Issue 74, August Jamaa Letu News: Jars, Xmas in June 4. 5 Columns 5. Regional Media Center Resources 10. Elders: Learning to Walk in the Dark 14

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1 Issue 74, August 2014 Jamaa Letu News: Jars, Xmas in June 4 Recognizing Missionaries & 5 Columns 5 Regional Media Center Resources 10 Elders: Learning to Walk in the Dark 14

2 Oct. 11 Nov. 15 Jan AM - 4 PM 3 SeSSIONS LUNCH/SNACkS TRAINING MATeRIALS Connecting with stories making headlines from the UMC into August Bishop hagiya Grant J. Hagiya is the resident Bishop for Oregon-Idaho, Pacific Northwest, and Alaska Annual Conferences. It was his vision to partner with the Indiana University Lily Family School of Philanthropy and bring the Creating Congregational Cultures of Generosity to our Annual Conferences. Hagiya, Scheuermann, and Mullette-Bauer are Certified CCCG Trainers. Other CCCG certified trainers may include: rev. curtis Brown rev. JoAnne coleman-campbell KristinA GonzAlez scheuermann Cesie Delve Scheuermann is a stewardship consultant for the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference. Her blog Inspiring Generosity: Changing the Church s Culture Around Money is widely read. She also does grant writing and development for a number of non-profits in Salem, OR. Director of Faith Community Development, PNW Conference Pastor, Wenatchee: First United Methodist Church Director of Leadership Development for an Inclusive Church, PNW Conference BrAnt henshaw rev. MArY huycke rev. DAviD nieda Mullette-BAuer The Rev. Bill Mullette-Bauer recently retired from being the Director of Stewardship and Finance for the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference. He was known for his blog Grace and Gratitude. With decades of experience and knowledge, he is frequently asked to preach about stewardship. Treasurer and Director of Administrative Services, PNW Conference Certified Professional Coach, PNW Conference Superintendent, Vancouver District, PNW Conf. christ united MethoDist church NW Dogwood Street Portland, OR Note: You must come with a team of at least three people, including your pastor. Whenever you see The Shelf icon beside an article in Channels, Regional Media Center Manager Ellen Johanson has carefully chosen a video that compliments the story you are reading in an effort to help further your interest in a particular topic or theme. Social support key to Ebola fight, leaders say Religious leaders hope providing emotional and social support for communities across Sierra Leone will help counter the rise in Ebola infections. bit.ly/ebola-social-media Earth, Wind & Fire: Band or Disaster Response Season? Two UMCOR grants of $10,000 each help with needs of those impacted by the Oso mudslide and recent wildfires. Stan Norman reports at The PNW News Blog! bit.ly/earth-wind-fire-pnw UMVIM: Seeking Help with Historic Okanogan UMC From Ronda Cordill, UMVIM mission coordinator for the PNWUMC: Okanogan UMC needs help with repair work. Read The PNW News Blog for details! bit.ly/help-okanogan Get to know Dave Reinholz! David A. Reinholz serves as the new associate Conference lay leader for the PNWUMC. Get to know Dave by checking out his mini-bio at The PNW News Blog! bit.ly/blog-dave-reinholz

3 New Video Available new 3-minute video debuted at this year s Annual Conference and is available for use by local churches. It describes the ministry of the orphanages, quotes a poignant message from the director of the boys orphanage about a new toddler in care, and gives info about how to make donations. The graphics are inviting and informative. Check the website: bit.ly/video-jamaaletu. Will also be on the disc distributed with conference Journal in late fall. Jars for Jamaa Letu This collection is a significant portion of the support for the two orphanages. It is suggested for the season after Easter until the time of Annual Conference in June (although several churches collect year round). Many churches brought a check to Annual Conference. The collection may also be sent to the Conference treasurer s office - with the regular monthly remittances by your local church treasurer. It s not as dramatic as putting it into the African basket on the platform at the Awards Banquet, but it s equally effective in supporting the ministry. Annual Conference Action/ Petition Approved The petition supporting the continuing partnership between the PNW Conference and the South Congo Conference (especially for the ministry of the orphanages) was affirmed by the Annual Conference. The petition resolved that this partnership especially include support of the two orphanages named Jamaa Letu ( Our Family in Swahili) which includes promotion of the financial and prayer support of these children and their caregivers and for education scholarships By Barbara Dadd Shaffer for university or vocational training. Christmas In June Did you see the stunning graphics at the display at Annual Conference? And the small Christmas tree? It was an invitation to make gifts for the children and teens living in these orphanages in June! It can be used effectively any season. The