March 26, 2015
Dear Reader,
Welcome to Holy Week.
As busy as life is, I hope you can make time to participate in the many services that will be happening across our conference for Palm/Passion Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. These are the times to come together as the people of Christ and remember the gift God has given us.
We can’t sing hosannas yet, but they are coming soon!
See you in church!
Greg Nelson, Director of Communications
CONFERENCE NEWS
Legislative Assembly to gather
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The 2014 Legislative Assembly receives
instructions from legislative coordinator
Rev. Jeanne Knepper.
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The Legislative Assembly of the forty-seventh Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference will meet April 12 and 13 at Portland’s First United Methodist Church. Legislative Assembly is a sub-committee of the Annual Conference Session that meets to review, revise, and recommend action items to the full conference when it meets in June. Members of the Assembly are a representative group of conference members.
Beginning at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday April 12, the Assembly will hear from petitioners, discuss, debate, and revise proposals. Most items that receive an overwhelming majority of support, will be presented to the Annual Conference Session on a consent calendar.
Members of the Legislative Assembly are conference leaders, district representatives, ethnic and youth representatives. They are selected by conference boards and district leadership teams. At the Assembly they will have the chance to hear from petition authors before beginning their deliberation. You can see a list on the conference website.
Guests are welcome at the Legislative Assembly. It is an open meeting that encourages observers. If guests wish to join the members for meals, they can order them in advance online.
To get all the details about Legislative Assembly, download an informational flyer. District Superintendent Peg Lofsvold is the coordinator of the 2015 assembly. Questions can be directed to her at lofsvold@mac.com.
Conference scholarships available
There are scholarships available from the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference, for general undergraduate education, graduate school, women pursuing education for a church-related vocation, and persons in seminary. See www.umoi.org/scholarships for more information. The applications for the Undergraduate Leadership Award, Ethnic Minority Leadership Award, and Conference Merit Award for the 2015-2016 school year are on the website now. They are due no later than April 6, 2015.
Appointment announcement
It is Bishop Grant J. Hagiya’s intention to make the following appointment, effective July 1, 2015:
- The Reverends Karlene Clark and Josh Clark to Wesley United Methodist Church of Eugene, Oregon. The Clarks are both ordained by the Free Methodist Church and currently serve the United Methodist Churches in Wilbur and Sutherlin, Oregon. In their shared ministry, Karlene will be appointed three-quarter-time and Josh will be appointed quarter-time. Rev. Erin Martin, who currently serves the Wesley congregation, has been appointed to serve as the Columbia District Superintendent.
A summary of appointment announcements can be found on the conference website at www.umoi.org/appointments.
AROUND THE CONFERENCE
Epworth featured in Interpreter magazine
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The Epworth UMC Graduates
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Epworth United Methodist Church in Portland, Oregon was featured in the “it worked for us” section of the March/April edition of Interpreter Magazine, the official program and ministry magazine of The United Methodist Church.
The article tells the story of the 68 year history of this Japanese-American congregation holding a banquet to recognize its high school graduates. Honoring graduates is part of Epworth’s efforts to embrace and sustain Japanese culture for these young people and the community that supports them. Read the full story online at Interpretermagazine.org.
Get Interpreter for yourself: Interpreter is the award-winning magazine for United Methodists living their faith. It is published six times a year. Interpreter is a ministry of United Methodist Communications. Go online to order a paid print or free digital subscription. Print subscribers may also order a free digital subscription.
Oregon-Idaho pastor authors story of social action
Rev. John Schwiebert has penned at least part of the story of his life. Schwiebert and his wife Pat have spent 40 years in ministry to churches, providing hospice care, military tax resistance and grief ministry.
In the memoir John recalls the events that led the two of them to “seek first the commonwealth of God,” and in so doing to pursue a specific way of life that would put them at odds with the dominant culture, and sometimes in trouble with the law. The sixteen chapters in this book explore such shared life choices as Embracing Community, Sharing All Things in Common, Saying No to Caesar, Living with Interesting People, Doing Church Differently, and more.
