Church Retreat is this weekend! ​

(Please note the Friday night registration check-in location change)
We’re looking forward to a terrific time together at the coast.

​If you cannot join us at the coast, please remember that there will be no PMC service at our meetinghouse next Sunday, May 10. There will also be no streaming on YouTube. More information about the weekend, along with directions, is on the PMC website. 

​This year, we will have Friday night registration at the Welcome Center. DIRECTIONS ARE HERE

See ya at the coast!

​Bulletin, May 10

Upcoming Events 

May 8-10 / Church Retreat
Plan now to join us at Twin Rocks Retreat in Rockaway Beach. LEARN MORE

May 30 / PMC Cleanup Day
Plan to start by 9:00am.

May 31 / PMC Youth Quilt Wrapping Sunday

July 4-5 / Camping at Champoeg / Sunday Worship Service & Potluck at Champoeg
(Please note there will be no morning service at the Meeting House)
Plan to tent camp with other PMCers at Champoeg State Park. Also, on Sunday, plan to attend an Outdoor Church Service & Potluck / at 10 am, with a special welcome for Kevin Seidel! LEARN MORE

July 5 / Welcome to PMC, Kevin - Potluck! (At the Meeting House)
For those unable to make it down to Champoeg, we will gather for an informal potluck on the lower level at 6 pm.

Order of Worship

​In the Meeting House

Pre-Service music with the PMC Bluegrass Band
Welcome
¯ Hymn— “As I Went Down to the [Ocean] to Pray” Voices Together 453
“Baptisms and Beginnings”
Sharing Faith Stories

      David Wallace
¯ Hymn for David: “Together” Voices Together 389

    Ginger King
¯ Hymn for Ginger: “Will You Let Me Be Your Servant” Voices Together 778

At The Crossing

Colossians 1:11-14
And by the might of God's glory you'll be endowed with the strength needed to stand fast and endure joyfully whatever may happen. Thanks be to God for having made you worthy to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light! God rescued us from the authority of darkness and brought us into the reign of Jesus, God's Only Begotten. And it is through Jesus that we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Baptismal Questions

David and Ginger, do you renounce the evil powers in this world and turn to Jesus as your Savior, trusting in God's grace and love and promising to obey Jesus as your Lord?
Do you believe in God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth; in Jesus Christ, God's only Son; and in the Holy Spirit, the giver of life?
Do you accept the Word of God as guide and authority for your life?
Will you give and receive counsel in the congregation?
Will you live without giving in to violence - resisting what is evil and taking risks for what is good?
Will you participate in the life and mission of the church?
At the Water’s Edge

Romans 6.1-4
What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? 
By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

Baptismal Prayer: (in unison)
God, creator of all things visible and invisible, 
for the gifts of Ginger and David’s lives, we give you thanks.
Be present in the trials and joys of their lives,
that they may always trust in your love.
Jesus, perfect image of God and perfect image of humanity,
for your life of faithfulness, we give thanks.
Guide Ginger and David that they may always trust your grace.
Holy Spirit, sustainer and teacher,
for your energy moving in and around and through Ginger and David, we give thanks. 
Strengthen them so that they may always trust your promises. AMEN
As David and Ginger enter the water, we are all invited to affirm our faith in the way, the truth, and the life of Jesus. As a sign of your commitment, you are invited to dip your hand in the water and make the sign of the cross on your forehead.

At the Fire

Response: (in unison)
David and Ginger, as we now receive you into the fellowship of the church, we make this covenant with you as we renew our own covenant with God. 
We pledge to bear each other's burdens, to assist in times of need, to share our gifts and possessions, to forgive as Christ has forgiven, to support each other in times of joy and sorrow, and in all things to work for the common good, thus proclaiming the presence of Christ among us so that our lives may glorify God. Holy Spirit, make us one body, part of the church worldwide, united in its diversity, now and in every age. Amen.

♫ Song: Guide my feet 
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Facilitators

Please Pray for...

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Active Meal Trains

DeCoursey Frozen Meal Shower

Todays Scriptures

Announcements

Ongoing volunteer needs through the rest of the school year.
Nursery Volunteers
A background check is required and can be completed quickly and easily. See Curt for the secure link to enter your information—the process takes just a few minutes.
​​NURSERY VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP LINK
Children's Sunday School helpers needed   /  (Questions? Contact Danese Jundt)
​​SUNDAY SCHOOL HELPER  SIGN-UP LINK
Thank You, Retreat Planners and Volunteers
We want to offer a special thank you to Randy Lanford for offering his leadership and creativity in planning the church retreat this year. We also want to thank Andrew Harnish, Ann Stites, Bruce Kuhns, Clark Upton, Cody Bivins-Starr, Colleen Milstein, Crystal Miller, Curt Weaver, Dean Stites, Dianna Eshleman, Ed Shirk, Enoch Platas, Ethan Leatherman, Gerry Leatherman, Gloria Nussbaum, Joan Nichols, Joe Blowers, Jonathan Nussbaum, Kristen Swartley, Laura Yeary, Lisa Hughes, Lois Gearhart, Paul Rondema, Phil Zook Friesen, Simon Obold Eshleman, Susan Lanford, TK Klassen, Tyler Groff, and Victoria Ensz. Thank you all!

