Feature by Andrea Laurita Let's get as excited about worshipping God here as when we're watching a 'Blazers game in overtime on these big screens."

Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Features | Send mail to The Voice MBC assistant dean helps start Portland church The Harbour Community Church, meeting at 10 a.m.Sunday mornings, attracts mostly college and career-age people. -Andrea Laurita, photo "Garden Burger! Who ordered the Garden Burger?" associate pastor Mike McCarthy asked as he deliberately made his way around crowded tables of chattering people. This flock had gathered not to watch a ball game, but to celebrate the birth of a new church. On Sept. 7, The Harbour Community Church launched its first official service in the Mission Theater in Northwest Portland. Local artist Holly Resnick and her contemporary band began the morning with "All Things are Possible." "How many of you have seen movies in here?" Resnick asked. "Let's get as excited about worshipping God here as when we're watching a Blazer's game in overtime on these big screens." Candles for atmosphere, communion with the option of wine or juice, torn pieces of wheat tortilla and a battle scene from "Braveheart" on the wide screen were all ingredients in The Harbour's first service. Senior pastor Tom Houser welcomed the congregation. "Church should be a place where we smile and have fun, and we're here to have fun at The Harbour this morning," he said. He began his message the way a stand-up comedian prepares an audience for the big punch. Mr. Houser described the culture shock he experienced when he dropped his daughter off at middle-school one morning. Members of the congregation shook their heads in sympathy. Mr. Houser then leaped into the first message of a leadership series from the book of Joshua where he would camp for the entire service. Mr. Houser and his wife, Kerrin, are leading this new church. The Housers are graduates of California State University, Chico, and of Multnomah Biblical Seminary. Mrs. Houser is Multnomah's new assistant dean of woman. "My husband is cute and fun," Mrs. Houser said with a proud smirk on her lips. "He is a gifted motivator and good at allowing people to fail. He is excited to see how individuals fit into the Body." The Housers love ministry. They were the founders and leaders of The Next Level (NXL), one of the largest singles ministries in the Northwest. They were involved at Sunset Presbyterian Church for more than 10 years, where Tom was a pastor. In January of this year, the Housers announced their plans to plant a church in the Pearl District. By Easter they invited people to be a part of weekly meetings. The leadership team formed, and preparations began for the church's birth. "We were just a random, ragamuffin band of people," Mrs. Houser said. "We wore name tags for the first several months and really worked hard at getting to know each other." Every member of the core group has served on the mission field or in full-time ministry. "It's kind of humorous that when our elder board has discussions, it's always 'how much more can we give; we need to be giving,'" Mr. Houser said. As a result, The Harbour is equally devoted to the local community and to overseas ministry. The church gives $450 a month to foreign mission work, and the leaders anticipate giving 40 percent of the church's income to this in the future. The church is supporting local groups such as Blanket Coverage and the Union Gospel Mission with financial aid and practical help. "We're a church that cares and is concerned about [the community]," Mr. Houser said. "They have to be able to trust us; they have to see that we're willing to contribute to them," he said. According to associate pastor Jennifer Hooper, "The point is to be really relevant to this community, and our hope is that over time this community will be familiar with us." The church intends to participate in several community service activities. They want to use relationships built by working shoulder to shoulder with unchurched individuals as the key evangelism tool. The church also plans to be intentional about breaking down ethnic and racial barriers. The Rev. Roy Tate, a prominent African-American Christian leader in Portland, attended The Harbour's first service. As he welcomed the new congregation, he made his purpose clear. "We are not to be a city that's divided," the Rev. Tate said. Fifteen people tried to find the perfect name for this new congregation. "The Harbour" is meant to be a word picture for the church community. "We want this to be a place of rest and safety and stepping away from business into calm waters," Mrs. Houser said. They chose a European spelling because they intend to plant churches locally as well as abroad. "We want to be connected around the world," Mrs. Houser said. The Mission Theater provides a casual atmosphere, where beer is splashed on various tables throughout the week. But now, on Sunday mornings, Bibles are pored over and communion is taken seriously. Pastor Houser wrote a new part of the building's 112-year history as he delivered his first sermon. "Though we're meeting in a pub, we're working off 2,000 years of rich Christian tradition," Mr. Houser said. The launch was a success, according to the Housers. Ninety-six people attended the service, more than tripling the number of core members. "I felt very good about it. We accomplished what we set out to do: create momentum for the church," Mr. Houser said. He is not as concerned with the beginning weeks but wants to build a solid foundation for the church so that it continues to grow in strength over time. Toward the end of the service, the multi-cultural offering hats were collected, and Holly Resnick and her band came forward to strum guitars and shake tamborines as they led the congregation in song. Mr. Houser stood again, not to dismiss the congregation, but to transition into the first Sunday meal together. He encouraged people to introduce themselves to strangers and to discuss personal dreams as they enjoyed their burgers around the table. "Don't eat alone; get to know one another," Mr. Houser said. "No dreams are stupid." The room was quickly flooded with chatter. People shifted throughout the room and resettled again. As Mr. McCarthy and other leaders of The Harbour served burgers and chips, people shook hands and talked about ambitions of running in marathons and of becoming a pastor and of playing under par on the golf course. In between bites of fries, Dan Nordstrom, a local man who also hopes to plant a church, commented on the service. He was impressed at the sense of purpose he observed from The Harbour leadership team. "It's clear they don't have it all together, but they're stepping out in faith," he said. "There are still several opportunities for people to be involved here," he said. Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Features | Top Of Page Send mail to The Voice| Journalism department website © 2003 The Voice. No part of this publication may be reproduced in written or electronic form without prior written consent from the journalism adviser of Multnomah Bible College. All rights reserved.