The Viewpoint News from the Forest Grove United Church of Christ
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The Viewpoint
News from the Forest Grove United
Church of Christ
April 2021
What’s our why?
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians
“What is our why?” This is the question that the motivational speaker, Simon Sinek, invites
people to ask in his Ted Talk, “How great leaders inspire action.” In his talk, he offers a variety
of points of wisdom relevant to our current circumstances. His brief talk is rich with nuggets of
applicable wisdom. He asks us, “What good is an idea if it remains an idea? Try. Experiment.
Iterate. Fail. Try again. Change the world.” He reminds us, “Always plan for the fact that no
plan ever goes according to plan.” He invites us to, “Dream big, start small. But most of all,
start.” We have had the opportunity to live and operate by these nuggets of wisdom as we’ve
adapted to constantly changing circumstances for the past year. In his Ted talk, Sinek explains
how individuals and groups flourish when they have a clear sense of their purpose, of what he
refers to as, “their why.” His talk about how great leaders inspire engagement and action can
apply just as well to how great churches inspire engagement and action!
This is the reason we recently engaged the question, “what is our why?” at our last executive
board meeting. We want to invite you to wonder about this question as well! What is our why?
Why are we the FGUCC? Why come to FGUCC and not some other church? Why do we
gather? We each answered this question in beautiful and different ways! We all answer this
question differently and when we engage the question together we come to a better shared
understanding of our collective, “why;” our shared collective purpose! Some said that their why
was, “to be a community.” Others shared that coming to church is what they’ve always done.
Others shared deeply from the heart, expressing how much this community has meant to their
family and that they wanted to offer the same love and care they had received from this church to
others. Many shared the importance of our being a voice for “equality, justice, and compassion
in the community,” and, “to share the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” We heard many
answers to the question, “what is our why?” that gave us a better understanding of who we all are
together as a whole!
There are many ways we answer this question as a congregation! We have a mission statement
that speaks to our why! We have a vision statement! We find our “why” in the scriptures! The
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apostle Paul encourages us, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” How would you describe your individual why? How would you define our shared why as the Forest Grove United Church of Christ? Engaging this question and others like it will help us to establish shared vision and purpose as we move into the future together! However we define our why, and however we live out our purpose we can remember that all our humble efforts are done to glorify the God whose name is Love. So let’s continue exploring our “why” together and let Love be glorified and made manifest in all we do for each other, for our community, and for our world. Love, Brendan Message from your Moderator Dear friends, We hope you are all doing well as we move into the joyful season of Easter. In the events following Easter, we hear in the book of Acts how the disciples shared their resources in response to how God calls us into community with each other. At our recent Mod Squad meeting we discussed the recent stimulus checks. We know that there are people within our congregation for whom these checks are a much-needed lifeline, and thank God they have been made available! We also thought there may be others for whom this check is received as simply a windfall. If this describes you, we suggest that you consider sharing your gift with the church to help maintain our life together in these times of need. If possible, we encourage you to share as much as you are able of this resource to help us meet our budget. We’re hoping that by Fall, we can reopen our facility, both for our own use and for rental. Until then, we need to be creative in finding ways to meet our budget, and this seems like an opportunity made in heaven. If you are already financially meeting your needs with some left over, and this check is simply an extra bonus, we hope you will consider this as an opportunity to help our church thrive in its mission to build the Beloved community and extend God’s love and justice to the world around us. Sincerely, Myra Beeler New Opportunity for Service to FGUCC (Finance & Property Investment Sub-Committee) On March 14th the Executive Board approved the FGUCC Financial Policy. One of the options made available in this new policy was for Finance & Property to create a sub-committee to effectively manage the church's Endowment Funds. This is a request for members of the congregation that might be interested in serving on this committee to submit a brief letter stating why you are interested in being on the committee and what background you may have in dealing with investments. The committee is scheduled to meet once a quarter (currently via Zoom) and also give a quarterly report to Finance & Property explaining any changes that may be recommended. Members of the Sub-Committee do not have to be members of the Finance & Property Committee. It is anticipated that up to five individuals may be on the Sub-Committee with the Church Treasurer 2 – THE VIEWPOINT
being one of the members. Please submit your Statement of Interest to Paul Edwards
(paul@paulandsteph.us) by April 16th. It may also be possible to include one or two people
without any investment experience which would be a great learning experience!
