Sermon Series. May Our Towards a Community of Grace series is an opportunity for us to look at themes we often don t address in the church.

Transcription

1 hevoice May 2018 Sermon Series Our Towards a Community of Grace series is an opportunity for us to look at themes we often don t address in the church. On April 29, Larry will preaching on The Repeal of the Johnson Act. On May 6, Cathy Wirt will be here to speak on The Care and Feeding of Ministers. On May 13, Bernice Cintron will speak about her work with new congregations. On May 20, Pentecost, Larry will be preaching on Church Membership and asking everyone to identify their membership status. On May 27, Larry will be preaching on The Shaming of the Poor. On June 1, Karyn will be preaching on Intercessory Prayer. On June 10, Larry will be preaching on Worship. Regional Assembly is coming up May 18-19th. You are invited to Regional Assembly, a gathering of the Christian Church of Oregon and SW Idaho congregations and friend. Regional Assembly will take place at Portland First Christian Church and features keynote speakers and presenters, including Timothy James, Blanca Puma, and Sandhya Jha. Please see inside for more information. The Voice is a monthly publication of Murray Hills Christian Church (DoC) and is published usually on the last Wednesday of the month for the following month. Murray Hills Christian Church SW Weir Rd. Beaverton, OR (503) murray.hills@comcast.net 1

2 SNOWFLAKES Dr. Larry Snow Disciples Seminary Foundation In a couple of weeks I ll be gone to attend the spring meeting of Trustees for the Disciples Seminary Foundation. It should be an exciting meeting. Next fall more than 25 Latino/a church leaders from the Portland area will beginning the 2 yr, Spanish language program, which results in a Certificate in Ministerial Studies. That doubles the number of people in this program. The story of DSF goes on and on like that. This is going to be time of growth, and expansion in which DSF is able to offer ministerial training to more and more people in more and more places. The current financial status of DSF are pretty interesting. Over 50 years DSF has managed to accumulate approximately 12 million dollars which is currently invested with Christian Church Foundation. From that investment DSF can expect to receive approximately $600,000 which funds the salaries and operation of DSF and which provides 40% scholarships to approximately 140 Disciple and UCC men and women attending one of the 4 affiliated seminaries on the west coast. That has put DSF into a negative financial position in which we are spending more than we receive which the Board of Trustees has done intentionally because it is believed that what the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) needs most right now is young seminary trained men and women even if it causes financial troubles down the road. 2

3 Musings Rev. Karyn Dix It is May. Which means that along with everything else I am busy ready books and Articles for my Doctoral courses. This spring it has been an exceptionally heavy ready load. On Mother s Day, May 13 th I will be heading off for my last set of spring courses. The first week is a writing course, which hopefully, will result in having an initial draft of my Doctoral Project Proposal which is due this October. My second course is Decolonial Thought and Decolonial Theology. The reading for this course is really challenging me to think about our Global history through lenses that I have never thought of before. It is very interesting reading and I am looking forward to the class discussions. Every time I head to Texas for these courses I find myself feeling grateful. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue my theological education when I know that so many of the people I attended seminary have not had this opportunity. And I am grateful to all of you. Both for allowing me to be gone for my coursework as well as all the support I get from you while I am here. I know that not all churches feel that encouraging their clergy to work on Post-graduate work is beneficial to them. I am lucky to be in a church that values this education and supports it s clergy. When I return it will be time to get ready for the summer, and as usual, it is going to be a busy summer around the church. I love being part of f church that has so much going on not only all week long, but also all year long. 3

