November 18, 2020
Worship Resources from DS Wendy
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As I continue to marvel at the ministry and worship that is happening throughout the Cascadia District, I know that it involves significant time for our clergy. More hours are needed in this virtual world of worship and it takes a toll on the clergy.
To relieve some of the stress and pressure, I will be making available three sermons for the end of December and into January. Use one, two or all three of them!
They will be available as videos which hopefully you can use in your various modes of online worship. I will have them on my YouTube channel and look at another option such as DropBox if needed. Links will be sent out by December 15 for all three sermons.
Here is the main scripture and theme for each Sunday. I expect each sermon to be around 12 minutes in length.
- December 27, 2020: Text John 1:1-5 and focus on the hymn “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” Theme: "God's Love Enfleshed"
- January 3, 2021: Texts: Isaiah 60:1-6 & Matthew 2:1-12 – Epiphany Sunday Theme: "Guided by the Light"
- January 10, 2021: Texts: Acts 19:1-7 & Mark 4:4-11 – Baptism of the Lord Theme: “Baptized in the Spirit”
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Grace and peace,
Wendy Woodworth
Cascadia District Superintendent
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Requests for Input from Clergy and SPRCs
As the Cabinet turns their attention to formulating appointments for the 2021 Appointment Year, a request goes out to pastors and SPRC chairs for their advice for next year's pastor appointments.
The Appointment Advisory Form has been sent out to pastors and SPRC chairs where pastors have been in the appointment for more than three years. The assumption is that where pastors have been appointed for three years or less, the appointment will not change unless other factors come into play.
The Appointment Advisory Form is due to the district office by December 15th.
If you are a pastor or SPRC chair who needs to complete an Appointment Advisory Form and you have not received the form and instructions, please contact the district office, linda@umoi.org, so that we can get that to you! Thank you!
Advent Worship Resource:
Liberating Advent -
A Journey of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.
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Grounded in the concept of liberation theology and led by voices of color leading some of our new churches, congregations in the Greater Northwest Area Episcopal Area are invited to celebrate advent in a unique way.*
"Liberating Advent: A journey of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love" will be a resource for local churches to include in their worship services with videos and text of scripture readings, artwork, original music and deep theological reflections. The resources – electronic and in print – will be available for churches to access by Nov. 15. Watch the trailer by clicking here.
There has been a delay in getting these out due to technical problems -- the 1st Sunday's materials will be available with a link in tomorrow's (December 19) Greater NW e-mail newsletter and the others will follow as quickly as possible.
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*This video was created following strict safety and sanitation protocols from the Greater Northwest Area of the UMC’s “Reimagining Life Together” guidelines for ministry settings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clergy Sexual Ethics Policy Annual Tasks
Under the Conference Clergy Sexual Ethics Policy, clergy and lay people in a pastoral role have an annual responsibility to take a test on the policy and to complete an Annual Disclosure Form.
Those tasks are now ready for completion and are due by December 18th.
More information and links to complete these tasks are at either www.umoi.org/ethics or through the clergy Person Portal. (If you need more information about the Person Portal, contact Linda in the district office, linda@umoi.org.)
How Are We Helping?
In So Many Ways!
Continue to support your local church financially.
Our buildings are closed, but the church is open and still doing ministry! Your tithes and donations are critical to continuing that work
When a disaster strikes, survivors often lose so much - the roof over their heads and other property, livelihoods, even loved ones. Recent wildfires show how devastating these disasters can be. Often overlooked is the despair that strikes as some also lose hope.
The mission of our Oregon-Idaho Conference Disaster Response team is to provide a caring Christian presence in the aftermath of a disaster.
Our goal for this Advance Fund is to have in place the resources to respond to disasters when they happen. Join us in our response to the real needs of our neighbors as they recover from tragedy and find hope again.
The money in this fund will be distributed through local churches to the need they see across our episcopal area (Oregon, Idaho, Washington and Alaska), like the Grocery Gift Card Grants
This fund will assist vulnerable communities in the United States and around the world It is Advance #3022612. You can give through your local church by putting the advance number in the memo line of your check or give online.
Through the Sheltering in Love campaign and unit programming, we can all celebrate the far-reaching impact of 230 grants totaling $2,329,785 and commit to continued care and compassion in the fight against COVID-19.
Watch the impact video below and review the full list of mission partners
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