Pilgrimage to Israel

Imagine the surprise: You sign up to take a trip with another couple, good friends, and know you have signed up on what is termed “a pilgrimage.” But then you receive a printed book with daily reflection questions, passages of scripture to read, and daily readings. You realize the leader indeed views this journey as a life-changing pilgrimage, just as advertised, not just a visit to Israel.

Every day begins the same - early morning quiet reflection times over the passages, readings and opportunities to journal about life, experiences and insights. Every day you hear detailed lectures as you visit the places you had read about that morning in the Bible. Life Changing is too small a term.

Dave and Sally Sullivan went on such a pilgrimage to Israel last October and came home deeply impacted. The Sunday they returned, October 27th, they said how much they would consider it a privilege to share some of their insights. Since then, I’ve been on them to select a day. So, this Sunday, 2/23, is the time they will share. They have each selected a few of the most impactful moments. We will see slides and videos of some of those as they share. It will be an opportunity to dip into their own experience with Jesus.

The couple, their friends, who went with them were also deeply impacted. The man felt he had gone nearly as an agnostic but returned a man who had encountered and placed faith in Jesus.

At the end of the trip their leader asked three questions/requests.

• What’s one thing you brought with you to Israel, that you are leaving behind? (Many named spiritual, psychological or physical burdens which had been loosened/healed and allowed to roll away from them.)

• Name something God has done in you as you leave, something God has blessed you with.

• Did God get from you what He brought you here for?

If you have never been to Israel, or might never make it, this is a Sunday to visit there by proxy. Come hear their story, come experience the grace of God in story and Scripture and be reminded that all we read of in Scripture is history, the real story of God given to us.

It is remarkable what God wants to do in our lives and hearts, and amazing to give him the chance to do it. This is a week to say: “Come -- have at me God.”

On this last Sunday prior to Lent, come let God have at you. Come hear and experience and enter the story told and experienced by Dave and Sally, and how Jesus walked, and swam, and journeyed with them just as He journeys with you day by day.

Pizza! Fourth Sunday Feast

This Sunday, February 23, is our Fourth Sunday Feast after worship.

Bring your favorite pizza topping and/or sauce. Homemade crust (including gluten-free) will be provided for baking up hot, fresh pizza for all!

Shared Hearts

On Sunday, you were asked to share your thoughts, concerns, questions, or comments regarding the transition from Pastor Brian to a new pastor on July 1. Here are your responses:

• If you go, I go too.

• Don’t go.

• We are very sad to see you go. Don’t go!

• Please don’t leave :( :( :( Very sad

• He is a good friend and I will miss him.

• I am sad to see you leave, but I am happy for you to start your new journey. I LOVE YOU!!

• Process is going great. Fantastic transition team.

• Please be in support of the Emmaus community.

• This will be a good opportunity to be open-minded and to welcome change. You are doing great.

• Everything will be good and new growth will happen.

• We are on an exciting journey!

Thank you for sharing. Continue to be in prayer for Pastor Brian, the incoming pastor, and all Westsiders as we travel this road together.

Join the Journey, 2.16.20

Question: How are you feeling about how we are walking in transition?

Answers:

1. I think we are doing a great job in preparing. We need to keep praying and trusting God.

2. Uncertainty. Praying for the new pastor and for Brian.

3. My apprehension is not how I am going to accept the new pastor but the effects on the rest of the congregation. I heard difficult stories regarding the state of the congregation.when the change took place to Pastor Brian.

4. it feels like we are getting ready to start a new exciting journey.

Brian's Blog: Love Letter

I love you. 

Sometimes we don’t say this enough in our lives.  Like daily to the people closest to us.  

And sometimes we neglect to say this enough with those around us occasionally. 

For years, Karen and I have had the pattern of a good goodbye and a good hello daily.  We believe that this life is tenuous. It is short. We don’t really have guarantees on longevity and we need to relish the moments, embrace the opportunities, and make certain our departures especially are on good terms.  It is better to end with a kiss and a goodbye than a “Good Riddance!” 

