God Is on the Move

Nine months after moving to the Aloft Hotel for ECF’s Sunday worship service, we have outgrown the space. Looking back, we made the move to meet on Sunday morning at the hotel because the church was hovering around 20 people. The first few months that Pam and I were in Costa Rica we were not sure if ECF would become viable or not. We arrived last year in mid-August and by late-January we still had not seen any appreciable growth. Twenty people is sufficient for a house-church, but it’s not enough for the thriving church we envisioned that would offer life-giving ministry to all age groups.

However, since February we have seen steady growth. Every week God has been bringing new guests. Thankfully, some have decided to make ECF their church home. This has resulted in our space at the Aloft Hotel becoming increasingly crowded.

I can’t tell you how exhilarating that feels! Mind you, ECF is “only” averaging 60+ people in our services.  But it has been exceedingly rewarding to see the new life, the genuine joy, the overflowing love and the sense of “crowdedness” in our emerging church plant.   

So, we are on the move. Please pray for us! We are currently negotiating with a Hilton Garden Inn close to our current location. The hotel offers larger meeting spaces for worship and fellowship along with better ministry areas for our growing children’s ministry. The hotel is only two years old and is sparkling new. It is a huge step up from where we currently meet. I believe it will provide sufficient space to allow ECF to grow to 200+ in attendance.

The move will also require a significant retooling of our sound and tech equipment. Our initial equipment investments were “bare-bones” because, at the time, we were not sure if the church would survive. But now we see that God is on the move! If you would like to help with the purchase of the new equipment or the myriad of other investments this move will require, please use the give link at the top of the blog.

We recently celebrated our first-year anniversary in Costa Rica. What a year it’s been!

·       Pam is cancer free.

·       Pam and I have developed rich and meaningful friendships.

·       We have settled into healthy rhythms of life and ministry.

·       We purchased a home and feel “at home” in our new ministry vineyard.

·       New leaders have been raised up.

·       And English Christian Fellowship is beginning to thrive!

 This week Pam and I also celebrate another milestone…our 45th wedding anniversary. God has been incredibly gracious through the years. Our love-story has been a thrilling adventure that continues still in Costa Rica. Pam and I will celebrate by heading to Monteverde for three days. We’ve been told that Monteverde is a must-see destination in Costa Rica.   It is a lush jungle-shrouded area located about four hours from our home.

Pam and I want to say a huge “thank you” to all those who have been praying and cheering for us. We encourage you to join us in thanking God from whom all blessings flow. Truly, God has done and is doing great things! To him be all praise, honor and glory!

Warmly,

Steve and Pam

A World of Comings and Goings

Before we assumed the ministry in Costa Rica with ECF, we were told that the international church was different from the typical church in the USA. To be clear, international churches are located in major population centers around the globe. These churches generally host a wide variety of people from different nations. In other words, they are not all from the US or Canada. For example, at ECF we have people from Belgium, Venezuela, Uruguay, England, Scotland and several other nations.

We gather to worship in English. For many who attend international congregations, English is not their first language. But it is the language which allows us to connect in our worship and service of King Jesus.

Over the past year, Pam and I have been personally discovering some of the nuances of the international church. Not everything is apples-to-apples with churches in the USA.

One distinct difference is that the international community tends to travel more frequently and for longer periods of time than typical American church-goers. For example, since many of the ECF congregation have extended family in other nations, when they travel, they may stay an entire month. Because of this, it’s not uncommon for someone to approach me after church to let me know they will be gone for three or four weeks.

Another nuance is that internationals are more transient that the typical suburbanite in the USA. I realize that there is also great mobility in the states. While serving at Summit for 23 years, we saw literally thousands of people come into the fellowship and then go out to all corners of the nation. But this is accentuated exponentially in the international community. In fact, is it so acute that I was told if I could not adjust to this “coming and going” I would not survive serving an international church.

