“I needed clothes and you clothed me” 

Matthew 25:36

HAS RAIN BEEN ON YOUR CONSCIENCE?

We thank God for rain. Forests, fields, salmon streams, hydroelectricity – all would die without rain. It may annoy us, but we depend on rain and recognize it as a healthy aspect of life in our region. It is good.

But we (likely all of us reading this eNews), are “insiders,” able to enjoy warm, dry homes, sheltered from constant cold and wet. Thousands of our neighbors, on the other hand, are “outsiders.”  For them, RAIN presents problems, far beyond inconvience. They are not equipped with what we often take for granted.

RAIN is on my conscience, therefore, because my experience with it, how I deal with it, dress for it, etc., distinguishes me, an insider, from my neighbor, an outsider. As a Christ follower, I know the Lord watches over my neighbor, and commands me to love and serve them. Jesus’s prophecy packs a punch in Matthew 25:31-46. I remember this when it rains: it is important to help clothe my unsheltered, outside neighbor.

This is what SERVE TOGETHER SUNDAY is about tomorrow. With the help of Aurora Commons, we get to participate in local Kingdom work as supportive partners, even from a distance. The people who frequent the Commons know they are not alone, when they encounter compassion. The people who staff the Commons know they are not alone in their work – as Christina Smith told me after visiting with us last Sunday – when churches like Emmaus Road regularly encourage them and send funds and donations their way.

I encourage each one of you to be part of this effort. Demonstrate gratitude with generosity. You may donate money directly to Aurora Commons, or purchase items from their list (see below), or drop off physical donations at the church tomorrow from 10:30am-Noon. I will be there!

One more thing: we set aside our Sunday morning worship event once a quarter to devote hands on time to serving. We cannot gather in person to fulfill that goal during the pandemic, but we COULD use tomorrow morning to learn together (apart). Christina Smith encouraged us to listen to Outsiders, a podcast produced by KNKX. She recommends the series as an accurate portrayal of how unsheltered neighbors struggle to survive in our region, and for how the series portrays the complexity of issues involved.

Episode One is aptly titled, “THE RAIN.”

SERVE TOGETHER

AURORA COMMONS is a local ministry serving unsheltered women/men on Aurora Ave. North, especially those caught in cycles of addiction, sex trafficking, and trauma.

NOTE: FIRESIDE CHAT

upcoming FIRESIDE CHAT event (streaming online) hosted by Executive Director and Director of Programming & Co-founder, Wednesday, December 9th, 5:30 pm: https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTAyNTA3 

This season, they share requests for specific donated items. New and/or gently used men’s general clothing is still needed, but outdoor survival items for living unsheltered top the list.

  • Tents
  • Tarps
  • Sleeping Bags
  • Waterproof/Water Resistant Gloves
  • Men’s clothing
  • Waterproof/Water Resistant Men’s Coats
  • Individually wrapped, shelf stable snacks/drinks

Here is an updated Amazon wish list from the Aurora Commons website. Items may be shipped directly to their offices (not their drop-in address):

  • Woodland Park United Methodist Church, 302 N 78th Street, Seattle, WA 98103

No sign-up genius list. Any amount of items from any of the aforementioned categories will be welcome; give as you are able.

Feel free to drop-off items directly at church, between 10:30-Noon tomorrow, Sunday the 29th. Pastor Eric will be masked and ready to receive your donations at the front door.

YOUNG CHURCH

  • Godly Play – Advent I
  • Big Kids – Off this week for SERVE TOGETHER

FINANCE UPDATE

HOW ARE THINGS NOW?
Here is an update from the Stewardship Team:

Gratitude:
Great job responding to the IRS crisis! It is inspiring to have come together to address our need, to put this particular debt behind us, and demonstrate commitment to Emmaus Road, our shared ministry, in such a tangible way. Eric and Christina, the two people on the front lines of this stressful issue, are particularly grateful for the church’s rally and quick response to the Special Offering.

Commitment:
Strong, consistent giving is necessary NOW to move ahead into the future. After paying off the IRS, we have no buffer in the bank; we used every available resource, and now must commit to meeting (or exceeding) expenses every month to keep up with basic financial requirements to sustain the work we want to do together.
Goal = $8,750 / month.
Commitment = committing to a recurring donation through our online portal, or in written form to the Stewardship team, so we can meet, or adjust, our budget accordingly. (However, there is little room to adjust our budget and still operate in our current form – just FYI).

Current recurring donation commitments total approximately $5,700 / month (this includes all online recurring donations + two consistent checks each month). Current consistent monthly building intake is just $500 from Rehoboth. This leaves us with $6,200 in expected monthly income, about $2,500 short of our monthly expenses.

Christmas Eve 2020

…is not cancelled. It is adaptive. More details to come soon!

BEYOND SUNDAY

  • Four separate Small Groups meet via ZOOM on a regular basis – “Guys Group”; “North End Moms”; “Crown Hill”; “POD-19”; email office@emmausroad.net for info
  • New Horizons Dinner – served every first Wednesday; email office@emmausroad.net for info.
  • Aurora Commons – Wonder what their wishlist is? See it here; view the most recent update here.