Blog | Ballard Church

Feb

Summer Worship Leader Needed!

By admin

Ballard Church is hiring! We are looking for a hip, fun, music intern that loves rock and roll and wants to live in Seattle for a few months. This is a perfect gig for a college student wanting to do something different, have an adventure, and make an impact. We are a brand new church plant in Seattle and we are looking for a talented young worship leader to lead main stage worship this summer.

THE DETAILS: The commitment would be for 10 weeks–every Sunday in June and July and one in August. We will help the person find a free place to live, pay a $600 per month stipend, and provide a bicycle to get around Also the worship intern would be encouraged to get a side job doing coffee or working somewhere else to make some supplemental income and meet some new friends. In addition we would provide love, support, and encouragement and a fun and exciting work environment. The leader would be responsible for song selection, band rehearsal, recruiting and developing musicians, and overseeing the sound system. 10 hour a week max.

BC WORSHIP AND STYLE: We like to rock and we like it loud. We run the music between 100 and 105 decibals–Hillsong United, Jesus Culture, and Gungor are a few of our favorites. If you are into acoustic, coffee shop music, candles, responsive readings and sitting down on a barstool – no need to apply. Loud amps, electric guitar solos, and subwoofers you can feel …….is more the vibe we are going for. A typical service is about 65 minutes – 4 songs to open, a 30 minute message, and 1 closing song. BC is a casual, come as you are environment, where everyone is welcome.

ABOUT OUR CHURCH: We launched our church on September 18th, 2011. Our mission is to be a church that unchurched people love to come to and so far it’s working. We have seen over 30 people make decisions for Christ since we moved into the neighborhood. And in Seattle 90% of the population don’t attend church of any kind! So our mission field is to over a half a million people who live within 10 miles of our church. We are a Bible teaching church and have solid theology and conservative beliefs but we don’t believe in doing things in the traditional way. We think outside the box, are highly creative, and very active in serving the community. This summer especially we are going to launch a few city wide volunteer initiatives to help make a difference in our neighborhood and serve others with no strings attached.

ABOUT SEATTLE: Summers are amazing. Sunny and warm. The church is strategically located in the heart of Ballard, close by Greenlake, Fremont, and an easy drive from Seattle Pacific University, University of Washington, and down town Seattle. We are right by Puget Sound, and there are awesome lakes, and running and biking trails everywhere you look. BC is less than a mile from Golden Gardens which is one of Seattles premier beach hang-out spots and Ballard is teaming with young people and has a great night life. In addition to the water and mountains Seattle has a great music culture, great professional sports - Seahawks, Mariners, Sounders, and the world famous Pikes Place Market.

HOW TO APPLY: 1. Check our website at www.ballardchurch.com to get a feel of what we are all about. E-mail us with any questions. 2. Send music samples (mp3′s, cd’s, recordings) or links to youtube or vimeo videos of you leading worship to info@ballardchurch.com 3. Along with the music samples give us a short bio (paragraph description) of your experience leading worship, why you are interested, and anything else we need to know about you. Also give us a link to your facebook and twitter so we can stalk you for a minute 4. If we like what we hear we will contact you and send you a full application and invite you to apply and maybe come audition for the gig.

Everyone is welcome to apply. If you love music and love leading we don’t care where you are from: West Coast // East Coast // Australia // Canada or wherever. We think that you are going to love Seattle and have a blast playing music this summer and making a difference for Jesus. Spread the word with any of your friends who are interested and come check it out!

Categories : Worship

Feb

Baptism at Ballard Church!

By admin

Take the plunge! Don’t worry, at Ballard Church baptism is totally chill. No weird stuff. No akward moments. No long speeches. No embarassing robes. And you don’t have to go to 8 weeks of classes as a pre-requisite. There is only one requirement: that you believe in Jesus!

THE NEXT BAPTISM CELEBRATION IS FEBRUARY 19TH DURING OUR 10AM SERVICE!

WHAT IS BAPTISM? At BC we teach that Baptism is an “outward sign” of an “inward change.” It doesn’t actually “save” you but it is an important step of obedience after you have already been saved. Salvation comes through Jesus. And baptism is a public declaration that you belong to Him. It’s like a formal announcement (like you getting out a megaphone and saying “hey! look at me! I want to follow Jesus!) It’s a great way to share with and show friends and family that your desire is to follow God.

