Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We gather together as members of a Diocesan family to give thanks to God for the many blessings that we have received through the faithful labor and sacrifices of so many dedicated Christians in Western Oregon. I note with particular appreciation the faithful efforts of my staff colleagues who have labored so faithfully to ensure that our time together here would be a fruitful and blessed one. We gather together at a time of joyful celebration as we honor one of our own, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, who now serves our church as Presiding Bishop. We also offer our thanksgiving for the ministry of our former Presiding Bishop, Frank Griswold, and for all our clergy, lay leaders, and parishioners throughout our diocese and in the wider Anglican Communion. As we gratefully appreciate and acknowledge the courageous sacrifices of our sons and daughters and their families who serve in our military in Iraq, Afghanistan, and in other areas of conflict, we ask God’s wisdom and guiding spirit to inform and direct our leaders and those of other lands to work to pursue pathways of peace which affirm the dignity of every human being. At this time I would especially like to acknowledge and welcome the presence of Bishop Robert Ladehoff, our eighth bishop of the Diocese of Oregon. We also extend our gracious welcome to Canon Margaret Larom, Director of Anglican and Global Relations at the Episcopal Church Center and share our thanks and appreciation for her time with us during our convention.

A few years ago we began a pilgrimage and new journey in mission through renewal and transformation through the power of the Holy Spirit. As we have sought to come before God’s throne of Grace, we have sought to equip the saints of God for ministry with a focus on Christian Discipleship, Mission, and Evangelism. During the course of this coming year it is my prayer that as we look to the ministry of Christ and consider the opportunities given to us to be faithful disciples, we may also explore the opportunities afforded to us of creating new disciples of Jesus. In this regard, we are mindful of the words of Jesus: ” Come, follow me.”

I pray that we are also mindful of the power and presence of God as conveyed to us in the words of Nehemiah: “The Joy of the Lord is your Strength.” These bold words from Nehemiah offer us much to think about during times of stress. The rich story of rebuilding and transformation contained in the book of Nehemiah, along with the work of Ezra, remind us of God’s faithfulness and strength during times of challenge and anxiety.

In recent years many faith groups and religious traditions have organized together to respond to the rising escalation of human suffering around the world. The global economic crisis, the rise in poverty and the perpetuation of conditions of human underdevelopment in many places around the world, and the continuous outbreaks of war and civil conflict in many regions around the world remind us that there is still much that needs to be improved in civil society.

The United Nations Development Programme, notes: “The poorest 40 percent of the world population—the 2.5 billion people who live on less than $2 a day—account for five percent of global income, while the richest 10 percent account for 54 percent. Never before has the goal of abolishing poverty been within our reach: there are no longer any insurmountable technical, resource or logistical obstacles to achieving it. Yet, more than 800 million people suffer from hunger and malnutrition, 1.1 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water and, every hour, 1,200 children die from preventable diseases. Despite a growing world economy and significant advances in medicine and technology, many people in developing countries are not reaping the potential benefits of globalization.¹

I am very thankful and appreciative of the many different ways our own diocese through its congregations and institutions, reaches out to our broader human family. I especially applaud our diocesan participation in human relief and development efforts through Episcopal Relief and Development and Church World Service. What a blessing it is to see and witness the energy and commitment of love that is offered through the health kits that individuals and congregations are providing! These gifts of love will undoubtedly touch and improve the quality of life for so many persons, especially children and the most vulnerable.

The Good News of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is welcome news of God’s saving grace for all of humankind. The Gospel of Christ reminds us that we live together on this earth and in this world in our communities as one people with a common obligation of concern and commitment to and for one another.

We are called to celebrate a faith based on joy and a faith based not simply on idealism but in our collective will and our common capacity to improve the quality of life for others and for God’s creation as a whole.

My hope and prayer is that in our journey together as a diocese, we will re-capture the pioneer spirit of entrepreneurial creativity, courage, optimism, perseverance, and a “can do” mentality. We cannot give into those human inclinations that precipitate a mindset of fear, hopelessness, or negativism.

