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The Witness February, 2019

Volume 66, Issue 2 February 22, 2019

Shrove Tuesday - Celebration of Opposites

The youth will host a Shrove Tuesday dinner on

Tuesday, March 5, 2019, to benefit this summer's mission

trip scholarship fund. While traditional Shrove Tuesday

dinners usually include pancakes, we will have a Mac

& Cheese Feed, which also follows the practice of “feasting on foods rich in fat

prior to the austerity of Lent.”

Dinner begins at 5:30 pm and finishes by 6:45. At that time, we will have a

celebratory parade to the Chapel where for a brief worship service.

Because Shrove Tuesday is situated on the edge of Lent, we call it a “celebration

of opposites.” We start the evening in a festive mode and end in silence as we

prepare for Ash Wednesday. This is a family friendly and intergenerational event.

Suggested donation $4 per person. All are welcome!

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday, March 6, marks the

beginning of Lent. Come, pray and meditate

in the Chapel all day as you like and then join

us to pray, sing hymns and spend time in

reflection at 7 pm in the Sanctuary.

The Ash Wednesday service includes the

imposition of ashes (either on your forehead

or hand) as a sign of repentance as you

begin forty days of introspection and

preparation.

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The Witness February 2019

Friends,

It has surely been an interesting few weeks. I returned officially from paternity leave

on February 3, only to find that the snow and ice impacted the way we gather – so

much so that our offices were closed most of the last two weeks. For safety sake, we

even moved our worship service to an online platform! Only now do I feel life

returning to a familiar rhythm, and I sense winter ending and spring coming soon.

I don’t know about you, but something felt off these past few weeks – it was strange

not to gather. There’s something powerful, I think, when people gather. We share in

our joys and our concerns, we pray with and for each other, we do life together.

And in togetherness, things happen. Simply put, people, relationships and conditions

are transformed when we come together.

Throughout the Sundays in Lent, we will follow the journey of the Israelites from Egypt

towards the Promised Land, and we will explore how our own journeys fit into God’s

ongoing story of love and deliverance. As we navigate the stories in Exodus, take

note that they are stories of togetherness: of God with people, of people with each

other.

In this edition of The Witness, you’ll find opportunities to gather throughout Lent in

special services, workshops, and meditations. I hope that you will join us as we, too,

gather this season to journey with God and to journey with each other!

Blessings,

Pastor Joe

For where two or three are gathered in

my name, there am I among them.

(Matthew 18:20)

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The Witness February, 2019

Elderfest with Senegal Sisters

Please join in the fun and community at

the Elderfest pot luck and gathering on

Wednesday, February 27, at noon. The

special guests will be the Senegal Sisters.

The Sisters will share a multimedia review

of their recent trip to Dakar, Senegal. It

includes photos, videos and stories from

their awe-inspiring journey to Imam 1 as

well as the many moments in which they

saw God.

Those whose last names begin with A-J are

asked to bring dessert; K-O salad; and P-Z

rolls (all for at least 10 people). Please RSVP

to the church office or via the bulletin no

later than February 24.

Upper Room, devo and Pockets

The magazine rack next to the Chapel

holds devotional booklets. There are

three different ones for three different

readers. All three have dated readings

for two months.

The Upper Room is for Adults

suggests a daily bible reading,

and followed by a brief story or

anecdote that explores the

theme of the reading. It ends

with a thought for the day and

a prayer.

devo is a devotional/lifestyle

magazine for and by teens

and tweens. Each page is filled

with stories, reflections,

drawings, photos, comics and

more. The teen authors wrestle with big

questions and big issues.

Pockets is a fun little booklet

for kids filled with stories,

games, puzzles, hidden

pictures, riddles, contests, a

featured country.

A $2 donation to help defray

the cost of the devotionals is suggested

and appreciated.

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The Witness February 2019

Please Keep In Your Prayers

All our home-bound friends

People living with chronic conditions

Linda Fatuma, Chadrack Ndembo

Kafeco and all the children at the

Jamaa Letu Orphanages

Kairos Prison Ministry

and Peace

Sunday Morning

Classes

8:00 am - Book

Discussion meets in the

Lounge. All are welcome.

Contact Donita Payne or Fe Balaoing

for more information. Or just drop in at

class and join us.

10:30 am - Digging Deeper meets in

the Lounge each Sunday. Our study of

Jesus and the disciples as told in early

apocryphal manuscripts continues for

three weeks. Then we begin a new

study of Islam. We hope to arrange

visits from leaders of local mosques to

liven our video series and give us

perspective. Drop in and join us as we

learn about our neighbors who are

sharing our facility. For more

information contact Doug Will.

