The end of 2018, beginning of 2019

Rev. Douglas Avilesbernal
Executive Minister
 
Glad for the end of this year
Hopeful for the beginning of 2019
 
I wanted to thank you all for the amazing work you have done in 2018 with your churches and communities. We are living in very difficult times for the church yet you have all contributed to Evergreen being an oasis of church hope in our world. I did mean to write church since currently it seems like the church is often as much a barrier to the Gospel as secularism. So thank you for working hard to help our churches be seen as welcoming places of hope and support by doing your best to follow the Gospel.  
       
We are a diverse community. We are diverse because we’ve opened our arms and hearts. We are diverse because the “other” feels welcomed among us. We are diverse because we do our best to keep from falling for the fear of the other so prevalent in our time. We are diverse because for many of us the fear is not of the other and what they will take from us. Instead our fear is of what we would become if we come to hate the other. I am glad we are not diverse because it is fashionable or politically correct.
 
We are an active community locally and regionally. I have noticed as I visited about half of you how we all seem to be trying very hard to do what we preach. I am thankful for the blessings that brings to your communities and honored to witness all that wonderful work. I commend you on your ministries.
 
We participate in just practices. It would take pages and pages to enumerate the many ways our churches advocate for justice in our communities. I’d just like to remind us of our communal participation at our annual gathering. A little over a week before we were to gather in San Jose we received a message letting us know the workers at the hotel we had chosen to book our rooms were on strike. We had booked over a dozen rooms in that hotel. Yet, you all responded in support of the hourly wage workers on strike and all reservations were withdrawn! Then, when the pastor of our host church, Liliana Davalle suggested we walk over to the picket lines and join the workers many of you joined that as well! We also sent a letter to the hotel’s corporate office in support of those striking and stating that we as a region were watching this strike and will share with our entire denomination the outcome of those negotiations. Keep being a voice for justice wherever you are!
 
2019 Will be a busy year
 

• Yes we will! Luke 4:18. Our promise is to join Jesus in the ministries he outlines there. We will help you from the office through regular checking in and support ministers who will make themselves and their expertise available to you all so we can together do more of what we say we believe. We currently have three support ministers who have agreed to work with us,
  Chris Boyer-    Houselessness issues.
  Patrick Green- Children’s ministries.
  JC Mitchell-     church revitalization.
  
  
• Church planting. We are just about to get started with two church plants in partnership with Good Shepherd Baptist church. We are also working on bringing a church planting “missionary” in partnership with the Puerto Rico region and ABHMS. We are also working on two other hybrid church plant possibilities. Let us know if you want to join us in creating more welcoming spaces where we work hard at living out the Gospel.
  
  
• Welcoming churches. We have just received a letter from Comunidad de Fe from Bremerton, WA asking to join our region. We are currently in conversations with a church in the Bay Area that is considering joining us and another in the same area who are early on in the process of beginning a conversation. We have just started conversations with yet another church in the greater Seattle area who might re-join us too. 

All of the above, in addition to our on-going work, can only happen thanks to your generosity. Thank you all very much for your generous offerings and do remember to keep us in mind as this year ends and into 2019 as we continue building on our strong, flexible and expansive foundation!

Blessings on 2019,

Rev. Douglas Avilesbernal
Executive Ministers
Evergreen Baptist Association