​Condolences Extended
PMC learned this week about the passing of Pastor Lyn Hershey; many PMCers may know him. He and his wife, Jeanie (Kauffman) Hershey, were the original directors of Drift Creek Camp, as well as directors of the Portland VS unit in their early years. Her parents, George and Pearl Kauffman, were longtime Albany and Lebanon residents. Use this link for information about Pastor Hershey’s service on Saturday, May 9 which will be live streamed. https://www.magicvalleyfuneralhome.com/obituaries/lynford-hershey.

Arepas Donor Match Day / May 17       
The Lopez family will deliver arepas to PMC on Sunday, May 17, and an anonymous donor has offered to provide a matching gift for the first fifty arepas purchased. This is a fine opportunity to enrich the family’s spring and help with housing expenses. Choose between chicken or bean arepas, both with cheese and green sauce. They cost $8 each. Order from Casey Fast, 503-233-4977, before THURSDAY, MAY 14.

Pacific Northwest Mennonite Conference Annual Meeting in Albany, OR
Portland Mennonite Church is invited to attend the 2026 PNMC Annual Meeting gathering in Albany, Oregon, June 25-28! These meetings are a wonderful way to meet other Mennonites from our conference. If you would like to attend as a delegate, please let a pastor know, and we will provide you with more information.

Adult Faith Formation Classes
Our current theme: “Behavior: Reconciliation Is the Center of our Work”
Classes start at 11am on Sundays. Find links in the online bulletin to more information.
  • “On Community” Book Discussion – Church Office (Facilitators: Andy Harnish, Kai Cheang, Blaine Greenway, Anna Moats).
  • Seeking the Peace of the City by Practicing Racial Justice – Old Chapel (Leaders: Racial Justice Committee). 
  • Am I Called and How Do I Know? – Quiet Room (Leader: Linda Smith).

Guns to Gardens / June 6th
PMC is hosting a gun-disabling event, 10am to 1pm in the PMC parking lot, sponsored by Guns to Gardens Pacific Northwest, part of the RAWtools network, an organization several PMCers have been involved with in recent years. People bring unwanted guns and watch them cut into pieces that are then used to make garden tools and artwork. The gun donors are then offered grocery gift cards, depending on the quantity and kind of guns, of $100, $200, or $300. Please contact Brandon Ensz, Ed Shirk, or Bruce Kuhns if interested in donating to the purchase of gift cards or in volunteering at this event. A sign-up sheet and fliers are on the Welcome Table.

Are you new or new-ish at PMC?
Join us for a Welcome Lunch! These lunches will happen once a month on a Sunday after church, and you’re welcome to come to multiple lunches to get to know more people. This will be the final spring lunch, and then we’ll take a break until next fall. For the May Welcome Lunch, Pastor Kristen will take the group out for lunch at a restaurant near the church on Sunday, May 24. If you’d like to join, let Lisa Hughes know ([email protected]).

Reparations Opportunity 
The Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery invites you to a webinar launching the Land Justice Fund's newest campaign. It will support buffalo restoration, land rematriation, and cultural and community revitalization on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. Join to hear Sarah Augustine, founder of the Coalition, and Jason Baldes, founder of  Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative. Monday, May 4, 4pm PT. Come and support this healing work.  See the online bulletin for registration links. Zoom Registration: tinyurl.com/WindRiverBuffalo.

SAVE THE DATE! PMC Cleanup Day / May 30th
You are needed! The annual Cleanup Day is a beloved and essential tradition at PMC. There will be lists of both indoor and outdoor projects, all coordinated by Andrew Kreider Glick and others serving on the Facilities Committee. 

Update Your Information in the Church Directory
Have you moved in the last year, or do you need to update your information in the church directory? Simply log in to the Instant Church Directory online or use the app to make the changes. Or, call/email the church office and let us know the changes that will keep your entries current. The staff is glad to help!

Join the PMC WhatsApp Chat Community
Want to know how to join the PMC WhatsApp Community of chat groups? The first step is getting yourself in the PMC Church Directory – contact the church office or one of the pastors if you need help with this. Next, contact Pastor Kristen ([email protected]) for links to join and some directions. There are several different chat groups you can choose to participate in.

Immigrant Justice Class and Brown Bag lunch
On May 17, Keren Rodriguez from Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Rights and Justice (IMIrJ) will be presenting to the Adult Faith Formation class “Seeking the Peace of the City by Practicing Racial Justice” from 11am-Noon. She plans to focus on her personal experience as an immigrant and how the church is called to immigration justice as well as lead a discussion on exploring PMC's next steps in immigrant justice. She will give an update on immigration needs and opportunities to support through IMIrJ and other ways to support these important efforts. 

