This weeks schedule:

• The Race to Reach Out group meets today at 1:00 p.m.  If you haven’t been part of the group before and would like to know what it’s all about, come on down and find out!

Wednesday 

• Choir practice begins this Wednesday at 6:30!!  The choir won’t perform for a couple more weeks, but we will begin rehearsal this week.  As Robert said yesterday, this is a great time to join the choir.  If you love to sing, come join us.  Please don’t thin that you need to have a wonderful trained voice.  If you love music and like to sing you are encouraged to come. 

Sunday

•    Remember that next Sunday is the last Sunday of the month and that means potluck after worship service!  

During the potluck next Sunday there will be a discussion about the next Mission trip for our congregation.  Those interested in the topic will sit together to discuss when and where the next trip might be.  This is a good opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the planning process!  Look for Don & Jacq Christensen at the potluck.

I will be preparing the newsletter later this week.  If anyone reading this email has something they would like to include in the newsletter, please submit it by Wednesday.  The preferred method of getting it to the office is by email, but I can work with whatever works best for you.

Our sympathy is with Barbara Vining and all of her extended family as they mourn the loss of Barbara’s mother.  While her death was not unexpected, it is still a great loss.  Please continue to include Barbara and the family in your prayers.

Emphasizing Jerry’s message at the beginning of yesterday’s worship service, if anyone reading this email is interested in teaching Sunday school for children K-2^nd grade – your church needs you!  This can be a shared job, either team teaching or taking turns.  A long term commitment can is not necessary.

Today – Monday             

• Scouts meet in their room at 6:30 p.m.
• Church Council meets in meeting room 1 at 7:00 p.m.  The council didn’t meet in July but will meet this month.  All people involved in the life of this congregation are welcome and encouraged to attend.  All group and committee leaders are expected to attend.

Tuesday

• Active Listeners meet in the church library at 10:00 a.m.
• “Walking the Bible” study begins at 10:30 a.m. in the church library.  The study is such that one can join in at any time.  You don’t need to have attended the previous classes.

Thursday

• The United Methodist Men will meet at 7:00 p.m. in the Scout room.  Their usual meeting is the 2^nd Thursday of each month but will be meeting this week.  All men of the church are welcome and encouraged to attend.  The men made some money providing parking during the Terry-Taylor garage sales and they have been very busy and active!  Come see what they are up to!

Saturday

• The monthly grounds work day is next Saturday.  The Trustees invite you to join them beginning at 9:00 a.m.  The forecast is for cooler weather by then.  One of the projects scheduled is painting the foundation of the Wesley Hall side of the church building.  Many hands will make the work go quicker!

Good news!  Joy has been discharged from the hospital and is getting rehabilitation care.  There is a direct phone line to her room is which you can get from the church office.  I think Joy would appreciate your calls and visits and of course your continued prayers

 I’ve been asked to pass along an invitation from the golfers of the church.  They are planning a trip to Chehalis for golf at the Newaukum golf course on Wednesday August 25^th.  The plan is to do 9 holes in the morning, break for lunch and do the other 9 holes in the afternoon.  Contact Dan Cadigan for more information and to let him know you will want to attend.  This sounds like a great opportunity for fun and fellowship!  All are welcome to join in.

The concession stand at “Art in the Park”  was a limited success.  Due to the excessive heat there were not too many attending the function and therefore not partaking in the brownie sundaes we had to offer.  They just about sold enough to meet their expenses and gained some experience.  This was good preparation for the Highlander Festival, which is Sept. 11^th & 12^th.  There will be a sign up available soon for that event. 

We have received notice from Arc of Clark County (the organization that handles the barrel for donated clothing and other textile items) that will not be able to service Cowlitz County after the end of August.  This is due to the cost of operations in traveling to our area.  I was not able to reach them by phone this morning, but I hope to schedule one more pick up before the end of the month.  I will let you know when I am able to reach them, if and when they will pick up from us.  This has been a small, but steady source of income to our Missions team at the church.

