West Coast Regional Gathering in Portland
by Hanna Heddy
October 31, 2025
We had a wonderful gathering in Portland, Oregon on October 25th in a historic old church building. As the people trickled in, we were blessed to see new and old friends from Church of the Sojourners in San Francisco, Church of the Servant King in North Portland, Springwater Community in SE Portland, Upriver Church in Washougal, Washington, and Jodi Court Community in Newberg, Oregon. There were also several friends that we wished could have been there, and they were deeply missed.
The day began with brief introductions, an overview of NCN, and then singing worship songs with special guitar and djembe accompaniment. We then took turns sharing about our communities, and telling the highs and lows of the past year was a rich sharing time. The flavor of the gathering came out during this time, and it was one of gratitude, partnership, and honesty.
Next was a passing of the communion elements, and then a delicious tamale lunch made by our friend Paty. This was followed by a chance to fellowship, walk, rest, or play games. The weather was cloudy and windy, with a peek of sunshine, and the autumn leaves were wondrous as some of us walked around a local park.
In the afternoon we broke into smaller groups. (The meeting was 18 adults strong, plus kids!)
Here we tackled these topics:
Prayer (specifically we addressed Confession, Lament, Gratitude, and Resilience)
Neighbors (Connections, Engagement, LIfe Together, Intimacy)
Life Stages (Encouraging Teens, Middle Life Transitions, Aging and Community)
The day was wrapped up with a large group conversation about ways to be supportive of one another, resources or visitations needed, and discussing who are others in our area interested in community. We were able to pray for and encourage each community, then ended with a blessing, poetic tribute, goodbyes, and cleanup. The kids reported that they had a fun day, going between their own time downstairs, and joining us a little bit too. Many tamales were taken home as leftovers.
The group is eager to stay connected in prayer, and to meet again whether formally or informally. As one person said, "In gathering like this, we see the bigger picture...our bad seasons are balanced by your good seasons, and vice versa. We are all participating in something that is God's work in the world. This is very buoying."
Hanna Heddy and her husband David are members of Jodi Court Community in Newberg, Oregon.