For the first time since the start of the pandemic, Bethel will be hosting a Christmas party for our ESL students. This year’s party will be Thursday evening, December 14.
As is our tradition, we’ll be providing a gift or gift card for each child who attends.
The ESL Giving Tree is going up after Thanksgiving, but gift tags will be available starting this Sunday, November 19. Shop for a gift for a younger child, or buy a gift card for a teenager. We’ll wrap gifts after the December 10 service.
For more information, or if you’d like to help out with setup or during the party, contact Jim or JoeLynn Keniston, 503-415-1961. And if you’ve been attending via Zoom or Facebook, consider contacting Jim or JoeLynn to view the available tags online.
Beaverton High School, Homeless Teens Food Drive
BHS Soup Current Count: 748 Goal: 1008 cans of soup
NOTE: Please be aware that light or diet soups and chili will be given to the food cupboard. Teenagers need more calories than adults and we have chili from the Oregon Food Bank. We appreciate your donations wherever they are used.
The food for BHS teens experiencing houselessness will be packed and delivered on Tuesday Dec. 12. Start time is TBD. On Monday Dec. 11, the tables of food will be set up in the Fellowship Hall at 1:30 PM. We can use all the hands and backs we can get on both days.
What do we still need? Cash and soup. Food costs have gone up so donations of $$ are welcome.
https://giving.ncsservices.org/App/Giving/bethelucc
You can donate online using the drop down Fund menu to designate the BHS homeless youth. Or donate a check or cash. For soup, we want protein soups with veggies with pop top lids.
Thank you Bethel for always coming through to support these teens!
Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser - Sunday, November 12th
Fire up the griddles because we're planning our annual Pumpkin Pancake Fundraiser! In the Fellowship Hall after service, our kids and youth will get to help make and serve pancakes to the congregation to help raise money to go to Camp Adams next summer. Our kids will begin preparations during service and then serve during Fellowship Time. Families note: a few kids/youth will still be able to sell wreaths during this time and are welcome to rotate if they want to take part in both fundraising events.
Stewardship Campaign Theme for 2023 “Because of You, Our Church Changes Lives!”
Like many UCC congregations, Bethel asks members and friends to make a financial pledge in the fall. Our financial pledges form a significant component of our budget (mission giving and spending plan) for the upcoming year. We call this campaign “stewardship” because we believe that all that we have flows from God’s abundance. We are called to be good stewards of the gifts God has provided to all of us. Our gifts include our financial resources, our talents or skills, and our willingness to give of our time to the mission and vision of Bethel. All three are vitally important!
Pastor David has invited several members and friends of Bethel to share during worship why supporting Bethel matters to them. We call these “witnessing stewards.” We will “kick off” our stewardship season this Sunday, October 29th.
You’ll receive a stewardship letter in the mail early next month. The letter will give important information about our hopes and dreams for next year – and how you can help make that happen.
We will continue to provide information over the next several weeks that will help you prayerfully consider how you feel called to support Bethel’s ministry
Bethel Women’s Retreat, November 4th, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Join us for our next Women's Retreat at Bethel. All who identify as women are welcome. Our theme is Fruits of the Spirit. Come to learn, visit and renew or make new friendships.
Lunch will be provided.
Email Paige Unangst at paige@unangst.net or Erin Barber at eb@bethelbeaverton.org if you plan to attend by Friday October 27th.
Bethel's All Committee Fair is Sunday, Oct. 15th!
Have you ever wondered what goes into a Sunday morning here at Bethel? Or how we come up with all the different events we do? Or how YOU can be a part of it? Come to our All Committee Fair following service on October 15th in the Fellowship Hall to learn more!
We have many committees to thank for the amazing things Bethel does from Growth to Faith Development to Communications and Facilities (just to name a few). All this work is run by people who understand "church" is a verb. The way we use our talents and time takes Bethel beyond being a special place of worship to a place of true community.
We invite you to come and learn more at this fair and see if there is a place for you and your unique gifts. You'll receive a punch card and get a stamp at each committee you visit, and if you visit all of them you'll earn a special prize!
Reach out to Erin Barber at eb@bethelbeaverton.org to learn more!
Habitat for Humanity Portland Region Update
Leon Taylor and Paul Griffo serve as Bethel’s representatives on the Habitat for Humanity Portland Metro Faith Committee. See below for the latest efforts to deliver affordable housing in the Portland area.
