Bethel Congregational United Church of Christ

Bethel Congregational United Church of Christ Celebrates Holy Week
In this Issue
• Holy Week schedule and description of events
• Multigenerational Sundays
• The annual report and Bethel’s 2015 Leadership List
• Interview with Director of Music Owen Hofmann-Smith
• Interview with Program Coordinator Beth Astarte
This is the first issue of a planned
quarterly newsletter that provides
more in-depth information than our
weekly Bethel Highlights. Our intent is
to make its distribution accessible to
Bethel members, as well as Internet
surfers who are seeking the kinds of
programs and family atmosphere that
we provide here. Please watch for future
newsletters on our Bethel website:
www.bethelbeaverton.org
Bethel
C O N G R E G AT I O N A L
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
Palm Sunday—March 29, 10:00 a.m.
Holy Week services are open to all ages, and begin with worship on
Palm Sunday. We will gather at the front entrance of the church and
in the narthex for a congregational procession into the sanctuary with
palms waving! Director of Music Owen Hofmann-Smith has prepared a
processional song for all ages. Reverend David will offer a dramatization
of the first Palm Sunday with a “character from the crowd.” Worship will
conclude with the building and procession of the cross, which is made
from the trunks of our Christmas trees.
Maundy Thursday Ser vice—April 2, 7:30 p.m.
Tenebrae with Communion by Intinction
The Maundy Thursday worship service draws its purpose and themes
from historical events that our Christian tradition believed happened
on the Thursday before Easter. It is a reenactment of the Last Supper.
“Maundy” is the English form of the Latin word meaning commandment.
Jesus’ new commandment, “Love one another as I have loved you,” is the
focus of Maundy Thursday.
Our celebration of Maundy Thursday includes a choir anthem, the Office
of Tenebrae, which means “shadows.” The Office of Tenebrae re-enacts,
through readings from the gospels, Jesus’ struggle with the impending
reality of his death, the flight of the disciples, the crucifixion, and burial
in the tomb. With each reading from Scripture, candles are extinguished,
and the lights in the sanctuary are dimmed until all is in darkness. We
leave the sanctuary in silence.
5150 SW Watson Ave • Beaverton, OR 97005
[email protected] | 503-646-1191 | www.bethelbeaverton.org
Good Friday—April 3, 10:00 a.m. Ecumenical Walk of the Cross
This year Bethel will serve as the gathering place for the Walk. The
Walk is a one mile pilgrimage through downtown Beaverton, with
stops at several different “stations.” Each station examines a different
aspect of life, peace and justice through scripture, personal witness
and prayer.
Reverend David Randall-Bodman breaks
bread in the communion ceremony as a
remembrance of the Last Supper.
If you have never participated in a Maundy
Thursday communion, please add this to
your calender as one of the most spiritual
services you will ever attend. The Easter
season takes on an entirely different meaning
when you walk with Jesus on the night of
his betrayal, knowing and fearing what lies
ahead.
Representatives from various churches will lead us to each station.
Walking between the stations, participants will carry a large cross to
remind them of the cross that Jesus carried over 2000 years ago, and
which is still being carried today.
The Walk of the Cross is a great way to identify with Jesus’ historic
walk, to consider the “crosses” of social justice­—to which Christ
continues to call us—and to sing and pray with sisters and brothers
from various Christian traditions.
Easter Eve Worship—April 4, 7:00 p.m.
This interactive and ancient service celebrates four major elements of
our Christian faith: Light, Word, Water and Sacrament. This service is
designed for ALL ages.
Easter Sunday—April 5, 10:00 a.m.
This all-generational worship will celebrate Christ’s resurrection with
special music, prayers, and liturgy. Our sanctuary will be flooded
with color from flowers given in honor or memory of loved ones. An
invitation to sing Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus will conclude worship.
Easter Egg Hunt—11:15 a.m.
Easter Eve’s celebration of the four elements of Christian faith begins at the church
entrance with fire. Candles are then lit and
carried into the darkened church to impart
the feeling of entering Christ’s tomb.
For all youth. Gather under the breezeway.
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Multigenerational Services
What is a Multigenerational Worship
Service?
It’s a service where children and adults
participate in worship together. Children
have the opportunity to expand their
participation in worship beyond being an
acolyte. They can help usher, read scripture
and serve communion. Pastor David
prepares a sermon that is accessible to all
ages and there’s even a special Children’s
Bulletin designed to provide interactive
activities to help the youth connect with the
sermon. Attention is also given to the choice
of music to assure that hymns and songs
appeal to congregants of every age.
Christ has risen! The Christmas tree
receives new life as the Easter cross.
Children decorate it with spring flowers,
while receiving advice and high-reaching
help from a few adults.
During Lent and specifically Holy Week,
opportunities for multigenerational worship
and activities abound, beginning with Ash
Wednesday. At our Ash Wednesday service,
everyone shared a meal together, and a craft
table was set up to create crosses to be
used during the Sunday morning Lenten
worship services. Palm Sunday and Easter
are designed with our entire congregation in
mind and the youth play an integral role in
both these services. After our Easter Sunday
service, congregants of all ages are invited to
participate in the Easter Egg Hunt.
Why have multigenerational services?
It’s simple—a church is much more than a building—it is
a community of people of all ages, who are called together
to encounter and respond to God’s love as revealed in
Jesus the Christ. Worship enfolds us in God’s love, and
what better way to create a sense of belonging than by
worshiping together. At Bethel, creating multigenerational
opportunities for worship and play is a strategic decision to
strengthen our community and provide a welcoming place
of acceptance for everyone, regardless of age. As our UCC
motto says, “No matter who you are or where you are on
life’s journey—You Are Welcome Here!”
