Cham::2::Seattle

The Present...and the Future

2010-09-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

It has been an interesting and busy adventure this summer here in the PNW. I have found myself on the constant move here serving at The Commons and working a part time (but full time) job at Best Buy. Life has definitely been on the fast track.

I write to "fill in the blanks" on where I am and what you may have heard or not heard.

At the beginning of October, I will be moving back to Birmingham, AL. The reason is for school. Since serving here at The Commons and in the PNW for almost two years, I have learned a lot about myself, my skills, and what it takes to be an effective minister/church planter. A month ago, I was re-reading a book called "Radical" written by a pastor named David Platt. As I was consuming each page, God began stirring within me some questions and thoughts.

"Can I effectively take someone from knowing nothing about Christ to knowing, believing, & growing in Him?"

"Can I train that person to do the same with people they come in contact with in their everyday life?"

"Do I have a solid grasp on what it means to effectively disciple someone to the point of where they can do the same?"

"Do I equip others well?"

I could answer these questions with a human response and say "yes" to all of the above, but I can't. With prayer and meditation, I concluded that to be most effective in other's lives, I would first need to be "equipped in equipping others". In 12 years of ministry, I have always been someone who does the watering meaning that I took others who have already had a foundation and I would tweak and build off of it. Here in the PNW, You have to be a planter/equipper/sender. I believe that I am not fully equipped yet to effectively be all of these. For me to do what God is calling me to do here, making disciples of Christ who make disciples of Christ, I will need to be better equipped. This equipping will come in the form of school. I plan to return to Birmingham, AL to get my masters (M.Div) in Church Planting.

Why Birmingham?

Prayerfully going back to my home state is far less expensive for me. I could take online courses here in WA, but the reality is that I couldn't focus on school, church, and a full time job at Best Buy. So moving back makes sense as well as being obedient to what God is calling me to do.

My plan is to sell all my furniture that I currently own, pack up a small U-haul trailer, and move back to AL. Once I arrive, I will immediately be looking for a full time job and enrolling to the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Extension there in Birmingham. My Goal is to finish school.

God has used me in so many ways and taught me so much while I have been here. It is definitely a tough move for me because my heart is here in the PNW and in The Commons. I have seen so many lives impacted by Christ and seen over 10 students (who were unchurched) give their life to Christ.

I want to personally thank each and every one of you for your prayers, encouragement, and your financial support. Thank you for being the "Church". Through your support, lives were eternally impacted and changed.

After October 1st, I will no longer ask you to support me financially, but will ask that you prayerfully consider supporting The Commons (discoverthecommons.com). We have been used in a tremendous way to impact the Arlington, WA area and will need continual prayer and financial support to continue to do what God has called us to do.

Again, I can not express how much your support has meant to me. The last 2 years of my life is a true testimony of what Christ can do through someone who is just willing to step out into the unknown and the uncomfortable. May He increase in us as we decrease.

I love you all.

-Cham McCutchen

Sports camp 2010

2010-07-12T13:26:00.001-07:00

It's here nice again!!! We had 185+ kids this morning! More to come and blogged about this week.

-- Post From Cham's Phone

One day you will be hugged.

2010-05-10T09:48:00.000-07:00

As I was talking with one of my best friends on the phone last night, a thought hit me. One day everyone of you who have supported me & The Commons in prayer, encouragement, & financial support will be hugged (if not tackle hugged) in Heaven. Why? Because you have been apart of God's ministry here in Arlington, WA that God has used to change lives. Those hugs (I promise you) will come from me and all of those here in this area who have been impacted by God through The Commons. Go ahead and get ready!

I have been thinking of all the incredible things God has allowed me to be apart of up here and the ministry that I have had the privilege of doing and it blows my mind. I have seen a lot of people and students come to know Christ as their savior. I have seen marriages put back together. I have seen believers revived and now on board with God's mission. I have seen God take a church with few ragtag people leading it and use them to impact a community.

It's surreal. It's all God. Get ready for your hugs. I have mentioned this before, but let me explain again. You are just as important in this ministry to the unchurch as anybody else. With no arm, how can a hand ever function? God setup the body of Christ for a specific reason.

So I just wanted to share with you my thought on a Monday morning. Get ready to be hug. I know there will be a line of students and adults ready to hug and thank you for being willing, sacrificial, and obedient to God in support me and The Commons. You are impacting and I thank you for that. Love and miss you all!

-cham

Among the busyness...

2010-05-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

We have a ton going on at The Commons. We are scurrying around getting the weekly things accomplished, building and investing in relationships, and getting Sports Camp together. God has really been blessing the church and the ministries that we are doing. As mentioned in my last blog, I had the privilege of leading 8 middle school students to Christ. Completely incredible!!!

I type this blog asking you to keep us all in your prayers. As a church plant, we are funded through those who financially partner with us. Due to the economy, many church plants are taking a hit in funding. A few of us on couple of us on staff (including me) have sought after part time and full time positions to make ends meet so we can continue doing ministry.

I recently took a part time job at Best Buy to help with low funds. I love the job and people, but it still doesn't provide enough financially to help with the low funds.

I mention all this to ask you to pray for me, our staff, church, and other churches here in the PNW. It is an exciting and scary time. We get tread through the unknown, but at the same time we get to see the provisions of God first hand.

Bottom line, we are willing to do what is ever necessary to continue ministering here in the PNW. Our desire is to connect people outside of this area (in different ways) to the ministry going on here. Some of those ways are: prayer, financial support, mission trips, or even moving out here. However God leads someone to help reach the PNW is our desire because it becomes a blessing to all.

If you would like to help in any way or get your church involved, then please contact me at cham@discoverthecommons.com

Thank you for following, praying, and supporting me.

Because of your sacrifices and support, we are able to continue

experiencing fruit in the lives of people here.

Cham

"So why did God give up Jesus?"

2010-04-21T21:13:00.001-07:00

The title of this blog was the very question that a middle school girl asked me during the bible study and it was a question that impacted many.

The night started off with energy, spaghetti, and a whole lot of new kids. As you may or may not know, I decided to split the middle school and high school up on two separate nights. Last week, I had a total of 4 middle school students. I challenged them to bring friends and they came through. I had 12 students tonight! That was huge, but not as big as what was to come.

I started off interacting with the students as normal. I do my dumb cham stuff that breaks the ice and helps connect others with laughing and what not. Soon after, I begin the bible study. Of course, I started with a object lesson..."Name that baby food". Who knew what was about to happen?

After the object lesson, I began to run over Matthew 5:13-16(msg). Quite to my surprise, we didn't stay on that long. I had a young girl raise her hand in the middle of the lesson with a baffled look. I pointed to her and said, "do you have a question?" She said, "So why did God five up Jesus?" I heard a bunch of "yeahs" very low under other's breathes. I responded, "great question..let's look find out."

So at that point, I walked through John 3:16 & Romans 3:23. I explained to them why Christ had to die and came to die for the world. I went through why we fell short and how Jesus can fix that. The girl then followed up by asking, "So how do you come into a relationship with Jesus?" I grinned and I took the group through Romans 10:9-10. I explained to them about asking Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. I explained my testimony quickly and what Christ did for me.

At that point, I asked the entire group to bow there heads. I simply said, "If you would like to ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior then just make eye contact with me." 8 students looked at me and I about lost it. I walked them through a how to get saved.

Can I say that TOTALLY ROCKED MY WORLD!!! Everything, the ups and downs of church planting and sacrificing, totally paid off. I got to experience God moving first hand. It is still surreal to me. I plan to follow up these next weeks with them. God rocks my world!

Please keep these students, me, the student ministry, and The Commons in your prayers. God is doing some incredible things here. Come be apart of it in some way.

-Cham

PS. I didn't edit check this content b/c I'm worn out. Please forgive any mistakes or type-os.

Crawlin' with a purpose...

2010-04-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

One of the cool things I get to experience is watching people jump on the mission that Christ has called us to. I have had the privilege to hang out with some incredible guys that are passion about "muddin'/crawling" and also their relationship with Christ.

Recently the group's name and mission, "Crawlers 4 Christ", was birthed out of these two passions. It consist of a few guys from The Commons and from a few other churches. Their desire is to reach out to people with the love of Christ and to build community around one of their favorite hobbies. It's totally legit with cards to hand out and everything. It has just been pretty cool just watching it form through all the talk and rides that I have been own with these guys.

The other day as the group was leaving the trails, we met a guy who was needing help with his 4x4 truck. The guys spent and additional 2 hours in the dark trying to fix the truck so that he could get home. They met his physical needs and also talked to him about Christ as well. The guy was super thankful because most people wouldn't have stopped and taken the time due to fear of being tricked or robbed (the trails can be a shady place). As mentioned earlier, it is just a cool privilege to be around guys from The Commons and other churches that have a passion for Christ and to help others. God is doing great things here in Arlington, WA.

-cham

When going to prom pays off...

2010-04-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

Why I go out of my way to do things...

As you may or may not know, I had the privilege of taking about ten students to the prom a couple of weeks ago. It started off with just a van ride down, but I couldn't leave it at that. I decided, "why not provide free pictures for them instead of them paying for one at the school?" So I did.., and it paid off. Just getting the chance to serve, hanging out with students, and going the extra mile was worth it. Last week was when I separated the Middle School and High School on two different nights. To my surprise, a few of those students from the prom outing showed up and loved it. It was totally worth my time, effort, and talents. I am always reminded about how Jesus tells us to go the extra mile for others, so we can impact them. Well, here is the proof. I have students who before prom, may would have never considered or connected with The Commons Student ministry.

So when are you going to prom?

-cham

Prom...would you go back?

2010-04-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

Prom::.

