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Greetings Crest to Coast Missional District!
I hope you’ve found some rest or renewal, some grace or wonder, some peace, or the right amount of disruption this summer. I’ve certainly found a little bit of all that in the past couple of months, and I’m looking forward to some more with my vacation in the second half of this month. I will be on vacation and off-line September 14 through October 1st. Daniel Miranda will be on call for me during that time. It will be best to reach him through Laura Velonza.
I wanted to share with you something new in the Crest to Coast District. We now have a District-wide Leadership Team. This C2C Leadership Team will eventually have one pastoral leader and one lay person from each sub-district. The Team is still forming, so we are not up to a full team yet. I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to the Team and tell you what we will be working on together.
Puyallup Sub-district: Suzanne Dinwiddie (Sumner, lay) and Margaret Gillikin (Puyallup, pastor)
South Sound Cooperative: Cathy Raymond (Tumwater, lay) and Denise Roberts (St. Andrew’s, pastor
Twin Harbord Sub-district: TBD (lay) and Pam Brokaw (Montesano, pastor)
Hub City Sub-district: Cookie Troxel (Randle, lay) and TBD (pastor)
3 Rivers Sub-district: TBD (lay) and Vonda McFadden (Kelso, pastor)
Clark County Sub-district: TBD (lay) and Jessie Connor (Orchards, pastor)
Columbia Gorge Sub-district: TBD (lay) and TBD (pastor)
At the first meeting of the C2C Leadership Team, we talked about the purpose of this group. My hope is that the C2C Leadership Team can:
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Become a helpful, generative, and active part of the connective tissue in the district. Team members would bring interests, needs, and hopes from the sub-district to the district-wide team and would take resources, initiatives, and hopes from the team to the sub-district churches. For example, last year I started the Leadership Hubs (a monthly opportunity for laity to gather virtually for an hour of learning). Soon the Leadership Team will be asking laity throughout the district for what topics would be helpful or beneficial for them and their churches. From this list of topics, the Leadership Team will be able to schedule Learning Hubs for the upcoming year.
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Become a way to flatten leadership within the district. Currently, the way we are structured, the Superintendent is the one person who has their “pulse” on what is happening in churches and communities. It is almost impossible to really know what is happening in a district, and so regularly, I have pastoral leaders and laity asking me what is happening in other churches. While I can share a bit, it is nowhere near exhaustive or helpful. I often ask, have you talked to other pastors or laity? And most often the answer is no. What if, minimally, within our sub-districts, we fostered that sort of relationship amongst pastoral leaders and laity so that we all saw one another as good resources for our ministry questions? What if a sub-district came to the Leadership Team and Superintendent asking for a particular training, and the Leadership Team helped to resource that sub-district? We can do great things together!
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Become the Superintendency Committee for the district. Since the pandemic, we do not have a Superintendency Committee (think SPRC for the DS). This would be a supportive place for the DS and also a place for pastoral leaders or laity to turn to if there are concerns with the DS.
I’m sure there is more information to share as the Leadership Team begins their work. If you have questions, reach out to one of the Leadership Team members or me.
Blessings to each of you as you transition from summer church and flow back into the fall church flow.
Peace,
DS Kathleen Weber
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Contact Us...
Rev. Kathleen Weber
Crest to Coast
District Superintendent
phone:206-251-5034
Email
Laura Velonza
Crest to Coast, Inland, and Seven Rivers District Administrator
phone:206.870.6814
E-Mail
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Steve and Beth Caskey named 2024 Morton Loggers' Jubilee Parade Grand Marshals.
See Picture Here.
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Bernard and Bonnie Ritchea of Eatonville run the Eatonville Community Chess Center. The Eatonville Community Chess Center is the home of all things chess from 2-8 pm each week. The building at 185 Marshal Ave. North also serves as the home of Eatonville UMC.
Read the full article Here:
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Open Position:
UMC Lakewood is currently looking for a Worship/Music Leader. You can click here for more information on the position. Or to learn more about Lakewood UMC- Visit their website at https://www.umclw.org/about-us
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Women of Crest to Coast and the Greater Hub City Sub-district:
Save the Date!
How Is It with Your Soul?
Join us for a day of Bible Study, crafts, and soul-enriching activities designed to help you get to know the ladies in the greater Hub City sub-district churches.
Our theme: For Such a Time as This:
A day-long retreat focusing on discovering the gifts we have been given to use at a specific time to meet specific needs. Led by Sue Raymond, Spiritual Growth Coordinator, Crest to Coast District United Women in Faith
Saturday, October 12th @ 10:00 a.m.
