Retired...and Sailing into New Waters! An Interview with Bob & Chris Simmons

The House has asked Bob and Chris Simmons, who have moved away recently, to share some of their memories from more than 40 years of ministry at East Hills Alliance.

The House: When did you start attending EHA? What pastors have you known during those years?

Chris: We started attending here 40 years ago...Came to hear a special speaker and were invited to the home of a family in the church after the meeting and became friends with their teenage kids and have attended ever since...We were newlyweds and had just moved here from Canada and didn't know anybody when we came.

Bob: We began attending EHA in October 1974 about two weeks after we moved into the Longview/Kelso community. They had a special speaker for a week, Bob Hobson with Torchbearers International. We became members in December 1974.

Bob: The pastors who have served at EHA while we have been here are:

Harvey Larson – Sr. Pastor

Alan Hurst – Assistant Pastor then Interim Pastor when Pastor Larson had a heart attack

Jon Huxtable – Sr. Pastor

Keith Kayser – Sr. Pastor

Mac McSweeney – Sr. Pastor

Steve Fowler – Sr. Pastor

Jesse Remple – Youth Pastor

Ann Hight – Assistant Pastor

Nick Stumbo – Asst. Pastor & Lead Pastor

Caleb Cox – Assistant Pastor

Jon Donohue – Asst. Pastor

Josh Droke – Assistant Pastor

Jesse Jorgensen – Asst. Pastor

The House: What ministries have you been involved in over the years?

Bob: In December 1974 Chris and I were appointed Youth Directors and we served in that capacity for seven years. I was also the 7th grade Sunday School teacher and two of my first students were Robin McRae and Richard Cooley. Also, because of my position as Youth Director I was on the Governing Board.

I served many years on the Board of Deacons.I have always been involved with the Sound System at EHA. Initially we had a six channel PA system in the closet in the entryway with small speakers along the soffits and an organ with a Leslie Speaker. We upgraded to a 16 channel Yamaha board and then the 24/48 channel Behringer board. For the past several years I have served as an elder.

Chris: I was involved in working with the Youth, Sunday School, 　VBS, Alliance Women, Deaconess, Social Fellowship, and Weddings and Connection Groups.

The House: What have been your favorite memories of EHA and its families?

Bob: The early years when we were in our 20’s and 30’s working alongside others in youth ministry, playing on the softball team and sharing experiences and concerns with others as we raised our family. Annual Missions Conventions and other special speakers we have hosted at EHA. The youth mission trip to run VBS at a small country church in Mehama, Oregon. Driving bus for youth mission trips to Mexico. The campaign to raise money and construct the addition on the north end of the church was a time of stretching everyone’s faith and trust in God. Sharing our home with other EHA families for many Thanksgiving and Easter celebrations.

Chris: Some of my favorite memories are of times with friends, often at our house...love having people here for Easter, Thanksgiving etc. 　Also we have been able to have a lot of missionaries stay at our house and been able to get to know them better.

The House: How many children? Grandchildren?

Bob: All three of our sons were born and raised while we have been members at EHA (Andrew – 1975, Michael – 1977 & Benjamin – 1982). Andrew and his wife Veronica have two children (Anni – age 8 and Akcxel – age 3). Michael and his wife Rachel have a newborn son (Sawyer). Ben & his wife Stephanie have three children (Elliott – age 7, Amelia – age 4 & Joy Ruth – age 1-1/2).

Chris: The 3 grandkids in Boise we don't get to see as often.

The House: Where are you moving? What are you looking forward to in your new home?

Bob: We have already moved to SeaTac. Our home is on Angle Lake and we are enjoying the feel of being on vacation every day. I have two sailboats pulled up on the beach and have been out sailing several times. We especially enjoy that we are only an eight-minute walk from Anni & Akcxel and they are at our home almost every day. Michael & Rachel and our newborn grandson are only about 8 miles south.

Chris: We love our new house because it is so close to our kids...I can walk over to see the grandkids in 10 minutes. We hope to have people visit us when we are moved in..Bob would love to take people sailing with him...living on the lake seems like being on vacation.

