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June, 2020 Volume XLVI, No. 6 Presbytery of the Cascades

Inside This Issue

Ask the Clerk 2

Notes from the Road to

Emmaus 3

Tech Tips 4

Northwest Region 5

Synod Meeting 6

Eagle Creek 7

Central Region 8

South Region 9

Viewpoints 10

Resource Page 12

Registration Required

Presbytery Stated Meeting

11 a.m., June 13, 2020

Instructions for the Meeting

Instructions and Background Papers for the meeting can be found here.

Please note that due to public health regulations this meeting has attendance limits and additional instructions for those attending. Only registered attendees will be admitted to the meeting. Those not attending the meeting in person can watch the internet live stream from home.

Previous Notice Sometimes a Motion requires, or is easier to adopt, with previous notice. Any change in the by-laws requires previous notice. Notice is given that the Presbytery Leadership Commission recommends adoption of the following motion to amend the Presbytery of the Cascades Bylaws by inserting a new section F to Article VI :

Section F. Electronic Meetings The Presbytery Leadership Commission, in accordance with ORS 65.205, may authorize a stated or special meeting of the presbytery to be conducted through the use of communication technology by which all members participating may simultaneously hear each other and participate in discussion and voting during the meeting.

The current bylaws can be found here

Please direct any questions or concerns to Stated Clerk

Paul Belz-Templeman.

503-720-5392

paul@potc.life

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Omnibus Omnibus is published twelve times a year by the Presbytery of the Cas-cades for distribution to churches and individuals.

Omnibus welcomes news and views of all the churches of Presbytery and all its readers. Send all communica-tions to Kathleen Waugh, Omnibus editor, P.O. Box 1145, Phoenix, OR 97535-1145, tel. 541-772-4874, email omnibus@cascadespresbytery.org.

Omnibus retains permission to modi-fy submissions for clarity and space limitations. The Presbytery “Communications and Technology Team” (CATT) is the editorial board.

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Ask the Clerk

By Paul Belz-Templeman, Stated Clerk

Q: I am the pastor, videographer, and sound engineer for our online wor-ship services. How do I take a Sunday off?

Q: Can a non-PCUSA pastor serve as pulpit supply and administer the Lord’s Supper for our congregation?

A: Summer nears, when pastors take time off for vacations and continuing ed-ucation. Since January I have planned to use the June Omnibus to address the question of non-PCUSA minis-ters serving as pulpit supply, even on communion Sunday. But now the question for many is how to keep worship going when the pastor is providing worship from their dining room table with their own equipment. How does the pastor get away and worship continue online? Answers to both questions follow.

Sessions should not be afraid to cancel worship for a week. In light of current circumstances, pastors need vacation and study leave as much, if not more, than ever. Also, if you are relying on someone else to take care of the technology every Sunday, that person may need a break more than ever! Consider cancelling worship for a week. Session could provide a link to another online worship service. Or, two sessions can work together to create joint worship services this summer that allow each pastor to take Sundays off and both congregations to know that they are intentionally included in the worship service. Or perhaps there is another way to allow pastors and others to truly have time off, I’d be curious to know your ideas.

Sessions may approve non-PCUSA ministers as occasional pulpit supply, even to celebrate the sacra-ments. Session has responsibility to provide that the Word of God is preached (G-3.0201a) and to authorize the sacraments of baptism W-3.0403) and the Lord’s Supper (W-3.0402). A wise session will determine that the theology of the non-PCUSA minister is consistent with the theology of the PCUSA but the fact that a minister is not a member of the PCUSA is not in itself a bar for pulpit supply or celebrating the sacraments. More information can be found in this “advisory opinion” from the PCUSA.

As we approach the coming season in this time of challenge

may we still celebrate the gifts of earth, warmth and one another!

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Notes from the Road to Emmaus By Rev. Brian Heron, Presbyter for Vision and Mission

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The Day of Pentecost. Over the years I have found myself increasingly translating the language and the traditions of our common Christian life into language and terms that I believed would resonate with non-Christian people. It started nearly thirty years ago when I discovered that reframing many of our basic narratives through the lens of mythology suddenly opened many peo-ple up to hearing the truth of our Christian narratives.

Pen-tecost is an-other one of those Christian terms that requires a bit of explanation and translation to the general public. While Christmas and Easter still have their roots in our broader culture, one can’t find much evidence of Pentecost celebrations on the aisles of grocery stores. There are no “tongues of fire” holiday specials or price cuts on ceiling fans in honor of the violent winds of Pente-cost.

