Newsletter – Cashmere Community Church

Cashmere Community Church

April 2026

April 5, 7 am

Sunrise (and service with communion). Flowery Divide has been used for community sunrise services for over six decades. 6600 Flowery Divide. Call Darlings 509.679.0884 with questions and need for transportation.

11 am

Worship & Communion

April 12, 11 am

Worship & Fellowship

April 15, 7 pm

Last service (until October)

Pastor’s Message

The Triumphal entry of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem is the focus of the story on Palm Sunday, the Sunday right before Easter Sunday. It is the gateway, the grand entrance to the Holy Week. Jesus rides on a donkey. I imagine Jesus’ feet dangling on the side of the foal, almost touching the ground. I imagine him smiling as he scans the crowd welcoming him with a chant: “Hosanna! Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.” Hosanna!”-meaning, “Save Us!”

Palm Sunday or not, daily I’ve been saying those words, ‘Save us, Lord!”

All through the Pandemic years, “Save us, Lord!”
Russia invaded Ukraine, ‘Save us, Lord!’
From the beginning of the current administration, ‘Save us, Lord!’

Well, Thank God, pandemic is over!
Yet the world is still in turmoil.
Children and women remain target and pawn for the cruelty of war.
People being displaced and killed.
The unspeakable, insatiable appetite for power, control, and wealth is simply nauseating. There is no end in sight.

So, I will continue to wave my Palm fronds and cry out, “Hosanna, Son of David, save us!” For as long as there are children and vulnerable people suffering and perishing because of inhumane treatment, I will hold my Palm branch up high, maybe not shout, but sing ‘Hosanna!’

Let everyone who loves and cares for their neighbor is encouraged to sing with me.

Easter Blessings to all! Love, Pastor Lilia

April 19, 11 am

Worship & Fellowship

April 26, 11 am

Worship & Fellowship

Joys

Alatheia Riding Center

If you would like to visit Alatheia with the church group, the date is April 20th. Meet at the church parking lot at 11:15 am. We need to know who is going with us by April 16. Email june darling
drjunedarling1@gmail.com or call. 509.670.4924 or the church office 509.782.3811

Those Needing Our Prayers

Tony & Sally Wright

Lucas MacDonald

Aurelio Ruiz

Gale Bates

Family of Claudia Spanjer

“Michael Congdon has recovered from the infection and is doing well. Thank you for your prayers.” – Ginny Martin

“Patricia Meyer-Odell, has been moved to a memory care unit. Please update anyone who needs to know, or who would pray for her.” – her daughter, Suzann Clark

” See all of you in mid May. God Bless our little church.”
– Carolyn Meade

Prayers for the families of Daphy Michel, Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal and Royer Perez-Jimenez’.

Families of all those girls and adults killed in Minab and Lamerd, Iran by our missiles.

Prayers for Karla of Spokane, two year old Kaleb and his mother, Joani and all the children who are at Dilley Detention Center, Tania and Ayla, seven year old Canadians in detention at McLean in Texas.

Prayers for Juan Chavez Velasco and all the other non-criminal adults who are in the detention centers.
Prayers of safety for Caesar and his mother Elsy of Wenatchee, baby Juan Nicolas and his family who were all deported and all the many other children uprooted from their homes, schools, friends, relatives. Prayers for five year old Liam Ramos, along with his backpack and his father and escorts, flew back to Dilley Detention Center via Delta Airlines where they will await deportation. Dilley, where Liam became ill from the conditions there. May God save us.

Prayers for those who need to keep their appointments before an immigration court. Keep them safe.
Gratitude for the release of Leqaa Kordia and for those working to obtain the release of those remaining in inhuman conditions.

Essentials Pantry

2nd and 4th Wednesday of Month. At the church’s front entrance.

S.A.I.L.

Stay active and independent classes are continuing to be popular …led by PT Gina Quinn

One day, Mother Teresa took in a woman off the streets of Calcutta.
Her body was a mess of open sores infested with bugs.
Mother Teresa patiently bathed her, cleaning and dressing her wounds.

The woman never stopped shrieking insults and threats at her.
Mother Teresa only smiled.

Finally, the woman snarled, “Sister, why are you doing this? Not everyone behaves like you. Who taught you?”

She replied simply, “My God taught me.” When the woman asked who this god was, Mother Teresa kissed her on the forehead and said: “You know my God.
My God is called love.”

Cashmere Community Concert, March 21
Big success. Packed house!

Ladies Coffee Group
2nd Friday of the Month – All are Welcome

Compassion Circle

Compassion: Where We Meet God

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” — 1 John 4:8

People often wonder where we encounter God. Is it in prayer? In church? In quiet moments of reflection? Christians have long believed that God can be found in all these places. But the scriptures point us toward something beautifully simple: we meet God most clearly through compassion.

The apostle John writes, “God is love.” Not just that God teaches love or commands love, but that God’s very nature is love itself.

Jesus makes this even more concrete. In Matthew 25:40 he says, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” When we feed someone who is hungry, welcome someone who feels left out, or listen to someone carrying a heavy burden, we are not just doing a good deed—we are encountering Christ.

The compassion Jesus practiced is close to what the New Testament calls agape love. It is more than empathy or sympathy. Compassion includes caring when someone is suffering, but it also means actively seeking the well-being of others—wanting them to flourish, to feel safe, to be encouraged, and to know they matter.

Sometimes compassion looks like comforting a grieving neighbor. Sometimes it is helping a child learn something new, bringing a meal to someone who is overwhelmed, celebrating another person’s success, or speaking a word of encouragement when someone feels discouraged. In these moments we are not only easing suffering; we are promoting life and well-being.

The theologian Teilhard de Chardin once wrote that the driving force of the universe is love—a living energy drawing creation toward greater unity and wholeness. In that sense, we might say God is the flow of love moving through the world.

And when we step into that flow of love—through simple acts of compassion, kindness, and care—

we meet God.

Dr. June Darling

June has a blog Journey to the Good Life, and her writings appear in the Good Life Magazine.

Community Meals
March Cooking Teams

Cashmere Community church and friends, Pastor Lilia head chef

Our Lady of the Assumption and Chef Ben The photographer, June Darling

April meals – 5 to 6:30 pm or when the food is gone – 213 S. Division

April 2 – Dryden Improvement Club – Meat loaf, mashed potatoes, salad and dessert	April 9 – Cashmere Community Church – Pancit topped with shredded chicken and vegetables and desserts	April 16 – Midvalley Baptist Church – Spaghetti and meat balls, bread, salad and dessert	April 23 – Collective – Burrito bowls and brownies
April 30 – Kiwanis Wacoka – Chicken Tostados with lettuce, tomatoes, onion, pinto beans, sour cream and Salsa and desserts

Finance Report

Are you curious or concerned as to where any monies you might donate to our church will go once it leaves your hand?

First, Chelsea Evans, our Financial Secretary, receives your donation, records it, deposits it at Cashmere Valley Bank, and notifies the acting Treasurer, Karen Bray, of the amounts and where it needs to go ie: church budget, specials, etc.

Then, the Treasurer pays the bills ie: Pastor Lilia (Cashmere pays the whole salary and Monitor reimburses us their share); Vicki, our secretary; Dorene, our pianist; and Yuri, our custodian. And the PUD, Waste Management, City of Cashmere, Telephone, etc. and a payment called “apportionments” is sent to the Pacific Northwest Conference of which Cashmere C. C. is a member. All are legitimate transactions.

We thank you for your contributions to our church.

Contributors to the Newsletter:

Pastor Lilia, June Darling, Cathryn Finlayson, Karen Bray

Stewardship

“I grew up watching my maternal grandfather work his backyard garden. (When I say ‘backyard garden’ I don’t mean a garden within the backyard. The garden was the backyard.) Grandpa had a deeply spiritual relationship with the earth. Grandpa taught me that he was not the gardener, he was only the steward who planted the seeds. ‘It’s God’s garden,’ Grandpa would tell me. ‘God’s the one who sends the sun and the rain and makes the seeds to grow.’ His humility invited me to see myself as a steward of God’s creation.

These days most of us don’t grow our own food. We buy our fruits and vegetables from the store, co-op, or farmer’s market. We are consumers of the labor of fairness all over the world. Yes, we each have a role in creation. We can offer gratitude for those who grew the food, advocate for justice for those who harvest the crops, and fight for a living wage for those who transport, unpack, display, and cook the food we consume.

We can care for God’s creation through our responsible of the earth’s resources. Each time we conserve water or fuel, make a choice to recycle, to consider the ways our choices impact the earth, we participate in the care of God’s creation.

Bless this creation of yours, Loving God. Let me walk gently on the earth as your steward, as one who seeks justice for and protection of all creation. Amen.”

–Beth A. Richardson, Walking in the Wilderness

Our church has a Facebook page that you might find interesting. https://www.facebook.com/cashmerecommunitychurch

And check out our web page at www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org

Holy Week Services Every Day at 12:05 pm at First UMC in Wenatchee.

Church Calendar for April

S	M	T	W	TH	F	S
			110 am Bible Study6 pm Anglican Fellowship	210 am S.A.I.L. Class5 pm Community Meal Maundy Thursday	3Good Friday	4
57 am Sunrise Service on Flowery Divide11 am Easter Worship Communion	6	710 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Compassion Circle (Zoom)	810 am Bible Study 6 pm Anglican Fellowship	910 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	1010 am Ladies Coffee	11
1211 am Worship	13 4 pm Board Mtg.	1410 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Compassion Circle (Zoom)	15 7 pm Taizeservice	16 10 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	17	18 7 pm Community Concert
1911 am Intergenera-tional Worship	2011:15 am Meet at church for visit to Alatheia	2110 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Compassion Circle (Zoom)	2210 am Bible Study 6 pm Anglican Fellowship	2310 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	24	25
2611 am Stone Soup Sunday Worship	27	2810 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm CompassionCircle (Zoom)	2910 am Lenten Bible Study 6 pm Anglican Fellowship	3010 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	31
Happy Birthday! Patrick T., Mckenzie D., Bea K., Ryan B., Cheryl F., Rachel T., Chelsea E.

Cashmere Community Church

213 S. Division Street

Cashmere WA 98815

cashmerecommunitychurch@gmail.com

509-782-3811 Address Correction Requested

2026

“Spring must be near” photo by Karen Bray

Cashmere Community Church

March 2026

March 1, 11 am

Worship & Communion

March 8,

11 am

Worship & Fellowship

March 15, 11 am

Family Church

March 18, 7 pm

Pastor’s Message

Friends and members of Cashmere Community UMC;

I know that you all are aware of the rampant scamming. The scammer hacks the email address and sends messages pretending, of course, as that person who owns the email address, asking for ‘help’ and asks the ‘help’ be sent in the form of ‘gift card’ or ‘prepaid card.’ One colleague in the area has been hit twice. Of late, one of our Conference Staff became a victim. This is a heads up – I will never send an email asking for financial help. If you receive one, please reach out to me personally to confirm.

I would like to share some information from an article, “Pastor Impersonations Scam: What Leaders Need to Know.” This is from our General Council on Finance & Administration, and comes at the heel of another scamming attempt posing as the Treasurer of our Conference.

How Pastor Impersonation Scams Work Cybercriminals often:
1. Spoof a pastor’s name or email address
2. Use urgent or emotional language (I need your help right now)
3. Request gift cards, write transfers, or ask confidential information
4. Target staff and trusted congregants who want to respond quickly and helpfully.

Because these messages appear to come from familiar leaders, they can be especially convincing.

(continued on the next page)

March 22, 11 am

Worship & Fellowship
Alatheia – loving our neighbors – healing with horse therapy, Doria Land.

March 29, 11 am

Ash Wednesday

Presbyterian minister Chuck Clarke and Pastor Lilia Malana shared Ash

Members of both churches received the sign of the cross or a heart made of ashes.

Thanks to all the participants in the Olympics for representing the United States with greatness.

Pastor’s Message continued…

Again, I reiterate, if ever you receive an email, claiming to be Pastor Lilia and is asking for financial help or asking for confidential information, DO NOT RESPOND, and call me right away.

Friends, we’re heading towards the second week of the Lenten Season. How is it with your soul? Me? My soul is full of gratitude for blessings great and small. I hope and pray that yours is, as well.

Sharing with you the blessing written by Bishop Tracy Malone as we journey together on this Lenten season:

“May the God who calls us into this holy season
guide your steps and steady your spirit.

May the Christ, who walked the wilderness road
before us, strengthen you for every
challenge and sustain you
in every moment of doubt.

May the Holy Spirit breathe courage into your prayers,
compassion into your actions,
and hope into your waiting”.

Lenten Blessings to you all!

Pastor Lilia

Those Needing Our Prayers

Tony & Sally Wright

Michael Congdon

Lucas MacDonald

Aurelio Ruiz.

Longtime member of our church, Claudia Spanjer, died February 17th. Prayers of comfort for her family and sister, Tricia Coley.

Prayers for the people of Minneapolis, for the family of Dr. Linda Davis .

Prayers for Karla of Spokane and all the children who are still at Dilley Detention Center.

Two month old Juan Nicolas and his family were deported and left at the border after he was released from the hospital still ill with bronchitis .

Cesar and his mother Elsy were taken from Wenatchee and deported. They are reported to be safe out of the U.S.

We give thanks that Liam of Minneapolis and Diana of Gresham have been released from Dilley Detention Center in Texas and returned to their homes.

Joys

Riley Beckmann and her father, Bea James & her very
Jordan, ready for the Father & stylin shoes
Daughter Dance at Vale Elementary
-photo by G.G. Clare East

Eli & Sophia Darling celebrating Chinese New Year
photo by Shu Darling

Essentials Pantry

2nd and 4th Wednesday of Month.

Ladies Coffee Group
2nd Friday of the Month – All are Welcome

“Love

shall lead us
where
we need
to go.”
-Joan Walsh Anglund

March

Be present

Let the day flow with grace

Expect joy. Be positive

Serve with compassion.

Speak only kindness.

Impart only love.

Never forget you’re not alone.

Give thanks for everything.

See goodness in others.

– Mary Davis

Compassion Circle

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” — Psalms 51:10

Lent arrives each year like a quiet invitation.

Not a scolding.

Not a spotlight on our failures.

But a gentle turning.

In the Christian calendar, Lent is a season of reflection—forty days that echo Jesus’ time in the wilderness. It is a time to slow down and ask honest questions. Where have we grown hardened? Where have we become weary? Where has fear quietly taken the place of love?

Compassion begins there.

Renewal does not come from harsh self-criticism. It comes from courageous honesty wrapped in kindness. Lent gives us space to notice our impatience, our discouragement, even our despair—and instead of shaming ourselves, we place it before God.

“Create in me a clean heart” is not about perfection. It is about softening. It is about asking for a heart spacious enough to hold both sorrow and hope.

This March, perhaps our Lenten practice can be simple:

Pause.

Notice what you are carrying.

Offer it to God.

And begin again.

That is compassion. And that is the slow, beautiful work of renewal available to those of us who practice self compassion during the lenten season. It clears the heart to focus on others with expressions of love – kindness, connection, warmth, and appreciation.

Dr. June Darling (Compassion circle meets via zoom Tuesdays at 7:00, all welcome)

Community Meals
February Cooking Teams

Upper Left: Dryden Improvement Club – Meat Loaf Upper Right: Midvalley Baptist – Spaghetti
Center: Cashmere Rotary – Chicken & Mashed Potatoes

March meals – 5 to 6:30 pm or when the food is depleted – 213 S. Division

March 5 – Catholic church with Chef Ben – Roasted chicken with Dijon Cream sauce and Arista Potatoes. Mixed green salad with orange Vinaigrette, roasted beets, walnuts and Gor- gonzola and Warm bread and desserts

March 12- Cashmere Community Church – Baked Chicken, Garlic fried Rice, green salad, desserts and drinks.

March 19– Seventh day Adventist Church – Hay Stacks, Spanish Rice, with chocolate chip cookies andBrownies

March 26 – Ed and Judi Gerber – Baked Ham, AuGratin potatoes, 4 bean salad, Breadsticks, Desserts and drinks.

Finance Report

Please continue your support of our church programs and missions.

It is great to see our wonderful building hosting activities almost daily!

Thanks to all of our volunteers.

“America is not like a blanket – one piece of unbroken cloth. America is more like a quilt of many patches, many pieces, many colors, many sizes, all woven together by a common thread.”

-Jesse Jackson

Contributors to the Newsletter

Thank you to Pastor Lilia, June Darling, Karen Bray, Cathryn Finlayson
– Judith Davies, Editor

Our church has a Facebook page that you might find interesting. https://www.facebook.com/cashmerecommunitychurch

And check out our web page at www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org

Stewardship

Just up the road from my home is a field with two horses in it. From a distance, each looks like every other horse. But if you stop your car or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing. Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing.

If nearby and listening, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to her halter is a small bell. It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her. As you stand and watch these two friends, you’ll see how she is always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray.

When she returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, she stops occasionally and looks back, making sure her friend isn’t too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owner of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. God watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.

Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those whom God places in our lives. Other times, we are the guide horse, helping others see the way.

Good friends are like this. You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there.

Please listen for my bell, and I’ll listen for yours.

– Author Unknown

Church Calendar for March

Cashmere Community Church

213 S. Division Street

Cashmere WA 98815

cashmerecommunitychurch@gmail.com

509-782-3811 Address Correction Requested

March 2026

March 2025 photo by Brittany Saunders

Cashmere Community Church

February 2026

February 1, 11 am

Worship & Communion

February 8, 11 am

“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you Rest.”

Matthew 11:28

Worship & Fellowship

February 15, 11 am

Worship & Fellowship

February 18, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm Walk -In Ash Wednesday
7 pm

February 22, 11 am

Sharing the mission of Alatheia
Worship & Fellowship

Pastor’s Message

Friends and Members of Cashmere Community UMC;

Greetings of peace and love of God our Creator and Sustainer!

How’s the (New) Year 2026 for you so far? I pray and hope that you are well and warm and safe.

In a snap the month of January is gone. Thirty One days of the three hundred sixty five days of the New year is over. That quick. Not quite prepared for February, but….well, might as well welcome it with “open heart and open mind.” (Smile!) Thank you, January!

I am happy to share that our Thursday Community Dinner is rolling along. This month we will have the Rotary Club Team serving on the third Thursday. This is the fulfillment of their ‘Once-A-Year’ participation commitment. Our siblings from Monitor church has also expressed their intention to help at the community dinner whenever CCC is scheduled to cook and serve. And, they were there with us last month – thank you Darla.

The sharing of our building as a “Holy Currency” for other groups in the community to use as a safe place to gather is also expanding. Starting February 4, 2025, the Anglican Fellowship Group lead by Rev. Andrew Ray will start meeting in our sanctuary, from 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Most evenings during the week we have a group of young boys, 5th graders, I believe, use our gym for basketball practice.

continued on the next page

Those Needing Our Prayers

Tony & Sally Wright

Michael Congdon

Lucas MacDonald

The families of Keith Porter, Renee Good, Alex Pretti of Minneapolis.

Prayers for Liam of Minneapolis and Karla of Spokane and Diana of Gresham and all the children who have been taken from their homes.

Jeff Paton, age 69, died due to a medical issue while climbing in the Canadian Rockies near Banff on January 21. Our condolences to his family and the St. James Episcopal Church family.

Prayer for Comfort and Strength Dear Lord, in this time of need, we pray for your comforting presence. Wrap you loving arms around those in need and grant them strength to endure.

Pastor’s Message continued…

Of course, the SAIL Exercise is growing in its participants. Our Wednesday Bible Study has also grown.

My heartfelt gratitude goes to JoAnne Prusa for her faithful commitment in helping the pantry distribution. Also, Ed & Judi Gerber are taking turns to man the pantry table.

This year’s Ash Wednesday, the start of Lenten Season is on February 18th. We will have a Walk-In Ash Wednesday celebration from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 noon.

Let’s keeping loving and serving God’s beloved ones!

Blessings,

Pastor Lilia

Boys Basketball – Played their first tournament last December and won one game.

photo by Whitney Machado, their coach
S.A.I.L. Class up to 26 attending

Joys

John and Vicki Helms are celebrating their 35th anniversary on February 8.

Chris, Vicki’s son, is snow shoeing currently until basketball begins later in the season. He is not ice skating this year due to budget cuts and lack of interest.

“The purpose of life is to listen to yourself, to your neighbor, to your world and to God and, when the time comes, to respond in as helpful a way as you can find…from within and without.”

-Fred Rogers

Compassion Circle

February arrives with its bare trees and long shadows and yet it invites us into love with hearts and cupids and chocolates. Many of us are carrying a low hum of anything but love—headlines that unsettle us, conversations that divide us, a sense that the ground beneath our common life feels less steady than it once did. In such a time, compassion is not a soft add-on to faith; it is a sturdy spiritual practice.

Compassion begins with seeing clearly—allowing ourselves to feel what is real without hardening or turning away. The Gospels show Jesus doing this again and again: noticing the overlooked, listening before judging, refusing to reduce people to labels. Compassion does not mean agreement with everything, nor does it mean passivity. It means staying human when it would be easier to become cruel, cynical, or numb.

The writer of Colossians urges us to “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” Clothing is something we put on daily. We choose it again each morning. In turbulent times, compassion becomes a quiet form of resistance. It interrupts contempt. It slows our reactions. It reminds us that every person we encounter is more than their worst moment or loudest opinion.

This February, may we practice small, faithful acts of compassion—toward our neighbors, our communities, and ourselves—trusting that love, patiently lived, still has the power to heal what feels so fragile. -Dr. June Darling

Our church has a Facebook page that you might find interesting. https://www.facebook.com/cashmerecommunitychurch

And check out our web page at www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org

Community Meals
January Cooking Teams

Seventh Day Adventist Team Lining up to be served

Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church Rolling silverware and setting tables
Cashmere Community and Monitor Team
February meals – 5 to 6:30 pm or when the food is depleted – 213 S. Division

February 5Dryden Improvement Club Meat loaf, mashed potatoes , salad, dessert

February 12 Midvalley Baptist Church – Spaghetti and meatballs, bread, salad, dessert.

February 19 Cashmere Rotary Chicken, Mashed potatoes, Corn and dessert

February 26Cashmere Community Church Pork adobo, steamed Jasmine rise, sliced cucumbers, pies, and cakes, coffee, lemonade, and ice water.

Essentials Pantry

2nd and 4th Wednesday of Month. Ed & Judi Gerber, helpers

Ladies Coffee Group
2nd Friday of the Month – All are Welcome

Eagle on Flowery Divide

Monks Peace March
Raleigh N.C. photo by Gina Quinn’s sister

You Tube Video Recommended:
St. Andrews Lutheran Church, Vancouver WA
Special Worship Service “United in Faith: A Call to Action” with speaker our Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth, based on Luke 4.

Sunday, February 22 – Alatheia’s Daria Land
She will be sharing the mission of Alatheia, who they serve, how they serve them, and the stories of both challenge and celebration is very much aligned with why they do this work.
Changing Lives with the Healing power of Horses.

Grace

Stewardship

“The earth will not continue to offer
its harvest, except with faithful stewardship.

We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations.”

-John Paul II

Finance Report

Please continue your support of our church programs and missions.

It is wonderful to see our wonderful building hosting activities almost daily!

Thanks to all of our volunteers.

Contributors to the Newsletter

Thank you to Pastor Lilia, June Darling
– Judith Davies, Editor

Let’s tackle hunger & beat New England together!