Seven Regional Build Projects in Motion:
• King City (SW) (In Development) 3 buildings/16 homes
• Glison (NE) (In Development) 10 buildings/20 homes
• Kenton (N) (In Process) 2 buildings/30 homes
• Cherry Blossom (SE) (In Process) 8 buildings/31 homes)
• Century Commons (SW) (Foundation Work Started) 8 buildings/18 homes/Energy Trust partnership
• Foster Commons (SE) (In Process) (15 buildings/40 homes/ Note: includes 2 Electronic Vehicle Charging stations as part of $250K grant from PGE which also includes 2 electric forklifts, and an electric vehicle for use for Home Repair program)
• Alder Commons (Hillsboro) (SE) (In Process) 2 buildings/8 homes)
The Foster build site in SE Portland is the volunteer friendly site for this fall. Individual spots are available on Saturdays and small groups for weekdays. Projects coming online soon are Century Commons in Hillsboro (volunteers starting Dec/Jan), King City (volunteers to start March 2024), and Lake Oswego (volunteers to start end of summer 2024). If you would like a comprehensive update please reach out to Leon or Paul.
Experience Habitat: Bridging Faith & Community
Paul and Leon participated in a review of an upcoming special gathering hosted by St. Pius X and Habitat for Humanity to be held on October 1st. The purpose of the gathering is to deepen the congregation and local community’s understanding of Habitat’s vital mission. A recap will be provided at the November Habitat Faith Committee call. Paul and Leon hope to offer a similar experience at Bethel in the first half of 2024.
Beaverton HS Homeless Teen Food Drive
We are beginning to amass the food we’ll need to feed 144 Beaverton High School homeless students(our best estimate) for 17 days during winter break. We’ll have a shelving unit placed outside the chapel for your hearty soup donations. Hearty soups made by Progresso or Campbells have a pop top and a vegetable and protein. Please don’t worry about a certain number of grams of protein. A vegetable and a protein are the criteria (tomato soup doesn’t meet the criteria). A hearty soup could be a meal in itself. Thanks!
BHS Soup Current Count: 47
Join us at Plumper Pumpkin Patch - Sunday October 8th
It's Fall and time for our trip to the pumpkin patch. We would like to carpool to Plumper Pumpkin Patch and Tree Farm after service on Sunday October 8th! Plan on bringing lunch from home or purchasing food from the farm. There will be plenty to do from wagon rides, to playgrounds and mazes, to pig-racing, and more! Click HERE to see the farm's fall activities.
Tickets are $14.50 in advance and $16 at the door. Our Faith Development Committee will cover the cost of kids tickets, but parents will need to purchase separately. There will be a basket during fellowship time for donations for those who wish to help send families to the pumpkin patch.
Please let Erin Barber know if you plan to attend by Thursday, Sept 28th, and reach out if you have any questions: eb@bethelbeaverton.org.
Are You Saving Treasures for the Rummage Sale?
Bethel's Rummage Sale is the first Friday and Saturday in October. Have you started boxing household items that you no longer need? We will continue to have a supply of boxes in the Narthex for you to take home and fill up. They are uniform in size, not huge, and will stack neatly until we start accepting donations on Monday, October 2nd.
We sell lots of: (This is not all that we sell, so check out the pictures near the boxes in the Narthex.)
Current, clean clothing-especially kids' clothing and jeans;
Kitchen items...serving pieces, dinnerware, silverware;
Table linens, bed linens, towels, throw rugs;
Tools;
Toys;
Sports equipment;
Furniture;
Garden items;
Books;
Jewelry;
Holiday décor;
Art supplies;
Purses/bags;
Working small appliances and electronics; and
Home décor/frames/art.
No mattresses, big boxy TVs, tires, opened toiletries, car seats, or clothing that is ripped or stained. Future Highlights' articles will have a complete list.
**PLEASE CLEAN ITEMS (THE BEST YOU CAN) BEFORE PUTTING THEM IN A BOX**
Monthly Youth Group - Starting Sunday, October 1st
We are gearing up for the new school year and with that, we'd like to revamp our Youth Group! We know that schedules get even more crazy as kids get older so we want to start by offering one Sunday a month to get together after service--enjoy some lunch, some fellowship, games, and a little study/discussion time.
This group is available to both middle and high school ages (6th grade through 12th grade), with a chance to break out into smaller groups as numbers allow.
We are meeting on the first Sunday of the month beginning on October 1st.
If this seems like something you or your teen would be interested in, please let us know! We'll be sending out more details for our October meeting as we get closer.
Please reach out to Erin with any questions! eb@bethelbeaverton.org.
We're restarting Bethel Bookies - Tuesday, September 26th
Are you a reader? On Tuesday, September 26th at 10 AM we are relaunching Bethel Bookies, our official church book club. This initial meeting will help us get started, and then we hope to meet once a month to discuss each book. We will meet in person in the conference room and also via zoom for others to join in remotely. If you're interested, please email Nancy Hillbrick at hilbricknancy@gmail.com and we will add you to the Bookies email list.
