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December 2010—January 2011 Connection
Observing/Teaching the Peace Testimony
Ralph (left) attends Newberg Friends and is a retired history professor from George Fox University.
What distinguishes Friends? Several specifics could be mentioned, but many of us would immediately say “the Friends peace testimony.” We are one of the historic peace churches. This witness is one of our principal distinctives. Sadly, most Christian denominations could be described as “historic war churches.” These churches bear the name of Christ Jesus, who taught that we should actually love our nation’s enemies.
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>>read more about learning to share>>
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
Amy Saxton (shown graduating here from Newberg High School) attends North Valley Friends and was the 2010 youth representative.
In July 2009, the Youth Yearly Meeting officers believed that God wanted me to be the youth representative for Yearly Meeting 2010. This meant I would represent NWYM at another Friends Yearly Meeting. I was immediately excited and eager to find out where God would send me.
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Gar Mickelson serves NWYM as associate superintendent of local outreach and pastoral care.
In a hurried, superficial, and consumer-oriented culture, the absolute best gift we can give this Christmas season is our time. This holiday season billions of dollars will be spent on material things that we hope will say “I care about you” when, in reality, these offerings fall short of what we really want to say. I would argue that what people really want is loving relationships with others, which is something money simply can’t buy.
So, how do we give the gift of relationship?
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Nancy Thomas is a NWYM missionary to Latin America.
For the last several years Hal and I have facilitated writer workshops for Latin American Friends. Fifty budding writers from five countries attend. This year I have been editing a collection of first-person stories tentatively titled Fire from the South: The Life and Faith of Latin American Quakers.
The following story is a simple tale by Manuela Calisaya, a young wife and mother who lives with her family in the town of Suancata on the Peruvian altiplano.
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Jamie Johnson attends Newberg Friends and is director of the George Fox University Friends Leadership Program.
“The God I know does not ask us to conform to some abstract norm for the ideal self. God asks us only to honor our created nature, which means our limits as well as our potentials.”
– Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak
Not too long ago, while spending time with a current Friends student, I was reminded of the questions that become so prevalent, even deafening, during the college years: Who am I? Who am I becoming?
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Out of My Mind…
Several years ago I had the privilege of speaking at the World Gathering of Young Friends in Lancaster, England. The only downside to this lovely experience came in the realization I was no longer considered a “young Friend” by those in attendance. For some reason, they clearly saw me as one of the older guests, not as a peer.
Who decides such things? I have no idea! In my mind, I am as young as ever. In fact, other than the way I look, feel, and act, I am just like any ordinary 18-year-old.
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Announcements and Updates
- Rafiki House
- The Olde Meeting House
- Pastoral changes
- 2nd Annual Peace Month
- Upcoming Youth Events
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