WHY SHOULD I BE BAPTIZED? There are at least 4 reasons why you ought to be baptized: 1. God commands it (it’s one of two ordinances for the church – baptism and communion) 2. The early church practiced it (and since the church was established by Jesus they have been doing it. Literally thousands of years of history 3. Even Jesus was baptized (and he’s our perfect example) 4. It’s a witness (a way of sharing your new faith with friends and family).

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that “if anyone is in Christ he/she is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come.” Baptism is symbolic of your new life in Christ. The water is symbolic of our sins being washed away. Of course, in the baptismal tank our sins aren’t actually washed away (they are washed away by Christ at the cross) but it’s a visual picture of that. Romans 6:4 says, ”For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” When you go under the water, it’s a picture of you being “buried” with Christ, and when you come up out of the water, it’s a picture of you being “raised” with Christ. That’s the symbolic part of water baptism. And it’s like you are “dying” to your old self and being “raised” to live a new life! A visual picture of death, burial, and ressurection! (of course you won’t actually die during baptism unless the pastor holds you under for like 5 minutes and you drown

WHO CAN BE BAPTIZED? At BC we practice “believer baptism.” Which means that if you are a believer in Christ then you can be baptized.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M READY? Some people make the mistake of waiting too long to get baptized. Really, the Bible says if you are a Christian and want to follow Jesus, then you ought to be baptized right away. You don’t have to wait until your “perfect” (because that will never happen) and certainly don’t wait until you have your act together. In the book of Acts in the Bible we read about the early church and how it was growing. Thousands of people were coming to faith in Christ and being baptized at the same time! It almost seemed like their decision to follow Jesus and their baptism happened simultaneous! So don’t delay. Don’t put it off. If you have a relationship with Christ through faith, then you ought to be obedient and be baptized!

HOW CAN I PREPARE FOR IT? First of all e-mail us at info@ballardchurch.com and let us know you want to get baptized. We will follow up with you and answer any questions you may have about it. Second, tell all your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, everyone you know that you are getting baptized and invite them out to the service to check it out (this is a great way to announce to the world that you want to follow Christ). Third, on the day you are baptized, bring a towel and swim trunks. We will provide a dark colored t-shirt for you to wear in the tank and to keep as a souvenir afterwards.

ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW? Baptism is great. It’s life changing. Every time you make a decision to obey Jesus, your faith gets stronger. And baptism is a huge step of obedience. Your baptism won’t last too long – it will most likely last 1 minute or less- but the impact will last foreve. There will probably be a group of other people being baptized as well besides you so you will have the option to go first or last. There is a baptismal tank on stage at BC. The water will be nice and warm. Pastor Paul will most likely be doing the baptisms. He will put you all the way under the water but don’t worry–he won’t drown you! We will take pictures and send them to you later so you can remember this great celebration. Baptisms will happen while music or other stuff is doing on. You won’t have to give a huge speech. You will just be asked a few questions while you are in the water — most importantly ”have you placed your faith in Jesus Christ?” After you say “yes” then we will baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And yes . . . you are welcome to plug your nose so no water gets in!

Colossians 2:12

^“For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.”

Categories : Uncategorized

Jan

Seattle Groups Launching Now!

By admin

Hey Seattle! Time to get your group-on. We’ve got the deal of the day for you! Launching soon are 8 brand new groups at Ballard Church. We have something for everyone. Come get involved. It’s a great way to meet some new friends, and grow in your walk with God.

Here is a list of most of the groups that we are offering. ALL GROUPS WILL START ON THE WEEK STARTING FEBRUARY 12TH. All the groups meet at the church (except for one). Find a group that you like and e-mail the leader for more info or to get signed up.