Sunday School Homecoming and All Church Potluck - Sunday, September 10th
On Sunday, September 10th we are relaunching Sunday School and we will be celebrating the new year with an all church potluck after service in the fellowship hall! The Faith Development Committee will be providing a hot entree item, but we would love to share a variety of dishes together--from hearty sides, salads and chips, to plant-based dishes, desserts, and more! If you have a potluck item to bring in mind, feel free to give Erin Barber a head's up at eb@bethelbeaverton.org. We are looking forward to this time to celebrate together!
"Stump the Pastor" - Sunday, September 3rd
We need your questions! Do you have a theological question, or a question about the life of faith or the way the church works that you’ve always wanted to ask but were afraid to ask it? September 3rd is your chance! Pastor David will offer an instant sermon with impromptu answers to your questions. For the rest of the month, we will have a submission box and paper slips for questions out front in the Narthex on Sundays, or you may submit your questions via email to Erin (eb@bethelbeaverton.org)
Free Mental Health, First Aid, and Suicide Prevention Classes
Follow the link, and you will find registration information for classes scheduled for August 2023 and beyond, and a summary of each opportunity. If you are interested in any of these online classes, we encourage you to participate as these opportunities further empower our collective work. Please register soon, as classes fill quickly!
https://www.gettrainedtohelp.com/en/
Lisa Mentesana, Co-Founder
ESL: 1-1 Tutor and Other Opportunities
The Beaverton Literacy Council is looking for volunteer teachers and teaching assistants for beginning, intermediate, and advanced adult English classes. In-person classes at Bethel are Tuesdays and Thursdays 7:00-8:30 pm. Or you can teach a Zoom class from you home. Zoom classes are 75 minutes in the morning, afternoon, or evening. You can volunteer for one class period a week or more. Classes start September 11. Training is available. Interested? Visit www.beavertonliteracy.org/volunteer or contact Jim Keniston.
There is also an opportunity to tutor a Mexican college student in English, one-on-one via Zoom. Some high-school Spanish would be a plus. Contact Jim for more information.
Happy Hour with The Young-ish Adults - Friday July 28th
Everyone post-grad and pre-retirement is invited to join us for some community, drinks and bites on Friday July 28th from 7 PM to 8:30 PM in our church courtyard. Please feel free to bring your favorite appetizer to share with the group. Childcare will be provided for parents of kids age 3-12.
Please RSVP with Erin Barber by Wednesday July 26th!
Sunday School Summer Field Day - July 30th
On Sunday July 30th, our preschool and elementary kids can participate in a day of summer games on our lawn during service in place of traditional Sunday School. Please dress kids in clothes that are easy to move in and can get wet and a little messy. We hope you will join us on this day of fun! Please reach out to Erin Barber with any questions!
Habitat For Humanity Volunteer Opportunity
Folks who would like a volunteer opportunity for Habitat that is a bit less arduous than working on a construction site and help assemble Simpli Home Furniture for resale at the Habitat Restore at the Restore Development Office at 12413 NE Marx St, Portland, OR 97230. This is an ongoing project so you and a group of friends can schedule times on a regular basis. If interested you can contact TC Schumacher at tc.schumacher@habitatportlandregion.org to schedule a time.
The Beaverton Habitat Restore on Millikan way in Beaverton can always use volunteers. It's open from 10am to 6pm every day except Tuesday. If interested you can find more information here: Volunteer - Portland Region ReStores (pdxrestore.org)
We are working towards setting a build day for our congregation, but it may be aways out.
If you have further questions you can email Leon at mr.leon.taylor.new@gmail.com
RESISTING CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM: FAQ + RESOURCES
With hundreds of far-right politicians using Christ's name to deny election results, demonize their opponents, enact a theocratic agenda, and spread dangerous conspiracy theories -- all with the blessing of pastors and televangelists -- Christian nationalism is the single biggest threat to both democracy and the church today.
To assist Christians in recognizing and responding to Christian nationalism when we see it, Faithful America has put together this short FAQ and the following list of helpful resources.
See this link for these articles.
https://act.faithfulamerica.org/signup/christian-nationalism-resources/#sites
• What is Christian nationalism?
• Is Christian nationalism Christian?
• If Christian nationalism is a political ideology, not a religion, why call it "Christian?"
• Why should Christians oppose Christian nationalism?
• Resources to resist Christian nationalism
o Videos and webinars
o Discussion guides and trainings
o Websites and articles
o Books