Fun in Mississippi

We want you to know we've had fun in addition to the hard work here in Mississippi. Brian has been Raising Cane. We went hiking through a jungle so we could swim in a bayou! (It's okay if you think Anacondas and Alligators if you want). We all enjoyed some Gumbo, but maybe not as much as Pastor Scott. And, we're really not sure what Matt was doing in this picture!

Devastation -- 9 months later

After 9 months of clean-up Pass Christian is still a long way from looking like a normal city. Here are some pictures of what we've seen.

Mississippi Update #3

Today was the hardest day so far. Several of the Boys and Girls Club children were gone. It was hotter outside. A few fights broke out between the children. Please continue to pray for our impact with these kids and for our ability to pave the way for Bible Fellowship Church to have a ministry in their lives for years to come.

Mississippi Surprise

A few of the team members were surprised to see me Tuesday evening. I came to join them for the rest of the week and to work with the leaders of Bible Fellowship Church. They are having a leadership retreat this weekend. Please pray that this weekend would help these leaders lead their church.

Katrina Team Update #2

Monday we were working in the park and a woman named Eleanor came and started talking with us. She had contacts with the Boys and Girls Club of Pass Christian. Half the team went to talk with the leaders of the club. They were hesitant at first and told us we had to be generic and not talk about Jesus. But they gave us the OK. More than 2o kids came today from the Boys and Girls Club for a total of over 50! On top of that, the leaders from the club even participated in the songs and actions.

In the afternoon we are renovating the park we are doing Sports Camp in each morning. If anyone has great ideas for park renovations please comment.

Please pray for our health, a few aren't feeling so well. Please pray for effective ministry at Sports Camp, the Lord seems to be giving us an unusual opportunity. Please pray for the kids attentiveness during the rally. It is really hot and there are a lot of them. Please pray that we will all be encouragers. Please pray we will be good stewards of the project money we have been given to use. Thank you.

Katrina Team Update - One Day In

Greetings from Pass Christian (PC), MS. The believers here at Bible Fellowship Church (BFC) send their greetings as well.

Well, as some of you may already know, it took a little bit longer to get to PC than we anticipated. Our initial flight to Denver was delayed an hour out of PDX, which was only going to give us an hour to make our connecting flight once on the ground. We were still hopeful, but as we approched Denver, a thunder storm prevented us from landing for another hour. Thankfully our connecting flight was also delayed, enough to grab a bite to eat before taking off to New Orleans (NO).

We landed in NO with no problems, but getting our rental cars took longer than anticipated, so we didn't arrive in PC until 3:30am, when we had hoped to be there around 12:30am. The sermon at BFC this morning was great, but I don't need to tell you that we all struggled to stay focused.

There was a church potluck after the service this morning that afforded us the opportunity to fellowship with our brothers in the Lord here, which is apparently rare for these kinds of teams.

Our objective today was to get the word out about Sports Camp, which was a unique experience as we split up and infiltrated the community. In the places where houses once sat, trailers provided by FEMA are parked as these people's temporary shelter until they move, rebuild, or repair. Unfortunately most of these people can't afford to climb out of this "supposedly" temporary situation.

"Who made you an expert on the pressures of post-Katrina survivors?" you might ask. You need nothing more than a listening ear to learn what these people have gone through and the struggles they still face. All of them have amazing stories that they are obviously unable to remain quiet about. We meant to distribute Sports Camp flyers and ended up being used by God in other ways. We know now that our presence is perhaps the most important contribution we can make.

We are blending well with the team from St. Helens, OR that is here with us. Please pray for the following:

-Campers to populate Sports Camp
-Sensitivity on our part to God's leading and the needs of the people here
-Safety for Sports Camp, since some drug trafficking has taken place at the park where we'll be meeting
-Boldness to offer the hope of Christ to a suffering people.
-Unity for our teams and the members of BFC for the sake of the Gospel

Thanks for your support! God is good and doing great things!