Prom is one of those special moments in a student's life. The dresses, the tuxes, flowers, food, and fun. If you had a chance to go back to prom (no matter your age), would you? Well, in my case, YES! Tomorrow I grab the church van, 10 high school students, my photography camera, and we head off to prom. Are you going to be at the prom? Technically no, but I am driving some of my students and their friends to Seattle for their prom. One of my students came to me weeks ago and asked me if I would be interested. I was totally cool with it. So I will be the "limo driver" for the group. I thought to myself, "Why not give them some free professional photos as well?" You would have thought I hung the moon. All of a sudden, I had other students contacting the one who asked me trying to get on board. The chaos i create.

I share this with you to encourage you to take those extra steps to impact others. I get a chance to hang with some students that do not attend the student ministry and probably has never been to church too. What a great opportunity to interact with those students and provided them with great memories through photos and to show them the Love of Christ. God has called me to a cool ministry and I love every minute of it.

-cham

Easter Sunday

2010-04-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

Easter:

We had an incredible day yesterday at The Commons. We had over 141 people at our Sunday Morning Worship service. It was a cool time just seeing new faces, excited kids, and people looking to connect with others and with Christ. We decided to keep it simple yesterday in the service and it worked out well. Tim, our pastor, brought a passionate message on the love of Christ and the Gospel. We had a ton of people give up their place in the service to meet the needs of childcare in the other rooms. It was an incredible time. I am excited to here some God-stories to come out of yesterday.

My PNW Family:

One of the biggest loves I have for The Commons is the real authentic community and family vibe that we have going on. Over the past few days, I received multiple calls from different families inviting me to eat with them for Easter. They wanted to make sure that I as well as other team members had a place for Easter since we live way far from our families. It was such an overwhelming sense of love that I felt from each phone call, text, and face to face invite. So...I spent yesterday hanging out with multiple families and enjoying some incredible community. It's just a beautiful thing. I even ended up learning how to weave a basket when I hung out with my friends from the Tulalip Tribe (check it out pics on my facebook fan page). I had such a great time yesterday. Days like yesterday just confirm that I am where I need to be. I am so blessed

Big Week:

This week has a lot going on:

Men's Group Tonight:

I am always excited about this. The guys in The Commons have really stepped it up and I am so privileged to be among such an awesome group of men. I am expect some more new faces tonight. Plan to watch a little NCAA action with them afterwards.

Community Groups Kick-off:

This is the week where the Commons kicks-off new community groups. The awesome thing is that they will be lead by other Commons family members and not the leadership. This is such an exciting time. I can't wait to see such incredible things come out of these groups.

Students:

We are watching the Passion of the Christ this week in the Student Ministry. It has become a tradition for us. It puts things in a visual perspective for my kids. I am praying that questions and life changes will arise after this Wednesday.

Also, I am preparing for the big split. Next week, I will begin splitting Middle School and High School up. The reason is that I am loosing a lot of High School students b/c they want to tackle some deeper things that we could not necessarily go into with Middle School. I am really praying and expecting some great things to come out of this split. Change for some is never received well at the beginning, but over time I think this will extremely be beneficial to all.

I hope everyone had an incredible Easter Weekend. I encourage you to impact those around you and support those who need help in and out of the Body of Christ. Please keep me in your prayers as I walk through some potential job situations. My prayer is that it helps and not hinders what I do here at The Commons.

-cham

Everybody has a story...it just takes a second to listen.

2010-04-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

It has been interesting the last couple of weeks. I have met some very interesting people with some really cool stories.

Last week, I was interviewed by a general manager at a local retail store here in the area. Come to find out, he was a PK (Preacher's Kid) and a former student pastor. It was pretty cool considering that I live in a unchurched area. We ended up sharing stories, struggles, and life. I was amazed at this encounter and I think he was too.

Yesterday, I had to go to a local Lab Testing Facility for a infamous drug test required by potential hiring companies. I met a doctor there that turned out to be a church goer at a local church. He was fascinated with my name which lead to my move up here which lead to me sharing why I was here and what I do. He shared about his life and his move as well as his journey as a believer. He was a really cool guy with a fascinating life and background.

I share this to encourage everyone to stop.., look.., listen.., and connect. If we stop in our busy worlds for a moment, we find that there are real people created by God with interesting stories. From there, we need to look for those moments where we can strike up a conversation. Sometimes this is easier said than done, but try it. Then we need to listen. You will be amazed how interesting the world outside of your world is. Last, we need to connect. Connecting in the sense of impacting that person. Leaving them with a blessing of some sort. In most conversations, I always ask in my heart, "Ok...God. How can I bless them or What do You want to do through me to bless or impact them?" Then I do it.

I just share this because there are so many people with fascinating stories that we can reach out to, bless, and impact. We just need to stop, look, listen, and connect.

-cham

Excited...

2010-03-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

Past Sunday...

This past Sunday went great. To catch you up to what I am talking about, we had over 50% of the leadership team out for Spring Break. This left us we a few "stay-behinds" and a lot of volunteers to make Sunday happen. I just want to brag on everybody and say it was a "HOME RUN!" Volunteers brought their A-game and helped us get things set up, tore down, AND helped in ministry related areas such as preschool, children's min, and greeting. I can't express how awesome it is to see some many people connect just through serving. I had the opportunity to co-lead worship and then speak. This was a 1st. I am usually my worst critic but I had a lot of feedback on the message that God lead me to share. It was a great Sunday for us, the Commons, and for the leadership knowing that they can have a vacation free of worry.

Small Groups...

Just in a couple of weeks, new community groups will be starting. The exciting part is that our own family members will be starting/leading them up. In the past, we either had all the adults meet at the Corbin home or we created multiple groups with someone from the Commons leadership leading it. So to say we are excited is an understatement. It is awesome to see everybody excited and passionate to reach out to there community, friends, neighbors, and family.

Students...

In the student ministry, I am working on tweaking a few things. We are at a point in students where we need to possibly split up Middle School and High School. We have been averaging over 20+ students consistently, but the majority have been 6th-9th. I am processing the option of having middle school meet one night & high school meet on another night. Upfront, this will open up a lot of possibilities, draw more students, and ultimately meet the needs of each age group. So please keep me in your prayers as I look at the logistics of possibly doing this.

On April 7th, I will be showing the students the Passion of Christ movie. Last year, I showed this and it open the eyes of a lot of students. I am praying for a great impact this time around.

Update on Financial Support...

In the my last blog, I mentioned where my financial support currently was. My support is still very low for me to continue relying on it alone. Currently, I have sought after a part-time or full time job to help sustain the different. I have some opportunities that look very favorable, so I am praying for God's will. I am always looking for new supporters. If you would like to contribute, then you can find the info on the right side of this blog.

Thank you again for your prayers, encouragement, and love. It has been an incredible journey and I am expecting great things this year. Love and miss you all!

-cham

Reality...

2010-03-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

Definition of a Church Planter (taken from Wikipedia):

"A church planter and family move into a new location to start a church from scratch. The planter has very little connection with or existing support within the new area. The planter and their family are “pioneering” new territory. Where there is great risk, there is great reward, but this approach is not for the faint of heart and requires a person particularly gifted in personal evangelism. Advantages of this approach include flexibility, and the ability to reach otherwise unreached areas. The disadvantages might be the effort required to integrate with a new community, and possible lack of financial and personal support."

The definition above pretty much sums up the basic core of what I do. All parts of it have become a reality that I have experienced while here serving at The Commons.

My present reality is that I am severely short of funds to continue to serve full time. Today marks the 2nd time that I have not received an entire paycheck to sustain my living here. As mentioned before, I have begun the process of looking for a full time job to "keep me afloat". I do not plan to quit or move on from The Commons, but I am forced at this point to take a job no matter what conflict it has with my schedule at church.., meaning I could quite possibly miss Sundays and/or Wednesday. I definitely am not fond nor pleased with this possible reality, but I do have to sustain living some how.

I tell you all this because I believe in transparency and firmly feel that this is apart of the "journey" that most people are always afraid to discuss openly. The reality is that with any missionary, church planter, or church planter it takes financial support to allow them freedom to fully focus on carrying out the mission/ministry that God has called them to.

Currently, as mentioned in a previous blog post, I am only supported by a few individuals and a couple of businesses. I have no "Home Church" or "Missions Organization" that backs me. So I do not get a guaranteed amount every week. This is one of many risk that a church planter takes.

So, I am communicating to you the reality of my ministry right now. I have been praying, fasting, and seeking God's wisdom on finding either the financial support of job that will continue to allow me to effectively serve at this church plant. I have no doubt that God will provide, no matter how uneasy it gets. He is doing amazing things at the Church and with the people who we impact.

Please keep me in prayer as I walk through this unknown situation.

-cham

Very Excited Times...

2010-03-10T13:34:00.000-08:00

Tonight starts an exciting 3 weeks for The Commons. We begin a 3 week training for our family members on how to start their own community group. The group will consist of 2-3 families from The Commons. From there, they will begin inviting family and friends to join in. Through this, the Commons' family members will build authentic Christian community, work through a weekly bible study, have a mission project, and impact those that they are reaching out to within the community group. Exciting & scary at the same time. We have never done this full throttle, and so leadership feels that it's time. Please keep us in prayer as we begin to work through this. We are excited as well as the family members.

On a side note, the students are serving in childcare for 3 weeks as every possible adult goes through the training. I have incredible kids who are willing to sacrifice and serve for the Kingdom. God is awesome!

-cham

A lady's response to the Student "Couple's Night Out"

2010-03-09T16:14:00.000-08:00

Below is an e-mail that I received from one of our ladies that goes to The Commons concerning the "Couple's Night Out" that the student ministry provided.

"Thank you so much for hosting the Common's Parents Night Out. We used to be better about scheduling time for us as a couple, but in the past two years so much has changed. While we were out enjoying our dinner out, we were reflecting on how little time we have been able to get some alone time without the kids. Since Grant was born (he is 20 months) Mark and I have only been able to get a sitter and get out 2 times. That is crazy!

For almost a year and a half Grant has been struggling health wise. The first symptom came when he was about 4 months old when he would scream bloody murder every 30 -60 minutes thru the night. We went from doctor to doctor, enduring trial medications, exams and tests never to find an answer as to why he was seemingly in so much pain. During this time he was also being seen for a tumor that had grown to attach to his spine. No specialist thought that these two problems were related.

During this time our relationships had to take on different roles. We went into survival mode. We realized it was bad when everyone in the family other than myself and Grant had moved downstairs so they could escape the screams in order to get some sleep. Realizing that Mark needed to work to sustain the family, I would hold, pat and rock Grant all night upstairs trying to find something that would alleviate his pain and not ask for help. While we know this is not the best model of a marriage, our medical bills were racking up and we had to do what we had to do to get by.

As you know, this month Grant had surgery to remove his tumor and miraculously has slept thru the night ever since. It turns out the tumor had infiltrated to the nerves of his spine and that likely was the reason he would scream all night. We still have a long road ahead, medical bills to pay, and a years worth of chores and projects put on the back burner, but we are excited that with Grant's renewed health we will be better able to conquer those.

I think our marriage had turned into more of a partnership than a relationship. While in our heads we know we are married forever, but we had gotten to a place where we were not expressing our love to each other. If we could make time to get away, then we were faced with finding a sitter to watch all 4 children, and then the expense of a sitter, it often seemed like an overwhelming task to coordinate.

I may not be able to fully express my gratitude to you, the teens and all involved in coordinating Saturday night. We were able to go out, enjoy a dinner that did not include french fries, nor did anyone spill their drink. We were able to take our time, to talk to each other, to take our time talking to each other, all while knowing that our kids were safe, having fun, and not stressing about having to pay the sitter. We spent more time talking to each other Saturday night than probably the last year combined. We were able to just be, to escape with each other, and we were able to forget about the bills, the garage that needs to be cleaned, the yard that needs to be weeded. You gave us the best gift we could have asked for, you gave us time.

From the bottom of my heart, Thank you all,"

Immediate Prayer

2010-03-09T10:59:00.000-08:00

Please keep me in your prayers. As with most church planters, I have come to a place financially where I need to take immediate action. As you may or may not know, I am currently serving full time at The Commons through financial giving from a couple of small businesses and individuals. I have no home churches or organization such as North American Mission Board financially supporting me.

Due to economy, high cost of living in the PNW, and lack of funding, I am having to pursue a full time job (which i am not opposed to). The potential downside of this is that I will have to take what is offered no matter what the time schedules are. This action could possibly remove my full time availability to serve and minister at The Commons. This could/would drastically affect the mission that God has called me to carry out here.

I ask that you would pray with me on God's guidance and provision. It is a very interesting time for me. For me to continue serving full time on financial support I need to raise $3,000 a month. That covers the basics of life: Living, Auto, & insurance.

At this point, I am continually in prayer and pursing the first available full time job. I asked that you continue to pray with me and ask God how to help. Thank you for all your support.

-cham

March E-letter

2010-03-08T18:41:00.001-08:00

I finally figured out how to get the E-Letter color & photos included on an "off-line files". So if you do not get my Monthly E-Letter, then you can download it---->> here

Please note that the links on that file do not work.

If you would like to receive this e-letter monthly in your inbox, then please e-mail your name & e-mail address to cham.i.am@gmail.com

Thank you for all your support!!!

--cham

Over 20 students feeding the homeless

2010-02-01T07:24:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, we took a massive group of people downtown to feed the homeless. We had the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ by handing out sandwiches, bottle water, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo & lotions, chips, clothes, & other perishable items. It was exciting to see over 25 students so engerized to meet the needs of others. The group I led gave out almost all of our items in about 15 minutes (aka a large area of poverty). It was moving to see the smiles and gratitude in the faces of those who we were helping. One guy even pulled out a little pocket Bible and read us some verses and encouraged us. Below are just a few pics...

-- Post From Cham's Phone

Summer Missions

2010-01-15T10:07:00.001-08:00

If you are looking for a mission opportunity, then prayerfully consider our Sport Camp this summer.

The Commons Sports Camp has been a major outreach and connecting point for us in the Arlington Community. The idea of the camp is to teach a 1st-5th grader 5 different sports throughout the week for only $10.00. The first year that we did this, we had 50 kids participate. Three years later and by word of mouth, we hit around 215+ this past summer. Thats a lot of kids. During this camp, we break the kids up into small groups for bible studies. They love it. It is a great opportunity to spread the love of Christ and the Gospel to these kids.

So how can you be involved? COME SERVE. There is no way that we can handle 200+ kids by ourselves. Each year, we have had a few church groups come and serve. They love it! It is a great experience and eye-opener to those that are unfamiliar with this unchurched region.

You can come as an individual, a group of friends, or a church group. We can use you. You get to invest in kids, see the incredible PNW, and connect with what God is doing here in this area.

If you are interested or have questions, just give me a call or e-mail at cham.i.am@gmail.com

-cham

Scripture that I am praying for The Commons...

2010-01-13T10:28:00.000-08:00

This was apart of my 1 year Bible reading this morning:

Matthew 9:37-38(NLT):

He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

21 days of focused prayers...

2010-01-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

I have committed to pray 21 days for a few specific things that involve the ministry I am apart of here in the Pacific Northwest. I am taking 21 days to really spend some time focusing on praying and seeking God for direction and answers. Below are a few things that I am praying for.

1) Closer Intimate Relationship w/ God - Our relationship with God is a journey. So we are constantly being worked on, changed, and seeing growth through our relationship with Christ. That is my prayer. That God take me to a deeper level, so that the overflowing of that will pour into our church and community.

2) Rental Home - I am specifically praying that God will give me clarity on renting a 3 or 4 bedroom home. I can't afford it, which makes things interesting, but I can't get it out of my head. The rental home has a multitude of reasons behind it.

1st- Know that I am perfectly content with my little apartment. So to clear any misconceptions that Cham wants bigger. I don't apart from this vision.
I want to have a place that can provide authentic community (small groups, gatherings, cookout outreaches, and more) - can't really do that in a 900 sq. ft. apt.
I want to have a place that houses & connects people and mission groups to the Pacific Northwest. If people experience what God is up to here, then that cast major vision. It also cheapens room and board cost. I want to be a blessing & people not bear burdens.
I want to have a place that can be a refuge. A place wear people can heal or recover. If a pastor is down on his luck and needs a get-a-way place or a place to live to be restored, then I want to provide that. I want to reach out. Even if it means housing the whole family, I will not turn anyone down.
Place for the student ministry to hang and grow.
A place where I can invite the neighborhood over and build new relationships.

So that is a few reason why I am praying for direction on this God-potential resource. I don't have the money to sustain a rental home, so it will definitely be a God thing.

3) Student Ministry - I am praying for an uprising. I have now been here a year and have seen everything that involves my students. I am now praying for specific vision and direction. I am praying for salvations, growth, and a young generation to rise up starting with the ones in this student ministry. My heart is for them to impact the community with their relationship with Christ.

4) The Commons - Praying that God will continue blessing us. We have grown so much in so many areas in 2009. We are at a defining moment right now, and praying for guidance, resources, and ultimately God's vision and provision.

5) Praying for an awakening in our area.

6) Praying for the awareness, response, and needs in the Pacific Northwest specifically the spiritual needs. This is a very unchurch area. I will be honest. It is tough for someone to understand that coming from another area of the US. It was tough for me until I moved here. I am praying that God will place what He is up to in the Pacific Northwest on the hearts of those outside of this area.

These are just a few things that I am investing some serious prayer in. I encourage you to pray for these as well. If you know me, then you know that I want what God wants and not what Cham wants. That is why I place these items on a blog for you to partner-prayer with me. I am taking these prayer items seriously.

I love you all. Thank you for everything...prayer, encouragement, e-mails, financial support. It is hard to think, but today a year ago I stepped out of a Penski truck and call this place "home".

-Cham

Happy 1st Anniversary!

2010-01-06T09:24:00.001-08:00

This time last year I shut the door to a 26 ft. yellow Penski truck, turned the key, and began my trek across this massive nation to Seattle, Washington. I wasn't sure about where I was going to live, finances, ministry, & life. It was such a mystery and adventure that any other time in my life, I would not of attempted it without the proper safety nets. I had a song in my heart, a passion for God in my soul, and a step of faith into the cham-unchartered world of God's will for my life. I can tell you today, 1 year later, that I DO NOT REGRET IT ONE SECOND!

2009 goes down as one of my, if not the most, God-memorable times of my life. Tough? Yes! Challenging? Yes! God all over it? YES! YES! YES! I can/can't believe it that I have been here a year. It seems so quick. So much has happened. I could never explain it all. I can only sum it up by saying "God!". That's all. As mentioned in previous blogs, I am stoked about 2010. I'm not sure what is to come, but I know/& expecting great big God things. God has definitely blessed and had His hand on The Commons. I still can't believe that I get to be apart of such an incredible church that is reaching out to the unchurched, the broken, the hurt, etc. I have had the privilege to be used in so many different ways. Student ministry, Sunday morning teaching, men's ministry, women's ministry (childcare lol), and on and on. God has also used me in other church plants here in Washington by helping them in the media-side of things. He has used this apartment to connect people from other places to the mission of The Commons and at the same time has used it as a place for refuge & healing for those hurting and looking to be restored. 2009's theme was definitely "God!".

I celebrate this all with you! If it were not for your Love for God, obedience to Him, love for me, and your support, then this God story could have quite possibly never existed. I celebrate this day with you. I am a result of your love, trust, and hope. So from the bottom of my heart, I want to say "Thank You!" for everything. May we step into this year with greater God-expectations than ever!

