A Bellingham church built around a single phrase
Drive along McLeod Road on a Sunday morning and you will find Northlake Community Church gathering in a quiet stretch of north Bellingham. The church has adopted a phrase that sums up everything it does: "Follow Him and Fully Live." Shirts bearing those words have become a familiar sight around town. The sentence is drawn directly from John 10:10 and serves as the shorthand for Northlake's mission: "We exist to lead people to follow Jesus and fully live the life God has for them."
Northlake Community Church identifies as non-denominational. The congregation meets at 1471 McLeod Road in Bellingham, Washington, and is led today by Lead Pastor Josh Wilson and a team of associate pastors, ministry directors, and elders who share oversight of the church's life together.
Five core values that shape the church
Northlake does not leave its identity to chance. Everything from weekend services to small groups is filtered through five core values that the leadership spells out plainly.
- God First: Each believer's relationship with God is meant to be the top priority in life.
- Missional Living: All Christ-followers carry responsibility for the Great Commission in their neighborhoods, communities, and the world.
- Biblically Centered: God speaks through the Bible, and Northlake strives to center everything on God's Word.
- Meaningful Service: The church equips people to use their gifts in strategic ways for the kingdom.
- Authentic Community: Following Jesus is not meant to be lived alone, which is why small group participation is considered critical to spiritual growth.
Two Sunday services, designed to feel like home
Northlake holds two Sunday services at 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM. The church describes the atmosphere as casual, with a come-as-you-are dress code. Services typically run a bit over an hour. A typical order of service moves through worship in song, a welcome and greeting time, more worship and prayer, announcements, a biblical message of around thirty-five minutes, and a closing time of worship and prayer.
For those who cannot attend in person, the 10:30 AM service is livestreamed on YouTube, and recent sermon playlists are kept on the church's channel for catch-up viewing. The sermon library is also available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts. Giving is available online through the church's Church Center platform.
Northlake Kids: from nursery through fifth grade
Children's ministry at Northlake operates on a simple conviction: kids are not just the future of the church, they are the church now. The team partners with parents for the holistic formation of their children, treating Sunday gatherings as far more than childcare.
Programming is divided by age. Early Childhood serves newborns through Pre-K during both Sunday services. Each room is staffed by at least two carefully vetted team members, and children hear a Bible story every week along with age-appropriate crafts, singing, dancing, and play. Parents with infants can also make use of a clean, cozy mother's room when they need a quiet space.
Kids' Workshop gathers K through fifth grade during the 10:30 AM service upstairs. During the 9:00 AM service, grade-school kids join the adults in the worship center for singing before being dismissed to their own programming. The curriculum is built around four foundational truths (God Knows Me, Jesus Loves Me, The Holy Spirit Leads Me, and I Am A Child Of God) and uses Wonder Ink materials to walk through Scripture week by week. Parents are encouraged to set up an online account so they can continue the same lessons at home throughout the week.
Check-in is required for every child. Each family gets a name tag for the child and a matching pickup ID tag for the parent. For first-time visitors, pre-registration through Church Center speeds the process along.
For the youngest families, Thursday Tiny Tots meets on Thursday mornings from 10:00 to 11:30 AM. It is a low-key gathering for adults and their little ones, birth through Pre-K, to hang out, meet new friends, and let the kids play.
Student Ministries: middle and high school
Brad Wurzel pastors Northlake's Student Ministries, which runs two weekly gatherings in the church's student building. Middle School Ministry, nicknamed MSM, meets on Sunday evenings from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. High School Ministry, HSM, follows from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Both nights are built around fun, games, free food, community, and a biblically based message that aims to be relevant and inspiring for teenagers.
The student ministry holds up six values (Individual Pursuit, Integrating into Community, Intentional Worship, Impactful Messages, Investing into Small Groups, and Inviting Your Peers) as the framework for everything that happens on Sunday nights and beyond. MSM runs from September through the end of the school year.
Worship as "reverent risk"
The worship team at Northlake describes its philosophy as "reverent risk": a willingness to risk everything on God because He is who He claims to be. Worship at Northlake happens in song, in prayer, in the reading of Scripture, in the communion of believers, and in the following of His commandments.
