As a reconciling congregation Fremont UMC affirms without equivocation that
all human beings, having been created in God’s image and having received the
breath and grace of God, are God’s children.
Sexual orientation or gender identity have no bearing on one’s status as
a beloved child of God. Our LGBTQI+ siblings are welcomed, affirmed,
and fully embraced in this faith community.
We are a church that embodies love and relentless unapologetic
pursuit of equity and social justice.
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Book Club Meeting
May 10 at 7:00 p.m
Fremont UMC Women Meeting
May 20th at 10:00 am in the backyard @ 4555 NE 74th.
Discussion with Fremonters, Friends and Neighbors on Nicholas Kristoff Book Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope
Saturday, June 5th at 5 pm
Alliance on Poverty Conversation with Nicholas Kristoff
June 7th (see article below)
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Greetings, Fremont Family:
In these recent weeks, I have spoken about how I find hope in you, hope in how we have come together this past year during difficult times to do extraordinary ministry despite challenging circumstances.
In my Pastor's Email from last week, I invited you to reflect with me on our Prayer Prompt for our Capital Campaign: "Lord what do You want to do through me?" These are humbling and empowering words.
Now, I have one more call to action: I ask you to dream with me on what the Lord can do through us at Fremont.
Inside the letter that you will receive this week you will find a Hope Rising sticker, a sticker that may seem small, but carries with it a big mission, a mission of what we can achieve as a body, a people, and as a place of love, spirituality, community connection and service.
I call on you, Fremont family, to wear this small sticker with a big mission, and post a video or photo of yourself/your family on our Facebook page (or email it to me at pastorerin@fremontumc.org) and share your hope about what you think the Lord can do through us.
Together, we are stronger than we are apart. Your energy, your vision and your hope are at the heart of our future, and I can't wait to get there with you.
Grace and peace, Pastor Erin
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Worship & Spiritual Formation |
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Hope Rising: Gratitude Sunday
As part of our Hope Rising: Embracing Our Future at Fremont capital campaign, we are celebrating Gratitude Sunday on May 16. What are you grateful for in your life with Fremont UMC? Is there something that stands out? We’d love it if you would make a short (10 seconds or so?) video and upload it to this location for our worship service: (place location here). If you need help making a video, please contact Michele Bernstein at michelelb@comcast.net and she’ll get you set up! We need your videos by May 10, and the more, the merrier. Thank you!
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UMW
Fremont's United Methodist Women will be meeting on Thursday, May 20 at 10:00 am in the backyard of Trina Leschber's house, 4555 NE 74th. We look forward to seeing each other in person and to see and hear about Trina and Allan's garden. Please notify Trina at aleschber@aol.com or 503-257-9342 if you will be attending. All women of Fremont are invited to attend.
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“Reckoning with Racism” A Contribution from our District Superintendent, Rev. Tim Overton-Harris
I grew up in northeast Portland very near Grant High School. I lived below the hill, so Alameda Street was just beyond our reach. I went to Alameda Elementary School and Fremont United Methodist Church. I didn’t have any sense of living in a white enclave but that’s what it was. You see the neighborhoods of Sabin, Boise, Vernon, Humbolt, and King where all just beyond my zone of living. I play Little League at Wilshire Park. We shopped at the Hollywood Fred Meyer. We played at Grant Park. My world never crossed into the neighborhoods where redlining and urban renewal were forcing people of color to relocate. I grew up a white middle-class Oregonian.
When I was in about 2nd grade I had come home after school and mom had the chocolate chip cookies and milk ready and waiting. I sat down at the table and the doorbell rang. I ran to the door and mom came on my heels and there was a man, a white man, in a nice suit with a pleasing smile and he began to talk about our house and did my mom want to sell? Later I knew this was a real estate agent. When my mom said she had no interest in selling this man got conspiratorial in his demeanor and said in a hushed but serious tone, “You might want to sell before they move into your neighborhood.” Mom got angry and told the man to leave and she pushed the door closed. I asked who the “they” were, and she said, Black people.
Since that time, I have finally become aware of the history of my home state and city. I have had the veil removed from my eyes and I have seen the reality in stark and specific detail. My white liberalness has been forced to understand how wrong I was.
