The Messenger. September. October. Healing Our Whacked Images of God. September 2016 St. Matthew s Lutheran Church

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1 September 2016 St. Matthew s Lutheran Church The Messenger Healing Our Whacked Images of God September HANDS THAT CARE September 11 Confirmation Family Dinner September 14 Sunday School/Faith Formation September 18 Enneagram Class Begins September 21 October Generosity Parties New Member/Re-Member Class October 2 Anti Racism Workshop October 2 Fall Youth Retreat October ARISE Guys October 1-31 Marie married her husband when she was in her early twenties. She now admits, decades later, that she was vulnerable and naive when she said "I do." She was wounded by her parents divorce and suffered from a very low self-esteem. She wanted to be protected and her new, confident husband appeared to be a knight in shining armor. He was a self-proclaimed MAN of GOD, who believed in a literal interpretation of the Bible. A man was to be the head of the household and a wife was "godly" if she was submissive and supportive without question. If Marie complained, she was told she needed to pray more. Over the years Marie became increasingly isolated from family and friends. She lived in fear of emotional or physical abuse. When she finally left her husband, she was able to reflect and say, "I cannot tell the difference between the voice of God and the voice of my husband." How might Marie's understanding of God need to be healed? Daniel grew up believing that God loved him and cared for him. He knew all of the catch words of the Christian faith. Grace. Love. Forgiveness. Mercy. For Daniel, God was a great provider of all of his needs. Daniel was active in church and always happy to serve. Until his brother was killed in a car accident by a drunk driver. He was crushed with grief. After a few weeks he could not sit through a worship service. Mounting anger pulsed through him to the point that he walked away from anything that smacked of "religion." He blamed God. He raged against God not "listening to his prayers." The God that he grew up with had failed him. How might Daniel's image of God need to be healed? Each one of us has an image of God. This image shapes our understanding of faith and the world. Yet, many of our images can be limited or misguided. I am always saddened when I meet someone who says, "Everything I learned about God, I learned in Confirmation." What? That means the person standing in front of me has a very limited, adolescent understanding of God. I do not know about you, but in 8th grade, my image of God was still trapped in images of power and might. I had not heard about God's vulnerable power, God's willingness to suffer, I could not explain the Trinity, or think of God being anything but a man with a white beard floating on clouds. Over the years, my whacked images of God have started to heal. In all truth, I will never fully understand the depth and breadth of who God is and how God works in the world, but I am so thankful I have outgrown my pre-teen notions. This year we are going to be "healing our whacked images of God" in a variety of ways. We will be exploring expansive language and images of God in worship. We will be inviting people to share their own stories of discovery during worship and studies. There will also be classes offered between services from 9:15-9:50am on Sunday mornings around this important topic. continue to page 2 1

2 Whacked-continued from page 1 Pastor Delmas Luedke will also be leading an intensive Enneagram class for people to heal their own understanding of God and themselves. Please see the course description in this newsletter. Angel Swanson and myself will also be hosting the "How to Talk to Your Racist Uncle" classes on Sunday afternoons. The intersection of faith, race, culture, and bias needs to be healed in ourselves and in our families and in our communities. I invite you to intentionally serve, grow and learn this year as we explore and dare to ask the Spirit to "heal our whacked images of God." In God's contagious love, Pastor Kacey September 11 ONE Worship Service at 9:30 Service Projects begin at 10:45 The ENTIRE community of St. Matthew's is encouraged to worship and serve TOGETHER! There will be service projects for those who want to get out and work up a sweat in the community and service projects for those with little hands or limited mobility. ALL ARE WELCOME to serve. We will be making care packages for nearby schools, offering a FREE CAR Wash, yard work for elderly neighbors, and connecting with other partner social service agencies. For this Sunday, you will receive a T-shirt and lunch for FREE for the gift of your service. (You can offer a monetary gift to offset costs on Sunday morning). Here what you need to know. 1. COME to ONE worship at 9:30am on Sunday, September 11, You can pick up your T-shirt by 8am on that morning. 2. Serve with new and old friends from 10:45-1pm(ish) in the community and at St. Matthew s. 3. Get home in plenty of time for the 1:30pm Seahawks game :) Tone Austin NEW After School Program Director St. Matthew's is pleased to announce that we have hired a new After School Program Director for this year. Anthony Austin comes to this position with enthusiasm, organizational skills, program development experience, creativity, and years of working with youth and volunteers. Anthony is a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church and has served in many different congregational settings. Tone will be leading and growing the outreach to the McKnight Middle School students, as well as broadening our partnerships with other community and educational agencies. Tone is dedicated to create a safe, welcoming, and engaging place for students to belong and grow as young leaders. Come be a part of the growth! continue to page 3 2