There are three ways to order the book. From Amazon.com for $9.95, from the Griefwatch.com for $8.50 (free shipping with coupon code “free ship”), or $5.00 if you stop by the 18th Ave. Peace House and pick it up.
AROUND THE GLOBE
Ebola doesn't stop 93-year-old's return to Sierra Leone
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Dr. Gess prays at weekly gathering
in Sierra Leone (UNMS photo)
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FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (UMNS) — Dr. Lowell Gess, a retired medical missionary, went back after the Ebola outbreak to this country where he served for 58 years. He wanted to show the people someone cared. While in Sierra Leone, Gess helped the United Methodist hospital resume surgery. Read the rest of this United Methodist News Service story.
Sunday prayer: Revive hope from hopelessness
GENEVA (WCC) — The World Council of Churches invites its member churches to pray Sunday, March 29, for vulnerable minority religious and ethnic communities in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Egypt. Christians, in particular, "face the present danger of extermination or exile from their own region," writes the Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit, the WCC's top executive. Read the letter inviting you and your church to join in prayer.
Texas bishops join faith leaders to oppose death penalty
AUSTIN, Texas (UMNS) — All active and retired bishops of The United Methodist Church in Texas and 265 United Methodist clergy from across the state are among the signatories to an Interfaith Statement of Opposition to the Death Penalty. Read more on the General Board of Church and Society website.
RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Mission event features Bishop Ward
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Bishop Ward
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In October 2012, Thomas Kemper, Secretary of Global Ministries, visited Salmon Creek UMC and spoke to many about the current state of missions. Because of this event’s success, many requested a follow-up even - this is it!
This year, Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of the North Carolina Annual Conference, will visit the four corners of the Pacific Northwest in April 2015. Ward is the President of Global Ministries and will share her unique perspective on the state of UMC mission in the world. She is also an inspiring speaker with stories to tell as Bishop of Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina.
The April 11 event will be at the Salmon Creek United Methodist Church in Vancouver, Washington. Tickets are $8. To get tickets, or for more information about the event and missions in the Oregon-Idaho Conference, contact mission secretary, Jim Frisbie at jamesfrisbie@comcast,net or 503-654-3161.
Crater Lake District Lay Servant class
Crater Lake District is offering a Basic Lay Servant class on Saturdays, April 18 and 25, at Wilderville United Methodist Church. Jo Spencer will be the leader, and the class will meet from 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. on both Saturdays. The cost is $30, which includes the text, mailed directly to the participants. The class is open to anyone who is interested in discovering what being a Lay Servant entails. Registration deadline is Monday, April 6. Contact Nadine Wiles, Crater Lake District Director of Lay Servant Ministries, for further information and a registration form at nwiles@pacinfo.com.
Web site training for churches
United Methodist Communications is offering an online training program to help churches build effective websites using WordPress website software. The course includes information on knowing your audience, branding, and planning a website. It also covers the nuts and bolts of creating menus, pages, and other technology for effective sites. The course is self-paced and you will have one year of access to course materials. Online registration and more information is available on the UMC Training website.
Free webinar
"Helping Children Make Sense of the World"
Tuesday, March 31 at 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. PDT an interactive webinar from United Methodist Discipleship Ministries will look at ways to help children feel more secure and hopeful in a world that can sometimes feel scary and overwhelming. Learn more and register.
RETREAT and CAMPING CONNECTION
Early Bird discount savings!
Haven’t registered for summer camp yet? Those who register for children and youth camps before May 5th will automatically receive a $25 discount off the posted price!
COMMENTARY
By Jeremy Smith
… I’ll say “I’m an executive in a non-profit and I work in the department of quality assurance.” Though I “come clean” about what I mean, the latter sometimes transforms the conversation in ways the former does not …
