Monthly Newsletter of Aloha United Methodist Church

The Messenger A p r i l 2 0 2 1 Pastor’s Pen...

Today is a beautiful day. The sun is out and, with it, the Inside: birds are singing in the trees. It is a beautiful creation; a God- led promise. But the most particular thing that has happened is how suddenly spring has come to us. I hope that if you 2 Traditions are able, wherever you are, you can walk outside, take a trip to the store, or do some home gardening. 3 However, this spring it almost feels it is the one that we have been longing for Church too long. By now most of us here in our congregation have been vaccinated, still 3 Officers others wait.

Finance 4 In the end, this springtime in 2021 has been the answer that we have been antic- Update ipating for over a year now. I find that there are common things about this Clean-up waiting time we have endured, and and Easter arriving just at the end of 5 Day this pandemic. Women’s 6 Lent, as you might already know, is the time that we use to prepare ourselves Ministry for the arrival of the Messiah, and Easter is the celebration of raised from Calendar & 7 death. But what really sticks with me today: there is always darkness before the Kids Korner light. The light in this case is the outpouring grace we receive through our re- deemer Jesus Christ.

As we approach the end of this pandemic, perhaps things will not look normal soon enough but step by step. As more light comes around the corner let us remember that Jesus has been, is, and always will be, the light that glows in our hearts.

—Keren

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Easter Traditions

While decorating Easter eggs, collecting candy from the , and dressing up in head-to-toe pastels is common in Easter celebrations in the United States, countries around the world have their own set of that may surprise you. From having water fights in the streets all across Poland, to reading crime novels in Norway, to replacing the Easter Bunny with the Easter bilby in Australia, what people do during Holy Week or on Easter itself varies from culture to culture and even region to region within the same country. No matter where in the world you are, every Easter tradition has its origin. In the United States, the holiday traditions began when German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania brought their stories of an egg-laying hare called "Osterhase" with them, The History Channel reported. Children would make nests where the hare would lay its colorful eggs. Over time, the custom spread across the country and expanded to include Easter morning deliveries like chocolates and other holiday candies. Eventually, Easter baskets replaced the nests, and the Easter bunny replaced the hare. In , the eggs are symbolic of Jesus' resurrection, and decorating them marked the end of the period of penance and fasting that's known as the Lenten season.

Here are some ways Holy Week and Easter are celebrated in other places: Antigua in southern Guatemala covers its streets in colorful car- pets throughout Holy Week in preparation for its . The long carpets are made from flowers, colored sawdust, fruits, vegetables, and sand.

In Florence, locals celebrate a 350-year-old Easter tradition known as Scop- pio del Carro, or "explosion of the cart." An ornate cart packed with fire- works is led through the streets of the city by people in colorful 15th centu- ry costumes before stopping outside the Duomo. The Archbishop of Flor- ence then lights a fuse during Easter mass that leads outside to the cart and sparks a lively fireworks display.

Children in Finland dress up like witches and go begging for chocolate eggs in the streets with made-up faces and scarves around their heads, carrying bunches of willow twigs decorated with feathers.

Article courtesy of Woman’s Day magazine. Read more here. 2

Holy Week

Holy Week actually began on March 28 with Palm/Passion Sunday. But here are the April oppor- tunities to worship together:

Maundy Thursday (4/1) at 7:00 pm. An online service with communion on Zoom Good Friday (4/2) at 7:00 pm. An ecumenical gathering over Zoom https://greaternw.zoom.us/j/99423440328 Easter Sunday (4/4) Three opportunities to gather virtually • 8:00 am Sunrise Reflection https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85862186350 How to Stay Informed: • 9:30 am Virtual Potluck • 10:30 am Worship Service Visit our website at alohaumc.org Please note that there is no book study or communion on Easter The church calendar, a link Sunday. for online giving, and more!

Easter Drive-Thru On Easter Sunday, Apr 4, drive through our parking lot between Read our weekly email, 12:00 and 12:30 pm. You can drop off flowers for the resurrec- Aloha News. Contact the tion cross and pick up a goody bag. church office at [email protected] to subscribe Church Officers

Church Council (Leadership Team) Chair: Scott Bennett Follow us on Facebook Lay Leader: Brian Hanes https://www.facebook.com/ Trustees Chair: Tom Fischer alohaumc SPRC Chair: Kay Rich The most up-to-the-moment Treasurer: Karen Bolin Financial Secretary: Linda Smith way to engage with us! Church Council Secretary: Elaine Johnson Worship Chair: Jeri Silfies

Leadership Team meetings are on the second Monday of each month at 6:30 pm via Zoom. Please click on this link to attend. Meeting ID: 840 0796 0479, Passcode: 412863.

