21 Children s Sabbath/Youth Musical Chili Cook Off, 11:00 a.m. Dining for Women, 11:30 p.m.

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1 Valley Community Presbyterian Church October 2018 Sundays at Valley Adult Education, 9:00 a.m. Early Coffee in Library, 9:30 a.m. Worship, 10:00 a.m. Coffee Fellowship, 11:00 a.m. October 7 World Communion Sunday Peace and Global Witness Offering Received 14 Pumpkin Patch Outing, 1:30 p.m. 21 Children s Sabbath/Youth Musical Chili Cook Off, 11:00 a.m. Dining for Women, 11:30 p.m. 28 Exploring Presbyterianism Class, 11:15 a.m. November 4 All Saints Sunday Communion Valley to Host Fall Gathering of Presbyterian Women On October 20, women from around the Presbytery will gather at Valley Community Presbyterian Church for a day of learning, worship and fellowship. The theme of the Gathering is Becoming the Beloved Community: People of faith working toward eradicating racism. The program will be led by Linda Shaw, co-author of the study guide. Registration and refreshments start at 9:30 a.m. The program begins promptly at 10:00 a.m., and will be over by 3:00 p.m. If you would like to assist in preparing for this event, please contact Connie Brenner at The pre-registration deadline is October 15, and the registration cost until then is $10, including lunch. Registration after October 15 and at the door is $15. Send registrations to Mary Lou Williams, NW 26 th Avenue, Vancouver, WA (Phone: ; mlwms41@comcast.net). Youth Musical October 21 Imagine this...a girl shows up for her first day at a new school. She s anxious about finding her way, scared of bullies, and wondering if she will find any friends. She s feeling alone and lost. But she enters the Land of the Lost and Found and through some biblical parables, she learns that she is strong and capable that she can trust in God and not be afraid. This uplifting tale will be told Sunday, October 21, during 10:00 a.m. worship. Don t miss the plethora of silly animals and fun songs presented by Valley s own youth! Awakening Souls, Sharing Joy, Serving God in Christ - TRANSFORMING LIVES

2 The Gospel According to Northern Exposure My favorite TV show of all time is Northern Exposure. Haven t heard of it? Perhaps that s because it made its premier in the summer of My first memories of watching the show actually goes back to when it was syndicated on cable TV; I remember getting home after school and watching it along with an after school snack. I watched various episodes over the next few years. Later, my seminary roommate would show up with several seasons of this beloved show from my childhood, and I was hooked for good. We would watch favorite episodes into the night together, talking about the intricacies of the characters and the universal themes within. So here s the story Joel Fleischman, a Jewish New York City medical school graduate, reports to duty as a form of repayment for his financial support from the state of Alaska. Little does he know, he will not be serving his time in the metropolis of Anchorage or even Rev. Jeff Binder Fairbanks. No, he will set up shop in the small mountain town of Cicely, where the townspeople represent Native Americans, former convicts, aged American heroes, and characters of all sorts in short, a collection of America s motley crew of citizenry. What begins as a collision between Cicely s small town ways and Joel s big city expectations, eventually turns into stories and experiences of relationships formed, life s mysteries held, and daily self-discovery for both the young doctor and the townspeople alike. In short, what happens in Cicely is representative of many of our lives, filled with adventure and boredom, joy and sadness, achievement and failure. So what does Northern Exposure say about the Kingdom of God and Jesus? Well not much explicitly. But there are so many themes and stories that have to do with spirituality, religion, and faith within these wonderful episodes! Interested in joining me and others re-visiting beloved previously watched episodes, or perhaps even seeing it for the very first time? I d like to organize a class to meet in the coming weeks to not only watch some of the clips, but also to discuss just how God really is being discussed and moving within such a show, and perhaps your favorite show at home. Watch