October 2012 Connection

Plain and Simple

by Danny Coleman, North Seattle Friends

October 2012

NW YM CONNECTION

Vol. 5, Issue 3

There was a group of early Quakers, in the mid-1600's, who came to be known as the "Valiant Sixty." They were mostly working-class men and women who fanned out across England to spread the Quaker message. Perhaps undertaking missionary work in England doesn't seem very daunting compared with Africa or India, but for the Quakers in the 17th century it was extremely dangerous.

Their message was not only counter cultural but was considered by many in power to be blasphemous and seditious.

Thousands of Quakers were imprisoned, some were tortured, some were executed. Others had their property confiscated by the government—effectively turning them into paupers. The radical message they preached and lived— which brought so much persecution upon them (from a "Christian" culture!)—was that people could have direct access to God; that Jesus speaks to people directly; that everyone is equal in God's eyes; that war is incompatible with the Gospel, etc.

One of the most remarkable of the Valiant Sixty was Mary Fisher, a young uneducated housemaid from Mary Fisher speaks with the Sultan the north of England. She became of Turkey. a Quaker in her twenties and was shortly thereafter imprisoned for 16 months in York castle for preaching. Not long after her release she and another woman were stoned by students at Cambridge for preaching, and then publically stripped to the waist and "whipped at the market cross until blood ran down their bodies" by the town officials. Not long after that Mary was imprisoned a second time at York for six months. In 1656 she and Ann Austin sailed to the Puritan colony of Boston, Massachusetts.

Margaret Hope Bacon, in her book, The Quiet Rebels, describes what happened: "On July 11, 1656, two women sailed into Boston Harbor aboard a small ship, the Swallow. Upon hearing of their arrival, the magistrates of the twenty-seven-year-old Massachusetts Bay Colony were shaken, according to a contemporary observer, ‘as if a formidable army had invaded their borders.’ Governor John Endicott being out of town, Deputy Governor Richard Bellingham took prompt, if frenzied, action. The women were held on shipboard while their boxes were searched for ‘blasphemous’ documents.

One hundred such books found in their possession were burned in Continued on page 2

Daily Gratitude

Plain and Simple Continued from page 1

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the marketplace by the common hangman. The women were then transferred to prison, stripped naked and searched for tokens of witchcraft, and kept for five weeks without light or writing materials. The master of the Swallow was finally ordered to transport them to Barbados and to let no person in the American colonies speak to them en route."

In 1660, Mary Fisher, now in her mid-thirties, felt that God told her to take the Gospel to Mehmed IV, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (what is now Turkey). She traveled mostly on foot from England to northwestern Turkey, eventually making her way to Edirne (Adrianople) where the Sultan was at that time encamped with his army. When the Sultan heard that an Englishwoman had arrived with a message from God, he agreed to meet with her.

She spoke through an interpreter and, although we don't know the exact content of her message, it was apparently graciously received by the Sultan.

After delivering her message she departed—declining the Sultan's offer of an armed escort—and made her way back to England. She wrote in her diary: “Now returned into England ....I have borne my testimony for the Lord before the king unto whom I was sent, and he was very noble unto me and so were all that were about him...they do dread the name of God, many of them....They are more near Truth than many nations; there is a love begot in me towards them which is endless, but this is my hope concerning them, that he who hath raised me to love them more than many others will also raise his seed [Quaker terminology for the awareness of God's presence] in them unto which my love is. Nevertheless, though they be called Turks, the seed of them is near unto God, and their kindness hath in some measure been shown towards his servants.� She later married and was widowed twice, and finally settled in South Carolina, where she died of old age and is buried in a Quaker cemetery.

