Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends
Fall 2014
Newberg Bakery:
An Expression of Quaker Values Bruce Bishop
Somewhere around 2000, the idea of Newberg Bakery was born. We didn't know it would be called that. We didn't know it would be 14 years before we hosted our first customers. We didn't know the opening day would be preceded by four months of hard manual labor remodeling an old silent movie theater-cum-doctor's office-cum-hair salon. But we did know we both had a passion to use our baking skills to create a "third-place,� a community-building space separate from the home or job site.
Bruce Bishop and Brenda Burg
Brenda Burg and I have both grown up in NWYM, ministering and being ministered to by Friends. Our values for the bakery came quickly to the surface and reflect our spiritual heritage. We wanted to create a space of simplicity, beauty, and community, where people would feel welcome, prices would be affordable, and the atmosphere would be restful. We created a simple lay-out featuring an open kitchen. People can sit at the counter and talk with us while they drink their coffee or enjoy a bagel. And we can greet people as they come in the door. We make an effort to learn the names of regular customers and a bit of their personal story so we can journey together. We salvaged
Newberg Bakery: Continued from page 1 bricks to give character to one wall and whitewashed roughcut lumber for the dining room. We are using old, mismatched furniture that shows the stress and character of time, and have included a long community table that seats ten. We often see it full of not only families or meetings, but also smaller groupings that share the space and get to know one another. Leftover breads and pastries are donated each day through Love INC (In the Name of Christ); we regularly contribute to community causes; and we host an occasional “Late Night at the Bakery” exclusively for George Fox University students.
Good things on the rise
Coffee and tea are locally sourced, and we’ve traded for summer fruits and vegetables from friends’ gardens. Cheerily painted Adirondack chairs cluster outside on dry days, creating inviting space for customers or passersby alike. Inside, old photos of Newberg adorn the wall and emphasize the history and roots of this place where we have chosen to serve. In preparing for this business venture, we invited people to help us pay for the heavy equipment through an online crowd-funding program. Not only were we overwhelmed with the support from friends and strangers alike, but the process created community and relationships even before we opened! It has been a real pleasure to meet many of our donors in person and share with them how they helped us make Newberg Bakery possible.
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People often ask for “more.” Will we be expanding? Will we put in more seating? Be open for longer hours or offer more options? Can we cater this event, or meet this need? And while we want to do what we can to support folks and be a part of their lives,
we are also challenged by William Penn's willingness to limit his tailoring business to what he could responsibly handle. We want to offer the best of our baking and community-building skills. But if we blindly follow society’s model to pursue the market and expand as much as possible, we fear we’ll end up living stressed lives, distancing ourselves from the roles we love, and compromising our products. So we are aiming for a contentment that recognizes “enough.” We want our business and personal lives to be sustainable. To that end, we shortened our hours after the first two weeks so that we could get home at a decent hour, and we closed the business for a week, celebrating our six-month anniversary with a personal holiday! Like Penn, we recommend other local businesses that might be able to meet any needs that we cannot. We’ve unofficially partnered with the nearby coffee shop, sending people their way for espresso drinks rather than trying to duplicate their efforts. The Mexican bakery next door makes excellent donuts, and we’ve boosted their sales by sending inquirers over to them.
It is always a joy to see regulars come through the doors each day, whether they are people we’ve known for years, or community folk that we’re just getting to know. We’re hearing about new business ventures, weddings and births, teaching and learning. It has taken a lot of effort, and it is hard work learning to share a kitchen and business. But daily there are life-giving encounters that refresh us as we offer our hometown this third space that expresses our Quaker values. It is our aim and hope that each person who comes through our doors will find a restful, welcoming setting where they can enjoy wholesome food and great community. We hope to be a positive presence for good in the Newberg community, as well as model a manageable lifestyle of busy-ness.
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Servant Leadership: Alex Henry This past summer, I was chosen to be part of the Servant Leadership Program (SLP) at Twin Rocks. It is about learning to expand your skills in leadership while learning to be a humble servant. The theme verse for this year was “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).
