Agnus Dei Lutheran Church Gather in grace Grow in faith Go in service

Transcription

1 Agnus Dei Lutheran Church Gather in grace Grow in faith Go in service FEBRUARY 18 WORSHIP 7:00 pm Wednesday Evenings: Feb 25, Mar 4, 11, 18, 25 Soup Supper at 6:00 PM, Worship at 6:45 PM Wednesday evening offerings will go to the Food Backpacks 4 Kids Program. If you prefer to bring food donations you will have the opportunity to walk forward to place them in a basket at the altar. Foods suggested are: peanut butter, canned chicken, hearty soup, chili, tuna, granola bars, pasta, pasta sauce, instant oatmeal, hot chocolate packets. Soup Supper Providers: Feb 25: Choir, March 4: Council, March 11: Men s Groups, March 18: Youth and Others, March 25: Prayer Shawl Ministry and Quilters From Our Pastors Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, Our continued thanks to Agnus Dei for the welcome, hospitality and energizing spirit that has greeted us in our time here. We appreciate very much our visiting times with all of you, and are eager to continue listening to you and to what God is saying. As we move together toward the journey of lent, a season to renew our faith and listen more deeply to God s voice in our lives, we offer this prayer, from the book Guerrillas of Grace by Ted Loder. Yours in Christ, Pastor Seth & Pastor Stephanie Help Me Listen Calendar...p.11 Celebraons...p.10 Council Message...p.3 Human Concerns...p.9 Faith Community Nurse.p.6,7 Pastors Message...p.1 Stewardship..p.4,5 Worship Schedule..p.12 O Holy One, I hear and say so many words, yet yours is the word I need. Speak now, and help me listen; and, if what I hear is silence, let it quiet me, let it disturb me, let it touch my need, let it break my pride, let it shrink my certainties, let it enlarge my wonder.

2 Pastor s Visits We are thoroughly enjoying getting to know you all better! We continue to work through the directory, setting up times to meet with each household, either in your home or here at church. So, if your last name starts with A - C, know that we will be contacting you soon to set something up. The sole purpose of the visits is to get to know you better! 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 visiting, Pastor Seth and Pastor Stephanie An ADLC Field Trip - Namibia Nine On February 28 th, the documentary Namibia Nine will premiere at Pacific Lutheran University. It tells the story of 9 young Namibian leaders who studied at PLU in the 1990s. Our Southwestern Washington Synod has a deep connection with Namibia, as we are companion synods. This will be a great chance to fellowship together and learn more about our connection with Lutherans around the world. We will meet at ADLC at 4:45 to carpool to the event. Reception at 5:30, film and discussion from 6:30 8:30pm. Pastors Installation Pastor Seth and Pastor Stephanie will be officially installed at both services on February 8 th. We are excited to celebrate this new beginning together! Join us for cake during the hospitality times after each service. Adult Forum will continue as scheduled. Lutheran 101 Whether you are thinking about joining Agnus Dei or are a long time member. Whether you are a lifelong Lutheran, or have only recently heard the word Lutheran, this class is for you! Wednesday evenings during Lent, we will explore what it means to be Lutheran: the basics of our confession, the impact of the Lutheran church on the world and much more! We will meet in the Youth Room from 7:30 8:30 PM. Classes will be led by the pastors. Feb 25 th Grace and the Sacraments March 4 th Martin Luther and the Reformation March 11 th - Lutherans at work in the world March 18 th Lutheranism compared to other denominations March 25 th Wrap Up/Q&A Youth Group Youth Group happens every 1 st and 3 rd Wednesday of the month, from 5pm 7pm. Next Youth Group will be February 4 th. All high school students are welcome. We will share in a meal, conversation about faith/bible topics, and hang out time! Congregation members are invited to provide a meal and spend some time getting to know these wonderful young people. Meals during Lent will be the congregational soup suppers, but look for the opportunity to sign up after Easter! 2 This July is the ELCA National Youth Gathering in Detroit, MI. Five students from ADLC, along with the pastors, will gather with thousands of other Lutheran young people from across the country to serve, learn, and worship together. If you are interested in learning more about this great events, check out YouthGathering.

