If you prefer to print the newsletter, you may download it here: Printable August 2026 . Here is also a printable calendar: 08 2026 Calendar
elder’s perspective
“God is remodeling me”
By Lorraine Little, Elder
As some of you know, my husband Rick and I have sold our home of 30 years and moved into a smaller home, where we have lived for the last 5 months. If you have experienced a big downsizing move, you will understand what it is like to take a good look at all the stuff you have accumulated over your lifetime and how difficult it is to try to decide what is needed and what just needs to go somewhere else. When looking at your life through the things you have acquired you can, in some way, gain some insight into what over the years has been the “desire of your heart”. For me, there was the crafting phase as evidenced by the mish mash of ribbon, scrapbook paper, boxes of photos, yarn, crochet hooks of all sizes and bags of pillow stuffing. The ever-growing hat and costume collection. The “make your own jewelry phase”, which did not last long. And not to be overlooked, the “I think I can sew” phase. I had to take a good look at these things which occupied my time throughout the years and decide if they should continue to be part of my life in my new home.
I was reading in Ephesians 2:11-22 which talks about how both the gentile and the Jewish believers are being brought together through the peace of Christ to become one family, In verses18 and 19 it says, “For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,” which is built on the foundation of Christ the cornerstone.
I started thinking about what it is like to be part of the household of God. Since I was currently in the process of setting up my own “new household” at a new location, I realized the first part of the process is ridding yourself of unneeded items; in physical terms that means sorting, selling things and throwing things away. In spiritual terms, I think this involves what God would call pruning, accepting the cutting away of the things that create spiritually unproductive habits and distract us away from our relationship with Jesus Christ.
The second part of the process is understanding the purpose of the house itself; what am I going to do there? In verse 2:21 it says, “.. in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.” I know the Bible tells me that I am the temple of the Holy Spirit, in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 it says, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple”. And here in Ephesians, it tells me that WE believers are being built together to be the holy temple of the Lord.
The phrase, “built together” brings me back to my thinking about what it takes to set up our home in the new location. The process of building often involves some tearing down first. In our new home we had to do some remodeling. We had to tear out old carpet, lay down new flooring, paint, replace old appliances, electrical fixtures and lighting. I started thinking about how God is spiritually remodeling us as individuals and as a church body of believers. God works in us spiritually to tear down old habits, build up new habits, and to add in new virtues and priorities that prepare us to be the dwelling place of God’s presence.
I rejoice in knowing that God will spiritually remodel me individually and us corporately to be a place worthy of the presence of God. Although the process of being remodeled can be messy, is often hard and usually takes longer than we thought, the result is worth going through the process. We as believers have a new purpose, which is to be the family of God, to live as Jesus lived and to be the temple of the Lord. We are to carry the presence of God with us into our daily lives and to corporately experience the presence of God when we gather together. Let us not forsake the gathering together to serve and worship Him.
We are the temple of the Lord.
elder meeting highlights
Dave suggested the Elders use the “generations” list from last meeting as a prayer guide. Caleb shared that he was taught that “how we get people is how we keep people”. However, he contends that relationships are the driving force behind connectedness and becoming more engaged. He suggests that it’s important to model how to foster building relationships.
Jaime Boaglio shared that June was a good month for member contributions with over $40,000 received. We also received an anonymous gift of $80,000 for the Elders to determine how it will be spent. Jaime reported that the Capital Campaign is currently at $17,000, with another $5,000 he was told is committed for later.
Jay Holland shared that Properties has used 46% of the budget for the year as of the end of June. He also reported that the Chapel repiping has been completed, including updating the ceilings and lighting in the downstairs restrooms. The gutter and roof repairs have been delayed but will be scheduled sometime this summer. The insurance company has requested several surveys and plans be completed by August 1 in advance of renewing our policy.
Patty Howland, Jonathan Thorsvik, and Jay met recently with Hannah, the decorator from Charis Counseling. She would like for us to paint the space and replace the current baseboards with either rubber or wooden white baseboards, with a goal of being completed by August 10 so she may begin bringing in the furnishings. We will also shampoo the current carpets. We will move ahead with making arrangements to have the painting done by volunteers, if possible.
Jay shared that the name of the 20th & Beech property will be Longview Community Church Gathering Place.
Ben West said that the Missions team debriefed the July 4 event at their last meeting. They also considered a request from FCA to donate toward a matching fund for their All Abilities Camp. It was decided to provide up to $3,000 in matching funds, as needed.
