St. Luke's Communicator January 2006

How do you tell the story of your life? What are the mileposts you use to judge and understand your life? Births of children? Jobs? Friendships? Vacations?

I am a story teller, often to the frustration of those around me. Like Joe Friday of ancient Dragnet fame sometimes what people want is “Just the facts Ma’m, just the facts”. As best as I try it is just ever so difficult for me not to want to tell a story. How would you tell the story of your church? What mileposts would you use to share with an unchurched friend to describe the character and personality of your faith community?

As I write this we are fast approaching saying good-bye to another year. What is the story of 2005 at St. Luke’s? As I ask you the question I am mindful that I have been your pastor for what is now approaching 19 years. Many of you have stories of this ministry that predate me by a far greater period. I often feel that among the most important positions in the life of a church should be the “designated story teller”. Someone to tell the young ones the history of this place, with all the sainted people whose memories are capable of taking us to places of the heart from days gone by. Who will tell the stories of faith that have helped shape history for eternity? The day-to-day things that for most of us appear small and insignificant but in the economy of someone’s life are life altering?

I would like to think these stories are being kept in Heaven, never to be really ever lost.

If I were to look for a geographical metaphor for ministry at St. Luke’s it would be a rugged mountain range, with high peaks and precipitous drops. This congregation has proven itself capable of enormous achievements with great demonstrations of selfless investment. Your near unanimous support for hosting Tent City IV, the enormous outpouring of energy and love that Kid’s Holiday Store calls forth, the sending of mission teams to Ensenada and Moscow , Russia , Congregations for the Homeless… the list is lengthy. Your support – both financial and time – has never been lacking. Quite a story, actually. There is a piece to the story that I hope to add in this New Year. My goodness, missions we can do, what we struggle with is the monotony of the day in and day out life of Christian ministry. Yet that is precisely what we have committed ourselves to in this New Year. We have hired a half-time Director of Children’s Ministries (Natalie Larson), a part-time Worship Coordinator (Amy Corsini), and combined bookkeeping with a part-time Parish Administrator position (Jodi Daub), all of which were the consequence of congregational decisions made at our congregational meeting in June of this year.

We need to better develop this part of our story. We need to invest in the stuff between the mountain peaks that will bless us for greater work. Please, in this New Year, your generous financial support has to transcend your worship schedule. Otherwise, the story of your church ministry is in danger of becoming simply a list of special projects of which you will vote for with your purse. I want to change that part of our story this year.

This is the time of year for a new start; a new calendar. I still use a paper calendar (that’s because I’m technologically challenged) and it is fun to start fresh. The first few entries are neat and easy to read. I take what I’ve put on one page of 2005 onto my new 2006 calendar book.

I used to make many resolutions; it didn’t seem to work. I wasn’t able to follow through.

As a result of many failures with resolutions, I’ve learned to make small changes instead. For many years I’ve had a habit of swimming five or six mornings a week. One day I commented to the lifeguard that I knew it would be better for me to do some other exercise but I enjoyed swimming laps and didn’t have time for anything else. Her response was, “Could you spend five or ten minutes a day on exercises? I thought I could so that started a habit of adding a few minutes to my workout. It wasn’t difficult. One day I would work on strengthening my legs and the next day my arms. Soon it was a habit. Then when I changed from full-time work to half-time and could leave home a half hour later it was easy to add a little more time to the workout.

When one of our sons was given a Bible he was asked to read it one minute a day. That sounded reasonable. He built a habit and most days opened his Bible. Sometimes it was only a minute and some days he got interested and read longer.

In the Health Support Group that meets every Tuesday morning at 11:00 at church we each focus on one health goal. We share the goals with each other and pray for each other. The people in this group have helped me make small changes in my life, however they are changes that I’m able to maintain. I think that is because we focus on one thing at a time and we support one another.

What changes do you want to make in 2006? Do you want to be more regular in church attendance? Do you want to be more active? Do you want to learn more about your faith? Do you want to find a way to serve? Whatever your goal, try taking a small baby step toward it. And then don’t stop with one step. Take another and another. Have fun!