10:30 am – Discussion of Lectionary

Readings led by Dani del Rosario

meets in the Fireside Room. Join us for

a lively discussion of Sunday’s

readings.

Next Witness Deadline

Monday, March 25

A Prayer for you…

Sojourner Truth did

not live rolling in

wealth. In fact, much

of the time she was

impoverished and

never learned to read

or write, yet somehow

she managed to do extraordinary

things. The prayer below reflects her

very personal, no-nonsense, direct

relationship with God.

Oh, God, you know I have no money,

but you can make the people

do for me, and you must make the

people do for me. I will never give you

peace till you do, God.

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The Witness February, 2019

Susanna Wesley News

The Susanna Wesley Group

will next meet on Thursday,

March 14, at 10 am in the

church lounge.

The program for March is yet to be

decided. All are welcome.

Pastor Casey will join us at our April

meeting to share about her special

experience with the mission field,

especially in Mozambique.

Breakfast

Served by the

Bothell United

Methodist Men

Please join us for breakfast served by the

Bothell United Methodist Men! BUMMs

serve breakfast the third Saturday of

most months at 8:30 am in 210/211.

Enjoy fellowship, breakfast, prayer, a

brief meeting and a program.

In our current times it is often difficult

to discern the truth in the flood of

information directed at us, to tell fact

from fiction, and to tell what is likely true

from what is questionable or likely false.

At Breakfast Served by the Men we’ll

look at that question in the coming

months.

Our February 16 breakfast was

postponed until March 16. Join us for a

discussion of how one unearths and

confirms historical information with

Dr. Jeff Staley (in person!), author of the

historical novel Gum Moon, New

Testament scholar and experienced

archives diver.

All are welcome to join us. Questions?

Contact Doug Will, Jim Carley or

Mark Bailey!

Lenten Study

Tuesdays, 7:30-8:30 pm,

starting March 12

Join local artist Connor

Walden in weekly

devotion and reflection

through guided meditative writing.

The sessions will focus on exploring our

own journeys through writing and

images to contemplate our individual

and collective relationship with God

over time. Come share space in

communion and fellowship with God,

our selves, and one another.

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The Witness February 2019

BOTHELL UMC KIDS exists to journey with kids and

families to EXPLORE the wonders of God, GROW in faith, and SHARE Christ's love as we

BECOME CHRIST IN THE COMMUNITY!

Cross Countdown to Easter: Coming March 3!

This Lent, the Children’s Ministry team is excited to provide the kids and their

families with a kit to journey with Jesus to the Cross on Easter. Each day,

you hammer one nail into a wood board provided as it slowly creates a

Cross outline and read and explore the family activity for each week. All materials will be

provided (except a hammer) for this family devotion during Lent. Use the cross to count

the days until Easter and to focus on how you are living like Jesus each day! See the

picture above as to what the Cross might look like. Cross countdown kits will be passed

out on Sunday, March 3.

BUMY JV Family Bowling

Meet us at Kenmore Lanes on Feb 24,

as BUMY JV kids (4-6th grade) and their

families STRIKE up some fun together!

Cost: $4.50/game & $4/shoes

Register online via the Bothell UMC Kids

Connection page or by emailing

sheri_vahey@hotmail.com

*Next BUMY JV get

togethers: 3/3 & 3/17

6-7:30pm*

Help our friends at Mary's

Place Celebrate March

Birthdays!

Volunteer Opportunity: Help set-up

and then enjoy the celebration

Where: Northshore Family Center,

18118 73rd Ave NE, Kenmore

When: March 16 – 4pm

How: Sign-up by calling the church

office or on Facebook Bothell UMC

Kids Connection

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The Witness February, 2019

Youth Calendar

Sunday,February 24, at 5:15 pm in the church lounge: Mission Trip Meeting

Bring your questions as we begin planning our 2019 summer mission trip.

Sunday, February 24, at 6 pm: Oscar Night @ BUMC

Wear your red-carpet finest or tribute to your favorite movie star, character or

movie. We'll have movie trivia and movie-related games.

Sunday, March 3: Sunday Morning Worship

Youth join in worship on the first Sunday of the month. Please meet in the youth

room at 8:55 am and we’ll all go in and sit together in the Sanctuary.

