All Collections
September 10, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Mercer Weekly | September 13 - 19
Welcome to the Mercer Weekly 👋 This is your one-stop spot for everything happening in our church family. From kids to adults, small groups to special events, here's how you can get connected over the next seven days. Sunday, September 13th 8:30, 10:00, & 11:30am Worship Services - Join us for Sunday
service in person or online. Kids Ministry - Age-specific programming during all three services. Middle School Small Groups - Meeting during the 10:00am service in the Mt. Stuart Room Tuesday, September 15th Women’s Ministry - 9:00am in the Commons Family Prayer & Worship Night - 6:00pm in the Worship Center Wednesday, September 16th Mercer Creek Men - 6:30am in the Commons. Summit (Middle School Ministry) - 6:30pm in the Mt. Stuart Room Journey (High School Ministry) - 6:30pm in the Commons Thursday, September 17th Movers & Shakers - 7:30am, meet in the South Lobby Celebrate Recovery - 6:00pm Potluck, 6:45-8:30pm Program. Upcoming Events Inner-Healing Prayer Study - Starts September 21st at 6:00pm in the Mt. Stuart Room Wildcat Welcome Weekend - All services on September 27th Men’s Breakfast - October 3rd Baptism Class - October 4th Married Life - October 5thNew here? We'd love to connect. This Week's Message "Contentment Vs. Consumerism"
Pastor Dan Arnold Watch last week’s sermon 👇Watch OnlineSubscribe To Our Podcast Giving Your generosity makes our work in this city possible. We’re so grateful for you. New to our community? No pressure. Today, just be our guest.Give Now Here Stay Connected 📩 Subscribe to this Collection to get these updates delivered directly to your inbox. 📸 Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. 💬 Pastoral care or questions? Connect with us here. Services: Sundays at 8:30, 10:00, & 11:30am
1410 N Main Street, Ellensburg WA, 98926 Next Week: "Live Rich"
See you soon ☀️
September 3, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Mercer Weekly | September 6 – 12
Welcome to the Mercer Weekly 👋 This is your one-stop spot for everything happening in our church family. From kids to adults, small groups to special events, here's how you can get connected over the next seven days. Sunday, September 6th 8:30 & 10:00am Worship Services - Join us for Sunday
service in person or online. Kids Ministry - Age-specific programming during both services. Middle School Small Groups - Meeting at the 10:00am service in the Mt. Stuart Room Monday, September 7th Prayer Night - 6:30pm in the Prayer Room. Wednesday, September 9th Mercer Creek Men - 6:30am in the Commons. MomCo Registration - 9:00am in the Commons. Thursday, September 10th Fortify (MC Kids) - 4:00pm in the Mt. Stuart Room. Celebrate Recovery - 6:00pm Potluck, 6:45-8:30pm Program. Upcoming Events 3 Services - Starting on September 13th | 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30am Family Worship/Prayer Night - September 15th Movers & Shakers - September 17th Wildcat Welcome Weekend - All services on September 27thNew here? We'd love to connect. This Week's Message "Money Reveals the Heart"
Pastor Paul Stoeckl | Matthew 6:19-24, Luke 12:13-34 Watch last week’s sermon 👇Watch OnlineSubscribe To Our Podcast Giving Your generosity makes our work in this city possible. We’re so grateful for you. New to our community? No pressure. Today, just be our guest.Give Now Here Stay Connected 📩 Subscribe to this Collection to get these updates delivered directly to your inbox. 📸 Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. 💬 Pastoral care or questions? Connect with us here. Services: Sundays at 8:30am & 10:00am
1410 N Main Street, Ellensburg WA, 98926 Next Week: "Contentment vs. Consumerism" – 1 Timothy 6:6-10, Philippians 4:11-13
See you soon ☀️
July 30, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Mercer Weekly | August 5 – 11
Welcome to the Mercer Weekly 👋 This is your one-stop spot for everything happening in our church family. From kids to adults, small groups to special events, here's how you can get connected over the next seven days. Sunday, August 5th 8:30 & 10:00am Worship Services - Join us for Sunday
service in person or online. Kids Ministry - Age-specific programming during both services. Youth Small Groups - Meeting at the 10:00am service in the Mt. Stuart Room Monday, August 6th Prayer Night - 6:30am in the Prayer Room. Wednesday, August 8th Mercer Creek Men - 6:30am in the Commons. Journey (High School) Hang Out - 6:30pm in the Gym. Thursday, August 9th Fortify (MC Kids) - 4:00pm in the Mt. Stuart Room. Celebrate Recovery - 6:00pm Potluck, 6:45-8:30pm Program. Upcoming Events Women’s Lunch - August 18th, 12:00-1:00pm, CommonsNew here? We'd love to connect. This Week's Message "Psalm 128"
Pastor Jon Riley | Psalm 128:1-6 Watch last week’s sermon 👇Watch OnlineSubscribe To Our Podcast Giving Your generosity makes our work in this city possible. We’re so grateful for you. New to our community? No pressure. Today, just be our guest.Give Now Here Stay Connected 📩 Subscribe to this Collection to get these updates delivered directly to your inbox. 📸 Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. 💬 Pastoral care or questions? Connect with us here. Services: Sundays at 8:30am & 10:00am