Doorways, by Pastor Ann Hight

We never know how significant it will be to open a door and walk in to a new place. Almost exactly 18 years ago, the Hight family opened the front doors of East Hills Alliance Church and walked in. The doors were solid wood in those days, no welcoming see-through glass, and the door handles were shaped out of wrought iron to look like shepherd’s crooks. In fact, those handles are what identified the church for us. We were seeking a new church home and one of us said, "Let’s try that church with the shepherd hook doors." With all the studies and surveys about the demographics and strategies of drawing people to church, we certainly did not fit into any category. In fact, I doubt there is a door-handle category on any church growth survey!

When we walked in we found a small group of genuine Christ-followers who warmly welcomed us, eagerly invited us to participate in the life of the church, and after a few months enthusiastically enfolded us in to membership. Our kids became part of a Sunday night youth group that was big on games like four-square and sardines, Tom and I began to teach adult Sunday School classes, and Tom was affirmed as an elder. We had found a church home when we walked through the doors.

Before long, a new senior pastor walked through the same doors and East Hills began to experience a season of renewal. Pastor Steve Fowler asked if I would consider becoming licensed, a first step through the doors of full time ministry within the Alliance. Not really knowing what I was getting in to, I said yes and began to take the steps to licensing and eventually to consecration/ordination. During that time I also came on staff as part of the leadership team here at East Hills.

Serving as a woman in ministry is a door all its own. This was a challenge to the status quo, and yet here in Kelso, this new role was accepted and honored as we all served together to build up the body of Christ and proclaim the wonderful Good News of the gospel. The East Hills family took this new role in stride and really led the way within the Alliance Northwest District to value diversity on the staff of our smaller churches. My title as an associate pastor was ground-breaking, and in fact created a bit of a stir at the higher elevations of church government. At one point there was a small rebellion as Pastor Steve declared that if we could not all be pastors, we would all be ministers (the preferred title for women). As you now know, the rebellion was successful! While I rarely refer to myself as Pastor Ann, it is a title I cherish, for it helps to convey the deep and abiding care I have for the dear ones of East Hills. To be allowed to carry this title has been one of the greatest honors of my life.

This title has opened a few doors for me. It has given me a pathway into the community as part of various boards and committees, and given me added credibility as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate). While not a requirement, it has been a tool to open doors that have allowed me to share and demonstrate a life of faith outside the walls of the church building. It has also made it easier for others to approach me as a mentor, counselor, and spiritual advisor.

A few years ago I was invited to walk through another door, this time at the district level, to be part of our Licensing, Consecrating, and Ordaining Counsel. This is the group that reviews the qualifications and authorizes the credentials for all the candidates entering ministry in the Christian and Missionary Alliance. As part of this board I have been privileged to interview many bright young men and women seeking to walk through their first doors of ministry, to provide encouragement and direction, and to weigh in on policies and training.

As I think back on the things we have shared together – raising our kids, getting and changing jobs, enduring chemo and surgeries, fighting disappointments and depression, grappling with addictions, waiting in hospitals and courtrooms, celebrating new babies and new homes and new memberships, and standing together as we mourn our losses—all of this reminds me of the great goodness of God who directed us to open those doors that first Sunday morning. I am so glad He did.

So as I stand before another door, the door into retirement, I find myself rich with memories and anticipation for what the next thing will be. I foresee continuing as part of our East Hills community as we serve and grow and impact our communities with the love of Christ. I do not know exactly what that will look like, but I am certain it will be a grand adventure for all of us.

The Grove, by Pastor Jon Donohue

The launch of The Grove is quickly becoming a reality! For many months both staff and congregation have been talking about the new campus in theoretical terms, while spilling much ink on paper dreaming about what would be and how the new campus would function.

Now there is a launch team that is actively engaged in developing this new ministry, and sweat and energy have replaced ink and paper as the key resources of the day.

