The Story.

Dear Friends and Family,

Julia and I have been in Portland almost a year now, discovering marriage and continuing our education at George Fox Seminary. It has been wonderful getting to know this city as we get to know each other more fully. God has been very faithful to us as we have been answering His call to take this time to learn and grow. He gave us a great (cheap) place to rent, an incredible school, a good paying job, and a good church, all in the first week!

Our first Sunday in Portland we attended Evergreen, a church plant focused on the values of community and mission, and it has been on our hearts ever since. We have grown in community with the people of this church, getting to know their stories, their passion for God, and their passion to bring a real hope to Portland. Evergreen has a mission and vision to be a place where people can move together on this spiritual journey, discussing, exploring, wrestling, and serving. The most beautiful thing about it is the people who end up walking through the doors. Evergreen is the back door to a relationship with Christ. The people who stop at Evergreen are either headed out of the church (due to hurts, disillusionment, etc.), or are entering it for the first time. This has made it a place where deep and transformational healing is taking place in the lives of parents, college students, seekers, even ex-pastors.

Evergreen has two gatherings in local pubs (who ever thought church could happen in a pub?) on separate sides of town, each with about 100 people in attendance. A year ago the church made the decision to plant their second gathering, and the size of the church has grown in the last year from 120 to 200 people, not including kids! Thinking towards the future, and to how to impact other parts of the city, we have just planted our third gathering in a local church in SW Portland, and Julia and I felt called to be a part of it. Already, there are 40 people attending, and it is gaining momentum every week.

The founding pastor invited Julia and I to serve in a bigger way, pastoring the new gathering. Thinking and praying on this has been humbling and honoring all at the same time – exciting and anxiety producing. What could God use us to accomplish? How can we make it work? After a week of soul searching we accepted, knowing that the desire of our hearts was deeply tied up in the mission of Evergreen. It has been my passion to meet people in the thick of their questions about God – their hurt and their doubts – to re-enliven hearts and invite people to take next steps in that essential, life-giving relationship. And that’s what I will be doing.

This pastoring role meant an end to working for the hearing aid company. This piece is painfully scary, because the new gathering isn’t yet at a place where we can be supported through the giving. Julia and I are stepping out in faith to serve Portland, and answering God’s call to serve this community of people who haven’t found a home anywhere else in the church, and we are asking you to step out with us.

Recognizing the times, and the ministries and churches all over the world that you are already supporting, Julia and I ask that you prayerfully consider partnering with us in this dynamic and beautiful mission that God has put us on. There are a number of ways that you can help us follow God’s calling:

1) Pray for us. This is the most important and valuable thing that you can do for us as we answer God’s leading. Pray that God would bring people to us in need of healing, in need of hope. Pray that God would bless Julia and I as a couple as we navigate ministry and family. Pray that God would supply us with the finances we need.

2) Invest in us. One of the biggest challenges in doing ministry outside of the box is financial support. Each pastor at Evergreen started their ministry by prayerfully asking friends and family to consider partnering with them financially. This is humbling in so many ways. Julia and I trimmed our budget, and in order to be on secure financial footing, we need to raise 1600 dollars a month – that’s 19,200 dollars for the entire year – which will pay for living expenses and health insurance. Please prayerfully consider either a one time or monthly contribution to the work we will be doing. Whether you can give 20, 50, 100, or more, it all helps us to reach our goal – and the best part – it’s tax deductible!

3) Network for us. Don’t let our church and our mission be a secret. Tell friends and family about Evergreen and what we are doing in Portland. Maybe you know people with a passion to pray, or people who live in Portland who need a church home, or a rich uncle….

4) Serve with us. Come to Portland for a weekend to see what we are about at Evergreen. Help us share God’s love and spread the word of our church by serving with us in the community.

We appreciate all of you, and the support you have already been to us as a couple. We understand that not everyone will be able to help financially and that is more than fine, we cherish our relationships with you more than anything. Please consider partnering with us in whatever way you can, and most of all, please pray!

Love and Best Wishes,

Andrew and Julia Rodriguez

(831) 239-5145

Andrew@evergreenlife.org