Creating community, championing justice and growing with God.


ANNOUNCEMENTS
January 21, 2021
PRAYER LIST

Our prayer list is here to help. Please pray for: Joan Strout, Debbie Hayden, Ginnie Toner, Edna Cushing, Bob Stewart, Fran Paris, Debbie Heater, Randy Libby, Phil Haskell, Anne Bencks, Bob McEvoy, and Phil Lucas.



TEST OF TEXT ALERT SYSTEM NEXT WEEK

We will be conducting a test next week of the Text Alert system. To those people who have signed up for texts from Woodfords Church, you will be getting a test mid-week next week. If you have signed up for the alerts but don’t receive a text by the end of next week, please email the office at info@woodfordschurch.org and we will make sure your cell number is added to the list. We will officially begin the Text Alert system from Feb 1.
JOIN US FOR WORSHIP ON SUNDAY

On Sunday, our Woodfords community will gather for 10 am worship via Zoom. Please join us for a time of prayer, fellowship, and reflection. Feel free to invite other friends, family members, and anyone else you think could use some spiritual community. Instructions for logging in via computer or calling in by phone are below. Worship will be followed by a digital coffee hour. See you on Sunday!

Join via computer:

At-Home Communion
If you would like to receive in-person Communion and reside in a location where you can receive visitors, please send Alyssa an email (alodewick@woodfordschurch.org), and we will work to schedule a time for you to receive the sacrament in upcoming weeks.
PLANNING CONVERSATION - WOODFORDS LAY MINISTRY/MUTUAL CARE PROGRAMS

Thursday, February 11 at Noon

Please RSVP to Rev. Alyssa (alodewick@woodfordschurch.org) and let her know whether you will attend.

Join Zoom meeting:

Dial by your location:
  • +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
  • Meeting ID: 957 4028 2519

Do you like helping people? Would you like to collaborate with a team of people in caring for members of the Woodfords community? Please join us for a planning conversation.

Historically, Woodfords’ lay ministry program has matched church members who are unable to attend worship and/or participate in church activities with volunteers who have paid regular visits and provided companionship and connection. Unfortunately, in-person visits became much more difficult last spring, with the advent of COVID-19, stay-at-home orders, and institutional restrictions on visits to communal residential settings (e.g., assisted living facilities, nursing homes, etc.)   

During this conversation, we will discuss what Woodfords’ lay-led congregational care ministries might look like in the future.
  • Which elements of Woodfords’ lay ministry model should/can continue in these days of COVID-19? 
  • How might we expand and build upon the church’s congregational care programs to address changing needs during these unique times?
GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK TO MAUREEN!

We are sad to announce the departure of Maureen Topa from the Woodfords Staff. Many of you hadn’t yet had the opportunity to meet her in the Church Office before we had to close down due to Covid. Maureen has been working behind the scenes on the announcements, the Beacon, and also creating the YouTube videos for the Intergenerational Services. Her contribution to Woodfords has been substantial and we will miss her good nature and helpful assistance. But we also are happy that she has begun a new job that she enjoys and we wish her luck on all her new activities. We have decided not to replace Maureen right away; Teri will take over the announcements and newsletter from February. Information about submission for those publications is below.
WOODFORDS CHURCH SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR:
Announcements, The Beacon, FB Events STARTING FEB 1, 2021

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
  • Articles must be submitted to Teri (info@woodfordschurch.org) by 5 pm on TUESDAY. Anything submitted after Tuesday, 5 pm will go in the next week’s mailing. Please do not expect timely publication if your submission is not timely.
  • Announcements go out THURSDAY MORNING
  • Articles must have:
  • a title
  • proofed, ready-to-publish text
  • picture(s) or illustration(s) are optional

BEACON:
  • The Beacon goes out the LAST DAY OF THE MONTH
  • Articles must be submitted to Teri (info@woodfordschurch.org) by the 20th OF THE MONTH. Anything submitted after the 20th of the month will go in the next month’s Beacon. Please do not expect timely publication if your submission is not timely.
  • Articles must have:
  • a title
  • proofed, ready-to-publish text
  • picture(s) or illustration(s)

FACEBOOK EVENT:
  • Teri can create a FB event for your upcoming event. Please submit the event request 3-5 DAYS PRIOR to when you want the event to appear on FB.
  • Please fill out the FB event form in full and submit to Teri (info@woodfordschurch.org).
JANUARY 31: ECUMENICAL YOUTH GROUP PLANNING MEETING

Portland’s ecumenical youth group – a collaborative initiative that is sponsored by five different Portland churches and led by Woodfords’ own Hannah Smith-Erb – brings together youths in grades 7-12 for a wide array of social and spiritual programs and activities. On Sunday, January 31, the group will meet to plan activities for the upcoming months.

The gathering will start at 2 pm and be held over Zoom. Newcomers as well as experienced youth group participants are invited to both. Friends are welcome.
Sunday, January 31 – Visioning meeting and conversation. The ecumenical youth group is driven and led by youths, who determine what upcoming programming and events will look like. At this gathering, youth group members will identify what they would like to do in the upcoming months.

Zoom information:

Participate by computer or tablet:

Dial by your location:
  • +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
  • Meeting ID: 980 3878 5384

If you’d like more information about the youth group, or if you know a young person in 7th-12th grade who would like to be added to the youth group’s mailing list, please contact Hannah Smith-Erb (hannah@hopegateway.com).
UPCOMING JUSTICE CONVERSATIONS: NEWCOMERS WELCOME!

