It's here! The discipleship group options for the various meetings hosted through the Open Door Churches this fall.

Dialogues: On the Refugee Crisis

Refugees in America,...it's a rough topic, both at a local community level and from a national policy perspective. To bring perspective and meaningful conversations around this topic, the book offers 8 unique perspectives from experienced authors from renowned organization such as World Relief and Church World Service that provide insight into refugee stories and experiences. The DVD provides weekly helpful input and is created as a documentary which give viewers an inside look at the center of the refugee crisis and how it plays out in real life. [8 weeks / $18]

White Fragility: Why It's so Hard for White People to Talk About Racism

In this 2018 book, antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility and allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to bad people. Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and by behaviors including argumentation and silence. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue. In this in-depth exploration, DiAngelo examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively in this important dialogue. [9 weeks / $10]

Bible Study: Scriptures for the Upcoming Sunday

Bring your own Bible and join others in a great study focusing on the scripture which will serve as the focus for worship in all the ODC churches the upcoming Sunday. Led by Pastor Alyssa, this promises to be great opportunity to ground yourself in the scriptures used in worship.

We Make the Road by Walking: Bishop's Study of a Cross Over Year

This Tuesday afternoon group has chosen to accept the Bishops invitation to participate in a Cross Over Year. The study is reading Brian McLaren's "We Make the Road by Walking". While this is a year-long study by the group at Keizer-Clear Lake, if this topic is of interest to you, you are very welcome to join the group for some or all the fall discipleship group season. You can even stay with the group in 2020 if you wish. Go on-line to get your book.

Our middle school youth spent a week serving and learning on their mission trip to Portland in August. Seven youth from Open Door Churches joined 35 other youth from around the Portland area. they stayed at Portland First UMC and each day went out to do a variety of service projects. Among them were serving a meal at Blanchet House in downtown Portland, sorting onions at the Oregon Food Bank, helping guests fill their food boxes at Bethlehem House of Bread, and serving under the Burnside Bridge on Thursday night at Nightstrike. Our youth learned, worked hard and had a great time.

The youth group schedule for the month of October is as follows:

Future Events