NEWS AT BET H EL C O N G R EG AT I O N A L U CC | February 2015
—Beth Astarte, Program Coordinator
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On January 25, Bethel’s congregation met after church services to review
the Annual Report for 2014, and to approve budgets and plans for
2015. In a statement made later by Program Coordinator Beth Astarte,
“Committees [and the people who serve on them] are the lifeblood of
the church.”
Without the volunteers who work tirelessly on committee projects,
it would not be possible to accomplish the great works we do in our
community and for our members. The revised 2015 Leadership
List includes:
BETHEL STAFF
David Randall-Bodman, Pastor
Owen Hofmann-Smith,
Director of Music
Beth Astarte, Program Coordinator
and Financial Administrator
Chad Halligan, Interim Accompanist/Organist
Beverly Woolf, Office Manager
Megan Lucas-Griffiths,
Nursery Attendant
Hannah Lindsey,
Nursery Attendant
Bob Smythe, Custodian
CHURCH BOARD
* Sia Lindstrom, Moderator
* Jeff Winston, Vice Moderator
Paul Griffo, Treasurer
Jeanine Elliott, Clerk
* Lauren Hake
* Gary Imbrie, Alternate
* Diane Imel
* Jon Schlueter
* David Thoma
COMMUNICATIONS TEAM
(subcommittee of the Board)
JoeLynn Keniston
Nancy Macpherson
Diana Marsden
Paula Slavens
Linda Timmel
Nancy Winston
CENTRAL PACIFIC
CONFERENCE DELEGATES
Jean Doane
Jeanine Elliott
Patti Matson
Carolyn Rundorff
DIACONATE
FINANCE TEAM
(subcommittee of the Board)
Mark Clift
Heather Griffo
Paul Griffo
Heather Hagen
Nancy Speer
Heather Griffo, Chair
Lynne Elbert
Robert Keniston
Rowland French
Nancy Hilbrick
Carolyn Rundorff
Bill Jackson
Tim Youngsma
FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
PERSONNEL
(subcommittee of the Board)
Jim Keniston
Sia Lindstrom
Mike Peters
* Voting member
Linda Timmel, Chair
John Bentley, Advisor
Gary Imbrie
Jeff Knapp
Mac Macpherson
Nancy Macpherson
Sue Pike
Wendell Pike, Advisor
Jon Schlueter
David Randall-Bodman, pastor, is ex-officio member of all committees, tasks forces and subcommittees of
Bethel with voice but no vote.
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FAITH DEVELOPMENT
COMMITTEE
Nancy Hilbrick, Co-Chair
Pam Schlueter, Co-Chair
Jim Butler
Sue Butler
Michele Green
Hannah Lindsey
Ginny Rice
Ken Ruse
MISSION & OUTREACH
Fran Jensen, Co-Chair
Carole Thomas, Co-Chair
John Bentley
Susan Hanson
Milli Hoelscher
Ester McGinnis
Jean Doane
Winn Herrschaft
Sarah McLin-Huskey
Jason McLin-Huskey
Diane Imel
NOMINATING
Church Board and
Subcommittees
The Church Board is the governing body
of the congregation, and has ultimate
responsibility, after the Congregation, for
leadership of the Church. Its members
include the Moderator, who leads the
group, as well as six others elected by the
congregation. The pastor, clerk, treasurer
and financial administrator all assist the
Board with its responsibilities. The Board
also works with several Sub-Committees.
Projects include:
• Strategic Planning and Program
Evaluation
• Financial: Includes meeting fiscal
objectives, yearly budget, gifts and
memorials, planned giving, stewardship
and pledges,and the annual audit.
• Personnel: Includes personnel
policies, evaluation, contracts, and job
descriptions.
• Communications Team: works on
strategy to communicate Bethel’s
identity and mission, including logo
usage, signage, website and more.
• Nominating: Prepares recommendations
to the Board regarding position
vacancies, and ballots for the Annual
Meeting.
• Assist auxiliary groups of the Church
Paul Griffo
Diane Imel
Sia Lindstrom
David Thoma
Facilities Committee
This group is responsible for the
maintenance and enhancement of the
church building, grounds, furnishings,
equipment, and art. It makes
recommendations to the Bethel Church
Board on matters related to facilities
use and budget, capital improvements,
insurance, technical and aesthetic
design. Committee members rotate the
responsibility of opening and closing the
church on Sundays. Projects include:
• Two “Grubby Sundays” are scheduled
per year after worship, when all church
members pitch in to clean and spruce
up both inside and outside.
• Heating/HVAC issues
• Stained Glass Box (from entry) repair
with new lights
• Updating Fellowship Hall–cosmetic and
storage issues
• Signage (interior and exterior)
• Lobby areas aesthetic update
• Landscape completion
• Peace pole tile redo
when needed.
NEWS AT BET H EL C O N G R EG AT I O N A L U CC | February 2015
WORSHIP
(subcommittee of Diaconate)
Beth Astarte
Jean Doane
Heather Griffo
Owen Hofmann-Smith
Liz Patch
Cathy Thoma
Jane Zilk
CALLED TO CARE
(subcommittee of Diaconate)
Jean Doane, Co-Chair
Patti Matson, Co-Chair
Alice Bennett
John Bentley
Jim Butler
Marion Douglas
Ginny Rice
Faith Development
Committee
Bethel’s Faith Development Committee
seeks to be fully “intergenerational”—
wanting all ages to have a variety of
opportunities to think, learn, and grow
in faith. It plans classes and activities for
children, youth and adults on Sunday
mornings, as well as facilitates other
groups that meet throughout the year
for book discussions, classes, and bible
studies. Projects include:
• Youth: October Pancake Breakfast,
December Christmas Pageant, March
Potato/Salad Bar, April Mission Project,
May Youth Sunday, Summer Sunday
Activities.
