If you prefer to print the newsletter, you may download it here: Printable July 2022. Here is also a printable July calendar: 07 2022 Calendar
pastor’s perspective
“I Believe”
By Dave Hendrickson, Lead Pastor
What comes to mind when you hear the phrase, “I believe”? For me, there are several things I associate with the phrase, “I believe”. Here are just a few:
A Whitney Houston song, “I believe the children are our future; Teach them well and let them lead the way…” (Greatest Love of All)
A U.S. Soccer chant, “I Believe That We Will Win!”
The scene from Polar Express when the boy tries ringing the bell and doesn’t hear anything. Then he says, “I believe” and he hears the chimes of the bells.
Children who go around and exclaim with excitement, “I believe in…” (you can fill in the blank).
But personally, and most importantly when I hear the phrase, “I believe” I am quickly reminded of three short paragraphs consisting of 114 words. Each paragraph makes a bold statement and each word within the paragraph reveals the truth preserving that statement. For over one and a half centuries, followers of Jesus Christ have memorized, recited, and affirmed this statement of faith for his/her own life.
What might be thought of as “traditional”, “religious”, or “ritualistic” has withstood the test of time because of its importance and relevance during any day, age, or culture.
So where can you find these three paragraphs containing the 114 words? You can find them under the title of The Apostles’ Creed.
The Apostles’ Creed more than likely originated as a central statement of faith (or doctrine) in the church to oppose the heretical teachings of Gnosticism. During the early church, there were those who believed and taught that Jesus was not fully human. That Jesus was in “essence” only a spirit which walked around in a bodily form.
To prevent this becoming the standard teaching and belief of the church, the early church established a creed (Latin word Credo which means “belief”).
As I mentioned earlier, the Apostles’ Creed might seem “traditional” by a younger generation or “ritualistic” by those new in their faith, but the creed remains a foundational doctrine for orthodoxy in the 21st century. In an ever-changing culture and world, there are still those who continue to question and confront the church and followers of Jesus on what they believe.
Therefore, I invite you to join us at Longview Community Church this summer as we use The Apostles’ Creed as the foundation of our sermon series. We will look at the scriptural truth on which The Apostles’ Creed is rooted so when we today are faced with a question or opinion concerning what we believe, we will have a foundation from which to share.
Join us Sunday mornings at 10am in the sanctuary for worship!
elder meeting highlights
At the Elders meeting on June 21, Treasurer Jaime Boaglio shared the we were down $11,970 in May due to a decrease of almost $36,000 in member contributions. Randy Sundberg explained that Properties was $3070 over because Garrett had a one-time purchase of floor mats that will replace paying for a monthly service. He also shared that he’s anticipating that Properties will exceed their budget this year because they did not project for several small repairs. Our overall YTD figures are still in the black by about $4000. In terms of Stewardship, Randy remarked that someone needs to “champion” it. He suggested being proactive, working with Dave and Staff. Sean suggested adding the topic of Stewardship to a future agenda.
Randy also shared that he has asked the company replacing the condensate lines to begin work August 1 but has not yet received confirmation. In July we will have work parties to open up the Fellowship Hall ceiling along with insulating some of the steam lines. He also explained that the Sanctuary doors are almost done, with a few adjustments needed on hardware and the wireless ADA buttons still need to be installed.
Patrick Allen shared that the Personnel committee and search team had a debrief on Caleb Strom. They felt good about Caleb’s visit. He shared that the other candidate, Craig Summerfield, would be visiting the weekend of June 24-26. They are praying for clarity in their decision-making.
Randy suggested that the Elders and Staff host a “Lunch on the Green” after worship on July 10 to welcome summer, and get to know and serve people and for them to get to know the Elders and Staff. Burgers, hotdogs, fruit, cookies and beverages will be provided.
We will once again be using our facilities to serve the community on July 4. During the parade, there will be bouncy houses, bubbles and sidewalk chalk for kids. The Missions team will be hosting a hospitality tent and the History team will host Sanctuary tours from 1-4:30, with a break from 2:30-3 for an organ concert by Linda Monahan. Dave will encourage the congregation to participate and be a resource to the community.
kidmin: vbs
The church was filled with laughter and fun times as about 80 kids, preschool through 5th grade, attended the recent “Monumental” VBS! Through songs, skits, Bible stories, and crafts they learned that God is Awesome! As a missions project, they helped contribute toward sponsoring two children through Compassion International. Thank you to everyone who helped out with VBS. We couldn’t have done it without you! Enjoy some photos taken by Bob Gaston and Ben Hendrickson!
youth: “plugged in”
By Nathaniel Duscha, Youth Pastor
Finally having some good weather, we kicked off the summer by joining up with several other youth groups in town for Burger Bash a couple weeks ago. We had about 100 students at Martin’s Dock from all around Longview/Kelso to play games, spend time together and have some burgers. It was an amazing time!
Last week we had a youth bowling night as a way to get out and do something together. Although Sean was significantly better than us at bowling, we had a great time hanging out together! This was the first of many events we have planned for this summer. If you haven’t seen our summer schedule yet, go check it out on our website!
The next thing coming up for the youth ministry here at LvCC is the Dunes Bible Camp! We have middle school camp coming up from July 5-9 and high school camp from July 10-16. We are super excited for camp this year and cannot wait to see God move in the lives of all the students who are attending! Following camp, we will be having a BBQ and bonfire to wrap up the month of July.
history
“cookbooks over time”
By Sandy Rountree, History Team
Longview Community Church will be celebrating their Centennial in October of next year. As we look to the future, we also looked back to see what changes there have been. Some have been in recipes in the cookbooks the church has compiled.
