THE FAMILY TIES GROUP

This is such a great group!

Family Ties Shepherding Group is made up of married and single adults in their early 40's to early 60's.  Many have children in middle school, high school, and college.  Some are empty-nesters whose children are married and have kids of their own.

Our group starts at 9:30 am Sunday mornings (come earlier for coffee and snacks!), in the upstairs room or "Upper Room" of the Shipping Street Building - over where all the high schoolers meet. 

We like to have a lot of fun together and usually always find something to laugh about!  If you'd like to visit us just come on over!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Click "Upcoming Events" link above left

BEACH PARTY August 7 @ noon

FAMILY TIES SURVEY RESULTS

What did you say about FTs

We are a very diverse group with diverse needs and opinions.  That's what makes us rich and wholesome.  Please review these comments collected when the Coillingwoods visited and help your leadership team synthesize these into our continual renewal.

1.  How can Family Ties provide additional ways to encourage personal spiritual growth?

Start additional bible study groups; Relationship development outside regular group time; Friendship, acceptance; Focused sharing time; Use of spiritual tools; Mentoring; Accountability; Provision for note taking and homework; Testimonies-How God is working; In-depth interviews; Memorizing Scripture together; Emails more focused on discipline e.g. what have you experienced from God this week; More encouragement in discipleship by leadership; Aggressively pursue teachers for the group; Individual personal contact with members of the small group; Small groups based on physical location.

2.  Move to Broadway Commons?

Not an obvious "church" edifice; Better access- bigger room - Visibility; Inviting people to the community group before inviting them to church; Knowing and publicizing topics; Community group flier in pews and hand to people during greeting time; Ask people in the service if they are in a community group; Invite younger people to coffee at Broadway; Invite friends to a relationship and not a class; Handicap accessibility; Every few months have a topic that would be open to the church and to the public; Sign board in coffee shop.

3.  Does the small group model benefit Family Ties?

More of them if met outside Sunday times; More time; helps with disclosure; No-causes isolation; Round table discussion and meet-to-eat groups are better-eliminate small groups; Prefer staying at the table we are sitting at; Change the groups; Greater vulnerability in small groups; Meet less than every week; It's a life-line; At least 20 mins. for small groups.

4.  Are there additional changes?

Expand the age range-younger families and singles; Re-think the small groups; Change the name of "Family Ties"; Small groups do service together; Contact those who no longer attend; Longer teaching series.

AMY QUIRING ECUADOR MISSION

Letter from Amy Quiring in Macas, Ecuador

June 27, 2010

Hi to all my family and friends!

I remember 2 years ago, when I was here for a few weeks, I got here the last week of school and I thought it was crazy busy, with all sorts of things going on. Then when I got here last summer, at first I didn´t know how I would occupy myself in the afternoon, since I´d never had that much prep time before. Of course it didn´t take me long to figure it out!! :) Between prepping for my classes, making materials for my classes and the others, looking for ideas for all grades online, trying to align all the English curriculum for the next year, translate forms and documents into Spanish, tutor kids after school and many other things, I realized that the craziness of the end of the school year, that I had experienced, was much closer to normal than the calm at the beginning of this year! I love all parts of my job, well aside from organizing, which is no surprise to anyone who knows me well! But even that has become easier and I do understand the necesity of it, even if I don´t like it as well as being in the classroom. :)

The first 2 trimesters I was teaching English to 5 levels: 3 yr old preschool, 4 yr old preschool, 1st grade, 2nd grade and 3rd grade (Ecuador´s kindergarten is also its 1st grade) and really enjoyed them, but didn´t see much of the high schoolers, aside from a few that I knew from past summers and their friends. Then towards the end of the 2nd trimester Robin started talking about wanting me to change my teaching responsibilities a bit, so that I would teach 1 class a week to each of the 4 high school classes! I´d never taught at the high school level before and was a bit apprehensive, but willing. What experience I had had with high schoolers in the past I´d enjoyed and the few that I knew were fun to be around. I´d also been in and out of their classrooms, doing observations, so I knew more or less what the classes were like. So, 3rd trimester, we had a new volunteer come, Andrea, who gradually took over my preschool classes and allowed me to teach the high schoolers on Thursday. It went far better than I could have expected and allowed me to get to know the high schoolers better and to become more a part of their lives. Now I know most everybody at youth group Saturday nights, instead of just the young adults, and have been able to form stronger relationships with some of the girls, who now come tos ay hi to me, too, instead of just their former grade school teachers. :)

I also finally got the dates down for being able to visit the States! I only bought my ticket a week and a half ago, or so and the day I bought my ticket my computer got such a bad virus that it wouldn´t even turn on. I took it in to a computer tech here, and he had to reformat my hard drive, which ended up taking, instead of the day that he told me, 5 days! Then Robin had to reenter the wireless password, so I´ve been without much internet access since I bought the ticket and knew the dates! Anway, I leave from Guayaquil July 1st at 11pm and get into Portland at 11am on the 2nd. I´m beyond excited to get to meet my nephew Colton for the first time (on the day he turns 5 months!!!) and to see Hunter, my other nephew again. From the pictures I´ve seen, they´ve gotten really big!! I´ll be in the Salem and Dallas, OR area from July 2nd-16th, when I fly down to Arizona to visit my parents. :) Then early morning on the 21st, I leave Arizona and fly back to Guayaquil, with numerous stops in airports that I´ve never been to before, so it should be quite interesting! :) At least I enjoy seeing new airports, so that parts pleasant, although less stops would have been nice! While in the Salem area, my Barnabus group is meeting. It´s a group, through my church, that meets to encourage a specific missionary and pray for them, that sort of thing. I´ll be sharing pictures and telling stories and then they´ll also talk about Robin and Wendy, the missionaries who I´m helping here. Anyone is free to come :) just ask me for directions. We´re meeting on July 14th at 7 pm. I have a lot of pictures that I need to put up onto Facebook, but with a really slow internet connection, I haven´t been able to, so once I get to Oregon, I plan on doing that.

