Evergreen Presbyterian Church

Evergreen Presbyterian Church is hosting an old fashioned Hymn Sing on Sunday, June 1. At 12:30 p.m. we are sharing a potluck lunch directly followed by the Hymn Sing at about 1:30 p.m. This is an opportunity for you to choose your favorite hymns for everyone to sing. Contact Carolyn Hopkins or Frank LeClerg in the Evergreen Office (503) 626.1520 with your hymn selections. This is not only a “Blast from the Past,” but it is an opportunity to praise God connecting with the worship and voices of the past centuries, all to the glory of God. Invite your friends who miss singing the “good ol’ hymns.” Piano, organ, and song leader provided!

 The Evergreen Missions Committee is hosting the annual Missions Sunday at Evergreen this May 4. Our guest preacher is Fletcher Matandika, a Malawian and founder of Ministry of Hope, an orphanage in Malawi. The Fresh Start Microloans group comprised of Evergreen Presbyterian and Chehalem Valley Presbyterian members, awarded a loan to Kingsley, a Malawian entrepreneur who is opening an operating grocery kiosks on the street of his city. Jay Stoms, teacher at African Bible College in Malawi, supported by Evergreen, connected us to Kingsley and is our onsite manager of the microloan. It just so happens that Kingsley was an orphan, taken into Ministry of Hope years ago by Fletcher Matandika! He raised Kingsley and brought him along to the point where he enrolled at African Bible College where he met Jay Stoms.Fletcher Matandika is presently living in the USA, studying at Westminster Seminary California. When our Missions Committee put two and two together (and stopped singing, “It’s a small world after all…”) the members extended an invitation to Fletcher to preach at our annual Missions Sunday. The result for you, should you choose to join us is that you will be stirred by his preaching and helped along in your pursuit of Christ.

Listen to Fletcher Matandika’s sermon preached at Evergreen Presbyterian Church.

Beginning this Sunday night, April 6, the youth group is meeting at the home of Joe and Cindy Pope to open the Spring International Short Film Festival. As usual, we will meet at 5:00 p.m. to mix, eat food (bring munchies to share), play games. Nathan will then show on the big screen one or two short films followed by discussion. The tentative schedule for films is… [Read more →]

In conjunction with Nathan Lewis’ sermon series, “The Ascension of Jesus Christ,” two discussion groups are meeting at Evergreen on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. Don Perkin and John Werner are leading a discussion designed for adults. Discussion questions and selected quotations are available at Nathan’s blog under Bible Studies.
Charlie Meeker, Dann Golden-Collum and Robert Jones are leading a discussion designed for all ages.

On April 13 = “The History of the Ascension” Luke 24: 36-53 and Acts 1: 4-11

On April 20 = “The Science of the Ascension” Luke 24: 36-53 and Acts 1:4-11

On April 27 = “The Blessing of the Ascension” Luke 24: 36-53

May 4 = Review Discussion

May 11 = Ascension Sunday: “Humanity in Heaven” Acts 1: 9-11 and John 20

May 18 = Pentecost Sunday: “The Holy Spirit and the Ascension” Luke 24: 36-53 and John 16

 Our sister congregation, Evergreen Presbyterian Church in Salem hosts the Grassroots Music Festival featuring local bluegrass bands. A concert is scheduled every Friday night in April at 7:00 p.m. at the church site at 905 Cottage Street NE in Salem, Oregon. Drive down to Salem, make the concert a hot date and support our sister congregation’s outreach to the community.

Nathan E. Lewis has been preaching through Paul’s First Epistle to the Church at Corinth. His six sermons from I Corinthians 15 focus on resurrection. Read them. Or you may listen to them. [Read more →]

The current edition of the Evergreen Explorer features an article on ecofeminism written by Cris Simpson. If you would like to post an article please contact Michael Dougherty. The archives of the Evergreen Explorer would help you get a feel for our church. The Explorer includes interviews of people who worship and serve at Evergreen and our sister missions throughout Oregon and the world. Members have submitted articles are a wide variety of subjects, including book reviews. Photographs of church sponsored events are featured along with reports about our collective work. 

RYM Camp will be at Suttle Lake, Oregon this June 16-20. This site allows us to water ski, canoe, play beach volleyball, mountain climb, fish, and enjoy the beauty of the Cascades. (Suttle Lake Camp is on the way to Sisters and Bend.) The theme for the keynote addresses this year set by the national RYM staff is “The Incarnation.” Campers will also be able to choose to attend a number of workshops. The biblical teaching is in depth and high quality. Talk to teens who have participated in the past and they will give you the scoop. The news this year is the better site selected!It is time to sign up! Once again registration is group oriented. Nathan Lewis will complete the online form and so you need to reserve your place by contacting him at (503) 502-3026 or at nathan@evergreenpca.com. Go to the RYM Summer Camp website to check it out. You can also see some of the camp at the Suttle Camp website. Tuition is $205.00 per camper. We will begin to plan fundraisers this coming month. Make checks payable to Chehalem Valley Presbyterian Church or to Evergreen Presbyterian Church ASAP. Last year 18 teens enjoyed RYM Camp. Let’s invite our friends this year to increase our party to 30. The total number at camp is usually around 100 campers. Is the food good? At this point we can say that it will be “memorable” if not “interesting.”

The Evergreen Missions Committee has announced the location and dates for the Summer 2008 Youth Mission. For the first time in four years, Evergreen is returning to Warm Springs to spread the love of Christ. The team will be tent camping on the lawn of Warm Springs Presbyterian Church, guests of this congregation and of the Tribal Council. Pastor David Hopkins will be leading the team, lending his many years of experience working with Native Americans. The exact work projects have yet to be confirmed, but most likely, the youth will work to support the efforts of CHIEF, the agency for which David Hopkins serves through the training of Native American leaders of the Church. Please contact the Evergreen office or speak to Pastor Nathan Lewis directly to join the team.

On Sunday, March 30 at 2:00 p.m. we will be ordaining and installing additional ruling elders and deacons to serve our congregation. Our ruling elder candidates are Keith Hansen, David Hansen, and Peter MacIver. Our deacon candidates are Daniel Wilson and David McGuire. We will be meeting at Scholls Community Church, a beautiful location half-way between our two worship sites. Nathan Lewis is the presiding minister. Stephen Lewis is preaching the sermon. Ruling Elder Stephen Bicker is delivering the charge to the new officers. The elders, along with any ordained ministers of the Gospel present, will pray while performing the tradition of the laying on of hands and the extending of the right hand of fellowship. We will collect an offering to give to our host church, Scholls Community, as an expression of our gratitude and our union in Christ Jesus, the head of the Church.