Moments for Mission - Southwestern Washington Synod
Transcription
Moments for Mission - Southwestern Washington Synod
Moments for Mission Southwestern Washington Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ by empowering congregations and church leaders to grow in worship, education, outreach, stewardship and other ministries. Bishop Robert D. Hofstad February 2013 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 Rachel Pritchett editor, rachelpritchett @msn.com, 206-4980920 Phone 253-535-8300 Address st 420 121 St. S Tacoma, WA 98444 Email [email protected] Websites Lutheranssw.org Elca.org Blog swwsynodelca. blogspot.com Facebook Facebook.com/pages/ southwesternwashingtonsynod/129047787133 D. Randall Faro News Bishop Hofstad’s final convocation completed Pastors from throughout the Southwestern Washington Synod convened in Seabeck in late January for the 2013 Bishop’s Prayer Retreat and Convocation. The opportunity for learning and reflection was the last one Robert D. Hofstad will lead as he prepares to retire from 12 years as bishop of the Southwestern Washington Synod. Emotions ran deep. A heartfelt sermon by Assistant to the Bishop Valinda Morse on Jesus’ miracle at Cana drew tears and grateful applause. Pastors laid hands on somber synod staff members whose time serving under Hofstad will end. Clergy discussed gay marriage, with no agreement. Evening bluegrass music by the Revs. Andy Willis and Mark Johnson, and Bekkah Weinberger and Steve Body, lent joy and happiness. More is on Page 2. Pictured top to bottom: Pastors lay hands on Bishop Hofstad’s soon-to-dissolve staff. The Rev. Sandra Kreis, retired, talks with the Rev. G. Lee Kluth, director of congregational relations at Pacific Lutheran University. The main dining hall at the historic hillside retreat on Hood Canal has hosted groups including the Lutherans for decades. 2 Bishop’s convocation Bishop Hofstad shares reflections from four decades of ministry Bishop Robert D. Hofstad led several sessions of the convocation, sharing what he’s learned from 40 years of ministry. He’s learned to preach forgiveness more directly to listeners’ hearts, he told the pastors. Rather than saying, “You are forgiven,” he now says, “I forgive you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” “It’s how they need to hear it,” he said. The outgoing bishop also spoke of honoring individuals’ Christian vocation, and he questioned whether he’d done enough of it in four decades. A person’s Christian vocation is much more than an occupation, he said. Rather, it’s his or her holy calling in life, given in Holy Baptism, be it parent, spouse or volunteer. Christians have many God-honoring ‘offices,’ and at any given time only some are being observed. “The fact of the matter is we’re always juggling,” he said. In remarks about practical ministry, Hofstad asked pastors whether they were using too much “territorial protectionism” in their work. It’s not uncommon to have pastors who feel they need to lead every meeting and make every decision. “We simply want to be the very one who make the decisions,” said Hofstad, admitting he had been one of them. But over time, the burden becomes too heavy. He suggested pastors allow others to take on some decisions, and also pass on to them the responsibilities for the outcomes of those decisions. Pictured: Bishop Robert D. Hofstad Congregations in transition Call process Amazing Grace, Aberdeen Chinook First, Port Orchard Gloria Dei, Tacoma Hope, Tacoma Light of Grace, Federal Way Mount Cross, University Place Mountain View, Edgewood Naselle Our Saviour’s, Cathlamet Peace Fellowship, Port Ludlow Salishan Eastside Lutheran Mission Trinity, Vancouver Position P P P P P P AP AP P P P P P Status TR I I NV NV TR NV I TR TR TR TR TR Pastoral care Linda Nou Pulpit supply George Larson Pulpit supply Randy Haas Sang Su Kim Dave Steffenson John Vaswig Pulpit supply Les Foss Laurie Stumme-Diers Pulpit supply Katherine Hellier Key: AP – Associate Pastor; I – Interviewing; P – Pastor; NV – New Vacancy; TR – Transition Called: The Rev. Skip Getman has received a call to serve as chaplain at Hospice Southwest of Vancouver, Wash. Installed: The Rev. Jon Olson of Peninsula Lutheran Church of Gig Harbor will be installed by Bishop Hofstad at 3 p.m. Feb. 10. Retired: The Rev. Egil A. Sortland