A new year has begun, and it seems like a perfect time to add some new voices to Woodfords’ justice conversations. If you are interested in participating, please join us. Participation in prior conversations is not necessary, and you do not need to make any sort of long-term commitment. We are simply interested in hearing as many perspectives as possible. The group will not be the same without you!
Book Discussion: My Grandmother’s Hands
January 25, February 8, and February 22 at 7 pm

At 7 pm on January 25, we will dig into the first part of Resmaa Menakem’s My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies. This will be the first of three conversations. Reading assignments are as follows:
  • January 25: Read introductory materials and part one (pp. ix through 136)
  • February 8: Read part two (pp. 137- 214)
  • February 22: Read part three through end (pp 237 until end)

Zoom instructions for all three conversations are as follows:

Join by computer or tablet:

Join by phone:
  • Dial +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
  • Meeting ID: 940 8897 4554
  • Passcode: 999413
WOODFORDS SENIOR PROGRAM UPDATE

Ongoing, Weekly Offerings:                            

Woodfords Chair Yoga
Tuesdays at 10 am with Burdie Fertig via Zoom

Elizabeth “Burdie” Fertig-Burd is the founder of Celebration Tree Wellness Center for yoga, Reiki, balance and strength training, and personalized retreats. Burdie is a Kripalu Yoga certified teacher with 12 years of experience teaching chair yoga. She has a special passion for working with clients dealing with Parkinson’s Disease and other movement disorders. She is a Reiki practitioner and Master Teacher. Burdie’s work centers around helping clients heal, restore balance and grow in their own wellness practice.

To be placed on the weekly email reminder or with inquiries, Please contact Em Amatangelo at: 207.239.2051 or emham73@gmail.com.

To Join the yoga class please follow this link:

Spiritual Direction
3-4x/month, led by Rev. Mary Zachary-Lang
Wednesday mornings. This closed group meets twice a month. Please contact Rev. Alyssa (alodewick@woodfordschurch.org) if you are interested in joining.
STAFF PHONE EXTENSIONS

Please feel free to give us a call. We are not in the building, but we are checking voicemail regularly.

Staff extensions and email addresses…
HAVE SOMETHING ON YOUR MIND? WANT TO TALK ABOUT A JOY OR CONCERN? HAVE A PRAYER REQUEST?

If you would like to schedule time for a pastoral care conversation with Rev. Alyssa, do not hesitate to be in touch (alodewick@woodfordschurch.org). She would be happy to talk via Zoom or the phone, or to have a physically distanced in-person visit.

Also, Alyssa is always open to receiving prayer requests. Drop her a line with a description of what you’d like her to pray for – and don’t forget to indicate if you would also like your prayer request to be added to the Woodfords prayer list. (Alyssa’s default is to consider all prayer requests she receives confidential, unless the requestor explicitly says otherwise.)
INTERESTED IN JOINING WOODFORDS?

If you would like to learn more about joining Woodfords and becoming an official member of our church community, Rev. Alyssa would love to hear from you (alodewick@woodfordschurch.org). Through low-key, no-pressure conversation, she can tell you more about what “membership” means and answer any questions you might have. New to religion? Just getting to know Christianity? Never been a member of a church before? Have no worries! You may be a cradle-born member of the UCC, or you may be discerning how you feel about organized religion. Either way, we value you and understand that our community would be at a loss without you. No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, Woodfords welcomes you!
UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS!

Let's keep connecting—whether digitally or by snail mail—and maintain the spirit of WCC!

David Clark 1/21 • Natalie Wooten 1/21 • Pamela Barrows 1/22
Leon Strout 1/22 • Jean Koster 1/22 • Nicholas McKee 1/24 • Cindy Quinn 1/24
Amy Johnson 1/25 • Edgar Jones Rev 1/25 • Helena Nelson 1/25
LETTER TO THE ONA FAMILY

Dear Open and Affirming family!

I'm writing to thank you for your support in 2020—whether you helped us financially or supported our cause in your ministry as a member of an Open and Affirming Coalition.

We are incredibly touched by your witness to the power of the Open and Affirming movement, a movement guided by the Divine Spirit of Love moving across the face of the world. Because of you, we can face 2021 with confidence and hope!

While fundraising is a constant task for a non-profit ministry like the Coalition, we can begin the new year knowing we will have the financial resources we need to accelerate momentum towards our the fulfillment of our dream: a church that is 100% Open and Affirming!

Now we face the future. Like other non-profits and every worshipping community, we will struggle with the constraints imposed on us by the deadly global pandemic. At the same time, we've discovered new ways to connect our ONA family and sustain community. Our daily worship services and inspiring training programs have reached new audiences and contributed to the growth of our movement.

On behalf of the Coalition's Leadership Team and staff, know that we care about you—whether you are a member of a church taking its first steps toward an ONA covenant, or of an existing ONA church discovering new ways to live into your commitment to radical welcome and bold advocacy. We are grateful when you share your journeys with us, and we are always ready to support you.

Every blessing in the new year,

Andy Lang
Executive Director

Kimi Floyd Reisch
ONA Program Minister
FREE ONLINE CONCERT SERIES
Every first and third Thursday at noon

*Runs now through May 20, 2021

These free concerts have been an integral part of the PCM mission to provide equal access to quality music and highlight their talented faculty and students.

This season, the format has changed; each performance will be short, 3-5 minutes, and faculty will talk about their instruments and the music they are performing.

New concerts will be posted at noon on the first and third Thursday of each month, through May, and will remain on their homepage until superseded by the next performance. Learn more here: portlandconservatoryofmusic.org.
NEW TO ZOOM?

If you are a new participant to Zoom, please click here for some guidance: https://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/resources/zoom-instructions.pdf.
WOODFORDS CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
t: 207-774-8243
www.woodfordschurch.org