The Communicator - Eagle Harbor Congregational Church

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The Communicator
All the (Church) News That’s Fit to Print
Eagle Harbor Congregational Church, UCC
January, 2014
Holy One,
untamed
by the names
The Communicator
I give you,
Published by Eagle Harbor
Congregational Church, UCC
in the silence
name me,
Rev. Dr. Dee Eisenhauer, Pastor
Jennifer Merrill, Editor
Mary Waterson, Circulation
that I may know
who I am,
hear the truth
you have put into me,
trust the love
To Contact Us:
Return Service Requested
Eagle Harbor Congregational Church
105 Winslow Way West
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
206-842-4657
The deadline for the February, 2014
issue of The Communicator is
Monday, January 20.
you have for me,
Rev. Dee Eisenhauer:
which you call me to live out
[email protected]
Church Office:
with my sisters and brothers
in your human family.
[email protected]
We’re on the web
www.eagleharborchurch.org
Like us on Facebook!
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—Ted Loder
“Who Are You?”
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I hope you have enjoyed the Christmas season—the weeks of preparation,
the special music and the lights and the
family time. I hope you all found a way to
keep the feast in a way that was joyful
and holy, and even had moments of
peace. Now, we return in the New Year
to our routines.
After the holidays, it’s back to the socalled “rat race.” One of Lily Tomlin’s
bits of wisdom: “The trouble with the rat
-race is that even if you win, you are still a
rat.”
Here’s a question: can you be fully engaged with the world, rat race and all,
and not be—or become—a rat? We live
in a world of sin, and thus we’re constantly tempted in ways large and small to fit
in with a corrupt, competitive, violent
and materialistic culture. How do we engage with society and resist being completely defined by its expectations and
norms?
We resist peer pressures by having a
firm grip on our identity as children of
God and agents of grace. Our Epiphany
worship series will be shaped by the overarching theme “Who Are You?” We’ll be
pondering themes that help us refine our
sense of identity:
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Follow Your Star
Connect With Your Belovedness
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Know Your Name
Claim Your Vocation
Embody Beatitude Living
Live With Integrity
Create Right Relationships
Go Beyond
Proclaim Transformation
As part of this worship series, we will
be seeking folks from the congregation
who would be willing to give a brief testimony—2 or 3 minutes answering a question that aligns with these themes. Our
congregation is always blessed by hearing from our companions on the spiritual
journey. We think that having a weekly
testimony will not only allow us to consider some big ideas, but it will help us
get to know each other better. We’ll be
able to have a little fuller answer to the
question “Who Are You?” after hearing
from various folks. So don’t be shy! Volunteer! Or say “yes” when asked. Even if
public speaking makes you shake in your
boots, we guarantee that you will never
find a more loving and gracious audience
to address; EHCC may help cure you of a
fear of microphones.
I look forward to sharing the season
with you. Who are you? You are beloved
of God, a unique and beautiful image of
the Divine. —Peace, Dee
Russ Freeman
How would you/please describe the evolution of your
Christian faith so far?
Our church and others have changed dramatically in the
years I have been attending. We are more tolerant and open
to new ideas. Even our music is cheerful. The changes are
great, and I think I have changed with them. We are going in
the right direction.
Why should we pass on the Christian faith/why is Christianity (as you understand and practice it) relevant today?
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We live in a troubled world. Christianity provides positive attitudes and action that are vital to helping make positive changes.
How would/do you describe EHCC to someone who doesn’t attend our church?
Come join us. Our church services are great and the people are all pleasant and welcoming. I'm sure you will find it to be an enjoyable experience.
Interfaith Advocacy Day, Thursday, January 30
Want to spend an interesting and informative day with people of all faiths—and
people of no faith at all—who stand up boldly to challenge the powerful? EHCC advocates will join with other Faith Action Network friends in speaking directly with
our state legislators. But first, we attend workshops that will break down the issues
and get current best practices on how to advocate in today’s legislature.
FAN’s Top two issues this 2014 session are: Preventing Gun Violence (I-594)
and Preventing Wage Theft. Other key issues will also be discussed.
We already have a team going from EHCC—carpooling an option. Register via
email at [email protected] and click on the registration link. Registration is $15 until
Jan. 15; $20 until Jan. 30 (includes box lunch)
Contact Madelyn Fox or Jennifer Merrill for more information.
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Focus on Faith:
What brought you to church (initially; not specifically to EHCC)?
I was very active in the youth group at Calvary Methodist Church in San Jose, California
during World War II. All of the boys were invited to join the military as we graduated
from high school. Eventually we all returned, re-grouped and continued to meet occasionally for several years. Leona and I met at one of those gatherings, and we were
married in the church.
Tell us about a specific time when participating in church was especially meaningful (not necessarily a time at EHCC).
