Conference Laity Gathering

Come gather with us via Zoom on Sept. 23 for this year’s laity session! This year’s session will focus primarily on the ministry of our local churches in this time of a pandemic, confronting racism and imagining a new future for our churches.

During this extended time of physical distancing and social transformation we are all digging deep to find ways to be the “light of Christ” in our communities. Laity are crucial to making this happen! We will share short videos from all over the Conference that celebrate examples of moving the Annual Conference theme “What does Love Require?” from words to action.

You will be able to engage in worship, meet your district and conference leaders, get new ideas, and learn about opportunities for leadership development.

This laity gathering is for everyone. Since no one needs to travel to a physical location, it is easy to join us! If you are an Annual Conference member, you should definitely participate. And while you are at it, you should recruit others from your church (even clergy) who are interested in seeing what churches large and small are doing! Perhaps this will encourage you to have continued discussions with church members about the needs and possibilities for your own community and congregation.

Let’s make this gathering be the start of even more exciting ministry!

Sincerely,
Jan Nelson
Oregon-Idaho Conference Lay Leader

God Sightings 9/6

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Where have you seen God at work this past week?

Pastor Brett – This is the first time we have been really face to face with people without masks on. Our family quarantined for a couple of weeks & my cousins did the same. One of my God moments this week was watching my son, Kyrie be able to hug his cousins – who are 5 & 4. And just watching them being able to embrace each other without masks on was pretty special; just a reminder of how special it is to be able to hug one another. So, that was a special moment for me. Uplifted my soul.

Rich - Last night we went and had a socially distant dinner with 3 other couples. Some people we have traveled around the world with in the past. Whose lives are somewhat entwined with ours by way of the things that interest us in life; progression of our families & the ages of our children. And it was fantastic, really amazing to get some time in person with people again that just don’t live in my household. Not that I mind the people that live in my household but, I haven’t had that close connection to people outside very much over the last 6- 7 months. So, that was a true blessing.

Merry – It is wonderful to watch the season changing and to spend time looking at the sky every evening.

Kari –  I had a dream this past week that I was in an airport and I was looking around and people weren’t wearing masks. Then I realized that I didn’t have a mask on. I went in to use the restroom and when I came out I and I kept looking around and there were people not wearing masks. So God didn’t give me a time frame or anything like that but, it was just a reminder that this too shall pass and that we will be able to travel & move about the cabin at some point. So, it was kind of a cool dream.

Morgan – I went camping last weekend and got stung by a hornet for the first time...between my toes. But thank God I’m not allergic! Because we had no cell service or Epipen.

Wilderness

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When God delivered the Hebrews of old out of Egypt by a mighty hand and outstretched arm, there was only one thing separating them from entering the land God promised to Abraham.  That one thing was the wilderness.  The wilderness is a place of transition, a place in between the old reality and the new reality. This week, come ready to explore and share the dynamics of life transitions and how our current state of the world may or may not be a wilderness of sorts.

God Sightings 8/30

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Where have you seen God at work this past week?

Kari – I had a fantastic day this past week. I was talking to one of my little 4 year old patients. And he goes – How old are you? And I go -well how old do you think I am? And he goes – oh, 14. So, that really made my day; this is why I work with kids – that was fun. I got to have another Hummingbird experience too so that was another good morning.

Debbie – Thanks Brett for the video showing us the church; I just like everyone to remember what it felt like and we can do that on Zoom as well. We need to remember this is not a TV and we are touching each other and worship just like you would in that space; I encourage you to do so; even sing – Chris & I sing a lot.  

Bonnie – This week Friends of the Emmaus Community had a fire & lost their house. I just praise God that they and her father, who has cancer, got out of the house alive as well as their animals. I saw her this week and she’s just thanking God that they were all able to get out. And as devastating as it was to her in the beginning, it is becoming less devastating to her because people have reached out to them and set up gofund me page and our prayers. So God has been working in their lives as well.  

Kat  – Two God Sightings this week: 1) Parents have made it home safely from their trip to Michigan; I picked them up at the airport last night. 45 minutes late, but they’re safe and they’re sound in their home.  2) A friend of ours - her 17 yo daughter was in an accident several weeks ago; the final diagnosis is permanent paralysis from (inaudible). Not the news they were hoping for but, this girl is an amazing Spirit in Christ and she has taken the news and this change of her life really well. She has actually started visiting other kids in the hospital who have been paralyzed and praying with them and offering them support to help them get through their diagnosis & their challenges as well. So…it’s a sad case, but I think from this terrible tragedy we are going to see the emergence of a wonderful spiritual leader for a group of people that need extra help. 