So, two weeks ago we bid farewell to a lovely family from Canada who had been with us for ten months. Last Sunday, we said good-bye to a Russian refugee who had been waiting for many months for his visa into the USA. The international church is much more like a river than a lake. Most people stay for a season before being pulled downstream to another location…usually another country.

This is one reason most international churches are relatively small by US standards. ECF has been averaging over 60 people recently in our Sunday service. This is not large by any measure. Our vision, of course, is to continue growing and reach many more people. But the highly transient nature of the international community makes it especially challenging to maintain a consistent pattern of growth.

Nevertheless, Pam and I continue to enjoy the challenges and joys in this new ministry. As we cross the one-year mark of our time in Costa Rica, we praise God for all that he’s done…and, by faith, believe that the best days are still up ahead!

Warmly,

Steve and Pam

Climbing Cerro Chirripo

I am not known for reading “the fine print.” But this is one time when it may have helped. Apparently, the ascent up Cerro Chirripó is rated as “very difficult.” But I never read that. I assumed that since it was “only” 12,500 feet in elevation that it would not be especially challenging. After all, I reasoned, a few years ago I summited Kilimanjaro which is over 19,000 feet. Chirripó should be a like a “walk in the park.” Never have I been so wrong!

Our hiking team consisted of 7 people. Four were from the USA and three of us live in Costa Rica. It was a special treat for me to have three people from Summit join us: Dan and Kayden Thornton and Mike McBride. Our team assembled on Tuesday morning at my house to board our transportation for the 4-hour drive to the national park. Looking back, we were all smiles! The old adage proved true: ignorance is bliss!

After checking in at the park to get our hiking permits, we stayed in a “boarding house” style hotel for the evening. Wednesday morning at 5:30 AM we assembled to begin our uphill journey. Two things I did not know ahead-of-time about Chirripó that made the hike especially challenging…

1.     The first day we climbed 6,500 feet in elevation gain in 8.7 miles. For those who live in Nevada, this will put it into perspective: My home in Sparks was about 4,500 feet above sea level. The peak of Mount Rose is about 10,500 feet. So, the Chirripó ascent was like climbing to the top of Mount Rose from the elevation of my house in Sparks. I’ve climbed Rose many times. It’s a rigorous hike. But the trailhead is about 9,000 feet. So, the elevation gain in the Mount Rose hike is “only” 1,500 feet.  A 6,500- foot elevation gain in 8.7 miles is insane! Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t read “the fine print.” I may never have attempted Cerro Chirripó!

 2.     The second thing that made the hike challenging was the trail. It was rocky, muddy, slippery and steep. I’m used to the trails in the Sierras. This trail was not at all like that. Nearly every step had to be navigated with care and physical effort. The longer we hiked, the slower I moved and the more tired I became. Toward the end, I felt like I was taking one-half step at a time, creeping more than hiking.

After 8 long hours of uphill hiking, I made base camp. The facility was actually quite nice. We had delicious hot meals, WIFI, 4-person coed bunk rooms, bathrooms with flushing toilets and even a small gift shop.

Thursday morning at 5:30 AM our team assembled to head toward the summit. But I must mention one important detail. This is the rainy season in Costa Rica. As a result, we were told emphatically that we would need heavy duty rain gear to make the hike. All of us brought this gear with us. We were ready!

However, on the morning of the ascent, our guide looked at the weather and said he thought it would be clear. (He had climbed Chirripó over 500 times, so we assumed he could be trusted.) As a result, none of us brought the rain gear that we had so meticulously purchased just for this trip. We headed out under clear skies, looking forward to reaching the top of Costa Rica’s highest peak.

About an hour into the hike, it started raining. Our guide said, “That’s not rain, it’s only sprinkling.” But before long it was pouring. We looked back and our guide was pulling out his rain gear…the same gear we had left at the base camp. The irony was not lost on any of us. Fortunately, I had a flimsy poncho I had carried for about 25 years that I had never used. (Most of my hiking has taken place in the summer in the Sierras and I never needed it.) I pulled on my poncho and we kept trudging up toward the peak.

