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April 22, 2021
Greetings beloved in Christ,
 
This week a jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of the murder of George Floyd.  Garlinda Burton, interim General Secretary of the United Methodist General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR), writes that, "what happened this week in Minneapolis is not a watershed event. The watershed moment will be when this nation’s entire Christian community, particularly its white Christians, use their power to finally dismantle racism, repent of injustice, and join with People of Color and the whole world to co-create a more just society. Only then will the church of Jesus Christ be what God intends: the Light of the World. Read her whole article by clicking here.  She provides many suggested resources for use by individuals or by groups in the church to do this work.  
 
We just recently observed Easter.  We are an Easter people, even as the calendar rolls on.  May we have the courage and the faith to walk with Christ who goes before us into the world.  He is alive and offers new life to us and all we meet!  May we indeed be the Body of Christ, the Light of the World.
 
Please check out the "Upcoming  Events" column to the right for links to take you to more details on events.  And be sure to look at the Resources column on the right as well for worship resources for the Easter Season -- some new sermons have been added to the pulpit supply library!  Appointment announcements affecting the Cascadia District are also in that right-hand column -- as well as the prayer calendar.
 
Below I'll highlight

We are recruiting two district youth members of Annual Conference.  If you know a youth who is a member of a local UMC in Cascadia District, between the ages of 12 and 18, who would both benefit from this experience and benefit the other membership, please contact the District Office at cascadia@umoi.org 

Blessings,

Signature:  Linda

Linda Grund-Clampit
Cascadia District Administrative Assistant


Interfaith Advocacy Day 2021

Oregon State Capital with words "Interfaith Advocacy Day 2021 Tuesday May 25"

 

 

There is strength in knowledge and strength in numbers! Join with others from around Oregon at the first-ever virtual Interfaith Advocacy Day on May 25, 10 am to noon.
 
Virtually attend issue briefings and workshops on advocating for compassionate legislation on issues such as housing, hunger, health care, immigration, gun violence prevention, criminal justice reform and climate justice. Following the briefings, we will make our faith voice heard in virtual meetings with state legislators. Group leaders will provide talking points and make all necessary appointments for you. Together, we can build a just, inclusive and hope-filled future for all Oregonians.

Register:https://emoregon.org/event/iad/
(I'm having trouble with EMO's website today, 4/22.  Hopefully they will get it fixed, but if you also have trouble, try calling them at (503) 221-1054 M-F 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. - lgc)


Scholarship for Health Ministry Careers

Thanks to the generous gift given by the Wirth family and the Northwest United Methodist Foundation, the Health Ministry Team at Bend Church-United Methodist is pleased to announce the offering of one-time $1000 Scholarships for education in health-related fields. The criteria for consideration are as follows:
 

  1. Must be accepted into an accredited health-related academic program*
  2. Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 on most recent grade transcript

 
Applicants who meet criteria are to provide an application completed in full, two references, and a copy of the most recent grade transcript.* The Health Ministry team will then conduct a Zoom interview. Upon award of scholarship, candidates will be expected to participate in regular check-in conversations for one academic year with the Health Ministry Team (one time per semester or quarter) for support. Applications are due by July 15th 2021.
 
Applications can be found at BendUMC.org under the Health Ministry Tab and may be submitted via email or mailed to:
 
Bend Church
? Rev Nicole Berry
680 NW Bond St
Bend, OR 97703
 
For questions contact: Sandy Clausen, Health Ministry Chair (clausen.sandy@gmail.com) or Rev Nicole Berry, Associate Pastor (nicole.berry@gmail.com).
 
*We acknowledge that it may be difficult during COVID-19 restrictions to obtain academic transcripts. As an alternative, applicants may designate one of their references as an academic reference.
*Some examples of health related fields include but are not limited to: Nursing, CNA, Dentistry, Physical Therapy, Mental Health services.
 


Living with the Ups and Downs of
COVID Risk Levels

Are you approved for 25 to gather in person, but now your county is at higher risk again?  You'll need to adjust

 
Reimagining Life Together Graphic

In November 2020 an addendum to the Reimagining Life Together document was issued, which allows for geographic contextualization of the guidelines for gatherings in our local churches during the pandemic.  Across the large area of our episcopal area, there are many differences in risk level for COVID-19. 

Level 2.1 allows gatherings of up to 25 people if the county in which the church is located is in a "slow growth" risk level or "on track to control the virus" risk level according to the parameters at CovidActNow - a nation-wide compiler of data which provides a consistent measuring stick across our whole area. 

In addition to your county being at an acceptable level of risk, you must already have an approved Phase 2 plan and submit a 2.1 proposal to DS Wendy Woodworth at wendy@umoi.org for approval of this stage.

Not many counties in our district qualified for this last November, but with the availability of vaccines this winter, the risk in some of our counties has been going down.  And then, as restrictions have eased, those risk levels have also been going back up.

Several Cascadia District congregations have submitted plans and been approved to operate under Phase 2.1 of the Reimagine Life Together Plan.  But you need to remember that even if you are approved for 2.1 you are only allowed to have up to 25 people gather in person when your county is in the lower risk categories.  If your county moves back into a higher risk level, you must return to having a maximum of 10 people at in-person gatherings.

How do you track this? 

  • Every Monday you should check your county's risk level at CovidActNow.org  Enter your county and state in the search box and you'll be taken to a page specific to your county. 
  • If your county's risk level is green or yellow, you may proceed with gatherings of up to 25 people.  If your county's risk level is orange or yellow you must go back to gatherings of 10 or less by the following Sunday.  