At Centralia First United Methodist Church
506 S. Washington Ave.
(Parking lot around the corner between Plum and Oak Streets)
Coffee and snacks are provided by Centralia UMC.
Participants, please bring a sack lunch.
Registration information is yet to come.
Contact Centralia UMC @ 360-736-7311 or centraliafirstumc@gmail.com
Or Sue Raymond at sueraymond@bellsouth.net
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Charge Conference Orientation Meetings—
Charge Conferences: what paperwork is due, and what are the processes? Do you know what a People Portal is? If you don't, you're not alone. This meeting was designed for church admins, clergy, laity, and anyone who helps complete your fall charge conference paperwork.
Join Kathleen Weber and Laura Velonza as they answer questions and discuss the paperwork and processes of this year's fall charge conference. (at least one person from each church is expected to attend)
Meetings will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, September 4th, from 7 to 8 p.m. and Monday, September 9th, from 6 to 7 p.m. Register Here!
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Conversations about Mission & Budget with Bishop Bridgeforth
Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth is inviting clergy and laity across the GNW Area to participate in ongoing ministry priority conversations this summer, leading into fall, to talk about mission and budgets across the three conferences. The conversations will help shape budgets that will be voted upon later this year during a special session of the Annual Conference.
Learn more, see the available dates, and register online.
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Watcomb County UMVIM Needs:
I am here to invite you to step away from the pew and get your hands dirty! Your church has a great opportunity to “do” some important work for your neighbors right now!
Some of you might remember the 2020 flood in the Upper North area of Washington State. The towns most affected were Sumas and Nusack in Whatcom County. Over one thousand homes were damaged or destroyed. The story continues, though, before these homes were restored to living conditions, that same area experienced yet another storm in 2021. Today, four years later, they are still rebuilding and repairing many of these homes. The good news is much has been accomplished! Yet, there is much more to do. They need our help to prepare for the next winter season. There are 200 open cases. This means 200 families are either living in unhealthy conditions or not yet back to their homes. The goal for right now is, wrapping up 2 to 5 homes before winter hits.
That looks like teams heading over starting early September till mid-November or when the snow falls.…
The list of projects that need to be done by early November includes flooring, drywall, painting, cabinet installation, Porch rebuilds, and replacing exterior siding.
Here are your first steps to start the process;
• Say yes!
• Build a team of up to five people who will commit to a four—or five-day work crew. If you live close to Sumas or Nusack, daily trips in and out are welcomed.
• Your congregation can either build your own team or connect with a team that is scheduled to go. They are able to provide housing for up to 5 people. This will be an Airbnb in Canada. So a current passport or enhanced DL is essential. If you are commuting daily, there is no need for a passport.
• Each team needs one lead person who has a strong understanding of construction. Even though there is a head contractor, Mark, he is not at each site 24/7. Of course each team will want one person for meal prep and running errands.
Contact Tracy Faulkner at tracyscastle@gmail.com or 509-670-9904 for much more information.
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Worship Workshops:
“small bites, BIG FLAVOR”
Videos Online Now
It is not too late to benefit from the “small bites, BIG FLAVOR” workshops presented by worship specialist, Dr. Marcia McFee. The workshops held at Spokane Valley UMC in mid-August were recorded and “small bite” lessons can now be accessed at Worship Design Studio through your GNW registration. If you did not register in advance, you can still register through your conference at these links:
Pacific Northwest AC:
https://keap.page/ny163/pacific-northwest-conference-sbbf.html
You will then receive an email from Marcia at Worship Design Studio with instructions about how you can access the “small bites, BIG FLAVOR” video lessons and worship resource by signing up for the “2024-2025 Planning Retreats” on the Worship Design Studio website.
The “small bites” are 20 video segments of the live stream recording, edited and indexed for easy, digestible lessons for your worship teams. Lessons include mindset and skillset themes to enrich worship no matter the size of your church.
Your registration automatically registers you for online access to the two upcoming worship workshops by Dr. Marcia McFee in 2025.
- The Lent/Easter planning workshop -January 10-12 at Olympia First UMC
- The Ordinary Time workshop -May 2-4 at Wesley United Methodist Church in Yakima
If you choose to attend either of these workshops in person, you will be asked to register for the local event hospitality as the dates draw closer. Everyone is encouraged to attend at least one of the events in person, as being in the room with Marcia adds energy and allows you to experience sensory-rich worship.
