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Community of ChristChurch
Faith News Update for July 9, 2020
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Online Interactive Worship with Holy Communion
Sunday, July 12, 2020 at 9:30am
If prompted enter password: 080114 |
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Joining by phone:
If you are not able to join worship via your personal computer, tablet or smartphone you are welcome to join using your phone.
- Call this number: 1-669-900-6833
- Use the meeting ID: 669 927 281
- Enter password 080114
You will find yourself in our Zoom worship space. |
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Online Worship Logistics:
- The online doors to our Zoom worship will open at 9:00am.
- From 9am to 9:30am, the worship space will be open for folks to gather and get settled in. Our worship service will begin at 9:30am.
- Holy Communion will be a part of our online worship, so we encourage everyone to prepare by putting together your own communion set from whatever you have handy in your kitchens and pantries. Please have these items nearby and handy when you join us online.
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Summer 2020 preaching series- Forgotten Books of the Bible:
Wisdom from the Five Jewish Festival Scrolls for Today’s World.
For the next two Sundays, July 5th and 12th, we will be reading from the book of Lamentations. Whether the cause is the COIVID-19 crisis, or the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in light of continued oppression of black and brown bodies, or another of the countless ills facing our nation, or a combination of all of these… we find that we are living in a time that calls for deep lament.
The book of Lamentations has been sitting right here in our Bibles, right under our noses. Perhaps it is time we bring the varied voices of Lamentations into the light… to teach us, to embrace us, to offer us a way forward.
“The book of Lamentations, which reflects the humiliation and anger of the people of Jerusalem following the destruction of their city by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, provides a starting point for thinking about how to create such a space for sorrow, anger, and protest within the Christian community. Perhaps the most unflinching book of the Bible, its expression of anguish and accusation resonates wherever there is suffering, whether public or private, communal or individual. It stands within the Bible as a voice of protest against God, enfolding even the most angry and disillusioned of us into the community of faith, never correcting or silencing our lament.“
Robert Williamson Jr.
The Forgotten Books of the Bible
“Lamentations challenges all piety that commends passive, silent suffering. Even if the suffering is just punishment-something not fully conceded-the book articulates the horror endured communally and individually during and in the wake of the destruction of the structures of corporate and individual life.”
Richard W. Nysse
Lamentations
enterthebible.org
If you are curious, take a look at the outline of the summer preaching series, available via PDF here.
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Building Update 7.9.20
We have a lot of exciting Transition events to share with you and several opportunities for volunteers to get involved:
This SATURDAY, July 11, 9 am to 1 pm:
We will be holding our final "sale". Everything will be free.
Copy and paste the link below into your browser.
https://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/gms/d/hillsboro-garage-sale-mostly-free/7155570927.html
Our email platform is having trouble with the Craiglist link, please copy and paste the above link into your browser. It's also posted on our Facebook page. Please share this with your friends.
We have several COVID related safety policies in place including a limit on the number of people in the building to enforce social distancing as well as requiring
everyone to wear masks that cover their nose and mouth at all times regardless of distance. Go here to view the policy.
This SUNDAY, July 12, 1 pm to 3 pm: We'll be hosting a Goodwill Haul-Away event and WE NEED YOUR HELP! We're asking that you come to the building between 1 and 3 pm for a touchless curbside pick up of pre-boxed and sorted Goodwill items. All you have to do is pop open the trunk and drive the boxes to a Goodwill drop-off center of your choice and at a time that works for your schedule. We will have a lot of items to donate and your help is greatly appreciated. It will be fun to see you, even if it's through your back car window!
Next Steps: We have secured two storage units at a facility nearby and will begin moving items soon. We need volunteers to help in several ways: (1) Patch and smooth holes in the walls at ChristChurch, (2) set up shelving in the storage units, and/or (3) move items to storage over the next few weeks. There will likely be additional opportunities to help drive items to recycling centers and other donation sites. Please contact Chris Radford at chrisrad4d@gmail.com if you can help.
-Chris Radford
Transition Coordinator
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Our new mailing address:
Community of ChristChurch
3300 NW 185th Ave #224
Portland, OR 97229
Please update your address books - make sure it includes #224.
If you are mailing donations (thank you!) please note the change...or help us save our resources and sign up for online giving. Online giving reduces staff and volunteer processing time. Thank you! |
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Throughout July ChristChurch is continuing our donations to the nonprofit organization PERIOD, whom we have helped in past years with donations of feminine hygiene products for care packages. PERIOD helps those who are in need of feminine hygiene products, and do not have access to them or cannot afford them. This is an issue in many countries across the world, but also in our own community.
This year especially, many people need help, and PERIOD has expressed the need for supplies other than exclusively feminine hygiene products, including:
-band-aids
-goggles (i.e. chemistry goggles, safety goggles, etc.)
-water bottles
-antibiotic cream
-earplugs
-gauze
-energy bars
-face shields
-face masks
-gloves
-ibuprofen
-saline solution
-backpacks
-drawstring bags
-pads
-tampons
These items are needed in PERIOD’s Seattle, Washington chapter especially, and are being distributed to those in need, as well as those helping with the pandemic and Northwest People's Aid, which is supporting people of color in the Seattle area.
