for recess. The refugee students work alongside the children of volunteers from our two churches. It is a wonderful chance for those students to interact with other students who know the system and for them to build new relationships. We have a lot of fun mixed in as well!
Bellingham Public Schools has appreciated the help that this program provides in teaching newly-arrived refugee children a little bit of English and adjusting to school. They are so appreciative of this help for students that they recently gave World Relief a financial grant to make sure the program happens again!
Since the number of refugee families has grown–we are expecting about 60 students this year–we are going to try two full weeks of the program this year. BCC will be hosting the first week (August 5-9) and Lettered Streets will be hosting the second week (August 12-16). If you are able to help for both weeks, amazing! If you can only help for one or two days, or can only help with preparation beforehand, that’s great too!
Even with both churches, we need a whole range of volunteers for all kinds of tasks! We encourage you to visit the new website set up just for this event and check out the different job descriptions and details about when and what. If you want to sign up to volunteer (and haven’t yet), there will be a link to our volunteer interest form there. Please sign up soon, so we can step up your initial orientation and set up needed training in time. If you have questions, you can contact Pastor Adria at adria@bellinghamcov.org
With your help, we can help immigrants in vulnerable situations in the United States find hope and rebuild their lives. In the example of Jesus, let us welcome all children with love and gratitude!
Exciting News for July: Our Youth Head to Unite!
By Jeff Grosskopf
Youth Pastor
This July, twelve of our high school students, accompanied by three adult leaders, will embark on a transformative journey to our denominational event for students, known as Unite. This week-long adventure promises to take our students out of their everyday routines and immerse them in a vibrant community experience. It’s a unique opportunity for them to deepen their understanding of faith and God.
What is Unite?
Unite is a gathering of Covenant High School groups. Here’s what our students can look forward to:
7 days and nights of fun, worship, and friendship
Evening sessions with dynamic worship and powerful speakers
Morning sessions with strong teaching leading into personal and small group times
Afternoon activities such as sports tournaments, swimming, seminars, and more
Will You Pray for Our Students?
We invite you to join us in prayer for our students as they prepare for this significant event. Here are some specific ways you can support them through prayer:
Spiritual Awakening: Pray that God speaks to each student in profound ways, expanding their understanding of His presence in their lives.
Personal Growth: Ask for growth in their walk with Christ, so that they may re-examine their priorities in light of the new insights and experiences gained during the trip.
Safety: Keep their safety in your prayers throughout the entirety of their journey.
Life Transformation: Pray that they return home to Bellingham with fresh perspectives, ready to impact their own lives and the lives of those around them with renewed faith and vision.
*Our team: Rachel Fenwick, Mackenzie Flores, Marissa Flores, Elsa Gulleson, Ayana Lane, Gus Mayer, Ian Meeks, Noah Meeks, Josiah Perryman, FeiYan Rasmusen, Cameron Park, Linnea Park
We are thrilled for what this trip holds for our youth and grateful for your prayers and support. Let’s unite in faith, sending our students off with our blessings and hopes for a life-changing experience!