has retired, effective Dec. 1, 2012 3 2013 Southwestern Washington Synod Assembly Now’s the time to get involved in selecting new bishop Registration now is open for the Southwestern Washington Synod Assembly, to be held June 7 and 8 at the Hotel Murano and Bicentennial Pavilion in Tacoma. The assembly’s theme is “Always Being Made New,” the 2013 theme for the ELCA as its turns 25 in 2013. This is one not to be missed, with voting members taking on the profound duty of electing a new bishop. One way to get involved now is to become a voting member of your congregation and attend a listening post this month in your area (see below). A plethora of presentations and workshops will be offered, all designed to inspire and equip congregations and individuals for the year ahead. Worship opportunities will abound. A special banquet to celebrate Bishop Robert D. Hofstad’s tenure and to welcome his replacement will take place, too. The Rev. Dr. Terence Fretheim, Old Testament professor at Luther Seminary, will be a presenter and Bible-study leader. The churchwide representative will be the Rev. Donald McCoid, executive for ecumenical and inter-religious relations of the Office of the Presiding Bishop. McCoid will speak and lead a Bible study. Reduced costs are in place until May 16. Voting members pay $180, clergy who are retired or who are on leave from call pay $145, visitors desiring meals pay $125 and those who don’t pay $75. Room reservations also should be made before May 16, by calling 888-862-3255 and asking for the Southwestern Washington Synod/ELCA group block. The reduced nightly rate is $165, double occupancy. To register online, go to www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1099848. And just how do you go about electing a new leader? The election is based on the “ecclesiastical ballot” outlined in our synod’s constitution. It identifies the first round of voting as the nomination ballot. Successive rounds of voting narrow the field from seven, then to three and then one. Voting members read biographies and hear remarks from contenders as the process proceeds. The Rev. Nina Body, chairwoman of the Synod Nominating Committee, the group running the process, gives more detail in an article on the synod blog, at www.swwsynodelca.blogspot.com. Pastor Nina can be reached at [email protected] or 253-474-0525. Pictured: The Rev. Nina Body of Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Tacoma, chairwoman of the Synod Nominating Committee Lend your voice, learn the process at upcoming listening posts Four opportunities to provide input into the selection of a new synod bishop and to learn more about the process take place from 1 to 3 p.m. on the following Saturdays at the locations listed: Feb. 2: Gloria Dei Lutheran Church of Tacoma, 3315 19th St.; and St. Andrew Lutheran Church of Vancouver, 5607 NE Gher Road. Feb. 9: Gloria Dei Lutheran Church of Olympia, 1515 Harrison Ave. NW. Feb. 23: Poulsbo First Lutheran Church, 18920 Fourth Ave. NE. 4 Around the synod To help spread the word about the synod’s eight mission starts, Moments for Mission is highlighting each in these issues. Featured below is the North County Campus of Messiah Lutheran Church of Vancouver, which after only two and a half years has brought new life to the congregation and also established a much-needed Lutheran presence in north Clark and Cowlitz counties. Messiah’s second site moves to golf-course clubhouse By Rachel Pritchett RIDGEFIELD, NORTH CLARK COUNTY — Planners at Messiah Lutheran Church of Vancouver had a strong hunch a second site in fast-growing Ridgefield would draw local worshipers. What they didn’t know two and a half years ago was that families would drive to Messiah’s North County Campus not just from Ridgefield, but from outlying areas many miles away. Some 50 came each Sunday from places like Woodland, Kalama and Longview to the north, and from Battle Ground to the east, since there was no Lutheran church in the region. Messiah had invited them using direct-mail post cards, according to the Revs. Peter and Kathleen Braafladt of Messiah. Meeting in an office building close to Interstate 5, the newcomers brought a lot of new energy and fresh leadership. Three sit on the Messiah Church Council, which serves both sites. “We’ve really emphasized the fact that we’re