• Tuesday the Active Listeners will meet at 10:00 a.m. followed the Bible study “Walking the Bible” at 10:30 a.m.  I’m told one can join in any time and not feel lost.
• Wednesday evening is the reception for our new District Superintendent, David Nieda.  It is at Salmon Creek UMC, beginning at 7:30 p.m.  Rev. Ruth Mathis, will be delivering the sermon, with a response from Rev. David Nieda.  We should show up “Longview style” with more people from our congregation than any other!  The church is on the north side of Vancouver, so not too far for us.  The church address is:  12217 N.E. Highway 99.  Those who would like to carpool, please let me know and be at the church parking lot at 6:15 to leave at 6:30.  Let us know you are coming so we’ll know to wait for you.
• Thursday the United Methodist Women will meet at 10:30 a.m.  All women of the church are welcome and encouraged to attend.
• Saturday is the “world famous” Terry-Taylor garage sale day!  The United Methodist Men will be attending our parking lot and taking donations from people who park here.  It has been a good money maker for them for the past few years.  Any men connected to this congregation are welcome to come down from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m.  If you plan to be a shopper at the sales, be sure to support our UMM by parking in our church lot!

Next week,  my daughter and I will be leading the Army Reserve Enrichment Camp (AREC) at our Ocean Park camp.  This is the first time we’ve had this camp at our facility and the hope is that it will be the first of many.  We will have 101 campers from throughout Washington and Oregon who have a parent or relative in the Army Reserve and is/has been/will be deployed on active duty.  The campers will range from 8 – 15 years old.  We really look forward to this week and being able to make a positive contribution to the lives of these young people. 

Since I won’t be here to send you an email next Monday, I’ll remind you now of a couple of events for the week of August 8^th.

• Tuesday the Active Listeners and “Walking the Bible” will meet as usual at 10:00 and 10:30 respectively.
• Wednesday there is another reception for the new District Superintendent, in case you aren’t able to make the one at Salmon Creek this week.  It is at Centralia UMC at 7:30 p.m.  The church is located at 506 S. Washington Ave. in Centralia.
• Thursday the United Methodist Men will meet at 7:00p.m. in the Scout room.
• Saturday, August 14^th is “Art in the Park” where our church will be selling brownie ice cream sundaes.  Many have already signed up to bake brownies or serve at the booth.  We hope this will be a good fundraiser for the church and relieve some of the budget strain we are having.  Contact Bob Martinson if you are able to help and have not yet signed up.

I have some good news to share with you.  Joy, who has been hospitalized for several weeks following surgery has been released to a rehab facility.  This is a good step on her recovery.  I think she would enjoy calls and visits from her church friends

The campfire service last night was very pleasant.  If my memory is correct, we had 19 people attending.  It was great to have so many children there, enjoying each other’s company and having a wonderful time running, playing and just being kids.  They’ll have these memories the rest of their lives, as will the rest of us.  It was good to have a chance to share some memories of Jay with each other.  This all helps to heal the loss we feel.

As Pastor Jerry so appropriately reminded us yesterday, the life of this church can and will go on even though we have lost one of the “pillars” holding us up over the years.  Jay’s leadership through all the roles he has had in the life of this church is one of the reasons we are as strong and vital as we are today.  He has helped show us all the way to calmly and efficiently “get the job done”, whatever the job at hand is.

A sign up list was distributed during fellowship following worship yesterday to provide Jay’s family with food this week.  I have that list in the office and if you would like to add to it you may call, email, leave a message, etc.  Basic dinners are covered, but there will be many people at the home all week and I know it will be a great comfort to Marsha and the rest of the family if they don’t have to be concerned about food.  Food may be brought to the church during the week.  The building should be open all mornings this week.

The memorial service will take place at this church Friday July 23^rd at 2:00 p.m.  Marsha has requested a meal be provided following the service.  We will handle this “potluck style”.  You may notify us, if you wish, by email or phone message what you will bring.  The building is sure to be full Friday afternoon.

There are a few other events coming up this week:

• There are no meetings tonight!  Church Council is taking a month off this summer.
• Tuesday               Active Listeners will meet at 10:00 a.m. in the church library.

“Walking the Bible” adult study will begin at 10:30 a.m. also in the library

• Thursday             Race to Reach Out team will meet at 1:00 p.m. in the library. 
• Next Sunday      The last Sunday of the month means it’s potluck day!  See you then.