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Finance Update

Your response to our need for more income to meet our monthly expenses has been FABULOUS! Thank You! Additional pledges have come in, as well as more unpledged income so we have re- stored our Operating Reserves as well as designated funds to where they were to meet future needs. While our building is closed, the Trustees continue to address deferred maintenance issues, and our recent plumbing issue. As of the writing of this message, the total cost and completion of the main water line replacement has not been finalized. We expect the total plumbing, duct repair and re- placement, and new vapor barrier to cost $20K. The need is to get our building to have CLEAN AIR ALL THE TIME. We have applied for a loan and line of credit from our bank for a total of $25K at 5.25% interest if we choose to use it. We have applied for the PPP Loan for a total of $12K through our bank who will forward our application to the SBA. That will be a “forgivable loan” as long as it is used for pay- roll and utilities. It will help with the loss of building use income that has been $6-7K a month in the past. In the May issue of our monthly newsletter we plan to publish our 1st quarter Profit & Loss state- ment so you can see where all your gifts and donations go. We have not completed a formal spend- ing plan/budget for 2021 as our ability to open and do worship and other programs has been a work in progress. I am following the 2020 budget as a guideline and hope to finalize something for 2021 by July 1st for publication. We can apply for low interest loans and grants through the Columbia District Church Extension So- ciety as long as we tie the need to our “Ministry Plan.” Pastor Keren, Brian Hanes, and our District Superintendent, Tim Overton-Harris, would need to prepare and approve the application for this. Our fellowship and connections on Zoom and by phone and by mail are what we have to work with for now. We are doing well with what we have now. We will need to put together a Capital Cam- paign to generate your support for additional projects that the Trustees are planning for the next 3 years. What if we decided to become the “Aloha Community Leadership Center”? Hosting Toastmasters, Girl Scouts, an educational program on financial management, or a legal program on how to obtain legal immigration status? What would it take to be that for our Aloha Community of over 60,000 residents? How do we want to move forward? Lots of possibilities. Your input would be appreciat- ed as we look towards the future and where we are going! Karen Bolin, Treasurer and Stewardship leader Linda Smith, Financial Secretary

Doing Good, Doing No Harm, and Staying in Love with God – TOGETHER!

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Clean-up Day

A thank-you note from Pastor Keren:

It was a sunny day on Saturday, March 27, when more then 15 people showed up at our church grounds to clean. We had a lot of fun cleaning the lawn, weeding the garden beds, and sharing con- versations with each other. It was a great opportunity not only to show some love to the property that has keep us together through so many years but also it was a great way to end Lent for this year.

As we prepared to receive , I remember that sometimes in ministry we must make a way for something new. For new soils to come, for new flowers to bloom - and by doing so, we also remove all the bad things from our lives. We keep each other accountable, and we support each other too when the cleaning in our lives need to happen. Maybe, this work party wasn’t only about taking down the trees or cleaning the dirt around the church building but instead it was about that preparedness we must seek in our lives before we become anew.

Thanks to Jim Kessinger and Elaine Johnson for organizing this work for our church. Also, thanks for the rest of you that were able to come and will continue to clean for the following days. May we al- ways remember God’s love is rooted in togetherness.

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Women’s Ministry

Regular Zoom meetings: Second Tuesday, 7:00 pm: Sophia Circle book group (Meeting ID: 721 9854 8646; Password: Sophia) Third Monday, 4:00 pm: Program (contact Phyllis for the Zoom information)

Even during a pandemic, we women can reach out and serve others. We will find ways to accomplish this! The ladies of United Methodist Women are taking a break from that defined mission, to offer up a Women’s Ministry that will be more local and include more active participation of all the women in the church.

Here’s to Strong Women: May we know them May we be them May we raise them

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Life Events Calendar

Apr 1: Apr 2: Good Friday Apr 4: Easter Happy Birthday! Apr 12: Leadership Team Meeting

Apr 13: UMW Sophia Circle Apr 3 Lynn Curtis Apr 4 Maya Angelou Apr 19: UMW Program Meeting

Apr 21 Queen Elizabeth Apr 23 William Shakespeare On-going: Apr 29 Jayne Nichols Sun at 12:30 pm: Book study Wed at 6:30 pm: Men’s Social Group Thu at 11:00 am: Prayer Gathering Thu at noon: Wesley Study

More details at https://www.alohaumc.org/ events

Kids’ Korner

7 Aloha United Methodist Church 2270 SW 198th Ave Aloha OR 97003

Pastor Keren Rodriguez Email: [email protected] Phone: 503-649-9133

Office Admin Virginia Cooper [email protected] Office: 503-649-9133

Office Hours (when we re-open): Monday & Thursday, 9:30 am - 3:30 pm