Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020

Dear Reader,

Greetings from Nashville! As you’re reading this, I’m gathering with other communicators and leaders from across the denomination in preparation for General Conference 2020.

We’re learning all about what to expect – and the unexpected – that could be General Conference 2020 in May.

Communicators from the Western Jurisdiction, in particular, have been in conversation about how best to keep you informed of different plans and how we’ll keep you informed as deliberations are made in Minneapolis.

For now, though, you should be visiting the Greater NW Area’s website where my colleague Patrick Scriven from the Pacific Northwest Conference has been trying to keep everyone up-to-date on the many plans up for consideration as well as an overview of how the process works! You can also find it on the homepage of our www.umoi.org website.

Please take a look and let me know if you have any feedback.

With grace and gratitude,

Kristen Caldwell
Interim communications director

CONFERENCE NEWS

United Methodists helping with Oregon prisoner release program

In Steve Duin’s Sunday commentary for OregonLive.com, two Portlanders with connections to local churches were mentioned for their efforts in creating “Know me Now” a new program in Oregon to help rehabilitate prisoners within local communities and reduce recidivism.

Mentioned in the column are Sho Dozono, a member of Epworth UMC and Kelly Raths, a former deacon in the Oregon-Idaho Conference who served in prison ministry.

Read more of the column on the OregonLive website.

AROUND THE GREATER NW AREA

Church network shelters homeless in Anchorage

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A network of churches in Anchorage is sheltering families and at-risk individuals from the overnight cold, alleviating some of the strain on the city's larger shelters.

Churches have provided overnight shelter for about ten years in Anchorage. This winter, there are ten churches that can provide beds to as many as 25 individuals in a night.

The churches rotate shelter responsibilities to distribute the burden. St. John United Methodist Church, for example, will be open twice in January. Tina Racy and Karen Shields are members of the church; volunteers who help lead the sheltering effort.

Inspiring Generosity: Even online, thanking is essential

After making some of her year-end donations online, Inspiring Generosity's Cesie Delve Scheuermann looks at the different ways in which the organizations she gave to responded to her generosity in electronic format and how that made her feel.

"Yes, computers are magic machines. Yes, it’s a hassle to get things right. But once that system is in place, you’re good to go for quite a while. It’s the start of a new year. Let’s be sure that your computer is working for you – and not the other way around."

Read more of Cesie's latest blog on the Conference website.

Greater NW Pride: A busy year ahead

In his latest blog post, Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell outlines the many moments ahead in the new year where, as the Oregon-Idaho Conference's LGBTQ+ advocacy coordinator, he will be working to bring people together when it comes to LGBTQ+ inclusion and the future of the church.

Read more of Brett's blog on the Conference website.

Employment opportunities

Director of Family & Program Ministry - Salem, OR
Campus Minister/Director at NOLA Wesley - New Orleans, LA
Coordinating assistant Amity campus - Boise, ID

Find these and other job opportunities at www.umoi.org/classifieds

AROUND THE GLOBE

Lydia Patterson Institute is a dream maker for young students

Ruth Moreno and her family live in one of the few houses with lights on at 4:30 a.m. Two big dogs are pacing around the small fenced front yard, barking anxiously at any movements on the street.

As the front door opens, the light around Ruth’s long, dark hair envelops her like a halo.

Ruth, a high school senior, and her little brother Lino, in 7th grade, are dressed in the navy blue and burgundy uniforms of Lydia Patterson Institute, a United Methodist college-preparatory school in El Paso, Texas. The sleepy kids are getting ready to walk out the door, cross the Rio Grande and travel from their home in Juárez, Mexico, into the U.S.

Read more of this story from United Methodist News Service.

A look back at Bloody Sunday’s 50th anniversary

To commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, UM News revisits its 2015 trip to Selma, Alabama, to cover the 50th anniversary of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches to protest racial segregation and support the rights of African Americans to vote.

Retired bishop Woodie White and his students from Candler School of Theology at Emory University, along with other United Methodists, joined an estimated crowd of 80,000 who packed Selma, Alabama, March 7-8, 2015, for a weekend of events including a speech by President Barack Obama. The trip culminated with a march over the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, where a violent confrontation between police and peaceful marchers occurred March 8, 1965.

The clash helped bring about passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

See images and hear audio from United Methodist News Service.

RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES

‘Increasing Joy, Increasing Generosity in Your Congregation’ webinar planned

Join Inspiring Generosity’s Cesie Delve Scheuermann for a webinar about increasing joy and generosity in local congregations with the national outlet Practical Resources for Congregations.

The webinar will be held Jan. 30, starting at 4 p.m. PST.

Delve Scheuermann says in this one-hour webinar participants will receive practical tips on ways to easily (with a little effort) help your congregation and individuals in your church feel good about their generosity. And who knows? They may be so inspired that they’ll joyfully give more.

Sign up for the webinar here.

Expanding Opportunities for Affordable Housing: A Forum & Resource Fair

Churches and laity are invited to attend a forum being sponsored by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon on Thursday, Jan. 30 to learn about innovative ideas for developing affordable housing on land owned by faith and community-based organizations.

This event, sponsored by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) and Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS), will present the results of three case studies funded by a grant from Metro.

The grant provided consulting services for design and financing work, provided by Bill Hart of Carleton Hart Architects and Sharon Nielson of the Nielson Group. Three organizations received their services:

Muslim Community Center of Portland
Bethel AME Economic Development Corporation (EDC)
Trinity Lutheran Church

At this event, the consultants will present options they developed for these three organizations to potentially build affordable housing and community services on their properties. Representatives of the three organizations will also share their visions. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and to network with lenders, developers and city staff.

The workshop will be held at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church fellowship hall, 5828 NE Eighth Ave., Portland, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 30.

The event is free, but an RSVP is requested through Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon’s website.