Every two years’ delegates from local UCC congregations and conferences gather for a national meeting – called a synod (from Greek synodos, “assembly”). This year General Synod will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana from June 30 – July 4. “Making All Things New” serves as the theme.
Nikki is officially representing the Central Pacific Conference as a delegate. Mo will be attending as a visitor and as moderator of Bethel, she will be representing Bethel UCC.
Jean Avison has been nominated to serve as moderator elect for the next General Synod.
The 34th General Synod will be especially significant on a number of levels. First, if elected, Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson will become the first African American woman to serve as President and General Minister for the UCC. Second, Ibram X. Kendi, author of “How to Become Anti-Racist” will be a guest speaker. Third, Bryan Stevenson, Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, and the attorney on which the book and movie, “Just Mercy” was based will also be a guest speaker.
This is an amazing opportunity for Nikki, Mo and Jean and for Bethel! We will celebrate and commission these three women, Sunday, June 25th at our 10am worship service.
Congratulations!
Bethel Participates in Beaverton Pride – Sunday, June 25th
Once again this year, Bethel UCC will support and participate in Beaverton Pride! We will have a hospitality booth for the Festival to be held after the parade in the Farmer’s Market Parking lot.
Neomie Lemke has offered to coordinate this event. This event requires at least 8-10 volunteers. If you would like to participate, please be in touch with Neomie or contact the church office or 503-646-1191.
Come Hiking with Us!
Join us for a multigenerational Hike at Tualatin Hills Nature Park after service on Sunday June 11th. We will be doing a relatively flat trail ideal for all ages. In place of traditional Sunday school our kids will meet with Erin in the fellowship hall to prepare some simple lunches for the hike. Contact Erin Barber with any questions about the hike at eb@bethelbeaverton.org and let her know if you plan on coming by June 7th.
Click HERE to check out Tualatin hills Nature Park.
Board Games and Brunch, June 10th
Back by popular demand, we will be holding another Board Games and Brunch gathering on Saturday June 10th, from 10 AM to noon in the Fellowship Hall.
This event will be a potluck and be open to the whole congregation. Kids will be welcome--we will have a movie and activities set up for them in the Kids Corner if they do not want to play games.
Please bring a favorite brunch item for the group to enjoy and any games you'd like to share.
RSVP with Erin Barber (eb@bethelbeaverton.org) by Thursday, June 8th. You're welcome to bring other game-loving friends too!
To Mars and Beyond Vacation Bible School is coming to our Summer Sundays!
This summer, prepare for fun as we explore where God's power can take you. We'll be offering six special Sundays throughout our Summer months where we will enjoy crafts, science experiments, games, and lessons in place of our normal Sunday School.
Save the dates for:
Sunday, July 2nd
Sunday, July 9th
Sunday, July 16th
Sunday, August 13th
Sunday, August 20th
Sunday, August 27th
Email Erin for more information (eb@bethelbeaverton.org)
We're Celebrating Youth Sunday on June 4th
Kids are invited to participate in Youth Sunday! This is a special service where our youth take on roles to help lead worship—from greeting to reading, from singing to speaking. We present bibles to students who have just completed third grade and we honor and bless our graduating seniors. It’s a Sunday you won’t want to miss!
Sign up with our program coordinator, Erin Barber at eb@bethelbeaverton.org
Resources to Advance our Response to Racism:
Bethel UCC established a Respond to Racism (R2R) committee, January 2021. A series of violence against people of color that occurred in the summer of 2020 (precipitated by the murder of George Floyd) demanded that we take action to confront systemic racism. Last fall, the R2R team members offered a six week class using the UCC curriculum called “White Privilege: Let’s Talk”. We also sponsored a day-long DEI Retreat for church leadership led by Carla D. Gary, JD. This column in the Highlights is provided by the R2R committee.
