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November 1, 2012
Dear Reader,
Oh that blessed extra hour of sleep that comes with the end of Daylight Saving Time! At least for a day or two it will be easier to get up in morning, but oh so dark in the evening! Remember, if you miss it and show up an hour early for church, you might be added to the choir.
Those suffering the impact of Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy need more than an hour of sleep. United Methodist Committee on Relief started actions to support those impacted even before the storm arrived on the East coast of the United States. UMCOR is also responding to Hurricane relief in the Caribbean. Read more below about how your church has responded and how you can support the UMCOR response. When you donate online, the funds get there faster, and you still have the opportunity to give credit to your local United Methodist Church.
Greg Nelson – Director of Communications
This Week in The Annual Conference
Saturday, November 3
CLD Training - Grants Pass
Crater Lake Basic Lay Speaking Class
Sunday, November 4
All Saints Sunday
Daylight Saving Time ends
Monday, November 5
Cascadia District High Desert Colloquy
Tuesday, November 6
Cascadia District North Valley Colloquy
Crater Lake Coastal Colloquy
Wednesday, November 7
Cascadia District Capital Colloquy
Crater Lake Lane Colloquy
Crater Lake Mid-Valley Colloquy
Tumbleweed area Colloquy (Columbia District)
Thursday, November 8
Cascadia District Coast Colloquy
Crater Lake Rogue/Klamath Falls Colloquy
Crater Lake Umpqua Colloquy
Saturday, November 10
CLD Training - Portland
CLD Training - Florence
CLD Training - Salem
CLD Training - Burley
Southern District Church Extension Society
Details on these, and other conference events, can be found on the conference website.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE NEWS
Check Website for New Blog Messages!
In the Web Blog section of the conference website, umoi.org, you can read more in Cesie Delve Scheuermann’s series on Inspiring Generosity. This week she explores the price of drums in church (not really, but now you have to read it).
Bishop Grant Hagiya also shares some of his reflections on a recent trip to Asia on behalf of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, where he visited with military chaplains.
AROUND THE CONFERENCE
Gresham Church Hosts Jazz for SnowCap Food Pantry
The popular Portland Jazz Connection will perform a special jazz musical concert to help SnowCap Community Charities replenish its food pantry as the high demand holiday season nears. The benefit, "Late Harvest," is scheduled Sunday, November 4 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Gresham United Methodist Church, 620 NW 8th Street in Gresham.
Admission is free, but attendees are encouraged to donate nonperishable food items. Judy Alley, SnowCap executive director, says a two-pound donation is recommended, but adds, "We will always accept additional food donations as we are hard-pressed to keep up with the current need we are seeing at our food pantry. The demand is sure to grow as we near the holidays." Alley indicates SnowCap also is in urgent need of baby formula and baby food.
The jazz concert benefit is a part of Gresham's "Community Caring 4 Community (CC4C)" project and the community outreach ministry of the Gresham United Community Church.
The Portland Jazz Connection is an active ensemble performing at many concerts throughout the Portland area. Additional information is available by contacting SnowCap at 503-674-8785 ext. 17 or judy@snowcap.org, or Pastor Jim Fellers at Gresham United Methodist Church at 503-545-7525 or rovinmoses@gmail.com.
Make A Joyful Noise for OSU Campus Ministry
Celebrate with the United Campus Ministry @ OSU at Make A Joyful Noise on Sunday, November 11 at 3:00 p.m. in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church, Corvallis. The event supports the ministry with the students of Oregon State University. Join in as several choirs from mid-valley congregations share their musical gifts - both as individual choirs and gloriously as a massed choir - on behalf of this shared ministry. Admission is free, an offering will be taken and cookies and fellowship will be shared following the concert.
Interfaith Advocacy Day Planned
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon has announced that Thursday, February 28th will be their annual Interfaith Advocacy Day at the Oregon State Capitol. Mark your calendar to participate in this day of sharing faith values with elected leaders in Salem. Get more details on the EMO website or contact Kevin Finney, EMO Public Policy Director at kfinney@emoregon.org or 503-221-1054 x204.
www.emoregon.org
AROUND THE GLOBE
Get the Latest News on UMC Response to Superstorm Sandy
 The Rev. Joseph Ewoodzie, disaster response coordinator for the New York Annual (regional) Conference, is looking for volunteers within the New York area to help with cleanup and the distribution of cleaning buckets after Hurricane Sandy.
“For the next 20 to 36 hours, we are mobilizing volunteers and positioning ourselves both with human resources and flood buckets to begin serious relief work, if not this weekend, early next week,” he told United Methodist News Service Thursday morning.
Get the latest information on the response effort at www.umconnections.org
‘Nobody Has Scratched the Surface’
HOBOKEN, N.J.— Churches in parts of New Jersey hit hard by Hurricane Sandy have become an oasis for some cut off from civilization. “No one has scratched the surface of what’s going on in New Jersey,” said the Rev. Chris Heckert. Read the rest of this United Methodist News Service story.
Sending Aid for Sandy Relief
NEW YORK (UMNS) — The United Methodist Committee on Relief, the denomination’s disaster-recovery agency, has designated UMCOR Advance #3021787 for 2012 hurricane relief in the United States. You may also have seen the Advance number 901670, which is UMCOR’s general number for U.S. disaster response. U.S. disaster response funds will be channeled toward hurricane 2012 relief as needed, said Jay Rollins of UMCOR. Donate online at UMCOR.org or by phone at (800) 554-8583.
