Bethel Weekly Highlights

Bethel Shows Its Pride

The annual Portland Pride Parade will happen Sunday, June 18 in downtown Portland. We would like a robust presence from Bethel to join with our sister UCC congregations. Pastor David will march again this year. We had about 10 folks from Bethel last year. Can we double that this year? If you would like to walk in our Bethel group, please email Neomie Lemke who has offered to help coordinate this effort. We need one more coordinator and advocate for this important witness. Details about the spot in the parade, when and where to meet will be announced after June 1st. Sign ups will be at church on Sunday!

Bethel Weekly Highlights

Building Bethel: A Place to Call Home

For the next couple of Sundays, we are going to be building a representation of our church home and we need YOUR help! In the Narthex before service and in the Fellowship Hall after service, there will be Lincoln Logs (yes, we get to play with Lincoln Logs!) Please think about what makes Bethel feel like "home" to you and then write that word on one of the small logs. We will use those logs to "build" our home with all the qualities you write.

We will also have a basket of logs in the office if you are here during the week and would like to write on one of the logs.

Let's have some family fun!

Sunday Morning Announcement PowerPoint Slide Preparer Volunteer Job Description

PowerPoint 2013 Logo

Sunday Morning Announcement Slide Preparer

Job Description

The Sunday Morning Announcement Slide Preparer (the Preparer) is responsible for preparing a PowerPoint presentation containing one slide for each article published in Bethel Highlights the Friday preceding Sunday worship and sending this slide presentation electronically to the pastor, the program coordinator, the Bethel Facebook administrator, and the other slide preparer(s) in a timely fashion each week. The Preparer will need to be able to summarize the Highlight’s articles since the amount of material in Highlights is often much greater than the amount one can present on a slide. The Preparer should have a working knowledge of PowerPoint software and, ideally, experience using it, including facility in choosing backgrounds, fonts, and images appropriate to the church year, the calendar year, and/or the current worship theme or emphasis. Attention to detail is critical. The task includes setting up the slide show, including looping and timing the slides.  In most cases the slide show should last no more than 3.5 minutes so that it can repeat 3 times during the 10 minutes before worship. Meeting this restriction may involve making judgements about how long each slide will appear and also what material to omit, if necessary. The Preparer must have sufficient time available on Friday and/or Saturday to complete the task.

Oregon Chorale Takes on Lauridsen’s ​Lux Aeterna​ and Duruflé’s Requiem

To cap off a memorable first year together, the Oregon Chorale and new Artistic Director Jason Sabino will present not one, but two iconic masterworks for choir and organ: Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna and Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem. This is a landmark year for both pieces. It is the 20th anniversary of the 1997 Lux Aeterna world premiere, during which the choral and organ version premiered in Portland. This year is also the 70th anniversary of Duruflé’s Requiem. “I’m excited to be tackling two of the most beautiful and large works of the 20th century,” Sabino said. “Despite their differences, they are both similar in two very central ways: both works are inspired by Gregorian chant, and each composer dedicated it to their parent. They both strike me as very personal in writing, and that’s something I find very appealing in choosing music.”

The Chorale had the opportunity to work with Morten Lauridsen in preparation for this concert, thanks to the generosity of the Oregon Repertory Singers who brought him to Portland for their April concert. As he worked with the Chorale, Lauridsen shared stories of growing up in the Portland area, singing in the church choir at Bethel Congregational (where the Chorale will perform his work in June), and living in his secluded cabin in the San Juan Islands where he wrote the Lux Aeterna on his beloved $50 piano. His stories and his expressiveness at the keyboard demonstrated the deep emotion that went into creating this piece, written at the time of his mother’s death.

Lauridsen finished the rehearsal by telling the Chorale, “This is one of the best communitygroups I've dealt with ever, and it’s right here in my home town.” Both pieces on the concert are accompanied by organ, played by renowned organist Dan Miller. Miller teaches organ at George Fox University and is a “Rodgers artist” for Rodgers Instruments, one of the world’s leading organ builders. Miller has been a featured artist at some of the most iconic organ venues in the world, including the Mormon Tabernacle and the Crystal Cathedral.

Performances of Sacred Masterworks: Lauridsen + Duruflé are on Saturday, June 10, at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, June 11 at 2:00 pm at Bethel Congregational United Church of Christ (5150 SW Watson Ave, Beaverton).

The Oregon Chorale is a 70-voice symphonic choir based in Hillsboro, Oregon. The Oregon Chorale has been delighting audiences since 1985, performing choral music from around the world and maintaining an appreciation for technique while exhibiting flexibility of musical style. Its formal concerts showcase a variety of styles from classical to baroque, renaissance to contemporary. Its less-formal presentations include world folk music, spirituals, dinner theater and original musicals.

For more information on the performances or to set up an interview with the artistic director, please email oregonchoralepr@gmail.com or go to www.oregonchorale.org.

Ticket Pricing: $15 for adults, and $10 for students and seniors, free for kids 18 and under.

Bethel Weekly Highlights

Bethel's Closed Facebook Group

Would you like to stay connected with members and friends of Bethel and be supported in your faith journey? If so, please join our closed Facebook group called Bethel UCC Misfits. Click to go directly to the page, then click join to be added to the group. 

This is a safe place to share your triumphs and your struggles as we cultivate and grow in our faith journeys together. If you have any questions, please contact Beth.

Bethel Weekly Highlights

Bethel Talent Show May 21

Bethel is full of talented people. We see all sorts of wonderful artistic presentations on Sunday mornings but there are other talented folks who will knock your socks off with strange and wonderful acts that you would never have expected. The Bethel Talent Show is just the place to see such wonders. Mark your calendars! It'll be held on Sunday May 21 at 3 PM.  

Do you have a secret talent that you've been waiting to unveil? Now's your chance! Please submit your idea for an act to music director, Owen, along with stage space requirements and sound/video tech needs. 

Bethel Weekly Highlights

Bethel Goes to YouTube

Did you know that Bethel has its own YouTube channel? Thanks to the tireless work of JoeLynn Keniston, all of the Lenten sermons and meditations have been added to YouTube! So for those of you that are not on Facebook or have friends who are not on Facebook, this is your chance to see Pastor David's sermons and share them. Surprise your friends next time you are surfing for fun videos on YouTube! Huge thanks and appreciation to JoeLynn and to Liz Patch who records the videos. See you on YouTube!

Bethel Weekly Highlights

Easter baskets, eggs and gifts are an important part of our celebration of Easter. A tradition at Bethel is to provide an Easter gift to the church to strengthen our mission. We call this the Easter Offering – a financial gift in addition to your regular offering/pledge. Easter envelopes will be available Sunday morning, or you can give online. Please prayerfully consider contributing to the Easter offering so we can proclaim to our community through our acts of loving kindness that “Christ Is Risen…Christ is Risen Indeed!”