A p r i l 2 0 1 6 The Messenger of Tabor Heights Great things are happening at Tabor Heights Our Easter service was outstanding. As worship ended, the invitation to walk with Jesus remained with us. We ve had a steady flow of visitors and many are returning and showing interest in making Tabor Heights their home church. Small group formation is slowly getting underway. More people are getting involved in mission outside of the church. An energetic group of people responded to make our grounds more appealing just before Easter. These things, along with many others you may have noticed, are all signs that God is working in our midst. However, we still struggle financially. Our tithes, offerings, and building usage funds merely meet payroll and keep the doors open by paying utilities. All the rest comes from our invested funds. Many are tithers and we rejoice in their faithfulness and dedication to the ministry here at Tabor Heights United Methodist Church. Are you reaping the joy of tithing? We developed emphasis booklets to heighten awareness of our missions. This also gives you the opportunity to participate in those missions that are of particular interest to you. To help you remember these booklets, we will be emphasizing them more in the near future. Both Pastor John and Tom Lohkamp have pointed out the importance of reaching out to the community and beyond our doors. God is being faithful to us; let us step up and do our part. - Dorothy Glynn Inside Get connected Pg. 2-3 Last Month Highlights Anniversary / Birthdays in April View Upcoming Events Pg. 4-5 All Church Meeting General Conference 2016 Community News Pg. 6 Prayers People s Journal Pg. 7-10 Evelyn Long Introducing Gloria Lambert Thoughts from Newcomers Reviews Pg. 10-11 Book, Simplicity. Movie, Miracles from Heaven Tuesday Study Group Pastor John s note Monthly Calendar April & May
HELPING HANDS On Saturday, March 12, five of our United Methodist Women went to the Every Member Enrichment Event held at Montavilla UMC. This is an annual time for bringing the women of the Columbia District churches together. The theme this year was Helping Hands United Methodist Women and Mission. As we gathered together, we sang, received awards, a resource table was available, heard about what is going on in our District, plus fellowshipped together over refreshment time and lunch. This year there was a show and tell time where each church could share and show what they do for mission projects, and we also heard about the 150th year of the UMW Legacy Campaign which supports the work of the UMW into the future. The highlight of the day was the devotion time brought by our District Superintendent, Erin Martin. It was inspiring to hear about her life and what brought her and her family to this place and time in our Conference. Erin also inspired us to look at our prayer life as she shared part of Joyce Rupp s book Out of the Ordinary leading us in a moving time of prayer and reflection which some of us felt moved to do during worship the next day! -Joanne Dobrinski
April Date April Date Arthur & Cathleen 18 Benedetti-White Ken & Lynn Finch 23 Evelyn Long 1 Barbara Carpenter 2 Meryl Hoverkamp 4 Samantha Tinio 7 Allisyn Bridges 9 Jim Douglass 13 Gloria Go 17 Dorothy Glynn 22 Linda Bridges 30 Joyce Peterson- 30 Doering Samantha Tinio 3 Arthur & Cathleen Joyce Peterson-Doering