We are starting a collection of the supplies listed above NOW, and ending the collection at the end of the month, on July 31st. We understand it is much harder to find or buy supplies during this difficult time, but anything you are able to contribute will help tremendously.
There will be a box out on our doorstep for donations, so there would be no human contact. Our address is 1154 NE Alexandria St., Hillsboro OR, 97124. Once the collection is over, I will deliver the supplies to PERIOD, so they will make it to the Seattle chapter and those who are in need of these supplies.
Thank you all for your continued support and donations! If you have questions please feel free to reach out to me directly via email.
-Elsa Buchholz
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Pandemic Emergency Economic Relief (PEER)
In the midst of this pandemic, many families who were already marginalized and pressured are now facing acute economic and food insecurity. At the same time, most of us are feeling isolated and longing to act. What if we could GROW connection during this time and ACT together to relieve pressure in our communities?
In order to reflect dignity and relieve pressure, the Oregon Synod (ELCA) and the NW Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC) are partnering to encourage local congregations to join with one another and community-based organizations, like schools and social organizations, to offer grocery gift cards and other food or financial assistance to families most impacted during these times.
How it works:
ChristChurch has received a $500 matching gift grant from the Oregon Synod (ELCA). We are combining that with funds dollars from our benevolence fund and the pastor’s compassion fund for a total of $2,000. We will then buy grocery gift cards and deliver them to counselors at Evergreen Middle School, who will in turn get these grocery gift cards to families.
What can you do:
Help us double these funds by clicking on the PEER category in our online GIVE button so that we can purchase even more grocery gift cards to impact local families in need.
Thank you to everyone that has already donated!
To date we have received $1,050.
And thank you to everyone that helped spread the word about this opportunity.
How is this a partnership?
One of the goals of moving out of our current building was to increase our partnerships and presence in the community.
By working with the local schools we engage in meaningful discussion around:
Additionally, we are working with ecumenical partners -
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The United Methodist Church has committed $100,000 in matching grants to local congregations
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The Oregon Synod has received a $20,000 grant from the ELCA to offer matching grants, so partnering with our local ecumenical friends can double our gifts!
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The Presbytery of the Cascades (PCUSA) has also committed $100,000 in grants to local congregations.
If you have questions about the program please contact Rachael Jans or Pastor David Eppelsheimer.
Even if you can not donate please feel free to share this opportunity with friends, family, and neighbors! It’s a wonderful opportunity to do good and connect more with our local schools.
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Opportunities to stay connected online are listed below: |
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Reconciling in Christ Team
Online Meeting
TODAY, Thursday, July 9, 2020
6:30pm
Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/571159077?pwd=Z1ZuM09hdXR0dTlqaXl3bWR5TlFwdz09
Meeting ID: 571 159 077
Password: 041672
Reconciling in Christ is a program for Lutheran congregations who want to publicly welcome people of all sexual orientations, gender identity, and gender expression into their communities. |
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Crafting, Gardening and Creativity Share (online gathering)
Resuming Saturday July 11th @10am
https://zoom.us/j/226185003?pwd=b0tzLzBDaTJlc1RvVEV2dFQyRTZ2QT09
Meeting ID: 226 185 003
Password: 012822
Our Saturday Crafting and Gardening online meetings have been going so well. We’d like to get more of you involved by asking you to share your creative talent.
- You are more than welcome to invite a friend or relative to share their creative talent as well.
- We think this a perfect opportunity to share ideas, talents, and creative endeavors to all in our community. This in turn helps us build relationships with others.
- If you are looking for a new thing to learn, drop by, you may find just the thing.
- If you’d like to share with the group please contact Violet Thetford. She will be in touch with details.
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ChristChurch
Online Coffee/Tea Hour Open House
Every Wednesday 10am to Noon
Save this Zoom link:
https://zoom.us/j/301147732?pwd=OHdrNDJDVC9pNkZKVnI5eFRzZXNhQT09
Meeting ID: 301 147 732
Password: 005805
Need a mid-week pick me up!?
Visit on Zoom every Wednesday morning.
The meeting room will be open from 10am -noon on Wednesdays and hosted by Violet Thetford.
This will be an open house format for folks who want to drop in any time during the 2 hours. Feel free to come and go as you like.
Thank you to Violet for hosting!
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Electronic Giving
Since we can't pass our offering basket during virtual worship, we encourage you to automate your giving. Electronic giving also offers an easy way to give on a recurring basis.
THANK YOU to everyone that has signed up!
We are so grateful for the response.
Go to https://app.easytithe.com/App/Giving/comchristchurch and select the checkbox ‘Make this gift recurring’. You will then be walked through the steps for setting up an account with Easy Tithe. |
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Community of ChristChurch
This is Christ's church. There is a place for you here.
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- 5170 NE Five Oaks Drive Hillsboro, OR 97124 - (503) 617-9526
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