XXX OXGSJFOET PSH t /PSUIXFTU :FBSMZ .FFUJOH PG 'SJFOET www.nwfriends.org • Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends

PHOTO OF STEPH A NIE: MEL A NIE FOLW ELL; BELOW, TOP T WO ON LEFT: STEPH A NIIE STA LLM A N

Danny Coleman describes himself as a progressive Christian Quaker. He is a member of North Seattle Friends Church, and has studied at George Fox Evangelical Seminary and the Earlham School of Religion.

by Stephanie Stallman, Quaker Hill Friends Camp Quaker Hill has been a big part of my life ever since fourth grade. Growing up in a broken home it has become my safe haven and my home away from home for many summers. Quaker Hill has blessed me with the opportunity to connect with many people who truly care about me; and I have had some great relationships with some loving, God-following ladies, throughout the years.

This year was my final year as a camper. The theme really resonated with me and connected the relationships that I have to God and his will. The theme was "Free to be Me," and there were three big questions that went along with that: Am I wanted? Am I needed? Do I have what it takes?

These questions have been a struggle throughout most of Stephanie is a freshman at my life and took time for me to realize their true meaning.

George Fox University and loves to sing. She is in the Gospel But with the support of the people from camp, and the choir at Fox and is ready for the ability to escape home for a week, I am proud to be able great new adventures God has planned for her this year and the to say I know the true answer to each of these questions years to follow. for myself. The love and caring atmosphere at Quaker Hill has given me an outlook on life that I wouldn’t have had if I hadn't taken my first trip to camp nine years ago.

I am the writer of my story, and I get to choose how people and events affect me.

Quaker Hill has changed my life in many ways; and I want to keep it in my life for many more years, possibly providing a life-changing experience for campers in the years to come.

Daily Gratitude is an ongoing column focusing on gratefulness for God ’s involvement in our lives.

Connection t December Connection t July/August 2010 2011 Connection • October 2012

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Learning Peacemaking from My Eight-Year-Old

by Sara Walker, Quaker Hill Camp and Conference Center It was a Wednesday and Elijah’s turn for show and tell in Mrs. Wemble’s third grade class at the local elementary school. Elijah chose easily: his prized monkey backpack. He couldn’t wait to show his classmates this treasured possession! He bounded out the front door with jubilant anticipation. He returned that afternoon wearing a look of panic, his eyes brimming with tears. “Sammy stole my backpack.�* My son narrated the story of how he had been showing the backpack to some friends after school when Sammy tore the pack from his hands and insisted it was his. Elijah evidently asked several times for Sammy to return the backpack, but in the end the boy with the louder voice took home the prize—and that was definitely not Elijah. “Why didn’t you ask an adult for help?� I pleaded, trying to understand. “Why did you let Sammy just walk away with it?� He wasn’t sure how to answer.

We talked for a long, tearful time that afternoon about the importance of standing up for oneself and the difficult balance followers of Christ tread Sara Walker describes herself as a disciple of Christ, wife to an incredible between that and being loving and kind. By evening, man named Jon, and mother of three we had worked out a plan that seemed an acceptprecious, crazy boys. Together they live, able blend of both: Elijah would confront Sammy work, and share their passion and vision for camping ministry as the “director the following morning and explain (boldly) that if family� at Quaker Hill Camp and ConferSammy returned the stolen backpack by Friday, ence Center in McCall, Idaho.

Elijah would (graciously) refrain from “telling on him� and forget the whole incident.

Elijah rehearsed the words aloud: “Sammy, if you give back my backpack by tomorrow....� I breathed a heavy sigh. My son could hardly deliver the lines convincingly in our own living room. I tried to explain the importance of saying these words with conviction.

And then I forced myself to back off and tried not to worry about my passive eight-year-old, tried not to speculate whether he would be capable of delivering those strong words in the face of his bully.