60Days of Prayer March 31 May 29 Reservoir Ministry April 10 (Sunday)@ 1pm The Vision Board meeting April 16 (Saturday) 10am-2pm Seniors Outing April 21 (Thursday) All Church Meeting with the Vision Board April 23 (Saturday) 10am-2pm Potluck Fellowship April 24(Sunday) Transition Projects April 26 (Every 4th Tuesday) General Conference May 10 (Tues.)- May 20 (Fri) *May 8 (Sun) Guest Speaker, Rev. Jun Equila, Singapore *May 15 (Sun) Guest Speaker, Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, Wisconsin All Church Meeting with the Vision Board Make plans to attend a meeting of all members and any others who are interested in the future direction of Tabor Heights. It will be held on April 23 at 10am. We will have a light lunch available. The meeting will include some presentations and also time for questions and comments following. These are exciting times-make sure you're on hand to hear first-hand what the future can look like. Transition Projects Would you like to help us in some manner for the Transitions Project at Doreen's Place? A small group from our congregation have been serving this mission for nearly 40 years. We go once a month with food to serve 90 men there in the shelter. Some of us cook food, some serve, some buy and help transport the food and volunteers. Most of us will manage to do all three. We try to bring a friendly face and a hot meal to men hoping to support themselves and find a way into housing. Some of the men are war veterans who have been seriously damaged by trauma and others have been addicted to drugs or alcohol and are trying to find a way out. You will find some have been recently released from prison and are having a hard time starting out again on the outside. We learn a lot by just serving food. While we in the community help to serve them as we are able, those at the project help them in every way to get them on their feet and off the street. If you would like to join us, sign up for whatever fits for you and we will be more than happy to have you join us. We go to the shelter once a month on the 4th Tuesday. We need to be there by 7:00 pm. The sign up sheet 4 is on the back wall of the fellowship hall under Transition Projects. -Carolyn Douglass
60 Days of Prayer for UMC General Conference 2016 Praying for God s Will, to be done God s Way, and in God s Time. Let us join the Prayer Community for the United Methodist Church and 2016 General Conference. This movement serves as a response to the most important request recorded in scripture, Lord, teach us to pray. We invite you delegates, bishops, clergy, laity, congregations, and small groups across the denomination into spiritual preparation for General Conference. You can go online: http://60daysofprayer.org/ to sign up to receive the Daily Meditations. GENERAL CONFERENCE SPOTLIGHTS On May 8, we re having a guest speaker in our Sunday worship, Rev. Jun Equilar. He was appointed Missionary to Filipino Overseas Worker in Singapore since 2006. He loves to share his ministry and to preach the love of God to each and every one who is willing to be an instrument of change following Jesus parting words after the resurrection that you will be my witnesses through all the world On May 15, Rev. Hee-Soo Jung, the resident bishop in Wisconsin Annual Conference will deliver Sunday morning message at Tabor Heights. He was a professor of Kangnam University where Pastor John went for his theological training in South Korea. Korean night is on May 19, one of the night events during General Conference. It is a time to share their story in a spiritual, social and politically unique position for the world mission and ministry with The United Methodist Church. It will be an introductory and a celebrative night with traditional music, games and a well-known choir from Rome, Italy. African University Choir will perform in several venues at General Conference. One of the events will feature a mini-concert on May 16 at 6p.m. and offer the opportunity for sharing and fellowship The 2016 General Conference will shine perhaps the brightest light yet on a dark episode of Methodist history. A full 30 minutes of the May 18 plenary session will go to a tutorial on the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre, in which U.S. troops led by a Methodist preacher-turned-cavalry 5 officer attacked unsuspecting Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians.
