START WITH PRAYER

I will begin today with a couple of prayer requests:

• Please ask the Lord for intervention in the life of Joshua Thomas. Joshua is the adult son of Pastor John and Marilyn Thomas of Mayger-Downing Community Church in Clatskanie. He is being treated today (Monday) at SW Medical Center in Vancouver after receiving a sudden and unexpected diagnosis of colon cancer last week. Joshua had a couple of preliminary procedures over the weekend to prepare his body for cancer treatment. Marilyn says her son experienced a “touch of the Lord” this morning as a team of doctors and nurses were able to bring down his pain level, but the cancer has not been touched yet, and appears to be aggressive. Please remember Joshua, his wife Rebecca, and their ten children as you meet with the Lord today.

• Also remember Pastor/Chaplain Mark Helmberger of Woodland Park Chapel as he perseveres in his long battle with cancer. Mark’s interleukin 2 treatments were pretty difficult on him again this weekend, but he says he is feeling just a bit better this morning. He asks you also to pray for his wife Lisa, who he says is showing amazing strength through the battle.

NWxNW meets Tuesday at Mayger
The NWxNW ministry leaders’ fellowship will be meeting with Pastor John and Marilyn Thomas Tuesday (tomorrow) at Mayger-Downing Community Church from 9-11. 

Pastors’ Breakfast Wednesday at Tollgate Inn
No masks will be required as the InFaith pastors and church leaders from the Sandy area meet this Wednesday at 9 AM at Tollgate Inn.  Please join us for a time of refreshing fellowship.

Pastors’ Prayer Thursday at Woodland Park
The door is open to all comers as we gather Thursday at 10 at Woodland Park Chapel to pray for the ministries and people of the Northwest Oregon InFaith family.  Please take this opportunity to come before the Lord in the company of fellow ministry leaders.

Congratulations to New Sunday School Fellowship Board Members
Congratulations and thanks are due to elder Scott Brownlow of Shiloh Basin Community Church, as well as Pastor Robert and Bonny Klukas of Columbia Bible Church in Rainier.  The three were elected to the board of Sunday School Fellowship Saturday at the ministry organization’s annual meeting.  They will be joining Seth Lewis, Alan Baumgarden, Frank Campbell, John Abraham and Jim Van Voorst in leading the Fellowship, which works alongside InFaith in supporting ministries and ministry leaders in our NW Oregon field.

Thanks and Blessings to Brad Gentry
Special honors and thanks are due to Pastor Brad Gentry of Woodland Park Chapel, who is stepping off of the SSF board after seven years.  Brad’s vision and administrative gifts have been instrumental in all SSF has accomplished in that time.  He will be missed on the Board, but still cherished in the brotherhood.

 Along with selecting new board members and receiving a number of reports, the Sunday School Fellowship members voted Saturday to authorize the sale of the former Bonita Community Church property in Tigard.  Though the physical facility has deteriorated in recent years, we rejoice to remember the work of the Lord that was done there through decades of ministry, beginning long before SSF received the title in 1968.
Dodge Community Church representatives also reported that planning for their new building is moving along.  Engineered drawings for the new sanctuary are now being prepared to submit to Clackamas County for review.  Once they are completed, a preliminary budget target can be set (taking into account the fluctuations in the cost of building materials).  Sunday School Fellowship is currently holding more than $100,000 in donations that have come in for the new facility, while the church has received an insurance settlement and other donations since the fire in fall of 2020.

Mark Your Calendar: TCOTM Men’s Retreat June 3-5 at Camp Morrow
Guys, if you are hankering for a respite from the world for a while, consider joining the men of The Church on the Mountain for their annual retreat at Camp Morrow, June 3-5.  For more information, scroll through the InFaith: Northwest Oregon calendar of events at https://www.nworinfaith.org/events-1

May the Lord bless you in your service to Him!

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