"Where do you go to church?”
“At Ohana Christian Fellowship in West Linn.”
“Really, where do you meet?”
“We meet at the West Linn Adult Community Center located at 1180 Rosemont Road."
“Ohana? What does that mean?”
“It means ‘family’ in Hawaiian, and it also means, “Nobody left behind!”
“Does the conference know about your church?”
“Oh, yes, and they are fully supportive.”
These are the most frequently asked questions when we tell people about the new church in West Linn, Ore. The next question is usually, “How did Ohana get started?” And therein lies a story.
When some local church members realized there were no Adventist congregations in West Linn, Lake Oswego and Wilsonville, Ore., they asked the conference leaders if they would be supportive of efforts to start a new congregation in the area. They were given the “go-ahead,” and soon a small group began meeting to study how to go about starting a church.
After formulating Ohana’s mission and defining its core values, the group began holding public meetings on Friday nights, and Ohana vespers was born.
Eventually, Pastor Doug Franzke and his wife, Kimberly, were interviewed and accepted a call to come to Ohana from the Kelso-Longview Church in southwestern Washington. In September 2006, Ohana Christian Fellowship of Seventh-day Adventists was launched and began holding Sabbath School and church services.
The purpose of Ohana is to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ and to help them look forward to and prepare for His soon coming. Ohana’s contemporary services are designed to be relevant in teaching and to encourage participation in worship, praise and outreach. Weekly fellowship luncheons and small groups are designed to foster friendships and to connect church members with the local community. Evangelistic meetings held in January and February were designed to introduce people to the beautiful truths of the Bible and to encourage them in healthful lifestyles.
One of our newest and most popular ministries has been dubbed the “Ohana Mamas.” This group of mothers and preschoolers meet twice a month for “play days,” outings, spiritual support and friendship. Papas and other family members are often invited to join in the activities.
Rodelyn Miner expressed her appreciation for this group saying, “What I really enjoy about Ohana Mamas is the opportunity to spend time with friends and make new ones who have children around the same ages as ours. It’s also been wonderful to see our children, Lourdes and Hudson, enjoying just about everything connected with Ohana. Our daughter, Lourdes, has especially been an ambassador for Ohana, suggesting to several family members and friends that they should ‘come to Ohana because you would really like it!’ It’s been a real blessing for my husband, Mark, and me to see our children so excited about Jesus and to meet other families who share the same values.”
The goal at Ohana is for every member to become involved in ministry to our neighbors here in the West Linn area, as well as our neighbors around the globe. Sabbath School and worship services are held each Sabbath morning beginning at 10 a.m. For additional information about Ohana, see our Web site at www.ohanachristian.org. If you are in the area, we hope you’ll come join the family at Ohana.
Lourdes Miner enjoys church and is an ambassador for Ohana.
Ohana families and friends explore the Oregon Zoo together at Christmastime.
Richard and Suzanne Hervig from Hillsboro, Ore., present their daughter Ava Elizabeth to be dedicated by her uncle, Doug Franzke, on opening Sabbath at Ohana Christian Fellowship.
Kathy and Ed Robinson from Canby, Ore., enjoy ZooLights with their children, Tavi and Imani, during one of the Ohana Mamas events.
Sarah Noel Hare whose parents are Karl and Marcy Hare
Todd Gessele gives a push to his daughter Alessia during a recent snow outing at Snow Bunny with the small group called Ohana Mamas.
A small group called "Ohana Mamas" recently went on a winter outing to Snow Bunny.
