Lenten Soup Suppers and services Pg. 4 What s in store for Winterfest Dinner in 2016? Pg. 4 FEBRUARY 2016 A Publication of the Mission of Advent Lutheran Church The Listening Room Begins February 8 in the Sanctuary. Pg. 2 Upcoming EVENTS > > > > The Listening Room, 7pm Feb. 8 in the Sanctuary Ash Wednesday, worship services at 11am and 7pm, Feb. 10 Mill Creek Food Bank, 4-6pm February 11 in the Fellowship Hall Soup Suppers begin, 6 p.m. Wednesday, February 17 in the Fellowship Hall The Mill Creek Food Bank is coming to Advent Volunteers of America Western Washington is excited to announce that we will be launching a new mobile food bank at Advent Lutheran Church, beginning on February 11th, 2016! We would like to extend an invitation to members of Advent Lutheran to volunteer with us and help make this food bank a thriving source of support for those in need. The food bank will be open every other Thursday, beginning February 11th, from 4-6 pm in the Fellowship Hall. Volunteers of all ages are welcome to volunteer between the hours of 2:30-6:30 pm. There are many volunteer tasks to suit all skill sets! Some examples of volunteer positions are: volunteer lead; driver; driver assistant; check-in/front desk; food distribution; warehouse aid; shoppers (help families select food and carry to their vehicles). If you are interested in volunteering or if you have additional questions, please contact Michelle Winters at mwinters@voaww.org or (206) 462-4480.
2 ADVENT VOICE A MESSAGE FROM OUR PASTOR The Season of Lent begins early this year, with Ash Wednesday on February 10th. To help launch us into Lent, we ll have a jazz liturgy on Transfiguration Sunday, February 7th. Along with the jazz, we ll each receive a river rock with a word to guide our life of faith through Lent, into Easter, and onward into the rest of the year. (If you re not able to be with us on February 7th, we ll have River Words available all through Lent). River Words! Our River Words will help us remember the steady drip of God s mercy and love that mold and form our everyday lives, surely and steadily, day after day after day. When we arrive at Easter on March 27th, perhaps we ll view the large stone that is rolled away from the tomb in a different light! There is lots going on at Advent as we enter Lent! Lenten Soup Suppers and Worship on Wednesday evenings! Starts February 17! Digging Deeper small groups and Sunday dinners will help us engage with scripture and welcome new members. Starts February 21! Mill Creek Food Bank transitions to a Mobile Food Bank at Advent on Thursday late afternoons! Actual start date Feb. 11 at 2:30. Join us Feb. 4 at 4:30 for a run through. How will you live out your faith this month? What River Word will you receive? How will you share your word and be shaped by your word? What stories will come from the River of hope? I hope you re looking forward to Lent as much as I am, as together we share the story of Advent Lutheran Church in our community and with our neighbors, connecting with others to make the love of Christ known. Glad to be on the journey with you! Peace, The Listening Room to Begin Monday February 8 We ve identified a need, and the Listening Room will be a place for people who have experienced an event or loss, or just need to talk. Our plan is to meet monthly. Jill Bossen will be leading this group as part of her Clinical Pastoral Education program. Come and be supported and loved. Contact Jill Bossen for more information at jrbossen@comcast.net. Advent Classics Advent Classics met on January 13th for a potluck luncheon. Hostesses were Bernice Franks, Mary Alice Hack and Nancy Fischer. A short business meeting was held. Our guest speaker was 94 year old Joe Polocz who talked about his life from pre WW11 Hungary to the present. the next meeting will be February 10th. Prayer Chain Advent is a praying congregation! If serious illness or other life factors affect you or those you love, contact the church office and we will send your request through our prayer chain. We have people who will pray for your need! If you are interested in joining the prayer chain as a pray-er, contact the church office or Kim Plata, kimann222@aol.com. Many thanks to our prayer-s!
