messenger july 2018 A Note From Pastor Kacey For some people the rhythm of summer shifts into a reasonable pace. Walks in the evening. Dinner on the patio. Frequent sunsets and trips to the farmer s market. Time to recreate and connect with family and friends. YES! For St. Matthew s, however, the summer months are FULL! Starting June 25th, St. Matthew s will begin welcoming community members for summer lunches. Children (0-18) and parents can come for a nutritious meal. Aide Gutierrez is taking the lead by inspiring our volunteers to provide gracious welcome and hospitality to our neighbors. If you would like to provide food or the gift of presence, please call the church office and we will get you connected to Aide! Libby Lucier will continue to serve our community with kindness and generosity each week during the summer. Libby serves as a vital connection to so many groups that partner at St. Matthew s (AA, Chicken Soup Brigade, Kindering, Emergency Feeding, and Public Health.) In addition to tending to so many aspects of St. Matthew s life, Libby will continue to make space for anyone who needs a caring presence or prayer. Whether on a Sunday morning or during the week, seek out Libby if you are longing to connect more deeply with the St. Matthew s community. Lacey Brown, St. Matthew s music director, will not only be helping with VBS in July, but she will also be leading worship at the 2018 General Assembly for the Episcopal Church. This is a remarkable honor and we are so excited that Lacey can share her gifts on a national level. Lacey will also be working with St. Matthew s musicians to prepare for the fall. Nicole will be keeping all of the St. Matthew s youth and children busy for the summer. In June, eighteen high school students and four adults will be heading to the ELCA National Youth Gathering for the first time. They will be gathering with 31,000 other high school students and adults for five days of worship, service, discipleship, workshops, speakers and bands. Stay tuned, the students will be coming back with stories to share about how God s love and grace change everything. After July 4th, St. Matthew s will be in full gear for a Shipwrecked Vacation Bible School. Over 100 adults, children and youth will dance and learn their way through a powerful week. Finally, Nicole will be taking thirteen of our elementary students to summer camp at Lutherhaven in Idaho! Please hold Nicole, all of the leaders, and the students in your deepest prayers. TJ has a long list of items he is hoping to tend to around the St. Matthew s property. You will find him painting, power washing, replacing broken skylights, and organizing every corner of St. Matthew s. For TJ there is always something to do or help with around St. Matthew s. TJ brings heart and hard work to everything he tends to at St. Matthew s. 1
For the last two years I have been preparing for the ELCA Youth Gathering. I serve on the Mass Gatherings Team. Our team hosts four evening sessions and worship for the 31,000 students and adult leaders. We fill the time with speakers, bands, videos, inspiration, and music. I LOVE WORKING FOR THE CHURCH IN THIS CA- PACITY and am excited that my summer involves serving this ministry of the church. My role involves coaching all of the speakers, creative content, and working with mass casts of 1000 participants. It is hard to fully explain the impact of this event, but I know it has changed my life and my call as a pastor. And, I also know how to commune 30,000 people in less than 20 minutes! And there is still more happening...we are working on creating a church directory, enhancing the welcome area to be more accommodating to new members, and creating a new building and grounds team. We will be planning an outdoor worship and a sermon series for the fall! Never a dull moment around St. Matthew s! Please hold us in your prayers as we FULLY engage in summer at St. Matthew s! In God s Peace, KC SUMMER BBQ AT MATT AND TIARA S HOME Sunday, July 22 3pm-8pm (or later if you want to stay) 571 Olympia Ave NE, Renton, 98056 OH YES, It's BBQ-ing time! Matt and Tiara are hosting an intergenerational Summer BBQ at their home. All are welcome! Let s have some fun sharing laughter, great food and meeting some NEW folks while connecting with those we already know. The pool will be available for swimming, so bring your towel and swim suit. Burgers and dogs are provided. Bring an appetizer, salad or dessert to share. Hope to see y all there! For more information contact: Tiara, tiarasonlocation@hotmail.com or 206-818-0341. SUMMER WORSHIP ON THE LAWN 1st HOLY POTLUCK Jesus Feeds Five -Thousand Sunday, July 29th ONE Worship 10am We will worship outside on the lawn, weather permitting! Just as Jesus made sure everyone around him was spiritually and physically nourished with goodness, we will commune, pray and eat together! Following worship we will share in lawn games and a potluck brunch. Please bring fruit, pastries, or appetizers to share! 2
MEETING ON FORMATION OF BUILDING AND GROUNDS TEAM St. Matthew's continues to be in a state of transition. Changes to the building and grounds of St. Matthew's are also a part of the transition. Currently, there are several large-scale projects that require attention. This includes repair or replacement of air conditioning units and certain areas of the roof, exterior and interior painting, and parking lot maintenance to name a few. The Church Council is in the process of creating a team to oversee building updates and large-scale projects. The team would work in close relationship with Facilities Manager, TJ Johnston and, when needed, coordinate with staff and other teams as well as advise Church Council. The first meeting is tentatively scheduled to occur in either late July or early August on a Sunday after the 10 AM service. During this meeting, we will discuss roles, responsibilities, and expectations as well as outline the vision for this committee. Please