As newlyweds in 1951 we bought a "tract" house in Cambrian Park, one of many of
the enormous new communities that were being built in San Jose. New communities
need churches, and it was our good fortune that the Methodists chose to establish a
new church in Cambrian Park, and we were involved from the beginning. Until we had
a building, we held meetings, worship, and Sunday School in various homes. I put in
long hours hammering nails on the new multi-purpose hall. Eventually, we had a
building, a minister and a committed congregation. It was a great experience for everyone.
What makes your on-going relationship with church meaningful or worthwhile/
how has participation at EHCC positively affected your life?
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We moved to the northwest and continued to go to church for another ten years, but
when we moved to Bainbridge Island in 1967 our church attendance became a rare
event and continued that way for several years. One day we agreed that we missed
going to church and we checked out EHCC. At that time Dale Turner was the interim
pastor. Though his sermon was directed to the congregation, I felt like he was talking
directly to me...and the rest is history. We made a good
choice. Among other things, I have spent a lot of hours over
and under the church building. I think the preservation of the
building is vital. Working with others who share in caring for
our building is a big part of our great fellowship.
(cont. on pg. 11)
EHCC Considers a Theme in 2014:
Creating Compassionate Hearts
Eagle Harbor Church's Mission Council
has made a commitment to Compassionate
Action. And, later this month, we hope you
will endorse our call for action.
Martin Luther King, Jr., saw what he
called the beloved community as a personal experience that blossoms with the alleviation of economic inequity and the
achievement of economic justice. In King's
view, the beloved community is a vessel
for God's love, "it does not begin
by discriminating between worthy
and unworthy people, or any qualities people possess. It begins by
loving others for their sakes." It is
King's realistic, but bold, vision
we hope to advance through our conscious
embrace of compassionate action.
A couple months ago, EHCC held an all
-church brainstorm after worship, identifying our current compassionate work, looking for ways we could grow or extend it,
and brainstorming blue sky ideas—new
ways to invest our time and energy in pursuit of growing the beloved community.
You can see the full list of the participants'
work here: http://sdrv.ms/1cm91rA.
Your Mission Council reviewed that list
and came up with five targets for growth
and three blue sky ideas that we plan to
present to the full congregation during our
annual meeting on Sunday, Jan. 19.
They are:
Growth Areas: (1) Expand visitation to
shut-ins; (2) find new partnerships for service and justice work (low-income housing, low-paid workers, isolated seniors; (3)
continue all-age participation in worship to
help bond church family; (4) more church
fellowship (like meetings, progressive dinners, etc.); (5) work to rebuild senior high
ministry.
Blue Sky (new) Areas: (1)
Adult mission trip; (2) more involvement in the Faith Action Network; (3) pick another community
(non-Christian) to have regular
sharing time—maybe quarterly.
We also plan to ask the congregation to
ratify the Charter for Compassion (http://
charterforcompassion.org), advanced by
Karen Armstrong. The charter holds, in
part, that compassion "is the path to enlightenment, and indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community." (see page 5)
Please consider prayerfully how you
could support each of these areas of
growth. And, if there's one area that you
feel particularly called to, please speak up
and volunteer to be on a task force to help
bring it to fruition.
—Reed Price, EHCC Secretary
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Annual Meeting
Come one, come all to EHCC’s annual member meeting. It will be held on
Sunday, January 19 at 11 a.m. in the
sanctuary. It’s a little bit earlier this year
as Dee is heading off shortly after that to
have some R&R with family in the Far
East.
I really hope that you will make a special effort to attend our annual meeting
because it is just that—our meeting.
We’ll hear from our staff about what
they’ve been up to in 2013 and what they
hope to achieve this year. We’ll take a
look at our proposed 2014 budget and
what the Mission Council is suggesting
we spend our money on next year. You
get to elect our Mission Council Members...And what a wonderful job the pre-
Prayer Chain
Call any one of us with your
prayer requests and concerns:
Linda Swolgaard, 842-3338
Ann Lovejoy, 842-0108
Jennifer Merrill, 780-6937
Tonya Keaton, 852-4817
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Eileen Nicol, 842-1245
Dianne Speers, 855-9446
Jean Atwater, 855-4180
Marian Rees, 842-4621
Peggy Houck, 842-5868
sent Council is doing, although I may
have some bias in that area. We’ll also be
discussing whether or not EHCC should
adopt a formal Compassion Charter.
And if that isn’t enough, you get an
opportunity to talk about how well we are
fulfilling our Mission Statement:
“We are: God-Loving, ChristCentered. Spirit-Led People of Faith.
“On our journey, we: Humbly seek
God’s truth together; Welcome all seekers
as Christ has welcomed us; Open ourselves to the Spirit; Join with other faith
communities in a quest for harmony; and
Work together, reaching beyond ourselves
to foster the Kin-dom of God on Earth.”