SUNDAY:

Financial Peace University / 5pm / Everyone – Description: Come learn about God’s way of handling money. This study includes information about debt, wise investments, cash or credit, giving, saving, retirement and more. DVD curriculum and workbook included. Cost: $100 per family. Contact: Dane Russell: Dane_russell93@hotmail.com

Christianity 101 / 6pm / Everyone – Description: New in the faith? Or just want to learn the basics? A great class for new believers or those who want to learn more about Christianity. Topics include exploring who is Jesus? What is faith? What is prayer? What is the Bible? How can I grow? Next steps? Cost: $0. Contact Jason Groenink: Jason.groenink@gmail.com

TUESDAY:

Disciplines of a Godly man / 7am / Men – Description: Coffee, donuts, and great conversations for men of all ages. We will be reading Disciplines of a Godly Man by Kent Hughes and spending time talking about issues and challenges men face. Whether you’ve been in the faith for a while, or are just coming back and want some good bros to joke around with. We’ll keep it grace based, and Christ centered. Not over-emotional and not too girlie Cost $10. Contact: Geoff Smith: Geoff@ballardchurch.com

Whole In The Gospel Book Study/ 6pm / Everyone – Description: This is a home group at Jason and Andrea Groenink’s house (close by church). DVD curriculum with study guides. This radical, eye-opening, series has fast-paced and hard-hitting documentary DVD “shorts” and a real-life pack-a-punch stories and insights on poverty and injustice. This is a great way to meet new friends in a low-key home environment and to explore practical ways to truly “live out your faith.” Cost: $10. Contact Jason Groenink: Jason.groenink@gmail.com

WEDNESDAY:

Captivating / 9:30am / Women – Description: A chance for women to get together and ready through the book Captivating. This groundbreaking book shows readers the glorious design of women before the fall, describes how the feminine heart can be restored, and casts a vision for the power, freedom, and beauty of a woman released to be all she was meant to be. By revealing the core desires every woman shares-to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a grand adventure, and to unveil beauty-authors John and Stasi Eldredge invite women to recover their feminine hearts, created in the image of an intimate and passionate God. Cost $10. Contact Andrea Greonink: jayndre@gmail.com

Crazy Love / 7pm / College Age – Description: God is love. Crazy, relentless, all-powerful love. Have you ever wondered if we’re missing it? It’s crazy, if you think about it. The God of the universe—the Creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies and E-minor—loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love. And what is our typical response? We go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss. Whether you’ve verbalized it yet or not.we all know something’s wrong. Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Because the answer to religious complacency isn’t working harder at a list of do’s and don’ts-it’s falling in love with God. Because when you’re wildly in love with someone, it changes everything. Cost $10. Contact Sam Cook: samcook287@hotmail.com

THURSDAY:

Young Families / 6:30pm / Families with Young Kids – Description: Join Paul and Gina Diaz as they facilitate some great parenting discussions on how to raise a Godly family. Some of the books we will be going through are Love Powered Parenting, and 5 Love Languages for Kids. A great time to connect with other young families. We may end up doing pizzas or having other food to make it easier and child-care will be provided onsite in Funland. Cost $20 per family. Contact Gina Diaz: diazministry@msn.com

FRIDAY:

Young Professionals / 6:30pm / 20′s and 30′s – Description: Food, Faith, Fun, Friends, Fridays! Singles, Couples, Dating, or Married. A great group to meet new friends and make great connections with other young people and a great ending to your week. We will be meeting together in the coffee shop to have dinner together (taking turns making or bringing food) and then having some great discussions about life, faith, and God. This is a “can’t-miss” group for young people and don’t worry . . . you will still have time to go out afterwards and have some fun! Cost $10. Contact Paul Diaz: paul@ballardchurch.com

Categories : Groups

Jan

Good Food! Good Friends! Totally Free

By admin

Want the 411 on Ballard Church? If so we would love to tell you everything we know about it. Come meet friends, ask some questions, and learn more about the church at our BC Welcome Dessert.

You are invited this Wednesday January 25th from 7-8pm in the BC coffee shop. We’ll have the espresso machine cranking out drinks and enjoy some great desserts too. You will have an opportunity to meet the staff and hear more from the pastor about the mission, vision, and core values of Ballard Church. We will share with you why we do what we do and the reasoning behind it. And there will be a time of Q&A as well.

Here’s the scoop on the dessert:

1) Everyone is welcome – whether you have been to BC one or two times or never you are welcome to come.

2) Bring your friends – if you have people who are curious about BC bring them, we’d love to meet them.