STEWARDSHIP PROJECT #8

Kerri Tefft

It took Kerri only a day or two to come up with her idea. She was excited about Kati's ministry trip to Pass Christian, Mississippi. So she took advantage of her position at Wells Fargo bank and used her $50 to open an account and print flyers (read her flyer here) for a "Kid's of Katrina" fund. The idea was to invite people to give to help children who were affected by Katrina.

Turns out our team, just last Friday, got the opportunity to do Sports Camp for kids of Katrina next week. They are excited about the ministry they will have with children.

When we did Sports Camp in West Linn we charged children $25 to cover costs. We didn't want to charge children whose families had lost everything the $25. Turns out other people thought hers was a great idea, too. Kerri's fund raised $600, just $28 short of the full cost of doing Sports Camp in Pass Christian. She will leave the fund open for a few more days. If any of you would like to pitch in the final money you can stop by the Wells Fargo bank at Bales Thriftway.

A Prayer for Today

Simplicity

Elector of saints,
Blessed is the man whom thou choosest
and callest to thyself.
With thee is mercy, redemption, assurance, forgiveness;
Thou hast lifted me, a prisoner, out of the pit of sin
and pronounced my discharge,
not only in the courts of heaven,
but in the dock of conscience;
hast justified me by faith,
given me peace with thee,
made me to enjoy glorious liberty as thy child.
Save me from the false hope of the hypocrite:
May I never suppose I am in Christ unless I am a new creature,
never think I am born of the Spirit
unless I mind the things of the Spirit,
never rest satisfied with professions of belief
and outward forms and services,
while my heart is not right with thee.
May I judge my sincerity in religion
by my fear to offend thee,
my concern to know thy will,
my willingness to deny myself.
May nothing render me forgetful of thy glory,
or turn me aside from thy commands,
or shake my confidence in thy promises,
or offend thy children.
Let not my temporal occupations injure my spiritual concerns,
or the cares of life make me neglect the one thing needful.
May I not be inattentive to the design of thy dealings with me,
or insensible under thy rebukes,
or immobile at thy calls.
May I learn the holy art of abiding in thee,
of being in the world and not of it,
of making everything not only consistent with
but conducive to my religion.
-- Valley of Vision, p. 174

65th Anniversary DVD

The History of New Life Church DVD WILL be available this Sunday. Note the picture as proof. Thank you to Ken & Joanne Weiss who are officially off-duty on this project until sales skyrocket and increased demand drives more production!

More Sports Camp Photos

As a pastor, I appreciate so much that great ministry happens in our church without my involvement. I think that is one of the marks of a healthy church. This week Sports Camp has been that kind of ministry.

Bloggers of New Life Church Unite!

• Are you part of New Life Church?
  
• Do you Blog?

If your answer to both questions is "yes", then comment below with your blog address. I would like to create a sidebar category with New Life church bloggers if there is enough interest. If your answer to the first question is "yes", and your answer to the second questions is, "I've been thinking about trying." Let this be your excuse to start.

Sports Camp '06

Sports Camp is well under way. The theme is "Breaking Free." Our Katrina team and friends are leading the camp and will reproduce it in Mississippi next week. Please keep praying for the camp, the children and the coaches.

STEWARDSHIP PROJECT #7

Michael Burch

Somewhere in some far away place a family will be receiving 4 chickens. Why chickens you ask? Chickens will give you a little bit of food each day in the form of an egg. Eggs provide a necessary form of protein to supplement their diets. Eggs can also be sold to provide needed money. It is highly possible that they can borrow a rooster in the neighborhood to produce more chickens. Lastly, when the hens stop producing, they make a really nice meal for the family.

STEWARDSHIP PROJECT #6

Lenny Gafner

What I did with the money:

I tripled it. I used extra time at work for God's plans.

What I hope to accomplish for the master:

I want to give money to Treasure Island to make churchfun and exciting for kids to make sure the next generation finds the Lord.

How this project has helped/challendged/encouraged me:

I spent more time than normal thinking about what work God wants and what would please him.