On Thursday Elijah returned home from school dejected. “I think I messed it up, Mom.� He had said the words, but not at all convincingly—and he knew it. “That’s all right,� I consoled. “You can try again tomorrow.�

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When Friday morning came Elijah left for school determined this time to get it right. I offered up prayers all morning for courage and grace. Friday, coincidentally, was also my day to volunteer at the school as “art mom,� so at noon I entered the elementary school, arms bulging with art supplies. The school secretary immediately informed me that Sammy’s mother had returned the backpack to the school office that morning. What a relief! I smiled as I climbed the stairs and rounded the upstairs hallway—where I unexpectedly ran into the school principal, Mr. Johnson. He was clearly intent on speaking with me. “I just had the most amazing interaction with your son,� he began. “I spoke with Elijah and Sammy in the hallway and Sammy returned the backpack.� He continued, “Sammy was pretty nervous and embarrassed—on the verge of tears, actually, when he apologized. And then Elijah reached out and consoled him!� Mr. Johnson mimed the embrace, complete with pats on the back, with Elijah quietly assuring “it’s OK, it’s OK.� Mr. Johnson explained that he had conducted hundreds of these mandatory student apologies during his years as principal, but this one had been different. “I think he forgave him,� Mr. Johnson marveled. “I think real forgiveness just happened.� My heart swelled with pride over my son’s beautifully gracious and bold response.

Mr. Johnson continued, “So, I explained to the boys that in a way Elijah was right—that ‘it was OK’ because Sammy had returned the backpack and Elijah had forgiven him. But in another way it was really not OK, because Sammy had lied and stolen—and he’s going to need to continue working on those things.�

To this Elijah responded, “That’s all right, Mr. Johnson, because I’m still working on something, too. I’m working on learning to stand up for myself.� * Names have been changed.

(Read this story told from Elijah’s perspective in the May 2012 volume of Pockets Magazine.)

Connection t December Connection • October 2012 2011

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Bible Quizzing

Alan Akins attends Newberg Friends with his wife, Michelle, and two daughters. Alan is involved in children and youth ministries there, enjoys spending time with family and friends, and serves on the NWYM Board of Communication.

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In Northwest Yearly Meeting, about twenty churches and more than 200 youth take part in Friends Bible Quizzing each year.

Quizzing is relatively new to NWYM, starting in 1988 with just three churches. But since its inception in Kansas City in 1946, Bible quizzing has spread across the United States, into many denominations, with tens of thousands of Bible quizzing youth engaged in local, regional, and national competitions.

Each of the four NWYM quiz meets held each season is hosted by one of the participating churches. The road trips between churches in western Oregon and Idaho are definitely part of the fun. There is nothing quite like being in a van with 8 to 12 youth for 10 to 12 hours, listening to mixed sounds of studying, music playing quietly from earbuds, sometimes loud music, and the inevitable singing of camp songs. Along the way, there are plenty of stops to stretch or eat and sometimes the excitement of snowy or icy roads, especially in eastern Oregon and western Idaho such as McCall (Quaker Hill) or Anthem (formerly Hayden Lake) Friends.

Before morning worship begins the first day of the meet, the youth arrive in groups, bringing greetings of high fives, shrieks, running hugs, and smiles. The middle and high schoolers are energetic and loud, but there will be plenty of time to be calm during the rest of the day during quiz rounds. They will hear 340 or more questions by the end of the day. Bible Quizzing is the single largest gathering of youth in the yearly meeting. If you combine the attendance of the four annual quiz meets, it’s the largest NWYM gathering of any kind. Quizzing and quiz meets offer our youth an excellent, recurring way to connect with peers from outside their local church body or city.Â

XXX OXGSJFOET PSH t /PSUIXFTU :FBSMZ .FFUJOH PG 'SJFOET www.nwfriends.org • Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends

PHOTO OF A L A N: SHER RY M AC Y; PHOTOS: A L A N A K INS

by Alan Akins, Newberg Friends

Quiz teams gather for practice before each quiz meet. I’m part of the Newberg Friends Quizzing leadership. For our quizzers, this happens weekly in the Youth House on Sunday afternoons. They spend time reading a chapter or two each week and have a discussion time with snacks. Ideally, each team has an adult coach who is responsible to meet with their team each Sunday and work with them on scripture and practice questions. This doesn’t always happen, so we tend to merge teams together for Sunday practices.

Each quizzing season is focused on a different book or books, which is part of an eight-year cycle through16 books of the New Testament.