So in this blog, I wanted to tell you clearly, and certainly, and assuredly: I love you. 

You are the best congregation of people, the best group of friends, the best collection of beauty imaginable. I love you.  

I love your humor, your joy, your messy grace, your inventive love, your creativity, your willingness to dream big, wildly, and unusually. 

I love how you have freely tried things: 

• like painting the walls with handprints and footprints as a picture of us being the hands and feet of Jesus. What an amazing experience that was for so many people! 

• like block parties with raucous music; 

• like abandoning the many fundraising events in favor of stewardship; 

• like welcoming kids to be with us in worship; 

• like celebrating kids and a shoeless pastor dancing around the sanctuary; 

• like wild fun parties at the auctions; 

• like answering questions about scripture some weeks rather than a message FROM scripture

• like baptisms at the lake!

• like dreaming up a building that was 1000x better than the old one when God launched us into a rebuilding project with a fire!      

I love your willingness to take walks, explore neighborhoods, deliver flowers to neighbors and cookies to strip clubs.

I love your heart for the homeless and the hurting, the downcast and the outcast, the drug addict and the lost orphan.  You have hearts that weep for the least of these our brothers and sisters. I love this. 

I continually learn so much from you because of this heart you have. 

I love your laughter and smiles, your hugs and energy, your tears and your joy, your willingness to be weird for the sake of the gospel.  

I love how you don’t “fit into” the normal UMC grid at all, because you are outlanders and outlandish together, in the best way.  I love this. 

I love you and am loving being your pastor these last months together.  What a walk this is. Kind of strange and wild, that we only have just over four months left together, right? How does that hit you?  It hits me all kinds of wild ways, as I wrote about that a couple of weeks back.    

On Sunday, one 10-year-old girl in the congregation clung to me, weeping, saying, over and over again:  “Why do you need to leave?” It was a poignant moment for the two of us. I just said, “Honey, just hold on and we will just be together for a moment.  Just feel those feelings. It’s ok to have them.” Then, after some of the ‘eye fountains’ stopped, she tried and tried to get those tears to stop sooner, but they wouldn’t. But then, she could breathe more steadily.  And we were able to talk more about the reality of change, departure, and sadness and that it is ok to feel it and how we hope to work with this together. It was a precious moment.  

That spoke volumes to my own heart too: how loved I am. 

Thank you for the love you have shown to me over these years.  You love well. And I love you. What a good opportunity this has been.  

Around St Valentine’s day, I just wanted to let you know again-- I love you.  Thank you for being the best and boldest and most brilliant of people.  

Hugs on this day! 

Brian 

Share Your Heart

This Sunday is a day to share our hearts...

• What’s good about transition? 

• What are you looking forward to after July 1? 

• What is your heart saying about this season? 

• Is there anything you’d like to work on during this time? 

• What’s going to be the hardest for you after Brian leaves?      

• What feelings are you processing now? How are you processing them? 

• Questions you are asking:

Come at 8:15 or 10:00 am and let’s share.

UMC Response to Eastern Oregon Flooding

Larry Johnson, Conference ERT Coordinator

The Emergency Response Teams of the Oregon-Idaho Conference have reacted to the recent devastating flooding in eastern Oregon.  Read more here.

To support relief efforts, you can make donations through the church, noting either the Conference advance no. 260 for the disaster response fund or the Conference advance no. 261 for the Emergency Response Teams support fund. 

Learn more about disaster preparedness at http://www.umoi.org/disasterpreparedness

An Incredible Opportunity - but Act Fast!

We received this email from Family Promise of Beaverton. Please take a few minutes to read and react. Thank you!

We have an incredible opportunity to purchase a house to be our new Day House. This property will provide a safe, welcoming, homelike environment for families experiencing homelessness in Beaverton. We are extremely thankful to our first home at Sunset Presbyterian Church. Their community has been very supportive and helped us grow large enough to need a new space.
 