As the Seattle Seahawks face the New England Patriots in the 2026 Super Bowl, the Pacific Northwest Conference has challenged the New England Conference to see who can raise the most food/dollars as part of the nationwide Tackle Hunger effort.

We are participating and our local Cashmere Food Bank will be our beneficiary.

Drop off non-perishables at the church, February 1 – through the Superbowl on February 8. -Pastor Lilia

Church Calendar for February

Cashmere Community Church

213 S. Division Street

Cashmere WA 98815

cashmerecommunitychurch@gmail.com

509-782-3811 Address Correction Requested

February 2026

-Chase Evans

Cashmere Community Church

January 2026

January 4, 11 am

Worship & Communion

January 11, 11 am

“When hard pressed,

I cried to the Lord;

he brought me into

a spacious place.”

Psalm 118:5

Worship & Fellowship

January 18, 11 am

Worship & Fellowship

January 21, 7 pm

January 25, 11 am

Worship & Fellowship

Pastor’s Message

Goodbye 2025! Hello 2026!

Friends, I would like to share an excerpt from a message given by Bishop Rodel M. Acdal to the faithful ones in his Episcopal area, in the Philippines.

“As we welcome the year 2026, we do not come as people untouched by life. We come carrying memories of joy and sorrow, victories and wounds, answered prayers and long waiting. The turning of the year invites us not to forget these realities, but to place them in the hands of God —the God who makes all things new.

The same God who met us in the waiting of Advent and the fulfillment of Christmas now meets us at the doorway of a new year. Emmanuel — God with us —does not remain in the manger. He walks with us into the days ahead. This is our hope we begin again: we do not step into 2026 alone.

As we enter 2026, God is already at work — opening new doors, healing old wounds, and shaping new paths of service. Some of these new beginnings will excite us; others may stretch us. But God’s grace is sufficient for both.

In 2026, may our churches be places of welcome, our homes places of peace, and our lives as signs of God’s reign. May we not only ask, “What will God do for me this year?” but also, “How will God work through me for others?”

continued on the next page

Those Needing Our Prayers

Tony & Sally Wright

Michael Congdon

Megan Newton

Lucas MacDonald

December 14 Worship Service :

Adults for Full Membership to UMC –

Sallie Cosgrove Beckman

Clarene Catherine East

Burton Davis Cosgrove

Jeanne Darling Cosgrove

Gudrun Nikolaus Brown

Transfers-In –

John Edward Gerber

Judith Grace Gerber

Baptisms –

Elio Freeman Evans

Bishop Gideon Hurt

Anna Ellen Darling

Congratulations to all!

Pastor’s Message continued…

And so, I echo this message. May we remember, and hold onto the promise of God’s abiding presence, of his grace that always goes before us — preparing the way, stirring

and convicting our hearts, and inviting us to respond.

We do not know what the future holds. What is certain is that there will always be challenges we encounter. But, as sure as there will be challenges before us is the assurance of God’s abiding presence, and because God is with us, our hope will endure, peace is possible, joy reclaimed, and love

will not fail.

I invite you all to join us here at Cashmere Community UMC as we begin the new year and continue to serve our

beloved community.

Together we serve, all for the glory of God!

Pastor Lilia

New Group to Meet

Wednesday night Anglican Fellowship Group led by Rev. Andrew Ray will begin meeting in our sanctuary on February 4. They will meet every Wednesday night from 6 to 8 pm except for the third Wednesday when the Taize service is held. We are pleased to share our church with them.

Ladies Coffee Group
2nd Friday of the Month – All are Welcome

Those newly baptized: Elio, Anna and Bishop

John and Shu Darling with their jointly prepared delicious Christmas turkey

Sophia Darling ready to play at London’s New Year’s Parade

Joys

Christmas Card Received from the Ortega Family

“As parents, we need to try to find the security within ourselves to accept the fact that children and parents won’t always like each other’s actions, that there will be times when parents and children won’t be able to be friends, and that there will be times of real anger in families. But we need to know at the same time, that moments of conflict have nothing to do with whether parents and children really love one another. It is our continuing love for our children that makes us want them to become all they can be capable of making sound choices.” -Fred Rogers

Sierra Darling accepted at Yale. She will be also be running track.

Custodian news

John Helms is serving as our custodian while Yuri is in Mexico until February. We appreciate John’s stepping forward and keeping the church building spiffy.

Average Worship Attendance for 2025: 22

Contributors to the Newsletter

Thank you to Pastor Lilia, Karen Bray, June Darling, Chelsea Evans.
– Judith Davies, Editor

Compassion Circle

January always arrives quietly, carrying both hope and a little tenderness. We step into a new year aware of what we long to change and what we are afraid we may repeat. The good news of our faith is that God does not meet us with a ledger, but with compassion.

Compassion, in the biblical sense, is not pity from a distance. It is a turning toward. It is God’s deep, gut-level response to human fragility. Again and again, Scripture shows us a God who bends close, who notices, who moves toward healing rather than away from brokenness. To begin a new year with compassion is to trust that God is already leaning toward us—and inviting us to do the same for ourselves and for one another.

The new year does not require us to be harder on ourselves. It asks us to be truer. Compassion becomes the soil in which real change can grow: listening before judging, understanding before fixing, kindness before certainty. When we practice compassion, we participate in God’s ongoing work of renewal.

Scripture for the New Year:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22–23)

May this year begin not with pressure, but with mercy—new every morning.
-Dr. June Darling

Our church has a Facebook page that you might find interesting. https://www.facebook.com/cashmerecommunitychurch

And check out our web page at www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org

Community Meals

Pat and Fran – Midvalley Cashmere Community Church

Trish Cope Coley modeling her apron; Reuben Mayes WSU hall of famer and former Seahawk player visiting with people at the community meal

January 8Catholic Church with Chef BenCaesar salad, House Focaccia Bread, freshly baked with olive oil and herbs, Fresh pasta Lasagna , House made pasta layered with pancetta beef and sausage bolognese, be”chamel, and a blend of Italian cheeses and Jan’s desserts.

January 15
Cashmere Community Church Chicken Fettuccine, Green salad, desserts and drinks

January 22 Seventh Day Adventist Church
Hay stacks with Spanish rice, Brownies,Chocolate chip cookies.

January 29 – Kiwanis Club Wacoka – Chicken noodle Casserole, glazed carrots, green salad, desserts and drinks.

5 to 6:30 pm or when the food is depleted.
213 S. Division St., Cashmere WA

Stewardship

“To all earth’s creatures God has given the broad earth, the springs, the rivers and the forests, giving the air to the birds, and the waters to those who live in water, giving abundantly to all the basic needs of life, not as a private possession, not restricted by law, not divided by boundaries, but as common to all, amply and in rich measure.

“Let us become like Christ, since Christ became like us. He assumed the worse that He might give us the better; He became poor that we through His poverty might be rich.”
Gregory of Nazianzus

Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 19

Finance Report

Karen Bray has taken on the task of being church treasurer while Tony Wright is taking a medical leave. Big shoes to fill, but she can do it with a little help from all of us. Chelsea Evans continues to deposit and keep track of the money coming into the church. If you mail in your donation, be sure and put “attention Chelsea” with the church’s address. Vicki will place it in the Financial Secretaries “mail box” when she sorts the mail.

For the month of December 2025, Chelsea reported that the church received $4,638 in offerings, and in addition $158 for use of our building, $60 towards the cost of our new AED and $6796 from the Monitor church as their share of the pastor’s salary (two months). In addition the Christmas Eve offering was $370. The Essentials Pantry received $3000 from a grant from the Community Foundation. The Community Meals continues to roll right along with the groups/churches being reimbursed for the cost of the food bought from that night’s donations – or not. Some choose to donate everything.

Thanks to everyone for stepping forward and carrying on, and we pray that Tony will be feeling much better very soon.

Receiving the $3000 grant from the Community Foundation

Church Calendar for January & Birthdays

S	M	T	W	TH	F	S
*Birthdays this month:* Sandra, Neva, Wes, Keith,Aspen, Andy May				1New Year’s Day	2	3
411 am Worship Communion	5	6 Epiphany10 am S.A.I.L. ClassBoy’s Basketball	7	810 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	9 Boy’s Basketball	10
1111 am Worship	12 4 pm Board Mtg.	1310 am S.A.I.L. ClassBoy’s Basketball 5 pm Compassion Circle resumes (Zoom)	14	1510 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	16 Boy’s Basketball	17
1811 am Intergenera-tional Worship	19Martin Luther King Day	2010 am S.A.I.L. ClassBoy’s Basketball 5 pm Compassion Circle (Zoom)	21 7 pm Taize Service	22 10 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	23 Boy’s Basketball	24
2511 am Stone Soup Sunday Worship	26	2710 am S.A.I.L. ClassBoy’s Basketball 5 pm Compassion Circle (Zoom)	28	2910 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	30 Boy’s Basketball	31

Cashmere Community Church

213 S. Division Street

Cashmere WA 98815

cashmerecommunitychurch@gmail.com

509-782-3811 Address Correction Requested

January 2026

-Mike

Cashmere Community Church

December 2025

Worship in December

Advent

First Sunday

Second Sunday of Advent

December 7- 11 am Worship

Friday, December 12
10 am in the Fellowship Room.
All women are invited.

Second Sunday
Third Sunday of Advent
December 14 – 11 am Worship

Joanne Coleman-Campbell, preaching

Renewing our Baptism, Baptisms and New Members. Transfers

December 17 at 7 pm
Taize is a quiet service of meditation, prayer, silence and 5 repeated chant-like songs and two short readings.

Third Sunday

Intergenerational Worship

Fourth Sunday of Advent

December 21 – 11 am Worship

Christmas Eve

December 24, 7 pm

Fourth Sunday

Stone Soup for the Soul

December 28 – 11 am Worship

Sam Darling will be the speaker.

Pastor’s Message

Hello Friends and Members of Cashmere Community Church.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 1: 3
“It Is Good to Be Alive” is a song that tells of a story of a 13 year old girl who is suffering from a rare form of stomach cancer. Most days she’s in pain. Barely getting by. But when she sings “the pain seems to go away,” she claims. And she sings beautifully! I don’t remember, actually, other lines from the song. But, ‘it is good to be alive’ reminds me what waking up each morning really mean. Each ‘waking’ is a blessing. I am now borrowing this phrase as my tagline, mantra, motto, anchor…..as I continue to journey in this life, one day at a time. ‘IT IS GOOD TO BE ALIVE!’

As we approach the end of the year 2025, guess we can declare, ‘It’s good to be alive.’ We made it this far. Another year is ushering in. Some might have filled up already some dates and months on the things they want to do for next year. And I get it – there are certain things that need to be thought of ahead of time, maybe some big events and anticipated celebrations, and trips! And we have to make it sure that they get the priority in our calendar.

But, may we also remember the “small things” that actually make us become our best self, whatever it is that makes us and brings out the best in us. (There goes your homework for the next 12 months). Because, you see, only when we are at our best, that we can take care of the people we love. So, do whatever is necessary! And, as your pastor I would like to encourage you to top off your list with love and kindness, joy and peace, empathy and compassion. Remembering ‘too, to always keep faith and prayer very close to your heart.
I thank God, as always, for giving me the opportunity to love and serve HIM alongside each of you as we strive to love, care, and serve our beloved church and community.

May I also take this time to invite you to come and join us for worship each Sunday @11:00 a.m.

A special invitation to please join us in worship on December 14, 2025. It will be a day of great celebration as we witness the Baptism of three from the Children/Youth group; to receive five adults to our membership roll; and to receive two Transfer-In from other United Methodist Churches. It is also a day where we all are invited to Remember Our Baptism.

Retired District Superintendent Rev. Joanne Coleman Campbell graciously accepted our invitation to come and be our guest preacher.

Blessings of hope, peace, joy, and love on this Christmas season!

Grace and peace,

Pastor Lilia

We Are the Church

Prayers for Tony & Sally Wright, the Newton family, Larry & Peggy Solomon, Jerry Haaland, Luke MacDonald.

Linda McElhaney obituary, 1947-2025, East Wenatchee, WA Linda Farrens McElhaney, age 78, died suddenly on October 8th. She was Marge Farrens daughter and mother of Curtis who both preceded her in death. Her daughters Tina, Charlie and Amy and grand-children survive her.

Patricia Newton died on November 1 during her sleep on a trip overseas to attend a wedding. Prayers for her family and friends. A Celebration of Life for Patricia Kay Newton will be held on December 13, 2025 at 4:00 PM

Cashmere Community Church

From Tony Wright: “ I have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.. Fortunately, I have many people helping me including occupational therapists and physical therapists and Sally. I still am only getting two to three hours of sleep per night. It would really be great to get some good sleep. Not driving yet, using a walker and trying to drink more water which is what is recommended. I am stepping away from my long time treasurer position for the foreseeable future.

Ric Evans and dog Aggie spreading a little creativity as they stroll around town on Halloween.

“I miss Cashmere and Monitor so much. Blessings to all up there and I am praying for A great fall and A blessed Christmas to all up there. In Christ Love”, Jack And Nadine

Thankful for Families
The Brays & Thuringers have so much to be thankful for!
As do the Darling Park City crew

Our church has a Facebook page that you might find interesting. https://www.facebook.com/cashmerecommunitychurch

And check out our web page at www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org

Here We Stand: A Compassion Circle Reflection for December

As winter settles in and Advent’s candles glow a little brighter each week, we enter a season that invites us to stand still long enough to consider what truly matters. It is a season of waiting—yes—but also of resolve.

John and I recently returned from a trip in Germany. One of the places we went was to Worms. You may vaguely remember what happened there in April of 1521. Martin Luther stood before imperial authorities at the so-called Diet of Worms (Diet did not refer to a meal in this case but a formal meeting. It was called to demand that Luther either renounce his heretic views or face the terrible consequences.). Earlier that year he had been excommunicated by the Church for challenging practices he believed distorted the heart of the gospel. Now the empire itself demanded that he recant. Luther refused. Later tradition remembers him declaring: “Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me.”
Tourists (like John Darling) can put their feet in a model of Luther’s shoes. In the end, the Emperor condemned Luther (in an edict ) as a “notorious heretic” and banned citizens of the Empire from spreading his ideas which did not stop him nor his ideas.

It is more than a dramatic line from history. It is a reminder that courage is often a deeply spiritual act. Luther believed that God’s Spirit could guide the conscience of ordinary people — not only bishops and emperors. Through you. Through me. His stand wasn’t about ego; it was about trusting that God’s truth and compassion aren’t confined to the powerful or the perfect.

Maybe today we see something liberating in Luther’s defiance. He dared to believe that every human soul could stand directly before God without fear — beloved, worthy, and capable of discerning goodness. That’s a radical affirmation of dignity. (Unfortunately, Luther also had some very harmful ideas about the Jews…that story for another time.)

So what might “Here I stand” mean in our 2025 December context?

Perhaps it means standing for hospitality when the world grows colder — literally and spiritually. We remember that Mary and Joseph found “no room” at the inn, yet God insisted on being born into the margins anyway. The Holy arrives where welcome is scarce.

“Here I stand” can also be an act of compassion for ourselves. In this season of reflection, many of us feel the weight of what didn’t go as hoped. Internal voices demand we “recant” our worthiness: You should have accomplished more. You should be different. But compassion invites us to plant our feet and listen for grace: Beloved, you are enough. God is already with you, just as you are. That is the scandalous heart of Advent — God moving toward us in love, not away.
-continued on the next page

Compassion Corner continued

Small acts of courage matter. The Protestant Reformation didn’t begin with armies — just one person choosing love and integrity over fear. Jesus modeled the same: standing with the poor, the excluded, the weary; speaking truth with both power and tenderness; refusing to let the mighty define the dignity of the vulnerable. In his own way too, he said: Here I stand.

And so, we stand. With those seeking warmth and justice. With those whose grief needs gentleness. With those whose hope flickers but has not gone out. With the Christ-child who shows up and grows with every ordinary act of kindness.

May our stance be grounded in grace.
May our courage be gentle.
May our compassion be bold.

Here we stand. We can do no other.
God is with us. Around us. In us. All. -Dr. June Darling

Harassment Reported

Pastor Lilia received an email from Rev. Debbie Sperry of First UMC in Wenatchee warning of an individual who has been harassing some churches. Zoe Jaspers of the Sunnyslope Church wrote: “News is in the midst of traveling, but there is an individual who has been harassing the Sunnyslope Church, has stated that he intends to target other queer-affirming religious communities in the Wenatchee Valley, and is encouraging others to join him in this harassment. One form of this harassment has been via phone, lying about who he is and recording the conversation without the others’ knowledge or consent in order to post to Facebook and other platforms (classified as a gross misdemeanor under RCW 9.73.030). We know that at minimum, he has already contacted St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and New Song Community Church in addition to Sunnyslope. In one call, he claimed to have a nephew who had come out as transgender and that he was seeking advice on how to be supportive. He has also left voicemails at the Sunnyslope Church posing as a concerned community member, seeking to get a return phone call.

The individual is named Dillon Pastors, and at this time he has been calling from the phone number (812) — —, listed as being from Bedford, Indiana. He has stated on Facebook that he may be changing his phone number soon, so please be aware that he may begin contacting from a different number in the near future. He may also be contacting from the email dillonrapking@gmail.com.

Dillon Pastors and his followers have also recorded and published themselves trespassing at the Sunnyslope Church on the evening of 11/17, defacing windows and doors with a greasy substance under the name of “anointing” and casting out perceived “demons,” later lying while entering a clothing swap at Sunnyslope organized with Wenatchee and Chelan Pride on 11/18 to act belligerent and confrontational about their homophobic and transphobic beliefs. After being asked to leave the property the group then set up a loudspeaker on the sidewalk to harass clothing swap attendees. Please be aware that the content shared by this group can be disturbing and alarming. Pastors is also attempting to promote sharing of these harassing videos with illegal cash giveaway promotions on Facebook and has begun targeting local businesses like the Time Capsule, as well.

At this time, a report has been filed with Rivercom regarding the illegal recording and sharing of phone communications and Sunnyslope is working to document all this with relevant local entities and the state Attorney General’s office. In the meantime, please keep aware of this individual, his followers, and their tactics. Please pray for them as well.”

Activities in the Church Building in November

Having fun at S.A.I.L. class on November 8 Bluegrass Concert
October 30 The good witch – photo by Ed Gerber
Marie Romero – photo by
June Darling

We also have a 5th grade boys AAU group practicing in the gym which is a joy. They even sweep and mop the floor!

We did it! Raised money for our AED! Ed Gerber used his sources and resources to find the best one for our money and installed it in the gym. An AED (automated external defibrillator) can determine if a person is having a sudden cardiac arrest and deliver a shock to restore normal rhythm. We will be having training this month on Dec 8th at 12. Contact June Darling if interested. 509.670.4924. The class is limited to 20.

This is especially valuable for our people who attend our community meals, SAIL exercises, Bluegrass Concerts, blood draws, and many others who use our church in addition to our regular service attendees.

Thanks to the November Cooks!

Pastor Lilia – head cook 11/13 and CCC clean up crew Couple from Dryden

Stewardship

Quote from Fred Rogers in The World According to Mister Rogers:

“To me, what makes someone successful is managing a healthy combination of wishing and doing. Wishing doesn’t make anything happen but it certainly can be the start of some important happenings. I hope you’ll feel good enough about yourself, your yesterdays and your today, that you’ll continue to wish and dream all you can. And that you’ll do all you can to help the best of your wishes come true.

I’m proud of you for all the wishing and doing that has helped you get to this point in your lives, and I hope you are, too.”

Our Financial Picture

For the month of November 2025 our church giving totaled $6118.

$883 was given for Community Meals including the grant monies (see below) and $890 was received for use of our wonderful building.

In November 2024 our church giving totaled $5960.

The Community Foundation of North Central Washington has given the Community Meals a grant of $300 towards expenses.
Thank you for your continued support! Chelsea Evans, Financial Secretary

Essentials Pantry

The ‘Essentials Table’ is a program organized during the COVID shut down to help supply people with non-food supplies to supplement the Food Bank outreach. This program is open to families twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays and offers toothpaste, toilet paper, paper towels, diapers, shampoo, dish soap, sponges, and laundry detergent among other things. The customer base is growing and averages about 60 families. Cashmere Community Church underwrites the cost of the program and receives limited public donations to provide supplies. This year we received a small grant through the Community Foundation to help with costs, and we will work with the Cashmere Chamber, Martin’s Market and Cashmere Food Bank to ‘Stuff the Bus’ with donations at the Christmas in Cashmere Day December 6.

-JoAnne Prusa, essential volunteer

Stuff the Bus, December 6
at Martin’s Market

This year besides donating non-perishable food items for the Food Bank, you may donate diapers & TP, soap, etc. for the Essential Pantry.

Cashmere Community Church
213 S. Division Street
Cashmere WA 98815
509-782-3811
Pastor Lilia Felicitas-Malana
Sunday Worship at 11 am

Christmas in Cashmere
December 6, Downtown Cashmere
Antique Mall, Book Sale at Library Address Correction Requested

Cashmere Community Church

November 2025

Worship in November

First Sunday

November 2- 11 am Worship

Second Sunday

November 9 – 11 am Worship

Third Sunday

Intergenerational Worship

November 16 – 11 am Worship

Fourth Sunday

Stone Soup for the Soul

November 23 – 11 am Worship

Fifth Sunday

November 30 – 11 am Worship

November 5 (This Wednesday is a schedule change. Normally Taize is the 3rd Wednesday.)
Taize is a quiet service of meditation, prayer, silence and 5 repeated chant-like songs and two short readings. There is no message. It begins at 7:00 pm and lasts about 30 minutes. The service is designed for an opportunity to experience a sacred encounter collectively within our beautiful sanctuary.

November 2

Pastor’s Message

Dear Friends in Christ,

Funny how I seem to get so surprised when I realize, “oh my, it’s already 1:00 p.m.” or, “gee, it’s about time to write something for the newsletter,” or, when I read Fr. Richard Rohr’s meditation, and it says, Week Forty-Four, and I scream, well almost, just in a little bit louder than my normal voice, and say, “What? We only have eight weeks left for 2025?” But, it is, what it is. I can almost hear Year 2026 saying, “Ready or not, here I come!”

Being the perpetual optimist that I am, I squared my shoulders and said, “Well, I have 8 weeks to go- that is two months away, or Sixty-one days to work on the things I need to work on before the year ends. Today’s Upper Room meditation has the Lord Jesus reminding me, saying, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34) Thanks for the great reminder, Jesus.

The last two months of the year are always busy months for us all. And, this is true whether we’re talking about church calendar, or the calendar of activities in general. Thanksgiving is a little more than 3 weeks away. Here at the church, that’ll be followed by Advent Season, and then Christmas. I wish you patience and praying for sanity, strength, and joy as you prepare.

From my desk, I want to invite you to add two more activities in your calendar. Come November 23, 2025 is our annual Charge Conference, after worship service. Monitor folks will join us here at Cashmere Community Church. As usual we’ll have coffee hour. Charge conference starts at 1:30 p.m.

Another date is December 14, 2025. On this day we will have “Remember Your Baptism” Sunday. We’re anticipating baptism for a few of our Sunday School children. We will also celebrate the reception of four adults to the list of Professing Members of our church. There’s an air of excitement swirling among us right now.

Please join me in holding these upcoming activities, and all the people involved in your hearts, in your daily prayers.

Clearly, God is not done with us yet. The ministry of this church moves on. Thank you all for your unwavering love and support. May the good Lord bless you a thousand fold for every act of compassion and kindness you share to others.

HAPPY NOVEMBER EVERYONE!!! Love and blessings, Pastor Lilia

Save the Dates!