December was a good month for the youth program. We found out that we have a lot to be thankful for. Kid’s Holiday Store went really well and inspired us all to continue to help those in need, especially during the holidays.

The biggest item that you all should know about is that during the month of January the youth will have a fundraiser called “ Super Bowl Sub Sandwich Drive ”. Every Sunday morning in January we will be taking pre-orders for subs. We will have a table with order forms which must be returned by Sunday, February 1. There is also a flyer and order sheet in this Communicator that you may use. Please fill it out and return it with payment on a Sunday in January. Pick up of the subs will be on February 5th after the 11:00 a.m. service. All profits will go to the youth to help nourish their spiritual journey at St. Luke's Lutheran Church .

Thank you for your support for the youth; without you and your families we would not have the programs that make this church what we all love today. Take care and God bless!

Hardly, rather your church invested this amount in our Junior/Senior High youth this past autumn that they might learn an important lesson in Christian stewardship. Every student who showed up on Rally Sunday was given a brand new $50 bill – a gift for them to manage for the Master. Needless to say, there were some rather large eyed gasps – “Wow! We’re getting paid to go to Sunday School!”

We did a study of the Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30. They were told to go invest it for the Kingdom and bring back the results of their labor that the ministry of the church could be blessed (proceeds will go to our New Staff Fund). Here is an update:

These are but a sample of what the youth of the church are about to help support this ministry. We will be bringing you more stories as they become available.

The plans to host Tent City in February of 2006 are well underway. We have met with the neighborhood, the congregation and the preschool. The congregation voted overwhelmingly to extend a formal invitation at the meeting held on December 4th.

The beginning of January we will begin the permitting process. In the permitting process we will probably have another informational meeting for the neighborhood and the congregation.

We already have many people signed up to help. In January we will have a meeting of all who want to help and lay out exactly what we want to do for Tent City while they are here. We will also ask at that time for volunteers to take on certain responsibilities. Some of the things we have considered are:

Tent City residents are grateful for whatever we decide to do. Since we have not done this before there are most likely items and areas we have not thought about. We appreciate any and all support.

The responses we have gotten from the community also have been overwhelmingly positive with many people wanting to give of their time and of their pocketbook.

I am finding this a very rewarding endeavor already. I was told I would receive many blessings and I am already discovering them. I also feel our church will be blessed in ways that we cannot imagine at the moment. This is a very exciting time for our church. It feels good to "walk our talk!"

Beginning in January, we will have three new part-time staff members. The Raising the Roof Task Force, in their nine month study, identified that St. Luke’s was a program church without the structure/staff to support the natural growth of a program church. At a congregational meeting in June, it was recommended by the Board of Trustees and passed by the congregation that we should add a full-time Director of Youth Ministries, a part-time Director of Christian Education, a part-time Worship Coordinator and a part-time Office Administrator.

Please join us in welcoming these new staff members to the ministries St. Luke’s is about.

(Note: Carolyn Norton will continue as a volunteer for web-site and special projects as they come up.)

One of the more faithful servants of this church is retiring from her responsibilities as our church bookkeeper. Kathy has faithfully, quietly and with great proficiency fulfilled her responsibilities to this church and its ever-growing ministries with great humility. She is retiring for personal reasons and will be sorely missed. Please take a moment to express your gratitude to her for her tireless service.

Worship services in January include the recognition of two major events. On January 1st, we celebrated the Name of Jesus. As we begin the season of Epiphany, we will celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord on January 8th.

Following the Baptism of Our Lord, the Epiphany worship plan includes using the familiar LBW 1 (Lutheran Book of Worship, Setting 1) at all 8:30 services, and the WOV 5 (With One Voice, Setting 5) at all 11:00 services. We will continue to enjoy alternative instrumentation on the 2nd and 4th Sundays at 11:00.