Why this house?

Our current location is in a large church room. The purchase of this house will create a homelike environment.

We are now located along only one public transit line. Moving to a central location along several bus routes will widen our access to the community.

Currently, outside our front door is a parking lot off Hwy 26, the new Day House will be located in a residential neighborhood and next to a THPRD park. The Day House includes a yard for playing, relaxing, and raised garden beds for learning to grow food.

At the moment, families cannot keep their pets with them and animals need to be boarded.  We will be able to provide an animal shelter for family pets to stay while their human families are in our program.

Right now, our families can use laundry facilities at designated times during the day. The house will allow for laundry use all day every day.

For now, families use stalled bathrooms. The new house will have two private bathrooms with bathtub/showers for families.

At this time, families use a small kitchenette to prepare snacks and light meals. Our new Day House will have a full size kitchen to offer cooking classes and let families cook their own comfort foods.

A new Day House will provide a safe, stable refuge from the harsh reality of homelessness. Creating a peaceful environment that preserves nurturing family life during a time of great distress will be the biggest asset.

The Day House will function much like our current Day Center, however it will be larger and located in central Beaverton. It will provide a haven during the day while we will continue working with our organizations who shelter the families at night. There are countless ways that the normalcy of walking into a house at the end of a school day, workday, or day of job hunting can help keep our families’ spirits strong as they continue their journey home.

Donate to our New Day House here

Why Now?
We have a narrow window of opportunity. The owners of the property need to sell it by February 29th, but would like to see the sale benefit the community. The purchase price is below market at $300,000.
 
How You Can Help:
We are asking for you to support us financially, but this effort will require community-wide support.

Donate financially to help us reach our purchase goal by visiting our GoFundMe Page http://bit.ly/GFM_BTP

Fill out the donation sheet and mail your donation

Share the GoFundMe Page with family, friends, and coworkers

Donate stock to the project, Click here for more information

Want to name a room or a garden bench? Naming Opportunities starting at $1,000

Volunteer to assist with planning and outreach for the campaign

Introductions to other community members who might be able to help financially and/or with the campaign

Want to schedule an outside tour of the property? Have questions? Please feel free to contact me at 971.217.8949 or BeThePromise@familypromiseofbeaverton.org.

Join the Journey, 2.9.20

Question: What hard thing most shook your faith? How did you stand?

Answers:

1. When my husband left.

2. Loss of a loved one from my life. Deep faith in God.

3. Death of my parents. My feeling lonely and lost over the last six months.

4. Dementia raises hard questions. Faith doesn’t always give answers but it gives hope that such answers exist.

5. Finding out we couldn’t have more children. Struggle and trust that God has a plan. Enjoy the child we were blessed with.

6. William’s time in the navy.

Brian's Blog: Each Word a Gift

Hurtful language.  Snide remarks. Sarcasm.  Anger. Rage and malice. And the wreckage behind.  

It happens.  It is amazing how that children’s rebuff to bullies:  “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me” was once super popular, yet so far from true.  That phrase was said to have first appeared in a publication of the Christian Recorder in March 1862, a publication of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.  It was there presented as the “old adage.”

But we all know that words are powerful.  Indeed a bone can break with a blow, but words wound the heart, injure the mind, and sear the very soul.  It is incredible how powerful our words can be. Each of you can testify to this, for were I to ask, you would be able to come up with some painful thing that was told you as a child.  Even if the event happened decades ago, it still can carry weight. For some of us, depending upon the level of healing we have experienced, that “word” can carry with it all the feelings that accompanied the event.  Indeed, if it is still very fresh, we would be able to tell what we were wearing, where we were standing, and who else was with us.  

Scripture affirms the power of words, saying, “The tongue can bring death or life…” (Proverbs 18:21). James wrote that the tongue is “full of deadly poison” (James 3:8).  

