theWaterCoolerChapel

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Sunday, April 11, 2010

Pastors Chris & Audra Thurman (TRI-CITIES, WA)

1)           Ford or Chevy? First car I ever bought with my own money was the sickest S-10                                                Blazer! So, CHEVY!
2)           Coke or Pepsi? We are a divided household- Pepsi for me, Coke for her.
3)           Sprite or 7up?  I’ll go with my wife on this one...Sprite
4)           Which flavor of M&M’s? Peanut Butter
5)           Snickers or Milky Way? Snickers....Hungry? Why wait!
6)           Icee or Slurpee? Slurpee- considering the TC has a 7-11 that is the Slurpee capital of                                       the world
7)           Flex-fit or Custom-fit hat? Custom fit
8)           Snow park or Skate park? Snow park
9)           What is your favorite snowboarding trick? Pretending like I know what I’m doing.
10)        Who is your favorite rider? Cole Massey
11)        Gatorade or Powerad  Lemon Lime Powerade
12)        What size board do you ride? 165”- It’s the long board of snow boards
13)        What brand boots and board do you ride? Burton boots and board
14)        Where do you live? Tri-Cities, Washington
15)        Who is your favorite preacher? Wow tough one...TD Jakes is one of them
a)   and pastor? My pastor, Dr. Jon Brandsetter
15.5)   Who does your hair before a big sermon? My wife used to (don’t judge) but I’ve recently taken over :)
16)        How many kids do you have? 2 boys (Justus 4, Judah 2) and one on the way (Pray for a girl!)
a)   and did you name any after a favorite intern? Justus’ middle name is Cole!
17)        How long have you been married? 7 years, 7 days- best years of my life
a)   and who married you? Pastor Gary Moreno- Audra’s pastor from Detroit
18)        When did you hear the call to become a pastor?                                                                                      I was 19 and in Mexico on a missions trip. It was our last service before                                  we came home. It wasn’t for the local people but for all of us in America. The preacher made a call for all those who felt the call into ministry to come forward. I went forward along with hundreds of others. I had my eyes closed praying/worshipping and God gave me a vision. I was standing on a platform preaching to hundreds. No one laid hands on me or                     prayed for me during that time. I knew at that point I had received my call                                 into the ministry.
19)        When did you actually become a pastor? 2004- became youth pastor at an A/G church in Renton, WA
20)        Did you attend Interns? Did one year of Interns back in 99/2000
21)        What would you tell a student who is deciding between going to college or attending an internship program after high school?
                        Its seems that young people are in such a hurry these days to get things done such as college. They feel the pressure from so many   sources...parents, relatives, teachers, coaches, friends, etc.. Why don’t we have people in our lives pressuring us to deepen our spiritual lives? We need that.  Young people need that.  I believe there first needs to be a strong foundation laid before any book knowledge gets stuffed into us.
21.5)   Who were your two favorite interns that really brought Gods grace into your life?
        Do I really have to answer this question? Cole and Lacey of course!
22)        What was the most amazing service you preached outside of your home church?
                        I was just in Africa and ministered to over 10,000 people. I would have to        say the last serviced I preached there was the most amazing.       
22.5)   What countries have you ministered in?
                        China, Papa New Guinea, Africa, Venezuela, Mexico
23)        What one event in your life has had the greatest impact on you? Watching both my boys be born! Changed the way I live forever.
24)        What legacy do you want to leave for the next generation?                                       To never give up but to keep going no matter what you face. Remember                                 that God is for you and if He is for you who can be against you!
25)      What advice do you have for Christians who are struggling with what drink to order at Starbucks when they are late for church?
                        Go with Tazo Green Tea in the bottle with a Venti cup of ice. How can you       go wrong with green tea with all the antioxidants?
26)        What visions has God given you for the future of your family and your ministries?
                        Well for our family, obviously having our third child at the end of August            and to hopefully sometime in the near future move to a bigger house with        more land! 
                        For our ministry, to win the TC one soul at a time:  by being the most    compassionate youth church in our city.   ‘Every1 Reach1”
26.5)   What are your goals for those areas in this year?
                        By preaching compassion, staying true to who I am and by building                                          relationships events outside of the four walls of the church!
27)        People worldwide are attending theWaterCoolerChapel… do you have anything on your heart you’d like to leave them with?
                        God’s not mad at you but rather, He is madly in love with you. God hasn’t        given   up on you so don’t give up on Him. Micah 7:8 “Do not rejoice over          me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise; When I sit in darkness, The Lord             will be a light to me.” Get back up when you fall and dust yourself off!
28)        What would you like to say to the leadership team of the Pearl Church in Denver, Colorado?
                        Keep your eyes on the call that brought you to Denver! Seek Him in the           private place so that He can reveal to you new purpose and destiny. It’s of       the upmost importance to seek Him privately! Its not enough to be filled         just by Doug and Donna in leadership meetings and church services.
28.5)   Now what would you like to say to Jordan and Esther Filip? (remember, Jordan said that he can make you lose your temper in a game of golf because his skills are so much greater than yours).