3) Bring the family – we’ll have the Funland open for the kids and sitters to keep an eye on them.

4) It’s only one hour – quick and easy

5) No pressure- we aren’t selling knives, kitchenware, candles, or vacuums Also we aren’t going to try to get you to sign up for anything or committ to anything – it’s just info and Q&A – promise

RSVP if possible to info@ballardchurch.com so we know how much dessert to buy.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Categories : Uncategorized

Jan

Ballard Church Helps Move!

By admin

Recently someone contacted us via our online help form to request assistance with their move. They had to be out of their apartment and moved into another asap and they needed some man power. So we geared up for a work day and then something crazy and unexpected happened…

Already we knew that the couple we were going to help move had two young kids and moving in the snowy weather was going to be a formidable challenge. But then we got a call from the wife the day before we were going to help them and they were in the hospital! She shared the surprising news to us that her husband had two massive heart-attacks and two emergency surgeries . . . and he is only 33 years old! It was obvious that God had positioned us at just the right time and place to help a family that really, really needed it! So we visited the husband, Jeff, in the hospital and assured him that we would be able to help out with the move and were able to pray with him for speedy recovery. It felt great to be able to tell them not to worry about anything and that Ballard Church would be able to help them get moved out and settled into their new place the next day.

On Saturday we showed up in the rain and slushy snow with a crew of 7 and transported all the stuff from one apartment to another. Through it all, we definitely felt used by God in a special way. They always say that you find out who your true friends are on moving day! And that’s part of our hope through serving people at Ballard Church – that we would be a true friend to others in need. It’s obviously a lot of work to get out into the community and help people but it communicates love and concern to those we meet. And that’s part of why we do it! We want Seattle to know that there is a God who loves and cares about them and there is a new church filled with a lot of people who love and care about them as well.

One thing that we are convinced of is that God is calling us to be a church that serves Seattle in any way possible. We also know that God will continue to give us opportunities as a new church if we are faithful in the things that He does give us. In the future God will call us to much larger things but it starts by being faithful in the small things. And we want to be a church that says “yes” when things come up.

If you know of anyone that needs help with anything feel free to e-mail us at projects@ballardchurch.com or fill out the free help request form by clicking here.

Categories : Volunteers

Jan

New Pre-School Open House

By admin

Ballard Church announces the Grand Opening of All Star Kids Company! We will be hosting an open house this Saturday from 1-4pm. For more check www.allstarkidscompany.com

All Star Kids Company is starting classes on January 30th for students ages 3-5 years old. Classes are from 9am-1pm and there are multiple day options available. We have a great facility for kids and have created an excellent learning environment that will help prepare them for their kindergarten year.

For more information, contact and registration information on the new pre-school please click here

Categories : Ballard Kids

Jan

All Star Kids Company Opening Now!

By admin

Great news for young families in Seattle! Ballard Church is proud to announce the grand opening of All Star Kids Company happening right now! There is a pre-school open house from 3-6pm on Wednesday January 18th and classes start on January 30th!

This is our first year and we are looking forward to getting to know all the children, their families, and caregivers. Our goal is for All-Star Kids Company to be a fun, social time as well as educational. To start we are offering a ”half-day” option (9am-1pm) for children ages 3-5 years old with multiple day options. Ballard Church has a great facility and provides an ideal location for young families in Seattle who live in Ballard, Magnolia, Greenlake, Greenwood, Phinney Ridge, North Beach/Blue Ridge, and Crown Hill.

At All-Star Kids Company, we are dedicated to providing highly qualified teachers, fun, social and stimulating academic programs, and a creative, artistic environment to help each child develop to his or her maximum potential. We see our Pre-Kindergarten program as an essential preparation for children prior to entering the Kindergarten year. Working closely with parents through a happy, fun and respectful atmosphere, we strive to develop an interest in learning.

IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES: The pre-school is having an open house coming up on January 18th and the new classes start on January 30th. Help get the word out by sharing this blog and check out more info on the pre-school website: http://www.ballardchurch.com/preschool-home/

Categories : Ballard Kids

Jan

Ready, Willing, and Able!

