Dear First Church,

This past week we celebrated and honored the last of this season’s goodbyes. Most notable was Drew’s last Sunday with us as Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries. If you missed worship this Sunday, you can join here:

In 1749, Charles Wesley wrote the hymn, And Are We Yet Alive. We sing this near the opening of Annual Conferences across the Methodist connection. In recent years, the third stanza of the hymn has captured me every time we sing it, because each year between the gathering of these conferences has seen and held so much.

The First Church Library is collecting donations for their Used-Book Sale in the fall.

Today’s Word is more like a flyby update on all that’s been going on this past week – and what we have ahead. The Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference will begin its work tonight with District gatherings and Opening Worship. You can follow along with our work from tonight through Sunday: umcoi.org

With the Summer Solstice, the library has been gathering our summer reading selections. Whether the beach or the mountains or some me-time at home is in your plans, we believe we have a lot of good fiction (and some non-fiction} to help you pass the time.

Like Advent and Christmastide, conferencing in the United Methodist Church really is a season:

• There are particular songs we sing, such as the classic conference opener, “And Are We Yet Alive” … Continue reading this and more in our weekly newsletter!

I have the pleasure of participating in multiple Annual Conferences each year, with great thanks to my cross-conference appointment to serve as your pastor. Cross-conference appointments are not uncommon, especially as the United Methodist Church grows stronger in its connection and mutual support.

The Global Mission Committee at FUMC is excited to announce three opportunities for United Methodist Volunteer in Mission (UMVIM) trips in the next year.

Like Advent and Christmastide, conferencing in the United Methodist Church really is a season:

• There are particular songs we sing, such as the classic conference opener, “And Are We Yet Alive” … Continue reading this and more in our weekly newsletter!

Like Advent and Christmastide, conferencing in the United Methodist Church really is a season:

• There are particular songs we sing, such as the classic conference opener, “And Are We Yet Alive” (if “Here We Come A-Conferencing” isn’t a song someone has already written for the Methodist conference season, it ought to be).

This Sunday is the Second Sunday After Pentecost. Rev. Karyn Richards-Kuan will discuss Acts 8:26-39 (CEB). We will also be taking Holy Communion. Rev. Karyn writes about the importance of connections in this week’s Word with the Pastor. The Pathfinder’s meet this Saturday, and we have several Forums coming up!

As a connectional people, Methodists love to get together. Whether through conferences, clergy and lay gatherings, retreats, committees, potlucks, classes, or small groups, it’s life together that brings us the radiance of the Christian faith.

Join us this Trinity Sunday where Rev. Karyn Richards-Kuan will discuss Acts 10: 1-17, 28, 34-35 (CEB). Meet Cassidy, who will be joining the First Church Staff as our Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries beginning June 24.

Cassidy Smith will be joining the Staff at First Church as the Director of Children, Youth & Families beginning June 24.

Rev. Karyn Richards-Kuan writes about "Help!" in her Word with a Pastor. This Pentecost Sunday, we will welcome into membership this year's students in the 10:30 a.m. service. Also the world premiere of "Meditations on Fire" by David Walters by our Chancel Choir, with String Quintet and Percussion.

Throughout the weeks since General Conference, multiple responses and updates have come from the Western Jurisdiction leadership. Below are those responses, and a legislative recap detailing the changes made.

Our summer theme song was written for us in 1965 by that quartet of quirky, crooning poets: The Beatles. As I sat to write this, I replayed the Help! music video; I encourage you to do the same (and to watch Ringo the entire time).

In the last few weeks since the historic changes made for inclusion in the United Methodist Church during the General Conference, First Church has been featured in several local news stories throughout Portland.

In the waning months of 2016, I stopped listening to NPR on my morning and evening commute. Instead, those long stretches of Houston traffic were traversed slowly and silently, providing much needed space to process and pray over all that the world and our lives held in those days.

The Methodist version of C-Span has been live for the past two weeks and it has been enthralling.

Amidst lengthy processes of nominations and elections, confusion over rules and petitions, and reports from the denomination’s general agencies, there have been numerous electrifying moments on the plenary floor.