Studying as part of Bible quizzing is an excellent way to learn scripture. A youth who participates in Bible quizzing during all their middle and high school years is exposed to a majority of New Testament books and the vast majority of the concepts of Christianity.

Preparing for a quiz meet is as varied as the individuals competing.

Quizzing offers everyone an opportunity to build or to improve discipline in terms of studying and in keeping themselves immersed in the word. Some youth participate as a way to reconnect with their distant friends and do little independent study. Others strike a balance between studying for competition and the social aspects of the quiz meets. And still others study regularly and intensely, memorizing verses and pouring through the sample questions, striving to be the top individual quizzer at the meet. When you put together a team of those who spend at least some time studying, they are certain to do well. During the quiz meet, coaches attend each round with their team, providing reinforcement, encouragement, and at just the right time, even a bit of levity.

Just like those before it, the past quizzing season was filled with good fellowship, lots of laughter, and friendly competition.

If you are a middle-school or high-school student and you haven’t been part of Bible Quizzing, I encourage you to try it out this season—and bring a friend!

Connection t December Connection t July/August 2010 2011 Connection • October 2012

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KEEPING CURRENT WITH LOC AL AND GLOBAL OUTREACH

India, Faith, and Devotions

by Rachel Clarkson, Tigard Community Friends

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PHOTO OS: R ACHEL CL A R K SON

Rachel Clarkson is a lifelong, aspiring disciple of Christ who began traveling the world at age three as the daughter of missionaries to South America.

She is currently a senior at George Fox University and attends Tigard Community Friends Church.

Judging by the enthusiastic look on his face, I couldn’t bear to say no. “Sure, Deva,� I said. “I’ll be glad to.� Meanwhile, in my mind I was running through the list of reasons this was a bad idea: 1. I had less than a day to prepare. 2. I had no idea what to talk about. 3. My only resources were my Bible and the people around me. 4. Most important, I don’t preach. But I was in India, and that meant saying yes to things I didn’t want to do.

I had come to India on a three-week educational tour with several juniors from George Fox University. We were here with the school’s Juniors Abroad program and had spent the previous two weeks touring several cities and seeing the monuments of India, as well as volunteering with the ministries begun by Mother Teresa in Calcutta.

We had visited the Taj Mahal, sampled Indian cuisine, bought Indian clothes, collected shells on the beaches of the Indian Ocean, watched a Bollywood film, gone to several temples from the major religions of India, and learned a great deal about the history of the nation. Now we found ourselves staying at ALMA Orphanage in the “village� of Nelore (population 1.5 million) while we did medical camps in local fishing villages.

In Nellore, all of us had been put on the spot on the way to our first village. Our interpreter had announced to us that we would need to have speeches prepared about hygiene methods, education, and how to sanitize water. “And,� added Joshi, “someone must give a testimony.� At that point the vanload of social-work and nursing majors among us turned to me with a look that said: You’re the Christian ministries major; guess what you get to do. An hour later, I found myself stammering through a testimony about how I had found meaning in the Beatitudes. Luckily, Joshi is a preacher in addition to being an interpreter, and he eloquently embellished the gaps in my “sermon.�

PHOTO OF R ACHEL: STEPHEN K EN YON

“Rachel, will you give the devotional tomorrow?� Deva asked.

Two days later, I was again put on the spot to speak about God, this time by Deva, a member of the ALMA staff. It’s a common assumption that being a ministry major automatically makes someone a preacher, but in my case speaking about a person as large and infinitely incredible as God in front of a large group of people is quite intimidating. But I was learning that life is full of moments when you have to do things that scare you. These are the moments we either choose yes or no. The moment when Deva asked me if I would give the devotional was just such a moment. I hesitated for only a split second before saying, “Sure, I’ll be glad to.� It was a yes spoken in faith, trusting that God would help me figure out what to say and how to say it.

