Yoo Doo Hoo Doo

What a funny name, emphasis on FUN! There was plenty of it going on this past weekend as the high school group from New Life Church ventured to Camp Tadmor for a night skiing/snowboarding on Mt. Hoo Doo. High school students ruled the mountain from 9 p.m. - 1 a.m. when no other sane person would dare. CBNW planned and organized the event safely and seamlessly which was a blessing to leaders and parents alike. In the end, students were encouraged to evaluate their sinfulness in light of the fact that God has given Himself to sinners through the person and work of Jesus.

Freda is Retiring

The day I've long dreaded is now upon us. Freda is retiring from New Life church after 29 years of faithful and capable service. Wednesday, February 28th will be her final day.

She has been the friendly voice on the phone, the inventor of words like "flustrated", the bookkeeper, counselor, bulletin printer, office manager and more for all this time. She has served with four senior pastors, answered the phone using three church names, and published the monthly newsletter under at least two names before it was discontinued last year. She began typing the bulletin on an IBM Selectric typewriter and ran it off on a mimeograph. The intercom near the front door actually worked. The church had a kindergarten. She began in the office across from the drinking fountains.

When Freda began as the secretary for West Linn First Baptist Church in 1978:

• Jimmy Carter was president.
• Garfield made his debut in the comic section.
• Jim Jones led the Jonestown mass suicide.
• Different Strokes was the new sitcom on TV.
• The Susan B. Anthony dollar went into production.
• The Camp David Accords were signed by Israel and Egypt.
• The first "test-tube baby" was born.
• Peter Rose recorded his 3000th hit.
• Karol Wojtyla of Poland became Pope John Paul II.
• Taito Corp launched first arcade video game, Space Invaders.
• Superman the movie debuted, starring Christopher Reeve.
• And, Pastor Scott was in high school.

Freda, we love you and will miss you. Thank you for your faithful service and friendship.

H20

This Sunday, the last weekend of the month, you can get H20 bags at New Life Church. An H20 bag is a meal that you can hand out to a homeless person who stands by the side of the road with a sign.

Leslie and Lauren have started their own H20 blog to get the word out. They hope to share the idea with other churches with that new tool.

Happy New Year?

This past Sunday we had a New Year's Day celebration at New Life Robinwood... Chinese New Year! During the worship service we saw pictures of our global partners, Paul and Diana Mayhugh and the people they work with in Macau (a tiny island nation off the coast of China).

The Mayhughs work primarily with Chinese students. We prayed for their work and their family. To the right is a picture taken of Diana Mayhugh and some of the students she works with. On this night she shared about Jesus using a Nativity scene, and some of the students heard the Christmas story for the very first time.

To the left is a picture of Paul Mayhugh and some more students on Christmas Eve. These are students who have come to Christ and are following Him in baptism!

It was a blessing to spend time praying for the Mayhughs and the people of Macau and China. The children spent some time learning about Chinese culture and how God is moving in China. Below is a picture of a few of the children trying to see if they would fit in to Chinese culture.

We ended the day with a "Chinese" Potluck. I'm sure it was nothing like a real Chinese potluck, but it was fun none the less. After the meal we spent another extended time in prayer for the Mayhughs, God's work in Macau and China, and the expansion of His kingdom around the world and right here in West Linn.

New Items in the Library

Children Library:

DVD: An Easter Carol by Veggie Tales

Main Library:

Cassettes:
When God Doesn't Make Sense (4 pack)

Books:
Understand Man by Stedman, Ray C
God is Relevant by Palau, Luis
A Funny Thing Happened on My Way to OLD AGE (LIFE CHANGES AFTER 50) by Baldwin, Stanley C
How to share Your Faith by Laurie, Greg
Why Believe? by Laurie, Greg
D.James Kennedy (the Man and His Ministry) by Williams, Herbert Lee, PH.D)
The Bible Has the Answer by Morris, Henry M.
Lies Women Believe and the Truth that sets them Free by DeMoss, Nancy Leigh
Tramp For the LORD by Ten Boom, Corrie
Light from Heaven by Karon, Jan