Tuesday, March 5: Shrove Tuesday Mac & Cheese Dinner-scholarship fund drive

benefit. 5:30-7:30 pm. (See story on Page 1 for details).

February 24 BUMY JV Family BOWLING! 6-7:30 pm Kenmore Lanes

March 3 & 17 BUMY JV, 6-7:30pm

March 5 Shrove Tuesday Dinner & Celebration of Opposites, 5:30pm (

Youth group fundraiser!)

March 6 Ash Wednesday Service, 7pm

April 20 Easter Egg Hunt & Breakfast

April 27 Can Do 5K

August 5-9 Vacation Bible School

Kids’ Calendar

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The Witness February 2019

We will have a lot of people visiting the church in the coming

weeks as we go into Lent and prepare for Easter. Please be

sure to wear your nametag. Seeing someone’s name

automatically puts people at ease and makes conversations

easier to start. It’s one way that we can be welcoming to

others!

Lenten Study—If you took part in our Lenten Study in 2018

that involved learning about and creating our own Psalms,

you’ll enjoy the study this year. Connor Walden will lead at 7:30 pm on Tuesdays

beginning March 12. See the story on Page 5 for more details

The kids at Bothell UMC have been practicing extravagant generosity by donating

money and items on Sunday mornings for Mary's Place. We set a goal of $100 for

January-March and in just over a month they have already exceeded that goal! In

honor of this accomplishment, we had a 30 second dance party during our first

Sunday Kid's Worship last week! If you have yet to hear about how the kids are

practicing generosity, here are the details: Every three months on Communion

Sunday (the 1st Sunday of the month) we will learn about a new issue impacting

children in our local and/or global community. Our goal is to teach our children

how they too are Becoming Christ in the Community.

Faith and Fiction

Please join us at the Greens' house, only a few short blocks from the

church, for our upcoming book discussions:

Wednesday, March 20, 7 pm: Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison

Ralph Ellison won the National Book Award for this novel, of an

alienated and isolated black man living in racially repressive urban America.

Wednesday, April 17, 7 pm: Abide with Me, by Elizabeth Strout

In the late 1950s, in the small town of West Annett, Maine, a minister

struggles to regain his calling, his family, and his happiness in the wake

of profound loss.

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The Witness February, 2019

Library News

Thanks to Reverend Kristin Joyner the library has these two additions.

Girl Rising: One Girl with Courage is a Revolution

Worldwide, over 130 million girls are not in school.

But one girl with courage is a revolution.

Travel the globe to meet nine unforgettable girls-striving

beyond circumstance, pushing past limits. Their dreams, their

voices, their incredible stories are captured in this film about

the strength of the human spirit and the power of education

to change the world.

Girl Rising: Changing the World One Girl

at a Time

Tanya Lee Stone examines barriers to education in depth—

early child marriage and childbearing, slavery, sexual

trafficking, gender discrimination, and poverty—and shows

how removing these barriers means not only a better life for

girls, but safer, healthier, and more prosperous communities.

With full-color photos from the film, infographics, and a

compelling narrative, Girl Rising will inspire readers of all ages to join together in a

growing movement to help change the world.

Girl Rising is a Junior Library Guild Selection and Bank Street Best Children’s Books of

the Year

She Persisted

In this picture book for smaller children, She Persisted, Chelsea

Clinton celebrates thirteen American women who helped

shape our country through their tenacity, sometimes through

speaking out, sometimes by staying seated, sometimes by

captivating an audience. They all certainly persisted.

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The Witness February 2019

Becoming Christ in the Community

Cup of Coffee Anyone?

As stewards of God's creation, it is important that we make careful choices about our

habits so as not to injure our planet. Therefore, beginning in March 2019, the Guardi-

ans of the Earth and the Bothell UMC Coffee Serving Ministry would like to offer you

two new ways to enjoy your cup of coffee during fellowship time!

You will be invited to try these options:

1. Bring your own travel mug - we'll fill it with coffee for free! and Bonus - you can

take it home with you! This is a habit that many people have already adopted

and they love the convenience (and the size!)

2. We will offer china cups for you to drink from. These are cups that the church has

already invested in and that will be washed by the generous volunteers from

Bothell Community Kitchen.

The single-use cups that we currently have will also be available, however, we'd love

to see you try these other options!

Dolls for Atlantic Street Center

Thank you to each person who helped outfit dolls in 2018. They

were all so beautifully dressed. Some created clothing or

blankets or shopped for rattles and bottles. Some crafted

cradles. Thank you also to those who helped dress the dolls and

package them as presents with beautiful bows.