–– Paul Edwards
Financial Policy Summary
Forest Grove United Church of Christ (FGUCC)
On March 14, 2021, the Executive Board approved a new Financial Policy document that was
submitted by the Finance & Property (F & P) Commission. This document includes the existing
2013 Endowment Policy plus a new Investment Policy portion, with the new section intended to
provide guidelines for the management of church investment funds. (At year end 2020,
FGUCC’s (4) invested Endowment Funds had a combined value of $826,029.)
Some of the key points included in the new Financial Policy are:
• As a non-profit organization with endowment assets, FGUCC has a responsibility to manage
the endowments in a prudent manner as outlined under Oregon law. Previously, FGUCC had
very limited written instructions relating to the investment of endowment monies.
• One thought underlying the new document is to strike a balance between providing responsive
decision-making while providing clear oversight responsibilities for the management of
invested funds.
• F & P shall have the primary responsibility for determining how endowment monies are to be
managed.
• (2) Options - or a combination of the two - are provided for managing endowment monies:
creation of an F & P investment Sub-Committee and/or engagement of a Professional
Investment Advisor. This broad approach recognizes that the composition of the congregation
will vary over time with regard to background and interest in directly managing financial
assets.
• Endowment monies shall only be invested in Socially Responsible Investments (SRI) or in a
manner aligned with the mission of FGUCC.
• Loans against the Endowment Funds to finance capital projects benefitting FGUCC may be
proposed, but must include a provision for replenishing the borrowed funds and be approved
by the Congregation before being initiated.
• The Executive Board of FGUCC shall have a major responsibility for monitoring the actions
of F & P in managing endowment funds. This responsibility includes: at least annual review
of investment results and strategies, communication regarding any emergency use of
endowment funds, approval of the establishment or dissolution of individual endowments, and
the approval of contracts with any Professional Investment Advisors.
• The Financial Policy shall be reviewed at least annually by F & P, with any substantial
changes to the document requiring approval from the Congregation.
Dick Bower, F & P (March 21, 2021)
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NEW! Stephen Ministers are doing it again!
Yes, we’re beginning to plan a new Stephen Ministries
training class for this fall –
So exciting!
Have you ever thought about becoming a Stephen Minister?
If you have the gifts of compassion, listening,
encouragement, and more, are you ready to use them?
In the process you will make a difference not only in the lives of others, but in your own life.
The training and service create a transformative growth experience personally, spiritually, and
relationally. The skills learned enhance all of your relationships, while being supported by a
constant, caring community of Stephen Ministers!
Think about it. If you have questions or want to be included, give us a call. I know it seems
early to start, but we do need to begin the process. Renee Mills 503-314-4855 or Ken Prickett
503-324-4220.
Blessings, Renee and Ken
Windi Withycombe is retiring.
Dear church family,
I am writing to you today to thank you for entrusting me with the care of your most precious
children. For over 10 years I have enjoyed, loved and spent time with your children. They are
forever in my heart. I am taking this opportunity to tell you I am retiring from my job in the
nursery. I will hold dear the love and support you all have given me over these many years and
the special memories that I have gathered with each and every child I have taken care of. You all
are very special to me. Now that my little ones have graduated out of the nursery I believe this is
the perfect time to step away. I will continue to pray for someone who loves, is strong in the
spirit and works well with children to take over this position.
Also wanted to let you know I will not be attending FGUCC but will be continuing Bible Study
with my daughter when Covid danger has passed. At this time we are all attending online
worship services at another church, and I‘m excited to once again be worshipping with my
family.
I leave with a deep appreciation for your love and support through the good times as well as the
tough times in my life. My hope is to not lose contact with my many dear friends here at FGUCC
and I will faithfully continue to keep you in my prayers. God bless each of you as we move
further into new life.
With a grateful heart, much love and God bless you all! Windi Withycombe
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All Church Work Party
Join the work party on April 3rd at 10AM. Bring your
wheel barrow if you have one, shovels and rakes and
garden gloves. We will level and seed our Main Street
lawn, clear ivy from the alleyway on the south side of the
church, and generally spread soil and compost and make
our church ever more beautiful and ready for spring. Call
Ken or Eric or Rod with questions. No restrictions on who
can join in. We take all comers. Rain or shine. (Pray for
clear skies, please, as they are preferred.) Social distancing of course. No hugging. (It will be
over soon folks.) A fun time for all.
Help Wanted!
Dear FGUCC Friends,
The Bell Choir is looking for someone with the capability to Video
Record and Transfer our special music for Sunday Service. The
quality of our recordings is at question and we are looking to improve
it. We record on the Monday before the last Sunday of the month
between 5 and 6 PM. If you’re interested in helping with this project,
please contact Rod Burrus at 503-357-7416.