-cham

2010 Vision

2010-01-05T11:18:00.000-08:00

I am pretty pumped about tonight. We have a leadership meeting which will talk about the vision for 2010. I am excited about what is to come this year. 2009 was an incredible year. I hope to give you some celebrating statistics soon from all that God did last year (ex: Baptism, etc). Thank you for your partnering with me, prayer, and love. Spread the word about what God is doing here. Its not about us, its about Him and His Kingdom.

-cham

Chapter 2 begins soon...

2009-12-29T13:15:00.000-08:00

It's just a few days from a new year. Every year around this time, I tend to go back and evaluate the year. I look at the wins, loses, adventures, battles, and the Hand of God. 2009 will go down in my own history book as one of the most incredible years of my life. I still have to pinch myself often to see if this is just a dream. It has been an incredible journey this past year. I have watched God grow The Commons leaps and bounds both numerically and spiritually. I have watched students get on board with God. I have seen lives restored, freed, and given purpose. I have made some many new friends, experienced so many new things, and witnessed some many new areas of who God is. It has been an amazing year.

Next week will mark the 1 year anniversary of when I took a step of faith, packed all my things in a penkse truck, and moved to the Pacific Northwest. I have been looking over the pictures and tear up every time in amazement of God's calling, provision, and love. I also sit in amazement of those who have faithfully supported me this year. I feel that I can say with integrity that I have been a great steward of the resources that you have entrusted me with. I want to say "THANK YOU!" from the bottom of my heart.

2010 is quickly approaching and a new chapter is about to begin. I am super excited to see what God is going to do this year in the Commons, the Commons Student Ministry, and with me. I am expecting even great things this year. Please keep me in prayer as I begin to seek out God's guidance in this new chapter. I don't want to miss out on a thing.

As this chapter begins, I would like for you to consider being in the pages of this story. For me to continue to minister effectively (100%), then I have to raise support. It is my desire for you to connect with God on this and see if He has you involved with His story here at the Commons. Maybe it is through prayer, financial support, a mission trip, or just words of encouragement. THEY ALL ARE GOLD IN THE KINGDOM. I ask for you to just pray and ask God what would He have you to do and then be obedient. That is it. I would encourage you though to involve your family. Maybe it is praying for me together or fasting one day a week or taking what it would cost for a family outing and use it as financial support. There are so many creative and meaningful ways to support me. Just ask God and be on board with what He says.

Thank you for visiting this sight. I look to revamping it for the 2010 year and adding some new elements. I love you and thank you for supporting me. If you have any questions, please e-mail me at cham.i.am@gmail.com.

~cham

End of the Year Contribution

2009-12-22T08:40:00.000-08:00

This has been an incredible year. E-news going out in the morning.

If you would like to make an END-of-the-YEAR contribution, then you can go to my online giving website (which goes through our association) http://tinyurl.com/chamonlinegiving or you can mail a check to:

2020 Maltby Rd. #7147Bothell,
Washington 98021
check memo: Cham McCutchen

Thank you for your continual support and prayers. This year has been incredible and kingdom advancing through our God & your faithful support.

-cham

On the road for the Holidays...

2009-11-29T08:12:00.001-08:00

I hope everybody has had an incredible Thanksgiving. I have been in the south for a week now visiting family. I just wanted to give a heads up to my blog readers that I will return updating this blog when I get back to Seattle on Dec. 7th. Thank you for your support and prayers. - cham

-- Post From Cham's Phone

Monday Night Football is a blessing.

2009-11-17T11:57:00.000-08:00

It has been incredibly cool seeing how Monday Night Football can do some much greatness in a guy's life. What do you mean? About a month or so ago, we (leadership) decided that we wanted to get all the men of the church connected to each other. So we figured the best way to do it is through something that speaks to men...(lightbulb) NFL Football. NFL is a big deal here. We have the Seahawks that play in Seattle, so it makes sense.

The idea is to gather all the guys by meeting at somebody's house each Monday night to watch football. There guys can talk, eat, cheer, and laugh around the game of football. For weeks, it grew into a success, then we starting thinking. Why not go a step further? Why not have a Bible study before we get started. With the incredible discovery of DVR (aka Tivo), we had the ability catch up with the the game when the study time is over. Tim (pastor) suggested going through "Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge. So we began.

Over the course of 5 weeks now, I have seen a group of men develop into a Band of Brothers. In past two weeks, I have seen our men really open up, challenge one another, encourage each other, and realize that we are all in this together when it comes to being a man of Christ. I think the interesting thing now is that our discussions are getting longer, deeper, and more important to the point that we almost forget about the game. It is just amazing seeing all of the men grow. It is exciting to see male leadership in our church begin to develop. Who knew that MNF (Monday Night Football) could be such a tool.

-Cham

The area that I live in...

2009-11-14T14:23:00.000-08:00

I bold/italicized the part that describe the culture I am in.

Article from christianpost.com:

The top ten most religious states in America are all located in the south or southern Midwest, according to a new Gallup report.All ten states are part of the so-called “Bible Belt,” or the area in the United States with a heavy socially conservative evangelical Protestant population. They are, starting with the most religious: Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Kentucky and Texas, which are tied.

The Gallup report ranked each state’s religiousness by asking respondents if religion is an important part of their daily life.

Overall, analysis shows that a solid majority of Americans said religion is important in their daily lives. A full 65 percent of Americans across the entire U.S. population gave this response.

On the other hand, about one in three American adults said religion is not important in their lives, while one percent either responded they don’t know or refused to answer.

Breaking down the data by states, 60 to 70 percent of the population in 23 states said religion is important.

Religion seems to be less important to those living in the New England area and the far West.

The top ten least religious states, starting from the least religious are: Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Rhode Island, Nevada, and Connecticut.

The results are based on telephone interviews with 355,334 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted in 2008 as part of the Gallup Poll Daily tracking. The report is the second of a four-part series on the “State of the States.”

Commons Ladies Retreat

2009-11-14T08:32:00.000-08:00

(Phone Pic from the retreat center)

Keep The Commons Ladies in your prayers this weekend. Yesterday, 20+ ladies headed for the mountains for an overnight retreat with speaking, worship, and "gal" time. The ladies will be suffering in a winter wonderland as you can see from the blackberry picture taken from one of them. This is an exciting time for The Commons because of all the new ladies joining in on the retreat as well as just 1st time visitors. Please be praying for the God will really impact this retreat with Himself, impact the ladies' lives, and to provide safe travels home tonight. Every year this event brings back some awesome "God stories". So we are definitely excited.

-cham

A fan page

2009-11-12T00:26:00.000-08:00

I have recently created a fan page on Facebook to help all of my FB friends/supporters get the info that is posted on here. Sometimes blogs can be forgotten, so I am taking the God stories to the social networks. So if you have a Facebook account, then look me up. The address is:

http://tinyurl.com/FBCHAMFAN

The idea is to get more and more people involved with the ministry that is taking place up here.

-cham

November's E-Letter

2009-11-11T09:46:00.000-08:00

Below are two forms of the November E-Letter that I have sent out. I am still trying to figure out how to capture the full html (pictures/color/etc) of the email and put it in to PDF form. So I am experimenting a little. One file below is the PDF version with no pics or color. The other file is an actually apple email that I saved off line (maybe it will work) that has everything on it.

Plain PDF -----> Cham's Nov. E-letter

Actually E-mail ----- Cham's Nov. E-letter

**This file may or may not work. Any feedback on this file, if it does or

does not would be appreciated.

Please keep me in your prayers. I am financially to a point where I have to make a hard decision. I have to either raise a substantial amount of money to continue to serve full time or pursue a full time job which could possibly limit my time to minister.

If you would like to support me financially, then check out in the upper right corner of this blog or e-mail at cham.i.am@gmail.com. Thank you for taking the time to check out what God is doing in the Pacific Northwest. I also want to thank you for all of your prayers, support, and contributions.

-cham

And the growth continues...

2009-11-08T11:13:00.001-08:00

We had 113 people today (including adults & children/preschool). Incredible!!!

We keep growing and growing in Pioneer. Our move alone has increased students participating in worship and serving. We have had more and more new families visit and connect. It's amazing how God keeps using The Commons.

-- Post From Cham's Phone

Commons Students: 1st Annual Girls Sleepover

2009-11-06T09:47:00.001-08:00

Tonight will be the first of many Commons Students: Annual Girls Sleepover. Prayerfully about 15-20 girls will head over to Amy Corbins house for a night of laughs, fun, & most of all COMMUNITY. My prayer is that this event will be one of many that draw the girls in the student ministry closer together. Wednesdays and Sundays are hard to get students connected because of all the hustle and bustle, so lets be intentional. Keep Amy & a few other ladies in your prayers as they endure an all nighter tonight. Thank you for all your prayers and suppport! We are in this together.

-Cham

Ministry is eveywhere...

2009-11-02T13:54:00.001-08:00

Ministry Monday morning. Serving at large established churches over the past 10 years, I am very familiar with Mondays being staff meeting days. At The Commons, we take the Monday mornings to reach out and serve. We have a women's bible study every Monday morning. As you know with a majority of women, they usually have a few children. That provides an opportunity for serving in the area of childcare. For the last couple of weeks, I have had the opportunity to help with childcare so that the moms can spend an uninterrupted 2 hours of connecting to God and other ladies. It's just a cool time to help with a bigger picture.

"everybody wants a revolution but nobody wants to do the dishes." - Claiborne

-- Post From Cham's Phone

Great Turn Out!!!

2009-11-01T11:59:00.001-08:00

Even with a lot of people out due to the flu, we still had an awesome turn out on our first day in Pioneer Elem.