Message from your Church Council President The past few weeks has consisted of a flurry of activity. Preparations for the Annual Congregational Meeting, the annual stewardship drive and prayerful consideration of the projected Annual Budget for 2016 has consumed a considerable amount of time for the Finance Committee. (Pauline Siekas, Jac-e Albertson, Jim Bertrand, John Iverson, Karen Young, Irene Bizier, Ken Lysen and Fred Row as Council liaison) I applaud their efforts in putting together a budget that will be/has been presented to the congregation for our coming year. For the coming year terms of some of the existing Council Members will be completed and new Council Members will be voted on by the congregation. I appreciate the talents of the outgoing Council Members and look forward to the talents that new members will bring as new leaders of the church! Church Council looks forward to the upcoming year and will prayerfully consider the priorities and mission of Advent in making the love of Christ known! May God s peace and grace be with us all! Steve Osher Council President FEBRUARY 2016 3 Making the Love of Christ Known Advent Lutheran Church Contact Us: 4306 132nd St. SE Mill Creek, WA 98012 Phone: 425-337-5373 Website: www.adventlutheran.net E-mail: churchoffice@adventlutheran.net Sunday Worship Schedule 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday School: 9:40a.m., September-June (Preschool-6th Grade) Adult Forum: 9:40am in the Sanctuary Advent Staff: Pastor: Scott Postlewait, pastor@adventlutheran.net Visitation Pastor: G. Lee Kluth Office Administrator: Laurie Dunlap, laurie@adventlutheran.net Volunteer Sunday School Coordinators: Jana Auchterlonie and Katie Postlewait sundayschool@adventlutheran.net Choir Director: Janet Hitt Bell Choir Director: Mike Irons Church Accompanist: Kirsten Lysen Custodian: Bernice Clements Church Council: Steve Osher President/Outreach Fred Row Vice President/Columbarium/Stewardship Irene Bizier and Karen Young Treasurers Deb Shaffer Youth Jan McWherter Fellowship Gail Kautzman Social Justice Jen Voss Education Kim Hall Worship George Howard Outreach churchcouncil@adventlutheran.net Synod Assembly Delegates Needed The Synod Assembly is being held May 20-21 at Xfinity arena in Everett. If you d like to attend as a delegate from Advent please let the church office know. churchoffice@adventlutheran.net or 425-337-5373. Advent Voice is the monthly newsletter of Advent Lutheran Church The deadline for articles is the 15th of each month. Please submit articles, graphics, and photos to Laurie@AdventLutheran.net This Month's Contributors: Cora Evans, Nancy Fischer, Steve Osher, Pastor Scott Postlewait, Michelle Winters
4 ADVENT VOICE Lent Soup Suppers and Worship begin February 17 Our theme for Lent this year is The Lord s Prayer. We rather together on Wednesday evenings to share a soup supper, then a brief worship at 7:00. Each week our reflection will dig a bit deeper into The Lord s Prayer, and we ll worship using Marty Haugen s Holden Evening Prayer. Our offerings will go to a different ministry that Advent supports each week. Invite your neighbors, friends, and family! Wednesdays during Lent will be a time when you don t have to worry about what to fix for dinner, a time when you can gather with your Advent family and friends, and a time to engage your faith. Let these Lenten evenings be a beautiful point of peace for you and your family in the middle of your week. Wednesday February 17 February 24 March 2 March 9 March 16 Offering Recipient Mill Creek Food Bank Penny Creek Elementary School Outreach Church World Service/CROP Open Door Ministries Bethany of the Northwest Looking Ahead to Winterfest 2016 Our Winterfest celebration, Advent's Annual Gala Dinner after Thanksgiving, marked the end of an era last November, as Jan McWherter announced that she is "retiring" from leading this event for 30 years. Many thanks to Jan for her years of faithful leadership of this fun event! Fred Zingleman was a great sport in the reindeer games during Advent s annual Winterfest Dinner. What form will Winterfest take in 2016? If you are interested in helping to envision and lead and create this event, please let Laurie in the Church Office know! laurie@adventlutheran.net
Flowers for Easter Sunday Do you have flowers blooming yet or do you like to have cut flowers available? Help decorate the cross in front of the Fellowship Hall on Easter Morning, March 27, by bringing cut flowers. What a beautiful symbol of rebirth by covering the cross in flowers. Graduating from High School this year? It s a tradition at Advent that High School graduates receive quilts handmade with love by our quilting ministry The PieceMakers on Graduation Sunday. If you d like to be on the list to receive a high school graduate quilt, please let Laurie in the church office know no later than March 1st. laurie@adventlutheran.net or FEBRUARY 2016 5 The PieceMakers Quilting Ministry The PieceMakers are looking for some help from anyone who is able to join us to make quilts. We can use people who can tie a knot or put a pin in the hems of our quilts. Sewing is helpful, but not at all necessary. If you would like to share a laugh with us and help others at the same time, consider spending the First and Third Thursday each month in the Fellowship Hall with the zany Quilters at 12:30 pm. We only work until 2pm when we put our pins and needles away and take the time to share a treat. We make a difference in people s lives. You do not have to be a member of Advent and bring your sister, brother, spouse, or friend with you. We would love to meet them. Cora Evans, coordinator for Advent Lutheran Church PieceMakers yankeedc@comcast.net or 425-743-3691
