The Healing of George Crisman is Underway
After approximately three weeks in intensive care, pastor George Crisman of Bonita Community Church is now out of the hospital and recovering at Avamere – King City, where he is receiving rehab treatment on his injured leg.  George’s son Bruce Crisman says his father is “doing really well” after a sudden turn for the better.  George is expected to be in the rehab facility about a month, before he is released to go home.  In the meantime, Bruce says he has been receiving hundreds of calls from George’s friends and family all across the country and greatly appreciates their prayers, which obviously have reached the ears of the Lord.   Bruce adds that George was pleased to hear the Sunday School Fellowship Board and I will be meeting at the Bonita church on December 12 (new date) to pray and discuss ways to best continue the spread of the gospel in the Bonita area of Tigard.  Sunday School Fellowship holds title to the Bonita facility, and we had already planned to meet with George for this very purpose, before he was badly injured in a logging accident.  Just how serious was it?  George was hit by a tree that broke off and fell when one of his co-workers dropped another tree nearby.  The blow apparently broke several of George’s bones and caused a head injury.  George underwent more than one surgery and spent weeks in intensive care and the OHSU brain trauma unit.  Yet the Lord’s hand and doctor’s God-given gifts have amazingly turned this situation around, as hundreds, if not thousands, have been praying for George’s recovery.  Please continue to pray as George heals, and as SSF board considers how the Lord might be leading the Bonita ministry.   

NWxNW

It was really interesting to see how the Lord took a planned one-hour gathering Monday and turned it into a 3 ½ hour time of transparency, sharing and prayer.  Thirteen pastors, elders and ministry leaders from the far northwest reaches of InFaith: Northwest Oregon met at Hudson Park Bible Church in Rainier for our monthly NWxNW fellowship.  The Lord blessed our time together as we challenged each other to consider things such as preparing for continuity in ministry, our personal responses to the conflicts of 2020, and the experiences of our local churches in recent times.  It was a great time of lifting one another up and offering encouragement.  We will skip meeting in December as folks celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus.  But we will get back together January 11th at Mayger-Downing Community Church.  By the way, this time we have agreed to budget three hours for the gathering, and try to hold ourselves to that!  😊

Portland Area Pastors’ Prayer, December 17th
There is nothing preventing us from meeting for prayer at Woodland Park Chapel on December 17 at 10 AM.  Pastors Brad Gentry and Steven Boyle always do an excellent job leading that time of intercession for all the ministries in this field.  Your participation is not only welcome, it is needed.  Prayer is our pipeline to God, a chance to offer Him praise, reorient ourselves to His will, and seek His guidance.

Sunday Area Pastors’ Breakfast,  December 16th Goes Digital Again
And you will have to provide your own breakfast.  The Governor’s current orders for Clackamas County will only allow outdoor dining after the current “freeze” is listed, so meeting at the Tollgate Inn is not likely to work this month.  Instead, we will meet via Zoom at the normal time of 9 AM.  I have yet to set up the Zoom meeting, and I will probably be calling on the usual volunteers to help me out (if you don’t contact me first!).  Thanks for remaining flexible in this ever-changing ministry environment.  I should be ready to share that Zoom link in next week’s memo.

May the God who performs miracles open all of our eyes to His amazing work around us every day, especially as we prepare to celebrate the miraculous birth of His Son.

Tom Hiscox, NW Oregon Area Missionary
thiscox@infaith.org