out for future announcements of a starting date in the coming days! THE MESSENGER VALLEY COMMUNITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 8060 SW BRENTWOOD ST. PORTLAND, OR FAX valleycommunity.org mail@valleycommunity.org PASTOR JEFF BINDER NEWSLETTER STAFF: ANGELA GRAHAM PLEASE SUBMIT ARTICLES VIA BY OCTOBER 20 FOR THE NOVEMBER ISSUE: messenger@valleycommunity.org THE NEWSLETTER STAFF RETAINS PERMISSION TO MODIFY SUBMISSIONS FOR CLARITY, SPACE, CONTENT AND STYLE. Pastor Jeff Dining for Women October 21 Dining for Women at Valley will meet on Sunday October 21 to learn about this month s nonprofit organization. It is Women for Afghan Women and the specific project all of the members of DFW will be supporting in October is #ByHerSide. The purpose of the project is to provide critical health access and intensive support to women and girls who are survivors of gender violence in Afghanistan, who are pregnant, and/or are new mothers. They are providing life-saving access to health services, safe shelter, and intensive support for approximately 500 young girls and women suffering from brutal abuse and violence. Their trusted presence across the country makes them a reliable service provider for women and girls. Join Valley s chapter at a potluck lunch at 11:30 a.m. after worship. Learn about this program. Share a meal with like-minded and intelligent people. Donate your dining out dollars to support their grant request. See you there! Page 2 valleycommunity.org October 2018

3 Bread for the World Bakers Bread for the World Bake Sale is coming up and bakers are needed... Please find Andrea Murdoch during coffee fellowship to sign up to bring goodies on Sunday October 21. This advocacy group crunches the numbers to let those in Congress know what their votes will do to the people of America and around the World, when social issues are on the cutting block. Our membership status is funded in full by the bake sale, so SAVE THE DATE to shop on October 21. Project BACK Thank you, one and all who brought backpacks for the Raleigh Hills Elementary School weekend food project. We have collected 50 back packs. That s enough for the 2018/2019 school year! Please remember we still collect non-perishable food for St. Matthew s Food pantry which stocks the packs for the weekend. Food and unopened toiletries may be placed in the bins by the Fireside room. Many THANKS from your Mission Team. Right: Sarah from Raleigh Park picked up the 50 backpacks that were generously donated. Peace and Global Witness Offering The second letter to the Thessalonians prays for its recipients to have peace at all times in all ways. Through the Global Witness and Peacemaking Offering, we work together to share Christ s peace with one another. We seek peace in a chaotic world, finding strength in knowing that God is always near. Scripture tells us that Jesus came to proclaim a peace that is universal, and not limited by time or geography. As followers of Christ, our call to witness and work for peace begins in our own neighborhoods and extends to the ends of the earth. The Peace and Global Witness Offering is one way we can be faithful to Christ s call to pursue peace at home and around the world. It supports the work of our denomination in global mission and through our presence at the United Nations, and in efforts to work for peace in our communities and nationally. Twenty-five percent of this offering stays at Valley so that we can support existing efforts, both locally and internationally, or create projects that enhance peace in our community, nation, and world. Another twenty-five percent of the offering is used to support our witness for peace throughout our region, supporting ministries of peace and reconciliation in Presbyteries and synods. Half of the offering supports the global witness to Christ s peace through the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program and the reconciliation work of Presbyterian World Mission. The official date for receiving the Peace and Global Witness Offering is October 7, World Communion Sunday, but the special offering envelopes will remain in the pew racks for several weeks, and contributions will be accepted through October. Please give generously! Produce Table As this year s garden plots wind down and the Produce Table boasts