Tony Dungy -- Amazing Grace

This is a very moving account of Tony Dungy's faith that was severely tested when his eldest son committed suicide last December. I cannot help but think of the verse for today's message, James 1:12, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." The feature has a fitting title: Amazing Grace

A Prayer for Today -- Calvary's Anthem

Calvary's Anthem was my prayer from the Valley of Vision this morning. I went to post it for everyone and found that I had already done it on Easter week. Here is Calvary's Anthem.

Katrina Team Leaves in a Week

Almost exactly a week from now, the Katrina Team will be flying out of PDX, making a short stop in Denver, continuing to New Orleans, and driving to Pass Christian, MS. I want to thank you all who have supported us thus far both by your prayers and by your finances. At this point, I want to give you an update on our current financial situation and let you know how you can be praying specifically for this mission.

As of last Sunday, the support total for the team was about $8,000, which is an incredible thing, worthy of thanks, but is still only half of what is required to send 17 people. I would ask that if you feel led to support what God is going to do in us and through us, that you would do so generously as unto the Lord. Again, checks can be made out to "New Life Church" and please indicate on the envelope that it is for the "Katrina Team."

Also, would you join with us in praying the success of this mission. This is not a vacation, we are asking that God does great things and that He is glorified. Please pray for:

• The team's financial need (Phil. 4:15-19)
  
• Each team member's spiritual preparation (Rom. 12:1-2)
• Opportunities for each of us to proclaim boldly and clearly the Gospel (Col. 4:2-6)
• Unity among our group and with others at the church whom we'll be serving alongside (Eph. 4:1-6)
• Protection from the inevitable attacks of the evil one (Eph. 6:11-20).

Thank you for your support. If you'd like to see the team off at the airport, please be at the United terminal of PDX between 11am and 12pm on June 24th, after which we will be checking luggage and going through security.

65th Anniversary Video

In response to many requests, we will have the DVD that was shown at the 65th Anniversary available on Sunday morning at both locations. The DVD will have additional footage of several interviews as well as some outtakes. They are available for a suggested donation of $5. Enjoy.

STEWARDSHIP PROJECT #5

The latest development in the stewardship project comes from Christine VanOveran. She received $50 and had an idea immediately. That idea didn't pan out but it put her overdue on her project. She is still at it and making up for lost time with her new idea.

She is using her $50 to buy NEW baby clothes at garage sales and elsewhere for resale in Italy. They will be carried over in the Fall with Pastor Scott and the church in Ostia will hold a small sale. Baby clothes are very expensive in Italy. The proceeds will benefit our partner church in Ostia.

She would like to invite you to join her. If you go to garage sales or thrift stores and find some NEW (Is that enough emphasis on NEW?) children's clothing (6mos-5yrs) and would like to donate them you can contact Christine by email to make a plan ccline@molalla.com. This is a great opportunity to multiply a gift into much more.

Hearing from you!

We had comment cards scattered on the tables at the Strawberry Social last Sunday. Here are a few of the comments:

What is your best memory of the New Life Church?

When Allan, Del, Terri & I all got baptized at the same time as a going-away gesture to Pat Phinney. Allan was supposed to go first, but he pushed Del in front. They were the best of friends from then on. My hope for the future is that my son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren also get baptized here. The church has meant the world to me, it has built my faith beyond what I expected. -- P.T

What has this church meant to you?

All the 36 years I was a missionary in Ivory Coast, this church had a part in supporting me finanically and with prayer. Frist, one lady, then the Ruth Casey mission circle and then the church itself. God is still working in the Ivory Coast. -- R. C.

I have grown up in this church, and I have loved the love and hugs and smiles that people give me. I am thankful that I could be involved in the music and what not. -- L. R.

A place to make new friends and a place to bring old ones. -- C. S.

What are you most hopeful about in the future of the New Life Church?

I rejoice to see how you are reaching out. I pray that God will use you to reach many with the Good News. Thank you for helping me! -- R. C.

I am so excited that we have been blessed to plant a church, and I hope we can plant many more! I am also hopeful for many other things, but that's one. -- L. R.

