February 2019 FEBRUARY. DEACON OF THE MONTH Betty Scott (360) FISH FOOD Pasta & Pasta Sauces. Published Monthly. Happy Days!

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Candace Scott
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Sweetheart Banquet or if I m just being particularly nostalgic, but I ve been thinking a lot about when life was more simple.

1 February 2019 Published Monthly Happy Days! FEBRUARY DEACON OF THE MONTH Betty Scott (360) FISH FOOD Pasta & Pasta Sauces I don t know if its because my office is cluttered with 1950 s stuff in preparation for this weekend s Sweetheart Banquet or if I m just being particularly nostalgic, but I ve been thinking a lot about when life was more simple. Remember when we had to use rotary dial phones to call our friends and if they weren t there we d have to leave messages with whoever answered the phone? Or remember how we couldn t wait for the Sears and Roebuck catalogue to come out with the latest toys or fashions? And then we had to wait weeks or months until our orders arrived by mail? Nowadays, we carry our mobile offices and computers in our pockets (i.e. cellphone). We can literally be accessed 24/7 365 days a year. And thanks to the internet, we can research new products, purchase them online, and even have them delivered to our doorsteps the very next day. It s crazy how things have changed. To be honest there are times when I wish we could go back more simple lifestyles. The 1950 s, though a bit before my time, sure seem pretty idyllic. Poodle skirts and ducktail hairstyles. Drive-in movies. Dick Clark and American Bandstand. Muscle cars. Root Beer Floats and Burgers. It all seems just too good to be true. And yet as good as it might have been and as cherished as our memories are, we can never go back. Those Happy Days are gone. We can only press on, embrace what is, and look forward to what will be. The Apostle Paul encouraged believers in Philippi to do just that. He said, give thanks to God for the past, forget what is behind, and strain toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-15 Solve the Riddle Name an eight letter word That has kst in the middle, in the beginning, and at the end. Stumped? See page 5 for the answer. As you enjoy reading this month s Bell, try to find the hidden cross. This is a very important word for us in the church today because many of us remember when church life, programs, and ministry were more simple and at the center of all things. While we once ministered with the notion If you build it, they will come, the truth is that that notion no longer holds true in our Post Christendom culture. Instead, the Church needs to reframe, reimagine and retool to meet the needs of today and tomorrow, not five, ten, fifteen, twenty, or fifty years ago. What if instead we ministered with the notion, If God is at work in our community, we will go? How might that change the way we do church? Reframing is not always an easy thing because it requires us to let go of something that we loved and strain toward something new, uncertain, and unknown that is ahead. As we begin our 40th year of ministry at Cascades, may we keep this ideal in mind. God is calling us to join him in the work that he is doing around us. As we answer that call we will be blessed with fresh expressions of what church could become and we will win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. Come, Be Fed, Be SENT! Rev. Dr. Chris Montovino, Pastor

Page 2 SWEETHEART BANQUET Sweetheart Banquet 50 s Sock Hop February 2 @ 6:00pm Wear your favorite poodle skirt or greaser clothes and enjoy a fabulous dinner sponsored by the youth.

HOW DO PEOPLE START COMING TO CHURCH The following statistics were recently reported in the January/ February 2019 Edition of Presbyterians Today on how people start coming to church.

2% - Advertising What this shows is that a personal invitation has more power than a newspaper advertisement in a person s decision to come to church.

key factors in deciding to check us out. So the question remains Who are we inviting? LET S STOP HOMELESSNESS NOW!

Families in need can request a one time grant to help cover up to 25% of their housing costs.

2 Page 2 SWEETHEART BANQUET Sweetheart Banquet 50 s Sock Hop February 6:00pm Wear your favorite poodle skirt or greaser clothes and enjoy a fabulous dinner sponsored by the youth. This is a fundraiser for our campership program so they can attend camp. HOW DO PEOPLE START COMING TO CHURCH The following statistics were recently reported in the January/ February 2019 Edition of Presbyterians Today on how people start coming to church. 86% - A friend invited me. 6% - Church members visited me. 6% - The pastor asked me. 2% - Advertising What this shows is that a personal invitation has more power than a newspaper advertisement in a person s decision to come to church. Interestingly, in our Growing in Faith Together New Members Class, each of the participants reported that Cascades website, the Welcome Video, and listening to the pastor s online sermons were also key factors in deciding to check us out. So the question remains Who are we inviting? LET S STOP HOMELESSNESS NOW! One of the ways that Cascades is preventing homelessness is through partnering with the Council for the Homeless and the Evergreen and Vancouver School Districts to create the Housing Stability Fund. Families in need can request a one time grant to help cover up to 25% of their housing costs. During the school year, this fund provided assistance to 131 families or 357 kids at an average cost of $277 per family. Cascades is helping keep families housed which breaks the cycle of poverty from trickling down to their children. We hope to expand our reach soon to Battle Ground School District families too. Praise God!!! daily Devotions Relating to God Feb 1 Luke 4:21-24 Feb 2 Luke 4:25-30 Daring Disciples Feb 3 Isaiah 6:1-8 Feb 4 Isaiah 6:1-8 Feb 5 Psalm 138 Feb 6 Psalm 138 Feb 7 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Feb 8 Luke 5:1-11 Feb 9 Luke 5:1-11 Listening for God Feb 10 Jeremiah 17:5-10 Feb 11 Jeremiah 17:10 Feb 12 Luke 6:17 Feb 13 Luke 6:21b Feb 14 Luke 6:22 Feb 15 Psalm 1:1 Feb 16 1 Corinthians 15:20 Giving Feb 17 Luke 6:17-31 Feb 18 Luke 6:1-6 Feb 19 Luke 6:32-38 Feb 20 Luke 13:18-22 Feb 21 Titus 3:309 Feb 22 1 Kings 17:8-16 Feb 23 Matthew 7:7-13 Hard Questions, Easy Answers? Feb 24 Genesis 1:1-5 Feb 25 1 John 4:7-12 Feb 26 Psalm 8:3-8 Feb 27 Micah 6:6-8 Feb 28 Isaiah 51:3-6