Would you like to dress a doll for the families and children

served by the Atlantic Street Center? Ladies from the Doll Team will be available on

Sunday, March 10, 2019 at a special table in Fellowship Hall to help you adopt a doll.

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The Witness February, 2019

Save the Date

CanDo5K

Saturday, April 27 @ 8 am

The CanDo5K 2019 registration is open! The last two years our

team, RUN BUMC, has been the largest non-school team.

Let’s make it three years in a row!

This event benefits My Village NW, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to

creating and cultivating relationships between the community and individuals with

special needs and their families.

You are now able to register online (go to cando5k.org and follow prompts) or

pick up a paper copy of the registration form in the office.

Volunteer opportunities are also available if you prefer to cheer from the sidelines.

Questions? Contact Sharon Ryder or Jenn Chi for more information.

BUMY JV at BCK

On January 27, almost 30 BUMY JVers and their families came

together to prep, cook, and serve a meal at our weekly free

community dinner, Bothell Community Kitchen! Sheri Vahey was

lead cook and everyone worked hard so over 100 people could

enjoy a nice warm

meal. We all took

part in creating a delicious meal of

Swedish meatballs and shared lots

of smiles and fun. Thanks to

everyone who came out to help

feed our neighbors and create

energetic and love-filled

community!

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The Witness February 2019

Celebration of Hospitality

For the past three weeks, our church has been practicing

radical hospitality by sharing our space with the Islamic

Center of Bothell (ICOB). The Islamic Center has a new

building that is under construction right now, so they

need a place to host their weekly Friday prayers.

As United Methodists, we believe that working with our interfaith neighbors is an

important part of our ministry and is a positive witness of our faith. Other United

Methodist churches in our area also share their spaces with other faith communities,

and the leaders of the Islamic Center were hopeful they too could find a church to

host them. The Governing Board of our church discerned that hosting the ICOB

group would be an exciting opportunity for interfaith cooperation and hospitality.

So, for the next 12 months, we will be opening our doors to the Islamic Center of

Bothell on Fridays so that they have a sacred space to pray while their new space is

being built.

When you see them, we hope you will introduce yourself and welcome them.

There is a lot our two faith communities can learn from each other, and we look

forward to seeing how God will use this opportunity to bless both communities.

-- Bothell UMC Governing Board

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The Witness February, 2019

Readings from the Revised Common Lectionary

February 24 Genesis 45:3-11, 15; Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40; 1 Cor 15:35-38, 42-50;

Luke 6:27-38

March 3 Exodus 34:19-35; Psalm 99; 2 Cor 3:12-4:2; Luke 9:28-36 (37-43)

March 10 Deut 26:1-11; Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16; Romans 10:8b-13; Luke 4:1-13

March 17 Genesis 15: 1-12, 17-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 13:1-9

March 24 Isaiah 55:1-9; Psalm 63:1-8; 1 Cor 10:1-13;

Luke 13:1-9

General Conference

From February 23-26, United Methodists from around the world will gather at a special

session of General Conference in St Louis. For the past year, we here at Bothell United

Methodist Church have been participating and praying about this meeting. Our lay

leaders attended the conference Table Talks. The clergy sent out a letter in January

that reaffirmed our purpose and identity as an inclusive, welcoming congregation,

with links to multiple resources about the One Church Plan. On Sunday, February 17,

we prayed in worship for the delegates and bishops entrusted with the work of the

conference. Following General Conference 2019, Bothell UMC will offer a gathering

opportunity to hear a summary of the legislative work.

If you would like to stay up to date on General Conference news, the

communications teams from the Western Jurisdiction are collaborating to offer

updates through the Western Jurisdictional website (wjcumc.org). There, you can

subscribe to the “Western Jurisdiction Update” email list to receive news, insights,

interviews, and analyses on General Conference from a Western Jurisdiction

perspective. The website also includes options for following the news via social media

and a livestream of the conference events.

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The Witness February 2019

Worship Services 8 am River Service (Communion)

9 am Roots Service

10:30 am Wings Service

Children’s Church

9 am

Nursery Available

9 & 10:30 am Services

Next Witness Deadline ~ March 25, 2019

TIME DATED MATERIAL

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

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BOTHELL, WA

PERMIT NO. 29

FEBRUARY 22, 2019

Mailing Label Here

18515~92nd Avenue NE

Bothell, WA 98011

Phone: 425.486.7132

Fax: 425.486.0303

www.bothellumc.org