4 And The Beat Goes On Notes from the Director of Music Ministries I am looking out my office window at green leaves and vibrant flowers and feeling pretty mellow. It s been a fabulous year so far. I couldn t be happier with the hard work of all our musicians and the gracious welcome the congregation has offered each time we come together. It feels to me as if we are succeeding at creating strong bonds of community and service between musicians and with the congregation. As we begin the merry month of May, many of your handbell musicians will be off to a workshop Siskiyou Summit Handbell Conference in Ashland, Oregon. They will work together with around 100 musicians making music together, taking classes and enjoying the wider community of handbell musicians from Oregon, California and Nevada. All of us, Faith, Hope and Love, the choir and Cheryl, are hard at work putting finishing touches on our music for the upcoming Towards a Community of Grace sermon series. We ve chosen some wonderful hymns, anthems and scores for worship and are eager to share that time with you. Mark your calendar for June 17. Your family of musicians will kick off the summer worship series with a Music and Worship service at 10 am. ARE YOU A PERCUSSIONIST? We occasionally need someone to play Latin or African rhythm instruments. Interested? Please jet me an (ellie.hodder@comcast.net). WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN A SPECIAL CLASS IN THE FALL? Ukulele 101? Recorder Ensemble? African Marimba for beginners? Saturday mornings? Monday evenings? Let me know your interests so I can plan for some fall special projects. Wishing you a most joyous Spring! Best, Ellie 4

5 Our kids are nearing the end of their Deep Blue Sunday School adventure. They will be traveling with Paul and Silias as well as Lydia. On Pentecost Sunday, when we are talking about Church Membership in worship our cur children will be learning about Pentecost and the beginnings of the church The youth worked hard on the auction. Now, it is time for them to get ready for the mission trips and plan worship for when they return. Of course there is always some time for fun. Important dates this month: May 6 Middle School cooks at the Tigard Good Neighbor Center May 29 th Movie Night Kids have been registering and we are getting things in place for out Peace Lab VBS! VBS is August 6-10 from 9 to noon. Please let Katie or Karyn know if you can volunteer this year at VBS! Police Rest Stop Last month, one of the Girl Scout troops refreshed/ reorganized the Police Rest Stop. This month there are more changes coming! The City of Beaverton is working with us to put in a work station in the Rest Stop for officers. The work station will allow officers to access their computers easier and follow up on reports, etc. 5

6 6

7 Experiencing Prayer Together Tuesdays at 6:30 Spiritual Formation Library Our next Family Promise week is May 27-June 2. Please contact Sharon Jarman with any questions! May 7 Walking Prayer Using the Labyrinth May 14 Lectio Devina May 21 Praying in Color May 29th Prayer of Examen Summer Worship Begins June 17 This summer we will again be moving to one worship service at 10 am. June 17 th will be Music Appreciation Sunday. Then on June 24 Martha Cook will be talking about Food Ministry. The rest of the summer worship and the sermons will be focused on the Sermon on the Mount. It is going to be a great summer! Peggy Denfeld May 1 Wallace Prowell May 1 Larry Snow May 1 Addison Soon May 3 Doug Wirt May 3 Sally Higgs May 4 Sam Eide May 5 Mary Bartland May 6 Kay Merrill May 6 Loren Sturgill May 7 Abigail Eide May 8 Mitzi Bodine May 10 Lynda McCord May 12 Emily Dewey May 13 Madeline Brady May 14 Devin Vance May 15 Lisa Hobson May 17 Carole Shick May 18 Susan Norris May 19 Laurie Sturgill May 20 Marion Gudgel May 22 Martin Moore May 22 Linda Brown May 25 Gary Denfeld May 25 Betty Bittinger May 27 Ryan Denfeld May 30 Bonnie Vance May 30 David Kovachevich May 31 7

8 Hightimers We hope you will plan to join us for lunch on Sunday, May 6th after the 11:00 worship at Yen's Chinese SW Main St, Tigard. Please let the Prowell s know if you can join for an advance head count. Thanks! First quarter of 2018: 379 families, 123 volunteers, 930 volunteer hours, 32,671 lbs of food. Ending Balance as of March 31, 2018: $19, Food Ministry Sunday June 24th: Martha Cook will be giving a sermon on Feeding the Hungry. We invite you to stay for lunch after the service. We will also have our various food ministry partners here that will provide information or answer questions. We have entered into an agreement with Fairhaven Recovery Homes to provide food boxes to 20 families per month. Thank you to the Carlton family for including us in their donation requests for anyone wanting to make a gift in Mark s name. Quilts For Kids Next meeting will be May 10th at 9:30 am Alzheimer s Support Next meeting will be May 9th at 6:00 pm Foot Clinic Next Foot Clinic is Saturday, May5th : 10am-noon The Needlers meet every Wednesday from 1-3 pm in the Fellowship Hall. 8

