October 2010 Spotlight – Tigard

The Spotlight, a monthly bulletin insert featuring one of our 67 churches each month, is now available. The OCTOBER ISSUE features Tigard Friends Church of Oregon. It is a PDF document.

August 2010 Spotlight – Lynwood

The Spotlight, a monthly bulletin insert featuring one of our 67 churches each month, is now available. The AUGUST ISSUE features Lynwood Friends Church of Oregon. It is a PDF document.

News and Announcements

Read the announcements and updates, including pastoral transitions, highlights from Yearly Meeting sessions, youth events, Teaching Abroad, and an update on North Africa planning.

Please do not unsubscribe from these email updates. It will affect others besides yourself. If you have concerns, contact Kimberly Felton.

Out of My Mind-He is Risen!

By Colin Saxton, NWYM I have a fantasy that as I near retirement some church will hire me as a part-time associate pastor—not as the visitation or Christian ed pastor. No, I want to be pastor of reader board ministries. Maybe I am just critical, but it can’t be that hard to come up with a simple phrase or quote or thought that does not immediately induce eye rolling, groaning, or worse.

The best reader board slogan I ever saw was: He is Risen!

Abhor Evil!

By Patrick Neifert We know we’re supposed to hate what is evil, but is it really true of us on a daily basis at a deep soul level? It seems the word hate no longer means much to us. We use it in so many different ways that don’t truly reflect its meaning. We often use the word with about as much emotion as is required to order a pizza. “I hate asparagus; I hate today’s high gas prices; I hate it when I’m already late for work and can’t find my car keys.”

Why?

By Ken Magee and Karen Oberst, Klamath Falls We find ourselves making connections with others as we reach out to our neighborhood. As stated, the garden camp was in partnership with the OSU extension office. The PALM (Provide A Loving Meal) dinner we sponsor once a month is in conjunction with the Methodist church and others. Dragonfly Transitions, a home for young adults struggling with the transition to healthy, productive independence, picks up and delivers the food to our food pantry from the food bank.

What Do You Treasure?

By Steve Fawver, Newberg We are a people of plenty, a people of manyness and muchness. Yes, there are a few among us who have little, yet in the scope of the world they too have much. This muchness betrays the reality that we, like the man in Luke 12 who hoarded his crops, desire to build bigger barns, grow larger bank accounts, and have garages full of stuff in hopes that we will feel secure, accepted, and in control of life.

Unplug and Reconnect

By Doreen Dodgen-Magee, Tigard Technologies and electronically driven gadgets have promised us a world of ease wherein simplicity will rule the day and we’ll be more connected to each other than ever. Is this, however, possible or true? Is community building best done in worlds where we do not encounter face to face conversation, conflict, or intimacy?

Right Use of Personal Finances

By Bill Rourke, North Valley I’m pretty sure there is more than one right way for families to handle finances. I also bet that many of you could give examples of both excellent and not so great outcomes from your own experiences. Let me say clearly that the principles for right sharing cannot be achieved to any significant degree if you live in a sea of debt and are shackled by poor financial planning.

Examining Beliefs

Kara

By Kara Maurer, Newberg As I sit here contemplating my faith, I grow a bit discouraged by my lack of answers. Then I am reminded that faith is a journey, which is great because that means I don’t have to have any answers; I just have to be seeking the truth. For the past two years, the closest person in my life was a steadfast atheist. Read Kara’s story.