I thank God I have opened my eyes. I confess my participation in making our State what it is. I seek forgiveness for the harm done. And I promise that the privilege I have been granted by the color of my skin will not be used to further racist systems but instead be used to break down the barriers and help to create the cultural mosaic that God wants, that God created our world to be.
Peace, Tim
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Laity Sunday…..Coming on May 30!
“Where do You Find Your Strength?” That’s a question that we can reflect on every day, and that we will reflect on in a shared way on Laity Sunday May 30.
What is Laity Sunday? The strength and contribution of lay people has a long history for Methodists, dating to the time when local churches didn’t always have a pastor to lead and preach. For us in the 21st century, Laity Sunday is a special day when lay people, that means anyone who isn’t a clergy person, get together to lead and conduct a Sunday worship service. We haven’t had a Laity Sunday since 2019, so we know that it is time to share in this way. Please be sure to join in via the usual Zoom link on May 30, Memorial Day weekend, for Fremont’s Laity Sunday. Where do YOU find your strength?
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Church and Parsonage Campus Yard Clean Up
The Trustees want to say a big thank you to everyone who came on April 10 to do the church yard cleanup. We had a good group of workers including several people with pick-up trucks which enabled us to take multiple loads to the composting sites. In addition, we had lots of help from Troop 100 scouts who were ready, willing, and able to work hard to get things done. In the next month we will be asking for help to work on the parsonage yard so watch for news. Thanks again; the yard and planters looks great.
Mary Knocke
Co-Chair, Trustees
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“GIVING COUNTS” AT FREMONT
News from the Finance and Stewardship Team
May, 2021
Hope Rising….
In the coming weeks, the community at Fremont UMC will be entering into a time of prayerful consideration about how God is working through us in our Capital Campaign, Hope Rising: Embracing Our Future at Fremont. The Finance team is happy to announce a commitment to the Capital Campaign of $64,000, distributed quarterly over two years.
How is this possible? Quite simply, Fremont’s Permanent Endowment.
The Permanent Endowment was established through the generosity of above and beyond giving by current and past Fremonters, with the purpose of supporting financial stability for the future.
The plan to use some Endowment funds for the Campaign is bold and creative, and allows us to invest some of the profits of these carefully managed gifts for the future of our church building and its programs. This unified effort is an incredible source of support for creating new ministries at Fremont. We can all be grateful for the gifts that have now grown from small seeds into fruit that can be shared for the next generations.
How are we doing with the budget?
Financial planning during the time the building has been closed was challenging; some expenses were lower, and rental and other income was also lower. We are happy to report that as the mid-year approaches, income has been holding steady. The summer months have traditionally been lower with respect to income to the church, and we encourage all to continue with the faithful giving that sustains the ministries at Fremont.
Easter Giving…..Thank you to all who made a special Easter gift this year. We shared a portion of the Easter offering with Sponsors Organized to Aid Refugees, a program of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon; another way that the gifts we make to Fremont extend beyond the walls of the church, and out into the world.
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Lift Every Voice Oregon – Justice Equity Advocacy
We have an opportunity to take action against gun violence, especially mass shootings by helping Lift Every Voice Oregon get signatures to allow them to begin preparing two ballot measures for the November 2022 election that would ban automatic assault rifles and large magazines of bullets in Oregon. They would not be allowed to sell these in Oregon and people who have them would have to dispose of them. It is to start early and need about 2000 signatures to submit to the Secretary of State to get approval to start a campaign to publicize these measures. Eventually they will need 150,000 signatures but the first 2000 will count toward that total.
On May 14, 15 and 16, we are going to have ways for Fremonters and our neighbors to come to the church to sign the petitions. We will have drive up hours and a table on the front porch of the church. We are looking for volunteers to help out on those dates. More details will be provided next week.
For those interested in knowing more about the campaign there is a volunteer training session on Thursday, May 6th It is 6:30 to 7:30 on Zoom. Their website is www.lifteveryvoiceoregon.comor you can contact me at Clarobb@juno.com
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Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope
by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
Nicholas Kristof is one of the most read opinion writers for the New York Times, especially among Oregonians, who view him as a “native son.” Born and raised in Yamhill, Oregon, Kristof began to realize, as he repeatedly returned to Oregon with his wife, WuDunn, that the hopes and dreams of many of his high school classmates had been turned into tragedy by loss of jobs and by drug and alcohol addictions. These realizations led Kristof and WuDunn to write the powerful expose, “Tightrope,” which chronicles how the American dream is systematically being moved from the lives of many of its citizens.
