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library down stairs to give them more room; also we are in the process of updating the upstairs library by removing outdated materials and making room for new materials to come.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.

Subtitles

Western Seminary

I was away the past couple days in Sacramento at a Western Seminary Board of Trustees meeting. We have such a sense of responsibility for the future of Christian leadership. I trust you will pray for the seminary.

One of my responsibilities is to help with their alumni contacts. Here is, what else, a blog that I am working on to help do thatl

Get to Know Your Bible

Every Christian will be better off if they know their way around the Bible. Here are a couple songs that will help you learn the order of the books of the both Old Testament and the New Testament. Some of you may have sung these before. Many of you will recognize the artist (scroll down)!

First Wednesday

First Wednesday begins February 7th, 7:15-8:15 PM at New Life Robinwood. Come pray and worship together as we continue our church wide prayer focus into 2007. First Wednesday, every month on the First Wednesday of the month!

O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. Psalms 141:1-2 (NIV)

Double Blessing!

The past three weeks I have enjoyed one of the blessings of being a multi-site church. I have gone to Robinwood for one service then to Riverfalls for the next. My soul has been doubly fed and doubly blessed.











I thank the Lord for His great provision for our church of faithful and able preachers, worship leaders, encouragers and servants. I have been doubly blessed and so has New Life church!

Middle School Tubing Trip

Food, friends, and fluffy snow -- that's a certain mix for a good time. Forty middle school students and seven adults went to Mt. Hood on Saturday and had a blast. Four of them indicated a desire to accept Christ. Thank you for your prayers for our young people.

Here are some pictures:

Help for (back) end times!

Here are a pair of shorts. They could help you with your eschatology or they could simply help you figure out right from left.

There's nothing like a good souvenir from your favorite book. . .and this is nothing like a good souvenir.

Women's Retreat Starts Today

The women of New Life Church are undetered by the weather. They will not stop because of a small flood at Aldersgate Conference Center. No, nothing will prevent them from retreating. While everything else has come to a sliding halt this week, the 2007 Women's Retreat begins on schedule today. Please remember to pray for them.

The New Neighbors Are Moving Out Already!

Several people near our house have been out and active. Here is a sampling of their efforts. Too bad all the snowmen are leaving us so soon. In fact, only one of them is still standing.

While they all started with white snow, the creativity that went into the different incarnations of the snowmen was fascinating to me.



I hope you enjoyed yourself in the snow. I have to admit I found it easier to take pictures of snowmen than to actually make them myself.

Why do we baptize in the river?

What did you do in the snow?

What did you do in the snow today? I was out driving a BMW Z4. If you don't believe me you can ask my kids.

We were out on a winter-driving practice run when we came upon a 58 year-old Vietnamese woman who had been sitting in her car for an hour and a half. She was more than happy to let me drive her home, perhaps because I was wearing my credentials, a hat that said, "Montana State University." For the record, driving a Z4 in the snow is like driving a snow disc, only without having as much control!

The first incident came as I tried to climb in. When the roof is up on this car, it is very small, about the size of a Chevron Car you can find at your gas station. I bonked my head and apologized. I tried to scoot the seat back. She told me it was back as far as it went. My knee didn't bend enough. I couldn't get in. Some rescuer I was. I finally wedged myself in. I did have more room when I opened the window, so we drove with the windows open. I could also wave people to pass me with my arm out the window.

She was off to the side because she couldn't climb the hill. So I decided to back it out from the side of the road. When I did the front end began to slide and we did a 180 and drove the opposite direction. I made it look like I meant to do that. I decided to take her around Willamette to her home.

I made the bad decision to try the little hill at 19th street. We didn't make it. Instead we began sliding backwards toward a wall of garden rocks. I couldn't steer at all, like a snow disc without any control. By this time a small crowd, including a policeman, had gathered to see this sports car crash into a rock wall. Sliding backwards, I put the car into drive and spun the tires while two people pushed us into the middle of the road. We backed down and successfully made it all the way around Willamette. I was heading toward Summerlinn when she pointed down Debok and shouted, "No, that's where I live!" By then it was too late to make the turn and we spun another 180. I drove back to the corner of Blankenship and Ostman where I made a reverse U-turn. And we tried again. This time we made the turn onto Debok.

We were within 20 yards of her house when I swung wide to try to drive through the gates and into the driveway of the apartments. Only then did I see the two other cars parked beside the entrance -- they didn't make it. We climbed to a stop, started spinning and sliding backwards. That's when I noticed a brick pillar behind me. I still do not know how we were able to avoid that, but we backed down on Debok and found her a parking spot across from the entrance to her apartments. And, I walked home!

