SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016
Soup’s On to discuss
evolving civilization
On Monday, Feb. 15,
beginning at at 6:30 p.m.,
everyone is invited to join a
group from diverse spiritual
paths who will discuss the
topic: “An Ever-Advancing
Civilization.”
Humanity, the Bahá’í writ-
ings explain, has passed
through the stage of child-
hood and now stands at the
threshold of its collective
maturity.
“That which was applica-
ble to human needs during the
early history of the race can
neither meet nor satisfy the
demands of this day, this peri-
od of newness and consum-
mation...” say the writings.
The evening will begin
with bowls of seafood soup,
homemade bread and vegeta-
bles, followed by the eve-
ning’s topic until 8:30 p.m.
The gathering will end with
prayers for the requests left in
the Prayer Pole in the garden
of the Florence Playhouse
and those shared by the
group.
Everyone is invited to
attend.
The Heintz home is at 875
Seventh St.
For more information, call
Suzanne Mann-Heintz at 541-
590-0779.
St. Valentine letters to
be read at UU Sunday
On
Valentine’s
Day,
Sunday, Feb. 14, from 10 to
11 a.m., at the Florence
Unitarian
Universalist
Fellowship, the Rev. Ruth
Miller’s message is titled,
“St. Valentine’s Letters from
Prison.”
“There are many explana-
tions for this day, and the lit-
tle cards and gifts we associ-
ate with it, some of them
rooted in our Judeo-Christian
history,” Miller says, “others
in the pagan traditions of this
time of year. We’ll explore
the symbols and their begin-
nings, their current meanings
and possibilities for the
future.”
The UU Fellowship, 87738
Highway 101 at Heceta
Beach Road, is wheelchair
accessible.
Each service concludes
with refreshments and dia-
logue circle to explore the
questions that come up dur-
ing each service.
For more information visit
www.uuflorence.org or call
541-997-2840.
Join Us In Worship
4 lines, approx 15 words, $10 a week
4 week Minimum
Deadline 3 p.m. Mondays.
5 A
Let go of the dead stuff in your life
Have you ever hired a pro-
fessional to prune a tree in your
yard? Dave and I hire someone
to do that for us and there are
times when he cuts the branch-
es back so far that I’ve said to
him, “There is nothing left. You
have totally destroyed our tree.”
But he says, “You just watch
and see.” And sure enough,
before long the tree is much
better looking than it was
before.
Just like trees need pruning
from time to time to remove
dead branches or areas where
there is overgrowth, you and I
need to be pruned or reshaped
at different times in different
areas of our lives. We may not
enjoy the pruning process, but
when it’s over, we’re much bet-
ter off than we were before.
You see, God wants us to be
at our very best — spiritually,
emotionally and physically.
John 15:2 (AMPC) says,
“Any branch in Me that does
not bear fruit He cuts away; and
He cleanses and repeatedly
prunes every branch that con-
tinues to bear fruit, to make it
bear more and richer and more
excellent fruit.”
It’s good for us to stop and
evaluate our lives sometimes
and ask God to show us if there
are things that need to be cut off
because they are hindering our
growth in our relationship with
Him.
Ask yourself: Am I dragging
around “dead branches” in my
life?
Maybe it’s a bad relation-
ship, an old wound from your
past, or a negative attitude that
keeps you from enjoying life to
the fullest.
It would be nice if we could
see what God sees and say,
“Yes, God. Let’s get rid of that
dead branch.” But many times
we’re too afraid to give up what
we know for something new
that we just can’t see or under-
stand.
The truth is you can be mis-
erable dragging those dead
things around or you can go
through the pain of letting God
“prune” them away. Even
though it’s uncomfortable, the
best thing you can do is let God
prune you, because after the
hard part is over, you will see
some amazing results.
God doesn’t want to see you
struggle. He loves you so much
that He will never give up on
you. As we allow Him to speak
into our lives, He teaches and
trains us to be kind and gentle,
peaceful and patient, loving and
forgiving like Him. But we can-
not develop that “fruit” on our
own.
John 15:4 (AMPC) says,
“Just as no branch can bear fruit
of itself without abiding in the
vine, neither can you bear fruit
unless you abide in Me.”
In other words, we need to
spend time with God.
Our relationship with God is
about much more than going to
church on Sunday and reading
the Word as a religious duty. He
wants a personal relationship
with each of us.
When we stay connected to
God through meaningful Bible
study and prayer, we’re abiding
in Jesus. God wants us to be so
rooted and grounded in His
love that nothing can shake us-
so we’re able to bear good fruit
in even the hardest, most diffi-
cult seasons of life.