3 Join our pastors for a weekly bible study based on the lectionary on Wednesday mornings at 10:30 AM in the youth room. It will be led by either Pastor Seth or Pastor Stephanie depending on which of them will be preaching that Sunday. All are welcome! 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 Greetings from your Church Council, We hope February finds you and your family well. Our January meeting was a bit different than most. We had a small retreat and met for a full Saturday morning. It was nice to have some extra time to get to our full slate of business. One important topic was reviewing the spending of the remaining Above and Beyond funds. So far we have approved and completed several projects including replacing the old, failing furnace with two separate, more efficient heaters, updating the office technology, cleaning the carpets and providing travel expenses for our new pastors. So far we are considering acting on additional projects like improving the church s overflow parking, improving the street signage, new cabinets for the music room and improvements to the narthex. The Council will be considering some additional important business in upcoming meetings. We will be looking at cleaning up the garden space, guidelines, bylaw revisions, strategic planning, the organ lease and the future of the church s van. We will next meet on February 12 th. Please contact any one of us with any concerns you would like us to consider at our meeting. Peace and Blessings, Your Church Council Jeanette and Loren Carlander Audrey Clinton Jim Greenley, Krump s Brother in Law Judy and Dick Latimer Jerry Moore Dave Roberts Myra Snider Jack Stier Rose VanderKlomp Alene Wilkes Serving Our Country: Mary and Ehren Gossler as they mourn the death of Mary s grandmother. Doris Sorrels family as they mourn her death. Jason Barelli, U.S. Navy Matt Fistler, U.S.A.F.(Carlander s Grandson) Staton West, U.S. Army Doris Elaine Sorrels July 27, 1923-January 4, 2015 Our sister in Christ, Doris Sorrels died on Jan. 4th. A memorial service will be held at Agnus Dei on Saturday, February 21 at 11:00am. All are welcome. Please keep Doris family in your prayers. 3

4 Agnus Dei is now on facebook! We will post news, photos and events. Add us to your favorites as another way to keep in touch with what is happening at Agnus Dei. Like and Share posts so other will see them too! Little Lambs Preschool Registration for the school year is now open. There will be an open house on Saturday, Jan 31 from 9:30am to 11:00am. If you or someone you know is looking for a quality preschool education, please tell them about Little Lambs. Word of mouth is our best advertising! Stewardship I came away from worship this morning feeling refreshed and renewed and ready for the week to come. Thank you to Pastor Stephanie and Pastor Seth for leading our worship. Through our Refreshed and Renewed stewardship campaign 72 family units have committed $280,892 to our general budget which supports the many ministries of Agnus Dei Lutheran Church. Agnus Dei adopted a budget of $418,000 for the 2015 year. In the phrase, tithes and offerings, funds pledged to our general fund would be our members tithes. Many of our members also made commitments to go above and beyond this (offerings designated for specific items) which support the building fund, the ELCA World Hunger fund, Backpacks 4Kids, the organ fund and Above and Beyond for another $39,914. The stewardship committee would like to thank everyone who has turned in a promise card. There is still time to turn in a promise card if you have not already done so. May our financial giving this year express our faith and our generosity; may we be both joyful and hopeful as we do so. It is Epiphany and the future is bright with the promises of God! Mike Snowden, Stewardship Committee Sharing our Gifts Stewardship Update Thank you to all, good and faithful stewards. January Attendance January January January January General Fund Giving Report General Fund: Goal Actual % of Goal Annual $384,000 January $32,000 $27,027 84% Year to Date $32,000 $27,027 84% 2015 Designated Giving Report January Year to Date Building Fund $530 $530 FISH (local food bank) $440 $440 World Hunger $1255 $1255 Organ Lease $395 $395 Building Fund Balance $87,436 4

