October 25, 2012

Dear Reader,

The here and now is always here and now.

Earlier today our main file server crashed. Internet, email, and access to shared files all suddenly stopped. I was in the middle of a video teleconference at the time.

As I ran downstairs to see what could be done about it, I thought about the way things are now and what we expect to happen immediately. And I compared it to circuit riders that rode on horseback and saw their churches every few weeks or pastors who saw their bishop every year or two.

In the age of circuit riders, one thing was expected, and in our age of technology we expect instant communication, email that always goes through (it doesn’t), and websites that have the information we need (they don’t). We rely on technology to help us bridge the distance and spread the word.

At this point I should have some thoughtful conclusion that hits home about this contrast of information speed and using the technology of the moment. But I don’t. I guess, then was then, and now is now. What do you think?

Greg Nelson – Director of Communications

p.s. After 10 reboots the server came back online. A new server is already ordered and will be installed next week, along with a faster Internet connection for the conference office.

This Week in The Annual Conference

Thursday, October 25
Columbia District Board of Church Location & Bldg
Emergent Issues in Church Leadership: Gresham First UMC

Friday, October 26
UMW District Officers Training Event, Caldwell ID

Saturday, October 27
CLD Training--Hermiston
OR-ID UMW Conference Annual Meeting, Caldwell ID
UMW Executive Meeting Caldwell, ID
Crater Lake District Lay Speaking Advanced Class

Sunday, October 28
UMW Executive Team Meeting
Cascadia District Church Extension Society Annual Meeting

Tuesday, October 30
Pre-Retirement Seminar

Wednesday, October 31
Pre-Retirement Seminar

Saturday, November 3
CLD Training - Grants Pass
Crater Lake District Basic Lay Speaking Class

Details on these, and other conference events, can be found on the conference website.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE NEWS

Socks Make a Difference For Homeless and Needy
9333 pairs of socks are in mission around the Willamette Valley. That’s how many pairs of socks were collected by United Methodist Women during the 2012 Annual Conference session when it met in June at Salem, Oregon. Now 36 different churches and other assistance organizations are distributing those socks to homeless and needy children and adults.

Shirley and Don Knepp organized the distribution. Shirley shared, “It was an eye opener to see the needs in the communities. Socks are so needed by the homeless-especially now as the weather is getting colder. I saw God working through the United Methodist churches of the Oregon-Idaho Conference as we distributed the socks. The concern and advocacy of churches is being spread out into communities as the gift of socks are distributed to the needy.”

AROUND THE CONFERENCE

2012 Collins Lecture Offers Options in Program and Location
The centerpiece of the 2012 Collins Lecture will be the program by Dr. Gray Dorrien on November 1 at 7:00 p.m. titled, "God's Economy: Faithful Response to the Economic Crisis." Dorrien is the Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary and professor of Religion at Columbia University. He is also an Episcopal priest and the author of 14 books and approximately 250 articles that range across the fields of ethics, social theory, theology, philosophy, politics and history.

Preceding the lecture that afternoon will be a half-day “Economics 101” workshop. The workshop will begin at 2:30 p.m. with a presentation by Martin Hart-Landsberg, professor of Economics/coordinator of Political Economy at Lewis & Clark College, followed by a panel discussion with Tom Kelly, president of Neil Kelly Co.; Gina Ronning, Portland State University graduate student, Occupy Movement activist; Aurolyn Stwyer-Pinkham, member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; and Kay Toran, president/CEO of Volunteers of America Oregon.

On Friday, November 2 Dorrien will speak at the City Club meeting at First United Methodist Church in Eugene and Willamette University in Salem. For further details, visit www.emoregon.org.

Register online at the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon website or download a flyer with more details that you can share with others or a brochure for more information!

Missing Your Favorite Water Bottle?
Did you lose something at Annual Conference (2011 or 2012)? It may still be around! The Cascadia District office is in possession of items which ended up in the “lost and found” box. These items range from water bottles to notebooks to pieces of clothing, and various assorted items in between! If you remember losing something, contact Linda in the Cascadia District Office (Cascadia@umoi.org, 503-581-3969) to see if she has it. All items not claimed by November 30th will be donated to Goodwill.

October 29 LARC Evening Offers Free Program at Collins
The October edition of Liturgical Arts Renewal@Collins (LARC) includes an optional overnight session on Monday October 29. One component of that session is a free evening program entitled "Salt and Light: Paint God a Brand-New Banner!" The LARC leaders, Todd and Jennifer Pick, will teach participants how to use silk scarves as an easy way to add color to any sanctuary. As the group engages in some worshipful work, they will call forth the colors of promise to create mantles of praise using silk, pigment and salt. Persons who participated in the General Conference prayer mantle retreats last spring will recognize this easy and joy-filled creative process.

