Moments for Mission. Newsletter of the Southwestern Washington Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

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1 Moments for Mission Newsletter of the Southwestern Washington Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The mission of the Southwestern Washington Synod is to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ by empowering congregations and church leaders to grow in worship, education, outreach, stewardship and other ministries. January 2011 Address A new year, a new worshipping community By the Rev. Melanie Wallschlaeger, synod director for evangelical mission Submissions and requests to receive this newsletter can be sent to the synod office or to racehelpritchett@msn.com. Editor Rachel Pritchett Staff Bishop Robert D. Hofstad Rev. Ronald Hoyum, assistant to the bishop Rev. Valinda Morse, assistant to the bishop Rev. Melanie Wallschlaeger, director for evangelical mission Rev. Donald Fossum, assembly planner Allison Ramsey, office manager Phone (253) Fax (253) Address st St. S Tacoma, WA swwsynod@plu.edu Websites Congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Southwestern Washington Synod often navigate rough seas when facing a variety of issues. In the past 18 months, several have charted their place and course with the synod and ELCA. The synod s most recently formed worshipping community is Peace Lutheran Fellowship (PLF) in Port Ludlow. PLF chose its name based on their desired Christian community. In the turbulent waters of congregational life, PLF was formed to be a community of peace, a community of worship, and a community of service and generosity (over 25 percent of offerings support ministries to God and neighbor). Different perspectives are not only welcomed in the fellowship, but valued. Numerous worshippers, community members, pastors and synod staff have shared their prayers, leadership and resources to help anchor this community committed both to the shared ministry of the ELCA and the Port Ludlow/Eastern Jefferson County area. PLF is now a synod authorized worshipping community, which means PLF agrees to a governance structure and joins a missional fleet of the synod, having received some funding from both the churchwide organization and the 1,000 Friends initiative. This funding, combined with its own resources, provides opportunity for PLF to a call a half-time pastor as a partner in moving where the Holy Spirit will direct the PLF sails. A call committee will soon begin interviews. Please remember PLF in your prayers as you are remembered in theirs. Peace Lutheran Fellowship is another example of how a significant piece of mission is searching for where God s Spirit blows. Learn more about at PLF at

2 2 Congregations in transition Mobility Call process Position Status Pastoral care All Saints, Auburn P TR Pulpit supply Christ, Belfair P TR Pulpit supply Elim, Port Orchard P TR Steven Ray Emmanuel, Tacoma AP TR Dan Shaw Family of Christ, Vancouver P TR Janell Bethke First, Port Orchard P I Joe Smith Naselle P TR Pulpit supply Our Saviour s, Cathlamet P TR Les Foss Peninsula, Gig Harbor P NV Pulpit Supply St. Mark, Lacey P TR Linda Nou St. Paul, Winlock P TR Al Berg Trinity, Enumclaw P TR Dennis Hartsook Trinity, Parkland P TR Pulpit Supply Mobility position key: P Pastor; AP Associate Pastor; AIM Associate in Ministry; DM Diaconal Minister Mobility status key: NV New Vacancy; TR Transition; I Interviewing; C Calling Transfers The Rev. Cindy Salo, interim pastor at Trinity of Parkland, has accepted a call to Central Lutheran of Seattle. Her last day was to be Dec. 24. The Rev. Paul Borg, retired, has transferred to the Southwestern Washington Synod from the Eastern Washington/Idaho Synod. He lives in Olalla. Resignation of call The Rev. Paul Schroeder has resigned his call at Peninsula of Gig Harbor. His last day will be Jan. 9. Installation The Rev. Brian Weinberger, associate pastor at Faith of Shelton will be installed on Jan. 23. Assistant to the Bishop the Rev. Valinda Morse will preside. Synod event Register now for 2011 Bishop s Convocation Register through the synod office or its website for the 2011 Bishop s Convocation, The Balancing Act of Pastoral Leadership, to take place Jan. 25 and 26 at the Seabeck Conference Center. Participants will examine the many roles pastors fill. The convocation will be preceded by a prayer retreat on Jan. 23 to 25 led by the Rev. Jim Christianson. The theme will be Tending to the Holy: Practicing the Presence of God in Ministry.