wish list includes: Food ($36/mo.) Medical ($10/mo.) Clothing and Necessities ($6/mo.) Tuition ($20/mo. average). Jamaa Letu is a ministry of The Pacific Northwest Conference and of the South Congo Conference. Barbara Dadd Shaffer serves as the chair of the Bishop s Task Force, Hope for the Children of Africa. New Website Address The new website address is www. JamaaLetu.org. This reflects the increased emphasis on the orphanages. Not to worry, the old one still works and everything is directed the same place. Also available through the PNW website: bit.ly/jamaaletu. Recognizing our Conference s Missionaries and 5 Column Churches By Joan Hackett oung Adult Missionaries speak and 5 Columns of Mission Churches, recognized at Mission Lunch at Annual Conference. At the Puyallup Fairgrounds Pioneer room, the 6th Annual Mission Luncheon was held during Annual Conference. Janjay Innis, a US-2 missionary placed at Tacoma Community House, spoke about her harassment by Tacoma police during a jaywalking incident. Rachel Berry, a Mission Intern at Mary s Place, shared her work involving social justice issues, violence in Nigeria, eco-justice and intergenerational communications with the World Student Christian Movement (Geneva, Switzerland). The Rev. Pat Simpson (Superintendent, Seattle District) presented certificates to churches completing 5 Columns of Mission and recognized 4 Column Churches by giving them information on how to add the missing column this year. She also named the five Global Mission Fellows who are coming to PNW in August and their placements. Global Mission Fellow is the new young adult missionary program replacing the terms US-2 and Mission Intern. If you are a young person and are interested in serving in this capacity, visit umcmission. org. Joan Hackett serves as the Conference Secretary of Global Ministries. 5 Columns of Mission Churches for 2013 with Honorable Mention 4 Column Churches Inland Manito UMC (also 2012) Sandpoint UMC Audubon Park UMC Coeur d Alene UMC Trinity, Spokane UMC Asotin UMC Cheney UMC Clarkston UMC Puget Sound Garden St. UMC (also 2009 & 2010 & 2011 & 2012) Port Angeles UMC (also 2010 & 2011& 2012) Langley UMC (also 2012) Cedar Cross UMC Sedro Woolly UMC La Connor UMC Coupeville UMC Anacortes UMC Arlington UMC Port Hadlock UMC Seattle Haller Lake UMC (also 2010 & 2011& 2012) Ronald UMC (also 2009 & 2010 & 2011& 2012) Bothell UMC (also 2012) Renton UMC Kent UMC Trinity UMC Woodland Park UMC University Temple UMC Des Moines UMC Aldersgate UMC St. Peter s UMC Bellevue 1st UMC Fairwood UMC Seven Rivers Wesley Yakima UMC (also 2012) Pasco Riverview UMC Prosser UMC Wenatchee UMC Lake Chelan UMC Goldendale UMC Kennewick 1st UMC Tacoma Olympia UMC (also 2009 & 2010 & 2011 & 2012) Summit UMC Mason UMC Lakewood UMC Federal Way UMC Tracyton UMC Vancouver UMC Vancouver 1st UMC (also 2009 & 2010 & 2011& 2012) Vancouver Heights UMC also 2009 & 2010 & 2011 &2012) Stevenson UMC (also 2009 & 2010 & 2011 & 2012) Centralia UMC White Salmon UMC Castle Rock UMC Satsop UMC Elma UMC Chehalis UMC Central Park UMC Salmon Creek UMC Orchards UMC Mill Plain UMC Camas UMC 5 Columns of Mission 1. Collecting for One Great Hour of Sharing (was held on March 30, 2014) 2. Giving to UMCOR 3. Contributing to an Advance project listed in Giving Opportunities through The Advance 4. Attending Mission u (formerly known as Cooperative School of Christian Mission) 5. Having a Covenant Relationship with a missionary -see 2014 Funding Ministry and Mission Outreach booklet from Conference office. (Also sent to every local church) 4 Channels 74 News Now News Now August

4 also attended Mission u (formerly known as The Cooperative School of Mission) an annual weekend study on a topic pertinent to Church and Society presented by The United Methodist Women in conferences across the country. Mission u is one of the many activities offered by The United Methodist Church that I had heard of, but had never been a part of until I was recently invited. I truly enjoyed my time at the Mission u. The two topics of study were The Church and People with Disabilities and The Roma of Europe. We heard about ways persons who are differently-able contribute to the life of the Church and how we in return are to be accommodating of them as whole persons. We also learned that Roma is the more appropriate way to refer to those called gypsies. We learned about some of the cultural practices that make them a warm people who enrich the lives of those they are around. We even learned how to be in relationship with the Roma and to help one another to live as persons with promise and purpose. For me, the highlight of Mission u was the How Is It with Your By Janjay Innis Photos by Joan Hackett Soul study book. This resource helped us look at our faith journey through prayer, learning, mentorship, and transformation. Soultending is essential for the continuation of our calling and the mission of the Church. If we cannot tend to our own souls, we will never be able to tend to the souls of our neighbors. I mean that from the point of view of praying for and transforming our world through