3 as wegather Program Director continued from page 2 After School Volunteers needed for the school year. Do you have 1-2 hours to spare? Do you long to make an impact in the lives of students? Could you make pancakes for hungry students twice a month? Tuesdays 2:15-4pm Fridays 7:30am-9am Please consider volunteering and sharing your gifts of time and attention for our neighborhood youth! The After School program needs 3-4 volunteers for Tuesday afternoons and 3-4 volunteers for Friday mornings before we can start welcoming students. Please prayerfully consider getting involved. Please send an to stmatthewschurch@comcast.net if you are interested. This is an intentional faith exploration that typically begins as students enter the 8 th grade (but they may choose to attend earlier or later). Classes, worship, retreats, meals, service, fun-it s all part of the experience! Contact Nicole at nicole.vander@comcast.net to get connected and obtain registration materials. Party!!! Sunday, September 18 beginning at 11:30am youth grades 6 th -12 th and their parents (who are invited to stay, but don t have to!) are invited to The Lien s home to play Pickle Ball. Don t worry Seahawks fans, we ll have the football game on too. Please bring an appetizer or dessert to share. Sunday School Begins September 18!! Once again there will be faith practice opportunities for all ages (even adults!). Join us each Sunday at 9:15am for learning experiences that will enhance the worship theme for the day. Through innovative and engaging curriculum from Sparkhouse Publishing, children age 3 through 12 th grade will explore stories with Bible reading and creative activities. Come for playful discovery rooted in church life. You ll find snacks, friends, fun, and more! All children and youth, whether new or returning participants should register to help keep our records up to date. See the included registration form located on page 4 or register on the St. Matthew s website at Children s Every Thursday at 10am Confirmation Family & Orientation Dinner (for the whole family!) Wednesday, September 14, 6pm Youth Pickle Ball Party, September 18 Children s Storytime at Luther s Table Starting September 15! The theme this year will be ANIMALS! Families are invited to participate in fun, educational, and free activities Thursday mornings at 10am as we explore a different creature each week with songs, stories, and crafts, led by Ms. Nicole. All are welcome, but programming is planned for children ages 2-4. Come early or stay late and grab a latte, a snack, or some lunch! Free Summer Lunch Program Once Again A Huge SUCCESS!!! And it was all possible with the help of our fantastic volunteer team who helped to feed up to 35 kids lunch each day, and for the first time this year, also made food available to adults each day too! A huge thank you to the Johnston Family, Lindsey Laktasich, Janet Saukko, the Wolcott Family, Gale Wright, Aide & Gabriel Gutierrez and Betty Schooling. 3

