Join us Saturday, September 14 from 9 AM to 1 PM for the fall women’s retreat. We will be exploring the themes in Brené Browns video “Call to Courage.” She has penned 5 New York Times best sellers and has spent over 20 years studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. She challenges us to choose courage over our comfort in a culture defined by scarcity, fear, and uncertainty. Come ready to learn and share about what a "call to courage" might look like for you. Lunch will be provided, please bring a morning snack to share. If you need child care let Paige know when you register. RSVP to Paige@unangst.net or 503-567-9946.
Help Needed: Sorting School Supplies for Beaverton Students
The Beaverton School District reached out to Bethel about getting help sorting school supply donations. If you are available to help on Friday, August 30 from 11am-3pm, the district could use your assistance. Because of all the media this spring about budget cuts and the Student Success Act, Beaverton School District has been blessed with numerous donors coming in with school supplies. NOW THEY NEED HELP SORTING! Sorting at the warehouse is family friendly, and even an hour of your time is a help. You can contact Christina Mackin, Community Resource Coordinator to RSVP via email at christina_mackin@beaverton.k12.or.us or by cell (503)789-8309. This event will take place at BSD Transportation Support Center, south parking lot garage entrance. 1270 NW 167th Place, Beaverton.
I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!
Please come August 25 after worship to celebrate Pastor Dianne's last Sunday with us and enjoy some ice cream at the Ice Cream Social! We will have the ice cream base, whipped cream, chocolate and caramel. We would love to see what you like to top your ice cream with, so please bring your favorite toppings to share! However, we are keeping the ice cream social nut free so please leave nut toppings at home. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Blessing of the Artists
On August 11, we will be featuring the many artists of the Bethel congregation as part of our Blessing of the Artists worship service. Our Blessing of the Artists celebration will include a special art and creativity-focused worship service at 10 AM, followed by an artists' reception from 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall. Creations include everything from wood carvings to fused glass to woven baskets to fruit preserves to poetry. Please join us for this special service and artists' reception! We'll be enjoying a spread of culinary arts during the reception and there will be time to chat, nibble, enjoy fellowship, and view artworks at your own pace.
Kayaking on the Tualatin River
On August 14, join us for another Summer of Adventure outing - kayaking on the Tualatin River! We'll meet at Cook Park at 1:30 PM. Dress for the weather and bring water and a snack if you want one. It is advisable to wear shoes that can get wet, like sandals. Tualatin Riverkeepers will provide the boats, life jackets and paddles.
As far as boat options, TRK has 7 canoes, 2-4 double kayaks, and 10-15 single kayaks. Canoes can take 1-2 passengers depending on their size/age, which is great for little ones going with their parents. The activity will run from 1:30 to 4:30 PM. Everyone will need to sigh a waiver (adults on the front, minors on the back).
Taize Service
Hear O Hear My People
Strategic Planning Wants to Hear from You!
The strategic planning committee is holding a series of focus group meetings for members, visitors, and friends of the congregation to share their thoughts and aspirations for Bethel! The data collected will be used to inform our strategic plan for the next five years. The focus groups are being held on the following dates:
July 25 at 11:30 AM at Bethel.
August 5 at 7 PM at Bethel.
August 16 at 6:30 PM at the Macpherson home.
August 18 at 11:30 AM at Bethel.
August 26 at 7 PM at the Griffo home.
To sign up for one of the meetings, please click on the Summer of Adventure Signup Link in the Weekly Highlights or contact Courtney in the church office.
Blessing of the Artist
Dear Bethel Community,
“The purpose of art is the lifelong construction of a state of wonder.” – Glenn Gould
Bethel Congregational UCC is interested in celebrating our human connectedness through the arts. We will be hosting a Blessing of the Artists worship service and artist reception on Sunday, August 11, 2019, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. We emphasize that this would be an inclusive blessing of all artists. This event is an opportunity for the Bethel congregation as well as community members to share and appreciate the creations of local artists and the many contributions art brings to all our living. The day will begin with a blessing ceremony for artists and will be followed by a showing of featured art work and refreshments.
This is an opportunity to offer something unique for the Bethel community to participate in. I and the members of Bethel encourage you to consider this collaboration and welcome you to submit your work. We would love to see your paintings and drawings, your musical and dance talents, your poetry and writing (fiction, poetry, nonfiction, blogs, journalism), your photography, graphic art, and carvings, your jewelry and your culinary gifts. If you have a form of personal creative expression, we encourage you to share your gifts with the congregation for the Blessing of the Artists.
