A Congregation Shaped by Deep Roots, Compassion, and Hope
Tucked into the north side of 164th Street SE at the bottom of a long hill, North Creek Presbyterian Church has served the Mill Creek, Washington community as a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The church is affiliated with the Fellowship Community of Presbyterians, a renewal organization within the denomination. Its life revolves around a simple refrain, found in the church's mission language and printed on its monthly newsletter: Life. Love. Hope. In Christ.
Members describe their calling in three movements. They aim to grow deep spiritual roots in a life-giving relationship with Jesus, extend God's love by serving others with Christlike compassion, and share Christ's hope by making him known near and far. The vision is for NCPC to be a healthy congregation of Christ-followers from various life stages and diverse cultural backgrounds who discover belonging as they love one another, worship together, and engage in spiritual practices. Spiritual growth then propels them into the community to shine the light of Christ through conversation and compassion.
That three-part rhythm shows up everywhere, from the Sunday worship service to the Tuesday morning Play Cafe, from small groups meeting in homes to long-standing mission partnerships in Haiti, Uganda, Honduras, and Kazakhstan.
Sunday Worship at 10 AM
Worship at NCPC is held every Sunday morning at 10 AM. The order of service draws from the Reformed tradition, with prayer, Scripture reading, a sermon, congregational singing from the church's new Sing! hymnals, and times of response. Music is led by an adult choir along with rotating weekly worship teams made up of vocal and instrumental volunteers, under the direction of Brian Armes, the church's Music and Worship Director.
The congregation celebrates the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, also called communion, on the first Sunday of each month. NCPC frames the meal as God's family dinner table, an invitation to re-connect with God and one another. Gluten-free bread and grape juice are served. Worshipers may come forward or be served at their seats, and all who call Jesus Lord are welcome at the table. Children are welcome at their parents' discretion.
Services are livestreamed on YouTube, and recordings of past services are available so that members who are traveling, ill, or otherwise away can keep up with the congregation's worship and teaching.
Children, Youth, and the Next Generation
NCPC's children and youth ministry treats young people as full participants in the life of the church rather than as an afterthought. Children are welcomed through Sunday School, Summer Bible Camp, and special seasonal events throughout the year. The children's curriculum draws on resources that teach 104 Bible stories to help kids understand God's plan to redeem the world through his Son, Jesus.
The youth ministry centers on three commitments: connection, building meaningful relationships with God and others; care, serving the congregation and the wider community with sensitivity to grief, loneliness, and fear; and creativity, empowering students to use their unique gifts to draw closer to Jesus and to one another. A regular youth meeting gathers in the Youth Room on the first Sunday of each month from 9:00 to 9:50 AM, before the main service, with topical studies such as a recent series on Loving Others that explores what it means to give and receive forgiveness. Updated Student Medical Release forms are required for any off-campus youth events.
Nursery care is offered for the church's youngest members, and the church posts job descriptions for a part-time Nursery Coordinator and part-time Nursery Worker to support families with infants through kindergarten. Supervised internships are also available for college and graduate students in children's ministry, youth ministry, communications, music, audiovisual technology, and related fields.
Small Groups and Adult Education
Small groups at NCPC bring eight to twelve people together on a regular basis in homes, at the church, or online. Gatherings include conversation, study, and prayer, and no prep is required to participate. Those interested in joining are invited to contact Dave Berkompas for help finding a group that fits their schedule.
Adult education is offered in concentrated seasons through the year. Recent offerings have included a four-week study on serving like Jesus with intentionality and purpose, a fall course on witnessing about Jesus through words and way of life, and an Advent series exploring the wonder of Jesus. The church has walked through the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality course in Fall 2021 and the Emotionally Healthy Relationships course the following winter, both based on the work of Pete Scazzero. A seven-week study called Exploring God's Heart for Justice, developed in Fall 2020, has shaped ongoing conversations about racial justice in the congregation.
Sexual misconduct prevention training is also part of adult formation. The church's policy and procedures are reviewed, with attention to biblical wisdom, healthy boundaries, and what to do if something happens.
Practicing the Way: A Rule of Life
Practicing the Way is NCPC's congregation-wide program of spiritual formation, anchored in the classic spiritual disciplines. The program grew out of the church's earlier study of Pete Scazzero's Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and Emotionally Healthy Relationships, and uses a video curriculum drawn from John Mark Comer's teaching at Bridgetown Church in Portland.