SLP is six weeks long and every week has a new set of experiences to strengthen one's skills in being a servant leader. Most of these experiences Alex Henry happened in the first four weeks because the last two we attend Yearly Meeting and Surfside. Week one, we focus on team building and training classes. These classes help us learn basic skills for working the dish room, coffee shop, and housekeeping, as well as counseling kids and creating devotions. By the end of the first full day we felt like we'd known each other all our lives.
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Next came the time for our first turnover to clean up camp for the incoming girls. Turnover happens when all of the Twin Rocks staff clean the camp after a group leaves. This job is a humbling experience because when you are a camper you don’t fully realize how much work is put in for the camp to be completely clean for the next week. Our first turnover concluded with training for Girls Camp. Instead of counseling at Girls Camp, the SLP guys did other jobs, for example dish room, buddy boarding, mini golf pro shop, mail room, and serving meals. This week had countless awesome SLP surprises, some included bowling, taco trucks, blindfolds, and redneck hot tubs. In addition, the guys helped support the girls in their counseling through writing affirmations or putting small gifts in their mail boxes. Tween Camp is similar to the guys’ side of Girls Camp. The SLP team works behind the scenes and helps plan the annual Tween Camp auction, where we created a lip sync to the song “On Top Of the World” by Imagine Dragons. We turned the mini golf course into a glow in the dark extravaganza, and led Night Owls. This was my favorite week at camp because SLP did everything together, which strengthened our team skills.
Boys Camp was my turn to help counsel. Even though the week was tiring, I really enjoyed it. My co-counselor and I focused on being there 100% for our campers. I remember one camper was having a really hard time with homesickness. It was his first time away from home. At 4am he woke me and said, “Hey Alex, I just couldn’t wait to tell you this. Last night, I decided to pray to God for a better day tomorrow and that I wouldn't be home sick. Then I had this weird sensation in my hand and I knew God was answering my prayer. Now, I will have the best last day of camp any camper has ever had!” It was amazing to see the happiness he had for the rest of the day.
An unforgettable moment happened at the end of SLP when Josh and Hannah, our leaders, were stirring up emotions at our final gathering. Josh said SLP doesn’t have an ending as long as you continue to stay in touch and get together every once in a while. The moment you convince yourself it’s over, then SLP is over. For me, SLP wasn’t just another experience that has an end. Rather it was the beginning of a new way of life where God will continue to teach me.
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“And the Inquisitors sent for us...” Johan Maurer
... and before it was all over, Katharine Evans and Sarah Chevers, two Quaker apostles, had been imprisoned in the custody of the Maltese inquisition for over three years (1659-62). Here is a tiny sample of their account of those years:
Johan Maurer
“We did write to the Inquisitor, and laid before him our innocency, and our faithfulness, in giving our testimony for the Lord amongst them; and I told him, if it were our blood they did thirst after, they might take it any other way, as well as to smother us in that hot room. So he sent the Fryar, and he took away our Inkhorns (they had our Bibles before). We asked why they took away our goods? They said, it was all theirs, and our lives, too, if they would. We asked how we had forfeited our lives unto them; they said, For bringing Books and Papers. We said, if there were any thing in them that was not true, they might write against it. They said, they did scorn to write to fools and asses that did not know true Latine.” Their powerful, moving account of this imprisonment, and their letters to their families, were included in the collection Hidden in Plain Sight: Quaker Women's Writings 1650-1700, edited by Mary Garman, Judith Applegate, Margaret Benefiel, and Dortha Meredith, published in 1996 by Pendle Hill Publications and available through them or through Amazon.
Right now I'm in the midst of an amazing spiritual adventure with these two Friends. After their account was professionally translated into Russian, Natasha Zhuravenkova of Friends House Moscow asked me to go through the original text and the Russian translation to check the accuracy of the translation. Turns out that there is no other way to do this task than to read and re-read and absorb each sentence slowly and deliberately.
