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Gwen’s Note

Every four years, = the same year as the presidential election and leap year, the United Method= ists gather for General Conference in April/May. This year General Conference which John Wesley called &= #8220;holy conferencing” is in Fort Worth, Texas, April 23-May 2. The Council of Bishops has endor= sed the following “Guidelines for Holy Conferencing.”

= · = Every person is a child of God. Always speak respectfully. One can di= s agr= ee without being disagreeable.

= · = As you patiently listen and observe the behavior of others, be open t= o the pos= sibility that God can change the views of any or all parties in the dis cus= sion.

= · = Listen patiently before formulating responses.

= · = Strive to understand the experience out of which others have arrived = at the= ir views.

= · = Be careful in how you express personal offense at differing opinions.= Oth erw= ise dialogue may be inhibited.

= · = Accurately reflect the views of others when speaking. This is especia= lly imp= ortant when you disagree with that position.

= · = Avoid using inflammatory words, derogatory names or an excited and an= gry= voice.

= · = Avoid making generalizations about individuals and groups. Make your = poi= nt with specific evidence and examples.

= · = Make use of facilitators and mediators.

= · = Remember that people are defined, ultimately, by their relationship w= ith God= - not by the flaws we discover, or think we discover, in their views and= actions.

&nbs= p; The theme= is the 2008 General Conference is “A Future with Hope.” You can follow what happens at Gene= ral Conference through www.UMC.org. Many articles have already been posted on the site.= The creation of a new hymnal= , downsizing General Conference from 1,000 delegates to 600 delegates, revi= sions to the Book of Discipline and The Book= of Resolutions will be d= ecided. General Conference is= the policy-making body of the international United Methodist Church. We are a diverse church and it is = not surprising that the above guidelines have been endorsed. In our pews sit people who don’t agre= e on subjects such as how to interpret the Bible and whether we should clap= in church. Diversity is our = strength, I believe. It requi= res us to practice listening closely, speaking accurately, and giving one a= nother much grace. These guid= elines would help us in all our conversations. I encourage us to be in prayer for our delegates and our = United Methodist Church as they conference together on our behalf. See you in church.

= Peace, <\_~

Gwen // ||

(5= 03-530-0035) Revgwen7@msn.com=

Friends in the Making

How do you like to spend your free time?&= nbsp; Chances are Hillsboro UMC has an activity group to match your = preference. Check the Bulleti= n Board behind the $crip Table in the Fellowship Hall to learn the next mee= ting time and place for Dinner groups, Game Night, Movie groups, the Coffee= Klatch and the Craft and Scrapbooking group. This is a great way to get to know your church family.

$crip Takes a Vacation

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> During Su= mmer months, Hillsboro UMC sells $crip only once a month. June 9^{th is the last =
date for weekly $crip sales. =
Using $crip is an easy way to take care of groceries, carwashes, ice cream =
treats and other Summer necessities. =
Don’t forget Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and a=
ll those enticing Back to School Sales!&nb=
sp; Start stockpiling your $crip today. Your $crip Team}

Who is Father Selvam?

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> When Past= or Gwen walks through our congregation and lifts up symbolic communion for = those people whom we name aloud. The name I lift up is Father Selvam. His w= hole name and title is The Very Reverend Father S. M. Selvaratnam, Provinci= al Superior of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Jaffna Province in Sri Lanka= . Selvam was my prayer partner when I did two intensive ten day retreats as= part of my training in Spiritual Direction at the Shalem Institute. He has= been working for freedom and justice in Sri Lanka for decades, and had bee= n forced to flee Sri Lanka because the brothers of his own order had decide= d to turn him over to the authorities rather than support his work of recon= ciliation and justice. He had become a Catholic priest simply because his f= amily knew he would receive an education and be fed. He has earned many deg= rees: B.A., M. Div. M. Psych, D. Psych, and has served as a faculty member = at St. Anselm’s University in Kent, in Great Britain. He was a profes= sor of theology, yet I will never forget the joy in his face when, during o= ur training in spiritual formation, he told me that for the first time he r= ealized that this Jesus he talked about was real, that grace and the love o= f God was real. He was renewed as a man, and his determination to work for = justice and reconciliation in Sri Lanka was renewed as well. In 2004, I rec= eived an email from him in which he rejoiced that Christians in Sri Lanka h= ad been allowed to openly celebrate Easter for the first time in his life. = Now things are much, much worse. Here is a brief excerpt of an article that= appeared in December, 2007, in Asia News&= nbsp; (find it online at

h= ttp://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=3Den&art=3D11082&size=3DA )<= /o:p>

“Next year will be the 25th year that this small piece of land (Jaff= na)

Where do our Apportionments go?