Have you noticed in your life how a single putdown can have more power than 30 uplifting comments?  It is as if we lean in to the negative and push back from the positive.  

In the world of child development there is much evidence that using negative words has less authority/impact than positive.  Indeed, some research into children’s lives noted that discipline worded negatively is much harder for the child to understand.  “‘Stop’ on its own tells a child nothing. He is left to deduce what he shouldn’t be doing and what he should be doing. For preschoolers and toddlers, that’s asking too much.  And then if we “add” what a child should stop doing, I am asking that the child double-process, both what I have told him not to do and to decide what he should do instead.” 

This article continued, “In general, science finds that when a child (or anyone for that matter) is told no, their fight, flight, freeze or faint response is activated (1). In this state of mind, children are more likely to emotionally respond. The result is a child who likely feels angry, avoidant, rigid or helpless. In contrast, when a child hears positive phrasing, their prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for resilience, curiosity, open-mindedness, problem-solving and even morality is engaged (2).”  (Whole article here)

All from the choice of positive or negative language.  Language with kids, language with adults, language that is yelled or spoken softly, language that tears down or builds up.  There are so many choices for us in the words we use. And as we make those choices it might help to recall how language impacted our own lives.  It seems that the way we were spoken to often is how we speak to others.  

This is tough to see, but it helps to ask those we trust.  Get feedback from others around you -- how did I come across?  Did that sound harsh? Was I negative? Did that comment impact you negatively?  Get feedback for what you cannot know: how others experience you.  

Do the hard work of communication.  It is important to learn how your words are impacting others. It is important to communicate to others how their words have impacted you.  And it is important to learn to use language in a way to always seek to build others up, to equip them for the good, to embrace them with the words you use.  As Paul wrote to the Ephesian Christians he spoke in this manner: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Eph. 4:29). Eugene Peterson caught the sentiment this way in his translation, “each word a gift.”  

What a picture.  Each word a gift to the hearer.  

There are so many situations torn apart by the use of language in our times and in the church. In the midst of these times, language is all the more important.  May you speak allowing each word to become the gift it needs to be for the hearer. May your goal become to build up those around you with the words you are using.  

I swim with one guy who seeks to always encourage everyone he meets day by day.  He seeks to find something to uplift the hearer. And this friend is not yet even a Christian, but that is his goal.  What a godly goal. Make each word a gift today.  

Isaiah's Answers for Today's Questions

The book of Isaiah can be divided into three “servants” -- a “faithless servant,” an “almost faithful servant,” and “The Faithful Servant.” This is not a division of the “whole” but of the main figures addressed within the prose/historical sections, King Ahaz, King Hezekiah, and then God’s Faithful Servant, whom we say points to Jesus. The book can also divide between judgment (chapters 1-39) and restoration (chapters 40-66), even though a subtheme in the judgment section also is “trust.” For within that section, the first 39 chapters, the people, and these two kings waver in who to trust, various superpowers and gods of their own making, or the Living God. Did you notice the book has the same number of chapters as the Bible has books? And did you notice the book divided as scripture can be divided between judgment (the Old Testament) and restoration (The New Testament)? This astounds me about the book of Isaiah. God spoke 66 sermons through this prophet which were then arranged theologically into the form that we find in the Bible.

We are spending some weeks within this book -- listening to the God who yet speaks and still calls us to trust, to ask for signs, to believe in His work, and to be a people of worship. God still speaks through the passages of this book telling them and us, “though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.” We all need to hear that. And God still speaks, saying, “Comfort, comfort my People.” The passages of this book evoke powerful images of God’s saving grace, so much so, that much of Handel’s great choral piece “The Messiah” was from passages directly lifted from this book.

In this season of the life of the church -- the season fraught by questions, deep conversation, and the uncertainty of a future we cannot see, with a new pastor, and perhaps a different kind of greater church structure -- we need to come back to basics, to foundational truth, to the voice of the Good Shepherd which we can find in this book.