FROM OUR LEXICON FOR EQUITY, DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND ACCESSIBILITY
Inclusion: Authentically bringing traditionally excluded individuals and/or groups into processes, activities and decision/policy making in a way that shares power. Inclusion promotes broad engagement, shared participation, and advances authentic sense of belonging through safe, positive, and nurturing environments. Inclusion is key to eliminating systemic inequality.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
An Evening with Slam Poet Alex Dang
Thursday, May 11 | 6:30-8 PM
Beaverton Main Library, Meeting Rooms A & B
Alex Dang is a poet from Portland. A former TEDx speaker, Dang competed at the National Poetry Slam, was a Portland and Eugene Poetry Slam grand slam champion, and has performed in seven countries. He has strong opinions about burgers and wants to know what your favorite song is. His performance - followed by a writing workshop for attendees - will focus on his identity, the different ways he sees himself, and how that may or may not align with the way the world perceives him. No advanced sign-up is necessary.
Voices from the Our City, Our Stories Project
Thursday, May 25 | 6:30-8 PM
Beaverton Main Library, Auditorium
Our City, Our Stories: An Expanded History of Beaverton focuses on how Beaverton has been
shaped by the experiences and stories of those who have lived, worked, or passed through this city. Hear the voices of some of the current-day individuals featured in the project during this interactive panel discussion with the researchers. Learn about how the city and Five Oaks Museum are working together to expand Beaverton’s narrative, why it matters, and how we’re redefining whose stories are considered history. No advanced sign-up is necessary.
Monday, May 22, 6:30pm
Save the date! Lake Oswego Respond to Racism, Lake Oswego Public Library, and
Lakewood Center for the Arts present a free showing of Vanport Mosaic’s “Walking through Portland with a Panther: The Life of Mr. Kent Ford. All Power!” – a solo play by Don Wilson Glenn, directed by Damaris Webb, and featuring La’Tevin Alexander. The play celebrates the life of Mr. Kent Ford, co-founder of Portland’s chapter of the ’60s-era black empowerment organization, and it incorporates archival footage and storytelling to understand the legacy of local resistance, rediscover lost neighborhoods where the Panthers used to patrol, and learn the intimate makings of unsung leaders of protest andrevolution.
This play is offered free of charge, but ticket reservations are required CLICK HERE to reserve your tickets.
RESOURCES FOR EXPLORING THE TOPIC OF RACISM
Bethel staff and the R2R committee, with the help of folks who attended our DEI retreat, have put together listings of resources for those who are interested in exploring the topic of racism. This week we are sharing the listing of Books and Articles.
The link is:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qJucuat1Vr9ODV07q8RBLP9EbBwC1U715WOPVDsPZOk
Bethel Scholarship Program Now Accepting Applications
Each year Bethel grants scholarships to students of higher education. The purpose of this annual scholarship is to provide one-time financial assistance to people who are active in the life of the Church to use for post-secondary education, including but not limited to: College, Graduate School, and Seminary. There are no age limitations. To apply, fill out this form and email it to Erin Barber (eb@bethelbeaverton.org). The due date is May 14, 2023.
"Youngish" Adults Board and Game Night, Saturday April 29th
The Youngish Adults Group is hosting a fun Board Games and Brunch time together on Saturday April 29th, from 10 AM to noon in the Fellowship Hall. Kids will be welcome--we will have a movie and activities set up for them in the Kids Corner.
This will be a great time to get to know each other better over coffee and bagels, and of course games! We'll have One Night Werewolf (think Mafia, but better), Settlers of Cataan, Apples to Apples, and more! Please feel free to bring your favorite game to share with a group!
RSVP with Erin Barber (eb@bethelbeaverton.org) by Wednesday April 26th. You're welcome to bring other game-loving friends too!
Bethel's Women's Retreat
All those who identify as women are invited to come and enjoy a morning retreat. We will be exploring Friendship and Fellowship. Time to visit, enjoy lunch, and maybe even learn a little about yourself, others, and our relationships with each other and God. RSVP to Paige Unangst at either paige@unangst.net or 503-567-9946 by Saturday April 8th if you plan to come.