I hope we soon plant a church in O.C.! -- C. S.

What are the odds?

While digging in the Negev Desert, an archaeologist came upon a casket containing a mummy. After a brief examination, he calls the curator of a prestigious natural history museum: "I have just discovered a 3,000 year-old mummy of a man who died of heart failure!" The curator tells the archeologist to bring the mummy in, they would check it out.

Sure enough, a week later, the amazed curator calls the archaeologist: "You were absolutely right about the mummy's age and cause of death. How in the world did you know?"

"Easy. There was a piece of paper in his hand that said, '10,000 Shekels on Goliath'."

I've got pictures of that!

One of the things that was overheard often last night was "I've got pictures of that!" We did have a lot of pictures that ended up on the digital cutting room floor, but a lot of people left their pictures in the trunk in the basement. One of the goals of this celebration was the preservation of the church history and archives in a digital format.

If you do have pictures of West Linn Baptist Church nka New Life Church and would be willing to share them it is not too late for them to become part of the church's history. And, all the more reason to share, it's too late for you to be embarrassed by them ending up in the presentation.

If the pictures are in digital format please make a CD of them. If they are "real" pictures and you could part with them for a few days to let us scan them we would really appreciate it.

And, if you have incriminating pictures of someone we're always looking for ways to raise money. . .

65th Anniversary!

Last night we enjoyed celebrating our 65th anniversary. Thank you to everyone who made the night a such a special event. Ken and Joanne Weiss put together a video presentation of the history of our church (which we are planning to offer for sale soon. Check back for details). Everyone young and old enjoyed the presentation, and the strawberries. The social committee stretched the strawberries to feed the crowd that was on hand. God has done, and is continuing to do a good work in this church.

A Prayer for Today

Truth in Jesus

Life-Giving God,
Quicken me to call upon thy name,
For my mind is ignorant,
My thoughts vagrant,
My affections earthly,
My heart unbelieving,
And only thy Spirit can help my infirmities.

I approach thee as Father and friend,
My portion for ever,
My exceeding joy,
My strength of heart.

I believe in thee as the God of nature,
The ordainer of providence,
The sender of Jesus my savior.

My guilty fears discourage an approach to thee,
But I praise thee for the blessed news
That Jesus reconciles thee to me.

May the truth that is in him
Illuminate in me all that is dark,
Establish in me all that is wavering,
Comfort in me all that is wretched,
Accomplish in me all that is of thy goodness,
And glorify in me the name of Jesus.

I pass through a vale of tears
But bless the for the opening gate of glory at its end.

Enable me to realize as mine the better, heavenly country.

Prepare me for every part of my pilgrimage.

Uphold my steps by thy Word.

Let no iniquity dominate me.

Teach me that Christ cannot be the way if I am the end,
That he cannot be redeemer if I am my own saviour,
That there can be no true union with him while the creature has my heart,
That faith accepts him as redeemer and Lord or not at all.
Vally of Vision, p.170

7:00 At New Life Church Riverfalls

As good as they look?

Was this softball team good? Or, did they look better than they actually were? Ask someone at the 65th anniversary celebration Sunday, June 11th, at 7:00.

65th Greetings from the Laidlaws

Dear Friends:

It is our delight to congratulate your fellowship on the 65th anniversary.
May it be a joyous time to look back and a renewal of forward looking vision.

We spent seven and one half years there with wonderful memories and good friends to remember. Our stay there will always be one of the highlights of our ministry.

Thank you for informing us of the celebration. We wish we could be there!

God Bless you all,

Ross & Barbara Laidlaw, Riverview Florida

65th Greetings from the Hiebenthals

Dear Pastor Scott and members of New Life,

Thank you for your invitation to attend the 65th anniversary of the church. Congratulations on that milestone of perseverance and faithfulness. We wanted to send you a note to encourage you in your future faithfulness by speaking a little about your past impact, as a church, on us.

