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Gwen’s Note

= Last Sunday (Feb. 21^st= ) I challenged everyone in worship to go out and bless three people this we= ek and to make sure one of them doesn’t deserve it. Let me add = another challenge to this…make sure the three are not regular attendees of our church! = (I received a few blessings from you this week! Thank you!) I = borrowed this idea from Reggie McNeal, Missional Renaissance. It= 217;s a great challenge! Reggie says “the church is not the poi= nt.” He says, “The role of the church is simply this: to = bless the world. In doing this, the people of God reveal God’s = heart for the world.” And if you think this is radical, it is!&= nbsp; It goes all the way back to Abraham and Sarah, when God said “I= ’m going to bless you, so you can be a blessing to everybody else.= 221;

= Let me tell you some ways we, the church are already a blessing in our comm= unity. We open our doors to many community programs not related to ou= r church. We bless the women’s AA group, the Boy Scouts, the We= stern Farm Workers, the Preschool, a home school theatre group, Bag&Bag= gage Theatre Productions. We bless the community through our outreach= ministries of the ESL School, visiting a local Migrant Camp, Family Bridge= ’s homeless families, the back pack hunger program at Lincoln Street = School, Christmas baskets. Our church is a blessing to our community!= We have a blessing strategy and we do pretty amazing stuff.

= The challenge for you is to ask yourself, are you a blessing person? = Do you intentionally look for ways to bless others expecting nothing back i= n return? Of course, being a blessing person is both risky and reward= ing. A deeper relationship might happen. Someone might share th= eir struggles and pain with you. Someone might invite you into their = joy. People might enjoy hanging around you. Conversations might= get longer.

= I have one more challenge for you. Are you also regularly blessing yo= urself? I am a firm believer in taking good care of you. How ar= e you going to be a blessing to others if you don’t practice giving y= ourself blessings?

= Also, remember this: God is already at work in people’s lives, = even yours! It is not all up to us! Be a blessing person and le= ave the rest in God’s hands.

See you in ch= urch.

= Peace, <\_~

= &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = Gwen // ||

UMW

(503-530-0035) Revgwen7@m= sn.com

Coffee Klatch

10 am Saturday, March 13

at Orenco Starbucks

Committee Meetings

Monday, March 1

6:15 pm

Administrative Council

7:40 pm

Family Ministry News

Lent is upon = us! Our first ever Lenten Gathering was informative and fun and filled with= some pretty intense spiritual experiences.

Watching the children walking the Labyrinth was an = incredible experience as they started out running and talking and, bit by b= it, slowed to a slower and more retrospective pace. We talked and ate and s= hared and created and sang and prayed. It was a good evening.

We are taking a R= 20;symbolic” approach to Lent, tying Morning JAM, the children’= s moment in worship, and Lift Off! together each week by using a common sym= bol. We are decorating our Lenten Tree with these symbols each week. So far= , we have fish and crosses. This Sunday we will add eggs! Join us for class= at 9AM, if you get the chance. We will be gathering for devotions in the c= hapel at 9:30 AM as a part of our Morning JAM class during Lent.

And speaking of eggs= , please take a moment to fill out an “egg prayer” for our Pray= er Wall in the Narthex, outside the office door. There are paper eggs there= for you to write a prayer, or prayer concern, on.

Our youth met after = the Lenten Gathering for a lock-in. They learned how to “pray i= n color” and all took on a Lenten Challenge, based on the Parable of = the Talents, for the next several weeks: find a way to make God’s wor= ld a better place using $20 and their own talents. They will report back at= the end of Lent.

We have a great new = adult class at 9AM. Pastor Gwen is leading a discussion class, looking at t= he Lectionary reading for the next week.

It’s a good “drop in” class= – no prior study and you can participate as you are able. Join her i= n the Arcade for this class.

Many, many thanks to= those who have helped with our classes and activities, and who have helped= to feed us. Your help is just invaluable!

Take care,&nb= sp; Christine

Finance Corner

= HUMC’s budget objective for 2010 is $273,500 and includes a special $= 10,000 fundraiser similar to the 2008 auction. Anyone interested in t= he line-item budget for 2010 with a comparison to 2009’s budget and a= ctual, please see Laura for a copy. Thank you for your continued supp= ort.

Jeff Grimm,

Chair, Finance Committee=

Western District Renewal Event—March 19= -21

&= nbsp; McMinnville Cooperative Ministry will be hosting “= ;Thrive Where You’re Planted: Revitalizing Ministry in the None Zone,= ” which= will also serve as the Western District Renewal Event for 2010.

&= nbsp; The registration fee is $50 per person, or a group discount of = $40 per person (if participating with 3 or more people from your local chur= ch). This includes continental breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday, sna= cks throughout, and a Banquet on Saturday evening. You can register b= y going to the McMinnville Cooperative Ministry website, www.ma= c-coop.org = ;If you have questions about the event, call Rev. Steve Ross, McMinnville C= ooperative Ministry, 971-237-2040. Scholarships are available.<= /span>

&= nbsp; There will be three plenary sessions and four workshop tracks w= ith three sessions each. The workshop sessions will cover theory, exp= erience, and practical application to your setting. The four tracks a= re: Planting Seeds (awakening your congregation) Living Water (Revitalizing Worship) Fe= rtile Soil (Revi= talizing Relationships) Sharing Light (Revitalizing Mission and Service). In add= ition, personal coaching will be available for each congregational group th= at attends, to send you home with an action plan of meaningful steps toward= thriving where you are planted.

WEF on the Move

= Women’s Evening Fellowship (WEF) is moving to a new study book starti= ng in April. The new book explores selected Psalms in modern translat= ion and commentary. Women’s Evening Fellowship is a no prep-stu= dy group who also write card responses to prayer concerns and celebrations = lifted in Sunday worship. We meet the second and fourth Mondays of ea= ch month at the home of Susan Jensen.

= To learn more about WEF, or to order a copy of our new devotion book, pleas= e contact Susan Jensen at the $crip table on Sundays. We welcome all = women of the church interested in fellowship and service.

Fabric, Bias Tape needed for UMCOR project

= Several UMW members have taken on a sewing project in response to February'= s UMW program on the Sager Brown depot run by the United Methodist Committe= e on Relief. They will make flannel baby gowns to go in birth kits fo= r distribution in countries hit by disasters. Members of the congrega= tion who have partially used packages of bias tape or extra flannel yardage= are invited to contribute it to this project. It can be marked "= ;For UMW" and left in the church office.

= The birthing kits include a baby gown, receiving blanket, a plastic sheet, = a razor blade and three pieces of string to tie off the umbilical cord, and= a pair of plastic gloves. These few items are destined for women giv= ing birth in extremely primitive conditions in the hope that both the mothe= r and infant will survive.

= The birthing kit is just one type of UMCOR kit told about at the February m= eeting. Health kits, created by our Lift Off children in our church w= ith the help of contributed items from the congregation, school kits, clean= ing kits and others are stored at Sager Brown for the next disaster, wherev= er it may occur.

= UMCOR is a non-profit global humanitarian aid organization of our denominat= ion, working in more than 80 countries, including the United States. = Its work is in response to natural and civil disasters that overwhelm a com= munity's ability to recover on its own. The "One Great Hour of Sharing= " offering taken annually in United Methodist churches funds UMC= OR's operating costs, enabling 100 percent of designated contributions to g= o directly to relief programs.

Daylight Savings Time begins

March 14th.

Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour!

Mark Your Calendar!

Sunday, May 2^nd—Eastertide = Choir Festival at Christ UMC at 2 p.m.

Plan to attend this mass choir =

celebration!!!!