I do believe that the Church universal is in an extended period of Pentecost. I will be reflecting on this more in this week’s Holy Breadcrumbs blog post (www.holybreadcrumbs.org). But when I think about Pentecost and translating it so that our broader culture can understand it, I find myself relying on the language of energy. Listen to the second verse of the Pentecost story in Acts: “And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like a rush of a vio-lent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.” Energy!

We all know that is a reference to Pentecost. But when I speak of Pentecost outside of our Chris-tian circles, I find myself referring to it as a moment of divine energy.

Eventually I even went as far as playing with

the idea that energy is actually the Third Person of the Trinity. Fourteen years ago, when I began serv-ing Eastminster, Portland, I told them that our guid-ing principle would be to “Follow the energy.” This was important because when I took the position none of us knew whether their future was going to be a church closure, a new church development or

something in between. In the end, it became a little of both – a legacy project. But I told them the fu-ture was going to be determined by following the energy and letting go those activities that had no energy.

I really do believe that the principle of “following the energy” is just a modern way of

saying, “Trust the Holy Spir-it.” I share this with you for two rea-sons. First, I do believe that we are in a particularly pronounced period of Pen-tecost that will mark the church in this

time in history. Second, I believe that while the li-turgical season of Pentecost is a church event, the actual experience of Pentecost is a broader cultural event. It is important that we find ways to tell our gospel story in language that our culture can hear.

And isn’t that what this story is all about? “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” To be Christian in this time is to become bilingual.

The Day of Pentecost. Trust the Holy Spirit. Follow the Energy.

Brian

Wind

Fire

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There’s a Place for You! The nominating committee encourages your participation on Presbytery com-

mittees. Please take this opportunity to suggest yourself or someone you would

recommend for service on a committee or taskforce in the Presbytery. We will

use this information to update our committee and nomination database. Interest-

ed? Click Here for the form to fill out accurately and completely.

By Steve Parker

During this time of social distancing, the majority of congregations in the Presbytery of the Cas-

cades are either live streaming or pre-recording their worship services. As the time of our social distancing

restrictions continues to grow longer, many congregations have sought longer-term solutions for their

broadcasting systems. Below are some ideas for improving the quality of live streaming and recording.

• Scenario 1 - Live Streaming Your Worship Service for the first time. Some basic ideas to

consider.

• Scenario 2 - You’ve been Live Streaming or Recording but now you want to improve the

quality of your system. You are thinking about applying for a tech grant and you also are a

smaller congregation with limited funds. A High Quality Lower Cost System

• Scenario 3 - You want to improve the quality of your streaming/Recording system but as a

middle-sized congregation, have limited funds. You are thinking about applying for a tech

grant but want to keep the cost between $1000 and $2000. Here are some Options

• Scenario 4 - You are thinking about streaming for a long period of time and you want a

high quality system. You are also willing to invest more money on professional equip-

ment. 5 High Quality Systems

• There are many congregations recording and live streaming their worship services right now. If

you view one of their services here, and want to know how they are accomplishing such great results, consider contacting them for more information.

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Imagine the grandest birthday celebration of the year … and God’s people are unable to gather, at least not ‘the way we’ve always done it.’ I surveyed churches in the Northwest region about their plans for a virtual Pentecost. The following compilation comes from Bethany, Calvin, First, Port-land, Lake Grove, Reedville and St. Andrew’s.

Let’s begin with the sanctuary, re-dressed in red para-ments and highlighted with doves. Let this picture greet congre-gants when they ‘enter’ the virtual service. At St. Andrew’s, Portland, elder and gifted fabric artist Carol Patterson is quilt-ing a table runner (pictured) that matches an existing set of par-aments. Full of vivid reds and oranges, it features a “Wonky Log Cabin” quilting pattern of different small material pieces that radiate from the center. Patterson says “They symbolize the chaos of Pentecost and growth of the Church.” A white stylistic dove is superimposed in the center. For the service Pastor Sarah Sanderson-Doughty will hang the runner as a backdrop in her home.