November 23, 1:30 pm Charge Conference
December 14 – Baptism and Receiving of New Members

We Are the Church

Prayers for Tony Wright, Larry & Peggy Solomon, the Worthen family, Whitney Decker and family, Karen Bates, Jan and Ric Evans, Jerry Haaland, Luke MacDonald,
Prayers for those affected by Hurricane Melissa. Donations may be sent to the church for UMCOR.

Prayers for sleep for Tony Wright, who has suffered from insomnia for years. He’s having a rough time right now.

Ladies Coffee,
Friday, November 14

Guarantee laughs and unique learnings from each other like “don’t use duct tape to remove your downy facial hair.” Hosted by Clare East and Jeanne Cosgrove. All women welcome.

Our church has a Facebook page that you might find interesting. https://www.facebook.com/cashmerecommunitychurch

And check out our web page at www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org

Eli Darling making a ginger bread house. We have a consistent active youth group who provide fun to our church body and offer one two excellent skits each month.

November 1

Our members who have died during the year:
Don Bates
Marjorie Farrens
Edgar Meyer

Photos from Karen Bray’s bike ride in Maryland.

A tour through the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Museum
.

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland

June Darling also provided photos for this newsletter.

Compassion Corner

“The root of joy is gratefulness. It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” — Brother David Steindl-Rast

November always feels like a quiet turning inward. The harvest is mostly in, the evenings arrive early, and the light slips low across the fields. We stand in a threshold season — not quite ending, not yet beginning. Gratitude is the appropriate posture.

Not superficial cheerfulness. Not pretending things are fine. Real gratitude is what the mystics call a “full yes” to reality — even when joy and ache arrive in the same breath. Gratitude is not denial. It is clarity.

We live in a culture of fear and outrage. Scarcity, competition, threat. Gratitude is quietly subversive. It interrupts fear with connection. It reminds us we are not as alone as we imagine. It keeps love possible. At the Last Supper — on the night of betrayal — the Gospels say Jesus gave thanks. That is not sentiment. That is spiritual resistance.

Some of the youth and some of the adults watched a movie, Soul on Fire. It’s about a 10-year-old who accidentally sets a monstrous fire and is burned on 100 percent of his body. He is given zero chance of survival. Yet he does. And he recounts all those who made it possible in addition to his doctors. His “nasty” siblings who threw water and blankets on him, who carried him out of the fire, the hospital janitor who prevented infection in his room, the announcer for the Cardinals who visited him at the hospital and had baseballs sent to him by team players. His nurse who was willing to push him to walk. His mother who helped him choose life and his father who modeled gratitude and complete love. His wife who eventually convinces him that she can love him as he is.

I think of the people in our church who model this without fanfare: especially with our children and youth. Every Sunday, at intergenerational time and before and after church, our older folks open their arms to offer blessings and smiles of connection.

November may be calling us to step up to the plate — not to manufacture good feelings, but to pay attention to what is real. And bless it with our acknowledgement and appreciation. What if this month we made gratitude a deliberate spiritual stance. An act of hope, joy, love, and peace — in advance of the sacred season? -Dr. June Darling

Thanks to the October Cooks!

Midvalley Baptist Church October 20 – Kiwanis Wacoka Community Church

Stewardship

Lord, as I start this new day, I ask for two cups: one to give and one to keep. Grant me two cups of kindness, that I might be gracious to others, while also receiving grace. Give me two cups of patience, to pause before speaking or acting out of frustration. And may I also extend patience for my own shortcomings.

Lord, I ask for two cups of strength that I may work not only for my family and for my own needs, but that I may have strength yet to serve you and do your will.

Lord, please give me two cups of forgiveness that I may let go of bitterness and strife, and demonstrate an understanding heart towards others. Likewise, allow me the ability to forgive myself.

Today I pray for two cups…two cups of diligence and joy and love. And more than all the rest, Lord, please bless me with two cups of peace. May I give peace and be at peace. -April Orme

“Somehow we must keep hope alive –

a hope that we can find a way to educate all, alleviate poverty, assuage anger, and live in harmony

with the environment,
with animals, and with each other.”

-Dr. Jane Goodall

Our Financial Picture

Thank you for your continued support! Tony’s computer is “in the shop” for repairs, so there is no financial report for the month of October. Please continue your support of our church and its’ programs.
-Tony Wright, Church Treasurer

S.A.I.L. class still going strong. Thanks to our awesome retired PT Gina Quinn, who also hosted our first Matter of Balance class in October.

Give to a Food Pantry Nearby

Any time of year, gifts of food items, monies, etc. are always welcome and needed at our local Food Banks.

There is a receptacle outside the Cashmere Food Bank at 316 River St to place your non-perishable donations. If you have a case of canned food or perishables, call Pam Leighton at 509-669-3159 and she will help you.
Give what you can.

Cashmere Community Church
213 S. Division Street
Cashmere WA 98815

Pastor Lilia Felicitas-Malana

Sunday Worship at 11 am

Address Correction Requested

Native Baskets at the
Cashmere Museum

Recognized Tribes in Washington State

Cashmere Community Church

October 2025

Worship in October

First Sunday

October 5- 11 am Worship

Second Sunday

October 12 – 11 am Worship

Third Sunday

Intergenerational Worship

October 19 – 11 am Worship

Taize service,
Wednesday, October 15, 7 pm
Taize service involves singing simple chant-like songs, a reading, moments of silence, and a prayer. It’s an opportunity for a quiet, reflective sacred encounter.

Fourth Sunday

Stone Soup for the Soul

Braving Up for Halloween! 14 Scary Questions to Help You Love Others and Help Them Love You

October 26 – 11 am Worship

Ladies Coffee

Friday Ladies’ Coffee has decided to meet on the Second Friday of the month as that date works well for the participants. So the next Ladies Coffee will be October 10 at 10:00 AM, in the Fellowship Room at the church.
All are welcome!

Pastor’s Message

“Happy birthday pastor Lilia. May God grant you the desires of your heart!” was the common message I got from my friends. “Yeah, Lord, please! Grant the desires of my heart” I mumbled. Then somehow the word ‘desire’ got stuck in my mind. What do I desire?

I close my eyes as if a birthday cake is in front of me and I’m about to blow the candles but have to pause, and silently say my wish or wishes, or “my heart’s desires.” —

-To have a heart filled with gratitude.

-For a healthy body, mind, and spirit.

-For better days ahead.

-For rain to quench the raging wild fires.

-For strength for the firefighters and volunteers.

-For typhoons and hurricanes to head off to the seas and oceans.

-For wars to end….for peace and unity to prevail.

-For greed to cease in the hearts of so many people.

-For people who’ve been granted leadership positions and power to charge such power for the benefit of the community and/or country they serve.

-For people to remember that each person carries the image of God and see them no less as God’s beloved children.

-For love and kindness, compassion and forgiveness be the measure we give to others. Ahhh….. and there’s a lot more that I’d rather keep it to myself, but am sure God knows (smile).

I believe that the Lord desires to “give the desires of my heart” but first, I have to BE and DO something. Psalm 37:4 declares, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

So, I’ve got myself homework to do in the next 365 days: Find out how to ‘Delight my self in the Lord.’ And as I delve into this quite interesting venture, I invite each of you to do the same. Our loving God knows each of our heart’s desire and wills to give it to us. But first,….find out how to delight ourselves in the Lord.

HAPPY FALL EVERYONE & STAY SAFE FROM THE SMOKE! Love,

Pastor Lilia

We Are the Church

Prayers for the Worthen family, Whitney Decker and family, Karen Bates, Jan and Ric Evans, Jerry Haaland, Luke MacDonald.

John Darling hiking Dolomite mountains in Italy

Elio Evans in action of the Soccer Field

Fire is a powerful gift

It can warm our homes

And give us smores

It can also scare us silly.
Thankful for all the firefighters working to protect our beautiful valley.

Update on Cheryl Fear’s Cookbook:

My cookbook went up for sale on Amazon on Monday the 22nd. The cover is different. Not the picture, but the font and I corrected the spelling from “farm girl” (it was one word) to “farm girl” two words. It took months to get it corrected. But if you go on Amazon and search under my name, the new version will come up.

Lynnette Gerhard secured the community building at her over 55 community for a book signing next month. It will be on October 25th. I’m looking forward to celebrating the completion of this project—at long last!

Karen Bray’s 100 Mile Ride

September was “The Great Cycle Challenge”

A fund raiser to support research toward eliminating kids cancer. It’s the third year I’ve participated in setting a goal for number of miles ridden and amount of dollars contributed. This year my goal was 100 miles and $500. I’m happy to report that I doubled my miles and the donation continues to lift my goal a little past $500. Thank you to those who have supported me with cheers of “go girl” faith and to those who have donated. Together we achieve more!

Cascades to Palouse Trail with friends Robin Gates and Radene Winkelman

Compassion Corner

“Compassion is not a soft option. It is the strongest choice we can make, because it asks us to feel another’s suffering as our own and still act with love.”

October is a season of change. The days shorten, the leaves flame into color, and we are reminded that life itself is a cycle of letting go and beginning again. In such times, compassion becomes our steady lantern.

As we look out into the world we may feel a heavy burden in this darker season. Compassion doesn’t mean fixing everything or carrying the world on our shoulders. It means daring to see the pain of others and responding with presence and kindness. In fact, research shows that small acts of compassion—listening without judgment, offering a hand, even making gentle eye contact—calm our own nervous systems as much as they soothe others.

As people of faith and good will, we are invited to cultivate compassion not only for our neighbors, but also for ourselves. October can bring busyness, anxieties, and fatigue. A compassionate response begins right there: taking a deep breath, offering ourselves patience, and then extending that same patience outward.

May this autumn season invite us to walk more gently, listen more deeply, and allow compassion to guide us—like a warm shawl against the chill of the changing winds.

A Blessing
May we pause long enough to notice the hurting.
May we be gentle enough to ease another’s burden.
May we be brave enough to open our own hearts.
And may compassion flow through us—
like autumn light through turning leaves—
bringing warmth and hope to all it touches.

September Community Meal Partners

Seventh Day Adventist Team Cashmere Community Church Team

Our Lady of The Assumption Catholic Church Gastropub…Chef Seth, Gina & friends

Menu for October Thursday Night Meals in the church gym5 to 6:30 pm or until the food is goneDonations gladly accepted.
October 2 -Dryden improvement club Tator tot casserole, salad, dessert	October 9 Cathryn and Friends Home made Mac and Cheese, Salad, Green beans Dessert and drinks.
October 16 Midvalley Baptist church – Spaghetti and meatballs, salad , French bread, Dessert, and drinks..	October 23 Kiwanis club- Wacoka Chicken Tostados, dessert, and drink.
October 30 Cashmere Community Church Pancit, chicken, and green salad, pie and drink.	Come in, enjoy a delicious meal and time spent with friends & family. A bonus – no worriesabout the clean up!

Stewardship

A little girl, Amanda, and her parents were in church one Sunday and Amanda did not want to put her quarter in the collection plate. She squeezed her fingers tightly around the quarter and wouldn’t let go. Her parents had to carefully pry each of her fingers off the quarter before it finally clinked into the offering plate. That afternoon Amanda was playing on the back yard swing. Every time Amanda got as high as possible on the swing, she’d yell at the top of her lungs, “God, I want my quarter back! God, I want my quarter back!” Have you ever felt like Amanda? Do you sometimes have a hard time giving to God? You, too, can become a joyful giver without anyone having to pry your fingers off of what you’re so tightly holding onto.

Our Financial Picture

Our church giving for September 2025 was $5,124 and our year to date giving was $55,871

Our church giving for September 2024 was $6,474 and our year to date giving was $48,997

All of our church expenses are current and our cash balance is $16,757.

Thank you for your continued support! -Tony Wright, Church Treasurer

SAIL class is going strong.

Thank you to Karen Bray and June Darling for all the photos for the newsletter.

*October 2025*
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
			110 am Bible Study	210 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal	3	4
511 am Worship & Communion	6	79:30 am Balance Class 5 pm Compassion (Zoom)	810 am Bible Study 2 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm Food Bank	99:30 am Balance Class 5 pm Community Meal	1010 am Ladies Coffee	11 10 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
1211 amWorship	134 pm Board Meeting	149:30 am Balance Class 5 pm Compassion (Zoom)	1510 am Bible Study 7 pm Taize Service	169:30 am Balance Class 5 pm Community Meal	17	1810 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
19 11 am Intergenera-tional Worship	20	219:30 am Balance Class 5 pm Compassion (Zoom)	2210 am Bible Study 2 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm Food Bank	239:30 am Balance Class 5 pm Community Meal	24	25 7 pm Blue Grass Concert
2611 am Worship Stone SoupSunday	27	289:30 am Balance Class 5 pm Compassion (Zoom	2910 am Bible Study	309:30 am Balance Class 5 pm Community Meal	31

Cashmere Community Church
213 S. Division Street
Cashmere WA 98815

Pastor Lilia Felicitas-Malana

Sunday Worship at 11 am

October Scare Crazy

Cashmere Community Church

September 2025

Worship in September

First Sunday

September 7 – 11 am Worship

Pastor Lilia, Traditional worship

Second Sunday

September 14 – 11 am Worship
Pastor Lilia, Lectio Divina

Third Sunday

Intergenerational Worship

September 21 – 11 am Worship

Fourth Sunday

Stone Soup for the Soul

September 28 – 11 am Worship

“A Lesson in Manners Especially for Christians” by some folks with very good manners.

Beginning Again

September 3, 10 am
Bible Study using the Upper Room

September 13, 10 am
S.A.I.L classes/Yoga

September 16, 5 pm
Compassion Circle/zoom

Pastor’s Message

A few more days and Summer is ending. Yeah, children are back to School. I’m also coming back to work from a month of medical leave. Surgery went well. Healing and recovery was on cue. From the bottom of my heart, Gracias! Salamat! Thank you! for the love and support you all have afforded me.

Yesterday I had my Clergy Consultation with the District Superintendent. It ’s more of a casual check in on how things are going on in the life and ministry of Cashmere and Monitor Churches than a “Consultation.” DS Daniel Miranda is glad to hear our ministry stories, the things we are doing to serve our community. I have to make sure to tell you and extend to you his sincere affirmation and celebration with us all.

Our Study Group is happy to announce that beginning the first Wednesday of September, the 3rd, we are back for our 10:00 a.m. study. Like in the past, we will use The Upper Room Devotional as our study guide. And for the first 2 Wednesdays, September 3, & September 10, that’s what we will do.

But in the next Study Group meeting, beginning September 17, we will be having conversations about our Core Beliefs as Jesus’ disciples in the Wesleyan Faith tradition. This digress stems from an interest from someone who is wanting to join our church and wants to know more about us. Am looking to three to four weeks time for this study. Or, it could be more. (Smile)

Anyone is welcome to join us. If you’ve been attending our worship services and wants to know more about us you are more than welcome to join the group.

Again, thank you all for your faithfulness and dedication in fulfilling your commitment to be a channel of God’s love and blessings to everyone.

Happy September, Y’all!

Grace and peace,

Pastor Lilia

We Are the Church

Prayers for the Worthen family, Pastor Lilia and her healing, Whitney Decker and family, Sharon Wilson, Jan and Ric Evans, Jerry Haaland, Luke MacDonald.

Don Bates, age 87, died July 1, after a brief illness at his home in LaJuna Woods, CA. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Karen, and daughter, Susan and her family.

Wayne Worthen, age 85, died August 7. Our condolences to his wife Gail, son Eric (Lisa) and family.

Jan Evans’ brother, Pete Meredith, died on August 10. Prayers of comfort for the family.

John Darling, on right, recharging at Nootka Island. One of our CCC aims is to take care of ourselves so that we can better walk alongside others.

Hazel Ryan and Youth ice skated after church on a hot August Sunday.
Two of our youth (Anna and Layla) after a week of theatre camp.

Friday ladies’ coffee crew celebrating Carolyn Kenoyer’s birthday. Next Ladies Coffee will be September 5 at 10:00 AM, in the Fellowship Room at the church. All are welcome! -photos by June Darling

Karen Bray’s 100 Mile Challenge

“I’ve signed up for the 2025 Great Cycle Challenge and will be riding this September to fight kids’ cancer! My goal is to pedal 100 miles throughout the month.

Why am I doing this? Because cancer is the largest killer of children from disease in the United States – 38 children die of cancer every week.

My challenge will be tough, but it’s nothing compared to what these brave kids and their families face every day of their lives as they battle this terrible disease.

Kids should be living life, NOT fighting for it.

And so I am taking on this challenge to end childhood cancer and save little lives.

Please support me by making a donation today.

All funds raised will support Children’s Cancer Research Fund to continue their work to develop innovative treatments and find a cure for childhood cancer.

Thank you for your support.

Karen

From Cheryl Fear: “I received notification on Sunday from Amazon that my cookbook is now available for purchase on Amazon. I’m expecting the printed copies to arrive soon at the house.
It is titled “The Family Table Cookbook Memories & Recipes of an Illinois Farm Girl”.

A Kindness Critters skit, August 17th

Elwood Presley and Chuck Dronen, August 31 leading music in Worship. photos by Karen Bray

Compassion Corner

“Joy is the serious business of Heaven,” wrote C.S. Lewis. If joy is Heaven’s business, then play, delight, and renewal are not frivolous—they are holy. Too often Christians neglect what keeps us alive and vibrant: laughter, creativity, and simple play that recharges our spirits. St. Augustine once advised, “Take care of your body as if you were going to live forever; and take care of your soul as if you were going to die tomorrow.” Our bodies are not burdens but sacred vessels. As Paul reminds us, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). When we nourish our bodies with rest, good food, and movement, when we allow ourselves to laugh and play, we are storing up stamina and love. Self-compassion is not selfish; it is what equips us to walk beside others with steady hearts and generous attention.

Compassion Practice:
Today, pause to ask yourself: What brings me joy? What restores my body? Take one small step toward play, rest, or nourishment. Then offer a simple prayer: Lord, help me care for this body and soul You have entrusted to me, so that I may love others with strength, joy, and steadiness.

John Darling (81 next month) staying fit with yoga routine. Another way of caring for the self.

Compassion circle will restart on Tuesday September 16th, 5 pm

Forget survival of the fittest — kindness is what really lasts.”

“Those communities which included the greatest number of the most sympathetic members, would flourish best.” – Charles Darwin

We’ve all heard “survival of the fittest.” But research — from Darwin to modern thinkers like E.O. Wilson, Margaret Mead, Dacher Keltner, and Adam Grant — shows something else: groups built on kindness, sympathy, and cooperation last longer and thrive better.

Selfishness may glitter in the moment — grabbing more than your share, lashing out when you’re hurt — but it erodes trust. Kindness, by contrast, builds belonging, resilience, and flourishing.

Scripture points us to the same truth:
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” — Colossians 3:12–14

Three Seeds to Plant In the World (if you’d like to be more of a farmer like Randy Smith who spoke at our August Stone Soup Sunday):

Bring Something. Show up with a gift — especially your full attention.
Pause the Fist. Let anger cool; escalation only weakens the group.
Farm, Don’t Flee, Don’t Fight, Don’t Freeze. Invest patiently in relationships that endure.

The Good Life isn’t won by fighters or hoarders. It’s cultivated by those who tend, share, and sow peace.

Blessing:
May the Spirit clothe you in kindness, steady your hands for peace, and open your heart to sow love where fear or selfishness once took root. May you discover again and again that the way of Jesus is truly the way of the good life. Amen.

drawings by Dan McConnell

Community Meals

Midvalley Baptists cooked a meal this August. One young man insists on contributing. (Pat is getting kidded about taking a kid’s money.) Dryden Improvement Club and yummy desserts. Our community meal brings many smiles and connections among all ages and groups of people. photos by June Darling

Menu for September Thursday Night Meals in the church gym5 to 6:30 pm or until the food is goneDonations gladly accepted.
Sept. 4Catholic church with chef Ben : Roman Style roasted pork with pear and Madeira pan reduction, creamy Asiago polenta, Kohlrabi apple salad with cider Dijon Vinaigrette, and something sweet.	Sept. 11Cashmere Community Church – Pork adobo, Steamed rice, Cucumber salad, Cantaloupe, Dessert, Coffee and Lemonade to drink.
Sept. 18 Seventh Day Adventist church – Haystacks with beans and Spanish. Rice, Brownies and Chocolate chip cookies .	Sept. 25Chefs Gina and Seth – Chicken and Rice, salad, focaccia bread, rice crispie treats
Come in for air conditioned comfort, enjoy a delicious meal and time spent with friends & family. A bonus – no worriesabout the clean up!

Stewardship

Jesus was the Good Steward and how to follow his example:

Use your God given talents–Jesus encourages us to actively engage with these gifts bestowed upon us by God and to use them responsibly for the growth of his kingdom through the church.

Serve the needs of others–Jesus’ whole life was one of self-giving service. In the same way true stewardship isn’t about statue or recognition but about humbly caring for others.

Make the most of your time–Jesus made time for the marginalized and hurting showing that good stewardship isn’t just about talents or money but how we prioritize people in our daily lives. Have a compassionate and caring attitude

Be prepared for sacrifice–Jesus sacrificed his life for us. Our responsibility is to steward our lives in a manner that aligns with the transformative power of the cross and share the life saving message of the gospel.

Care of the environment–we are responsible for maintaining the harmony and balance of the created world. Responsible resource management, sustainable practices, and a mindful approach to environmental impact align with the biblical call to be caretakers of God’s creation.

Women’s Weekend at Ingall’s Creek Center – October 17 – October 19, 2025

“Steady Hearts”
Securing our footing in a chaotic world.

Becca Niemeyer, one of the Program Directors at the Center, will host the space. It will be space to learn together what it means to do faith across generations.

Registration closes October 10th.

https://www.ingallscreek.org/upcoming-events/womens-retreat-2025

SAIL class doing stretching after strengthening and aerobics. Gina our main instructor will be back in September after a successful hip replacement.

Our Financial Picture

Our church giving for the month of August 2025 was $6,201 and our year to date giving was $50,747

Our church giving for the month of August 2024 was $4,986 and our year to date giving was $42,523

Our Insurance bill for the year is $9,630 and is now paid in full.

Apportionments are paid through August and total $8,188 through August

Our bank balance at 8/31 is $16,408

Our deficit for the month of August was $2,228 and our year to date deficit is $11,701

Thank you for your continued support of Cashmere Community Church and our many activities. -Tony Wright

*September 2025*
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
	1Labor Day	2	310 am Bible Study	4 5 pm Community Meal	510 am Ladies Coffee	6
711 am Worship & Communion	84 pm Board Meeting	9	1010 am Bible Study 2 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm Food Bank	11 5 pm Community Meal	12	13 10 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
1411 amWorship	15	1610 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Compassion (Zoom)	1710 am Bible Study	1810 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal	19	2010 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
21 11 am Intergenera-tional Worship	22	2310 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Compassion (Zoom)	2410 am Bible Study 2 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm Food Bank	2510 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal	26	27
2811 am Worship Stone SoupSunday	29	3010 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Compassion (Zoom)

Cashmere Community Church
213 S. Division Street
Cashmere WA 98815

Pastor Lilia Felicitas-Malana

Sunday Worship at 11 am

Chelan County Fair

Cashmere Community Church

August 2025

Monitor UMC will be joining us for Worship in August!