A big “thank you” to Spokane Valley UMC for hosting the live event in August. Kudos to Pastor Alissa Amestoy, the SVUMC hospitality team, the Cheney UMC decorating team, and the PNW conference staff. Special thanks to Green Bluff UMC and Highland Park UMC for welcoming Marcia to their sanctuaries to film video lessons on decorating and “right-sizing” worship space.
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Marcia McFee at Green Bluff UMC after decorating the chancel for her Advent worship series “The Inn: Housing the Holy”. | Rev. Alissa Amestoy and Marcia Mcfee | Pictured above, PNW Conference staff members working behind the scene: David Valera, Kathy Hogg, Laura Velonza, with Rev. Alissa Amestoy, and Elroi Caluya (intern) Not pictured, Tyrone Olds, and Sheila Miranda | | |
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Disability is Diversity!
The Disability Ministries Committee believes all people are created in God’s image and have sacred worth. We believe that it is vital to the body of Christ to celebrate and incorporate the gifts and graces of disabled persons. Click here for our brochure.
Church Accessibility Grants: The 2025 application form will be posted by October 2024, and applications will be accepted from January 13th to March 7, 2025. More information at our website: umcdmc.org
2024 Annual Conference Resource Packet: Find our latest resources, which were highlighted for the 2024 annual conference season, at this link!
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EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES:
New ministry certification groups are forming at BeADisciple.com as seven programs prepare to begin on Oct. 14, 2024. Offered completely online, two new areas of specialization are being added: Spiritual Gifts and Worship Leadership. Popular programs in five additional areas are also accepting enrollments: Grief Care, Music Ministry, Rural Ministry, Spiritual Formation, and Young Adult Ministries.
Designed for clergy and laity alike, these programs provide a Biblical, theological, and practical foundation for ministry in key areas for today’s churches and communities. Participants move through the required courses as cohort groups, learning with and from each other.
Certifications are issued by the Richard and Julia Wilke Institute for Discipleship (IFD) at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas. BeADisciple is a global program of the IFD and has offered quality online educational experiences with roots in Wesleyan theology since 2006.
The certification requirements include successfully completing four six-week online courses. The spiritual formation and worship leadership programs include a 12-week practicum in place of the fourth six-week course. Courses in this 2024 certification cycle will begin Oct. 14, Jan. 20, and March 17.
Lori Richey, director of online education for the Institute for Discipleship, explains that while courses are online, the small-group format offers participants the opportunity to learn with and from persons with similar ministry interests and from highly qualified instructors.
“These certifications bring learners together so that they build connections and relationships over the sequence of courses,” she says, “and many report that they stay in touch long after their program is finished.
Full information is available online at www.beadisciple.com/ifd-certifications.
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Study guide looks at racism through a theological lens
The United Methodist Board of Church and Society has unveiled the first Pages for Progress Resource Guide on the book “The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together” by Heather McGhee. The guide, structured into three 90-minute sessions for group learning, is free to download. View resource
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Ketchikan landslide reflections from Conference Leadership Team Chair, David Means
Please pray for the residents affected by the Ketchikan landslide that occurred Sunday at 4:15 PM. I read that one person was killed, and two were hospitalized.
My Ketchikan house is about 500 feet uphill from the corner of Second and White Cliff, near the slide. It is out of the danger zone; however, my renters have been evacuated by the authorities. I drove through that area many times because it was one of only two ways for me to go.
One picture shows a red house tilted up at the corner of Second and White Cliff - it used to belong to people that I knew although they sold it many years ago and moved away when they retired. The Borough offices are across the street, at least one picture is taken from their parking lot. (This is the former White Cliff Elementary School.) One picture shows WISH -- just downhill from the slide -- it is Ketchikan's AWARE shelter started by the wife of a former UMC pastor nearly 50 years ago.
Ketchikan First United Methodist Church is a mile away. Its parsonage is even further away by road. Both are safe.
Dear Lord, Comfort the people who have lost a loved one, heal those who are injured, and through the Holy Spirit help friends, neighbors, and concerned citizens assist families who have lost their home. AMEN
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You've Got Mail - Conference Communications
As an appointed or assigned ministerial leader in the GNW or as a designated lay leader/volunteer in your local congregation, you are automatically subscribed to the district, Conference, and Greater Northwest Area e-mail lists. It's essential to stay subscribed to these lists as they are the primary method by which you'll receive communications pertaining to your work in the local church, the district, the Conference, and across the global connection of The United Methodist Church.
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