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6 Faith Community Nurses Zoe Holmes, Teresa McDonald, and Gwen Daugs Jesus answered, It is wrien: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Mahew 4:4 NIV Student Bible In Mahew 4:4 Jesus said, Man does not live by bread alone, Thank goodness that we do not literally live by bread alone, because the Celiac Disease Foundaon states that that 1 in 100 people worldwide have a disorder that shows up whenever gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley, is consumed. Gluten may also be present in other products like medicine, vitamins and supplements, lip balm, and even the glue on stamps and envelopes. According to the Center for Celiac Research, one of 133 people in the US has celiac disease. Another study esmated that 1.8 million Americans have the disease because 83% of them are undiagnosed. Since there is some confusion about celiac disease, I thought that we could spend me this month discussing some of the facts concerning this condi- on. To start with, many people mistakenly think of celiac disease as a digesve disorder because of all the gastrointesnal problems it causes. In reality, celiac disease is an autoimmune disease. When people with celiac disease eat gluten, their bodies develop an immune response that aacks the small intesne. These aacks lead to damage to the villi which are small fingerlike projecons that line the small intesne. Villi promote nutrient absorpon. When the villi get damaged, nutrients cannot be absorbed properly into the blood stream. This can lead to health problems including malnutrion, osteoporosis, thyroid disease, and anemia. A 2013 study from Columbia University found that a damaged small intesne can lead to a four-mes-greater risk for developing lymphoma. Celiac disease is also a genec disease. People with a first-degree relave (parent, child, or sibling) of celiac disease have a 1 in 10 risk of developing celiac disease. The genes responsible for celiac disease are present in about 40% of all North Americans and roughly 30% of people with European ancestry. Yet according to reports from the New York Times, 95% of those with predisposing genes will never manifest the disease. The people most at risk are those with a family history of celiac disease, those with Down s syndrome, and those with Type 1 diabetes, endocrine disorders, ferlity issues or other auto-immune disorders including lupus and rheumatoid arthris. A correct diagnosis for celiac disease can take me, in part because the disease mimics other condions such as irritable bowel syndrome, spasc colon, thyroid disease and colis. Blood tests can help a doctor diagnose the disease, but a doctor may also need to examine a small piece of small intesne ssue to help a diagnosis for the disease. Symptoms of celiac disease vary. Some people experience abdominal pain, bloang and issues with diarrhea and/or conspaon. Others may have symptoms such as depression, fague, and migraine headaches. Some symptoms include anemia, joint pain, mouth sores, itchy skin and ngling in the feet and legs. Some people have no symptoms at all. The main symptom presented by children is irritability. They tend to be whiners. The disease can manifest itself at any age, from childhood to old age and is somemes triggered by stress like childbirth, pregnancy, or surgery. The US military populaons are showing a higher-than-average incidence of celiac disease, parcularly for those veterans in their 40s and 50s. And here is another confusing issue regarding celiac disease. There are people who can have what is called Non-Celiac Gluten Sensivity (NCSG). They are individuals who oen have the same symptoms of those with celiac disease but they do not test posive for the disease. They also, thankfully, do not suffer damage to the small intesne. Since there is currently no blood test for gluten sensivity, the only way to be diagnosed is to undergo the screening and diagnos- c tests required to confirm celiac disease. A diagnosis of gluten sensivity is confirmed when you are not diagnosed with celiac disease, and your symptoms diminish aer starng a gluten-free diet, followed by a return of symptoms when gluten is reintroduced into your diet. A recent UK study found that for every 100 paents complaining of problems with gluten, 10 will be diagnosed with celiac and the remainder will have NCGS. 6 There is no cure for celiac disease or for those who are gluten sensive. However, both condions can be managed by