First Sunday

August 3 – 11 am Worship

Sam Darling, Speaker

Second Sunday

August 10 – 11 am Worship
June Darling, Speaker

Third Sunday

Intergenerational Worship

August 17 – 11 am Worship
Sam Darling, Speaker

Fourth Sunday

Stone Soup for the Soul

August 24 – 11 am Worship

Planting Peace: One Farmer’s Incredible Response to 9/11

A True Story of Courage, Faith, and Friendship Across Borders and Religions

What can one person do in the face of terror?
When the towers fell, he was in Washington D.C.—shaken, afraid, and heartbroken. But instead of choosing revenge, or ignoring the horror, this man chose a third way.

Join us for a powerful Sunday with Randy Smith, “ole farmer”, and visionary who turned tragedy into trust through an international agricultural exchange—planting peace and reaping unexpectedly beautiful friendships.
Come hear how cultivating the land became a way to harvest beautiful friendships with the Muslim people of Kyrgyzstan. Sunday, August 24^th, 11:00 am.

Fifth Sunday

August 31 – 11 am Worship

Pastor’s Message

Hmmm… ‘my days are numbered’ I muttered to myself this morning after I realized I have 8 days to go before my hand surgery. And, quickly I almost panicked when it dawned on me the things I have on my to-do list that I haven’t checked off. Actually, I did panic, a mild one, if there’s such a thing as ‘mild’ panic. Upon noticing my panicky reaction, I sat down, took a deep breath for about a minute or two. All this time I’m telling myself, ‘it’s okay, Lilia…you have eight days to do what you need to do’.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we know exactly how many more days, months, or years we have to enjoy life with our loved ones and friends. Then, we can make a to-do list of the things that matter or are important to keep our relationships strong, vibrant, meaningful. And, one by one put a big check on the line before it.

Psalm 90:12 is a request to God the Creator to “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom” by the Psalmist. The request is more about our need for God to reveal to us the brevity of life. The word ‘number’ is not so much about the exact counts in days, months, or years of our lives. It is more of having the knowledge and wisdom that our earthly lives will not last long. And we have to make the most out of each single day we get to live.

I know that I now have more years behind me than before me. I am grateful beyond words of all the years I got to enjoy — some with great challenges, but mostly, years that are filled with God’s grace and blessings. And looking back I will say that even during those challenging years, intertwined with each challenge were God’s abiding love, and unspeakable grace and mercy. I now consider that I am on the last leg of my life’s journey. How much more time do I have?—only the good Lord knows.

My game plan is to make sure to stay faithful to my calling. And my call is to become an open vessel, always, so that whatever goodness and kindness God pours into my life, I will wholeheartedly share it to others who might need and benefit from it.

Summer blessings everyone! Stay cool! Stay safe!

Pastor Lilia

We Are the Church

Prayers for Pastor Lilia and her surgeon, Whitney Decker and family, Sharon Wilson, Ric Evans, Jerry Haaland, Luke MacDonald, Keegan Beckmann, Carolyn Kenoyer.

Daniel Luke, age 68, the brother of our pianist, Dorene Filion, died July 3rd. Our condolences to Dorene, George and family.

Reverend David Tinney, retired elder and beloved spouse of Carol Schmidt Tinney, died July 22, 2025 at the age of 75. He is survived by Carol Tinney; as well as their children, Rebecca Jennings and William Tinney. One of his pastorates was at Trinity UMC in East Wenatchee.

Pastor Lilia will undergo surgery on her right hand on August 1st. She is expecting a six-week recovery period. We are thankful to all who are “filling the pulpit” for Lilia. Prayers for a successful outcome and healing.

It will take a village to do all the “little chores” that Pastor Lilia has been doing every week. If you see something that hasn’t been done, and you feel it should be done – then do it.

“We’re here for a little window. And to use that time to catch and share shards of light and laughter and grace seems to me the great story.”

-Brian Doyle (1956 – 2017)

”

See you on Friday, August 15 at 10:00 AM, Ladies Coffee in the Fellowship Room at the church. All are welcome!

Leavenworth Community UMC news: Reverend Denise Roberts has returned to pastor the church in a part-time position. Welcome home, Denise!

“God chose Noah
God chose Abraham
God chose Isaac
God chose Jacob
God chose Joseph
God chose Mary
God chose Joshua
God chose David
God chose all the Prophets
God chose the 12
God chose the 72
God chose Paul
But you You somehow chose God?

No. If you are a Christian, God chose you, arranged for you to be born at the time and place of his choosing, and arranged for you to hear his Gospel. He regenerated you by new birth and justified you, forgave your sin and called you and redeemed you. You were completely incapable of choosing God had God not first chosen You.”
-unknown submitted by Vicki Helms.

Compassion Corner

7 Ways to Cultivate Christian Spirituality

Christian spirituality is the way we live in loving relationship with God, others, ourselves, and the world — following the example of Jesus.

Create a Daily Pause
Set aside a few minutes each day for stillness, reflection, or prayer together as a family.

Spend Time in Nature
Take walks, watch sunsets, or sit under a tree—help your family experience awe and wonder at God’s creation.

Ask Meaningful Questions
Encourage conversation: What are you grateful for? What gives life meaning? Who inspires you to be more loving?

Practice Kindness
Do small acts of kindness for neighbors, friends, and strangers. Reflect together on how it feels to love like Jesus.

Enjoy Stories with Heart
Read books or watch movies that highlight courage, hope, or compassion—and talk about how they connect with Jesus’ teachings.

Express Through Art and Music
Draw, write, or play music to explore emotions and connect with God in creative ways.

Serve Together
Volunteer, make care packages, or write thank-you notes. Serving others builds connection, gratitude, and purpose.

Women’s Weekend at Ingall’s Creek Center – October 17 – October 19, 2025

“Steady Hearts” Securing our footing in a chaotic world.

Becca Niemeyer, one of the Program Directors at the Center, will host the space. There will be no speakers, but participants will engage in communal activities – with the invitation to share in the conversation as much or as little as desired. It will be space to learn together what it means to do faith across generations.

Welcome are moms with infants up to 1 year, and daughters or granddaughters who are over 12 years. Welcome are women of any age and stage ready to enter into the conversations God is stirring up among us. Registration closes October 10th.

Community Meals

Seventh Day Adventist Team Judi & Ed Gerber’s Team

Menu for August Thursday Night Meals in the church gym5 to 6:30 pm or until the food is goneDonations gladly accepted.
August 7 Dryden improvement club – Tater tot Casserole, salad and dessert.	August 14 Candy and the Happy Letters Group- Chicken salad sandwiches, green salad, chips and dessert.
August 21 Mid-valley Baptist church- Spaghetti and meatballs, with salad, French bread, dessert.	August 28 to be Announced. Volunteers?
Come in for air conditioned comfort, enjoy a delicious meal and time spent with friends & family. A bonus – no worriesabout the clean up!

Stewardship

2 great examples of stewardship from the Bible

1) Noah’s Ark

After being called on by God in the face of the great flood, Noah became the steward of all animals. He was called to build his ark to help every species on earth survive the great flood. Noah was responsible not only to God for answering his call but to all creatures on earth to steward them through the flood. This story teaches us that we must accept the responsibilities God tasks us with.

2) Moses guiding the freed people

Moses stewarded the freed people of Israel both from their bondage and through their wandering in the wilderness. Even when it was difficult and the people complained, Moses helped guide them and prayed on their behalf. Stewarding is a necessary part of life-caring for one another is a key part of God’s message and a vital assignment of all who follow Him.

Our Financial Picture

Our year to date giving is $7,000 more than it was last year–

Church giving for July 2025 was $6,838 and our year to date giving was $44,546

Church giving for July 2024 was $3,072 and our year to date giving was $37,537

We paid $2,000 in July toward our insurance bill and will pay the balance in August

The parsonage had some plumbing problems which cost $612 to repair

Our ongoing mission to provide non food items to the community has spent $3,054 through July

Finally we took $15,000 from the memorial fund to cover current and future expenses

Thank you for your continued support!

-Tony Wright

Check out our church’s website at www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org

Happy Birthday to all of you born in August!

Cashmere Community Church
213 S. Division Street
Cashmere WA 98815

Pastor Lilia Felicitas-Malana

Sunday Worship at 11 am

Photo by Tripadvisor

It’s Pear Time!

Cashmere Community Church

July 2025

Come Worship with Us

First Sunday

July 6 – 10:30 am Worship at
Cashmere Presbyterian Church

Second Sunday

July 13 – 11 am Worship

Third Sunday

Intergenerational Worship

July 20 – 11 am Worship

Fourth Sunday

Stone Soup for the Soul

July 27 – 11 am Worship with Karen Bray – Trip to Croatia.

Community VBS July 7 – 11
Mornings at Cashmere Community
Evenings at Cashmere Presbyterian

No Ladies Coffee in July!

See you on Friday, August 14 at 10:00 AM, Ladies Coffee in the Fellowship Room at the church. All are welcome!

Pastor’s Message

Every year, each conference of the United Methodist Church around the world convenes at their designated time and place. It is a time and a moment to celebrate the work and ministry of the churches comprising each conference.

For us here at The Pacific Northwest Conference we meet yearly in the month of June. This year, Lay delegates and pastors from the panhandle of Idaho and the whole of the state of Washington met at Bothell United Methodist Church for those of us who made it in person, others joined us via zoom.

For three days, we worshiped, we prayed, we celebrated our retirees, honored and remembered those we lost during the conference year, Ordained and Commissioned new pastors, and passed legislations that will help and guide us do our work and ministry here in our area and in the wider connection.

We also reaffirmed our commitment to be more conscientious in doing our part to care for our beloved planet. One that I am proud that Cashmere Community Church has as one of four core values in our mission statement.

We also voted and passed the Four Amendments to our Church Constitution (Book of Discipline) passed by the delegates of the 2024 General Conference for ratification, namely:

Worldwide Regionalization -A set of amendments to create new regional conferences that will each have equal power to adapt portions of the Book of Discipline within their prospective regions. The United States would become its own Regional Conference, allowing it to make decisions that specifically address outreach and ministry needs within the U.S. context.

Inclusiveness of the Church —An amendment to add the words “gender” and “ability” to Paragraph 4, Article 4 of the constitution to categories that cannot be used to exclude membership in The United Methodist Church.

Racial Justice —An amendment to strengthen Article V of the UMC Constitution by explicitly recognizing the church’s role in combating racism, racial inequity, colonialism, white privilege, and white supremacy.

Educational requirements for clergy members —amends Section VI, Article IV of the United Methodist Constitution, which establishes the educational requirements for clergy members of annual or provisional conferences who are eligible to vote for clergy delegates to the General Conference.

At the last day of the conference, Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth blessed and send us back to our appointed place of ministry of service. So, by July 1, 2025 I will begin my ninth year of serving God and his beloved people at Cashmere Community Church alongside each of you. I’m grateful beyond words.

Let us hold one another in heart and prayers!

With all my love,
Pastor Lilia

We Are the Church

Prayers for Whitney Decker and family, Sharon Wilson, Ric Evans, Jerry Haaland, Luke MacDonald, Keegan Beckmann, Carolyn Kenoyer.

Nadine Pusel’s brother, Jay Gange, died in late May in Nebraska. Prayers for Nadine, Jack and family.
Email from Jack: “I really miss it up there . We left property that had been in our family since 1885 as my great grand-parents were the first White couple in Monitor. It is Family here now Daughter, Son in-law and 5 grandchildren then a 14-hour train ride to MI and our other Daughter and Granddaughters. Blessings to All up there. In Christ’s Love, Jack and Nadine Pusel

Vada Stewart obituary, 1946-2025, Ellensburg, WA Vada Stewart, age 79, died on June 11 in Ellensburg, WA. She is survived by her husband, Jamie, and her children. They were attendees of the Community Meal.

A memorial service for Ed Meyer is being planned for 4 – 6 pm, July 13 at Union Hill Cider, East Wenatchee WA.

Sophia Darling has made it to Cody, Wyoming for a summer of backpacking, riding horses, and fishing. She has no access to electronics and will not return until the first week of August. She cried just thinking of how much she would miss her church family. If you’d like to send her an encouraging note, please contact her father or her grandparents Darling.

Julie Ryan, Rotarian of the Year

Ryans at Bea’s graduation

Ryan’s granddaughter Bea Kelzenberg graduated from Tacoma’s Stadium High School on Tuesday, June 18 at the Tacoma Dome. Also pictured with Dick and Julie is daughter Shelley and her husband Jay Maebori. Bea will next year be attending Skidmore College, a small liberal arts college in upstate New York. They were delighted to celebrate Bea with Shelley, Jay and Bea’s two siblings, granddaughter Dora and grandson Sebastian.

Fawn beneath the cherry tree.
photo by Ann McConnell

Compassion Corner

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
As an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

The poem “The Guest House” helps us be compassionate toward life’s inevitable ups and downs and encourages us to see things in a different way – to welcome all exper-iences and emotions even the negative ones as opportunities for growth, meaning, and transformation. The poem encourages us to be open to a spiritual understanding even of adversity as a path to the Sacred.

One of the things which blocks compassion is our reactivity to people and experiences. We want to suppress “bad” emotions and events… adversities – fight them, or run away from them. That approach keeps us from being open to growth and experiencing life in its fullness.

Check out our church’s website at www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org

Stewardship

What does it mean that God is Love? God is really love in all its forms and manifestations and we need to keep our hearts open to seeing it. What we have to give to one another is Love. Giving is not a transaction for which we receive something in return. The giving is itself the reward. That is why it is more blessed to give than to receive. The second side to Giving is receiving the gift. If we refuse a gift sincerely offered, we deny the blessing they deserve. It is important to keep in mind that the giver is receiving a greater gift than we are and by declining the gift we deny them their blessing. We all have many giving opportunities and we should strive together to produce abundant blessings.

Our Financial Picture

Church offering for the month of June 2025 was $7,133 and our year to date giving is $37,708

Church offering for the month of June 2024 was $8,317 and our year to date giving is $34,465

We keep helping 50 or more families twice each month through the essential pantry. Through June this mission project has spent $2,458 of the $3,000 grant. All of our expenses are current except for our insurance bill-we have paid $5,500 of the $9,630 and the balance will be paid over the next couple of months. We continue paying our monthly apportionments of $1,024. So far there have been donations of $695 for an AED (thank you). Finally we have asked for $15,000 from the Doane memorial to help cover expenses for the coming months. Thank you everyone for your continued support! -Tony Wright

*July 2025*
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
Compassion Circle is on hiatus until September.		110 am S.A.I.L.	210 am Bible Study	310 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal	Fourth of July	510 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
610:30 am Worship with the VBS Team at the Presbyter-ian Church	79:30 am VBS begins!	8 9:30 am VBS	9 9:30 am VBS2 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm Food Bank	10 9:30 am VBS 5 pm Community Meal	11 9:30 am VBS	1210 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
1311 am Intergenerational Worship	144 pm Board Meeting	1510 am S.A.I.L.	16	1710 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal	18	19 10 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
2011 am WorshipStone SoupSunday	21	2210 am S.A.I.L.	232 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm Food Bank	2410 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal	25	2610 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
27 11 am Worship through Music	28	2910 am S.A.I.L.	30	3110 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal

Happy Birthday to all of you born in July!

Cashmere Community Church
213 S. Division Street
Cashmere WA 98815

509-782-3811

Pastor Lilia Felicitas-Malana

Sunday Worship at 11 am

Photo by Chelsea Garbell

Post by Janis Ian on Facebook

Cashmere Community Church

June 2025

Come Worship with Us

First Sunday

Ascension Sunday
June 1 – 11 am Worship & Communion

Second Sunday

June 8 – 11 am Worship

Third Sunday

Intergenerational Worship

Father’s Day

June 15 – 11 am Worship

Kindness critter skit – “The Critter Who Didn’t Know His Dad”

Juneteenth

Freedom Day

June 19

Fourth Sunday

Stone Soup for the Soul

June 22 – 11 am Worship

Topic: Stick Your Neck Out – Notes for Budding Heroes. This will be a church facilitated discussion about how to help yourself and others who are being bullied and de-humanized.

Fifth Sunday

June 29 – 11 am Worship
Ready to Sing?

Second Friday

Friday, June 10 at 10:00 AM, Ladies Coffee in the Fellowship Room at the

church. All are welcome!

“Be faithful in small things
because it is in them
that your strength lies.”
– Mother Theresa

Pastor’s Message

Graduation marks the end of a year’s worth of hard work for all students. Those from colleges or universities their next stop will be to find a job and start earning and living on their own. High School graduates will have a couple of months of rest (or summer jobs) before entering college. Then, there are kids who will be bored for the next couple of months before going back to school for yet another year of hard work and study. And they patiently march in this loop, again and again, until they reach (H.S.) graduation.

Graduation. The end of one thing. It is also the beginning of another. Start, finish. Begin, end. It is like a season. Spring is almost over which means Summer is just around the corner. Calendar-wise, we’re almost half-way through the year.

Somehow, this idea that everything has a beginning and an end gives my mind respite when in the midst of life’s challenges. “This too, shall come to pass,” I remind myself. And eventually it does, always. Well, almost always. It gives me hope for better days when I remember what the writer of the book of Ecclesiastes when he said, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (3:1) “(He) God has made everything suitable for its time…” (3:11).

No matter what you’re going through I wish and pray that you’ll find time to enjoy the beautiful weather and the awesome nature that surrounds us. Take one day at a time. Remember that even the darkest of the night will give way to the dawning of a new day, fresh and filled with a gazillion possibilities.

Meanwhile, I invite you to come visit us here at Cashmere Community Church. We would love to welcome you all. Our Sunday worship is at 11:00 a.m.

On weekdays you can join the following activities or events:
-Wednesday Bible Study @10:00 a.m.
-Thursday Community Dinner, 5:00-6:30 p.m.
-S.A.I.L. class exercise on Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Saturdays, 10:00-11:00 am
– Chair Yoga on Saturdays, 11:00 – 11:40 am

Community Vacation Bible School is also coming up. It will be held on July 7-11, 2025. Please spread the word around.

Have a great Summer everyone!

Pastor Lilia

“What lies behind us
and what lies before us
are small matters
compared to what lies within us.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

We Are the Church

Prayers for Sharon Wilson, Ric Evans, Jerry Haaland, Luke MacDonald, Keegan Beckmann, Carolyn Kenoyer, Family and Friends of Marge Farrens, Ed Meyer and Greg Parker.

Email: “Thank you so much for the newsletter. I love to think about you all. God’s blessings be on each of you.”

Patsy Meyer-Odell.

Diane Parker’s son, Greg, died May 16 at the age of 64. Prayers of comfort and peace for his family.

Dr. Edgar A. Meyer died on Saturday, April 12. He would have celebrated his 99th birthday on June 13, 2025. A memorial service is being planned for 4 – 6 pm, July 13 at Union Hill Cider, East Wenatchee WA. Remembrances may be sent to Anne & Greg Anderson. Please contact the church office (509.782.3811) for their address.

“Thank you all. Nothing is expected, no pressure but I know you all enjoyed my dad at your Thursday dinners & such. Cookies, any sort of sweets would be appreciated. We will be making some things but would appreciate any help as I have no idea how many will come. Have a feeling it could be a lot! The more the Merrier.” Anne Anderson

May Friday Coffee

The ladies met for coffee and conversation on May 17th in the Fellowship Room. Carol Street won the door prize – hot dog buns and wieners!

Community Concert on May 17th – Runaway Train

Check out our church’s website at www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org

Community Meals Free Thursday Community Dinners!
June 5 – Dryden Improvement ClubTater tot Casserole, Salad, Dessert and Drinks	June 12 Cashmere Community ChurchChicken Fettuccine with mushroom Alfredo sauce Fresh Green Salad Desserts & Drinks
June 19 Mid-Valley Baptists with FranSpaghetti & meat balls, Salad, Bread Dessert & Drinks	June 26 Cathryn & FriendsBaked Potato Bar Coleslaw, Cookies Brownies & Drinks
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm or until food is gone Cashmere Community Church 213 S. Division Donations Accepted All are Welcome. All Means All

Joseph United Methodist Church in Northeast Oregon has been providing meals every Monday night. “We weren’t sure who would come. We just knew that there was hunger in our community: for food, for connection, and for hope. It was such a success, that the program expanded to another rural town in our county last fall. This year our free community dinners expanded yet again with more people showing up to eat and to volunteer! Rev. Beth Estock, Pastor at Joseph UMC. Visit www.josephumc.org
Leavenworth Community UMC also provides one evening meal a month.

Our Lady of the Assumption and Chef Ben hard at work preparing a community meal.

Community church cooks 2nd Thursday in May

June S.A.I.L. Classes

Tuesdays – 10 – 11 am
Thursdays – 10 – 11 am
Saturdays – 10 – 11 am
in the church gym

Julie and Dick Ryan having some fun at S.A.I.L. class

Compassion Corner

Father’s Day Reflection

“Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.” —Psalm 103:13

Father’s Day can be a time of gratitude—and also of grief. Some have known the steady strength of a loving dad. Others carry wounds from absence, anger, or neglect. For them, it can be hard to trust a God described as Father. Today, we honor all fathers who tried their best, and we extend compassion to those still healing. Self-compassion is holy, too. When we allow ourselves to grieve unmet needs, we make room for God’s love to reach us anew—with gentleness, mercy, and grace.

Spring has been very kind
to the Rose
this year.
What a Gift!

Upcoming Cashmere High School
Graduation activities

Senior parade is Wednesday, June 4th at 5:45 pm starting at Riverside Park. Graduation is Friday June 6th at 8:00 pm at Cashmere High School football field.

“But you cannot control everything. All you can do is face the world with quiet grace and hope you make a sliver of difference…You must trust that you being the best possible you matters somehow…That being an attentive and generous friend and citizen will prevent a thread or two of the social fabric unraveling.”

-Brian Doyle (1956 – 2017)

Stewardship

Good stewardship involves the responsible and thoughtful use of resources including time, talents, and possessions. Here are 5 example of good stewardship

1) Using talents to serve others: Instead of hoarding personal talents, use them to help others in need. This could involve volunteering skills, sharing knowledge, or using talents to support a cause.

2) Giving generously to support causes: A good steward recognizes that resources are entrusted to them and uses them wisely including giving to those in need or supporting organizations that align with their values.

3) Carefully managing finances: responsible budgeting, saving for future needs, and avoiding debt are all hallmarks of a good steward.

4) Using time wisely: prioritizing tasks, avoiding distractions, and making the most of available time for productive pursuits is a sign of good stewardship.

5) Protecting the environment: taking care of the world, reducing waste and promoting sustainability are examples of responsible stewardship.

Chair Yoga

Chair yoga has begun on Saturday mornings from 11 to 11:40 in the gym following our new Saturday SAIL class from 10 to 11.

Our Financial Picture

Our church giving for May 2025 was $5,416 and our year to date giving was $32,575

Our church giving for May 2024 was $4,708 and our year to date giving was $26,158

Out of the first 5 months of 2025 church giving exceeded that of 2024 in four of those month. Our pantry is still one of our missions to help the local community. We are averaging 50 to 60 people twice a month and we average $345 each month to supply the pantry.

All of our bills are current except our yearly insurance bill which we pay at least a $1,000 per month. We have been fortunate this year to have very low building maintenance. The community meal averages 100 people per week and continues to be a great place for a meal and conversation.

During the 5 months of 2025, Monitor has contributed $16,990 to cover half of the Pastor’s salary and benefits. Because we received a $3,000 grant from Cashmere Foundation, our current deficit through May is just $5,886 and it will be at least another month before we need to take money from the Doane memorial. Thank you for your continued support!

-Tony Wright, church treasurer

A Change Has Been Made

Chelsea Evans has taken on the duties of the church’s Financial Secretary, handling the deposit and recording of our weekly donations.