To help spread the word about the increasing presence of poverty in our larger community, the Interfaith Alliance has arranged for a personal appearance by Kristof and WuDunn (via Zoom) on Monday, June 7 (details and link to be provided later). What a special opportunity for each of us to hear first-hand of Kristof’s conclusions and his prescription for renewing the dream.
In addition, a special “book group style” discussion of the book is being planned for Fremonters hosted by Beth Skillern & Charlie Collier (see details below). We urge you to read the readily-available paperback or at least to view a documentary version of it if/when OPB reruns it.
You won’t want to miss these unique events and the chance to deepen your understanding of the lives led by far too many of your fellow citizens.
- Prepare for the Interfaith Alliance on Poverty "Conversation with Nicholas Kristoff on JUNE 7 by reading the book "TIGHTROPE" (available at the Multnomah County Library and in bookstores) and join other Fremonters, friends, and neighbors for a discussion of the book on SATURDAY, JUNE 5, AT 5 PM. This pre-event gathering will be hosted by Charlie Collier and Beth Skillern.
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The Fremont Book Club
The regularly scheduled Fremont Book Club will be reading Mark Twain's classic "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" as its next book, and will meet on May 10 at 7:00 p.m. Twain's classic 1885 novel is regarded by most scholars as one of America's two or three greatest novels. It fits into our pattern of novels that confront issues of race--it's arguably American fiction's most powerful statement. At one level, it's a simple story about a young boy and his adventures on the Mississippi, but those adventures carry meaning that strikes to the core of America's attitudes about race and our character as a nation. Most of us read it years ago and a quick brush-up of two or three chapters at the beginning will prepare us for our discussion, though a complete reread will always be a rich experience.
For those of you who want to work ahead, the July selection is "Rules of Civility" by Amor Towles, who we all thoroughly enjoyed as the author of "A Gentleman in Moscow".
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Log-in instructions for our virtual Sunday Worship Services
Enter Meeting ID: 429 790 924
OR, choose a phone number to call to LISTEN-ONLY:
+1 312 626 6799
+1 346 248 7799
+1 646 558 8656
+1 669 900 9128
+1 253 215 8782
+1 301 715 8592
then, enter the Meeting ID: 429 790 924
Log-in instructions for our virtual Wednesday Night Prayer Service
Enter Meeting ID: 752 185 399
OR, choose a phone number to call to LISTEN-ONLY:
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US
+1 301 715 8592 US
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
then, enter the Meeting ID: 752 185 399
There’s help
If you have questions about how this works or problems connecting, you can send an email help@fremontumc.org. Now this email is not an all-purpose help line, it is for issues relating to the ZOOM feature we are using to conduct these services and other gatherings. Randy Poff will respond to you as quickly as he can to help you out.
“Like” FUMC on Facebook & share a story
If you like us, please “like” and follow our Facebook page. This helps people find us. Also, share our posts with your friends! And one last thing: If you would write a review for us on our page, it also helps people find us. Thank you.
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5/2 Abigail Davidson
5/3 Aubrey Davidson
5/4 BenPoff
5/6 Joe Skariah, Brooke Mannhard
5/7 Eve Mannhard
5/13 Janine DeLaunay
5/14 Elizabeth Williams, Darlene Harper
5/17 Kyle Leslie-Christy
5/21 Maxyne Roy
5/24 Wiki Smith
5/28 Chuck Bammerlin
5/31 Susan Harwell
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What to put an article in next month's Newsletter?
Email Youth@fremontumc.org with the article and details by Friday May 21st!
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FREMONT UMC MINISTRY
Ministers
All the People
Pastor
Rev. Erin Martin
Family Ministry Associate
Ashley Brassea
Director of Music
Lynn Rognsvoog
Music Assistant
Jonathan Roberts
Childcare
Béatrice Kanyandekwe
Youth Ministry / Communication
Jocelyn Hart
Bookkeeper
Carol Hancock
Custodian
Patricia Bailey
Office Hours
Monday-Thurs 10:00-3:00
(Monday is the pastor’s scheduled day off)
Friday: Closed
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