ComfortZone

I go to church with my family every Sunday in a large historic brick building in the center of the older part of Newberg.

I know that “the church” is really the people, and that we would be the church even if we met in a school gymnasium or a coffee shop, but when I think of my church, I think of this building. It has been a large part of my life and I am extremely thankful for it.

Here are some memories and important events that have happened to me at Newberg Friends Church:

• In Junior High I sang in the youth choir led by Dennis Hagen. We got to wear those awesome purple choir robes!
• In the early seventies I remember the older high school kids “rebelling against the establishment” by daring to wear Levis to church. I remember wondering what was going to happen to them…
• I loved to sit with my buddies in the back row of the balcony. My dad often sang in the choir, and when his eye caught mine—that was enough for me to start paying attention!
• I knelt at the alter as a young high schooler during some special evening meetings, responding to God’s voice. I was already a “believer,” but I made an important commitment to Christ there.
• Also as a high schooler, our youth group was in charge of a service one Sunday, and believe it or not, I preached. Really! My sermon was from John 3—Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus on being “born again.” (It was a pretty short message! )
• I listened to my pastors’ sermons through the years, Fred Littlefield, Richard Foster, Ron Woodward, Dick Sartwell, Gregg Koskela and many others. They preached, taught, warned, encouraged, reminded, guided, and overall just pointed me to Jesus.
• I have sat in silent open worship well over 1500 times there, and gazed at the beams, the stain glass windows, and the woodwork, as I listened to Christ… or just sat… and waited.
• Deanne and I said our vows to each other there on March 22, 1986, in a ceremony that brought together many friends and family. My grandfather, Oscar Brown, and Deanne’s pastor from Hillsboro friends, Earl Perisho, officiated.
• Deanne and I had each of our kids dedicated to God publicly there.

I often wonder how those early Friends pulled it off over 115 years ago. How did they decide where to build and when to build? How much to spend? What it would look like and how big it would be? They certainly had a vision for the future.

I have a great love for NFC, and am excited about what God is doing among us, the people that meet there these days.

Here is a list of things I am thankful for today:

• We have an incredibly gifted, committed and caring staff
• We have many wonderful people from a wide variety of backgrounds and places
• We have all ages well represented—babies, children, youth, young adults, young families, middle-agers, and retired people
• Our focus is on following Christ. We are His friends.

Thank God for NFC!