Donald Keough, who was once the Chief Executive Officer of Coca Cola Corporation once said:

“I have an architect friend who says, ‘I can take the newest building, built by the finest builders anywhere in the world, and if you give me a camera and the ability to focus various lenses, I can make that building look like it's about to fall down because I will find five or six minor imperfections, focus on them and convince you that the entire structure is about to topple.’ In a society where a handful of people focus the camera of life on the events of the day, if you and I allow them to use their camera to focus on our lives, then we will be often disappointed, frequently fearful and generally miserable .... Be wary of those who want to focus the camera forever on the warts and blemishes and shortcomings of our existence.”²

Vaclav Havel, the Czech poet/ former President, spoke these words from his years of suffering oppression and persecution: "I am not an optimist, because I am not sure that everything ends well. Nor am I a pessimist, because I am not sure everything ends badly. I just carry hope in my heart.... Life without hope is an empty, boring and useless life. I cannot imagine that I could strive for something if I did not carry hope in me. I am thankful to God for this gift. It is as big a gift as life itself."³

The Stewardship of God’s Abundance

The gift of hope is not something that is based on abstractions. It is based on the reality of God’s active engagement with us and with the forces of good in our world. We hope not so much for things that we cannot accomplish, but for the energy and vision and conviction to make changes in our lives and in the way we respond to God’s call to Jubilee, justice, and love.

In this regard, as a diocese, we must be intentional in celebrating and giving thanks to the Lord for the blessings that are ours. Celebrate and give thanks to God for life, for each other, and for the opportunities that God gives to each of us to encounter Christ in our own lives and in our own way!

A couple, visiting in Korea, saw a father and his son working in a rice paddy. The old man guided the heavy plow as the boy pulled it.

"I guess they must be very poor," the man said to the missionary who was the couple’s guide and interpreter.

"Yes," replied the missionary. "That’s the family of Chi Nevi. When the church was built, they were eager to give something to it, but they had no money. So they sold their ox and gave the money to the church. This spring they are pulling the plow themselves."

After a long silence, the woman said, "That was a real sacrifice."

The missionary responded, "They do not call it a sacrifice. They are just thankful they had an ox to sell." ⁴

One of the most important acts of thanksgiving that we offer is in the stewardship of our time, talents, and treasures. One of our churches, Trinity Church in Ashland offers a wonderful reflection piece on the theme of stewardship⁵ :

Stewardship has been defined as:

Stewardship is lived out in:

As we are mindful that all that we have is a gift from God through the grace of God, may we be as deeply committed to be faithful stewards of God’s bounty. At a recent Harvest Dinner with the parishioners of St. John’s Church in Milwaukee, we had a wonderful opportunity to study stewardship and tithing from the vantage point of thanksgiving for God’s abundance. As agents of grace and instruments of Christ’s love, may we be faithful to God by offering our tithes and gifts of thanksgiving, presenting before the Lord, the first fruits of our lives and our labor. As we are mindful that it is the duty and responsibility of every Christian to tithe or work toward the same, may we always remember that it represents a beginning point and initial step in the stewardship of our gifts. As we have been generously given the gift of life and the call of God’s hope for us, may we be as generous in supporting our own churches and the ministries of those among us who faithfully proclaim the message of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In this regard, I am asking every congregation in our diocese, as part of its Lenten reflections for the coming year, to prayerfully study and encourage Tithing as a Holy Habit and the personal responsibility of every Christian to tithe or work toward the same.

The Vision Trust

In the next few months many of us will be hearing about The Vision Trust, which is one component of a broader goal of helping us focus on Stewardship and Development work in our diocese. Very soon we will be hearing from The Rev’d Paul Barthelemy and Mr. Mark Olsen who have led is us conversation, dialogue and the development of some outstanding resource material to help move us in this direction. I am especially thankful for their leadership and look forward to their presentation.

Creating Christ-Centered Mission Minded Communities

As an active member church of the world-wide Anglican Communion, our charge has been:⁶

Recent reflections from the Anglican Consultative Council, one of the instruments of unity in our tradition, remind us that a mission-oriented community is faithful in announcing the Good News through personal evangelism. It is also noted that mission occurs in context and the same Gospel of salvation is shaped by the great diversity of the world’s places, times, and cultures. It is noted that mission is a celebration and thanksgiving as we are reminded that the worship of Almighty God is central to our common life and witness as Anglicans. As a worshiping community, we are challenged to understand mission as church, not just to do mission but to be a people of mission as we understand mission to be the work of God-in-action.⁷

Our Journey Together in Western Oregon

As mentioned in other settings, our common goal is in our diocese is Renewal and Transformation through the Power of the Holy Spirit. The process through which we can realize this goal is: Christian Discipleship, Mission, and Evangelism.

