It is the Bishop’s intention to appoint Jeff and I to a new church start in the Sellwood neighborhood of Portland July 1, 2013. I will also be appointed half time to Capitol Hill UMC in Portland. Jeff will continue his ministry with L.A.S.T (http://www.lastnw.com/) at 3/4 time and he has a pretty full summer of mission experiences planned for youth from around the country.
We are launching this blog as a way to record and share this new church start endeavor with other folks interested in this grand experiment of what it means to be church. We hope to learn a lot along the way, and to experience the Holy Spirit at work in our new community. We want to share that, so this seemed like the perfect venue.
Although Paige wanted to start packing right away, it’s going to be a while before we actually begin our new adventure. We have a little over 4 months to go. In this time of readying ourselves and saying good bye to this community where we have loved living and being in ministry for nearly 5 years, we could use your help and support.
What we need:
1. Prayer! Please pray for us as we say goodbye and as we deal with transition and begin laying the groundwork for our ministry in Portland.
2. Financial Pledges. We are raising funds to help support the new church start. If you are interested in donating you can send a check marked Sellwood New Start made out to the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference to United Methodist Church Center 1505 SW 18th Ave Portland, OR 97201.
3. Creativity. We need a name, something to call this community we’re building on a model of small group gatherings, mission opportunities, and worship experiences. Leave your ideas in the comments and we’ll see what everyone thinks.
4. You. Do you live in the Portland area and are not currently part of a church? Are you interested in being part of a new faith adventure? Email me at pastoreilidh@gmail.com to begin that conversation.
Thank you for your interest in our new adventure and for your support!
E
For a name…
"Love in Action?"
"W.I.T.H. (Worshipping In The Holy)"
or
"Love in Action Together" (L.I.A.T.)
I don't know why I love acronyms : )
So excited for you on your journey!