Music is a regular part of Sunday services, and the church has invested in original songs written within the community. The worship team includes vocalists, instrumentalists, and a tech and production crew, all of whom serve on a volunteer basis. The current setlists are posted online, and the church's original music is streamed through Spotify and other platforms.
Care Ministry: walking alongside people in hard seasons
Northlake's Care Ministry exists to embody the heart of Jesus by offering mercy through practical support and loving relationships, so that those in need experience His grace and move toward healing, stability, and lasting transformation.
Care Ministry operates in four lanes. Helps and Housing provides practical support such as meals, housing assistance, help with utility payments, and transportation. Classes and Resources create opportunities for people to grow together around a specific area of life. Care Partners offer one-to-one Christ-centered care to people who are hurting. Partner Programs connect people with local organizations better equipped for specific needs in the wider community.
The team emphasizes relationships (with God, with others, and with oneself) as the foundation of the work. Those who want prayer, who need assistance, or who want to volunteer can reach the team through careministry@northlakeonline.org.
Groups for every season
Northlake Groups are the church's small group ministry and a primary vehicle for the "Authentic Community" core value. Groups come in many shapes and sizes: men's, women's, and couples groups that meet throughout the year, as well as seasonal groups focused on parenting, finances, or caring for others. All of them share the same purpose: helping people follow Jesus and fully live the life God has for them.
For independent study, Northlake provides free access to RightNow Media, a streaming library the church describes as "the Netflix for Christian growth material," featuring Bible-based video content, discipleship training, and a children's library.
Serving at Northlake
Serving is treated as a normal part of life at Northlake rather than a special calling. The church lists a wide range of volunteer opportunities, including greeting at the front doors, preparing coffee and donuts on Sunday mornings, teaching and leading in Kids' Workshop and Early Childhood, serving in Student Ministries, facilitating a small group, joining the worship team as a vocalist or musician, running slides or livestream tech, and helping with grounds, maintenance, and facility projects. Background checks are required for anyone working with minors.
Leadership and elders
Lead Pastor Josh Wilson grew up in Bothell, Washington, where he met his wife Krystin in high school. He earned a bachelor's degree in Bible and Theology from Multnomah Bible University and a Master's in Christian Ministry and Homiletics from Liberty University. After four years as Northlake's Student Ministries Pastor, he became Lead Pastor in 2020. He and Krystin live in Bellingham with their son Eli and daughter Macy.
Steve Mason serves as Associate Pastor of Shepherding and Missions and Facilities Director. Mike Weston serves as Associate Pastor of Care and Groups. Evan Bryant directs worship and social media. Nicki Greene leads Kids Ministry as its director, and Sonja Prink leads Early Childhood. Five elders (Jack Feil, Matt Chandik, Paul Sywulka, Vince Ceausu, and Greg Crabtree) share in spiritual oversight of the congregation.
What Northlake believes
Northlake publishes a full statement of beliefs as a downloadable document covering God, His Word, salvation, the Church, and eternity. A short statement lives on the main pages of the church: "We believe God speaks through the Bible. Therefore, we strive to center everything we do on God's Word." The church has also published a position paper on women and the church, available at northlakeonline.org. Visitors who want the full theology can read both documents at northlakeonline.org.
Recommended resources for growth
The Resources page curates books the church community has found meaningful, including Bread by King's Cross Church, a twelve-month Bible reading plan and devotional; Redeeming Technology by A. Trevor Sutton; The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller; Forgotten God by Francis Chan; The Grace and Truth Paradox by Randy Alcorn; and The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer.
Joining the staff team
Northlake also hires. The church looks for staff who love Jesus, collaborate well, love to laugh, are teachable and self-motivated, bring energy and optimism, and are willing to be real about hard things. Benefits include a health insurance stipend, a retirement savings plan, weekly staff prayer, staff fun days, paid sabbatical days, and leadership development through classes and mentorship.
Getting connected
The church office is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The phone number is (360) 671-9500 and the general email is Info@northlakeonline.org. A weekly email newsletter, a Kids' Workshop monthly update, Early Childhood updates, a weekly prayer sheet, a sermon study and discussion guide, and parent updates for student ministries are all available through the sign-up form at northlakeonline.org. Two Sunday services, a robust kids' ministry, two weekly student gatherings, and a network of small groups and care partners keep the rhythm of Northlake's week running from Sunday morning through Thursday's Tiny Tots and back again.