Urge your flock to wear red and send a personal/family picture in their Pentecost best, to be shared during ‘coffee hour.’ Consider a mailing to each household, of 1) red paper and a pattern, to fold ‘the prayers of the people’ into doves to hang in a window (or provide Zoom breakout rooms to offer pre-service instruction); 2) paper or fabric for the family to make their own Pentecost banner; or 3) pictures for children to create or color and add a message for nearby helping organizations.

Virtual platforms aren’t very music-friendly. But God’s people sing praises. As the old adage goes, “When you sing, you pray twice!” Some organists pre-record appropriate hymns, prelude and postlude. Greg Homza, Music Ministry Director at First, Portland is a music multi-tasker. He pre-programs piano keyboard parts, then plays his cello in real-time. For Pentecost, Pastor and flautist Audrey Schindler will join the musical forces to play a piece that reflects “speaking in other lan-guages.” Flute and organ play together but in two different keys.

As for the liturgy, if your practice is to involve congregants reading the Pentecost story in mul-tiple languages, why not do the same virtually. It’s also a wonderful day to celebrate graduations and baccalaureates, complete with videos. Perhaps you celebrate communion or invite the congregation to join you in some Pentecost birthday cake.

Don’t forget the Pentecost offering. Speaking of mission giving, Calvin, Tigard has gone the extra mile to deepen the impact of their $1,000 Presbytery Coronavirus grant. Director of Christian Ed-ucation Sue Van Stelle says the mission committee will invite each child and young person to choose how to allocate $25 of that grant.

Lake Grove, Lake Oswego’s yearlong sermon schedule follows “365 Bible stories,” a chil-dren’s Bible storybook. Pentecost finds them in 1 Kings 4, 7, 9, called "Solomon’s Glory.” And shortly after Pentecost, the 70-voice Lake Grove choir will produce one of those fabulous synchronized Zoom recordings that is edited together into a single piece.

Reedville, Aloha’s Pentecost sermon summary is "The Spirit Rested." Pastor Jeff Sievert says “It didn’t even seem to muss anyone’s hair! The Spirit just ‘rested’ upon people. Sievert provides a prophetic Pentecost season virtual benediction. “They started to understand one another across the bar-riers. They spoke in power and truth, fear gave way to peace, and a vital community was born that con-tinues to flourish today.”

A Vital Community Gathers By Roberta Schlechter, Northwest Region Reporter

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Being Church in Troubling Times By Pat Berger, Northeast Region Reporter

Who would ever have imagined that the first question one would ask a pastor would be, "How are you doing worship now?" Right now, it seems to be a fair question, and the answer at the Eagle Creek is by Skype. Pastor Craig Stein leads from home, and the average attendance is 18. Pastor Stein would be happier if there were afew more each Sunday – but it's a start. Now hisconcern is for those who don't have access toSkype; how can they be included in the church'sworship time? (He is open to ideas!)

He says that their worship services tend to run a bit longer than some, and that is because of the Joys and Concerns time during the pastoral prayer. It is a popular part of the service. He receives good feedback from congregation members and feels that it is quite a bonding experience. After each joy or concern is mentioned, he prays for that specific request and then they move on to the next re-quest. He says that there are people who come to their church because of this prayer time.

The Eagle Creek congre-gation is in their second church building on the same site. There are still members there who re-member the dance hall that preceded the church on that property, back in the 1920s. The current building was built in the mid-1950s. Some pledge cards from that time were found; some people had pledged money, some had pledged hours -- in one case, 500 hours! (These were farmers, who spent plenty of their hours working on their own proper-ties.)

They have just completed a remodel of the manse that is on the church property, and most of the work was done by members. Hundreds of hours were donated by at least a dozen church members, which continues the history of this house, built many years ago by volunteers from the church. Trustee and Treasurer Bob Cooper managed the project and did much of the work.

The Ladies Aid group at the church has had a great, active ministry at the church through-out the years. For seven years, they supported Backpack Buddies, providing weekend food for children in three different area schools. They handed that program off to the local Baptist church, and now are heavily involved in a pro-gram called Seniors Helping Seniors. Their first project: preparing emergency kits for people's cars. They would make one kit for themselves, and one to give away. Each kit contained a flash-

light and some necessary tools.