3 Page 3 YOUTH GROUP In December, Cascades Youth Group had a Gingerbread Decorating Contest. Fashioned after the Food Network s cooking contests, teams were given materials and time limits to create their masterpieces. At various time intervals to up the pressure and intensity, new materials were introduced that the teams had to incorporate into their designs. Competition was stiff among the three houses. The Congregation was given opportunity to vote on the best in show. The winning entry is shown here! Prize: Pizza Party for the Entire Youth Group!!! WOMEN S BIBLE STUDY Monday s Beginning February 25 9:30am-11:00am. The women of Cascades are invited to participate in an 8-week Bible Study We will study together Laurie Polich Short s powerful book When Changing Nothing Changes Everything: The Power of Reframing. She provides new eyes" for viewing past and present life situations by challenging us to view our circumstances through alternate lenses. She reminds us about the power of perspective and offers hope as we seek to live fully in our faith and in the realities of our lives. Please order the book through Amazon or a local bookstore and bring to the first class. Study materials will be provided each week in class along with a short video lesson and discussion. Growing in our faith is enhanced by being part of a learning and caring community. Please consider being part of this study. Even if travel or other plans limit your ability to attend each week, join us for the weeks that you are able. If you have questions, contact Dian Poujade ( ). SESSION NOTES Session began with a lesson from Theoacademy on The Councils of the Church. We learned the Church exists for preaching the Word of God, administering sacraments, discipline and nurture of God s people, and mission. Session is to pray, debate, discern the mind of Christ, and listen for God s call to service the church and the community. Presbytery exists to support the congregations in their missions. Synod is to support the Presbyteries and General Assembly the entire Church. This focus really helped us frame some of our thinking as we finalized priorities for the 2019 Budget. Discussed Winter Housing Overflow Shelter volunteer shortages and why it is becoming increasing more challenging to recruit. Reported on meeting with Presbyterian Foundation about when/how/why to create a permanent endowment fund. Kitchen remodel planning group is underway. Talked about possible Craft Fair on a Saturday in the spring for anyone wanting to sell craft goods for their Parable of the Talents Challenge. Beginning discussions on what a Young Life Church Partnership could look like for the new youth director position. Talked about coordination challenges regarding many outside groups using church facilities and the need to exhibit grace with accountability. Set Annual Meeting of the Congregation for January 27, 2019 to set pastoral terms of call and receive 2019 budget. Some closing thoughts: Session feels called to be a blessing and equipping entity (not a dictating one) which frees people to do the ministry God has put on their hearts. This means we encourage people to run with their ideas and not try to figure it out for them. Where God calls, God provides! Lots to celebrate in the 2018 Annual Report. Many signs of growth and life. All is well!

Page 4 A NOTE OF THANKS On behalf of families and students of Evergreen Public Schools, I want to thankyou and your congregation for the amazing show of generosity.

John Steach, EPS Superintendent Thank you for the generous donation to the Housing Relief Fund in support of families in Evergreen Public Schools.