Our “Core Goal” is to promote renewal and transformation in the personal and systemic dimensions of human life through commitment to mission, outreach, and evangelism. By being intentional about evangelism and by being responsive to the needs of the poor and marginalized, we can be relevant instruments of God’s redeeming purpose. By being intentionally multicultural in the design and deployment of our programs and activities we can more effectively reflect the diversity of our church at large and our own cities and communities.

Evangelism in its most basic sense is a form of spiritual and emotional transformation. It has been said that “approximately 77 percent of the persons who become Christian disciples do so because of the testimony, deeds, and encouragement of someone they trust.” ⁸

My hope for our diocese is for us define our common identity in singular terms. We are one community committed to creating renewal and transformation in the personal and relational aspects of our lives. We are one community of faith living out our Christian witness at many different locations. Each congregation is a unique and gifted mission field. Each church and institutional structure should be viewed as a mission field within the wider diocesan family. This indeed demands that we behave as a church differently and that we live in communion in more dynamic ways than in the past. One concrete embodiment of this effort is the Day of Sacrament of Song, thanks to the efforts of All Saints Episcopal Church in Portland and other neighboring churches. This festive event, complete with confirmations, baptisms, re-affirmations, scriptural mediations, and a host of other activities, offers us an opportunity to gather together in prayer and sacramental witness of our unity in Christ.

In our pilgrimage together as a people of God, it is critical that we strive to be a multicultural and multi-linguistic community of believers. We will seek to be ministers of encouragement and ambassadors of hope and healing in our engagement with others. As a missionary people, our task will be to create new disciples, forge a new culture of welcome and hospitality, and commit ourselves to growth in numbers and strengthen the spiritual essence of our being.

Christian Discipleship indeed facilitates processes of transformation. A focus on evangelism strengthens congregational discipleship.

As a missionary community, it is my hope that we will endeavor to promote renewal and transformation by focusing on those areas of ministry that represent the priorities of the wider Church: Children, Youth, Young Adults ; Promoting Reconciliation and Evangelism among ourselves and with others; Congregational Transformation and Spiritual Renewal; Encouraging Ministries of Peace and Justice; Partnerships in Ministry – Local, Regional, National, Global.

The themes that should guide our ministry together should evolve from responses to the following questions: Discipleship: What does it mean to follow Jesus? Mission: What is the work of the Church? And Evangelism: How do we proclaim the Good News?

Companion Diocese Committee

I am very thankful to all the members of our Companion Diocese Committee in strengthening our ties and connections with the wider church, especially as we focus on common themes of discipleship, mission, and evangelism with our companion diocese of Madhya Kerala. The Companion Diocese committee, with the leadership of Mrs. Anne McCollum and Dean Bill Lupfer has worked exceptionally hard in developing linkages and connections with our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world. We were blessed with the presence of Bishop Samuel and some clergy and lay leaders from Madhya Kerala at our last convention and we look forward to new areas of common witness in service of Jesus Christ.

Pre-School Initiative

William Temple House

During the last 12 months, William Temple House (WTH) has served 2,045 people through our mental health counseling program and 12,745 people through our emergency social services program—a total of 14,760 primary clients.

Because its services are aimed at helping working poor families, the agency’s counseling, food, clothing, health and hygiene services impact 28,044 family members in the course of one year.

The agency’s mental health counseling program provides individual and couples counseling, along with psycho-educational groups for adults and adolescents. WTH emergency social services program provides food baskets, health and hygiene services, medication assistance, and clothing for children and adults, public transportation tickets, household goods, job finding assistance, money management assistance, as well as information and referral.

Highlights of the past year include: (1) partnering with Saints Peter and Paul in East Portland on a family dentistry program; (2) initiating a new partnership with Saint John the Evangelist in Milwaukie to open a children’s clothing closet; (3) completing our second year of social services at William Temple House West, a partnership with All Saints Episcopal Church in Hillsboro; (4) completing our fourth year of social services in North Portland, in partnership with Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church; and (5) staging our third successful croquet and wine benefit at The Bishop’s Close, called Wickets & Wine.

