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March 2025

by webmaster | April 8, 2025 | Blog | 0 Comments

One of my favorite things about living in Salem is the music program we have in our school district. Both of my kids are involved in stellar music programs at their respective schools, and it is a joy to watch them perform with their classmates and be led by...

February 2025-

by webmaster | April 8, 2025 | Blog | 0 Comments

January was a very full month. At the monthly Churches as Neighborhood (CaN) Centers luncheon at Court Street Christian Church, over 80 people came to hear Chris Moore, Director of Mental Health and Social Emotional Learning for Salem Keizer Public Schools (SKPS),...

January 2025

by webmaster | April 8, 2025 | Blog | 0 Comments

I love the Christmas season. I love seeing Christmas lights all over town – at Riverfront Park, through the downtown core, and along Wallace Road. I probably start listening to Christmas music around the middle of October, and I continue to listen to a few songs...

December 2024- Advent-Christmas

by webmaster | April 8, 2025 | Blog | 0 Comments

It’s been a great run. And the future is in great hands with Kyle. Thank you for the privilege of having my hand at the helm of SLF for these past 28 years. All my jobs – from Statesman-Journal paperboy to paint-company owner (college years) to Seattle Goodwill...

November 2024 – Shalom With Our Neighbors

by webmaster | November 22, 2024 | Blog, Fancy Newsletter | 0 Comments

One of my favorite gatherings that SLF hosts is our monthly CaN (Churches as Neighborhood) Centers luncheon. This gathering of leaders, primarily from churches and non-profits, meets to explore how we can look for and encourage Shalom (peace, well-being, wholeness) in...

October 2024 – Calling Agents of Hope not Fear

by Sam Skillern | October 23, 2024 | Blog, Fancy Newsletter | 0 Comments

For God has not given us a spirit of fear – but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind…

September 2024 – Connect with your CPT

by Kyle Dickinson | September 27, 2024 | Blog, Fancy Newsletter | 0 Comments

With school being back in session and a new Fall rhythm upon us, CPTs could be a great addition to your monthly calendar…

Summer 2024 – We’ve Done it Before, We Can do it Again

by Sam Skillern | July 31, 2024 | Blog, Fancy Newsletter | 0 Comments

The good news: Hardship can lead to positive outcomes if people come together with hope and determination. And stick with it…

June 2024- Fancy Friday “The Story Continues”

by Sam Skillern | June 24, 2024 | Blog, Fancy Newsletter | 0 Comments

What a blast we had last Friday at the Salem Convention Center downtown! It was a pivotal moment in SLF’s history…

May 2024 – First Citizen Award

by Sam Skillern | June 12, 2024 | Blog, Fancy Newsletter | 0 Comments

Editor’s Note: Please notice for whom everyone is clapping! Without Jennifer none of the following takes place … If you’ve been to SLF’s Fancy Friday, you know I don’t mind the spotlight. In that space, I’m comfortable telling stories about our team, our partners...

April 2024- Moving Home

by Kyle Dickinson | May 23, 2024 | Blog, Fancy Newsletter | 0 Comments

Over the past few weeks, my wife Joy and I have been processing our family’s move back to Salem with our kids. While we are all very excited to be moving home, there is still a measure of sadness. Part of the sadness comes from leaving some familiar routines. Part...

March 2024- When the “Not Yet” Becomes “Yes” it’s Beautiful

by Sam Skillern | March 22, 2024 | Blog, Fancy Newsletter | 0 Comments

The phone call was a surprise. An old chum from school days in Salem. “Sam, I’m going to be in Seattle next week, can we catch breakfast somewhere?” I picked a spot down the hill from our rental house in Montlake, across the canal from Husky Stadium. We’d sent the...

February 2024 – “It was Just the Right Time”

by Kyle Dickinson | February 19, 2024 | Blog, Fancy Newsletter | 0 Comments

My family moved to Salem in January of 2012. One of our top priorities was to find a church with a group of people in a similar life stage – couples with young children. We quickly found the Synergy community group at Salem Alliance, which at that time was being led...

January 2024- We Are Pleased to Announce…

by Sam Skillern | January 19, 2024 | Blog, Fancy Newsletter | 0 Comments

Usually a mentor is someone older than you. Most of mine have been. But I can cite a couple cases where someone younger has blessed me with their expertise and experience. One person in particular. And now he’s my successor! (We sent the news in an email right...

December 2023- Hope for the Nations and the Neighborhoods

by Sam Skillern | December 12, 2023 | Blog, Fancy Newsletter | 0 Comments

We live in challenging times. But that could be said of just about any era in history. War. Hunger. Immorality. Crime. Greed. Poverty. Two thousand years ago things were pretty rough in the Middle East. The Roman Empire was in charge, and it was brutal. Even...