Thank you for all you do and I look
forward to seeing you on the 19th.
—Mission Council Chair, Stephen Wilson
Please Keep
in Your Prayers:
Deborah Allen, N.Z. Carol,
Mat and John Chamberlain,
Benjy Cunningham,
Karen Eisenhauer, Jolene Farwell,
Mickey Henshaw, Jessie Hey,
Olga Macferran, Dorothy Meyer,
Kate Walsh
January Caring Coins
On January 25, the EHCC Service
Team will provide a dinner for about 80
women and children at Mary’s Place in
Seattle after their Saturday liturgy. Our
Caring Coins will help pay for this delicious fried chicken meal they always enjoy.
Our ongoing support for this important
mission empowers women and children to
reclaim their lives, gives them hope and
helps them grow. The success stories are
many: Diane found solace and community
when she discovered Mary’s Place for the
first time in October, Sherry got her Section 8 housing, and Pat got a job that she
really enjoys. Sarah got three A’s on her
5th grade report card, Thomas met the Seahawks mascot, Blitz, at the Hawks Thanksgiving dinner, Devyn was taking her first
steps, 12-year-old Maria learned to skate,
and Mark can read chapter books now!
Their 48-bed emergency shelter for
women and children on Bell St. has been
full nearly every night and 162 families
have moved through the shelter this year.
The need for safe family shelter is great
and growing. Our help is greatly appreciated.
EHCC will also collect used winter
clothing and items from the following
Wish List from January 5-19 to bring
with us on the January 25.
 Backpacks, tote bags, wheeled luggage
 Blankets, sheets (twin size)
 Cold medicine (for adults)
 Flashlights
 Hats, scarves, gloves
 Hand warmers
 Reading glasses
 Umbrellas
 Soap, shampoo, deodorant, razors
 Feminine hygiene products
—Madelyn Fox
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Stock Donations to EHCC
EHCC is now accepting stock donations! Our new Fidelity account has made it
quick and easy. There are significant tax benefits to donating stock to charity. You
can claim a charitable deduction and avoid capital gains by donating appreciated
property to charity. As long as the property has been held for more than 1 year, and
some other conditions are met. Talk to your tax advisor or financial planner for more
information.
If you would like to donate stock, please contact me for instructions.
—Stephanie Bowen, Financial Secretary [email protected]
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Mark Your Calendar
 Animate Faith: Adult Education session, Wednesday, January 15.
This is the fourth in our seven-session (one meeting per month) adult faith formation
program called Animate Faith. During this session we’ll take a look at the work of
Pastor Shane Hipps, who challenges us to consider the meaning and responsibilities/
challenges of “salvation.” The session is titled: “Salvation: Abundant Life Now.”
We’ll gather for a simple potluck meal at 6:30 p.m. and then a consideration of
Hipps’ ideas at 7 p.m. Open to all!
 EHCC Annual Meeting, Sunday, January 19, 11 a.m. in the sanctuary.
Charter for Compassion
Proposed Compassion Charter for
EHCC (to be voted on at the Annual Meeting):
As a member of the international Compassionate Action Network Eagle Harbor
Congregational Church has adopted compassion as a core value.
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 Soup n Such, Monday, January 20, noon in our fellowship hall.
Join us for
a delicious lunch and then a conversation with a representative from Helpline House
who will tell us about current and new programs. Open to all; suggested lunch donation of $3/person
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 Hungry Readers book discussion group, Monday, January 20, 7 p.m. in the
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Singer room. We’re discussing 12 Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong. This thought-provoking book draws from many religious traditions to show
how compassion is a commonly held value across religions. Armstrong gives practical help in becoming more compassionate by arranging the book as a 12-step process for the cultivation of compassion. The twelve steps she suggests begin with
“Learn About Compassion,” and close with “Love Your Enemies.” In between, she
takes up self-love, mindfulness, suffering, sympathetic joy, the limits of our
knowledge of others, and “concern for everybody.” She shares concrete methods
to help us cultivate and expand our capacity for compassion, and provides a reading list to encourage us to “hear one another’s narratives.” Armstrong teaches us
that becoming a compassionate human being is a lifelong project and a journey
filled with rewards. We’ll be trying to put compassion at the center of our EHCC
mission in 2014, and we recommend reading this book as a beginning place. Come
and join the conversation!
 IFC Spring Choral Concert, Sunday, February 9, 3:30 p.m. at Rolling
Bay Presbyterian Church. Save the date!
We believe all women, men and children are called to love and treat each
other as brothers and sisters.
We encourage all governments, societies, neighborhoods and faith communities to adopt compassion as a guiding value.
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We believe the degree to which compassion is reflected in their policies will
result in proportional civility, prosperity and growth.