I gave a devotional on the passage in Matthew 11 about the yoke that Jesus invites the weary to bear with him, the yoke that is easy and light. It was not well spoken by any means, and I was nervous the whole time, but I spoke with faith from the heart.

A couple of weeks later, I came back to Newberg, stopped by the yearly meeting office, and mentioned my trip to India to a few people. Before I left, one of them asked me, “Rachel, will you write something about your trip for Connection?� I paused for only a split second before saying, “Sure, I’d love to.�

Connection t July/August 2010 Connection • October 2012

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On Our Way Rejoicing

Becky Ankeny

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Jesus emphasizes forgiving right from the start. Matthew 6:12—“Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors� (KJV). It’s one of the key ideas of the Good News that calls me to account all the time. “Forgive� has in its heart the idea of send it away, disregard it, give it up. “Debts� has in its heart the idea of “should,� obligation, duty, including the duty of making amends for injury. So a reasonable paraphrase might be “Set aside our ‘shoulds’ as we set aside ‘shoulds’ for other people.� Or “disregard our obligations as we disregard others’ obligations.� Or “let us off the hook as we let others off the hook.� (See Strong’s Concordance.)

Then Jesus goes on to say, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.� “Trespass� has in its heart the idea of missing the mark, or, figuratively, lapsing from truth or uprightness, going astray. How astonishing that we are told without wiggle room that we are to forgive other human beings for not getting it right, and even for getting it wrong. Jesus doesn’t limit forgiveness to “if they are sorry.�

This upsets me, to be honest. I have strong impulses to set others right and get them to do the right thing. I want them to be good citizens of the Kingdom of God and of whatever organizations we both are part of. I am angry when they make my life or the lives of those I love harder or more complicated by how they mess things up. Bob Dylan has some lines that express this: “You hurt the ones that I love best/And cover up the truth with lies/One day you’ll be in the ditch/Flies buzzing’ around your eyes/Blood on your saddle� (“Idiot Wind�). Can I get an amen! And Jesus says I am supposed to let them off the hook? Really? Who will make sure the rules are enforced?

One reason for rules is to prevent us from harming each other and ourselves. Another reason is to push us toward doing better, toward growth. I’ve worked my whole adult life in jobs that have as one aspect enforcing the rules. As an English teacher, I enforced the rules about doing your own work. As a college administrator, I enforced the rules of behavioral requirements and promotion and tenure requirements. As a church elder, I dismissed a person from membership and suspended people from leadership for violating the community standards. But here’s a fact: nothing I did of this kind made those people better human beings, more in XXX OXGSJFOET PSH t /PSUIXFTU :FBSMZ .FFUJOH PG 'SJFOET www.nwfriends.org • Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends

PHOTO: JOEL BOCK

by Becky Ankeny, NWYM superintendent

tune with God’s purposes. Only God working in people can draw them toward goodness, and each of us decides how to respond to God’s work in us.

It is not the sign of a job well done as denominational hall monitor if I have written up more students this year than last.

Our cosmic hall monitor, Jesus, is actually firming up plans with the Principal to keep us in school.

Ultimately, this points to the truth that making people good is God’s job, not mine, and that they still may not fit into my “should� universe. I am not able to do the kind of soul surgery needed to separate the weeds from the grain, not even on myself. I want to wait for God to sort this out.

In the meantime, I’m supposed to be judging you the way I want to be judged, forgiving you the way I want to be forgiven, and giving to you the way I want to be given to.

These are the duties I owe you, and I can’t hit the mark. Please forgive me.

WRITING CONTEST Calling writers of all ages from NWYM of Friends churches to write stories, essays, or poems! The theme of the contest is "Being Called by God." Whether you want to write about God' call on your life, a friend's life, make it fictional, or take a completely different angle, we would love to have you submit your work!

The dealine for submissions is January 31, 2013, and winners will be announced June 15, 2013. Honorable mentions will be compiled into an anthology, which will be printed and available at our Yearly Meeting Annual Sessions in July 2013.

