Bill Berger.org

Hey, All Saints!

I'm excited to share a few things with you!

#1 - We started our "After Eden" series on Sunday and I am quite sure it prompted many conversations. We received some very honest and sincere questions for our Q & A forum on June 4th at 6pm. As we gain an understanding of the biblical view of sex, it will certainly be something that will be controversial as we live in the white water rapids of our culture. My hope is that there will be new insights, healing and hope from this conversation.

#2 - This Sunday, we are continuing our After Eden series talking on the subject of singleness. We have many singles in our community and I felt it would be important to look at the biblical view of singleness. If you are married, I am sure you know some singles. This talk will be good for everyone. We have a guest speaker helping with this topic. Actually, our guest speaker will be doing a little carry over from last week, I know she will bring some fabulous insights. So, please join me in listening to Sue Berger bring her perspecitive and biblcial understaning to our conversation this Sunday. (That name might sound familiar) ;)

#3 - I am so excited about 7 All Saints'ers who have completed the Starting on the Mission class! I am honored and humbled by people who desire to be on mission in Seattle, All Saints and the world. We are going to offer our next class in the fall. Go ahead and sign up now on your Connect card, website or via the app.

#4 - Please join us for our monthly prayer meeting this Wednesday, May 30 at 7pm. I beleive that a praying church is powerful, and it is always good when we pray with each other.

#5 - Where are you serving? All Saints is partnering with some amazing help agencies in Seattle and there is room for you to help out. Currently, we have a team that serves at New Horizons and we are about ready to lauch a new team at Sacred Heart. Contact life@believedoubtseek.org if you need more info. Also, we have many places that need vounteers within the All Saints community, from nursery to greeters! Find a place and get in the game! That's what being on mission is about.

See you Sunday!

Hey, All Saints!

A few thoughts:

#1 - I am grateful for All Saints Church and it's mission. (help the people of Seattle grasp the abundant life of Christ) I am proud of the fact that we can have healthy dialogue about various cultural issues and our church is able to digest them and ask good questions about them. I enjoyed Jim Henderson and his interview with our own Kaye Straight. I am so happy that women in leadership is not an issue for All Saints. I am happy that we can empower people to be on the mission of God. Thank you Jim for the challenge and encouragement. Thank you Kaye for your strength and courage.

#2 - Serving in Seattle. We are praying and designing the summer to be a time to serve our city, neighborhoods and friends. I am convinced of this, you are never more like Jesus when you are serving. It is so vital that we make this normal in our church culture. Let's do more than talk about it, let's find places to serve and give. Here is where you can get started.

#3 - We are starting a new series called After Eden, this Sunday. This series will be a dialogue about biblical sexuality, singleness and marriage. There is so much of this being talked about right now in our culture. It is important, as a Christ follower, to have a healthy perspective and conviction about all 3 of these. Let me say this, I am NO EXPERT. I am a teacher and a pastor and I want our church to be able to have conversations that are healthy regarding these subjects. We will have to sift through perspective, conviction, and absolutes. It will definitely stir you up a bit. What I mean by that is this, it should challenge you and encourage you. That is my goal. We will have a forum on Sunday, June 3rd at 6pm to discuss questions you may have. Fun, right?

#4 - We have various places for you to get info. We have a website, an app and a facebook page. Check them all out!

#5 - Please join us for prayer on Wedensday, May 30 at 7pm. We are going to pray for our city, our church, our neighborhoods and our friends. There are 560,000 people in Seattle, It is our hope to reach 2% of that population or (roughly, 12,000 people!). Let's do whatever we need to do to serve and make room for them!!!

I am so proud to be the pastor at All Saints! Thank you!!!!

Tar Heel Nation

My friend and colleague, Richard Dahlstrom posted a very thoughtful blog on the unfortunate vote in North Carolina. You can read it here.

Hey, All Saints!

I have a few things I want to share with you.

#1 - I am so grateful to Ron Jacobson for speaking on Sunday. You can listen to the message in case you missed it. Thank you so much, Ron.

#2 - We have another great guest speaker this Sunday, Jim Henderson. Jim is a friend and is really a blast to listen to. Jim's topic, "A New Kind of Christian Woman." He will be interviewing a local business woman in our congregation, Kaye Straight. It will be a great time and I want to encourage you to bring a few friends.

