Brian Shimer
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Brian Shimer
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Brian Shimer
Worship On Sundays

Action Assembly Charge Conference

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This year's annual meeting is different, exciting, and engaging in ways that are new!

You may be familiar with the term “Charge Conference,” a sometimes dull but necessary annual meeting for the church body.

This year, it’s a whole new game. We’re gathering at Christ United Methodist Church on Sunday, November 4, with several other UMCs in our area for all the “re-’s” — renewal, revitalization, and response — plus the bonus of looking forward to what’s next in our church and in our district.

Make sure your leadership team and active members attend!

We need a head count, so please, please, please, go to signups.wumc.me today and enter your email address and click a box or two. It’s that easy. Or contact the church office at office@westsidejourney.org or 503.643.8070. But do it today! Thanks and we’ll see you there!

Join the Journey, 10.21.18

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Question: What has the Holy Spirit been speaking into your life this week?

Answers:

  1. To be still and ask to believe that he will work through my issues.

  2. That Westside and all of us here are a Lighthouse and that we will do great things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

  3. There are lots of people in need of help and we should be constantly spending our time as a church helping them. Be messy and do great work!

  4. To seek God’s word daily.

  5. The Holy Spirit helped me to handle the suicide of a patient at work.

Latest Needs from the Beaver's Den at BHS

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The Beaver’s Den at Beaverton High School connects homeless teens and their families with food and other necessities. They also keep snacks available for those who are hungry.

Here’s an updated list of some items they could use:
potatoes, fruit, PB&J, falafel, white beans, olives, vegetable oil, Tide pods, individual hummus cups, rice, pasta, tuna, fresh fruit.
And for the Club Hope Birthday Baskets: gift cards, gift bags, small gifts, candy/treats

You may bring these items to the church.

More info at http://beaverton-hs.net/beaver-den/index.html, including how to donate supplies through Amazon! Thanks for your support of this effort.

Extravagant Generosity Sunday

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As you come to worship this Sunday, October 28, be open through prayer, listening and a willingness to follow God's direction, to making your pledge for 2019.

The chart above shows different levels of giving and how many families give at each level. Wendy Fedderly walked through it with us on Sunday morning a couple of weeks ago. We have moved as a congregation from a place of scarcity to a place of abundance in our finances.  She noted that having been part of the congregation since 2002, this is remarkable.  She remembered many, many years when there were pleas for finances in order to basically keep the lights on, but now we are speaking in terms of how God is calling us into ministry, while keeping current with all our bills.  

In light of this, she reviewed the giving units (“families”) and noted that we had moved in 2017 from 44 giving units to 61 giving units in 2018.  This is a large jump.  The largest single increase occurred in the lowest of the levels (around $5 a week) moving from 6 to 16 giving units.  The thing that impressed her was that this is a significant entry point and leads to more giving.  

In the top three buckets we moved from 13 to 16 units, still impactful.  

She encouraged us as a congregation to consider this a call to keep contributing and seeing what God is doing through us as we give with the many ministries of our congregation. 

Kari Suppes reviewed the "Gifts that Keep on Giving" opportunities, which included both areas to serve within the congregation's worship, and many opportunities outside of worship in weekly groups, outreaches, and opportunities to "hit the streets" for Jesus.  She noted how no matter how we invest our time for Jesus during the week or on Sunday, each action is actually a "gift that will keep on giving" because of how many more people that action will impact.  

So, consider what you can give of your time, finances, and gifts. If you are open to God’s direction, no matter how small or how large your contribution is, it will make a difference.

Northwest Prayer Summit, October 25-27

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The Northwest Prayer Summit is a regional gathering of the Body of Christ to join together as one voice, to fulfill the mandate to pray and intercede for our region. 

So, join us at the Northwest Prayer Summit, to exalt Jesus Christ as LORD over our community, region, and nation. As a unified Body of Christ, let's engage in strategic transformational prayer and by the grace of GOD usher in breakthrough!

Join Chris Overstreet, Daniel Kolenda, Mahesh Chavda, Chuck Pierce, James Goll and Aaron Winter for this year's Northwest Prayer Summit. Tickets and more information are available at https://www.heartsoffireintl.com/northwest-prayer-summit.

New Song Community Church
2511 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Portland, OR 97212

Sneak Peek for this Sunday

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Chris Overstreet is an evangelist with a powerful testimony of how his life has been transformed by the power of God. At 18 years old, Chris surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and has been transformed spirit, soul, and body. Chris has lost 195 pounds and credits his weight loss to God's grace working through his life to help him make better choices throughout the years. Chris is the Outreach Pastor for Bethel Church where he trains and equips the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry students in supernatural evangelism in Redding, CA. Chris has a passion for souls and loves to equip the body of Christ to reach the lost. His passion for Jesus Christ is contagious, and it is common for miracles, salvations and life transformations to take place as a result of Chris living his life naturally supernaturally. Chris travels nationally and internationally, preaching the good news of Jesus Christ and equipping the Church to do the same. Chris and his beautiful wife Stefanie and their young daughter named Brielle Shalom recently moved to Portland, OR to seek to bring revival to the NW. Out of a vision Chris founded Compassion to Action, which hosted its first event at the Portland Convention Center in September bringing the gospel, healing and hope to more than 10,000 people. Expect God to move.


