St. Luke's Communicator August 2006

The year of Jubilee… there was not a greater year of celebration in the Jewish calendar. Seven times seven plus one, the 50^th Anniversary was a year when all debts would be forgiven and the fields left fallow for the entire year. Everyone was to rest and spend a year praising God for His faithfulness and provision.

We are about to embark on St. Luke’s year of Jubilee. This anniversary year is going to be one of the most exciting, evocative and meaningful in the life of this congregation. Beginning Sunday, October 22, ’06 and concluding Christmas Eve ’07 there is a calendar of events and opportunities that will bless your life of faith as well as offer opportunities to be a bold witness for Christ in our community. I am very excited for us all. Details and opportunities for your participation will soon be made public.

In the meantime there is an issue needing your consideration. Last month you received a letter inviting you to participate in a conversation about our Master Plan for the next seven years. The two components are facilities and staffing. Your church leaders have worked incredibly hard over the past year to help clarify a vision for these essential areas of our program. Your participation is vital. Four forums were offered for Q and A. Included was a two question form giving you the opportunity to offer insights and opinions regarding these two areas.

Particularly as I am seeking discernment as how I can best serve St. Luke’s (or another congregation) for the next 6 – 8 years I covet your insights and prayers. I realize it is summer and while we tend to put items in the “later” pile as we are busy about the important summer work of “re”creating, I would covet your participation. If you have misplaced your questionnaire, call the office and we will make another available.

Circle, Semi-circle, Triangle, Square, Pentagon, Hexagon, Heptagon, Octagon

Shapes! What do the above have in common? They are all part of LifeShapes. LifeShapes is a process of linking the discipleship principles of Jesus to memorable images - eight shapes. It forms the vocabulary that expresses the theology and daily life of a disciple of Jesus. After being introduced to these shapes and their meanings, my faith life has grown and I have found numerous opportunities to share the ideas with others, both Christians and non-Christians.

When I took an introduction class about LifeShapes I was intrigued and decided to learn more for myself. As I read the book, "The Passionate Church " by Mike Breen and Walt Kallestad, I learned more about my faith and an easy way to understand and explain it to others. Each shape explains a simple concept about faith and helps me understand biblical principles on a deeper level. They offer me an easy way to talk about my faith to non-Christians without being obtrusive or obnoxious. One shape reminds me to take care of myself and to have balance in my life. Another shape reminds me to be balanced in my time spent with God, with others, and in

service. One shape teaches me to recognize "kairos" moments in my life and how to make the most of them. Another reminds me of the importance of prayer and teaches a new way to pray and listen to God. Recognizing a "person of peace" teaches me when and how to share my faith; it teaches me to look for people who are ready to hear about God's love.

These shapes are teaching me to seek to live as Jesus lived and love as Jesus loved. It's been so much fun that I want to learn more. And you know, the best way to learn is to teach. So this fall I need a small group of men and women (ideally 5 to 12) who are willing to learn (and help me learn more) about these shapes and practice them in their daily lives. I have a PowerPoint presentation, enthusiasm, and ideas for small group interaction and fun. But I can't do it alone. If you are interested, leave a message on my voice mail (425-822-7907) and let me know when you are available. The first few persons to sign up will determine when the class is offered. It could be a week day morning or afternoon, an early evening, or occasionally on a Saturday or Sunday.

Leave a message by August 14 so we can start in September. It is best done in eight sessions of 2½ hours each.

Shalom,

Our summer has been full of activities and there’s more to come! Please take note of all the events that are going on this month in the youth calendar that comes with the Communicator.

There will be a family BBQ on August 16 at Meyenbauer Park from 5:00-8:00pm (dusk). Look for the article on page 13 in this publication and more information in the narthex. There is also a Middle School lock-in on August 25-26 — look for the sign-up sheet on the youth board in the narthex.

This fall the confirmation program will be changing and we desperately need your help! We need to find two adults for each grade to help us with small groups (six adults total). The persons in this position would help teach and mentor the youth with their faith lives. If we do not get those six people we will not be able to do what we feel is more beneficial for this program. You do not have to have a youth in the Confirmation program to be a small group leader; I would encourage those of you who have young children to help now so you know what your children will be learning when they come into this program. We would love the help of any older adults who would like to get more involved. Please talk to me or Pastor Tom if you are interested.

Thank you to all who have donated items to the youth space and the youth program. We are still in need of some supplies; they are listed on a big neon green sign in the narthex. We would be very grateful for your help.

If you have any questions please let me know via phone or e-mail. Take care and God bless!

All Aboard! The Gospel Express is leaving the station, and is headed for non-stop FUN! Vacation Bible School is August 7-11 from 9 am – 12 pm. If your child is not already signed up be sure to put them on the roster in the narthex, turn in a registration form and your $25 per child. If you are still interested in being on staff talk to me for more details!