Thanks
Joeleen

West Linn Teen Needs Your Help

Hayley Resk, age 13, is the focus of a fundraising campaign to assist with medical expenses. In 1999, Hayley was diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis or PSC. PSC is a chronic liver disease which causes fibrosis and blockage of the bile ducts. There is no effective treatment for PSC, and over time most patients develop liver failure. Hayley received a life-saving liver transplant on February 12, 2007. An estimated $500,000 is being raised by West Linn volunteers to assist with transplant-related expenses. Hayley’s family has partnered with the Children’s Organ Transplant Association - a national charity based in Bloomington, Indiana - that is dedicated to organizing and guiding families and communities in raising funds for transplant-needy patients. COTA’s priority is to assure that no child is denied a transplant or excluded from a transplant waiting list due to lack of funds. 100% of all funds raised are used for transplant-related expenses. Find out more about COTA at www.cota.org or call 800.366.2682.

There are many opportunities for your church community to help. If you are interested, please contact Mair Blatt, Campaign Coordinator at 503.655.9896 or mairblatt@aol.com.

Direct donations can be mailed to the Children’s Organ Transplant Association, 2501 COTA Drive, Bloomington, Indiana 47403. Checks or money orders should be made payable to COTA with “In honor of Hayley Resk” written in the memo line of the check. Secure credit card donations can be made at www.cotaforhayleyr.com In addition to your time and donations, Hayley really needs your prayers.
Thank you and May God Bless You!

Valentine's Day at the SAM Luncheon

The musicians I love the most did the program at the SAM luncheon yesterday. They played some old favorites for everyone to sing along. They played their 'new' instruments. It turned out to be one of the largest SAM luncheons in memory. And, thankfully, there was plenty of delicious food.

What Can One Man Do For God?

Oops!

I have suggested that the first person to turn in their annual report each year should get a prize. Well, the first person this year REALLY deserves a prize. She was first and then I didn’t get it into the report. My humble apologies go to Joeleen Montgomery! Her report is below.
Freda

LIBRARY REPORT

In 2004, we moved the children's library down stairs to give them more room; also we are in the process of updating the upstairs library by removing outdated materials and making room for new materials to come. We will be adding many new books to our library as soon as we finish this process.

Hannah Cochran is doing a great job running the children's library. If you haven’t seen the space downstairs, take a look at what she’s done.

In 2006 we hope to start a Library in Robinwood and keep adding new books and tapes to our library. Have some shelves removed in our library to start a section for BOOKS OF THE BIBLE and add new CD's and books to our Children's Library down stairs.
Joeleen Montgomery, Library

Missions Weekend

The Reavely family had a great opportunity to spend time with a couple of our missionaries this weekend. They are more than missionaries commissioned by our church, they are dear friends.

Bruce Tissell has been "home" since late August and is heading home at the end of the month. We are planning a short-term team to work with him this Summer. Dan and Alice Simmons visited their families on a short trip to Canada and the States. They are planning to go back to Italy at the end of this month.

Bruce and the Simmons were encouraged by a renewal conference held at the Worldventure Home office in Littleton, Colorado. Please continue to pray for them, their work is spiritually demanding and emotionally challenging on a number of levels.

Valentine's Banquet

Men's Ministry hosted a Valentines Banquet for couples at New Life Church last night at Black Point Inn in Oregon City. Tim Snyder led us in singing some 'oldies'. Bob Maddox gave a wonderful message on how to fight fair -- a nice romantic topic for Valentine's Day. We enjoyed a nice meal, scrumptious dessert and great company.

Pastor Maddox suggested that we have conflict because we have bought into the plan of the world for our relationship instead of God's plan, because we have expectations of others that are higher than reality and because we're different.