The program begins at 7:15 p.m. in the Mary McConnell Room at the Collins Retreat Center (note: this is a change in location from typical LARC programs). The evening session is free and requires no registration, although the Collins staff would appreciate a quick email (alcollinsprogramdirector@gmail.com) or phone call (503-637-6411) so they make sure to have enough supplies.

AROUND THE GLOBE

It’s Week 4 of 10-Fold.org
United Methodist missionaries come from many places and backgrounds and serve in dramatically different locales and cultures. Learn more about their work at www.10-Fold.org. Plus, trigger a US $1 donation to missionaries, made by the weekly sponsors. Learn More.

Top Court Has Full Docket This Week
ELK GROVE, Ill. — Denominational discussions on job security for clergy and job evaluations for bishops are among the topics addressed in 18 docket items before the United Methodist Judicial Council at its Oct. 24-27 meeting. Read the rest of this United Methodist News Service story.

Shaping United Methodist Women's Future
DURHAM, N.C. (UMNS) — Nearly 200 teens and young women gathered at Duke University to learn, pray, plan and dance United Methodist Women into its new day. Interpreter Magazine has the story of how the women’s mission agency is moving into the future separate from the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

United Methodists Salute McGovern’s Legacy
MITCHELL, S.D. (UMNS) — United Methodists remembered Senator George McGovern, who died Oct. 21 at 90, as a faithful Christian who used his years of public service to focus on issues of social justice. The Rev. John McCullough, executive director of Church World Service, called his death “a sad moment for our nation.” Read the rest of this United Methodist News Service story.

RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES

Community Garden Workshop for Congregations and Communities
Come learn what it takes to create, expand or renew a community garden that will build connections with your community, reduce hunger and steward creation. Speakers include Leslie Pohl-Kosbau of Shared Gardens and former director of Portland Community Gardens; representatives of community gardens; and representatives of agencies that provide assistance. Learn about the successes and challenges of community gardens, partnering with other organizations and ensuring sustainability over the long-run. The workshop is free but donations are welcome to support the work (suggested $5 to $15). To register, call (503) 221-1054 or send an e-mail to ckelly@emoregon.org. Details are available at www.emoregon.org. The workshop will be Monday, Nov. 5, 2012, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Neighborhoods United Community Center, 19255 E. Burnside, Portland.

United Methodist Student Day is November 25
United Methodist Student Day is just weeks away. Be sure to order your free offering resources for this Nov. 25 offering. This Special Sunday sets aside time to honor our students, and the offering provides scholarships and loans for those attending United Methodist-related and other accredited colleges and universities.

The funds raised through United Methodist Student Day provide financial support to help students to stay in school and focused on their studies.

Alternative Christmas Cards Benefit Hungry
BIG ISLAND, Va. (UMNS) — The Society of St. Andrew, a U.S. hunger-relief group and United Methodist partner, is offering Christmas cards with a picture of the Nativity by Jerry Malzahn. Each $12 gift donation to the Society of St. Andrew provides about 600 servings of fresh food to hungry families in the United States. Lean more on the Society website.

Pacific School of Religion Announces 111th Earl Lectures
Explore these questions and others at the 111th Earl Lectures and Leadership Conference, held January 29-31, 2013: “We Are Family: Real Families, Real Faith, in the Real World.” This conference will bring together scholars and faith community leaders to explore what family means in a modern historical context within U.S. society. Learn more on the PSR website.

Walk in The Footsteps of The Wesley Brothers
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — All United Methodist lay and clergy leaders are invited to participate in a 10-day Wesley Pilgrimage April 15-24, 2013, in England, where they can walk in the footsteps of John and Charles Wesley. The United Methodist Board of Discipleship is sponsoring the trip. The registration fee of $1,795 includes 10 nights’ lodging, most meals, ground transportation to pilgrimage sites and all admission fees. This event qualifies for three continuing education units. Registration deadline for the 2013 Wesley Pilgrimage is March 15.

RETREAT and CAMPING CONNECTION

2013 Camp Program Curriculum
Each year the many camp sessions offered by our Camp and Retreat Ministries share a common curriculum that provides a focus on learning in the Christian camping environment. Each age level, children through adult, uses age appropriate material from the resources as they live in community and they grow in their relationship with God and creation.

“Stories make us laugh or cry. They make us more aware. They illuminate any shadowy spots in our lives. Jesus used stories to teach his disciples—and us—about what it means to live in his kingdom. The stories are called parables. In Secrets of the Kingdom, campers look to the Master Storyteller, Jesus himself, to discover six different parables and their meanings for our lives today.”

Image and description: Copyright ©2011 Chalice Press.

“We’ve recently updated the website with information on our 2013 curriculum, “Secrets of the Kingdom: the parables of Jesus” including the “Week at a Glance.” Check it out today.

COMMENTARY

Militarism and the United Methodist Church
By Jim Winkler

“We believe war is incompatible with the teachings and example of Christ. We therefore reject war as an instrument of national foreign policy. We oppose unilateral first/preemptive strike actions and strategies on the part of any government.”