6 ADVENT VOICE Reconciling In Christ Sunday January 31 Join us as we welcome Pastor Rick Pribbernow from Open Door Ministries this Sunday, January 31, as we mark Reconciling in Christ Sunday. Pastor Pribbernow will give a short temple talk at worship, and will also be our presenter at the Adult Forum at 9:40. Reconciling in Christ (RIC) is how we've been living and operating at Advent for years with our Welcome Statement. Reconciliation is a fundamental value; it is what the Apostle Paul says we are all called to do, in all our expressions of life and faith. Advent Lutheran is listed as a "Welcoming Congregation", and our hope is to adopt our Reconciling in Christ status sometime this year. While this status does not change any direction or focus of Advent, it WILL help identify Advent as a safe place for anyone seeking to be part of a faith community where this designation is in place. The Reconciling in Christ Program builds community for worship, education and support and fosters welcome and acceptance in all Lutheran settings. Reconciling in Christ invites all people into Gospel lives of authenticity, integrity, inclusivity, and wholeness. Going Deeper, Sunday Evenings at Advent starts February 21 Are you ready for some time to refresh your faith and to spend some meaningful time with Scripture? Consider being part of "Going Deeper" on Sunday evenings at Advent! "Going Deeper" begins at 5:00 on Sunday, February 21 in the Fellowship Hall. We will gather around a delicious dinner. After dinner we'll hear a brief reflection on the Scripture passages from worship, and then move into small groups for reflection and prayer. The evening finishes in the Sanctuary with everyone back together for the Lord's Prayer, finishing at 7:00, refreshed and ready for the week ahead! Interested? Intrigued? Contact Pastor Scott! pastor@adventlutheran.net
FEBRUARY CALENDAR FEBRUARY 2016 7 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 Set your clock back 1 hour today! Food Drive Sunday 7 Food Drive Sunday 14 7pm Youth Group (C2) 1 11am IRG, FH 5:30pm: Boy Scouts, 6:00pm AA Women s Group (C2) 7pm AA, (C1) 7pm Women s Bible Study 8 (offsite, 425-493-9260) 5:30pm: Boy Scouts 6:00pm AA Women s Group (C2) 7pm AA, (C1) 15 President s Day Church Office Closed (offsite, 425-493-9260) 7:30pm, AA (C1) 2 5pm Mill Creek Children s Chorus (SAN) Study, (A1) 7:00pm: Bible Study (offsite, 425-948-7313) 9 5pm Mill Creek Children s Chorus (SAN) Study, (C2) 6:30pm Girl Scouts 6:30pm Church Council 7pm Bible Study (offsite) (SAN) 16 5pm Mill Creek Children s Chorus (SAN) Study (A1) 7:00pm: Bible Study (offsite, 425-948-7313) 3 10am: Bible Study 3:30pm Girl Scouts (A3) 6pm: Girl Scouts 10 Ash Wednesday 10am: Bible Study 11am Ash Wednesday Service, (SAN) 12:30pm Classics 7pm Ash Wednesday Service (SAN) 17 10am: Bible Study 6pm Soup Supper 6pm Girl Scouts (A3) 4 12:30pm Piecemakers 4:30pm Food Bank Meeting, 7pm Confirmation (C2) 11 2:30-6pm Mill Creek Food Bank 4pm Girl Scouts, A2 6:30pm Girl Scouts, A1 7pm Confirmation, C2 18 12:30pm Piecemakers 6:30pm Girl Scouts, A1 7pm Confirmation, C2 5 3:30pm Girl Scouts FH,C1 7pm Al-Anon (C2) 12 4pm Girl Scouts 6pm Girl Scouts, A1 7pm Al-Anon (C2) 7pm: AA Newcomers (A3) 19 7pm Al-Anon (C2) 6 8:30am. OA (A3) 9:00am, AA (C1) 11am: AA Women (C1) 13 8:30am. OA (A3) 9am,.AA (C2) 11am: AA Women (C1) 20 8:30am. OA (A3) 9am,.AA (C2) 9am Church Council Retreat 11am: AA Women (C1) 21 5pm Going Deeper 7pm Youth Group (C2) 7pm: Alternative Confirmation 22 (offsite, 425-493-9260) 5:30pm: Boy Scouts, 6pm Girl Scouts(A3) 23 5pm Mill Creek Children s Chorus (SAN) 5:15 Girl Scouts, A3 Study (A1) 7pm Bible Study (offsite) 24 10am: Bible Study 6pm Soup Supper 25 2:30-6pm Mill Creek Food Bank 7pm Confirmation, C2 26 7pm Al-Anon (C2) 27 8:30am. OA (A3) 9am, AA (C2) 11am: AA Women (C1) 28 5pm Going Deeper 7pm Youth Group (C2) 29 (offsite, 425-493-9260) 5:30pm: Boy Scouts 26 Study (A1) 27 28 7pm Confirmation, C2 If you would like to add or delete something from the church calendar, or have questions about room availability, please contact Laurie in the church office 425-337-5373 or laurie@adventlutheran.net 29 5pm Pinewood Derby Set-up 7pm Al-Anon FH = Fellowship Hall A = A building (Preschool bldg.) SAN = Sanctuary C1 = Portable C1 C2 = Portable C1 30 8am Pinewood Derby 9am,.AA (C2)
4306 132nd Street S.E. Mill Creek, WA 98012 Follow us on Facebook www.adventlutheran.net 425-337-5373 E A Publication of the Mission of Advent Lutheran Church Inside This Issue Soup Supper Schedule Food Bank Comes to Advent RIC Sunday The Listening Room begins Sunday, Feb. 8 Join us for Ash Wednesday Worship Services 11:00am and 7:00pm February 10