The current year marks the agency’s 41st year of service to the community. During its first 41 years, more than 300,000 people were served.

Happy Valley Episcopal Mission

There are a number of places throughout our diocese where demographic and statistical data encourage the consideration of a new church start. Happy Valley, which lies south east of Portland, is one area that offers some promise. I am especially thankful to the leadership of Canon George Hemingway, Mr. John Ross, and Mr. Mike Merrigan who are serving as facilitators of this new expression of church for the people of Happy Valley.

At this point in time, about 35 persons, including many children, are involved in this project. Meetings up until now have been held in homes and a nursery school. Worship gatherings commenced in October at the Oregon Trail Elementary School in Happy Valley. Sacramental offices are provided by local clergy volunteers and by the Canon for Mission.

Thanksgiving for the Institutions of our Diocesan Family

As a Diocese, we are more than the sum of our individual congregations and their respective communicants. Our Lord, through the faithful efforts and sacrifices of many before us, has left us a wonderful legacy of institutions that play a very key role in shaping our common witness as a Christian community. Indeed, the schools, hospital systems, and social service agencies of our diocese transform human life in many wonderful and significant ways.

Oregon Episcopal School

Oregon Episcopal School continues to be a great source of pride, joy, and excitement for our diocese. Our Diocese is blessed to be part of a transforming and renewing ministry that deeply touches the lives of young persons. The academic program at OES has benefited from national recruitment efforts that have added many talented new faculty members. The quality of academic performance and teaching is reflected in the awards students are winning, the colleges they are attending, the test scores they are achieving, and enthusiastic alumni testimonials.

The state-of-the-art science facilities along with research-based teaching have allowed four OES students in the past four years to become finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search, in which they join an elite group of 40 students chosen nationwide to present their research in Washington, D.C. Many students have received awards in other national and international competitions, traveling as far as Sweden and Turkey to present their work.

The emphasis on sportsmanship, teamwork, and excellent coaching has propelled the school to unprecedented success in athletics. Most Upper School students play on at least one sports team, and their spirit and enthusiasm have led to four state titles in boys’ soccer, girls soccer, volleyball and boys tennis in the past year alone.

The flowering of the music program is evident in both the number and quality of musical groups as well as in the extensive on-campus offerings of private music lessons.

Service learning programs in all divisions have become more focused and more closely tied to the curriculum while responding to needs in the community and around the world.

Legacy Health System

Legacy Health System is an Oregon not-for-profit organization operated by and for the benefit of Oregonians. One of Legacy’s largest hospitals is Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center, founded in 1875 by the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon. Good Samaritan remains connected to the Episcopal community through an active pastoral staff, an ongoing commitment to its surrounding communities and representation by your Bishop on Legacy’s Board of Directors.

In August 2005, Legacy opened Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital in Vancouver, Washington. Salmon Creek is the first new hospital facility to come to the region in decades and incorporates the latest technology, both in clinical systems and hospital operations. Patient volumes grew steadily during its first year of operation, as the residents of Clark County embrace this new healthcare resource.

In January 2006, Lee Domanico became Legacy’s President and Chief Executive Officer, following the retirement of Robert J. Pallari. Domanico has an extensive background in healthcare leadership, most recently serving as President/CEO of El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, California.

Legacy Good Samaritan’s Centers of Excellence include the Comprehensive Cancer Center, Devers Eye Institute, the Rehabilitation Institute of Oregon, Legacy Good Samaritan Obesity Institute and Wilcox Women’s Pavilion for women’s health, as well as special expertise in heart services, kidney transplant, diabetes care and stroke care.

The following are highlighted activities and accomplishments of the past year:

As the flagship of the five-hospital network comprising Samaritan Health Services, Good Samaritan continues to play a vital role in our service area of Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties. The past year has seen strong growth and excellent clinical outcomes in a number of regional programs based at Good Samaritan, as well as several renovation and construction projects throughout the system. New and expanded projects this year include:

In addition, system-wide initiatives include major investments in information technology to help with our quality improvement efforts and to transmit health information electronically, and the continued development of health plans to serve area Medicare recipients (called Samaritan Advantage Health Plan) and public employees (called Samaritan Select).

