Swatch. Message from the SW WA SWO President

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1 IN the transfer over from one program to another we LOST the SW WA SWO LOGO. WE ll do our best to re-create it as soon as possible. Sorry! Swatch ************************************************************************************** Newsletter of Southwestern Washington Synodical Women s Organization Region 1-C Women of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Published six times a year November 2017 ************************************************************************************************* Purpose Statement: As a community of women created in the image of God, called to discipleship in Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, We commit ourselves to grow in faith, affirm our gifts, support one another in our callings, engage in ministry and action, and promote healing and wholeness in the church, the society, and the world. Mission Statement of Women of the ELCA Message from the SW WA SWO President Fall is my favorite time of the year with all the color mixtures of burgundy, red, orange, gold and yellow contrasted by our western Washington green. Wow! What God has created for us to enjoy! As we study in our GATHER magazine this fall, we explore what The Apostle s Creed means to us. We identify who God is; how Jesus comes to our brokenness to redeem us and how the Holy Spirit helps us do what God intended for us. He loves us unconditionally with grace abounding to help us live a life abundantly now and forever. What good news! At our recent convention, Barbara Robertson challenged us to understand what one body in Christ means. So, as units of WELCA, we share of our gifts and learn to be united in our endeavors. As your synodical officers and board, we are here to help your units in the tasks that you have chosen, give you a few ideas to run with, provide opportunities for you to grow in faith and fellowship, and make a difference in all the places you might reach out to. Together we can make a difference as one body, many parts. Tell us how we might help you. Come to what we offer and invite us to come to you. Kathy Newton TO MOBILIZE WOMEN TO ACT BOLDLY ON THEIR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST! Purpose Statement of the Southwestern Washington Synodical Women s Organization The purpose of this synodical women s organization shall be to assist congregational and inter-congregational units within its territory to fulfill the purpose of Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. 1

2 From Beth Lindell, SWO Treasurer Treasurer s Report Thank you to the following units who sent offerings: Elim, Port Orchard; Vinland, Poulsbo; St. John s, Chehalis; Christ, Lakewood; First, Port Orchard; Trinity, Longview; Bethany, Longview; Bethel, Brush Prairie; Mt. View, Edgewood; Trinity, Tacoma You have helped sustain the programs of the Women of the ELCA. Thank you! Meet Your New Board Members Diane Dean is a member of Peace Lutheran Church in Puyallup. She serves on the Council, the Care Team, the Card Ministry, the Prayer Shawl Ministry, the Prayer Chain, the Mission Endowment Team and the Risk Management Team. She has also served as an Assisting Minister, a reader, a deacon, and an usher. Diane has attended Cluster meetings and one Triennial. Her hobbies include knitting, crocheting, jewelry making, scrapbooking and spending time with her family. She has two sons and one daughter, their spouses and four grandchildren. Diane s strengths are found in the areas of organization and creativity. She is looking forward to the new challenge of being a SWO board member. Virginia Garrison is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Parkland. Her Trinity Lutheran Church Women Board participation includes: VP , President , Secretary , Circle Representative 2015-current, Secretary Pro- Tem when current Secretary is not available. Other activities that she is involved in at Trinity include: Parish Nurse 1994-now, Food Pantry Volunteer and Sunday Pantry Scheduler 2013-now, LWR Co-Leader 2015-now. Virginia has attended past WELCA conventions and retreats as well as the last three Region 1 events and the last three Triennials. Her hobbies include reading and stitchery. The board meeting was held on Saturday, October 14, 2017, from 4:15 pm to 4:30 pm at The Lutheran Church of The Good Shepherd. Newly elected President Kathy Newton called the meeting to order. New board members were introduced and contact information of newly elected board members was given. Policy and Procedures will be discussed at our 1 st new board meeting on November 4, 2017 at The Lutheran Church of The Good Shepherd, Olympia, Washington. The meeting will be at 10:00 am in the library. President Kathy Newton will notify the board by . President Kathy Newton shared an article from the June 2017 Gather magazine on 30 years of WELCA. A motion was made to send flowers (donation) to Shirley Hines for her husband s (David) memorial service at Trinity Lutheran Church, Parkland, WA. Beth Lindell made the motion and Ann Meacham seconded the motion. The motion was approved. The meeting was adjourned at 4:30 pm. 2 SW WA SWO Board Meeting Highlights From Jeanne Patterson, Secretary The Swatch Newsletter The Swatch provides news and information about Women of the ELCA. Copies are distributed by electronic mail whenever possible to SW WA congregations and to hundreds of women individually. To subscribe by postal mail, send $6 to the newsletter editor with the check made out to SW WA SWO. Subscriptions are due in January of each year. The Swatch newsletter is published six times a year: January, March, May, July, September, and November. Articles may be submitted for consideration for use in the Swatch. The deadline is the 15th of the month prior to the next issue of the Swatch. Send articles to the editor: Linnea Glover 3154 Pear Street SE Olympia, WA Electronic mail: linnea@gsolympia.org Telephone: Copyright 2017 Swatch newsletter of Southwestern Washington Synodical Women s Organization, Women of the ELCA. Articles may be reproduced by Women of the ELCA Units provided each copy carries the notice Reprinted with permission from Swatch, the Southwestern Washington Synodical Women s Organization newsletter, copyright 2017Swatch.