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You probably already realize why this requires such close work: even an excellent English-Russian translator (and Friends House Moscow did find an excellent translator) will have to deal with at least three different sorts of problems: understanding the
English and the sometimes idiosyncratic spelling of the mid-17th century; additionally, understanding how Friends spirituality might further affect the way these women wrote; and, finally, finding the right words in Russian to reproduce the voice and era of the original as closely as possible while keeping the translation accessible to the modern reader. I'm only a third of the way through this assignment, and already I have many notes concerning such words as "strait" and "travail" and "jointmeal." For each place where I don't feel certain either about the translation or about my own knowledge, I have to consult at least one dictionary, and sometimes three. But the rewards of this work are so many! Here are a few of the things that have strongly impressed me so far:
Evans and Chevers are clear that they are under God's direct authority. They pass up any number of chances to exalt George Fox (or to hide behind him). Whatever process back home might have confirmed their mission (and provided for their families in their absence), there is an elemental sense of their having been authorized, empowered, and sent.
They are entirely modest in total dedication to God's will and describe themselves as God's servants, willing to die if necessary in this service. But there's no trace of fear or servility in the way they describe their mission ... ... “Blessing and honour and Glory be given to our Lord God for ever ... who hath counted us worthy, and hath chosen us among his faithfull ones, to bear his name and to witness forth his truth, before the high and mighty men of the earth, and to fight the Lord’s battle with his spirituall weapons, to the breaking down of strong holds, high lofty looks and vain imaginations, and spirituall wickedness in high places.” And, likewise, their answers to their interrogators are clear and direct. It rubs a bit against the modern ecumenical/interfaith spirit to see them put their demands for repentance so directly and persistently, but they were not about to back down. “They said, The Pope was Christ's Vicar, and we were of his Church, and what he did, was for the good of our souls. We answered, The Lord had not committed the charge of our souls to the Pope, nor to them; for he had taken them into his own
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“And the Inquisitors sent for us...” Continued from page 7
possession, glory was to his Name for ever. They said, We must be obedient. We said, We were (obedient) to the Government of Christ's Spirit.”
Another thing that struck me: Evans and Chevers are ministers of God, not spokespeople for a sect. They are pleading for what they consider a wholly adequate manifestation of Christianity, not a precious little bundle of peculiarities. Their challenges to their persecutors are undergirded by Scripture and not by reference to Quaker writings or a list of testimonies. They mention that there are thousands of others back home who believe and practice as they do, but on Malta these women are calling for repentance, conversion, and Christian consistency, not for affiliation to an organization. With bitter humor, the cover of their booklet points out the contrast between their ill-treatment and the experience of Paul among the "barbarous" people whom Paul encountered when shipwrecked upon Malta. And, finally, it is very clear why, for them, Friends worship is based on silence, and it's not because silence is a wonderful enhancement to personal development in this noisy world. They simply must hold their tongues until God releases them. But when God releases, look out! ...
“We said, we had thousands at our meetings, but none (of us) dare speak a word, but as they are eternally moved of the Lord; and we had Miracles, the Blind receive their sight, the Deaf do hear, and the Dumb do speak, the Poor do receive the Gospel, the Lame do walk, and the Dead are raised.” Are there whole new queries that arise for us from this testimony?
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The Power of Staying Rachel Clarkson
I’m sitting at a drink shop, chatting with Michelle, a student here at the university. “Honey,” she says, “I’m happy we are friends.” She voices exactly what I am thinking, that even though my role here is to be a teacher, it is good to be friends too. In spite Rachel Clarkson of what my visa says, my purpose in China is to love and be a friend to students.
Nine months ago, I started the process of discerning whether I would return to China for a second year. Adjusting to the culture here was tough and relationships at home called with a sense of obligation. “Don’t miss the graduations, weddings, funerals, and quality time with aging grandparents.” I had a choice to make: go home to things familiar, or stay in China, embrace the unfamiliar, and devote time to deepening relationships with people whom I was just beginning to get to know. I realized that I could not abandon my students and the friendships that I had started here. China wasn’t done with me yet.
It turns out, coming back was an excellent decision. There is a lot of power in staying. It says both to myself and to those around me that there is value in the connections between us. It says to the students that being with them is important enough to miss out on things in the States. It says to Chinese teachers that investing in a relationship with me is worth their time and effort. It says to my fellow TA teachers that I have a love for this place and I want to help them love it too.
