The  Sower
 




                        


 
Orchards United Methodist Church Newsletter 
March 2020 - 
1st Edition
Our mission is to Love God, Love People and Serve Both! 
 "Orchards United Methodist Church welcomes and affirms
people of all sexual orientations and gender identities and
supports full inclusion in every aspect of church life."


Lenten Study/Soup Supper :
6 pm Soup Supper
6:30 pm Study
Mondays in the Annex
March 2nd thru March 30 
(5 sessions)
The topic for the study will 
be the Life of Paul.
 
Palm Sunday, April 5th
Worship - 10 am - Easter Egg Hunt After Worship
 
Maundy Thursday, April 9th
Service at 6:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall
 
Good Friday, April 10th
Service at 6:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall
 
Easter, April 12th
Sunrise Service at 6:30 am
Easter Worship at 10 am
Finger Food Brunch after both Services
   
It's Lent. It's 40 days. It's about getting real with God. Honestly, don't give up chocolate or anything like that. I mean, it's okay. But Jesus gives up his life. you can take on something bolder.

Full confession, I have a HUGE Lenten plan every year that goes ka-put within a few weeks. My plea to the Lord is..."Hey, I'm trying."

I say this at the risk of being a total bozo hypocrite: don't skimp on the Lord. Let your Lent be about loving God with time, presence and effort. Let your Lent be about loving your neighbor with generosity, compassion and grace. Let your Lent be about loving yourself with honesty, peace and acceptance. Let your Lent be about loving your enemy with forgiveness, understanding and grace.

We'll do stuff during Lent, too. We'll have the ashes and the palms and the Bible studies and the foot washing and the cross and we'll get up early in April to find the Lord risen indeed. I can hardly wait.

- Pastor Christopher

Welcome to March. Here's a look at youth activities for the month. 

Sunday, March 1- youth group at the church, 2-4

Sunday, March 8- theology meal 2-4 - location TBD

Sunday, March 15- Roller Skating at Oaks Park- 1:00

Sunday, March 22- Service Sunday- project and time TBA

Sunday, March 29- No youth group (first Sunday of Spring Break)

- Tim
Messy Church planning is still going on.  For those interested, there will be an all-day training in Western Washington titled "Getting Started in Messy Church"  tentatively scheduled it for Saturday,  May 16.   Please contact Shiloh Olson by text, phone (541-740-8401) or email at  jashy.olson@gmail.com

Also, the Messy Church USA website is full of great information as well as additional resources on Instagram and Facebook.  https://messychurchusa.org/


 A big thank you to everyone who helped make our Family Movie Night a success!  It was a fun, family evening with great food and a really great movie. 

We appreciate all of your donations to
 the All Church Retreat fund.
We would love for you to join us as we fellowship and craft together! Bring your own craft and join us this month in the Annex Basement at our regular meeting times. Feel free to be there for both or if  you can 
only make one, that works too!

 We meet the first Saturday of the month at  
 10 am and the 3rd Thursday at 6 pm.  

Upcoming  dates are:   
Saturday, March 7th and Thursday, March 19th

 If you have any questions, please contact:
 Sherry Hibbs at 360-518-9988 or
 Shiloh   Olson at 541-740-8401.

Mark your calendars!  The All Church Retreat will be Friday, April 24th-Sunday, April 26th at Ocean Park Camp and Retreat Center.  Registration forms will be available starting Sunday, March 8th. Deadline to register is Tuesday, April 14th.  We're looking for volunteers to help with coordinate/plan/run various activities. A sign-up sheet will be available at church or by contacting Betsy Clayton.  Contact Betsy C. for more details or with any questions. betsyclayton7@gmail.com  
 
Summer Camp Scholarship Program

 The Estate of Gladys Bafus has set up an account to   provide scholarships to kids wanting to attend summer   camp. The account will cover half of the fee for camp. If   you are in need of a scholarship, please fill out one of the   forms located on the wall in the Narthex and drop it by   the office or in the offering plate for Sherry to process.  

 MEN'S SERVICE WEEKEND

 Set your calendar for 
 March 27 - 29 for the   second annual MEN'S  SERVICE WEEKEND for men of the  United Methodist Churches of Clark County and the Pacific Northwest. It will be held at Ocean Park 
Retreat Center. 

This will be a great opportunity to get to know men from fellow churches while serving  a great cause.

We will not only have outstanding fellowship, we will perform a variety of important tasks to help your  camp prepare for the busy summer season. The projects were chosen to allow various abilities and  capabilities so that all may participate. The projects include, but are not limited to: updating exterior  lighting, maintaining the ocean view from Sea Breeze Lodge, trail clearing, challenge course clearing, and  interior painting. This is rain or shine. If the weather is too harsh for outside, there is the painting and  repair work.

