The Bridge
        
The Weekly Newsletter of St. Mark's Lutheran Church by The Narrows                  
 August 15 , 2018 
        
 
Sunday Worship      
8:30 a.m. Blended
9:45 a.m. Contemporary
11:00 a.m. Traditional
 
 
To hear podcast recordings of our Sunday Sermons
Click Here
St. Mark's Staff
Pastors
Sigi Helgeson, Visitation
Staff
Ingelaurie Lisher, Youth and Family
Music Ministry
Contemporary Music Ministry
Manager of Finance and Operations
Office Coordinator
 
       Contact Us  
St. Mark's Lutheran Church by The Narrows

6730 N. 17th St.
Tacoma, WA 98406

Office: 253-752-4966
Preschool: 253-752-4929
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New Hearing Loop System in Sanctuary!

We are pleased to share that our sanctuary is now equipped with a Hearing Loop System!  This loop system gives greater accessibility to those with hearing challenges to hear scripture readings, the sermon, and music.  All seating in the pew areas is covered by the system. Hearing loops have been widespread in public venues in Europe for some time, but are just now starting to catch on in the United States.
 
Hearing loops broadcast sound from the PA system wirelessly to hearing aids equipped with telecoils (T-coils) or portable receiver units.  If you wear hearing aids, to benefit from the hearing loop in our church, you will need to find out if your hearing aids have a telecoil built in. The telecoil program is accessed by pushing a button on a hearing aid or smart phone. This T-coil program must be activated by your audiologist, so talk with your hearing care provider to find out if your instruments can have the telecoil activated to hear well in our church.  
 
If you do not have a telecoil in your hearing aids - or are experiencing hearing difficulties but you don't use hearing devices - we also have the option of portable receivers that are linked to the loop system. The receivers can be picked up in the back of the sanctuary by the sound board.
 
Please ask the ushers for assistance with the receivers. If you have questions about the loop system you can direct your questions to Laura Moran. Thank you!

More Church Facility Improvements on the Way!

In the next few weeks, you'll see another round of summer projects commence. (Based on totally unsolicited feedback, apparently the parking lot striping from July has been wildly popular. Something about actually being able to see the spaces that you're pulling into...) During the week of August 19th, we will be getting brand new carpet and vinyl tile in the main part of the sanctuary. This work is a timely extension of our new hearing loop system which needs to be installed under the flooring (see a separate Bridge note from our very own Doctor of Audiology, Laura Day-Moran). The flooring work is being funded through Council-approved use of undesignated bequests from Arthur and Bernice Bowers and Nina deRek. We need a team of volunteers to take pews out of the sanctuary on Sunday, August 19thand to reinstall them the morning of Saturday, August 25th. Please see the Sign Up link in this edition of the Bridge!

The week after sanctuary flooring is installed, you'll see exterior painting of the oldest portion of our church (the offices and music wing). This work is in accordance with our long-term maintenance plan and will help extend the integrity and overall life of our siding. As you may recall, a portion of this year's long-term maintenance dollars is coming from the general ministry fund, with the remainder being supplemented by the same undesignated bequests as mentioned above.

Thank you for your continued support of our operations ministry and for graciously managing some inconvenience while the actual work occurs. Please contact Jennifer Droubay in the Church office with any questions.

Volunteers Urgently Needed!
 
Hearing Loop Installation: TODAY, Wednesday, August 15
Please follow this link to sign up for a three hour shift, either in the morning or the afternoon:
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/409044FAAAD2DA0F49-hearing

Moving for Installation of New Flooring
We will be moving all of the pews from the Sanctuary to the Parish Commons ( Sunday the 19th, 12:30-3:30 p.m.) and back into the Sanctuary ( Saturday the 25th, 9:00 a.m.-noon).
Please follow this link to sign up for a shift:

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Fall School Kit Drive - Lutheran World Relief
 
It's time for St. Mark's Annual LWR School Kit Drive and to shop for school supplies at great prices! 

Last year St. Mark's delivered 225 school kits to LWR, and LWR delivered 214,690 school kits to 17 countries!  Starting August 25 through September, you will be able to pick up and fill one or more ORANGE bags that will be delivered to one child OR just pick up a supply list and shop for the items you choose. This St. Mark's ministry of collecting supplies, packing, and shipping kits allows children to attend school in their communities! Pencils and paper help write a positive future ! Contact Catherine Terrill with ? at 253-732-3479.  Blessings!