#3 - We are beginning the Starting on the Mission Class this Wednesday night at 7pm in the loft. This is a great way for you to connect with All Saints Church, learn about what All Saints' believes and the focus of our mission. You will also learn where you can serve and get on the mission. Join us!

#4 - We are beginning a new series on May 20th called After Eden. We are going to explore what the Bible has to say about Singleness, Marriage and Sex. My prayer is that this series can bring healing, hope and confidence to everyone. We face a barrage of messages about all three of those subjects; I speak to many broken and hurting people about those very issues. Join us and bring a friend or two.

#5 - Have you downloaded our App yet? Get it here.

See you Sunday!

Hey, All Saints!

Hey All Saints, I have a few things I want to share with you. 1. I am sure there are questions you may have about the forgiveness talk. I know it is such a tough thing to deal with and even tougher to actually live out. I am praying you are able to make steps toward forgiveness and forgiving. I have been praying for you all week. 2. I am really proud to have Ron Jacobson do the speaking this Sunday. Ron is a professor at Northwest University in Kirkland, he is a great guy and I am positve you will enjoy what he has to share. On Mother's day, we will have Jim Henderson. Jim is the author of the book, Jim and Casper go to church. He has a new book, The Resignation of Eve, it is excellent. These guys are fantastic,  bring a friend for both.  3. We are starting a new series called, After Eden, (May 20, 27 and June 3). We are going to deal with the biblical view of marriage, singleness and sex. It is really important to me that we get a biblical view of what it means to live as a married person or a single person and how we manage sex in both of those relationships. We are going to host q & a forums May 27 and June 3 from 6 - 7:15 pm. We encourage you to engage this series. 4. Where are you serving? What are you passionate about? What does All Saints believe? Why do we talk about the city so much? Where is your place at All Saints? These are questions that we address in the Starting on the Mission class beginning May 9, 7pm in the loft. This 3 week class is a great way for you to get on the mission with All Saints Chruch and discover the what, why and how of everything we do. You can sign up via the app, web or connect card.  5. We are planning some opportunites for All Saints'ers to get out and serve in neighborhoods around the city this summer. Be looking for ways you can do that in the coming weeks. 

Praying for Seattle

I am praying for Seattle today. Please join me.

This Sunday - "Forgiveness"

We are talking about what forgiveness is and literally how to make it real in our heart. To forgive is one of the greatest gifts we can give to someone, especially ourself.

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”
― C.S. Lewis

I am hopeful that this will set many of us free from the pain and anguish of a bitter, unforgiving heart. See you Sunday, 9:30 or 11.

Hey, All Saints!

I have a few things for you.

#1 - I enjoyed our music this past Sunday. What a great time of reflection and contemplation. The stories behind the hymns we sang were both moving and great reminders of God's grace when life's terrors arrive at our door step. Thank you to our music team for putting so much thought into that music time.

#2 - A couple thoughts on the message. (side note - we had a glitch in the recording of the message so there will no podcast this week).

- Christianity is more than picking up an ethic or a philosophy, it is becoming a completely new person. It is a power and a new life.

- There is no practical help in Christianity unless all of it's true.

- Unless you have a horizon beyond your present life span, unless there is a truth beyond feelings, there is no basis for heroism or courage in this life.

- We can have courage because God loves us in Christ, because we have approval that our life is simply to honor the one that has honored us. And that means we can handle anything. We can all say to:

Our Heart – with all your performance driven anxiety…shut up.

The World – with all of your changing opinions…you don’t terrify me anymore.

To Death – you can’t take away anything from me that makes me who I am.

#3 - We are really excited about our classes that are going to be offered beginning in May.

Starting on the Mission (SOTM) begins May 9 at 7 pm in the loft at All Saints Church. You can sign up online, the connect card or the concierge desk.

Journey begins May 6, 9:30 am in the loft at All Saints Church.

#4 - This Sunday we will be wrapping up our series in I Corinthinas 15. We are talking about Forgiveness and the secret to a guilt free life is belief in the resurrection. It's going to be a great day of healing for many people, I am anticipating some deep work going in our souls.

