24 Day of Pentecost Pentecost Offering in Worship 31 Trinity Sunday Ordination and Installation of Church Officers.

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1 Valley Community Presbyterian Church May 2015 Sundays at Valley Graduate Recognition Sunday May 17 Adult Education Class, 9:00 a.m. Early Coffee in Library, 9:30 a.m. Worship, 10:00 a.m. Valley Kids Sunday Funday, 10:20 a.m. Nursery Care, 9:45 to 11:15 a.m. Coffee Fellowship, 11:00 a.m. May 3 Children s Musical Congregational Meeting following Worship Pancake Breakfast for Youth Mission 10 Mother s Day Communion, 10:00 a.m. Prayer Shawl 10th Anniversary Celebration during 10:00 a.m. Worship Session Meeting with New Members, 11:15 a.m. 17 Graduate Recognition Sunday Dining for Women, 12:00 p.m. Sunday 6:08 p.m. Communion, Worship and Dinner in Armitage Hall 24 Day of Pentecost Pentecost Offering in Worship 31 Trinity Sunday Ordination and Installation of Church Officers June 3 Communion The Christian Nurture Committee for Youth is looking forward to a joyous occasion this month as we recognize and celebrate our graduating High School Seniors at the 10:00 a.m. worship service on Sunday, May 17. The graduating seniors will be recognized during worship, and then the celebration will continue with a reception during coffee fellowship upstairs in Davis Hall/Gym. All are encouraged to congratulate our amazing young people as they prepare to graduate from high school. The Secret of My Success Children s Musical May 3 What is the secret to success? Come to worship on Sunday, May 3, and you will certainly find out! The King's Kids will present the musical, The Secret of My Success with humor, great music, and a wonderful message that will bring a smile to your face. Invite your friends, neighbors, and relatives for this special service. Pentecost Offering May 24 The Pentecost Offering will be received on Sunday, May 24. This offering is received to impact the lives of young people. Forty per cent of the offering is retained by Valley for ministries with children at risk. Sixty per cent is sent to the Presbyterian Mission Agency who spends 50% on ministries with youth and young adults and 10% on child advocacy and children at risk. Last year Valley received $738, and 60% was sent to General Assembly, while 40% was retained for local programs. The local BACK project, which supplies food to low income children in our area, received $300 of support from Valley. Please consider giving generously. Pancake Breakfast Sunday, May 3 To benefit youth mission Davis Hall 8:30-10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. - Noon Suggested donation: $5/child, $7/adult, $20/family Awakening Souls, Sharing Joy, Serving God in Christ - TRANSFORMING LIVES

2 Pastor s Column Valley has been through many transitions in recent years; wouldn t you agree? It s not always a simple matter to negotiate these seasons of change in church life. But during these times of transition churches have a golden opportunity to take a step back and reflect to see how they can prepare for effective ministry in the future. Our Valley elders have been meeting frequently to work through staff changes at Valley and deal with transitions in pastoral leadership. Our Session leaders have been diligent and prayerful. The big idea is for our congregation to thoughtfully work through this transitional time from a posture of spiritual health and clarity of vision and mission. We want to thrive through transition in preparation for a greater missional impact in the future. With good leadership, our transition can be a time of opportunity where we can experience renewal of vision, purpose, and spiritual vitality. According to the Interim Ministry Network (imnedu.org) most transitions include seven major phases: (1) Assessment of Church Health (2) Developing a Transitional Plan (3) Preparing for the Pastoral Search Process (4) Conducting the Search and (5) Calling the Pastor. The length of the transition varies from church to church. It is not uncommon for a season of transition to last anywhere from 6-24 months. It may seem that Valley is a church locked in perpetual transition. In reality, Valley is not unique in its struggles; we are a lot like most other churches in this respect. We all look forward to a future with more stability and new growth - new beginnings. But, for now, we are dreaming, planning, and transitioning. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13, Now we see the future imperfectly, like shadows in a mirror. The next era at Valley will hold many surprises and challenges in ministry and mission. Expect exciting things! I am committed to walking alongside to see this journey through. So to quote Paul once again, Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. THE MESSENGER VALLEY COMMUNITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 8060 SW BRENTWOOD ST. PORTLAND, OR FAX mail@valleycommunity.org Valley First Quarter Financial Report We are grateful for your continuing support of Valley s ministries. Income for the first quarter totaled $110,049 or $9,650 less than budgeted. Our contributions are 8% less than last year at this time. Spending is less than anticipated, though, so we have a net deficit of $2,893 so far this year. And, as you often see in this space, we prayerfully request that you remember Valley in your financial planning. ~ Frank Powers, Treasurer PASTOR BEN PAROULEK NEWSLETTER STAFF: SHIRLEY HERCHER AND ANGELA GRAHAM PLEASE SUBMIT ARTICLES VIA BY MAY 15 FOR THE JUNE ISSUE: messenger@valleycommunity.org THE NEWSLETTER STAFF RETAINS PERMISSION TO MODIFY SUBMISSIONS FOR CLARITY, SPACE, CONTENT AND STYLE. Page 2 Valley Messenger May 2015

3 Property Improvement Committee Beginning activities for the replacement of the roof and associated repairs will start the first part of May. These activities include fencing, stockpiling of material, temporary superintendent s office and an outside sanitary facility. H & A Construction is the general contractor for the job. Interstate Roofing is the subcontractor for the roofing part of the job. The total job includes replacement of fascia and barge boards, rain gutters and drains to the street. Roof tear off and replacement will begin in mid-may. About two and a half months will be required to complete the job. An architect and building engineer met with part of the committee on April 16, to review repair and possible upgrades to the south side facade. Removal of the trash collection area to the southeast corner of the property is being considered. The south side facade will be our first priority after the roof replacement. Brick tuck pointing and painting of the remainder of the church is the next priority. A list of maintenance items and possible improvements to the interior of the church is being considered. An overall facilities plan for the entire site is also being discussed. The capital campaign for funds is being delayed until the extent of maintenance/repairs and improvements is determined. The sale of the lot at 4300 SW Laurelwood is progressing. The first buyer s request to modify terms of the sale were rejected, and we are in progress of selling to the first backup buyer. We are still optimistic that the sale will be completed in May. Funds from the sale of the property will cover the cost of the new roof. ~ Don Sowers Gamble Library News The Book Club will meet on Friday, May 22, at 10:00 a.m. in the Fireside Room for a discussion of the book, Out of the Easy, by Ruta Sepetys. Set in New Orleans, the daughter of a prostitute wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves her tangled in the investigation. A rich story full of secrets and lies and how decisions can shape our destiny. All are invited to join in the discussion. Remember to bring your own coffee. Session Highlights Special Meeting, March 31, 2015 Session members reviewed all the feedback received from the congregation on comment cards and letters to session. An elder was assigned to draft a response for each topic. Decided to communicate the responses using a newsletter format similar to the Messenger, and and mail it to the same recipients. Regular meeting, April 14, 2015 The Fellowship Committee held a working meeting and thoroughly cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom. Finance and Property Improvement committees reported that roofing is planned to start in May. After that is completed, the next priority will be work on the south side exterior. Options for the Youth House need to be considered, and the committees plan to schedule a congregational forum to get input in these