Dear Christ Church Family,

Peace to you in the love of God the Father and the grace of Jesus Christ.

As many of you know, our church and school were mentioned in the local newspaper recently. While there were some unfortunate falsehoods said about us online, the Lord was so faithful to give our school such an encouraging advertisement in Cascadia Daily News. 

It made clear that we are in a conflict with a great enemy who would love to disrupt the good work the Lord is doing in our midst. But our God is sovereign, and no one can thwart his purposes. I was encouraged this week in the Reformed Hours of Prayer reading plan (Lauds, Year 2B), reading from Isaiah, those beautiful words from the prophet, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15).

Our confidence is in the God who loves us. We love his kingdom and long to see it come here in Bellingham and in Whatcom County. As we wait for the Lord to work, we just continue to do the basic acts of obedience our Master sets before us. We worship each Lord’s Day. We meditate on God’s law day and night. We pray for one another and our world. We love the people God in his sovereignty has placed close to us. We teach the children in our church. We share the gospel with the lost, telling any who will listen how powerfully God’s grace has changed our lives.

Through these simple things, we believe the Holy Spirit is building us up and building Christ’s kingdom. 

Glory to God. Come, Lord Jesus!

May the Lord bless each one of you richly. I am so grateful to call you my church family.

In Christ,

Pastor Nate

Session Update | The Session met on September 15 for their regular monthly meeting. The meeting began with the Session and Diaconate praying for various members of the congregation, followed by the August financial update provided by Jon Brodhagen. After this, the deacons were dismissed to their separate meeting.

• The Session then spent time interviewing potential church officer candidates and elected to move Jordan Storey forward as a deacon candidate.

• The Session reviewed shepherding groups, and distinguished young adults from their family units to shepherd them as individuals so as to provide better pastoral care.

• The Session reviewed the initial draft of a new position paper on women in ministry, discussed a closed captioning screen in the sanctuary, and Pastor Nate's work with musicians in the church to produce quality music for our congregation. 

Curious who makes up CCB’s leadership? Click here to meet the CCB pastors, elders, deacons, and staff. Each Sunday bulletin includes their contact information, and they would be happy to connect with you over coffee or chat with you about any questions.

Christ Church Youth kicked off their youth ministry year in September. Students and leaders gathered for fun and fellowship... and also a tub of slime.

Youth ministry will meet at the church every Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. until October 15. From October 15 on, we'll meet at the church every Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. This year, we will be teaching through the Lord's Prayer.

Our leaders this year are Chuck Burlinghame, Noah Allen, Ada Walker, and Lucy Lindsey. Please pray for our leaders (and that the Lord would send us more) and for all of our students. Our hope is that Christ Church Youth will continue to grow into a welcoming community where students can find their place and learn about Christ.

Also, if you would like to help out the youth ministry, we are always in need of snacks and drinks for the students! You can sign up to bring snacks here.

Baptism & Membership Class

If you are interested in getting baptized or becoming a member at CCB, Pastor Nate is teaching a class this fall, every other Monday at 4pm. Reach out to nate.walker@christchurchbellingham.org.

Christianity Explored Training

Pastor Nate will be hosting a two-week training on how to use Christianity Explored to introduce a friend of loved one to the gospel message. He’ll walk you through how he has done this and answer questions you may have about relationship evangelism. These trainings will be November 1 and 8 from 5:30-7pm.

Register here

Women’s Retreat

Let's get away together, study God's word, fellowship, and play! Our theme this year is Rooted in Discernment. 

On Friday evening, Pastor Nate will be teaching through Colossians 2:1-10, and then on Saturday the Women's Ministry Council will give tools for practicing discernment, with examples.

Where: Cedar Springs Conference Center in Sumas
When: October 16–18, Friday at 5 pm–Sunday at 10 am
Cost: Overnight registration & all meals: $259 | Friday only (includes dinner): $55 | Saturday only: $95 (3 meals) | Scholarships are available, so don't let finances keep you from coming! | High school ladies get $30 off the overnight price.

Register here

Our church’s fiscal year runs from July–June. View our August financial dashboard here.

Praise God also for the baptisms of Philip Wilson Nienhuis (Abe and Hannah) and Grayson James Rettmer (Luke and Amy).

We also celebrate the entrances of Sylvie Jo Segar, Carson Lloyd Roper, and Lazarus Daniel Martin to their respective families and our church community!

We praise God for the ordination of Darryl DeHaan to the office of deacon at CCB. Please pray for him as he steps into this role.