On October 12, The Grove will officially launch at Monticello Middle School. Leading up to this day, many leaders and team members have been working hard to make sure that each ministry is operating smoothly. We have been going through a series of practice launches, with each practice fine-tuning our skills, design, and functionality as a new campus in action. We have been trying out different Kidville classroom layouts and designs. We have been determining how long it takes to move tables, set up sound tech equipment, pipe and drape, chairs, décor, and welcome centers. We have been walking through orders of service and making sure services flow as they should. We have been living out a day in the life of The Grove as if it were an actual Sunday morning worship service with the community invited. All of these practices have greatly helped us prepare for the full launch day October 12.

Members of The Grove have been starting to actively plug into service at Monticello Middle School. From helping inventory supplies in the Outreach Room which provides for the many needs of Monticello students and families, to giving backpacks and office supplies for students and teachers at the start of school, we have slowly begun to serve and make an impact in our newly-adopted school. As the weeks roll by, there will certainly be others who make it a part of their mission to plug in and be light amongst the teachers, staff, and students at Monticello Middle School.

Please continue to pray for The Grove launch team. Pray that the team continues to unify and serve well even in the midst of spiritual attack and difficult health news that has hit a few members of the team. Pray that the enemy will not distract us from our mission. Pray also for Monticello Middle School- that this year would be a year of positive transformation, and that many people there would be impacted by the loving service and care we extend to them in the name of Jesus. Pray for an even broader and deepening spiritual impact that will extend further and further into the community.

I encourage you to give financially to support this new ministry endeavor as the Lord calls you. If you are feeling drawn to this ministry, I also encourage you to inquire about what it means to be a part of the launch of The Grove. We are always seeking new members to come on board and be an integral part of this new movement. There are still plenty of ways to give and serve. Contact Pastor Jon for more information at jon@easthillsalliance.org.

Mission Spotlight, by Debbie Sande

There is a great opportunity coming up for women and girls of East Hills and The Grove. JJ is coming to us from a faraway land. And does she have some stories to tell! It is all a bit of a mystery, though. What will we hear? What will we eat? What craft will we make? In each of the 3 weeks before the event (which happens to be on Thursday, October 23, by the way) you will be offered a question to answer. Then that evening (which begins in the Community Room with dinner at 6 pm, by the way) one final question will be asked (and answered) and a winner will be revealed (and receive a prize). It is a school night, so we promise to get you on your way home by 8. Sign up by using a welcome card in a chairback near you. Just write your name and how many are coming (and whether you need nursery care for children) and drop it in the offering plate. Childcare is free.

If you would like to receive the full update letters from our international workers, please contact Debbie Sande at sande@kalama.com.

In What Sense Do I Still Live? By Noel McRae

There are some interesting differences in translation between the KJV and other versions on Galatians 2:20. I am not a fan of the KJV version, but I found this study interesting.

The KJV is unique in using the English present tense to translate the "perfect" Greek tense. "I am crucified with Christ." Is this wrong? Dig out your various versions to see how they translate it.

The "perfect" indicates a completed action with ongoing effects. When the Greek perfect tense seems to be directed toward the completion of the event, we tend to translate it with "have" or "has." Paul says, "I have finished the race" (2 Tim 4:7).

When the perfect seems to be directed toward the consequences of the event, we often use the English present tense. "Jesus says, ‘Your sins are forgiven’" (Matt 9:2).The KJV is properly emphasizing that while the fact of our death with Christ is an accomplished fact ("I have been crucified"), it is nevertheless a present reality; I live as one who was and is still crucified with Christ.

This seems a better translation based on the needs of the immediate context. The emphasis is not on what happened to us, but on the the present life we are living, which is based not only on the past work of Christ on the cross but also on the ongoing life of faith motivated by Jesus’ love.

But there is another difference between the KJV and other translations, and it is the next phrase. "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me" Other translations say something like, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (NLT, NIV).

The KJV seems to assert that the individual, even after crucifixion with Christ, still lives — and the question would be, in what sense do I still live.

