Jan. 17, 2017
Vol.6 Issue 1.3
Finding Our Way in a Changing Landscape.
Our political landscape is changing. We've known for a long time that our church landscape has been changing. We've spent a lot of time wondering how we might get back to the "glory days" when church and community life were intertwined. We've felt irrelevant. But there is something stirring in congregations today. As the ground continues to shift under us, perhaps we are finding that we do have something uniquely ours to offer. In last week's e-newsletter, DS Steve Sprecher reminded us that "we have the word of hope." This week's newsletter lifts up two instances in which the church is offering very concrete hope through our mission activities -- as well as many opportunities to meet with others and plan for how we can offer hope to our communities in the days ahead.
Check out the links in the Upcoming Events column to the right. And check out the wonderful resource provided by the General Commission on Religion and Race's Vital Conversations series.
Several United Methodist Church agencies, including UMW, are encouraging congregations and individuals to host house/church parties for fellowship, food and discussions about how to RECLAIM THE COMMON GOOD on Friday, Jan. 20 (or at another convenient time). Get materials on how to organize an event, register an event or find out if there is an event near you at this link.
Blessings,
Linda Grund-Clampit
Cascadia District Administrative Assistant
Early Response Teams Provide Concrete Hope
UMMSK Hosts Citizenship Classes at Trinity UMC
UPCOMING EVENTS
Prayer Calendar
Resources
Contact us
Early Response Teams Provide Concrete Hope
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The Oregon-Idaho Conference is offering Early Response Team (ERT) training at Whitney UMC in Boise, February 11, 2017, from 8:30 to 5:30. The cost of the training is $25 and includes lunch. While this particular training may be appropriate for only some in the far eastern reaches of the Cascadia District, this training is offered from time-to-time across the conference, so we want to lift it up as a ministry you might consider.
Early Response Team members:
- Get really dirty mucking out houses after a flood
- Give someone hope by listening to their story
- Get really cold and wet tarping roofs after a windstorm
- Give someone hope by working alongside them
- Get really hot and dusty sifting through fire debris
- Give someone hope by simply being there
While ERTs typically work in teams of 5 to 7 members, helping with cleanup and response-related tasks in the early days after a disaster, we have recently had opportunities to deploy our ERTs as individuals and very small teams within the local area. ERTs are background checked and badged, so make ideal volunteers to assist our partners, such as the Red Cross, when there are small scale local needs, such as with the Arbor Crossing fire in Boise, and the unprecedented cold in Portland. ERT members never evangelize nor proselytize; they are trained to listen to the survivors and to show their caring by the work that they do, rather than the words they might say.
You can register for the Feb. 11 training in Boise at: https://umoi-reg.brtapp.com/EarlyResponseTeamTrainingFeb11-2017 . Contact Becky Platt at beckyplatt1@peoplepc.com for more details.
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UMMSK Hosts Citizenship Classes at Trinity UMC
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United Methodist Ministries of Salem-Keizer (UMMSK) added Rev. Jorge Rodriguez Flores to their pastoral team this past August. He is helping UMMSK focus on ministry with the Hispanic community in Salem.
Toward that end they are working with Voz Hispana Cambio Comunitario (Hispanic Voice for Community Change) to offer US Citizenship classes on Fridays from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm starting on Friday, January 27 at Trinity United Methodist Church located at 590 Elma Ave SE, Salem, Oregon 97317. Interested persons can register by calling (503)269-5694 or emailing to vozhispana.woregon@gmail.com
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UPCOMING EVENTS
This week in the
Cascadia District
Friday, Jan. 20
Reclaim the Common Good
Saturday, Jan. 21
Threshold Event with Bishop Stanovsky in Eugene
Looking Ahead
Tuesday, Jan. 31
End-of-year reports due
Saturday, Feb. 4.
CLM: Intermediate Preaching, Vancouver
Tuesday, Feb. 7
Interfaith Advocacy Day, Salem
Saturday, Feb. 11
CLM: Intermediate Preaching, Boise
ERT Training @ Whitney UMC, Boise
Fri- Mon, Feb. 17-20
Western Methodist Justice Movement Event: Rise Up! in Portland
Fri-Sat., Feb. 24-25
Cascadia Worship & Arts Conference, Seattle
March 8-10
Northwest Leadership Institute, Boise
Prayer Calendar
January 15 - 21
Oregon City FUMC
Pastor Mike Benischek
Lay Leader Rynn
January 22 - 28
The next few weeks of the prayer calendar highlight the member churches of the United Methodist Ministries of Salem-Keizer (UMMSK). The pastoral team of Dan Pitney, Sandra Kimbrow, Karen Nelson, Wendy Woodworth, and Jorge Rodriguez Flores care for these churches. Please pray for this united ministry in Salem-Keizer, as well as the member congregations. This week we lift up Englewood UMC in Salem.
Resources
Young Adults, Social Justice and the Church: Discussion and Study Resources
General Commission on Religion and Race will launch the third in a series of TED-styled talk videos entitled Vital Conversations 3: Young Adults, Social Justice and the Church. GCORR's year long 14 part series is designed to spark grassroots engagement and features study guides for each video that help small groups and individuals delve deeper into social issues.
All 14 presenters are aged 35 or younger and are activists, theologians, preachers, musicians, dancers, seminarians, and business entrepreneurs from Africa, Germany, and the U.S. Each talks about the search for areas that welcome, respect, and engage expressions of faith, spirituality, ideals, and community action.
This new resource offers a platform for young people of faith, and to allow older church members insight into the hopes, concerns, and opinions that some younger adults hold about "traditional" faith communities. Learn more, read the full press release.
Contact us
Interm DS Steve Sprecher
sprecher@umoi.org
District Lay Leader
Paula Sadler
jpcsadler@aol.com
District Administrative Assistant
Linda Grund-Clampit
linda@umoi.org
503-581-3969
Check out the Cascadia District webpage:
www.umoi.org/cascadia
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