Dine with Nine
9 people / 3 meals / 3 months. Hosts needed! Want to host a Dinner Party to share food and fun with new friends at PMC? We’re starting up Dine with 9 again and looking for people to host. Hosts will be responsible for coordinating their Dinner Party of nine people that meet three times and hosting in their home at least once. This year, to welcome our new lead pastor, Kevin, we are encouraging people to join groups close to where they live and to invite Kevin and Jennifer to join them for one of their meals in July or August. Find links in the online bulletin to sign up to be a Host. Contact Micah Engle-Eshleman or Pastor Kristen with questions.

Join EMO’s Interfaith Earth Summit! / May 17 from 1-3pm 
Save the date for a joyful journey to "Re-Connect, Re-Imagine and Re-New", facilitated by the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon. The Interfaith Earth Summit is an opportunity for people of faith and goodwill to gather locally around a shared concern for our neighbors and the environment we all depend on; gather in person at simultaneous meetings across the state, or gather on Zoom. Register at emoregon.org/events. 

PMC Library
Please take time to browse our display of books by PMC authors past and present located on the shelf at the far end of the lower level. These books can be checked out for up to three weeks. New books are still being added to the display, so if you have a book that is not part of the collection, would you consider donating it for our display? Questions? Contact Jenny Snyder ([email protected]).

Camping at Champoeg / July 4-6
PMC has reserved a group tent-only campsite at Champoeg State Park, with space for up to 100 people, for Saturday night, July 4, and Sunday night, July 5. Lois Gearhart will serve as our camp host. Please email her to let her know you are coming ([email protected]). Find a link in the online bulletin with more details.

Two Events to Welcome Kevin and Jennifer Seidel! / Sunday, July 5th
Two special events are planned for the first Sunday with our new Lead Pastor, Kevin Seidel, and his spouse, Jennifer.
  • Outdoor Church Service & Potluck / 10am. The camping group gathered at Champoeg will conclude their weekend with a worship service, followed by a potluck lunch in the picnic area next to PMC’s campsite. PLEASE NOTE: Non-campers are welcomed to come for the day. There is a $10.00 fee to park. For potluck details or questions, please contact LaVonne Blowers at [email protected]. Find a link in the online bulletin with more details.
  • Meet -n- Greet and Munchies / 6:00pm. Drop by PMC’s Fellowship Hall for an informal gathering with Kevin and Jennifer. Hosted by the Leadership Table, everyone is invited! For Meet -n- Greet details or questions, please contact Susan Lanford at [email protected].

Take a summer course at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary!
Hybrid courses (combining online work and one week on campus) include Biblical Storytelling and History of Christian Spirituality. One in-person course is available: Spiritual Practices: Trees of Life (May 29–30). Nonadmitted students get 50% off their first two courses for credit! Sign up by May 4. ambs.edu/upcoming-courses. Talk to Pastor Kristen if you are interested and could use some scholarship funding.
Online Short Course: Teaching the Bible in an Age of Distraction: Tuesdays, May 19 – June 23, 7–8 p.m. ET. Instructor: Meghan Larissa Good, DMin. Many people today struggle to connect deeply with Scripture in an age of skepticism, distraction and low biblical literacy. In this Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary short course, participants will learn how to teach the Bible in ways that spark curiosity, sustain engagement and shape disciples who think and live like Jesus. No grades, no papers! Register by May 12. ambs.edu/plt. Talk to Pastor Kristen if you are interested and could use some scholarship funding.
Start seminary studies this fall! It’s not too late to enroll at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary for the 2026–27 academic year. Deepen your faith and strengthen your leadership abilities in an Anabaptist setting — on campus or at a distance! AMBS offers generous need-based financial aid and matching grants. Apply now! ambs.edu/degrees-and-programs. Talk to Pastor Kristen if you are interested and could use some scholarship funding.

Family Promise Auction Dinner a Success! 
Thanks to the 30 PMCers who attended the Family Promise fundraiser dinner on April 16th. The dinner raised over $150,000 which will greatly benefit homeless families in need. Thank you for your support!​
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​Help Us Stay Up to Date
Since we no longer have a “photo wall” in the Old Chapel, the online directory is the main way that people can begin to get to know one another at PMC. You can upload/update your photo and update your information yourself by following these easy steps on your phone or on your computer: On your phone: Open the app and press the icon in the upper left corner (the one with three horizontal bars) / Tap “Edit My Family” — On your computer, go to the home page. / Click on “Edit My Family” in the upper right corner. Once you’ve submitted a change, the church administrator will receive a request for the change and will approve it quickly. Thanks!
Land Acknowledgment
As we learn about the Doctrine of Discovery, we recognize that the land on which our meetinghouse is located and the land on which we live was previously home to Native American peoples who were decimated and uprooted as this area was colonized. The Portland Metro area rests on traditional village sites of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin, Kalapuya, Molalla and many other tribes who stewarded the plentiful natural resources in the vicinity of the Columbia River. 
We recognize that the present day Native American community in the Portland Metro area is made up of people who originate from over 380 tribes from around the country.
We acknowledge the local federally recognized tribes; the Grande Ronde, the Siletz and the Cowlitz as well as the Chinook Nation, which has been seeking federal recognition for many years.