We believe treating others with compassion is the foundation for all truly
positive human relationships.
In furtherance of this commitment, we
pledge ourselves to treat all life with
kindness, civility, patience and love,
and to encourage our civic communities to do likewise and become members of the Compassionate Action
Network.
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Update Your EHCC Directory
Yes, it’s getting to be time for new EHCC directory, but in the meantime, please
add these people to your at-home roster:
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Ann Brown, 428 Harborview Dr. SE # 181, Bainbridge Is., WA 98110, 451-4921
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Sue and Kyle Lukins, 15830 Euclid Ave. NE, Bainbridge Is., WA 98110,
842-4424
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Sarah and Andrew Ruhrdanz (Eleanor), 190 Harbor Square Loop NE # C131
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Winnie Tingley, 214 Shanti, Lane, Bainbridge Is., WA 98110, 201-6877
Trevor Carlson, 650 Ericksen Ave. NE, Bainbridge Is., WA 98110, 293-678-7339
Stephanie Hanna, 10658 NE Valley Rd., Bainbridge Is., WA 98110, 780-4920
Elissa and Charlie Kratzer (Thomas and Liam), 3560 Gangemarken Ln. NE,
Bainbridge Is., WA 98110, 451-4698
Marian and Keith Thackray, 291 Ericksen Ave. NE, Bainbridge Is., WA 98110,
780-6877
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Sunday
EHCC
January, 2014
5 2nd Sunday after Christmas
Monday
Tuesday
Abbreviation Key:
Wednesday
1
FH: Fellowship Hall K: Kitchen S: Singer Room
Office closed
AA: Alcoholics Anonymous
AA 7pm S
BOSIA: Bainbridge/Ometepe Sister Island Assoc. Barbara Minster
OA: Overeaters Anonymous
SS: Sunday School TTC: Teen Talking Circles
Birthdays in Italics
6 Epiphany
Thursday
2
Friday
3
4 OA 9:15am S
11 OA 9:15am S
Men’s B’fast 7am FH
Choir rehearsal 7pm
sanctuary
7
8
9
10
Choir rehearsal 8:30am sanctuary (intergenerational; TTC 3-5pm S
Book Group 5-7pm S
Communion)
Worship/SS 9:30am
Youth Group 11am-1pm
AA 7:30pm S
Eugie Price
Bible study 9:30am
Dee’s office
Bible study
6:30pm Dee’s office
AA 7pm S
Men’s B’fast 7am FH
Choir rehearsal 7pm
sanctuary
Ailish Wilson
Davis Harrison
Suzanne
Macpherson
12 The Baptism of Christ/
13
14
15
16
17
1st Sunday after Epiphany
Worship 9:30am
Youth Group 11am-1pm
Music recital 3:30pm sanctuary
AA 7:30pm S
TTC 3-5pm S
Book Group 5-7pm S
Bible Study 9:30am
Dee’s office
Animate Faith
Adult Ed.: potluck @
6:30pm; discussion @
7pm FH
Men’s B’fast 7am FH
Islandwood 9:30-11:30am
FH
Choir rehearsal 7pm
sanctuary
Nicolas Pecora
Kenam Sohn
19 2nd Sunday after Epiphany
20
Mission Council mtg.
7pm S
BOSIA 7-9pm FH
Choir rehearsal 8:30am sanctuary
Worship/SS 9:30am
Soup n Such noon FH
EHCC Annual Meeting 11am sanctuary
Hungry Readers 7pm S
Music recital 2:30pm sanctuary
AA 7:30pm S
Erin Miller
21
Book Group 5-7pm S
AA 7pm S
Melanie Elliott
18 OA 9:15am S
Susan Allen
22
23
Bible study
6:30pm Dee’s office
AA 7pm S
Stephen Wilson
Men’s B’fast 7am FH
Islandwood 9:30-11:30am
FH
Racism Discussion
6:30pm S
February Communicator
Deadline
Saturday
24
26 3rd Sunday after Epiphany
27
28
29
30
31
Choir rehearsal 8:30m sanctuary
Worship/ SS 9:30am
Youth Group 11am-1pm
Madrona 1-7pm FH & K
AA 7:30pm S
Amy Chamberlain
Madrona 9am-noon FH
Super Supper 5pm FH
Book Group 5-7pm S
Madrona 9am-noon FH
Super Supper 5pm FH
Madrona 9am-noon FH
Bible study
6:30pm Dee’s office
AA 7pm S
Carl Herman
Men’s B’fast 7am FH
Madrona 9am-noon FH
Super Supper 5pm FH
Choir rehearsal 7pm
sanctuary
Teita Reveley
Madrona 9am-noon
FH
Super Supper
5pm FH
25 OA 9:15am S
Olivia Lunt