North Coast Women Meet the Challenge

by Major Jo Ann Markhamm –
and Envoy Nancy Bogle – 

Could you deliver meals to children ?

Could you adopt children who need your prayer support as well as practical support?

Would you give a baby shower to a young mother who has no support system?

It has been said it takes a village to raise a child and The North Coast Corps of Tillamook county, Ore., has found a way to help raise those children in this small very rural coastal region.

With four Women’s Ministries groups, they cover a wide range of outreach ministries and interests.

It is the Tillamook Home League who sponsor the annual baby shower for disadvantaged young mothers. They provide additional care for the children when moms have had to be hospitalized for complications. This League also takes time to deliver meals to school children during the school’s state in-service days.

The Kilchis House Home League Circle has adopted the needs of children in their area. The Circle members are given pictures of the children as well as progress reports to keep an “hands on” approach of the needs of their “adopted” child. With purposeful prayer and practical support, growth has been seen in corps programming because of their faithful care.

Down the coast, the Dorcas Home League Circle also decided to sponsor children. As soon as the pictures of the children arrived, the membership of the Circle increased. Ladies joined just to sponsor a child. The sponsors took on numerous projects, including making clothing, providing toys, helping meet the specific needs of the family as well as committing to pray for this family.

The Hispanic Home League Circle is meeting the needs of pre-school children along with their mothers. The primary goal of this women’s group is to reach Spanish speaking mothers and their children with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The use of puppet sketches, videos, and music has been most effective in sharing the message of God’s love .

When Envoys Phil and Nancy Bogle first opened the Army doors in 1996 there seemed to be more obstacles than solutions in this small town of 350 people. Their area of responsibility covers 64 miles of the beautiful Oregon coast.

Believing that with God all things are possible, the envoys have tackled head on what seemed an impossible task. Envoy Nancy exclaims, “the multi-faceted women’s ministries of the North Coast Corps have made the challenge to rural ministry a joy in bringing souls to the Kingdom of God.”