This Sunday, October 11, was the second Sunday of our 2020 Stewardship Emphasis for the Open Door Churches. Our theme this year, I Promise, is a direct reference to the Vows of Membership in the United Methodist Church: “Do you promise to uphold the ministries of the church through your Prayers, your Presence, your Gifts, …
A couple of months ago, your Pastoral Team made a conscious decision to “interact” with the people of the Open Door Churches on a more consistent basis each week. Like you, we have been frustrated by what the pandemic has done to our ability to create and maintain relationships with you, especially as we have …
Once a year, the Oregon Idaho Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church meets together for a few days of holy conferencing. At this conference, we celebrate God’s work in our churches and communities. We celebrate the commissioning and ordination of new clergy and the retirement of clergy who have served many years. We remember …
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Hello Friends: As I write this, all of us are dealing with the terrible wildfires and the devastation they have caused for nearby communities. Although I’m encouraged by news and firsthand accounts from pastors throughout the Cascadia District, the fact is that many of our members, their families and friends, have experienced personal loss. And …
Hello Friends: As all of us deal with the literal and figurative fallout from the fires raging nearby us, I wanted to share some updates about efforts our people have been making to be involved in responding to the emergent crisis. All of these things are subject to change, of course, on an almost daily …
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My Sacred Habitat Every morning I welcome the world, With words of thanks to the Lord. I close my eyes to open them again To see! To hear! To live! And experience! What is sacred in the world? The sun, the wind, and the rain, The grass, the trees, and gardens My habitat, my environment; …
Recently, I spent a couple of days at the beach with Wesley and my mom. Wesley had never been to the beach before so I was excited to see what he thought. But also a bit nervous because Wesley isn’t the biggest fan of the water. As we walked down to the beach, Wesley’s excitement …
Recently, the Pastoral Team and the Chair of our Open Door Churches Board, Vickie Plasker, sent out a letter with all kinds of news about what’s happening among the congregations of the Open Door Churches (ODC). Among the things we discussed were the members of the New Pastoral Team, the Solar Project, our good fortune …
July 28, 2020 Dear Family and Friends of the Open Door Churches: Hard to believe, is it not? Less than a month has passed since Pastors Dan Pitney and Sandra Kimbrow retired from the Open Door Churches and Pastor Wendy Woodworth became Superintendent of Cascadia District of the Oregon-Idaho Conference. In this time of transition, …
Can you come of age more than once? How many times did Jesus “come of age?” Was it a one-time thing when he was 12 and stayed back in the temple to hang out with the religious scholars and teachers? Or, was it when he entered into the muddy Jordan River to be baptized like …