April 17, 2014

Dear Reader,

What’s with Easter eggs? Here’s a video from United Methodist Television that looks at Easter eggs from the perspective of some children, and our Christian history. It’s fun and informative!

And you can hear about how “Good Friday” got its name from Chuck Knows Church.

Paging pages! – It’s that time of year when we seek pages to work at Annual Conference. Do you know a young person that would enjoy being part of Annual Conference? Tell them about the opportunity. Your invitation can make the difference.

Greg Nelson, Director of Communications

CONFERENCE NEWS

Legislative Assembly begins Annual Conference process

With a short list of petitions and focused attention the Legislative Assembly made quick work of the first review of action items for the 2014 Annual Conference Session. Twenty-three voting members from across the conference gathered at Montavilla United Methodist Church in southeast Portland Friday, April 11, to review six action requests and five standing resolutions. While they were prepared to work for two days, they finished in one.

Assembly leaders noted the smaller number of legislative items than past years and attributed it to a lull in the process that can occur in the middle of the church's four-year cycle leading to General Conference, and on an intentional focus on doing ministry and mission in local churches rather than through conference-wide committees or mandates.

The Legislative Assembly voted to recommend all of the submitted items to the Annual Conference when it meets in June. Some were amended. Most will be voted on via the consent calendar at Annual Conference. The original versions of all items are on the conference website and amended versions will be posted soon. Questions about legislation can be referred to the legislative coordinators, Warren Light (peaceuofo@yahoo.com) and Jeanne Knepper (jgknepper@comcast.net).

Appointment Announcements
It is Bishop Grant J. Hagiya’s intention to make the following appointment, effective July 1, 2014:

The Rev. Steven Lewis to First United Methodist Church in Gresham, Oregon. For the last two years, Lewis has been Academic Dean and Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Bangor Theological Seminary in Bangor, Maine, and earlier he served as Program Director and Associate Professor of Historical Theology at the Northwest House of Theological Studies when it was based in Salem, Oregon. Lewis is an Elder in the Missouri Annual Conference

In Addition, Colombia District Superintendent Lowell Greathouse has announced that Fungalei Taufoou will serve as a half-time Lay Person Assigned to Pleasant Home United Methodist Church near Gresham, Oregon effective July 1, 2014. Taufoou is currently a certified candidate for ministry.

A summary of appointment announcements can be found on the conference website at www.umoi.org/appointments.

AROUND THE CONFERENCE

Keep up-to-date with AC Updates!

Those attending Annual Conference this year, June 12-14 in Salem, are reminded to watch for the “AC Updates” in their email box. These brief email newsletters are sent every other week and have news and details about Annual Conference! They are also available on the conference website.

Youth pages needed for Annual Conference

Floor Manager Laura Beville is looking for a few energetic youth to serve as pages for Annual Conference 2014! Pages are youth who are friendly, reliable, and excited about serving others. Pages are a vital (and hard-working) part of the Annual Conference sessions, helping to get information to members exactly when it’s needed. Pages will get to see how Annual Conference works while they worship, learn, and play with youth from all over Oregon and Idaho. The application deadline is May 1. Download the application from the conference website and send it, via email or snail mail, to Rev. Beville as soon as possible. For more information you can contact her at pastorlaura76@charter.net.

Ministry Marketplace

Annual Conference will once again feature a Ministry Marketplace where members and guests can share and learn about ministries, resources and opportunities. Churches, committees, agencies, individuals and companies are invited to share with the conference. The deadline for Ministry Marketplace applications is May 10. Learn more by downloading the information and application, or contact Janice Stevens, Marketplace coordinator at grandmamaj@comcast.net.

Imagine No Malaria: Cover the net

As World Malaria Day approaches on April 25, Imagine No Malaria is asking supporters to #CovertheNet to raise awareness across social media networks about this killer disease that claims the life of a child every 60 seconds.

Imagine No Malaria has created resources that make it easy for advocates to create social media buzz about this life-saving cause. Learn more about how you can join the effort to help #CovertheNet at INM.greaternw.org.

Imagine No Malaria: Roadmap to resources

Imagine No Malaria Field Coordinator Julia Frisbie has compiled a list of upcoming opportunities for churches and individuals to participate in Imagine No Malaria fund raising. As she has travelled around the conference she has been able to share about these opportunities, and now she’s complied them into a resource list. Read her blog post for links to all the details.

AROUND THE GLOBE

Mom's faith offers comfort after Kansas shootings

LEAWOOD, Kan. (UMNS) - United Methodist Mindy Corporon is sharing her faith and belief that her son and father are in heaven after a gunman killed them April 13 as they sat in their vehicle at a Jewish community center. Dr. William Lewis Corporon and Reat Griffin Underwood will be remembered at 3 p.m. on April 18 in the main sanctuary of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. Read the rest of this United Methodist News Service story.

Bishops address Ukraine crisis

MOSCOW AND COPENHAGEN (UMNS) - Bishop Eduard Khegay of the Eurasia Area and Bishop Christian Alsted of the Nordic and Baltic Area have issued an Easter pastoral letter, touching on the political crisis in Ukraine. "While the political winds are shifting, the church is called to be a fellowship not of this world and yet sent into this world to reflect the self-sacrificing life of Christ," the letter says. Read the full letter.

New dean of Liberia school promises spirit-filled campus

MONROVIA, Liberia (UMNS) - During his installation service as the dean of the United Gbarnga School of Theology in Liberia, the Rev. Jerry P. Kulah, former superintendent of the Monrovia District, said spiritual awakening will be a major part of his effort to restore the United Methodist-related school following a 14-year civil war. Read more of this West Africa News story.

Church Alliance files brief for clergy housing

GLENVIEW, Ill. (UMNS)-- The Church Alliance, a coalition of the chief executive officers of 38 denominational benefit programs including The United Methodist Church, has filed an amicus curiae brief in the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals (Chicago) in the case challenging the constitutionality of the clergy housing exclusion under Section 107(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Code). Barbara Boigegrain, chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits, is chair of the Church Alliance. Read their press release.

RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Native American Ministries Sunday – order resources now

Native American Ministries Sunday, one of the six churchwide special Sundays, is May 4. Recognizing this day reminds United Methodists of the contributions made by Native Americans to our society. The special offering benefits Native American outreach within annual conferences and across the United States and provides seminary scholarships for Native Americans. Order resources at www.umcgiving/ss and learn more about this special Sunday at www.UMCgiving.org/nams.