Last year we had the privilege of serving a turkey dinner the Sunday after Thanksgiving to 130 guests! More than one mentioned that it was the best Thanksgiving in a long time. This year we have the honor of serving Christmas dinner on Sunday, December 22. We expect a great turnout as we turn out a great meal. I know it's a busy time of year; please consider helping make a difference in our guests' holiday.
As always, please let Susan or me know whether or not you will be able to help out as soon as you are able, indicating whether you would like to help out with cooking (2 pm arrival), set-up (3:00-3:15 pm arrival), or serving (4:15-4:30 arrival). After December 22, our next Faith Cafe volunteer opportunity will be February 9, 2020. Please mark your calendars.
Support Beaverton HS Homeless Students
Update: We still need 100 cans of soup.
This year, we will continue our support for Beaverton High School homeless students for the winter break. We will provide food for the approximately 3 weeks they will be on break from school. We estimate there will be 130 Students to feed. Want to help? Here’s how:
Donate high protein soups or money earmarked for BHS Homeless Teens
Show up by 8:55 AM on Dec. 16 to pack food and/or drive food to the high school
Be available on Dec. 20 to deliver food to students who have been unable to pick it up at school
Show up on Wednesday mornings to meet the food delivery from Oregon Food Bank to organize the food into the storage closet
Volunteer for an organization job such as directing the volunteers on Dec. 16, organizing the bags leaving the building on Dec. 16
Come to Bethel on Dec. 15 after Faith Café (approx. 6:45 PM) to organize food tables and count quantities
Pray for the students
Volunteer in any other way you think would be helpful
Please contact Nancy Winston at winstonj@comcast.net or 503 544-3323 with help, questions, anything else.
Dan Miller
This Sunday, December 1, we will have a special guest joining us for worship: Dan Miller, internationally renowned organist! 2019 marks Dan's 20th year as Rodgers Artist and Tonal Professional at Rodgers Instruments US LLC, one of the world’s leading organ builders and maker of Bethel's very own organ, located in Hillsboro. As you attend worship this Sunday, enjoy a special demonstration of virtuosic organ alongside our talented music team and chancel choir.
Blue Christmas
Each year during Advent, Bethel offers a quieter, more meditative worship service. The holidays can be a difficult time for those who are are coping with illness, grief, loss, other difficulties and challenges of life. And certainly a worship series about joy can seem, at first glance, especially difficult to withstand. Joy might indeed be elusive. But the phrase from the Psalmist, “joy comes in the morning” could also be “joy comes in the mourning.” Joy is not about denying suffering, but rather it is the embracing of the depths of all of life’s emotions that is the very thing that allows us to feel the heights as well. Joy is possible when we understand suffering, It is the school of compassion and love. This Blue Christmas service, by Worship Design Studio, is an integral part of our Advent sermon series and will allow for sacred grief and for a sparking of the flames of hope and gratitude.
Make plans to join us on Sunday, December 1 at 2 pm in Bethel's sanctuary. Pastor David and Called to Care members will be available after the service for any who wishes to stay to speak privately with someone. For further information, please contact Pastor David.
Bethel Supports LGBTQi Youth – Bridging Voices Hope for the Holidays Concert
At the “unwrapping the sabbatical” leadership retreat held October 19th, one of the priorities was to “take our open and affirming identity into the larger community.” To that end, we will purchase a block of tickets to attend the Bridging Voices Choir’s Hope for the Holidays Concert, Saturday, December 14 at 5:00 pm at First Unitarian Church, 1211 SW Main Street.
Bridging Voices (The Portland Gay-Straight Alliance Youth Chorus) is a youth chorus for gay, straight and questioning youth, ages 13-21, and strives to be a safe, accessible place for youth to experience empowerment and unity through music. It is Portland’s first Queer/Straight Alliance Youth Chorus and is one of the largest choruses of its kind, in the nation.
This is a great way to get out and show the public that we are a church that truly honors and values all persons regardless of their sexual or gender identities. If you’d like to be a part of Bethel’s public voice and ministry of presence, contact the church office, (503) 646-1191, to reserve a ticket to the concert. Ticket prices are $15 in advance or $20 at the door.
Heaven and Nature Sing this Advent
The season of Advent begins on December 1 (the Sunday after Thanksgiving.) Our theme this year is Heaven and Nature Sing as we explore the beloved Christmas classic, “Joy to the World,” which turns 300 this year. Composer Isaac Watt’s interpretation of Psalm 98 invites us to sing a “new song”–and it is a powerful cosmic performance of all creation being renewed and freed. Rather than “joy” being yet another word for “happiness,” we will discover that the depths of joy can be found especially in the midst of suffering, the work of justice, and the presence of compassion–all part of the coming of Jesus to this world and a message the world still so desperately needs. You won't want to miss this special Worship Design Studio series as we celebrate Advent
On Whose Shoulders We Stand
Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9; Sirach 44:1-14
Habitat for Humanity
The next Habitat for Humanity Workday will be this Saturday, November 2 from 8 AM to Noon. Meet at the Denney Road site at 9845 SW Denney Road. See Steve Thomas for any questions or to get involved as a volunteer.
