Read moreI grew up in a great Salem church where Communion was celebrated every Sunday during the Eucharist. I worship today in a great Salem church where we take Communion once a month. From time to time I have pondered this contrast, not with any angst or criticism … but certainly with some lament. Was it just tradition and preference that caused me to yearn? Or something deeper.
The Art of Neighboring
The premise is simple. Get to know the people and families on your block.
SLF’s Political Agenda
With politics dominating the headlines and the newscasts, I’ve been thinking about a meeting I had several years ago. The community organizer from Portland was putting together a faith-based coalition, and he wanted to identify the key players in Salem. SLF is always...Three Epiphanies
Not just the high-needs inner-city neighborhoods, but all neighborhoods across Salem-Keizer. Every neighborhood has assets; every neighborhood has needs. The trick is to organize, energize and deploy the ‘indigenous assets’ so that the ‘indigenous needs’ are met. At this point, SLF stopped deploying the ‘suburban-assets/inner-city-need’” methodology. We now ask everyone, every church, every business, every agency: “What’s Your Neighborhood?”