one congregation with two places,” Peter said. Last fall, the North County Campus lease came up, and a new agreement could not be reached. The North County Campus moved to the clubhouse at the nearby Tri-Mountain Golf Course. The transition “zaps your energy” for a while, Peter said. Some of the newcomers switched to Messiah’s Hazel Dell Campus, so attendance at the North County Campus dipped slightly. The new location is near I-5, and curious golfers are milling around and popping their head inside. “We’re getting a lot more exposure,” Kathleen said. The clubhouse arranged eating discounts for Messiah members at the North County Campus, and members have added to clubhouse business at the struggling county-owned golf course. The clubhouse rent is easier to swallow. “I actually feel freed up; we’re not house-poor,” Kathleen said, adding that more funds now are available for ministries. Leaders aren't sure how long the North County Campus will stay at the golf course; they’re open to go where God leads them. The Braafladts’ advice for other new mission starts is try different things, and if they don’t work, it’s not failure. “Don’t be afraid to experiment,” Kathleen said. Sunday worship at Messiah’s North County Campus is at 10 a.m. Tri-Mountain Golf Course is at 1701 NW 299th St., Ridgefield, Exit 16 off I-5. All are invited. Pictured: The Revs. Kathleen and Peter Braafladt 5 From the Synod Hunger Committee On an opportunity to widen the Lenten soup-supper experience By Beth Ann Johnson, chairwoman One of the wonderful things about Lent is that each Wednesday evening I am greeted by a warm bowl of soup. It is such a comfort food, particularly this time of year when the evenings are cold, dark and damp. But it can be good to get out of your comfort zone. Two years ago, the members of Mountain View Lutheran Church of Edgewood did just that, eating food from Nicaragua, the West Bank and Tanzania. How? By taking part in the Lenten Meal Project from ELCA World Hunger. Instead of soup and bread, imagine eating a meal of tandoori chicken or finding out what kind of meal a family using food stamps can afford. This isn’t just about a meal — there are traditional prayers from each country, placemats with information about the country and the hunger and poverty issues they face, and discussion questions. Lent can be a time of great introspection. But it can also be a great time to talk over dinner with your friends about our neighbors in need. There are 18 meals your congregation can chose from, from Columbia to Nepal. Go to ELCA World Hunger, click on resources, then look at the meals listed under Lenten Meals on the left side of the page. The resulting meals may be a bit uncomfortable, but it is the quiet discomfort we feel when we are called by Christ to care for our neighbor. News Gallimore named host pastor of Little White Church at Elbe ELBE — The Rev. Galen Gallimore of Bethany Lutheran Church of Spanaway is the new host pastor of the storybook Evangelische Lutherische Kirche, or Little White Church. Perched on the shoulder of majestic Mount Rainier, the 18-by-24square-foot church founded by German immigrants in 1893 offers Sunday-afternoon worship services from May to November, and is a popular wedding venue. Visitors also stop by to worship on their way to the nearby Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad or for hikes and picnics in the tall surrounding forests. Gallimore replaces retired Rev. Randall Olson as host, and now is lining up 10 pastors from the synod willing to preach once this coming season. Gallimore said that the steeple roof of the wee-sized worship space needs to be replaced, and brick pavers are being sold to support construction. The bricks will be laid in an area between the sanctuary and the fellowship hall. To volunteer to preach or to purchase pavers, contact Gallimore at [email protected]. more about the church, visit www.elbehistoricchurch.com. Pictured: The Little White Church To learn and the Rev. Galen Gallimore. 