Friday, August 11^th at 7 pm there will be a Closing Celebration for Vacation Bible School . The children will be sharing their crafts and performing the music that they learned. There will also be a slide show and Root Beer floats! All are welcome to attend!

At Gospel Express, you can provide much-needed assistance to families affected by Hurricane Katrina. All of the offering money we collect at VBS this year will help families rebuild their lives. Sunday, August 13^th there will be a “Noisy Offering,” in church so that a little bit more can be collected for this project. Please bring your “loose change” that weekend. This offering will improve the lives of many American families!

If you are interested in teaching in the fall we still need volunteers. We have 2^nd grade, 3^rd/4^th grade openings for teachers, and we need substitute teachers for all ages. Please pray about this amazing opportunity to get involved with children. Past teachers would tell you that they were blessed by the experience. Please think about how your gifts might serve the children in this church.

Hymn Sing

On the first Sunday of each month, we will be praising God for 10 minutes before each service with a hymn sing. Our goal is to be sure that we continue our rich heritage of traditional Lutheran hymns so we are particularly looking forward to seeing our kids participating. Now we need your input. What should we sing? Watch for a form inside the Sunday bulletin for you to note your favorite hymns. Drop this form into the offering plate on any Sunday. Remember to arrive 10 minutes early on the first Sunday of each month. Thanks for your ideas!

Free Professional Audio Training

For the next several months, a professional technician from Carlson Audio will be working with us at the Informal Worship Services to help maximize the potential of our sound system. Part of the agreement is to train volunteers (This means you!) on how the system works. You will learn skills such as making adjustments to pitches and balancing all instruments and voices that lead us in worship. Please contact Amy Corsini if you are interested in this free professional training. You may leave a note in her mailbox or email her at amy@slukes.org

Facilities Update

Don’t forget our monthly work party on Saturday, August 12 from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Bring your gloves, tools and enthusiasm and we’ll provide the doughnuts and coffee. The grounds are looking better and better each time so keep up the good work!

We saw the need, and in an effort to accommodate that need, we have added two more disabled parking spaces. We hope that these additional spaces will make the building and its entrances more convenient. And as always a reminder to leave the center parking strip open on Sundays for seniors and others who may require closer parking.

On another note, you may have noticed that we are in the process of repainting the fire lane. Please leave these designated areas clear per instructions of the fire department.

We know how busy you are on the weekends, especially the work party weekends, so how about some time during the week. If you have any spare time, please lend a hand. Feel free to come to the church whenever you have the time and weed a flower bed, dead head plants, move a wheelbarrow full of bark (the bark and the wheelbarrow are located on the lower level parking lot), sweep a walkway, wash windows or anything else you see that needs to be done. Thank you in advance for your help.

A big thank you to Bob Stanbary and Leslie Schofield who are the first adoptive family of a garden bed.

It seems to be an appropriate time for an update on our trip to Israel and to Rome in March. At this point we have 30 travelers for the Israel leg of the trip and 25 continuing on to Rome for an additional three days. With the recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East we have communicated with our tour operator to gain his insight on the situation. Over the past 25 years, Friendship Tours has seen their share of ups and downs and believes that the current discord will end within the next month or so. If for some reason conditions deteriorate over the next eight months a full refund would be provided.

A letter was sent out to all members in June outlining a process by which the members of St. Luke’s would have input into a number of issues.

These two sides to the Master Plan are coequal in importance and have implications for the future of the ministry at St. Luke’s.

The first side of the Master Plan is about Facilities. Our sanctuary is 96% completed, the refurbishing of our old sanctuary is about 90% completed and the Memorial Garden was dedicated on Sunday, June 18^th. These represent huge accomplishments and reflect a concrete vision that this church has been acting on for the past decade.

The second part of the Master Plan is about Staffing. This past year we were blessed with the work of a study group named Raising the Roof. Their report included recommendations for staffing that we have already begun acting on and these additions are making a significant contribution to the life and ministry of this community. We are continuing to develop and grow relevant talented programmatic staff. One important piece of our staffing puzzle is our pastoral ministry. As Pastor Tom approaches retirement age, we intend to proactively engage in dialogue and planning. Pastor Tom is reflecting and seeking discernment regarding God’s call for the next 10 years of his life. At this time he believes he would like to be retired or part-time in 6-8 years.

Our process is about first having a clear vision for ministry and then staffing in the best manner to continue to be a blessing to our Lord Jesus in this community. Pastor Tom, as well, needs to be clear in what he would like to be about during these next one to eight years. He is neither anxious about the possibility of taking another call nor is he needing to leave, rather he would prefer to be mutually committed to the same ministry goals of St. Luke’s as a vital program church. We all would.