More information and guildelines can be downloaded through the NWYM website: nwfriends.org/2013-writing-contest/

Connection t July/August 2010 Connection • October 2012

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Distributing Your Estate: How Much is Too Much?

by Gene Christian, Principal of Charitable Estate Planning Northwest

As the nation ages, people will increasingly ponder such questions as: How can I increase cash flow as I go into my retirement years?

How much is enough of an inheritance for my children and grandchildren?

Should we protect and control the way in which they receive their inheritance?

Since the Great Depression, many Americans have considered estate planning simply as a process to give money to their loved ones—making children’s lives better than their own. For nearly 60 years the objective in estate planning has been to minimize taxation while getting as much money as possible “down line� to family members.

Today however, some are actually concerned about their heirs receiving too much of an inheritance too soon. Many people who are at, or near, retirement age now realize their children and grandchildren are, or will be, as well off financially as they have become.

In a Fortune magazine article written some time ago, Richard Kirkland, Jr., did research and found that “the issue of inheritance now builds a conflict in parents. They have an emotional desire to give to children, but fear that too much money could be damaging.� You don’t have to be rich to be worried about it. Members of the middle class now have large estates too. Kirkland said, “While most Americans tend to leave significant inheritances to their children, they really want them to make it on their own. As one parent told me, “I want to give my kid an advantage, but not every advantage.�

In the book The Millionaire Next Door, researchers Thomas Stanley and William Danko conclude that giving large gifts to your family members is a disincentive for them to work as well as to save.

Their findings show that the more dollars adult children receive as an inheritance, the fewer they accumulate on their own; while those who are given fewer dollars accumulate more. Further, they find that giving these gifts to family members is the single most significant factor explaining their lack of productivity as adults.

Their advice: teach your children to achieve, not just to consume.

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In the final analysis, it’s important for each of us to seriously consider these issues. If you have an older will or living trust, or you’ve just never taken the time to develop one, 2012 is your year to get this project underway! The services offered by the Yearly Meeting Foundation are free and no life insurance or investment products are promoted or sold. It truly is a service for those who need assistance in this often complicated and confusing area of our lives.

To get more information, or to make an appointment with Gene, call the Yearly Meeting office at 503-538-9419. It is our ministry to assist people with difficult questions.

Retirees – enjoy a rock-solid return in uncertain times!

A Gift Annuity provides payments that are: tFixed for life with a high payout rate tDeposited regularly in your account More info: bconnelly@nwfriends.org

Connection • October 2012

GIFT ANNUITY RATES* Age Rate 72 – 5.4% 75 – 5.8% 78 – 6.4% 81 – 7.0% 84 – 7.6% 87 – 8.2% *As of January 1, 2012 for a single life

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Leaders in the Light

by Jamie Johson, director, Friends Leadership Program

Jamie Johnson is married to Erin, and together they have three children who love to keep them delightfully busy. He is the director of the Friends Leadership Program and the associate pastor for Christian Leadership at George Fox University.

It is amazing to think that three years ago the Friends Leadership Program (FLP) was born anew on the campus of George Fox University. Almost exactly three years ago my family packed up all of our belongings and moved back to the Northwest to engage in this work—and it has been a wonderfully rich three years.

Three years gone by also means that this next year we will graduate our first cohort of FLP student leaders. These students have engaged in internships, mentoring relationships, and leadership seminars—and will complete their participation in the FLP by addressing one problem they encountered over the previous three years while serving the communities of George Fox University and the Northwest Yearly Meeting.

We will have an evening next year where the community will be invited to experience the outcome of these projects. We would love to have you join us for these, and will let you know when they will happen.

Finally, as we say hello to another school year, and look forward to another new group of Friends students, I would like to leave you with words from the students themselves. Thank you for your prayers and support of this program.