With the $1000 check from the Presbytery, two members of the church (Joanne Seeger and Paula Cooper) are working on a program called Neighbor Helping Neighbor and will be aimed at those who are hungry in Sandy and Estacada. Half of the money will go to local food banks. With the other half, they will purchase vouchers to local restau-rants -- not only will they be helping local hungry people, but also help-ing the merchants. They have also

opened an account at a local bank so that people can donate to local chari-ties providing food for those who need it in these two communities. They have sent letters to local

churches and businesses encouraging them to par-ticipate and will notify local newspapers and online advertisers, too.

Pastor Stein says that he – and others in the congregation – are making many more phone calls now than they ever have. The people in the con-gregation like each other, are connected to each other, care about each other. Sometimes the phone calls are long, and they are substantive. Members will refer needs to the pastor for follow up. Pastor Stein has been in California with his parents since the churches here closed, and he is headed back. Even though he can do everything necessary from California and he can't touch his people even when he comes back, they miss him and want him closer to home!

Because they couldn't get to-

gether to decorate it for Easter, the

flower cross was put outside where

people could bring flowers from

their gardens to decorate it.

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Who would’ve thought a year ago that our church world would be topsy-turvy? With our church doors closed and the pews gathering dust, grocery shopping with individuals masked as if go-ing to a masquerade party. The good news is that we have adjusted and are finding different ways to be in communication with our fellow congregants. In a short time, it has been necessary to learn how best telecommunication can be used as a new tool.

First, Corvallis has incorporated this technology with a look at a weekly schedule for their parishioners. Sharon Edwards, Pastor has this comment; “What if we are being called in our isolation to acquire a new awareness, a heightened experience of that pervasive, permeating powerful presence of the One in whom we live, and have our being?”

The Monday morning reflection is to be presented by Dr. Winston McCullough, who will in-troduce a different type of meditation intended for daily practice, with each of the four-part structure: Body, Breath, Mind, and Intention (BBMI).

Stephen Koski, First, Bend, has taken the opportunity to reach his congregants inthe Sunday service as well as with a half-hour meditation at noon Wednesdays and a presentation on the first day of the week which he calls: “Monday Soul Stories with Pastor Steven.”

As we are not gathering together on Sunday mornings, other avenues are being explored to remain connected with one another. Central, Eugene is asking for members to send pictures that can be used in the Sunday service. The church is looking for images, perhaps when one is out for a walk and can snap an interesting picture; or maybe take pictures of something created on canvas, or when baking a loaf of bread, or knitting something. Take that picture that the staff can use in the worship videos in the weeks to come.

Westminster, Salem has held three “Fellowship Hours” using Zoom to date. Those wishing to participate log on at the designated hour and the meeting opens with prayer. The pastor will make a few remarks to set the scene and then in groups of four or five are assigned different rooms. There can be up to 20 individuals. In these “breakout rooms” members can then converse with one another. It is a time of sharing, perhaps with someone you really didn’t know. At the conclusion of the hour, the various pods reassemble for a closing prayer.

Misha Myers, Music Director at United, Albany has taken on the added challenge of organiz-ing the church choir to be able to participate in the Sunday service without being there. Learning to sing together using Zoom is a process where each person records themselves separately singing the chosen hymn and emailing the results to a volunteer who melds the voices to make a complete choir. It was necessary to research a mixing platform, loading the program, and mixing the voices electroni-cally. It was also necessary to coach choir members for their recordings, and accessing Zoom.

The preceding has been a sample of how a few churches are continuing to be a church com-munity. It may take a little work and churches using a variety of ways to hold the Sunday morning worship service. The presentation can perhaps be outdoors, or more casually merely sitting on the chancel steps, or traditionally in the pulpit. The consistent theme in the Central newsletters is that parishioners continue to reach out to one another.

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Zoom, the New Normal By Bruce Smith, Central Region Reporter

Corvallis Weekly Schedule

Mondays

Monday Meditation, online

Music Mondays, 11 a.m. online

Tuesdays

Tea on Tuesday, 3 p.m. on Zoom

Wednesdays

ProFuture Faith Course, 11 a.m. on Zoom

Midweek Musings, Facebook

Thursdays

Gentle and Strong Yoga, 11 a.m. online

After-Yoga Chat, 12 p.m. on Zoom

Fridays

Parenting in the Pandemic, online

Saturdays

Saturday Storytime, 2 p.m. email

Sundays

Worship Service, 10 a.m. online

Virtual Coffee Hour, 11 a.m. on Zoom

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“Never the Same” is the title of a song by Cu-ban-American singer Camila Cabello, not to be con-fused with the song “Never the Same” by American singer-songwriter Christopher Cross. “Never the Same” written by Dr. Donna Schuurman, isn’t a song, but rather a highly rated book about helping children and teens who experience the death of a parent. And, none of these have anything to do with “Never the Same” youth ministries founded by Wesleyan minis-ter Jeff Eckart.