I can see the power of staying most in my relationships with students. Many of the ones I taught last year have moved on to other classes and have new teachers. This gives us the opportunity to just be friends and to relate to one another on a personal level. We sing karaoke, go out for lunch, window shop, and hang out in the dorms like I would with any other friend. They know that I care about who they are as people, not about their grade in my class. Likewise, I know that they genuinely want to befriend me. I can say to each of them with honesty, “Honey, I’m happy we are friends.”
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The Story of Donnie Myrna Tuning
Donnie is a wellrespected and active member of Homedale Friends Community Church and the community. He has a good job and was recently promoted to supervisor. But it wasn’t always so.
Frank and Myrna Tuning
As a young man, Donnie was baptized in the LDS church but later became involved with alcohol and drugs and lacked a belief in God. His three wives were also into alcohol and drugs. His home and family were scenes of violence and abuse. He was unemployable. His two youngest sons had always lived with him, but the State of Idaho took them away because of neglect and abuse. After the loss of his sons and still using drugs, Donnie became despondent and wanted to kill himself. His mother worried every night that she would find him dead in the morning. Finally he went into rehabilitation, but still wanting to kill himself. He read the AA book over and over but didn’t understand what it was saying, especially the part about a “higher power.”
One evening it suddenly became clearer, and God started working with him. At 3 a.m. his mind was still rushing but he didn’t understand. Donnie went to his knees and started praying. He heard God’s voice saying “why not now?” He was sure someone in the room was speaking, but they were all asleep. He heard “why not now?” aloud two more times. “Please God, I can’t do this. I’d rather die than live like this,” he prayed. “If you take care of this, I’ll do whatever you want.” The voice said “O.K., I will.” At the side of the bed he remembers thinking “I just made a deal - how do I get out of this?” But a warm feeling of peace came over him and he was calm again. It was going to be all right. He began having open conversations with God asking “What do I do now?”
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Two weeks later Donnie was with friends who took him to the Friends Church where his sons had been in the CLC. Later he thought “that felt right.” The second Sunday during open worship, he suddenly found himself standing but didn’t know why. Donnie told his story and gave his testimony. Because of an altercation, the police had been at his house the night
before. They were surprised that Donnie didn’t react as he had in previous situations. “God was there.” There were drug dealers nearby and it wasn’t too late for a beer, but he didn’t break. After speaking during the worship service, Donnie expected to sneak out and never return. Instead, all the members of the congregation greeted him warmly. He thought he’d never get away! One lady asked him to help her find hope for her grandson. He feels a little like Paul, with life and goals totally reversed instantly. Since his salvation, Donnie has been working in jails and treatment centers. He says God has given him this task and it hasn’t changed in 8 1/2 years. Only God can turn 4000 “bads” into one “good.” He tells addicts to “hang on one more day, you are worth saving, there is hope.” He says addiction is a prison, and finding hope is like being in a dark box and having someone put a hole in it to let the light in - lifting the fog of drugs. This change in Donnie has been hardest on his sons. They can’t understand that the family’s previous way of life is no longer acceptable. They had seen him try to quit before, so are waiting for him to return to his addictions. He constantly praises God for how great his life is now. His delight is a two-year-old grandson who is with him weekends.
Donnie is in leadership in Narcotics Anonymous, currently setting up a meeting with law enforcement and probation, especially regarding anonymity of NA when it comes to identifying subjects and witnesses. He acts as a liaison with hospitals and institutions.
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On Our Way Rejoicing Becky Ankeny
My son-in-law Richard Brown recently shared his story with our congregation. It is a great story and also models some useful ideas about how to promote generosity and stewardship in the local congregation. He gave me permission to share this edited version more widely. Good morning. My name is Rich Brown. My family returned to Newberg five years ago and Newberg Friends has been our home church. The past two years I’ve also enjoyed serving as one of the stewards of this church. The other stewards have asked me to share a few thoughts with you this morning. We, the stewards, want to share some basic but important information with you about giving at NFC. We came up with a short brochure. If you ever wondered how your financial gifts to NFC are used; if you don’t know how or when we prepare our budget; if you’re wondering whether anyone is monitoring your gifts to make sure they are used responsibly; or if you are asking, “What is a steward?” – then this brochure is for you! And I’d encourage all of you to take a copy and take a few minutes to review it after our worship service or at home. About a month ago, our church treasurer presented information during one of our Sunday worship services about the positive financial situation our church is in, as well as some of the challenges we face ahead, including a projected shortfall. We want you to be aware of the this situation for several reasons. First, we believe transparency is important. We do not want to surprise anyone. Second, by presenting this information, we can give this community an opportunity to respond. We don’t know what God has in store, but we believe good things are ahead, and this is our chance to be faithful to God’s leading.
