As the winter fully sets in and we all struggle to stay warm, we are reminded of the beautifully distinct seasons that we get to enjoy here in the Pacific Northwest. Through ice storms and heat waves, my parents taught my brothers and I to be thankful to have such wonderful diversity and change in our lives.

And so it now is at emmanuel.

We are entering into a new season, a time of great change. But it is in that change that we are able to celebrate the life and warmth returning to this church and community on a daily basis. Join us at emmanuel to experience this changing of the seasons, and be part of the change that can transform a community.

aaron mcconkey | worship and communications intern

This past weekend marked the beginning of something new here at Emmanuel. On Saturday morning, people were invited to be part of the beginning preparations to have children inhabit this space once again. The building was filled with laughter, hard work, and fresh ideas. We cleaned toys and tables, bounced around some fun ideas, and opened cupboards full of flannel graph treasures. All in all, it was a good start to getting things moving for children’s ministry here at Emmanuel.

There is something exciting and scary and mysterious about starting fresh. We are working on building a new Emmanuel on the foundations that are already here. There are days where that seems to be a helpful foundation and other days where I think how much easier things would be if we were starting from scratch. That is part of the beauty and the mess that we have chosen to give ourselves to.

As I move forward with plans, preparations, and dreams of what this children’s ministry could look like, I am excited at the prospects. I am excited about creating a safe place for children and families. I am excited about opening up our incredible building on 50^th and Dayton to families in the community. I am excited about learning and growing through this experience. I am excited about connecting people to what it means to really serve our community. I am excited about seeing the gifts and talents that people bring to this ministry. And I am excited about all of the unknowns and surprises that are bound to come up along the way.

savannah s. | intern at Emmanuel

A little over a year ago I received a call from one of the elders at Emmanuel Bible Church in Seattle. The story at that time was pretty bleak. The church had run out of money in June and the doors had closed in July 2010. The pastoral staff was laid off and a small group of people continued to gather each Sunday morning, circling chairs in the Fellowship Hall to pray that God would bring about a new day at Emmanuel.

Fast-forward to this week. Our church is now filled with new faces on a daily basis. We have a ministry team of volunteers and interns who are working hard to plan and put in place a new array of community-serving and disciple-making opportunities. In our building the Kapka Cooperative School teaches neighborhood children, Mosaic Community Church plans worship services for their growing young faith community that worships each week at Queen Anne Community Center and Community Dinners leader team is planning to host groups from across the nation for training to replicate their unique model of providing the Eucharist to neighbors one night each week.

We are also hosting the local Montessori school in our gym, Seattle Academy is holding basketball practices onsite and two new groups inquired just this week about the possibility of using space in our building. In the days ahead we will also host a Seattle Public Utilities community meeting to discuss a water project on Phinney Ridge. We are increasingly learning to know our neighbors and our community.

Plans are being laid for telling the Jesus Story each Sunday morning as we gather to worship. We are committed to an ancient-future liturgy with young-at-heart music for people of all ages. I am grateful that God has provided the people, partnerships and financial resources to turn things around. I will be moving into the parsonage on 50th & Dayton in a few weeks. Karen and I are thrilled to be part of this Emmanuel story.
If these notes make you a little curious – drop us a line and we will make plans to grab a cup of coffee, give you a tour or our building as we describe our dreams for serving and shaping our community with the generosity of Yahweh…

randy phillips | teaching pastor

Hello, hello and welcome to another intern update! It’s been a busy few days here at Emmanuel with people coming through the building checking out the progress and plenty of meetings meant to imagine the future God desires for us.

There are a few exciting things heading this way. Some of them are blessings well disguised by, say, a leaky roof? Our sanctuary here has been experiencing trouble and the dome above the stage has been steadily damaged by a hole in the roof above it allowing rain to enter. Luckily, our “retired” administrator extraordinaire, Keith Phillips, was able to find a company that would come and re-roof the dome to avoid any further damage. The damage done, however, is starting to look like an invitation to take a fresh look at the stage and we are excited by some of the opportunities God has placed in front of us.

More good news is that the 49^th St. house has been officially closed on and sold to our good friends Community Dinners. There is no disguising this one; this is good news and an exciting partnership opportunity beyond doubt. We are so blessed to have so many good neighbors and partners in this building and all around.

As for us, the interns, we just keep working hard: Jeff did a fantastic job leading on Sunday in Pastor Randy’s stead and Aaron continues to guide us in meaningful worship. Please support Savannah as she is creating the children’s ministry here and here is a friendly reminder to attend her meeting after service this Sunday. She promises it will be brief so no one who attends will even miss lunch.

As for myself and my community building, I am getting to know this neighborhood better each day and it is teaching me what its needs are.  So you can pray for me that I will continue to learn how to meet those needs.

Feel free to drop in to the office this week. You most likely find me making coffee (I’ll share if you ask nicely) and find Aaron singing some song while strumming a guitar.

Thanks for stopping by,

-josh phillips

Here we are, just over a month into our internships at the church. Aaron and Josh are here every day all day, and I am here most of the time. Savannah is here whenever she is able, and we all are encouraged by each other everyday.

We had a meeting this morning concerning the website, the outlook of worship on Sundays and any other matters of importance. It is really cool to see not only progress, but also disagreement within the group. That may sound counterproductive, but we are blessed to have such an array of voices at Emmanuel in age, in ideas of what church should be, and simple taste. Overall, we care for each other and each member of the church. Because of that we are able to be honest and work through problems and frustrations without being frustrated with certain people. Our voices are heard and represented because we all respond well to the discussions made.

Things are moving at Emmanuel; from my end I see Aaron and Kirby working constantly on plans for the future, while Randy is always working with people in the present. Josh and I seem to be all over the place respecting the past, loving the present and dreaming of the future with God as our guide. The creator is good, and God’s love endures forever. Everyone that is around Emmanuel can feel movement, what more could we ask for?

Jeff Budke