Dear Friends,

I had an issue with my email last week sending something from a member to an unknown place (trash, spam?).  Just as a normal rule of thumb, if you contact me through email, and have not heard back from me within 24 hours, please text or call me at 541-363-6885.

There is so much happening in our community in the next month.  Please read through and mark your calendars and keep all  in prayer.  The burst of activity is starting on Sunday, after meeting for worship with a Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business at 11:00-12:00. We have much to report for the month of February and plan for March. 

We are so very sorry to report that Maureen is retiring from the role as Co-Treasurer after fourteen years of faithfully helping us keep track of the financial aspects of the meeting.  She is willing to train a replacement.  It will take approximately 4-6 hours a month. Please pray about this and come forward if you feel led.  Thank you Maureen for your commitment and diligence.  May your retirement be rewarding!

After a break for lunch, we will be having an important gathering to learn resistance songs at 2:00 Sunday afternoon. All are invited to a drop-in informational gathering about the Singing Resistance movement that started with the ICE OUT demonstrations in Minneapolis and is now spreading across the globe. We will learn songs together, find out how these songs are being translated into direct action and come together to do the same in Klamath Falls. To reserve your Singing Resistance Songbook, please email Griffin at popsierose@gmail.com.

March 1 we will be having Bible Study in the pastors’ office at 9:00.  We will be in the last chapter of 1 John.  Please join us in a Lectio Davina style of Bible Study.  The conversations are always very inspiring.

On March 4 we will be feeding the people who live in the Tribal Transitional Housing in the afternoon.  The menu is lasagna (1 meat and 1 vegetable), salads and pies.  The Transitional Housing Program is an outreach to the Native American houseless people  who live in Klamath Falls, OR.  Please have your items to the church by 4 PM and let me (Leigh) know if you are coming to the church so she/I can meet you here to take your items.  A sign-up sheet is on the entry table.

Your pastors are attending the Sierra Cascades Yearly Meeting of Friends’ Quarterly meeting in Camas, Washington March 7 and traveling home on March 8.  You are encouraged to attend as well.   There is a zoom option. I will be presenting a proposed process for meetings to apply for grants through SCYMF.  You can find the agenda for the quarterly meeting and the person to contact to register at the end of this communication as well as descriptions of the workshops that will be offered.

The following day, March 8 Brion Pinkerton will be a guest speaker for our church.  Brion is a member of Klamath Lutheran Church and is a suicide prevention advocate for the Veterans’ Administration as well as a trainer and public speaker on many social justice and outreach kinds of ministries.  His message will be sure to be upbeat, clear and a joy to hear as these attributes also describe Brion.  There may be a potluck to follow (to be decided at the business meeting this Sunday).

March 9 at 5:30 Ministry and Care will meet.  If you would like to express a concern, opinion, interest, or change to the meeting, please contact Bernie  or Wendy to express this to them and to get on the M&C agenda or just to have your viewpoint heard.  We are a transparent community encouraging equal and open opportunities to live in fellowship with one another.

Saturday, March 14 we will be cleaning the church building.  We would like your help.  We begin at 9:00, and it generally takes an hour for the members and pastors to completely clean the church.  It is an opportunity for fellowship as well as helping to keep our church sparkling fresh.  We are still in need of an old vacuum cleaner, if you would like to donate one to the church.

Peace and Social Concerns meets Sunday, March 15 at 9:00 in the church office. If you want to help with any of the outreach from the church in our town or sometimes globally, please come and bring your interest and energy to the flow.

On March 21 we will have a candlelight vigil at the church at 6:00.  We will hold our nation and issues relating to the overwhelming problems caused by the lack of compassion and care in our current administration.  We will end with learning and singing the new Resistance Songs that are being sung the world over.   Come and learn and help to support one another as we all struggle with what we can do in solidarity.

I (Leigh) will be out of the office from March 23-28 to visit my daughter in New Hampshire with Jay as he takes his spring break from school. Joe will be available by text and phone after 5:30 every day (765-994-9924).  I will be checking my email and text messages off and on through the week if you need anything urgent. 

Breaks in the spring are nice to restore the soul.  Joe and I will be going to a SCYMF ministers retreat on April 27-29 at McMenamins Hotel in Troutdale.  We are staying a couple of extra days at the end to get to know something more about Portland.

Thank you, friends, for updating your calendars, and for helping us to have such a vibrant church.  Please plug in where you can.  You are always welcome.

Peace,

Leigh