Congregational Resolution on Healthcare
The Social Justice Advocacy in Action Committee and the Mission and Outreach Committee have endorsed a resolution in support of Health Care for All Oregonians. The Health Ministries Team at First Congregational UCC Corvallis is proposing the resolution for consideration by individual UCC congregations and by the Central Pacific Conference when it meets in September. The Mission and Outreach Committee has asked the Board to adopt this resolution prior to the CPC annual meeting.
To this end, an informational meeting has been scheduled for Sunday, August 19, 2018 at 11:30 AM in the Fellowship Hall. The guest speaker for our February healthcare forum, Dr. Mike Huntington, will return to Bethel to provide more information and answer our questions about the resolution. Congregational feedback will be collected at the meeting and via email prior to the August board meeting. Please download and read the resolution HERE and plan to attend the meeting on August 19. Thank you!
Religious Ethics in a New Key
What is Yours to Do For the Planet?
For 17 year old Aji Piper, it is his role to join with 20 other youth to sue the federal government. "Their complaint asserts that, through the government's affirmative actions that cause climate change, it has violated the youngest generation’s constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property, as well as failed to protect essential public trust resources." (https://www.ourchildrenstrust.org/us/federal-lawsuit/) This lawsuit began in 2016 and has already weathered the federal government wanting the case to be dismissed. Gratefully, federal judges both on the original case and for the appeal saw merit in allowing the youth to continue with their lawsuit. After all, they only want clean air to breath, safe water to drink and healthy soil to grow the food they eat - they want the planet to be around for them and future generations.
Exclaiming Divine Creativity
The World We Have
Earth-Honoring Faith Continues
THIS Sunday, July 8, we continue our special summer sermon series called "Earth - Honoring Faith." To help create our earth honoring sanctuary space, please bring something that represents the earth - plants, flowers (potted please), branches, pine cones, moss, rocks - whatever you can find. This is our opportunity to co-create a garden. There will be a special time during the service where we will ask people to come and place their items in front of the communion table. Your participation in the creation process and helping us remember all of the beauty of the earth is greatly appreciated.
Western Regional Youth Event Reflections
Food Cupboard Needs
Earth-Honoring Faith
Join Us for Earth-Honoring Faith
THIS Sunday, June 24, begins a special summer sermon series called "Earth - Honoring Faith." How does our relationship to God - the Creator - affect the way we live on the earth? What if we lived truly connected to God's Creation? God created all things and called them "good." Throughout the series, we will look at the ways we live with the community of earth in a way that deepens our reverence for all of life. How does living in reverence for all of life inform our actions for justice and the ways we care for the earth?
Urgent Action Needed to Protect Immigrants
The House of Representatives is voting this week on two pieces of legislation that will increase restrictions on legal immigration to the United States and take away trafficking protections for children. Act now – Tell your Representative to vote against the Securing America’s Future Act (H.R. 4760) and Speaker Ryan's Border Security and Immigration Reform Act.
These bills would radically change our immigration system in dangerous ways.
Faith Leaders Call for an Immediate End to Inhumane and Unjust Policy
Members of the Central Pacific Conference of the United Church of Christ were among the 1200 who participated in yesterday’s action in Sheridan demanding that the Trump Administration end the practice of brutally dividing families seeking asylum. “As people of faith, we have a moral obligation to speak out against injustice. Our Christian tradition teaches us the importance of welcoming the stranger. The current policy of separating families is cruel and inhumane and must end,” said the Rev. Molly Carlson, Conference Minister for the Central Pacific Conference.
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
Mendicant Pilgrimage
I’m Still “Fine” . . . Jane Zilk
Beaverton School District Homeless Student Dashboard for 2018
FROM: Lisa Mentesana, Homeless Education/Foster Care Program Specialist
RE: Beaverton School District Homeless Student Dashboard for June 1, 2018
As we enter into the last month of school please know that each student who has been identified as McKinney-Vento eligible during the school year has been given an opportunity to remain in their school of origin with academic and social service support. Our program helps to stop the mobility in education for these highly mobile students. Services include transportation to and from their school of origin and/or transition services into the school community closest to where they're currently living. We also provide social service support through resource brokerage to partner agencies. These valuable community partnerships help our students and families move toward long term housing stability. The positive in this difficult situation is that as a community we are working together to address critical gap areas of need in services as well as affordable housing options. Also, that while well over 2000 children and youth in our school attendance area are living with housing insecurity, they're not dealing with school instability due to the lack of permanent and/or inadequate housing.
Take Nothing for Granted
Mental Health Sunday at Bethel
Sunday, June 10 will be Mental Health Sunday at Bethel. Jane Zilk and Jean Doane are planning the worship service with a focus on mental health awareness. Mental Health Sunday is a way for congregations to begin or to continue to provide education and support to members around mental health challenges. We hope to break down the wall of silence and stigma around mental illness by speaking openly about personal experiences with such challenges. Jane and Jean led Bethel’s first Mental Health Sunday in April, 2016.
After worship on June 10, Rosemary (Rosebud) Kirwin-Alvord of National Alliance for Mental Illness Washington County (NAMI) will speak in the Fellowship Hall. Rosemary’s adult daughter has struggled with schizophrenia for many years. Rosemary has journeyed from disbelief and helplessness at the diagnosis, through study, to compassion and advocacy for both those with mental illnesses (brain disorders) and their families. She is a volunteer teacher of the Family-to-Family classes at NAMI Washington County.