3 News Repairs under way after tree comes down on church BONNEY LAKE Members of Creator Lutheran Church of Bonney Lake will continue to repair extensive damage into the New Year caused when a monster tree came down during a Nov. 15 windstorm. The tree smashed through the roof, breaking a beam and rafters and destroying much of the church s fellowship hall. It broke several waterlines in the ceiling, sending water everywhere. Fencing and playground equipment were damaged. The preschool has been moved to another part of the building and other classes and gatherings have been postponed, according to the Rev. Kim Latterell. Pastor Latterell gave thanks for the prayers and offers of support from neighboring churches and pastors. Redeemer Lutheran, Christ the King and Mountain View Lutheran churches quickly responded, as did the Lake Tapps community and Lowe s. God is good. Every day. In every way. He is stronger than any storm. He is our stronghold and our healer, Latterell said. The church was insured. Congregation acknowledges sadness at Christmastime Reprinted with permission from the Kitsap Sun PORT ORCHARD They called the baby Wrinkle, because it put a little wrinkle in their lives. Garrett and Nikki Fisher weren t expecting to get pregnant. They had just enough time to get excited when Nikki miscarried in November at 12 weeks. The young couple, still mourning, joined about 30 other worshippers at a Blue Christmas service Nov. 15 at First Lutheran Community Church. There, seems to be a prerequisite for cheerfulness at Christmas gatherings, interim Pastor Joe Smith told the small and subdued congregation. This is a place you can be welcome and received just the way you are. It s nice to be able to worship and feel God s presence without having to put on the smile I put on every Sunday, said Nikki Fisher, whose two other children are ages 3 and 17 months. I had all sorts of ideas about how great this Christmas would be. To me it feels like someone is missing. Smith initiated the blue Christmas tradition last year as a way to minister to those who were experiencing brokenness in their lives, through lost relationships, death and unemployment I suppose the older I get, I recognize how complicated Christmas can be, said Smith, who is 40. I continue to be amazed at what people face at this time of year, and that the happy faces people put on is not what everyone is experiencing. 3

4 4 News Colonial House actor and pastor shares new book GIG HARBOR His face is still recognizable from the 2004 PBS series Colonial House. The Rev. Dr. Donald Heinz was the pastor in the series that recreated life in 1628 in the colonies. The real-life ELCA pastor and religion professor today is 70 and retired in Gig Harbor, writing instead of acting. His newest, Christmas: Festival of Incarnation, (Fortress Press) looks at the secularization of Christmas and urges readers to take a step beyond. There is still much more to Christmas that can be discovered, and if you're going to discover it, you're going to have to go to church, said Heinz, who taught at California State University, Chico. Heinz said he himself was not above the commercialization of Christmas this year, admitting I love all that stuff, but if readers settle just for that interpretation, they re missing the message. Heinz and wife Carolyn have been living in the Northwest for several years now, getting used to the gray climate and attending Agnus Dei Lutheran Church of Gig Harbor. Even now, he still gets stopped by people curious about what it was like to recreate life in The producers, he tells them, sometimes stirred the pot to get more drama going. The series still is shown occasionally on PBS and is available through Netflix and at local libraries. Heinz is writing his next book, this making the case that the progressive Christian voice needs to be much more assertive in this country, where the Christian right seems to be the chief public voice for Christianity. Roemer begins transformational ministry in Olalla OLALLA Equipped with a $25,000 grant from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American, the Rev. Sarah Roemer, newly installed at Sprit of Life Lutheran Church of Olalla, begins a transformational ministry there to revitalize membership and vision. In welcoming Pastor Roemer, congregational President JoAnn Smith said, The call committee prayed earnestly that the Holy Spirit would send us someone to guide us through transformational ministry, to show us where we are headed over these next few years, how we can continue to serve the community of Olalla, and to feed the souls of the current congregation that has been a pillar of the community since the 1990s. The church was begun and led for years by the Rev. George Larson, now retired. The congregation plans to extend its reach into the community through Little Doves Children s Learning Center and its food bank.