A New Look at Peace - Rev. Derek Austin
Jeremiah 6; Matthew 10; Philippians 4
Unpacking the Sabbatical Retreat Update
Last Saturday, October 19, Bethel hosted an Unpacking the Sabbatical retreat to reflect on Pastor David's sabbatical, and what was gleaned by both pastor and congregation from the experience. To read David's summary of the event, please click here.
Looking Back
Matthew 22:15-22
It's a Wonder-Full Life Sermon Series Begins October 20th
Join us this Sunday, October 20th as we launch our 2020 Stewardship Campaign and sermon series - It's a Wonder-Full Life! Click here to see the trailer!
Spiritual practice feeds that part of ourselves that is oriented toward serenity, harmony, truth, compassion, gratitude, love and joy. But these are not always words we use to describe the role of money in our lives. In the classic film, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” a crisis of money creates vastly diverse reactions from several characters that can hold up a mirror to our own relationships with money. In this four-week series, we will “look” squarely in the face of our money issues in compassionate ways that can offer more depth of meaning, healing, and wholeness and a whole new “outlook” on what constitutes a wonderful life.
To delve deeper into this topic, join the Conversations for the Curious Class on Sunday mornings or sign up for Pastor David's Class on Money and Meaning, Tuesdays at 11:30 am or 7 pm.
White Privilege: The Elephant in the Room
Neighbors in Need
The Neighbors in Need offering, which we will collect this Sunday, October 13, supports the UCC's ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States. Two-thirds of the offering is used by the UCC's Justice and Witness Ministries to fund a wide array of local and national justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects. Working with members of the UCC Justice and Peace Action Network (a network of thousands of UCC justice and peace advocates), Justice and Witness continues its strong policy advocacy work on issues such as the federal budget, voting rights, immigration, health care, hate crimes, civil liberties, and environmental justice. Neighbors in Need also supports our American Indian neighbors in the UCC. One-third of the offering supports the UCC's Council for American Indian Ministries (CAIM). Historically, forebears of the UCC established churches and worked with Lakota, Dakota, Nakota, Mandan, Hidatsa, Arickara, and Hocak in North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, and northern Nebraska. Today there are 20 UCC congregations on reservations and one urban, multi-tribal UCC congregation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These churches and their pastors are supported by CAIM.
Heirs to the Promise
Galatians 3:23-29
Unpacking the Sabbatical Retreat
Join us on Saturday, October 19 from 9 am - 3 pm in the Fellowship Hall as we Unpack the Sabbatical with consultant Margaret Marcusen. This is the time for the congregation to share about their experiences over the summer and for Pastor David to share more about his and then, as a group, see where we go from here. All congregants, especially leadership, are encouraged to attend. Please sign up on Sunday so we can plan for set up and lunch. Thank you!
Let your voice be heard!
The Good Canadian
Rev. David Randall-Bodman Unpacks his Sabbatical which was his part of Bethel UCC's Summer of Adventure. After his 40 day solo motorcycle trip through the Yukon was halted due to an injury, Good Canadians came to his aid much like The Parable of the Good Samaritan. Julie Fairman reads that parable in Luke 10:25-37.
HomePlate - special video projecT
HomePlate is working on a special video project to highlight their many programs, and will be filming at Fellowship Hour this Sunday, September 29! For more information about this project, read on:
Over the past few months, HomePlate Youth Services has been working with Devin Tau, a local documentarian, on a youth-focused video for HomePlate. He has joined them on outings, come to their main office for a "mock drop-in," and filmed at both Sit-n-Stay and It Takes A Village. All of the interviews have been with the youth, which is the biggest difference when compared to our other videos that feature the staff and/or volunteers. Last on the list of filming opportunities is HomePerk. Devin and his camera operator, along with the two new core HomePerk volunteers, will be present at filming at Bethel's Fellowship Hour on September 29. We imagine that they would like to take some wide shots of the line coming through for coffee, maybe the dining area, and will probably want to film Maddison or Christian interacting with people (for those who are comfortable and would like to help with the project and be featured). Please feel free to check in with Devin the filmmaker, who is very friendly. HomePlate ultimately hopes to use the video as promotional material to have on their website, use at presentations, etc. We're really excited to help provide some good footage of HomePerk in action and help our friends at HomePlate.
The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat
John 12:12-19; Mark 15:25-34
Summer of Adventure Video
Check out Bethel’s Summer of Adventure video! It shows Pastor David beginning his sabbatical on his motorcycle, Gong Healing, Taizé Labyrinth walk, hiking interviews, Rev. Rodriguez’s tribute Bethel and her Summer of Adventure and more.
The Communications team’s adventure was to upgrade our equipment and improve methods to make better videos for you. Watch them when you can’t attend in person, or want to re-experience a worship service. Really, try it! Visit Bethel Congregational United Church of Christ on Facebook, YouTube, or our Website (SERMONS tab, or Staff page for more interviews).
We are pleased when we hear how people have benefited from these videos. With your help we can make an even greater difference. Join us, learn, grow, create, and bless others with our message. Do camera work, video editing, sound, lighting, or story design regardless of where you are on your audio/visual journey.
Contact Stan Davis, Communication Team members, or staff.