1410 N Main Street, Ellensburg WA, 98926 Next Week: "Psalms 129" – Psalm 129:1–8
See you soon ☀️
July 23, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Mercer Weekly | July 26 – August 1
Welcome to the Mercer Weekly 👋 This is your one-stop spot for everything happening in our church family. From kids to adults, small groups to special events, here's how you can get connected over the next seven days. Sunday, July 26th 8:30 & 10:00am Worship Services - Join us for Sunday
service in person or online. Kids Ministry - Age-specific programming during both services Youth Small Groups - Meeting at the 10:00am service in the Mt. Stuart Room Wednesday, July 29th Mercer Creek Men - 6:30am in the Commons. Thursday, July 30th Celebrate Recovery - 6:00pm Potluck, 6:45-8:30pm Program Upcoming Events Summit (Middle School) Church Takeover - July 31st, 6:30-8:00pm. Men’s Breakfast - August 1st, 8:00am, Commons Prayer Night - August 3rd, 6:30-7:30pm, Prayer Room Women’s Lunch - August 18th, 12:00-1:00pm, CommonsNew here? We'd love to connect. This Week's Message "Flipping Tables"
Guest Pastor Scott Sinner | John 2:13-17 Watch last week’s sermon 👇Watch OnlineSubscribe To Our Podcast Giving Your generosity makes our work in this city possible. We’re so grateful for you. New to our community? No pressure. Today, just be our guest.Give Now Here Stay Connected 📩 Subscribe to this Collection to get these updates delivered directly to your inbox. 📸 Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. 💬 Pastoral care or questions? Connect with us here. Services: Sundays at 8:30am & 10:00am
1410 N Main Street, Ellensburg WA, 98926 Next Week: "Psalms 128" – Psalm 128:1–6
See you soon ☀️
July 16, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Mercer Weekly | July 19-25
Welcome to the Mercer Weekly 👋 This is your one-stop spot for everything happening in our church family. From kids to adults, small groups to special events, here's how you can get connected over the next seven days. Sunday, July 19th 8:30 & 10:00am Worship Services - Join us for Sunday
service in person or online. Kids Ministry - Age-specific programming during both services Youth Small Groups - Meeting at the 10:00am service in the Mt. Stuart Room Wednesday, July 22nd Mercer Creek Men - 6:30am in the Commons. Summit (Middle School) Pool Event - 6:30pm at 444 Buckboard Ln Thursday, July 23rd Celebrate Recovery - 6:00pm Potluck, 6:45-8:30pm Program Upcoming Events Summit (Middle School) Church Takeover - July 31st, 6:30-8:00pm. Men’s Breakfast - August 1st, 8:00am, Commons Prayer Night - August 3rd, 6:30-7:30pm, Prayer Room Women’s Lunch - August 18th, 12:00-1:00pm, CommonsNew here? We'd love to connect. This Week's Message "Psalms 127"
Pastor Dan Arnold | Psalms 127:1-5 Watch last week’s sermon 👇Watch OnlineSubscribe To Our Podcast Giving Your generosity makes our work in this city possible. We’re so grateful for you. New to our community? No pressure. Today, just be our guest.Give Now Here Stay Connected 📩 Subscribe to this Collection to get these updates delivered directly to your inbox. 📸 Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. 💬 Pastoral care or questions? Connect with us here. Services: Sundays at 8:30am & 10:00am
1410 N Main Street, Ellensburg WA, 98926 Next Week: "Flipping Tables" – John 2:13-17
See you soon ☀️
July 9, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Mercer Weekly | July 12 – 18
Welcome to the Mercer Weekly 👋 This is your one-stop spot for everything happening in our church family. From kids to adults, small groups to special events, here's how you can get connected over the next seven days. Sunday, July 12th 8:30 & 10:00am Worship Services - Join us for Sunday
service in person or online. Kids Ministry - Age-specific programming during both services Youth Small Groups - Meeting at the 10:00am service in the Mt. Stuart Room Wednesday, July 15th Mercer Creek Men - 6:30am in the Commons. Summit (Middle School) Pool Event - 6:30pm at 444 Buckboard Ln Thursday, July 16th Celebrate Recovery - 6:00pm Potluck, 6:45-8:30pm Program Upcoming Events Summit (Middle School) Summer Camp - July 24th-26th at Lazy F Camp. Register Here.New here? We'd love to connect. This Week's Message "Psalms 126"
Pastor Dan Arnold | Psalms 126:1-6 Watch last week’s sermon 👇Watch OnlineSubscribe To Our Podcast Giving Your generosity makes our work in this city possible. We’re so grateful for you. New to our community? No pressure. Today, just be our guest.Give Now Here Stay Connected 📩 Subscribe to this Collection to get these updates delivered directly to your inbox. 📸 Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. 💬 Pastoral care or questions? Connect with us here. Services: Sundays at 8:30am & 10:00am
1410 N Main Street, Ellensburg WA, 98926 Next Week: "Psalms 127" – Psalm 127:1–5
See you soon ☀️
September 10, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
Weekly Letter from Pastor Dan - September 10