4 Page 4 A NOTE OF THANKS On behalf of families and students of Evergreen Public Schools, I want to thankyou and your congregation for the amazing show of generosity. Your gifts will help provide stability and basic needs to help children better focus on their learning and future. John Steach, EPS Superintendent Thank you for the generous donation to the Housing Relief Fund in support of families in Evergreen Public Schools. Words cannot express how grateful we are for your continued support. Melanie Green CASCADES & NEW HOPE OPPORTUNITIES Since 1998, New Hope Opportunities in San Pedro Sula, Honduras has been and still is asking the question: What do people of Honduras really need? They offer hopelife it s what they do every day to help every students through Education, Love, and Hope. Education: They offer academic and vocational training through government certified curriculum, with every course enhanced with Biblical training. Each student is taught a trade that is sure to impact their future. Love: They believe that the best way to educate is to present knowledge with love. It s not just about teaching subjects, but sharing Christ s love and concern for their lives. Hope: Their goal is to bring hope to every student whether they are children, youth or adults. This hope is founded in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Their facility in Honduras is a 15,000 square foot warehouse they took possession of in January 2006 and transformed through a progression of miracles into what the community calls The Hope Building. It is host to Hope Vocation Technical Institute, Hope School, CHICO their library and after school mentoring/tutoring program, IHER and Hope Ministries their community impact ministry. Honduras is located in Central America and is considered by many to be an unsafe place to visit. People often have a fear of things they have not experienced. I have already experienced visiting the Hope Building. I was aware of the possible dangers, but knew this was an opportunity to see first hand what God is doing through this mission for our poorest of the poor brothers and sisters. It was a life changing experience for me and I can t wait to bring Pastor Chris, Jordan Montovino and Madelyn Hartrim-Lowe to visit this March. For 20 years, New Hope Opportunities has been taking teams to Honduras. The majority of these teams have been youth teams from many different churches in the United States. Team members have even brought their children. In all that time, they have never had an incident. Teams stay inside the facility, eat at the facility, and are escorted to and from the facility. Their facility has security 24 hours a day and are selective where they take team members. It will be Pastor Chris and the girls first opportunity to see God at work through New Hope. Thank you to everyone for all of your support. We have received donations of over $4700 to help pay for the costs of this mission trip and possibly be a seed for any future mission trips to the Hope Building. Another opportunity to make a difference will be to be a child sponsor. Information will be coming soon. I can t wait to see what God has in store for us on this new mission adventure. Janet Van Fleet, Elder for Mission and Peace

5 Page 5 CALENDAR Nancy Bisbee Noah Blinsman Steve Blinsman Teresa Blinsman Devon Chandler Clara Hickok Kara Kent Jerry Noland Jeremy Schaeffer Ron & Rosan Alvey Beth Anderson Gordon & Carolynn Zenk Don t see your name? Contact the church office to add your birthday or anniversary! FINANCE DECEMBER 2018 Income $23, Expenses $18, Total $ 4, Year to Date 2018 ($12,946.64) Synod Loan Balance as of December 31, 2018 Feb 2 10:00am Yarn Ministry 6:00pm Sweetheart Banquet Sock Hop Feb 3 9:00am Pancake Breakfast/ 9:00am Growing in Faith Together Class 5:30pm Parenting with Love & Logic Feb 5 1:00pm Quilting Ministry Feb 6 6:30pm Worship Team Practice Feb 7 7:00pm Choir Practice Feb 9 10:00am Yarn Ministry 5:30pm Game Night Feb 10 9:00am Sunday School All Ages 9:55am Fellowship 11:30am Top of the Hill Potluck Feb 12 1:00pm Prayer Quilt Ministry Feb 13 6:30pm Worship Team Practice Feb 14 7:00pm Choir Practice Feb 16 10:00am Yarn Ministry Feb 17 9:00am Sunday School All Ages 9:55am Fellowship Feb 18 Office Closed President s Day Feb 19 1:00pm Prayer Quilt Ministry Feb 20 6:30pm Worship Team Practice Feb 21 7:00pm Choir Practice Feb 23 10:00am Yarn Ministry Feb 24 9:00am Sunday School All Ages 9:55am Fellowship Feb 25 9:30am Women s Bible Study Feb 26 1:00pm Quilting Ministry Feb 27 6:30pm Worship Team Practice Feb 28 7:00pm Choir Practice $571, Answer: Inkstand - kst is in the middle. "In" is the beginning, and "and" ends the word.

PLEASE PLACE STAMP HERE R ETURN S ERVICE R EQUESTED 9503 NE 86th St Vancouver, WA 98662 (360) 892-6613 office@caspres.

6 PLEASE PLACE STAMP HERE R ETURN S ERVICE R EQUESTED 9503 NE 86th St Vancouver, WA (360) office@caspres.org SWEETHEART BANQUET Feb 6:00pm YARN MINISTRY Feb 10:00am GAME NIGHT Feb 5:30pm TOP OF THE HILL Feb 10 following worship. WOMEN S BIBLE STUDY Monday s beginning Feb 25 9:30-Noon WEEKLY WORSHIP SCHEDULE 9:00-9:55am Sunday School 9:55-10:15am Fellowship 10:15-11:30am Worship Service

November 2018 NOVEMBER. DEACON OF THE MONTH Sue Holcomb (360) FISH FOOD Soups, Stews, Chili. Published Monthly

November 2018 NOVEMBER. DEACON OF THE MONTH Sue Holcomb (360) FISH FOOD Soups, Stews, Chili. Published Monthly November 2018 Published Monthly NOVEMBER DEACON OF THE MONTH Sue Holcomb (360) 892-3651 FISH FOOD Soups, Stews, Chili November 4 @ 2:00am The other day I was sitting on a bench outside Silver Star Elementary