Trinity Cathedral

Trinity -- has called an outreach director with the hope of vastly expanding our outreach ministry. We are hosting guest preachers with the hope of serving as a strong moral pulpit in the city of Portland. We are partnering with others on mission trips to Native American reservations and overseas to Honduras. We are synergizing our various ministries to transform our common lives with the purpose of building God's Kingdom in Portland and beyond. We are seeking to link closely with other diocesan ministries.

Theological Visioning Working

As a follow-up to last year’s clergy conference, a number of clergy throughout our diocese have gathered together to carefully reflect upon the themes Renewal and Transformation, in the context of Christian Discipleship, Mission, and Evangelism. At our recent clergy conference many clergy had an opportunity to review some draft text of material that could be utilized in adult education forums, catechumenal training, and other Christian education forums. I want to especially offer my thanks and appreciation to Fr. Brandon Filbert for facilitating this discussion and to the many other clergy who at different times studied the theological framework which shapes our ongoing conversations about what it means to be a mission-minded people of God. Later in our time together we will have an opportunity to hear about the work of this group in a broader context. It is my hope that the congregations of our diocese will study this evolving material, adapt as necessary, and utilize some of the key themes that are raised at adult education, Christian formation, catechumenal training, or in other related settings. Our goal should be to consider ways of creating new disciples of Jesus Christ.

The Theological Framework for our Common Life has significant value for us as a community. It is important to note that in its broadest missional context, this ongoing work:

The Resource under development is also significant for the following reasons:

Seasonal focus

Suitable for use a variety of settings

Triangle Lake Task Force:

In the late summer, I appointed a Task Force to rigorously analyze our Triangle Lake Camp and Conference Center. I charged them to look very carefully and thoughtfully –with their heads and their hearts -- at the ministry and mission of Triangle Lake. They are to provide a near term operation plan for 2007 and bring to the Trustees a long term business plan for Triangle Lake. The group is researching possibilities for Triangle Lake, and has been charged to think outside the box. As a sub-group of Trustees, they report to Trustees monthly. Their charter requires them to complete their work by the end of April. This is intense and demanding work—the members of the Task Force meet frequently and are responsible for getting their heads around a lot of data, and for looking for at both the opportunities and challenges of our Triangle Lake center and its ministry.

Holy Conversations Visioning Group:
In response to my request to initiate conversations around strategic planning in our diocese, our Convention, in 2004, passed a resolution for that asked our Diocesan Council to assume leadership in creating a common vision and focus of ministry in our Diocese. Since then, Council has been engaged in the initial phases of our Vision work: the Holy Conversations of last year, and this year. Council has also formed a Vision Group, which is committed to shaping a Vision in community for our Diocese.

In phase 2, as in phase 1, of our Holy Conversations, we, through visits by Council members, are opening a space for listening—listening to the joys, concerns and hopes of our churches. As we review the material from the Holy Conversations, we are willing to look at who we are, we are willing to listen to one another, and we’re resilient enough to find ways to move forward into newer territory, into the missional work that our Lord Jesus Christ calls us to.

The creation of a Vision, this process of meaning-making is complex and demanding,-- it is not a simple exercise of putting nice words on paper. At its best, it works deeply within us, as we uncover rich layers of great significance to our common life here in the Diocese of Oregon. I ask that you will support us in this process…support the work of Council and the Vision group, attend the Holy Conversation in your church or program, and hold the process in your prayers.

Children’s Advocacy Day
“For Every Child A Better World” is the theme of an exciting event to be held in Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland, the afternoon of Sunday, April 22, 2007. The Episcopal Diocese of Oregon, in partnership with our brothers and sisters in the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, will make a public witness in the public square that we believe the health and well being of all children should be a priority in our congregations, our communities, our state, our nation and throughout the world.

Children’s Advocacy Day at Pioneer Square is an opportunity to stand in solidarity with other people of faith and partners in our community who care about children and who are dedicated to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. These eight, interrelated, achievable goals address the most pressing needs of our global community.

