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(Having trouble reading this email? Click here for the web version)
August 2, 2012
Dear Reader,
It must be Vacation Bible School season. There are almost no items on the conference calendar. But if you are going through meeting withdrawal, just wait a few weeks. I’m sure they will be back!
Correction: Last week I wrote that Bishop Grant Hagiya was assigned to the Oregon-Idaho Conference for the 2008-2012 quadrennium. Of course that should have read “2012-2016”. I regret the error.
Happy summer – remember, don’t leave your windows open in the church parking lot or you might find zucchini on the car seat.
Greg Nelson – Director of Communications
This Week in The Annual Conference
Wednesday, August 8
Columbia District Learning Resource Team
Details on this, and other conference events, can be found on the conference website.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE NEWS
Bishop Hagiya to Visit Conference
Bishop Grant Hagiya, who will begin presiding over the Oregon-Idaho Conference September 1, will be visiting individuals and groups in a whirl-wind tour of the conference August 27 – Sept 4. Watch for more details on when he may be whizzing through your town, or where you can join a regional gathering to welcome the bishop.
 You can also read some of Bishop Hagiya’s thoughts about the Greater Northwest Episcopal Area in his recent blog post titled “Greater Northwest Area – Expanding our Ministries.”
How do you say that? While you will often hear Bishop Hagiya say, “Please, just call me Grant”; it is good to know how to pronounce his name! The correct pronunciation is Ha – GEE – ya, with a long “e”.
Conference Committee on Episcopacy Holds Organizing Session
The Oregon-Idaho Conference Committee on Episcopacy held an organizing meeting earlier today, August 2, to select officers and make plans to support Bishop Grant Hagiya as he begins his four-year term as Bishop of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference. Rev. Donna Pritchard will serve as the Chair of the committee, Mary Foote, Conference Lay Leader will serve as Vice-Chair, and Rev. Laura Jaquith Bartlett will be the recorder for the committee.
Other members are Jan Nelson, Rev. Mike Gregor, Cheryl Bittle, Rev. Karen Hernandez, Jack Lorts, Vincent Myers, Cesie Delve Scheuermann, and Elizabeth Swenson. Bartlett and Nelson also serve on the Western Jurisdiction Committee on Episcopacy which will provide supervision for the entire Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops and will make recommendations for the assignment of bishops to episcopal areas in 2016.
The Conference Committee on Episcopacy serves a role similar to a local church’s Pastor Parrish Relations Committee. They provide support for the bishop and serve as bi-directional liaisons for information, questions and concerns between the Annual Conference and Bishop and episcopal office staff.
AROUND THE CONFERENCE
Wesley Foundations puts “Open Doors” Into Reality
The Wesley Foundation Board at Southern Oregon University is initiating a new and exciting project for United Methodist students attending SOU this year. They are offering the house they own, The Windsor House, for six students to live in Christian community.
One graduate student, Ria Moli, will be the resident “House Chaplain” and will oversee details of the community. Students will covenant to Study (bringing in speakers, discussions on spirituality, books), Service (to the surrounding community needs), and Worship.
The house, which is within walking distance to the campus, has 4 bedrooms, living and dining rooms, kitchen, 2 bathrooms, washer and dryer, and huge front and back yards. Included in the rent are all utilities, internet connection, yard maintenance, and the washer and dryer use in the furnished house.
There are two double rooms, and one single room. The single room will rent for $400 per month. The double rooms (with two beds each), will cost $350 to each. There are no pets and no alcohol. Students may begin moving in the end of August.
For more information, and to apply for residence, please contact Ria Moli at 541-324-2846.
Wild Goose Festival Coming to Oregon
 The Wild Goose Festival, an exploration of the intersection between justice, spirituality and creativity is coming to the Pacific Northwest!
The name “Wild Goose” comes from a Celtic metaphor for the Holy Spirit. As followers of Jesus, the festival is rooted in the Christian tradition and intentionally welcomes all people to come talk, listen, eat and camp as equals. You can read the festival’s affirmations at www.wildgoosefestival.org.
