Acts 29

God willing, in less than 12 weeks we will be opening up full-bore to the public from our new location, which sits beside the sea in the thick of downtown Bremerton, Washington. 

The vision for all of this started back in 1999 when I answered the call from God to preach His Word, and was further helped along by a swift kick in the *!? by Driscoll during a brief understudy time with him in 2002. 

A lot of people, from Seattle to Florida, have played a part in the furtherance of the gospel here, all of whom we are thankful for, and not one that we could have done it without.

One of the milestones for us so far has been being able to move into our office space, which has already enhanced our productivity and given us a greater presence in the city.

Getting to this point didn't come without any pains though. We had to raise $10,000 for a balloon payment with just over 40 people in our core, and not a one with deep pockets. 

God was on the scene, of course, and we are now working towards next years balloon.
There appears to be a light at the end of every tunnel we have had to go through, and we believe that light to be Jesus. We are going to continue to seek after Him as He establishes His name here at Seaside Church.

This tunnel you see here represents what will be our sanctuary space/rental facility. There is still a lot of work left with plenty of opportunities for outside groups to take part in. We are still very limited funding-wise, so if you happen to have extra sound gear, seating, or a baptismal lying around, please let us know.

Behind any decent planter is a super, star quality family. The one the Lord has given me is definitely tops. My wife, Susan, and I were friends in high school and have now been married for just over 12 years. Our daughters, Isabel -5, and Paige-2, came after seven years of pregnancy trials, and they are nothing short of a gift from God.
We've been fortunate to be surrounded by some quality people through the A29 Network that have given me wise counsel on how to guard your family during the intensity of planting. So far, we remain intact, and as a family we have never been closer.

The location we are in provides lots of outdoor adventures for our very mobile family, and we typically find ourselves ending up at the beach for our weekly "family day".

As the weeks continue to fly by and Sundays are a blurry memory as each one passes, there seems to be a growing urgency within my mind and heart for rallying more people into right relationships with the God we know. I'm meeting too many people who call themselves Christians that are living so haphazardly, and walk around with a very limited understanding of their salvation.

It also seems that the more I preach against sin, the more dysfunction comes pouring through the door, and the people we call the church have got me humming the tune 'Hotel California', thinking they're checking in but with no intentions of ever going back out healthy. 

I've come to think of church planting as being like building a puzzle without any straight pieces, and it's all one color. Then, just when somehow I am making what I think are steps forward, God reminds me that I'm blind too.

It is a privilege to be part of the family of the Most High God, and to be counted as a minister of His Gospel with the likes of you all. May we continue to press on together, a piece at a time, even sharing pieces as we go towards all that we hope for.

SOME PRYER REQUESTS:
That we will meet the goal of launching September 26, 2004.
That we will have the necessary leaders in place to help with the shepherding.

That our people would be united in mind, heart, soul, and purpose.
That we would be a fruit bearing branch for generations.

SOME NEEDS:
More sound gear (we have a board, some mains, and some subs, nothing else) Chairs for the sanctuary, preferably something that folds or is stackable.

$10,000 for having to do the asphalt in the parking lot. It's money that I can’t see where it will come from, but it is a code item that we have to address before opening.

Rejoicing in the Lord always,
Swanny
Pastor Chris Swan of Seaside Church
Seaside Church 
Bremerton, Washington 98312
P.O. Box 5533
Ph: (360) 551-7644  
Email:
Web: www.seasidechurch.com