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The stewards have also asked me to share some of my own story about giving to a church community like NFC. Before I share my story, I’d like to take a moment and issue my legal disclaimers. First, this story is my own and doesn’t necessarily represent the views of any staff member of NFC or the NWYM. Second, if you are a visitor of this church, please feel free to tune me out. You are welcome to listen, but please understand that this message is not directed at you. It’s intended for our regular attenders. Seven years ago, my financial circumstances were much different. My family had just moved to Eugene, Oregon. We were first-time
homeowners. We had a one-year-old child. Davida, my wife, had a job at the University of Oregon. I had been practicing as an attorney in California but had only irregular work in Eugene. We found a church in Eugene that we could call our home church.
When I was a kid, my parents had modeled regularly giving 10% of their income to church. Aligning myself with a church as a regular attender brought a sense of dread, because I felt that I didn’t have enough income to maintain a 10% gift to the church. I had law school loans. Mortgage. Childcare. Irregular income. We often made ends meet only due to the generosity of supporting family. A representative of that church in Eugene met with us to talk about our financial giving. We were presented a little card; one column had a range of percentages on it, from about 3% on up past a little above 10%. Another column had specific dollar amounts: $20, $50, $100. The church rep asked us to give along with the other regular attenders, and not to get trapped in the idea that 10% of income was the only faithful amount to give to the church. We were asked to give whatever we felt was appropriately faithful. Getting into the pattern of regular giving would give us the opportunity to increase our gifts later on. We realized we could start at 5%, or lower, or higher, whatever was a faithful level of giving – and could think about bumping up a percentage point or two next year, or whenever. This was – for me – an incredibly freeing moment. We could give without feeling like we were disappointing the church or God. We could give a faithful gift, and not an arbitrary or panicinducing one. Perhaps that story helps some of you. And if so, my challenge to you is to make a faithful gift. A regular gift. There will be opportunity down the road to increase your gifts as your financial situation matures.
And again, my story is just my story. There are many faithful givers in this church who have consistently given, and felt called by God to give, regular 10% gifts every month. There are others who feel called to give more, not only in the form of offerings on top of tithe, but even double tithe. There are many different stories represented in this church. We are all called to be faithful in our giving. Let’s do that together.
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Updates, News & Announcements LOOKING BACK
• Yearly Meeting Sessions
July 20-24, 2014. The NWYM Elders invited Noah Baker Merrill, founder of Quaker Voluntary Service and general secretary for New England Yearly Meeting, to be the 2014 speaker.
• Focus Conference
Sept 8-10, 2014. Hood River, OR. Theme “Rhythms of Grace.” This year our speaker was Dave Williams, general superintendent EFC Mid-America.
• Men’s Retreat
Sep 12-14, 2014. Twin Rocks. This year’s speaker was Ed McDowell, Executive Director of Warm Beach Christian Camp & Conference Center, speaking on the theme, “The Wisdom for Life.”
• Friends Women Retreat
Twin Rocks (Sept 19-21) and Quaker Hill (Sept 26-28) both hosted a weekend for the retreat. This years theme was “Grace and Truth” and the keynote speaker was Judy Maurer, who is serving in Russia under NWYM. In addition, Bonnie Steinborn was the Saturday morning speaker. Bonnie has served for years teaching English abroad and connecting women to women through Christ.
• Samuel School I
Oct 10-12, 2014. Twin Rocks hosted Samuel School I, a junior high group selected by local elders. It’s always a joy to see how our young friends are challenged, stretched, and discipled in their walk with God.