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6 as wegather Adult Faith Formation Begins Sunday, September 18 9:15am-9:50am Healing our Wacked Images of God This year we invite you every Sunday morning to be curious, to reflect and to wonder about the Image of God. We will be re-imagining our wacked notions of who God is. We strive to answer the question, what kind of God do we believe in? Is it healthy or just plain wacked? Your voice is needed for this important conversation. Please join us! 5-Week Enneagram Class Learning to Love My Inside Neighbor Wednesdays 7:00pm-8:15pm September 21, 28, October 5,12,19 The enneagram is an ancient tool used to heal our inaccurate perceptions of our personality, identity and connection to the world. The enneagram is an in-depth spiritual and psychological exploration of nine personality types. Through study, conversation, story-telling and prayer, Rev. Delmas Luedke will walk participants through a process of healing that will help people learn to love and accept more of the "essence" of who they are in God. The class in limited to 10 people and there will be a $20 registration fee for books and materials. Please sign-up at the Welcome Area or go to the St. Matthew s website at for on-line registration. Please contact the church office if you have any questions It is TIME! Our Fall Generosity Parties are near! Starting in October! St. Matthew s thrives because of the unlimited grace of God and the generosity of this community working together. We are growing deeper, we are reaching out, we are discerning a vibrant future. St. Matthew s continues to offer outreach to McKnight students, serve weekly meals for the Renton Meal Coalition, offer diapers and food to the neighborhood on a daily basis, distribute Panera bread to four social agencies on a daily basis and Luther s Table and of Grace Chinese Lutheran this list goes on and on! Check-out and simply enjoy the images! To celebrate God s generosity and our faithful response we are going to PARTY! In October, St. Matthew s will be hosting Generosity Parties. There will be food, laughter, stories, inspiration and new connections! Please sign-up on-line at the St. Matthew s website, or at the Welcome Area before or after worship or call the church office at to secure a spot! Childcare will be available for every event! Host Homes: Fritz Brendemihl and Laura Lievero, Tiara Whitney-James, Joe and Shelby Scovel, Rich Wagner and Andee Jorgensen, Pat Lee, Don and Pearl Jacobson, Kate and Steve Bice. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! I want to thank the congregation of St Matthew s for the fabulous retirement party. It was the best!! From the decorations, food and drinks, band and the speakers. I also want to thank you for the cards and gifts and the donations to the Seattle Humane Society. You raised $235.00, and when I presented it to the Humane Society, they were most appreciative and asked me to thank you. In the future, I will spend my free time volunteering for the Seattle Humane Society in Factoria, and also volunteering for St. Matthew s. You haven t seen the last of me!! I love St. Matthew s and the entire congregation. In the past sixteen years, you have supported me through tough times and the good times. I will be forever be indebted to you. Again, I love you. ~ Joan Stewart 6

7 as wegather New Member and Re-Member Class Wednesdays Nights in October 5, 12, 19, 26 7:00pm-8:15pm At St. Matthew's, when you show up, you immediately belong. You can be fully involved, connected and participate without becoming a member of St. Matthew's. If you would like to deepen your relationship and commitment to our growing community, you are invited to attend four New Member classes on October 5, 12,19 and 26,Wednesday nights at 7:00-8:15pm. This gathering will help new members or long-time members, who have been disconnected for period of time, learn about our CORE VALUES. The New Member and Re-Member classes will offer connection in the community, deepen understanding of our Lutheran roots, and provide ways for you to share your gifts with the broader faith community and neighborhood. Please sign-up at the Welcome Area on Sunday mornings or the church office at stmatthewschurch@comcast.net Mid Week Bible Study Beginning Wednesday, September 14,1:00pm Every Wednesday at 1:00pm, Pastor Kacey will be leading an engaging exploration of the scripture texts for the up-coming Sunday morning. Let s meet in the conference room for stories, teaching, laughter, and prayers. Come and be nourished by the Word. St. Matthew s Women s Retreat, A Compassionate Life Buck Creek Camp, Enumclaw Washington SAVE THE DATE! November Cost $120 per person: includes lodge room with bunkbeds, snacks, and meals. We can arrive anytime after 3pm on Friday, November 11. Carpool will be available. A registration link is available on the St. Matthew s website at Holiday Bazaar Saturday, November 19 Heads Up!! The 'Can Do Workshop' women are already in the planning stages. Some work year round on items to donate to the Bazaar, and that includes those who are not able to attend the workshops, but work on items at home. We will welcome any crafts you want to donate. The proceeds from the Bazaar go to St. Matthew's Social Ministry Program which supports purchasing fabrics and baby items used in the 200+ 'layettes' given out to the King County Health Department throughout the year, also diapers for those in need in the community, gift cards for the Adopt a Family Christmas boxes, the Arise Guys, homeless men, and more! Watch for more information coming soon! 7