• Adults: Adult Book Groups, Bible
Studies and Sunday Discussion
gatherings
• Intergenerational: September Kick-Off
Mission and Outreach
Committee
This group is responsible for the
development of a healthy mission spirit
in Bethel’s congregation. Mission and
Outreach has twelve programs under its
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umbrella. It differs from any other Bethel
Committee in that it is self-sustaining with
its own budget and Board. Scrip sales help
cover some costs, as well as donations and
bequests. Projects include:
• Scrip Sales Management: three people
for six hours per month.
• Salvation Army Homeless Vets: order
and deliver cake monthly.
• New Eyes for the Needy: advertise
and assistance are given to first time
teachers. No summer classes.
• Faith Café: Faith Café board member,
site manager. Helpers are needed every
seven weeks.
• Food Cupboard Administration: food
purchases, coordination with Oregon
Food Bank and Care to Share, attend
required quarterly meetings at Oregon
Food Bank, train workers, and manage
inspections and corrections.
• Lent–planning and executing Ash
Wednesday service, coordinating
programming with Faith Development.
• Holy Week–planning and executing
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter
Eve, and Easter Services, associated
advertising
• Fellowship Activities–potlucks, social
need, mail collected glasses.
• Habitat for Humanity: schedule and
coordinate a Bethel crew to help with
one or two “build” days per year.
• Beaverton HS Homeless Teens:
advertise, collect, send out birthday
cards, deliver clothing to BHS or the
District Clothes Closet.
• ESL classes: teach a class one or
and is engaged in the evangelism efforts
of hospitality and advertising. Projects
include:
two times per week. Teacher manuals
Diaconate Committee
The Diaconate is responsible for worship,
music, fellowship, and congregational care.
The committee provides support to the
Pastor on worship topics, schedules, and
plans, directly and through the worship
committee. Diaconate is responsible for
scheduling worship-related volunteers
gatherings
• Blessing of the Animals Service
• Receiving New Members
• Advent–planning and executing
Advent themes, hanging of the greens,
Christmas Eve and Blue Christmas
services
• HomePerk–Coordinating the coffee
service program with HomePlate.
Interviews with Paula is a new feature of this newsletter, that provides in-depth
stories about people, activities, and perhaps even the history of Bethel. We take
pride in creating a welcoming environment at Bethel that instills the feeling of
family. These comprehensive reports help us achieve that more quickly by giving
us insights into people, who we may see every Sunday, but don’t have time or
opportunity to ask these kinds of questions.
—Paula Bartell Slavens
Interview with Bethel UCC Music Director Owen Hofmann-Smith
Owen and his wife Amanda came to Bethel a year ago, having
been selected from twenty-five applicants from a nationwide search
that took four months to complete. The selection process began
with polling choir members and the congregation to create a list
of qualities and traits of a great music director. A thirteen-person
committee reviewed the applicants, and narrowed it down to
eight candidates. After a sub-committee of four conducted phone
interviews, the list of viable candidates dropped to eight. From that
eight, three were given face-to-face interviews.
In the summation for his selection, the statement read: “Owen’s
enthusiasm, desire, ability, and knowledge of Bethel stood out.”
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The bonus is that when we hired Owen HofmannSmith, we were blessed with his wife, Amanda
Hofmann-Smith—a very gifted soprano, who has
shared her talents and extensive voice training as
a fill-in choir member and guest performer.
In my interview with Owen, it became even more
apparent that we were truly fortunate to find a
young man with great talent, who is also a perfect
match for our Bethel family.
“I am a native-born Oregonian—born and raised
in Portland. I feature that in my bio and I am really
proud to be from the Northwest.”
muscle strength and conditioning. When I realized
the extent of my injury, it made me question if I had
a future as a professional cellist. During that time, I
studied voice and conducting, and earned a master’s
degree in conducting. I also really lucked out with a
great voice instructor, and now the future is looking
brighter and brighter. Amanda and I are looking at vocal
competitions this next year. There is money to be won
out there, and we are hoping to win some.”
Owen comes from a musical family where singing
permeated the home. “I have musical brothers, but
none of them are professionals. My
parents both sang in the choir, so music
was just a natural part of our home. We
enjoyed it, but there was one rule: No
singing at the table! We just wouldn’t
stop, and then it would be dinner time,
so there had to be boundaries.”
“The hyphenated Hofmann“… there was
Smith name came to me by
one rule [in my
birth. My mother provides the
boyhood
home]:
Hofmann side of the family.
No singing at the
My father is the Smith side.
table! We just
The name Owen was chosen to
The Hofmann-Smith household
wouldn’t stop,
honor a family friend named Fred
includes four boys, with Owen as the
Owens. He provided support for
and then it would
third child.
the family when my grandfather
be dinner time, so
(on my mother’s side), William
“My brothers really don’t sing much
there had to be
Hofmann was at sea, serving as
these days. Noah, the oldest, sang in a
boundaries.”
a Merchant Marine. He would
chamber group in a college choir. Now
sail to Asia and other parts of
they primarily play guitars and one of
the world, being gone for long
them plays piano.”
periods of time. During Grandpa’s absence, Fred
When you look at Owen, with his slender 6-foot,
helped my grandmother manage the household and
6-inch frame, the natural thought is, ‘Hmm, this guy
even helped with raising the children. Tragically,
must play basketball.’
Fred died in a fire at the family home. I was named
after him, in honor of his memory.”
