Civil authorities in 17th-century Antigua weren’t known for their love of the Quakers. They banished some and jailed others. Charges brought against Quakers included speaking out in church, holding meetings in their homes, refusing to bear arms. But when George Fox visited the island in 1671, he found a community of Friends that included most [...]

This spring Friends throughout the Pacific Northwest will be involved with various community gardening efforts.  From Klamath Falls to Sedro Wooley, from  Boise to Hayden Lake, and everywhere in between (like Metolius!), this spring Friends will be busy working the ground, wrestling with wheelbarrows, scrutinizing seeds, and finalizing plans which will result in the harvesting [...]

You’d think it would be easy to live simply. It’s a simple thing, right? And yet we struggle with simplicity in huge ways in our culture, which constantly pushes us away from centered and intentional living. Even when we try to live simply we find ourselves fighting our own complicity with the consumerism that has [...]

I am going to die tomorrow. I am sure of it—poisoned by my very sweet, 70-something hostess. Inside her tiny kitchen, with room only for a small table and two chairs, I saw this gigantic jar of something – some yellowish liquid with something wide and billowy floating in it. We communicate in a bizarre [...]

I have been the recipient of some very helpful interns.  Amalija Laslo (photo left) graduated from George Fox University in December with a degree in International Studies.  She has been so diligent and helpful to me—she has been walking candidates through our English teaching program.  Since she is Serbian she has a broad sense of [...]

Swallowed by a Great Fish We are in Quaker Cove Conference Grounds where about 80 of us parents and kids are gathered to enjoy a family camp. A 60 foot “whale,” constructed of PVC pipe and black plastic sheeting, sits in the meadow. It is evening and we have been instructed to be “swallowed’ by [...]

The life and message of Friends is often highlighted by focusing on our testimonies. These core convictions arise from our personal and communal experience of Jesus Christ, reminding us of who we are called to be. The testimonies also help us communicate to the world who we are and what we are about as followers [...]

Important “News You Can Use” Regarding Recent Tax Code Changes Our goal is to keep Friends throughout the Northwest aware of governmental changes that have an impact on charitable giving and estate planning. As you probably know by now, there were sweeping federal legislative changes that occurred on December 17th—many of the finer details of [...]

“I’m getting paid to do this!” is a thought often found running through my mind. It’s a thought laced with joy and astonishment that my “work” as Director of the Friends Leadership Program (FLP) is spending time with young adults seeking a better understanding of Christ’s call on their lives. It often comes after a [...]