-- Post From Cham's Phone

OH, Pioneer!!!

2009-10-31T21:50:00.000-07:00

NOVEMBER 1st (Tomorrow for some, Today for others), we start having The Commons Worship Gathering at Pioneer Elementary. This is really huge for the church. God opened the door a few months ago and worked out all the details for us. This move is extremely significant in our pursuit to reach our community. We went from gathering in a middle school on the backside of Arlington to gathering at this elementary right next to the biggest subdivision within the area and right off a major local highway. The facilities are new and the school administration is very welcoming to The Commons moving in. We close a chapter by leaving Post-Middle school and open a new one at Pioneer. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to grow and reach out to our community with the Love of Christ. --- Cham

Here is a link to just the basic info on our website --- click me

Say Hello To Our New Home

2009-10-27T17:51:00.001-07:00

We are gearing up for our move!!! The Commons will now be at Pioneer Elementary. This is huge!!! It has new facilities and is right next to the biggest housing division in the area.

-- Post From Cham's Phone

Recap for Support

2009-10-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

Below is a recap video I whipped up for The Corbins to take back to Texas to relay what God is doing here in the Commons. I took all the footage shot in the past year and put it in a quick video. The idea was to show where we were a year ago, and how much God has rocked it out since. It has been an incredible journey just over the 10 months that I have been here. Thank you for making what I do happen through your prayer, support, and encouragement. Enjoy! - Cham

Worship started early...

2009-10-18T11:44:00.001-07:00

Today was really cool. I got to experience a worship service at The Commons early. I watched so many people of The Commons show up at 830am (in the rain) to help setup for service. The unique thing is we really needed the help. 75% of the leadership team including Tim(pastor) were out of state, which left the Coles and me to continue on. Through spreading the word around about needing some help, we had probably 20 people show up. We knocked out the setup in record time. It was truly a worshipful moment watching people worship through serving. It was an honor. I love what God is doing here.

-- From Cham's Phone

Small groups started back!!

2009-10-07T20:52:00.001-07:00

We had 75 people in all with 22 being students. I think God is up to something. I'm excited about Wednesday nights this Fall!!

-- Cham's Phone

Growing...

2009-09-27T13:34:00.001-07:00

And God keeps growing us. 124 is with some of our regular attendees out.

-- Cham

Block Party..

2009-09-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

Its a BLOCK PARTY!!!!

I really can't explain the excitement we had yesterday. 130 people attended the service at The Commons & the Block Party afterwards. The awesome thing is all of the new faces we saw. It's still just a jaw dropper to think that this time last year we had the attendance of around 30 something people. I was thinking and recapping the whole day in my head last night. It was cool seeing people looking to connect, get connected, and becoming a Commons family member. Our block party consisted of pulled pork sandwiches, inflatables, snow cones, cotton candy, some agape love, and some authentic community. It was great seeing people serve in different areas and others just seeing what we as a church are all about. I'm pretty stoked about the Fall. God is rocking it out!

-Cham

A year ago...

2009-09-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

A year ago, The Commons ran about 30+ people this time last year including leadership. Today we hit 128 and that is with a few families out. God is up to something in this unchurched area.

-- Cham

Jesus likes Monday Night Football...

2009-09-15T09:49:00.000-07:00

I think it's really cool how God works in so many different ways. Last night, the men of the Commons came together at Tim Corbin's house to watch a little Monday Night Football. Yeah, I think Jesus is down with a little MNF, but not so much the game as He is a bunch of guys creating community. That was the whole purpose. We, as leadership, are passionate about creating community among the guys in our church and one way we can accomplish this is through burgers, hot wings, cokes, and some football. Loved last night, though my Fantasy Football team lacked a little in the scoring department. It was cool seeing all the guys come together and just have a great time and connect. Football, cars, life, and funny stories seem to be the thread to stitch guys together. I would say last night was a successful step to greater things to come with the men of our church.

-Cham

The Commons 2.0 kicks off tomorrow..

2009-09-12T22:39:00.000-07:00

Commons 2.0 kicks off tomorrow morning (Sept. 13). It is an exciting time for the church and leadership as we help The Commons family connect with God through serving in different capacities. We are excited in seeing the Commons church family "become" by discovering God's gifting in them, their role in the body of Christ, and taking the next step in their journey in Christ through serving inside and outside of the church. I will have a follow-up blog with more details. Please keep us in your prayers. Much love - Cham

PS- You can get a more detailed version of "Commons 2.0" by scrolling down to the video I posted a few weeks ago.

Full Effect

2009-09-11T22:56:00.001-07:00

High School Football is in full effect. My first of many games. The Arlington Eagles dominated 61-0. A few different customs than the South, but I had a ton of fun.

-- Cham

Labor Day

2009-09-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

Labor Day: A time for the beach, the lake, or just recouping from a little College football action. For a group of people in Arlington, it was a day to say "we love you and we want to show it". Family, church family, & friends, showed up in full force to help out a Commons Family in a time of need.

Last week, the Green home had the unexpected happen.., a car crash. Scott (Dad) & Gabe (oldest son) were heading out to go fishing when the car spun out of control on a wet, curvy road. Scott had extensive damage to his leg including cracked pelvis, dislocated hip, torn ligaments, and knee damage. Gabe on the other hand only had a few scratches. Scott's injuries demanded a few surgeries and a lot of bed time to completely recover. In saying this, loved ones wanted to reach out and help Scott & Diana (wife) somehow, someway.

Kristin Hall, a member of The Commons, rallied friends and family via e-mail to help do an "extreme makeover" to the Green home. The idea was to clean, cut, organize, and do whatever we can, so Diana & family can focus on a full recovery. So all Labor Day, people did whatever they could service-wise to help.

It was cool for me to see all the different people come and help out, no questions asked & no "Can't believe I'm missing my Labor Day" attitudes. It was all smiles, laughter, & love. It was cool to seeing people from the Commons jump on an opportunity to reach out to others in a time of need. It was a great Labor Day.

Some pics I snapped:

End of the Summer Flag Football...

2009-09-04T08:50:00.001-07:00

This past Wednesday was the end of our summer routine at The Commons. The idea behind the last 3 months was to build community among the people who attend The Commons and also provide a very easy way for new visitors to show up and check out who we are and what we are about. It has definitely been very successful. We have offered nights out at the parks, camping, bunko, bowling, etc...

Wednesday, we ended the summer with a little Flag Football at Wedgewood Park. We had a large number of people show up but in the midst of that a lot of new faces. Totally exciting!!! Sometimes it is just a baffling thing to see God use something so simple to connect new people to The Commons Family. The results of this summer schedule has definitely shown in our Sunday service (again, a lot of new faces in Worship). I'm pretty stoked about the fall. I leave you with one rule of thumb concerning Flag Football. Always stretch. 2 days later and I am very sore.

-Cham

September's E-Letter

2009-09-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to download September's E-Letter
that I sent out -------> Download

The pdf is a little primitive, but I am working on a full color page for the future. If you would like to receive this as an email, please send me an e-mail requesting to be added ----> my email: cham.i.am@gmail.com

Cham

The Commons 2.0

2009-09-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

Below is a video that Tim (pastor) and I put together for our congregation to communicate what's in store for this Fall at The Commons. We have had 50+ visitors consistently visit and we wanted to communicate to them as well as our core group of how they can jump on board at The Commons.

-Cham

The unexpected call...

2009-09-01T12:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had a call out of the blue from one of my students that was first here at The Commons when I stepped on board back in January. You may remember the story about him. He was the student who was "atheist" and was given his very first Bible by me because of some generous donors who helped me purchase some Bibles. To catch you up, he had to move to a town north of Arlington, so he was unable to attend any more student Bible studies.

He called me to just catch up with me and see how The Commons was doing. We talked about life and his next steps on finishing high school. The part I really want to mention is when I asked him if he still had the Bible that I gave him. He said, "yeah man, I have read about half of it now." This is huge! A student that is still looking for answers is still reading the ANSWER. In my experience, most people in that situation would allow life and circumstances to distract them from following through with reading the Bible. It is an understatement when I say that I was pumped.

-Cham

Busy busy busy.

2009-08-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

Typing from my phone. It has been a busy summer, but God has been rocking it out at The Commons. In the midst of fall preparation for The Commons, I'm going to try and catch everybody up with everything God is doing with me here. Love you all.
Just got through shooting some footage, on to editing.

-- Cham

If you happen to miss it...

2009-07-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

If you happen to miss the Sports Camp video or if you want to see all the pictures from all 5 days, then head on over to discoverthecommons.com to catch up with the recap.

~Cham

The Commons Lake-Out

2009-07-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

This past Wednesday was our "Lake-out". We really didn't know how many to expect, and boy were we surprised! Below is The Commons e-letter that Tim sent out to describe the event.

Unexpected but Awesome!

This summer we have been meeting in different parks around Arlington to create the opportunity to invite friends to come and get acquainted with us before coming to our Worship Gathering or a Community Group. It has been a success as we have brought in several new people and have been averaging 70-80 people in the park.

Yesterday, however, was very unexpected, but awesome! From our connections generated through sports camp, block parties, and flyers, we invited everyone to meet us at a park on a lake. WE HAD OVER 120 PEOPLE COME!!! This is the most by far we have ever had come to one of our gatherings. We have had several at Sports Camp, but to have them come to an "official church gathering" was remarkable!

It was like a wave of excitement and overwhelmingness all at the same time. We worked frantically to get around and talk with everyone since there were so many new faces and families! It was amazing to hear how one mother had heard about our church from so many of her unchurched friends, so she met us at sports camp and a block party last week. She felt strongly to visit church on Sunday, and shared with us that she loved it so much that she invited two completely new families to come with her to our Wednesday Gathering yesterday! Visitors inviting visitors!