Also next Sunday, the campfire meeting!  Come at 5:30 for hotdogs and s’mores and stay for singing and worship at 6:30.

Monday – today              

• Worship team meets at 6:00 p.m. in the library
• Boy Scouts meet at 6:30 p.m. in the scout room
• PFLAG meets at 7:00 p.m. in the fellowship hall
• SCA group meets at 7:00 p.m. in the library and meeting room 1

Tuesday

• Active Listeners meet at 10:00 a.m. in the library
• “Walking the Bible” new study begins at 10:30 a.m. in the library, unless the group is too big!  All are welcome to attend this very interesting video based study.

Thursday

• The Race to Reach Out meets at 1:00p.m. in the church library. 

 There are 42 campers at Ocean Park campground that now having the time of their life!  Many of them have been going since they were old enough and some are new to the experience.  They will come away with memories that will last their life time and the wonderful experience of knowing God’s love.  Both campers and staff members were excited and anticipating a wonderful week. 

 The United Methodist Women that we had a successful rummage sale last weekend, bringing in around $1400.  Many people worked long and hard to make this a very good event.  Thanks to all who donated merchandise, helped sort, price, display and clean up afterward.  The remaining merchandise will be donated to ARC, which will pay the church a minimal amount, and to The Red Hat Store, which supports the Emergency Support Shelter.  I called the support shelter this morning and learned that they will benefit from the furniture that didn’t sell being donated to the Red Hat Thrift Store.  The store supports the shelter and when women leave the support shelter to make a new home they are able to “shop” the Red Hat Thrift store to furnish their new home.  I thought you might all appreciate that information when you are donating items you no longer need and that won’t go in the ARC barrel at the church.

We welcome home Volunteers in Mission who spent 9 days in Juneau, Alaska working at the UM Eagle Creek campground and the Douglas Community United Methodist Church.  Ask Don, Jacq or Ann about their trip.  I’m sure they’ll be glad to share their experiences.  Watch for your August newsletter for more about their adventures. elcome home the

• Church Council meets tonight at 7:00 p.m. in meeting room 1.  As always, anyone involved in the life of this congregation is welcome to attend.  Those who hold leadership positions are expected to attend. 
• Active Listeners meet Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. in the library.  A Tuesday morning study is going to begin next month. 
• Spring Fling is next Saturday!  Meet at the church at 10:15 to carpool to Hoffsadt Bluff for lunch at noon.  If you have not yet let us know you will attend, please do so soon.  Check your email from last week for the menu choices.  This does not need to be prepaid but we do need to let the restaurant know our menu choices very soon.

 Painting began on the parsonage this morning.  Several people are hard at work right now.  I know they can use more help.  Painting will continue each day beginning at 9:00 a.m. until the project is finished.  Come on down and bring brushes if you have them

The meeting schedule is really scaled down for the summer months, but there are still plenty of opportunities for fellowship. 

Remember you can bring your clean reusable items for the UMW rummage sale to the church any time.  Items can be placed in the choir room.  The sale is scheduled for July 9^th & 10^th.  You can help support the UMW, which supports many areas of the life of this congregation, by donated merchandise to sell, helping to set up for the sale (the week prior) and by shopping at the sale and encouraging your friends to do the same!  This is one on two major fundraisers the UMW does that allows us to support many local and international mission causes as well as many areas of our own church and it’s local mission.

Speaking of fund raising, we have a great opportunity coming up this summer!  The following message tells how you can help.

Our fund-raising committee has signed up to serve ice cream and brownies at Art in the Park on Saturday, Aug. 14. We had hoped to sell our delicious desserts at Go 4th, but vendors from last year’s event got first priority and we didn’t quite make the cut.

The Aug. 15 event is new and will give us a chance to test our food vending skills prior to the Hilander Festival in September, where we are also signed up. The art event is sponsored by the Columbian Artists Association and the Longview Parks & Recreation Dept. — they are looking for fine-art and fine-crafts artists for the juried event.  It will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lake Sacajawea Park.

We need volunteers to help — Crews that will spend a few hours selling or scooping ice cream, baking brownies or helping to set up or take down our booth.