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> The two f= amilies are huddling in the dark, afraid to make a sound and fearful of att= racting any attention to the small tin home they share in the midst of the = slum. Two Kenyan families. One Kikuyu. One Luo. They are supposed to be swo= rn enemies, yet here they are together. Two tribes--under one roof--shelter= ing each other from the rival tribal gangs raging on the streets outside. M= embers of the same Methodist church, they are huddled together in the dark.= They do not know if they will even survive the night, but they draw streng= th and hope from the prayers they share with each other. What has happened,= they wonder, to their beloved Kenya? What will the future of their nation = hold? What will be the future of their children? Two families waiting out t= he night, praying together, and whispering their plans for running in the l= ight of day to a Kenya Methodist Church closer to the center of the city. T= here they know they will receive shelter, food, and a welcoming community t= hat will not care about their tribal background or political views. The UMC= , the Kenya Methodist Church and the British Methodist Church have worked f= or years in Kenya to bring people to faith in Jesus Christ. As bad as the v= iolence is, it is greatly diminished because of the Christian faith you and= your World Service apportionments have instilled in an ever-growing number= of Kenyans. Through World Service and through Advance Specials approximate= ly 400,000 Kenyans have at least some hope that there will be a safe place = for their families. The unrest in Kenya is tragic and threatens their natio= n, but the Christian community is transcending tribal rivalries and old sco= res. Because of you, while they may be huddling in the dark they know that = the light will come. Your giving literally saves lives. Thank you, from two families. And more!

Father Selvam Continued

has lived with an absurd war between the Tamil Tiger rebels and the g= overnment forces. It is too much; the people cannot endure it anymore: too = many parents have lost their children, too many children are orphans, too m= any women widows, too many tears have been shed.” Yet Fr. Selvam continues to live and work for re= conciliation. When we parted at the end of our training I promised him I wo= uld continue to pray for him and the people he serves. This is why I lift u= p Father Selvam every month, and the small corner of earth forgotten by eve= ryone but God – and Father Selvam. Now that you know something of Sel= vam, you can pray for him, too.

Homele= ss families coming

Homeless = families with children will spend the nights of April 27 to May 4 as guests= in our church. Volunteers ar= e needed to provide dinner each evening and/or to serve as an overnight hos= t. A sign-up sheet is posted = in the Fellowship Hall for those willing to serve a dinner, be an overnight= host or provide snacks or Day House supplies.

Our churc= h has hosted Family Bridge for eight years and is one of only four homeless= shelters for families with children in Washington County.

News F= lash!

An extra = feature of the Mothers and Others Dessert this year will be the opportunity= for mother-daughters or any other combination of portrait subjects to have their picture taken during t= he event.

Photos= will be done by Cindy Pederson, a professional portrait photographer in ou= r church. She will offer a fr= ee 8 x 10 portrait for each sitting. = You will have the opportunity to order additional photos.

Photos ma= y be taken prior to the 7 p.m. start of the event and during

the de= ssert time. A portrait studio= will be set up in the Parlor. =

Mothers a= nd Others Dessert will be held Wednesday evening, May 7.

See pa= ge one of this issue for further details about this annual event sponsored = by UMW.

Faith Forum Focuses on Violence

<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> The Sixth= Annual Faith Forum presented by the Interreligious Action Network of Washi= ngton County will focus on violence in schools, homes and hate crimes. Workshops will help participants = understand the problem and learn ways to prevent and combat violence. The e= vent will be Wednesday, April 23 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center f= rom 8:30 to noon. The $20 registration fee includes breakfast and lunch. Fo= r more information contact Dale Harris, 503 648-7415 or dch33@comcast.net.<= o:p>