7 (parish nurses connued) following a strict gluten-free diet. Some people may also be lactose intolerant, so avoiding cow s milk can reduce symptom flare-ups. Switching to a gluten-free diet is a big change for most people, and like anything new, it takes some geng used to. Those who are newly diagnosed may inially feel deprived by the diet's restricons, especially if you weren't having troubling symptoms before a diagnosis. During the transion to the new diet, it helps to focus on all the foods one can eat instead of those foods that will have to be omied. One may be pleasantly surprised to realize how many glutenfree products are now available, even in breads and pasta. Many grocery stores sell gluten-free foods. If you're just starng with a gluten-free diet, it's a good idea to consult a diean who can answer your quesons and offer advice about how to avoid gluten while sll eang a healthy, balanced diet. I think most dieans would advise you that in the beginning of this transion you will have to read a lot of labels to insure that the foods you re ingesng are gluten-free. Celiac disease is increasing worldwide. It has quadrupled in the US in the last fiy years. Experts don t know why the disease is becoming more common. Some speculate that it may be due to changes in the way wheat is grown and processed. It may also be because gluten, present in so many processed foods now saturates our diets. It is important to not self-diagnose this disease. If you think that you or someone in your family may have celiac disease or is gluten sensive, consult your doctor before going on a gluten-free diet. It is the only way to ensure a proper diagnosis and to protect your long-term health. Let the parish nurses know if they can be of help to you or your family regarding new or on-going health issues. Parish nurse hours at the church remain on most Monday and Wednesday mornings. Sundays at 9:40am in the Parish Hall February 1: Did you know that our congregaon is part of one of the finest ministries and human care organizaons in in the whole Pierce County Area? Tacoma Lutheran Rerement Community (b/w Pearl St and Jackson in northtacoma) has been regarded as Number #1 in quality of care given. It has also been voted as being the best employer of mid-sized agencies in all of the county. It has four levels of care, ranging from independent living to the Care Center. It is located on a beauful 27 acre campus and has about 450 residents. Agnus Dei Lutheran is a Covenant Congregaon" with Tacoma Lutheran Rerement Community and has been for over 20 years. What does this mean? What privileges and responsibilies do we have?? How would TLRC be of benefit to you?? On Sunday, February 1st, we will have the privilege of having representaves of TLRC present informaon and educaonal materials about TLRC. It will be a 50 minute period of me well spent! February 8: Communion Connued! Referencing presiding bishop Eaton s request for congregaonal discussion, on February 8, Dan Dana will follow up last fall's forum on Reformaon views of communion with a discussion of current Lutheran thought about the sacrament and a review of the ELCA's pracces today. Please come with your own ques- ons and thoughts! February 15: Have you heard of Pierce County s Associated Ministries? Have you wondered exactly what they do? A representave from Associated Ministries will be here to explain their program. February 22: In light of the recent world problems such as police shoongs in Ferguson, terrorist acvies in France, and an-muslim demonstraons in Germany, the forum commiee would like to focus the next several weeks on fear, which seems to be the root of many problems in the world. We are pleased to have Jill and David Moore, professors in the Department of Psychology at the University of Puget Sound and also private praconers at Soundview Health Associates, talk about the psychology of fear. What does fear do to the human body? How does fear of the other cause peace-loving humans to violently towards another, and how does fear of change cause us to act irresponsibly in our government policies? 7