This is not even an option in the other translations. I don’t think I would make a big deal of this, since the next phrase seems to contradict it. "I live; yet not I." Hmm, which is it? Once you look at the statement in the theological flow of the verse, you can see what Paul is saying.

• He is crucified with Christ.

• Despite the crucifixion, he still lives.

• Yet, the life he lives is considerably different from his previous life.

Greek scholar Bill Mounce says, "The KJV requires you to process the language and to read it all in context. And while

I am not a big KJV fan, I do like the higher level of prose that requires me to stop and think through what is being said. But most modern translations don’t want us to work so hard, and they iron out the potential contradiction ("I live; I don’t live") by saying, ‘It is no longer I who live.’"

At conversion, our life ended. we experienced a death to the "old man." And we daily live as one who is crucified — or at least that is the challenge of the Christian journey. And while we are still alive, we are alive to a new kind of life that is lived through faith, motivated by the fact that Jesus loved (and loves) us and gave himself for us.

So the key question to me in studying this verse is, how different is my life? Is it characterized by death to self and a life of faith and love? Or, if the truth be known, is there little difference?

Choosing

A few weeks ago, three of us from East Hills and the Grove went down to Dallas, Texas for our final training with the Multi-site Church Innovation Lab. As we were there, I found myself reflecting on how much had changed since or first trip one year ago. At that initial meeting, we didn’t have a name or a location for our campus, very few systems were in place, and none of our volunteer leaders had been identified. One year later, all of those areas, and many more, have been settled and have become for us our new normal. I marveled for a few moments about how quickly those changes had become an established new normal.

As a church family, we are in a season of adopting new normals. The campus launch, staff transitions, and new faces attending all create the need for new normals. At home, my family and I are also experiencing many new normals as both my wife and our 5-year old son started kindergarten. Having my wife work full-time, three kids in school, and one son being watched by friends has created many new challenges for us.

Perhaps you are also facing some new normals in your life, whether here at church or at home. These are critical times for us to make wise decisions so that our new normals become healthy places rather than difficult struggles. So how do we adjust to the new normals in our lives? I offer you three suggestions:

1. Keep your eyes up. When developing a new normal, we must keep our eyes on God’s presence and activity in us and around us. Changing circumstances can draw our attention in a consuming way until the change is all we see. Lifting our heads in worship and in prayer reminds us of the bigger picture and of God’s powerful provision for us.

2. Keep your hands out. In a season of change, we must remember that people matter more than routines. Sometimes we are tempted to cling to our routines, traditions, or personal comfort zone. None of these matter as much as the people around you. During a new season, prioritize your relationships with family and friends. Invest in them and spend time with them, even if the circumstances look different.

3. Keep your feet moving. One of the most common reactions to change is to freeze. Our brain and body become paralyzed with uncertainty and we get stifled into doing nothing. As you develop new normals, continue to actively do the things you feel called to do. Use your gifts to serve others. Take advantage of a new opportunity to get involved in a group or ministry. Practice healthy spiritual disciplines that keep you engaged in your faith. I find that people "on the move" spiritually and emotionally make better decisions than those who adopt a hunker-down mentality.

As the apostle Paul reminds us, Forgetting what is behind and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Phil. 3:14) May we all press on towards the good things God has in store for us in our new normals!

Blessings-  Pastor Nick

The Grove: 40 Days Of Prayer

We hope that you will take some time over the next 40 days and join us as we pray for this adventure that God has us on. If you can pray for a few days or all of the days we appreciate you joining with us.

9/2- That the vision being lived out by the new campus would be the very heart of God.

9/3- That the launch team would stand strong in unity, vision, passion, and direction. Pray for spiritual protection.

9/4- For the welcome team, and its leaders Jim and Denise Cram.

9/5- For the worship team, and its leader Danny Perez.

9/6- For the audio and visual tech team, and its leader Wayne Wrzesinski.

9/7- For the Kidville nursery ministry, and the Kidville director Jo-El Perez.

9/8- For the Kidville preschool ministry.

9/9- For the Kidville K-5th ministry.