God’s Grace and Signs of Renewal and Transformation within Our Communities

Thanks to the Grace of God and the efforts of so many clergy and lay persons throughout our diocese, we have significant signs and symbols of renewal and transformation that are taking place. A number of congregations have shared with me news of notable happenings and transformative ministries that have energized their common life and witness as heralds of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. While many wonderful things are happening in various communities, these few illustrations that I am sharing with you are offered as models for our encouragement and reflection:

St. Christopher’s, Port Orford (Fr. Stanley Corklin, notes:)

“Saint Christopher's in Port Orford had dwindled down to a Sunday attendance of about six two years ago. With the appointment of the Rev. Stanley E. Corklin as priest in charge the attendance has risen to 20-25 each Sunday.

There were 57 in attendance for this special day with Bishop followed by a special brunch. On special Holy Days, such as Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost each person in the parish takes invitations and invites friends whom they think might be interested in becoming a part of our parish family. At these special times, we have a special reception or brunch. Also we have an ongoing relationship with St. Matthew's in Gold Beach where we have special study groups together where we also share a potluck type of supper.

There is a great spirit here at Saint Christopher's where we have become a family where we worship together as well as care for each other. “

St. James, Coquille (Fr. Ed Shippey notes:)

“St. James, Coquille, has taken to heart Bishop Itty’s request to find what we do best and do it. Beginning in the summer of 2005, St. James began reaching out to children in the community, many who come from single parent homes, foster parent homes, or homes with grandparents. St. James, was a quiet, graying little congregation which has been infused with new life by all the young people running to Sunday school, clamoring to be acolytes or participate somehow in the Sunday service; and adults reaching out to show the children how to use the prayer book, hymnals and the traditions of the Episcopal church. Everyone at St. James is learning of the love of God: how to love and be loved; enjoying the glitter every where, and making a joyful noise unto God. “

St. Catherine’s, Manzanita (Fr. Paul Barthelemy notes:)

”St. Catherine's BAC is holding visioning mini-retreats at least quarterly to identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities for mission, discipleship, and evangelism.

St. Catherine's Communications Team is making visibility its top priority, communicating to visitors, the community, and second home owners the message, "Think of St. Catherine as your vacation church home on the north Oregon Coast."

St. Catherine's extraordinary acoustics have drawn rave reviews. St. Catherine is reaching out to the community by hosting regular musical events in collaboration with other community organizations, such as the Cannon Beach Chorus, the Hoffman Center for the Arts & Humanities, and the Manzanita Cultural Arts Council. After the first of the year St. Catherine will offer its own monthly "Sundays at 3:00" series featuring both local and regional artists.

St. Catherine maintains close ties with the Center for the Contemplative Arts directed by candidate for the diaconate Lola Sacks. The Center offers church and community members a wide variety of workshops and classes in spiritual growth and development.

St. Catherine's "Lunch Bunch" program, offered in conjunction with the North County Recreation District in Nehalem, directed and staffed by church volunteers, and funded through special donations, has just completed its third year, serving over 3,000 lunches to children in June, July, and August!”

St. Martin’s, Shady Cove (Fr. Harvey Ray notes:)

When St. Martin’s lost its resident vicar in late 2002, the challenge of “what do we do now?” was taken up by the small dedicated congregation. Average attendance was 15 to 18 on Sundays and the congregation was entirely older and mainly retired adults. The services of a priest twice a month was accepted as economically sustainable at that time. Morning Prayer was said by members of the congregation on other Sundays. Harvey Ray+ came as their supply priest beginning in January 2003 and following a year of growth in attendance and pledging was joined by Mary Piper+ in mid 2004 sharing in a rota of every Sunday Eucharist’s, Christian formation classes and other pastoral duties. From early 2002 the clergy and BAC have focused on this period in the life of St. Martin’s being a time of growth in lay leadership and ministry. We also seek to open up and welcome other community members to special services such as an annual pet blessing held near St. Francis’ Day. Members are active in Convocation and Diocesan committees and projects. And St. Martin’s continues to grow. Average Sunday attendance is now in the mid 30s, we provides financial assistance for 11 young persons to attend Triangle Lake this summer, increased stewardship by 21% over last year, have a number of Baptisms each year and presented to the Bishop at his visit 7 for confirmation/reception. A member of the BAC says this: “Visitors and newcomers alike continue to be openly welcomed by a caring congregation and are made to feel at home. This is the strength of the people and clergy of St. Martin’s.”