When we came to the church back in 1980 we had only been in ministry for 5 years. We found a congregation that welcomed us and supported us with open arms and love. It was easy for us to do the work that God had called us to, because we found receptive students, a willing people, a dedicated deacon board and a great pastor. It was a great experience for our whole family. Our kids spent their early years at the church under the caring nurture of some wonderful men and women.
Some of the relationships that we began at the church 25 years ago continue even to today. We were blessed to be part of your fellowship and even more blessed to be part of a staff of gracious and loyal friends and associates. The experience that we gained there has helped us immeasurably as God has called us to churches in the succeeding years that were in love with Jesus but also in need of renewal. We consider your church the place where God launched us with a healthy ministry exposure that would stand the test of time. Part of whatever spiritual success we have experienced since that time, is due to the wonderful days we had at West Linn Baptist (by the way we love your new name and direction).

Have an awesome anniversary celebration. God loves a party of saints like yours. We are sorry that we can't be with you.
We will always think with fondness and thanksgiving about our short time with you. We are indebted to you for you mercy and empowerment.
May the Lord bless you and keep you and may the Lord lift up his face toward you and give you peace.

Your fellow partners in God's kingdom of grace,

Pastor Doug and Charlene Hiebenthal
Mitch, and Jason

STEWARDSHIP PROJECT #4

Koczian Family

What we did with the money: Purchased ingredients to make soup. The $50.00 did not cover all the ingredients so we pitched in the balance. We raised $300.00 by selling pots of homemade soup to friends and neighbors.

What we hope to accomplish for the master with the money: We chose to support Michele and Anna Gandolfo, the Italian evangelist and church planters in Ostia, Italy with the money we raised. We want to support them in their mission so they may continue to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the people of Ostia. The day we decided to support Italian Ministries we received a phone call from Pastor Scott telling us that he knew of someone who would be willing to match the $$ we raised. Our $300.00 was now $600.00.

How has this project helped/challenged/encouraged us: One of the most challenging parts of this project was figuring out what we would do with the money to make it grow. We had several ideas and we finally settled on making soup. We reached out to friends and neighbors, most of whom are not Christians, and we were so encouraged by their generosity and desire to help us help Michele and Anna Gandolfo.

I have to admit that I was not so thrilled to take on this project but it turned out to be a wonderful blessing to my whole family.

STEWARDSHIP PROJECT #3

Debbie Sanders

May 21, 2006

What I did with the money:

I changed a life! I bought a goat!

I purchased a dairy goat through World Vision – a Christian relief organization dedicated to helping children and communities by tackling poverty. They strive to provide for the physical needs as well as the spiritual needs of the communities that they serve.

They take the goats and give them to families (often a single mother with no means to support her family, or an orphan who is not only trying to meet his/her own needs, but care for younger siblings as well). These goats provide milk, cheese, and yogurt for the hungry families to eat. They often sell excess milk products in the local markets. Their excrement is used as fertilizer for the family vegetable garden. These goats thrive in areas that are unable to support cows or sheep. The amount of land they need is minimal. They aren’t picky eaters – often subsisting on local herbs or shrubs. They are tough little critters! Within a year, most are able to reproduce – often with twins! The flock can continue to grow offering even more security to the struggling families.

What I hope to accomplish for the master with the money:

My goal is to be the faithful servant - the one invited to share in God’s joy!

Matthew 25:21 - His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”

How this project has helped/challenged/encouraged me:

I have to be honest with you. When Pastor Scott said that he would be doing a six week series on Stewardship, I rolled my eyes and thought “Here we go again…been there…done that…heard this story before.” I have been taught lessons in Stewardship since I could walk. I tithe. I give to missions and special projects both inside and outside of the church. I have given hours and hours and hours to church ministries by teaching, singing, leading teens - you name it I’ve done it! I was fully prepared to do some “pew time” but didn’t really look forward to the next few weeks. These are not areas I struggle for obedience in.

But God had other ideas!