love, mercy and justice. I especially enjoyed an small group exercise around this study where we discussed the differences in asking someone, How is it with your soul versus Are you saved? Without a doubt, we all liked the question How is it with your soul? because it is an invitation into relationship-building that centers on meeting a person where they are. I ve never felt comfortable with asking anyone, Are you saved? - as it sets up all kinds of dynamics that lead to judgments about where people will spend eternity Now that I ve attended Mission u, I m on a mission. I m on a mission to find a lonely stranger and to ask them How is it with your soul? When I get the courage to do so, I am sure it will be filled with discoveries about our common humanity. Janjay Innis is a US-2 missionary serving as a social justice advocate at Tacoma Community House. alk with me! When I reach the pond, I notice a box on the bench. Inside the box are instructions. First, I breathe in the presence of God into every part of me. Then I look around and feast on the sights and sounds and smells of this place. Life is everywhere fish in the pond, birds in the air, trees swaying in the wind, a blade of grass, a tiny insect, the still water of the pond, the rushing water of the creek, the cross of the ridge. I pay particular attention to the rushing spring water of Manastash Creek. I pick up the journal that is in the box and I write about this sound and then I add a sketch of the water sound, just because it feels the thing to do. I continue to breathe letting the life around me nest as a memory. And then it is time to move on, and as I do I say Thank You. As I walk to the next station I realize that I just engaged in an act of prayer. The Lazy F Day of Prayer was organized as a way to support the year-around ministry of this camp. Another similar event will take place on Sunday, October 12. On this day, Lazy F will be celebrating 60 years as a United Methodist Camp. All are invited to a day of worship, fun, food and prayer! By Cathy Raymond The faithful and the friends of Lazy F gathered Saturday, May 17 for a day of contemplation, thanksgiving and praise for God s magnificent creation. As one of the participants said: God is everywhere! Faithful wandered through seven self-guided prayer stations, scattered throughout the camp. Each prayer station had a different activity something to notice or something to do or some way to engage in conversation with the Master Creator. One commented that she arrived a little anxious not knowing what to expect - and left with a sense of peace. Another said that this was exactly what he needed. Hundreds of men, women and children enter this place every year and leave having been touched in some way by the ministry of this sacred place. It is for this ministry that we pray. Cathy Raymond serves as the chair for the Lazy F Prayer Team. 6 Channels 74 Ideas & Inspiration Ideas & Inspiration August

5 Great Witness Weekend connects communities for evangelism By The Rev. Wally Snook bout nine years ago, a group of clergy and laity wanted to broaden outward evangelism efforts throughout The Pacific Northwest Conference. From this movement came the Methodist Evangelical Covenant Connection. The group hosted a variety of seminars on evangelism and discipleship, but the number of people reached was fairly small. After intensive prayer, determining to be Wesleyan in our work, in 2009 we chose a different direction, renamed our group the Wesleyan Covenant Connection, and began a ministry of evangelism with churches in the Conference. We decided on patterning our ministry after the Lay Witness Mission model, only instead of calling lay evangelists to come to a congregation for a weekend and then have them go home, we focused on a churchto-church evangelism program. We called these GREAT WIT- NESS WEEKENDS. Once a church indicates a desire to hold a Great Witness Weekend, another church, which previously experienced a GWW, is assigned that church. A team of laity is recruited and in four 2-hour sessions, the Team is trained to effectively share their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Specifically, they are trained to share their faith experiences in four areas: A. Discovering and experiencing God (God s Prevenient Grace) How I became aware of what God did for me before I even recognized God B. Establishing a relationship with Jesus (God s Justifying Grace) How I experienced a relationship with God through a relationship with Jesus C. Being transformed by Jesus (God s Sanctifying Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have believing members of another church come to your church and share their faith on a Great Witness Weekend? Or how about believing members of your church going to another church to share their faith with talks, in small groups, etc. on a Great Witness Weekend? It works! Your church can become a sending or a receiving church! We want to help bring two congregations together on a weekend so that both congregations experience spiritual renewal. Visit for more info! Grace) What happened to my life as a result of my