3 Convention Highlights On Saturday, October 14, 2017, The Lutheran Church of The Good Shepherd hosted the 28th annual convention of the Southwestern Washington Synodical Women s Organization Women of the ELCA. It was truly a Spirit-led convention! Our keynote speaker, Barbara Robertson, spoke of the Body of Christ in terms of me, we, and them. As individuals, we need to ask God to fix us, to help us be salt and light in His kingdom, to be the Fragrance of Christ to all whom we encounter and to seek the courage to change. As the we of the Body of Christ, we need to be welcoming to all, becoming a warm blanket, as it were, instead of a cold ice bucket. The them of the Body of Christ are all those around us who are beloved children of God. Them IS us. When one is lost, we are not whole anymore. Alienation of the other does something to us. Put yourself in the presence of the other. Don t be afraid. Be revolutionary! Don t miss out on being whole. Barbara s message is a message the Holy Spirit wants us to hear. Christal Hillstead and daughter Emma recounted their invitation into God s story which deepened their passion for companion synod relationships and preceded their trip to Nambia in Companion synod relationships are based on the concept of accompaniment or walking alongside the other in mutual respect for each other. This, too, acknowledges that all around us are loved and are children of God. Christal and Emma returned from their visit to Nambia inspired to use technology to bring youth of different cultures together to share stories and friendships thus further uniting the Body of Christ. Churchwide representative, Lois Bylund of Moorhead, Minnesota, offered a most informative explanation of the three expressions of Women of the ELCA: the unit (local church), the Synod (state), and churchwide (national). At the closing Unfailing Light service, Pastor Amy Hessel preached on Matthew 13:46-50, For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. The offering taken totaled $1, of which 1/2 will go to churchwide Women of the ELCA and 1/2 will go to the YWCA Other Bank. The silent auction brought in $1,070.00, 1/2 going to the Synodical Women s Organization and 1/2 going to Days For Girls. Very generous donations to the YWCA Other Bank comprised the In-kind gifts. During the lunch break, Val Gerst, a LCGS member and a volunteer with the YWCA for twelve years, gave a very interesting and e y e - o p e n i n g report on the Donations for the YWCA Other Bank Other Bank and how it serves the local community. The women who will serve as officers and board members of the Synodical Women s Organization are Kathy Newton, President; Ann Meacham, Vice President; Beth Lindell, Treasurer; Jeanne Patterson, Secretary; and Diane Dean, Virginia Garrison, Linnea Glover, Geni Hammer, and Mary Ann Nelson, board members. The faithful, giving and talented people who planned for and took part in setting up and putting on the convention truly helped to make this convention a very special event. 3

4 Reprinted with permission from Interchange, The churchwide newsletter of Women of the ELCA, 2017 Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Days for Girls The silent auction proceeds from our October Convention were divided equally between Days for Girls and our Synodical Women s Organization. Some of our SWATCH readers may not be familiar with the Days for Girls organization. Days for Girls International is a grassroots non-profit which creates a more dignified and humane world for girls through advocacy and health education as well as sustainable feminine hygiene through the distribution of washable Feminine Hygiene Kits. Days for Girls have served nations on six continents reaching over 300,000 women and girls. Feminine Hygiene Kits are made by volunteers around the world or by local woman who fill the need for their own community. The kits are made up using quality materials because women and girls depend on this product and the kits go through frequent washings in harsh conditions. They are made to last for up to three years of use. This adds up to 180 days of education, health, safety and dignity. Schools in many places have reported dramatic changes in attendance. Having a Feminine Hygiene Kit enables a girl to attend school when she is having a period. She no longer has to stay home because she has no access to feminine hygiene products. You can get more information about Days for Girls by visiting their website, for Girls.org. There you will learn about what is in a Days for Girls Kit and what items you can donate. You can also get instructions for sewing kit elements, i.e. shields, liners or bags. Contact the Days for Girls Chapter nearest you to find out about Chapter events. There are teams and Chapters worldwide. At The Lutheran Church of The Good Shepherd in Olympia, WA, women meet every first and third Tuesday from 10 am to 4 pm to sew kits. Contact Darlene Baird at olympiawa@daysforgirls.org for more information. 4

