Two Gatherings, One Quaker Welcome in Newberg
North Valley Friends Church gathers twice every Sunday morning in Newberg, Oregon - once in stillness, once in song. The church's motto, "Cultivate, Nurture, Encourage," gives a one-line summary of a community that calls itself "a Quaker community of ministers who seek to follow Jesus Christ faithfully, love each other deeply, and continue His ministry in the world." The dual character of that welcome - reverent silence and lively programming - shapes everything from the schedule of services to the way children join the meeting.
The church sits at 4020 N College Street. Offices are open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and the office is closed on Tuesday and Friday. A simultaneous Zoom worship space is offered for those who cannot attend in person; the office can be reached at 503-538-5340 or office@northvalleyfriends.org. North Valley Friends Church is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with IRS EIN 23-7149830.
Two Sunday Gatherings, One Christ-Centered Welcome
North Valley offers two weekly worship services that share the same Quaker vocabulary but differ in form. Both meet on Sunday mornings and both are open to anyone who walks through the doors.
At 9:30 a.m. the unprogrammed meeting begins. Friends sit together in a circle in the worship center. A facilitator opens with a quote or scripture verse to help center the gathering, and the room settles into roughly 45 minutes of shared silence. Anyone present may speak, sing, or pray if led to do so; some attenders spend the whole time in stillness. At the close, the facilitator often asks, "Are all hearts clear?" - which, in plain language, means "Does anyone have something they need to share?" - and shakes the hands of those beside them, with the whole circle invited to do the same. Prayer requests are often shared before everyone departs.
At 10:45 a.m. the programmed meeting begins. This is a planned service with music, corporate prayer, and a pre-prepared message - what Friends elsewhere call a programmed service - with a distinctively Quaker twist. After a time of congregational singing and teaching, the service opens into a period of "open worship," a shortened form of the earlier unprogrammed meeting. Silence holds the room, and if a person senses the Spirit prompting them to share, they are welcome to do so. The service is described as having "preaching, music, prayer, and worship after the manner of Friends," and the church frames it with Paul's words to the Romans: "Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship."
Both services are intentionally participatory. The church describes its purpose as creating space "to meet Jesus together" and to "pay attention to God together," and the worship team designs each gathering so that no one is simply a spectator.
Children Welcome in Both Services
Children are welcome in both services, and the church takes seriously the work of forming young hearts in Quaker ways. The nursery, located at the end of the hallway in the children's wing (through the doors on the west side of the sanctuary), is fully staffed each Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for children from birth through age three.
Children ages four through fifth grade are invited to Children's Worship, which begins partway through the 10:45 programmed service. They gather in the first room on the right in the children's wing. Both programs are run by Gina Ankeny, the Minister to Children, who joined the pastoral staff in 2022 after more than fifteen years in the congregation. She holds a degree in elementary education, also teaches at Red Bucket Preschool, and brings a teacher's steady attention to the youngest attenders.
For older students, Steph St. Cyr serves as Minister to Youth. Steph and her husband, Rusty, have three children of their own, and Steph can usually be found cheering at their games, biking, or swimming when the sun is out.
A Pastoral Team Built Around Formation and Care
Rather than a single senior pastor, North Valley is led by a team of ministers who each carry a portion of the church's life. Together they are called to cultivate, nurture, and encourage.
Lisa McMinn, Minister of Pastoral Care and Spiritual Formation, came to North Valley in 2018 and joined the staff in 2025. A former registered nurse and college professor, she now serves as a spiritual director, instructor in spiritual direction courses, and coordinator of spiritual direction care for several ministry groups.
Lynn Holt, Minister of Stewardship and Communication, is a returning presence: she joined North Valley in 2002, served on the pastoral team until 2017, and came back in 2025. She is also an instructor and supervisor with Portland Seminary's Spiritual Direction Training Program and works with the Companioning Center. In 2024 she celebrated the birth of her first great-grandchild, and she recently received her scuba diving certification.
Colin Saxton serves as Clerk of Ministry, a return to pastoral leadership for him as well. He has been part of the community since 1996 and currently works as Stewardship Theologian for Everence, an Anabaptist financial services organization. He and his wife Janine spend much of their time tending their garden and animals. Kelsey Waybright, the Worship Coordinator, joined the staff in 2025 after eight years in the congregation; she teaches voice and beginning piano and brings years of musical theater experience to the programmed service.
The Peace Trail and Peace Trail Village
The church grounds hold a feature that the whole Newberg community is invited to share: the North Valley Peace Trail. The trail is open to the public, and the church has felt called to share its property as a quiet place to walk.
Out of that same sense of call, the church is laying plans for Peace Trail Village, an expansion of ministry to neighbors experiencing houselessness in the Newberg area. The project is described as part of the church's commitment to "active, Christ-centered justice, peacemaking and reconciliation both locally and globally." The village represents the church's attempt to meet both spiritual and practical needs "in Newberg, the Chehalem Valley and around the world."
Five Priorities, One Listening Community
Following a 2024 visioning process, the congregation identified five priorities that now shape North Valley's life together: Authentic Community, Generous and Sustainable Use of Resources, Passionate Formation and Discipleship, Faithful Witness, and Participatory Worship. A summer sermon series walked through each of these in turn, and the priorities continue to guide the church's decisions about programming, staffing, and outreach.
North Valley is an affirming meeting. "We believe that Jesus loves and calls all people to be part of the community of God," the church says, "and that we are called to collaborate with God." The community is Christ-centered and non-creedal, meaning that while Quakers "may not all agree on all the details of dogma," they are committed to following Jesus faithfully. At present, North Valley is an independent Friends church, with the congregation "discerning what larger Friends organization we might join in the future."
Sharing the Building with the Wider Community
North Valley welcomes the wider community into its building. The Sanctuary seats a full worship gathering and rents for $125 for up to five hours (including setup and cleanup) or $200 beyond that; additional fees apply for use of the projection or sound system. The Fellowship Hall and Kitchen, suited for receptions, dinners, and quinceañeras, follow the same pricing. The Gym rents for $35 per hour and has hosted scout troops, music lessons, and drama productions. A $200 refundable security deposit applies, and renters clean up after their events.
Wedding policies and a building request form are available for those planning larger celebrations. The church hosts concerts, birthdays, quinceañeras, scout troops, music lessons, and drama productions among the many community uses of the space.
Sermons as a Long-Running Podcast
Each Sunday's message, and the messages of guest preachers, are recorded and made available as a podcast with an archive going back many years. Recent series have walked through the Gospel of Luke, with messages from Bill Jolliff, Lisa McMinn, Joel Mayward, Mark McMinn, Melanie Springer Mock, and others. An RSS feed is also available, and audio recordings can be downloaded directly from each message's page.
Gifts to North Valley Friends Church can be made online through Tithely or by contacting the office. A weekly email announcements list is available by request.