Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I Thessalonians 5: 16

        During these days of rising numbers of covid virus in Jackson County and Oregon, we all realize the serious aspect of these times.  In these times I find myself looking for joyous events and things that will lift our spirits and allow us to feel some normal.  In the Tappero family we have experienced some “normal” things in new ways.

         We love tea parties with our 5-year-old granddaughter who lives in Portland so we have learned to have tele-tea parties via face time on our phones.  We stay in touch with family near and far, sharing events on line and face time. Our nephews are on two separate continents and we so appreciate we are in their lives via long distance calls and videos.  (Our grand-nephew is the cutest little guy ever!) Our family is very excited that our son Joseph and wife Leah are having a baby girl in Sept.  During this exciting time they have created a variety of new ways to continue to share the joy without in-person events.  We even had an online shower complete with games and prizes!

        While these currents times are stress-filled, I encourage you to look to your life for simple, happy events, finding new ways to share these joyous events, large and small with family, church family and friends. Individual calls, letters, notes, postcards, e-mails, texts, etc. are some ways we can share the joy in our lives and stay close.   Your joy brings joy to us all! 

        Life continues and thankfully Christ is in our life in many wonderful ways.  Let us remember He is with us in all our days.  It is to Him we give thanks for all our blessings.

        Be safe, please find and share hope and joy in each day.

        Blessings to each and every one of you,

        Carla, MFC Elders

NWYM Friends Women’s Virtual Retreat Oregon shine Retreat will be held at Twin Rocks Friends Camp October 3-9, 2020. The speaker this year is Liz Seume from Quaker Cove Camp. Because of COVID no paper registrations are available, register online!   If you need help with registration call Ellen Morse at 208-850-3131.  She will make it happen! We’ll be posting daily videos from Oct. 3-9 for a virtual version of our annual Friends Women’s Retreat! There will be some Bible Study, inspirational messages, & a chance for some fellowship online. We’ll have some fun tutorials and giveaways too!

Birthdays Being Celebrated in September include: Drew Krupp, Chuck Taylor, Raeleigh Cadd, Dave Wolff, Terry DuLong, Cody Taylor, Lena Anderson, Camille Ralph, and Carla Tappero.

From the Stewards: Breathe – to take air into the lungs and then expel it.

Breath is the source of life. God’s breath is mentioned multiple times in scripture, from the creation of Adam in Genesis 2, when God breathed the breath of life into Adam, to John 20, when Jesus breathed on His disciples to fill them with the Holy Spirit.

Breathing is essential to life and I suspect that in these days of Covid-19, we’ve all been thinking a little more about the air that we breathe. That’s why, as a lifelong asthmatic who knows how it feels to struggle to take a breath, when I am in a public space I wear a mask, to protect other people from the air I expel, and that’s why I am thankful for those around me who wear a mask to protect me. For me, wearing a mask, and wearing it right, is an act of Christian love.

All of the recent focus on breathing and air quality has lead the Stewards to install air purifiers in the fellowship hall, fireside room and main hallway. While we can’t stop viruses with these, or with any air purifier, they will go a long way towards maintaining a safer breathing environment. In conjunction with our existing electronic filter in the sanctuary, we hope to keep cleaner and fresher air in that end of the building.

We hope, with this improvement, we will all be able to breathe a little easier when we are able to meet again, and for years to come.           Mark

Let’s Work Together to Collect for Howard – Elementary School & Operation Shoebox!

Whether its classroom or online learning, back to school takes supplies, and this year is no different.  If you would like to participate by donating supplies to Howard Elementary, you can bring them to the church office or contribute funds and the CE committee will shop for you.  Ideas:  scissors, Kleenex, Crayola crayons- 8 count and 24 count Crayola markers-regular & thin, glue sticks, wide rule spiral notebooks, colored pencils, erasers, backpacks and Ticonderoga pencils. This is also a great time to start collecting these items for Operation Shoebox – and watch for small toys, hygiene items, socks, t-shirts, etc.       Thank you, CE Committee

NEWS FROM OUR CHURCH FAMILY:

We are trying something new for our MFC Church Family, if you have news that you would like to be included in the monthly Touchstone newsletter please  email terry@medfordfriendschurch.org  or call the office with the information you would like to share.

From Phyllis Krupp:   I’ve been reminded this week of Eve in the Garden of Eden.  In Genesis 3 Satan, in the form of a serpent, approached Eve and questioned her contentment. He was able to get Eve to shift her focus from all that God had done and instead look at the one thing he had withheld.  This is purely human nature.

During this pandemic it is so much easier to look at all that we have lost instead of focusing on what we still have. One thing that we have lost is the ability to worship together in church.  Satan may think that he has won the battle taking us out of church, but has he really won? When Emily suggested that we do a zoom meeting together on Sunday morning, several came back saying they had other plans, time with grandkids, hiking with friends, etc. Are we, instead of meeting Christ in the building, taking Christ with us in our everyday lives? 

As I look at the future of the church, I have been challenged to think outside the box.  What is God telling us through this pandemic?  I remember Jack Hamilton telling me years ago that he heard that the church would be non-existent in five years.  Of course the church has outlived that prediction, but is it time to think about a new direction for the Church of Christ? Will you pray with me for clarity on what God wants for His Church? When God reveals his plans for Medford Friends Church are you willing to accept his plan and go forward with it?