areas. Discussed and approved additional fundraisers for Youth Mission trip to Nicaragua this summer. Session received three confirmands, Alex, Birgitta and Megan, into church membership. They were welcomed by the congregation on April 26. Church Officer Nominating Committee (CONC) reported that most officer nomination slots have now been filled. Session called a congregational meeting for Sunday, May 3, to elect officers. Ordination and Installation are scheduled for Sunday, May 31. Working Session, April 21, 2015 Held a working session on April 21 to discuss staffing models. Reviewed several papers outlining optimal staffing based on church size. Also held initial discussion about Valley s short term staffing needs. This was pre-work for the May Session Meeting. Long term staffing plan will be addressed at a retreat to be scheduled after the new class of elders is installed. May 2015 Valley Messenger Page 3

4 Valley Scrapbook Children enjoy the newly renovated nursery. See p. 6. Three youth were welcomed into the congregation through Confirmation. Members of Team Valley at the CROP Walk. See p. 5. Left: The front entry is in need of your yard flowers. A flower calendar will be available in the gym during coffee fellowship for you to sign up for a special Sunday. During the week, you can find the calendar for sign-ups in the office lobby. You can donate the flowers in memory or in honor of someone. Just leave a note for Pat Bryant at brypat@gmail.com. Thank you! Thank you for sending your check for $28.00 for the 2015 Per Capita (for wider church expenses) for each Valley member. For more information about what per capita is, and how it helps, go to: oga.pcusa.org/percapita Page 4 Valley Messenger May 2015

5 Help Malawi Women at Lunch May 17 Join Dining for Women at Valley for the May meeting on Sunday, May 17 at 12:00 noon. We just celebrated our third year as a chapter and are excited to continue our learning with this month s featured program, Ripple Africa s Changu Changu Moto Project in Malawi. In Malawi, 95 percent of the population relies on wood or charcoal for cooking, and almost exclusively, those responsible for cooking and obtaining the wood for fuel are women. Cooking on inefficient traditional open fires daily has serious repercussions for women s lives related to health, safety, economic circumstance, and destruction of the natural environment on which millions of Malawian women depend. A fuel-efficient cook stove called the Changu Changu Moto provides a simple and culturally appropriate alternative to traditional cooking methods. A grant from Dining for Women will support the construction of 3,000 Changu Changu Moto stoves in the northern part of Nkhotakota, Malawi, directly benefitting 3,000 women and an estimated 4,500 girls. Come learn more about this interesting and worthy non-profit, enjoy a potluck lunch and delight in the fellowship around the table. We meet in the Fireside Room and this month will be meeting one half hour later, due to the festivities during coffee hour for our graduating high school seniors. If you have any questions, please contact Ruthann Marquis at or visit the DFW website at diningforwomen.org. Church World Services CROP Walk 2015 Two point eight miles, that s how far Team Valley members were asked to walk on April 26, but women and children around the world walk that far or farther every day for water or to sell their crops. We walked to help those families through the outreach of Church World Service (CWS), who provide wells and purification systems, medicines and food to people worldwide. Team Valley s efforts to date have brought in $852. Donations are still being collected through the end of May at hunger.cwsglobal.org to help us reach our goal. Of the monies gathered locally, 25% stays in Portland for The Oregon Food Bank to help our hungry. Thanks for your support, Andrea Murdoch, Mission Committee Dining for Women celebrates its third year at Valley! Support Habitat at Fundraising Event May 8 Willamette West Habitat for Humanity will be holding a free fundraising breakfast or lunch on Friday, May 8 at the Embassy Suites Hotel next to Washington Square. You will hear directly from families how Habitat gives them hope and will improve the lives of their children. You will hear the inspiring words of volunteer Clive Rainey, one of Habitat s very first volunteers. You will learn how to make these hopes and dreams come true for countless families, right here in Washington County. The breakfast is from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and the lunch is from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. with check-in a half hour earlier. Parking is free and the meal is free. RSVP by May 5 at HabitatWest.org or call ext Team Valley, with local Walk Organizer Lisa, at the Church World Services CROP Walk Next Valley Habitat Build Day is August 8; see Chuck Falconer. May 2015 Valley Messenger Page 5

