Face to Face
“DeShazer the Great” is now enjoying his reward in Heaven
I have received word that magician and child evangelist Loren DeShazer went to be with the Lord June 14th after suffering on and off health issues for the last several years. I have not yet heard of funeral arrangements. Loren and his wife Pat attended Holbrook Bible Church in Scappoose, OR. Fifty-three years ago, when Loren was an American Sunday School Union missionary, he was one of the people used by the Lord to lead me to Jesus, in a tiny Sunday School in Fieldbrook, California. For most of my life, I recalled the magician-missionary, but never knew his name. I thought he would never know my name or the impact he had on my life, until I met him and his wife Pat in 2018 at Holbrook. It was my first visit there as an InFaith missionary, and he immediately reached out to the “visitor” with a magic trick. Half a century after becoming a Christian, I was blessed to be able to say thank you to Loren on behalf of hundreds of little kids like I had been, who may have never known his name, but who came to know the name of his savior Jesus, through his work. Well done, thou good and faithful servant!
Pastors’ Breakfasts are Back Again! Pastors’ Prayer time Continues in Portland.
Our monthly pastors (and church leaders) breakfasts are back on schedule at the Tollgate Inn in Sandy. Last Wednesday we met face-to-face for fellowship for the first time since the Covid restrictions were imposed. We gather again July 15, Lord willing! Traditionally we have gathered at the Tollgate Inn in Sandy at 9 AM on the third Wednesday of the month. That has been followed by Pastors’ Prayer on the third Thursday of each month at 10 AM at Woodland Park Chapel in Portland, next scheduled for July 16. I am still working on planning some type of similar gathering in the far northwest corner of the field starting this summer. Church leaders in Scappoose, Deer Island, Shiloh Basin, Rainier and Clatskanie…please let me know what days of the week might work for you to gather for lunch. The first time is on my dime!
Glendoveer Chapel is Now Home to Arab Life Church
InFaith’s sale of the Glendoveer facility on Glisan Street in Portland was finalized Monday June 22nd. Arab Life Church is a congregation of mostly Egyptian believers who have been praying for a home for some time. We are praising God that He has provided a new congregation to keep ministry moving forward in this place built by the Ventura Chapel Association in 1943. I look forward to meeting with some of the church leaders soon to see how InFaith: Northwest Oregon can encourage, equip, advise or assist them in their growing ministry.
Creative Ministry Continues in the Days of Covid-19
Mountain Home Church of Elwood held special “drive-in” church services June 14 and 21. Dover and Garfield churches have resumed in-person Sunday gatherings, maintaining social distance as much as possible. Shiloh Basin was conducting 3 services each Sunday to keep their congregation of about 64 people spiritually fed and physically safe. Now they are looking at one service a week, as Columbia County moves in to Phase 2. Eastmont and Columbia Community (Portland) have continued regular worship times throughout the pandemic. Several other churches have moved to on-line services or a hybrid of online and small in person meetings, as Woodland Park Chapel is doing. Generally, the larger the congregation, the more work it has been to resume meeting and adhere to current health advisories. But you all are doing well! There is a pent-up demand for face-to-face fellowship and spiritual reassurance. We pray the Lord will help us open our doors fully soon. Recently I heard a contemporary Christian song that contained the line; “I want to go to church; where there’s a preacher and a verse, and folks who know me at my worst!” That sounds like the kind of places where we serve! I want to be there too!
Welcome Pastor Thomas Robinson
The Church on the Mountain (Welches) has called a new associate pastor, Thomas Robinson, to work alongside pastor Tim Simon in leading the flourishing fellowship. I hope to feature Thomas in an upcoming weekly memo. In the meantime, I trust you will all be praying for a smooth transition as his family prepares to begin their service to the mountain communities.
Thanks Dad!
Today I am thanking the heavenly Father for my earthly father, Bill Hiscox. As I grow older, the dad I knew when I was younger seems to be a lot wiser than he seemed to me at the time. Dad turned 92 this year. He has given me his penchant for story-telling, love for history, and a life-time of collected knowledge to share with my own sons. I gave him a shirt for Father’s Day – I think I got the better part of the deal! I am also thankful for getting to be a dad. Sunday, all my children, grandchildren and sons-in-law were under our roof once again. With eleven people and four dogs, it was chaotic! But what a blessed chaos it was!
Tom Hiscox, NW Oregon Area Missionary