If you have no plans for Easter Dinner, but would like to join others for a meal, there will be a potluck at New Life Church Riverfalls in the multi-purpose room at 1:00 p.m.. Bring a salad or side dish or dessert. Ham will be provided. Call Brenda Lauterbach (503.656.0520) with questions.
Few things make a father's heart prouder than seeing his children grasp the values he has instilled in them. I was a proud father a few Sundays ago when my daughter Julie stood in front of the church and told the story of her adoption. She not only told her story, but challenged the church to care for the orphans of our world.
Father's Heart is a new ministry of New Life Church that encourages Christians to have the "Father's heart" for orphans in our world. James 1:27 says, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." There are lots of ways we can "look after" the orphans in our world. Yes, some people need to consider adoption as a way of embracing God's heart for orphans. However, there are also lots of other big and small ways you can help.
On Tuesday evening, April 3rd at 6:30 PM @ New Life Riverfalls, the Father's Heart Ministry Team will be hosting a free informational dinner. You are invited to come and hear more about this ministry and discover how you can be involved in embracing God's heart for orphans. Please contact Mark and Molly Hanson at MarkMolly@comcast.net to RSVP.
Three New Life Church students were part of the West Linn High School state championship Mock Trial team. Congratulations to Hannah Cochran, Lauren Currey and Natalie Douglas and their teammates. Tom Elliott helped coach them, too. You can read the full West Linn Tidings article here.
Last night I was tired. Monday night had been short. I was SLEEPY. Yet, as is my routine, I read my Bible. We are using the plan referred to on the blog in December that has us read different portions of the Scriptures each day. Last night, of all places, 1 Samuel 6-10. Everyone knows what excitement awaits in 1 Samuel 6-10, right?
The Lord blessed me in two different ways through that obscure text. 1 Samuel 6 opens with the story of the return of the Ark by the Philistines. They return it on an oxcart with untamed cows who have been separated from their calves and this is their plan,
Send it on its way, 9 but keep watching it. If it goes up to its own territory, toward Beth Shemesh, then the LORD has brought this great disaster on us. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us and that it happened to us by chance." 10 So they did this. They took two such cows and hitched them to the cart and penned up their calves. (1 Samuel 6:8-10)This is the question we must wrestle with in blessing and calamity, "Did the Lord do this or did it happen by chance?" If you read the rest of the story it is evident, the cows pull the cart straight back to Israel! The Lord's hand was in it -- no surprise. It was important for the pagan Philistines to know that God had afflicted them. And, it is important to me, too. I can bear anything if He is in it. But, if the pain in my life is left to chance, I despair.
Christian History Magazine has a feature on St. Patrick that may be interesting for you to read and see what kind of man of God is behind the "holiday".
Patrick - 131 Christians Everyone Should Know
It was a great day. Starting off with a fun lunch with the staff. Things that didn't go as planned with lunch: transportation and location. How it turned out: Got to see the new OHSU tram in the air, go site seeing, enjoy a very good lunch at a brand new restaurant and share a 6 layer cake. Now how can you beat that!
Then, to walk into the church with many of you standing there. How much more could I be honored? Well, you did with a great gift. An outstanding cruise to one our favorite places - Victoria, BC. We scheduled it for the end of September and really look forward to it. A CD I'll treasure forever, of you with such kind words. An autograph book with a caricature by Dave Ross (I'm not sure I ever looked that good behind my desk). Me on front of Time magazine, now that was some doing by Nancy Carlson.
It was a fantastic day I'll always remember and watch on CD. But, then you've given me many years of great memories. It was a blessing to share 29 years of my life with you. Your prays through the years were always appreciated, especially when health problems occurred for both of us. Please continue to pray for me.
I plan to seeing you occasionally. Please feel free to give me a call or visit as I don't want to be out of your lives.
Again, thanks for the love and memories,
Freda
If you're a high school student, don't miss this STELLAR opportunity to meet and get to know other students, have a great time, and stay out late.
I just realized we made a big deal about Freda's retirement, but we didn't say anything about the plan for her replacement. Elaine Hochstettler will serve on an interim basis until we find a permanent replacement or she has a baby, whichever comes first. The typical office hours are M-Th, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m..
Some of you will remember her as Elaine O'Gara. She grew up in our church and has a real servant's spirit. If you call the church, this is what you will hear.
Here is a short article that suggests topics for parents to use to have meaningful conversations with their children. I hope you find this piece from HomeWord helpful.
Don't forget to set your clocks ahead one hour tonight. Who will forget and walk into church an hour late tomorrow? Hmmmm.
How fantastic is your Friday? Feel like you can do anything? You may want to try this.
First Wednesday Prayer
Come for a time of prayer and worship as we look to HIM as our Treasure.
7:15-8:15 PM at our Robinwood location.
Last Sunday night at our monthly Leadership Summit we focused on the need to keep church simple. The human tendency is to complicate things. Here are five keys to keeping things at church simple. The acronym we used was C.L.E.A.R. Things will be simple if they are clear:
Every Tuesday Evening at 7:00 PM @ New Life Robinwood a group of New Life Women meet together for the purpose of studying God's Word, praying together, and sharing life together. Over the past 11 weeks they have been working through a study called "Becoming a Woman of Purpose." Each week a different guest speaker has come to speak to the group about a different area of the Christian life. You can see from the smiling faces in the pictures that these women have been having a great time together. What you can't see is that God has been doing an amazing transforming work on the hearts of these women. You can only see that by joining them for a study. Hey that's a good segue'. 
You are invited to join these women tonight (3/6) for a potluck and preview the next study entitled "Growing in Wisdom and Faith" by Elizabeth George. This practical study from the book of James comes highly recommended and will begin next Tuesday (3/13). It would be a great study to invite a friend to as James talks about issues that affect women today. Books will be available to purchase for $5:00. If this is your first time to come please let us know so we are sure to have enough books on hand. We will also need to know if you need child care. Email Cris Austen at dausten523@aol.com.
Here is a simple and helpful article that sheds some light on the supposed documentary that will air on the Discovery Channel on Sunday.
Yesterday we celebrated the faithful service that Freda Fox has rendered to New Life Church over the past 29 years. Beginning at noon the pastoral staff took her to lunch and stalled until 3:00 when the reception began. Friends and family were in and out of the church until after 6:00 to wish her well.
For lunch we went to the new Claim Jumper Restaurant in Clackamas. The portions were generous and the building was beautiful. It was not our first choice, though. I forgot to make reservations at the Brazil Grill and missed the small detail that they only serve lunch on Saturdays. Oops! It did make our stall until 3:00 pretty easy.
Ken and Joanne made a video of the church saying farewell. We showed that video a couple times. Kim, Lori, Brenda, Chris and Judy worked behind the scenes to make the celebration delightful. Thank you.
I would have put live pictures of people here, but the creative artwork by members of the congregation was really the highlight. Here are a couple samples. Freda got lots of flowers, gifts and cards, too.
The church is sending her and Jerry on a trip to Victoria, BC. They did something similar years ago and enjoyed it a great deal. She assured me she'd look at it after they return from their England trip later this month!
Thanks again, Freda. You have been an encouragement to us all!
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.
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:
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.
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).
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!
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!
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.