Members are invited to build a personal rule of life, a set of spiritual practices that keeps them grounded in God. The practices covered across the program include Sabbath, Prayer, Fasting, Solitude, Scripture, Community, Simplicity, Generosity, and Hospitality. Each practice is unpacked in four weeks of teaching videos, with companion guides, discussion questions, and printable practice resources. The Sabbath series, for instance, moves through Stop, Rest, Delight, Worship; the Prayer series moves through Talking to God, Talking with God, Listening to God, Being with God; and the Fasting series covers Offering, Holiness, Prayer, Justice.
A diagram of the curriculum shows how Sabbath, prayer, fasting, solitude, Scripture, community, simplicity, generosity, and hospitality all work together to form a whole life that is shaped by the way of Jesus.
Music Ministry
The Music Ministry is built on a wide circle of musically passionate volunteers. An adult choir, rotating Sunday worship teams, and special music offerings support worship throughout the year. The introduction of the new Sing! hymnals reflects the church's commitment to congregational singing, with pre-ordered copies available for pickup and a limited quantity for sale.
Brian Armes serves as Worship and Music Director and welcomes vocalists and instrumentalists who would like to use their gifts in worship. Past Christmas Concerts are recorded and shared as part of the church's musical archive.
Joyful Life: Ministry with Older Adults
Joyful Life is NCPC's ministry to, with, and for older adults. The goals are to help identify the particular calling of older adults in the life of the church, equip and support them for the kingdom of God, and provide a community of friendship and fellowship across all ages of believers. Gatherings have included fellowship times in the Fireside Room, group outings to nearby theaters, and informal get-togethers at Quail Park. The ministry is a natural fit for a congregation with deep intergenerational roots in the Mill Creek community.
A Prayer-Shaped Congregation
Prayer is woven through the life of NCPC. A Monday Morning Prayer Group meets at 10 AM by Zoom. A prayer chain of more than 140 members actively prays for incoming prayer requests. After Sunday worship, prayer partners come forward to pray for the needs of the congregation, and anyone can submit a prayer request online at any time.
The church observes the National Day of Prayer on the first Thursday in May, drawing on the 1981 proclamation of President Ronald Reagan and the proclamations of every president since. Members are invited to pause and reflect on blessings received, pray for leaders, and pray for one another.
Pastoral Care: Deacons and Stephen Ministers
Two complementary lay ministries extend pastoral care beyond the pastor. The Board of Deacons follows the scriptural pattern of sympathy, witness, and service, ministering to those in need, the sick, the friendless, and anyone in distress. Deacons organize meals, cards, transportation, household help, hospital and home visits, and caring phone calls. The deacon contact is Penny Evans, reached by email or by calling 206-229-0711.
Stephen Ministry provides one-on-one, confidential Christian care. Stephen Ministers are congregation members who have been trained to listen, encourage, and remind people of Christ's presence during difficult times, meeting privately with a care receiver on a weekly basis. More information is available from Leann Venn at 425.239.8144.
Mission Partnerships Near and Far
The Mission Strategy Team coordinates NCPC's outreach across a remarkable range of partners. Locally, the church supports Bloodworks NW by hosting blood drives, partners with Everett/Mill Creek Young Life to reach middle school, high school, teen moms, and teens and young adults with disabilities, and works with Eagle Wings Ministries, hosting the annual Pirate Bash for those with disAbilities, their families, and caregivers. The H.E.L.P. Team provides construction-related assistance to members of the congregation and the wider community, while the Mill Creek Community Food Bank partnership, including Hope Creek's Backpacks of Hope, fills gaps in food security for local youth. Operation Nightwatch reaches out with hot meals and friendship to those experiencing homelessness in the Seattle area. Support Life offers Christ-centered care to women facing unexpected pregnancies, and the Good Neighbor Team educates the congregation about homelessness, housing instability, and related public policy.
