The Pastor’s Blog
Happy Birthday Medford Friends Church!
On Sunday, October 14, 2012, we will celebrate our 70th birthday as a church, worshipping and serving Jesus in our community. Medford Friends Church began out of a vision of Friends in Salem, Oregon, who recognized the value of planting a new Friends Church in Medford. Our founding pastor, Milo Ross, had that same vision as he moved his family to Medford to begin the work of starting a new church.
The church held its first worship service on October 18, 1942, in the Ross home on the eastside of Medford. When the church was told they couldn’t build a bigger facility on the land they owned they took out an ad in the newspaper announcing they were a church without a neighborhood and if there was a neighborhood without a church let’s talk.
In February 1945, worship services were moved to Howard Elementary until the brick chapel was completed on our present site. As the years progressed the classroom section of the building was added, followed by the current sanctuary and fellowship hall, with numerous remodeling projects to follow, including the total overhaul of the middle section on the building beginning in 2002.
Throughout our 70 years, Medford Friends Church has been a loving body of believers filled with amazing people, and that includes you, who have sought to share the love and truth of Jesus with our families, friends, neighborhood, community and the world. That is still true today and although times, methods and ministries have changed, one thing has remained the same; we exist to worship, serve and glorify Jesus.
I am thankful for every person who has been and those who currently are part of the family of believers who are called Medford Friends Church. As we serve Jesus together, exercising the spiritual gifts and abilities the Holy Spirit has given us and sharing the resources God has entrusted to us, we grow in faith and in the knowledge of Jesus, enabling us to serve in love and bring glory to God.
As we celebrate our 70th birthday, may we commit ourselves to another 70 years of loving, fruitful ministry in the love, truth and power of Jesus Christ!
In Christ,
Mark
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Home Study for October 1 through 6, 2012
Monday – Read Matthew 5:1-12
How do these verses help us to live without regret?
Which of the beatitudes Jesus lists here do you find to be the easiest to live up to?
Which do you find to be the most challenging?
What is Jesus saying to you? How will you respond?
Tuesday – Read Colossians 4:2-6
How do the truths in these verses help us to live without regret?
How does prayer help us to do what God wants us to do?
How does prayerful watching protect us?
How does speaking in grace impact our lives and others?
What is Jesus saying to you? What will you do?
Wednesday – Read Psalm 51:1-19
This is David’s prayer of repentance after his hidden sins of adultery and murder were exposed.
How would you describe David’s feelings here?
How fully did he take responsibility for his sin?
How complete was his repentance?
What direction or hope does this give you?
Thursday – Read Proverbs 19:23
How does fear of or reverence for the Lord lead to life?
What has God given us to live in reverence?
How does such a life protect us from trouble?
What is Jesus saying to you? How will you respond?
Friday – Read Romans 12:9-21
How do these verses lead us to live without regret?
Which of these admonitions do you find the most challenging?
What hope do these verses give you?
What is Jesus saying to you? How will you respond?
Saturday – Read Ephesians 5:22-33
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Home Study for September 17 through 22, 2012
Monday – Read Philippians 2:1-11
How does submitting to one another help us to be “like minded?”
How did Jesus demonstrate the importance of looking out for the interests of others?
How can we have the same attitude?
How does this passage challenge you? What will you do?
Tuesday – Read Matthew 7:7-12
Why does God desire to meet our needs as we seek Him?
How does treating people in the way that we want to be treated sum up the teachings of the Law and the Prophets?
What does this tell us is most important to God?
What is God saying to you? How will you respond?
Wednesday – Read I Corinthians 10:23-24
What should be one of the deciding factors in how we live?
Why is it important to consider the good of others?
How might that change how we think and act?
What is God saying to you? How will you respond?
Thursday – Read II Peter 1:3-11
How does God meet our needs when we live submitted to Him?
Why is it important for us to grow in our relationship with God?
How can we live productive lives in God’s kingdom?
What is God saying to you? How will you respond?
Friday – Read Romans 13:8-10
What jumps out at you in this passage?
Does anything here surprise you?
How can loving our neighbor as ourselves fulfill the Law?
What can/will you do to be more loving?
Friday – Read Luke 4:16-21
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Home Study for September 10 through 15, 2012
Home Study
Monday – Read Psalm 100:1-5
What reasons does the writer of this psalm give for thanking God?
What acts of worship does he use as he gives thanks?
What are some ways that you can give thanks to God today?
Tuesday – Read Colossians 3:15-17
How does giving God thanks lead to receiving his peace?
How can we do all things with a heart of thanks?
What is God saying to you? How will you respond?
Wednesday – Read Philippians 4:4-7
When you pray, do you pray for what you want or for what you think is right or do you pray for God’s will to be done?
Why can we pray with thanksgiving even when we don’t know how God is going to work or answer our prayer?
How does praying for God’s will to be done and praying with thanksgiving lead to receiving the peace of Jesus?
How does this passage challenge you? How will you respond?
Thursday – Read Psalm 136:1-26
Read this Psalm as you prayer, remembering what God has done for you.
Friday – Read Jeremiah 29:11-13 and Romans 8:28
What does it mean to you to know that God has a plan for your life and that when you seek him you will find him?
What does it mean to you that God will work everything for your good when you love and serve him?
What are you struggling with in these days?
Take it to Jesus in prayer.
Saturday – Read Ephesians 5:21
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