“Together we pursue Jesus, love our community, and live out His mission to reach the world.” Dear Mercer Creek Family, It’s hard to believe we’re already here, but this weekend we are relaunching our 11:30am service! After a long summer, it’s exciting to see all three of our Sunday services back up and running. Over the past year, we’ve continued to see God grow Mercer Creek, and our heart remains the same: to pursue Jesus, love our community, and live out His mission to reach the world. Adding the 11:30 service gives us more room to make room for more people—and we’re excited about what God is going to do this fall. You’ve heard me say this for a while now, but I want to encourage you to consider making 11:30 your regular service this season and, even better, invite someone to come with you! We also have some great opportunities to serve during this service. If you’ve been looking for a place to jump in, you can find those opportunities at mercercreek.org/serve. This Sunday I’ll also be continuing our Faithful series as we talk about a subject that touches every one of us: contentment. I’ll be preaching primarily from Philippians 4:10–13, 1 Timothy 6:6–10, and Hebrews 13:5. I’m looking forward to what God has for us as we consider what it means to trust Him and find contentment in Him, regardless of our circumstances. And as we head into fall, so many great things are getting started! Our women’s ministry is launching weekly small-group Bible studies and MomCo, and middle and high school students begin gathering again this Wednesday from 6:30–8:00pm. If you have students in your life, this is a great time to help them get connected and plugged in for the year ahead. Our prayer ministry is also launching an exciting new five-week seminar called Listening and Healing Prayer, beginning Monday, September 21, from 6:00–7:30pm. The seminar will be taught by trusted local professional Jackie Moore. This course introduces Listening Prayer as a discipline for cultivating spiritual attentiveness and discerning God’s guidance through intentional reflection and quiet contemplation. Building on that foundation, Healing Prayer provides a structured framework of reflective questions to help participants seek God’s restoration and freedom. The course addresses areas such as unhealthy behavioral patterns, dependencies, anxiety, fear, guilt, grief, anger, shame, and depression. You’re encouraged to go through it with a partner, but that is not required. I really cannot recommend this seminar enough. There is a lot happening, and I’m genuinely excited about this next season at Mercer Creek. God has been so faithful, and I believe He has more for us as we continue to pursue Jesus, love our community, and live out His mission together. It’s going to be a great Sunday. I hope to see you here! Dan Arnold
September 17, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Weekly Letter from Pastor Dan - September 17
“Together we pursue Jesus, love our community, and live out His mission to reach the world.” Dear Mercer Creek Family, As I write to you at the end of this week, my heart is filled with all kinds of emotion. It has been a full week! We kicked off our 11:30 service, launched our women’s ministry, restarted middle school and high school ministries, and helped college students move in this morning. Next week, we launch Salt and MomCo. On a personal note, I’m chasing kids around each night to different activities while cheering on other kids in our community from whatever sideline I find myself on. These are fun, wild, and crazy days! But in the middle of it all, I am keenly aware that while we are going strong, we also must heed our Savior’s invitation to withdraw, be quiet, and get alone with Him. We are going to have some exciting days of ministry and outreach this fall, but we must never forget that you are deeply loved by the Father, and He longs for slow, unhurried time with His beloved. I pray that this Sunday will be a time for you to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with Jesus. I’ll be completing our Faithful series, continuing where we left off last week as we explore 1 Timothy 6:17–19 in a message I’m calling “Live Rich.” Then, on Wildcat Welcome Weekend, I’ll kick off our next series through 1, 2, and 3 John, which we’re calling The Real Thing: Finding Authentic Faith in an Artificial World. I’m looking forward to being together Sunday! Dan Arnold
September 3, 2026 • 1 Minute Read
Weekly Letter from Pastor Dan - September 3
“Together we pursue Jesus, love our community, and live out His mission to reach the world.” Dear Mercer Creek Family, Today we are celebrating some great progress in Nicole’s healing! This afternoon (Thursday), we received word that they are starting the discharge process today! Thank you for your prayers, and please continue to pray for Nicole’s full and complete healing. As we head into this weekend, I’m reminded that, in so many ways, Labor Day weekend represents the pinnacle of community life here in Ellensburg. Throughout the weekend, Mercer Creekers will be serving and participating in activities across the spectrum of our community. We are praying for you as you do! You are called to be the light of Jesus in every one of those “arenas” where you engage. May you represent Jesus well as you function as His hands and feet wherever you go. Well, we only have one more week with just two services! Join us this Sunday as Paul continues our Faithful series with the message, “Money Reveals the Heart,” from Matthew 6:19–24. We will also celebrate communion together. See you Sunday (and probably throughout the weekend)! Dan Arnold
July 30, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
