The events began with a huge tailgate party at the Dust Devils game. Kevin and Angela Loresch and Keith and Linda McNeely know how to tailgate with the best of them! Over 50 of us huddled in the Dust Devils parking lot and did the All-American thing together! We all got to know each other a bit better and took opportunity to touch people’s lives by getting to know them while handing out a handfull of donated game tickets, hotdogs & soda. The weekend didn’t stop here, though! Sunday morning at 7a over 70 of us gathered at the Fairchild Cinemas to set up equipment for the first time. Starbucks coffee and Yokes Donuts greeted us as we converged on the property. Last minute details were shared then we took time to PRAY and sing to our God who made all of this possible.

Outstanding teamwork made the morning a great success. An added blessing was all of the Tech equipment worked as planned-Praise the LORD! We ended the morning led by the band in Worship and prayer. It was an amazing morning.

So what do we know now? Teams are great! Equipment is in place. All of this is great, we continue to PRAY. Along the way we have prayed that God would send us into West Pasco, not with teams and equipment, but with His people burdened for people to know Christ - to MAKE DISCIPLES!

The news has made it to the Tri-City Herald. “Bethel Church to Open Campus in Pasco” was the title of the article on the August 11. Wow, free advertisement!

BTW, did you know invitations and info cards are available to you. Pick some up at the church office today to give to a friend, neighbor, relative, co-worker…anyone you have been praying for lately.

The West Pasco Campus Team was commissioned by Bethel’s Elders during the two morning services on August 10. Over ninety people are set to serve in Children’s, Tech, Hosts, Facility, Ushers, Worship and Small Groups. This is the last Sunday before the Team heads over to the new campus to begin setup/teardown practices as well as two prelaunch services on August 24 and 31. The excitement is growing as September 7 quickly approaches.

What does multi-site mean? In short form it is one church family meeting in multiple locations. Each campus shares a common purpose, vision, leadership and budget. You can read  “What is multi-site church?” for more info.

When does the West Pasco Campus open? September 7 at 9am is our first service! Here’s a heads up – there will be 2 pre-launch services held on August 24 & 31 at 9am. These two services are a chance for us to get a couple worship services under our belt before we open the doors to the public. Children’s Ministry will be up and running on these weeks…and of course we will have Starbucks coffee and snacks!

Will the message be on video like the Wired service? Yes. A DVD of the previous week’s message from the Richland campus will be shown. Several delivery methods have been looked into, including satellite, microwave, and fiber optic transmission. Due to the cost impact of these methods the one week delayed DVD method will be used. Once the campus is up and running we will evaluate if this remains to be the best method and make any needed changes.

Will there be Sunday School for our Children? Children’s Ministry is one of our most valued ministries in West Pasco, just like the Richland campus. Children’s classes will run concurrent with the morning worship service for Nursery through 5^th grade.

How about Small Groups? Small Groups are at the core of connecting families as they become a part of our church family. Anyone can get involved in a Small Group starting week ONE!

I’m already in a Small Group that doesn’t meet in Pasco. Do I have to change? Some people attending the Pasco campus are already involved in a Small Group and are welcome to continue on in the same group. Later, if your find that you would like to be in a West Pasco Small Group you can switch at that time.

How will we invite people from the neighborhoods? A personal invite from you and me is the best way to bring people to church. We have a relationship with them, we know their need, and we show Christ to them through our lives.  It can feel risky to invite. We only need to pray for opportunities to share…and then take a risk! The first time is the hardest, but when we see the Holy Spirit work we are convinced.  Other than mailers and posters, we will find ways to serve the community so that people will see Christ’s love in action.