6 Children s Ministry Valley Kids May Events 3-Children s Musical in 10:00 a.m. Worship 10-Sunday Funday: Mother s Day Special! 17-Kids in Worship for Graduate Sunday 24-Kids in Worship for Pentecost Sunday 31-Sunday Funday: Gift-making for this year s teachers! Sign up for Valley Kids Summer Camps It s time to sign your kids up for one of our four Valley Kids camps at valleycommunity.org. Music & Drama Camp: June 22-26, $175 Camp Mission (formerly VBS): July (mornings), $35 each or max of $100 per household Arts Exploration Camp: July (afternoons), $75 Camp Mission: July 26-30, $125 Newly Updated Nursery Kids Night Out June 5 Aloha! Join us Friday, June 5 from 5:30-9:00 p.m. for a Kid s Night Out, Luau style! RSVP to Laurel@valleycommunity.org by Tuesday, June 2 (no exceptions!). We will hula dance, eat a Hawaiian-inspired dinner, watch a movie and play surf games. Join in on the fun! Ages 4-11, $10/ child. A church s nursery is the welcome center of God s house, offering warmth and love to God's youngest ones and their families. We have new toys, a play castle and new books to welcome our visiting and new families of babies and toddlers. Want to be the smiling face they see on Sunday morning? Contact Donna Rueff or Laurel Cluthe if you d like to care for these precious children. A simple background check and short training are all that are required. Join us! Valley Christian Preschool April showers did not keep us inside too often, so we played a lot in our wonderful playground. It s recently received some much-needed TLC and is well loved by our preschoolers. We celebrated Easter in an egg-full of fun and festive ways. We honored the women in our students lives during our annual Someone Special Tea as well, one of our favorite annual events. What a great way to welcome the Easter season! This month, Valley Christian Preschool is seeking donations in support of Project BACK. We aim to fill backpacks with much needed nutritious staples so children in our area can have regular meals. As we pray for and collect food to support the hungry, we remind you that everyone at Valley Community Presbyterian Church can participate, and often! Look for our food donation bin near the preschool classrooms on the west side of our church building. Look for these upcoming events: Teacher Appreciation Week May 4-8 Last day of school and All-School Family Picnic June 5 at Raleigh Park, weather permitting. Please continue to spread the word that we are registering for the school year for two to five year-olds. If you know of anyone who may be interested have them contact Kristina Kurtz at x146 or kristina@valleycommunity.org. Page 6 Valley Messenger May 2015

7 Youth Ministries Valley Youth May Events [Be sure and check our Youth Blog, valleyym.wordpress.com, for all events!] 3-Church Pancake Breakfast and Envelope Fundraisers for Youth Mission + HS Mission Trip Meeting 5-Christian Nurture for Youth Committee Meeting 6-Youth Group, 7:00-8:30 p.m. 13-Youth Group, 7:00-8:30 p.m. 17-Graduate Recognition Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Worship, reception following 20-Youth Group, 7:00-8:30 p.m. 27-Youth Group, 7:00-8:30 p.m. Mark Your Calendar! Our End-of-the-Year Party is June 3, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Details TBA. Check the youth blog for more information. Envelope Fundraiser for Mission Trip At the May 3 Pancake Breakfast for Youth Mission, we are unveiling our final fundraiser envelopes! Our Wall of Envelopes is just that, 60 envelopes with a number attached to each one, $1.00, $2.00, and so on. Our request is that you consider taking an envelope, contributing that dollar amount, and using the photo in your