JOIN US! July 31, 2022

Rev. Jeff Sievert is retiring from Reedville Presbyterian Church after 26 years! The 9:30 am worship service on 7/31/2022 will feature abundant music, special guests, and a celebration of the time Jeff and Lori have spent at Reedville. Coffee will be served immediately following the worship service in the rear of the sanctuary prior to adjourning at 12:30 pm for a catered lunch in the fellowship hall.

Please confirm your luncheon attendance with the church office at 503-649-1282 or [email protected] or with the event coordinator at [email protected]. RSVP by 7/24/2022.

Please join us on this special day!

Please see the letter from Presbytery of the Cascades Presbyter for Vision and Mission regarding the LEVO Campaign.

Dear Presbytery of the Cascades Ministers and Clerks of Session,

At the June 24 meeting of the presbytery, our commissioners adopted a recommendation from the Presbytery Leadership Commission (PLC) to become an official endorser of the Lift Every Voice Campaign (LEVO) to address the gun violence that continues to plague our society and our communities. With the passage of that recommendation, the Presbytery is commending this to all congregations for study, to pray about, and support.

The PLC wanted to get this in front of you immediately since there is a July 5 deadline to submit the remaining 50,000 Oregon signatures. We have sent this to our Washington congregations as well as to ask for your prayers and support as Washington has already put in place similar legislation.

You can read the full Initiative Petition #17 (IP #17) at the link below, but the core elements of it are to protect children and the general population through legislation that:

1. Requires a permit to purchase a firearm in Oregon;
2. Eliminates the loophole that allows the purchase of a firearm before the background check has been completed
3. Requires the successful completion of gun safety instruction, and
4. Bans the sale of large capacity magazines used in semi-automatic rifles so magazines are limited to ten rounds or less.

In the links provided, you can learn more about LEVO, study IP #17, and provide the links so that your members and networks can be invited to sign the petition to get the legislation on the ballot.

• LEVO www.lifeeveryvoiceoregon.com
• Complete text of IP #17 https://sos.oregon.gov/admin/Documents/irr/2022/017text.pdf
• Summary of IP #17 https://www.lifteveryvoiceoregon.com/ip-17-summary
• Sign the Initiative https://www.lifteveryvoiceoregon.com/sign-from-home
• Donate to support LEVO’s work on our behalf https://secure.c-esystems.com/lifteveryvoice/donation.aspx
• KOIN TV interview about this project with  Penny Okamoto, executive director of Ceasefire Oregon

At our presbytery meeting, I encouraged all of our churches and leaders to move through this time with a balance of prayerful discernment and courageous action. It is my belief that prayer without action can be hollow and action without prayer can be reactive.

May we reflect the character of God in all that we do and in all that we are.

Brian

Rev. Brian Heron
Presbyter for Vision and Mission
Presbytery of the Cascades
245 S Bancroft, Suite D
Portland, OR 97239
541.465.9173

www.cascadespresbytery.org