Battle Ground Community UMC
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
April 2020
  We are people of faith who gather to worship and love God,
care for one another, and share God’s compassion with the world.
Pondering and a Prayer
As people of faith, who practice the teachings of Jesus Christ in the Gospels, we can be assured that this pandemic is what our study and worship and prayer practices have been about. Think about it. The strength of our faith is like a musical we build. By not studying, worshipping and praying, our faith atrophies. But because we do what we do as faithful disciples, many of us experience a strength for which others yearn.

Our faith practices have prepared us for these challenging times. Because we trust God, obey God, love God, and regularly plug into God, we stand on a rock instead of the shifting sands. I encourage you to continue to strengthen your faith muscles and use this time of isolation to study your devotionals, pray for one another and the world, worship in whatever means brings you closer to God, serve in a safe way and take heart that Christ is with us in all things.

Blessings and Be Safe,
Pastor Susan
A prayer written by Nadia Bolz-Webber

For the layers of comfort and convenience that surrounded our lives and that we never considered a blessing but always just took for granted, forgive us.

For we who must grieve in isolation and not in community, comfort us.

For we who care for the sick, protect us.

For the ability to turn off the fear-mongering and unhelpful commentary and worst-case scenario click bait, strengthen us.

For the times when we are all out of creative ideas for how to get through this with cooped up kids, inspire us. 

For we who are now cutting our own bangs at home, guide us.

For the grace to allow ourselves and others to just be less productive, shower us.

For the generosity needed from those of us who have more resources, empower us.

From our own selfish inclinations, deliver us.

For just being your children, none of whom have done a global pandemic before, love us.

For the days ahead, accompany us.

God unbound by time, help us to know that you are already present in the future we are fearing.

AMEN. 
From Our Bishop
Some of the Bishop’s Points on her Webinar
April 1, 2020

·      There is a webinar scheduled for Friday regarding church finances.  Jill (Treasurer), Joyce (Finance Secretary) and David (Chair of Finance), will be on the call.  If you would like to listen in, please email Pastor Susan and I will include you in the invite.

·      The conference is working on On-line communion from the Bishop during Holy Week.

·      It is likely that we won’t have a shared Annual Conference in June.

·      Red Cross will be allowed to use church buildings.

·      Seek ways to identify the most vulnerable in our contexts and be creative in assisting existing programs (ex: free and reduced lunches for food-insecure children).

·      Easter:  Resurrection always comes in the shadow of death.  There will be conference resources that could be used for Easter service which will include a message of resurrection from the Bishop.

·      It is probable that General and Jurisdiction Conference will be held in Fall of 2021.

·      Grants may be available, particularly for the payroll protection plan.  More will be shared on Friday.

·      What if there are Covid-19 patients from our congregations?  Pastors will be given guidance from their District Superintendents.

·      Caring for ourselves: As in any airline flight we take, we are always instructed to put our own mask on before assisting others.  You are all encouraged to monitor your emotional behavior, create as much normalcy as possible, move your body, find ways to laugh, connect with loved ones, practice daily devotions and spend some time each day in prayer and meditation.
How We Worship
OUR LENTEN JOURNEY COMES TO AN END
"Gifts of the Dark Wood"

Who knew that this series journeying through the dark wood would go far beyond symbolic meaning. Our last Sunday of Lent is of course Palm Sunday. If you're out at the grocery store or pharmacy and can swing by, there are two vases of palms. Take as many as you like.

We have been reminded during this time that there are gifts, sometimes hidden, in our darkest hours. The trick of course is to let the world keep us from distraction so that we can focus on the true Kingdom in which we belong, the Kingdom of God.
Palm Sunday is the beginning of what we call "Holy Week." As we close Sunday with remembering the Palms and our Hosannas, we enter into the gravity of the week leading us to the celebration of Easter. This week leads us through four important emotions with which we constantly live. Palm Sunday reminds of EXCITEMENT! Maundy Thursday, where we remember Jesus' last supper with his friends, brings about CONFUSION. We cannot seem to understand what Jesus was trying to tell us. Good Friday is the day we remember how our shortness of sight led to our killing of the hope of the world, and that brings about our sense of DESPAIR. But, finally... on Easter Sunday, we realize that despair never wins, that "Joy Comes with the Dawn" (one of my favorite hymns), and new life is always, always available to us. The story of Holy Week reminds us of who we are as humans and how God cares and loves His children.

I don't yet know how I will invite you to participate in this time of death, but I do know that without death, there can be no new life. Without the crucifixion, there can be no resurrection.
Let's make our Easter service participatory. I invite you to answer a question for me in a text, a short email or a video no longer than 90 seconds. Let' s share with one another our own understanding of this question:

WHAT IS EASTER TO ME?
All ages encouraged to participate!