At this point, we’re not only tired, but we were also wet. Our “waterproof” boots were slogging wet and our clothes were soaked. The trail was even wetter, more slippery and still uphill with a vengeance. I’m not sure why they don’t use switchbacks. I guess a straight-line uphill is the shortest path…but it’s certainly not the easiest.

Have I mentioned the wind? By this time the wind was whipping with gusts of over 30 MPH. It blew the rain into horizontal sheets. Are we having fun yet?

At some point, we reached the final ascent. The last 250 meters were virtually straight up. It required crawling on all fours. We were not hiking, at this point. We were scaling a cliff.

For those who have climbed Half Dome in Yosemite, it was similar to “the cables.” Except, there were not any cables. In addition, the rain was beating down and the wind was blinding as we attempted to find rocks to grip each step up on the “final ascent.” I’m not entirely certain, but I suspect that final climb was one of the more dangerous things I’ve done in many years.

Mike McBride was right behind me. He said later that he kept looking up thinking, “If Steve loses his grip and falls, I’m going down too…and there’s nothing I can do!” Crazy may not be a strong enough word for those final 250 meters.  

It would be fair to say, that we were never so happy as the reach the top. We had hoped to get a team photo on the summit. But 13-year-old super-athlete Kayden reached the peak 45 minutes before us. It was dangerous for him to wait any longer. It was very cold, wet and windy. Hypothermia was a legitimate concern. So, Kayden and his father, Dan, headed down before we reached the summit. We crossed paths as they descended.

Basically, I stayed at the peak long enough to take a few pictures. Then, we began the even more treacherous journey scaling back down the slippery and muddy ascent. Thursday’s summit hike was 6.2 miles roundtrip with an elevation gain of 1,500 feet. The wind was whipping so fiercely that I took off my poncho because I couldn’t see my feet. I figured I was better off wet than not being able to see where my feet were planting.

In all my years hiking, I’ve always found going downhill more difficult and more tiring than uphill. I’m not sure why. But, true to form, Chirripó was a beast to descend.

I arrived back at basecamp wet and bone weary about 1:00 PM. I took a nap. Once everyone on our team arrived back, we began a marathon game of UNO. One of the most significant moments for our team was laughing together as we played UNO. It was a special way we could celebrate that we all made it to the top!

Friday morning, we set out to descend the same 8.7 miles and 6,500 feet of elevation we had climbed up two days earlier. Was it difficult? One of our team members said, “Steve, there is not a word in the English language that you could use to exaggerate how hard this was.” Quite honestly, this was the hardest thing in my life I’ve ever done physically.

But there were three rich takeaways.

1.     We are all capable of doing more than we think. When we are pushed, all of us have physical and emotional reserves that are deeper than we draw on in “normal life.” So, don’t be afraid to push yourself!

 2.     Teams make a difference. I think all of us would have quit more than once, if we had been alone. But we were in a team. And the team-strength gave us the extra push to forge ahead. The moral of the story: never do life alone! Stay in a team!

 3.     Age does not mean we have to stop “living the adventure.” In a few weeks, I celebrate my 68th birthday. We moved to Costa Rica because we did not want to slow down and coast. Chirripó was a metaphor for embracing this adventure.

I’m thankful for the amazing opportunity to make this ascent. It was hard, no doubt. But my life is richer for sharing the adventure with my climbing teammates. We laughed together, we huffed together, we faced the mountain together and we prevailed together.

To God be the glory!

Steve and Pam

"The Snow Girls"

Pam’s sisters have a special bond. They were known as “the Snow girls” growing up. Dave and Carolyn Snow were their parents. Dave and Carolyn lived with us the last few years of their lives. I was able to see up close and personal how delightful they both were. The years they lived with us were rich in personal connection, deep spiritual conversations and filled with laughter.

With Dave and Carolyn’s nurturing, it’s not surprising that all four of “the Snow girls” grew into wonderfully talented women who are also faithful followers of Jesus.

