Oregon-based church group does service project at People’s Center

By B.L. Azure

Members of the Beavercreek United Church of Christ from Beavercreek, Oregon construct an outdoor meeting place at the People’s Center as part of its service mission. (B.L. Azure photo)

PABLO — It is better to give than receive, goes the tenet that is rebar to a spiritually centered life based on the Golden Rule. The People’s Center was on the receiving end of the tenet last week when 16 people from a church group in Oregon came to do service project there.

The nine adults and seven youth members of the Beavercreek United Church of Christ under the guidance of Marie Torosian, People’s Center education director, built an open-air gathering place behind the center.

“They did a great job. I really appreciate all of them. Their work has added to our grounds [another] educational area we will use for story telling, craft and games construction and what ever else comes up,” Torosian said. The group cleared a circular area of its vegetation and built a fire pit surrounded by log-constructed seating. The cleared area will be covered with wood chips and sawdust by People’s Center staff. “I am very pleased with this volunteer project.”

The completed outdoor meeting place at the People’s Center constructed by the members of the Oregon-based Beavercreek United Church of Christ. (Marie Torosian photo)

The Beavercreek United Church of Christ is a small liberal denomination that is on the cutting edge of social change, according to Pastor Bunny Oliver. The church is located in Beavercreek, Oregon, which is about 40 miles southeast of Portland.

“Every year we go on a ‘mission trip’ to give our youth a taste of serving others in the world. We are teaching them how to give to others less fortunate and how important that is,” Pastor Oliver said. The church group was in the area last week and did other service projects in Missoula. “This takes a lot of preplanning so we know where we are going to be and what kind of work we’re going to do.”

Pastor Oliver said an acquaintance in Missoula helped set up the western Montana service trip that included working with garden groups in Missoula that provide food for organizations that feed homeless and hungry people, a community garden group and the People’s Center. They also took a recreational trip to Glacier National Park.

“I thought as long as we were in Montana that we should learn something about Native Americans,” Pastor Oliver said. “This morning was so spiritually rich. We were given a tour of the People’s Center and learned about the tribal people. We spent some time in the language class learning about the Salish language and even learned some Salish. This has been great. Lemlemtc’ Marie and lemlemtc’ to the people of the Flathead Reservation.”