Join the Journey, 10.14.18

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Question: What step or action this week put on display the fact hat you steward God’s love?

Answers:

  1. I was able to share scripture that I had read and remembered!

  2. Today we are taking my mother-in-law to the Sauvie Island pumpkin patch and to our small group

  3. Sharing my love with others/Girls of Grace meeting at my home — praying for others

  4. I had the chance to speak love to some homeless teenagers who needed to “see” the love of Jesus in action

  5. Volunteering

  6. By attending “Morning Watch”

Sneak Peek for this Sunday

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You’re a priest carrying the Ark -- the presence of God -- so revered the people cannot be closer to you and the ark than nearly a mile and Joshua tells you to “Go stand in the river.”  At this point, on this day, the Jordan River is at flood stage and he has said “Go stand in it.” Looking at this, both you and the other three priests carrying the Ark with you and the Ark will be rushing downstream if this doesn’t go well.  Do you ask about the wisdom of this? Do you ask what the other priests say? Or do you just obey, “just do it”?

The priests of Joshua’s day were familiar with the Nike slogan and did not say a word but did as told. They went to stand in the river. The water was rushing in torrents, until their feet touched the water and then their feet landed not on water, not on mud, but on dry ground.  A God who created all things can do ANYTHING. What impact might this have had on your faith that day? How might you have felt toward Joshua as you glanced upstream and there was this tower of water that once was the river? Stewardship is all about obedience, and obedience begins with the next step.  Where is God asking you to “Just Do It!”


CrossOver to Life: A message from the Bishop

In the midst of an unsettled political and social climate, in the midst of denominational challenges and fears of what General Conference will decide in February 2019 about the future of The United Methodist Church, Bishop Elaine Stanovsky invites us to turn our eyes upon Jesus and trust in his promise of life, and that abundantly.  We are calling this a crossover year, and what we are crossing over to is Life!

“Jesus said that he came so people “could live life to the fullest.” - John 10:10 (CEB)

Come with me on a year of Crossing Over to LIFE, beginning with Advent, December 2, 2018. 

The journey begins as Brian McLaren leads us on a year-long exploration on the bible and faith in his book, We Make the Road by Walking. I hope that across the Greater Northwest many of you will gather in small groups for this study, but you can do it as an individual if a group isn’t possible for you. I hope you will invite people from across generations and cultures, and from outside as well as inside the church — maybe family members or friends who are curious-but-not-committed to Christian faith. I hope that together we can explore and discover new ways to respond to the challenges we face in our lives, in the Church, the nation and the world.

Each week, in 3-4 pages, McLaren invites us to revisit biblical principles for living. You’ll receive blog posts to expand your study, with reflections and prayers and a place for comments and conversation. As we journey together, we’ll add opportunities for conversation, further study and action.”

More information can be found at https://greaternw.org/crossover/

Labyrinth

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Vermont Hills UMC has invited all of us to share in their Second Sunday Spiritual Practice, this Sunday, October 14, at 6:00 pm. This month’s topic is the labyrinth. A tradition thousands of years old, a labyrinth is a method of meditation that oftens offers enlightenment on your inner questions and struggles.

The evening will include a short video, a time of centering, and the opportunity to walk an indoor labyrinth or a smaller one outdoors (or both!) The leader has many years of experience and will be happy to facilitate your experience, whether you’re a beginner or well-practiced.

Vermont Hills UMC is located at 6053 SW 55th Drive in Portland.

Charge Conference Nov 4

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This year, our annual Charge Conference will look a little different. We will be joining with a handful of other churches in our district for an afternoon of sharing in worship, business, and vision for the future.

This “Action Assembly” will be on Sunday, November 4, from 2:00 - 5:00 pm at Christ UMC. If you’re planning on attending, please register at signups.wumc.me so we have a headcount.

These are the three most important district hours this year, if you want to be involved in our church and its future. We hope you will be there.

HomePlate is Coming to Westside!

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Beginning this fall, we will host a drop-in center in the Lighthouse for homeless teens. Every Wednesday evening, we will offer a meal, a movie, and board games.

Anyone who is interested in participating will need to attend training here at our church (date TBA). You don’t need to attend Westside — you just need to have a heart for homeless kids. Let us know of your interest at signups.wumc.me, so we can keep you in the loop.

Find out more about HomePlate Youth Services at https://www.homeplateyouth.org/. If you have any questions about what we will be doing on Wednesday evenings, please contact Bonnie Becker at bonnie_becker@comcast.net.

What a wonderful opportunity to reach out in our community!

Beaver's Den at BHS

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We told you about the Beaver’s Den at Beaverton High School, the group that connects homeless teens and their families with food and other necessities, on Sep 28. They also keep snacks available for those who are hungry. Here’s an updated list of some items they could use:
peanut butter, jelly, falafel, white beans, olives, vegetable oil, Tide Pods, individual hummus cups, crackers, gift cards, gift bags, granola, trail mix, cheese sticks and fruit. You may bring these items to the church.

If you can volunteer your time at the Beaver’s Den on Friday afternoons, please contact BHS counselors Anne Bafaro (anne_bafaro@beaverton.k12.or.us) or Stephanie Peters (stephanie_peters@beaverton.k12.or.us). More info at http://beaverton-hs.net/beaver-den/index.html, including how to donate supplies through Amazon! Thanks for your support of this effort.