“ I did,” explains Hofmann-Smith. “I played in middle
school, but kept getting injured. If someone passed
The advent of a singing career
me the ball, and I caught it incorrectly, it would jam
“My parents were very supportive of musical skills.
my fingers and cause swollen knuckles. That would
I picked up a cello in the fifth grade and sang in the
happen frequently and if it affected my left hand, I
choir about that time as well. I didn’t take any formal
couldn’t play the cello. I finally had to decide which
voice instruction until much later when I started
was more important—basketball or the cello? I chose
college. Making a career out of voice wasn’t my first
the cello since I couldn’t afford to be out of orchestra
choice. I sustained an injury from the cello and had
for two or three weeks recovering from a basketball
to stop playing for over a year to allow it to heal. It
injury. I am very satisfied with my decision. I may be
was a repetitive strain from bowing back and forth
tall, but I am not a very good player—couldn’t shoot,
during four-hour practices, or two-hour symphony
couldn’t drive, couldn’t guard anyone very well. I am
rehearsals, followed by two hours of concerts.
better at the cello.”
That’s a lot of repetitive movement that requires
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was cut. Fortunately, I only had three days of
not knowing where I would be working—when
I found a job at Atkinson Memorial Unitarian
Church in Oregon City. About a month after that,
I was offered this job at Bethel United Church of
Christ at double the hours per week, and half of
the commute time. It was a no-brainer.”
Owen Hofmann-Smith practices for a solo and bass guitar
performance for Sunday worship service.
“I started at Mount Hood Community College in 2003.
It took me a while—I had some growing up to do. I
wasn’t focused and didn’t have best of study habits. Over
the next few years, I received some wonderful guidance
from some great teachers and really superb musicians. I
started developing personal discipline and improving my
instrumental and musical skills. Then I pursued music
education at Portland State around 2006. I received
my Bachelors of Music and Music Ed, and while I was
there, they hired a really great choral conductor, Ethan
Sperry, so I stayed and got my Master’s Degree in Choral
Conducting. I just finished that in the spring of 2013.”
“While pursuing my degrees, I also worked as a choral
director at the Eastrose Unitarian Church in Gresham—
the church my parents attended—for about five or six
years. About the time I received my Master’s degree, the
church went through a bit of a shake up when the pastor
retired. People left, and the church experienced a bit of
a financial crisis. The budget for entire music program
One of the first times Amanda and I spoke, I
learned that the couple had met in New York
City. The picture in my mind’s eye includes
beautiful, blonde Amanda, sitting demurely
near a cavernous conference room wall,
crowded with people from all nations. Then
a dashing Hofmann-Smith suddenly towers
over her, flashing those deep brown eyes and
broad, perfectly-toothed smile. He politely
asks, “Is this chair taken?” Then proceeds to
stare into her eyes steal her heart with clever
banter and his genteel manner. “He kissed me
for the fist time that night,” Amanda reveals.
That’s about as close to a great love story as
they come.
Owen provides a few more details. Both he
and Amanda attended Mount Hood Community
College, but they never met until they
participated in a New York City International
Jazz Education Conference.
“Amanda sang in a jazz choir at Mount Hood
Community College, and I played bass in a jazz
band,” says Owen. “There isn’t much of a chance
for singers and instrumentalists to intermingle
on a normal basis. When we were in New York,
our respective groups performed at the various
venues, and since Amanda and I just happened
to be from the same school, we were grouped
together, and got to know each other. So we met
in New York City and had our first date there at
the Blue Note, which is a big, famous jazz club. It
was a lot of fun­—and here we are eight or nine
years later.”
So the big question, ‘Was it love at first sight?’
According to the source, “Yeah! It was magic. It
was a magical night.”
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“We didn’t get married until June 2011. Since
we were both in school and were not sure
what we wanted to do career-wise, we dated
for about five years until we were more settled
into what we wanted out of life. At one time,
we both wanted to be teachers. As we grew
in our skills and in life, we both came to the
realization that we want to be performers. We
like to perform! But I teach. Working with
an adult amateur ensemble like in a church
or a community choir—you teach. Teaching
is inextricably linked with performing and
becoming a master of a discipline. “
Last summer both Amanda and Owen
performed in a Gilbert and Sullivan
operetta with the Dairyville Players at
Alpenrose Theater. They demonstrated
a breadth of talents, not traditionally
witnessed on Sunday mornings—a truly
amazing performance by both performers!
I asked if there was any common thread in
performing as a singer and as an actor.
“Yes, they are integrated. In order to sing your
best, you need to deliver the text as if you
were speaking it on the designated pitch at
the designated time. But the effect has to be
derived from your speaking of the text, versus
a designated vowel sound that lasts this long
and on this pitch. You cannot conceive of it
backwards, you have to think about it from
the message first—what it would sound like
from the person who first spoke those words?
Then you imagine how it might sound with
you saying it yourself. It is easy for singers to
get this backwards—focusing on the technical
side­—conceiving one syllable or one sound
at a time and trying to make that sound
perfect and beautifully in tune. But to be a
really good singer, you must come at it from
the other side—understand what is being
communicated, so that the message and the
spirit of the song come through.”
It’s probably stating the obvious, but what
is your job description?
Reverend David Randall-Bodman prepares to hand ushers the
collection plates, while Owen delivers a stunning cello solo.
“As Bethel’s Music Director, I facilitate and organize music
for all services that require more than a pianist to be present.
That includes leading choir rehearsals and conducting the
choir at services, organizing volunteer musicians, and now
organizing and conducting the hand bell ensemble and
conducting them. I also do solo performances, singing or
playing my cello or my bass, or doing song leading. Often
I lead songs with the guitar, or we have accompanist Chad
Halligan play hymns from the piano or organ, while I sing at
the microphone.”
“I also attend a number of meetings here: Diaconate
meetings, worship committee planning, and staff meetings.