Paige – We came in late, so I don’t know if anyone mentioned it…Dear friends from the Emmaus Community, Dixie & Terry Walter, last Sunday evening their house burned completely. They successfully, by the Grace of God, got out just fine. Terry had a minor burn on his foot. Dixie successfully made it out of a second story window with 2 dogs, which is no feat when they are little dogs. One of them is a Mastiff. So getting down a ladder with the help from a neighbor; they are safe and in a hotel now. And the Emmaus Community has just really rallied around them. And they have already been able to exceed what was asked for on their gofund me to start to raise funds to be able to rebuild what they need to rebuild because the house is a total loss. We have set up a drive by drop off for supplies for as soon as they get into their rental house. It’s amazing to see the light of Christ at work even in this tragedy.

Amy – Dixie was able to get into her house and by the Grace of God she was able to salvage most of her photos. Which was quite a miracle.

Martha – Sarah completed the first week at the YMCA Academy in Bloomington, IL for 160 children at different school sites. The unfortunate thing was that the college students that they hired to tutor the children – some of them have come down with Covid because so many students have returned to college and have not recognized the fact that you can’t party safely. However, she said it went well; the nice thing about it is that a church had reached out to her asking how they could help. There was a family from Ethiopia who just moved to the Bloomington area and had nothing, literally had nothing. The lady sat down from the church people, I don’t know which one of the churches in Bloomington, and wrote Sarah out a $1,700 check for this family for schooling and anything else. God is working there; I just praise Him for supporting her so much.

Laura – God is sharing His compassion with me for people who are suffering and Westsiders are inspiring me to know what to do with those emotions. As a result, I’m taking baby steps to help serve people by volunteering at Free Food Ministries and bringing food to a sick parishioner.

Kevin – The Friday night WUMC Prayer Vigil was certainly filled with people being affected by the Spirit.

Pastor Brett – One of my God Sightings, I had a couple this week; Janelle, Kyrie, Levi & I were able to take a walk by & around the Tillicum Bridge. Both our boys slept the whole time we were on the walk so we not only got exercise and got to see the city of Portland; Janelle and I had a little time to connect. So that was a nice refreshing time. God Sighting behind me – Kyrie is singing!

Susan Weaver – Arizona has been going through some real record breaking heat and a dry spell for the last few months. And where we’re at we have been watching the storms go all around us but miss our area. Last week we had a really amazing lightning and thunder storm that dropped a lot of rain; then last night we had another one that was pretty incredible – standing out on the patio watching the entire heavens light up and hear the rumble of the thunder. The downside of it is that for the rest of today and part of tomorrow we are under a flood watch which means that if you’re out on the roads you have to be aware that there may be a lot of water come through. But the rain is the major Blessing and just the Glory of seeing God’s power last night in the lightning and thunder.  

Changes to Website (revised)

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A reimbursement form has been added to our website under the Resources tab. If you need to be reimbursed for a church-related expense, download the file, then:

  • Print, complete, and email/mail form and receipts. Email to finance@westsidejourney.org or mail to the church -or-

  • Open in Acrobat Reader, complete using “Fill and Sign”, save, and email your saved file and receipts to finance@westsidejourney.org or mail to the church

The Prayer Request form is also under the Resources tab now.

And don’t forget that the church directory is also available online at westsidejourney.com/directory. This one isn’t under the Resources tab — you must enter the URL — for privacy reasons.

Let us know if you have other things you’d like to be able to access online.

Prayer Vigil Tonight

From Pastor Brett:

Dear Westsiders, 

I am calling for a Prayer Vigil tonight, Friday August 28th at 8:30 PM on Zoom to lament and pray for an end to violence against unarmed black people, and for God to grant repentance to those who resort to violence.

As you may know, Jacob Blake, a black man, was shot in the back at point blank range seven times earlier this week, in front of his children, as he readied to step into his vehicle in Kenosha, WIsconsin. This unacceptable act was followed by protests the following nights in the streets.  During those protests, a 17 year old white civilian youth named Kyle Rittenhouse murdered two people and injured another after bringing an assault rifle with him to the streets. 

