The INDEPENDENT, December 18, 2003
Mist “Share the Spirit of the Season”
Listen…can you hear the rain? Can you
smell the snow? Can you see the wind?
As we approach the solstice, and the
mind-numbing pace of the holiday season,
our yards and gardens, and the forests sur-
rounding us offer respite. We are blessed
with wonderful clean air to fill our lungs and
our lives. Even in town the air is clean under
the fragrant smell of woodsmoke.
Take the time to step outside, close your eyes and see if you
can tell what kind of rain is falling. What is the rain falling on? In
one of those rare sunny moments, feel the warmth of the winter
sun. Here in the maritime northwest, we enter the darkest time of
the year, the sun hidden and the clouds pressing close to the
earth, filling the aquifer.
I could give you a list of stuff to do, but that’s less important
than using our environment to bring ourselves peace and whole-
ness. The shortest day of the year approaches. Light will be re-
turning after 2:05 a.m. EST (5:05 a.m.) on the twenty-second day
of December. Now is the time to consider the successes and fail-
ures of long summer days past and envision the promise of next
summer’s bounty.
BREATHE…pray for peace for yourself, your family, your com-
munity and the world.
It is the beginning of Decem-
ber, a nip is in the air, and
Christmas is around the corner.
Many of us are busy with tradi-
tional holiday tasks, and getting
into the “spirit of the season.”
With our country just coming
out of a recession, and unem-
ployment still higher than nor-
mal, there are families in our
community that may not be
busy with the shopping and
decorating that accompany this
season. After taking care of the
day-to-day expenses, many
families just may not be able to
afford gifts for the children or a
big turkey dinner with all the
trimmings.
The Mist-Birkenfeld RFPD
Volunteer Association and the
Mist-Birkenfeld Helping Circle
are working together to pro-
mote the “Share the Spirit of
the Season” Holiday Food and
Gift Basket Project to see that
everyone in the community has
Church Directory
V ERNONIA C OMMUNITY C HURCH
F IRST B APTIST C HURCH
Grant Williams, Pastor
957 State Avenue
Vernonia, 503 429-6790
John Cahill, Pastor
359 “A” Street
Vernonia, 503 429-1161
Sunday
Breakfast 10:00 a.m.
Morning Worship 10:45 a.m.
*B.L.A.S.T. w/Nursery 11:00 a.m.
*Bible Learning and Scripture Training
Youth Group 6 -8:00 p.m.
(Jr. & Sr. High)
Wednesday
Prayer Meeting 7:00 p.m.
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
N EHALEM V ALLEY B IBLE C HURCH
Gary Taylor, Pastor
500 California Ave
Vernonia, 503 429-5378
Sunday Services 10:00 a.m.
V ERNONIA C HRISTIAN C HURCH
Jim Kirby, Evangelist
410 North Street
Vernonia, 503 429-6522
Sunday School 9:30 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Pastoral Associate
Juanita Dennis
960 Missouri Avenue
Vernonia, 503 429-8841
V ERNONIA F OURSQUARE C HURCH
Wednesday Service:
All Family Bible Study, 7:00 p.m.
Mass Schedule
Sunday 12:00 Noon
Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m.
Children’s Sunday School
A SSEMBLY OF G OD
Religious Education
Sunday 10:30 a.m.
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Evening Worship 6:00 p.m.
Bible Study, Wednesday 7:00 p.m.
Youth & Kids , Thursday 7:00 p.m.
S EVENTH D AY A DVENTIST
Kevin Reiner, Pastor, 543-2254
2nd Ave. and Nehalem St.
Vernonia, 503 429-8301
Sabbath School 9:15 a.m.
Morning Worship, 11:00 a.m.
Prayer Meeting, Wed. 7:00 p.m.
850 Madison Avenue
Vernonia, 503 429-1103
Ha
pp
as
“A
big thank you to
all my great customers
for making 2003 such a
wonderful year. We will be
closed January and
February. See you next
spring.”
