Ash Wednesday and the Season of Lent 2018

Ash Wednesday and the Season of Lent 2018

The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. This year Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day occur on the same day: February 14.

Lent is the six week season in the Christian calendar that precedes Easter. Lent provides the opportunity to take an honest look at your life to see what and how the message of God’s radical love can bring new life. The intent of the season is that when Easter morning arrives and we proclaim, “Christ is Risen!” we will be able to experience “Resurrection” too.

The Biblical foundation of the season of Lent is found in the synoptic Gospels:

Single Payer "Medicare for All" Obamacare Healthcare Reform

Single Payer "Medicare for All" Obamacare Healthcare Reform

Michael C. Huntington M.D. will be the guest speaker for our single-payer healthcare documentary movie screening and Social Justice Forum on February 25. Mike grew up in Southern California. He attended Oregon State University and the University of Oregon Medical School, now Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU). He was an Army flight surgeon in Vietnam in 1969. He received his residency training at OHSU, was a Radiation Oncologist for 35 years, and was Medical Director of the Radiation Oncology Department at Samaritan Regional Cancer Center in Corvallis from 1984 to 2006.

Since his retirement he has joined with physicians and other activists in Corvallis and Oregon to engage colleagues and the public in discussion about the urgent need for health care reform. The group has co-sponsored public forums and given talks to civic groups in Corvallis over the past eight years. In 2007 this group became the Oregon Chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program. He was President of Health Care for All Oregon in 2012 and since then has led the speakers’ bureau for HCAO.

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Bethel Goes Tubing!

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Bethel Goes Tubing!

Hey Bethel families! Grab your galoshes, mittens, and warm coats and get ready to slide down the slippery slopes at Snow Bunny. It's a school holiday on Monday, February 19, President's Day, so let's take advantage of it and head up the highway to Mt. Hood. We'll meet at Bethel at 9:00 AM, carpool to the mountain. and spend the day snow tubing. All ages are welcome to participate.

Single Payer Medicare for All - Bernie Sanders National Town Hall

Single Payer Medicare for All - Bernie Sanders National Town Hall

Bernie Sanders recently hosted a first-of-its-kind "Medicare for All" National Town Hall meeting in Washington D.C. Bernie's position is that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege. Watch the full video of the meeting below. And be sure to attend the free "Fix It - Healthcare at the Tipping Point" documentary movie screening and Q&A discussion on Sunday, February 25 to learn how you can get involved in this important movement!

Anger: In Defense of Justice

Bulletin

Today’s sermon, “Anger: In Defense of Justice” is the third in Pastor David Randall-Bodman’s sermon series based on the book, “The Passionate Jesus,” by Reverend Peter Wallace.

Here is the link for Bethel's YouTube play list for the series  'The Passionate Jesus"  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SpWgk6ONgg&list=PLkolLLTsvkir-zbXDgQSjToi5nIv2ZNmr&index=3

Bethel Youth's Got Talent!

Bethel Youth's Got Talent!

This year's Christmas Pageant showcased the talents of all of our youth. As a result, Owen and I would like to start a Youth Choir as well as have more people join the Hot Shots Worship Band. If you are a youth and love to sing or you play an instrument, please contact Owen or Beth. Owen is offering a free lesson to any youth who would like to share their musical talents at Bethel.  

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Social Justice Advocacy Team Meets This Sunday

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Social Justice Advocacy Team Meets This Sunday

Come meet with Bethel’s Social Justice Advocacy Team this Sunday, Jan. 14, 11:30-12:30, to help plan upcoming Social Justice Forums. The meeting will be in Education Hall, downstairs in room 13. Past forums have provided information on homelessness, affordable housing, Oregon ballot measures, The New Jim Crow, and immigration. Our Feb. 25 forum will be about health care. Suggested topics for future forums include sexual assault/harassment, disability justice, gun violence, and international issues such as Israel/Palestine and the Cuba embargo.

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Women's Gathering

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Women's Gathering

Bethel's Quarterly Women's Gathering is scheduled for Saturday, January 6, 2018, 9 am - 1 pm. Our Theme is “The Gifts We Give Ourselves” with a focus on the topic of self-care. The day will begin with scripture and meditation, followed by the making of either bath salts or sachets to take home and enjoy. We will end with fellowship and lunch. 

Beaverton Homeless Students Receive Winter Break Food and Supplies

Beaverton Homeless Students Receive Winter Break Food and Supplies

A giant thank you to all of you for helping collect, organize, bag and drive food to Beaverton High School! This project is simply impossible without your help!

Is your hard work worth it? Mac and Nancy Macpherson came back from Beaverton High saying how thrilled and amazed the counselors were to see all this food (it filled two rooms). They couldn’t believe that a church the size of Bethel could do all this. The counselor reported that some family members were in tears...

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Beaverton High School Homeless Students Food Bag Delivery Day

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Beaverton High School Homeless Students Food Bag Delivery Day

Thanks to our awesome Bethel Family and our partners, we have enough food and bags for the Beaverton High School Homeless Teen food project. Now we are asking for bodies. On Sunday, Dec 17 around 7pm after Faith Café, we will move all the food into the fellowship hall. This is heavy work and a little chaotic. Join in if this appeals to you. On Monday, Dec. 18, we need food packers at Church by 9am. We also need drivers around 9:30 am to drive food to BHS. This is a fun community day so please join us if you are available.

Obamacare Healthcare Reform - Single Payer Medicare for All

Obamacare Healthcare Reform - Single Payer Medicare for All

Bethel Congregational United Church of Christ will be hosting a FREE Social Justice Forum on February 25, 2018 at 11:30 AM. We will screen the new documentary movie "Fix It - Healthcare at the Tipping Point" followed by a Q&A discussion with local healthcare activists. A light lunch will be provided. Please RSVP to socialjustice@bethelbeaverton.org.

A powerful documentary that reaches across the political and ideological divide, "Fix It" makes the case for business leaders support for major healthcare reform. The film was two years in the making, with more than forty voices advocating for reform, including: activists, health policy experts, economists, physicians, nurses, patients, business and labor leaders.

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Blue Christmas

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Blue Christmas

Each year during Advent, Bethel offers a quieter, more meditative worship service for those who are coping with serious illness, grief, loss, or any of the other difficulties and challenges of life. The Blue Christmas Worship Service gives us an opportunity to give voice to our pain and frustration, and the opportunity to allow the Holy Spirit to minister to us through candle light, music, and, if desired, the ancient practice of anointing with oil. This year's Blue Christmas Worship will take place on Sunday, December 10 at 2 pm in Bethel's sanctuary.