The Columbia Weekly

January 2, 2026

CPC family,

Happy New Year to you all! I hope it was a good Christmas for you. I am beginning to turn back to work after a few days away from everything and I am hopeful that we will be able to start the year well together as a church community. As you know there is a great deal to be excited about. In a few weeks our new Associate Pastor John Yu and his family will be joining us at CPC. This will mark an important moment in the life of our church and specifically in the area of discipleship. Please continue to pray for the family as they make their way to Vancouver and get settled into school and work. Please pray for Pastor John as he settles in, gets to know us, and helps us to discern how to intentionally form disciples of all ages at CPC.

I also find myself excited because this Sunday will be our first worship service of the year and we are starting a new sermon series called, “Kardio Habits.” The series is centered around Christian discipleship and is a great one for the new year. Specifically, we will be looking at how the things we love shape who we are. We may not always be aware of what we love as we go about our lives and we may not always be aware of how those loves shape us. The series will also help us think about forming habits that can better shape us as disciples that walk, live, and serve more like Jesus is our first love. I think it will be an excellent series to guide us into the start of Pastor John’s ministry at CPC and my hope is that it will help us grow together as disciples of Jesus.

I hope you can make it to worship this Sunday. It’s a great way to start the year and it is one of the most important rhythms that shapes our hearts.

Pastor Matt

To prepare for worship: Read John 1:35-42.

Watch previous worship services on Church Center or listen to previous sermons on Spotify.

Announcements

Events with the Church Center icon require registration.

Need assistance? Call the church office (360) 694-7549.

2026 Offering Envelopes are available in the Gathering Area and weekdays (8:30am–4:30pm) in the church office.

2026 Donations - If you give online through Church Center, please change your fund to General Fund 2026. To update your giving in Church Center, open your app or go to columbiapresbyterian.churchcenter.com and log in using your cell phone number. Select your photo or initials in the top right corner of the page, then scroll down to the Activity & Involvement section and choose My Giving. Select Planned Giving, click the edit icon next to your recurring donation, update the fund from General Fund 2025 to General Fund 2026, and select Update Donation to save your changes. As always, if you need assistance, please call the church office at (360) 694-7549 and we would be happy to help you.

Numbers: Lessons from the Wilderness

Sundays, beginning January 4, 10:30-11:30am

Chapel

No longer enslaved in Egypt, but not yet in the land of promise, the Israelites find themselves in an "in-between time" in the book of Numbers - not completely unlike the in-between time we live in as Christians. Will they learn to trust in God's promises, provision and guidance as they await the fulfillment of these promises? Will we? Grumblings, rebellions, judgment and mercy, strange plagues and stranger cures, powerful prophecies coming from unexpected places - all this and a talking donkey! Yes, there are numbers in Numbers (primarily two censuses), but there is something to learn even from these. Join us as we journey through Numbers and learn together what God may have to teach us from the Israelite's wild and wooly wilderness wanderings. "Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come." (1 Corinthians 10:11)

Men's Westside Bible Study

Tuesdays, beginning January 6, 7:00am

Peachtree Restaurant (Hwy 99)

The Men's Westside Bible Study group will be starting a study with Eugene Peterson's book, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, which focuses on discipleship and Psalms 120-134, known as The Psalms of Ascent. Contact Bill Wheeler or Bob Hughes for details.

Tuesday Morning Women's Bible Study (GIFT)

Weekly beginning January 6, 9:30-11:30am

Chapel

Join us for an 8-week video study on the book of Proverbs, led by several popular Bible teachers. This study will focus on applying God’s wisdom to our daily lives while offering a supportive environment for fellowship, prayer, and encouragement. The cost of the book is $28. Financial assistance is available if needed. Childcare is available by reservation here.

Slow Theology 

Wednesdays beginning January 7, 6:15-7:45pm

Fellowship Hall

Join Amanda and Ben Stimmel for an eight week class exploring how to listen, study and consider eight spiritual practices discussed in the book Slow Theology. We will work toward creating our own goals for sustained spiritual practices to strengthen our connection with God and neighbor. Due to the goals of this class, we ask that you register and read the first chapter prior to January 7. Register here.

Women's Friday Afternoon Bible Study

Fridays, beginning January 9, 12:30-2:00pm

Library

Have you wanted a safe space to develop a habit of regular Bible study? The Women's Friday Afternoon Bible Study might be the perfect place for you. We are a diverse group of women ready to explore Paul's letter to the Ephesians. The Bible Project says "The book of Ephesians summarizes the whole Gospel story and how it should reshape every part of our story." We suggest you bring a Bible you can write in and a journal to jot down your observations. Childcare available upon request. Register here.