less and less, do not despair! The table will be up through the end of October for whatever remains to be shared and then taken. Of course, the donation box will be open and ready for business! By November the total amount collected during this summer and fall should be known and will be reported in that month s Messenger. Thank you to our many gardeners for sharing things throughout the growing season and thanks for all of the monetary donations that will ease the food security of others in our state. SAVE THE DATE Mission Market is coming on Kirkin o the Tartan Sunday, November 18. Don t have your tartan yet? The McClean s will host a table during Coffee Fellowship on November 11 to help you find your plaid. October 2018 valleycommunity.org Page 3

4 Some Valley Members Need Rides to Church Imagine having attended regular Sunday morning services at Valley for many years and suddenly finding yourself cut off from your church family because you can no longer drive. The Deacons of Valley are seeking people who are willing to provide rides to church for several members who have found themselves in this situation. If you live in the area of Bethany, Raleigh Hills, or Tigard, please consider offering one of these members a ride to church. Regularly-scheduled rides would be wonderful, but even an occasional ride would enable these people to maintain their ties to our church. If you live in one of these areas and are willing to help, please contact Cathy Bernhard ( ) for further information on the names and addresses of these people who are so eager to reconnect with Valley. Valley Book Group The Valley Book Group will meet on Friday, October 26, 2018, in the Fireside Room at 10:00 a.m. to discuss our all-time favorite books. Each person is asked to bring a list of two or three favorite books and to be prepared to give a brief summary of one of them along with information on why that particular book became their all-time favorite. This is a great opportunity to come to the book group without having had to read a specific book! All are welcome to bring their own coffee and to share in the fun of hearing about these favorite books and to pick up some ideas for exciting new books to read. Women s Bible Study Begins October 9 Thank you for sending your check for $32.00 for the 2018 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 Attention Valley families: Please search your attics and basements for no longer used items that will become Christmas gift treasures to sell at this year s Kidz Mart! As a reminder, Kidz Mart will be open in December for two days to children only and one day to all (adults and children). Proceeds benefit Valley s Children s Ministries. Deposit bins are located in the office lobby. Contact Kay Hope Gold with questions. The Horizons Bible study for this program year, developed especially for Presbyterian women is GOD S PROMISE: I Am With You. The study is structured to take place in small groups led by members. The Bible study group will meet on the second Tuesday of each month, beginning October 9, at 11:00 a.m. in the office Conference Room. Study books are available for purchase in the office for $10. Horizons Bible studies are well-researched, Reform-theology-based studies. The topic of Hebrews was selected by the Churchwide Coordinating Team of Presbyterian Women as the subject for this year s Horizons (the magazine for Presbyterian Women) in early 2014, and the author, Amy Poling Sutherlun, was selected in 2015, with the direction to write a study that approached God s promise to be with us in good times and bad and to never forsake us, through examples in the Old and New Testaments. Amy is a seventh-generation pastor serving First Presbyterian Church of San Marcos, Texas. She did mission work in Malawi and served churches in Texas and Oklahoma before heading to Princeton Theological Seminary. The study was field-tested by women s Bible study groups in five churches across the U.S. Page 4 valleycommunity.org October 2018