As your pastor, and as a Jesus follower, this centuries-old pandemic of violence against black flesh is deeply disturbing.  We serve a God, Jesus the Jewish Messiah, who was violently murdered in the first century by the Roman Empire, in coordination with the religious authorities, for being perceived as a threat to the established religious and imperial order of the day.  Even though the Pontius Pilate, the religious leaders, and the crowds put the Prince of Peace to death, Jesus and his Father were working to destroy death once and for all.  Since Jesus, no one needs to die as a sacrifice for anyone or anything. I'm summarizing the book of Hebrews here. Indeed, Jesus is the end of sacrifice, once and for all.  He died for "law and order" (aka Rome) once and for all.  Our faith tells us there should be no more bodies upon any altar, to any god or ideal, or system, and yet we still see a disproportionate amount black bodies sacrificed in the streets, sacrificed in the prisons, or sacrificed at home doing nothing (Breonna Taylor), just to name a few and say nothing of the countless black bodies sacrificed in the Atlantic slave trade.  

This vigil will not be about stoking divisions on ideological sides, demonizing people out of the redemptive frame, it won't be about gaining attention for ourselves as individuals or for Westside as a church to post to social media about how 'woke' or righteous we are. In other words, it won't be about us.  Instead, we will focus giving witness to Jacob Blake's life being shattered and his body paralyzed, his children and the greater black community (re) traumatized and terrorized, to give witness to those who were murdered on the streets during the ensuing protests, and to pray for the police officer Rusten Sheskey, who shot Jacob Blake, and to pray for Kyle Rittenhouse who shot three people, murdering two. 

So, as you feel led, let's bring a candle, our griefs, our laments, and most importantly our prayers for tomorrow night. May the love of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you and remain with you today and forevermore. Amen. 

Click link below to join, or copy and paste into your browser the following: 

https://zoom.us/j/93451906873?pwd=WVdkaXdlQjlxK0hPK1o3QWplQkhvQT09

Meeting ID: 934 5190 6873

Passcode: vigil

Changes to Website

resources.jpg

A reimbursement form has been added to our website under the Resources tab. If you need to be reimbursed for a church-related expense, download the file, then:

  • Print, complete, and email/mail to the church, or

  • Open in Acrobat Reader, complete using “Fill and Sign”, save, and email/mail your saved file to the church

The Prayer Request form is also under the Resources tab now.

And don’t forget that the church directory is also available online at westsidejourney.com/directory. This one isn’t under the Resources tab — you must enter the URL — for privacy reasons.

Let us know if you have other things you’d like to be able to access online.

Online Worship

We worship online every Sunday morning at 9:00 am.

To join us online, click here. You will be prompted to install the Webex application if you haven’t done so already. The link should go directly to the worship service at 9:00 am on Sunday. If the link doesn’t work for you, go to webex.com, click ‘Join’ and enter these details:

  • Meeting number (access code):  294 667 249

  • Meeting password: GodIsGood!

You may also join using a smartphone by calling 408-418-9388.

Remember to “mute” your audio when you’re not speaking, to cut down on background noise.

See you there!

A Place to Begin: Convo with Jakki

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We have opened up more spaces for this Sunday’s event! Please click here to view the online signup sheet.

Our friend Jakki Cotton, who attended Westside for several years, desires to share some of her experience as a black woman and bring a deeper conversation about racial existence to our Westside community.

Face coverings and social distancing will be expected of all participants. Two groups of 10 will take turns watching a short video in the Lighthouse, and then we will all gather outside for comments and questions to Jakki.

Please let us know if the signup is full and we can try to accommodate another session in September with Jakki!

God Sightings 8/23

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Where have you seen God at work this past week?

Michele M. – Yesterday, at the council meeting - that we were all able to get together and see each other. It was kind of like restoring, it puts you in better places and brought you back together; helped you remember what everybody looks like.  Pastor Brett – Amen! Church Council was able to meet yesterday in person.

Jan – I have a word.  I am very concerned about Education of our children; I have been praying about it & I know God is working on it. We don’t see him, but he’s working on it…And I have a Word from Him (for all you grandmas, all you mommas, daddies; all you aunts & uncles – hear the word of the Lord) and it is in Isaiah 54:13  – “And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; And great shall be the peace of thy children.” And I have another one, it’s from Isaiah, also. Isaiah says to us today - Isaiah 49:25  – “I will contend with him (or her - if it’s the governor) that contend with you, and I will save thy children.” ….Any governor or anyone who stands in the way of our children being taught of the Lord will be contended with by the God who created this Universe; that is the Word of the Lord!

