But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.
-Jeremiah 17:7-8
ABOUT US
Welcome! Marty and I (Margaret) have been married for 44 years. We have three grown children and very proud of our 6 amazing grandkids.
Marty Brown is a Veteran Cru staff member of 32 years and 11 years as Pastor of Discipleship at Rolling Hills Community Church in Portland Oregon. Marty’s passion is evangelism, discipleship, training others to share their faith, and building deep transformational discipleship relationships. Marty has built his ministry on the principles of the Great Commission in the context of relationships over time.
I was on staff with Cru for 43 years, and just recently retired. I received my master’s degree in Spiritual Formation from George Fox Theological Seminary (now Portland Theological Seminary) in 2008. I am also a licensed Spiritual Director and a certified Enneagram Coach. My passions are along the lines of inviting people in, eating together, and having deep conversations around the fire pit.
Our first year as empty-nesters, we answered the call to move to Boston and join the team of campus ministers with Cru in the greater Boston area. There were close to thirty staff on our team that worked tirelessly on a multitude of college campuses in the city. The weekends were a great time to minister to staff and students in our home, an hour away in New Hampshire. Many weekends were spent processing life with disciples of Jesus who were students, singles, married couples, parents as well as ministers of the gospel. We loved those years of opening our home, away from the hubbub of the city, meals together, and talking about life and ministry.
After moving back to the Portland Area, we longed to able to provide that atmosphere again with friends from many walks of life. In 2016, some friends showed us a piece of land that fit the bill. It was secluded, undeveloped, 45 minutes from the city, and on a river. We bought it, spent a year building a house, and moved into it in September 2017. We have spent the last few years putting our passions together, hosting small groups and individuals for retreat and time away from the bustle of the city and business of life. Time spent with Jesus in solitude, nature, and with friends, gives Jesus space to help us calm down, focus on Him and give clarity to the many complexities of life.