I am actively involved in planning the worship services, to
an extent. It is a collaborative effort with Reverend David
and the committees. And now our new staff member,
Beth Astarte, has been really, really great in helping us
communicate with each other, the various facets within Bethel,
and with the outside community. She is helping to attract
people with events on any given Sunday.”
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Do you feel that your education has well prepared
you for this position at Bethel? And do you feel
fulfilled here, or do you see it as a stepping stone
for something else?
“Yes, my educational background has served me well,
and Bethel has been a good fit. I am young—I will be
thirty years old in March—so I have lots of options
ahead of me, and someday I would like to be an opera
singer. I don’t know if being an opera singer will be
compatible with being a choir director. I anticipate
there might be some conflicts along the way, but for
right now, I am really happy. I enjoy the flexibility
of my hours here. I am able to have a part-time job
here, have a wonderful office, and work around most
conflicts I have as a freelance performer. If I chose
to pursue the career of an opera singer, I would, of
course, lose some of that flexibility. It depends on the
inconsistency of practice. I am not worried about that
now. I am just enjoying being here.”
In many respects, hiring Owen has almost
seemed like a package deal with wife Amanda
at his side. Amanda, like Owen, does freelance
performances, and can often be seen on Sunday
mornings with Bethel choir members, performing
solos, and singing duets with Owen. Says
Hofmann-Smith, “Amanda has been very supportive
of me. She’s been like my sidekick, or my personal
aide. She also has been my volunteer soprano
whenever I need her. I cannot really offer to pay her
because of the concern for nepotism. I am in charge
of the budget for paid musicians, so I need to be
careful to avoid any perceived conflict of interest. I
totally believe she deserves to be paid at least what we
pay other guest performers, but it’s too complicated of
a situation to try to set anything up like that.”
Someday, Amanda may find her own position as a choir
director or a more permanent position as a performer.
In the meantime, Owen professes that she has been a
huge help with his transition into this new position and
doing whatever she can to enhance Bethel’s music
program.
When I asked Owen to describe his vision of his
perfect lifestyle. He took a deep breath, and with
a broad smile, emphatically stated, “I am living it!
I have enough work to support us. We can live in a
comfortable apartment. I get to do musical projects
that are fulfilling, and I don’t have to take work that
is not music related. We aren’t affluent, but we have
enough to get by and do what we want to do, and we
have all our needs met.”
“I am not driving a Porsche and have financial
limitations, but I have the instruments I need. I feel
pretty lucky, having instruments that cost thousands of
dollars—and are paid for. Buying a cello on a cellist’s
wages is a pretty tough thing to do. I’ve been really
fortunate to have parents who support my career and
have helped me pay for my instruments. Now, our
professional expense budget here at Bethel helps me
maintain them. It can be very costly to keep a cello and
a bass in playing condition. You have to re-hair the
bows. That’s another thing I feel good about being here
at Bethel. I feel very supported by the congregation to
make the music that I perform here. So life is good!”
How do you manage having a Master of Music
in Conducting degree and working with a choir
that may not have the excellence that you are
accustomed to in a highly academic environment?
“It’s attitude!” proclaimed Hofmann-Smith.
“If I am having fun, then other people are having fun. I
love my job! The more fun I am having in front of the
choir, the more fun they have, and everyone performs
better. When people are feeling positive, it helps them
focus and give a better performance. It’s actually tied
into the technique of your voice. If you’re feeling at
ease, your voice comes out easier.”
“The cool thing about my job—the more fun I am
having, the more people think that I am good at what
I do!”
“I learned this from a choir director who always had a
good time­—all the time—and he changed my life.”
“I encourage people to try out choir. You don’t need a
ton of experience. I make it easy for people to give it
a try, and intentionally make an environment where
success can be achieved. It’s easy for choir directors to
pick music that is too difficult, but with a little bit of
life experience, you learn what is doable for amateur
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singers, while also throwing in some things that
make it interesting for the more experienced
choir members.”
“Picking the right songs is a balancing act.
Some people like one genre over another,
so you have to keep everyone in mind when
you’re planning the program. We all need to be
musically fed and that requires mixing things up
a bit, like using our two hymnals, and expanding
the music beyond dead, white composers. You
need to throw in an African-American spiritual
once in a while to add variety and keep things
accessible for every skill level.”
Churches are losing ground with
membership and especially bringing more
families into the church environment. Have
you thought about this in relation to the
music program?
“I have been thinking about this issue
recently and noticed that young people are
very overcommitted nowadays. They have so
much going on with extracurricular activities,
advanced placement tests, football, soccer, and
all sorts of demands. It’s hard to fit something
in like choir practice, so I have tried to organize
projects that are shorter term. The paradigm
is that when the project is over, you lose your
choir and have to start over. So that hasn’t
always worked well for me.”
“The best way I’ve found to get new interest in
the choir, is to have the Test-Drive Sundays,
where you don’t have to come to the Thursday
choir practice. It appeals to singers who have
some voice experience, but can’t commit to a
practice session. The other option is giving four
or five weeks of time on the project-type basis,
that I described earlier.”
“When I plan these projects, Beth Astarte,
our new Program Coordinator has been doing
a really great job getting the word out to the
community and to church members. We have
been seeing a lot of results from her efforts. My
challenge is to plan well in advance, so that she
Above top: Owen and wife Amanda Hofmann-Smith
sing a duet at a Sunday service.
Above: Owen sings with the Bethel UCC choir
members at last Christmas’ Choralfest.
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can effectively do her job of getting
information published in a timely
manner.”
You are an accomplished musician at
a relatively young age. What advice
would you recommend to budding
musicians, who might be considering
career in music?
“Being a musician is hard work.