attend if you have an interest in serving on the committee or have questions or ideas that you wish to share. We will soon announce the meeting date in the bulletin and mid-week news. Should you have questions or comments, please contact Walt Sippel at (425) 221-1232 or keepitsippel1@msn.com or the church office at (425) 226-2420 or stmatthewschurch@comcast.net. A CHURCH COUNCIL UPDATE: ANNUAL HOLIDAY BAZAAR In April 2018, 25 to 30 people met to discuss the future of the layette ministry and holiday bazaar. At that time, it was stated that the Can Do group desires to continue with the layette ministry but they have determined that they are no longer equipped to lead the holiday bazaar. Funds from the holiday bazaar are used to purchase supplies for the layette ministry and gift cards for the Adopt-a-Family ministry. The June Messenger provided a summary of that discussion. Based on limited responses, it appears that the holiday bazaar will not happen this year nor in the foreseeable future because new leadership has yet to emerge to plan and organize it. As we move forward, please explore these questions: (1) What is God up to within our community? (2) Where is the Spirit at work? (3) What are we learning about our neighbors? Currently, your Church Council is exploring these questions and desires to work on answering them with your assistance. Should you have questions or comments, please contact Walt Sippel at (425) 221-1232 or keepitsippel1@msn.com or the church office at (425) 226-2420 or stmatthewschurch@comcast.net. GOD S WORK. OUR HANDS. Sunday, September 9 September 9 th is God s work. Our Hands. Sunday. It is sometimes referred to as Hands that Care here at St. Matthew s! This is a nationwide ELCA event to share our gifts and serve our neighbors. In the past St. Matthew s has participated by creating supply bags for teachers at McKnight and Meadow Crest, providing a free carwash, and volunteering time at local food banks. This year, we need a leader(s) to step up to plan our event. This would be a fun opportunity for a team of people. The event can be small-scale or can include multiple activities. Creativity is welcomed! To have adequate time for planning, we need leadership in place by July 31 st. If you are interested, please contact Pastor Kacey at kaceyhahn@gmail.com 3
THE YOUTH SUMMER PARK PLAYDATES! We re meeting up each Thursday this summer between 9:30-11:30am at Heritage Park. ALL ages are welcome! Join the Read Create Playdate Facebook group or email nicole.vander@comcast.net for more information. Don t forget to pack the sunscreen, snacks, and your bicycle or scooter. VBS DECORATIONG SATURDAY, July 7 9am-noon Helping hands needed to decorate and get St. Matthew s Shipwrecked before VBS! ST. MATTHEW S VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL 2018 JULY 9-13 It s not too late! Visit www.smlc.cc to register today! All participants and volunteers are asked to register asap, so we can be prepared for you! Questions? Contact Nicole at nicole.vander@comcast.net or 425.226.2420 Join us for Shipwrecked VBS Sing-A-Long & Celebration on Thursday, July 12 at 6pm! Dinner! Dessert! Songs! Highlights! EVERYONE is welcome to come get a glimpse into what our week s been all about. RENTON MEAL COALITION July 22 and August 26 4-7pm HUNGER DOESN T GET A BREAK FOR SUMMER! Renton Meal Coalition provides food for Renton s most vulnerable people. Join us in providing food and service on Sundays, July 22 and August 26 from 4-7pm. Contact Nicole VanderMeulen if you can help. 4
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MEANINGFUL MOVIES OF RENTON AT ST. MATTHEW S Showing: A Plastic Ocean July 2, 2018 7pm A Plastic Ocean begins when journalist Craig Leeson, searching for the elusive blue whale, discovers plastic waste in what should be pristine ocean. In this adventure documentary, Craig teams up with free diver Tanya Streeter and an international team of scientists and researchers, and they travel to twenty locations around the world over the next four years to explore the fragile state of our oceans, uncover alarming truths about plastic pollution, and reveal working solutions that can be put into immediate effect. This event is FREE and open to the public. There is a suggested $5 donation for attendance. All proceeds benefit Meaningful Movies Project and its network of 21 venues. ADULT SENIOR GROUP + July 3, Tuesday at 10am BUNCO at Renton Sr. Center + July 5, Thursday at 1pm BINGO at Renton Sr. Center + July 14 SeaFair Festival - Milk carton boat contest at Green Lake. Contact Pat Lee for more information. + July 19, Thursday, meet at St. Matthew s at 9:30am NORDIC Museum in Ballard. We will have lunch at the museum. + Tuesdays Senior Day at AMC Theaters. Contact Pat Lee for more information. Pat Lee 703-856-8498 ST. MATTHEW S JUSTICE AND MERCY TEAM The Saint Matthew's Justice and Mercy team welcome any and all to join us as we work to address issues of social justice. If you'd like to join us, please contact Laura Colasurdo at blumer17@gmail.com. 6
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St. Matthew s Lutheran Church 1700 Edmonds Ave NE Renton WA 98056 Website: www.smlc.cc Facebook Page: St. Matthew s Lutheran Church RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Renton, WA 98055 Permit No. 108 The church office will be closed on July 4 in observance of Independence day. STAFF Lacey Brown Worship and Faith Curator, lacey.smlc@gmail.com, 425.226.2420 Kacey Hahn Pastor, kaceyhahn@gmail.com, 425.226.2420 x115 TJ Johnston Facilities Manager, 425.226.2420 Susan Kriesel Senior Choir Director, skriesel@comcast.net, 425.226.2420 Libby Lucier Community and Communications Coordinator, stmatthewschurch@comcast.net, 425.226.2420 x110 Terrie Meyer Before and After School Director, 425.226.2420 Millicent Rhoades Bookkeeper, 425.226.2420 x117 Nicole VanderMeulen Children, Youth & Family Director, nicole.vander@comcast.net, 425.226.2420 x103 8