I wanted to quickly share this excitement with you, and ask that you pray fervently for us as we figure out what in the world God wants us to do specifically with these people.

Rockin' it out at the Commons!

Cham

Sports Camp Recap...

2009-07-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

Below was taking from the Commons monthly E-Letter (written by Tim Cobrin ::pastor::)

Sports Camp Was Awesome!
This past week was an incredible time to reach out to our community with our 3rd annual ALL STARS SPORTS CAMP. What a success!

This year we had 213 kids for the week, and 430 people at our Friday Night Family Celebration. That is up from 160 kids last year, and 70 kids the year before.

We are truly grateful for the opportunity to connect with so many families in our community. We are amazed at how many unchurched people attend our sports camp. I would say less than 15% of the kids come from a Christian home, and yet it blows my mind to watch them jump up and down and sing songs about being on "God's Team" and learn how God wants us to live life. It is likely that this is the only event where they will hear the truth about God through out the year.

Sunday Morning Guests
Sunday morning was exciting to see many new people visit our Worship Gathering. We had 6 new families totaling 17 new people on Sunday. That is over a fifth of the people who came Sunday. Again what makes this remarkable is the percentage of unchurched people visiting church for the first time.

Thank You Mission Teams
I would certainly like to thank the following for helping with this year's sports camp:
FBC Carrollton, TX
Colonial Hills, Southaven, MS
Broadway Baptist Church, Southaven, MS
And friends from Gardendale, AL

I give you....Sports Camp:: Highlights

2009-07-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

Sports Camp Day #5

2009-07-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

Sports Camp Day #4

2009-07-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

Sports Camp Day #3 - 209 Kids...

2009-07-15T13:18:00.001-07:00

A few more pics from Sports Camp...

2009-07-15T00:23:00.001-07:00

195 and counting....

2009-07-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

Sports Camp is in effect this week!!! It is the biggest outreach we do all year. For a solid week, we teach kids 5 different sports, build relationships with them & their parents, & introduce them to Christ via small groups and curriculum. Many of our Commons Family was introduce to the Commons Church via sports camp. So it definitely impacts in so many ways. This year we are hoping to hit the 200 mark with the number of participating children 1-5 grade. Today we hit 195. SO CLOSE!!!! Please keep us in prayer this week and we love children, impact their lives, and learn a few sports along the way. Below are some pics I took.

Much Love,

CHAM

Sports Camp is here!!!

2009-07-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

This entire week will be filled with 200+ kids and 5 days of outreach through teaching 5 different sports and bible studies. Check back in for updates!

-- Cham

Posts, New looks, etc...

2009-06-23T12:44:00.001-07:00

More frequent post, a new look, and videos are coming soon. Its been busy even for a multi-tasker as myself. E-letter goes out this week. If you haven't been receiving it in your e-mail inbox or would like to start receiving them then please email me your address at cham.i.am@gmail.com

Also, find me on twitter: cham_i_am - you can link your twitter account up to your phone and get daily updates and what not from me.

You can also find me on facebook at facebook.com/cham.mccutchen

Thank you for your prayers, interest, and love. It is a true honor to serve here in the Pacific NW.

Check it out ....

2009-05-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

I have been uber busy of late. Here is one reason why. I will be sending out a new E-letter this weekend. Enjoy. I love you all!

God packs out the Commons

2009-04-12T11:28:00.001-07:00

-- Cham

Setting Up for Easter

2009-04-12T10:10:00.001-07:00

We sent out over 10,000 flyers in the paper this past week to let people know about the Easter celebration at The Commons. We are prayerfully anticipating a great crowd of new families and visitors. It's totally cool seeing our current members stepping up and serving in so many areas like preschool, childrens, and setting up. -Cham

Going mobile

2009-04-10T22:19:00.001-07:00

As I was driving to a Junior/Senior small group, and I started thinking about "my style" of communicating to others about what God is doing in my life and ministry. One thing that I have concluded is that I do tell stories better as they happen. If I am not near the moment something has happen, then I tend to forget details and intensity. So my blog is going "mobile". Not totally, but a good bit. It will help me to keep you guys in the know constantly. So, hopefully my typing skills on my phone will increase with speed.

Much Love,
~Cham

E-News Letter

2009-04-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

April's E-News Letter goes out via E-mail. If you haven't been receiving the E-News letter and would like to, please e-mail me your name and e-mail address to cham.i.am@gmail.com.

~cham

2009-03-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

Leaving that which is familiar:

I am beginning to understand a few things about "walking in faith".

1) I thought I knew what "walking in faith" is.

Um yeah...I am totally an infant on this issue. I thought I had confidently figured this area of the Christian journey...boy was I wrong. And

so its not confidence in me, but confidence in

God is the beginning step.

2) Having a "homesick faith" will get your

no where.

What I mean about a "homesick faith" is

focusing on things in the past more than the present and future. Catching yourself dwelling

on how things "once was" or "the good ol' days". There is nothing wrong with remembering

and learning from the past, but trying to live and relive in it will do nothing for you but stop

you in your faith walk. Believe it or not, God has even more exciting things that He wants to

do beyond what He did yesterday and the day before.

3) "Home is where the heart is" - an old saying, but true in this sense. Where your heart is, that is where your passion will come from, grow from, and explode from. Its hard to walk in a

real faith if you are tied to something other than God. It can anchor you to a life less filling

than that of which God has for you. You have to become nomadic.

4) "Walking in faith" means you are crazy. Just accept it. Its not a bad thing. I am not referring

to being a psychopath, but one who is willing to take the risk, to go into the unknown, to

chase after God in the wilderness. You are crazy to yourself, to your family, and to your

friends. It's those who are "crazy" that see the deeper beauty of God's purpose. They are

crazy enough to chase after the unknown to find out God's plan and will. The apostle Paul

was considered foolish, and God used him to do extraordinary things, write the majority of

the New Testament, and impact that side of the ancient world. The Bible is full of "crazys"

who God used to impact this world because they weren't afraid of leaving their "comfort

zone".

5) "Walking in faith" - ultimately fulfills us. It brings us to a point on totally relying on God. I,

as well as others, wrestle with wanting to be comfortable and in control. Last time I

checked, I have been created, called, and expected to be totally reliant on God. Its a tough thing to not be in control, but it is totally satisfying. Mark Batterson mentions in his book

that faith means to step out into a place where you are vulnerable and where God can show

up and show out. Cham is learning to let go of the reigns daily...

Just things I am learning as I get to be a part of God's plan...

Apt. 18

2009-03-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

Apt. 18: The Move

After a few months of staying with the Corbins, I have finally moved in to an apartment. I definitely wanted to make sure that I had enough financial support be able to move into one. It is definitely still a faith walk, but by your faithful support a have a place to officially call "home".

Things at the Commons are going well. We are gearing up for a new look in our small groups. We have out grown the Corbin home with our adults, which has made us reexamine small groups. Starting in April, we will be having 3-4 adult small groups during the week. I will be facilitating one of these groups. I will be moving the students small group to Sunday nights. This is a great transition for the Commons because it allows us to grow in community and in depth.

The Student Ministry is going well. I just receive our first shipment of Bibles for the students to use. Major props to all of you who helped in making this happen! We will be gearing up to being our Sunday night small groups beginning on Easter. I am highly considering playing the passion of Christ to give our students a glimpse of what Jesus went through for all of us. I am excited for what is to come in the future with these students!

Thank you all for supporting me. I would like to encourage you to get your family, church family, and friends involved with supporting the missions in the Northwest.

Overwhelmed...

2009-03-16T09:15:00.001-07:00

There are no...

words to describe everything about this picture. In fact, the picture itself doesn't do the moment in time any justice. I had the humble privilege of experiencing my first sunset at Deception Pass in Washington and trying to capture it on camera. I sat with the camera on the shore line and watch the sun slowly sink into the Puget Sound. The colors were indescribable, even for Crayola. All I could do is sit, take a few pics, and then be overwhelmed by the beautiful portrait that God displayed.

That brief moment in a parallel way describes my experience here at the Commons. Everyday I get to see and experience God's very hand at work in the lives of people. Now for you who are reading this may assume that I am just inferring of our people at church or the community. I am, but I am also talking about you guys else where in this nation.

A few days ago, I sent out my 2nd letter catching people up in more detail with ministry out here in Seattle. I mentioned a few needs for my students and the response to those needs were so God and so incredible! It was like I was sitting back at the shoreline of Deception Pass overwhelmed by the Majesty of God. I can't even describe the gratefulness and the speechlessness that I feel when I see people connect and help other people. I can't thank everybody enough for their prayers, encouragement, and support. This is even more beautiful than that sunset.

This about all I can put right now. I am just soaking it up. I will try to be more detailed tomorrow.

~Cham

"Go and change the world"

Busy, busy, busy...

2009-02-27T09:37:00.000-08:00

Busy, busy, busy...

Things are moving a long here at the Commons at a fast pace. Things are going great, new families are checking us out, and we are seeing more and more lives being impacted. I do apologize for not updating sooner, it has definitely been one of those busy weeks. One thing I am learning is to prioritize my time and my life.

The Commons::..

This week we announced to our Wednesday Bible Study that in the near future we will be changing the look (which is a great thing). Since the Commons began, Wednesday nights consisted of people meeting at Tim's house for food, community, and a bible study. Over the course of months, this bible study grew leaps and bounds. This presented a challenge..., we have no more room to house all the people coming the the bible study. So as leadership, we felt that it was time to look for the best way of reconstructing this in a way to meet the needs of our people and to still hold to our vision for community and spiritual growth. We all agreed that having new small groups over the area is the best for the Commons and for our people. So please keep us in prayer as we iron out the details.

Students::..