Don’t miss this sojourn for I have found that Isaiah captivates the heart and mind and calls us to trust and submit to God in new ways. Come, worship!

Ask Your Questions

Do you have something weighing on your heart about the upcoming pastoral change? You can use this link, http://freesuggestionbox.com/pub/iwahzmd, to ask questions or leave comments completely anonymously.

On February 16, Share Your Heart Sunday, questions will be answered. Plan to attend at 8:15 or 10:00 am.

If you’re unable to attend, watch for more information on the bulletin board at the back of the sanctuary.

Highlights from January 26

Our District Superintendent, Erin Martin, joined us in worship on Sunday, January 26th offering a great message on Unity and taking questions from the congregation in each of our two Sunday morning worship settings about the process, what we can expect to happen, when we might know who is coming, etc.  

Here's what Erin communicated about the process being followed:  

In January, Westside went on a list of churches that will be "open" as of July 1, 2020. This list goes out to our Annual Conference (so all the churches in Oregon and Idaho), in addition to all those in the Pacific NW Conference (all of Washington and N. Idaho) and to the Alaska Missionary Conference.  Every clergy person within those areas then can put in their name for consideration with their District Superintendent. 

Beginning in January the Appointive Cabinet (made up of all District Superintendents from all the above-listed areas, plus other representatives of the Greater NW area) began meeting with the Bishop every month for a three-day meeting, as well as weekly for an hour Zoom call to look at appointments and begin to discern who goes where. 

They begin with what are termed "Strategic Appointments."  These are the larger congregations, such as those in the Salem Cooperative, Portland First, Seattle First, etc.  Once those appointments are decided, then this narrows the list as they look to make appointments for other congregations.   

When they uplift a congregation, the DSs then bring those names forward of those who have requested to move to that place and others whom the cabinet felt led could serve there.  The cabinet prays over these names and seeks to discern who should be the one they believe may be the best choice for this congregation at this time. The person they select as their first choice will then be introduced to that congregation's Church Council.  After this meeting, the Church Council will then discern if they agree with the discernment of the cabinet. If the Church Council has red flags, then the next person from the cabinet's list would be brought to them.  This is the regular process of appointment.  Once selected and announced that the bishop intends to appoint this person to that place, that sets the appointment.  

This is the process used.  In our case, there is a name already raised as an excellent candidate for us.  There may be other names that are brought to the Appointive Cabinet. And the cabinet will be discerning who is best to send here.  This is the reason we have asked that you be praying for this person, whoever it is!  May God bring the person best suited for us this season.  

The question was asked when we might know, to which Erin said hopefully by March. 

On this Sunday one member of the congregation brought forward this thought -- "We have to trust that this is a good process, for it brought us you."  This was such an encouraging thought.  We often speak of the mistakes made in the last time of appointment change -- miscommunications, misguided asides, etc which left many feeling jerked around-- but it might be good to remember the good part of all that was this:  it brought us together.  And this has meant a marvelous growing season for us all! 

Also, on that same Sunday when Erin came, we gathered with members of Christ and Aloha UMCs to hear about the protocol which is to be brought before General Conference 2020 and the state of the UMC.  Ric Shewell shared with us from his position on the team of 10 that directs our Jurisdiction through this season.  He has his ear to the rail on the legislation forthcoming.  He shared and then opened it up for questions regarding the process the UMC is in as to whether or not to separate into more than one denomination. This was a good start for conversation and something that needs to continue as we move toward General Conference.  

A favorite moment was when towards the end, Susan Brehmer asked, "How many here love Jesus?"  Every hand went up.  Then she said, "There is our unity."  Amen.  

Join the Journey, 2.2.20

Question: What is the good news about this: “God is with us”?