relationship with Jesus D. Surrendering to Jesus (God s Perfecting Grace) What I am working on in order to turn over all of my life to Jesus Each Witness must prepare in writing his or her own testimony (about 5 minutes), and then present this on each of the four themes to the rest of the Witness Team. Besides specific training on small group facilitation and our ground rules of No judgment, no preaching, no teaching, they are trained to tell their own story in a small group setting, and then encourage their small group members to share their faith experiences. Typically, there are four whole church presentations presented by one of the team members on the four themes, with small group sessions that follow. The weekend concludes on Sunday morning with a wrap up witness and an invitation to begin or deepen their relationship with Jesus. We have discovered that the folks from one church actually make connections with the other church and stay connected! Some have had follow-up gettogethers and all the churches that have experienced a Great Witness Weekend are aware that another congregation is praying for them in their spiritual growth. Our most recent event was a mostly Filipino Team going to a Hispanic UM Church for a Great Witness Day! With persons translating, it turned out to be a wonderful experience. We are excited that this will expand to Hispanic congregations in the northwest! There is a lot more about this evangelism ministry that works and that s why we are excited about what the Holy Spirit is doing. Our Board consists of five laity and four clergy. Stay in touch with up-todate writings about our work at Facebook under Wesleyan Covenant Connection. The Rev. Wally Snook serves as the evangelism coordinator for the Wesleyan Covenant Connection. 8 Channels 74 Ideas & Inspiration Ideas & Inspiration August

6 By Ellen Johanson If you have questions or want to preview any of these resources, feel free to contact the RMC at or Orders can also be placed online at he immensely popular NOOMA series of videos with Rob Bell has consistently been a favorite of our Regional Media Center (RMC) members since it was first released in These short videos (each about 12 minutes long) have encouraged people to look at the teachings of Jesus in compelling, fresh, new ways. NOOMA videos engage the heart and mind by allowing people to question, ponder, pray and discuss as they explore our world from the perspective of a Jesus follower. While NOOMA has also produced several other excellent series, the videos by Rob Bell continue to have widespread appeal and applicability to the spiritual journeys of many people. So it is with a sense of excitement and anticipation that I await your feedback about the newest NOOMA series titled For The Life Of The World (FLOW). This new series contains seven episodes which are termed Letters to the Exiles. These digital letters invite us to explore God s plan for the world by asking the question What is your salvation actually FOR? Is it more than just getting into heaven or having a friend in Jesus? Ultimately, is it even about us? The sessions are about 18-minutes long and feature numerous progressive, evangelical thinkers, doers, artists and storytellers, chief among them Evan Koons who guides us on this journey into God s all-encompassing economy known as OIKONOMIA. Yes, really! Come along for the journey into Exile, Love, Creative Service, Order, Wisdom, Wonder and Church. It s time to dig deeply into the BIG picture of what it means to be in the world but not of it. The RMC has all seven videos in the FLOW series. The sessions are also available by download to your mobile device or computer (done from the Flannel website at your own cost) and the supplemental study content is all available online for free at so check out the study space site and get ready to enjoy For The Life Of The World. (Please note that the videos are available through the RMC in DVD and blue-ray format. Call to rent.) Another new series in the RMC is Whirl, a lectionary-based Sunday- School curricula for kids Pre-K through sixth-grade. Whirl features lovable, animated characters that appeal to kids and help engage them in the lessons using a welcome-hear-respond-launch methodology. Start with the video, then dive into the Bible Storybook and respond to the lessons with creative activities, circle-up to review the lesson and pray before being sent out to live in faith. Printed lesson material can be purchased quarterly or you can access all lesson content online by subscription at your own cost. Of course, the leader material and videos can be borrowed from the RMC. What are some of the advantages of Whirl and why might you want to use it? It s Bible-centered and is produced by developers from across the mainline denominations to center on scripture using the Revised Common Lectionary. Kids can relate to the animated characters who model what it s like to question faith and face challenges in living our faith. It s ageappropriate for Pre-K through sixth grade and will engage kids equally regardless of age. It makes it easy to follow the seasons of the church year while still connecting kids to the wider church and sending them out with concrete steps to put their faith into action during the week. If you re looking for a curricula that can be used over a three-year period that will connect what kids hear in church with what happens in Sunday School then take a look at this new curricula and dive into the fun videos and music of Whirl ( with reproducible CD so you can give the music CDs to the kids). 10 Channels 74 Resources Resources August

