TWO EXCELLENT SYNOD DAY RETREATS THIS FALL

These events are OPEN TO ALL - lay and clergy.

Please consider joining us - and bring fellow members of your congregations!

Find additional info in the "upcoming retreats" section at the end of this email...

Sacred Space Retreat

September 16 at Camp Lutherwood

Sacred Spaces: Opening the Holy Invitation Even Wider

There are so many ways to gather as faithful communities, whether it's outdoors, creating art, at the pub, or just eating around one big table. How can we create more inclusive gatherings for people to encounter God? How can we experiment with the gifts we have to meet the needs of those seeking the spirit in our own neighborhoods? Join us for the day as we explore! See below!

LiVE Fall Retreat

Saturday, September 23 at Our Savior's, Everett

Chosen: A Study in God's People-Creating Project  

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Michael Chan to lead this One-day Retreat for any and all lay leaders who wish to revisit the Chosen life of God’s people as heard within the Old Testament. Whether you are new to Scripture or a seasoned Bible reader, this day will bring you new insight, and inspiration for growing closer to the God who chooses people for a life of calling and connection. See below!

Becoming the Church God is Calling Us to Be ELCA

The ELCA Wants to Hear Your Opinion!



Throughout the next couple of months, the ELCA is asking for your help. We are looking for your thoughts and ideas on how we are called to be a church in today’s world. Please visit our website on Future Church: God’s Love Made Real – https://lovemadereal.elca.org – where you can watch a video from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton that explains more about this action and complete a survey to share your views of the church and the world today. In the coming weeks we will offer listening sessions where you can participate in online opportunities to provide your thoughts on God’s call for the church. 

Tutors Needed!

Fe y Esperanza (Faith and Hope) Remote Tutoring Program was a ministry of our former mission start, Iglesia Luterana Fe y Esperanza in Everett, and is now "housed" at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Lynnwood. 

Adults are needed to assist with tutoring or homework for students in all grade levels who need extra help in the areas of math, reading, and writing. Current students come from families whose first language is Spanish but all tutoring is conducted in English and over Zoom. 

The time commitment is 90 minutes on Monday afternoons during the school year (Sept. - May). No experience is necessary. If you are interested in serving on an ongoing or occasional basis, or for more information, please contact Karen Curtis at curtkd1@gmail.com   

Truth and Healing Movement Events

Find opportunities to learn the true history and current realities of our Indigenous neighbors. It is these truths, truths that have been ignored by most for hundreds of years, that will bring healing for both Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people.

Find webinars, book lists, and more HERE!

NWWA Synod Trip to the Holy Land

January 14-25, 2024

You are invited to join with others in the NWWA Synod for a life-changing trip to the Holy Land. Not only will we visit holy sites, we will also meet with, talk with, and listen to those who live, work, laugh, worship, and struggle in this land. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) is one of our partners in the Lutheran World Federation. They are excited to share their stories with us. There is also an additional post-trip to Egypt that you are invited to sign up for, as well.

We want this to be a time for people to interact with and learn with the people of this land. Therefore, we are only taking twenty-four people. We hope that you will come and be a part of this important trip. Please click the link below to find out more information or reach out to me for any questions you might have.

https://www.eliastours.com/tours/northwest-washington-synod-holy-land-trip-with-bishop-shelley-bryan-wee-dr-rod-schofield

Synod Events This Week:

Tues, Aug 8, 10am-2pm -Synod Staff Meetings

Wed, Aug 9, 4:30pm - Executive Committee

Refugees NW – Foster Care Info Session

Tuesday, August 15 at 5:30pm Online



Register HERE

For over 40 years, the Refugees Northwest Foster Care program of Lutheran Community Services Northwest has partnered with a dedicated community of caregivers to welcome and support refugee and immigrant youth. These youth cannot return to their home countries, have no available adults to care for them, and are in need of stable, loving, long-term caregivers here in the U.S. Until a caregiver is available, youth remain in refugee camps overseas, or in facilities within the U.S., waiting. You can end their wait by becoming a foster parent or host home.

At these online sessions, Refugees Northwest Foster Care staff will share an overview of the youth we serve, the supports we offer foster families, and the basics of the licensing process and host home approval process. There will be time for your questions, too.

Refugees Northwest Foster Care actively seeks individuals and couples from diverse backgrounds to join our program as foster parents or host homes. We welcome adults of all sexual orientations, gender identities, marital statuses, and faiths, and we value the strengths a diverse foster parent community brings to help meet the diverse needs of our youth. Our program currently licenses households and approves host homes in King County and some south Snohomish County areas only. Due to the sensitive nature of the material shared, we ask that children do not attend this event. Teens are welcome.

Holden Village Retreat - register now!

September 10-15

A partnership with Music That Makes a Difference!

Learn more HERE.



The planning team will be posting regularly on this substack

It is a collaboration gathering for all people who are working toward wholeness, justice, and all those good things.

RECLAIM - register now!

September 14-17 in Minneapolis

RECLAIM is a gathering for people of African descent, brought to you by African Descent Ministries. Participants will build a tool kit for ministry as we move through a pandemic, climate change and an era of preserving healers' spiritual and emotional wellness.

The church needs healthy and whole preachers, teachers, professionals and young adults, all well-equipped with culturally relevant approaches to the word. Grounded in Scripture, RECLAIM will help participants feel embodied, emboldened and liberated in their identities.

Learn more HERE! Register by August 15!