5 Valley Kids Children s Ministry Events for October ITS PUMPKIN PATCH TIME AT LEE FARMS FOR OUR VALLEY KIDS, FRIENDS & THEIR FAMILIES! SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14TH FROM 1:30-5:30 PM Our church van will be leaving Valley at 1:30 p.m. If parents choose to drive, please meet us at Lee Farms in front of the ticket booth area by 2:00 p.m. The church van will depart from Lee Farms at 5:30 p.m. Have your child wear their Valley t-shirt, or a nice bright color so we can find one another better. Please RSVP: donna@valleycommunity.org so I know you re coming! Please join Valley Kids and their families at Lee Farms in Tualatin! All are welcome for a fun and exciting family time of fellowship! You may purchase tickets online at: leefarmsoregon.com or on site. Lee Farms is located at: SW 65th Ave., Tualatin, OR General Admission is $5.00 and includes Hayride, Corn Maze, Animals, Play area and Parking! At an extra charge, additional tickets can be purchased for: Bounce Pillow, Barrel Wagon Rides, Slides, Hay-Mazes and Pony Rides! Meet Donna Carlson October 26th A CHILDRENS Ministry event for all kids ages 4K to 7th grade. Our dinner, movie, games, crafts and other activities are all built around a fun theme! Time: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Cost: $10.00/child with maximum of $25.00/family (Dinner Included) RSVP Required by 6:00 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to event. Please ; donna@valleycommunity.org, Director of Children s Ministry, or call the church office at Donna Carlson, our new Children s Ministry Director, and her husband Brad of twenty-eight years make their home in Aloha. They have three grown sons, Carl, Jonathan, and Thomas. Before coming to Valley, Donna was working full time in the private insurance sector all the while teaching Sunday School for nearly three decades at Portland First Church. Her husband Brad works for Oregon Mutual Insurance Co. as their Marketing Manager. For 20 years he taught Sunday School class for the teens. On his down time he recently enjoyed publishing his first book The Gambit with a sequel in the works. Donna and Brad have also been involved in Stephens Ministry. Most recently, they helped to bring back Upward Basketball to the Portland area. They assisted in directing and handled the administration side for the past three years for over 300 children, coaches and their families. Prior to this they head coached together for Upward Basketball for nine years. In fact her introduction to the Valley community came when we had the Upward program here several years ago. In her free time Donna enjoys the arts, music, singing and exploring landscape quilting, photography, and spending time with the Lord in quiet reflection. She and Brad enjoy having fun with their energetic 11 year old border collie Bauer boy - along with camping, hiking, going to the beach and most anything dealing with the outdoors. Donna and Brad both look forward to joining Valley Community Presbyterian Church as members and being here to serve the Lord. There is no place she d rather be than amongst her friends in Christ and leading others to Jesus! October 2018 valleycommunity.org Page 5

6 Valley Scrapbook Pastor Jeff shows the preschoolers his guitar. Red Yarn the clown sings for the preschoolers at the VCP Ice Cream Social. Above, below and right: Tables displaying Valley s many organizations and ministries on Kick Off Sunday Page 6 valleycommunity.org October 2018

7 Youth Update School is in session and the Youth are on the move! September youth groups were rolling; Wednesdays our Middle Schoolers run the show, and Thursday is for our High School students. You ve probably heard us from a mile away running around the church playing grog! High School students gave their first youth group to serving at the soup kitchen. It was a great opportunity to connect with our community. October is full of things to look out for with the Valley Youth. First, Confirmation will be starting October 4. If you are a high school student or know a high school student who hasn t been through confirmation class it s time to sign up and join us on this Journey. If you are a member of the church and you are interested in mentoring a confirmand, let Preston know and come alongside us! Next thing you should look out for is our Chili Cook Off, a fundraiser for our Youth Mission Fund and supports missions near and far that the youth take a part in. Chili Cook Off will be following Children s Sabbath and the Youth Musical, so prepare for a full day of fun on Sunday, October 21. If you have a trick-or-treater and live in the area we ll be giving out candy from the youth house on October 31. Make sure to wear your best costume! See you soon, ~Preston Russell Director of Youth Ministries Right: The Valley Youth had a display at the recent Ministry Fair on Kick Off Sunday. Below: Pastor Jeff visits with one of the youth during a youth/parent meeting. Below right: Preston plays Bible Jeopardy on the big screen TV with the youth and parents. October 2018 valleycommunity.org Page 7