St. Thomas, Eugene Preschool (Patty Lyon, preschool director notes:)

“We have a child that attended our Pre-K class last year that had recently moved from Japan. He spoke no English and the Parents wanted him to learn from the other children. When he graduated from his Pre-K last spring, he could speak English pretty well. He is now attending public kindergarten in the morning class.

“St. Paul’s, Salem, now fully staffed, is proud to continue be one of 14 host churches in the Salem / Keizer area that regularly offers meals, activities and lodging to homeless families through the ministry of Interfaith Hospitality Network. St. Paul’s regularly offers Via Media classes (one of many adult formation opportunities) to its parishioners, especially for those new to the Episcopal Church. In addition, St. Paul’s now offers two EFM classes. In an effort to reach out young adults St. Paul’s will celebrate its first community and diocesan wide U2charist on Saturday, November 18 at 7:00 pm.”

St. Francis, Wilsonville (Fr. Anthony Petrotta notes:)

“We've created "The Sanctuary" for reinvigorating our children's program. We devoted a section of the Parish Hall where we first had worship as St. Francis Church for the children. It's totally their space and used for their worship (altar, piano, candles, and a beautiful carpet to sit on). We have songs, prayers, tell a biblical story, and then have a time to respond to the story in some creative fashion. We're recruiting members in the congregation to share with the children their gifts--visual arts, music, cooking, and so forth. It doesn't sound like that much, but the response by the children is wonderful; they're telling their parents that they enjoy Sunday school.

Over the Summer we began to have an Intercessor stand beside the baptismal fount during Eucharist to pray with anybody who wanted prayer either for themselves or for another. (This ministry has not been a part of the St. Francis tradition.) It started off a bit slow, but each week it seems more and more people are going over to the Intercessor for prayer. The Intercessors have been greatly encouraged by the response; there is talk of having a "healing service" in the upcoming months. On Sunday I had one parishioner come up to me and say, "I never thought I'd see Episcopalians come forward in front of everybody for prayer like that."

St. Mark’s, Medford (Fr. Jed Holdorph notes:)

“The people of St. Mark’s are a beacon of hope in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the state of Oregon. They have opened their doors for worship and they have opened their hearts to those in need. Several times a year, all the members of the parish jump into an assembly line and assemble a variety of kits for their neighbors in need – toiletry kits for men at the local Gospel Mission, back-to-school kits for needy students in the fall, New Mom kits, as well as 50 of the kits gathered in at this fall’s Diocesan Convention for Church World Service. Members of the congregation pitched in and helped build two new homes last year, in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity (and were awarded top honors among all churches in the Rogue Valley for their work).

Earlier this fall, they purchased kitchen equipment (with the help of the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon’s Pentecost offering) for Kids Unlimited, a local agency that serves the needs of an estimated 1,000 homeless teen students living in Medford. One piece of property has long been used by the Samaritan Counseling Center to offer help to those who couldn’t otherwise afford it. They have a house dedicated to providing emergency transitional housing to families trying to get back on their feet.

In the coming weeks, they’ll assemble 150 Thanksgiving baskets to be distributed to their neighbors and they’ll work together with Eastwood Baptist Church to host their annual Christmas party for teen mothers. In these and other ways, they seek to proclaim the good news of God’s love for all those in their community.”

St. Matthew, Portland (Fr. David Humphrey notes:)

“St. Matthew's has begun supporting God's mission both here and abroad in two new ways. We are delighted to participate in the ministry of a Christian organization that offers unconditional friendship and hospitality to international students. The group meets on Friday evenings, just a few blocks from our church. A meal, which is free to students, is supplied by local churches. After dinner, there is time for further conversation, worship and Bible study. When we bring the meal, we are welcome to stay for the evening and get to know these fascinating people who have come to Portland from around the world. Many of these students, who will return to their country after their studies, are meeting Christians here for the first time.