9 Have you ever wondered what makes the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) unique? Have you ever wondered where we came from and why we exist? Come find out. On Sunday mornings, during the Sunday School hour Larry is going to be teaching a 4-week class on Disciples identity and mission. This class uses a video-based curriculum that leaves lots of room for discussion and questions. Sunday mornings, 10 a.m., May 6, 13, & 20, in the Omega Classroom next to Larry s office. There has been much talk about the security of the church these days (with gun violence being reported on more and more in the news). We take the safety of everyone in the church very seriously and are always looking at security options. After attending a webinar on church safety it seems like the next steps we should be taking right now is to put together a Church Safety Team. This team will meet for about 10 minutes once a month to address safety issues. If this is something you are interested in please send an to the church office expressing your interest. The Evangelism-Fellowship Development Team has been meeting, and working on plans of ministry opportunities. The team has been looking at ways to minister to our members & visitors at worship services. They ask your continued prayer of support as they work on the opportunities of ministry that may be presented. The team noted a task that needed help. There were no greeters to hand out bulletins. The diaconate volunteered to do such. Express your THANKS to the diaconate members! Bodywork Classes Available Bodywork is an approach to wholeness that uses a massage table, and most commonly, light touch. Rosen Method Bodywork uses safe, respectful touch and collaborative dialogue to make you aware of how and where you hold tension and restrict breathing. Marion Rosen developed the Rosen Method Movement classes to support ease in physical activity and to reinforce the new patterns that emerge while on the table. As a Rosen Method Bodywork intern, I am offering a community service to Murray Hills Christian Church. A Movement Class will also be coming soon. Learn more about the Rosen Method at: Contact me for an appointment at or 9 Teri Jaeger Oregon LMT # 22157

10 10

11 Friends, We have reached a point as a congregation where we need to know who considers themselves members. Below, you ll find a response form where you can let us know your name and how you want us to consider you. We need the forms returned to us, in one form or another by Pentecost on May 20. On the one hand this is about who wants to be able to vote at congregational meetings. On the other hand it looks to me a lot like a covenantal relationship; kind of like a marriage. At weddings couples make promises to each other such as to love and honor each other till death do us part. These promises really can t be enforced but they are promises sincerely made to each other. It s the same way with church membership in which you and the congregation make promises to each other; unenforceable promises; but promises sincerely offered. The congregation promises to welcome, love and support you. The congregation promises to help you better understand the love of God. And you promise your love, support, money and time and to work at better understanding the love of God. Please help us with this project. About Being a Member Of Murray Hills Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) If you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior and want to become a part of those who worship at Murray Hills Christian Church we promise you; acceptance it s our calling to welcome all people, opportunities to be of service to this congregation and to the world as we seek to continue the ministry that Jesus began, help in further understanding God and God s work in your life, opportunities for the worship of God, and a church family that will walk with you on your journey through life. If you become a part of the body of Christ called Murray Hills Christian Church we invite you to be our companion in the journey to explore how MHCC can witness for Christ in this time and place. We encourage you to participate in our activities as we seek to make the Kingdom of God more real to the world. Being a member of this congregation means that you will the activities of this church important in your life; even the called meetings of the congregation at which you will be asked to vote. We are an active congregation serving God in a multitude of ways. We anticipate you ll want to be part of that. We hope you will share with us your time, abilities and resources to strengthen what we do as a church. You ll have lots of opportunities to choose from and we ll let you make the decision about what you d like to do. We won t ever tell you what you have to do or how much money to contribute but we believe that you can make us a stronger congregation and strengthen our witness in the world We hope that you ll really be a part of the congregation be engaged --to know the members of this church and to let them know you. We encourage you to participate in the spiritual formation activities through the church, and through individual activities, striving to become more like Christ. We encourage you to take responsibility for your own education and nurture and to share your wisdom with others to bring wholeness to your life and to a fragmented world. We believe that is what it means to be part of a church; sharing what we have and working together to be the feet and hands of Christ in the world. We pray that we can be a help and support to you as you follow Christ. If you have questions please feel free to contact us 11

12 12

13 13

14 Murray Hills Christian Church SW Weir Rd. Beaverton, OR Phone: (503) PLEASE PLACE STAMP HERE 14