Garage Sale Help Needed
Elaine Bohlmeyer is planning moving/garage sale for April 10 and 11. She
can use help organizing and pricing the week of April 6-9 and help on the
sale days to do whatever needs to be done. Also needs advice, as she has
never done this alone. Please call her if you're available, 503-277-0644.
Please join us for Fellowship Hours!
Please join us for Fellowship Hour immediately following
worship. Just stay online at the conclusion of worship and
when worship is over, you can take a little break to stretch,
get a bite to eat, etc. and then hop right back online to join
others who are staying to catch up, check in and so forth.
There will be a check in time for all at the beginning of
fellowship, then "break out room" will be available to
discuss the sermon.
5 – THE VIEWPOINT
Joys, Concerns & Prayer Requests
Please remember Lori Epler who is healing from a fractured her
wrist following a recent fall.
Prayers for Bob Browning as he continues recovery from recent
major surgery. He is currently staying at the EmpRes Hillsboro
Health and Rehabilitation Center, and would welcome and
appreciate cards. The address is 1778 NE Cornell Rd,
Hillsboro, OR 97124
Prayers for continued healing for Melissa Turner who continues to recover from a broken
femur several months ago.
Please remember Alice Hoskins as she deals with ongoing health concerns. She appreciates
calls and cards. (390 East Main Street, Hillsboro, OR 97123, Cell: 503-781-0154.)
Ruth Holznagel continues to make excellent strides in her recovery and has moved to her
own apartment in assisted living. She appreciates remaining in contact through cards and
letters. Her new address is: 2181 Ambleside Dr., Ambler Court Apt. 414, Cleveland, OH
44106
Continued Prayers—Prayers of healing and comfort for all who have ongoing concerns,
including Winnie Beu, Marcia Bickford, Bob Browning, Ann and Russ Dondero, Paul and
Stephanie Edwards, Lillian Gimre, Max Groszmann, Lois Johnston, Christine & Richard Kidd,
Carlene Krueger, Jobina Lacock, Jean & Bob Nixon, Yvonne Stacey, Holly & Sherri Vann and
their family, Tom Wallsteed, and any other friends and family of our church, not named here.
Sharing prayers in worship—If you would like your personal prayer concerns shared with
the community during our on-line worship service on Sunday mornings, please submit them to
Brendan via email at brendan@fgucc.org by Friday at 6pm with the title "prayer request" in the
subject line. You can also text him prayer requests at 401-318-2447.
How to get on the prayer chain—Are you or someone you know in need of extra prayer
support? Our church has a confidential prayer chain ministry. If you’d like to be added to this
prayer chain, please contact the church office or Sandy Mueller at fguccpray@gmail.com.
Thank you!
Prayer Shawls—Do you, or someone you know, need a
prayer shawl? Please call Elena in the church office to
make a request at 503-357-9121 or elena@fgucc.org.
Prayer Shawl Knitting—Please join us for knitting
this month via Zoom on Wednesdays April 7 and 21,
from 2-4PM. The link to Zoom will be sent to everyone in the prayer shawl knitting group via
email. If you’d like to participate, please call or email Elena.
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Best wishes to all of you celebrating birthdays in April!
Els Abma—2 Sarah Ball—20
Paul Johnson—3 James Houx—20
Vivi Houx—9 Darrell Lawrence—23
Gail Burrus—10 Holly Vann—23
Lily Mullen—11 Ryan Jones—27
Diane Jackson—12 Geoff Johnston—28
Kendra Vann—12 John Davis—28
Margerette Cooney—20 Rusty Bradford—30
Women’s Spirit Group ZOOM Gathering
Wednesday, April 21, 7PM
Please join us Wednesday, April 21st at 7PM for a meeting with
Bonnie McDowell to talk about recycling basics. So be sure to come
prepared with any questions of “What do I do with this?” and she will
do her best to answer. We look forward to seeing you!
Here’s the link to join Zoom Meeting:
https://fgsdk12.zoom.us/j/86259129713?pwd=Y08yVFlqRlJIZXFMQ2NleHYzOWR3dz09
Meeting ID: 862 5912 9713
Passcode: 060699
For technical support contact Melissa Timm (503-310-1084)
ALL are invited to Women's Spirit Event in May!
Saturday, May 8, 12:30 PM: Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey
Greetings to one and all! We hope you are all staying safe and
healthy. Melissa and I have been attempting to find some fun and
safe events for us to do together. We are cashing in our rain check
from November (when we planned this and got rained out) and we
hope you can join us!