On Friday, May 22, Commission on Ministry-South (COM) members held their third meeting in the shadow of COVID-19, and, if a single phrase could capture the mood from those meetings, it would be: “Never the Same.” The Presbytery Leadership Commission has been meeting weekly for the last couple of months, they would likely agree – “Yeah, what those guys said – ‘Never the Same.’”

However, it would be a mistake to equate “never the same” with “nothing being done.” The elected elders and ministers of our Presbytery are working diligently and prayerfully to discern what our mission and ministry will look like post-Corona. What’s being discerned is that what we’ve come to expect on any average Sunday morning may someday be similar, but never the same.

As for the South Region churches returning to on-site, in the sanctuary worship, the consensus of the COM is “We’re not ready yet.” In a recent email to First, Medford’s congregation, Pastor Murray Rich-mond summed up the feelings of many mainline min-isters:

“You have probably heard a lot in the news about churches opening for worship. Oregon is now in Phase One, which means we can have up to twenty-five people in one place. That does not mean it isalways safe to do so!”

With brick and mortar worship on indefinite hold, technology is taking a larger role in today’s congregations, and, promises to stick around for a while. Early on, the Presbytery Leadership Commis-sion approved significant funding for technology grants. Since then, the Cascades’ Communication and

Technology Team has been helping churches increase their virtual footprint. And as more people login that equipment, and the knowledge of how to use it, it is-n’t likely to go away when folks return to their pews. Indeed, an informal survey conducted by Stated Clerk Paul Belz Templeman, found that a statistically sig-nificant 26.5 percent of Cascades’ churches found that “more people are attending on-line than attended in-person.”

On the other hand, much of today’s pastoral care is already being done electronically and has been for as long as there have been telephones. As cell

phones have replaced landlines, texts, and smartphone emails have become another means of shepherding the flock. Eric Lindsey, pastor of First, North Bend re-cently added a more per-sonal touch. He videos masked, socially distant, front-step visits with pa-rishioners, then posted

their greetings for their friends to see and hear.

Much of what is currently being done amounts to work-arounds, adjustments, and adapta-tions. However, yesterday’s adaptations have a way of becoming today’s habits, and today’s habits, given time, will become tomorrow’s established practices. That’s the way of the world. And, because the Church exists in the world, we often adapt by necessity – there’s nothing wrong with that, as long as we are mindful of changes we make.

Of course, where God’s people are concerned, there is something bigger than simply making adjust-ments. There’s more than the work of task groups. There’s more than technology.

As Pentecost is upon us, we are reminded of that “something bigger.” We are reminded of the Wind of the Spirit, the Wind that blew Creation into being. That Wind, Jesus tells us, blows where it will. It moves us in new directions. Perhaps, that creative Wind was what Isaiah wrote about: “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth…”

And, when God does a new thing, things are “never the same.” May that Holy Wind blow across the South.

Never the Same By Mike Hubbard, South Region Reporter

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By Steve Parker, Interim Communications Coordinator

My wife and I recently drove across the country to attend the family graveside funeral for my father-in-law, George Varns. George was a long-distance runner, so it’s appropriate that we took a marathon of a trip to honor him. When he was confirmed in Strasburg, Ohio, many years ago, he chose this memory verse, as his guiding principle, “I can do all things in him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Paul, in this portion of his letter, is talking about endur-ing hardships and facing challenges, being content in all things. In the previous chapter, he speaks of pressing on toward the goal as if he is running a long race. Similarly, George was a long-distance runner in every sense of the word. As a pastor, as a social worker, as a man of community action, he never stopped running.

When I was a young pastor in my twenties, I loved to run along beside him on his long country road workouts. He was preparing for the Boston Marathon. My little marathon was considerably short-er in length. Having had my legs weakened by polio when I was three, my limit seemed to be about three miles, or so I told myself. The approval of this wise man was a sought-after prize, and my mini-marathon included spouting out all the ideas and thoughts that flooded my mind. From my point of view, as a young minister, these were rare gems of wisdom. He would patiently listen, nod silently and then continue to run down the road, stride after stride. The pace was slow, the Indiana summer heat and humidity were suffocating, and eventually out of exhaustion, I would drop out. George still had 6 more miles to go.