When I was “randomly selected” (there really is nothing random about God!) to participate in this Stewardship Project, my heart sank to my toes. I really hate being put on the spot like that. I usually feel inadequate to the task. Creative ideas can be a struggle and time deadlines only make it worse. I felt pressure to come up with a singularly spectacular idea which would not only meet the criteria laid out before me, but to do so in a way that would “present well” to the congregation. Pastor Scott said that the $50 was just like any other $50 dollars God had given me, but that wasn’t really true – this was the church’s $50 and I had better come up with something good!

Wow – even as those thoughts ran through my head, I realized that Satan is alive and well and chose that period of time to allow pride to rear it’s very ugly head! My heart stilled as I prayed that God would show me what to do with HIS$50 – regardless of what anyone else in the church thought!

As I thought back to the sermon (despite my “been there, heard that” attitude – I really did listen and have learned quite a bit over the last few weeks), I wondered about the phrase “share your Master’s happiness”. What makes God happy? As I read further in Matthew 25, I came across these verses (Matthew 25:31-36):

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate the people one from another…he will put the righteous on his right and the unrighteous on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

How could I feed the hungry or give drink to the thirsty in a way that would last? I sponsor a child through Food for the Hungry, but that is $28 a month – forever. What could I do for $50? My thoughts went back to a conversation I had with my son, Matt back at Christmas time. He was telling me about a program where you could buy a cow for a family in Africa. I remember doing my sister’s taxes for her and seeing a contribution receipt for a flock of chickens for a family in a under-developed country. The idea took hold and I began to research organizations that provided these critters.

I found that I could give a goat for $75 through World Vision. I found other organizations that offered goats for less – but they were merely humanitarian groups offering nothing which would feed souls as well. World Vision works to build relationships in these communities – meeting physical needs of the people and sharing the gospel too!

So, where do I come up with another $25? I thought about asking some of my friends at church. But I have never felt comfortable asking people for money – so I wondered if I was just being a coward, or whether this was God nudging me out of my comfort zone. I struggled and prayed about it (I know - it’s only $25. I’m not asking them to take a second mortgage out on their house! Why is this so scary?). Pastor Scott’s words came back to me – this $50 is just like any other $50 God gives you. One of the quotes regarding giving that Pastor Scott used the second or third week of his series mentioned not just giving out of your excess and I have so much excess! Why was I even considering asking my friends for $25 when God has provided me with so much more than I need? The extra $25 needed to come from me! (Actually, $100 came from me – I bought two goats)!

Another surprise waited for me. I thought that once I had a plan and carried it through, that would be the end. I would write my report to the congregation, close the chapter, move on. But something unexpected happened. When I finished placing the call to buy the two goats, I didn’t feel like it was finished. God has been prompting me to pray for the two families that will receive these furry little bundles of God’s love. I am praying for healthy little goat “kids” and the “kids” who will be eating its bounty. I am praying that God’s call on their hearts will be as persistent as the bleating of a goat waiting to be milked each morning. I am praying that God takes this gift and doubles it and doubles it and doubles it again.

So, the project continues…. I don’t know when it will end, but God does.

Hast thou no scar?

Hast thou no scar?

No hidden scar on foot or side or hand?
I hear thee song as mighty in the land.
I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star.
Hast thou no scar?
Hast thou not wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers spent.
Leaned me against the tree to die and rent
by ravening beasts that compassed me I swooned.
Hast thou no wound?
No wound, no scar.
Yes, as the Master shall the servant be,
and pierced are the feet that follow Me.
But thine are whole.
Can he have followed far who has no wound or no scar?
-- Amy Carmichael

Thought for Today

Our values determine our evaluations. If we value comfort more than character, then trials will upset us. If we value the material and physical more than the spiritual, we will not be able to count it all joy. If we live only for the present and forget the future, then trials will make us bitter, not better. – Warren Wiersbe.

65th Anniversary -- Before and After

Look what twenty years of going to West Linn Baptist Church will do to a person!

Who is this and what is she doing in each picture?

And, don't forget about the 65th Anniversary next Sunday evening at 7:00 followed by a Strawberry Social.