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9 as wegather Can Do Ladies Wine, Widows, and Psalms A Potluck Lunch at Joan Bailey s Home Monday, September 12th, 11:30am Join us as we gather together these two groups for a fun potluck lunch. We will be discussing the Wine, Widows and Psalms mission. Bring your thoughts and ideas and( of course, your appetite!) For more information, please contact Pat Lee or plee317@yahoo.com For directions to Joan Bailey s home, please call Adult Senior Connection Group A Potluck Lunch at Pat Lee s Home Wednesday, September 21 at 10:30am Let's get together to meet and greet, connect and reconnect. Please bring a dish to share. Pat Lee's address: 509 Graham Ave. NE, Renton RSVP Future Events! Join Pat Lee and Betty Schooling at the 5th Avenue Theater for Man of LaMancha, Thursday matinee on October 27th. Call Pat Lee to make a reservation AMC Theater in Factoria is renovated and have big comfy seats that recline. Tuesday is Senior day! Check the show listings and give Pat a call if you would like to go for a show ARISE Guys in October St. Matthew s has participated for many years in the Area of Renton Interfaith Shelter Endeavor (A.R.I.S.E.) program, a year round overnight shelter for single adult men, 18 and older. This program provides a safe and warm place for homeless men to sleep at night. Once again, additional need has arisen for the month of October; therefore, St. Matthew s has stepped forward to host the ARISE men during this time. During their stay, the men graciously receive a place to sleep, an evening meal, breakfast in the morning, and a sack lunch to go. Laundry services are also provided. There are a host of opportunities to help out with this program. Here is a list of opportunities for you to serve! 1. Provide an evening meal and prepare sandwiches for their sack lunch. Prepare a hot meal at your home and bring it to the church at 8:45pm. The men will be served at 9:00pm. 2. Provide breakfast items. A few items might include: fruit, cereal, Danish or sweet rolls, cereal bars, coffee. Bring items on Sunday or to the church office during office hours. 3. Provide sack lunch items. A few items might include: bread, lunchmeat, cheese, chips, fruit, a cookie or special treat. Bring the sandwiches to the church office during office hours. 4. Provide necessary items for the men including: socks, shoes, warm clothing, blankets and toiletries, or donating laundry soap. Bring items on Sunday or to the church office during office hours. 5. Launder towels (St. Matthew s has graciously been provided a washer and dryer on site, however, you make take the towels home to launder and bring them back to St. Matthew s.) A sign up sheet to bring meals, sandwiches will be available at the welcome area. For additional information or questions, please contact Tiara Whitney tiarasonlocation@hotmail.com or Amy Lietz Roberts amyroberts@seanet.com,

10 St. Matthew s Lutheran Church 1700 Edmonds Ave NE Renton WA Website: Facebook Page: St. Matthew s Lutheran Church RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Renton, WA Permit No. 108 Senior Choir Pastor Kacey Hahn kaceyhahn@gmail.com x115 Community and Communications Coordinator Libby Lucier stmatthewschurch@comcast.net x110 Children, Youth & Family Director Nicole Vandermeulen nicole.vander@comcast.net x 103 Worship and Faith Curator Lacey Brown lacey.smlc@gmail.com x120 Facilities Manager Dan Willcocks Bookkeeper Tammy Gesler x117 Senior Choir Director Susan Kriesel Fall is fast approaching and there are many wonderful changes in the air. Here's two of them: Change #1 - The Senior Choir will be moving rehearsals to WEDNESDAY nights from 6 pm -7 pm beginning September 21st. We'll continue to sing twice a month with our first anthem being sung on Sunday, October 2nd. Change #2 - We'd like to find a new name for the "Senior Choir" as we are young (or at least young at heart). Help us find a fun, new name for this wonderful group of singers by giving your suggestions to Susan, Lacey or Kacey. Lastly, one thing that will not change is our sincere welcome to anyone who would like to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Contact Susan Kriesel at (253) or at Susan.kriesel@gmail.com.