Our fund-raising functions this year are an important part of our budgeting efforts and our ministry. Please check your calendars — we will have sign-up sheets at the church beginning next Sunday.

Thanks,

Margaret Vockrodt and the Fund-raising committee

I have great news!  The summer campfire services are beginning next Sunday, June 29^th!!  If you came to these events at all the last two summers you won’t want to miss it this year!  If you didn’t come before, you still should not miss this!  It’s great fun and a wonderful way to have fun, fellowship and worship in a very informal setting.  We’ll meet at 5:30 at the outdoor worship area just west of the church building.  We’ll roast hot dogs and eat and then begin an informal worship service with lots of singing accompanied by Pastor Jerry’s guitar.  It’s a wonderful way to enrich your spiritual life and a good opportunity to invite others, especially those who might not be as comfortable in the more traditional worship setting.  The campfire services will be held every-other Sunday evening through July and August. 

Newsletter articles are due to the church office by Wednesday.  Anyone who has information they would like to share is welcome to submit an article.  The preferred way to receive articles is by email but can also be presented in writing to the office.

 This weeks schedule:

Monday – today              

• Boy Scouts meet at 6:30p.m. in the scout room
• PFLAG meets at 7:00 p.m. in the fellowship hall

Tuesday

• Active Listeners meet at 10:00 a.m. in the library

Thursday

• Eagle Scout Court of Honor at 6:00 pm.  They will use the sanctuary, fellowship hall and scout room.
• Annual Conference begins at University of Puget Sound in Tacoma.

The Trustees will not have a grounds cleanup on Saturday.

You should all have received the separate email about the UMW Spring Fling.  Please respond as soon as you are able so that we can have this event organized and ready to run smoothly.  We hope you will all come!

Monday – today              

• Staff Parish Relations Committee meets at 7:00 p.m., either in the library or meeting room 1

Tuesday

• Active Listeners meet at 10:00 a.m. in the church library

Thursday

• United Methodist Men meet at 7:00 p.m. in the Scout room
• The Women’s Book Group meets at 7:00 p.m. at Aldinger’s home.  New readers are always welcome.  (call for directions)  The group will not meet through the summer but will be deciding on books to discuss in the fall and beyond. 

A couple of reminders for things happening in the not too distant future:

• UMW Spring Fling is June 26^th.  Lunch is at noon at Hoffstadt Bluff restaurant.  Menu choices will be available soon.  We can meet at the church at 10:30 a.m. on that Saturday to carpool.
• UMW summer (rummage) sale is scheduled for July 9^th & 10^th.  You may begin bringing clean usable items in good repair and place them in the choir room.

This weeks schedule:

 Tuesday

• Active Listeners meet in the church library at 10:00 am.

 Wednesday

• Choir practice is at 6:30 pm. in the sanctuary

A reminder of an event coming up next month:

UMW Spring Fling is scheduled for June 26^th and all the congregations is invited!  We will be going to Hoffstadt Bluff, which is on the way to Mt. St. Helen’s.  We will meet at the restaurant for lunch at noon and after lunch people are welcome to go to the visitor centers, see sights on their own.  A menu choice will be available soon so that you can pre-order your lunch.

Following is a message from Bob Martinson concerning the formation of a permanent fundraising committee.  Please consider joining this very necessary group.

 “Church Council at its last meeting approved establishing a permanent fundraising committee. Members will include Barbara Vining, Bob Martinson and Margaret Vockrodt, who were on the committee set up to oversee the silent auction and check out selling ice cream and brownies at the Go 4^th and Hilander Festivals. (Margaret, in fact, has already volunteered to chair next year’s auction!)The committee needs more members – please take a moment and consider helping out with this important church mission. We really need your help. If you’re interested, please reply to this email or talk to Jerry, Barbara, Bob or Margaret. We need people who will share their ideas and enthusiasm!”

“For Dom* and Ace, A Birthday Celebration Long Overdue

*Dominic Ciancibelli is a old (we won’t say how old) friend from before the volcano.

