CIRCUIT RIDER FIRST CHURCH PICNIC FIRST CHURCH 8:30 AM CHAPEL 10:30 AM SANCTUARY. First United Methodist Church of Portland

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1 First United Methodist Church of Portland CIRCUIT RIDER July 19, 2017 Volume 23, Issue 15 FIRST CHURCH *NEW* SUNDAY ADULT CLASS 8:30 AM CHAPEL 10:30 AM SANCTUARY AS A PEACE CHURCH we declare that we will be an advocate for peace in our local communities and world. AS A RECONCILING CONGREGATION all are welcome to participate in the full life of the church, including all races, abilities, ages, classes, gender identities, and sexual orientations. AS A CREATION CARE CONGREGATION we advocate for lifestyles and social policies which bring healing and renewal to our precious Earth. REGISTER AT FUMCPDX.ORG/KIDSCAMP/ KIDS DAY CAMP MONDAY FRIDAY, AUGUST Children Pre K through completed 6th grade are invited to take part in a fun week filled with learning, play, songs, and creativity. Registration for a half day camp or a full day camp is available. Continued on page 3 FIRST CHURCH PICNIC Saturday August am Beaverton Park & Farmer s Market All First Church families & friends are invited to attend a fun day in the sun. The park provides a playground area with swings, slides, etc. as well as a splash pad. Bring swimsuits/water-wear if you would like to play in the water. Families can choose to bring a picnic lunch for their family or explore the food carts and booths at the Beaverton Farmer s Market.

2 From the Minister of Discipleship UNCOVER YOUR INNER HERO Spending these last three weeks at First Church has been one of the delights of my life. I get to consistently meet people who feel a call or focus in their life toward love, peace, and action. I hear people working on identifying God in their life. We are called to be something greater than our purely feral or automatic states. We can choose to self-develop, or rather, to co-create ourselves with God. Paul's letter to the Colossians (chapter 3) describes some of the character traits God's people work to develop. They display compassion, kindness, and patience. Their hearts are soft with meekness and humility while they have the strength of character and clarity of vision to "teach and admonish one another in all wisdom". Real life super heroes aren't aliens from another planet or billionaires with a lot of time to kill. There are (to the best of my knowledge) no light sabers, radioactive spiders, or telekinesis of any kind. In our imminent universe, superpowers lie in the quality of our character, the strength of our will, our ability to muster solidarity, and in the kind of connective love that makes difficult jobs joyful and fulfilling. Through the activity of selfdevelopment we become the closest thing this world has to a super hero: a person with a unique gift and a clear mission based on a shared set of values that applies to today while transcending our time and culture. Does this idea inspires your heart? First Church is a community here to help you find your calling. The burden is light (Matt. 11:29) and a joy to carry. Together, let's uncover the superhero living inside of you! Faithfully, Rev. Josh Page 2

3 PRAYERS FELLOWSHIP OUTREACH PRAYERS OF CELEBRATION Lauralai Stephens, daughter of Marie and Chris Stephens, was baptized on Sunday, July 16 during the 10:30 am service.. The marriage of David Stearns, son of Frey and Doug Stearns The impending marriage of John Allan (Richard Allan s son) to Sarah Goff (daughter of John and Kathy Goff) on July 22. John and Sarah met here at First Church. PRAYERS OF SYMPATHY Family and friends of Frances Adams upon her death last week. Frances joined the church in September of 1950, and was an integral part of the church and Portland. community. A memorial service for Frances will be held at First Church in the chapel on Thursday, August 3 at 1pm Family and friends of Ellen Zeller upon her death last week. Ellen is the mother of Paul Ingram. CONTINUED PRAYERS Gwyneth Rochlin Karen Bleything Katie Schmidt Jenny Anderson Mary Ann Talbott Dave Mills Alexander Varner FAMILY BACKYARD BBQ July 29 4 pm Home of Pete Klimecky & Allison Caruthers All First Church families are invited to attend a potluck BBQ. Bring a dish and come ready to play games, meet other first church families, and enjoy an afternoon of relaxation in the sun. For more information and directions contact Megan Jones at mjones@ fumcpdx.org. KIDS DAY CAMP CONTINUED... August Our HALF DAY camp, 9:00 am Noon, is a FREE camp located at FUMC. Students will participate in fun rotations, much like the style of a typical vacation bible school, with bible party, music, creative station, games and snacks, etc. The ALL DAY camp, 9:00 am 5:00 pm will begin with VBS, followed by lunch and an afternoon field trip. Our field trip locations will include The Oregon Zoo, the Children s Museum, Playdate PDX, Glowing Greens, and a Friday movie. The cost for the full day camp is $20 per day. For both of our camps, attending every day is encouraged, but not required. Registration forms are available in the church office or online at fumcpdx.org/kidscamp/ YOUTH MISSION TRIP TO SMITH RIVER CA August 5-12, 2017 Several of our youth and youth volunteers will be travelling to Smith River, CA to join the many groups volunteering through Sierra Service Projects this summer. Students will be divided into teams, working on construction based projects, learning new skills, and making new friends. If you would like to learn more about this trip, or make a contribution towards the cost, please contact Megan at mjones@fumcpdx.org. FUNDRAISING FOR MTI DENTAL VAN Church & Society is raising funds to support our partnership with Medical Teams International that will bring its Mobile Dental Van to First Church four times a year. This program will provide access to vital dental care for those in need in our community, including guests of the Goose Hollow Family Shelter. You can contribute by: Cash or check using the donation envelopes found in the pews during worship service (designate to Church & Society), or by visiting our table during Coffee Hour in Collins Hall on July 23rd. By credit card using the secure payment portal on First Church s website designating Church & Society for your donation. Page 3