The submission deadline to RSVP as a featured artist is August 2, 2019. Please reach out to Courtney Czarnecki, Office Administrator, by email at office@bethelbeaverton.org or by phone at (503)646-1191 to sign up to participate. If your creative gift is hospitality or the culinary arts, we would also appreciate volunteers to assist with set up and refreshments for our artist reception.
We encourage you to share this letter with the artists in your life, including friends and family, if you think they would enjoy participating in this event. Artists are welcome to sell their work if they choose. We are looking forward to celebrating art in its many forms with you on August 11th.
Sincerely,
Rev. Dianne Rodriguez
Sabbatical Supply Minister at Bethel Congregational UCC
Starfire Singers: CJ Cafe
On July 24, Bethel will host the Starfire Singers as they perform their show CJ Cafe. We will be hosting a potluck dinner at 6 PM and the show will begin at 7:30 in the Sanctuary. CJ Cafe...Building on Our Dreams is an original musical by Dirk and Carol Damonte which is being premiered by the Starfire Singers on this 2019 Summer Tour. Set in a very special cafe, where people gather for much more than just coffee, CJ is about God’s call for each of us to be a part of changing the world. People from varying backgrounds and interests gather there, and through sharing their stories, listening to each other, and seeing things in new ways they realize that together they can do so much more to heal the hurts and bring the Good News than they could ever do alone. Through a wide variety of musical styles, lively dances, multi-media, and the voices of the choir youth, you will come to realize that you, too, are a part of this story. Come on down to the CJ Cafe!
We still need volunteers and we are in need of 1 more main dish, 3 salads and 3 desserts for the potluck. If interested, please contact Cathy Thoma by email or at (971) 226-6062.
Contemplative Summer Adventures
Join us for Contemplative Summer Adventures in which we will engage our imagination to wander and wonder through guided imagery, engaging our senses, breath work, simple body movements, story telling, and mandala coloring. Together we will invite the Spirit to take us beyond all and any limitations where we can experience renewal of body mind and spirit.
Contemplative Summer Adventures will take place either at the Peace Pole or in the chapel, depending on weather, on the following dates:
Tuesday, July 16 at 11 am
Tuesday, July 30 at 11 am
Thursday, August 22 at 1 pm
Contact Courtney at the office to sign up
Contemplative Summer Adventures
Join us for Contemplative Summer Adventures in which we will engage our imagination to wander and wonder through guided imagery, engaging our senses, breath work, simple body movements, story telling, and mandala coloring. Together we will invite the Spirit to take us beyond all and any limitations where we can experience renewal of body mind and spirit.
Contemplative Summer Adventures will take place either at the Peace Pole or in the chapel, depending on weather, on the following dates:
Tuesday, July 16 at 11 am
Tuesday, July 30 at 11 am
Thursday, August 22 at 1 pm
Contact Courtney at the office to sign up.
July 4th Concert and Fun
On the Fourth of July, Bethel is partnering with the THPRD and the City of Beaverton to bring a concert, food, and family fun to our campus and the Veterans’ Memorial Park just across the street. Bring your family, grab lawn chairs or blankets, and meet your neighbors and friends for a summer day of fun and music. There will be family-friendly activities for all to enjoy, from inflatables to yard games to face painting and more! Our Rec Mobile will also be at the concert to engage kids with games, crafts and activities. The featured concert artist is Skybound Blue. The event runs from 11 AM to 2 PM.
Seating is on the grass. Beach/sand chairs or blankets for seating are recommended. Regular height lawn chairs will be permitted only at the side and rear of the seating area.
Additionally, there will be FREE hot dogs and ice cream, or you may bring your own picnic. No alcohol is allowed. Leashed dogs are welcome to attend with their owners.
Click on this link for details.
http://www.thprd.org/events/detail/skybound-blue/07-04-2019?mc_cid=21b4cb085d&mc_eid=ed822fc0e1
Fierce Love: Interrupting Hate in Public Spaces
People of faith agree that we are responsible for creating beloved community. As incidents of public hate skyrocket, come explore the theological and spiritual foundations of this call to fierce love. Join Lake Oswego UCC for a special workshop on Monday, May 20 from 4:30 to 9 PM that will focus on tools, skills, and methodologies for building a culture of peace and engaging in active nonviolence. Workshop participants will leave confident of their ability to support and empower targets by:
Identifying and tapping into the skills, experiences, and values they already have to support their neighbors more effectively.
Learning and practicing specific tactics to interrupt verbal hate in public, centering the experience of the target, and empowering the target to create safety for themselves.
Learning specific tactics for protecting themselves from verbal abuse.
Understanding the risks inherent in any hostile situation and discerning what not to do to escalate a situation.
And more.