Why did you choose to come to George Fox? I chose George Fox because of the diverse education and experience I can expect to get there. I didn't want an education that taught me to be proficient in one major. Instead I wanted an education that would introduce me to a broader scope of learning. I'm also looking forward to learning about the Bible, about social justice and also Quaker history, among other things. (Will Cammack) I chose it because I got great scholarships. (Chelsea Smith) I knew about it because my entire family attended Fox and it turned out to be the perfect place for me. After my visit and some great scholarships, I knew it was where God wanted me to be. (Katie Morse) I chose George Fox because I wanted to experience an education where I'm given the privilege to talk openly about my faith. I also prayed about it a lot and felt led to George Fox. (Rikki Scott) I am looking forward to being a part of the awesome community that I see all throughout George Fox, even when I just walk through the campus. I chose Fox because of that and also because

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of the faculty and the classes where things can be looked at and examined with God in mind. (Mareesa Fawver) I chose to attend George Fox for a few reasons, the biggest of which was the financial aid they were willing to provide for me.

I received quite a significant amount of money for my Quaker heritage as well as for my relation to a Quaker pastor and a GFU alumni. (Griffin Huber) I chose Fox out of a desire to be immersed into a God-fearing community where I am free to grow in my faith and my spiritual gifts through my education. (Lyssa Redford) I chose Fox because it was a small school close to home with an outstanding nursing program. I look forward to being a part of such an amazing community, the people I'll meet, and seeing how my faith grows. (Mariah McCullough) What has the Friends Leadership Program meant to you?

It has been a great place to talk to people who are in the same boat as you and that you have known your whole life! It's been a good experience! (Chelsea Smith) It has been really great to get a chance to connect with other college-aged Friends! It has also created another way to meet and hang out with Fox students I might not have met otherwise.

(Katie Morse) FLP has been a blessing to me. It's taught me a lot about what it means to be a Quaker and helped me feel like I can get more involved in the community. (Rikki Scott) FLP has been like a family I've had since childhood. (Griffin Huber)

Connection t July/August Connection • October 2012 2010

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Christian Education Corner

Updates, News & Announcements

by Jim Teeters, East Hill Friends

SEVEN STEPS FOR SUCCESS FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATORS If you follow these seven steps you are almost guaranteed to be a successful Christian education teacher!

1. BE PREPARED Be Spiritually Prepared - Prayer is a key to teaching well: pray for your learners, pray for yourself. Have a prayer partner to support you.

Be Materially Prepared - Have all your ducks in a row with equipment, papers, booklets, pens and pencils, etc. Make sure you’ve got it all. A checklist is very handy for this.

Be Educationally Prepared - A critical part of successful teaching is reviewing your curriculum and teaching materials thoroughly prior to walking into the classroom.

2. KNOW YOUR LEARNERS Get acquainted with your learners. Discover their learning needs and desires, and be responsive to them. How good and how pleasant it is when a teacher asks learners how they want to learn.

3. HAVE A CLEAR AIM Jesus taught with a clear aim.

The question you always want to ask is: What do I want my learners to walk away with after this class (course, study) is finished? State it and make sure your class is designed to deliver!

LOOKING BACK t Focus Conference was held September 10-12 in Hood River, OR. Pastors, spouses, Friends Serving Abroad, seminary students, and ministry leaders in NWYM of Friends gathered together for fellowship around the theme of equipping people in our congregations for ministry.

LOOKING AHEAD The YAF LDT (Young Adult Friends Leader Development Team) has been chosen for this coming year. Please join us in welcoming the following line-up (pictured below): Volleyball: Harry Selby (not pictured), Lauren Dodge, Jered McConaughey MidWinter: Katie Krueger, Ingrid Stave, Patrick Petrie YCEW: Wendee Lewis, Dannica Thorton (sabbatical year, so only one team member needed) YCLS: Ben Frankamp, Mark Almquist, Mariah McCollough

4. CREATE AN ACCEPTING PLACE Jesus was kind and caring.

A Christian education class should feel safe. You make it safe because learners need a comfortable, trust-filled learning environment in order to let go of the old and embrace the new.

5. TEACH ACTIVELY Jesus challenged his listeners to change and grow in faith.

Experienced teachers know that students learn by doing, not just sitting and hearing someone talk at them. Variety is the spice of life and learning. Learners should be actively involved in learning tasks at least 50% of the time.

