eNewsbriefs | March 22, 2024

Any Mission Center events, news, or prayer requests, please submit to Communications and Administrative Specialist, Brooke Schlenker at bschlenker@cofchrist-gpnw.org by Thursdays at 7pm.


Some announcements are posted on our blog - the Chinook - if they're too long to fit in the eNewsbriefs. Be sure to click "Read More" to see the announcement in full.


Prayer requests need to have permission from the subject person or their immediate family and will be included in the eNewsbriefs for three weeks, unless otherwise communicated with Brooke.

World Church Announcements

Faithfully Funding Our Future

The World Church Leadership Council shared an announcement about a historic investment in the church's future. This was made possible through the sale of the Kirtland Temple, the Joseph Smith Historic Site in Nauvoo, and other manuscripts and artifacts.

A lot of information has come out this week. Below are links to the resources provided by the World Church.



Faithfully Funding Our Future

New Faithfully Funding Our Future Videos (Newly added!)

Frequently Asked Questions (Newly added!)

Reflection Videos from World Church Leadership Council

Share Comments and Questions

A Prayer for Healing and Hope


We will keep you updated as more information comes from World Church.

March 25: Bridge of Hope Information Session

Please join the Presiding Bishopric for an online meeting to hear details about the Bridge of Hope Retirement Responsibility and the road ahead for Community of Christ.

  • Celebration: We surpassed the Bridge of Hope Retirement Responsibility goal in mid-February, securing over $129 million through your generosity.
  • Financial Strategy: Learn how the fully funded Retirement Responsibility impacts the Defined Benefit Pension Plan and future financial stability.
  • Endowment Growth: Understand how recent asset sales will generate recurring income through our endowments.
  • Worldwide Mission TithesDiscover how your financial and ministry contributions are essential to our future
  • Q&A Time

We look forward to your presence and active participation in shaping a hope-filled future for our movement and world.


Meeting Details:


Date: Monday, March 25

Time: 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. (Central Daylight Time)


Registration is required. Click the button below to register.

Register

MISSION CENTER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Register Now!

Building Community Retreat: April 19- 21 or 26-28

Registration is open NOW!

This GPNW sponsored retreat will continue, and go deeper into, our conversations about moving from "congregation" to "community!" The two retreats are open to anyone wanting to further explore the ways we can deepen our relationships with one another, whether beyond our geographical borders as new expressions of Christian community, or within our traditional congregational boundaries. Please join the GPNW Mission Center Leadership Team and guest presenters, Western Field Apostle Shandra Newcom and Gary Farnsworth at the Building Community Retreat.


Help spread the word with this flyer

This retreat is offered in two locations on different weekends.

Cost: $125 per person

Registrations is open!


April 19-21 (Northern Location) at Black Lake Bible Camp in Olympia, WA

Regster here!


April 26-28 (Southern Location) NEW LOCATION: Lewis River Campground in Yacolt, WA

Register here!

2024 Northwest Spec Delegation

Registration is open NOW!

Dates: July 11-20,2024

Who Can Attend: Any high school student who is CURRENTLY in grades 9,10,11, or 12.



How to register for Northwest Delegation for SPEC:

1.Go to: https://cofchrist-gpnw.org/blog/spectacular-spec-2024-plan-now-to-attend/

2.First payment is due by April 24, 2024

Second payment is due May 31, 2024

3.Click the Eventbrite link (in the Chinook post) and register for Northwest Delegation.

4.Once you register on Eventbrite, we will send you the SPEC registration form once it is live.


Spread the word about! Share information with this flyer.

Want to help support the Northwest Delegation? Here is information on how to donate to the Terry Read Financial Assistance Fund.

Save the Dates for 2024

The Mission Center has many wonderful camps and retreats planned for 2024! Below you can find flyers to save the date for these events for this spring, summer, and fall. Please share with your communities. You can also find these dates on our Mission Center Calendar . More details about themes and registration links will come in early Spring.


Summer Camping: Reunions and Youth Camps

Themes will be announced with the opening of registration on April 1st!

Save the Date Flyer


Racial Justice Week(Update: New Date), Workshops, and MC Conference, OH MY!

Check out this save the date for GPNW MC Events you won't want to miss!

Save the date flyer

Theology & Ministry Colloquy: October 11-13


Theology & Ministry Colloquy, Intersectional Theology: The Meeting Place of Justice. This event will host featured guest Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim.


