North Valley Friends Church

One of the reasons I like to visit Oregon is because we can go to church with Bren and Amy. They attend a Quaker church (meeting) which looks somewhat like any other denomination. But it is unique. The folks are really, make that really, laid back. Dress, appearance (wiskers), you name it....they are laid back. And kids! They are all over the place.

They have two services...one is the unprogrammed (meditation) and the other is programmed. We go to programmed service. You sing with out interruption for the first fifteen minutes...praise songs, usually, today it was carols. Power Point on a big screen is how they use techonology...no books which is currently in vogue. I like books so I can read music and harmonize. So, I have to make up the harmonies if I don't know the songs. Today was no problem. They had a band leading the service with two great vocalists. The woman on the piano is a circuit court judge in Yamhill County...reminds me of Jeff's church with the kids choir director being the probate court judge of Otsego County.

They do praise notes and prayer concerns, then they do the announcements and collection. Then the pastor (like) person gets up out of the congregation, ambles up to the platform and gives a half hour talk. This is a new speaker...and a very thought inspiring person. Their former person got promoted and he was too cool for words. Cool means somewhat off beat, or unconventional. But Colin was very insightful. They don't declare as much as they suggest and make you think.

Today was about romancing the culture. He wanted us to get involved with the world around us and engage the world in a discussion about Christ. It is not new, but was presented in a manner that was much different than I had experienced.

After the sermon there is a meditation time of about 10 minutes and then some elders speak about some form of witness that they have experienced the previous week. One thoughtful gentleman in a wheel chair talked about being a peace maker...the Children of God...and how to keep that status in the forefront of our minds as we engage the worlds.

Afterward, the people just hung around. I think they hang out longer than we do...without coffee and cookies. They just huddle up in the sanctuary and talk.

This is not a big church...maybe 120 folks at this service.

I noticed that they over subscribed their budget by over 25% last week...we are usually the other way around.

If we lived here, we would investigate a church like this...it is countryish, but the paritioners are mostly George Fox people...at least Amy and Bren's friends...since that is where he works and gosh, noting about stereotypes, but they do not look like college staff.

Good stuff. The church is made up of all types of expressions....North Valley Friends is a comfortable place to worship.