4 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF PORTLAND CIRCUIT RIDER THE CIRCUIT RIDER is a publication of First United Methodist Church, 1838 SW Jefferson St, Portland, OR NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID PORTLAND OR Permit No Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Portland, OR Permit No The Circuit Rider can be ed to you. the church office at office@fumcpdx.org to request it by . Address Service Requested School Supply Drive SUNDAYS, AUGUST 13, 20 & 27 Families in Action will be collecting school supplies to assist local Portland Schools and PHFS families. Supplies will be collected and distributed to teachers to be handed out to students as needed. See the collection table in the Narthex starting August 13.

5 UNDERSTANDING THE CHURCH S FINANCES FOCUSING ON THE PERMANENT ENDOWMENT FUND All of us are familiar with the church s annual pledge drive and its importance to generating financial support for the church s ministry and its program. That is seen in the fact that our contributions in the form of pledge payments and other offerings provide 75% of the financial support to underwrite the church s annual budget. It is likely, however, that few of us have much knowledge about the church s endowment funds and the role that they play in the church s financial picture, and this article and others to come over the next few months will help to explain that aspect of our church s financial picture. Over the past fifty years, through the generosity of its members and friends, First United Methodist Church has developed a series of funds which today have a combined value of $3 million. Those funds include endowment funds, trust funds, and others, and the earnings from those funds are used to support the church s operations and its programs. In the church s budget for 2017, these funds are providing 12% of the income to support the church s activities. (The remaining component of income other than contributions for the church s budget comes from facility use fees and other forms of income.) The funds are managed by the church s Board of Trustees, following the legal guidelines established by the State of Oregon s Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act. When a fund is created, a statement of objectives for the fund is written, following the instructions of the donor, and that statement then guides the Board of Trustees in how the future earnings from the fund are to be spent. The largest of the funds is the Permanent Endowment Fund (PEF), which has as its objective to generate current income to provide maintenance for church facilities, as well as other outlays that the Trustees may deem appropriate. The PEF was created in 1966 when the church received a bequest of $75,000 from the estate of Truman W. Collins, and since that time, additional contributions amounting to a total of $2.1 million have been added to the fund. Over the years the investments which have been made with those contributions have generated income over $5 million to support the maintenance of the church s facilities, as well as additional operation support. Only the income from the fund has been spent, leaving the principal of the PEF available to provide on-going support to the church for the future. As additional contributions are received, the fund s ability to provide significant support to the church s program should continue in perpetuity. Other funds comprising the church s endowment funds will be the focus of future articles, and your gifts to these funds are welcomed. Additional contributions are an excellent manner of memorializing an individual, and they are a lasting contribution to the continuing growth of this church s programs and influence in the community. If you have any questions about the church s endowment funds and how you can contribute to them, please contact Donna Pritchard, Senior Pastor, Liz Temple, Church Administrator, or Bill Haden, Chair of the Board of Trustees. Information compliled by Larry Richards, Board of Trustees Treasurer