8 Valley Notes Opportunities Mission Endowment Applications Due October 1: The Fall application deadline for grants from Valley s Mission Endowment Fund is October 1. missionendowment@ valleycommunity.org for an application or go to our website. The next Valley Habitat Build will be Saturday, November 3 during the afternoon from 12:00-4:00 p.m. If you would like more information or to sign up, contact Chuck Falconer at chuckf@clankeith.com or Thank You Thank you to all who have completed pledges to the Building Improvement Capital Campaign! There is evidence in and around our building of projects completed. The remaining project is the upgrade of our restrooms to meet ADA guidelines. Plans are drawn and budget determined for this last project by the amount of pledges, please prayerfully consider giving before the end of Let s have an updated building in early 2019! Prayers We pray for new babies: Henry Owen Martin, born to Sarah and Evan Martin on Tuesday, September 11. Proud sister is Clara Martin. We pray for those who mourn: - Rita Hammack and family on the death of her husband, Brice, on September 26, Family and friends of Gary Gilchrist Earth Care Corner Did you know that plastic bags take between 20-1,000 years to break down in a landfill? And did you also know that plastic bags should NEVER go in your curbside recycling. They only foul up the sorting machines and require shutting them down to remove the plastic jam by hand. Several grocery stores will take plastic bags back. Anything that you can stretch with your fingers and not have it crack or tear is considered plastic that you can take to those stores. This can include the bag that your carrots come in, the plastic around your toilet paper rolls and the bag that your sliced bread comes in. A few earth friendly suggestions are to bring your own durable bags back to the market, wash out your plastic produce bags and re-use them the next time that you shop or purchase mesh bags from the produce section and use them instead of taking a fresh plastic one. At the very least, ask for a paper bag instead of the plastic one. Oktoberfest Senior Lunch October 24 Please join us on Wednesday, October, 24, at noon, for an Oktoberfest senior luncheon. Bring a friend to enjoy a German inspired $5 meal, learn fun facts about Oktoberfest and enjoy some traditional music. Our dedicated kitchen crew looks forward to greeting each of you! Final Pictorial Directory Sign Up Dates Sign up online for our new church pictorial directory. There is no cost to you or the church for the directory or to have your photographs taken. You will receive a complimentary professional 8x10 portrait and a church directory just for participating! After you are photographed, you will be able to view your images immediately. If you so desire, you will have the opportunity to purchase additional portraits. This is a wonderful opportunity to bring along extended family members to have a professional portrait taken even though they will not be in the directory. AND it s even okay to bring a pet to make your photos more meaningful. For optional portraits, there are two great discounts available: Every family will receive both a $10 off coupon and a 20% discount coupon - available when you check in for your appointment. The final dates to sign up are Wednesday, October 3-Saturday, October 6. Go to: and sign up today! We are hoping to have 100% participation so we have a complete directory. Contact Glenys Craig or the church office with questions. Page 8 valleycommunity.org October 2018

