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Vacation Bible schools abound in Newberg
Bible: `Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth'
|
Name changes, mission doesn't |
Newberg First Assembly of God becomes Family Life
Church |
By Amanda
Newman, Newberg Graphic intern
E-mail Amanda at
anewman@eaglenewspapers.com
|
Pastor Dave Benson and the
Newberg First Assembly of God congregation asked themselves what was
in a name. Their conclusion was that they didn’t think theirs
conveyed who they were to the Newberg community.
So in keeping with the democratic process, the name change was presented
to the congregation for a vote. The yeas reached about 90 percent,
Benson said and they now are Family Life Church.
Benson,
who has been a pastor at the church for the past three-and-a-half
years, found that “culturally and community-wise denomination tags
are more of a deterrent,” he said, adding that there is a trend
toward increasingly community types of church.
His goal was to reach out and indicate that his church is welcoming
to everyone, like a large family. “We feel like a name needs to be
more reflective,” he says. He added that he wanted his church to
reflect the inclusiveness toward which he is striving.
Benson said he doesn’t want people to see his congregation and him
for their denominational tag, but to see them as one large family,
the family of Christ.
Benson said he thinks that using the term family enables both “the
young, the old and everyone in between,” to feel at home in his
congregation. Together they celebrate the births, marriages,
anniversaries and graduations, and mourn the deaths. “Our purpose is
to minister the love of Jesus Christ to all, no matter what their
circumstances, or where they fit into our church family,” he said.
Benson, a 1989 George Fox University graduate with a bachelor’s
degree in Christian education, spent 15 years in Idaho as a youth
minister before returning to Newberg.
Besides the name change the youngish looking pastor has turned to
the Internet. He keeps a blog on the church Web site at
www.myflc.org and has been posting podcasts and video of sermons and
speeches. He invites everybody to join him for services at 10:30
a.m. Sundays. |
|
From
June 23, 2007, Newberg Graphic
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