5 Focus on Unit Ministries Silverdale Lutheran Church Women held a women s tea on September 30, The title of the tea was Baubles, Bangles and Beads. The tea took the place of the holiday bazaar which is usually held each year. There were sixteen tables, each seating eight guests, set up for this event. Each table was uniquely decorated with fine china, decorations and flowers. Guests brought in jewelry they were no longer wearing and these pieces of jewelry were sold on a $3, $5 or $10 table. The highlight of the tea was a fashion show featuring decades of hat fashions. It was presented by the Seattle Children s Orthopedic Hospital from their Bargain Boutiques Vintage Fashion Collection. Over 120 tickets were sold to the event. More than $2,700 was raised for Silverdale Lutheran Church s outreach ministries, some of which include: Coffee Oasis, Benedict House, Central Kitsap Food Bank, and Backpacks for Kids. A congregational offering designated for outreach ministries and totaling $4,700 was collected on Sunday, October 15, This offering was added to the amount raised at the tea. Members and guests of SLCW shared good food, fun, hats, laughter and tea as they took part in this special event that benefitted sixteen outreach ministries. 5

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7 Southwestern Washington Synodical Women s Organization (1-C) Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America October 2017 President Kathy Newton Bethany, Longview 2640 Garfield LONGVIEW, WA cell newton7936@comcast.net Vice President Ann Meacham Peninsula, Gig Harbor th Avenue Court NW GIG HARBOR, WA aemeach@comcast.net Secretary Jeanne Patterson Silverdale, Silverdale 1546 Bloomington Avenue BREMERTON, WA Cell jeannep414@msn.com Treasurer Beth Lindell All Saints, Auburn SE 323rd St AUBURN, WA Empowering Life Beyond Incarceration! SWO Prison Mission and Ministry Team Sharon Peterson empoweringlife@aol.com Joan Nelson joan2nelson@comcast.net PO Box 1803 GIG HARBOR, WA Pamela Deacon-Joyner, Chair of SW WA Synod Prison Ministry Board Church Membership: Living Stones Congregation pamdj27@gmail.com Board Members: Diane Dean Peace, Puyallup 4707 South Orchard Street, Apt. 407 TACOMA, WA DEAN2486@comcast.net Virginia Garrison Trinity, Parkland 4932 South State Street TACOMA, WA vgarrison4932@comcast.net Linnea Glover Good Shepherd, Olympia 3154 Pear St SE OLYMPIA, WA linneaglover@gmail.com Geni Hammer Bethel, Brush Prairie NE 142nd Ave BRUSH PRAIRIE, WA genihammer@comcast.net Mary Ann Nelson Stella, Longview PO Box 368 CATHLAMET, WA manelson@teleport.com Today s Dream, Tomorrow s Reality Racial Justice Advocacy Team Sue Ferber-Goodspeed, Janean Moriarty, Denise Powell, Barbara Robertson, and Helene Pearch 4806 Bend Drive NE LACEY, WA bhpearch@comcast.net Churchwide Board Member From SW WA Synod Women Elected at Triennial 2017 Tina Bigelow Coburg Place NW POULSBO, WA tina.bigelow@earthlink.net Cluster Leaders: Coastal Cluster Position open Evergreen Cluster Kathy Ifft th St. E PUYALLUP, WA Ft. Vancouver Cluster Jan Sayler and team NE 165th Street BATTLEGROUND, WA khjsayler@gmail.com Mt. Rainier Cluster Nancy Jo Armstrong and Barbara King th Avenue East PUYALLUP, WA leanja@comcast.net Narrows Cluster Vihollie Rice 3713 North 15th Street TACOMA, WA Olympic Cluster Linda Zeh P O Box 650 ALLYN, WA lakelanders@wavecable.com South Sound Cluster Verna Westman Littlerock Road SW ROCHESTER, WA Cell phone verna.westman@gmail.com Three Rivers Cluster Grace Kennedy th ST LONGVIEW, WA kennedygm@comcast.net 7

8 Southwestern Washington Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Southwestern Washington Synodical Women s Organization Women of the ELCA Linnea Glover, Swatch Editor 3154 Pear St. SE, Olympia, WA In This Issue President s Report Treasurer s Report Meet Your New Board Members Board Meeting Highlights Swatch Information Convention Highlights Winter Bible Study in Gather Days for Girls Focus on Unit Ministries Spring Retreat Flyer Contact Information/SWO Calendar of Events Calendar of Upcoming Events January 6,2018 SW WA SWO Board Meeting 10 AM-2 PM The Lutheran Church of The Good Shepherd, Olympia, WA March 10, 2018 SW WA SWO Board Meeting 10 AM-2 PM The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Olympia, WA April 20-22, 2018 SW WA SWO Spring Retreat Change!?! Black Diamond Camp, Auburn, WA April 28, 2018 Olympic Cluster Spring Celebration Elim Lutheran Church, Port Orchard, WA If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! II Corinthians 5:17 Café stirring the spirit within Check us out on Facebook: SW WA Women of the ELCA Tell us what you are doing in your WELCA 8