Habitat for Humanity Upcoming Event on April 26th!
Join the Portland Region Habitat for Humanity community at this year’s free HopeBuilder lunch on Wednesday, April 26th at the Oregon Convention Center from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. Discover the work Habitat for Humanity is doing to address our local housing crisis. Help build a Portland region where everyone has an opportunity to have an affordable place to call home.
Learn more and RSVP today at https://habitatportlandregion.org/events/hopebuilder-lunch/.
The featured keynote speaker is Pulitzer Prize-winning author Mitchell S. Jackson. His memoir Survival Moth: Notes on an All-American Family examines the hardships that shaped his life in Oregon, his family, and his community.
Leon Taylor is hosting a Bethel UCC and friends table –reach out to Leon at mr.leon.taylor.new@gmail.com.
If you are unable to attend the event, and still want to support Habitat Portland Region, use this link, donate here.
Peace & Blessings
Holy Week and Easter
Please join us this year for Holy Week and Easter Sunday, beginning with Palm Sunday on April 2nd!
See a detailed schedule of our Holy Week and Easter opportunities.
Holy Week and Easter
Please join us this year for Holy Week and Easter Sunday! Click here to download this year's schedule of Holy Week and Easter offerings. This helpful guide includes a detailed schedule of our Holy Week and Easter opportunities.
Welcome Erin Barber during and after Service this Sunday.
We are happy that Erin will join us this Sunday. Erin grew up in Lake Oswego, Oregon attending church with her family where she served in Sunday School as a teacher and sang on the worship team throughout high school. She went on to attend Seattle Pacific University where she met her husband Kyle, another Portland native. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Theatre, and then began using her "storytelling degree" at Westside Church in Ballard where she directed the children's ministry for four years. During that time, she and Kyle welcomed a baby girl, Georgia, and it wasn't long before they moved back to the Portland area to be closer to family. Erin loves putting her creativity to work behind the scenes, whether working in the theatre or church! In her spare time, Erin loves reading for her book club, playing Dungeons and Dragons with her husband and friends, and writing fiction.
ESL Teacher Needed
Bethel’s Andy and Victoria Hyett have stepped up to teach a much-needed “Intro to English” (level-0) class at Bethel. This Tuesday was their first day of class. Bethel now hosts three level-0 classes. Thanks, Andy and Victoria!
Bad news: While we were setting up the Hyetts’ class, the Thursday teacher for Bethel’s level-3 (intermediate) class had to resign due to a job move. We have tentative coverage for Thursdays starting in late April, but we need a fill-in teacher for 4 Thursdays in March and 3 in April. Classes are 7:00-8:30 pm in Bethel’s education building.
Curriculum, mentoring, and other support are available. For more information, contact Jim Keniston (503-415-1961, jakeniston@hotmail.com).
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday – Simple Supper and Worship – Wednesday, February 22 – 6:30pm
We will gather in the Fellowship Hall for a light supper of soup and bread to launch our Lenten theme: wilderness.
Our gathering will include an activity designed to draw us into the season of Lent. There will also be the opportunity to receive ashes for those who find the ritual meaningful.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent. Lent is the season of preparation for Easter in a similar way in which Advent prepares us for Christmas.
The ancient practice of Lent was intended to prepare people for baptism on Easter. Lent invites us into a time of introspection – a time to inventory what aspects of our lives may be obstacles to following the way of Jesus. Lent is modeled after the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness as it is recorded in the 4th chapter of both Matthew and Luke’s gospel.
Jesus’ time in the wilderness reveals the reality of temptations we all face as we strive to live with love as our primary purpose. The point of Lent isn’t to deny that we ever struggle to be faithful to the way God would have us live. Rather, Lent gives us the opportunity to be transparent – real with who we are – our strengths and our weaknesses. Acknowledging the ways we may feel hindered, or broken, or bound up can serve as first steps toward freedom and wholeness.