Since the month of January has five Sundays, please note the two following events for January 29th:

Affirming Your Faith

Do you notice anything different? The Spiritual Journey Committee, after much deliberation, decided to change the name of our new member classes from “Catechumenate” to “Affirming Your Faith”. Now, I have to admit that I had a small challenge with the change because after five years of running the program, I finally learned how to spell the word! However, the new title seems to describe the process more clearly than a word that many never really understood!

So, now that we have that cleared up, know that the “Affirming Your Faith” classes will begin on January 15, 2006 with our introduction and will culminate at the Easter Vigil Service on April 15, 2006. The classes will meet each week during the Sunday School hour for small group Bible study and other activities. There will be 3-4 times during the series when we will meet after the 11:00 service to allow Pastor Tom to address the whole group and give us a time of fellowship during lunch.

We are looking for sponsors for our new members. This is a wonderful way to meet some wonderful people and give the new folks a welcome to St. Luke’s. Some of the seekers are transferring their current Lutheran membership to St. Luke’s, and some are starting their spiritual journey and have chosen St. Luke’s as the place to begin. In either event, they need people who are willing to walk beside them, help them along the way. It is truly a blessing to take on the role of a sponsor – and the good news is that you don’t have to be a Bible scholar to do it! How neat is that?

We will be on the phone after the first of the year looking for sponsors, so be prepared to stretch your faith just a bit and join the fun. If you have questions, call Roselyn Olson at the church or Judy Pagnotta, 425-452-8226.

February is our traditional month to house homeless men at St. Luke’s, providing them with a hot dinner, breakfast and sack lunch each day. You have always been very generous in your support of this program which is running to capacity (30 men) this winter. Watch for the sign-up sheet in the narthex and help in any way you can. Even though we may have Tent City IV here at the same time, we must continue our practice of helping these men who need a warm, safe place to stay. If you have any questions, please call Bruce Amundson at (425) 827-0309.

A note from a grateful participant of Congregations for the Homeless

Before Christmas we received a Christmas card from a gentleman who had stayed at St. Luke’s last February with Congregations for the Homeless”. He wrote:

Here's wishing everyone at St. Luke's a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in 2006. Thanks again for opening up your church for me and the other guys this past February. (I have been in the CFH programs since Befruary of last year). St. Luke's is a church that can "talk the talk and walk the walk"> I hope that God continues to bless everyone at your church.

We have had several security “gaffes” lately and are on the list of the Bellevue Police Department to pay $125 for the next infraction which then goes up incrementally.

(Be sure to try the door to be sure it is locked.)
If you have any questions about this procedure, please talk to Dan Lofgren.

You will not want to miss the opportunity to spend a relaxing weekend in historic Port Townsend with all your favorite St. Luke’s women! Mark your calendars for March 24 – 26 and plan on joining us for an engaging, fun experience with guest speaker, Donna Oiland. Brochures will be available in January. Please call Heather Erickson (453-8680) or Roselyn Olson at church (822-7907) with questions.

Altar Guild continues to seek men and women who would find joy in worship support. Care of communion ware, setting up for Holy Communion, Baptisms and care of the chancel, are a few of the activities. We are particularly needing of someone who would make a ministry of caring for the worship assistants’ albs (washing, ironing, etc.). Please speak with Pastor Tom, Marsha Roberts (827-5975) or Donna Kobelin (822-4536).

These days we are welcoming many new visitors to St. Luke's! It is a very exciting time for our congregation. The Welcome Team is looking for your participation as a "welcome" team member. This is an easy task! All it takes is a few minutes after the service to serve at the information station, greet visitors and hand out our welcome candle and information on St. Luke's to the visitors. If you are interested in contributing your smile and your own special way of extending our St. Luke's hospitality, please contact Lisa Bliss (425-255-9787, you may have to dial a 1 as this is a Newcastle phone number) Thank you for your prayerful consideration of this request.

Thank you to all who so generously gave of their time and talent for our Advent Dinner and Lucia Celebration. Those who sold tickets, organized the maidens and their gowns, set and decorated tables, took part in the program, and a special thanks to Carnel Hagen for preparing a delicious dinner---and to all the St. Luke's men who served and cleaned up. There were 125 in attendance and 26 St. Luke's girls and friends who were part of the Lucia Festival. They were led by the 2005 Lucia Bride, Ashley Mitchell. The cookies brought were shared with our Kid's Holiday Store and the Crossroads Feeding Program. Many thanks, Carolyn Saxegaard, Nancy Quale, and Edna Dorothy.

