August 23, 2018
Church Picnics are a Great Outreach to the Community!

As we live and grow in our neighborhoods, being a source of joy and light for those around us is vitally important in our community's journeys.

Two of our churches, Morningside United Methodist Church and Trinity United Methodist Church have annual church picnics this month to help the local neighborhoods and share resources. Trinity held theirs last weekend and Morningside's is in two days!

Morningside Church Picnic
Saturday, August 25, 2018
12 - 2 p.m.

Join us for our annual Morningside Community Family Picnic and Fun Day! Morningside United Methodist Church is opening our doors and welcoming our neighbors for a FREE BBQ, fun and games, and a school supplies give away. 

It's fun for the whole family including a bouncy house, school supplies give away, crafts, kids story time, chalk art and much, much more!

Morningside is looking for school supplies to give children who need them.  Sales are starting again for school supplies so get in on the bargains and help the neighbor schools. You can leave your purchases at Morningside.

Trinity's  Neighborhood Barbecue Thank You and Report

God blessed us with good weather, plenty of food, and the opportunity to meet our neighbors, friends, and relatives for fellowship on Trinity's front lawn for the annual neighborhood barbecue on August 19. Musical entertainment was provided by Alma Latina musicians and dancers. Children were treated to the jump house from Benjamin Jumpers at 854 Lancaster Dr. SE., a mini Fiesta Church with crafts, learning about the Marion County Fire District #1 fire trucks and the Marion County Sheriff's car. 

We greatly appreciated all these people and groups who provided entertainment and education for us. The barbecue grills were kept busy with cooks preparing for approximately 350 people! The Outreach committee thanks everyone who helped and/or contributed to the successful day. Special thanks to the Church of God of Prophecy for all their help. Hats off to Larry and Rose Rhoads and their extended family for all the organizing, shopping, cooking, and clean up. 

Open Door Church's Worship & Celebration!
Sunday, September 9th
10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Want another opportunity for neighborhood fun?  For the first time ever, all six Open Door Churches will be gathering together for a combined worship experience, celebrating our community, and sharing a potluck picnic at the amphitheater  at Riverfront Park! Come enjoy an exciting day celebrating being in ministry together! (See below for the flyer!)

Sarah Katreen Hoggatt
In This Issue
Open Door Churches newsletters are sent out every other Thursday.
Board Meeting

The next Board meeting will be August 27th at Morningside at 6:00 p.m.
Open Door Churches Webpage

Our webpage is live!!  Go to  opendoorchurches.org to see information about 
each of the churches and ways you can be involved.
New worship times! 

Starting September 16th, two of our churches will have new worship times!
  • Morningside moves to 10:30 a.m.
  • Trinity moves to 9:30 a.m.
Fall Discipleship Group Options

It's here! The fall discipleship groups hosted through the Open Door Churches are listed below. Let your local church office know which one you would like to attend by Monday, September 10th and get set for a great experience.

Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water and Loving the Bible Again
If the Bible isn't a science book, instruction manual, or position paper, then what is it? Bestselling author Rachel Held Evans invites readers on a journey of rediscovery as she explores the magic of the Bible, engaging the old, familiar stories in new ways that honor the past and enlighten the present. Drawing upon recent scholarship and literary analysis, Evans creatively retells our favorite Bible stories, explains their contexts and possible interpretations, and then connects these ancient stories to our present-day ones. She invites readers to fall in love with Scripture all over again without checking their intellect --- or their imaginations --- at the door. The [8 weeks / $15]
  • 1:00 PM Tuesday starting on Tuesday, September 11. Meeting at Keizer-Clear Lake 7920 Wheatland Rd. N.
  • 2:30 PM Tuesday starting on Tuesday, September 18. Meeting at Morningside UMC, 3674 12th St. SE
  • 6:30 PM Tuesday starting on Tuesday, September 18. Meeting at First UMC, 600 State Street
  • 10 AM Thursday starting on Thursday, September 20. Meeting at First UMC, 600 State Street
The (Un)Common Good: How the Gospel Brings Hope to a Divided World
Jim Wallis is a strong, evangelical Christian. For over 2 decades he has been a powerful national voice challenging the evangelical community to remember and reclaim that Jesus invites us followers to engage in ministries of social justice. This timely and provocative book invites participants to reclaim Jesus's compelling vision of the common good. Wallis contends that this concept impacts not only our politics, but also our personal lives, families, churches, neighborhoods, and world. [9 weeks / $12]
  • 2:30 PM Thursday starting on Wednesday, September 22. Meeting at Trinity UMC, 590 Elma St. SE
Face to Face - A New Worship Experience Coming Soon...   
Beginning Sunday, Oct. 7th, 8:30 am
Morningside UMC - Fireside Room

Have a busy Sunday? Not enough time to be at church your usual hour plus-try Face to Face: A Worship Experience. Lasting 30-40 minutes on Sunday mornings at 8:30 am at Morningside UMC in the Fireside Room, this inclusive service will feature progressive theology, be participatory, organic in nature and allow for small group sharing Face to Face.

