The Pastor’s Blog
Wednesday Night Bible Study will begin on September 5th, at 7 p.m. Pastor Jesse will be using the book “The Good and Beautiful Community” by James Bryan Smith. The book is available online.
Friends Women Fellowship “Back to School Bake Event”
Look for us in the fellowship hall
September 9th, between worship and Sunday School
This fun event celebrates the beginning of the new school year with a variety of treats that would make any sack lunch proud! Cost is by donation. Funds go toward unbudgeted needs of Friends Serving Abroad and local outreach projects.
September 14-16, Twin Rocks' Men's Retreat will once again combine the comforts and quality of a top-notch weekend retreat with the rugged outdoorsy flair of an old-fashioned camp-out with good friends.
Camp speaker David Williams & music led by worship leader Dan Banham.
AFFORDABLE PRICING. $160/person (sleeping in a cabin), $98/person (bringing own tent), or $60/person if your wife attends Women's Retreat. For registration and answers to Frequently Asked Questions, please visit: www.twinrocks.org
Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018 – All Church Business Meeting We will meet in the sanctuary after the worship service. Sunday School will follow the meeting.
All Church Potluck We always have a great time of fellowship and good food!
Did you know the word "potluck" originated in 1592, describing an unplanned meal — the "luck of the pot?”
Sunday September 16th! You are invited to join us for fellowship and a “luck of the pot” following the Sunday School & Bible Study hour. Please bring your favorite potluck main dish, and a salad, vegetable or dessert enough to feed eight people to share.
Friends Women Fellowship will meet September 20th, 10:30 a.m. at MFC to begin the 2018-19 program year. Following the meeting there will be a buffet lunch. All women are welcome. If you are interested in being a part of the Friends Women program but cannot attend the regularly scheduled meetings, contact Nadine Brood for a way to do it.
NWYM Friends Women 2018 Fall Retreat
September 28-30 at Twin Rocks Friends Camp
Speaker – Mindy Burns
Brochures filled with information and registration form are located on the table in the foyer. This year first time attenders are offered a partial scholarship. Registration must be postmarked by September 15th with a $25 deposit (after that the fee is $35). Questions about housing or registration, please call or e -mail: Meg Rice at 503 -701 -2971 clanrice@aol.com
What a Blessing! Thank You to Everyone who donated school supplies for Howard Elementary School.
Donations can still be brought to the church for the Shoe Box Ministry. More information to come on that project. If you have questions contact Kay Goeres.
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Yearly Meeting
I spent last week at our annual Yearly Meeting sessions in Newberg at George Fox University. It was great to gather together with so many Friends from our region to work on the business of our church. As we headed into the sessions there was a palpable energy to be felt in the space. Expectation, trepidation, wonder, and hope. We were presented and approved our new super intendent Jim Le Shana. Besides that outstanding news we also had our board meeting and time to learn in workshops presented in the afternoons. Our meal times were great to fellowship and further discussion of the Yearly Meeting business. There were opportunities to pray together and worship was joyful.
One of my favorite parts of my week was spending time with Youth Yearly Meeting participants as part of my role on the Board of Youth and Young Adults. I met with students and another of our board members to talk about their experience of the event and hopes for how it might look going forward. Going forward. It is nice to be able to say that. For the past few years it has felt as though we were stuck. Held to the same discussions and frustrations. We were not a body that was able to speak well to one another always. We often had confrontation and there was a general mistrust of others. People had to determine which “camp” you were a part of. That kind of fractious and tribal activity was not something that we wanted. But when it is clear that two groups were trying to lead and control a space it ended up being obvious that there was a fracture. We acknowledged that brokenness and took steps to free both groups to pursue ministry in the ways they feel led to. That space, that freedom, is what resulted in the hopefulness at our Yearly Meeting sessions.
Looking back is great to show us where we have been but looking forward is the way to get where we want to be. Going forward is what we want to do as a Yearly Meeting. Part of me is wondering how we can participate in that vision and activity as a church in Medford. What our role is in the Yearly Meeting and our area. How can we share the gospel with our community? What does it look like for us to be the church here in our neighborhood? How can we continue to be faithful to the calling of the Lord to be His people and live in His kingdom? What does going forward look like for us?
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Ladies please join us for a baby shower for Janelle Ralph Friday, August 3 @ 6 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.
We will share a light salad buffet and celebrate the blessings of a new baby. Janelle is registered at Target and Amazon. Please note that sensitive skin runs in the family. If you purchase diapers or wipes, please procure from the brands of Seventh Generation Free & Clear, or Babyganics, or Naty. This will make one baby very happy!
40-50 Year Gathering of Friends (late 60’s – 77ish!)
Some may remember Cindy Bateman Damschen. Cindy now resides in Washington and has reserved the MFC fellowship hall for a reunion. They will meet Saturday, August 11th, between 1-5 p.m.
The Bulletin Board in the Main Hallway has a list of current events and projects that we can be a part of showing the love of Christ to others. Be sure to check it out!
We are collecting gift donations for the Shoe Box ministry that we have been a part of in the past. This year we are hoping to fill 200 boxes! We are also raising funds to send those boxes overseas.
Boxes are available in the main hallway if you would like to take one now. We plan to get-together at MFC at a later date and fill boxes as a group project with the donated items. If you have any questions contact Kay Goeres.
The following items should not be included in boxes: no seeds, food, candy, toothpaste, gum, liquids, lotions, vitamins, meds, aerosol cans, anything glass, or war related toys.
Ideas for shoebox gifts are: clothing, shoes, musical instrument, soccer ball with pump, stuffed animal, doll, toy cars, jump ropes, yo-yos, toys that light up & make noise flashlights, (extra batteries are always good), socks, hats, sunglasses, hair clips, jewelry & watches, pens, pencils & sharpeners, crayons, markers, notebooks & paper, coloring & picture books, solar calculator, toothbrushes, bar soap, washcloths & combs.
Many families in the local community cannot afford to provide school supplies for their children and we want to help lighten that burden.
Howard Elementary School Supply List
Supplies that get used all the time and that they run out of the most are: red, blue, yellow & green pocket folders; Ticonderoga brand pencils; 24 count Crayola crayons & Crayola color markers and glue sticks (not white glue).
Other supplies that we’ve given in the past include: pencil top erasers; large erasers; rulers; pencil pouches; notebook paper; pens; solar calculators; 3 ring binders; pocket dividers for binders; 3×5 lined note cards; spiral notebooks; Kleenex tissues and backpacks. We have a box in the main hallway for your donations.
From the Elders: The Foster Parent Association is in need of items for the children's belongings. If you have suitcases, duffel bags or backpacks in good condition that you no longer use, we can share our love by donating. Please bring them to the church for delivery.
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I just got back from a trip to Mexico. I went down with a group to help build a house for a family in extreme need down there. We partnered with YWAM Central Baja to help this family. Four days was what we had scheduled to build a house from the ground up; the foundation was already poured and dry but we were doing the rest. We did the framing of the walls and roof panels, attached the exterior, painted it, and put it all together in four days. Going down there I was a little nervous about how little time we had. Four days isn’t enough time to get a building permit here so how were we gonna build a house in that time? I was amazed at the team and how we all worked together to get this new home built for this family.
As I think about the experiences I had working on the house I am reminded of the beauty of the church. When we all work together and pool our skills we can do things that we never thought possible. What might seem like an impossible task can be accomplished with what we think is not enough. God showed me that if we pull together with Him we can accomplish amazing things.
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