6. HAVE SOME FUN Jesus was startling and even humorous.

Plan and allow play, humor and surprise in your instruction. When learners play, laugh and take risks together, the walls of resistance weaken and fall.

7. IMPROVE CONTINUOUSLY Are you reaching your aim?

The “bottom line” is this: Have I reached my aim? Have my learners learned what was planned? A successful Christian educator is continuously asking those questions and is on a quest to improve.

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www.nwfriends.org • Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends

Bible Quizzing October 20, 2012, is our first meet. Bible quizzing is a youth event, and a chance for laughter, worship, and competition. Young friends around the Northwest prepare by studying the book of Matthew together with their team, and then compete four times throughout the year. More information and online registration can be found on the NWYM website: nwfriends.org/bible-quizzing.

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LOOKING AHEAD CONT. Youthworkers' Training Conference November 2-4, 2012.

Our annual gathering will be held in Hood River, OR. This year our speaker will be Steve Sherwood from George Fox University, sharing about helpful tools to use in youth ministry. Come join us as we learn, grow, play, and enjoy the beauty of the Columbia River Gorge.

Midwinter January 18-21, 2013. This retreat is a great opportunity for high school youth to connect with one another and make new friends, worship, play games, serve others, and have fellowship. Information will be on the NWYM website soon, as well as online registration: nwfriends.org/midwinter.

Midyear Boards January 25-26, 2013. Please save the date if you are a representative or on a NWYM board. We will have our gathering in Newberg to listen and discern where God is leading our yearly meeting.

PASTORAL TRANSITIONS Brad (Heather) Tricola has accepted the call to be the associate pastor of youth and outreach at Vancouver First Friends.

Meridian Friends has received Jadon (Audrey) Ross as their new associate pastor, and Jacob (Leah) Newton has been brought on as the senior high youth pastor.

Gil (Melody) George will be the new lead pastor at Clackamas Park beginning in October.

Olympic View Friends has hired Jim (Judy) Fields as their lead pastor.

Don (Mary) Walters has been called to be lead pastor at Tigard Friends as Dan (Tami) Cammack has accepted the position of director of Evangelical Friends Missions (EFM). Dan and Tami will continue living in Newberg.

Chris McMullan has stepped in at West Chehalem as their youth pastor.

Mandy and Pat Schmidt are no longer running GreenPlow Coffeehouse in central Oregon. They have recently moved back to Newberg for Mandy to work as the program director for Tilikum.

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www.nwfriends.org • Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends

Calendar of Events

Updates, News & Announcements

OCTOBER 5-7 Samuel School I – Twin Rocks Friends Camp 20 Bible Quizzing – Newberg Friends

NOVEMBER 2-4 Youthworkers' Training Conference – Hood River, OR

DECEMBER 8 Bible Quizzing – Quaker Hill Camp

JANUARY 2013 12 Bible Quizzing – Eugene Friends 18-21 Midwinter – Boise Friends 25-26 Midyear Boards – Newberg Friends

FEBRUARY 15-18 Junior High Jamboree – Twin Rocks Friends Camp

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Inside this issue…

Plain and Simple ..................................... 1–2 Daily Gratitude............................................ 3 Learning Peacemaking ...........................4–5 Bible Quizzing .........................................6-7

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India, Faith, and Devotions .................... 8-9 On Our Way Rejoicing ..........................10-11 Distributing Your Estate ....................... 12-13 Leaders in the Light .............................. 14-15 Christian Education Corner ...................... 16 Updates, News & Announcements ..... 17-18 Calendar of Events.................................... 19

TEL 503.538.9419 www.nwfriends.org

A publication of the NWYM Board of Communication. Joel Bock, editor.

MEMBER OF E VANGELIC AL FRIENDS CHURCH NORTH AMERIC A

“You are my friends if you do what I command.”

JOHN 15:14 NIV

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