7 By The Rev. Shalom Agtarap If I had just one more illustration, that sermon would have knocked it out of the park. If I had just finished that leadership book, instead of only reading the first two chapters, we could have avoided this crisis. n my six years of ministry I have never made these statements even though my propensity for gathering (maybe even hoarding) resources would be aligned with this kind of thinking. An honest reflection on the times in ministry where I felt something lacking, or disappointed or frustrated, are usually times when I have not been present to who was around me and what was before us. I, like many young professionals, get caught up in other things. I spend my time on the stuff stuff that makes one think I might be found fruitful, IF: I m the first one there and the last one to leave I attend every event, in and outside the church I take days off to model healthy ministry (but never live into them) Other professions use different termi- nology, but the end goal is the same: productivity. John 15:4 (Common English Bible): Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch can t produce fruit by itself, but must remain in the vine. Likewise, you can t produce fruit unless you remain in me. The difficult thing about productivity within the life of Christ however is that it is only in abiding in the Vine, the Life-Giver, that we ever produce at all. A little gem called, The Vinedresser s Notebook, has brought the basics to my remembrance: Whatever stage of life we are in, there are times when we question whether what we are doing is generative. Things just don t feel fruitful in some relationship, in a job or social group, even in spiritual practices. YES. During the week of Annual Conference I carried Wayne Muller s book, Sabbath, around with me. I couldn t find the attention span to actually read it, much less journal about it. But, I carried it with me. It became a talisman for me that if I just held it, I d somehow receive the benefit of its wisdom. Herein lies the problem: I can t just know I need to pause and pray, I need to actually do it. One cannot simply acknowledge there is a vine; one has to remain in it. Last month, I along with other colleagues began new appointments. This is a time to begin anew, even for those who continued in the same placement; a time of great introspection and recommitment to grow where we have been planted. So, let s commit and recommit to remaining in Christ by playing, resting, reconnecting with friends and family this season. Let s focus less on a productivity based on what energy we can give and pay more attention to where Christ is already at work in, through and around us. The Rev. Shalom Agtarap is the associate pastor of Seattle: Blaine UMC. Centering Prayer k1003 Centering prayer is an ancient Christian discipline that is part of contemplative prayer. It is a silent practice that can move individuals into a profound relationship with God. Father Keating, a Trappist monk, brings his expertise in Christian Spirituality to this in-depth home study course that will deepen your intimacy with God. If you have felt like your prayer life is rote, dry, lifeless or consists mainly of requesting things of God, learning this personal spiritual discipline may bring you new insight and result in a deeper connection with God. The kit contains a Centering Prayer workbook, prayer cards, two audio CDs and six DVDs. Recommended time for this is about 20 minutes twice a day. Listen: Praying in a Noisy World d1024 This resource by retired United Methodist Bishop Rueben P. Job helps individuals and groups learn how to listen for, understand and follow God s guidance and direction. Participants use the prayer guide on their own and then come together once a week to pray, watch a video, discuss and share what they are learning. The DVD provides six video segments and the prayer practices include such disciplines as silence, releasing, intentional listening, meditation, remembering God s love, attentiveness and expectation. A Leader Guide is included with the DVD. Everything is Spiritual d4769 What is creation all about? Join Rob Bell, pastor, artist, speaker, and author as he makes use of everything from Hebrew words in Genesis to contemporary physics to interpret everything that is. Bell explains how Newtonian physics has been replaced by quantum physics. The weirdness of the bigness and the weirdness of the smallness both point to a reality that is ultimately more than what it seems. Bell s bottom line: all of life is spiritual, not narrowly in terms of your favorite devotional practices, but expansively as we ponder