Send to: pastor.boegl@gmail.com or 360-342-7913
Need Help or Know Someone who Does?
How's your emotional health? NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) has a "warm-line" for anyone to call anytime. The link is below. It is a free service and all the numbers highlighted in red will answer phone calls from anywhere in the nation. Notice that some of these call centers are open 24/7. There's no shame in just needing to talk to someone.


CVAB’S WARM LINE Call: 360-903-2853. Operates every evening from 4PM – Midnight. Offers peer support, understanding and a listening ear. Not a crisis line.

CLARK COUNTY CRISIS LINE:
Call: 1-800-626-8137 or 360-425-6064
Offers assistance for those experiencing a mental health crisis.


YOU CAN GET THE HELP YOU NEED

These are difficult times of isolation, depression, despair, and anxiety. Call 1-800-273-8255 if you are feeling a lack of hope.
LONELY TIMES ARE HARD TIMES

Although there are no 12-step meetings due to the Corona Pandemic, there are on-line and virtual meetings. Go to the Vancouver Intergroup AA office to learn more and get yourself plugged in!


If you need to talk to someone RIGHT NOW,
call this number: 360-694-3870 

Click here for: VIRTUAL MEETING LIST
Know someone who suffers from domestic violence?

How We Can Help
Home-made Masks are Needed

Here is the link to the Columbian article regarding Peacehealth accepting home-made masks. I know that many of you have been busy at work with this project, but here is another medical facility that would appreciate your gift.

Click here to learn more about donating to Peace Health:
YouTube video on:
VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED
Food Pantry in Battle Ground

If you are healthy, the North County Community Food Bank of Clark County needs volunteers to help pack boxes and deliver to food-insecure families. The hours for volunteers are Monday through Friday from 8:45 - 11:30am. Also from Monday through Thursday 1:15 - 3:30pm. If you think you can help out, please call Jake, at 360--687-5007. Jake is the volunteer coordinator and he will schedule you to help, when you are available, to help families in crisis.
The Red Cross is in dire need of blood donations. Our church will be open on Tuesday, April 14th for anyone to come and donate their blood IF AND ONLY IF they are healthy.

The Red Cross will follow the guidelines for safety put out by the CDC and local health agencies. If you are able to volunteer in this way, please contact Rose Anderson at 360-713-1807.
EMERGENCY HELP?

Pastor Susan and a team will make emergency prescription deliveries ANY TIME.

Regarding groceries, try to be creative. Use whatever is in your pantry and make up new and wonderful crazy recipes (maybe at the end of this we'll put together a Corona Virus Cookbook). However, if you are out of food and need anything, I will be happy to shop for your essentials. Grocery stores will not be closed. As far as toilet paper, do as the Europeans do - use whatever paper product you have and discard in a trash can next to the toilet. Empty the trash can daily. We will find out how much we can do without in these weeks. But I encourage you to think about how you can challenge yourself. What are your excesses that are not really necessary but more of a luxury? Be creative and draw on the creativity of others. But most importantly, stay in touch with one another.

Medications

NOTE: Many health insurance plans offer prescriptions by mail. Be sure to call the number on the back of your insurance card for more information.

OTHER MEDICATION OPTIONS • Your Current Pharmacy: Call your own pharmacy to see if they have delivery options.

• Walmart: To get prescriptions mailed through Walmart, call 1-800-2Refill.

• Walgreens: www.Walgreens.com offers delivery (as soon as next day) through FedEx. Use the Walgreens App if possible. Some Walgreens are now offering drive-thru windows.

• Geneva Woods: www.GenevaWoods.com offers home delivered medication: 360-694-7377.


  • Reach out to people in the congregation.
  • Bake cookies for the police department and fire department.
  • Send cards to doctors and nurses.
  • Call non-profits around you and ask how you can help.
  • There are plenty of ways to support those on the front lines. Just call and ask.
Family Promise Update

Currently families are sheltering in place at Extended Stay America in Vancouver.  We currently have 4 families for a total of 12 individuals. During their host week, each host and support congregation will provide meals for the families which can be delivered and left outside their doors.  I won't get into the logistics of just how this will take place, because it will be fine-tuned over the coming days as each host church works with the Family Promise staff to come up with a process that works for them and keeps everyone safe. 

As with all our outreach efforts, there is a great need for support to keep the program running.  This transition will increase costs for our affiliate.  You can donate online at  www.familypromiseofclarkco.org  or mail checks to FPCC, PO Box 873308, Vancouver, WA 98687.  Donations of specific supplies are also needed, such as pull-ups (2/3T), women's deodorant, maxi pads, instant coffee, powdered creamer, bottled water, and quarters for laundry.  I believe that a "wish list" on Amazon is forthcoming on the Family Promise of Clark County website and Facebook page.