• Youthworkers Conference
Nov 7-9, 2014. This year the conference went “unconferenced.” The conference was planned by the participants, on the fly, to ensure that the content is exactly what they wanted it to be.
LOOKING AHEAD • Friends Summit 2014
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Dec 28 - Jan 1 - San Diego. Summit is a national conference for young adults to experience how the reality of God’s kingdom is calling the Friends Church in mission and engaging us with passion. Kingdom. Mission. Passion. Info at: friendssummit.com/
LOOKING AHEAD - CONTINUED • Sabbath by the Sea
Various Dates, 2015 - Twin Rocks. Sabbath by the Sea offers a chance to spend several days at the Oregon Coast simply listening to God. It’s a true retreat — an extended time of conversation with Christ under the tutelage of a spiritual guide. Info and dates: twinrocks.org/conferences/sabbath-sea.html
• Pastors Conference
April 13-16, 2015 - Twin Rocks. We invite you to a time of rest, renewal and play. Enjoy the company of other sisters and brothers who serve and struggle to honor Jesus and his people. Info at: nwfriends.org/pastors-conference
• YCEW Global
May 20-22, 2015. Our YCEW-Global (Youth Challenged to Expand their Worldview) team will be heading to Mexico. Info and Register at: nwfriends.org/ycew
• Samuel School II
May 22-25, 2015 - Quaker Hill. This retreat is designed to further develop spiritual sensitivity and leadership abilities of high school students. Info at: nwfriends.com/samuel-school-ii
PASTORAL AND STAFF TRANSITIONS • Angela Kantz joined the Northwest Yearly Meeting staff • • • • • • • •
as Administrative Assistant. Blake Estep joined the Northwest Yearly Meeting staff as Communications and Resource Coordinator. Mackenzie Murray joined the Northwest Yearly Meeting staff as the Youth Intern for the school year. Drew Miller is the new Youth Pastor at Reedwood. Jered McConaughey is the new Youth Pastor at West Chehalem. Rob Willoughby is at Olympic View. Jade Souza is the Children’s Pastor at Reedwood. Paul and Ruth Cammack are not at Scotts Mills and now live in Idaho. Matt and Megan Dayton joined Twin Rocks Friends Camp as the new Program Directors replacing Joseph Thouvenel who now works at George Fox University.
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PASTORAL AND STAFF TRANSITIONS - CONT
• Nolan Staples is the Worship Pastor at Newberg Friends. • Tim Almquist is the Worship Pastor at Sherwood. • 2nd Street - adapting a model of a shared pastoral team Marta Sears - Missional Pastor Chris McMullan - Youth Pastor Jillian Willis - Worship Pastor Ben Kulpa - Teaching Pastor Shelley Everett, Jon Maroni, Jodi Hansen have transitioned out.
Calendar of Events DECEMBER 6 Bible Quiz Meet - Meridian Friends at Quaker Hill Dec 29 - Jan 4 Sabbath by the Sea Week 1 - Twin Rocks Dec 28 - Jan 1 Friends Summit - San Diego, CA JANUARY
5 - 11 Sabbath by the Sea Week 2 - Twin Rocks 12 - 18 Sabbath by the Sea Week 3 - Twin Rocks 17 Bible Quiz Meet - Silverton Friends 19 - 25 Sabbath by the Sea Week 4 - Twin Rocks 23 - 24 Mid Year Boards - Newberg, OR 26 - 29 Sabbath by the Sea Week 5 - Twin Rocks Jan Peace Month Feb 27 - Mar 1 Man Camp - Quaker Hill 7 Bible Quiz Meet - Boise Friends
FEBRUARY MARCH
APRIL 2 Friends Leadership Presentations - George Fox Univ. 13 - 16 Pastors Conference - Twin Rocks 16 - 19 Sabbath by the Sea Week 6 - Twin Rocks 18 Volleyball Tournament - George Fox University 20 - 22 YCEW Global Retreat - Mexico 22 - 25 Samuel School II - Quaker Hill
Save the Date
MAY
Jul 18-23 Yearly Meeting sessions - George Fox University
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