Equipment is very expensive, if
you are an instrumentalist, and
you often have to work other jobs,
just to make ends meet. If I could
give advice to young musicians,
who wonder if they have what it
takes to be successful—I would tell
them that one percent is talent and
ninety-nine percent is hard work.
It takes discipline to be a successful
musician.”
Is there one final message you would
like to give to our church members
and people in the community, who
might be seeking a church family?
“I am really grateful to be in this
position and have a lot of fun
with the folks here. I know there
are a lot of talented people in the
congregation who, for one reason
or another, have not been able to
participate in our music program.
We are an important part of worship
and it is very meaningful to have
people volunteer to help with the
music. I would just love to see new
people give it a try because we need
more people to function well.”
The newest member of the Bethel
staff may be a little less familiar,
having been employed just a few
months ago. However, Beth Astarte is
already making her mark as Program
Coordinator—a new position that has
many demands, and high hopes for
increasing Bethel’s presence in our
community.
—Paula Bartell Slavens
Interview with Bethel UCC
Program Coordinator Beth Astarte
Tell me about your family, and how you came to live in Oregon.
“My parents moved here when I was six years old, and still
have the same house in Aloha. I went to college in Eugene
and lived a few years in Salem but mostly I have lived and
raised my children here in the Beaverton area.”
“My dad grew up in Albany. My mom came from The Dalles.
There are five kids in my family—all born within seven
years—all in different areas. I am the oldest and was born in
Salt Lake City, Utah.”
“We moved a lot due to job availability for my father. My dad
was an electrical engineer, who worked for various companies,
including Boeing, and later Tektronix, and Sequent. My
mom was a Registered Nurse and housewife. Now they are
missionaries through the Mobile Missionaries Assistance
Program. It consists of retired couples who have mobile
homes. They go to different gospel missions, churches, or
church camps that need help. The men provide constructiontype labor, repairing or building structures, performing
plumbing, electrical work, and such; while the women help
with office tasks.”
That kind of sounds like Habitat for Humanity on Wheels!
“Pretty much. My parents go to various sites about five
months every year—so they are gone a lot. They are on their
fifty-seventh project”
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Beth’s family Left to right, front row: Youngest son Jay with his dog
Buster, and son Jimmy. Back row: Daughter Cassie, Beth, and
Jimmy’s fiancee´, Sori.
Beth Astarte­—a great match for Bethel.
Are your parents pleased that you are working here
at Bethel, or have you worked with churches most
of your career?
“Yes, my parents are pleased and not surprised as
I have volunteered consistently in almost every
church I’ve attended.”
Do you have children of your own?
“I have three, ranging from ages twenty-two to
twenty-seven. My oldest works for Google in
Kirkland, Washington. He just got engaged and
will be married in August. My daughter lives
in Creede, Colorado, near Durango. She works
for the theatre, and loves it. She has a boyfriend
who is a rancher, and will likely marry and make that her
permanent home. My youngest lives here in Beaverton.
I get to see him the most. He also has a girlfriend and
proposed marriage to her last week. So I hope to be a
grandmother one of these days.”
How long have you been here, and how would you describe
your position here at Bethel?
“I have been here since November 1st. My title is Program
Coordinator, and we are defining it as we go since it is a
new position.”
“Right now, it consists of three parts: adult education,
youth education, and communications. My primary
focus is to coordinate programs and promote them to the
community in an effort to draw in new people at Bethel.
I work really closely with the Communications Team
and the Faith Development Committee. I attend the
Worship Committee meetings as well, so that I can provide
additional support for multigenerational Sundays. I put out
press releases during the Advent season to create a buzz,
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and I advertised the John Nilson concert in January, which
brought in some new people.”
Since this is a new position, you have some flexibility to make it your
own. Do you have a vision of where you would like to take this?
“Yes. There are already a lot of great programs here, especially
with our youth. Part of my job is promoting these great things,
increasing awareness, and seeing if we can work with other
UCC churches, or similar churches in the area. My role is to
build relationships with staff in other churches so that we can
share mutually beneficial opportunities with each other. For
example, if we are offering an evening bible study, and another
church has a daytime bible study, we can inform our members.
Someone who may not be able to attend a nighttime program
here, could then sign up for a similar program
at another location.”
Beth Astarte introduces the celebrity
actors and actresses in the premier
production of the Christmas play.
“I have already met with one of the staff at
Hillsdale UCC and discussed combining our
Confirmation classes, such that Reverend
David and their minister share the training;
and when we have our outings, I will be
inviting the Hillsdale youth, as well as the
young people from Village Home. There
are also regional, Portland area events that
are offered quarterly that help with the
socialization for middle school and high
school students. Right now, we do not have a
very robust program, but if we combine our
programs with these other churches, we will
be able to attract people, and keep the people
we have. I talked to our Middle School and
High School students and found out exactly
what they would like to participate in for
their spiritual growth.”
Have you reached out to other churches as well?
“Yes. I work only 24 hours a week, so I
haven’t been able to meet with everyone that
I would like to yet, but we are moving in that
direction.
Your children are now in their twenties, do you
see a shift in today’s family versus when you
were raising your own children, or even when
you were growing up?
Children and adults combined talents and stage presence to create a
Christmas film for Bethel’s Sunday Christmas service.
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“When I was a child, there was always a parent at
home. Divorce wasn’t as prevalent as it is today. Now,
many children are raised by one parent, or both
parents are working outside the home. There are a lot
of demands on the parents, as well as the children.”
“Being a single parent myself, I was busy and running
around all the time. I relied on my church community
a lot. We went to the Living Enrichment Center
in Wilsonville, and then New Thought Center for
Spiritual Living in Lake Oswego. That proved to be a
lifeline for me and my children at that point in time.