Praises:

-That I was able to buy my plane tickets for a relatively good price, even though it was within a couple weeks of my departure date.

-That I survived my first attempt to teach high schoolers :)

-That we´ve had several volunteers here the past few weeks who´ve really helped a lot at the school!

-That either the weather´s cooler or I´ve acclimatized, but whatever the reason, I love it!

-That I get to see my nephews soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (oh, and everyone else, friends and family, too :) )

-That I get to live in an absolutely gorgeous land, doing work that I really enjoy. :)

Prayer:

-We finish everything we need to do before Wednesday, the day of the closing program.

-The English leveling classes go well, so that the high schoolers are able to start the year, knowing what they need to know to be successful in English next year.

-For my trip to the States and back to Ecuador this month.

-For all the volunteers, both here and those who are coming over the next few months, that they are prepared mentally both for coming here and going back to their homes.

-For the new method of leveling kids in English class goes well.

-For another English teacher, or more than one! ;)

Calling All Family Ties Members!!

Family Ties LAUGHS together, cries together, prays together, celebrates together, plays together and WORKS together, cuz that's what families do!  Do you have some favorite pix of family ties in the act of doing life?  Send them to Jim Schwager, JamesAndPatricia@live.com to share them with the rest of Family Ties.

Life is not only told through pictures but through stories as well.  We want to encourage one another through stories of faith and of community.  What is your story?  Family Ties community can share their stories with each other by posting them on these FT webpages.  Email them to Jim Schwager at …. JamesAndPatricia@live.com or give Jim or Pat a call at 503.851.4779.  Let’s share and practice our stories with each other.  Be encouraged by checking regularly for new stories being posted.

FAITH STORIES

Here is a letter from Katie Peyree, who was recently diagnosed with esophageal cancer.  Jim Moon was able to visit Katie with Linda Horton, a retired nurse who is also a distant relative.  Linda and Katie got along fine. Jim also delivered money from our Agape Fund which you gave for Katie. Thank you for continuing to pray.

Dear Family Ties,

Thank you so much for your generosity and kindness, and especially all your help. We got your gift today which we will be able to use to meet some immediate needs, including gas for medical appointments, and some immediate bills. Bless you for thinking of, and caring enough for me that you generously gave, especially in this present economical climate. Jesus said in Matthew 25:40 "when you do it for the least of these, you've done it for me".

Thank you for helping one of the least of these in your group, one who is in a completely helpless state in so many areas. My God has reached down through hearts, minds, wallets, prayers, efforts and offerings of His people to teach one such as me how to receive, and how to really trust He is who He says He is, that He does what He says He will do, and that He loves me enough to do it. Thank you for allowing God to bless you, as He uses you to reach out to a hurting sister and bless her. God doesn't forget His people's generosity.

As to the Cat Scan report, one of my favorite doctors, my radiation doctor, Dr Gordon, (he looks and acts a little like the Marx brothers but with lighter brown hair, great smile and positive attitude) that it looks like the cancer in my stomach is gone, and possibly in my liver as well. The tumor has shrunken considerably and is on it's way out in his opinion. He called me late and apologized for that, but I told him good news is welcome at any time!

On a new issue, I am considering putting to pen some children stories I've been carrying around in my head for quite awhile and would love to write these stories in such a way that God is glorified, my abilities and talents are used, and that through this I provide for my family Please be in prayer for that. In addition to the children's books I want to write, there are some other things kicking around that I think God wants me to communicate about. Please keep all of these in prayer.

God's grace, mercy, love, and generosity knows no bounds when we trust in Him. I'm still learning that lesson with this cancer and with my finances. For someone used to having up to 4 jobs at one time, and going from that level of independence to no jobs right now, it gets a little scary. But my God's bigger than I can even imagine, so as long as I keep my trust in Him, it's all good. As I make my way through Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Romans, Hebrews, and 1 John right now, God is helping me to realize and believe that He is who He says He is, He will do what He says He will do, and I can fully depend on Him for all my needs, and my heart's desires (Jeremiah 17:7,8). Well my dear friends, thanks again, and God bless. FIC, Love Katie

Bobbie and Duane

Mask

Quirings' Going Away Party

 How could such a sad event be so much fun? Family Ties gathered around the potluck table on May 7th to celebrate their friendship with Bobbie and Duane Quiring and say goodbye. They were headed for Arizona where Duane’s employer moved his job. Linda Eggiman and Terry Beilke organized the party around the Southwest theme. People came in their sombreros, bolo ties and western shirts. Terry lead us in remembering Bobbie and Duane by inviting Darrell Britton and Chuck Briggs and other volunteers to chronicle the Quiring’s life at Salem Alliance from their original meeting, through courtship, wedding, marriage and raising a family. To say the Darrell’s and Chuck’s stories were entirely accurate would be a significant exaggeration. One of the best memories shared was Cindy Lippold’s revelation to her husband, Peter, that she too once dated the debonair Duane. The entire group sent them on their way wishing them well and hoping for their return some day. The farewell was concluded with the mask wall-decoration shown above. Perhaps the hope was the mask would be the call to send them back to us soon. Rumor has it the mask never left town and may unexpectedly show up at future Family Ties events. A complete pictorial album of the event can be seen at http://picasaweb.google.com/integrityacct/FamilyTiesGoodByeParty?authkey=Gv1sRgCITO5aiOiZGQ5QE&feat=directlink

The FT Gang's All Here