After Dave and Carolyn passed away, the four sisters began group chatting every six weeks. This has taken deliberate planning and intentional effort. All four women have busy lives. But taking the time to connect with each other has been a priority. As a result, in their “sunset years” their relationships as siblings have deepened. I venture to say that “the Snow girls” are closer to each other now than ever before in their lives.

This special bond eventually led them to begin gathering for a sisters pow-wow once a year. COVID messed up the last gathering. But this year will be the third time that all four women have gathered to share their lives, connect, cry, laugh, pray and drink a bit of wine. Think of it like a slumber party for grandmas! It is a hoot, to be sure.

Aside from being raised in the same home, the most important connection between the four Snow sisters is their mutually passionate commitment to Jesus. Each of them is pursuing this commitment in their unique ways. One is Greek Orthodox. One is Presbyterian. And two are Evangelical.

But Jesus is at the heart of each of their lives and their conversations are peppered with rich spiritual fiber. In fact, Pam’s most fervent prayer for this year’s enclave was that her three sisters would leave Costa Rica with a sense that they had been on a life-giving spiritual retreat.

I’m trying to lay low this week. This is sisters-time, not “my time.” To help out, I sent the ladies to the beach for a couple of nights so they could be by themselves. But even from a distance I’m inspired as I overhear the life-giving conversation and laughter.

If it’s possible to see back to earth from heaven, I have a hunch that Dave and Carolyn must be smiling as they watch their four girls, “the Snow girls,” in their sunset years.

Family Time!!!

Pam and I just wrapped up a Bond family reunion at Big Bear Lake in Southern California. Due to COVID, this was the first time our clan has gathered in a couple of years. We rented a large cabin to host the event. Rachel and the girls traveled from Vermont. Christina’s family drove from Northern California. Jennifer’s family came from San Juan Capistrano, CA. And we came from Costa Rica. (Tommy was not able to join us.) We had an amazing time together!

Dinner time each evening with 17 people around the table was incredibly special!

This was the first time that our nine grandkids were all together since 2018. That’s a long time! They have all changed dramatically. Peyton is now driving. Cheyann and Audrey have their learner’s permits. And the rest have grown in countless ways. The kids connected fabulously and enjoyed themselves immensely.

It brought us special joy to watch our three lovely daughters reconnect and enjoy each other’s company. Each one is unique and beautiful in their own way. They have grown into confident, mature women. All three are amazing mothers who are passionately pursuing their unique callings in life.   

Pam prepared games for us to enjoy each day, including a cooking contest with our three daughters posing as renowned chefs as the judges.

After the family reunion, Pam and I stayed with Jennifer’s family for a few days. Rachel and the girls were also with us. We spent the better part of two days at Doheny Beach near Jennifer’s home. The kids had an absolute blast. Audrey and Eden tried surfing for the first time…and LOVED it!

All in all, we had a wonderful trip to the USA experiencing family at its best! Pam and I are now back in Costa Rica preparing for our first Tropical Storm. We wanted more adventure in this season of our lives, and God has certainly been graciously granting it!

Warmly,

Steve and Pam

Getting to Know "the Jones" Family

How do we get to know our neighbors? You know, the people who live next door or across the street. Have you ever thought about that? Jesus calls us to love those around us. He calls us to share with others his message of hope and grace. But how do we do that if we never even learn the names of the people living right next door?

That question is weighing on Pam and I. We just moved into a new-for-us home in an upscale gated community. We love our new neighborhood. It is safe, beautiful and has lovely greenbelts that Millie is enjoying on her daily walks. But our neighbors are busy, successful people much like the neighbors who live around you. Busyness makes forming new relationships particularly difficult.

Since before we moved in, Pam and I have been praying that we would be a blessing, especially to the neighbors in our cul-de-sac. With that in mind, we came up with an idea…maybe it would be something you could try too.

This morning, I dropped off a bottle of wine with a small note introducing ourselves to the twenty homes nearest us. I wrote the note in Spanish and English. (There are numerous English-speaking families here.)