Please join us for lunch and a walk/hike at Our Lady of Guadalupe
Trappist Abbey in Carlton, on Saturday, May 8, 12:30 PM.
Spouses, kids, and mothers are welcome (it is Mothers’ Day
weekend, so feel free to bring who gives you joy!)
We will be getting lunch from Hamblin Eatery (website and menu below) in Lafayette, then
going to Abigail Scott Duniway park(a couple of blocks away) to eat. From there we will meet at
the Trappist Abbey where there are 3.5 miles of trails to explore. If you prefer to skip lunch and
meet us at the Abbey, we plan to be there about 1:30PM.
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Please email Melissa (4melissatimm@gmail.com) your order for lunch. She will place one
order, but we will each pay and pick up our own food at the restaurant. Consider bringing a
camping chair to sit on for lunch. There is a gazebo, but I am not sure if there are tables/chairs.
Here’s the schedule:
12:30- Hamblin Eatery
416 3rd St, Lafayette, OR 97127
https://hamblin-eatery.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral
Hamblin Eatery - Restaurant in Lafayette
New menu item: Steamed Clams. One pound of clams, garlic butter,
white wine, plum tomato, red onion, parsley and chili flakes on top.
Dine-in or takeout. www.hamblin-eatery.business.site
12:45-Abigail Scott Duniway Park
449 3rd St, Lafayette, OR 97127
1:30- Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey
9200 NE Abbey Rd, Carlton, OR
https://www.trappistabbey.org
Trappist Abbey - Carlton, OR
Monastic Life Retreats. For men interested in doing a 30 day monastic life retreat check out our
YouTube video of Kevin who shared his experience after completing his 30 day monastic life
retreat. www.trappistabbey.org
Please RSVP to Melissa or Sheila and let's all pray for great weather!!
Sheila Harter: sheilaharter@hotmail.com
Melissa Timm: 4melissatimm@gmail.com
— Sheila Harter and Melissa Timm
8 – THE VIEWPOINTPledges and Contributions
Thank you all for continuing to keep your pledges current during this
time. If you normally make contributions or pay your pledge by check,
please continue using this method. (Mail checks to FGUCC at P.O. Box
265, Forest Grove, OR 97116.) You can sign up for electronic giving
with Vanco, which is a very simple option and setup, and fees are very
low (let us know if you’d like more information). You can use PayPal on
our church's website at www.fgucc.org. If you have questions or need more information, please
contact Elena at elena@fgucc.org or (503) 357-9121. Thank you for your generosity and
support!
Can & Bottle Collection Update
Thank you everyone for your enthusiastic response to the new Can &
Bottle Collection for our FGUCC youth ministry. We have found this to
be wildly successful! We are nearing $300 in our account at this time.
Thank you again to everyone participating and contributing to our youth
fund. If you are wanting to contribute, blue bags are available for you to
pick up at church. For any additional questions please contact the church
office. Thank you!
Kristy Haines, Coordinator of Spiritual Formation (kristy@fgucc.org)
Kaleidoscope
A Celebration Benefitting Community Action
Friday, April 9, 2021, 7PM
Save the date for Kaleidoscope, a celebration benefitting Community Action
and an evening filled with inspiration and hope. In this livestream program,
we’ll learn how Community Action is responding to the unprecedented
challenges of the pandemic and celebrate the incredible supporters (you!) who
help make this work possible.
LEARN MORE & RSVP TODAY: https://avlaunch.me/ca2021
If you have any questions, please contact Gina Bounds at: gbounds@caowash.org – 503-
806.0325
For more information about Kaleidoscope visit CAO’s Facebook page:
https://fb.me/e/6fsrDpQJ0
A heartfelt thank you for your amazing support of Community Action and your help in
inviting others to our most important fundraiser of the year!
9 – THE VIEWPOINTEarth Day-Week 2021: Here are some Fun Ways to
Celebrate Earth Day with your family.
Pick up litter—Help clean up the planet this Earth Day by
spending time picking up litter around your neighborhood, school
or local park. Better yet, encourage your friends to pick their own
areas to clean so you can spread the Earth Day goodness around.
Plant a tree—Trees can help with soil erosion and contribute to
dealing with carbon emissions, so make your mark—and give the
next generation a greener future, too—by planting a few trees this
Earth Day. The best part is, you can do this just about anywhere!
Plan your own Earth Day science experiment—This
Earth Day, try out a cool science experiment to show how different
disasters can affect our planet. For example, pour oil into a tub of
water to see how difficult it is to clean up and why it’s so important that
we keep oil spills from ruining our planet’s oceans.