Weekly Letter from Pastor Dan - July 30
“Together we pursue Jesus, love our community, and live out His mission to reach the world.” Dear Mercer Creek Family, It was so much fun having Scott Sinner back with us this past weekend! Whenever Scott is here, we're reminded of an important part of our identity as a church: we are committed to loving our community. Last year, we made a strategic staffing investment to redevelop and revitalize two important ministries in our church: our high school ministry and community outreach. By hiring Peter Bower, we made the intentional decision that we weren't going to coast—we wanted to take seriously our calling to love our community well. Over the past year, Peter has worked hard alongside his team to strengthen our high school ministry, and he's excited about what God has in store for the year ahead. At the same time, we're preparing to lean even more intentionally into community outreach this fall. Peter was sharing several new outreach initiatives with me just the other week, and I couldn't be more excited about what's coming. While the details are still coming together, I'd encourage you to reach out to Peter now if you're interested in helping launch new outreach efforts designed to love our community in practical ways. He's on vacation this week, so let's fill his inbox with people who are ready to serve! You can reach him at peter.bower@mercercreek.org. It may still be July, but believe it or not, summer will be over before you know it. Our staff and ministry leaders are already preparing for what I believe will be a powerful season of ministry this fall. Beginning August 19, we'll launch our 40 Days of Prayer guide to help us seek the Lord together as we prepare for this new ministry season. The guide will conclude on Wildcat Welcome Weekend as we welcome students back to Central and look for opportunities to share the love of Christ with them. I'd also ask you to begin praying about the relaunch of our third service on September 13. During the school year, we need three services to make room for everyone—and, Lord willing, for many more people who will encounter Jesus. Every seat we create is another opportunity for someone to hear the gospel, experience Christian community, and begin following Christ. To make that possible, we'll need many people to step into serving roles across every ministry, especially in Kids Ministry. We also need many of our regular attenders to make the 11:30am service their primary service. If you're able to serve or make the 11:30am service your regular service this fall, you'll be helping create space for new people and new families to experience what God is doing at Mercer Creek. Would you begin praying now about whether God is calling you to be part of that mission? This weekend, Pastor Jon Riley will lead us back into our Journey Upward series as we study Psalm 128. He'll also guide us in celebrating communion in a format that's more similar to how Salt regularly observes the Lord's Supper. If you've attended our Good Friday services, you'll have a good idea of what to expect. I will be out on vacation this weekend with my family, but I hope you’ll still join us this Sunday! Dan Arnold
July 23, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Weekly Letter from Pastor Dan - July 23
“Together we pursue Jesus, love our community, and live out His mission to reach the world.” Dear Mercer Creek Family, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but summer is more than halfway over! Don't panic—consider this your wake-up call to be purposeful with the weeks ahead. Our family still has one more vacation planned, but much of our attention is already beginning to turn toward the fall. I hope you are able to enjoy meaningful times of rest, celebration, and connection with family and friends in the weeks ahead. I also want to encourage you to spend some intentional time praying and considering what it might look like for you to become more engaged at Mercer Creek this next year. This is such an exciting season in the life of our church. Everywhere you turn, there are opportunities to serve, connect, and grow. As you step in, you will help prepare the way for the work God wants to do in and through our church in the coming year. If you're wondering where you might fit, I encourage you to visit mercercreek.org/serveand explore opportunities to get more plugged in. Please also be praying for the 30 middle school students heading to camp this weekend. This is an exciting milestone for our youth ministry, and God is doing some wonderful things among the teenagers in our church. Let's faithfully lift up these students, leaders, and the camp experience in prayer this weekend. This Sunday is one of my favorite weekends of the summer as our friend and former Mercer Creek lead pastor, Scott Sinner, joins us as our guest speaker. Scott will take a brief break from our Journey Upward series to share a message that is especially close to his heart right now. We will also take time to commission our Dominican Republic team as they prepare for their trip in August. It is going to be a wonderful weekend together, and I hope you'll make plans to join us. See you Sunday! Dan Arnold
July 16, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Weekly Letter from Pastor Dan - July 16th
