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 …
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been utilizing the Pastors’ Blog to share updated versions of a series of articles I have published in previous ministry settings. It has been a nice crash course for me as I consider my own covenant to faithfully participate in the ministries of the church through my Prayers, Presence, …
If you’ve been reading the Pastors’ Blog, you know that I am using this forum to share some additional thoughts about the weekly themes that are guiding our worship throughout our Stewardship Campaign this year. And each week, I’m connecting the promise we make in the UM Membership Vows to a specific resource God has …
This Sunday, October 11, was the second Sunday of our 2020 Stewardship Emphasis for the Open Door Churches. Our theme this year, I Promise, is a direct reference to the Vows of Membership in the United Methodist Church: “Do you promise to uphold the ministries of the church through your Prayers, your Presence, your Gifts, …
A couple of months ago, your Pastoral Team made a conscious decision to “interact” with the people of the Open Door Churches on a more consistent basis each week. Like you, we have been frustrated by what the pandemic has done to our ability to create and maintain relationships with you, especially as we have …
Once a year, the Oregon Idaho Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church meets together for a few days of holy conferencing. At this conference, we celebrate God’s work in our churches and communities. We celebrate the commissioning and ordination of new clergy and the retirement of clergy who have served many years. We remember …
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Hello Friends: As I write this, all of us are dealing with the terrible wildfires and the devastation they have caused for nearby communities. Although I’m encouraged by news and firsthand accounts from pastors throughout the Cascadia District, the fact is that many of our members, their families and friends, have experienced personal loss. And …