During our first Men's Service Weekend in 2019, we not only cleared much of the way for the new zip  line, split and stored firewood, and repaired tables and chairs.

There is a $40 fee to cover the cost of meals for Saturday and Sunday morning. If anyone has concerns  about the costs, please contact Brandon Scheer, camp director. To register, go to opretreat.org/retreats.

Our camp relies on volunteers in order to provide the important ministry that it serves. Please plan to  come and meet new friends while enabling our Ocean Park Retreat Center to thrive.

If you have any questions, please contact Tom Musser by text or voice at 360-607-3472

On the Legislative 
Session and Advocacy

So much going on at the state legislature session this year.  Here is a brief up date.  On Monday through Wednesday both chambers will be voting on bills, and FAN will be lobbying to promote bills they are supporting.  Any bills not moved out of their house of origin by Wednesday will be dead for the session.  Thursday and Friday, the House and Senate will begin committee hearing on bills from the opposite chamber.  Bills still moving forward include the Courts Open to All bill (HB 2567) to prohibit communication with and arrests by ICE/Customs and Border Patrol agents within and outside county courthouses, Clean Slate (HB 2793) to create an automatic removal of certain misdemeanors and some felonies, Graduation Reality and Dual Skills/GRADS (HB 2455) to increase support for teenage parents and their children by providing subsidized child care, and Private Detention Ban Bills (HB 2576/SB 6442). 

FAN is also working to increase awareness of the up coming census.  Here are the basics. 
  • The launch of Census 2020 is just around the corner on March 12, when postcards will begin to arrive in households, providing an internet link to participate. Official Census Day is April 1.  We are asking you to help:  Please fill out your own census questionnaire by April 1!
  • In the State of Washington, $16.7B in tax dollars for our communities are  at stake, along with our democratic representation in Congress.  We cannot afford to miss counting anyone in this census, especially historically under-counted communities of color, immigrants, tribes, rural areas, and young children.  FAN often says in legislative work that budgets are moral documents-in this case, the data that informs budgets and allocation of resources have moral implications too!
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Movie Night  at St. Luke's
426 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver - 
Sunday, March 8th at 5:30 pm  
Film:  
The Stones Cry Out Voices of the Palestinian Christians.  Appetizers, beverages and conversation to follow. Questions? Please Contact Claudia @360-624-3360

************************************************


Birthdays &
Anniversaries

If we don't have your
birthday or 
anniversary date, 
or if it is incorrect,
please call the office,
360-892-5240 or  email

**************

Birthdays
   
   4 Norm Brenteson
   6 Eric Clayton
      Dave Erickson
 10 Leila Alexander
 11 Taya Allen
 12 Mick Hemphill
 13 Bonnie Morrissey
 18 Andy Roe
 19 Megan Franklin
 20 Aleisha Widner
 23 Samuel Hanson
 27 Arpa Martell
 28 Sandy Carscallen
        Sandy Erickson 
 29 Leilani Greene
 30 Beverly Olson
       Ollie Gudger-  
       Raines


*************

Anniversaries

   5 Bill & Sherry       
       Hibbs
 22 Russ & Tamera 
       Allen
 25 Brian & Marilyn
       Roe

Pray for Our Military


SFC Patrick Walker
Army
Colorado Springs

SPC Gus Jeffries
National Guard
Deployed

1st LT Tom Roller
Air Force
has been deployed

Upcoming  
Events
and
Meetings

To View all current 
Calendar items 
use this link:

Finance Team Meeting

Wed., March 4th
5:30 pm 
Annex Lobby

Summertime Ministry Meeting

Thurs., March 5th
6:30 pm
Annex Basement

Heart & Soul Crafters

Saturday, March 7th
10:00 am
Annex Basement

Thursday, March 19th
6 pm
Annex Basement

Men's Breakfast

Saturday, March 14th
7:30 am
Fellowship Hall

Vision & Alignment Team Meeting

Thursday, March 12th

Worship Planning
 Team Meeting

Thursday, March 26th
6:30 pm
Annex


MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

2020
All Church Retreat
April 24-26

Women's Tea
Saturday, May 2nd

 
DEADLINES

Bulletin/
Announcements:

1:00 pm each Wednesday

Sower Articles:

25th of Each Month



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Contact Information

Website:    www.orchardsumc.com        email:  orchardumc.office@gmail.com    
  
Follow us on Facebook:   Orchards UMC Vancouver  #OrchardsUMC
  
Orchards United Methodist Youth  #OrchardsUMCYouth
  
Office Hours: Tues.-Thur., 9:00 am - 3:00 pm       Phone: 360-892-5240        
Pastor:  Christopher Gudger-Raines                   Like us on Facebook