Would you like your very own VIP parking space right in front of the church for a month? Between services through the end of January, raffle tickets will be sold and 12 winners will be drawn—one for 11 months of 2006 (and January 2007). This is Chandler Kokosz’ Parable of the Talents project to benefit our new staff fund. Costs of tickets are $2.00 or three for $5.00.

St. Luke’s through a Memorial Garden ministry is blessed with the opportunity to provide a dedicated place within the precincts of the church in a columbarium for the internment of ashes within purchased niches. In addition, plaques will be available to inscribe names of those interred elsewhere.

Currently we plan to break ground for the new Memorial Garden in January. If you would like more information on the Garden and a Purchase Contract, please let the office know and we will get the information to you.

The cost of a single niche is $850, a double niche is $1600 and a memorial plaque is $300.

Prior to dedication St. Luke’s sold brick pavers that are placed in the outside entrance walkway to the new sanctuary. At the time we committed to opening the sale of more pavers on an annual basis for those who are new or who would like to purchase additional bricks. We will be accepting requests for these bricks beginning in January with a cutoff date of March 15^th. Watch for more information.

We are five months into our new fiscal year. During this time our income was $15,417 lower than what we had anticipated. Ministry expenses were lower than we had anticipated by $690. For this fiscal year we projected our ministry expenses to be on average $40,500 per month.

Thank you all for your commitment to St. Luke’s – for your continued financial support and in the time that you so generously give to our ministries. God has bestowed many blessings upon this congregation and its ministries this year, let’s remember them and celebrate them.

To ensure the deductibility of your church contributions, do not file your 2005 income tax return until you have received a written acknowledgement of your contributions from the church. Some of your contributions may not be tax-deductible if you file your tax return before receiving a written acknowledgement of your contributions from the church.

The First Sunday in Advent was celebrated at the education hour "Advent Fair". Thanks to the efforts of Cathy Lisle, Margaret Snowdon, and Nancy Quale, a variety of projects were available to help families prepare for the Advent season. Thanks also go to all those who helped at the various tables.

Thank you to our Choir, Bell Choir, Carolyn Anderson and Patsy Jackson

We’ve all enjoyed the beautiful music in 2005. And how about that Christmas program! For your New Year’s resolution, plan to join the choir or bell choir and share your talents with the congregation. Call Patsy Jackson at (425) 881-0451 and become a part of this beautiful ministry at St. Luke’s.

Help your children remember to use their offering envelopes. Learning to give offerings on a regular basis is a rewarding life lesson. Tell your children that a portion of the offering gifts received this year went toward the purchase of the material used during our Advent Fair to make holiday gift scarves for the residents of Tent City 4.

It’s not too early to start planning for our yearly trip to Ensenada , Mexico May 11 through May 16. This year we will be building two houses. The first 30 people to sign up are guaranteed a spot. (Sign-up sheet is in the narthex.) We’ll have more information on costs, etc. soon.

This group will meet Wednesday, January 18th at 10:00 a.m. Contact Bob Smith at 425-415-6190 or Roselyn Olson at church for more information.

This group meets weekly at church 11:00 a.m. to noon. New members are welcome. Contact Karen Richards 425-828-9493 or Norma Peterson 425-885-5114 for more information.

If your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, gain weight, or eat healthily, join the Senior Lunch Bunch at the Newport Bay restaurant on Friday, January 27 at 11:30 a.m. They have a wide variety of items on their menu that will please everyone.

We will next meet on Saturday, January 21st at 4:00 p.m. to finish discussing “The Holy Longing”. Our next book will be “The Active Life—A Spirituality of Work, Creativity, and Caring”. We will be ordering the new book in early January so please indicate to Pastor Tom if you are interested.