#5 - I am so proud of All Saints for the incredible outpouring of love and belief in the fact that All Saints has a global reach! We raised $10,701.40 for the One Day to Feed the World. We crushed our goal of $10k. Thank you so much for being such a generous church. I want this to be our reputation, generous and giving. These are traits that change people and make a city better. THANK YOU!!!

#6 - We are planning our upcoming series for the summer and fall. In the Spring/Summer we are going to spend six weeks talking about marriage, singleness and sex. I look forward to helping us all see what healthy and mature relationships look like according to the Bible. In the summer/fall we are going to spend time in Ephesians looking at the role of the church. It will be empowering for us to see what role we play in our neighborhoods and cities, also how we take serving, giving and loving to extravagant levels.

#7 - Life Groups are ramping up for our Summer semester, look for details that will be coming very soon. Any questions or interest in being a life group facilitator? Shoot an email to lifegroups@believedoubtseek.org or let us know on the contact card this Sunday.

#8 - Join us for prayer tonight (Wednesday, April 25 at 7pm in the auditorium).

All Saints Church, you are putting a dent in the world by introducing the people of Seattle to the abundant life of Jesus. I am proud to be serving you and serving with you.

See you Sunday!

This Sunday - "Shattered Heroes"

We are looking at I Corinthians 15 and examing the life of the Apostle Paul. What inspired him? Where did he get the courage to handle the dangers of travel, the rejection of friends, the wrath of the Romans?

Here are a few questions for you to consider:

These questions are for anyone, we understand that not all that come to All Saints Church are believers, we welcome all who believe, doubt and seek.

Do you see yourself growing in fearlessness?  Are you terrified by rejection, failure, humiliation and what people think?

This question is for Christ followers:

Are you afraid of what people might think of you if you identify yourself as a Christ follower?

There is something for everyone! We are talking about heroes. What does it mean to have courage? Come hear stories of courage through classic Hymns. We are going to hear and sing the stories that inspired these tunes.

Join us this Sunday at All Saints Church, 9:30 or 11.

Hey, All Saints!

This is fun! I really enjoy sharing updates with you.

#1 - Sunday was excellent. I was moved by the music, and the invitation to gather around the Communion table was life giving. I was also grateful for so many new faces that were in attendance. I think we are seeing the fruit of our 3-1-1 campaign. (Praying for 3 people, 1 day a week for 1 minute a day). Keep praying!

#2 The responses to what it means to follow Jesus were powerful. Many people resonated with the deeply personal experience of following Jesus, and the acknowledgement that people shy away from following Christ for that very reason. We learned that by the Grace of God we are able to get a self, in other words, we can say like the Apostle Paul, "I am what I am." There is such freedom in that! I like this quote from Kierkegaard:

"Love the person you see, and see the person you love."

You can listen to the message here. Oh, and by the way, YOU ARE GREAT!

#3 This Sunday we are going to continue our journey through I Corinthians 15. Our theme will be what it means to have courage. Better yet, want to learn what it means to be a hero? Who is your favorite Super-hero? (I like Aquaman!) Anyway, bring your sneakers, we are going to leap buildings in a single bound, stop bullets and become stronger than locamotives. (yup, you just read that).

#4 I am really excited about what our Music and Arts Pastor, Jimmy Nichols is working on for this Sunday, talk about heroes with courage! 

"Through music and lyric we can express our deepest longings, our heartfelt prayers, and our stories. It is through creative expression that God's story and our story can come together and prompt us to worship. Join us Sunday as we worship through the singing of Hymns and reflect on how these songs were birthed in their authors."

#5 Get the All Saints App! I am stoked that all of you that have it are stoked. Get it here.

#6 Convoy of Hope: One Days Wage to Feed the World update. Ok, I am so proud of All Saints Church! Our goal was 10k, are you ready for the result? (drum roll, please)........

$10,294 - We surpassed our goal. Thank you for being such a generous church. We get the opportunity to help feed hundreds of children! Thank you so much!!

#7 This weekend we are introducing our newest member to the staff team. Warren Kinser is our associate pastor overseeing assimilation and some organizational management. Welcome to the team Warren. You will get a chance to formerly meet him this Sunday during the 9:30 or 11 gatherings.

You are great, All Saints Church! See you Sunday.