“Together we pursue Jesus, love our community, and live out His mission to reach the world.” Dear Mercer Creek Family, Our Mexico team had a few hiccups getting started, but from all we are hearing, they are having a wonderful week. Please continue to pray for them as they still have several days of ministry ahead before returning home. Over the last few months, I have sensed that this has been a season of preparation for Mercer Creek. I don't know how long this season will last, but I do know that our team continues to feel there is much to prepare for. I genuinely believe that God is getting ready to do an important work in and through our church, and the calling of this season is simple: get ready. In the coming months, I will invite our church into prayer in several different ways. One of those initiatives, which I briefly introduced on Sunday, is called PIC 3. I mentioned it because it fit naturally with where our sermon led, but I will share much more about it next month. Now that the cat is out of the bag, I would encourage you to begin praying today about who your three might be. Ask God to place three people on your heart who do not yet know Jesus. Then, when we officially launch next month, we will encourage everyone to: Pray regularly for these three people. Invite them when the opportunity is right—to a worship service, event, small group, or ministry gathering. Connect intentionally by investing in relationships through meals, coffee, conversations, and shared experiences. For now, simply begin by asking the Lord: Who are my three? Perhaps one of the ways God is preparing our church is by preparing our hearts for the people He wants to reach through us. This weekend we will continue our Journey Upward series as we look together at Psalm 127. The following week, Pastor Scott Sinner will be our guest speaker. "Sinner Sunday" is often one of the highlights of our summer, so I hope you'll prioritize being with us over these next few weeks. See you Sunday! Dan Arnold
July 9, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Weekly Letter from Pastor Dan - July 9th
“Together we pursue Jesus, love our community, and live out His mission to reach the world.” Dear Mercer Creek Family, I'm looking forward to this weekend! We have baptisms in both services, and I'll be preaching from Psalm 126—a psalm that has become especially meaningful to me. Please also be praying for our Mexico team as they depart this weekend. Pray for safe travels, meaningful ministry, and that God would work powerfully both in and through our team. I'd also encourage you to mark your calendar for Sunday, July 26. Every summer we welcome back one of my predecessors, and what I affectionately call "Sinner Sunday" has become a fun Mercer Creek tradition. Scott Sinner, now the lead pastor at Green Valley Community Church, will be our guest preacher. Scott made a tremendous impact on Mercer Creek during his time here, and I always enjoy the opportunity to honor him and continue the strong relationship between our churches. I hope you'll plan to join us that weekend. As I've been preparing for Sunday's message, I've also been preparing for a funeral this Saturday. Moments like these remind me how grateful I am for our all-volunteer funeral ministry. This team faithfully serves families during some of life's most difficult moments, offering compassion, care, and the hope of Christ. Thank you to every member of our funeral ministry for serving so faithfully! See you Sunday! Dan Arnold
July 2, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Weekly Letter from Pastor Dan - July 2nd
“Together we pursue Jesus, love our community, and live out His mission to reach the world.” Dear Mercer Creek Family, Happy 250th Birthday to our country! I hope you, your family, and your friends have a fun and safe weekend celebrating our nation's birthday. Don't forget that we have two special services planned for this Sunday. We'll celebrate communion, commission our Mexico team as they prepare to serve, and welcome special guest speaker Alex Worthington, who will be preaching from Psalm 125. Together we pursue Jesus, love our community, and live out His mission to reach the world. This past week, you stepped up in a big way to love our community. In the midst of a blood shortage, we hosted a blood drive, and I'm so grateful that Peter Bower organized this event. He shared that we had eight volunteers, including several who were serving for the first time. Thirty-nine people donated blood, including an impressive fifteen first-time blood donors! Our Red Cross representative said he rarely sees that many new donors at a single blood drive. Thank you for loving our community so well, Mercer Creek. Your willingness to serve will make a real difference in the lives of others, and we're already looking forward to hosting another blood drive this fall. See you Sunday! Dan Arnold
June 25, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Weekly Letter from Pastor Dan - June 25th
