Newsletter of
Aloha United Methodist Church
November 2017
….Upcoming Dates….
10/29-11/4 Family Promise
11/1Trustees 1pm
11/12 Stewardship Drive begins
11/19 Worship meeting after church
Greetings!
You have been most welcoming and I am glad to be here with you at AUMC. It has been a month of worshiping, meeting, praying, getting acquainted, and moving forward. We celebrated the saints last week—past and present—in our church and in other parts of our lives.
Let me tell you a little about myself. I grew up in Junction City, Oregon a small town between Eugene and Corvallis. There I was active in the UMChurch, sports, drama, music, and school activities, as well as working in the fields in the summer. High school graduation ushered me into Willamette University where I majored in Political Science. A semester in international development in Washington, DC, and an internship at the state legislature were highlights.
After working for a year, I entered Pacific School of Religion, an ecumenical seminary in Berkeley, California. There I was active in social justice issues and did work with young people in churches. David, my now-husband, was a student there, and we married while I was serving the UMC in Newberg, Oregon. We returned to California where we did masters’ degrees in Pastoral Counseling. I served as an Associate Pastor at First UMC in Modesto. While co-pastoring with David in Pittsburg, CA, our first child was born.
We moved to Eugene where I was a Campus Minister for three years. After our second child was born I returned to school and earned a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies. After teaching in Sociology at the University of Oregon for many years, I returned to the pastorate at a small Presbyterian church in Walterville. We moved to Portland in late September and we do not feel settled or moved in yet, but we are working on it.
I look forward to getting to know you better. Please introduce/re-introduce yourself to me as I get to know names and faces. We are on a journey together, discerning what God wants the AUMC to be doing in Aloha and the world. May we work together to be a blessing to all.
In the name of Jesus Christ who brought good news to the world,
Pastor Leslie Hall
Family Promise Annual Community Interfaith Thanksgiving
Please join us on Sunday, November 19, 2017 at 5:00 pm for our 18th Annual Community Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration and Fellowship Dinner. Program includes music and readings from many faith, community and religious traditions.
Location: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
2020 NE Jackson School Road, Hillsboro OR 97124
Please let Phyllis (503-844-9658) know if you can help with food (soup, salad, bread, butter, pies), table decorations, setup, cleanup, or child care.
All are welcome!
Yard sale
Many have asked how we did on the yard sale.We made $250. Definitely not as much as in past years and very few helpers to help set up and cleanup. Makes me wonder about the future as a fundraiser.
-Faith Bennett
Worship Team
We completed 3 months this summer without a Pastor and no one was happier than me when Pastor Leslie became available to us.She will be working 50% which is a first time for us.What this means to the congregation is that there will be 1-2 Sundays a month when she is not in the pulpit and we will have to have fill-ins.Worship team has met and has created a schedule for the rest of the year.I you would like to participate in the worship experience, please let me know as there are many opportunities to serve.
-Faith Bennett, Worship Team Leader
Holiday dinner and auction
Save the date for Dec.2at 6pm for a fun time to socialize and raise some funds for the church. I can take donation items at any time.Debbie and I will be cooking and Richard will be our auctioneer.I will start taking reservations Nov.12.
-Faith Bennett, Worship Team Leader
Stewardship
It time for our annual stewardship campaign to take place in November.By making a commitment now, allows us to create a budget for the coming year.Please pray about what you can give in the coming year.
-Faith Bennet
Cookies ‘n More
Please join us on Saturday, December 2, 2071 from 10am to 1pm to support the Washington County Kids Fund, Western Farm Workers Assn, and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) for hurricane relief from Hurricane Harvey. You will get to choose from hundreds of homemade cookies and other Sweet Treats! And they will only be $7 per pound! This event is sponsored by Hillsboro United Methodist Women and will be held at NE 8th and Lincoln Street, Hillsboro.
BELLS, BELLS, BELLS!
The Sonos Handbell Choir, considered by some to be the best bell choir in U.S.A., will be presenting a concert at Pacific University, Saturday, Dec 9th, at 7:30pm. Tickets are $22.50 for seniors and $25 for non-seniors.
If interested in attending, please contact Richard Stouffer at or 503-642-0208 (leave a message).
Respond no later than Sunday, Sept 10th, so tickets can be ordered asap!
PS. If you are a fan of “cowboy music”, Riders in the Sky will be providing a concert salute to Roy Rogers, at this venue on Saturday, Feb 24th at 7:30pm.
These tickets are $30, but a chance of a lifetime! Also, contact Richard if interested.
Both concerts and others are part of the Performing Arts Series at Pacific University. You can view more information on their website.
Worship Minutes 10/14/17 concerning November-December
Last meeting was in June to cover Summer services. Meeting now to cover schedule through Advent as Pastor has 1-2 Sundays off per month (half time status).
Nov. 12 Stewardship drive begins. Have 3-4 individuals talk about what it means to them.
Nov. 19 Cards returned. Pastor here. Next worship meeting after church.
Nov. 26 Hymn sing of Christmas carols
Dec. choir to cover 10th or 17th. Pastor to let us know which one. 3-4 anthems and short message. Christmas eve falls on Sunday, recommend we have both morning and evening service? Pageant?
Pencil Ministry
We invite you to share a pencil or pen for the less-fortunate children of the Philippines. God wants to use us in all sorts of wonderful ways to serve Him and His people. But we first must be “sharpened” like a pencil. How does this happen? Well, most importantly, we can sharpen ourselves through the sword of the Bible and the power of prayer and a pencil or pen for them to be used in school. Please bring all donations to the church office. Thank you!
-Jocelyn Agpalo
Sophia Circle
Wow, we were really thinking into the future this evening, maybe that is what talking about being mortal does for us. We chose books for the next three months! Here is a list:
November(fiction): Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson, a book set in Portland (by an author who lives in New York?)
December (non-fiction): The Book of Joyby the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu with Douglas Abrams
January (fiction):Homegoingby Yaa Gyasi
I have requested the book club pack for Homegoing from the Washington County Library. That includes ten books, one of which is large print, and a discussion guide. We are third on the list so maybe we have a chance of getting it before it is too late. I'll keep an eye on it and let you know.
Happy reading. Keep those second Tuesdays open.
Peace,
Jeri Silfies
Church Mouse
Wow! Is it really November? I was roaming around most of the Summer and early Fall looking into other churches in our area. I was thinking of moving into another church but someone new had joined AUMC. A new half time pastor is here (praise the Lord) and her name is Pastor Leslie Hall. I visited one of her services and I felt right at home.
I still love my “hidey hole” here at AUMC. So I dusted off the cobwebs and here I am. Things have changed some since last summer.
If you haven’t returned to our church since summer – there is no better time to come than now.
Guess that’s all – C U soon...
C.M.
Prayer Group
C.S. Lewis
A sure way to promote God’s attendance in your life? I’m uncertain. But a sure way to promote his absence is clear:
Avoid silence, avoid solitude, avoid any train of thought that leads off the beaten track. Concentrate on money, sex, status, health, and on your self-righteous grievances. Keep the radio and TV on (also headphones and iPad available), live in a crowd. Use plenty of sedation. If you must read books, select them very carefully. Stick to magazines; you’ll find the ads helpful, especially those with sexy, snobbish appeal.
*NOTE: C.S. Lewis said this long ago, for he died on Nov. 22, 1963 (yes, the same day as JFK).
John Dawson shared this passage in Prayer Group on 10/26/17. Please come join us on Thursdays at 11am!