In the meantime, let’s put I Thessalonians 5:16-18 into practice: “Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

Financial Report

•                     July 2020          Year-to-date
• Income        $10,886.65          $104,907.12
• Expenses      13,929.18              90,150.36
• Difference      -3,042.53              14,756.76

We are very thankful for God’s continuing provision for us as His people and His church. And we thank everyone who continues to support the ministry of Medford Friends Church is these unique times with your prayers, financial gifts and time.

Correction to Richard Anderson’s address: 639 Miles Avenue, Billings, MT 59101

William Anderson’s college address: George Fox University 420 N Meridian Street #8074, Newberg, OR 97312

Friends,   I continue to work with your administrative committee regarding our closure. Although we have not set a specific time for reopening, we continue to monitor new developments, regulations, and recommendations for meeting together. I will continue to provide updates via the Touchstone as we move forward with our planning. Please reach out to any member of the administrative committee with concerns or needs you may have. I pray that each of you feel God’s presence near you and that his light will shine from you during this time. Lena Anderson

From the Stewards    Even though we are not meeting together yet the maintenance of our building and grounds goes on, as does our worship service through streaming. A special thanks to:

Steve and Myke Wilson for keeping up most of our lawns and to Steve for all of the extra time he has put in on the sprinkler system.

Terry Wilson for keeping the church office functioning in these difficult times.

Chris Tappero for all of the extra time he has put in helping to maintain the yard at the parsonage.

Chuck Taylor and his family for keeping up on the cleaning of the inside of the church building.

Pastor Jesse and Emily Davis for keeping us connected electronically by streaming the worship service.

The worship team for adding music to the streamed worship services and for all of the time they spend in practice.

And everyone who continues to support the ministries of Medford Friends Church with your prayers, gifts and efforts.

As we think about these days my mind is drawn to Romans 12:10, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”                        

Right now, one of the best ways to honor and show love to one another is by not inadvertently sharing a virus that could bring harm to someone else. One day we will be meeting in person again, and although we don’t know exactly what that might look like yet, we can uplift our church community in the meantime.

We can do this by reaching out to one another with phone calls, texts, e-mails, notes and prayers, to honor one another, and share the brotherly love we have in Jesus.

-Mark Burton

Financial Update    Many businesses are struggling financially in these days and we want you to understand how we are doing as a church. Year to date, we have a positive general fund cash flow of approximately $4,000. We thank God for His generous provision to us through the years and we thank everyone who continues to give to the ministry of the church. Your gifts have allowed us to avoid cutting pay or staff, as many other churches and businesses have had to do, and to help some who have struggled due to job loss and other needs. It is good to know that we will be ready to reopen when the time comes! 

NEWS FROM OUR CHURCH FAMILY:

Birthdays Being Celebrated in August include:

Evan Hayes, Kitty Collins, Mandie Milam, Rita Bingham, Judy Swingle, Melody Kaufer and Gabriel Cadd.

We are trying something new for our MFC Church Family, if you have news that you would like to be included in the monthly Touchstone newsletter please  email terry@medfordfriendschurch.org  or call the office with the information you would like to share.

I want to give a big THANK YOU to the worship team that has been providing music for the services each week.

• Cheryl Nicholson, singer & keyboard
• Deanna Mann, singer & guitar
• Richard Mann, bass guitar
• Trisha Mann, singer
• Matthew Mann, sound & trumpet
• Dale Pickering, singer & keyboard

I also want to THANK Emily Davis for helping with streaming each week.  It would not happen without her.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! Your time and effort is very much appreciated.  Phyllis Krupp

Congratulations to Cody & April Taylor and family on the arrival of Baby Daughter, Willow Taylor, on July 23, 2020.   We would like to welcome Willow with a gift card shower from their MFC family.  Some gift card ideas would be:  Amazon, Walmart, Fred Meyers and Papa Murphy’s.  Please mail cards and congratulations to:

Cody & April Taylor, 291 Harrison St., Ashland, OR 97520

From the Anderson Family:

Richard Anderson recently accepted a position at Billings Clinic as a Laboratory Assistant. He moved to Montana and starts July 27th. His new address is:  Richard Anderson, 639 Miles Avenue, Billings, MT 95101

George Fox University made the decision to start the academic year one week earlier this year. Classes begin August 24th. Please keep William Anderson as well as all of the other students and faculty in prayer.

From the Wilson Family:

Thank you for your continued prayer for me (Terry) and my brothers and sister as we share responsibilities in caring for our parents, Gordon and Dorothy Just. At the present they are in their home and doing well.

We are excited to have Josh, Audra and grandkids Raeleigh and Gabe in the U.S. They are transitioning to their next assignment with DOOR International and there are a lot of unknowns at the present time, please keep their family in prayer. July 31^st we will have survived the quarantine period and will be able to greet them with hugs and be able to be in the same house, we are so thankful.

Raeleigh has been accepted at George Fox University. As this is being written, the University will allow her to live off campus with her Great-Grandmother, Helen Cadd.

Clynton Crisman, former pastor of Medford Friends Church, passed away June 25, 2020.  He was 100 years old.  Clynton and his wife, Marjorie, ministered here during the 50s, 60s, and 70s leaving Medford to serve in Hayden Lake, Idaho.

Ladies! The Answer Is Yes! Pass it on, did you see the flyer or hear the announcement at Yearly Meeting that the annual Friends Women’s Fall Retreat will be VIRTUAL…More details to come. Questions please contact Nadine Brood.