6 News Hiker-pastor attempting Continental Divide Trail TACOMA — She just keeps hiking and hiking. Last summer, retired Rev. Mary Davison finished all 2,600 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail at about a dozen miles a day, mostly by herself. She’d already accomplished the 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Apparently that wasn’t enough. Davison, 71, of Tacoma now has begun her biggest mountain journey yet — the Continental Divide Trail. She started last summer at the Mexican border (pictured), where she found the locals very friendly, constantly offering her food and water. “It’s pretty cool that half of them stopped,” Davison said. Tiny, talkative and always encouraging, Davison said she hopes to hike the Divide’s 3,000 miles by the time she hits 75, if she’s physically able. “This one’s not a sure bet. But I’m going to act like I’m going to finish it, and we’ll see what happens,” she said. If Davison makes it, she’ll be one of the oldest hikers anywhere to complete hiking’s “Triple Crown.” “My life is adventure to adventure,” said Davison, who attends Family of Grace Lutheran Church of Auburn. Drawing from her experiences in the vast expanses up high, Davison’s just completed a four-part adult Bible study entitled “Spirituality and Life’s Blessings from the Trails and Psalms.” She can be reached at [email protected]. — Rachel Pritchett Our congregations Information gleaned from throughout the synod, for keeping up Message loud and clear: Resurrection Lutheran Church of Tacoma recently started a “Noisy Offering” that demonstrates the joy of giving loud and clear. Each Sunday, the children collect coins from worshipers in glass or metal jars, with much clanging and jangling. In the past two months, the young people have collected almost $300 (with matching gift, too) to help buy animals through the ELCA Good Gifts program. This has become a fun and meaningful project for our little ones. — Allison Ramsey 110th anniversary: St. Paul of Vancouver celebrated its 110th anniversary Dec. 15 and 16 in part with a luncheon at the Red Lion at the Quay. Some 100 people celebrated. The 100th anniversary task force included Geri Hiller, Lorraine Anderson, Veronna Sjothun, Marlene Janneck, Edie Cotton and Steve Friebel. St. Paul, by the way, has started a second, more informal worship service at 4 p.m. on Sundays, with the hope of appealing to new populations. Winter lock-in: Vancouver Lutheran churches were planning a Winter Lock-in for youth Feb. 1 and 2 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Vancouver. Some 70 middle-school youth are going to take part, delving into God’s word and having lots of fun. Teen center fundraiser: March 11 is the date for the annual fundraiser to support the RockSolid Community Teen center at Bethel Lutheran Church of Brush Prairie. More information about the “Auction on the Rock” is at www.rocksolid-teen.com. Chance to help women exiting prisons and their families 7 Upcoming Chance to help women exiting prisons and their families Once again this year, a fundraiser will be held to benefit Empowering Life, the group that helps formerly incarcerated women and their families succeed in the community. The fun evening is from 7 to 9 on Feb. 9 at St. Mark’s by The Narrows Lutheran Church of Tacoma, 6730 N 17th St. For a suggested donation of $15, participants hear intimate stories from some of the woman, share in fabulous desserts, take part in a silent auction and enjoy the music of the Peninsula High School Jazz Band. To register, contact Joan Nelson at [email protected] or 253-208-3307. Checks for $15 can be mailed to her at P.O. Box 1803, Gig Harbor, WA 98335. Nelson seeks auction items. Advocacy Day approaches as FAN voices legislative priorities OLYMPIA — Faith Action Network, co-directed by the Rev. Paul Benz, has laid out its priorities as the 2013 legislative session gets underway. Those priorities include working for legislation to: n prevent wage theft; n provide adequate funding for food assistance, farm-to-school programs, the Housing Trust Fund and the expansion of Medicaid; n create enough revenue to balance the budget; n support gun-control legislation and repeal the death penalty; and n improve immigration laws. All are encouraged to come join in the Inter-Faith Advocacy Day, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 20 starting at United Churches of Olympia, 110 11th Ave. SE, Olympia. The day starts with worship and workshops. Then groups take their messages to the offices of their legislators. Register at bit.ly/IFAD2013. For more information about the day, email FAN at [email