It was a church that appealed to all ages that honored
all paths to God. I had the honor and privilege of
hearing speakers like Marianne Williamson, Neale
Donald Walsch and Dr. Michael Beckwith (before he
became famous), along with Mary Manin Morrissey.
My children and I got to participate in original
Christmas programs together, 300 kids attended the
Easter egg hunts, and I would have thirty to forty in
my fourth and fifth grade Sunday School class.”
Do you think it’s possible for Bethel to become a much
larger church?
“I think it’s possible, but you lose something by being
that large. There is a balance. Bethel has a wonderful
community atmosphere that might be lost if it grew
too big. Could we stand to grow? Absolutely! I would
love to see the sanctuary filled every Sunday and have
multiple Sunday School classes with ten or more in
each class.”
“To grow, we have the opportunity to try new things
and get creative. Lots and lots of people have been
wounded in church. Portland is a city with a ton
of alternatives to choose from. For instance, there
are a hundred people who go to the Tiffany Center
each week for an ecstatic dance—that’s their church.
Within the Portland area there are also a number of
UCC churches. It comes down to what do we have
in the Beaverton area, and what’s going to attract
families to our church?”
Beaverton is described as the most ethnically diverse
city in all of Oregon. Yet, we don’t see that at Bethel.
Have you thought about solutions for being more
reflective of our neighborhood?
“Our Communications Team will likely be addressing
that. However, it is not an easy solution. A lot of
ethnic groups have a dedicated belief system. We
are not going to attract the Muslims, or the Hindus,
or even faith traditions whose people want church
services spoken in their own languages.”
“Another issue is that some ethnic groups only do
business and socializing within their groups and you
need to be invited. As a church, about the only way­—
would be to have people come to us, like what they see,
then invite others. However, I’m looking for creative
ways to widen the diversity of our congregation.”
“We get a diverse group of people who come to Bethel
for ESL, the Food Cupboard, and Faith Café and I
would love to figure out ways to reach out to these
groups we already serve.”
“Another issue is that if someone walks into a church
and doesn’t see anyone who looks like him or her, or
doesn’t speaks their language, it’s very uncomfortable.
Being a minority in a group can be very unsettling,
even when it is a safe environment.”
It sounds like you’ve had experience in other churches.
When you applied for this job, did you feel like, ‘Ah-ha,
this is the perfect fit for me.’?
“Yes, I felt this was a great fit for me—just what I was
looking for. I have a broad faith background. I grew
up Catholic, went to Assembly of God church camps,
Baptist prayer meetings, and worked tirelessly on
Youth for Christ when I was in high school.”
“As an adult, I have always taught in some kind
of capacity in a church setting. I’ve been active in
church curriculum and teaching most Sundays,
and coordinating larger events. My background is
administrative, as an office manager. So my skills run
the gamut, and I have had a lot of experience as a
volunteer. This is the first time I’ve received a salary
for this work.”
“I also have a coaching and consulting business which
provides bookkeeping services, life coaching and small
group work, focused on body image and self-esteem It
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is a very rewarding thing to do—to help others feel
better about themselves. It makes life more vibrant
and fun.”
“I am also a certified facilitator
for Our Whole Lives (OWL).
“Bethel really
That’s the sexuality curriculum
has turned out to
created by the UCC and
be an awesome
Unitarian churches. I’m
fit for me. I am
certified from K through 12
enjoying getting to
and look forward to getting
know people and
the Young Adult/Adult
continuing to learn
certification as well. Helping
how I can best
children and families develop a
serve and support
healthy self-esteem, including
them, while helping
their sexuality, is important to
Bethel grow.”
me, as well, and gives parents
ways to talk to their kids
about sex and their faith in
Cool Beth can play a harp, and ride a horse —
an uplifting, affirming way. I am hoping to join with
how’s that for versatility?
other UCC churches in the area and bring it to the
families here at Bethel.”
into that. When I mentor, my job is to stay connected
Do you have any free time and any hobbies that fill
to spirit, so that love can flow through me and be a
that time?
conduit for reaching out to others. That feeds my
soul—living every day with my heart open and being
“Yes! I am learning how to play a harp and take harp
open to God’s guidance. If you do this effectively, then
lessons. When time allows, I hang out with my kids.”
it is much easier to work through the tough issues that
“Last year my son finished his duty in the Army
are part of everyday living.”
at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, as part of the 82nd
I’ve heard Reverend David speak about this in reference
Airborne Division. I flew down to my brother’s
to God’s pure love, and the love of Jesus. Isn’t love what
home in Kentucky, where I met my son, and together
our church is all about—love for one another, and those
we drove back home to Oregon. It was amazing—a
who are in need?
once in a lifetime thing. We had a lot of fun.”
“I also help co-facilitate the group Opening to
Love. It’s a meetup group for building community.
Meetup groups are not dating services; they are
social activities that allow people with like interests
to come together. My group focuses on connecting to
your own heart.”
“Yes, it would be ideal for every church to be that way.”
Would you say that working with groups is your passion
in life?
You’re doing something else here at Bethel. Right?
“Yes! When I worked at a teen camp, it was really
exciting to see a transformation in these young
people. Doing what I do here at Bethel fits right
Is there any age group that appeals to you the most?
“I have always enjoyed working with the ‘tween’ group
of kids—the ones between grade school and high
school, who most often get overlooked.”
“Yes, in addition to being the Program Coordinator, I
am now starting the role of Financial Administrator.
That’s what I do for other companies as a consultant, so
it’s also a good fit for me.”
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“In fact, I am working with Michele Green on
a mentoring program, where we connect adults
with children to create multigenerational
community. This is an example where we can
bring church members together. I’ve also talked
with members of the Beaverton Lodge about
doing a huge social event. So many of the
people there feel young at heart and often have
a deep spiritual awareness that they can pass
down to younger people.”