8 We are thankful to Thrivent Financial for a $550 grant for purchasing food for our FB4K program. Denny Sapp for his woodworking skills in mending the water damaged surface of the baptismal font. The properties team for the many fix-it jobs they do around the church. During this past month furniture was moved, bookcases were earthquake proofed, and security cameras installed. Don Krump for maintaining the church van, keeping it safe and ready when needed. The FB4K shoppers for keeping the backpacks well stocked. Carol Dana for church supply shopping Dear Church Family, Thank you so much for your many thoughts, prayers, and well wishes during our daughter Sarah s recent scare with cancer. We certainly felt God s calming presence through it all. We did receive a Christmas miracle, her cancer was only stage 1A so they are confident the surgery got it all and they are not even recommending chemo. What a blessing! Again, thank you all, Matt and Pat Humlie The Key Peninsula Children s Home Society sent Agnus Dei a letter of thanks for the items we gave in December for Christmas Gifts. Here are some excerpts from recipients: Thank you so much for helping my kids and I for Christmas. I cannot put into words how blessed we are to have wonderful people such as you to help us. Hopefully next year we can pay it forward. Thank you so much for all the donations to make my children s Christmas dreams come true. Wanting you to know just how happy this is making my girls, its been very tough with no income since October. May your blessings be big. From Gramma,: Thank you ALL for your overwhelming generosity that has benefitted my grandchildren. Not only are they blessed, they will also be able to share a bit with another person. IT S NOT JUST COFFEE! Most of us recall happy times around grandma s or someone else s table when we had food or coffee, but mostly it s the warmth and love we took away with us and cherish still. The table and hospitality are so important in the Bible that our altar in the sanctuary (the Lord s Table ) comes directly from them. Our congregation extends this hospitality after both services into the fellowship area so that we can get to know strangers among us and have fellowship with each other communion of saints even! At this time, you are invited to sign up in the narthex on the kitchen door for a month when it will be best for you to offer this ministry of hospitality yes, MINISTRY a couple of times. Snacks need not be extravagant or homemade. The point is simply togetherness. Thanks to Diana Carlson for setting up the coffee pots each week, ready to plug in and/or turn on. Those who sign up for serving after the 8:30 service will bring food and make sure all is ready. Those who sign up for 11:00 will not necessarily need to bring more but will clean up, run the dishwasher and wash the coffee pots. Many hands make light work let s fill those sign-up sheets! If you are out of town, the office and Cindy will do your sign-up. Remember, it s not just coffee! 8

9 Human Concerns In the past...the final tally for ELCA Disaster Relief- ebola was $2251. Many thanks for all contribuons of $, me and materials. Good Job, all! Right Now...The race goes on and on and on. Not really, but we have collected enough Toilet Paper for a half marathon. So, now s the me to turn on the speed and finish the race. We will take our TP offering to FISH on Feb. 10 th. Labels for Educaon Clip and save these labels And.we have about 300 coupons and labels, but we need 700 more. Each coupon is worth a dime, and we re trying to donate $100 to the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission in Rock Point, AZ. Remember to cut out just the coupon with the bar code from cans, and that the box tops all have an expiraon date. The product boxes with box tops have a lot of info re: box tops, and a person might think that the info is the box top, but unless it has an expiraon date, it s not the right part to bring. So check your kitchen drawers and find all as many coupons and box tops as you can. Thanks! Communies in Schools Recently the Human Concerns Commiee met with the local Communies in Schools representave, Angelica Gaeta, who told us about the ways we can assist the organizaon and the kids. More informaon will be posted on the community bullen board. Things Needed: Supplies for arts and cras and also school supplies, personal hygiene products, healthy snacks and educaonal games and acvies People Needed: Mentors in Reading at Artondale, Evergreen, Harbor Heights, Minter Creek and Vaughn Elementary Schools. Mentors in Math at Key Pen Middle, Kopachuck Middle, Purdy Elementary and Vaughn Elementary Schools. One on one tutors at Peninsula High School. If you are interested in mentoring call Laurel Shultz at or visit their website at In the future...lent is almost here. During Lent please support Food Backpacks for Kids by giving food and/or cash at Soup Suppers or by donang food anyme at the Donaon Staon. You can also specify FB4K on your offering envelope. In April we will be serving dinner on the 9 th at Peace Lutheran, and, also we will be gathering items for SPRING CLEAN, a donaon of personal care kits for Lutheran World Relief. Since February is a tradional me for white sales, you may find good buys on dark colored easy dry bath towels, and be ahead of the curve. FYI Also needed are big tooth combs, nail clippers with a nail file, soap, and tooth brushes. Everyday many thanks for you generosity! Ronnie Kulman Human Concerns Commiee 9