This is a group of women who meet the third Wednesday of the month to visit and study. Presently we are studying “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren. On Wednesday, January18^th at 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. we will study chapters four through seven. The first seven chapters may be downloaded. Visit www.purposedrivenlife.com. New members are invited to this group. For more information contact Diane Dillon at 425-820-4538 or Judy Ness at 206-779-6971.

This group will meet again on January 5th and 19th at 6:30 p.m. to continue discussion of “Messy Spirituality”.

You’re invited to join the First Annual County-wide Celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on January 19th at 7:00 p.m. at Saint Mark’s Cathedral, 1245 Tenth Ave E in Seattle sponsored by the Church Council of Greater Seattle. The evening will include a sermon by Rev. George Regas of All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena . Music will be provided by the FAME Gospel Choir. Free childcare is available by calling (206) 525-1213. For more information go to www.thechurchcouncil.org.

Saturday, January 28th from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Peace, Justice; and Hope “…And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).

Keynote speaker: Rev. Chris Boerger: Bishop, ELCA Northwest Washington Synod. A Christian Education event to empower, encourage, and equip teachers of the faith to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thirty workshops to choose from! Sunday School teachers, parents, and adults interested in learning will enjoy this day. Contact Roselyn Olson at church by January 10^th to be assured of early registration.

This is an opportunity to gain practical caregiving skills and learn about the Stephen Ministry . Contact Roselyn Olson if interested. The price is $15.00 per person or $50.00 for a group of four or more from our congregation.

Save the Date! Thursday, February 9th 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. $15.00 registration feel includes lunch and advocacy toolkit. RSVP to Jeanette Leisk at 206-464-4133 or email jleisk@ltsg.edu

Hurricane Relief

The Katrina Clergy and Community Coalition are working to build the much-needed resources for families affected by Katrina and Rita. Our efforts are focused on families who are trying to relocate in King County and churches that have members trying to relocate their families from the hurricane areas. A non-profit account has been set up at Bank of America under the name of Katrina CCC. We are asking for the assistance of every congregation to support these efforts by making a heartfelt donation and asking for personal donations. Donations can also be made online at www.apriseattle.org or by mailing a check to Katrina CCC at 2800 1st Ave , Seattle WA 98121 .

They are also asking if our congregation can provide resources in the following areas:

Basic Clothing, Undergarments, Socks
Coats and winter wear
Shoes—casual, office professional, outside work, winter boots, work boots
Work clothes—outdoor work environment, indoor work environment, office professional
Household Items
Housing

If you are interested, please call the office for more information.

The more I reread the Bible, I am struck with how God calls people to take risks for the sake of God's purposes. I say that because I am observing that we are becoming risk avoidant these days. The media's portrayal of the world as a scary place with numerous threats does cause us to seek the safe path. I want to suggest that the death and resurrection of Jesus should be our security and that we are the ones who are being called to be the risk takers.

Recently I have been confronted by congregational leaders concerned about their congregation's survival. In these anxious times, we look for quick and painless solutions to our problems. The fact is that there are no quick solutions. Leaders need to look beyond the budgetary or attendance numbers to their reason for being. We do not exist to pass budgets or pay bills. The constitution, while important, is not our reason for being. We exist to share the good news of Jesus Christ in word and deed.

I remember asking the call committee the first time I was interviewed for a call, "If this congregation were to disappear tonight, what would the community say that is missing?" One of the members of the committee quickly teared up. He could not imagine his community without this congregation. It had to do with relationships. It was about relationship among members and relationships with the ministry of the congregation in the community. As I was called to this congregation, I learned that this same member spoke regularly about the importance of the congregation teaching its members good stewardship by setting aside its benevolences first before its other payments. He had a vision of the church that did take risks.