Where should we pray? We are called to pray everywhere, every day in every way. During worship we thank God for the freedom of religion and the services we have experienced: Those times we have shared during our journey through Lent, our daily Lenten Devotional and all who made it possible. The glorious celebration of the Resurrection, the music offered by Howard Ashley, Merridee Holdsworth, the choir, the French Horn musician, the children, the church family, friends, neighbors and visitors as we worshipped together. We pray silently and with our words for God to comfort those during their time of grief: Howard Ashley, Sally Schenk, Trish Dawson. Throughout each day we pray for those in need of God s healing love: Georgia Koehler, Joanne Mattson, Mary Overby, Lou Anne Henriques, Alisha and all those dealing with pain and stress in their daily lives as they silently pray. At the altar we pray for forgiveness as we celebrate communion each month and thank God for the gift of His body and blood shed for our sins. We pray in our homes and thank God for comfort and safety as we ask for His guidance for our church, community, nation and the world. We pray within our hearts for peace throughout the world. We pray alone, with others and with gratitude for our many blessings. We ask all the people and congregations within the United Methodist Church to pray, in their hearts, for God s guidance as preparation is made for the Conference to be held here in May. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." 6 <Luke 21:36>
EVELYN LONG The year I was born April 1st was Easter. I have always thought that was very special to be born on Easter. I was born during WW II and many things were rationed. My Dad was over seas and my Mother was living with my Grandmother. When my Mom went into labor my Grandmother called a cab to take them to the hospital. The cab ran out of gas 6 blocks from the hospital so my Mother and Grandmother had to walk the last 6 blocks to the hospital. I have one brother and one sister. My brother was 9 and I was 12 when my sister was born. This was very special to have a baby sister. My sister was born on Memorial Day. When I was a little girl we went to Mt Tabor Methodist Church which stood on the land that Tabor Heights sits on today. The building stood right on the corner of 61st & Stark. When I was a little girl I loved horses. Horseback riding was a favorite of mine. I even loved to read about them. Always dreamed that some day I would have my own. Now that I am 73, I still like horses but I no longer want to own one. My favorite vacation was when as a child my grandparents gave my family tickets to Disneyland for three days. We flew down and back and had a really great time. I have some wonderful memories. Now days in my spare time I really enjoy sewing. I also do counted cross stitch and reading. I go to Bible Study fellowship and enjoy it a lot. For several years I went to Needlework Camp at Magruder with Joann Dobrinski and thoroughly enjoyed it. We always had a good time. Jerry and I were married in 1965 and we celebrated our 50th anniversary last August. We have two daughters and several grandchildren. 7
INTRODUCING GLORIA LAMBERT We welcome another Noreasterner to the Tabor Heights Church Family. GLORIA LAMBERT came to Portland last year to be near her son and his family. She was born in Virginia and moved to Maryland in the second grade where she worked and raised her sons until her recent move. She has a Bachelor s degree in math and a Master s degree in computer science from the University of Maryland and worked for the Federal Government throughout her career. She had some private industry experience while working for IBM but returned to government to finish her career. Gloria was brought up in the Southern Baptist church. As an adult she and her family worshipped at a Methodist/Presbyterian church. She has served on many church activities and committees, is a trained Stephen Minister, promoted small group ministry and, most recently, chaired a church wide fellowship ministry. An avid gardener, she volunteers with Master Gardeners, first with University of Maryland and now with OSU. Gloria enjoys all activities around good gardening practices and a healthy environment. Gloria has a real appreciation for travel. The opportunity to live and work in Belgium, in another cultural environment was a rewarding life experience. It also provided a base from which to travel extensively throughout Europe. She and her family lived in Belgium for three years where she worked for NATO leading data administration and systems information throughout the stay. As a mother of two sons, one living in Maryland and the other in Portland, she enjoys family time and especially her granddaughter. She appreciates the spirituality and friendships within our church and has become a part of the Tuesday Study Group, Thursday Night Book Group and Friendship Circle. She is a welcome addition to our caring church family. 8