The student ministry is going great. I feel that through building relationships I am making more and more headway in to their lives. God is definitely molding me in to how to reach these students here in Seattle. Relationships is the biggest key in ministering to students. The majority of the events I am planning for the students now have the element of "intentional" relationship building. I will say out of 10 years of serving in student ministries, this is the most challenging and rewarding. One of the coolest privileges I have had is handing my students their very own Bible. This moment alone is so overwhelming at times because most of them have never owned a Bible.

On a cool note concerning future vision, I am seeing God a passion in me for reaching and meeting the needs for families of my students. Call it family ministry or whatever, I have a desire to impact my student's family as well. So who knows where that will go, but I'm stoked.

Personal Change::..

On a personal level, God is teaching me how His love works and where it takes you and how it impacts others. I spent a majority of my Christian life explaining to people why they shouldn't "do this or do that", which is not necessarily bad if a person is just being stubborn or rebellious. I am just not sure if I really taught others how to truly love like Jesus. I think the real impact is loving people with the Love of Christ. I am not suggesting "o.k.'ing" peoples sin, but I am saying that God's Love throttles you forward beyond the "extremities and the muck" to the core of the person where you can impact them and introduce them to who Jesus is and the life He brings. It definitely takes us out of our comfort zone, but then again "FAITH and LOVE" tend to do that (or so I have experienced).

C.S. Lewis said, " To love is to be vulnerable."

I think this is so true when it comes to community, ministry, and just being a follower of Christ. To truly love others with the Love of Christ doesn't mean trying to "fix" them, it means showing them the most valuable treasure in this world...Jesus. Through Him, He does the changing, growing, & "fixin". Sorry, I feel like I'm about to get on a soap box. :)

Men's Retreat::..

I am totally pumped about the 1st annual Commons Men's retreat. I have been given the responsibility of setting this up. I am pumped and things are coming together. I think the biggest thing I am pumped about is that it is a time of "guys...to be....guys". It will be an over night retreat, but I really feel that it will be a catalyst for the guys in the Commons. My prayer is that the guys grow closer together, but furthermore they begin to spark that "leadership" element that is in every man. So I am definitely excited!

Prayer & Possibilities::..

A passion of mine is to connect other believers from the South to this area. Whether it is through a mission trip, a family mission trip, finances, prayer, or __________(fill in the blank). I have been praying that God will open up a door for me to rent a house. The reason I am praying for a house is twofold:

1) to use it totally for the Commons & the Student Ministry.

2) to provide a free place for someone to stay as they do missions here.

In saying this, I recently was presented with a house to rent that is with in a reasonable price. In renting this house, I would be sharing the rent with Matt Giles (friend/former student I discipled in Gardendale) who moved up here to serve as well. Splitting the rent would be cheaper than trying to rent an apartment. So in saying all this, the renter offered to lower their renting price by $500 a month (to get it in our range) because she likes what we are trying to do in this community. I ask myself, "God...is this from you?" Please keep me in prayer on this. The house would be perfect, but the catch is we are still looking for part-time jobs and raising money. I would hate to get in there and move out in a few months. So who knows...I am just being transparent at this point on this potential opportunity.

Thank you for keeping the Commons and I in your prayers. Thank you so much for you encourage, support, financial support, and love. Truly WE (You and I) are impacting this community, region, and nation through our love for Jesus and others. Please take me up on my invitation, I would love for you to come visit and experience what the Commons is doing. Let's change the world by impacting our nation with the Love of Christ.

Love and miss you all,

Cham

cham.i.am@gmail.com

P.S. - Be looking for the March E-Newsletter to hit your inbox the first week of March. It will have more specific info, stories, & news than this blog. If you would like to sign-up for this letter, please e-mail me at cham.i.am@gmail.com.

All in a days work...

2009-02-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

Rockin' it at the Commons....

Being a part of The Commons has opened me up to new chapters of my life. The picture to the right was taken on a Friday morning. A group of moms met downstairs in the Corbin home for a parenting bible study, while we (Me, Kathy, & eventually Giles) were upstairs watching over their kids. I found myself entertaining the kids by getting into a life-size Barbie play house and playing my guitar to the tune of silly made up songs. Normally on a Friday morning, I am not coherent enough to think, much less to be entertaining. The kids apparently enjoyed it, though I can't sing at all. This though has built my faith in such subtle ways. I learn more and more that it is not about me. My job that morning wasn't to "baby sit" in preschool. It was to serve in the two different capacities.

1) To allow a mom to be a part of a 2 hour bible study on parenting without having to worry about their child or finding a daycare. They are also getting the incredible ability to connect with ladies/moms in the Commons.

2) To provide a fun atmosphere to the "future generations" of the church.

I am very willing to put my pride, dignity, and self to the side to provide an opportunity for others to experience God. To say the least, jamming out with some made up songs in a play house while having toys thrown at you was an incredible God-moment.

The Common's on Sundays...

God continues to bless us at the Commons. We are seeing more and more new families and people on Sunday Mornings and Wednesday nights. It seems that God is beginning to build us more and more as a church. There are so many stories of how God has used the Commons to save marriages, lives, and help grow and connect people. It is vary overwhelming. It makes what we do to make it happen worth while. I am very pumped to see the future of the Commons here.

Move to tears...

I recently had the opportunity that not many people (I believe) get to experience, especially in the South. I had the privilege to watch one of my students crack open their own Bible for the first time in their entire life! Let me rephrase this, this person HAS NEVER OWNED, READ, OR CRACKED OPEN A BIBLE IN THEIR LIFE. I bought this person a Bible and watched them crack it open for the first time. This is stuff you hear about only in foreign mission stories in the Yucatan (or a jungle country of your choice), but could it happen in the US? YES! YES! & YES!!!! When I say unchurched, I mean it. This gave me a fresh perspective on what God is doing up here in the Pacific Northwest. I love what I do, and wouldn't change it for the world. My prayer is that God will use me to the fullest.

Please keep me in prayer...

I am in the works of planning the next few months for the Student Ministry. I want God to plan this out & not Cham. I can come up with "stuff", but I want it to be legit from God (if that makes sense). I want what I do and plan to have purpose. In the midst of this, I am still raising money, looking for a place to call "home", and looking for part-time work (preferably in graphics). Things are good though. I have learned that the faith that God truly calls us to normally places us in a place of uncertainty, vulnerability, & dependance. It makes us depend solely on Him (sarcasm: imagine that!). It draws us closer and closer.

Thanks you...

Thank you so much for your love and support. I have sent out the first e-letter this month via e-mail. If you haven't received it and would like to be on the list, please e-mail at cham.i.am@gmail.com and request to be added. For all other info, you can e-mail me or check out the info on the right side of this page.

Much love,

Cham

Light in dark world....

2009-02-04T11:44:00.000-08:00

Light in a dark area....
Let me suggest that you need to come and visit Seattle. The people are incredible! The view is awesome! The weather is not always 200% chance of rain. The heartbreaking and awakening fact is that it is spiritually dark. I am not suggesting it is a bad place, but I am pointing out the fact that is is dark...there is an absence of God's light.
The interesting and scary thing is that our Enemy has his on messengers, resources, and false light of hope. I have observed him at work in many interesting ways. John 10:10 speaks of him trying to kill, steal, and destroy, but I am reminded in Romans 16:20 that the "Peace of God will CRUSH satan. " He is definitely at work to distract many from the Love of Christ and knowing and experience the life He gives. I think the awesome thing is seeing how God's light shines more and more through The Commons and through the people of the Commons in the community. More and more lives are being changed through the power of Jesus and His Love that is pouring out through us.
I am in the midst of finishing out the full transition of becoming a Washingtonian. I am praying that God will guide me to the right home/apartment to rent. My prayer that it will be used in a multi-purpose way for ministry and connecting people to this area. The housing market is a little crazy, but I really feel that God has the right house to rent for a few years.
I am in the works for planning the foundations of the student ministry. God spoke to me a lot this morning as I went for a jog. It was a much needed spark. I hate jogging, but if God is willing to run with me then I will do it daily.

A cool thought that came to me the other day. I realized that for some of my students here, I was the first person to every share the gospel with them. I'm not sure if that is an eye-opener for you, but it was to me. I know being a "southern" in the bible belt that was kind of a weird thought because most people in the South have stepped foot in a church and has heard the Message of Jesus at least once or twice. In the Northwest, there are a lot of "first times" when it comes to sharing the Love of Christ and His message.

All in all, things are going well. I am still trying to catch up with everybody who has called, e-mailed, and such. I am about to send out the first Newsletter to all. It will be more detailed than this blog. My plan for the blog is to move to more of a "2-3 time a week" update. I want all of you to be in the midst of a church plant here in the Northwest.
Also, please keep me in your prayers as far as provision. My goal for financial support for this year is $50,000. This covers salary, insurance, car, & living. The cost of living is high here, but God is good and has provided so far. If you would like to help support, check out the right column for more details.
I love and miss you all. Thank you so much for supporting me, but even more important being a part of God's big plan here in the Northwest.

Much Love!
Cham

Rain or Shine or Snow...I stay busy.

2009-01-28T09:02:00.000-08:00

As you can see....

in the picture to the left, we had a little snow. Now most people get happy about snow including me, but try moving equipment through it over 200ft while it is below freezing so that you can have a Sunday Morning Service. This will give you a new appreciation for heaters. On a side note, I do still wear flip-flops during this and yes people look at me weird..am I?

Things are going great. I am still transitioning in to becoming a full fledge Washingtonian. Wednesday nights are going well. The average has been around 15-20 students which is an incredible base number for this area. The cool thing is all of the questions that were asked last week. We are beginning to walk through Philippians and looking at what Christ accomplish here on earth and on the cross. I love the students that God has placed around me. As mentioned before, they are a mix of different styles and personalities. Everyone of them have so much potential.