God has a good plan for your
life. He wants to take you to the
next level in your relationship
with Him, but there are some
things that He wants you to
leave behind — past hurts, inse-
curities, or anything you look to
for a sense of security other
than God Himself.
Don’t ever be afraid to sur-
render to God so He can prune
the things that are hurting and
hindering you from moving for-
ward in your relationship with
Him.
The apostle Paul said, “One
thing I do: forgetting what lies
behind and straining forward to
what lies ahead, I press on
toward the goal to win the prize
to which God in Christ Jesus is
calling us upward” (Philippians
3:13-14 AMPC).
Make a determined decision
to let go of the past and press on
to experience a fuller, richer,
more abundant life in Christ.
Pray today: “God, I’m tired
of dragging this heavy load
around with me. I’m ready to
let it go so I can get on with my
life and experience a new level
of relationship with You. Help
me to know that You love me
and that You will work every-
thing out for my good.”
If we will totally give our-
selves to God, He will give us
His best for us. It may not be
what we thought we wanted,
but it will be exactly what we
need.
And it will be greater than
anything we could have asked
for.
Christian women to gather for conference
IF:Gathering is holding a
conference Friday, Feb. 26,
from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., and
Saturday, Feb. 27, from 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m., with a break for
lunch, at the Florence Events
Center, 715 Quince St.
Seating is limited, so regis-
To be included in this directory contact
the Siuslaw News at 997-3441, or drop off
information at 148 Maple St., Old Town, Florence.
J OIN U S I N W ORSHIP
WATCH! 3 ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK
(3ABN) TV UHF Channel 48.
24 hour Christian TV highlights Bible studies of prophecy, inspirational music, health
lectures, healthy cooking and more.
BAY BERRY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
SINGSPIRATION
You are invited to come and sing your favorite old time gospel hymns
Every Friday night at 7pm • Non-denominational
Bay Berry Square; 101 at Sutton Lake Dr. /milepost 185 N.
For more information , please call 541-997-2681
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST
OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
Located at Munsel Lake Road and North Fork Road
Worship Services 10:00 AM Sunday
All are welcome! 541-997-7268
FLORENCE UNITARIAN
UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP
N.W. Corner of Heceta Beach Road & Hwy. 101
Every Sunday at 10 a.m.
All are welcome. (541) 997-2840
FLORENCE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
1st Sunday of Month Worship 10:30
All other Sundays Worship 9 A.M. & 10:30 A.M.
2nd & Kngwood • (541) 997-6025
“Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors”
FOURSQUARE CHURCH
1624 Highway 101 (next to A&W) –- 997-6337
Pastor George Pagel – Something for the entire family.
Sun. Services: 10:45 a.m., Wed. Bible Study 7 p.m. – Youth Group: Sat., 6 p.m.
Website:fl orence4square.com
FLORENCE VINEYARD (GOD’S POWER HOUSE)
COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH
4590 Hwy. 101, Across from Fred Meyer –- 997-7418
Sunday School, 9:30a.m. – Worship, 10:45
Wed. Prayer - 6:00 p.m. –Wed. Ministries 1-8 Grade 7 p.m.
2610 Kingwood, Florence • 541-268-2025
Sunday Worship @ 10:00 a.m., experience the Power of the Holy Spirit
Pastors: George & Beverly Sisemore
Intercessory Prayer & Worship, Thursday night @ 5:00 pm
fl orencevineyardchurch.com
CROSS ROAD ASSEMBLY OF GOD
NEW LIFE CHURCH-UPC
Corner of 10th & Maple –- 997-3533
Bible Study at 9:00 A.M.
Services: Worship, 10:30 A.M.
fl orencecrossroad.org • offi ce@fl orencecrossroad.org
1525 12th St., Suite 24 •541-991-9398
Sunday Services: 10am and 6pm
Tues. Bible Study 7:00pm
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH - SBC
NEW LIFE LUTHERAN CHURCH, E.L.C.A.
1935 25th St. – 997-7660 • Pastor, Dr. Marvin Owen
Series ‘Through the Bible’ on Wednesdays 6 p.m.
A friendly place to worship, vacationers welcome.
Sun.; 11am & 6pm, Sunday school 9:45am.
FLORENCE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
2nd & Ivy – 997-2961 –Non-Denominational
Worship Service: 9:00 am & 10:30 am
Middle School and High School youth groups meet on Wednesday.