Biblical Obedience Network Calls for Prayer Vigils
The Biblical Obedience Network of the Western Jurisdiction is calling for individuals and congregations to pray Nov 4 -9 during the meeting of the United Methodist Council of Bishops. The bishops will be asked to address recent actions at the General and Jurisdictional Conferences that urge clergy and churches to perform same sex weddings and full acceptance. The Western Jurisdictional Conference challenged “bishops, clergy, local churches and ministry settings, to operate as if [the discriminatory language in the churches book of polity] does not exist, creating a church where all people are truly welcome.”
“Our call is to be biblically obedient as we stand against discrimination and to change unjust church laws that harm GLBTQ people,” says Retired Bishop Melvin G. Talbert. “The time to act is now. We must work peacefully but intentionally to reform our denomination.“
Across the western US “Biblical Obedience” networks are working for change in church law and in the public image of the church. The call to prayer is the first coordinated witness coming from the Western Jurisdiction. Churches are welcome to hold vigils and prayer events at their own initiative. Individuals and churches that participate in the prayer vigil can get more information at BiblicalObedience.org and are invited to share their experience at www.facebook.com/IStandWithBishopTalbert or via email to Rev. Janet Gollery McKeithen at JanetMcKeithen@yahoo.com.
Judicial Council Upholds Security of Appointment
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. (UMNS) — The United Methodist Church’s top court has struck down legislation approved by General Conference, the denomination’s top lawmaking assembly, that would have weakened job security for clergy. Read the rest of this United Methodist News Service story.
Fall 2012 Judicial Council Roundup
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. (UMNS) — A United Methodist bishop can be placed in involuntary retirement. That was among the rulings by the denomination’s top court at its Oct. 24-27 session. The Judicial Council also reviewed various bishop rulings on sexuality matters. Read the rest of this United Methodist News Service story.
Religion and Race Charts New Future
WASHINGTON (UMNS) — The new, streamlined board of the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race is embracing a new model for its future that goes beyond monitoring the denomination’s handling of racial matters. The board empowered its leaders to initiate conversations with the United Methodist Commission on Status and Role of Women to align the agencies’ work in preparation for the 2016 General Conference. A merger of the agencies would require approval by General Conference. Read the rest of this United Methodist News Service story.
RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES
Rethink Christmas UMCOR Alternative Gift Catalog
This Christmas give the gift of life and hope. Use the Rethink Christmas UMCOR Alternative Gift Catalog to guide your giving through UMCOR. You can help build a hospital, provide appliances to a family who lost theirs in a storm, help farmers learn new agricultural techniques, and more.
FREE Interpreter Magazine Subscriptions
The United Methodist Church is working in an abundance of ways to deliver God's word to a troubled world. Get the latest news about evangelical and social justice efforts across the connection with your free subscription to Interpreter magazine, the denomination's top-rated publication. Each issue is full of ideas and resources to help enhance your congregation's Wesleyan efforts to change the world, alleviate suffering, and help others find and commit to Christ. Make sure the leaders in your church receive this vital resource in 2013. Enrollment deadline is November 15, 2012.
Each church is eligible for a free senior pastor personal subscription, Unlimited free digital subscriptions, and free print subscriptions for church leaders. Complete the online form at umcom.org/subscriptions. You will need the customer number and password, which was sent to each church. Print, complete and return the form via:
- Fax - 615-742-5499
- Email - enrollment@umcom.org
- Mail - P.O. Box 440229, Nashville, TN 37244-0229
Please make sure any additional correspondence includes your church's customer number and password.
Additional print subscriptions are available for purchase at $8 each when you order them through this enrollment process. We look forward to hearing from you today! Questions? Contact our customer service team at csc@umcom.org or toll-free at 888-346-3862.
RETREAT and CAMPING CONNECTION
Time to Grow Excitement!
The momentum continues for Time to Grow capital campaign projects at camps! This is also the time when your contributions and pledges of future gifts will make a major impact to match grants in process. A few updates:
- Camp Magruder has been awarded $100,000 by the Meyer Memorial Trust for renovations and improvements at Sherlock Lodge – our largest assembly building that so many groups depend upon. Work begins mid-November.
- The Murdock Foundation is considering right now a grant for Wallowa Lake Camp that would help us construct a Volunteer Community Center – a new facility to house and nurture the volunteers that make everything possible at Wallowa Lake.
- Wildhorse Foundation has just awarded us $10,000 for that same project.
- We are submitting an application to the Ford Family Foundation in support of needed convening spaces for rural communities – a multi-purpose meeting space for up to 75 people also at Wallowa Lake.
All of these require the Oregon-Idaho Conference to show matching support! If you’ve been thinking of making a gift – now would be a great time! You can donate now and help Time to Grow make a difference.
COMMENTARY
Our New Council of Bishops: Transparent Leadership?
By Rev. Steve Clunn
…My problem isn’t with the Bishops having some alone/fellowship time and helping the New Bishops to be oriented/trained in their role on the Council. In fact, I applaud that effort and wish them the best! My real concern is the pace at which this will allow the entire Council of Bishops to address pressing issues that require leadership…
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