The Columbia Weekly - July 25, 2025

The Columbia Weekly

July 25, 2025

A Message from Pastor Scott

“They saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons,

sitting there, dressed and in his right mind.”

Mark 5:15

The story of the Demon Possessed Man in Mark 5 raises a lot of questions. I wonder how this man got to this place in life? What kind of person was he before he was possessed? Was he a happy boy when he was growing up, or a troubled youth? What happened to cause this man’s descent into this darkness of despair? And where is his family? Are his parents wondering what happened to their son? Do his brothers and sisters visit him? Do they know where he lives? Do they care?

When Jesus encounters this man, he does not see an evil person, he sees a child of God who needs to be redeemed, set free, healed, and restored to God, self, and the community. And so Jesus does what needs to be done to a person whom no one wants to acknowledge as worthy of love and respect. It is a story that challenges me to see people differently. Those who are branded as evil, worthless, and unworthy, are seen by Jesus as people to be cared for and treated with love. The goal of God’s reconciliation project is to have the whole world sitting there, dressed and in our right mind.

Grace and Peace,

Scott

Read Mark 5:1-20 in preparation for worship.

Announcements

Guys & Kids Campout

August 8-10

Millersylvania State Park, Olympia, WA

Hiking, biking, playing in the water, s’mores over a campfire, hanging out and making new friends; these are just a few of the things that we will do together at the Guys and Kids Campout. Be sure to reserve your spot today, registration closes August 4. Register here.

Lunch Event sponsored by the Health Ministry Team

Tuesday, July 29

11:15AM-12:45PM

Fellowship Hall

Summer is a time of different activity within our faith community. Perhaps you are in need of a fellowship opportunity or have the desire to get to know some new people. The Health Ministry Team is inviting you to some very casual BYOBL (Bring your own brown bag lunch) events this summer. Water will be provided. We will eat together and have some meaningful conversation!

Popsicles in the Park

August 4

10:00AM-12:00PM

LeRoy Haagen Park

Bring a blanket or lawn chair...we'll provide the popsicles! CPC summer interns will be there to lead the kids in organized games and fun.

Young Adult Summer Events

We have several events this summer for our young adults (ages 18-30). Please invite a friend and join us for dinner, a Mariners game, or volleyball! These dinners are casual, but in order to plan enough food we would invite you to RSVP to Lydia Fitzpatrick, Youth Director.

Tuesday, August 5 - Volleyball at the Grice Household - 6:00-8:00PM
Tuesday, August 12 - Goodbye Dinner - Location & Time TBD

The Gathering All-Church BBQ

Wednesday, August 6

5:30-8:00PM

LeRoy Haagen Park

Make new friends and enjoy the fellowship of the church as we BBQ burgers, dogs, and veggie burgers at Leroy Haagen Park, on NE 9th street in Vancouver. We will provide burgers, dogs, fixins’, and paper dinnerware. Please bring a lawn chair and a side dish to share. To reduce waste, you are welcome to bring your own re-usable dinnerware. No reservation required, just show up for a good time, good food, and good fellowship!

Red Cross Blood Drive

Monday, August 11

11:00AM-5:00PM

Fellowship Hall

According to the Red Cross, approximately 29,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day in the United States, your unit can save lives. Our goal for this Blood Drive is 20 donors. Will you consider being one of them? To make your appointment, email Pat Henderson.

Fall Fest 2025 - Save the Date!

Sunday, September 7

Outdoor Worship

10:30AM (One service only)

Please plan to be part of CPC’s 4th annual Fall Festival. We will celebrate with one outdoor service, beginning at 10:30AM, followed by wonderful food, games and crafts for little ones, and great fellowship for all. So mark your calendars to worship together and fellowship with others in the congregation and hopefully some of our church neighbors. And we’ll welcome - and need - volunteers! More details to follow!

Creation Care Team

The Creation Care Team is a new ministry team that feels called to consider ways that we, as a church, can better honor and care for God’s creation. Our current focus is on waste reduction and promoting reusable items over single-use ones, such as bottled water and disposable cups, plates, and utensils.

Little by little, we hope to find and encourage additional ways that CPC can be more gentle on the Earth that God has entrusted to us. There are a variety of ways for you to participate in these efforts. A few ideas are bringing your own coffee mug on Sunday mornings, joining the team, attending a team meeting, or working on projects with us. You may email Cindy Van Dinter or call her at 360-798-0786, if you would like more information about this team or to learn how you can get involved.

Missions Connection

Backpacks for Mac is Here!

Hey CPC it’s that time of year when we kick off our Backpacks for MAC drive. This is a joyful and important annual event in our ongoing partnership with Marshall Elementary and McLoughlin Middle School. We hope to collect as many new backpacks and shoes as possible so that we can have them sorted, stocked, and ready for pick up during back-to-school and orientation events in August.

Here are the priorities for this year’s back-to-school drive:

1. BACKPACKS!

2. Other school supplies: colored pencils, composition notebooks, highlighters, student

pencil sharpeners

3. NOT needed: pencils

4. You may financially contribute to support both schools by giving to CPC

and designating “Marshall/McLoughlin Ministry” in the memo line

We will also be collecting new athletic shoes (suitable for running, gym, and PE classes). Men’s size 7-9; women’s size 5-8. Shoes are a constant need at Mac and having actual shoes on-site makes it easier to distribute them to families as needed.

Backpack boxes will be located in both the CPC Gathering Area and the Church Office beginning this Sunday. Let’s fill them up with backpacks and shoes for Marshall and Mac students! Additionally, contact Julie Mauer or Nancy Johns if you are interested in learning more about volunteering at Marshall or MAC. If you have a heart for students, there is a place for you!

Weekly Events

To see what's happening, Click Here .

Columbia Cares

In Sympathy:

Prayers for Randy Graves and family on the death of her husband, Bob, on July 19. A service will be held in the Sanctuary on Saturday, August 23 at 2:00PM.
Prayers for Robert Stuart and family on the death of his mother, Laura Belle, on June 25. A service will be held in Spokane in August.

In Concern: