January Agnus Dei Lutheran Church Gather in grace Grow in faith Go in service. agnusdeilutheran.

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1 Agnus Dei Lutheran Church Gather in grace Grow in faith Go in service January agnusdeilutheran.org Jan Details on Pg. 6

2 From Our Pastors Small Group Study in January: Giving to God Stewardship can be a loaded word Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind when we hear the word stewardship is MONEY! But stewardship encompasses so much more than money. It is a way of life. It calls for integra on between our faith and the way that we live our lives we are a church that is energized by lively engagement in our faith and life. Stewardship is a mindset, a culture and a discipline that can never be contained in an annual three-week financial response. According to Clarence Stoughton, former president of Wi enberg University, stewardship is everything we do a er we say I believe. It is the way in which we use all of the resources that God has entrusted to our care so that we can love God and our neighbor. Stewardship is about love. - from Steward s of God s Love by Grace Duddy. As a stewardship commi ee, we are working to broaden the conversa on about what stewardship is. We are excited about thinking together about stewardship more o en (year-round) and more broadly (not just about money). We invite you to join us for a small group Bible study and discussion about stewardship. This is a chance for learning and fellowship together, NO ONE WILL BE ASKED FOR MONEY! There will be two op ons: Saturday January 10am OR Tuesday January 7pm Snacks and child care provided Looking forward to seeing you there! Pastor Stephanie and the Stewardship Commi ee Pastor s Visits We are thoroughly enjoying ge ng to know you all be er! We con nue to work through the directory, se ng up mes to meet with each household, either in your home or here at church. So, if your last name starts with A - M, know that we will be contac ng you soon to set something up. The sole purpose of the visits is to get to know you be er! What are the greatest joys in your lives? What are your greatest challenges? What do you love about Agnus Dei? What are your dreams for the church? We look forward to visi ng Pastor Seth and Pastor Stephanie Please let Pastor Seth and/or Pastor Stephanie know if you are in need of pastoral care. If you would like to be contacted by one of our pastors please call the office at or them at pastorstephanie@agnusdeilutheran.org or pastorseth@agnusdeilutheran.org. In an emergency, you can reach Pastor or Pastor

3 New Church Picture Directory Is your photo outdated? It s me to update the photos and informa on in our picture directory. Do you have a change of phone #, or address? On Sunday, Jan. 24 and Sunday, Jan. 31 between worship we will set up our own photo booth where our resident photographer, Pat Damron, will be ready to take pictures. This will be an in house project, quick and painless, no high pressure sales pitches to talk you into purchasing anything. On these Sundays we will also ask that you check over the informa on in our current directory and make any updates needed. So come on Jan 24th and 31st prepared to SMILE for the camera and update your contact informa on! Copies of the updated directory will be available early Spring. Lent Small Group Study: Animate: Prac ces. 10am this Lent, star ng on February 6 th, we invite you to join in study about prac ces important to us as Chris ans. We will look at prayer, food, worship, sacraments, money, service, and community. Find a snipet here: h ps:// The study will include words from current religious thinkers and discussion together. From Your Church Council As of the December 7 council mee ng, our budget, income and expenses con nued to be right on track. Thank you for your faithfulness in giving through 2015; and thank you for your pledges of support for our 2016 budget. Here are a few things you may want to be aware of: Council Vacancy Filled: Ann Rousseau has been appointed by the council to fill the vacancy created to the resigna on of Samantha Carter, who is beginning graduate school. Ann s term will con nue through the end of June Building Project Congrega onal Vote: On April 3, 2016 the congrega on will be asked to approve the budget for the planned building project which will include: extension of the worship space, new carpe ng, new sound system, and possible replacement of windows in the worship space. Building Rental Guidelines to be Adopted: The hospitality commi ee is formula ng guidelines for building rental to outsides groups, including fees, cleaning deposit, and clean up expecta ons. The council is considering adding a building host or hosts for groups that use our building. Security System to be Armed: We will soon be arming our security system. This means that persons or groups who enter the building at mes other than normal business hours and worship mes will be issued both a building key and a unique security code to enter into the system as you enter and leave the building. We will announce exactly when this policy will be enacted. Muslim Community Outreach: John Barelli requested and was given permission by the council to reach out, in coordina on with our partners in Pierce County, to the Islamic Worship Center in Tacoma to offer our support in comba ng an -Muslim rhetoric. Blessings, Randy Spitzer Council President 3

4 Sharing our Gifts Stewardship Update Thank you to all, good and faithful stewards General Fund Giving Report General Fund: Goal Actual % of Goal Annual $384,000 December (as of 12/23) $32,000 $37, % Year to Date $384,000 $373,975 96% 2015 Designated Giving Report December Year to Date Building Fund $400 $5382 FISH (local food bank) $555 $5265 World Hunger $1255 $16107 Food Backpacks 4 Kids $315 $8312 Organ purchase $1793 $25,287 Building Fund & Above and Beyond Balance $171,651 December Attendance (to date) Dec 2 Wednesday 70 Dec 6, Sunday 136 Dec 9, Wednesday 65 Dec 13, Sunday 171 Dec 16, Wednesday 45 Dec 20, Sunday 158 The Agnus Dei 2016 narra ve story revolves around the Church s mission statement: Gather in Grace (Worship), Grow in Faith (Educa on), and Go in Service (Outreach). Administra ve support, property maintenance and debt reduc on are behind the scene expenses that support the mission ac vi es of the Congrega on. GATHER: Worship is central to the work and mission of ADLC. A por on of Pastors me is devoted to planning and preparing for worship as well as sermon prepara on. Music at ADLC requires me, talents and skills of mul ple gi ed musicians. Administra ve me is required to prepare bulle ns. Also included in this category are costs for music, altar supplies, decora ons, supply preaching, and related worship support. (Con nued) 4

5 GROW: Faith Forma on is important at ADLC. Pastors spend me coordina ng/preparing for educa onal events & rela onship building through pastoral care and visits. This category includes costs for educa on (Adult Forum, Cross-Genera onal Sunday School, Confirma on, Bible Study), fellowship, and me with Li le Lambs Preschool. GO: Our major areas of ministry include our Human Concerns ac vi es, the parish nurses, our Pastors presence in the community and more. This category includes our the of general offerings to the SWWA Synod, contribu ons to PLU and Tacoma Lutheran Re rement Community, and designated giving to ELCA World Hunger, FISH Food Bank, Backpacks for Kids, and ELCA Good Gi s. ADMINISTRATION: Part of our Pastors jobs is supervising staff and a ending Church mee ngs. Our Administra ve Assistant supports the mission and work of the congrega on, tracks finances, publishes communica ons, maintains the website, and keeps orderly records. This category includes costs for office supplies and communica on needs. PROPERTY MAINTENANCE: Care and stewardship of our building is essen al to our ministry. Costs include maintenance and supplies, u li es, insurance, taxes. DEBT REDUCTION: Mortgage payments for the property & buildings are $10,400 per month and the organ lease payment will be around $1200 per month. Lance Colyar, Treasurer Doug He nger and Mary Beth Harrison and family as they mourn the death of Mary Beth s mother. Jeane e and Loren Carlander Audrey Clinton Dan Dana Ken Hay and family Dick La mer Hal and Myra Snider Jack S er Rose VanderKlomp Alene Wilkes Jim Wilson Serving Our Country: Jason Barelli, U.S. Navy Ma Fistler, U.S.A.F.(Carlander s Grandson) Staton West, U.S. Army Faith Formation for all ages resumes on January 10, Sundays at 9:40 AM. Cross Generational Sunday School for adults and kids meets in the Sanctuary for Songs and Stories and then moves to the Community Room for hands-on activities. The Forum meets in the Parish Hall. On January 10 and 17 Pastor Seth will give us an introduction to Luke s Gospel. January 24 the discussion will center around issues of racial equality. Confirmation for grades 6-8 meets in the Youth Room 5

6 The chair and furniture movement team who rearranged our worship 6 configuration multiple times through Advent Everyone who helped with Advent worship, small group studies and soup suppers. Everyone who helped with the Santa Lucia Celebration, the planners, costumers, participants, providers of food and the cleanup crew All the cleaners and decorators who readied our worship space for the Advent and Christmas season The many musicians who enhanced our Christmas worship

7 Faith Community Nurses Zoe Holmes, Teresa McDonald, and Gwen Daugs If we do what we ve always done, we ll get what we ve always got. Tony Robbins, mo va onal speaker Happy New Year to one and all! Have you made, or are you going to make, a New Year s resolu on? Are you usually successful in accomplishing your New Year s resolu ons? If your answer is Yes! you are a rare person indeed. Most New Year s resolu ons don t s ck because they are usually too broad, too general, and too unrealis c. Here s an example of a broad and unrealis c resolu on: This year, I will quit smoking, start going to the gym, and start medita ng. You don t have to be a self-help guru to know why that resolu on is des ned to failure. But if that same person had used the concept of SMART (S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and me-based, a business-based concept developed in the early 1980s), it is possible to set clearer goals that are easier to achieve. Here are the stages of the SMART guidelines: Specific: What do you want to do? Measurable: How will you know when you have reached your goal? Achievable: Is it possible to achieve your goal? Realis c: Is your goal appropriate, and do you have the resources to make it happen? Time-based: Is your target date realis c and achievable? Here s a non-smart resolu on: I want to get more physically fit. If you used SMART guidelines, you might rephrase your resolu on something like this: I will get more physically fit by walking a minimum of three mes a week for at least 20 minutes a day over the next two months. Health care providers are constantly trying to mo vate and inspire their pa ents to set goals to be er health for themselves. In a December 2015 Nurse.com ar cle, it was noted that chronic diseases and condi ons such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and arthri s are among the most costly and most preventable health problems. Nearly half of all older adults in the United States are living with at least one of these chronic diseases. These chronic diseases are largely caused by four risk factors: smoking, unhealthy diets, physical inac vity, and the excessive and harmful use of alcohol. Generally, these long-term diseases and condi ons can be managed through behavioral change. Health care providers encourage their pa ents with chronic diseases to manage their behaviors by cu ng back on high calorie foods, making improved food choices, elimina ng tobacco use, and incorpora ng regular exercise into one s schedule. According to the World Health Organiza on, 75% of both cardiovascular diseases and type II diabetes, along with 40% of all cancer cases, could be prevented if these risk factors were eliminated. However, despite a significant investment in health educa on and disease preven on resources over the past few decades, chronic condi ons such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular and lung diseases con nue to increase. How does a provider have a more produc ve conversa on about changing health behavior? How does a provider tap into a pa ent s mo va on to live in be er health? It turns out that impar ng factual informa on like eat less, move more, stop smoking, and here s a pamphlet o en does not result in the maintenance of long term behavior changes. The conversa on probably needs to change from instruc ng a pa ent on behavioral changes to exploring what might mo vate personal behavioral change. The shi seems to have to change from the healthcare team s agenda to the pa ent s agenda for be er outcomes, especially when a lifestyle change is involved. (con nued on pg.9) 7

8 Mo va onal interviewing, or MI, is a method of counseling that helps inspire pa ents to find their own ways of changing behavior and to become aware of the ambivalence they have about change. MI is essen ally a conversa on about change that puts the pa ent in the driver s seat, with the health care provider serving as a guide. The emphasis is on pa ent choice and pa ent responsibility in changing behavior. MI is defined as: A collabora ve, goal-oriented style of communica on with par cular a en on to the language of change, designed to strengthen personal mo va on for and commitment to a specific goal by elici ng and exploring the person s own reasons for change within an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion. Further studies indicate that people change behaviors when they are ready to change and very li le can be done to make someone change if he or she is unwilling. It is common and normal to encounter ambivalence about changing a long me habit. It is o en hard, stressful and uncomfortable. Take a moment to think about a health habit you are currently struggling with, or one that you struggled with in the past. Perhaps you are struggling with how to get more exercise or how to eat more healthfully. What are your mixed feelings about changing that habit? If this is a health habit that you ve overcome, how long did it actually take to make the change and start the healthier habit? What were the underlying mo va ons that helped you get unstuck? Whether you re commi ed to making a healthy behavioral change this year, or if you re s ll in the contempla ve stage of making a change, it is always best to assess the pros and cons versus keeping the status quo. Look at your current behavior and what your hope is for the future. If you decide that the advantages of change outweigh the advantages of staying the same, you might be ready to change. And, with any luck, that will be your SMART decision. Zoe Holmes, Faith Community Nurse Your Generosity Shows Love WARM CLOTHING DRIVE Are there clothes in the back of your closet that cause you to think, Someone could really get good use out of this. But it isn t really you who uses them? Here is a sugges on: Family of God Lutheran Church in East Bremerton offers clothes to homeless people along with their Monday mid-day hot meal program for those in need. We will start 2016 with another warm clothing drive for children, women and men. Twice in the past Agnus Dei provided clothing which was happily received at Family of God. There will be a large box near the dona on sta on for donated items. Thank you for being generous to the Key Peninsula Children s Home Society Kid Powered Toys and clothing collec on. All dona ons were happily received at their office in me for the Christmas Store for families in need. And More Thanks to the Heiskell/Finlayson Family, the Karen and Howard Larsen Family and the David and Jill Moore family. Each of those families made Christmas for a family from Peace Lutheran in Tacoma. Souper Bowl Hopes S ll Alive.Keep those coupons and box tops coming in (collec on jar on the top shelf of the bookcase in the narthex) and we will be Souper Bowl winners! 8

9 Serving in Worship January 2016 Coffee Hour Hospitality for January Coordinator Linda Ribary, Team Dana, Baxter, M Johnson, Wagner, Zema s/cook Serve in Worship Schedule Coordinators: Altar Guild: Dianna Carlson; Altar Flowers: Dianna Carlson; Assis ng Ministers: Shari Shull; Communion Servers and Greeters: Marilyn Hermstad; Lectors: Marilyn Colyar; Offering Counters: Linda Ribary Ushers: Marilyn Hermstad; Sound System: Ma Humlie 9

10 Agnus Dei Lutheran Church Calendar January 2016 Save the date: Sunday, February 7th will be another All Together Now, where Cross Genera onal Sunday School, Adult Forum, and Confirma on join together to learn, grow and fellowship together. We will learn about liturgy (def: the work of the people), and have a chance to learn about and train for the many tasks that happen to help make Sunday morning worship a wonderful experience for all. 10

11 Weekly Events Repea ng Event Details Wednesdays, 9:30 am--back Packs 4 Kids Volunteers gather in the community room to sort food dona ons and fill backpacks with weekend food for students in need in our local schools. Contact Phyllis Brandt or Pat Borgen Wednesdays, 10:30 am Lec onary Study with our pastors in the Youth Room. Wednesdays, 1:30-3:00--Prayer Shawl Ministry meets in the ADLC Youth Room. All kni ers and crochet enthusiasts are welcome! Contact Gwen Daugs Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Choir Rehearsal Contact Shari Shull Thursdays, 10:00 AM Church Staff Mee ng Fridays, 10:00 am--augsburg Bible Study in the community room. Contact Rose VanderKlomp Sundays, Worship at 8:30 and 11:00 AM, followed by fellowship in the Parish Hall Sundays, Educa on Hour for all ages at 9:45 AM Adult Forum meets in the Parish Hall, Confirma on meets in the Youth Room, Cross Genera onal Sunday School meets in the Sanctuary Monthly Events: First Saturday, 8:30 am--men s Square at the Sunset Grille, Breakfast and Bible Study. Contact Steve Carlson First Saturday, 8:30 am--women s Circle at the Sunset Grille, Breakfast and Bible study. Kayaking or walking for those who wish. Contact Sonja Miller Third Tuesday, Gather Bible Study in the community room. Social me begins at 1:00 pm followed by the study found in the Gather Magazine. For more informa on contact either Marge Olmsted or Barb Deák Third Thursday 12:00 (Jan through May), Dining for Women The Gig Harbor Chapter of DFW meets monthly for a program and lunch benefi ng global projects that empower women and girls. All women welcome! Third Thursday, Theology on Tap, 5:30 PM discussion group meets at the Marketplace Grille. Contact Lyle Miller Third Friday, 7:00 pm--agnus Dei Book Group in the community room. Contact Neal VanDerVoorn Fourth Tuesday 1:00 Quil ng for Lutheran World Relief meet in the Community Room to e quilts. Previous experience not required! January Celebrations: JANUARY BIRTHDAYS* 3 Terri Schinkel 4 Denny Sapp 6 Veronica Kulman 7 Linda Olson 10 Jessica Bigger, Sue Horton, Shinho Park 12 Robert Beals 15 Haley Babare 16 David Skeels 17 Virginia Kenefick, Stacy Bigger 21 Mik Moore 22 Drew Babare, Teresa McDonald 25 Rose VanderKlomp, Jonathon Hogeberg, Cecilia Roark 26 Barbara Deák 27 Chelsea Walker 28 Brock Olive 29 Inessa and Bryna Hay Wiren JANUARY ANNIVERSARIES 2/65 Joe and Barbara Ausich 29/72 John and Sherry Stava 31/59 Daryl and Gwen Daugs Congratulations To Kathy Fox and Doug McDonnell on the birth of their second grandchild, Camilla! 11

12 The monthly newsletter of Agnus Dei Lutheran Church Peacock Hill Ave NW Gig Harbor, WA Submit newsletter items, subscription requests and address changes to Editor/Administrative Assistant: Cindy Beals Church Staff Pastor: Rev. Stephanie McCarthy , Pastor: Rev. Seth Novak , Minister of Music, Shari Shull, A.I.M , Church Musician, Susan Luebeck Administrative Assistant, Cindy Beals , Council President, Randy Spitzer Treasurer, Lance Colyar Financial Secretary, Pat Humlie Asst. Fin.Secretary, Rose VanderKlomp Zoe Holmes, Faith Community Nurse Gwen Daugs, Faith Community Nurse Teresa McDonald, Faith Community Nurse Jack Stier, Parish Sexton Council Jim Adair, John Barelli, Lynette Brentin, Marlene Bridgforth, Steve Carlson, Lance Colyar, Don Krump, Ann Rousseau, Randy Spitzer, Tim Wilson Little Lambs Preschool Director/Teacher Shannon Moore Board President Debbie Snowden Financial Secretary Kimberly Morgan Secretary Kristin Page, Ardith Johnson 12