10 February 2015 S M T W T F S This Month at Agnus Dei--(all meetings at church unless noted.) Wednesdays, 9:45 am--back Packs 4 Kids in the community room. Donations always welcome. For information Contact Phyllis Brandt or Pat Borgen Wednesdays, 10:30 am Lectionary Study with our pastors in the Youth Room, Wednesdays, 1:30-3:00--Prayer Shawl Ministry meets in the ADLC Youth Room. All knitters and crochet enthusiasts are welcome! Contact Gwen Daugs Wednesdays during Lent, 6:00 Soup Supper, 6:45 Worship Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Adult Choir, Contact Shari Shull, (will follow Lenten Weds worship through Lent) Thursdays, 10:00 AM Church Staff Meeting Fridays, 10:00 am--augsburg Bible Study in the community room. Contact Rose VanderKlomp Feb 7, Saturday, 8:30 am--men s Square at the Sunset Grille, Breakfast and Bible Study. Contact Steve Carlson Feb 7, 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 Feb 12, 7:00 pm Council Meeting in the Community Room Feb 17, 1:30 pm--gather Bible Study in the community room. Social time begins at 1:00 pm followed by the study found in the January Gather Magazine entitled Transforming Life and Faith. for more information contact either Marge Olmsted or Barb Deák Feb 19, Thursday, 5:30 pm-- Theology on Tap at The Marketplace Grille. Contact Doug McDonnell Continued... Feb 20, Friday, 7:00 pm--agnus Dei Book Group in the community room. Contact Neal VanDerVoorn Feb 24, 1:00 Quilting for Lutheran World Relief in the Community Room FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS Celebrations: 1 Connor Gormly, Richard Hermstad Lisa Carter 5 Taylor Leacy, Sue Iverson 6 Marian Ano 9 Shari Shull 12 Hadley Gormly 15 Jim Goeng, Bruce Shull 18 Doug Larsen, Michelle Henderson, Paul Borg 21 Anna Dukes 22 Cindy Beals 24 John Kulman, Karissa Oliver 25 Grace Chakerian 28 Karen Larsen FEBRUARY ANNIVERSARIES 14/77 Doug and Joy McCraw 20/82 Bob and Wendy Babare To Jeff and Beverly Henne on the birth of their new granddaughter, Julia Grace born on January 20. She weighed 7lbs 9 1/2 oz. and was 19 1/2 long. Jeff and Bev will be meeting her in early March.. Welcome Julia Grace! Women s Retreat Fundraiser Delicious homemade candy! Available on Feb. 1st and 8th after each service. 10

11 Agnus Dei Lutheran Church Calendar For more information see event details 4:45 PM Namibia Nine 11

12 Serving in Worship February Serve in Worship Schedule Coordinators: Altar Guild: Dianna Carlson Altar Flowers: Dianna Carlson Assisting Ministers: Shari Shull Communion Servers and Greeters: Marilyn Hermstad Lectors: Marilyn Colyar Offering Counters: Linda Ribary Ushers: Marilyn Hermstad

13 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 , Pianist, Susan Luebeck Administrative Assistant, Cindy Beals , Council President Carol Dana Treasurer, Lance Colyar Financial Secretary, Pat Humlie Asst. Fin.Secretary, Rose VanderKlomp Zoe Holmes, Parish Nurse Gwen Daugs, Parish Nurse Teresa McDonald, Parish Nurse Jack Stier, Parish Sexton Council John Barelli, Marlene Bridgforth, Steve Carlson, Lance Colyar, Carol Dana, Ehren Gossler, Don Krump, Linda Olson, Tim Wilson Little Lambs Preschool Director/Teacher Shannon Moore Board President Debbie Snowden Financial Secretary Kimberly Morgan Secretary Kristin Page 13