“Together we pursue Jesus, love our community, and live out His mission to reach the world.” Dear Mercer Creek Family, This has been a full and beautiful week for us as a church. An army of volunteers descended on our campus over the last four nights and served our kids so well. I truly felt that this year's Kids Camp was the smoothest and best-run camp I have seen in years. I am so grateful for Brenna and her team. They worked incredibly hard to make it such a positive and memorable experience for every child who attended. As I volunteered throughout the week, I thoroughly enjoyed being part of this great event, and I'm already looking forward to next year. As I look back on this week, I'm reminded once again of God's faithfulness and the privilege we have of investing in the next generation. What a gift it is to see so many children hear about Jesus, build friendships, and experience the love of Christ through our church family. I also want to take this opportunity to encourage you to consider volunteering in our Sunday morning Kids Ministry. Kids Camp reminds me that we have an incredible opportunity to reach even more children and families in our community. However, to do that well, we need to continue building our children's ministry team. If you would like to learn more about serving, please reach out to Jen at Jennifer.Ellsworth@mercercreek.org. We take ministry to the next generation very seriously at Mercer Creek, and there are many meaningful ways to make a difference in the lives of children and families. This Sunday, I will be back as we continue our Journey Upward series and explore Psalm 124 together. As we reflect on God's faithfulness in the past, we'll be reminded that the God who has been our help is still our help today. I hope you'll join us. See you Sunday! Dan Arnold
June 18, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Weekly Letter from Pastor Dan - June 18th
“Together we pursue Jesus, love our community, and live out His mission to reach the world.” Dear Mercer Creek Family, This next week is one of the most exciting weeks on our church calendar! Beginning Sunday night, Kids Camp will be in full swing, and we could not be more excited to serve and love so many children. Would you be praying with us? Pray for our volunteers as they serve faithfully, and pray that the kids would be open and ready to hear from the Lord. I am so grateful that our church is committed to investing in the next generation. Sunday is Father's Day, one of my favorite holidays! We will have donuts between services and a fun photo booth for families to enjoy. Bryan Halferty, founding pastor of Anchor Church in Tacoma and one of our former young adult pastors, will be speaking as we continue our Journey Upward series. Our passage this week will be Psalm 123. In this email, I want to take you behind the scenes a little. Most people think church only happens on Sundays, but as many of you know, ministry takes place almost every day of the week through our various programs, ministries, and staff. You may not realize that each year we conduct a staff review and development process. This provides an opportunity to share constructive feedback, celebrate strengths, set goals, and create plans that help our team continue to grow. In addition, each May our board conducts my annual review. This is one of their most important responsibilities, and it is a process we take very seriously. I’m happy to report that the board recently completed this year's review, and I am grateful for their thoughtful feedback, encouragement, and support. Like the rest of our staff team, I am committed to continuing to grow in my role as we prepare for another ministry year. As a staff team, we take feedback, growth, and development seriously because we want to be the healthiest church and leadership team we can be. I thought you might enjoy hearing a little about some of the important work happening behind the scenes. We are going to have a great week, and I hope you'll join us this Sunday! Dan Arnold
June 11, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
Weekly Letter from Pastor Dan - June 11th
“Together we pursue Jesus, love our community, and live out His mission to reach the world.” Dear Mercer Creek Family, This is our last weekend with three services before we begin our summer schedule. If you have never attended the 11:30 service, I would encourage you to give it a try this weekend and see if it might be a good fit for you when we relaunch it in September. This Sunday, I will continue our Journey Upward series as we explore Psalm 122. We are also offering baptism classes in preparation for our summer baptisms, so if you have been considering taking that step, I encourage you to join us for one of those classes. As we prepare for the next ministry year, I’ve been describing what our staff team is experiencing as growing pains. We are working hard to recruit new volunteers, develop leaders, and build the structures necessary to sustain a growing church. While these growing pains can sometimes be challenging, they are also evidence of God’s blessing and the opportunities He is placing before us. One area where I would appreciate your prayers is our budgeting process. We are not in a crisis, and the Lord has blessed Mercer Creek with strong resources and reserves that our board stewards wisely and creatively. However, our giving has not grown quite as much as we projected this year. At the same time, our church continues to grow. Over the past year, our average monthly attendance has increased by more than 100 people. Every one of those numbers represents a person God loves—a person who needs community, discipleship, care, and opportunities to grow in their faith. As our church grows, so do the ministry opportunities before us. Like many organizations, our fixed expenses continue to rise due to inflation, including utilities, insurance, and ministry supplies. At the same time, we are serving more people and doing more ministry than we were a year ago. The challenge before us is figuring out how to continue expanding ministry opportunities while stewarding our resources faithfully. I am incredibly grateful for a staff team that is creative, resourceful, and committed to our mission. Most importantly, we know that God is our provider. Time and again, He has faithfully supplied everything we have needed to accomplish the work He has called us to do. One of my ongoing prayers is that we would continue growing as disciples, including growing in generosity. As more people learn to trust God through faithful giving, we believe He will continue to provide everything needed for the ministry ahead. Would you join us in praying for wisdom, discernment, and God's provision as we prepare for the coming year? Budgets aside, I can’t wait to worship with you this weekend. God has been working in powerful ways, and I can’t think of any place I’d rather be this Sunday. See you Sunday! Dan Arnold
August 1, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
It's that final summer stretch!
Hey families! It's WILD to think that we're headed into August. We hope y'all have had an amazing summer and that you take this next month to soak it all in before the school year starts. We're still having fun around here while we get ready for what God has for us this fall. Here are some of the things we've got going on: Fortify | August 13th We cannot wait to hang out with your fourth and fifth-graders next Thursday, August 13th. This is our second one with our new fourth graders, and we loved having them last time! As a heads up, Pastor Brenna will be gone on the Dominican Republic Mission Trip. But never fear! Summit Director Aidan will be leading all the fun! See you there! Family Survey We want to make our MC Kids environment the best we can, and to do that we need help from your WHOLE family. We have created this survey. Here’s the catch: we want you to do it together. We want to hear what you AND your kids have to say. Even if it sounds silly or doesn’t quite make sense, we want to hear it all. Family Event Keep your eyes out! We have a family event coming up mid-September to help kick off the school year. We'll be sending out more details soon.
If you ever have any questions or prayer requests, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Pastor Brenna Dineen (brenna.dineen@mercercreek.org)
Jen Ellsworth (Jennifer.ellsworth@mercercreek.org)
September 2, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
How is it September?!?
Hey families! It's crazy to think that we are officially entering the fall season. I know you have a lot that you are juggling between fair, sports and school starting, but we wanted to make sure that you were in the loop of all the fun things happening! Western Day | THIS Sunday We don’t know about you, but we are getting excited for Rodeo Weekend! MC Kids will look normal that day, but we thought we should add a twist! We encourage your kiddos to dress up in their Western/Rodeo gear! It is going to be a blast, and we cannot wait to make memories together! Family Prayer and Worship Night As we begin this school year, we would love to invite our families together for a night of prayer and worship. At 6:00pm we'll open with worship and a short message for the start of the school year. Following this group time, families will rotate through stations where you will pray for your school, your teachers, your friends, and be prayed over as a family. Have questions or want to volunteer? Send an email to brenna.dineen@mercercreek.org Baptisms | October 18th Hey families! We are excited to announce that the next baptism date is October 18th! If your child (3rd grade and older) is interested in being baptized, they need to come to our baptism class. It will be on October 6th at 5:30pm on Zoom. If your student is interested, please email Pastor Brenna at brenna.dineen@mercercreek.org If you ever have any questions or prayer requests, please don't hesitate to reach out. Pastor Brenna Dineen (brenna.dineen@mercercreek.org) Jen Ellsworth (Jennifer.ellsworth@mercercreek.org)
July 1, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
July in MC Kids
Hi Families,
Welcome to July! Looking forward to a joyful and vibrant month and offering ways to explore new things!
Come Serve With Us
As summer begins, our MC Kids volunteers are stepping into a season of both serving and some time away with family! Because we never skip a beat when it comes to discipleship and creating great Sunday experiences, we're looking for 10 adults to serve once a month in July, August, and September. MC Kids is a team sport! We’ll pair you with other volunteers and walk you through everything you need to know. Together, we’ll find serving dates that best fit your schedule. Your presence makes a difference. To get plugged in or to ask questions, simply reply to this email and our team will get you plugged in!
Fortify
We cannot wait to hang out with your current fourth and fifth graders this Thursday, July 9th for our Water Day! This Fortify will be the first one for incoming 4th graders as well as the last Fortify for the outgoing 5th graders. We are looking forward to all the fun! Please have students wear clothes they can get wet in, bring a towel if they would like one, and apply sunscreen before arrival.
Baptisms
Is your student interested in getting baptized, or want to learn more about what baptism is? We've got a baptism class just for you! Kids and Middle School students will meet over Zoom on Tuesday, July 7th, at 5:30pm. Please email Brenna.Modine@mercercreek.org if your student (3rd grade-8th grade) shows interest in getting baptized. If that day does not work for you, please reach out, and we will schedule another time for your student's class! Our next baptism weekend will be on July 12th.
Thank you for being part of our MC Kids family!
If you ever have any questions or prayer requests, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Pastor Brenna Dineen (brenna.dineen@mercercreek.org)
Jen Ellsworth (jennifer.ellsworth@mercercreek.org)
August 19, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Summit September Newsletter
Hi Summit Families, Welcome Back! We will be kicking off Summit on Wednesday, September 16th. Meet us at the Mercer Creek Gym from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. every Wednesday unless otherwise notified. Doors will not open until 6:25 p.m. as leaders will be meeting to go over the night so keep an eye on any inclement weather and please plan accordingly. Food We will be offering food for the kids upon arrival. For $1 students will have the choice between 1) a pizza slice or 2) a cup of noodle.Water and sparkling water will also be offered with any choice. Parent Volunteer Opportunity Thank you parents for your support serving food at Summit. Some of you have already signed up before as kitchen volunteers-thank you! We are still looking for more parents who would be willing to assist with set up, distribution, and clean up. What would that look like? 6:15 p.m. arrive to set up utensils and food 6:25 p.m. serve food and engage students with a warm welcome 6:45 p.m.clean up and fill out the order sheet noting any items that need to be stocked A link is provided below for you to select a date that works for you. If the link does not load the first time, please click again (this is a common glitch in the system). https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040944A8AA2BA6FF2-57912123-summit Pick Up and Drop Off A driving map is provided below for safely entering and exiting the area. We will be blocking off the North B Street entrance and the area by the gym (red lines). This is to help with traffic and provide a safe area for students to play outside. We also ask that you follow the blue arrows and only go in that direction for entering and exiting. If you are needing to park while waiting for your students, we ask that you park in the area circled in green that is in the visible range of our leaders so we can keep an eye on our students as they leave. Summit Message Series Part of our monthly emails include a schedule of topics and content that will be presented. Check it out below.
August 30, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Journey September Updates
Parents and Journey Students,
We are excited to welcome students back to Journey on Wednesday, September 16, from 6:30–8:00 PM in the Commons at Mercer Creek! As we begin this new year, I am really excited about what is ahead. Journey is more than a weekly youth group. We want to create a space where students can encounter and respond to Jesus and where they can Step In, Step Up, and Step Out. High school is an important season as students figure out who they are, where they belong, what they believe, and who they want to become. Our hope is that Journey can be a consistent place where students know they belong, have adults who care about them, build meaningful friendships, ask honest questions, and learn what it looks like to follow Jesus in everyday life. This year, we are excited to grow our community, develop student leaders, launch our new worship team, serve our schools and community, and, of course, have a lot of fun together. Last year, we saw tremendous growth in this ministry. Most importantly, we want to create opportunities for students to take meaningful steps in their faith. We can't wait to see everyone on September 16! Thank you for trusting us with your students and for your partnership and support. Please make it a priority to get your high school students connected to Journey. We believe God has some great things ahead for Journey, and we are excited about what is to come! See you on September 16! Peter Bower
Local Outreach and High School Ministry Director Mercer Creek Church Parent Opportunities Parents, thank you for partnering with us! There are many simple ways to be involved at Journey—from helping with snacks and special events to leading or assisting with small groups, or simply showing up on Wednesday nights. You don't have to commit every week; even occasional involvement makes a huge difference. We only have so many years to invest in our kids, and we want to take every opportunity we can to encourage and challenge them in their faith. If you're interested in helping or would simply like to hear more about Journey, please reach out by email at peter.bower@mercercreek.org. We'd love to find a place that works for you. Our team is amazing, and I know you will be inspired and encouraged as you work with them!
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