On or before April 15, the Family Promise of Clark County Board will evaluate when to return to normal operations. They will not be taking any new referrals, but will continue to offer hospitality and case management to the families currently enrolled as well as support to those who have graduated.  I think the main thing we need to know is that our next scheduled host week begins May 17.  I have no doubt that many things will have changed by then. And, of course, if we are able to help in any way by donating funds or supplies, now is the time to do that.  Also, please uphold the staff, volunteers and guests in prayer.

Thanks so much, Jean Brown, 360-904-1822
Nutrition: Home Delivered Meals

MEALS ON WHEELS PEOPLE Clark County: 503-736-6325 or Toll Free 866-788-6325 or www.mowp.org. Free and affordable home delivered meals. For Homebound Seniors 60+.

SCHWAN’S HOME DELIVERED FROZEN FOODS Contact: 1-888-724-9267 or www.schwans.com.

Private Pay: Frozen items delivered to your door. Prices vary. Special diets available. Accepts SNAP.

MOM’S MEALS Contact: 1-877-508-6667 or www.momsmeals.com.
Nutrition: Grocery Delivery or Pick-Up

SAFEWAY (DELIVERY OR PICK-UP) Location: West (Salmon Creek) 360-566-7980. East (Cascade Park/Mill Plain) 360-891-4245.

Online at: www.Safeway.com. Cost: Regular prices + delivery fee. Some locations accept EBT on deliveries for those with a disability.

WALMART (PICK-UP ONLY) Mill Plain Plaza: 221E NE 104th Ave, Vancouver, WA 98664.

East Vancouver:
430 SE 192nd Ave, Vancouver, WA 98683
Call: 360-885-0734
Call: 360-256-0109

Fourth Plain:
14505 NE Fourth Plain Blvd, Vancouver, WA 98682
Call: 360-571-0300

Battle Ground:
1201 SW 13th Ave, Battle Ground, WA 98604
Call: 360-723-9004

Woodland:
1486 Dike Access Rd, Woodland, WA 98674
Call: 360-841-9131

Online at: www.Walmart.com. Cost: Offers store pickup for free (in the parking lot)
How We Pray
Would you like to be part of the Prayer Chain? Contact Pastor Susan at  pastor.boegli@gmail.com  if you want to be added to those who regularly pray for those in the congregation and beyond.

We will begin a Zoom gathering for weekly prayer this coming  Thursday at 10:00 am. If you would like to Zoom in, contact Pastor Susan and she will send you an invite.
Money Information
Just because we're not gathering, 
doesn't mean we don't need your offering to pay our bills. 

The Facts
As a new month begins, you should be aware that the average offering per month is $16,363. If we continue to receive that monthly offering, our finances won't be affected and we won't have to make any cuts at this time. Please keep this reality in mind as you fulfill your pledge or make an unpledged offering.

You can easily help by tithing on-line: 
Simply click on the church website, click "MORE" and then select "On-line tithing" then simply follow the steps from there. It's safe and easy!


OR
Mail in your offering to: 10300 NE 199th Street, Battle Ground WA 98604

OR
You can set up with your bank an Auto Check service where your bank would regularly send the church your offering.
There is no extra charge to do this.

Birthdays and Anniversaries
BIRTHDAY
CELEBRATIONS!

April 1 - Steve Root
April 2 - Cary Adams
April 2- Mary Rubio
April 10 - John Earnest
April 10 - Don Power
April 16 - Ruth Miles
April 21 - John Epler
April 24 - Denise Bower
April 25 - Dick Ordway
April 25 - Hannah Wistrand

ANNIVERSARY:
April 12 - Ray and Rose Anderson

Don't see your birthday here?
Make sure to let us know when it is so we can celebrate YOU!
More Information About Us
Pastor Susan has a blog.

You can read it at - recovingpastor.blogspot.com 
Click Here for Facebook
Check out our website. We have lots and lots of opportunities for serving
in many different ways.
Pass on the news to your friends.
STILL WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Contact Pastor Susan to share a cup of coffee/tea/whatever and learn more about our amazing faith family.

pastor.boegli@gmail.com

  To all, including those who have known the pain of exclusion or discrimination from church or in society, we offer a place of welcome, respect, and love. It is in this spirit that we invite ALL* people to join us
on a journey of faith.

*As a reconciling congregation, ALL people are welcome including people of any race, sexual orientation, gender identity, faith history,
socioeconomic status, physical and mental ability.