THOUGHTS FROM A NEWCOMER II by Marilee Miller What a change this past two years has been for me. I came from a town with a population of 4500 persons, where I had lived for 46 years. Bank and grocery store were five blocks away; the small downtown district seven blocks. So although I wasn't very strong, I could drive for groceries, to the drugstore or library, even to the local hospital to get regular lab tests. I had to say a constant litany: (Jesus says:) "My grace is sufficient for your weakness" just to get through these outings. Yet I cherished being able to live alone, though it was a struggle. A few minutes drive could take me out in the country, among the restful views of trees and the green valley and rivers and creeks and reminders of God's nature everywhere. It was a way to "restore my soul." And of course I knew lots of familiar faces (if nothing else, at least by sight to be smiled at, or giving smiles to, people on the street, in a grocery store, etc.) But up here, I don't know anybody. All I've seen of Portland so far is just the rat race of rush hour traffic, with its accompanying risks and driver-tension. The rush of people on the sidewalks and crosswalks. I haven't been able to leave the care center except when I have to see doctor. The wait to go and come by wheelchairvan is exhausting. I am so grateful for the trees and flowers I can see close to my window. The staff and residents are caring and friendly. I am choosing to be content where I am. But it's not the same as being "out in nature" when I liked to, or sharing greetings with whomever I met when I ran short errands. The residents in larger Portland facilities may have a greater chance of meeting like-minded persons. I know the church has a ministry to one of the larger houses. But please remember those who live in quite small centers are often isolated from the outside world. They could use cheerful visitors or phone calls! And please add the seniors in care facilities to your prayers. 9
Simplicity - The Freedom of Letting Go by Richard Rohr The chapters in this helpful book, assists those who are seeking to find meaning in personal prayer but do not know where to turn. Several chapter titles will give you an indication of the wealth of knowledge within these pages. God the Father God the Mother?, Community Life as a Challenge, Contemplation - the Spiritual Challenge, are merely a few examples. The very last paragraph in the book sums up the message and will encourage you to read the book in its entirety. That s why I have to go into the wilderness, where I let God call me by name to a deeper place. This is the peace that the world can t give. But I promise you that it s also the peace that the world can no longer take from you. This peace doesn t come about because of anything we do right. The point is, we have to discover what we have always been in God. When we get to this place, we will know and love ourselves, in spite of all the negative and opposing evidence. It is the spacious space of the soul. To live there is finally to be at home. The first and final home we carry with us all our lives. God is also at home there. And when we return we will have discovered simplicity. Richard Rohr, O.F.M. (born 1943) is a Franciscan friar ordained to the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church in 1970. He is an internationally known inspirational author. Miracles From Heaven This month's movie is a true story of a family going through a bad time. I am so glad I saw this movie. It is suitable for the whole family. Jennifer Garner plays the lead and she is wonderful. It's very realistic and so uplifting. You leave the theater feeling really good. It is playing now at the Regal Cinemas. -By Char Blakely 10
The Tuesday Study Group would like to invite you to its latest book group study. We meet on Tuesdays, in the Gathering Room at 1:30. We just finished a book by L Roger Owens called What We Need Is Here. In it we were given 7 practices of Christian spirituality to practice in our daily lives. We enjoyed it so much, we have decided to use another book by this authors called Abba, Give Me a Word: The Path of Spiritual Direction. It looks to be as equally uplifting and informative as the one we just finished. The back cover informs us that it offers us the authors personal Struggles - and transformation - with reflection on the history and purpose of spiritual direction. The result is a wise introduction to the ancient art and practice of soul care - directed at Christians of all backgrounds. The class will have 6 weeks of lessons and will start within the next few weeks. If you are interested in joining us, my phone is 503 777 9030 and E mail jchopscotch@q.com. - Carolyn Douglass Welcome is an Intentional Act of Love On Easter Sunday I greeted the congregation with the following words of welcome. I pray that it fulfills our mission statement to welcome ALL God's children. We are a community that wants to share with you and express our welcome to everyone. Those who are young or old, youth and young adults, are all welcome. Whatever you declare and those who are a different skin color, a different nationality, ethnicity and culture, you are all welcome. Whether you declare yourself a woman or a man, whatever your sexual orientation and differences, you are welcome here. You are welcome here as children of God. This is the place that is safe, sacred and secure for ALL God s children where we can share our own story, our resurrection story, with one another as a community of faith. We are here to commit with our prayers, hopes and vision to be a community of people honestly seeking a relationship with God through our example of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible. We seek to grow through innovative worship, disciplined study, small groups and outreach to the larger community. That is why we are here and I invite you all to gather every Sunday morning to worship with us. I cannot imagine visiting any church, the House of Prayer but are not welcome and refused to be a part of the assembly for worshipping the Lord God. How would you feel if you re in this position? How would see the church if it happens to you? Welcome is a simple but intentional act of love 11 that we, as a faith community, are called to practice in Jesus s name. -Pastor John Go.