The whole room grew uncomfortable when he made Pastor Scott admit to everyone that he and Marcia fight. Thankfully, Marcia was the only one who didn't believe him. . . Well, okay, maybe we did spend some time afterwards talking about it.

Actually, I hope everyone did. The evening made me love and appreciate my fabulous wife even more! I trust it had that result for everyone. Well, I mean, love and appreciate their own wives. Or, their own husbands, as the case may be. You know what I mean. . . maybe I should just quit now.

Today's Encouraging Word

Here is an email I received from a woman who found Christ at New Life Church, then West Linn Baptist. Some days I want to give up. Some days the Lord shares encouragement like this with me to remind me it is worth it.

Many years ago I was in the youth group at West Linn Baptist. You were the youth pastor when I moved away. My last name used to be Naron. You probably do not remember me, and that's ok. (It was 1988-89.)

I live in the San Diego, California area now with my wonderful husband of almost 12 years and our 2 adorable children.

I have a couple of reasons for writing. One is that I want you to be encouraged that as a high-schooler Christ saved me through the ministry at West Linn Baptist and He has since steadily grown me through the study of His word and the work of His body the church. We go to Clairemont Emmanuel Baptist Church and are so blessed to be there. I often think back so lovingly to West Linn because I was born there. I was admittedly a mess back then, but I was loved and brought to Christ through that sweet congregation. I just thought it might be nice to know there is fruit out here from your ministry that you don't even know about. I am so encouraged as I look at what is going on up there. I feared that West Linn would become stagnant or self absorbed as sadly many churches seem to have done. It is wonderful to know God is stirring your hearts and working fresh and new. ( I was looking for the church and came to your blogs. Praise God!)

May the Lord give us eyes of faith to look into the future 18-20 years and trust Him for the children and young people we are serving today!

Mahna Mahna

Union with Christ

O Father,

Thou hast made man for the glory of thyself,
and when not an instrument of that glory,
he is a thing of nought;
No sin is greater than the sin of unbelief,
for if union with Christ is the greatest good,
unbelief is the greatest sin,
as being cross to thy command;
I see that whatever my sin is,
yet no sin is like disunion from Christ by unbelief.
Lord, keep me from committing the greatest sin
in departing from him,
for I can never in this life perfectly obey
and cleave to Christ.

When thou takest away my outward blessings,
it is for sin,
in not acknowledging that all I have is of thee,
in not serving thee through what I have,
in making myself secure and hardened.
Lawful blessings are the secret idols,
and do most hurt;
the greatest injury is in the having,
the greatest good is in the taking away.
In love divest me of blessings that I may glorify
thee the more;
remove the fuel of my sin,
and may I prize the gain of a little holiness
as overbalancing all my losses.

The more I love thee with a truly gracious love
the more I desire to love thee,
and the more miserable I am at my want of love;
The more I hunger and thirst after thee,
the more I faint and fail in finding thee,
The more my heart is broken for sin,
the more I pray it may be far more broken.

My great evil is that I do not remember
the sins of my youth,
nay, the sins of one day I forget the next.

Keep me from all things that turn to unbelief
or lack of felt union with Christ.

From The Valley of Vision - A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, Arthur Bennett, editor. ©The Banner of Truth Trust 1975, 2002, p.20

Communion Sunday

Faith, Hope and Love

The blest memorials of thy grief,
The sufferings of thy death,
We come, dear Savior, to receive,
But would receive with faith.

The tokens sent us to relieve,
Our spirits when they droop,
We come, dear Savior, to receive
But would receive with hope.

The pledges thou wast pleased to leave
Our mournful minds to move,
We come, dear Savior, to receive,
But would receive with love.

Here in obedience to thy word,
We take the bread and wine,
The utmost we can do, dear Lord,
For all beyond is thine.

Increase our faith, and hope, and love,
Lord, give us all that's good;
We would thy full salvation prove,
And share thy flesh and blood.