protected] or 206-625-9790. Benz suggests congregations pray fervently for their lawmakers and regularly call them to share views on the free legislative hotline at 800-562-6000. FAN is a merger of the former Lutheran Public Policy Office and the Washington Association of Churches. Benz can be reached at [email protected] or 206-390-4133. To stay current on FAN's work in Olympia, go to www.fanwa.org. Pictured: The Rev. Paul Benz Lutheran Community Services Northwest fundraiser coming Lutheran Community Services Northwest’s annual fundraising event takes place March 10 at the Landmark Convention Center in Tacoma. With the theme “Growing in Strength,” the event for the social-service provider will start with at 12:30 p.m. social hour, followed by a buffet lunch. The program begins at 1:30 p.m. and ends at 3 p.m. For more information or to register, contact Lee Tenneboe at [email protected] or 253-722-5694. Items for Moments for Mission Send information and photos to the synod office or directly to Communicator Rachel Pritchett at [email protected] or call her at 206-498-0920. All material in this newsletter is reproducible. Mark your calendars for boundaries training Barbara Keller, ELCA consultant for misconduct prevention, will lead required boundaries training for clergy, lay leaders and youth directors Friday and Saturday, April 5 and 6, at locations yet to be announced. 8 Upcoming Boundaries instruction for clergy, lay leaders scheduled for April Barbara Keller, ELCA consultant for misconduct prevention, will lead required boundaries training for clergy, lay leaders and youth directors Friday and Saturday, April 5 and 6, at locations yet to be announced. Training for clergy will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 5, at a cost of $30. Training for lay leaders will be from 9 a.m. to noon April 6, followed by training for youth directors. The cost for the April 6 sessions has not yet been announced. Future Moments for Mission will have further details. To register, contact the synod office at [email protected] or 253-535-8301. The training is sponsored by the Southwestern and Northwest Washington synods. Pastoral-theology conference focuses on Book of Matthew “God is with us: Preaching, teaching and living the Gospel of Matthew,” is the title of the 2013 Pacific Lutheran University Conference on Pastoral Theology. The conference takes place June 17 to 19 at the Tacoma university, and will precede a period starting in December 2013 when congregations will engage in the Gospel of Matthew. Pastoral scholars John Pilch of Georgetown University and the Rev. Dr. Melinda Quivik of Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia will share the cultural context that shaped the gospel. Workshops will focus on congregational planning in 2013 and 2014. More information and registration is at www.plu.edu/congregations, 253-535-7424 or [email protected]. Opportunities Nigerian preacher, missionary wife and family to visit Dorthea Hustoft-Hamman, longtime volunteer missionary in Nigeria, Southwestern Washington native and friend of the synod, plans to visit here this coming summer with her pastor husband, Amson, and some of their three children. Amson will be available to preach to synod congregations about his four-point ministry in and around Jos, Nigeria, or meet with Bible-study and other groups. Congregations, particularly those in the Vancouver area where Dorthea has family, with an interest in meeting and hearing from Amson are invited to contact Diane Armbrust, co-chair of the synod Global Missions Committee, at [email protected]. Dorthea, who teaches social studies in Jos, Amson, and children Annette and Daniel last visited the synod in August 2011. April 16 is deadline for health-ministry grant applications Wheat Ridge Ministries of Itasca, Ill., invites Lutheran congregations to submit proposals for its Congregation Health Ministry Grant program at www.wheatridge.org/chmgrants. The one-year, $2,000 matching grants are to support ways congregations are supporting whole-person health. Proposals including anti-violence themes are preferred. The application deadline is April 16, and funds are distributed in June. For more information, go to [email protected] or call 800-7626748. A calendar of events appears on the synod blog at swwsynodelca.blogspot.com.