By admin

Since we launched Ballard Church 3 months ago we have been committed to the idea of serving our community and neighborhood – no strings attached. Our brand new church has been characterized from the beginning with a strong spirit of volunteerism. Don’t believe it? Check this out.

On Saturday we learned of a lady in trouble with a house that needed to get cleaned out, a truck that needed to get unloaded and re-loaded, and some other various projects. She obviously is in a bad spot and didn’t have any friends that were willing or able to help her in her time of need. When we learned of the situation we immediately called her and made contact. Then we told her that BC was willing to help. The NEXT day at service we threw out the idea of helping her and asked people to give a few hours of their time. And guess what happened?

An hour after church, after hearing the announcement, 13 volunteers came BACK to the church ready to serve and help in any way possible. This was just a great reminder that people want to be used (in a good way). We all want our lives to matter and we seek to make a difference in helping, serving, and loving others. In 2012 our goal is to be a church that truly serves Seattle and loves and reaches out to everyone – even complete strangers. And as we do these projects we usually don’t exactly know WHAT we are getting into or HOW it’s going to work out (or sometimes it doesn’t) but we definitely know WHY we are doing what we are doing:

We want to learn how to serve others because Jesus served us. And we want to learn to be servants because He was a servant. For Jesus it wasn’t about power, prestige, or position but instead he was about loving, serving, and giving. And that’s what we want to be about as we do what we can to Serve Seattle.

To find out more about our ongoing service work or to contact us with needs of any kind click here. Or check out www.ballardchurch.com/serve. If you ever have needs you can e-mail us at projects@ballardchurch.com and we will do our best to help out if we can.

Categories : Uncategorized, Volunteers

Dec

New Years @ Ballard Church

By admin

In 2011 the most searched for musician was . . . Justin Bieber! The most searched for TV show was . . . American Idol! The most searched for news story was . . . Casey Anthony! And the most searched for church in America was . . . Ballard Church! (just kidding about that last one). But let’s make it happen in 2012!

Ballard Church wants to be the first to wish you a happy New Year and we are praying for you to have an incredible 2012 with your friends and family. BC truly wants to be a place of love, grace, and acceptance and that all who come through our doors are welcomed and encouraged in their faith. We are only 3 months new as a church and things are truly going amazing here in Seattle. We have served and loved our city, met tons of new people, and are really seeing God use us to make an impact in our neighborhood. If you haven’t been by to check it out lately, or ever, we’d love to meet you so stop on by! We sincerely hope that you make BC a regular part of your schedule this year and that God is a priority for you in 2012.

What better way to start 2012 than to bring in New Years Day with a rockin service at Ballard Church. This Sunday at 10am! We are hoping to see you there!

Be safe this New Year’s Eve and we hope to see you Sunday!

Categories : Uncategorized

Dec

Christmas Eve at BC

By admin

You are invited to join us for a special Christmas Eve service at 7pm at Ballard Church. December 24th is shaping up to be one unforgettable night for the whole family: holiday treats, rockin christmas music, an inspirational message, and a special candlelight service. Bring your friends and loved ones for a night to remember!

We are genuinely excited at our first ever Christmas Eve service at the new Ballard Church. And remember that Christmas Eve is a great time to invite new people - even if they haven’t ever been to church before (or in a long time). The message will be about “The Miracle of Christmas” and we will be talking about Jesus- who He is and what He wants to do in our lives. Service will last between 65-70 minutes and will be family friendly. In fact, we will have the nursery open for 3 years old and younger but the rest of the kids we are encouraging to attend the service with their family. They will especially enjoy the candelighting part of the service (as will the pyro’s out in the crowd – Pastor Paul being one of them!

And a reminder about this Sunday: Christmas Day BC will be closed so that the staff and volunteers can enjoy the time with their family. But don’t worry. BC will resume our regular Sunday morning services on New Years Day January 1st at 10am.

Hope to see you around! And don’t forget to pray for snow in Seattle !

Categories : Sermon Series

Take the plunge! Don’t worry, at Ballard Church baptism is totally chill. No weird stuff. No akward moments. No long speeches. No embarassing robes. And you don’t have to go to 8 weeks of classes as a pre-requisite. There is only one requirement: that you believe in Jesus!

Colossians 2:12

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