Things to consider next time:

• Don't drive a car you can't afford to fix.
• Chances are the sports car is on the side of the road in a snow storm -- for a reason!
• Make sure you can get in a car if you are going to rescue someone.
• Don't forget about your kids in the family van. (They got stuck twice getting home and got yelled at by the police).
• If you can't put the top down, at least drive with the window open.
• If you're going to negotiate an opportunity to drive a BMW convertible, don't do it in the snow. (That whole "closed track, professional driver" thing sounds pretty good).
• If you can't find your snow disc, rent a BMW Z4.

SNOW

West Linn/Wilsonville Schools are cancelled today, so the church office is closed also. Daytime activities will also be cancelled today. Women's Bible Study will be CANCELLED tonight, too.

Please drive carefully and ENJOY THE SNOW!

Today's Encouragement

God seldom grants enough encouragement for you to bank and store away for a rainy day. But, today's encouragement came pretty close. Steve Burlew of Banner of Truth Trust bought me coffee and we enjoyed a sweet time of fellowship in the Lord. He is on a Northwest Tour from his Pennsylvania home-base. Somehow I ended up on his itinerary. My last two book purchases have both included Banner of Truth books.

And, on another literary note, the church got its first affiliate check from CBD because someone bought books through our website. Thank you. If you have books to buy, please use the links on the bookstore page of our website.

Praise and Thanksgiving

O MY GOD,

Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,
my heart admires, adores, loves thee,
for my little vessel is as full as it can be,
and I would pour out all that fullness before thee in ceaseless flow.

When I think upon and converse with thee ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,
ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,
ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,
crowding every moment of happiness.

I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,
for adorning it,
sanctifying it,
though it is fixed in barren soil;
for the body thou hast given me,
for preserving its strength and vigor,
for providing senses to enjoy delights,
for the ease of freedom of my limbs,
for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;
for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,
for a full table and overflowing cup,
for appetite, taste, sweetness,
for social joys of relatives and friends,
for ability to serve others,
for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,
for a mind to care for my fellow-men,
for opportunities of spreading happiness around,
for loved ones in the joys of heaven,
for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.

I love thee above the powers of language to express, for what thou art to thy creatures.

Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.

-- Valley of Vision, Arthur Bennett, Banner of Truth, 1975; p. 15.

Ministry in Macau

Here is a prayer update from Macau.

Manna Cupboard News-Part 2

We have more details about our new opportunity to minister to our neighbors at the transitional housing group down the block from us.This will be an ongoing effort to reach out to those in our own neighborhood that are in need of God's love and compassion.

Bridges to Change would be happy to receive a box of food each week containing the following items to help their residents to ease into their "new life".

1 jar peanut butter
1 jar jelly/jam
3-4 cans of soup/ramen
2 boxes hot or cold cereal
3-4 cans of vegetables
2 -3 boxes of prepared dinners (hamburger helper/rice dinner for example)
2 packages of jello or pudding
2-3 cans of tuna or canned meat
2-3 packages of candy

They also have a clothing cupboard that we could help fill. They could use men or women's clothing that is clean and in good condition that would be appropriate for them to wear to a job interview.

If you would like to participate in this great new outreach ministry, bring food or clothing to the church foyer Manna Cupboard or call Dianne Froode @697-4876 or Barbara Gustafson @ 650-9037.

Look before you leap. . .

Flu Facts

Do you have the Flu?* Here at FluFacts are some keys to avoiding it, recognizing it, and recovering from it.

* If the answer is "yes", get well soon!

Wayne Rodenbaugh 11/20/24 - 1/5/07

A memorial service will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2007, in New Life Church in West Linn for Wayne Rodenbaugh, who died Jan. 5 of cancer at age 82.

Wayne, who trusted Christ as his Savior in the last years of his life, leaves a dear wife, Paulette, and daughter Linda behind. He is "in action" in this photo cooking breakfast for a company.

Recent Shepherding Upgrade

In an effort to be better shepherds, the pastoral staff at New Life Church has just subscribed to Wolf-Tracker. Wolf-Tracker is designed to better protect the church from, ahem, wolves in sheep's clothing.

Generosity

Here's an article by Chuck Colson that highlights research on the giving of Conservative Christians and Secular Liberals. He suggests it may provide a witnessing opportunity.

Best of the Web!

I have been receiving the Best Of The Web from the Wall Street Journal by email for a year or so. It is somewhat political so I've not refered you to it before (even though the politics are frequently quite entertaining). But I thought the very bottom story today was worth pointing out. It highlights two stories, both from the Associated Press, which are based on the same survey. One says American's are optimistic about 2007 and the other says that Americans are pessimistic about 2007. Fascinating!

Each Day A Little Life

I count each day a little life,
With birth and death complete;
I cloister it from care and strife
And keep it sane and sweet.

With eager eyes I greet the morn,
Exultant as a boy,
Knowing that I am newly born
To wonder and to joy.

And when the sunset splendors wane,
And ripe for rest am I,
Knowing that I will live again,
Exultantly I die.

O that all Life were but a Day,
Sunny and sweet and sane!
And that at Even I might say:
“I sleep to wake again.”
– Robert Service