5 5 From our friends Concern at deep budget cuts proposed by governor By the Rev. Paul Benz, director, Lutheran Public Policy Office of Washington, As legislators convene Jan. 10 to consider the governor's just-released proposed biennial budget containing deep cuts, the Lutheran Public Policy Office urges you to leave the following message to all three of your legislators and the governor by calling the legislative hotline at (800) As a person of faith I understand that you will be making deep cuts and eliminating critical programs that serve the poor & vulnerable and that protect our environment during the 2011 session. As you go through the process of making these difficult decisions please keep the poor and most vulnerable in mind, use a balanced approach, and consider other options that are being talked about. Our church will also be praying for you. Be sure to pray during your prayers of the church on Sundays for the governor and your state legislators regularly during the 2011 session. List the hotline number in your bulletins. For more help, contact our director of congregational relations, David Hacker, at dhacker@lcsnw.org. Our congregations From newsletters throughout the synod, for keeping up 125 and counting: First of Poulsbo will celebrate its 125th anniversary Feb. 27. Preschool fundraiser: A fall fundraiser by Sycamore Tree Preschool at Our Saviour s of Bremerton netted $3,000, and will be used to help cover cost to parents. Compass Center friends: Members of Port Madison of Bainbridge Island regularly serve meals to homeless men at Seattle s Compass Center, and on Dec. 17, a dozen or so served them their Christmas dinner. People To the Marshall Islands: The Rev. Jon Olson has resigned as associate pastor of Messiah of Auburn in order to serve as chaplain at Island Memorial Chapel on the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific. The Rev. Greg Kaurin said, Pray for Pastor Jon, Kim, Sophie, Gavin and the rest of their family, as well as those in the Marshall Islands who will be as blessed by his ministry as we were. His call was through ELCA Global Mission. New organist: Dan Colgan is the new organist at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church of Olympia. He is a graduate of Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, N.J.

6 6 Coming up Catechumenal training next month in Vancouver The next Come to the Water ecumenical catechumenal-process training event will take place Feb. 18 and 19 at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Vancouver. The event is appropriate for congregational teams that need resources to begin the catechumenal process. Featured speakers include Bishop Robert D. Hofstad and catechumenal author Ann McElligott. The cost is $30 per person. Further information can be found in a brochure at uploads/file/water2011.pdf or by contacting the Rev. Martha Maier, maierm@comcast.net or (360) Spiritual formation of congregations the topic The 2011 PLU Summer Conference on Pastoral Theology focuses on The Spiritual Formation of the Congregation, a follow-up to the 2010 theme of The Spiritual Formation of the Pastoral Leader. Taking place June 20 through 22 at the Pacific Lutheran University campus in Tacoma, the event will feature the Rev. Melissa Skelton, director of congregational development for the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia. Bishop Robert D. Hofstad said, I encouraged congregations and rostered people of the Southwestern Washington Synod to consider participation in this event. To sign up, contact the Rev. G. Lee Kluth, PLU director of congregational relations, at (253) or him at crel@plu.edu. Look to The Lutheran for next installment in Namibia series The Lutheran magazine picks up with its series on a Southwestern Washington Synod delegation s visit to Namibia this spring in its January issue. Articles also will be posted on the synod blog at Calendar Dec. 23 continuing through holidays: Synod office closed Jan. 15: Synod Council conference call, 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 23 to 25: Synod Prayer retreat, Seabeck Jan. 25 to 26: Bishop s Convocation, Seabeck Feb. 13: PLU Sunday Feb. 18 and 19: Catechumenal training, Vancouver March 4 to 6: Synod combined junior/senior high school gathering, Black Lake Bible Camp, March 26: Synod Council meets May 13 to 14: Southwestern Washington Synod Assembly, Grand Mound May 22: Washington Public Policy Office fundraiser and awards dinner, 4:30 to 7 p.m., St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, st Avenue NW, Seattle June 11: Synod Council conference call, 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 28 to 29: Synod Council retreat May 18 and 19, 2012: Southwestern Washington Synod Assembly, Vancouver, Wash.