Movie Night

Friday, January 9, 6:00pm

Chapel

Join us at 6:00pm for dinner (bring your own meal) followed by the movie "The Man Who Knew Too Much" at 7:00pm. This film stars Peter Lorre and is about an American family on vacation that becomes embroiled in an assassination attempt.

Balance Seminar

Thursday, January 15, 1:30-3:00pm

Fellowship Hall

The Health Ministry Team will be holding a balance seminar where you can learn ways to strengthen balance and prevent falls.

Men's Breakfast

Saturday, January 17, 8:00–9:00am

Fellowship Hall

Come enjoy good food and meaningful fellowship as we hear from Scott Longacre, who will share about his faith journey and his ministry through his work as the Congregational Care and Missional Caseworker. Invite a friend to join you! To help offset costs, a $5 donation is suggested. Register here.

Middle School Night of Unending Games

Friday, January 23, 6:00-9:00pm

The Middle School Night of Unending Games is a game-filled fun event for all 6-8th graders. We will play a variety of games throughout the church building and have lots of snacks. This is a free event and you are welcome to bring a friend! Register here.

Women’s Gathering

Saturday, January 31, 9:00am–12:00pm

Fellowship Hall

Come experience a time of faith and connection with other women as we explore the lives of women in the Bible whose stories were restored and re-storied through encounters with Jesus. We will gather for worship, breakfast, a craft, and small group discussion. Please bring your Bible and a breakfast dish to share. There will also be an opportunity to give toward the Women’s Retreat Scholarship Fund. Childcare is available with advance registration here.

High School Ski Retreat

February 13-16

Bend, OR

We're heading to Mt. Bachelor again this winter. Whether you want to ski, snowboard, or just hang out, you're welcome to join. We'll spend time on the slopes, play games in the evenings, and enjoy the mountain together. Cost depends on what activities you sign up for. Registration closes Monday, January 19. Register here.

Tim's Bible Club

Did you know that approximately 80% of Christians in America have never read the whole Bible? Tim’s Bible Club is a virtual group that commits to read through the Bible in one year using a daily reading list provided by Tim. There are no meetings or committees - just an occasional email of encouragement and supplemental resources throughout the year to keep you motivated. As usual, we are starting with the Old Testament, and will follow with the New Testament. The reading list will be emailed to those who sign up, and will also be available on the CPC app. A paper printout of the list will be available for several weeks in Dec/Jan in the Gathering Area. Please email Tim Mauer if you would like to sign up. Thanks for joining!

Columbia Faith & Life Conference: Faithful Living in Secular Times

February 27-March 1

Registration opens January 9

We live in an age that goes at the speed of the internet, with social media, deep fakes, and AI an everyday part of life. In this fast-paced world, for many people God and church seem like ancient remnants of another time. How do Christians make sense of things and live faithfully in this secular age? Andy Root will help us to see how deeply the church has been impacted and exhausted by trying to keep up with the speed of these secular times. He will help us to find new spiritual footing that will help us avoid the traps of the secular age and live a richer, more abundant life that is grounded in Jesus Christ.

We are often unknowingly shaped by the culture that we live in. Ours is a secular culture that tells us that our identity and value is in what we can produce and how popular we are. We get caught up in the rat race and become exhausted or come crashing down when we fail to live up to the expectations of secular society. Andy unmasks the forces of secularism and will help us to see how we can resist secular forces and embrace the deeper ways of Christ.

Communication Submission Change

We are changing the way we handle announcement & communication submissions. Instead of emailing your submission to the church, you will now need to complete a Communications Request form. You may do this by clicking here. If you submit frequent announcements, we suggest you bookmark the page for future use.

In Concern:

• Russ Parker - battling infection
• Kay DeRoos - recovering from shoulder surgery
• Rich Franklin - recovering from shoulder surgery
• Jake Roest - medical concerns
• Joan Bahrenburg - recovering from surgery
• Susan Randolph - dementia and broken leg from a fall
• Shirley Waltz - recovering from Watchman heart procedure
• Judy Falk - recovering from broken arm following surgery
• Julie Mauk - recovering from spinal surgery
• Terry Healy - recovering from knee surgery
• Carla Groce - treatment for breast cancer
• Shae Sobottke - recovering from brain surgery
• Bob Weller - treatment for cancer
• Nancy Frederick - recovering from a compression fracture in her back
• Todd Carroll - on hospice
• Jeanene Polete - return of lung cancer
• Hank Polete - vertigo
• Jim Hudson - health concerns and recuperation
• Kay Thorpe - ongoing health concerns

In Person:

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in the Offering Box

located in the Sanctuary

Electronically:

Credit or Debit Card

and ACH Transfers

Give Now via Church Center

By Mail or Bill Pay:

Columbia Presbyterian Church

8715 St. Helens Ave

Vancouver, WA 98664

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