EACH KIT INCLUDES
 
(4) Spiral bound notebooks (8" X 10 ½")         
(1) 12" ruler (metric/inches)
(1) pencil sharpener
(1) blunt scissors
(5) pencils -unsharpened
(5) ballpoint pens (blue or black)
(1)  2 ½" pink eraser
(1) box crayons (16 or 24 crayons)

Urgent Needs for Refugee Support

As part of Lutheran Community Services' Circle of Welcome program, St. Mark's will be welcoming a refugee family to our community very soon, possibly as soon as  August 22.

Our immediate need is to collect furnishings and supplies for an apartment. Click here to find a list of needed items. Please consider helping with this effort with new or lightly used items. We are also looking for volunteers who can loan and drive a truck or drive a rental truck on the apartment set up day, which will probably be sometime between  August 19 and mid September. More exact scheduling info should be available soon.

Look for the table in the narthex  on Sunday for more info and to deliver donations. The church office will also accept smaller sized donations during the week.

Paula Friedmann,  pfzebra@me.com, 253-222-4019.

St. Mark's Memorial Committee

St. Mark's Memorial Committee would like to recognize recent gifts.  Many useful and thoughtful purchases have been made from St. Mark's Memorial Fund.  

Thank you to all that have contributed and made these possible.  

Items:  
New Confirmation Robes
4 Communion Chalices
Youth Courtyard Furniture
New Preschool Playground Equipment
Refurbishing the Memorial Garden Courtyard Fountain
Harpsichord Stool, Donated by Jackie Stenger
Harpsichord, Donated by the Seattle Symphony



Produce Palooza! Sunday, August 19, 9:45-11:00 a.m.

The Greening the Congregation Team is sponsoring this fun way for gardeners to share what they have been growing and nurturing in their gardens this summer. Sometimes zucchini, tomatoes, and other happy plants produce more than one family can possibly consume. We invite all gardeners and those who appreciate fresh produce and flowers to meet at the canopy outside the office area in the courtyard. Gardeners can give away their extra bounty of produce to those who have not had the opportunity to garden this summer. It's a time to share the abundant harvest. Contact the office for more information.

Stewarding the Earth document

Please click here to access a digital copy of the Stewarding the Earth document, compiled by the Greening the Congregation committee. 

Third Quarter Summer Fun

Those in the third quarter of life, ages 50-75ish, are invited to share hope, laughter, and love through active events.

Thursday September 13 at 6:00 p.m. Potluck in Parish Commons.  We will review our past year's activities and get your ideas for 2018-2019 monthly events.

Walking 4 Wellness
 
All are welcome! We have a fun, social time.  Meet the group for friendship and fresh air.  Wednesdays, 3:30-4:30 p.m.  (approx).  Meet at the TLRC Art Center, near the fountain. No sign up required. Questions? Contact Pastor Sigi Helgeson, sigi.helgeson@smlutheran.org.

 
Women of St. Mark's

We need Christmas Cards! They are for a special project for the Advent Brunch. 

Our next Craft Night will be on  Monday, August 20. Due to all the work being done to the Church facility we need to move to the Youth Room. The times will be the same,  6 p.m. to 9 p.m.  This will be our sewing night.  Bonnie Wascher has a wonderful project for us to work on and we will need lots of hands for cutting, ironing, sewing and finishing.  We will also continue to work on the decorations for the Bath Salts if time allows.

Calling all you wonderful ladies who would like to help arrange the Advent Brunch. This year I would like us to come together and plan a wonderful event for our ladies. We need someone to plan the program, make tickets, help sell tickets, make a poster, plan our meal, pick out a simple project to do at the Brunch, help decide on our offering...many hands make quick work. Minimal meetings, much can be done around a table after services on Sunday and via email and phone calls.  

Our September Craft Night will be on  Friday, September 28, in the Youth Room.  We will be working on finishing the Bath Salts and completing the Snowman Chocolate Bars.  

Hope to see you at our August Craft Night! Come lend a hand to help create a big seller! Jobs for all!

If you have a question, please call Barbara Meyers at 253-756-9352 or send me an email at  barbstitch@gmail.com.

St. Mark's Preschool

St. Mark's Preschool is looking to hire a fun, team-oriented PreK teacher with at least two years of experience teaching 4-5 year olds. PreK teachers work M-Th from 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Pay will be between $14-$17/hr DOE. Please be prepared to provide a resume as well as three references. We look forward to hearing from you soon! 
Contact: Anne Zimmerman, St. Mark's Preschool Director, preschool@smlutheran.org, 253-272-4929.