Thank you very much, Chelsea!

*June 2025*
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
111 am Worship & Communion	2	310 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Compassion Circle	410 am Bible Study	510 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal	6	710 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
811 am Worship Pentecost Sunday	9 4 pm Board Mtg.	1010 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Compassion Circle	1110 am Bible Study2 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm Food Bank	12 Juneteenth10 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal	13	1410 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
1511 am Intergenerational Worship	16	1710 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Compassion Circle	18	1910 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal	20	21 10 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
2211 am WorshipStone SoupSunday	22	2310 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Compassion Circle	242 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm Food Bank	2510 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal	26	2710 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
28 11 am Worship through Music	29	3010 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Compassion Circle

Cashmere Community Church

May 2025

Come Worship with Us

First Sunday

May 4 – 11 am Worship & Communion

Second Sunday

May 11 – 11 am Worship

Third Sunday

Intergenerational Worship

Fourth Sunday

Stone Soup
Lessons Learned from the Grandmothers Friendship Bench part 2.
a revolutionary approach to mental health (May is mental health awareness month).

First Friday

Friday, May 2 at 10:00 AM, Ladies Coffee in the Fellowship Room at the

church. Will continue on the 1st Friday each month after, same time.

May 26, 2025

Pastor’s Message

June Darling has written an article that I would really like to share.

Journeying with you all, Pastor Lilia

Sit With Me: What Zimbabwe’s Grandmothers Can Teach Us About Healing

Have you ever sat in a room full of people and still felt utterly alone?

Maybe you’ve carried a quiet ache—grief, anxiety, confusion, regret—and didn’t know how to talk about it. Or maybe you’re the one watching someone else suffer, wanting to help but not knowing what to say or do.

Now imagine this:

You’re walking through a noisy market or down a dusty lane, heart heavy, eyes cast down. And there, under the shade of a maple tree, sits a grandmother with kind eyes and open arms. She pats the space beside her and simply says:

“Tell me your story.”

That, it turns out, can be the beginning of something life-changing. It’s the true story of the Friendship Bench. It’s a simple revolutionary, common sense mental health movement born in Zimbabwe.

The Friendship Bench book written by Dr. Dixon Chibanda just came out in April. A few days ago I started reading the book.

And it coincided with an eerie moment. A young woman recently came to our church. She sat down in a pew after the service. Crying. She said that she had decided to come to the church instead of going to a bar.

One of the women in the church noticed the woman and said, “Isn’t anyone going to speak to her?”

The young woman was literally sitting on a bench. Wanting something. Looking for something.

That’s when my eyes were opened to the immediate relevance of the Friendship Bench project. The wisdom. The lessons learned.

The Friendship Bench started with psychiatrist Dixon Chibanda one of only twelve psychiatrists in the entire country of Zimbabwe (population about 16.5 million).

Dixon realized the widespread pain that was out in the community. He would only admit it much later that he also felt that what he was doing was not helping. He felt inadequate and overwhelmed.

Dixon then did something bold: he turned to the wisest, warmest people he knew—the grandmothers. Women already known in their communities as listeners and nurturers. Then he placed these grandmothers (he started with 14) on benches in public places—under trees, near markets, in front of clinics.

People came… once they changed the name of the bench from Mental Health Bench to Friendship Bench at the advice of the Grandmothers.
continued on the next page…

June’s article continued…

Here’s how conversation on a Friendship Bench unfolds:

Opening the Mind (Kuvhura pfungwa): The grandmother listens without judgment. This is where the story pours out—the sadness, the confusion, the shame. And this is where healing begins – with vulnerability, telling the story to a warm-hearted listener.

“I thought I was going mad,” said one visitor.
“You’re not mad,” the grandmother said. “You’re human. Sit, and let’s talk.”

Uplifting the Spirit (Kusimudzira): Through stories and gentle encouragement, the grandmother helps the person remember their strength, their dignity.

“You’ve walked through fire,” one said. “And you’re still standing.”

Strengthening (Kusimbisa): They end by choosing a small, doable next step together. Not a cure. A beginning.

“Call your sister.”
“Water your garden.”
“Say a prayer.”
“Come back and sit again.”

One man said, “That bench was my beginning again.”

And here’s the kicker. Eventually Chibanda was able to set up good research to see how the Grandmother Friendship bench was working out. The studies were published in prestigious journals like JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) Psychiatry. It probably took a lot of guts on the part of those psychiatrists because the studies showed that people who talked with grandmothers on these benches experienced greater reductions in depression and suicidal thoughts than those who received traditional clinical care!

The grandmothers had no degrees, no clinics, no prescriptions—only their presence, their patience, and their humanity.

Why does it work people want to know. Chibanda and the grandmothers think it’s because healing often begins not with fixing, but with being heard.

Dr. Chibanda puts it simply:

“We underestimate the power of listening. It can save a life.”

(To find out more about how to use the power of listening to help others here in our Cashmere Community, read the compassion circle piece.)

We Are the Church

Prayers for Ric Evans, Jerry Haaland, Luke MacDonald, Keegan Beckmann, Carolyn Kenoyer, Family and Friends of Marge Farrens, Ed Meyer

Dr. Edgar A. Meyer died on Saturday, April 12. He would have celebrated his 99th birthday on June 13, 2025. A memorial service is being planned for July. Remembrances may be sent to Anne & Greg Anderson, 9800 State hwy 97A, Wenatchee, WA 98801

Some responses to the email the church sent out concerning his death:

What a wonderful man he was!

Such a special neighbor and friend. I actually cried and do not remember doing that for a long time. He helped and tended to so many.

Ed was a saint of the church and an extraordinary man. Those of us who were privileged to know him, know that our world is diminished by his absence.

Such a great humble man. He will be soooo missed. Loved that guy.

He was such a great caring man. When we moved to Cashmere they were the first to come and visit us and welcome us

Dr. Ed was a remarkable human

He is one of the people you think “the world will never be the same without them.”

I am so sorry to hear this..such a good man, Ed Meyer…He will be so missed…………….

Photos from Easter Sunday

photo by Gail Worthen

There were about 40 attending Sunrise and 37 at 11 am Worship

Sophia reading the Scripture -photos by Karen Bray

I am happy to announce my upcoming graduation this spring from my medical training at the University of Washington School of Medicine and my match into a family medicine program at Swedish First Hill in Seattle, WA. I am grateful to each one of you that supported me & my family throughout this journey. Thank you!!! Bon

– – – – – – – –

We believe that the great Creator loves creating: we encourage creativity through the arts of storytelling, skits, singing – and all various artistic expressions. And creating and crafting are awesome for supporting good mental health.

Elio Evans, budding artist

Youth

Cashmere Community Church has declared itself an intergenerational church. Toward that end, we aim for our services to be largely interactive and participatory, accessible to all generations.

Sometimes we do separate the youth out to have our own compassion and kindness circles and communion. During these times we can also have intimate times of sharing our highs and lows and we hold them together (it’s kind of like sitting on a friendship bench together).

This last Sunday, we introduced a participatory prayer using the hand to the entire congregation. The thumb reminds us to pray for those closest to us (see the image), the pointer finger reminds us to pray for those in local leadership, the longest finder reminds us to pray for those in governments, the ring finger – is the weakest and reminds us to pray for those who need comfort and support, the little finger is for ourselves.

We may be praying with gratitude, with awe, with kindness and compassion and with desires for support, guidance, and wisdom.

Community Meals

People fed during April about 400. We are pleased to have our community partners! Cashmere Community Church will be cooking twice in May. Good food – yes AND creating a strong community by connecting us to each other. It’s good for the tummy and supports good mental health… and it’s a Jesus thing.
Dryden Improvement Club

Compassion Corner

May is mental health awareness month. When we informally assessed our Cashmere community on what was needed most. People told us that we had several issues, but the biggest one was mental health.

After reading about the revolutionary mental health program that Dr. Dixon Chibanda started with 14 grandmothers in Zimbabwe and which is now beginning to spread around the world. I wondered how we could learn from their wisdom.

According to Chibanda, you don’t have to be in Africa, have a bench, or even be a “Grandmother”, to use the wisdom learned from the Grandmothers of Zimbabwe.

You can become someone’s “bench” by doing exactly what the Friendship Bench grandmothers do:

Make a sacred space. A kitchen table. A coffee shop corner. A walk in the park.
Begin with warmth, not advice. (This is big…most of us want to give advice at the get-go. Most of it isn’t wanted nor helpful, certainly not at this early stage. And the reason often is because we don’t believe in the power of simply listening OR we want to relieve our own discomfort.)
Listen with your whole body—your eyes, your hands, your silence.
Don’t rush to solve. Say: “That sounds so hard.” Or: “Thank you for sharing this with me.”
Help them find one small, hopeful step forward.
Follow up. Say: “I’m thinking of you.” Even a text or a call matters.

This is active love. This is how we build communities where people feel seen.

As one grandmother said:

“Sometimes, all people need is to know they’re not walking through the storm alone.”

And here’s what happens when you do listen like the Grandmothers:

1. You feel deeply connected.

When you truly listen, you no longer feel separate. Loneliness fades—for both of you.

“When I listen like that,” said one volunteer, “I feel like I’m part of something bigger than me.”

2. You awaken your purpose.

People who feel needed, who have a reason to get up in the morning, live longer and better. Helping others is one of the most meaningful things you can do.

“I thought I was too old to help,” said one grandmother. “But now people say I saved their life.”

3. You begin to heal, too.

The magic is mutual. In offering compassion, we often receive it.

“Every time I sit with someone,” said a trained listener, “I feel more alive, more grounded, more whole.”

4. You become a safe place.

You don’t need credentials. Just open arms. A soft voice. A willingness to stay.

5. You help create the kind of world you want to live in. A world where people look each other in the eye. Where silence is allowed. Where presence is enough.

“What is the most important subject to learn in life? To learn to love.” = Pope Francis 1936-2025

Stewardship

One person’s desire to love his neighbors

Millard and Linda Fuller had it all-money, property, vacations, great jobs but they were miserable. They decided to sell everything and moved to a small Georgia city and build a small home for themselves. Then they helped some neighbors build their homes.From these few homes to a global movement-Habitat for Humanity. Yet for Millard it was never about personal glory. For him it was a tangible way to answer Jesus call to love our neighbors not just with words but with our hands. Love isn’t just an emotion, it’s an action. It’s the challenge to express our faith in concrete practical ways. It’s about meeting people where they are and addressing their needs, not just their spiritual ones but their physical and emotional ones too. It starts with the work of your hands and the love in your heart-showing up, offering help, and being part of God’s kingdom in the here and now.

Chair Yoga

Chair yoga has begun on Saturdays from 11 to 11:40 in the gym after our new Saturday SAIL class from 10 to 11.

Our Financial Picture

Our church giving for the month of April 2025 was $6,446 and our year to date giving was $25,159

Our church giving for the month of April 2024 was $6,354 and our year to date giving was $21,450

All of our bills are current except for the insurance which we pay $1,000 per month. We had a deficit of $2,955 in April and a year to date deficit of $5,100.

However our church is very active in the community. We helped 62 families on the 23rd of April through the essential pantry, we feed at least 100 people each week at the community meal, the sail program is very popular, and our building is being used frequently for the good of the community. Thank you for your continued support!

-Tony Wright, church treasurer

S.A.I.L. Class

Tuesdays – 10 – 11 am

Thursdays – 10 – 11 am

Saturdays – 10 – 11 am

in the church gym

Taize

Our last Taize service was April 17th. It was combined with passages of Jesus’s last supper with the disciples. We will begin Taize services again in October (unless we are pressed by popular demand to have them every month. Some think we should have them every week! They are wonderful meditative opportunities for Sacred encounters in our beautiful sanctuary.)

Cashmere Community Church

213 S. Division Street

Cashmere WA 98815

509-782-38ll

cashmerecommunitychurch@gmail.com

www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org

Pastor Lilia Felicitas-Malana Address Correction Requested

photo by Aimee Stewart

We will be distributing about 100 of these signs designed by Kevin at ColorFX.

April 2025

Come Worship with Us

First Sunday

April 6 – 11 am Worship

Second Sunday

April 13 – 11 am Worship
Palm Sunday

Taize/Maundy Thursday

Last Supper Short Skit
April 17 – 7:30 pm

Third Sunday

Sunrise Service April 20 – 6:30 am 6600 Flowery Divide

Easter Intergenerational Worship

April 20 – 11 am 213 S. Division

Easter Egg Hunt for the Kids

Easter Egg decoration contest for kids and adults. Wooden eggs are being decorated. You can enter the category of your choice and win a prize: scariest, funniest, silliest, ugliest, funkiest, weirdest, cutest, heartwarmingest, most creative, and DYOT (do your own thing).

Fourth Sunday

Stone Soup
April 27 – 11 am Worship
Lay Sunday will be Lessons from the Grandmother Bench: Ways Regular People Can Help People Who Mentally Suffer with June Darling.

Pastor’s Message

“If you want to feel good, do good!” This phrase couldn’t be farther than the truth. Research studies shows that people who possess the core qualities of kindness — being considerate, helpful, and thoughtful —have an improved life in general, and enjoy a better health. Studies indicate that simply witnessing acts of kindness can have positive effects like an increased self-esteem, empathy and compassion, and improve mood.

“Research shows that kindness can be cardioprotective. It can decrease blood pressure and cortisol, a stress hormone, which directly impacts stress levels. Oxytocin releases nitric oxide. Nitric oxide dilates your blood vessels and thereby reduces your blood pressure and improves heart health,” says Dr. Ballamudi.

Ahh, to ‘do good’ doesn’t need to cost us an arm and a leg. Here’s a few suggestion I can think of and can be easily shared and done:
-a word of affirmation;
-a smile;
-lending voice to the voiceless;
-an ally and accompanying presence to the lone and lonely;
-a source of emotional and spiritual support.

I am pretty sure you have other ideas to add. Please share them to us as well.

We are living in a time where chaos seems to be the order of each day. Fear and worry linger and surrounds us. There’s so much pain and suffering, some are self-inflicted, others as victims of natural calamities, and still others as a direct result of greed, abuse of power, and sheer disrespect for human dignity. “Come to me,” is the Lord’s invitation to anyone who feels tired and hopeless. “I will give you rest,” is His gracious promise to each who would gladly come.

Continued on the nest page…

We Are the Church

Prayers for Virginia Martinez, Cindy Kees, Ric Evans, Jerry Haaland, Luke MacDonald, Keegan Beckmann, Carolyn Kenoyer, Family and Friends of Marge Farrens

A Memorial Service for Marjorie Farrens took place in our church sanctuary on March 21.

Dick & Julie Ryan’s Granddaughters
Dora Kelzenberg receiving her great grand-mother’s bowling ball. Dora was thrilled to receive the bowling ball with her name on it! Granddaughter Dora is named after her great grandmother. Dick’s mother! The 1,000 mile detour to Denver to deliver the bowling ball was well worth it!!

Bea Kelzenberg enjoyed her singing and dancing role in the teen version of the Musical Chicago at Stadium High School in Tacoma the last weekend in March. Grandparents Dick and Julie Ryan were delighted to join Bea after a matinee performance in front of Stadium High School. Bea started her singing and drama performances in Cashmere while in middle school at CMS. She is also competing as a soprano singer in the Washington State Solo and Ensemble Contest in Ellensburg in April.

Continued from the Pastor’s Message…

Here at Cashmere Community Church, each of us, the young and the young once, we try to embody the love, kindness, and compassion as demonstrated by our Lord himself thru our actions and interactions — one little act of kindness one day at a time!

Journeying with you all,

Pastor Lilia

Community Meals

Our Lady of the Assumption with Chef Ben

Cashmere Rotary servers/dishwashers

photos by Steve Hostetter

Chef Pastor Lilia prepares the community meal, pandit, a Filipino dish. March 13, photo by June Darling

The stylin’ Campbells – Lori, Aria, Petra and Tulsi with Enoch in the middle and Ruach in the carrier

Meals for April

April 3 – Dryden improvement club – Stroganoff, salad, and dessert

April 10- Cashmere Community Church – Chili Hot Dog in a bun, pickle spears, potato chips Desserts and drink

April 17 – Mid Valley Baptist – Spaghetti and meat balls, salad , Bread, Dessert

April 24 – Cathryn’s Friends – Shayla and Rich- Baked potato bar, Coleslaw, Dessert.

Open Thursdays

5 to 6:30 pm

Come!

Compassion Corner

June & John and friends carried the kindness counts banner in the Wenatchee St Paddy Day Parade. It was greeted enthusiastically!

Easter Awakening

In this season of resurrection, we remember: love is stronger than death, and compassion is our daily resurrection practice. We, at Cashmere Community Church, follow Christ not just to the empty tomb, but into the world—to heal, to forgive, to restore. “Behold, I make all things new.” —Revelation 21:5.

Howard Thurman reminds us: “The true meaning of Easter is not found in the empty tomb, but in the Spirit that empowers us to begin again.”

Community Concert

March 29th Blue Grass Concert, next one will be May 17 at 7 pm.

Youth

Left: Reilly Beckmann and her clay creation. Right: Anna Darling as a show stopping Olaf in the Mercer Island production of Frozen. June Darling took pic of her after the show.

Sophia
photos by June Darling

March Fun During Coffee Hour Julie & Dick Ryan in honor of their Irish heritage and St Paddy’s day prepared all things green with a dish or two thrown in by others who were Irish for the day. March 16. Photo by June Darling

Stewardship

What is stewardship all about?

It’s the response of living life as a steward forever changed by God’s love and forever growing as a disciple.

It’s the response of being so moved that we intentionally lean in and step up as part of God’s work.

It’s the response of following our Good Shepherd and doing so as we truly take hold of the abundant life which God alone provides.

Everything that makes you unique is God’s. Your time, talent, treasure, assets, and finances of all kinds. Your lives, health, bodies, hearts, souls, and minds. Your passions, strengths, vocations, gifts, relationships, ideas, dreams, stories, and even your questions. All that is yours is really God’s. God wants life to go well for God’s people. God hopes that we might live lives of deep meaning and purpose in part through caring for our neighbors through all that God entrusts.

We Are Growing

Attendance at Sunday worship hit a high of 24 people on March 30th. The average attendance for the first quarter of the year is 20. We are grateful for the youth and adults who are faithfully attending.

The invitation is always out…

Our Financial Picture

Our church giving for the month of March 2024 was $6,300 and our giving for the first 4 Sundays of March 2025 is $9,041.

We are paying $1,000 per month on our insurance bill but all other bills are current. Our utilities for the 3 months of 2025 have averaged $1,120 per month but will start going down during the warmer months.

Purchases for the essentials pantry have been $1,065 for the 3 month period. Expenses have averaged $11,500 per month.

Our checking account balance is $10,298 without the final deposit for the month of March. Thank you for your continued support!

-Tony Wright, church treasurer

S.A.I.L. Class

SAIL continues to bust at the seams thanks to awesome leadership by retired physical therapist, Gina Quinn. A third day will be added mid April.

Martins Receipt Jar

With the sale of Martin’s Market the new management is discontinuing the “give back 1% program. They will be giving back to the community in different ways. So we are no longer collecting receipts. -Chelsea Evans

Our last check from Martin’s 1% program totaled $267.60. We very much appreciate their support through the years and your turning in the receipts!

April Birthdays

Cashmere Community Church

213 S. Division Street

Cashmere WA 98815

509-782-38ll

cashmerecommunitychurch@gmail.com

www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org

Pastor Lilia Felicitas-Malana Address Correction Requested

Sunrise – Flowery Divide

Cashmere Community Church

March 2025

Come Worship with Us

First Sunday

March 2 – 11 am Worship

Ash Wednesday

March 5 – 12 – 1 pm Imposition

Second Sunday

March 9 – 11 am Worship
1st Sunday of Lent
Daylight Savings Time begins

Third Sunday

Intergenerational Worship

March 16 – 11 am
2nd Sunday of Lent

March 17

Fourth Sunday

Stone Soup
March 23 – 11 am Worship
3rd Sunday of Lent

Dr June Darling and Pastor Lilia will present “Loving and Living Well With Our Neighbors – A Few Mediation and De-Escalation Pearls”

Fifth Sunday
Hymn Sing
March 30 – 11 am Worship
4th Sunday of Lent

Pastor’s Message

Dear Friends of Cashmere Community Church;

Epiphany season is almost over and it gives way to the next season in the Christian Calendar: Lent.

Officially, Lenten season starts on Ash Wednesday and ends on the day before Easter Sunday. On Ash Wednesday we are reminded of the frailty of our humanity — that our days are numbered, that our lives, no matter how long we live, are short.

Traditionally, Lent is a time of fasting and reflection, 40-days long, a reminder of Christ’s 40 days in the wilderness, and His defeat of temptation.

During the Lenten season believers and followers of Christ around the world are enjoined to remember the love of God poured out through Jesus Christ on the cross in His death. This year, Lent begins on March 5, 2025, Ash Wednesday, a day when the pastor will make the sign of the cross with the ash on our forehead – reminding us that we are from dust, and to dust we shall all return.

Traditionally, Lent is a time of fasting and reflection. It’s a time to remember the love of God shown through Christ’s death and resurrection. It is also an opportune time to deepen one’s relationship with God with intentional practice of prayer, fasting, and generous giving.

Come March 5, from noon to 1:00 O’clock, Cashmere Community Church will be open to welcome you all for a Walk-In, Non-Liturgical Ash Wednesday celebration. The Pastor will be on-hand to do imposition of ashes. There will be printed scripture readings, prayer, and meditation. Holding you all in my prayer as we journey together on this Lenten season!

Pastor Lilia

We Are the Church

Prayers for Virginia Martinez, Ric Evans, Carolyn Kenoyer, Family and Friends of Marge Farrens

Salli’s son, Keegan Beckmann has been hospitalized with double pneumonia. And her husband, Brad, is also ill. Prayers for the family.

photo by Karen Bray Longtime member Marjorie (Byrd) Farrens, age 99, died Saturday, February 15. Marge was very active in the Cashmere Methodist Church as long as she was able. She taught Sunday School classes for years and then later taught the combined Monitor/Cashmere Bible Study. She liked orange sherbet and reading. Dana Stabenow was a favorite fiction author. Marge was preceded in death by her husband, Cecil, her son, Monte, and grandson, Curtis. Arrangements are by Chapel of the Valley in East Wenatchee. Prayers of comfort for her family and friends.

Harry Schmidt, 93, died on February 8th. He had supported the Community Meals along with his wife, Jean, and a daughter with their presence for years.

Eli Darling traveled to China to meet the Chinese half of his family. He said he now had a “younger brother” (his cousin) to love and protect.

Cousin & Eli

Community Meals

Meals for March

March 6 – Catholic Church with Chef Ben – Corned beef with mashed root vegetables and horseradish cream, warm bread and sun dried tomato butter and spring green salad with rhubarb vinaigrette and goat cheese.

March 13 – ?

March 20- Seventh Day Adventist – Hay stacks with Spanish rice, brownies and cookies

March 27 – Cashmere Community Church – Chicken adobo, garlic fried rice, green beans and dessert and drinks

Clare East, server

Compassion Corner

Ernest Hemingway once said,

“In our darkest moments, we don’t need advice.”
What we truly need is the power of human connection: a quiet presence, a gently touch, or the smallest gesture that reminds us we’re not alone. These acts of love and solidarity become the anchors that hold us steady when life feels overwhelming. Pain is a deeply personal burden, and difficulties are uniquely ours to face–but your silent presence tells me I don’t have to face them in isolation. It’s a quiet reminder that, no matter how lost I feel, I am still worthy of love and connection. Sometimes, words aren’t necessary; your silent support speaks louder than anything else. Love, in its purest form has the power to help us rediscover ourselves, even when we’ve forgotten who we are.