Raise awareness about e-waste—E-waste is the disposed trash from our modern
electronic devices, such as batteries or computer parts. With more and more digital devices being
made every day, shedding light on the issue by posting about it on social media can be a great—
and totally modern—way to celebrate Earth Day. Just be sure to share information about how to
recycle electronic waste properly, too!
Build birdhouse or bird feeder—Share your home with all of the Earth’s creatures by
building a birdhouse or bird feeder out of recycled materials, such as an old cardboard box or
milk jug, to help out your local avian population.
DIY a dry seed bomb—Get your hands dirty with this fun and crafty activity that will help
you get start on the planting season. To make, combine one part seeds, five parts compost, and 3
parts clay powder or clay soil (this helps it all stick together) in a bowl. Add a few drop of water
at a time as you mix the whole thing together. Shape it into balls, then lay them out in the sun to
dry. They’ll be ready to plant within a couple of days!
Build a terrarium—Building a terrarium is a neat project to try any time of year, but
especially on Earth Day! Not only is it a great way to bring a little bit of nature indoors, it makes
for some cool bedroom decor, too.
Build a bug hotel—Every animal on Earth has a special role to play in keeping our
environment healthy—even the little critters! A bug hotel attracts beneficial insects that help
control pests and gives them a place to nest during colder months, so they’ll stay close to your
garden year-round. Make one by filling a small wood box with dried grasses, bark and
pinecones.
10 – THE VIEWPOINTBrainstorm energy-friendly ideas for around the house—Cut back on energy waste
and come up with a list of ideas that will make your home save energy this Earth Day, such as
switching to LED bulbs, turning off the AC when you’re not home and other simple, energy-
efficient ideas.
Go on a nature scavenger hunt—Learn about local flora and fauna this Earth Day by
searching for flowers, plants and trees native to your region around your
neighborhood. Look for a regionalist list of native plants online to help
guide your search!
Start a compost bin in your backyard—Start a composting bin
for your home this Earth Day. This eco-friendly way of disposing of
veggie scraps and other bio-degradable waste products not only cuts back
on the amount of trash you produce and send to landfills, but it creates a nutrient-rich compost
mixture that can give your garden a boost!
Craft a nature collage—Celebrate Earth Day this year by making an all-natural art collage
with things you’ve founding in nature, like leaves, pressed flowers, pieces of bark and other
small items. Collect items while you’re out for a hike or exploring your local nature trail.
Check out Earth Day’s official website for events happening near you—Earth
Day is celebrated across the world and many cities and schools put on official events in
celebration. Visit Earth Day network to find an event near you!
Hillsdale Community Church United Church of Christ is
hiring a part-time office manager
This position focuses on facility responsibilities and general communications
in a Christian environment. Duties support the congregation and staff.
Experience working in a church office helpful. The individual in this position
should like working with people, is flexible, can work independently and is
familiar with various kinds of social media. The position is 15 hours a week
to start.
We are an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ. This church
welcomes everyone without regard to race, gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, economic
class, marital status or physical/mental abilities and encourages all to share in the life and
leadership of this congregation.
Interested? Send an email requesting a job description to CathyT@hillsdaleucc.org or mail a
letter of interest to Hillsdale Community Church, 6948 SW Capitol Hwy., Portland, OR 97219.
11 – THE VIEWPOINTForest Grove UCC Staff
Moderator
Myra Beeler—MYMIPERI@comcast.net
Pastor
Brendan Curran—brendan@fgucc.org
Phone: 401-318-2447
Coordinator of Spiritual Formation
Kristy Haines—kristy@fgucc.org
Office Manager
Elena Parker—elena@fgucc.org
Sexton
John Davis—sexton2862@gmail.com
Parish Nurse
Deva Harris-Williams—fguccparishnurse@gmail.com
Stephen Ministry
Renee Mills—millsrenergy@yahoo.com
Ken Prickett—qkenbettp@gmail.com
Director of Sanctuary Choir
Laura Frye—lajanefrye@gmail.com
Organist and Piano Accompanist
Paul Minor—Pminor@easystreet.net
Joannah Ball—joannahball@gmail.com
Director of Children’s Choirs
Geneva Houx—geneva.houx@gmail.com
Director of Jubilate Handbell Choir
Cameron Heilman—cameronpheilman@gmail.com
Contact Information
2032 College Way (Mail) P.O. Box 265
Forest Grove, OR 97116
Phone: (503) 357-9121 FAX: (503) 359-1462
Office email: elena@fgucc.org
Website: www.fgucc.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/fgucc
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