On Pam’s suggestion, I deleted a sentence I had written explaining that I was the pastor of an English-speaking church. In fact, I didn’t say anything about our faith. Pam is quite certain that we will have a greater chance to reach people if we get to know them first before engaging in conversations about our faith and our church.

One couple came out immediately and thanked me profusely for the gift. And they invited Pam and me over to their home! Ahh, perhaps this could be the beginning of a relationship. Who knows? Just now I received texts from two other neighbors thanking me for the gift and introducing themselves.

People come and go in this neighborhood, just like yours. In the “old days” it was normal for the established neighbors to bring over a welcome gift of baked goods and introduce themselves. But that does not happen very often today. Pam and I have moved enough in the past few years to know how rarely anyone reaches out to “the new kids on the block.”

But that shouldn’t keep us from reaching out to them. Jesus invites us to live life on mission. Every day he gives us opportunities to pour out his love and grace on those we cross paths with. So, if a bottle of wine might open the door to a relationship with your neighbor, I encourage you to buy one today!

Warmly,

Steve and Pam

The Gates of Hell (or COVID) Will Not Prevail

This past week, Pam and I were both sick. I tested positive for COVID and Pam had a nasty stomach bug…which also may have been COVID. Thankfully, we’re now on the mend and feeling much better. But last Sunday’s service was an interesting experience. Pam and I both stayed home and the question hanging over us was what would happen with ECF’s worship service.   

When a church is more mature, the “ministry bench” is deeper and illness rarely impacts the quality of the worship service.  When we planted Summit, a fellow church planter said, “Planting a church is like building a house of cards. In the beginning even a small breeze in the wrong direction can bring everything tumbling down.”

This is not being melodramatic…it’s just the way it is when a church is young and vulnerable.  For that reason, when we planted Summit, I did not miss a weekend service for the first 3½ years. Once we got into our first building and our ministry team was solidly in place, then I felt the freedom to occasionally absent myself.

Knowing that as background will help you appreciate our joy when last Sunday’s service at ECF came together so wonderfully. Our entire ministry team stepped up in amazing ways and the service was phenomenal. A friend from another local ministry preached and did an excellent job. Pam and I watched on Facebook live. We were literally tickled pink.

This was a wonderful reminder to us that Jesus promised to build his church and the gates of hell (or COVID) would not prevail against it. It was also encouraging to see our new teammates caring as much about ECF’s ministry as Pam and me. We are truly blessed by the growing cadre of servant-leaders God is assembling around us.

This coming Sunday, I begin my first series on financial stewardship.  As many know, this is an area of discipleship that I am passionate about. I taught more messages on stewardship at Summit than any other single topic. As a result, Summit became one of the most generous churches on the West Coast. I hope the same will happen at ECF. But we are just beginning this journey. Please pray for people to be responsive to God’s Word.

Two weeks ago, Pam and I moved into a home we purchased. We felt that continuing to pay a high monthly rent was not good financial stewardship. Our new home is in a lovely neighborhood not far from our rental home. But the house is a “fixer-upper” so we’ve had a myriad of workmen over since we moved in.

Thankfully, we are nearly complete with the first phase of our renovations. Pam is happy, especially with the new back yard landscaping that she designed. And, as they say, “If momma is happy, then everybody is happy.”

Thank you for you ongoing prayers and support. We still have room on the trip to Israel, November 1-10. If you’d like to go with us, please let me know.  

Steve and Pam

Surrender...Pam's Perspective

God is never finished with us.  Even in our 60’s the transformation of God’s hand is still at work.  We came to Costa Rica to pastor a small English-speaking church.  We felt that with our previous experience living overseas, knowing Spanish, and 40+ years of full-time ministry, we were equipped to do the task.  Yes, these things have made a difference. But there is another reason God brought us here.  

  In past blogs we have mentioned some of the struggles we have encountered these past eight months.  Throughout this season, God has been at work in our hearts, chipping away and sandpapering the still rough edges of our souls.  The results have been a deepening peace that passes all understanding, a settled contentment in the comings and goings of our daily life, an enriching of our marriage, and a sweeter grasp of the loving heart of our Lord. 