We use the CovidActNow.org ratings rather than the individual state ratings so that the measuring stick is the same across our entire episcopal area, which is made up of four states.  

See the full Phase 2.1 Addendum document by clicking here. It will give you details on tracking your status and describe what can and cannot be done under Phase 2.1.

In addition, a new document was recently released with guidelines for gatherings for more people (outside), for singing (outside) and for multiple events in a day (inside).  You can see that guidance by clicking here.

Greater NW Area Bishop Elaine Stanovsky works with the GNW Covid-19 Response Team to establish and update guidelines for our churches to gather and minister safely during the pandemic.  The team includes people from across the episcopal area of Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Idaho who are knowledgeable not only in the life of the church but also in the areas of public health and data interpretation.  


 Annual Conference Session 2021

Find all the information as it is available at www.umoi.org/ac

  • May 28 - Deadline for all clergy and lay members to register for the online AC Session.  Registration is open now!!  Click here to go to the registration form.  Visitors do not need to register. 
  • June 2 - Cascadia District Gathering.  We are gathering virtually again this year to celebrate our district connections and review the year.  For more information and to register (free!) click here. 
  • June 8 - Clergy Session  - details yet to come
  • June 9 - GNW Area Laity Session.  Get more information at  
    https://www.umoi.org/aclaity
  • June 14 - Oregon-Idaho Lay Leader Election.  Get more information at https://www.umoi.org/aclaity
  • June 20 - GNW Shared AC Opening Session  6:30 – 8 p.m.
  • June 21 - Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference Session  1-3:30 p.m. and 5:30 – 8 p.m.
  • June 23 - GNW Shared AC Closing Session  6:30 – 8 p.m.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

This week in the
Cascadia District

Thursday, April 22

Cascadia District Church Extension Society Exec Committee Meeting

Rev. Aric Clark presents "Defund the Police - Getting to the Roots of Community Safety" 6:30 p.m. via Zoom

Looking Ahead

Friday, April 30

Local Church Fund Balance Reports are due to the District Office

Tuesday, May 4

Suburban Ring Colloquy

Wine Country Colloquy

High Desert Colloquy

Thursday, May 6

Molalla & Pudding Rivers Colloquy

North Coast Colloquy 

Monday, May 10

Cascadia District Retiree Colloquy

Tuesday, May 25

Interfaith Advocacy Day

Friday, May 28

Deadline for lay and clergy members to register for online AC Session

Tuesday, June1

Suburban Ring Colloquy

Wine Country Colloquy

High Desert Colloquy

Wednesday, June 2

Cascadia District Gathering

Thursday, June 3

Molalla & Pudding Rivers Colloquy

North Coast Colloquy

Tuesday, June 8

Clergy Session

Wednesday, June 9

GNW Area Laity Session

Monday, June 14

OR-ID Lay members of AC elect Conference Lay Leader

Sunday, June 20

GNW Area joint AC opening session

Monday, June 21

OR-ID AC Session

Wednesday, June 23

GNW Area joint AC closing session


Prayer Calendar

April 18 - 24

Tillamook UMC
Carol Brown, Lay Pastor
Lay Leader Betty Hickey

April 25 - May 1

Tualatin UMC
Pastor Amy Overton-Harris
Lay Leader Rachel Elliot

May 2 - 8

Warrenton UMC
Pastor Kathy Matthews
Lay Leader Anne Stark
 

See the full prayer calendar


Resources

Online Worship Resources for the Easter Season

A Sermon by DS Wendy Woodworth

DS Wendy has prepared a sermon to be used any Sunday between Easter and Pentecost.  She focuses on John 10:10 – I came that you might have life and have it abundantly and the call to rise up.  She even throws in a little Bruce Springsteen!!  That sermon is available now at https://vimeo.com/528559965


Virtual Pulpit Supply Available - New Additions

The Regional Media Center (RMC) is curating a digital, easily accessible library of sermons to support local churches stretched and stressed by the pandemic.

Recent additions to the sermon library are from IV Team members Rev. Dr. Leroy Barber and Rev. Dr. Jess Bielman.  Their sermons touch on always relevant themes of justice and equality, grounded in our scriptural heritage.

 Preview and download on the RMC website 

Each sermon can be used by any church in the Greater Northwest Area free of charge.

We hope that this small but growing sermon library will help local leaders to take a pause, focus on other essential work, or virtually invite a new voice into their pulpit.

Interested in contributing? Contact Patrick Scriven at pscriven@pnwumc.org for more information.


Appointments

It has been announced that Bishop Elaine Stanovsky intends to appoint . .

Rev. Gigi Siekkinen to Madras UMC effective July 1, 2021.  Rev. Siekkinen is currently serving The Dalles UMC. Rev. Nancy Slabaugh Hart, currently serving Madras UMC, will be retiring.

Rev. Michael Benischek to Meridian UMC, effective July 1, 2021.  Rev. Benischek currently serves Oregon City UMC.  


Contact Us

DS Wendy Woodworth
wendy@umoi.org 

District Administrative Assistant
Linda Grund-Clampit

linda@umoi.org
503-581-3969

Check out the Cascadia District webpage:
www.umoi.org/cascadia

Find us on Facebook

Cascadia District Office of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference
680 State Street, Suite 200, Salem, Oregon, 97301 ~ (503) 581-3969 ~ Cascadia@umoi.org