St. Matthew's has also begun supporting a family who are Anglican missionaries in Madagascar. The recent hit movie has made this island known to the young people of our parish so they have been enthusiastic in establishing a link with this family. In this age of emails and instant messaging, our children have been captivated by the thought that their hand-written letters and original artwork are now actually in Madagascar”

St Gabriel’s, Portland (Mother Lou Ann Pickering notes:)

“It has been an exciting and eventful year at St. Gabriel’s, Portland. Our attendance is up ten percent from last year, and we’ve been able to add a stipended Curate to aid Mother Lou Ann. A TV crew came to our church recently to film the dedication of our newly painted Labyrinth. This interactive and meditative piece of art is just one part of the strategic move that St. Gabriel’s has undertaken in its art ministry initiative, which included inviting a renowned iconographer to our recent women’s retreat. Our choir is excited by the recent donation of choir robes and they are a fitting parallel to the great honor of singing at Carnegie Hall later this year. Mother Lou Ann, Fr. Kevin, and Deacon Tom have been looking resplendent in the recently completed Eucharistic vestments based on the delightful stained glass that was already shining over the nave. In a similar vein the, those driving by the church will notice the newly erected sign that announces St. Gabriel’s presence. In addition, St. Gabriel’s has become a Goodwill donation site, and judging by the frequent replacement of the trailer, it is a very successful one. The Red Cross is also a regular visitor, using our facility to accommodate blood drives. St. Gabriel’s continues to reach out to the community by collecting money and other needed items. We held a Fundraiser Faire for Hurricane Katrina. We have cultivated a close relationship with Madison House Christian Home for unwed mothers. Collecting toiletries for health kits is another important ongoing ministry. But very dear to our hearts is the amazing fact that our prayer knitters have offered up one hundred and eighteen prayer shawls, which have been blessed and given to those who can most benefit from them. St. Gabriel’s is grateful that we are able to serve each other and our neighboring community through the diverse ministries that have found us through the love of Christ and our worship life together. And it is our prayer that we will continue to grow in Love as Christ loved us and gave himself for us!”

St. Martin, Lebanon (Mother Carol Sedlacek notes:)

“The Holy Spirit is stirring at St. Martin's in Lebanon. We're a small but faithful group serving in this East Linn County corner of God's Vineyard. In March 2006 we started a youth group to meet once a month. We started with five youth and have grown to 12. We spend our time prayin', playin', learnin' and servin'. “

Another area of focus and growth is learning to share our "one minute witness." I've invited and challenged everyone in our congregation to articulate their faith in a brief, simple, authentic way. We are practicing by sharing our "one minute witness" with each other. After sharing with each other, we will be ready to share with a friend or coworker when the opportunity arises.

Here are some examples:
"I find peace in knowing that I am never alone. Jesus promised that he would be with us, 'even to the end of the ages.' That truth is a comfort to me."

"Even when life is hard, I have felt God's love for me. I'm thankful for my relationship with God."

"'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.' (Philippians 4:11) This verse of scripture gives me encouragement in my life. I know that when I rely on God, all things are possible."

Good Shepherd, Prospect (Fr. Jack Brown notes:)

“One of the more revitalizing events for our congregation is a Cursillo within reasonable driving distance. In the past sponsors have been unable to fulfill their responsibilities because of the distance and time to reach the location of the Cursillo. We had a candidate one year who could not go because no one was able to sponsor her. This year, with the Cursillo in Medford we are happy to say we have a candidate with sponsors who are excited about taking part in the Cursillo with her.”

St. Luke the Physician Episcopal Church, Gresham ( clergy and lay leaders note:)

“There are those who believe in coincidences – we believe in the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit has been hard at work at St Luke’s the past two years. We have grown from an average of 17 attendees at our Sunday Service to 68, started a preschool, built a labyrinth, become financially stable, enjoyed many parish events and become an active parish known in the local community. At one time there was a vote to see if we wanted to keep the doors open. With the ‘yes’ vote came the support of the Holy Spirit. We try always to keep in mind that God has a plan for St Luke’s, we listen and ask for guidance. We have had many examples of prayers being answered – a music director walking in the door when we had no music, a labyrinth guild director also walking in the door when we had no idea where one would be found, a pre-school director looking for a location to move her school to, parishioners always willing to help etc. It is with faith that we move forward, always listening to the Holy Spirit. It is our belief that St Luke’s is to become a place of meditation, healing and contemplation – a