Answers:

1. Gives me hope for a better future for everyone.

2. We can trust that God is in control and is taking care of us.

3. I am never alone.

4. That He never forsakes us.

5. God is with us! What a comforting thought! what an assurance that we are supported and loved!

6. We always know someone has our backs. That all is for a reason.

Brian's Blog: This Thing is REAL

The freight train hit me on Sunday.  That’s what it felt like. “Five months from today will be my last Sunday.”  

I was sitting there, minding my own business, listening as Erin preached a great message on Unity, when it hit.  It nearly threw me off my chair. It was one of those earth-shattering, soul-shattering moments. I didn’t quite know what to do with it.  So, I swallowed. The fact remained in my heart, if this month was any clue, the next five months would go quickly. 

There were two kinds of realities for me in that moment. 

On the one hand, the fact of departure from this place and you all is accompanied by an immense feeling of loss.  This has been such a great journey of growth and transformation for me, for us. That came on Sunday -- I will miss you.  Alongside that was the fact of hearing a message and not delivering it. I didn’t expect it, but there was loss attending to that as well.  I’ll still be preaching places, but it won’t be here. It was something like a gut punch.  

Then, on the other hand there was this fact:  before July 1 hits I need to have this other gig that Jesus is leading me into more up and running than it currently is.  Both of these knocked the wind out of me. I sat there, breathless. Astounded.  

Later that evening, Gabri asked how I was doing and I shared this with her with the tears that accompanied the revelation.  This is quite a journey for me -- It is a new kind of Camino.

The only way through a transition is to walk it and feel it.  We must all face the loss that is in the transition. Certainly, I’m not dead, so we will see one another again.  But, still, we cannot pretend that nothing will change. In a transition there are feelings of “shock, anger, denial, fear, sadness” that are all normal emotions. If you are familiar with the stages of grief, you might recognize that some of those are in that list.  We must feel the feelings. I think some of you have been feeling these along the way, and others may not have many feelings.  

Sunday was one of my “feel this thing” days!  

The second stage of transition includes what is called a neutral zone, that feels unsteady, and might be accompanied by feelings such as a sense of confusion, feeling displaced, disoriented, skeptical, even apathetic.  Like feeling that depressed “what does it matter” kind of drag.    

In any time of transition, we need permission to feel whatever is there, in order to take the steps God has for us in order to actually enter new beginnings.  The goal for the transition team is that by the time I actually pass the baton and you have a new pastor, that you can be ready to experience the feelings of such a new start of excitement, joy, energy, commitment, and acceptance.

You might notice that the Church Council team put these into their goals for this year, so this idea is literally “on the walls” as we make this journey.  

But we have to feel it as the feelings come.  The key in this season is to come, come to worship, stay in community, feel the feelings around one another.  

Sunday was such a crazy day with the conversation during worship, the Chili Cookoff (congrats to the winners!), where we were joined by friends from Christ UMC and from Aloha UMC for the gathering time centered on what might possibly be happening at General Conference. That was a lively and good conversation, but for me ended with many people from both of those congregations coming up to me. Some of them lamented my decision to leave, for they would miss me.  They asked questions and wanted me to tell what was going on for me, again, and again, and again. 

By the time I left I was fully in the feeling level of transition!  What was I doing? What did God have for me and for us? I needed to read and re-read what God has been saying, to come back to a firm foundation!  

On Sunday it also became clear that not only are we at Westside in transition but the whole church is as well.     

There were many bright moments in the midst of the gut punch Sunday, one of which was when Wendy Fedderly came up to me and said, “Even if some of the process was poorly handled back in 2009, when you came, we can be confident in the process itself, for it did bring us you.”  What a clear note of hope and glory that was! And if Jesus can handle even the messy processes of the UMC, then, it is clear, He can handle all of this for me, for us and for the greater church. God is IN this. We only need to read some of what God spoke to the members of Church Council last June at our meeting to be assured of that.  God is in this.  

May that reality uphold you too as you process transition, feel what you need to feel, and share this with others.  We are not meant to do any of this alone, we are together for a reason.  

