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One afternoon, when one of the teachers in the Community Transition Program was closing up the church building at Silverton UMC, she passed Rev. Laura Beville’s office looking quite sad. Engaging her in a conversation, Beville discovered that the teacher was disappointed because the students had not been able to sign up in time for an annual dance for adults with disabilities hosted by the Tim Tebow Foundation. After their conversation, Beville shared the story with a few congregation members, ...

At the convergence of the south fork of Little Butte Creek and Latgawa Creek sits a magical place: Camp Latgawa. Located 34 miles northeast of Medford, Oregon, in the Siskiyou Rogue National Forest, Camp Latgawa is nestled in a year-round canopy of white and black oak, Douglas fir, ponderosa pine and the site director’s favorite tree, the Madrone. Latgawa Creek provides a beautiful waterfall with a waterslide that runs into a natural swimming pond. Further along the trail, campers can hike to ...

Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course April 10 thru 24, 2023 TIME: Mon & Thurs 6 – 8 pm  PDT Apr 10, 13, 17, 20, & 24, 2023   The “Introduction to Lay Servant Ministry: The BASIC Course” is the foundational course for Lay Servant Ministries. This is the gateway course for those who are called to be Certified Lay Servants, Lay Speakers, and Lay Ministers. And can also be part of a person’s discipleship plan to acquaint you with their gifts, calling, and responsibilities as followers of Christ. Each...

Nestled on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains, Suttle Lake Camp is a special place where the vivid green of Western Oregon mingles with the sunny beauty of the east side. For more than one hundred years the camp has been sacred space for many as they have taken time to renew their spirits and nurture their faith under the towering Ponderosa pines and Douglas fir trees.  Grounded in Christian hospitality and learning, the camp provides year-round Christian programs for all ages as well ...

by Laura Beville   This month’s resource round-up is all about clergy taxes! As a clergyperson, it can be daunting to figure out your taxes. As clergy, we live in the balance between needing a W-2 and being self-employed. It can be complicated. Most tax preparers are not fully aware of the unique tax benefits available to clergy. Online tax services rarely can provide the correct algorithms for the nuances of housing allowances, Fair Market rental value of the parsonage, and all the extra state ...

There are changes afoot! If you remember the ethics policy changes from the 2022 Annual Conference, you’ll know that you will have three requirements, which are just a bit different from the past: Disclosure Form This is now a biennial rather than annual form, and will include a statement asking you to affirm that you have read the Sexual Ethics Policy for Clergy and Lay Pastoral Leaders in the previous two weeks. It will be due in May. Background check This will happen biennially, in May. ...

Submitted by Debbie Mallis Each year at the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference Session, in among the budgets, appointments, reports, and celebrations are conference legislation items. Many of these actions and standing resolutions are intended to live out the values of The United Methodist Church as it exists in the Oregon-Idaho context. This article is one in a series to highlight legislative items related to social justice and values.   Last year, members of our Annual Conference voted to pass ...

Conference Secretaries for United Methodist Global Ministries from the Western Jurisdiction gathered together February 28-March 1, in Mill Valley, California, along with the California-Nevada Conference and Global Ministries staff members. The Conference Secretaries for Global Ministries (CSGM) are lay and clergy who promote relationships between annual conferences and Global Ministries. The CSGM has the important role of educating, connecting and partnering with local churches to share ...

In 2022, the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference passed a resolution "Identifying and Opposing Apartheid in the Holy Land."  On March 15, 2023, at 9 am Pacific Time, Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) and United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR) will put on a webinar on "Apartheid Free Communities"   The international human rights community agrees that Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian people amounts to apartheid. In the first two months of 2023, we have seen the current Israeli ...

Lay Servant Ministries Advanced Course The Method of Our Mission (UM Polity) May 9 – May 25, 2023   TIME: Thurs & Tues. 6 – 8 pm PDT May 9, 11, 16, 18, & 25   LOCATION:  On Line Zoom Course INSTRUCTOR:  Emilie Kroen,  Director of Lay Servant Ministries Oregon - Idaho Conference  COST:  The cost of the book REGISTER: By May 2, 2023  Email: ekroen@yahoo.com and provide your Name, Mailing address, Phone number, and your local church setting.   Required Book: The Method of Our Mission: United ...