I am gearing up in planning for the spring and summer months for the student ministry. This new chapter in student ministry is challenging and great. Some of the vision that God has given excites me. I may or may have not shared this, but Arlington (the area that I am in) really has nothing for students to do. Uh...HELLO!?! Prime situation for the church and God to show up and meet the need and reach out. I am the impatient one, and so I am realizing that snapping my fingers and it appearing doesn't work. So it will be a journey, and a cool one at that.

I went to my first Submission Match at AHS (Arlington High School). It is kind of like UFC but with out the punches and blood. It is like extreme wrestling where the fighters make their opponent lose by submitting out of the match. It was cool. The cool thing is all of the connections we made with different people there. My new friend Jason (local & commons attender) knew the guy who was over the Submission Tournament and mentioned to him that I did graphics...he was interested in some future work. This could really be a cool opportunity to build relationships and carry ministry into that arena. Im stoked about it.

Last night, we had an incredible leadership meeting. We looked back on 2008 and what God did at and through The Commons and now are looking at the next step for 2009. The brainstorming session was incredible. I am pumped about what was mentioned and what is going to take place.

So all in all, this past week has been great! Please be keeping me in prayer. I am narrowing down a few places to rent. I have found one house that would be incredibly perfect! It is 3-4 bedrooms, big living room, a yard, & the community basketball court is right beside it..YAHTZEE!!!! I am checking in on it today, it would be ideal. I want to definitely make sure this is God's place for student ministry and for connecting the South by providing a place for mission groups and family groups to stay and serve. Also, I am in search for a part-time job as of right now. My plan is to do graphic design for churches part-time. I still have a long way to go as far as financial support and being able to live out here in Seattle. I have not reach my financial goal yet for this year, but I know God will provide. Right now I am staying with the Corbins until I find a place.

Again, I want to thank you all for your encouragement, prayers, financial support, and laughter. I am playing catch up on text, phone calls, e-mails, and wall post...so please be patient. At the beginning of February, I will be sending out the first E-newsletter via E-mail with more info. Once I get situated, YOU need to come out and serve for a week. We (the Commons) will have a place for you. I leave you with this quote:

"Make all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can." John Wesley

I love you all!

Cham

If you would like to get involved or serve through financial support, please e-mail @ cham.i.am@gmail.com or check out the right column.

Game Night....

2009-01-19T10:07:00.000-08:00

Well..., it has officially been...

over a week now since I have landed in Seattle. Things are going great. The first 5 days were nothing but fog. Now, I am not talking about the semi-dense fog that is in the south. I am talking about fog that you can use at a concert or to hide an elephant in a magic show. This stuff is thick. I told a friend on the phone the other day to go in to there bedroom and take 5 sets of white sheets, 3 white towels, and a white pillow, and cover there face with it. That would be about as comparable. Ok..little exaggeration, but believe me..this stuff is thick.

Besides the crazy weather, the Commons is still rocking a long. I have two Sunday services under my belt. They have been great. When it comes to seeing lives changed, the setting up every week in the cold is far worth it. We keep getting more and more new people checking out what is going down at Post-Middle (Current home of the Commons). We all as feel that God has some big plans in the near future.

As far as student ministry, we had our first Wednesday night last week. It was cool. I didn't know what to expect and I did not ask any questions ahead of time for the sake of my first experience to be raw and genuine. The students that God has entrusted me with are great. I see a lot of potential. Most are unchurched, which adds flavor to the group. The age range is 6th - 12th grade, but I mostly have 8th - 10th graders. They range from all walks of life. I have skaters, athletes, Naval kids (there is a base near Arlington), and even students with families that moved from Russia. So I definitely have a wide range of styles, but that just makes it more the interesting.

Last night (Sunday), we had a game night. I really didn't know what to expect. It was great. At first, it was the typical student response-"not sure who this guy is" scenario, but that seem to quickly change. It turned out to be a great night of hanging out and getting to know the students. More important, I felt that I made headway with a bunch of them. I think they saw that I am a "what you see, what you get" type person. So I am continuing with the relationship building full force.

All in all, the game night was incredible. I do want to mention that it wouldn't have been as great if Kathy & Becky hadn't of helped with the food and everything else. Thanks ladies! or "You guys!" as the NW's say. Below are a few pics of the game night:

I have some incredible students and all of them have incredible potential in there journey with Jesus.

To close this post out, I am excited about this week. I feel that God has a ton in store. I believe that God is wanting me to walk through the book of Philippians on Wednesday nights with the students. So I am pumped about it. I think God is also going to connect me with some more people (not really sure about the details). So, I am definitely psyched! I am still looking for an apartment or a house to rent. I really believe that I will find a house to rent eventually (if not now), so I can accomplish the dreams and visions that God has placed before me. It would be used 110% for ministry. Please keep me in prayer on the living situation and also finding a part-time job. I love you all and I am so thankful for your prayers, e-mails, support, financial support, laughs, encouragement, and friendship.

Much Love,

Cham

And on the 6th day, the Lord let us get to Seattle,

2009-01-13T13:47:00.000-08:00

The move was a success! On January 5^th, Tim (the pastor) and I set out on the great trek across the nation to the Northwest. I drove the 26ft Penski truck while he drove my vehicle. Before we could totally get going, we had to make a stop in Little Rock, AR to pick up Kathy Lechuga’s (another future leadership team member) belongings. As you may or may not know, everything that I do seems to have some type of twist or hurdle or weirdness. Well, things never change. About two hours out from Little Rock, AR, the windshield wipers of the Penski truck stopped. Now this is not a problem when the weather is great, but for my situation dealt with freezing rain and ice. Soooo, Tim and I tried to do the macho man thing and drive slow in the pouring rain. That didn’t last long, and I caved in, admitted defeat, and pulled over at a truck stop. For the next 8 hours, we were out of commission. Tim went on to speak at Kathy’s church while I stayed back with “ol yeller” and yes I gave the big yellow truck that name. After an onsite mechanic, a tow truck, a mechanic shop, and endless hours of waiting, I was back on the road to pick-up Kathy’s stuff. As I showed up at her apartment, the wipers went out once again. GO FIGURE! So, we decided to get the truck packed and deal with the situation in the morning. Let me testify to all the parents out there. If it weren’t for my days of playing Tetris on my Nintendo, we would have never gotten all of our stuff on to that truck. It was packed to the brim.

Morning came, and we drove back to Penski to get the wipers fixed. After a few more hours, we were on our way to Seattle. Tim and I drove the truck while Kathy and Marcy (her mom) trailed behind us in another vehicle.

During our trip, we endured 50 mph gust, rain, freezing rain, snow, forest fires (no joke), and closed roads. It wouldn’t be a trip if there weren’t any adventure to it. I have to say, if you ever get a chance to travel across the US, TAKE IT! It was incredible. We saw mountains, prairie land, sunsets, sunrises, big skies, and beautiful lakes and streams. I kept telling myself, “if someone has any doubts about God existing, then they need to come see this.” I felt substantially small because it took us 6 days to travel something God made so quickly with detail. In fact, there was one point where I looked at the Mountains of Idaho and was consumed with the fact that my God is so much bigger than everything I was seeing. It was truly breath taking. On a side note, I will warn you that Kansas and South Wyoming are long and very flat. You can pass the time away by playing a game of “How many tumble weeds can you hit in a mile”. Just make sure you yell out “BOOM!” when you hit one to give it a more personal effect. Trust me, you get that bored after awhile. J

After 6 days of travel, cheap motels, and fast food, we pulled into the city of Seattle. I will never forget the feeling I had when we arrived in the city. It felt like I was home. It was an incredible feeling that is still odd to me because I have never lived at this new home. Nevertheless, I was glad to be home.

I currently am living with the Tim and his family until I find an apartment or house to rent in the Arlington/Marysville area. I still have a lot to do as far as establishing my residency here in Washington. I want to thank all of you who are supporting me through giving, prayers, encouragement, and interest. I hope to have a video blog up soon as well as keeping this blog updated weekly. I am excited to see what God going to do with The Commons here in Seattle. Please keep me in your prayers while I begin Student ministry here. I love you all and very grateful to call you friend! ~ Cham

PRAYER REQUEST

Continually growth in Christ (prayer, Word, etc)
The Commons (God's vision, impacting the community, vision, salvations)
Tim Corbin (Pastor) - Vision, leadership, continually spiritual growth,
Commons Leadership Team

Continually spiritual growth, God's vision, God's anointing, leadership
Student Ministry - Fulfilling God's purpose
Continually building relationships with students and the parents and people of the Commons
Transitions in becoming a resident in Washington
Apartments/or House to rent - place of ministry to the community
part-time job

I will have a more extensive list soon.

Check out this link to see some of the pics from the trip.

Click here --->Photos

Why Seattle?

2008-10-26T11:45:00.001-07:00

Why Seattle?

Seattle is one of the most unchurched regions in America.
- Approximately 90% of the population does not attend church of any kind.

-Less than 4% are considered evangelical Bible-believing Christians.

-It is estimated that there are more evangelical Christians in Communist China than in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

-Seattle is a strong force of world influence.

-Home to major world-wide corporations: Microsoft, Starbucks, Boeing, and
Amazon.com

-It is one of fifteen major cities in the United States.

- It is considered by many nations to have a leading impact on technology,
international commerce, music, world religions, outdoor recreation, and
environmental concerns.

Where in Seattle is The Commons (the church I will be serving)?
Arlington/Marysville are two cities closely linked to one another and provide a prime location for planting a church.

-This area is located north of Downtown Seattle on the fast-growing outskirts.

-It is strategically located on Interstate 5, a major highway for Seattle
transportation.

-It provides affordable living for new families moving to Seattle or moving away from the city.

-With plenty of undeveloped land it is a major target for new housing developments and businesses.

-There are thousands in this area with no church involvement and more are
projected to come.