Let’s remember the importance of simply being there for one another.

Filling Our Buckets

Ideas for “Being a Bucket Filler” – specific ways to be build my capacity for being kind and loving to others, to live by “the Golden Rule” and specific behaviors

I can smile at five people.
I can be the first to say “hello.”
I can be kind to people I know (and people I don’t know).
I can say “please” and “thank you.”
I can pick up after myself.
I can treat all people with respect.
I can give someone a sincere compliment.
I can pay attention when others are talking.
I can think before I speak.
I can avoid gossip.
I can be responsible for my words and actions.
I can be fair to others.
I can do my work without being reminded.
I can have a positive attitude.
I can apologize when it’s the right thing to do.
I can think of ten things I am thankful for.
I can be kind even if others are unkind.
I can notice when others do good work and compliment them for it.
I can put my best effort into everything I do.
I can be honest with myself and others.
I can volunteer my time for a worthy cause.
I can not complain about anything at all.
I can treat others the way I would like to be treated.
I can be patient when I’m asked to wait.
I can give others confidence by encouraging them.
I can try to understand how other people feel.
I can look for the good in others (and find it!).
I can remember that everyone has different talents and abilities.
I can start my day with a happy thought.
I can aim be a bucket filler to everyone I meet.

Bonus – I can work on reminding myself of the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Youth

Hayden Miller played King Triton in the Cashmere High School play The Little Mermaid. June Darling enjoyed his performance.

Anna Darling is trying to stuff down a footlong submarine sandwich. The youth have attended several after church movies and filled their bellies together. Eli Darling claims that we should remember that Jesus really liked getting together with others to eat.

Both adults and youth are becoming more aware of how to fill buckets (be kind), not dip in others buckets ( be unkind), and how to use our lids (protect ourselves from unkindness).

The youth distributed hearts around the neighborhood.

Eagle on Flowery Divide caused joy and awe and was caught in photo by Sophia Darling

Healing Service

Our February 23rd healing ceremony was beautiful and powerful. Both adults and youth “traded in” living with old sorrows, sadness, hurt, anger, and pain for the life-giving love, peace, joy, and hope of God.

S.A.I.L. Class
Our SAIL class is “busting the seams” largely due to the expertise of the trainer retired physical therapist, Gina Quinn. Two new instructors from the class were just certified this month!

Red Cross Blood Drive

Every two months in our church gym, the Wacoka Kiwanis hosts the blood drive. This month there were 56 donors.

Essentials Pantry

JoAnne Prusa and Tony Wright have volunteered their time to man the Essential Pantry the month of February. JoAnne reported that she served 46 people on the 12th and Tony said that he served 44 people (7 male) on the 26th. Thank you!

Stewardship

Stewardship is often defined as care, management, or protection of something that is precious and vulnerable. We as individuals, created in God’s image, are both precious and vulnerable as witnessed by Jesus’ death on the cross. Caring for our personal health is an example of spiritual stewardship. The reality we must live into is that God made us stewards of creation. This means that we are protectors of the gifts of God. We are a gift and need to honor it with love, not only mentally or spiritually, but physically. Say a prayer to God every day thanking Him for your life and ask for guidance in how to honor it more fully!

Our Financial Picture

Church giving through February is up about $200 compared to last year and all sources of income (including Monitor’s Pastor sharing) total $19,823 compared to total expenses of $24,004.

We have $8,900 in our checking account at the end of February and $260,000 in memorial funds.

Our utilities have averaged $1,125 per month but will go down as we head into spring. All of our expenses are current but we pay our insurance premium on a monthly plan–so far we have paid $1,500 of the $9,600.

To date we have spent $490 on the essential pantry but we received a grant for $3,000 in January. We will probably need to take some money from our memorial funds in March or April to cover ongoing expenses. Thank you everyone for your continued support.
-Tony Wright, church treasurer

*March 2025*
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
						1
211 am Worship & Communion	3	410 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Compassion Circle	510 am Bible Study Ash Wednesday	610 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Community Meal	7	8Turn your clocks back!
911 am WorshipStudy SundayDaylight Savings Time begins	10 4 pm Board Mtg.	1110 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Compassion Circle	1210 am Bible Study2 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm Food Bank	1310 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Community Meal	14	15
1611 am WorshipIntergener-ationalSunday	17St. Patrick’s Day	1810 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Compassion Circle	1910 am Bible Study	2010 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Community Meal	21	227 pm Com-munity Concert
2311 am WorshipStone SoupSunday	24	2510 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Compassion Circle	2610 am Bible Study2 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm Food Bank7 pm Taize Service	2710 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Community Meal	28	29
3011 am Worship	31	April 1 Newsletter Deadline	2	3	4	5

Cashmere Community Church

213 S. Division Street

Cashmere WA 98815

509-782-38ll

cashmerecommunitychurch@gmail.com

www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org

Pastor Lilia Felicitas-Malana Address Correction Requested

Cashmere in March 2021
photo by Candi Jo Bray

Cashmere Community Church

February 2025

Come Worship with Us

First Sunday

11 am Worship

Second Sunday

Third Sunday

Intergenerational Worship

Fourth Sunday

Stone Soup

Taize Service
7 pm Wednesday, February 26

We will be having a Taize-like service on Wednesday, Feb 26th at 7 p.m. A Taize service is quiet and meditative in nature. There is no sermon but there are a couple of readings. Candles are lit. 3 or four songs, which are simple, repetitive, and chant-like, are sung. It is ecumenical Christian and the form of this service was started in 1940 in Taize, France as World War 11 was being unleashed. Inner and outer peace and community was the aim then and now. There is an extended time of silence also built into the service.

All are invited who want to take some time to be turned toward the Sacred and to experience all that offers in our beautiful sanctuary.

If it seems that people would like to have more of these services, we are open to doing more in the future.

June Darling, Ph.D.

Intergenerational Worship

This month we continue to work during intergenerational time with the concepts of filling buckets, refraining from dipping into others buckets, and knowing how to put on our lid to protect our buckets. It’s a way of learning specific behaviors that help us live the golden rule and love our neighbor as well as ourselves.

We’ll be handing out a 30 day journal to record our successes and struggles so that we can continue solidly crafting the will and skill to be ever more loving, compassionate human beings when it’s not always easy.

June Darling, Ph.D.

Pastor’s Message

Warm winter greetings dear friends,

Jesus replied: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…and love your neighbor as yourself.”

Cashmere Community Church has the quoted scripture above to be our anchor as we try to become the kind of church we believe God wants us to be. The intention is to make the church a place where all people from all walks of life feel welcome. By making loving God first as the foundation for everything we do, we hope to be able to love others not only in words but especially in what we do.

It’s been a wonderful ride from the very beginning. June Darling came with four target focuses: Love God Love Others Love Self and Care for Creation. During the Intergenerational Moment in worship where our children will sit with an adult or group of adults, we share stories and experiences when we were able to do or say something that shows our love and care of God, our neighbors, and care for God’s creation. It is heartwarming to listen to the stories and so inspiring to know that even the youngest among our children has something to share.

Lately we’ve been talking about buckets and dippers. Life is the bucket. We fill others’ buckets when we do acts of love and kindness. We dip into peoples’ buckets when we do disrespect or do or say mean things to others. It does not really require a lot to fill a person’s bucket. A Smile. A warm greetig. Letting the person with only one or a couple of items go first to the checkout at the store.

Equally it does not need a lot from us to di; into others’ buckets. Disrespect, indifference, showing lack of compassion and kindness. Being Rude. Inappropriate comments. These and other demeaning ways can and will dip into others’ buckets (continued in next column)

making the other feel treated as less than human.

I would like to extend the challenge we were given last Sunday. The challenge is for us to try to fill up and not dip into someone else’s bucket in the next 30 days.

I am grateful for each of you and feel privileged to be among you in serving the Lord through our church and community.

Love to you all,

Pastor Lilia

We Are the Church

Prayers for Jerry Haaland, Luke MacDonald, Ric Evans, Carolyn Kenoyer, Marge Farrens, Jeanne Cosgrove

Janis A. Ebert obituary Jan Ebert died January 20, 2025. Prayers for her husband, Heinz and family.

Sophia Darling was awarded student of the quarter for her integrity, curiosity, perseverance, and responsibility. She is making the world a better place according to her school.

Shu Darling is enjoying the beginning of festivities celebrating Chinese New Year in Shanghai, China with Sam and Eli. The Chinese typically celebrate for a month. They all travel to their home cities and villages.

Community Meals

January 23rd – Seventh Day Adventists serving the “line”. photos by June Darling
Petra & Aria

Meals for February

February 6 – Dryden Improvement Club – Stroganoff with salad and French bread and dessert.

February 13- Cashmere Post Acute Care- Chef Alie- BBQ pulled pork., baked beans, coleslaw and Cupid crunch for dessert!

February 20- Midvalley Baptist. – Spaghetti and meat balls, salad. French bread and dessert .

February 27 – Cashmere Rotary,- Chef John – Chicken, Mashed potatoes and gravy, Corn, salad and Cake.

Thanks to all!

Reminders: Bring your Martin’s receipts to church.
Send me photos you’ve taken that are relevant for the newsletter. -Editor

Compassion Corner

Some people have a very narrow and often wrong-headed idea of what compassion is. Compassion involves preventing suffering in others, alleviating suffering, and promoting flourishing. It encompasses a lot of behaviors like self awareness, self-compassion, understanding, paying attention, listening, showing care, concern, connection, discernment, courageous action, and kindness to name other aspects that belong to the practice of compassion.
Last week in the compassion circle, we considered a flip to the question, “What’s the matter with you?” Instead we asked ourselves and each other “What matters to you?” This approach gives us some clues about how we might flourish together. Here are 10 questions used by Julia Hotz in her book, The Connection Cure. She believes that if we paid more attention to what matters to us and brought more of what matters to us into our lives, we’d be healthier and happier and better able to serve others. Try it out.
1. Tell me about the last time you experienced a small moment that made you feel more calm, joyful, and grateful.
2. Tell me about the last time you felt “in the presence of something vast that transcended your current understanding of the world.
3. Tell me about the last time you felt “extremely present” in a moment.
4. If you had two more hours in your week, what would you spend it doing?
5. When you were a child, what activity could you spend endless amounts of time doing without getting bored?
6. What “activates” you?
7. What do you do to look after yourself?
8. What makes you light up when you talk about it?
9. What makes you feel like the healthiest version of yourself?
10. Tell me the last time you were “completely absorbed in an experience.”

June Darling, Ph.D.

Filling and Dipping into Bucket Lists

Here at Cashmere Community Church we are intergenerationally working diligently on the will and skill to live out Jesus’ commandment to love one another, to live by “The Golden Rule”, and to be partners with a loving God to bring about the kin-dom of God on the Earth. We follow the way of Jesus when he said he came to help us live life fully.

We are taking some ideas and some specific behaviors, as well as the metaphor of “buckets and dippers” (our buckets, which are invisible, is a metaphor for a special holder of our feelings which we sometimes call our heart or soul. Dipping is doing hurtful behaviors which deplete us) from Christian author, Carol McCloud.

10 Ways to “Fill Your Own Bucket” – specific ways to be kind to, to love yourself

Practice gratitude by writing down three things you’re thankful for each day.
Treat yourself to something special, like a favorite meal or activity.
Spend time with positive, supportive people who uplift you.
Reflect on your achievements and celebrate small wins.
Take breaks to rest and recharge when feeling overwhelmed.
Practice self-compassion by speaking kindly to yourself.
Engage in activities that bring you joy and relaxation, like hobbies or meditation.
Set realistic goals and celebrate progress toward them.
Give yourself permission to say “no” to things that drain your energy.
Take care of your physical health through exercise, proper sleep, and balanced nutrition.

10 Ways to “Dip into Your Own Bucket” – specific behaviors that may be unkind, unloving to yourself

Criticizing yourself harshly for mistakes or perceived shortcomings.
Comparing yourself negatively to others.
Over committing to obligations that lead to burnout.
Neglecting your physical or mental health.
Dwelling on negative thoughts or past failures.
Avoiding self-care and putting others’ needs above your own.
Procrastinating on important tasks, causing unnecessary stress.
Allowing toxic relationships to affect your self-worth.
Resisting change or refusing to forgive yourself for past mistakes.
Focusing only on what you lack instead of what you have.

30 Ways to “Dip into Someone Else’s Bucket” – specific behaviors that may disregard others, may be unkind, unloving to others, not fulfill “the Golden Rule”

Ignoring someone when they greet you.
Speaking harshly or rudely to others.
Interrupting when someone is talking.
Making sarcastic or belittling comments.
Gossiping about someone behind their back.
Taking credit for someone else’s work.
Failing to acknowledge someone’s effort or contribution.
Rolling your eyes or using dismissive body language.

Continued on next page…

30 Ways continued…

Excluding someone from conversations or activities.
Criticizing someone publicly or unfairly.
Mocking or making fun of someone.
Holding grudges and refusing to forgive.
Complaining excessively, bringing down the mood.
Lying or being dishonest in interactions.
Spreading rumors about others.
Blaming others for your own mistakes.
Breaking promises or commitments.
Ignoring someone’s need for help or support.
Refusing to listen or dismissing someone’s opinions.
Talking over someone or not allowing them to express themselves.
Making assumptions about others without getting to know them.
Using manipulative behavior to get your way.
Showing favoritism in a group setting.
Failing to show gratitude for someone’s kindness.
Critiquing someone’s appearance or abilities unkindly.
Refusing to include or invite others to participate.
Making others feel unimportant by focusing only on yourself.
Giving backhanded compliments or insincere praise.
Displaying impatience or frustration with someone.
Disregarding someone’s feelings or boundaries.
Continued in the March Newsletter

Youth
Youth celebrating Chinese New Year at Steamed Panda, and ice skating below.

Hayden Miller played the role of King Triton in Cashmere High School’s production of “The Little Mermaid”. He was pictured on the front page of the GO section of the January 30th Wenatchee World.

Benediction from the Black Rock Prayer Book

The world now is too dangerous
and too beautiful for anything but love.
May your eyes be so blessed you see God in everyone.
Your ears, so you hear the cry of the poor.
May your hands be so blessed
that everything you touch is a sacrament.
Your lips, so you speak nothing but the truth with love.
May your feet be so blessed you run
to those who need you.
And may your heart be so opened,
so set on fire, that your love,
your love, changes everything.

Stewardship

The Mustard Seed

Jesus tells a parable of a man planting a mustard seed. Even though the seed is small, it grows into one of the largest plants. Eventually it becomes a tree with branches on which birds can perch. Jesus compares the small mustard seed to Heaven-meaning that if we’re good stewards of the small gifts we’ve been given, we can turn them into something greater that can support others around us.

Average Attendance in the Past
Five Januarys

2020 Before COVID 26
2022 14
2023 15
2024 17
2025 21

We’ve had loses, but we’ve also had gains.

12 pm Tuesday, Red Cross Blood Drive in Cashmere Community Church Gym

Our Financial Picture

Over the years I have reported our monthly income and expenses compared to the prior year along with year to date figures. But figures don’t tell the whole story of our church. Yes we took $32,500 from the Doane Memorial Fund to cover our expenses for 2024 but the fund also generated $17,850 of income during 2024. We have had major plumbing problems over the past three years and repaved the parking lot. Thankfully we had the memorial fund to cover some of these expenses.

What have we done as a church over the last two years. Our community meal every Thursday continues to serve 100 or more people a delicious dinner and a chance for companionship. Twice a month our essential pantry helps 50 or more families with much needed items not covered by the food bank. Need stretching and exercise-we have the weekly Sails classes. Our beautiful building has been used for concerts, conferences, study groups, family reunions, and more! It wasn’t long ago that we had no children during our worship service on Sunday, but now we average 6 to 8 children each week. When the children first came to the services, they stayed at the back of the church or the fellowship room but now they are participants in worship-they are acolytes, ushers, collect the offering, put on skits, and sit next to an adult during intergenerational time. Our church is very important to the Cashmere community!

-Tony Wright

Cashmere Community Church

213 S. Division Street

Cashmere WA 98815

509-782-38ll

cashmerecommunitychurch@gmail.com

www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org

Pastor Lilia Felicitas-Malana Address Correction Requested

photo by Chase Evans
February 2025

Cashmere Community Church

January 2025

Come Worship with Us

First Sunday

11 am Worship

Second Sunday

Third Sunday

Intergenerational Worship

Fourth Sunday

Stone Soup

Photos from December

2nd Sunday 3rd Sunday – Burt Cosgrove (unicorn)
Ed Gerber’s Christmas sweater and Salli Beckmann’s snowman
-photos by June Darling & Karen Bray

Bray Costume Christmas Eve (Christmas Vacation movie) Karen, front row left, won 1st prize.

Pastor’s Message

New Year’s Eve

Friends and members of Cashmere Community Church,

Greetings of love and peace in the name of Jesus, our Savior and Lord.

In less than 12 hours, the first day of the new year will dawn upon us. I don’t know what the year 2025 will bring us but I am certain that the God who walked with me in the last six decades of living will continue to guide my steps in the next three hundred sixty-five days!

A Prayer for the Year ahead:

‘May God make your Year a happy one!

Not by shielding us from all sorrows and pain,

But by strengthening us to bear it, as it comes;

Not by making our path easy,

But by making us sturdy to travel any path;

Not by taking hardships from us,

But by taking fear from our heart;

Not by granting us unbroken sunshine,
But by keeping our face bright, even in the shadows;

Not by making our life always pleasant,

But by showing us when people and their causes need us most,

and by making us anxious to be there to help.’

-Author Unknown-

God’s love, peace, hope, and joy to us all for the year ahead!!!

With you all in this journey,

Pastor Lilia

We Are the Church

Prayers for Ric Evans, Carolyn Kenoyer

Marge Farrens has moved from her Cashmere apartment to East Wenatchee. Her new address is: Marjorie Farrens

589 Highline Drive, Apt. 7

E Wenatchee WA 98802

Carolyn Kenoyer fell breaking a hip. She had hip replacement surgery and is now in rehab.

Jeanne Cosgrove was hurt in an

accident in their driveway. She is recuperating at home and Burt praises the efforts of responders who were there immediately.

Merry Christmas card to the Church
Tim, Oscar, Alex & Andie May Ortega

$3,000 award from the Community Foundation to continue funding the Cashmere Community Church nonfood Essential Pantry. Photo, Denise Sorom

Community Meals

December 12 – Ed and Judi Gerber were the chefs for ham, potatoes, bean salad, corn bread, and many desserts brought in by many folks.
photo by June Darling

Meals for January

January 2 – Catholic Church with Chef Ben: two choices of soup – Beechers’s potato leek and sausage, or Carrot Ginger with dill Crema. Warm Focaccia bread with garlic herb oil and Caesar salad with dessert.

January 9 – Cashmere Community Church: Pork Spareribs BBQ, Mashed Potato, Green Salad, Dessert and drinks

January 16 – Cashmere Community Church: Chicken Pozole Soup (toppings: chopped onions, cabbage, radish, cilantro, and avocado), Tostadas, Dessert and drinks

January 23 – Seventh day Adventist church- Hay stacks, with Spanish rice, cookies and brownies.

January 29 – Wacoka Kiwanis: Chicken tostados, refried beans, fruit, desserts, and drinks

January Class

Resuming in January: Wednesday Morning Bible Study using the Upper Room Study guide.

And when Lent comes, we will switch to a Lenten Study material, yet to be named. -Pastor Lilia

Compassion Corner

It is a mistake to think that there are times when you can safely address a person without love. You can work with objects without love – cutting wood, baking bricks, making iron—but you cannot work with people without love. In the same way as you cannot work with bees without being cautious, you cannot work with people without being mindful of their humanity. It is the quality of people as it is of bees: if you are not very cautious with them, then you harm both yourself and them. It cannot be otherwise, because mutual love is the major law of our existence.

-Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, German philosopher

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” -Jeremiah 29:11

So as 2025 begins I pray we will come together as a nation and as human beings because I believe that we are 99% good people and we can make a difference by believing in each other; by offering to BE with each other when needed; by lifting each other up to their highest aspirations. I offer you unconditional love and belief.
-Karen Bray

Martins Receipts

Just wanted to update everyone that I finally turned in my first batch of Martin’s receipts and I have a ton more to add up. I will be doing it regularly now that I have a system, so people can please continue to collect them!

– Chelsea Evans

Editor: The church just received a check from Martin’s for $141.22.

Youth

The youth (and others who want to join them) will be starting in January a “filling bucket” campaign. Everyone has an invisible bucket – some might call it their heart or their spirit or their soul. We are at our best when our bucket is full of joy, peace, love, and hope…and all their cousins like gentleness and mercy and kindness and caring and faithfulness for example. We can fill others’ buckets and fill our own buckets by doing things which promote others good thoughts and feelings and actions (this is part of the compassion practice). We can smile, we can help out, we can watch out that we don’t intentionally or accidentally dip into others buckets. We can sit with others who are hurting and let them know we care. We pay attention and watch ourselves – what we say and how we act to others not to do any harm or hurt. We also work not to dip into our own buckets by saying mean things to ourselves that hurt us. Maybe we also will learn more about look around at nature and allowing God to replenish us. We are going to be figuring out how to use our invisible lids to protect our buckets when others hurt us. We believe this is important spiritual work. We hope it will help us and everyone around us. We know we will have some successes and some failures and we will learn things about bucket filling and dipping and using our lids. We will be keeping a journal of our actions and we’ll be sharing them in church because our church is a big lab for learning how to love.

There is also some talk of a talent show – open to anyone. We will start planning in January and perhaps be ready by the end of the month. Stay tuned on that and start practicing your talents. That’s part of what we can do to fill our own and other’s buckets too.

Youth at Steamed Panda

Stewardship

Stories and ideas about Christmas Stewardship

The wise men: the wise men’s journey from the east to deliver their gifts to Jesus was long and difficult but their commitment to give outweighed the cost to themselves. This is a reminder that good stewardship often involves sacrifice.

Mary: Mary’s response to the angel’s request to give God a child is a model for good stewardship. She said, “Behold, I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be done to me according to your word.”

The widow’s gift: In Luke 21: 1-4 Jesus praises a widow for her sacrificial spirit, not the size of her gift. She gave two small coins putting in all she had to live on.

You can support your church’s ministries by helping the vulnerable, aiding the needy, forgiving others, spending time with family, sharing the Gospel, hosting, or giving God a special gift.

“Let us not torment each other because we are not all alike, but believe that God knew best what He was doing in making us so different. So will the best harmony come out of seeming discords, the best affection out of differences, the best life out of struggle, and the best work will be done when each does his own work, and lets every one else do and be what God made him for.”