Another of Beth’s passions is flying in wind tunnels. Her son Jay
introduced it to her in North Carolina, November 2013. Says Beth,
“I discovered I love the feeling of weightlessness and how vibrantly
alive it makes me feel. All other thoughts leave my mind and I am
fully in the joy of the moment. My son Jimmy gave me the gift of iFly
in Seattle for Christmas that year and we flew in the Spring. It was
still as much fun as I remembered! I never thought I would want to
sky dive, but after that experience, sky diving is on my bucket list.”
Even though you are still fairly new
here, it sounds like Bethel is a good fit
in many ways.
“Bethel really has turned out to
be an awesome fit for me. I am
enjoying getting to know people
and continuing to learn how I can
best serve and support them while
helping Bethel grow. I am looking
forward to what we can co-create
together. It will be fun!”
In many societies, elders are held in esteem
but today there is so much emphasis on
being young—looking young, feeling young.
Youthfulness seems to be the gold standard in
our society. Everyone who is age fifty wants to
be forty. Those who are age sixty, don’t want to
admit that they are there.
“Yes! Which is why it’s important to reclaim
the “crone”—the elder wisdom in our life
cycle—as not being a bad thing.
Reclaiming that elder crone is very
important because there is wisdom
gained from longer relationships and
“ …This system
all aspects of life. At a retreat once, all
is much more
the women age seventy and older were
complete than
asked to come on stage and all the
some of the
participants were invited to ask them
non-profits that
questions—any question they wanted
I have worked
to ask. It proved to be an amazing
with. People
learning opportunity.”
care about this
community and
doing things right.”
You are kind of unique in that you
have the practical business skills, the
spiritual side, and then the passion for working with our youth—
which seems to be the lifeblood of the church.
“Yes, and I am also coming to have a real appreciation for
adult ministry, and older adult ministry—exploring what
that means and how I can support it. I also really appreciate
Jean Doane and Jeanine Elliott, who have such a passion for
social justice and are paying attention to the needs of our
older congregants. We may talk about young people being the
lifeblood of the church, but it’s actually the older generations
who are paying the bills and setting examples for our youth.”
“For our younger generation, we
absolutely need to ignore the media
hype about youthfulness and reclaim
the wisdom of the elders. The
grandparent’s counsel is important.”
“When I was in high school and college, I
worked as a nurse’s aide in nursing homes.
So when I needed to write papers about The
Depression, I would actually go talk with the
people who lived through it.”
“By creating this mentoring program,
we’re starting that framework of revering
our elders, providing the opportunity for
multigenerational fun nights, where people
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will be sharing their stories. It will be really wonderful!
By telling this living history, we recognize how valuable
these people are in our lives.”
“If you think about it, we are only one generation away
from people who knew what it was like to not even
have a television. Some of our congregants remember
days before cars, or riding in Model T cars. There were
no telephones, and now even kids have their own cell
phones. We’ve become so accustomed to them, it’s hard
to even remember how we survived without them.
Oh, yeah…if my mom needed to pick me up, I used a
quarter for the pay phone, or I just waited.”
Is there anything that the people here at Bethel can do to
make your job easier?
“Tell me when they have ideas or projects they want to
do, like Jeanine did with her Social Justice Action Team;
also, to volunteer. We need more people to help with
youth education. Having regular volunteers would be a
huge help.”
“However, I really do feel like I am being supported at
Bethel. I feel I can reach out to people and say I need
support with A, B, C, or D. In fact, it’s different for me
to be able to rely on so many people and find people
who are so dedicated to doing their part. I am amazed at
the number of committees and how devoted people are
in giving their time and really making a commitment.
In truth—these committees are the lifeblood of the
church! They are the ones who make it work.”
“I also don’t think we realize how much these
committee members do for us; like the people who
arrive early Sunday mornings to turn on the heat, turn
on the lights, and open the doors. Then on Christmas
Eve, someone had to ensure that the new alarm system
didn’t go off. It’s the behind-the-scenes type work that we
often are not even aware of­—but someone is taking that
responsibility, making it work, and doing a fantastic job.”
“When I looked at the Financial Administration
position, I was surprised to see how well that was
organized with all the checks and balances. This
system is much more complete than some of the nonprofits that I have worked with. People care about this
community and doing things right.”
“Bethel is also doing an amazing job with
community support—especially for a small
church—supporting programs like Faith Café,
the Food Cupboard, ESL Training, and Habitat
for Humanity. When I poked around the Internet
to see what was happening at different churches,
Bethel stood out for these reasons. That’s partly
what attracted me to come here.”
Why is Bethel a good fit for you?
“I grew up pretty conservatively in the Catholic
Church and received an Associates Degree in
Biblical Studies at the Northwest Christian College
in Eugene. Then, I went the other direction for
fifteen years to practice Science of Mind in the
New Thought Church. Because Christianity,
my relationship with Jesus, and the Christ
consciousness is part of who I am, I realized that
Bethel really is a great fit for me. I love being here.”
If you wanted to convey a message for others, who
are seeking a church, what would you say about
Bethel UCC?
“Come give us a try. We are a community here, and
we also care about the local and global community.”
This newsletter is written, designed, and
edited by Paula Slavens with guidance
and contributions from Reverend David
Randall-Bodman, Bethel’s Communications
Team, and other contributing Bethel UCC
members.
If you would like to share story ideas and
newsworthy content for future publications,
please contact the Bethel UCC office at
503-646-1191.
(When not volunteering at Bethel, Slavens
is a personal historian, whose business
activities includes writing books and
creating videos for individuals, families, and
businesses.)
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