9 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 9:00a Personnel Comm. 7:00p Girl Scout Troop 7:30p Boy Scouts 592 7:30p Girl Scout Troop 2 10:15a Tai Chi Class 12:00p Staff Meeting 1:30p Mission Committee 2:00p Prayer Shawl Ministry 1:30p Mission Committee 6:30p Christian Nurture for Children Meeting 6:30p Christian Nurture for Youth Meeting 3 Lifetouch Photo Sessions 8:00a Men s Bible Study 5:00p Cherub Choir 5:00p King s Kids Choir 6:00p Royal Ringers 6:30p Middle School Youth 6:30p Pack 592 Den 6 7:00p Calvary Korean Church Bible Study 7:30p Pack 593 Den 6 4 Lifetouch Photo Sessions 7:00p High School Youth 7:15p Sanctuary Choir 5 Lifetouch Photo Sessions 6 Lifetouch Photo Sessions 7 9:00a Adult Education 9:15a Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal 9:30a Early Coffee Fellowship 10:00a Worship 11:00a Coffee Fellowship 11:30a Youth Musical Rehearsal 12:00p Calvary Korean Worship 1:00p Calvary Korean Fellowship 8 6:00p VCP Board Mtg. 7:00p Finance Committee 7:00p Girl Scout Troop 7:30p Boy Scouts 592 7:30p Girl Scouts 9 10:15a Tai Chi Class 12:00p Staff Meeting 6:00p Pack 592 Den 2 7:00p Session 10 8:00a Men s Bible Study 5:00p Cherub Choir 5:00p King s Kids Choir 6:00p Royal Ringers 6:30p Middle School Youth 7:00p Calvary Korean Church Bible Study 11 7:00p High School Youth 7:15p Sanctuary Choir :00a Adult Education Class 9:15a Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal 9:30a Early Coffee Fellowship 10:00a Worship 11:00a Coffee Fellowship 11:30a Youth Musical Rehearsal 11:30a Membership Class 12:00p Calvary Korean Worship 1:00p Calvary Korean Fellowship 1:30p Pumpkin Patch Outing 15 10:00a Meals on Wheels 7:00p Girl Scout Troop 7:30p Boy Scouts 592 7:30p Girl Scout Troop 16 10:15a Tai Chi Class 12:00p Staff Meeting 7:00p Deacons Meeting 17 8:00a Men s Bible Study 9:15a MOPS Meeting 5:00p Cherub Choir 5:00p King s Kids Choir 6:00p Royal Ringers 6:30p Middle School Youth 7:00p Calvary Korean Church Bible Study 7:00p Troop 592 Meeting 18 8:00a Soup Kitchen 2:00p Mission Endowment Investment Fund 4:00p Worship and Music Committee 5:00p Music Selection Team 6:30p Pack 592 7:00p High School Youth 7:15p Sanctuary Choir The Messenger Newsletter Articles Due 10:00a Fall Gathering - Presbyterian Women 21 9:00a Adult Education Class 9:15a Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal 9:30a Early Coffee Fellowship 10:00a Worship Children s Sabbath/Youth Musical 11:00a Coffee Fellowship 11:00a Chili Cook Off 11:30a Dining for Women 12:00p Calvary Korean Worship 1:00p Calvary Korean Fellowship 7:00p Scout Venture Crew 22 7:00p Girl Scout Troop 7:30p Boy Scouts 592 7:30p Girl Scout Troop 23 10:15a Tai Chi Class 12:00p Staff Meeting 24 8:00a Men s Bible Study 12:00p Senior Adult Luncheon 5:00p Cherub Choir 5:00p King s Kids Choir 6:00p Royal Ringers 6:30p Middle School Youth 7:00p Calvary Korean Church Bible Study 25 6:00p Pack 592 Meeting 7:00p High School Youth 7:15p Sanctuary Choir 26 10:00a Gamble Library Book Group :00a Adult Education Class 9:15a Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal 9:30a Early Coffee Fellowship 10:00a Worship 11:00a Coffee Fellowship 11:15a Exploring Presbyterianism Class 12:00p Calvary Korean Worship 1:00p Calvary Korean Fellowship 29 7:00p Girl Scout Troop 7:30p Boy Scouts 592 7:30p Girl Scout Troop 30 10:15a Tai Chi Class 12:00p Staff Meeting 31 8:00a Men s Bible Study 5:00p Cherub Choir 5:00p King s Kids Choir 6:00p Royal Ringers 6:30p Middle School Youth 7:00p Calvary Korean Church Bible Study October 2018

10 THE MESSENGER VALLEY COMMUNITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 8060 SW BRENTWOOD ST. PORTLAND, OR RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED TIME DATED MATERIAL Children s Sabbath/Youth Musical Chili Cook Off Sunday, October 21 All are invited to a special day of worship, music, and more! Our young ones will offer the liturgy followed by the youth presenting a musical (see p. 1) during 10:00 a.m. worship. After worship, join us for a Chili Cook Off fundraiser with the proceeds going towards youth mission. It will be a fun and festive day! Invite your friends! Musical offerings for children from preschool-5th grade will begin in October. Cherub Choir for 4 year olds-1st grade begins Wednesday, October 3 from 5:00-5:45 p.m. King s Kids Choir for 2nd-5th grade begins Wednesday, October 3 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. Royal Ringers Bell Choir for 2nd-5th grade begins Wednesday, October 3 from 6:00-6:30 p.m. All are welcome to join in Valley s thriving music ministry. Contact Amy Rheingans at amy@valleycommunity.org or