envelope to pray for our mission team as we prepare and go to serve in Nicaragua. All envelopes can be turned into the floral drop box in the office lobby. Our goal is to collect $1,500 by June 17. Will you help us? We thank you greatly for your continued support of this endeavor! Caring for Our Home Sunday, April 26 was a successful day of team-building among the high school mission trip team. We took a short tour of our history, seeing the original places that Valley met in the 1940s, before building our current campus. We had a picnic at St. Andrews, one of Valley s church plants. The middle of the day was spent taking care of our own home by weeding, planting and caring for our campus, in preparation to serve and learn from the people of Nicaragua in June. Lastly, we ended the day with journaling and prayer for our local community and for the community we will meet in Ciudad Dario, Nicaragua. We hope you see the love and care our youth have for our church home! The Valley Youth take time out of their Spring Break to shop for Luke-Dorf families Easter baskets! Night Strike The Valley Youth and their families served at Night Strike on Thursday, April 23. There were 15 of us who gave out food, clothing, manicures, and-most importantly-spent quality time building relationships with each other and with our city s homeless residents. If you have an interest in joining us at our next evening at Night Strike, part of Bridgetown Ministries, please contact Laurel Cluthe. To God be the Glory! Prayers for Youth Mission Being called to God s service and mission involves lots of growing, changing and listening. As the High School Mission Team of 14 embarks on our trip to Ciudad Dario, we ask for your prayers. In addition to our Wall of Envelopes fundraiser on May 3, you will find leaf ornaments with the names of our Nicaraguan mission team members. Please take a leaf and attach it to a doorknob in your home, rearview mirror on your vehicle, or some other prominent space where you will be reminded to pray for our mission team members by name. Our partnership with Seeds of Learning on this trip is another reminder of growth. We thank each and every one of our church community members for supporting us in this season of travel, growth and responding to God s call to service. I thank my God every time I remember you. Philippians 1:3 May 2015 Valley Messenger Page 7

8 Bowling for 30 Valley Notes Opportunities Please wear your prayer shawl to 10:00 a.m. worship on Sunday, May 10 to help Valley s Prayer Shawl Ministry celebrate their 10th Anniversary! Graduation time! Please send names and schools of graduates in your family to messenger@valleycommunity.org or call the church office for the next few issues of The Messenger. Knit for Kids: Would you like to help? Last year 93,442 sweater s, caps, and blankets were given to children living in the poorest areas of the world including the U.S., thanks to the thousands of knitters who donate their time and talents to this important work. We at Valley have been a part of this ministry for many years. The patterns are simple and give much needed warmth to those in need. If anyone is interested in being part of this important mission, please contact Jan Falconer at or talk with her at church. As one father of three said, I am touched beyond words. To receive such nice gifts, it gives me hope that it can get better. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Prayers We pray for those with health concerns: Bob Scearce and Jean Armstrong We pray for those who mourn: - Tim Kurtz and family of Tim s dad, Luther Kurtz, who died March 24, Family of Tim and Joanne Brown on the death of their son, Luke Brown. Thirty kids and parents joined us for the first ever Valley Kids Family Night on April 25. We bowled strikes and spares at Super Play, while making friendships and having a great time together. Our next family day is Sunday, June 28 at 11:45 a.m., a lunch and Minute To Win It challenge! ALL AGES are invited for the fun; $3 per person. Thanks to our families for such a lively night and a bright future among this community! In Memoriam Lois Merriman Black April 11, 2015 The Sanctuary Choir, King s Kids Choir, and Youth Choir sing during worship. Thank You The One Great Hour of Sharing offering was received on March 29. A big thank you to all as over $4,200 was received to support the three programs administered by our national church: 36% goes to the Presbyterian Hunger Program, 32% to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and 32% to Self Development of People. May we all pray and work for the time when these funds are no longer needed, but for now, your generosity is needed and appreciated. Page 8 Beautiful music performed by the Royal Ringers Handbell Choir during worship Valley Messenger May 2015