To help with the preparation of the meal, please RSVP to office@bethelbeaverton.org if you plan to attend the service.
Food Cupboard Needs
We continue to have many families who need food. We welcome donations of cereal and pasta- such as small bags of spaghetti or macaroni. Welcome onboard Sara Edmiston who will be taking over the liaison and reporting to Oregon Food Bank!
Thanks to all our volunteers! You are making a positive difference in someone’s life!
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We continue to need cans of hearty soup with pop tops for BHS homeless students. Please choose varieties that have meat and vegetable. Teenagers need calories more than any other time in their life!
BHS Soups this week, 330 and need 325 more. 131 students to be helped this Spring Break.
DEI Moment!
Diane Imel (Lady Di) is part of the City of Wilsonville's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. As part of this committee, she has written a thought provoking article that we feel should be shared with as many people as possible. Thank you Lady Di for sharing. Please read and learn.
Do You Know What You Said?
Recently, I was “called out” by one of my dearest friends regarding a misspeak I had made. This misspeak was unintentional and completely without malice and, unfortunately, prior thought. To say I was stunned is an enormous understatement! However, this “blow” was like the key to a locked door…revealing my ignorance and lack of knowledge regarding the acceptable use of descriptors…. adjectives…words!
How can we know what the appropriate language should be? Where can we educate ourselves to the acceptable phraseology of today? This is the challenge that confronts us each day and one that begs to be addressed.
How often have we misused our adjectives and descriptors… “my Asian butcher, my black friend, my disabled neighbor, the gay librarian, my immigrant school mate”? It is important to recognize and correct these unacceptable and often derogatory phrases. And what about the usage of proper pronouns: he/him, she/her, they/them? These are more relevant now than we realize.
Information on this subject can be found through the internet. “Pronouns: A How-To-The Diversity Center”, Preferred Terms for Select Population Groups “and “A Guide to Race and Ethnicity Terminology and Language” are just three of the informational resource sites available.
It is imperative that we continue our efforts of abolishing all discrimination and the proper usage of our words, as well as the eliminations of other barriers, is a must! These goals of diversity, equity and inclusion may be novel to many…often generational in their nature. This stresses the need for introspection regarding our speech and the inherent strength of the words we use. It is human nature to speak in the moment without thoroughly analyzing what we’re saying but it would be to the benefit of all that we weigh the words we use before utterance. By Diane Imel
INVITATION TO AN INTERFAITH EVENT Jan. 29, 2023
You are invited to an Interfaith Event on Sunday, January 29, 3:00-5:00 PM hosted by Bilal Masjid, 4115 S.W. 160th Ave. Beaverton.
The goal of this event is to begin to build a diverse interfaith coalition to expand understanding of various traditions; build community and enjoy one another’s company; encourage respect and unity in the Beaverton area.
The afternoon will include: panelists from diverse faith traditions; small group conversations; choosing actions/activities to build the coalition.
Epiphany Season Worship Series – January 8 – February 19, 2023
The season of Epiphany follows the celebration of Christmas. This is the liturgical season when we celebrate the “manifestations” of the birth of the Messiah. In the baptism of Jesus, and the miracle stories of Jesus for example turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. in other words, this is the season of “ah-ha” moments. The reality of God’s Incarnation in human form, keeps showing up. The Biblical examples of the season of Epiphany are the “wise men” who came from distant countries, the presentation of Jesus at the temple, the
Our creative and imaginative task during this season is to hear these ancient accounts of God’s Incarnation as invitations to see how and where Christ is showing up in our world today.
This Epiphany, Rev. David R-B will offer lectionary preaching from the book of Matthew. David will build the worship series from The Working Preacher online resource. Working preacher is an on-line community of Biblical scholars from seminaries around the U.S. and other clergy who want to hone their preaching skills thus bringing the Good News of God’s love alive TODAY!