Dr. Kim is author and editor of 22 books, including, "Intersectional Theology". Grace has appeared on PBS, BBC, MSNBC and more! She is a professor of theology at Earlham School of Religion.


Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information about this awesome event!


Events and Retreats

GPNW North Youth Group Meetings

Crystal Springs Congregation:

Dates: March 26

Address: 20012 Filbert Drive Bothell, WA 98012


Contact Jean Cravy with questions and to let her know you will be attending!

cravyjean@gmail.com or 360-969-3188


Caravan Auction: April 13th at the Eugene Congregation

Join the Youth Venture for Christ Caravan for their annual dinner and auction fundraiser Saturday, April 13. Doors at the Eugene Congregation will open at 4"30 pm with dinner at 5:30 pm. The auction will begin at 6:45 pm. If you can't make it in person, please join on Zoom starting 6:30 pm. 

Share the event with this flyer!


Caravan is looking for items to be sold at their annual auction. Any donations will be accepted. Homemade items are especially welcomed. Contact Michael Jaycox (jaycox.1@osu.edu) if you would like to provide something. We look forward to seeing everyone there to support a great youth mission.


What is Enough? Making Space for What Matters Retreat at Samish Island: May 30-June 2

A Nurturing Spirit/Creating Connection Retreat May 30th to June 2nd at Samish Island Washington

“Consider the lilies of the field—they toil not, neither do they spin.” 

Some of us worry if we’ll have “enough” money for retirement. Some wonder if our neighbors have enough food. Others wonder if they’re doing enough to help our troubled world. What is enough, anyway?

 

Join us as together we look at “enoughness” in terms of material goods, our spiritual selves, through a wider social justice lens and the climate and environment—and more.

 We invite you to journey with us as we learn how to live more simply so that others may simply live.

 2 and 3 night packages are available, early bird rates until April 5th

 

For more information and to register go to: www.NurturingSpirit.CreatingConnection.ca

See schedule here.

Gather in Community

Thirsting for God: Ignatian Discernment: March 23

You are invited to our March 23rd Thirsting for God workshop. We're pleased to have Don Compier facilitating this session titled: "Prayerful Decisions: Ancient yet Surprisingly Contemporary Counsel from Ignatius of Loyola." See the flyer below for details. And RSVP to Carolyn at ckbrock49@gmail.com if you want to register and get the zoom link. Hope to see you there!

See Flyer Here


Climate Webinar: April 7

The topic for our Climate Justice webinar is long overdue--a look at the way climate changes have affected migration and displacement of people around the world, including here in the US.  Dr. Robert McLeman is our guest presenter, and brings outstanding credentials and experience to his presentation.  This webinar will occur on Sunday, April 7.

Flyer

Information Page


SAVE THE DATE: We will host a second event in April:  the special pre-publication screening of the film "Climate Restorers" on Sunday April 21. This is the first in a series of 4 films produced by Dr. Phoebe Barnhard and John Bowey, with actor Peter Coyote narrating the film. You won't want to miss it. A separate flyer and info sheet will be sent out for distribution after the first of April.


Faith & Formation

Chapter 3 of our Book Study will be moved to share the final week with Chapter 6. We will continue with our normal schedule.


Free, Short Courses on Theology, Reunion, More

The Center for Innovation in Mission and Ministry will offer "CIMM Sessions" live Zoom events on theology, culture, and items of interest to Community of Christ in "bite-sized" sessions under an hour. The sessions will be held on Wednesdays at 5pm Pacific, gather on zoom for a presentation on Community of Christ theology. Beginning February 28 will be a three-part series on why the Trinity matters with Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith. Other topics to follow in April and May. Click here for more info. To register, send an email to cimmgraceland@gmail.com with the subject line CIMM Sessions and include your name, location and course name in the body of the email. A zoom link will be emailed to you. Or fill out the form here.


CIMM Sessions - Follow-Up

GPNW will host a follow-up hour for questions and discussion the day after the presentation. On Thursdays at 7pm Pacific, we'll gather on zoom to discuss the topic more in-depth. Registration is not required for the Thursday Follow-up discussion. But make sure you register for the CIMM Sessions above!

Follow-Up Zoom Meeting Link for Thursdays:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85875431166?pwd=qLasJqUM34YpNoTyZObZihNCCopUrb.1

Meeting ID: 858 7543 1166

Passcode: 224014


Temple School Course: Ministry of the Priest

Join us online to focus on the ministry our Priests bring to our congregations and small groups. We'll meet Tuesday evenings, April 9, 16, 23, and 30, from 6-8:30pm PT/ 7-9:30pm MT. You can download the PDF for the book on Herald House. The Herald House is currently out of stock of the books, but you can download the PDF and take it to be printed if a physical copy would be helpful. Contact Ashley Whitham to sign up for the class (360-521-4562 or awhitham@cofchrist-gpnw.org).