–James Freeman Clarke

Our Financial Picture

Our giving for the month of December 2024 was $6,493 and our total giving for the year was $66,961

Our giving for the month of December 2023 was $6,520 and our total giving for the year was $71,787

December was a good month for the church with a surplus of $1,080 but for the year we had a deficit of $27,330–part of that deficit was from the plumbing repairs ($8,233). We will start the new year with a checking account balance of $13,454. It was a great year for our two main ministries–the community meal and the essentials pantry. The meal brought in $7,637 and we bought $3,770 of products for the pantry. We look forward to the coming year because of you! It’s hard to measure all the good we do for the community–the pantry, community meal, building use, sails class, concerts. and exercise like pickle ball. Thank you everyone for your help during 2024. We look forward to 2025

S.A.I.L. Class
-photo by Pastor Lilia

Tuesdays & Thursdays

10 am

Cashmere Community Church

213 S. Division Street

Cashmere WA 98815

509-782-38ll

cashmerecommunitychurch@gmail.com

www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org

Pastor Lilia Felicitas-Malana Address Correction Requested

January 2025

When the song of the angels is stilled,

When the star in the sky is gone,

When the Kings and Princes are home,

When the shepherds are back with their flock,

The work of Christmas begins:

To find the Lost,

To heal the Broken,

To feed the Hungry,

To release the Prisoner,

To rebuild the Nations,

To bring Peace among people.

To make Music in the heart.

-Howard Thurman

2024

Cashmere Community Church Newsletter

Reach us at: www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org cashmerecommunitychurch@gmail.com

and/or 509-782-3811

Opportunities This Month

“Christmas is a call to begin once more

the journey to human joy and holy meaning.”

-Joan Chittister

First Sunday 0f Advent – 11 am Worship & Communion

1st Tuesday – 12 pm Red Cross Blood Draw

2nd Sunday of Advent – 11 am Worship

3rd Sunday of Advent – 11 am Worship
All are welcome to Intergenerational Church.

4th Sunday of Advent – Stone Soup Sunday – 11 am Worship theatre skits on love your neighbor theme.

4th Tuesday – 7 pm

4th Wednesday – Christmas Day!

Pastor’s Message

Greetings friends and members of Cashmere Community Church;

Hope. Peace. Joy. Love. These are the themes of the four Sundays

before Christmas. The season of Advent is the shortest season in

our Christian Calendar – 4 Sundays before December 25th. The

season of Advent is a time for the whole Christendom to

prayerfully prepare for the coming of Christ. The word advent is

derived from Latin word Adventus, meaning ‘arrival.’

Hope is such an important commodity in one’s spiritual. There has

to be Hope for Peace to be had, to feel Joy, and to be able to have

Love born in our hearts, in our lives. When failure and trouble visit

us, it is hope that takes our hand and lift us up. When pain and

brokenness parks into our alleys it is the Joy of the LORD that

gives us comfort and strength. When anger or hatred is thrown at

us it’s Love that warms our hearts so the cold anger and hatred

melts away. These four feeds each other.

While it is during the season of Advent that we are invited to

meditate on messages that brings hope, peace, joy, and love the

truth is we need them each and every single day of our lives. I

cannot think of a day that I don’t have a need for even only one of

these.

So, in this season of Advent and throughout Christmas time I invite

you dear friends to engage yourself – whether through reading,

meditating, knitting, quilting, listening to music, watching movie,

gathering with friends, attending church services, helping others –

any thing that feeds your soul, any activity that brings joy and

peace to your heart, let it be.

I wish each of you the best of this Christmas Season.

Happy Christmas everyone!

Love,

Greetings friends and neighbors of Cashmere Community Church;

Hope, Peace, Joy, Love. These are the themes of the four Sundays before Christmas. The season of Advent is the shortest season in our Christian Calendar – 4 Sundays before December 25th. The season of Advent is a time for the whole Christendom to prayerfully prepare for the coming of Christ. The word advent is derived from the Latin word Adventus , meaning “arrival”.

Hope is such an important commodity to one’s spiritual being. There has to be Hope for Peace to be had, to feel joy and to be able to have Love born in our hearts, in our lives. When failure and trouble visit us, it is hope that takes our hand and lifts us up. When pain and brokenness parks into our alleys, it is the joy of the Lord that gives us comfort and strength. When anger or hatred is thrown at us, it is Love that warms our hearts so the cold anger and hatred melts away. These four feed each other.

While it is during the season of Advent that we are invited to meditate on messages that bring hope, peace, joy, love, the truth is that we need them each and every day of our lives. I cannot think of a day that I don’t have a need for even one of these.

So, in this season of Advent and throughout Christmas time I invite you, dear friends, to engage yourself – whether through reading, meditating, knitting, quilting, listening to music, watching movies, gathering with friends, attending church services, helping others – any thing that feeds your soul, any activities that bring joy and peace to your heart, let it be.

I wish each of you the best of this Christmas Season.

Happy Christmas everyone!

Pastor Lilia

Prayers, Concerns & Joys

Healing prayers for Erin, Laura Bailey’s niece, Lucy Kenoyer, Julie Ryan, Carolyn Meade, Nate Robinson, Ric Evans, John & Deb Olmstead, Angie Pipkin
Prayers for Carol Judd’s son-in-law, Derek.
Noralee Flaget’s family needs our prayers. Her young grandson Keegan has been very ill and his father, Nathan, was robbed while on a business trip. And thanks to Noralee for sending Judy Davies a book of stamps for sending cards & newsletters to our church family.

Maureen Ellen Campo Stolte obituary, 1954-2024 Maureen Campo Stolte, our church neighbor and friend, help mate, died of organ failure on November 6 at the age of 70. We shall miss her. Our sympathy goes out to husband, Dave and their families.

” The truth can be like a powerful storm; it can hurt and harm but beauty is often found in the recovery. May we be faithful enough to face hard truths knowing that understand-ing is a path toward a better future.” grace&peace
Patrick Scriven
Director of Communications
Pacific Northwest Conference

Community Concert on November 16.
A rainy night, 75 people were in attendance.

Anna Darling on her birthday and Joey Beckmann

Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday!

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently.”

-Lewis Carroll

Photo-A-Day

Let’s dive into something reflective and meaningful together this Advent

season! This year, the Conference is inviting you to prepare by looking for the

visual reminders of God’s presence… daily.

Each day during the season of Advent, we’ll post a word for reflection on

both The United Methodist Church’s Facebook page as well as The UMC

Instagram account. Take a moment of reflection, then share a response to that

word through a picture posted on social media with #AdventPhoto–or tag us

directly on Facebook with @TheUnitedMethodistChurch.

The Bible readings for this Advent cycle (and the days they influenced in

our Photo-a-Day practice) are:

• December 1-7: Jeremiah 33:14-16

• December 8-14: Malachi 3:1-4

• December 15-21: Zephaniah 3:14-20

• December 22-25: Luke 2:1-20

Share a photo, a poem or a simple thought about each word of the day, no

explanation needed. Simply illustrate how you perceive the word.

DECEMBER

1 – PROMISE

2 – FULFILL

3 – TIME

4 – JUSTICE

5 – RIGHTEOUSNESS

6 – LIVE

7 – CALLED

8 – HOPE

9 – MESSENGER

10 – PREPARE

11 – SEEK

12 – DELIGHT

13 – ENDURE

14 – OFFERING

15 – HOME

16 – FEAR

17 – GROW

18 – GLADNESS

19 – VICTORY

20 – RENEW

21 – GATHER

22 – AWE

23 – AMAZED

24 – TREASURED

CHRISTMAS DAY

25 – WORSHIP

USE (HASH TAG): #ADVENTPHOTO

IF YOU ARE POSTING ON YOUR FACEBOOK OR INSTAGRAM PAGE

Community Meals

November Teams

Nov. 7 – Our Lady of the Assumption & Chef Ben Nov. 14 -Ed & Judi Gerber & helpers

Nov. 21 – Seventh Day Adventist Team Mark & his shirt

December Meals
December 5Dryden Improvement Club – Chili with cornbread, salad and dessert	December 12Judi & Ed Gerber – Baked Ham, a gratin potatoes, bean salad, cornbread, Pumpkin pie & assorted desserts
December 19Midvalley Baptist Church – Spaghetti & meatballs, garlic bread & desserts	December 26No Dinner – Merry Christmas!

Compassion Circle
Dr. June Darling

Karen Armstrong’s The Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life provides a structured guide to cultivating compassion based on the Golden Rule, present in many religious and ethical traditions. Here are the steps slightly paraphrased for length and readability:

Learn About Compassion
Understand what compassion is and why it matters. Explore its significance in different spiritual traditions and philosophies.
Look at Your Own World
Examine your thoughts, actions, and the environment you inhabit to identify where compassion is lacking.
Have compassion for Yourself
Recognize the importance of self-compassion as a foundation for extending kindness to others.
Practice Empathy
Practice putting yourself in others’ shoes to understand their feelings and perspectives.
Practice Mindfulness
Cultivate awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to avoid reactive or harmful responses.
Take Action
Implement small, deliberate acts of kindness in your daily life.
Acknowledge How Little We Know
Acknowledge the limits of your knowledge about others and resist making judgments.
Avoid Words that Divide
Use language that promotes understanding, connection, and harmony, avoiding words that harm or divide.
Develop Concern for Everybody
Expand your circle of compassion to include all people, regardless of differences.
Attain Knowledge
Educate yourself about the lives, struggles, and cultures of others to develop a deeper sense of empathy.
Recognition
Appreciate the shared humanity of all individuals and recognize the divine or sacred in each person.
Love Your Enemies
Extend compassion even to those who oppose or hurt you, breaking cycles of resentment and hatred.

Our Church Website
This is a place where people can learn more about us especially through the newsletter. www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org

Compassion Circle continued

Ernest Hemingway once said: In our darkest moments, we don’t need solutions or advice. What we yearn for is simply human connection—a quiet presence, a gentle touch. These small gestures are the anchors that hold us steady when life feels like too much.

Please don’t try to fix me. Don’t take on my pain or push away my shadows. Just sit beside me as I work through my own inner storms. Be the steady hand I can reach for as I find my way.

My pain is mine to carry, my battles mine to face. But your presence reminds me I’m not alone in this vast, sometimes frightening world. It’s a quiet reminder that I am worthy of love, even when I feel broken.

So, in those dark hours when I lose my way, will you just be here? Not as a rescuer, but as a companion. Hold my hand until the dawn arrives, helping me remember my strength.

Your silent support is the most precious gift you can give. It’s a love that helps me remember who I am, even when I forget.

“View the present through the promise, Christ will come again.

Trust beside the deepening darkness, Christ will come again.

Lift the world above it’s grieving through your watching and believing

in the hope past hope’s conceiving: Christ will come again.

Come Lord Jesus Come, Come Lord Jesus Come, Come Lord Jesus Come And Live in Me

Probe the present with the promise, Christ will come again.

Let your daily actions witness. Christ will come again.

Let your living and your giving and your justice and forgiving

be a sign to all the living: Christ will come again.

Match the present to the promise, Christ will come again.

Make this hope your guiding premise, Christ will come again.

Pattern all your calculating and the world you are creating

to the advent you are waiting: Christ will come again.”

Lyrics by Thomas Troeger. Various tunes like “Sleep My Child and Peace Attend Thee All Through the Night.”

It can be found on YouTube Videos.

Stewardship & Finance

Love is not just a feeling, it’s an action. This is especially true when it comes to God’s love. God’s love is not just something we talk about or feel in our hearts, it’s something we are called to put into action. God’s love is transformative. It has the power to change lives, heal brokenness, and bring about justice and peace. But love is not just a passive feeling or emotion, it’s an active force that motivates us to act. When we experience God’s love, we are compelled to take action to make a difference in the world and to help those who are hurting. So what does it look like to take bold action to change the world? Here are a few ideas: fight for justice, serve the poor, care for creation, and love your neighbor.

From Finance for the month of November 2024

Church offering for November 2024 was $5,960 and year to date offering was $60,468

Church offering for November 2023 was $4,137 and year to date offering was $65,267

We had a surplus of $1,352 for November but still a deficit of $28,410 for the year. Our mission program (essential pantry) helps more than 50 families twice a month with items such as paper towels, dish soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, toilet paper, etc. We have spent $4,000 providing these items to Cashmere families. We are current with all of our bills and have $12,374 in the bank. Our church building is a great asset to the community and is used constantly throughout the year. We have 6 or more children attending church regularly and participating in the service. We may be small but the impact on our community is huge! -Tony Wright, Treasurer

S.A.I.L. Class – Tuesday and Thursday!
We are getting more & more people!
Doctors & physical therapists are referring folks as well they should. The program is evidence based & led by a highly trained physical therapist, Gina Quinn.

Cashmere Community Church

213 South Division Street

Cashmere WA 98815

Pastor Lilia Felicitas-Malana

11 am Worship for All Address Correction Requested

December 2024

Cashmere – photo taken in 2019

2024

Cashmere Community Church Newsletter

Reach us at: www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org cashmerecommunitychurch@gmail.com

and/or 509-782-3811

Opportunities This Month

“November teaches us to accept and let go,

so we see the promises of every new moment.”

-Joan Chittister

First Sunday –

11 am Worship & Communion

2nd Sunday – 11 am Worship

2nd Tuesday –

3rd Sunday – 11 am Worship
All are welcome to Intergenerational Church.

Skit by the youth.

4th Sunday – Stone Soup Sunday –

Christ the King/Thanksgiving Sunday

11 am Worship

4th Thursday –

S.A.I.L. Class Is staying popular. Doctors are beginning to refer folks. Gina Quinn, physical therapist, continues to work on becoming a master trainer who will work with groups all ovee the state. We are very fortunate to have her heading up our classes on Tuesday and Thursday!

Pastor’s Message

Hello friends and members of Cashmere Community Church;

“Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.” -The Message Bible Translation

As God’s children we are enjoined to be joyful and happy whether our day is coming out the way we planned or not. We need to keep praying even when we have yet to receive the answer to our prayers. As God’s children we are encouraged to be a people filled with gratitude not only when the stars are bright and are aligning but also when we don’t see them because the sky is so dark.

Surely, it seems that there are more problems and challenges than blessings to count these days -natural disasters, wars, division brought up by the up-coming national election, health issues, and, churches facing closure due to financial un-sustainability. Sometimes I get lost easily into the sea of worries and concern and totally forget or discount the many other blessings that God brings forth every day. So this time let me take some space in this message to lift up our Team Partners, even as I encourage us all to give God thanks for their selfless support to our Community Dinner for without their participation Cashmere Community Church won’t be able to offer the weekly Thursday Dinner:

~Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic
Church

~The Seventh Day Adventist Church

-The Mid-Valley Baptist Church

~Cashmere Post Acute Care

~Dryden Improvement Club

~The Wacoka Kiwanis Club of Cashmere

~Gina & Seth of Stone Gastropub

~Cashmere Rotary Club

~Angie Pipkin and Friends

~Candi Int-Hout & Friends

~Debbie & Joel of Sure to Rise Bakery

~Ed & Judi Gerber

These are our team partners. They are the reason why our church family is able to do ministry with and for our community. And, of course, our appreciation goes to Cathryn Finlayson of the Seventh Day Adventist Church for offering herself to do the hard work of Dinner Coordinator. A Million thanks!

Also, a shout of gratitude for JoAnne Prusa for her unwavering support for our NonFood Essential Pantry that we offer every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month. I’d like to encourage us all to let them know we so appreciate their hard work, commitment, and dedication. Write notes or cards. Send text messages.

Lastly, my unending praise to God and deep appreciation and gratitude to our “small but mighty” group here at CCC, our Church Family. We want to be and be known as a church that welcomes all people.

HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING DAY EVERYONE!!!

With you all in this journey,

Pastor Lilia

Prayers, Concerns & Joys

Healing prayers for Erin, Laura Bailey’s neice, Lucy Kenoyer, Julie Ryan, Carolyn Meade, Nate Robinson, Ric Evans, John & Deb Olmstead, Angie Pipkin
Dixie Vickery, long time member of the Monitor UMC, died on October 5th.
Prayers for the people affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton
Prayers for the North Eastern Philippines people.

Hurricane Helene & Milton – give through United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). 100% will go to help the people, etc. You may make a check out to Cashmere Community Church and Tony will send it to PNW.

Old News – Wenatchee World, 40 Years Ago

:Cashmere artist Ric Evans received the Best of Show cash award at the ‘First Nighter’ reception at Wenatchee’s Northwest Juried Art Show, art of the Apple Valley Arts Festival. Evans’ winning serigraph was called ‘Plant Basket’.

-Lydia Marie Child
Gratitude for all Grandparents.

Birthdays

“November always seems to me

the Norway of the year.”

-Emily Dickinson

Youth
by June Darling

Pioneer Days – June & John Darling helped at St Francis Xavier Mission. Handed out kindness cards. Bishop Hurt enjoyed a full day of activities.
-photo by Karen Bray

The youth with Karen in the midst of them. Cookie decorated by Eli Darling

October 20th worship service was designed, written, and implemented beautifully by our church youth with. Karen Bray courageously advised and did a bit of cat herding. She also prepared pumpkin soup and holiday rolls. They scared up a lot of fun with cookie decorating, skits, songs, charades (fruits of the spirit) and winging the Addams family, reminding us that God loves all, even the creepy and scary. -photos by June Darling

Worship attendance in October averaged 25 lovely people! Fantastic you all!

Community Meals

October 3 – Dryden Improvement Club October 17 – Mid Valley Baptist Team

Meals served are averaging 100 per Thursday night.

graphic by Karen Bray

Compassion Circle
Dr. June Darling

Dearly Beloved,

Grace and Peace to you.

Steward your pain

You are a steward of all you are and have,
your riches, your gifts, your abilities.
It matters what you do with them.
You are also a steward of your needs, your wounds.
You are a steward of your pain.
What will you do with it?
Many people are poor stewards of their pain:
they feel hurt or fear, and they don’t know what to do with it.
They turn it into anger, resentment, blame and violence.
They make others bear their pain.
Others have pain as well—even deeper pain,
the agony of abuse, or generations of oppression—
and they turn it into compassion.
They let it fuel their work for justice and healing.
Your pain is part of your story, part of who you are.
Steward your pain well.
Let Jesus help you carry it, and see where it goes.
Turn your suffering into love.
That’s what it means to take up your cross.

Deep Blessings,
Pastor Steve
_________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

Our Church Website

This is a place where people can learn more about us especially through the newsletter. www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org

Stewardship & Finance

How do we share God’s love with others

1) Practice Kindness: Be intentional about showing kindness to others, even in simple ways

2) Listen to others: Take the time to truly hear what someone is saying without judgment or interruption

3) Serve others: Serving others is a tangible way to show God’s love. Look for ways to serve in your community or church and be open to opportunities

4) Pray for others: Prayer is a powerful way to show love and care for others. Take the time to pray for the needs of others and ask God to bless them

5) Share your resources: Whether it’s your time, money, or possessions, sharing what you have with others is a way to show love and generosity

6) Be patient and forgiving: We all make mistakes and fall short. When someone wrongs you, choose to extend forgiveness and patience-a way to show God’s love

7) Speak words of encouragement: Words have the power to build up or tear down. Choose to speak words of affirmation to those around you

8) Show hospitality: Inviting someone into your home or offering them a meal is a way to show hospitality and make them feel valued and loved

From Finance for the month of October 2024

Our church giving for October 2024 was $5,511 and our year to date giving is $54,508

Our church giving for October 2023 was $8,138 and our year to date giving was $61,130

Our essential pantry helps at least 50 families twice each month. Items purchased in October totaled $492. Church members gave $565 in October to UMCOR for relief efforts following hurricanes Helene and Milton.

At the end of September 2024 we have $260,000 in the Doane memorial fund. We had a deficit of $2,116 in October and our total deficit for 2024 is $29,857. Finally we have almost $11,000 in our checking account so that we will not have to take any more money from the Doane fund this year. We can’t say it enough–thank you for your continued support! -Tony Wright, Treasurer

Essentials Pantry Volunteers on October 23.
Karen Hendon & JoAnne Prusa Karen acts as translator for JoAnne. Gracias, senoras!

November 2024
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
					1	2
3Daylight Saving Ends11 am Worship & Communion Coffee Hour	4	510 am SAILS 5 pm Compassion Circle	6	710 am SAILS 5 pm CommunityMeal	8	9
1011 am Worship Coffee Hour	11Veterans Day 4 pm Board of Vision & Ministry	1210 am SAILS 5 pm Compassion Circle	132 – 3 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm River St. Food Bank	1410 am SAILS 5 pm CommunityMeal	15	16
1711 am Inter-GenerationalWorship/Skit Coffee Hour	18	1910 am SAILS 5 pm Compassion Circle	20	2110 am SAILS 5 pm CommunityMeal	22	23Food Bank
2411 am Stone Soup Worship Coffee Hour	25	2610 am SAILS 5 pm Compassion Circle	27 2 – 3 pm Essentials Pantry	28Thanksgiving NO CommunityMeal	29	30Advent begins Dec. 1

Cashmere Community Church

213 South Division Street

Cashmere WA 98815

Pastor Lilia Felicitas-Malana

11 am Worship for All Address Correction Requested

November 2024

Cashmere – photo taken in 1909
Orchards platted out, trees along the river

2024

Cashmere Community Church Newsletter

Reach us at: www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org cashmerecommunitychurch@gmail.com

and/or 509-782-3811

Opportunities This Month

“Learning to celebrate joy is one of the great practices of the spiritual life.”

-Joan Chittister

First Sunday – 11 am Worship & Communion

1st Monday

2nd Sunday – 11 am Worship

2nd Wednesday –
11 am Service at our 9/11 Spirit of America Memorial at Riverside Park. All are welcome.

3rd Sunday – 11 am Worship
All are welcome to Intergenerational Church.
Skit: Fruits of the Spirit go to School

4th Sunday – Stone Soup Sunday –

11 am Worship with Dr. June Darling presenting Braver Angel: Bridging the Divide, How to Find Areas of Agreement in the Political Divide.

5th Sunday – Music, Music, Music!

Looking Ahead:

on October 27th in our Sanctuary, Vice Principal, Jon Shelby will be speaking on Restorative Justice and Application at Cashmere Middle School.

Pastor’s Message

Friends and members of Cashmere Community Church;

Good day to each of you!

Twenty-three years! It’s hard to believe that’s how many years had passed since after the bombing of the World Trade Center. A tragedy that had not only altered our lifestyle and way of being here in America but also around the globe. The tragic event brought to light the two sides of the coin: on one side, love and unity, and on the other side, hatred and vengeance. Love and unity was forged amongst us all Americans to show the world that when we stand together nothing will or can topple us down. That, we might fall yet we get back up stronger and mightier. But, also the ugly side of indifference toward the “others” – those that are perceived to be not of worth of any of the good and great opportunities this Great Country possesses and offers. Fear, anger, hatred, callous and outright cold treatment of all people that represents the race of the 9/11 perpetuator, and by extension to all non-white skin people. And, twenty-three years later, America continues to experience this same problem. Unity, even for our common good seems to be so far fetch and removed in the fabric of our society.

It used to be thought of that churches are the go-to institution to seek alliances and help to foster love and unity. But, I guess churches (we) have lost that accolade, ‘too. ( A big sigh).

Our little (but mighty) group here at Cashmere Community Church has taken a gigantic step to become and be known as a church that cares for all. Taking the Great Commandment from the Lord Jesus himself as our North Star, we take our daily living as a petri dish to practice love, compassion, kindness, and acceptance – not only among us here in the church, but to all people we encounter daily. We’ve also joined groups that made their goal to promote kindness and unity. We’re not there yet…but, I know we’re inching forward.

In the next couple of months, I/we will be joining hundreds of United Methodist Churches here in United States to focus our Sunday messages on the Golden Rule to prod each other to foster compassion and kindness to each other, and specially to those we normally see as different than and from us.

See you all at the church worship, Sundays @11:00 a.m. to 12:15 noon time. A meaningful, fun-filled coffee hour follows after. Come, and bring a friend as well.

God loves you and so do I!