  How did these lovely gifts emerge from the struggles? I can tell you in one word:  Surrender.  It has been the most important key to weathering the ups and downs of a new culture, living long distance from family, and getting older.

  Surrender.  Not a popular word.  We like to be in control and have our own way.  But God has been calling me to his purposes in the good and in the difficult. He’s been calling me to surrender things I’ve been made aware of in my heart that are not pleasing to him. He’s been calling me to surrender my perspective and my attitude. 

  Surrender.  It is necessary on many levels.  The less of my junk that I’m carrying in “my trunk” the more Christ has of me.  The more I give to Jesus, the more of me he controls. 

  Surrendering the situation, the person, how I feel, what I don’t understand, what people think and say, and then asking God what else I need to surrender has made my spirit lighter, freer. 

  A Christian writer from long ago, Jean-Pierre de Caussade, put it this way: “Do what you are doing, suffer what you are suffering, only your heart need be changed… for this change consists in desiring everything that God ordains. Yes, holiness is a will disposed to conform to God’s.”   

  So, I’m learning to cohabitate with geckos in my house.  I know they eat bugs and I am thankful they do.  I would just prefer not to see them in my house.  Surrender.   

  When I try to make things all about me.  Surrender. 

  Times of loneliness.  Surrender. 

 Recipes that don’t work in Costa Rica. Surrender. 

  Spanish words that are different than Chilean Spanish.  Surrender. 

Being misunderstood.  Surrender. 

  Being treated rudely because I’m a North American.  Surrender. 

  If you were to ask me what the key to an abundant life is, I would answer:  Surrender, surrender, and then surrender some more to Jesus. 

What an Easter!

Our Easter service at English Christian Fellowship was spectacular. Our smallish meeting room in the Aloft Hotel was packed…we even had people who had to stand in the back. 90 people gathered to worship the Risen Jesus! It was a record-breaking day. Let me share why this is significant…

·       A few months ago, we only had 15-20 worshipping with us. So, in a short period of time the church has tripled. This is creating an exciting sense of momentum. And one thing I’ve learned about leading healthy growing ministries is that momentum can be an important catalyst for kingdom advancement.

·       New English-speakers joined us on Easter Sunday from all points of the compass.  This confirmed, again, the great spiritual opportunity facing ECF. Tens of thousands of English-speakers live in this area who are looking for a Bible-centered, love-saturated, outreach-focused church like ECF.

·       Church growth can be an outgrowth of the multiplication of leaders. In the month leading up to Easter, several new leaders were commissioned. ECF now has a Worship Team Leader, a Children’s Ministry Team Leader, a Hospitality Team Leader, Greeting Team Leaders and a Prayer Team Leader. When effective leaders are in place, it occasionally leads to God trusting a church with a greater harvest.  I think this is because God expects a local church shepherd the people that he sends them.

·       This coming week Pam and I will launch two Rooted pilot groups. Rooted is one of the most effective discipleship tools I’ve experienced. It’s an amazing combination of “head-hands-heart” discipleship. Our strong Easter attendance helped build enthusiasm to go deeper with the Lord…which Rooted will accomplish.

·       The weekend before Easter, Palm Sunday, we had our first two decisions for Christ. My uber-evangelist wife, Pam, led two pre-teen students to Christ while teaching in our Children’s Ministry. We both believe these decisions were first-fruits of many more that will come in the coming months and years.

·       I have long believed that the local church is the hope of the world. The church is the bride of Christ. Ephesians 5 makes clear that Jesus loves the church. To love and follow Jesus in the way he teaches, we must love the church, too. Because of this, we think that Jesus must be smiling from ear-to-ear as he watches ECF begin to thrive with robust new spiritual life.

Thank you for your ongoing support and prayers. Pam and I consider it a phenomenal honor to serve King Jesus during this season of our lives.   

Steve and Pam