Internationally, NCPC maintains long-standing relationships with the Free Methodist Church and Christian School in Bertrand, Haiti, supporting earthquake recovery; with Iglesia en Transformación in Tegucigalpa, Honduras; with the indigenous church in Kabubbu, Uganda, supporting education and training; and with the Turgen Church Youth Ministry and a Christian rehab center in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Through Frontier Ventures the church supports Jeff Kwon's team planting churches in India. Other partnerships include Doulos Discovery School in the Dominican Republic, where Kasana Anderson serves as a fourth-grade teacher; Multiplication Network Ministries, focused on the church in China; and Pastor Pedro's church in Ticul, Yucatán, Mexico.
Play Cafe: A Tuesday Gathering for Parents and Little Ones
The Play Cafe has become one of NCPC's most distinctive community offerings. Open every Tuesday from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, the space functions as both a safe indoor playground for infants through kindergarteners and a relaxing coffee spot for parents and caregivers.
Inside, a baby soft play area welcomes crawlers and toddlers, while an imaginative play kitchen, gentle climbing structures, slides, and rotating book and toy stations engage older little ones. The Free Café Bar offers more than fifty drink and snack options at no charge. Parents can settle into comfortable adult seating and keep an eye on their children while they play. Waivers are required for all children, and parents remain responsible for supervision at all times. Socks are required in designated play areas.
Visitors: Parking, What to Wear, and What to Expect
NCPC works to make first visits easy. The building sits on the north side of 164th at the bottom of the big hill, with plenty of parking in front, on the side, and behind the church. The main entrance faces 164th, with a second entrance on the east side of the building. Handicapped parking is reserved for those who need it.
Members and guests are welcome in whatever they choose to wear, whether Sunday best or relaxed weekend clothes. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month, with gluten-free bread and grape juice, served either at the front or at the seats of those who prefer to stay in place. Children are welcome at the table at their parents' discretion.
The office is open Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 1 PM. Visitors can register attendance by signing the fellowship pad on Sunday mornings or by completing an online form.
Leadership and Governance
The church is governed by the Session, made up of the pastor and nine ruling elders elected by the congregation to three-year terms. Three elders are elected each year, with the possibility of one additional term. Elders chair the committees that oversee the operation and maintenance of the church, including Congregational Care, Worship, Discipleship, Children and Youth, Mission, Facilities and Grounds, Finance, Personnel, and Fellowship.
The Board of Deacons, under the authority and supervision of the Session, carries the ministry of compassion, witness, and service. A pastoral Nominating Committee discerns the call of future pastors and associate pastors, including a current search for a Temporary Associate Pastor for Congregational Care and Family Ministry to provide pastoral care and spiritual leadership to families and children.
The church staff includes Pastor Kurt Helmcke; Brian Armes, Music and Worship Director; Kcristell Peña, Administrative Manager; Pasha Jurgensen, Bookkeeper; James 'Jim' Kwon, Facilities Maintenance Coordinator; Kate West, Media Supervisor; and Johnson Pham, Custodian.
Beliefs and Identity
NCPC confesses the historic Christian faith through the Apostles' Creed, affirming belief in God the Father, in Jesus Christ his Son, in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. The congregation also embraces A Brief Statement of Faith of the Presbyterian Church (USA), which expresses the Reformed understanding of God's sovereign love, the lordship of Jesus Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church and the world.
As a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) affiliated with the Fellowship Community of Presbyterians, NCPC holds to the confessional standards and form of government of the PCUSA while embracing the renewal emphases of the Fellowship Community. On December 2, 2020, the Session adopted a Commitment to Racial Justice, articulating a sustained response to the sin of racism and to God's call to justice, reconciliation, and healing.
Membership, Giving, and Staying Connected
Those exploring membership are invited to a New Member Seminar, typically held on a Saturday morning, where they learn about the Protestant Reformation heritage, the mission and congregational life of NCPC, and the path to joining the church. Pastor Kurt and the New Members Team lead the seminar.
Giving can be made online through the church's Clover Give portal, by texting an amount to 425-999-3598, by mailing a check to the church office, or through Qualified Charitable Distributions directly from an IRA. A Secured Giving guide and a Frequently Asked Questions document are available for those considering larger or planned gifts. Generosity is one of the spiritual practices in the Practicing the Way curriculum and is shaped by the church's broader Rule of Life.
Members and friends stay informed through the monthly CURRENT newsletter, the weekly Connections email, the annual report, and a lively calendar of events. Visitors and newcomers are warmly invited to step into the life of the congregation, to join a small group, to serve in missions, or simply to worship together on Sunday mornings at 10 AM.