According to the website, “The point of Wild Goose is to create space for people who are aware of the shadow side of religion, but still hope for its best visions to be realized; people who discern that in a God-breathed universe, there can be no sacred-secular divide; a growing community of those who want to follow the teachings of Jesus, and seek light wherever it reveals itself; people who want to resist injustice, transcend divisive politics, heal our respective marginalization, and become more than the sum of our parts.”
After two sessions on the east coast, the first western event will be August 31 – September 2 at the Benton County Fairgrounds near Corvallis, Oregon. Several Oregon-Idaho United Methodists are working to provide a meet-up space for relaxation, debriefing speaker presentations, resource information and discussion of United Methodist and Wesleyan values at the festival. This is a space both for current church goers and those wanting to explore and learn about The United Methodist Church.
For more information or registration go to wildgoosewest.eventbrite.com or this article on Patheos.com. For information about United Methodist participation, contact Rev. Jeremy Smith (FUMC Portland, Associate) at JSmith@fumcpdx.org.
Need an Organ?
Rob Closs, a member at Westside UMC in Portland has a Baldwin organ available for donation to a church. He reports that it is in good working order. For more information contact Rob at rbcloss@me.com or (503)860-3825.
Children’s Ministry Position Available
All Saints Episcopal Church in Portland is seeking a Children’s Ministry Coordinator. See details on the conference website.
www.umoi.org/classifieds
AROUND THE GLOBE
Western Jurisdiction Challenges Gay Stance
 SAN DIEGO (UMNS) — The Western Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church has launched a grassroots movement to challenge bishops, clergy, congregations and ministries in that jurisdiction to operate as if the statement printed in the denomination’s law book—Paragraph 161F—“does not exist.” Read the rest of this United Methodist News Service story.
New Social Principle Under The Natural World
The United Methodist General Conference, the denomination’s highest policy-setting body, has added a paragraph, “Food Justice,” to the Social Principles. “Food Justice” will appear under ¶160. The Natural World, following ¶G. “Food Safety.”
According to “Food Justice,” The United Methodist Church supports policies that “increase access to quality food, particularly for those with the fewest resources.” Read more about this on the General Board of Church and Society Website and download a bulletin insert to share with your congregation.
Other social principles are also available as bulletin inserts.
Ministry Feels the Pain of Northern Cheyenne
On the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, JuDee Anderson quietly listened as Otto Braided Hair spoke on behalf of the descendants of the Sand Creek massacre.
Anderson is chair of the six-person Native American Ministry at the Sheridan United Methodist Church in Wyoming, about 100 miles from the reservation. Read the rest of this United Methodist News Service story.
Mission Interns to Be Commissioned
ARLINGTON, Va. (UMNS) — Three dozen young adults will be commissioned as mission interns on Friday, Aug. 3. The service will be streamed live beginning at 7 p.m., EDT. The class of 2012 represents nine countries, and two students are using Skype to participate. They will serve half of their three-year commitments in their home country and the other half in another country. Learn more on the General Board of Global Ministries website.
RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES
Back-to-School Resources
The start of the new school year isn’t exactly a holy day, but United Methodist churches can still find ways to incorporate this annual rite of passage. How about putting it into your Sunday sermon? Or, you could bless students and their backpacks. Speaking of backpacks, it’s not too late to offer needy young people some free school supplies. See more on umc.org.
RETREAT and CAMPING CONNECTION
Introduce Your Kids to Something new!
 It’s time for adults, it’s time for families, it’s time for everybody to kick back and enjoy the laid-back pace of August before the hectic pace of September starts up again. These events are made just for adults, or adults and their kids, for the Ahhhh days of August:
Making sure kids get enough Vitamin N (Nature!):
 Click here to watch an excellent short video featuring Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Wood: Saving Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. He is a strong proponent of getting kids connected to the natural world. He maintains that the sense of wonder that nature opens to children is the source of all spiritual growth. His ideas would be of interest to parents and grandparents, teachers and all who care for children these days. (Lisa Jean Hoefner, Executive Director, Camp and Retreat Ministries)
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