C HURCH OF J ESUS C HRIST
OF L ATTER D AY S AINTS
Jeff Cheney, Branch President
1350 E. Knott Street
Vernonia, 503 429-7151
Sacrament Meeting, Sunday 10 a.m.
Sunday School & Primary 11:20 a.m.
Relief Society, Priesthood and
Young Women, Sunday 12:10 p.m.
Excellence in Customer Service
12891 KEASEY ROAD • VERNONIA
PHONE 503-429-8200
ar
Ye
S T . M ARY ' S C ATHOLIC C HURCH
tm
is
r
h
w
Every Wednesday:
Ladies' Bible Study 9:30 a.m.
Ladies’ Worship 10:00 a.m.
Children’s Choir 3:00 p.m.
Family Bible Study 6:30 p.m.
Sunday Services: Adult Prayer &
Children’s Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:15 a.m.
Evening Worship 5:00 p.m.
Evening Service will change to
3:00 p.m. on Sept. 7,2003
Darwin Harvey, Pastor
662 Jefferson
Vernonia, 503 429-4615
FARMWOMAN’S
NURSERY
The Best Little Nursery Around
Ne
Sunday School 10:00 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Nursery available
Wednesday Service 7:00 p.m.
The Rev. Robert Grafe, Pastor
375 North St. (Vernonia Grange Hall)
Vernonia, 503 429-3700
of all, getting many gifts
wrapped. Participants should
bring scissors, tape and fa-
vorite finger food or munchies
to share. Lots of wrap supplies
will be available, but those who
would like to may bring more.
Call Louise Green at 503-755-
2328 for more details.
Volunteers are needed to
deliver the food and gift bas-
kets on Monday, December 22.
Contact Gerald if you would like
to help.
If you are aware of a family
in the Mist-Birkenfeld Fire Dis-
trict that could use some help
this holiday season, please
submit their name, in a sealed
envelope marked “Share the
Spirit nomination,” to Mist-
Birkenfeld RFPD Volunteer As-
sociation, P.O. Box 1499, Mist,
OR 97016. Sealed, marked en-
velopes may also be left at the
Main Fire Station. The gift and
food giving will be accom-
plished in the spirit of the sea-
son and with respect to human
dignity so confidentiality will be
assured.
Cash donations in an enve-
lope marked “Share the Spirit”
may be mailed to the Mist-
Birkenfeld RFPD Volunteer As-
sociation, P.O. Box 1499, Mist,
OR 97016, or dropped off at the
Main Fire Station.
y
D.J. Dickey, Pastor
Grant & North Streets
Vernonia, 503 429-1919
Evening Worship
Saturday, 6:00 p.m.
S T . A UGUSTINE (C ANTERBURY )
E PISCOPAL C HURCH
a happy holiday. The goal is to
provide a complete holiday din-
ner for all the needy families in
the area, as well as toys and
gifts for the children. The entire
Mist-Birkenfeld community is
invited to help “Share the Spirit
of the Season.” Donations of
food, toys, and cash will help to
achieve this goal.
Donation boxes have been
placed at the Birkenfeld Coun-
try Store and the Main Fire Sta-
tion. Needed items include
canned fruits and veggies,
olives, pickles, cranberries, sal-
ad dressing, stuffing mix, candy
canes, etc. Also included in
each food basket will be fresh
baked bread and pumpkin pie.
Call Gerald Kenyon at 503-
755-0929 to sign up to donate
baked goods.
Toys and gift items are need-
ed for all age groups from tod-
dlers to teenagers. NEW, un-
wrapped items may be dropped
off at either the Birkenfeld Store
or the Main Fire Station.
The Mist-Birkenfeld Helping
Circle and friends will be gath-
ering at the Main Fire Station
on Friday, December 19, from
11 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for a gift-
wrapping party. This will be a
good time for visiting, making
new friends, munching on
goodies and, most importantly
C
By Schann Nelson
Me
rry
Can You Dig It?
G RACE R EFORMED B APTIST
C HURCH
Page 7