Definitely on the home stretch now, but these last appointments are certainly no less important or special! Tuesday morning I had just a short ride down to Gresham, OR, just on the east side of Portland. There I met up with a dear friend, Jared Spano. Ingrid and I have known the Spano family for more than 20 years and we remember Jared first as a growing and energetic teen. He spent one year working with us in Napa as an extern from PUC before he transferred up to Walla Walla to finish. Now he is the pastor of the Gresham Church as well as the youth pastor for the nearby Rockwood Church. One of the truly exciting things happening in Gresham is the attitude of the members. They have literally embraced young people who's lives have become entangled with all kinds of problems. They welcome them, work along side of them, and involve them in their church activities. This is a church full of simply ordinary people with an extraordinary love for others. Jared is sharing a sermon series on "Christ's Method Alone." Things are looking up in Gresham.
From there I rode down to the Eugene area to stay with Lane and Carrie Meadowcroft, former Napa members and more special friends. They are part of the Pleasant Hill Church just a few miles east of Eugene. Dave McCoy is the pastor there and has been there for 16 years. Praise God for longer pastoral stays! This church has had a strong outreach to younger families and has drawn many of the students from the University of Oregon in Eugene. They will come all the way out to Pleasant Hill because of the loving atmosphere and inclusive spirit. One really neat activity that Dave shared was having the students from their Jr. Academy go to the local bank that had recently been robbed twice and they prayed all around the building, at each door, and inside. This got media attention, but more importantly, it touch the hearts of the employees. What a great way to build relationships in the community!
Next stop: Grants Pass, OR
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