New Expressions Mondays in 2024

New Expressions Mondays are co-sponsored by the Greater Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain Mission Centers. New Expressions is journeying through the book, "The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside Your Door" by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon. On the first Monday of every month from 6:30-8:00pm, we will join on Zoom as we take a closer look at the material found in this book. We hope that this experience will help us go deeper in considering the possibilities of creating New Expressions of Community in our neighborhoods. Though you can certainly participate without reading the book, doing so will help provide a richer experience. To order the book on Amazon, click here:https://a.co/d/dRq6eV8 

 

To sign-up to receive more information as we get closer and monthly reminders about our sessions, contact Ashley Whitham (awhitham@cofchrist-gpnw.org).


San Jose Center for Peace and Justice at Community of Christ: January 30- April 4

GPNW is invited to join the San Jose Center for Peace and Justice at Community of Christ in " A season for Nonviolence" presented by the Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace. 64 Daily practices that makes a difference.


The season beings on January 30 ( the anniversary of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi) and ends on April 4 (the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination). Each practice, each day, takes only ten to fifteen minutes and includes quotes, an affirmation, reflections, art work, actions for teens and children, and an inspirational video.


The practices are like spiritual formation exercises and we find them to be of great value. Use the link below and scroll down to week one day one to begin.


https://www.gandhifoundation.ca/season-for-nonviolence.html


Samish Island Camp Work Week: Saturday, April 20 - Sunday, April 28

Samish Island Camp Needs Your Help!

A wonderful opportunity to give back to your sacred space is right around the corner with Camp Samish Work Week! Please come and stay in a cabin of your choice or bring your RV. There’s no charge for coming and being at the camp and we will feed you three delicious meals each day. We even have coffee break! If you can’t come for the full time, come and help when you can.

 

Participants, please wait to arrive AFTER 2:00 PM on Saturday, April 20, as we have a camp closing that day. We are including both weekends to accommodate those of you who work during the week or would like to come and work for a longer week. 

 

Our task list is long and varied and there is something to do for everyone. Tasks waiting are mowing and edging, cleaning inside buildings, wood cutting, splitting and stacking, cabin roofing, completing the inside of the rustic cabin remodels, furniture assembly and arranging, trail clearing and brush cutting, pressure washing and lots and lots of painting. Pick and choose your favorite activity. And, of course there’s the fellowship that always attends those of us who visit the camp and our friends who go there. 

 

We are also still looking for cooks for the week and volunteers who would assist cooks and help, with the food preparation.

 

If you have any any questions, please call our camp manager, Christine Campbell at (360) 510-5724 or Bill Campbell at (253) 709-8444. We hope to see you there!



See below in Community Connections Section and our

Mission Center Calendar for all events.

In the know

Ashley's Zoom Office Hours

Ashley's Mission Center Office Hour will now be Fridays at 10am. The link remains the same. Information is always available on our website: https://cofchrist-gpnw.org/our-staff/ashley-whitham/

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86099130723?pwd=mVx16nQjflXXRzd4Bk0bdBWbjovg20.1

Meeting ID: 860 9913 0723

Passcode: 399665


Bold Moves Applications

Anticipating a bold move in your group or congregation this Spring? A possible Bold Moves Grant may be just the thing that helps to bring it all to life! Applications for the Spring Cycle of the Bold Moves Grants ministry are available on the GPNW website, along with the guidelines and procedures. Application deadline is April 15th. Please direct applications or any questions to Steve Pomeroy (spomeroy@cofchrist-gpnw.org or 425-457-0739).

Celebrations of Life


Passing of Burt Sargeant

To our beloved church family,

Burt Sargeant passed away peacefully on Friday, 2/23/24, at Swedish Seattle.  

He had celebrated his 90th birthday in January. His children surrounded him with love as he left this world. 

He will be greatly missed by all who knew his kind and generous heart.

 

A memorial service will be held later this year, (most likely June), location and date to be determined.

He was a regular member of both the Renton and Samish congregations, and very involved with the Samish Island campground.

 

Any questions can be sent to Burt's son Todd Sargeant at todds@wattenbarger.com

Thank you to all for sharing your kind memories and sentiments with Burt's family at this time.