FLORENCE CHURCH OF CHRIST
Pre-Denominational (Romans 16:16)
1833 Tamarack Street (2 blocks east of Hwy. 101 on 18th St.)
Bible Study: Sunday 10 a.m.; Worship: Sunday 11 a.m.
www.churchofchristfl orence.org
21st & Spruce Street – 997-8113
Adult Forum 9 a.m. – Sunday School 10:30 a.m.
Worship services; Sun. 10:30am & Wed. 6pm.
Pastor Lori Blake
www.lutheranchurchfl orence.com
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF THE SIUSLAW
Traditional Worship Service 10:00 a.m. , Reverend Greg Wood
Sunday School and Nursery – Organ and Choir
All Welcome. Come as you are.
3996 N Hwy 101
997-7136
RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS (QUAKERS)
“War is still not the answer.” FCNL
We worship in homes at 11am Sundays
Call 997-4237 or 902-9511 for locations.
tration is required.
IF:Gathering brings togeth-
er women from all over the
world to humbly seek God
and equips them to better live
out their callings.
It is a raw, authentic and
community-driven
global
gathering for women who
desire to invest in and love
one another across denomina-
tions, generations and cul-
tures.
The gathering seeks to
model, resource and empower
women so that they can create
fresh, honest spaces in their
local places to wrestle with
essential questions of faith
such as: IF God is real ... then
what? IF God is real, then we
want more than anything to
live like it.
To register, visit www.if
gatheringFlorence.eventbrite.
com.
Hear stories of faith
at New Life Lutheran
New Life Lutheran Church
will be hearing the “Faith
Stories” of lives of faith. This
has been a faith practice
around the season of Lent at
other churches, where atten-
dees can learn through shar-
ing their experiences of faith
and healing with others.
Lenten Services are each
Wednesday at noon and 6
p.m., with soup and bread
after the worship.
The Holden Evening
Prayer song book will be
used for the music, which
celebrates the season of
Lent.
The Lenten worships dates
include Feb. 17 and 24 and
March 2, 9 and 16.
New Life Lutheran is at
21st and Spruce streets,
between Florence Food
Share and ABC Preschool.
All are welcome to share
their own stories of faith, or
just come to listen.
Presbyterian Church hosts
‘Simple Suppers’ Wednesdays
At
5:30
p.m.
on
Wednesdays
throughout
Lent,
the
Presbyterian
Church of the Siuslaw will
have a simple supper and a
time of fellowship and wor-
ship to prepare for Easter.
This Wednesday, Feb. 17,
will be a service of song and
meditation; Feb. 24 will be
renewal of Baptismal vows;
March 2 will be a service of
healing and wholeness;
March 9 will be worship with
a more contemporary feel;
March 16 will be art and
music and March 23 will be a
traditional Seder meal.
The Presbyterian Church
of the Siuslaw is at 3996
Highway 101 north.
Sunday service is at 10 a.m.
Call 541-997-7136 for
more information.
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FLORENCE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE
12th and Nopal –997-9020
Worship Service 10:30 a.m.
Youth Group Wed. 7-8:30 p.m.
Online Worship Service@ www.fl orencenaz.com
FLORENCE EVANGELICAL CHURCH
1318 Rhododendron Dr. –- 997-2523 – Worship at 11:00 AM –- Sunday School
at 9:30 AM – Variety of Sunday evening activities - 5 PM
Wed. Bible & Children classes at 6:00 PM
Call for details.
FLORENCE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST
4445 Hwy 101 (South of Fred Meyer) – 997-3951
Worship on Saturday 10:30 A.M.
Adult/Children’s Sabbath School 9:15 A.M.
RESURRECTION LUTHERAN CHURCH, L.C.M.S.
Every Sun., Bible Class 9 a.m., Worship Service 10 a.m.
85294 Hwy. 101 S. – 997-8038
DVD of Weekly worship service available.
Pastor Randy Benscoter
ST. ANDREW’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
2135 19th St. –- 997-6600
The Rev. Georgia C. DuBose, Vicar
8:30am, Tuesdays, Morning Prayer
Sunday Services: 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. - Wed, 11 a.m.
Everyone Welcome – Come walk our Labyrinth.
SAINT MARY, OUR LADY OF THE DUNES
CATHOLIC CHURCH
Masses: Sat. 5:30 p.m., Sun. 11:00 a.m.
1.5 miles south of river on Hwy 101 – 997-2312
Visit us online: www.TheSiuslawNews.com.