Workshop presenters are Rabbi Debra Kolodny and Reverend Linda Jaramillo. Cost to attend is sliding scale $50-$75 with some scholarships available. Register at www.loucc.org or LakeOswegoUCC on Facebook.
Summer of Adventure Sabbatical
As most of you are aware, our pastor and congregation received a clergy renewal Lilly grant. In a few weeks, David will be departing for his sabbatical and will be gone until September. Derived from the same Hebrew root word for Shabbat or Sabbath, a sabbatical is a time for renewal, as well as physical and spiritual delight. It allows a pastor the chance to reflect deeply on their faith, returning to the congregation renewed, refreshed, and ready for what God is calling them to do next in their ministry.
David will be not keeping in direct touch with us over the summer sabbatical term. He may choose to post on Facebook from time to time or send an email. This summer, rather than trying to contact David directly, we can pray for him, care for one another in his absence, and welcome our sabbatical pastor while she holds space and walks with us until his return. We will have a big welcome back party after worship on September 8. Please plan to join in the fun!
There are a LOT of activities planned during our Summer of Adventure! The bulletin board in the hallway is just starting to take shape and you'll be able to find information about upcoming activities, ways you can plug in, connect with others, or perhaps find new things to try.
We have Adventures in Personal Growth for the young with VBS-inspired Sunday Funday classroom activities. For adults, we're reading and reflecting on our book selection, "Renewal in the Wilderness" by John Lionberger, the same book David will be adventuring with. We'll have Adventures in Worship with the possibility of learning a danced benediction or worship while visiting Camp Adams. Our Adventures in Service will include the opportunity to restore the labyrinth at Camp Adams, helping with meals for Family Promise, and/or donating to Motorcycles for Pastors, a mission project of the Global Ministries. You are all invited to go on a guided hike or explore on your own with our Bethel Summer of Adventure passport. We'll be hosting a movie night featuring Wild (for adults), as well as a family-friendly film option and games, in the Fellowship Hall.
Look out for the article in next week's Highlights for more details and dates. We're so excited to spend this Summer of Adventure with you.
Building Resilient Families Workshop
On May 15 from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM, Beaverton High School will be hosting a "Building Resilient Families Workshop" in the auditorium.
5:00 – Screening of Resilience documentary
6:00 – Break and snacks
6:30 – 8:30 – Presenter, Amy Stoeber, PhD LLC
You are invited to attend an evening of learning about how to support youth and families in fostering resiliency in their home, school, and community. Dr. Amy Stoeber is a local psychologist whose passion is to provide the tools that families and systems need to optimize their resilience and overcome adversity through their life.
Habitat for Humanity Fundraiser
Bethel’s long-standing dedication and support of Willamette West Habitat for Humanity continues in 2019. We hold up Habitat throughout April and celebrate our partnership at the annual Willamette West Habitat Fundraiser Breakfast and Lunch on May 10. This year’s theme is Build a Home, Frame a Future. Hear inspirational first-hand accounts from Habitat families, how gifts of time and treasure from the local community helps them achieve stability, self-reliance, and a future of hope.
Members of Bethel will host three breakfast tables and two lunch tables. Click on the link to the attached flyer for time and location details. Reach out to Paul Griffo with any questions.
EASTER SERVICE- APRIL 21, 2019 AT 10 AM
We discover on Easter that “Love Wins.” This all-generational worship service will celebrate Christ’s resurrection with special music, prayers and liturgy. Our sanctuary will be flooded with color from flowers given in honor or memory of loved ones. An invitation to sing Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus will conclude worship.
Faith Cafe
It's almost that time again! Bethel's next opportunity to provide volunteers for Faith Cafe will be Sunday, April 21, which is Easter Sunday.
We naturally expect that there will be conflicts that day with family dinners and we could face a short-staffing situation. If you can let Susan or Peter Bauer know as soon as possible if you are or are not able to volunteer, it would be greatly appreciated because it will help us anticipate needs. As before, if you would like to help out with cooking (2 pm arrival) or set-up (3 pm arrival), please indicate that in your response.
After April 21st, our next Faith Cafe volunteer opportunity will be Sunday, June 9th.
Walk of the Cross for Peace and Justice
On Good Friday, April 19, 10:00 AM to noon, Christians from all denominations are invited to join together for a short pilgrimage through downtown Beaverton, beginning at Bethel Congregational UCC and ending at St. Cecilia Catholic Church (5th and Franklin Ave). Carrying a large cross to remind us of the cross Christ carried 2000 years ago, participants stop at several "stations." At each station we reflect, pray, and share stories of injustice in our world and witness Christ's power for transformation and resurrection. Together we can better understand our role in carrying out Christ's mission of Peace and Justice in our day. All are welcome!