Sherwood United Methodist Church Reaching out to the hungry: in body or spirit December 2015 The United Methodist Church is called to be a community, diverse and united in God s saving love, sent out in vital life-giving ministry for and with Jesus Christ. The Leadership Team has been dedicating a meeting every month to reflecting on our vision for ministry at Sherwood United Methodist Church. While we are still in the midst of that process one thing which has become very clear to us is that we are known as the church that feeds people and this deserved reputation is a key factor in deciding where we should place our energy. One of our most important goals for the coming year(s) will be to deepen our relationship with Helping Hands and to expand our hunger ministry together. In order to support that to the best of my ability as your pastor serving a ¼ time appointment where the majority of my energy is directed toward worship I have decided to structure an entire liturgical year of worship and education around the theme of food and hunger. Together we will explore the many stories in the Bible connected with food, justice, security, community, and health. We will look at the reality of food production, distribution, and consumption in our society. A Year of Feasting We will consider the implications of the Sacrament of Holy Communion, on the good pleasures of food and drink which God has given us, and what it means that we don t live on bread alone. To enrich our engagement with this theme I am also planning a series of educational events, movie nights, and fellowship meals which will extend our reflection beyond worship. I believe we have a genuine opportunity to build upon an already remarkable ministry in a way which will transform our community. With that in mind I will be asking more of you to support this ministry with your time, your effort, and your resources. I am confident you will find the cost of discipleship entirely worth it, and excited for what this year will bring. On the following page is a schedule for how our worship and education for the entire liturgical year will be themed. Continued on Page 2
Our Liturgical Year Themes: Entertaining Angels (November 29th - Jan 3rd) Seeing What s On Our Plate Clearly (January 10th - February 7th) Is This The Fast God Desires? (February 10th - March 26th) Taste And See: The Pleasure of Food (March 27th - May 8th) The Unbreakable Bond of Breaking Bread (May 15th - June 26th) The Insecurity of Daily Bread (July 3rd - July 31st) The Joyful Feast of the People of God (August 7th - August 28th) We Do Not Live By Bread Alone (September 4th - Nov 20th) ENTERTAINING ANGELS The season of Advent is upon us. Advent means coming - it is the time of year when we train ourselves to look for signs of God coming into the world in the past, present, and future. For the past we look to the narrative of the birth of Christ as a vulnerable child in the conquered region of Palestine. For the present we look to strangers and the vulnerable in our midst as potential angels, potential messengers from God, bearers of Christ s Spirit if we have the courage to show them hospitality. For the future we look for the day when nations cease their warring and God s reign of peace is made complete on Earth. Our homework, our challenge for this season, is to make opportunities for ourselves to break bread with strangers. Whether that means going to a public place and entreating a stranger to join us in a meal, or inviting someone to our home who we haven t had an opportunity to know yet. Everyone at Sherwood United Methodist is encouraged to engage in this ancient spiritual practice of hospitality, believing the testimony of scripture that by doing this you may encounter the face of God. Please share any stories of your adventures with Pastor Aric and with one another to enrich our collective spiritual wisdom.
Under the Bridge with On Thursday, November 19, four adults and four teens from SUMC went to the Liberation Street Church to meet the staff of the NightStrike--a group who helps the homeless with needed items. We were given instructions and job assignments. Many volunteers were there from the general public, school, and church groups. We learned many facts about the homeless in Portland, Oregon. For example, 3801 people are homeless now in Portland, and of those 50% are living on the street. Under the Burnside Bridge, 350 people are fed each Thursday evening. It costs $800 per night for NightStrike to provide services. Many people donate clothing, sleeping bags, toiletries, etc., and provide services. The current staff numbers 20 but they could use 30 at least. This is the the 13th year they have been doing this work. Donations of every kind and a commitment of $25.00 per month will help a lot. After an introduction, we were given the rules for our safety and instruction: Some were: To not take photos under the bridge. If an uncomfortable or frightening situation develops, walk away and tell the group leader. (The staff will have a red tag to identify themselves). Stay with your group, and make no promises that you will return and/or bring anything in another week. (The guests have heard false promises all of their life). Do not leave the area under the bridge. There were other rules also. The different "stations" were amazing: clothing distribution, nail painting, hospitality, hair cuts, popcorn/dog food area, food truck, foot washing,. On the evening we were there, a dentist had volunteered to provide dental extraction for guests with abscessed teeth. Many folks were glad to have someone to listen to them. It was heartbreaking to run out of coats, pants and shoes in the sizes needed. All of us were cold, grateful, humbled and impressed with this very special service, definitely a "life altering" experience for us. - Anne Poe
Helping Hands Pantry
ANNOUNCEMENTS CHRISTMAS EVE : Candlelight Service Join us on the joyous occasion of celebrating Christ s birth at the SUMC Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve at 7:00 PM. UMW: December Meeting The UMW will meet on Wednesday, December 16, at 11am at Sherwood Senior Center for a short meeting and a delicious lunch. Give a hand to Helping Hands. Donate food, help with sorting, or volunteer on box packing or distribution days (third Saturday of the month), or join us on Mission Sundays! The congregation is donating coins to Heifer International. Look for the collection jar on Sunday. LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETING on Mon, Dec 14 at 7pm. No other meetings in December. Next Meeting is on Monday, Jan 4 at 7pm. Meet our Song Leader Eden Francis Eden Francis lives with her family (husband, Perry, and son, Reed) in Sherwood. She grew up in the Palm Springs area of California in a family of teachers and musicians. Eden moved to Oregon in 1995 to attend Linfield College and then moved to Eugene for grad school (go Ducks!). She and Perry moved to Sherwood in 2000. Eden is a chemistry instructor at Clackamas Community College and sings with the Sherwood Renaissance Singers and the Portland Christmas Revels. She s very pleased to join SUMC as the new Song Leader and appreciates the warm welcome she s received from the SUMC congregation.
SHERWOOD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Reaching out to the hungry: in body or spirit PO Box 127 22280 SW Washington Street Sherwood, Oregon 97140 Tel: 503-625-7115 E-mail: hollysherwoodumc@gmail.com www.sherwoodumc.com At A Glance for December 2015 Sunday, Dec 6 at 10:00AM Worship Monday, Dec 14 at 7:00PM Leadership Meeting Sunday, Dec 13 at 10:00AM Worship Wednesday, Dec 16 at 11AM UMW Saturday, Dec 19 at 9:30-10:30AM Helping Hands Food Box Distribution Sunday, Dec 20 at 10:00AM Worship/Pancake Brunch Thursday, Dec 24 at 7PM Christmas Eve Service Sunday, Dec 27 at 10:00AM Worship Monday, Jan 4 at 7:00PM Next Leadership Meeting Pastor Aric s Office Hours Thursdays 9am-1pm Church Staff Pastor Aric Clark aricclark33@gmail.com Youth Director Lana Painter lcole@rcinv.com Pianist Cindy Souza armza2@yahoo.com Song Leader Eden Francis ms.edenf@gmail.com Administrative Assistant Holly Dhynes hollysherwoodumc@gmail.com