9 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday May :00a Women s Aerobics 2 1:30p Upward Developmental League 3 8:30a Pancake Breakfast 9:00a Adult Education Class 9:30a Early Coffee in the Library 10:00a Worship-Children s Musical 11:00a Congregational Meeting 11:00a Pancake Breakfast 11:15a Coffee Fellowship 4:15p Youth Handbell Choir 5:00p Youth Choir Rehearsal 4 10:00a Baby Blues Connection 6:00p Girl Scout Troop 6:00p Worship and Music Committee 7:30p Portland Highland Games Association 7:30p Scout Troop :00a Staff Meeting 11:00a Women s Bible Study 5:00p Upward Developmental League 5:30p Fellowship Committee 5:30p Membership Comm. 6:45p Christian Nurture for Youth Committee 7:30p Girl Scout Troop 6 8:00a Men s Bible Study 5:30p Communications & Social Media Comm. 6:30p Tiger Den Pack 592 7:00p Christian Nurture for Adults Committee 7:00p PIC Meeting 7:00p All-Youth Group 7 10:00a Alanon 6:00p Cub Scout Pack 592 7:15p Chancel Choir 8:15p Chamber Choir 8 8:00a Women s Aerobics 9 1:30p Upward Developmental League 10 9:00a Adult Education Class 9:30a Early Coffee in the Library 10:00a Worship 10:20a Valley Kids Sunday Funday 11:00a Coffee Fellowship 11:15a Session Meeting with New Members 4:15p Youth Handbell Choir 5:00p Youth Choir Rehearsal 11 10:00a Baby Blues Connection 6:00p Girl Scout Troop 6:30p Cub Scouts 7:30p Scout Troop :00a Staff Meeting 5:00p Upward Developmental League 7:00p Session 13 8:00a Men s Bible Study 4:00p Girl Scout Troop 7:00p All-Youth Group 14 10:00a Alanon 4:30p Camp Fire Meeting 6:00p Preschool Board Mtg. 7:15p Chancel Choir 8:15p Chamber Choir 15 The Messenger Newsletter Articles Due 8:00a Women s Aerobics 6:00p Camp Fire Meeting 16 10:00a Family Camp Planning Meeting 1:30p Upward Developmental League 17 9:00a Adult Education Class 9:30a Early Coffee in Library 10:00a Worship-Graduate Recognition 11:00a Coffee Fellowship 11:30a Music Selection Team Mtg. 12:00p Dining for Women Meeting 6:08p Sunday 6: :00a Baby Blues Connection 10:00a Meals on Wheels 6:00p Girl Scout Troop 7:30p Scout Troop :00p Staff Meeting 5:00p Upward Developmental League 7:00p Deacons Ministry 7:30p Girl Scout Troop 20 8:00a Men s Bible Study 7:00p All-Youth Group 21 8:00a Soup Kitchen 10:00a Alanon 6:08p Sunday 6:08 Planning Team 6:30p Girl Scout Troop 22 8:00a Women s Aerobics 10:00a Gamble Library Book Club Day of Pentecost 9:00a Adult Education Class 9:30a Early Coffee in Library 10:00a Worship 11:00a Coffee Fellowship 3:00p Upward Developmental League 25 Memorial Day - Church Office Closed 8:00a Women s Aerobica 10:00a Baby Blues Connection 6:00p Girl Scout Troop 7:30p Scout Troop :00a Staff Meeting 1:00p Prayer Shawl Ministry 5:00p Upward Developmental League 7:00p Personnel Committee 7:00p Prayer Shawl Ministry 27 8:00a Men s Bible Study 4:00p Girl Scout Troop 7:00p All Youth Group 28 10:00a Alanon 6:30p Cub Scout Pack 592 7:15p Chancel Choir 8:15p Chamber Choir HS Mission Team Meeting 9:00a Adult Education Class 9:30a Early Coffee Fellowship 10:00a Ordination of Church Officers 10:00a Worship-Trinity Sunday 10:20a Valley Kids Sunday Funday 11:00a Coffee Fellowship

10 THE MESSENGER VALLEY COMMUNITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 8060 SW BRENTWOOD ST. PORTLAND, OR RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED TIME DATED MATERIAL Youth Mission Pancake Fundraiser May 3 Graduate Sunday Sunday, May 17 Pentecost Sunday and Offering Davis Hall 8:30-10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. - Noon Suggested donation: $5/child, $7/adult, $20/family Espresso drinks also available for $3 Join us as we recognize and celebrate our graduating High School Seniors at 10:00 a.m. worship. Reception following. The Pentecost Offering will be received on Sunday, May 24 during 10:00 a.m. worship. Wear red to worship!