                        Ask Jordan how many times he has beat me. If he is a holy man, he won’t       lie. Jordan is all talk and some game. I have challenged him this summer        but he has not responded. I think he’s afraid to play me.
29)        So Elijah Waters is Jordan’s brother and your old youth pastor… he was also the first person that ever prophesied over me. What is the greatest game of golf that you ever beat him in? (the hungry readers would love a score gap).
                        Well I have only played with Elijah once and he left after nine holes. I went        on to shoot four over for the round though.
30)        What has been your biggest challenge in this past year?
                        Always putting what we are doing on the table, then discerning what God                                wants us to keep and throw out.
30.5)   In what ways has God supplied strength for you in dealing with these challenges?
                        He keeps revealing to us promises through His Word, gives us vision of          what we will be and has blessed us with tremendous people to keep encouraging us to move forward.
31)        What passions do you share?
                        Only one- a passion for each others bodies!
31.5)   What ministry passions do you possess individually?
Chris-  I long to see signs and wonders come back to the church. I want to stop convincing people that Jesus exist and show people He does. The church was birthed in signs and wonders being the attraction. Also to disciple people into holiness and righteousness.
Audra- I have a passion for the local church- for us to know our identity and role, first to our families and communities and then to our foreign neighbors.  I also have a passion to see a team of women in leadership unite (from all denominations) in the Tri Cities for the express purpose of reaching the women/girls of our city!
32)        Audra, what advice do you give to young women who are deciphering God’s call on their lives regarding leadership and a woman’s role in the Body?
                        First, find out “whose” you are before you can know “who” you are.  Then,        there doesn’t need to be a special calling to reach women.  If you are          female, THAT IS YOUR CALLING!  That is your purpose!  Because you       are a woman, you are called to reach women...of all ages.  Once you    accept that call, walk confidently in it!  It shouldn’t look like anyone else’s!        If you’re a size 10, stop trying to fit into a size 2.  It’s exhausting.  They   weren’t made for you.  Put on what FITS YOU and LOVE IT!
33)        Was it difficult to allow Christ to write your love story?
Not at all- it was the easiest thing we have ever done... Are you kidding                       me? It has been the complete opposite of easy. Probably the second                      hardest thing I have done in my life.  And the reason?  Flesh.  Stupid flesh. But we are more in love today than that Friday night on April 4, 2003.  And we owe it all to our Lord and His faithfulness and grace!
34)        How do you perceive ministering in the Tri-Cities in Washington differs from other areas of the United States?
                        Well I believe that every area has its own challenges but overall the same        devil. People are people and if you give them a reason to change they will.
35)        Do  you miss playing pool at George and Kathy Carl's house?
                        Do I ever...Do I ever. I won’t forget those times.
****      My eyes water as I write this last question… I’m listening to Jason Upton’s “Faith” album right now and I remember the late Tuesday nights that we would pray in Mountian Life Church together. You were the first pastor to see the prophetic in me and we had some heavy/deep conversations about what God had in store for us. It was almost 3 years ago today that you guys left McCall Idaho to answer the call of God on your life… do you have any words for Lacey and I as we enter into the next season of God’s will for our life?
                        First off, we are so proud of you!  You guys have been such a living      example of what it means to overcome.  You have overcome the bad, but            also the good.  If we ever get stuck on the mountain, then how will we ever        learn anything in the valley-times (where so much of the church lives)?         You guys have persevered and persevered and persevered.  You have         pushed through barriers, broken down strongholds and sent the legions          fleeing.  And all of this during many storms in your lives.  A missionary     from Kenya, Africa spoke at our church last week.  I feel the need to share     with you his points.  He spoke on the storms of life.
1.                                        Storms never last                                                                                                             
2.                                        Storms are terminal
3.                                        Storms are prophecies that the calm is near
4.                                        Storms are there to perfect us
5.                                        The size of the storm determines the size of the miracle
6.                                        Storms are sent to put us on our mark
7.                                        Storms come to determine your level of faith
                       
                        Proverbs 22:29 says, Do you see a man who excels in his work?
                        He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.

                        Acts 3:19b says, so that times of refreshing may come from                                                the presence of the Lord...

                        Refreshing is here.  The calm is here.  Maybe this is that season for you.                                 Embrace it.  Learn all you can from it.  Soak it up.  Look for the calm. Because it’s there.  WE LOVE YOU!

2 comments:

  1. Breakthrough Youth Church
    (Columbia Foursquare Church) www.BREAKTHROUGHYOUTH.org

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  2. WOW I LOVE TO HEAR ALL THIS JUST MAKES ME BREAK Cole and Lacey i thank you already for what your doing and im always praying God continues to guide you. you took a big step of faith and everything will be revealed! and that was a very powerful reading.

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