Pastor Lilia

Prayers, Concerns & Joys

Curtis Adamson, 59, died on August 7. Prayers of comfort for his grandmother, Marjorie Farrens, and his family. A remembrance gathering was held on August 17 in East Wenatchee.
Rev. Stephen Schroeder died August 15. Steve was previously pastor at Methow Valley UMC and our District Superintendent. His service will be Saturday, September 14, 2024, at 1 p.m. at Yakima: Wesley United Methodist Church.
Gloria Reichmann,84, died at Harborview Hospital on August 18 after suffering a major stroke on the 15th. Viewing will be September 5th, 4 – 7 pm at Jones & Jones/Betts; Rosary to follow at 7 pm. A Funeral Mass will be held at 11 am Friday, September 6 at Holy Apostles Church in East Wenatchee followed by burial at the Cashmere Cemetery.
Healing prayers for Julie Ryan, Carolyn Meade, Brian Landes, Nate Robinson, Ric Evans, John & Deb Olmstead, Angie Pipkin
Julie Ryan underwent a pacemaker implant at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle on August 22. Then was called back on the 28th for more testing. Prayers for good health!

Palmer Reece Worthen celebrated her first birthday in August with parents Wes and Kalie.

“September tries its best

to have us forget summer.”

-Bernard Williams

Community Meals

Kiwanis Club Wacoka August 29, 2024 Vicki Hobbs, Larry Meade The Line

Compassion Circle

A Letter from Clare East

Dear Friend,

I was sitting in our beautiful Cashmere Community Church this morning, listening to Dorene play that wonderful baby grand piano. The sun was shining through the stained-glass windows making them almost come to life and I was wondering where you were. I have missed you!

I am not sure if you remember what a peaceful and gorgeous facility we have here in Cashmere. If you have been to the Thursday evening dinners, you know how great our kitchen and eating space is and what a great place for large gatherings. Also, a perfect spot for weddings, seminars, memorials etc. We have rooms galore for small meetings and the fellowship room with the mini kitchen is just a perfect spot for a medium size group.

I wanted to tell you the best part of Cashmere Community Church and that is our pastor and the congregation. We are blessed to have our Pastor Lilia in the pulpit. She is such an inspiring speaker and her messages about our Savior always hits the mark. She is a beautiful and compassionate person that always is available to listen and give great perspective on all our daily problems whether they be big or small ones. I cannot find enough good words to describe what a difference she has made in my life and many other’s lives.

The congregation here is such a welcoming group of folks. They make everyone, that comes in the door, a friend. I love everyone of them and never want to miss a Sunday service and fellowship time after service.

I cannot forget to tell you about the delicious Thursday evening community dinners…. they are not only about eating but the fun of gathering with old and new neighbors. Each week I meet someone new and interesting. Plus, I do not have to cook on Thursday evenings.

We all got out of the habit of getting together for church and other activities during the Covid period, but I am glad to be out and about once again, and I am sure you do too.

I expect by now you have figured out that I feel happy to be part of Cashmere Community church and wish I could see you there beside me on Sunday mornings. You know the service starts at 11:00 a.m. so you do not have to get out of bed too early.

You have been missed…Come back soon and join me reading, listening and singing the praises of God and enjoy his love that abounds here.

Most sincerely,

Clare

Stewardship & Finance

When Jesus spoke the truth, it was often in the context of a story, parable, or symbol. Consider for example Jesus warning about treasures Matthew 6:19-21

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

This is a very earthly take on deep spiritual issues. The stewardship lesson is that Jesus is not promising that we can take treasure to heaven. But he is telling us that our use of money in this life will either work against us or for us!

From Finance for the month of July 2024

Our church offering for the month of August 2024 was $4,986 and year to date $42,523

Our church offering for the month of August 2023 was $4,778 and year to date $47,129

Our insurance bill for the year is paid in full and our apportionments are current. Our total offerings for the year plus the money from Monitor for Pastor sharing total $69,555. The community meal continues to provide both a great meal and companionship. The essential pantry serves around 50 families twice a month. Our church continues being an asset to the Cashmere community. It is wonderful to see so many children in church each Sunday. Thank you for your continued support! -Tony Wright, Treasurer

Martin’s Market Sales Receipts

Are you saving your receipts from Martin’s Market and bringing them to church? Put them in the basket in the Narthex and Chelsea Evans will pick them up, add them up and submit them to Martin’s. Thanks, Chelsea!

Message from Our Church Secretary

Dear Friends of CCC;

I have been getting emails back from addresses ending in “nwi.net” and it began happening recently. The emails have been blocked. This issue needs to be looked at by your internet service provider, since this has happened before from nwi.net customers.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Vicki Helms, your church secretary

September 2024
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
111 am Worship & Communion Coffee Hour	2Labor Day	310 am SAILS 5 pm Compassion Circle	4	510 am SAILS 5 pm CommunityMeal	6	7
811 am Worship Coffee Hour	94 pm Board of Vision & Ministry	1010 am SAILS 5 pm Compassion Circle	112 – 3 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm River St. Food Bank	1210 am SAILS 5 pm CommunityMeal	13	14
1511 am Inter-GenerationalWorship/SkitCoffee Hour	16	1710 am SAILS 5 pm Compassion Circle	18	1910 am SAILS 5 pm CommunityMeal	20	21
2211 am Stone Soup Worship Braver AngelCoffee Hour	23	2410 am SAILS 5 pm Compassion Circle	252 – 3 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm River St. Food Bank	2610 am SAILS 5 pm CommunityMeal	27	28
2911 am 5th Sunday Worship Music, Music, Coffee Hour	30	October 1 NewsletterDeadline

Cashmere Community Church

213 South Division Street

Cashmere WA 98815

Pastor Lilia Felicitas-Malana

11 am Worship for All Address Correction Requested

September 2024

Mt Cashmere

“There are many paths to the top of the mountain,

but only one view.”

-Harry Millner

2024

Cashmere Community Church Newsletter

Reach us at: www.cashmerecommunitychurch.org cashmerecommunitychurch@gmail.com

and/or 509-782-3811

Things to Do This Month

“We are meant to be joyful because life itself is good.”

-Joan Chittister

First Sunday – VBS Kickoff with Steve & Crew leading our Combined Worship at 10:30 am at Cashmere Presbyterian Church. You are invited and encouraged to attend.

6 pm Ice Cream Social outside at the Presbyterian Church to meet and greet the M. V. Youth Team.

2nd Sunday – 11 am Worship

3rd Sunday – 11 am “The Fruit of the Spirit’s Not a Coconut” and VBS highlights.
All are welcome to Intergenerational Church.

4th Sunday – Stone Soup Sunday –

11 am Worship

Bridging the Political Divide: Loving Our “Enemies” – a video, discussion, and compassion practice.

July 8 – 12 Led by the Maple Valley Team

Registration at 9 am on Monday for the young set. Hours 9:30 – 11:30 am the rest of the week at Cashmere Community Church. Youth meet in the evenings at Cashmere Presbyterian Church

Pastor’s Message

Summer greetings friends and members of Cashmere Community Church;

I trust and hope that you all are enjoying the events and opportunities the summer season brings. Few things that I would like to share with you in this month’s newsletter:

There will be NO COMMUNITY MEAL this coming Thursday, July 4, 2024. We’re calling it FAMILY DAY. May your celebrations be safe and filled with fun and joy. May the force be with you!!!

Come July 8th thru the 12th, the Maple Valley VBS Team will lead, teach, and guide our children through stories and songs about faith and living as God’s beloved children. July 8, Monday starts with registration at 9:00 a.m. then, Tuesday thru Friday, classes are 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. We accept children K-12. Twelth graders are also highly encourage to join post High School Youth for evening gathering at the Cashmere Presbyterian Church. Times to be announced.

I will be gone from July 24th – August 15th. I will be traveling to the Philippines to visit extended families. While I am away the Rev. JoDene Romeijn-Stout of Leavenworth Community UMC had graciously accepted to be the Pastor-on-Call for emergency Pastoral Care. She can be reached through these phone numbers: (360) 589-0683 – Cell Phone; (509) 548-5619 – Office.

A heartfelt gratitude to God and a deep appreciation of you all for allowing me to continue to serve the Lord through our church and our beloved community. Blessings!

Gratefully,
Pastor Lilia

On the first Sunday of August, the 4th, the Rev. Daniel Miranda, Seven Rivers District Superintendent will be the guest preacher and will lead communion as well.

Prayers, Concerns & Joys

Healing prayers for Carolyn Meade, Gary Fredrick, Brian Landes, Nate Robinson, Ric Evans, Deb Olmstead, Angie Pipkin
Carolyn Meade had emergency surgery on June 24. She had a low heart rate and had pacemaker installed on Monday. She was feeling “punky”.
Curtis Adamson’s cancer is terminal. Prayers of comfort for him and his family.

“Summers are incomplete without July
and July can’t breathe without summers.”

Sophia Darling reading the Gospel Lesson on June 16

John Darling & his Father’s Day tie
photos by Karen Bray

Church Personal Growth Award,
Joey Beckmann Pinnacles 2024, end of year ceremony

Youth

photos by June Darling

The Youth made and delivered Father’s Day ties to our men.

Eli Darling, Bishop Hurt – Bishop, Ed Meyer, Eli – Tony Wright Dick Ryan

VBS Sunday, July 7

The Presbyterian Church will host the VBS team at our Worship Service. That service begins at 10:30 AM. A member of Steve Bodwell’s team will preach. Folks from your church are encouraged to join us at CPC for worship.
We will have an “ice cream” social that same Sunday around 6:00 PM. Grace Lutheran will feed the team dinner at their church at 5:00 PM. Afterwards we will have a wide open gathering in our patio space for folks to meet and encourage the team. Our deacons together with members will bring ice cream or dessert items. WE ENCOURAGE ANY METHODISTS OR OTHERS TO BRING A CONTRIBUTION AS WELL (Maple Valley Team is around 40 this year). BUT. . .IT IS NOT REQUIRED FOR ATTENDING AND ENJOYING THE TIME.
In the Beloved,
Pastor Chuck Clarke

Registration begins at 9 am at the church at 213 S. Division. During the following week, July 8 – 12, the younger children will meet during the mornings at Cashmere Community Church and the older youth will meet in the evenings at Cashmere Presbyterian Church.

Cashmere Middle School Field Trip to Washington DC
photos by Karen Bray

White House Karen Bray United Meth. Church MLK Jr.

Karen and her granddaughter, Calene Bray, went on this great trip to our Capitol. You can find more of her photos of Washington D.C. on her Facebook page. Thanks for sharing, Karen!

Compassion Circle

– Dr. June Darling
new site: journeytothegoodlife.net

Greater Good is an organization whose main work is making life more meaningful and rewarding for all. Recently, they have become interested in offering help for bridging the political divide. Here are some snippets from one article. It includes a few questions that help us all become more self-aware and possibly make some changes in our lives toward connecting with others and enjoying life together, as in “loving our neighbor” if you’ve heard that somewhere before.

We humans have a deeply rooted tendency to organize ourselves into groups: You’re either one of Us or part of Them. But research suggests those categories are not fixed. We can expand our sense of Us and see Them in a new light.

Bridging those differences often requires a mix of intention, the right social conditions, and specific skills, but studies show that it is possible—and that doing so will enrich our lives and communities.

How open are you to connecting with different kinds of people? How skilled are you at expanding your social circle beyond people who seem most like you? How comfortable are you with disagreement with people whose views differ from your own?

And the good news is if you are looking for a place to practice your bridging skills, the weekly community meal is ideal! Also, a movie that John and I have watched a couple of times which inspires us and gives us hope is Best of Enemies (available on Amazon Prime). Let there be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control and let it start with us…and it already has right here in Cashmere Washington, the compassion capitol of the world (just a little healthy grandiosity and humor and wishful thinking).

Stewardship & Finance

Billboards, Bumper Stickers, and Signs about Tithing

1) The Get Rich Quick Billboard

Net Income Tithing only gets you

Net Abundant Blessings

2) The Political Bumper Sticker

Jesus would have been a Republican

He only asked for 10 percent

The Democrats ask for everything

3) The Hostile Church Sign

You Give God the Credit

Now Give God the Cash

4) The Arrogant Church Sign

Title If You Love Jesus

Anyone can Honk

-Tony Wright

From Finance for the month of June 2024

Church giving for the month of June 2024 was $8,317 and year to date $34,465

Church giving for the month of June 2023 was $4,054 and year to date $34,624

For the month of June our giving and Pastor sharing from Monitor totaled $11,696 while our expenses for June totaled $10,710. We have helped the community through our essentials pantry through June in the amount of $1,821. We also took $15,000 from the Doane fund during June which should cover any deficits through the end of the year. The community dinner has been a huge success with many churches, clubs, and individuals preparing and serving the meals. Cashmere Community Church is an asset to the community and you make it possible!

-Tony Wright, Treasurer

Martin’s Market Sales Receipts

July 2024
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
	1	210 am SAILS5 pm Compassion Circle	310 am Bible Study	Fourth ofJuly	5	6
710:30 am Worship at Cashmere Presbyterian Church 6 pm Ice Cream Social at CPC	89:30 am, VBS at CCC4 pm Board of Vision & Ministry7 pm Youth at CPC	99:30 am, VBS at CCC 5 pm Compassion Circle 7 pm Youth at CPC	109:30 am VBS at CCC2 – 3 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm River St. Food Bank7 pm Youth at CPC	119:30 am VBS at CCC 5 pm CommunityMeal 7 pm Youth at CPC	129:30 am VBS at CCC 7 pm Youth at CPC	13
14 11 am WorshipCoffee Hour	15	1610 am SAILS 5 pm Compassion Circle	1710 am Bible Study	1810 am SAILS 5 pm CommunityMeal	19	20
2111 am Inter-GenerationalWorshipCoffee Hour	22	2310 am SAILS 5 pm Compassion Circle	2410 am Bible Study 2 – 3 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm River St. Food Bank	2510 am SAILS 5 pm CommunityMeal	26	27
2811 am Stone Soup WorshipCoffee Hour	29	3010 am SAILS 5 pm Compassion CircleNewsletterDeadline

Cashmere Community Church

213 South Division Street

Cashmere WA 98815

Pastor Lilia Felicitas-Malana

11 am Worship for All Address Correction Requested

2024

Lake Wenatchee

“Keep close to Nature’s heart…and break clear away, once in awhile,

and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash you spirit clean.”

-John Muir

S	M	T	W	TH	F	S
111 am Worship Communion	2	3 10 am S.A.I.L. Class	410 am Bible Study6 pm Anglican Fellowship	510 am S.A.I.L. Class5 pm Community Meal	6	7Turn your Clocks forward!
82 am Daylight Savings Time Begins11 am Worship	9 4 pm Board Mtg.	1010 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Compassion Circle (Zoom)	1110 am Bible Study 6 pm Anglican Fellowship	1210 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	1310 am Ladies Coffee	14
1511 am Intergenera-tional Worship	16	1710 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Compassion Circle (Zoom)	18 7 pm Taizeservice	19 10 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	20Spring Arrives!	21 7 pm Bluegrass Concert
2211 am Stone Soup Sunday Worship	23	2410 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Compassion Circle (Zoom)	2510 am Lenten Bible Study 6 pm Anglican Fellowship	2610 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	27	28
2911 am Hymn Sing Sunday Palm Sunday Worship	30	3110 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Compassion Circle (Zoom)
Happy Birthday!Laurel T, Christie K, Sandy L, Leann M, Bert H, Vicki H. Audrey R, Petra C, Ivanka S, Tammy V, Addison H, Lori C, Calene B, Eric W, Jan E, Chris H.

S	M	T	W	TH	F	S
111 am Worship Communion Food Drive begins	2	3 10 am S.A.I.L. ClassBoy’s Basketball	410 am Bible Study 6 pm Anglican Fellowship	510 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	6 Boy’s Basketball	7
811 am Worship Souper Bowl Sunday.	9 4 pm Board Mtg.	1010 am S.A.I.L. ClassBoy’s Basketball 5 pm Compassion Circle resumes (Zoom)	1110 am Bible Study 6 pm Anglican Fellowship	1210 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	1310 am Ladies Coffee Boy’s Basketball	14
1511 am Intergenera-tional Worship	16	1710 am S.A.I.L. ClassBoy’s Basketball 5 pm Compassion Circle (Zoom)	1811:30 am – 12:30 pm Walk-in Ash Wednesday7 pm Taizeservice	19 10 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	20 Boy’s Basketball	21
2211 am Stone Soup Sunday WorshipGuest Speaker is Daria Land, Alathela	23	2410 am S.A.I.L. ClassBoy’s Basketball 5 pm Compassion Circle (Zoom)	2510 am Lenten Bible Study 6 pm Anglican Fellowship	2610 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	27 Boy’s Basketball	28
Alyssa L., Chase & Ric E., Kim S., JoAnne P., Ed G., Karen Bates, Aengus G., Patrick T., Kurt R., Katie W., Ruach & Alex C., Conner B.

*December 2025*
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
	1	210 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Compassion (Zoom)	310 am Advent Bible Study	410 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	5	610 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
711 am Worship & Communion	84 pm Board Meeting	910 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Compassion (Zoom)	1010 am Advent Bible Study 2 pm Essentials Pantry3 – 4:30 pm Food Bank	1110 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	1210 am Ladies Coffee	1310 am S.A.I.L.4 pm Memorial for Patricia Newton
1411 amWorshipBaptisms, New Members!Rev. Joanne Coleman- Campbell preaching	15	1610 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Compassion (Zoom)	1710 am Advent Bible Study 7 pm Taize Service	1810 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	19	2010 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga12 – 1:30 pm Food Bank
21 11 am Intergener-ational Worship	22	2310 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Compassion (Zoom)	24 7 pm Christmas Eve Service	25 Christmas Day	26	2710 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
2811 am Worship Stone SoupSundaySam Darling speaker	29	3010 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Compassion (Zoom	31New Year’s Eve10 am Bible Study 3 – 4:30 pm Food Bank
Happy Birthday to: Kenzie & Kylee B, Dick R, Piper P & Piper S, Whelan G. , Acme, and Sharon H.

*November 2025*
S	M	T	W	T	F		S
							110 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
2 2 am Day-light Saving Time Ends11 am Worship & Communion	3	410 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Compassion (Zoom)	510 am Bible Study	610 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	7		810 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga7 pm Concert
911 amWorship	104 pm Board Meeting	1110 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Compassion (Zoom)	1210 am Bible Study 2 pm Essentials Pantry3 – 4:30 pm Food Bank	1310 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	1410 am Ladies Coffee		1510 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
16 11 am Intergenera-tional Worship	17	1810 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Compassion (Zoom)	1910 am Bible Study 7 pm Taize Service	2010 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Community Meal	21		2210 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga12 – 1:30 pm Food Bank
2311 am Worship Stone SoupSunday1 pm Charge Conference	24	2510 am S.A.I.L. Class 5 pm Compassion (Zoom	2610 am Bible Study	27ThanksGiving	28	29
3011 amHymn Worship	to: Alicia S., Judi G., Ryann L., Julie R., Shu D., Carol J., Diane P., Halley B., Anna D.

*August 2025*
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
Compassion Circle is on hiatus until September.					1	210 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
311 am Worship & Communion	4	5 10 am S.A.I.L.	6	710 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal	8	910 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
1011 am Worship	114 pm Board Meeting	1210 am S.A.I.L.	132 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm Food Bank	1410 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal	1510 am Ladies Coffee	16 10 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
1711 amIntergenera-tional Worship	18	1910 am S.A.I.L.	20	2110 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal	22	2310 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
24 11 am WorshipStone SoupSunday	25	2610 am S.A.I.L.	272 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm Food Bank	2810 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal	29	30
3111 am Worship through Music

*May 2025*
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
				110 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal	210 am Coffee Get-together	310 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
411 am Worship & Communion	5	610 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Compassion Circle	710 am Bible Study	810 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal	9	1010 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
1111 am Worship Mother’s Day	12 4 pm Board Mtg.	1310 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Compassion Circle	1410 am Bible Study2 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm Food Bank	1510 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal	16	1710 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga7 pm Concert
1811 am Intergenerational Worship	19	2010 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Compassion Circle	2110 am Bible Study	2210 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal	23	24 10 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga
2511 am WorshipStone SoupSunday	26Memorial Day	2710 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Compassion Circle	2810 am Bible Study2 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm Food Bank	2910 am S.A.I.L. 5 pm Community Meal	30	3110 am S.A.I.L.11 am Chair Yoga

*April 2025*
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
photo by June Darling		110 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Compassion Circle	210 am Lenten Study	310 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Community Meal	4	5
611 am Worship & Communion	7	810 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Compassion Circle	910 am Lenten Study2 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm Food Bank	1010 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Community Meal	11	12
1311 am Worship Palm Sunday	14 4 pm Board Mtg.	1510 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Compassion Circle	1610 am Lenten Study	1710 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Community Meal7:30 pm Taize/ Maundy Thursday	18 Good Friday	19
206:30 am Sunrise Service 11 am Easter WorshipEgg Hunt	21	2210 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Compassion Circle	23 2 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm Food Bank	2410 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Community Meal	25	26
2711 am WorshipStone SoupSunday	28	2910 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Compassion Circle	3010 am Bible Study

*February 2025*
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
						1
211 am Worship & Communion	3	410 am S.A.I.L.S12 pm Red Cross/gym5 pm Compassion Circle	510 am Bible Study	610 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Community Meal	7	8
911 am WorshipStudy Sunday	10 4 pm Board Mtg.	1110 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Compassion Circle	1210 am Bible Study2 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm Food Bank	1310 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Community Meal	14	58
1611 am WorshipIntergener-ationalSunday	17	1810 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Compassion Circle	1910 am Bible Study	2010 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Community Meal	21	22
2311 am WorshipStone SoupSunday	24	2510 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Compassion Circle	2610 am Bible Study2 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm Food Bank7 pm Taize Service	2810 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Community Meal

*January 2025*
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
			New Years Day	2	3	4
511 am Worship & Communion	6	710 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Compassion Circle	810 am Bible Study	910 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Community Meal	10	11
1211 am WorshipStudy Sunday	13 4 pm Board Mtg.	1410 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Compassion Circle	1510 am Bible Study	1610 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Community Meal	17	18
1911 am WorshipIntergenera-tionalSunday	20	2110 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Compassion Circle	2210 am Bible Study	2310 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Community Meal	24	25
2611 am WorshipStone SoupSunday	27	2810 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Compassion Circle	2910 am Bible Study	3010 am S.A.I.L.S 5 pm Community Meal	31

December 2024
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
11st Sunday of Advent11 am Worship & Communion Coffee Hour	2	312 pm Red Cross Blood Drive, Gym	4	510 am SAILS 5 pm CommunityMeal	6	7
82nd Sunday of Advent11 am Worship Coffee Hour	9 4 pm Board of Vision & Ministry	1010 am SAILS 5 pm Compassion Circle	112 – 3 pm Essentials Pantry3 pm River St. Food Bank	1210 am SAILS 5 pm CommunityMeal	13	14
153rd Sunday of Advent11 am Worship Coffee Hour	16	1710 am SAILS 5 pm Compassion Circle	18	1910 am SAILS 5 pm CommunityMeal	20	2111 am – 1 pm River St. Food Bank
2211 am Inter-GenerationalWorship/Skit Coffee Hour	23	2410 am SAILS 7 pm Christmas Eve Service	25Christmas Day	2610 am SAILS No CommunityMeal	27	28
2911 am Stone Soup Worship Coffee Hour	30	3110 am SAILS	New Year’s DayJanuary 1, 2025	January 2 Newsletter Deadline