As a part of our master plan visioning we are asking you, the congregation members, to attend a meeting where we will answer questions on the Master Plan. At these meetings we will review where we are and what is yet envisioned for the growth and development of our work both in the area of the facility (what do we do next with our facility – and how do we staff for the future and the ministries we set as part of our Master Plan). The goal of these meetings is to give you enough information so that you can fill out the questionnaire that was included with the mailing you received in June prior to the congregation meeting. If you need a copy of the questionnaire or the letter, please call the church office.

These meetings will be held on August 13^th after the 8:30 a.m. worship service and on

August 20^th after the 10:30 a.m. worship service. We urge you to attend one of these meetings so that the future of St. Luke’s is decided by all members, not just a few.

This fall we will have two sessions of Adult Forum. In the library we will have the Alpha series of videos featuring Nicky Gumbel from England . These videos will begin promptly at 9:45 a.m., run for about 45 to 50 minutes and allow a few minutes for discussion. Leadership will be shared by Marty and Sharon Heuchert and

Chad

and Cynthia Olson. Both of these couples participated in the Alpha program last year. On September 10, the introduction to the course will be shown. These are interesting, entertaining videos about basic Christianity. It is something you can invite a non-Christian to or come to brush up on the basics of your faith.

In the Northwest room of Pierson Hall we will have a variety of Adult Forum classes. The first six weeks will be led by Paul Anderson, a counselor with Lutheran Counseling Network. His topic will be “Forgiveness.” After that Dave Bly will lead a seven week series (not consecutive) on aspects of the Spiritual Journey and Pastor Tom will lead some sessions. A complete schedule will be printed in the September Communicator.

If you aren’t teaching Sunday School, take advantage of these opportunities to learn more about your faith. Grab a cup of coffee and join one of the above groups.

We meet from 11:00 a.m. to noon every Tuesday, including the summer months. We open with praying the Jesus Prayer three times. Then we share progress with our health goals for the week. We decide on individual goals for the coming week and close with praying for one another. Many of us find that this time together helps us become healthier physically, spiritually and emotionally. You may join at any time. Come once or on a regular basis. Confidentiality is practiced by members of this group. For more information, contact Karen Richards at (425) 828-9493.

St. Luke’s Grief Support Group meets at 10:00 a.m. on the third Wednesday of every month, including the summer. Everyone has grief in his or her life. It may be the loss of a spouse, loss of a job, or a move to a new city . We light a candle and may tell others who (or what) we are thinking of today. Everyone has an opportunity to share although no one must share. We listen to one another and encourage one another. All meetings are confidential. For more information call Bob Smith at (425) 415-6180 or Roselyn.

This ministry meets at 1:00 pm. on the third Wednesday of the month. The group is taking a summer break and will resume on September 20. For more information call Donna Kobelin at (425) 827-5861.

This group usually meets at 7:00 p.m. on the third Wednesday. During the summer months we are participating in various recreational activities which are advertised in the bulletin. On September 20 we will resume our regular monthly meetings. For more information call Pam Webber at (425) 827-5861.

Please Volunteer!

Marsha Roberts and Donna Kobelin have been responsible for St. Luke’s Altar Guild duties for 15+ years. They have bought wine, candles and communion wafers; set up for communion for worship and memorial services; washed linens; changed banners and draped the cross; helped select and ordered communion ware. They have worked day and night to have everything set up when needed. We all owe them a debt of gratitude for their service to St. Luke’s. Marsha and Donna have “retired” from their Altar Guild duties but still come in each week to count and deposit the Sunday offering. Words cannot express our thanks for all your service to St. Luke’s!

Donna and Marsha have graciously trained new volunteers to take over their duties. This new group currently consists of Jacquie Brase, Colleen Brunswick, Judy Doidge, Jean Gillette, Lucy Gregg and Judy Ness.

Traditionally, a full altar guild takes on many responsibilities that should be shared among more than a few people. This is a great opportunity to serve in a much-needed role. If you want to assist in the “behind-the-scenes” activities that are essential to our worship services, this is the right opportunity for you! Come and be a part of the new St. Luke’s Altar Guild.

Please come to either of the meetings listed below to discuss the possibilities. Whether you are sure about your ability to commit or not, Pastor Tom and I want you to come and learn more about it.

Tuesday, August 22 at 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, August 24 at 1:00 p.m.