I believe that the chief priority for the Northwest Washington Synod should be the starting of new congregations and the retooling of existing congregations for ministry in today's world. To do that we will need to think of budgets and funding way beyond our current patterns. It may well be outside the regular budget of the synod. Our ancestors in the faith in this area committed significant resources in building the church we have inherited. Our task is not to live on their hard work, but to extend it into new communities and into our own communities. It is a risky undertaking but we are the ones for whom God risked the life of Jesus for the sake of the world

As I was preparing our Christmas greetings, a Swiss address triggered a memory. Several years ago, I was standing at the railway station in Geneva , Switzerland , saying goodbye to a friend. We had had fun together after I had attended a conference.

On the train, I made myself comfortable, looking forward to the lovely trip through a part of Europe and arriving in Oslo where my husband would be meeting me. As usual, I opened my purse to prepare to show my ticket and, of course, my passport, to the conductor who would be passing through. My passport! Where was it? I knew I had everything organized before I left. I couldn’t believe it was gone. Repeatedly, I searched.

When the conductor came, I explained and asked if there was a phone on board I could use. Maybe the American Embassy could confirm to him I was a bona fide person. He told me coldly, in firm French, that there was no phone and that I would need to get off that train at the next station. “But, but . . .” No buts about it. I gathered my luggage and dismounted at Biennes, a small town, still in Switzerland . It was an early Sunday morning and everything was quiet.

I stood alone on the platform and said to my Creator, Savior and Friend, something like this:”I know you can solve anything, so I know this is not difficult for you. Just show me what to do and pave the way.” I knew the very first step: call Roald, letting him know my dilemma. My cousin, Solveig, with whom he was staying, answered and listened to my story. Instead of handing over the receiver, she exclaimed, “Biennes? Switzerland ? There might be a small Blue Cross agency there. Look it up in the directory and call them. Dad used to cooperate a lot with them.” With the help of an employee at the telephone exchange across the street from the station, I found a number. How grateful I was for my knowledge of some French! A lady answered and seemed very dubious—a call from a stranger with a foreign accent and with a strange story. At last she said, “You stay where you are and my husband will come and meet you.”

In a few minutes, an elderly man pulled up in his car and invited me to their home. Walter and Hedi were the perfect hosts; more significantly, they told me that they always went to worship at their church Sunday morning. However, in spite of feeling up to it, they both had a strong feeling that they were to stay home that day. Secondly, they usually turned off the agency phone on Sundays but hadn’t this time . . .Was this God’s guidance or what? Next day, Walter drove me to the bank (unexpected use of my Visa card!) so that I could take the train to the capital, Bern . Kind American Embassy personnel issued a temporary passport for me, and the next morning I was on my way to Oslo . We are all one human family. Walter and Hedi acted that out. The least I can do is send them a greeting at Christmas time.

Afterword: This was the happy ending of a pickpocket story. All you travelers: keep your valuables where you can see them, not at your back!

What a versatile word. She was in a serious car accident. She is in a serious relationship…. Humm!? “Seriously,” said the comedian, as everyone laughed again. We need to get serious about this… What a serious person!

Being in a relationship is serious business, whether it’s with family, friends, pets, plants or planets. This year we will explore some of the nuances of the word serious. Some will make you smile; some will be sobering; others might just be, well, serious. See if you can play with the word each month to get as many shades of meaning as possible.

Let’s see how it works: If I write: “Something precious and sacred has been entrusted to us by virtue of having been given the gift of life. There are certain obligations that go with it. We need to take them seriously,” what does that mean? Grimly? Reverently? Deathly? Intentionally? Prayerfully? Now you play with it.

Let’s try again: Fortunately for us, Law is always preceded by Gospel. We pour out to others what has been poured in by God. We do and can because we overflow. What we need to take seriously first, is the inflow. Trying hard to be a good family member doesn’t work. Taking seriously the posture of “vessel” does.

If you asked yourself, “What does ‘serious’ mean to me in this context?”, might it deepen the way in which you are intentional in receiving God’s love?

If you asked yourself, “What does it mean to me that God is serious about providing me sufficient grace for the day?”, might it increase the level of confidence with which you lived your everyday life?

The Jesus Prayer

The Jesus Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ,

You are the light of the world;

fill my mind with your peace,

my heart with your love,

my body with your healing. Amen

		Light in a world of darkness
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