King of Refusal

What would you do if you were king?  Your small nation is being ganged up on by two other nations because you refused to join them in warfare against an even stronger nation.  What would you do when you heard the news of their plans to decimate your nation, kill you, the king, and place another on the throne? How would you respond to such news, knowing you did not have the ability to fight them?  

I’d love to hear your answer. For what this king did might surprise you.  Although his story comes from Biblical history, he didn’t turn to the prophet nor to God in prayer. Indeed, he did not turn any of the directions you might assume, instead, he allied himself with the superpower nation against whom his former friends (now enemies) had asked that he align with them to battle!  

Then God came to him through the prophet and had words.  

This king was King Ahaz.  His story is filled with words that God spoke into his life about the One coming who would be faithful and true, the Messiah, who would be the true savior.  In contrast to what we heard Jonah say in his book, “My Salvation comes from the Lord,” this King instead said, in essence, “My Salvation will come from Nineveh!”  Interesting contrast in choices!  

When God said, “Ask for a sign and I will give it,” this king refused. 

When God said, “Do not be afraid, do not worry,” this king worried and feared. 

When God said, “Stand firm,” he didn’t.  

Yet, in the middle of this king’s faithlessness came God’s promises.  Into his life God spoke the promise of a child, Immanuel, a foreshadowing of Another, and foreshadowing something also in Ahaz’s time.  And God named the character and calling of the Messiah who would be light in the midst of darkness.  

Have you ever felt faithless in the light of enemies lined up against you?  To whom did you turn? Come listen to Ahaz’s story and find confidence of your own to return and turn to the Lord.  He is real. He is faithful and, best of news, He is Immanuel, God with us.

Ground Up PDX

Julie Sullivan-Loos, Dave and Sally’s daughter, and her business partner, Carolyn Cesario, were featured recently on the “Today” show!

Their Portland company, Ground Up Nut Butters, provides a stepping stone for women facing barriers in the business world, due to homelessness, mental illness, or other challenges. They call it a “not-just-for-profit” business.

Visit the “Today” show website and watch the inspiring video to learn more. And then visit the company’s website, https://grounduppdx.com and shop, try a recipe or two, and order their new cookbook!

And the Winners are...

The top three chilis in last Sunday’s Chili Cookoff were prepared by:

• Neil Flanagan

• Wendy Pursinger

• Cindy Loayza

Congrats to all!  Great chili!

Thanks to all who participated!

Revitalization

The Columbia District Church Extension Society (CDCES) funds local church projects. Among those in 2019 were:

• Oak Grove UMC - neighborhood project collaboration

• Great Spirit UMC - facility renovation to increase opportunities for Native gatherings

• Fremont UMC - chairs for the Joyful Noise service

• Faith UMC - parsonage renovation for community gatherings

• Rose City Park UMC - support for re-imagining mission

By participating in their annual meeting, you can help Westside access financial resources for new ministries, revitalization projects, or capital improvements. Besides all that, each church that is represented by the pastor and at least one member will be entered to win a $500 ministry grant!

The CDCES meeting is Tuesday, Feb 11, at noon at Oak Grove United Methodist Church, 14700 SE Rupert Dr, Oak Grove. Lunch is provided. Let Pastor Brian know if you can attend this free event and register at https://www.umoi.org/eventdetail/13131678.

Join the Journey, 1.26.20

Question: In what one way is God working in your heart in this season of transition?

Answers:

1. God is helping to fill my mind and heart with focusing/seeing the good. There is always good if we look for it.

2. Let go, let God.

3. I’m so curious to see how the LGBT community is welcomed or repelled by our church.

4. To be more trusting and fearless.

5. May all my grandkids find the spirit of Jesus.

6. Flexibility.

7. Accept with joy the changes.

8. Making me brave.

9. He is reassuring me that “He’s got this.”

10. Direction.