Friday, May 28 (only one day after the birthdays)

6 p.m. or so

Greater Lexington Home of the Martinsons, 203 Aaron Dr., 1 mile north of Exit 42, off West Side HIghway; 360-578-7991

MENU FOR MUNCHING

Maui Barbecued Pork Ribs, Boneless (for toothless grannies and paps) 

Grilled Salmon

Michigan Baked Beans (to keep the price up for navy beans)

Elsie’s Mother’s Potato Rolls from “The Fallingwater Cookbook” 

Birthday Cake

Homemade Ice Cream (Pending approval from the birthday boys)

And anything else you’d like to bring, but no gifts please

Let’s begin at the beginning:

Many years ago, in the Time of the Volcano, amid the flush days of our youth, before Lexington had its own I-5 exit (Exit 42, Sparks Road), at a outdoor party at the home of Denison Midwood and husband Jim, chatted a group of seven or so people who had barely met. (Challenging sentence structure, that.)

As an ice breaker, Suzanne (today’s narrator) brought up a little fact she’d read in some august publication, perhaps Readers Digest.

She: “I read somewhere that in any group of 21 people, two will have the same birthday.”

Husband Ace looked from face to face. He: “That’s crazy! Think about it: It doesn’t work out statistically. (He was an economics major.) There are 365 days in a year, and  …”

She:  “That’s what I read.” (Always the journalist’s attribution.)

He, raising his voice: “May 27?”

Dominic Ciancibelli, standing next to him: “That’s my birthday!”

Suzanne, with fervor: “I rest my case.” (She wins so few arguments that involve numbers.)

That day she and Molly vowed to have a party to celebrate the husbands’ common birthday. It took a while, but THIS IS IT.  Please let us know how much salmon to grill. 

acesmartinson@comcast.net or mciancibelli@hotmail.com 

Not long ago, the “21 strangers” story was replayed in England. Dominic and Molly, in a car with one other couple, discovered on the road from Fowey to Portsmouth, that Dom and the other woman also shared the May 27 birthday. Math whizzes, eat your heart out — and please join us for ribs without ribs and salmon and birthday cake.”

John has been mowing the “back forty” this morning.  I know Jerry sent an email inviting people to show up with their rakes around noon.  I just want to add the message here.

Monday – tonight

• The Missions team will not meet tonight as previously announced. 
• Church Council meets at 6:45 pm in meeting room 1.  All who head teams and committees of the church are expected to attend.  Anyone involved and interested in the life of this congregation is welcome to attend.

Tuesday

• Active Listeners meet in the church library at 10:00 am.  New “listeners” are welcome!
• The Edith Allen circle of the UMW meets at Jan Hatt’s home at 11:30 .m. for lunch and visiting.  Please let Jan know if you plan to attend.

Wednesday

• Choir practice begins at 6:30 pm. in the sanctuary.  New voices are always welcome!

Saturday

• Grounds work at the church begins at 9:00 am.  The Trustees are scheduling these work days each month.  All who are involved in the life of this church are encouraged to come and help.  It is hoped that work will be finished by about noon.  If a lot of people show up, they could finish sooner –  OR get more projects finished!

What a wonderful Sunday we had yesterday!  First, we had a great worship service in the morning.  Jerry’s message was timely and important as we observed our 7^th anniversary as a Reconciling Congregation.  The choir had a wonderful anthem for the occasion and it’s always special to get to sing “The Reconciliation Song”. 

Many of us were here to listen to Ron Rassmusen tell about his efforts to have the U.S. military “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy repealed.  He is a wonderful speaker and brought us a great message.  Thanks to Ron and thanks to our own Robert and Gary for bringing him to speak to us.  If you missed the discussion yesterday and would like to show your support to this issue you can contact your government representatives and let them know you want them to support the following bills:  In the House of Representatives, HR-1283 and in the Senate, S-3065.  For more information on these issues on the internet, check out  VfHR.org  (Veterans for Human Rights)

What a good time we had Friday evening at the church auction!  The dinner was delicious and the company was beyond compare.  All that, and we raised a lot of money that will go a long ways to help our general fund.  About $2800 came in from the auction plus what the Mission team was given for the dinner.  It was a fun evening and profitable too!  I’m already hearing that we should do this again next year!