Amy Corsini
Worship Coordinator

50th Anniversary for St. Luke's

The 50^th Anniversary Committee had its organizing meeting and October 22, 2006 will mark the beginning of our 14 month Celebration Journey through the first 50 years of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church . The October date marks the anniversary of St. Luke’s first worship service held in the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Houghton. What a journey we have had! During this period of time we will celebrate the “highs” and “lows” of ministry at St. Luke’s and be reminded of why we have been called to this adventure in faith. A variety of events are being planned and much help will be needed. There will be more information available beginning mid-August.

Jury Duty - A Growth Experience

[Note: Recently, I received a letter from a person who described her experience as a juror. With the writer's permission, I am sharing it in case it can be of value to others who are called to serve on a jury. Obviously, each person's experience is unique.]

After receiving a jury summons, I was apprehensive about the possibility of serving on a jury. Perhaps I'd be assigned to a type of case that would leave me uneasy, so I decided to request a dismissal. I was disappointed when my request was denied, but I thought about the message "God only gives us what we can handle," and I prayed for strength. My prayer was answered through others who were encouraging and caring. I was told I wouldn't be alone and that was especially uplifting.

A dilemma for me was that I believed that in deciding guilt or innocence, I'd be judging someone - and, as a sinner, I have no right to do that. Gradually I began to view the process not as one that was asking me to make any judgment about an individual. Rather, I believe I was being asked to listen to testimony, determine the truth, and decide whether or not the individual who had been charged was responsible for that crime. I sincerely believe the decision I helped the jury arrive at was about responsibility, not a judgment of the individual.

During the jury selection process, the judge asked a variety of questions and some of the prospective jurors spoke regarding their issues or concerns, but I couldn't bring myself to speak voluntarily in the courtroom. Later, when the prosecution and defense were given the opportunity to question the prospective jurors at random, I was asked little. As the questioning concluded, I was more at ease.

After the jury was selected and the trial began, my attention was focused on listening to questions and testimony. Writing notes kept me busy as well, and I was glad there was no time for my apprehension. Over the course of the trial we listened to approximately 30 witnesses, including dedicated professionals in law enforcement. Their skills and education were impressive and I have a great deal of respect for all they do for our safety. I found it especially interesting listening to a witness who was a citizen volunteer, as she described how she trains dogs that provide assistance to law enforcement.

At the center of this tragedy, which took a young man's life, were illegal drugs. It's very sad and disturbing to see people's lives harmed or cut short from involvement with drugs. I wish everyone participating in that activity could realize they deserve better, and that life has far better things to offer.

A unanimous verdict was required, and I found it emotionally challenging to arrive at the decision of guilty. But I'm thankful to live where we have a fair system of justice, and an impartial jury is part of the process. I was fortunate to be working with a group of wonderful jurors. They were thoughtful, intelligent and caring, and always showed respect for the process. It was interesting to me to see a group of complete strangers work together, even in a stressful situation, and there were some lighter moments, too.

After the decision was announced, and the jury had returned to the jury room, the judge set aside some time to thank the jury and have a conversation with us. She was kind, diplomatic, and had a sense of humor as well. The prosecutor and lead detective also met with the jury and expressed their appreciation, and spoke about their work. They are all dedicated and professional, and I enjoyed our conversations which, for me, helped bring some closure.

I found serving on a jury an experience that allowed me to learn and, in a small way, serve the community. I'm thankful for God's help through the strength, spirit and words of encouragement of many others.

Well, it’s a little better than the doctors saying that the patient’s condition is “Critical.” At least we expect the patient to live. Hooray for the patient!

But what about those who wait by the bedside? How much comfort is this up-grade anyway? Do they get to be less scared or less worried? Does their loved one’s pain now bother them less? Do they get to relax or have hope?

The bystanders are patients too. The situation is as serious for them as for the injured or sick one. They both labor under the weight of a problem beyond their control whose outcome is uncertain. Perhaps they even are more fearful than the one in the bed.

Do we dare have a relationship with God in which the outcome of such tragedies does not define for us whether God loves us or really cares? Was God serious about walking with us through the valley of the shadow of death, but no more?

Here’s the deal: No guaranteed results. No promised miracles. No supernatural protections. Just walking together. Is that enough for us? Seriously? Are we sure we don’t have a clause in our copy of the contract that says, “If you protect me and all whom I love, and never let anything bad happen to us, I will…..?”

We may not know how serious we were about pledging our faith until we stand at such a bedside. We may not know until we are forced to cry, “God, I hope you are serious about this walking together thing, because right now that’s all I have.”

God, remember the serious promise you made to us, all the way through the valley and maybe even to the end of it.

		Light in a world of darkness
		3030 Bellevue Way Bellevue Washington 98004 phone: 425-822-7907 e-mail:email@slukes.org fax: 425-889-4493 Newsletter Other Contact Info Map Driving Directions Site Map