From basic recipes, using what is available and involving some work, to easy ones using mixes and instant ingredients, all have been prepared with love.
In the 1925 Highland Circle Cookbook, the following recipe was found:
Mashed Potato Cake
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
½ cup milk
4 eggs
2 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup grated chocolate
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 teaspoon cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts
Mrs. H. C. Riches
That’s all there is, no directions, no cooking times or temperatures.
See the difference between the mashed potato cake and the following from Feeding the Flock, 75th Anniversary Edition:
Quick Yum Yum Cake
1 lemon cake mix
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 container of Cool Whip
Coconut
Mix cake mix according to directions on box. Pour on a jelly roll pan or sided cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cool. Mix together vanilla pudding, cream cheese and crushed pineapple. Spread this mixture on cooled cake. Spread Cool Whip on to and top with coconut.
Recipe Note: Tasty and quick. Nice Pot luck cake! It is one of my Aunt Martha Piper’s recipes. She was Em Piper’s mom and Perry Piper’s Grandma.
Adeline Kisch Renn
From bare bones recipes to detailed ones, so has Longview Community Church grown from small beginnings to larger outreaches and missions. Where will we be in the next 25 years? What recipes or ideas will be brought for our future growth?
fish report
By Peggy Reibe and Sally Browne
Thank you LvCC community for your continuing contributions to your FISH program. In May, over 40 dedicated volunteers served 172 families consisting of 365 adults and 252 children. This included 11 families experiencing homelessness. The number of people served increased 20% over March and exceeded regional counts for the year. The demand exceeded our expectations and our cupboards are nearly bare. Our total cost was only $ 3,833. Other food distributed was donated to us by FISH of Cowlitz County, CAP and Food Lifeline and cost more than we spent.
Please check your shelves for unopened usable food, paper, cleaning, or hygiene products to donate. We can also use clean paper, plastic, and canvas bags. FISH will pass your contributions on to food insecure families. Donations can be put in the FISH boxes located throughout the church.
In May we had 5 new volunteers who are excited to return. This ministry has an amazing dedicated crew of volunteers, but we could use a few more. Volunteer shift commitment can be as little as one 3 hour shift every two months. Please contact Lisa Som 360-431-9686, if you would like to be a part of this fun and rewarding mission.
this and that
Discussions with Dave
Do you feel unmoored, confused, or disenfranchised when it comes to church? Then you are not alone. Many people within the church (no matter what stage of life) are experiencing some form of “Deconstruction”. In short, “deconstruction” is the questioning or struggling with (more often than not, traditional) church thinking and practice. This summer, Pastor Dave will moderate an open space where we can come discuss how we are experiencing or struggling with deconstruction. We will meet beginning on Sunday, June 26th at 9am in the Chapel.
July 4 Sanctuary Tours, Organ Concert and Fun!
The History Team will be conducting tours of the Sanctuary again this year. The 20 minute tours (pick up a ticket earlier in the day to reserve a timeslot) will begin at 1pm on the 4th, with a break at 2:30 for a 30 minute Organ Concert by Linda Monahan. The tours will resume after the concert at 3:15 and continue until 4:30. If you have any questions, please contact the Church Office. (TDN incorrectly listed the 4th activities for July 3). There will also be bouncy houses, bubbles and sidewalk chalk for kids, and the Missions team will be hosting a hospitality tent. Join us as we resource our grounds and facility to serve the community!
Lunch on the Green
Join the Elders and Staff as they host a picnic of hamburgers, hotdogs, fruit, and cookies after worship on July 10! This is a great time to get to know the leadership of LvCC better and to spend time with your church family. Invite someone you haven’t seen at church for a while!
Graduating Seniors On Sunday, June 12, we honored our two graduating seniors, Israel Rutherford and Kaylina Smith! Israel has a scholarship to attend Pacific University where he plans to study Business, and Kaylina will be attending OSU to get a STEM degree to pursue veterinary science. Kaylina was also awarded a $1000 Memorial Scholarship! Let’s remember to pray for both of these young people as they move into this next exciting season of their lives. Congratulations to both of them!
SAM (Senior Adult Ministry) will host a viewing and discussion of the next episode of The Chosen: Season 1, “The Wedding”, in the Chapel at 2pm. There will also be a picnic at Willow Grove on August 18 from 10am to 3pm. Chicken, beverages and table service will be provided but please sign up beginning July 24 to bring a side dish, salad or dessert.
Daily Bread We have the regular print size for June/July/August and the large print for July/August/September in the Church Office. You may stop by to get a copy or call the Office if you would like to have one mailed to you.
90+ Birthdays This Month
To honor our most senior members and attenders, we will be listing their birthdays each month using the records in our database. If you or someone you know is 90+ years of age and has an upcoming birthday, please contact the Church Office by the 20th of the prior month so we may be sure to include it!
July 13 Billie Jean Davis 91
July 16 Gayle Frelinger 94
July 20 Patty McKinney 95
July 21 Esther Kimbell 92
July 23 Dan Gallagher 90
JULY MISSIONS FOCUS:
Jon and Christine Banke
SIM USA
https://www.simusa.org/
MAY FINANCIALS
YTD CONTRIBUTIONS: $200,719
YTD EXPENSE: $217,346
DIFFERENCE: -$16,627