St. Mark's Preschool is accepting registration forms for the 2018-2019 school year! 

Children and Youth Faith Formation

Thanks to everyone who helped with VBS from shepherding children, teaching, leading an activity, etc. We could not have done it without you.

Summer Story time:  9:45 hour for children 5 years old to 3rd grade (incoming). Younger children need to bring an adult. Sunday's leader: Pastor Rebecca Shjerven.

You are INVITED to join the  Sunday  morning Children's Faith Formation fun!  Be a member of a teaching team for 5-6 weeks during one or more sessions  September 16  to  June 16 . See the table in the Narthex or contact Celesta Smith at  sundayschool@smlutheran.org  for more information.

Youth grades 6-12 and parents: don't forget to sign up to help with Music on the LawnAugust 25 at Bob and Suzy Reynold's home. 

Speak Up: Moral Voices

The Peace and Justice Committee at St. Mark's suggests we all consider using our moral voices to advocate for justice in the following areas: food, housing, creation, and immigration. 

Protected public lands are a part of our national heritage.--and have been described as America's Best Idea. It is incumbent on our leaders to "preserve and protect our public lands" not despoil them. In Washington state, Olympic National Park, Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park, and the Glacier Peak Wilderness provide poignant reminders of the wisdom and stewardship of wilderness forebears like Presidents Roosevelt and Truman; and John Muir, Robert Marshall, and Washington's own Justice William O. Dougla s. 

Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Interior of the current administration recently announced  it would open nearly all of the  Continental Shelf to oil and gas drilling.  In Washington State the proposal met with bipartisan  condemnation.  2016 Republican gubernatorial candidate, Bill Bryantstated that the GOP should oppose  this action. Washington Democrat and Attorney General Bob Ferguson joined the call to action by  announcing  his plan to commemorate the 60th anniversary  of Justice William O. Douglas's hike to raise awareness about the significance of preserving ourshoreline

In August 1958, in response to the prospect of the development of a coastal road in Washington State, Justice Douglas organized a hike to call attention to this threatened area of wilderness along the ocean beaches. The Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs and the Wilderness Society officially sponsored the hike. Both supporters and opponents of the road were invited to participate in the trek. It was to be a kind of "walking national town hall meeting."  

The three-day trip began on August 19, 1958. The northern section of the wilderness beach hike taken by the Douglas party lies between the Quillayute River and the Ozette River and is about 20 miles long. This coastal ribbon protrudes farther into the sea than the rest of the Washington coast and includes petroglyphs, fine sandy beaches, tide pools, and treasures tossed up by the cauldron of an angry ocean. 
 
At the end of the adventure 69 sturdy walkers finished the trek, emerging at Rialto Beach, on August 21, 1958. Douglas was joined, by luminaries from the wilderness movement, including David Brower of the Sierra Club; Harvey Broome, Olaus Murie, and Howard Zahniser of the Wilderness Society; and Sigurd Olson from the National Parks Association. 

In the end the road was never built and over 50 miles of virginal wilderness remain for future generations. As a result of the vigilance and concern of Justice William O. Douglas and other leaders another wilderness area was preserved.

To read more about this story and the hike this weekend to preserve the coast-land click on the link below.


Free Pierce County Film Series Focuses on Family Caregiving

Films on Caregiving - Happy Tears
September 8  - Two sisters help their crude but endearing father deal with age-related health and mental problems.  Upon returning to their childhood home to help their father, they face difficult, frequently comic situations.  The sisters also bicker over the seriousness of their father's condition and his caregiving needs. The struggle to balance familial duties with their own strained lives suggests a more meaningful family connection they may not have had as children.  Free film held at the Grand Cinema, 606 Fawcett in Tacoma.  Doors open  10:30 a.m.   Film shows at  10:45 a.m.   Free popcorn.  Tickets at  www.PierceADRC.org  (click on News & Events) or call 253-798-4600.

 

Church Office Hours

The church office is open  Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-noon, 1:00-4:00 p.m . and  Sunday from 9:30-11:00 a.m.

*The door to the office is locked during preschool hours (8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.); please knock or ring the doorbell and someone will let you in promptly!

Have an item for The Bridge?
Send it to communications@smlutheran.org by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. All items will  run for two weeks prior to the relevant date, and will be edited for length. Don't forget to send your member notes and news!