Rob Buckingham distributed a “Church Ministry Principles Self-Assessment Table” he received earlier this year from a seminar to be used as a tool to assess how LvCC is doing in various areas and systems. He asked the Elder to look it over and complete it.
The next Elders business meeting is scheduled for August 18 at 5pm.
mission of the month: dove uganda children’s fund
By Caleb Strom, Missions Team
This month, Longview Community Church is honored to highlight and support the work of Dove Uganda Children’s Fund. Since 2003, DUCF has partnered with local churches in Uganda to restore hope to children and families affected by poverty, disease, and war. What began through relationships between pastors Mark Schmutz and Brian Strom in the United States and Uganda has grown into a ministry sponsoring more than 370 children through churches in the United States and New Zealand.
Education is an important part of that mission. DUCF’s sponsorship ministry has helped launch five schools, providing children with opportunities to learn, grow, and prepare for the future. However, schools in some of Uganda’s poorer districts face a significant challenge: retaining qualified teachers while competing with the salaries offered by government schools.
As a church, we are helping meet this need by supporting teacher salaries at Nyakagando Primary School. DUCF currently provides salary assistance for teachers at Nyakagando, helping the school retain skilled and committed educators.
Our support may happen thousands of miles away, but its impact is personal. When teachers receive consistent salaries, they can remain in the classroom, invest in their students, and provide children with a stable learning environment. Through this partnership, LvCC is helping equip teachers for their work of service and giving students greater opportunities to experience hope.
Please pray for the teachers, students, families, and ministry leaders connected with Nyakagando School. Thank you for giving generously and joining in this meaningful expression of Christ’s love.
fish update
By Caleb Strom, FISH Coordinator
Thank you to everyone who donated cereal! We really appreciate your partnership in our mission to feed those who are in need of groceries. We served approximately 270 families over the course of the July FISH week and your continued partnership in both physical need and prayer allows for opportunities to experience the presence of God. For our September FISH week, we are asking for your continued partnership in collecting 10.75 ounce cans of condensed soup. Any soup will do but for ease of storage we do ask for that size. You can bring the cans to any of the FISH boxes in the Fellowship Hall, Sanctuary, or Church Office. Thank you again for the donations, prayer, and support.
community kids
By Sarah Fix, Director of Children’s Ministry
What a summer it has been so far! Personally, it’s been a bit wild. Between preparing for and leading Family Adventure Nights, Weston breaking both bones in his arm (which meant an all-nighter at Randall Children’s Hospital), hosting family for a week, redoing our front deck ourselves, keeping the kids alive and loved, and so much more… whew! It has been a full season. I am so thankful for the family and friends who have supported and encouraged us through it all.
When I reflect on Family Adventure Nights, the first thing that comes to mind is how beautifully God showed up and reminded us that His plan is always better than ours. The first night brought quite a bit of rain, but we adjusted as best we could, learned what we could improve for the next evening, and families still came despite the weather! That night, though, I had a hard time falling asleep as I wrestled with discouraging thoughts. The lie I wrestled with was that families hadn’t had a good time and wouldn’t come back the next evening.
The next night, the sun came out—and not only did those families return, but even more joined us! Once again, God reminded me to surrender my worries and trust His better plan. We had SUCH a fun evening, and one of my favorite parts was remembering so many of the kids’ names. Being able to greet them personally helped them know they were remembered, known, and important. One family let us know that their son had started asking questions about God during this event and they came to church the Sunday following! Garrett and I have made a couple connections with them and they plan to come back!
I can’t say enough about what a joy it was to partner with such an incredible group of servants from our church, Highlands Baptist Church (who are currently using our building at 20th and Beech for their services), and a couple of members from Church of Truth in Longview. One of those members regularly ministers in the Highlands neighborhood and also uses the building from time to time. We had about 50 volunteers, including quite a handful of youth from our church playing important roles! It was inspiring to watch so many people graciously grocery shop, cook, plan lessons, pray, arrive early, meet together, decorate, set up, and serve with joyful hearts.
Most of all, it was evident that everyone’s desire was to show the love of Jesus—not only to every guest who came, but also to one another. It was a tremendous blessing for the children and families who attended, but it was also a beautiful picture of intergenerational, inter-church, Kingdom fellowship.
I also want to say thank you to our congregation for so generously donating gift cards and items for the family raffle baskets. They made such an impact. One little girl sobbed in my arms, saying, “Thank you, thank you so much!” as I was able to tell her how deeply God loves her and how thankful we were that she had come.