what it means to be human and divine; made in the likeness of God who created us to be. Call to check these out or for more information. aving just come off a teaching assignment at Claremont School of Theology, I am basking in the joy of being back in the classroom interacting with the students. Almost every year, I tell myself that I really don t have time to do this kind of classroom teaching, and after the experience, I come away with a profound gratitude of taking the time for the experience. The students are always eager and open to the learning experience, and when the light bulbs go off like illuminating markers in their faces, I am reminded of why I am called to this role, and lament the fact that I cannot do it more often. Needless to say, I think I know what I want to do in retirement, and teaching at any level awaits me in the future. The great challenge is to make the material come alive for the students, and I use a lot of case studies, especially when teaching theology and ethics. In the Personal and Social Ethics course that I taught, I was especially reminded of an important truth in ministry: We are far less effective when we go it alone in the ministry, and the community of believers always enhances us. Time and again, in reacting to individual case studies, a student would blurt out a reactionary statement, only to have the rest of the class question and make self-correcting comments that would enhance the perception. When the entire class had a chance to reflect and comment the final conclusion would always be stronger and wiser through the group s contributions. All of us were struck by the collective wisdom of the entire class, rising above individual solutions. Notice how dramatically different this is from our church practice of sending individual clergy alone to local churches. Instead of leveraging the collective strengths and wisdom of the community, we resort to a solo practitioner model, where one must sink or swim on their own. As the class clearly recognized, as they go back to their church appointments alone, they must find a way to connect with each other and other clergy in order to provide a stronger ministry. Jesus himself realized the limitation of going it alone. When he sends out the Disciples to carry on the actual ministry that he started, most of the Gospel texts commend that they go out two-by-two, and not alone. In fact, traveling alone in the time of Jesus would be seen as a foolish and strange thing to do. You would always travel in groups, and especially with one s kin (family) in ancient times. Anyone traveling alone would be seen as strange and peculiar. As we think of new models of ministry, we have to find ways to walk together. Solo clergy need to empower the entire laity of their charge to carry out the work of ministry, and continue to work with other clergy in a synergy of community. The work of ministry is just too hard to go it alone. We need each other! How can all of us navigate the difficult roads of ministry together? I look to all of you for possible solutions, and please let me know when you come up with encouraging models of collaboration. Be the Hope Together, Bishop Grant By Bishop Grant J. Hagiya Visit greaternw.org for a link to this article as well as information on The Greater Northwest Episcopal Area (Alaska, Pacific Northwest, Oregon-Idaho) 12 Channels 74 Insights Insights August

8 Note: Events on this calendar may have been added or removed from the time of publication. For an updated calendar, including local church events, visit and click Events > Calendar Layout. For questions or details about events on this calendar, Then I said to myself, Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I m immersed in the light! It s a fact: darkness isn t dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they re all the same to you. Psalm 139:11-12, The Message his awe-filled affirmation from the writer of Psalm 139 begs a question for me: If darkness and light are the same to God, why are we so afraid of the dark? The fear of darkness both assaults and seeps into our culture. Our biblical history and religious rituals reinforce a blanket condemnation of darkness as evil, as sin. So we spend our religious efforts grasping for ways to live in the light. Barbara Brown Taylor even suggests we try to create a full solar church! In her very exciting and soul-challenging 2014 book, Learning to Walk in the Dark, Taylor takes on the multiple ways we deny the very existence of darkness. I call it full solar spirituality, since it focuses on staying in the light of God around the clock, both absorbing and reflecting the sunny side of faith. You can usually recognize a full solar church by its emphasis on the benefits of faith, which include a sure sense of God s presence, certainty of belief, divine guidance in all things, and reliable answers to prayers. Members strive to be positive in attitude, firm in conviction, helpful in relationship, and unwavering in faith. This sounds like heaven on earth. Who would not like to dwell in God s light 24/7? (Taylor, p. 7-8) But no one can do this, not even