Pastor Wendy will lead this early morning, interactive worship experience here at Morningside and it will be open to the whole of Open Door Churches members. It is planned to be "simply" worship, without the formalities of official greetings, announcements, ushers, etc. Face to Face will be organic in nature, with participants volunteering to read scripture and allowing for time to share one on one and in small groups.

Face to Face - it's a new worship experience. Plan to join us and experience it for yourself!
Do you have any work clothes?

The people at Las Naciones are in need of work clothes. Do you have any you aren't using or could you buy some for someone who needs them? When buying shirts, long sleeves are especially helpful.

Please bring all clothes to Las Naciones for distribution.
Youth Group

We have a lot of great options at youth group this summer! We meet most Tuesdays in the summer from 6:30-8:00 (unless otherwise noted) and will do a variety of activities:
  • Aug 25 (Saturday) Family night at the Volcanoes no youth group until September 9th
  • Sept 9 Open Door Outdoor Worship and Potluck
  • Sept 16 Fall Sunday Youth Group resumes
For details of youth group activities visit their Facebook page  Here
Open Door Young Adults

The Open Door Churches Young Adult Group is made up of college students and young professionals ranging in age from 18-29 who are exploring questions of faith together. The group meets every Wednesday evening from 7-8:30 at various locations. Please look at our Facebook page to find out dates, times, and places 

Thank you for your continued support of the Open Door Church Young Adults.

Check us out on Facebook:  
Coming Soon to a Worship Service Near You...
"Living Out Love"
Sunday Sermon Series

We are currently delving into Ephesians - examining how we live and practice our faith! Check your local church for the schedule on when different topics will be discussed.
United Methodist DNA
Sunday Sermon Series
September 16 - October 7, 2018


Join us this fall as we study the DNA of what makes us United Methodists! The pastors will be taking turns preaching at our churches! Check your local church for when specific topics will be discussed.
Saturday, September 22, 
MICAH 

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

On Saturday, September 22nd the Cascadia District will hold an event in Salem for all clergy and members of our district churches!
  • In the morning there will be a time for clergy to gather, the all-district fall kick-off colloquy.
  • At noon there will be a catered lunch for lay and clergy with a program by the Cascadia District Church Extension Society (CDCES). The Extension Society is an example of our connectional system, with churches supporting other churches through the Extension Society Asking (has your church paid theirs? Check with your treasurer!) and the legacy of resources from closed churches. The CDCES gives loans for building improvements and grants for new ministry. Check it out by clicking here! CDCES is also the source for the New Places for New People micro-grants given to each Cascadia church and ministry setting. If you haven't heard about that yet, check it out here!
  • In the afternoon there will be an event for clergy and laity on engaging in dynamic ministry in our communities! See Tim's column above for the focus of our time together. To prepare to talk about the people in your neighborhood, Tim asks that each local church group come with a report from the demographic resource MissionInsite. Your church has free access to this resource through the Annual Conference. See the Resource Section in the right-hand column of this newsletter for more information.

The cost is only $6 for a single person or $10 for a group of any size from one congregation!

Register Now!!
We look forward to being together on September 22, 2018

Director of Family Ministry position at First UMC of Salem

The Director of Family Ministries for Salem First United Methodist Church is a  25 hour a week position. There are three main areas which this position  oversees:
  1. Ministry to families with young children 
  2. Oversight and supervision of childcare and nursery program 
  3. Development and implementation of children's Christian education. 
This is a dynamic, growing, and rewarding position with an emphasis on  inclusion and building a base of millennials and young families. Another key  aspect is supervision of the Sunday school program for these families and  children by providing developmentally appropriate and engaging ministries.

If interested in learning more, please email Katie Carpenter at  [email protected] for a full job description.
Come Visit!
We, as Open Door Churches, are a wonderful community together. To continue building our relationships, it's good to visit each other. If you would like to visit one of the other Open Door Churches, here are all our Sunday service times:
  • Englewood - 11:15 a.m. 
  • Trinity - 9 a.m. (10 a.m. on August 20th)
  • Morningside - 10 a.m.
  • Salem 1st - 8:45 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
  • Las Naciones - 12:30 p.m.
  • Keizer Clear Lake - 10 a.m.