Families enjoyed delicious meals together, heard the gospel, learned the Bible truths that “God knows us,” “God is our safe place,” and “God loves you,” and were welcomed by adults and youth who were eager to shine the light of Jesus. We worshiped together, learned about who God is, and created memories through fun activities each night.
I am already encouraged by the conversations and ideas that have come out of Family Adventure Nights this year. God stretched us, taught us, and encouraged us in so many ways. I truly believe this was a meaningful event, and I am excited to see how He continues to use it to accomplish His purposes in the Highlands and through the ministry of serving together. It’s amazing how God uses serving to draw us closer to His heart!
Coming up, ten families from the church will be heading to “Family Camp” at Lewis and Clark State Park near Winlock the 6th through the 8th of this month. Please be in prayer for a wonderful time of fellowship and encouragement. Everyone is invited to come up to the Family Camp at Lewis and Clark State Park for the afternoon and evening on Friday, August 7! Join us for a softball game at 4:30, followed by a potluck dinner (main dish provided) at 5:30, and a campfire with s’mores. Use the form in the Church Center app or call the Church Office if you will be joining us on Friday to help us know how much food to provide. Parking is limited, so carpooling is encouraged. Also, drivers will need to either have a Discover Pass or purchase a $10 day pass (cash or check only) at the campground for parking.
On August 30th we will be combining our 5th Sunday potluck with our “Blessing of the Backpacks” service- please have your kids bring their backpacks and they will receive prayer for the year, and a key chain and water bottle sticker! Hamburgers, hotdogs, chips and dessert will be provided. Bring a side to share and enjoy a meal together afterwards under the tent. There will also be a bounce house for the kids!
this and that
Everyone is invited to come up to the Family Camp at Lewis and Clark State Park for the afternoon and evening on Friday, August 7! Join us for a softball game at 4:30, followed by a potluck dinner (main dish provided) at 5:30, and a campfire with s’mores. Please sign up here Family Camp Potluck Sign Up or call the Church Office at 360-423-6380. Parking is limited so carpooling is recommended. Drivers will either need a Discover Pass or buy a $10 Day Pass (cash or check only).
Blessing of the Backpacks will be on August 30 during the worship service. Students, teachers and support staff bring your backpack or bag to blessed and receive a keychain and water bottle sticker! Join us after worship for the 5th Sunday BBQ/Potluck on the green and under the tent. There will also be a bounce house for the kids! Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, and dessert will be provided. Please bring a salad or side dish to share. You may drop off your food item in the kitchen before the service.
Men, make plans now to join us for our Men’s Retreat at Trout Creek Bible Camp September 18th-20th! This weekend is designed to encourage and equip men through biblical teaching, meaningful fellowship, great food, and time to grow together in Christ. Early Bird registration is open for just $200. Sign up here: Men’s Retreat Registration. Beginning August 2, the regular registration price will be $225. Registration closes August 19 to allow our team to accurately prepare materials, curriculum, lodging, and meals for the retreat, so don’t wait to sign up!
It is respite time for the Prayer Retreat folks. There will not be a Prayer Retreat during the months of August or September. The next Prayer Retreat will be on Saturday, October 10.
We are excited to announce that reservations have been made for the Marriage Retreat at Cannon Beach, Jan 29-31, 2027 so save the dates! Details and registration information to follow. We’re looking for ideas and volunteers to help plan fundraising events to enhance affordability, especially for new couples. Please get in touch with the church office or Steve Meharg at stevemeharg@gmail.com if you would like to help.
There will be a Men’s Breakfast on August 15 from 7-9am in the Fellowship Hall. This is a regular event on the 3rd Saturday of the month. Start your morning with food and fellowship!
Do you have musical or technical abilities that you would like to use to serve the Lord? We would love to chat with you about possibly getting involved with serving on the worship or tech teams! Please contact Patty Howland in the Church Office for more information.
If you’re interested in becoming a member at LvCC, you may contact the Church Office to have a membership packet emailed, or you may pick up a printed copy in the office.
Medical Equipment Available If you or someone you know needs medical equipment, i.e. walker, wheelchair, commode, etc, please contact Roberta Baird at 360-430-8402.
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! We are not aware of any August birthdays but please contact the Church Office if we missed you!
JUNE FINANCIALS
YTD CONTRIBUTIONS: $201,400
YTD OTHER INCOME $125,171
YTD EXPENSE: $296,643
YTD NET INCOME: $ 29,929
(Without $100,000 special donation and $15,000 Trustee donation, the YTD Net Income would be -85,072)