the most spiritual among us! So when darkness is mentioned in one of its many apparently sinister forms, we By The Rev. Paul Graves [elderadvocates@nctv.com] LEARNING TO IN THE try to chase the evil, dark boogey-men away with our prayers, incantations, and well-intended denial. Yet once again, Psalm 139 confronts us with It s a fact: darkness isn t dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they re all the same to you. How in the name of the prince of darkness can that be? Could it be that all this time, darkness has gotten a very bad reputation? Barbara Brown Taylor certainly thinks so. Countless spiritual leaders from most major world religions have thought so (including Jesus, folks!). Could it be that the evil called darkness is another form of religious manipulation put in place because: 1) primitive spirituality honestly thought of darkness as the absence of God; and 2) centuries of religious leaders in all religions found and still find darkness a great tool to keep their power by scaring their followers? If you have any desire to learn so much more about the healing qualities of darkness both around you and inside you please consider buying Learning to Walk in the Dark. I found it an almost can t-put-down book. Taylor shares powerful reflections and commentaries about the friendly power of darkness. She shares incredible stories of the dark like her experience in Atlanta some years ago, going through an interactive exhibit called Dialogue in the Dark. She and a limited number of people spent time in total darkness, guided only by a blind guide, Dolores. She learned much about her fears of the dark and the power of her spirit in the dark in that encounter. Later in the book, she tells an extensive and powerful story of being guided through parts of the 40-mile Organ Cave in West Virginia. Her guides again gave her an opportunity to engage her inner God-spirit within the darkest darkness she had ever known. Taylor s mastery of poetic, metaphorical language also opened up my own curiosity about darkness as a friend in ways I am eager to explore further. I invite you to challenge your own fear of the dark through this book. Paradoxically, I think it light up your life! The Rev. Paul Graves serves as the chair for the Conference Council on Older Adult Ministries for the PNWUMC. August 2014 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 10 United Methodist Day at Cheney Stadium 24 Inland District Moran UMC Western Methodist Justice Movement (WMJM) Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center, Lake Tahoe September 2014 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 31 1 Western Methodist Justice Movement (WMJM) Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center, Lake Tahoe Conference Council on Youth Redmond United Methodist Church Certified Lay Minister (CLM) Intensive Training Greater Northwest Episcopal Red Lion Hotel Portland Airport Labor Day (The Conference Office is Closed.) Fall Leadership Retreat GreaterNW Menucha Retreat Center Ministry Internship PNWUMC Board of Congregational PNWUMC Annual Conference Planning/Design PNWUMC Board of PNWUMC Western Methodist Justice Movement (WMJM) Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center, Lake Tahoe Introduction to Messy Church with Nicole Tumwater UMC Conference Council on Youth Redmond United Methodist Church Christ & Cascadia Seattle First United Methodist Church Certified Lay Minister (CLM) Intensive Training Greater Northwest Episcopal Area Channels 74 Insights Calendar August

9 The monthly, award-winning publication of The Pacific Northwest Conference of The United Methodist Church Resident Bishop Grant J. Hagiya Executive Director of Connectional Ministries The Rev. David Valera Director of Communications, Young People s Ministries Patrick Scriven Office Manager Anna Conklin PRINT & Publications Manager Jesse N. Love Copy Editors Gretchen Engle, et. al. CONTRIBUTORS Dave Reinholz, Barbara Dadd Shaffer, Joan Hackett, Janjay Innis, Cathy Raymond, the Rev. Wally Snook, Ellen Johanson, the Rev. Shalom Agtarap, and the Rev. Paul Graves. Special Thanks Hope for the Children of Africa & Jamaa Letu, Mission u, and the Wesleyan Covenant Connection. Channels is a monthly publication of the Office of Connectional Ministries, The Pacific Northwest Conference of The United Methodist Church, 816 S. 216 th Street, Building 2, P.O. Box 13650, Des Moines, WA Channels is also available for download at For any photo or article contributions, questions, comments, or letters to the editor, channels@pnwumc. org Submissions are due by the 1st of each month for publication the following month All submissions are reviewed by members of the Office of Connectional Ministries and the Staff of the PNWUMC We reserve the right to reuse, modify, or decline any contribution to this publication The opinions expressed in Channels may or may not reflect the views of the producers of this publication, the PNWUMC or The United Methodist Church Please give courtesy credit(s) when reprinting articles or photos from Channels. Let us be good stewards of the earth; please recycle.