Martha – Two God Sightings – 1) Jakki & her husband, Brad, were such good friends with my brother, Don Meikle. Whenever I see them, or see things that Jakki posts on Facebook or Instagram, I think of their great friendship with him. Thank you Jakki!  2) Sarah, my daughter who is in Bloomington, is starting her YMCA Kid’s program. She has 160 kids signed up in various locations in Bloomington IL, at the different schools. The kids will be bringing their laptops so they can do school during the day and the Y is providing meals, art & music and PE classes for them. So, she’s going to turn from a Presbyterian Minister into a Principal this year until this Covid is over. She said the other day that there is a reason God brought me to Bloomington and this is the reason!

Laura – I see God through the Women’s Weekly Bible Study and Prayer time. There are some powerful prayers and encouragement going on.   Debbie – Anyone wanting to join Zoom Bible Study send me your request gabeld@frontier.com 

Amy F. – Free Food Ministry was able to connect with another gleaner to further extend our outreach.

Kari – My God Sighting is about the Cell Phone Tower deal getting finalized yesterday!  Pastor Brett – Amen! I’m sure there will be more to share about this in the coming weeks & months.

Pastor Brett – One of my God Sightings this week - I was able to go to FFM and walk around with Amy as she showed me the ropes. If you haven’t been out there yet, I would encourage you to go visit. It is a feeding of the 5,000 sort of situation where God is multiplying what there is and being able to meet the extraordinary need of people who are hungry at this time. Amy, thank you for hosting me on Tuesday…

Skills for Today's World

George Packer wrote, “Ideology knows the answer before the question has been asked.”

In a divided nation and world, and in an election year, we can feel the truth of Packer’s words in our bodies.  So how do we learn, as followers of Jesus, who learned by the Spirit, in a world that has forsaken learning in favor of ideological capture?

I believe it starts with listening.  Empathetic listening. Connecting with each other without bringing in another audience to watch the conversation. Taking in different perspectives without being threatened and being able to disagree and remain connected. These are vital skills in today’s polarized and polarizing world.

This Sunday, we will have an opportunity to hear from our friend Jakki Cotton, hear a glimpse of her perspective, and dig into some empathetic skills as we seek to become people who can truly hear one another and stay connected to each other, no matter what perspective we bring to the table.

Clothing Needed

The following items are needed for the guests in the Family Promise program:

  1. Adult Male: pants - size 34 mens, shirt - size L/XL mens

  2. Adult Male: pants - size 36 mens, shirt - size M/L mens, shoes -  size 9.5

  3. 12 year old boy: underwear and PJ's - size 14, shoes - size 6.5

  4. 8 year old boy: underwear and PJ's - size 12, hoodie - size 12

  5. 14 year old girl: pants - size 18 in womens, shirts - size 2x in womens, underwear - size xxl, shoes size - 10

If you have any of these items, please leave them in the Lighthouse for Bonnie. If you don’t have access to the Lighthouse, contact Bonnie to make arrangements. Thank you!

A Place to Begin: Convos with Jakki Cotton

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Our friend Jakki Cotton, who attended Westside for several years, desires to share some of her experience as a black woman and bring a deeper conversation about racial existence to our Westside community.

We are offering you the opportunity to come and engage with Jakki in person in the Lighthouse. Two sessions are available - this Sunday, August 23, or Sunday, August 30. Signup is limited to 8 for each session.

Face coverings and social distancing will be expected of all participants. A video conversation between Jakki and several Westsiders will be shown and then the floor will be open for comments and questions to Jakki.

Please click here to view the online sign up sheet.

Please let us know (office@westsidejourney.org) and (pastor@westsidejourney.org) if the signup is full and we can try to accomodate another session in September with Jakki!

God Sightings 8/16

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Where have you seen God at work this past week?

Martha – My husband, Ken, turned 70 on Friday! And also Friday was our 44th Wedding Anniversary! Actually known each other for 45 years – we met my first year of teaching way down in Southern Oregon. God brought him to me.

Pastor Brett – Janelle & I celebrated our 11 year Anniversary yesterday! 11 years and still going strong! Yeah for all anniversaries. God has to be in the midst of marriages for things to work out – Amen!

Kat – My Father built a plane for his retirement. He and my Mother were flying it back here and he had catastrophic engine failure in the middle of nowhere! God is good because God was with him; they were able to land in the middle of nowhere airfield! And made it down just in time before the engine completely failed on them. So Praise God and all His Mighty Glory! In spite of being in the middle of nowhere, wonderful people helped them find food, lodging and rental car and everything. Pretty amazing and thankfully I still have both my parents on the face of this planet!