Regional Assembly
May 20-21
Current Registration 167

REGISTRATION
DEADLINE
MAY 10
TODAY

What's new since May 7 mailing....

  • Regional Assembly Theme Scripture Reflection
  • Assembly Mission Offering
  • Update on Streaming/Zoom for Assembly
  • Details on Children Activities on Saturday of RA

What to watch for in our upcoming mailings....

  • Details on Youth Activities on Saturday of RA
  • Online Workshop sign on details
  • Saturday Lunch details
  • Previews of the Regional Assembly Docket

Mission project and donation links are at the bottom of this email...................

You can access registration info HERE and the schedule HERE.

Regional Assembly gathers members and friends from 44 congregations that make up the Christian Church in Oregon and SW Idaho. We are from two states, worship in three languages, worship in houses, rented spaces, buildings we own, and on fields where we hope to build buildings. We are congregations as long serving as 175 years plus and as new as 3 years old.

And we serve one God. Together we will share worship, meet church leaders, reunite with friends and make new ones hosted by Salem First Christian Church.
Regional Assembly Theme Scripture
Luke 24:13-35
As you reflect on our theme scripture this week, read it quietly and see which part of the story connects to you in your life at this time. What moment in the story "clicks" for you and grabs your attention?

27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

In the story in our theme text, the people on the road, who meet the man they later recognize as Jesus, engage with him in a study of historic and sacred text to put context around their present moment. Jesus does not school them in the tradition of the religious community solely, but engages scriptural narrative and shows them how their past relationship with God has led to the moment in which they currently find themselves. He builds on what they know, but he does not leave them in the past.

Anne Lamott, in one of her essays, quotes a refrigerator magnet, "God loves us just as we are, and God loves us too much to let us stay that way."

In this season of the church in the United States we are not called on to only cling with strained knuckles to the past models and expressions of church. Our buildings, our governing documents, our worship, our programs in this regional church were framed in pre pandemic era. And honestly much was framed in the mid 20th century. We are 22 years into the 21st century today.

Our newest congregations we will celebrate Saturday afternoon of assembly have much to teach the more established churches and vis a versa. What happens next and now will be the making of decisions that will help our regional church to carry the essence of what we intend, the core of our faith story, into the future while the form in which we live church changes around us.

Again, I quote the sainted Disciples pastor, Rev. Lynnette Biggers, "I do not fear the future, for God is already there."

During assembly we will stretch into the recalculating church that is unfolding before us. Workshops, sessions and conversations will be framed around the longing to be the church that is next. See you at assembly.
Assembly Mission Offering
The Mission offering for the Regional Assembly will be received for FEDICE ministry of Ecuador. If you are planning to participate in assembly remotely, you can still give to the offering by going to the regional assembly link on our website . You can also go to our regional website and find the link on the bottom right hand corner of the home page www.oidisciples.org
How to participate in the Assembly Remotely

The Friday night, Saturday morning. and Saturday afternoon sessions will be broadcast over Facebook and YouTube platforms.

There will be two online workshops with zoom links to be published next week.
You are welcome to publish the public sites, but we ask you not to publish on any of you online media the zoom codes for security reasons. All the links and codes will be in a mailing later this week.

Watch this space for details later this week. 
Update Nursery and
Children's Programming

Thanks to Pastor Michelle at Salem FCC and her crew, children will enjoy some crafts, music, stories and more. You can learn about the program HERE. Those already registered will get more information and a permission slip for the program later this week.
You can register now and pay later by check or on line. We just want to know you are coming. We have reduced the price by $10.00 per person from 4 years ago. We have offered a first time attender discount. Kids and Youth are invited to come to programs that are offered for free. We hope this will help more people decide to come. We will be streaming some parts of the service, for now we need to know who plans to come in person.

We just need to know that you plan to come.
Let us know and tell your friends to come with you!
Link to the page with registration info HERE

If you cannot come, yet you want to help the assembly provide a gathering for the region, consider making a donation to the costs of the assembly, since this year we are reducing the cost to participants but costs to provide the assembly are higher than previous years.

We look forward to hearing from you!!
Programs and resources are provided to you by your Regional Church and the whole church ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) which are supported by Disciples Mission Fund, Annual Fund gifts, the Christmas Offering, designated gifts, and invested funds Learn more about the Christian Church in Oregon and SW Idaho HERE.