Dear Friends,
What a year!
“Could I stay here with Brian instead of going to church,” the 17-year-old Family Promise guest asked his dad. Later he told me, “He never says yes to that request.” So, instead of church that night, this young man and I talked about scripture, about the story from Daniel of the three Hebrews in the furnace, about faith and about life. Then, he taught Abby Hawkins, the other evening host, and I how to play a video game using his setup. We also got to hold another guest’s infant. Had you walked in, you would have found us simply caught up in joy, crying with the laughter. Later this young man said, “I’m going to ask my mom if you could come pray through our house to bless it after we get one.” I was staggered.
It is because of how you give that such ministry opportunities happen here.
Jamie, at 71, was referred to me for counseling this year and after a couple initial times we have met monthly. Together we have seen Jesus work miracles through deep healing, so that she is set free in so many areas of heart and life. She has begun to live again. Jesus loves to heal.
And you all are part of that healing, because of your generosity.
Tim Gibson, the team leader of the 2019 missions’ trip to the Dominican Republic told us that money brings aid but relationships bring hope. The community of Rio Grande has been transformed by the relationships built with teams over the past eight years so that child prostitution has ended and those children now have a vision for a future as doctors, teachers and forensic scientists. The workers who staff the projects that the teams join, have met Jesus and had their lives changed. All this happened because of your willingness to create a place where missions matter and relationships matter both here and there.
Your giving makes such mission possible.
Because of your overwhelming generosity… we have hosted Family Promise four weeks, started monthly HomePlate meals, participated in reaching 40 kids with Jesus’ love at Camp Iwannabe; continued food distribution through the Free Food Tents to around 1000 people a week both at the site and through local pantries; experienced the Holy Spirit moving at the women’s retreat; built all the interior walls of a house with Help Build Hope and our friends at Christ UMC; took weekly, hot meals out to the Migrant Camp and built ongoing relationships there; participated in the WFWA outreaches; distributed Christmas Food boxes; gathered weekly to praise and worship God, hear the Good News, advance the Kingdom, and experience the transformation that occurs as we follow Jesus by being part of a community.
All that and more because of you!
Then we reached December and almost as if to say, “Well, that’s not quite enough,” you stepped up to the plate, accepted the challenge and gave in an overwhelming way so that we had a Christmas Offering that totaled $37,605.46! Seriously!
So, because of you, we have been able to give:
$3940.55 to Family Promise of Beaverton
$6000 to help us build two homes June 20th with Help Build Hope and Christ UMC
$1000 to assist one delegate from the Alaskan Missionary Conference to come to this year’s joint Annual Conference
-AND-
$26,664.91 to pay down the principal on one of our mortgages! This will shave a full three years off those payments!
This is all because of you… Relationships do bring hope.
I have such deep hope because of all of you. Thank you for changing my life, too, these nearly 11 years. You are an incredible congregation. I am richly blessed to have served here and am so excited to see whom God will bring for the next season of Westside Journey’s life in ministry for I know God has GREAT PLANS for you and through you.
Thank you again for giving and changing so many people’s lives!
We are rejoicing to join you in serving Jesus Christ –
Pastor Brian and the Stewardship and Finance Teams