The Sound of Silence The following was originally shared by Pastor John Fleming as a post of Facebook. Solitude. Silence. I thought I knew what those words meant. Today I discovered I was wrong. Way wrong. In the past five weeks, I’ve driven through Moab, Utah, four times. It sorta killed my soul, though, because …
Every morning I spend time in prayer and have a time of devotion to start my day. In November, during my morning time with God, I began reading a Psalm each day. I have been inspired, humbled, and comforted by the words of the Psalmists who are sharing their relationship with God and their journey …
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Sarah Katreen Hoggatt, the Communications Coordinator for Open Door Churches. In addition to designing many of the posters you see and creating the newsletters, I have also been producing all the worship videos since May 2020. As a writer, it a joy to step …
I was two years old when my sister was born and at the hospital I was able to go in with the nurse and help give my sister her first bath. After she was all cleaned up, I helped the nurse wheel my sister into my mom‘s hospital room. My parents had been talking about …
My understanding of Jesus’ Birth story in Luke’s Gospel had changed over the years from when I was a child to now. When I was a small child, I remembered the Christmas season being one of my favorites. Not because it is Christmas Day, but I like the activities that surrounded Christmas Eve. On Christmas …
I just returned from a visit to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with my family. It was a difficult decision to travel in this season, as the pandemic surges and authorities I trust have asked us all to pull back from activities that bring us into close contact with others, especially travel. If it wasn’t for …
Recently, I have noticed there is a large focus in the media about what we can’t do. I find it really hard to continually hear what we can’t do especially during a season that has always been so focused on gathering together with one another. This week is Thanksgiving and normally I would be going …
As I completed filling up the baptism certificate for Everleigh Fennix Martin, I reflected at how important our name is. This baptism certificate will become an official document for baby Everleigh. It is initiated and endorsed by all the Open Door Churches pastors. Baby EverLeigh Fennix Martin is our very first Open Door Churches baptism …
On Sunday, November 1, we concluded our fall Stewardship Campaign by celebrating the lives and witness of our saints—those whose death over the past year has brought them into the Great Cloud of Witnesses watching over us. I have already heard from many of our members that worship on Sunday was particularly meaningful and, aside …
TO: The People of the Open Door Churches and the Community of Salem-Keizer FROM: The Pastors of the Open Door Churches Dear Friends and Neighbors: On Saturday, October 17, members of the White Supremacist organization The Proud Boys gathered at Bush’s Pasture Park in Salem, with the express intent of intimidating and harassing the families …