9/10- For the set-up and take-down teams, and their leader Loren Portwood.

9/11- For the youth at The Grove, as well as youth leaders ministering at both campuses.

9/12- For Spirit-led, positive interaction with the community.

9/13- For positive, impacting interaction with the teachers and staff at Monticello.

9/14- For good, life-changing interaction with the students and their families. 

9/15- For God to break down spiritual walls at Monticello Middle School.

9/16- For members of East Hills and The Grove to develop an ever-growing burden to serve at Monticello.

9/17- For Jesus to use us to help bring healing, joy, and salvation to the local community.

9/18- For God to raise up volunteers to help fill the gaps on Sunday mornings.

9/19- For God to raise up volunteers to help serve in the Monticello Wyldlife Ministry.

9/20- For the Lord to provide for all of our financial needs at The Grove.

9/21- For the equipment used at The Grove to function well and remain secure.

9/22- For the Lord to draw people to The Grove who need a church home.

9/23- For a Spirit of Peace to reign over The Grove.

9/24- For a Spirit of Healing to permeate everything at The Grove.

9/25- For the truth to be unashamedly proclaimed from the outset, yet in a spirit of love.

9/26- For new opportunities to develop with students and staff at Monticello.

9/27- For the favor that we have received at Monticello to continue to grow and develop.

9/28- For creativity to flourish at The Grove, leading to impacting ministry.

9/29- For a harvest of newcomers to find salvation through The Grove.

9/30- For an increased number of worship team members.

10/1- For discernment to recognize spiritual strongholds at Monticello, and for confidence in Christ to tear them down.

10/2- For deep friendships to form amongst members of The Grove that lead into effective communal ministry.

10/3- For The Grove to be a place of intense harvest, and for many people to come to saving faith in Jesus.

10/4- For a heart of worship to permeate all that we do.

10/5- For our volunteers to serve with vision, dedication, and love.

10/6- For newcomers to enter in and find places to plug in to community and service.

10/7- For the Kidville ministry to effectively reach children for Jesus.

10/8- For wisdom, health, and protection for Pastor Jon and his family, along with all the ministry leaders at The Grove.

10/9- For the Grove to have a positive working relationship with Monticello Middle School and the Longview School District.

10/10- For many visitors from the community to come to The Grove's first launch day, and for them to have a positive experience.

10/11- For the official launch day to go smoothly and be an effective time of ministry for all.

Again, thank you for join us in prayer leading up to the start of this adventure that God has called us to.

Gleaning, by Josh Droke

In the Old Testament, farmers were instructed to “not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the LORD your God.'" (Leviticus 23:22)  The poor and needy would come along and harvest some food for themselves in a process called gleaning. It’s a concept that more and more service groups are trying to bring back in modern day America.

In today’s world, it looks a little different, though. We are now a global society, and most of the poorest and hungriest people in the world live nowhere near an American farmer or orchardist. So organizations gather together groups of people willing to give of their time to harvest, dry, and ship this food around the world. This summer, the East Hills Youth are going to be some 
of those people.

July 12th-20th, a number of youth and a couple of adults will be headed down to the high temperatures and plentiful peaches of central California for a week of picking fruit so that others can eat. These young people are willing to give up a week of their summer and work exceedingly hard, just to give of themselves (and we’re planning on having a good time while we’re at it).

Thanks to your generous support, we are much of the way fundraised for this trip already. However, there is still about $600 left to go, and we have the easiest of ways for you to help: Just give us the stuff lying around your house, garage, shed, and yard that you don’t want anymore. We will put it into our garage sale on Saturday, June 28 here at the church and all the proceeds will go to helping kids do good service work like this. In the same way that the orchardist will give of his excess peaches, you can give of your excess stuff to help us get down there!

Please be praying for our group as we prepare to go. Be praying for good attitudes, team unity, character, and perseverance. Most of all, please pray that the food we pick will change the lives of those who receive it, and the act of service will change those of us who pick it.

Thank you for all of your support of the East Hill’s amazing youth!  Be blessed.