My guess is that most of us will never be Boston Marathon participants. We all have our vari-ous physical or emotional limitations; yet, I’m inclined to think that every person in ministry is running long distance, right at this moment. The pace is not particularly fast but that’s appropriate. It is better for us to take our time when comforting the sick, talking with the bereaved, ministering to the broken or the poor. It serves us well to move slowly when listening to grievances, hearing life stories or prepar-ing for our Sunday morning messages. We are now aware that our social distancing procedures are not a sprint to the finish. In fact, when we consider most of what those who minister to others do daily, the race never seems to end; or at least, we find we complete one event and there is another and yet another again. The race is not a race at all. It’s one foot in front of the other, day after day.

At my best, I have come to realize that I am not an expert at ministry. Instead, I keep plugging away until I find something that works fairly well; that is until I realize that there is still much that can be improved upon, and the long discovery process begins again.

My father-in-law, George, required a walker the last three years of his life. Slowly and painfully working his way down the hall, we patiently watched, realizing his quality of life was gradu-ally slipping away. Because he had an athlete’s heart, he just kept on living. He kept on running. He never gave up. There was an inner strength that came from somewhere.

“I can do all things.” There is something, … somewhere that strengthens me.

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Do you have a book, a Bible Study, a re-

source that has helped you in your minis-

try? Please share. Send to editor,

Kathleen Waugh at

omnibus@cascadespresbytery.org

Resources help Ministry and Mission

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Sarah Sanderson-Doughty, St. Andrews Pastor, points us to

the Narrative Lectionary. “I use the narrative lectionary,

which was developed by Lutherans, but many Re-

formed churches are using it now.” This is a gener-ally great resource for all lectionary based preach-ing, but you can access FAQ's about the narrative

lectionary, a weekly narrative lectionary podcast, commentaries on the texts, etc.

Per this website, “The Narrative Lectionary is a four-year cycle of readings. On the Sundays

from September through May each year the texts follow the sweep of the biblical story, from Crea-tion through the early Christian church. The texts show the breadth and variety of voices within

Scripture. They invite people to hear the stories of Abraham and Sarah, Moses and the prophets, Jesus, and Paul. Listening to the many different voices

within Scripture enriches preaching and the life of faith.”

The Narrative Lection-ary is one section of an-other website — Work-ing Preacher. Working Preacher is a ministry

brought to you by Luther Seminary. The Working Preacher team believes that God uses good biblical preaching to change lives. We have enlisted hun-dreds of friends -- biblical scholars, theologians, homileticians and pastors dedicated to the craft of biblical preaching -- to provide you timely, compel-ling and trustworthy content. On the site you'll find: exegetical material geared to the weekly lec-tionary (Preaching This Week), resources and in-sights on the Craft of Preaching blog. For more information click here.

Brian Heron suggests a new series to check out. This is a series that was developed to help meet the chal-lenges of doing wor-

ship in the COVID-19 era. Per the site: “I know you are struggling to create online worship and still

have the time to stay connected to the pastoral care needs of your congregation, as well as take care of your own well being. Let us help you with worship. We are producing video sequences for this series to sprinkle throughout the liturgy that can help you create a cohesive visual, and deeply spiritual, theme without doing a lot of image production work. But they are also in fully-scripted form for those of you doing non-video-based worship (i.e. phone, print only). A series about the theology of beauty and compassion is a perfect opportunity to offer beauti-ful imagery without the stress of creating it your-self. I am praying for you, your worship team, and your church community in these times. Please e-mail us if you need a hardship rebate on your pur-chase.” For more information click here and here.

Crocodile’s Crossing: A Search for Home by Yoeri Slegers

Crocodile is tired, scared, and hopeful as he searches for his new home. Everything will be bet-ter where I’m going! he thinks. But where is that?

This book introduces children to the complex topic of immigration. Featuring bright art-work packed with playful details, this thoughtful tale sensitively portrays the challenges faced by refugees and other newcomers. A downloadable discussion guide is available.

"Exploring the struggles and concerns fac-ing immigrant families with sensitivity and a touch of playfulness, Crocodile’s plight will resonate with today’s children,” per Foreword Reviews.

Click here for more information.