Passing of Paul Hargrove

The daughter of Paul Hargorve would like to share that her father passed away on Thursday, February 22, 2024. Paul was a member of the Long View, Salem, Auburn, and University Place congregations over the years, and I know the church was very important to him. We are anticipating a celebration of life this summer.

Weekly Online Fellowship Opportunities

Online Worship

  • 2nd and 4th Sundays
  • 6:30 pm (PT)

Breakfast Club

  • Monday, Thursday & Saturday
  • 9-10 am (PT)

Faith & Formation

  • Wednesdays at 7 pm (PT)

ONLINE COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Breakfast Club - Zoom Change

Beginning Saturday March 9th, Breakfast Club will use a different zoom link. Join Breakfast Club on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 9am Pacific using this zoom link from now on:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82127748100?pwd=AFJQ3gA3DFA0GUbqKaAWJadHiUzk1Z.1

Meeting ID: 821 2774 8100

Passcode: 571937


Sunday Evening Online Worships

Click here to learn more.


Community Connections

Join us as Greater Pacific Northwest USA Mission Center and Rocky Mountain Mission Center continue to co-sponsor Community Connections, our New Expression of Community focused on Online Community. Ashley Whitham will be the lead and coordinate our Sunday Evening Online Worships which will now be feature ministry, and attended by, folks in the GPNW and the Rockies, among other locations. For questions about Community Connections, please reach out to Ashley Whitham, awhitham@cofchrist-gpnw.org


All are invited to join Community Connections for "Music of My Heart", the new Worship Series for our online Sunday Evening Worships. In this series, we use a popular song to serve as the theme for a worship which goes deeper in exploring one of our Enduring Principles.

 

Upcoming Worship Schedule


Sunday, March 24, 2024

Palm Sunday

Theme: "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken": All Are Called

Worship Leader: Tom and Susan Webber

Speaker: Susan Oxley and other Storytellers


Sunday, April 14, 2024

Theme: "Creator of the Intertwined"

Worship Leader: Community Connections Team

*This is a Communion Service*



To connect to the Online Worship, click here: https://zoom.us/j/841448115?pwd=WDFQTzdIYWpPM0p1MWJyTlF0aHZDZz09


Don't have internet access? You can always call! To listen in to the worship, dial 1-669-900-6833.

Meeting ID: 841 448 115

Password: 043423


A separate bulletin will be sent out the Friday before the service.

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Prayer Concerns

Please contact Brooke Schlenker with any prayer concerns.

Beyond Horizons

If you would like to receive eCommunications from Beyond Horizons so that you can stay current on these upcoming events and news from your Beyond Horizons Team, please sign-up. Contact Sean Langdon, Beyond Horizons Team Lead, with any questions at beyondhorizons@cofchrist-gpnw.org.

WORLD CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS

To view all recent World Church Announcements, click here.


Gathering Will Reflect on Kirtland

Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation will host an online gathering at 7:00pm Central USA Daylight Time on 27 March to reflect on the church's heritage as stewards and storytellers of the Kirtland Temple. Read more here.



Live Gathering: Good Friday Service

The Center for Living Water, a ministry of Community of Christ, will host a Good Friday Sacred Pulse service at the Temple in Independence, Missouri, USA, at 7:00pm Central Standard Time on 29 March. This is an in-person or virtual event. Read more here.



Outreach International Announces New President

Outreach International announces that Dr. John Herron will serve as their new president and chief executive officer. Founded in 1979 and based in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, Outreach International sustainably addresses poverty-related issues. Read more here.


"Witness the Word" Release

New "Witness the Word" video release today! Watch sermons by Ron Harmon, Carlos Enrique Mejia, and Joelle Wight, along with Disciples Generous Response moments from Carina Lord Wilson, Glenn Johnson, and Erica Blevins Nye on our Youtube channel. Read more here.


8 April Marks 150 Years of the Church Seal

On 8 April, Community of Christ celebrates the 150th anniversary of the church seal, originally a seal/stamp used on church legal documents. After World War 1, the seal began to be used on church books, stationary, and church buildings, becoming the beloved church logo. Read more here.


A Guide to Lent and Easter 2024

This year's Lenten theme, A Hopeful Future Awaits, reminds us that though the call to discipleship leads to sacrificial love through the cross, it also leads to resurrection and new life in Christ. Read more here.


Reunion 2024 Theme

The 2024 Reunion Theme has been released! The theme is.... "Heal the Earth: A Restoration Imperative."

Read more here for the description.