Friends in Fellowship
Dear Friends of InFaith: Northwest Oregon,
Caroline and I were blessed to visit Sunday with the congregation of The Little Church in the Valley, in Stabler, Washington. We appreciated their warm hospitality as I shared from Exodus 14 and we reflected on what miracles the Lord might be planning in our lives when we have our “backs against the sea.” Please keep Little Church pastor John Valnes in your prayers. He had to step away from the pulpit this week to be with his stepmother and his brother, both of whom are experiencing serious health problems. I also ask your prayers for deacon Tony Skoien of Dodge Community Church, for his wife Wanda and for the church as a whole. Tony is recovering from surgery for a heart issue. Over the years he has been one of the key leaders of that congregation. Fellow deacons Pete Boden and Bevan Alumbaugh are seeking the Lord’s guidance in keeping the ministry moving forward while Tony is sidelined.
Today, I get to spend time with another good friend and retired pastor who is bravely battling back after a serious stroke earlier this year. It is encouraging to see how the Lord continues to strengthen him daily. It is a slow and sometimes discouraging process, but we pray to see him fully restored in the Lord’s timing.
Tuesday, I am blessed to be part of the final interview process as InFaith seeks to approve a new missionary candidate. Pastor Dan Morse of Prineville has been volunteering for a while as InFaith area missionary for Central Oregon, working with ten small churches in that area. Now we are pleased to see him seeking a more formal connection with the InFaith mission, and a stronger connection to the churches he serves. I am honored to have been asked to sit on the “discernment” panel considering his approval. It is wonderful to see the Lord calling more workers for the harvest!
I am also gearing up for Church Venture Northwest’s Men’s Roundup, September 5-7 at Camp Tadmor. I don’t have any specific duties there, as I am just one of the 1200 or so participants. But I always find Roundup a great time to learn, worship and connect with several other guys from some of our InFaith congregations. It’s not too late to sign up to camp out with the guys. Go to www.mensroundup.com and register today. Our speaker at the upcoming InFaith Advance (January 9-11, 2026) Dr. Gerry Breshears will again be teaching at breakout sessions at Roundup. This may be a great time for some of you to get to know Gerry and see how the Lord has uniquely gifted him to take believers deeper in their understanding of the ways of the Lord. If you are planning to be at Roundup, look me up around the campground…and maybe we can share a meal or a rousing game of disc golf.
Finally, I have to talk about finances. I am so thankful for those of you who have sacrificially supported the ministry of InFaith: Northwest Oregon over the years, and especially in the 8 years I have served as area missionary. This ministry depends on generous donations of people like you. Our services to local ministries are free to them, but do cost time and money to provide. The Lord has supplied some residual funds from previous years to help us through lean times, but this year our fund balance has taken quite a hit.
So far in 2025, the Lord has provided $25,681 of our $60,000 target. Another way of seeing that is: 75% through the year, we have raised 38.5% of our needed annual support. If the Lord has placed it on your heart to help continue the ministry of InFaith: Northwest Oregon, and to help us encourage, equip, advise and assist the twenty congregations in our area and their leaders, then please consider making a financial contribution today. The easiest way to do that is to text HISCOX (AMOUNT) to (484) 897-7097. For example: texting HISCOX 100 will indicate you wish to donate $100 to our ministry support fund. You will receive a return text asking you to click on a link to set up your donation using either a card or the routing number of your bank account. Subsequent donations won’t need to go through this sign-up process. If you are already giving through some other means, whether by check or regular electronic contributions, please continue to use that method. Or you can go online to www.infaith.org/tom-hiscox . There you will find more information about our ministry and an easy way to provide support.
Thank you for helping us help others serve Jesus in many small communities in our area.
Tom Hiscox, NW Oregon Area Missionary | thiscox@infaith.org