We give thanks for all rostered ministers



- especially the amazing, wise, talented, compassionate, and faithful deacons and pastors in our synod!

THANK YOU each for sharing your abundant gifts so graciously!

Y'ALL are invited to show your gratitude for your pastors and deacons this month! Hold them in your prayers and consider notes of appreciation and/or gifts that encourage health and wellbeing.

October Edition of The Spirit

Each month in this synod publication our Synod Vice President, Kay Edgerton, and Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee share news and their thoughts.

Check out the latest edition HERE.

From ELCA Presiding Bishop Eaton:

In baptism we are called “to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed, to serve all people, following the example of Jesus, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.” Daily we live out our baptismal vocation among people of different religions and worldviews – our family and friends, our co-workers and neighbors.

As church, we have declared that “it is our duty and joy to extend God’s love, grace, mercy, and justice to all those who are made in the image of God and to the whole of creation.” To this end, I commend two new guides to you:

“ELCA Guidelines for Ministry in a Multi-Religious World” provides general guidance for occasions when Christians and people of other religions come together. Included are recommendations for prayer services, crisis and tragedy response, social ministries, pastoral care, weddings and funerals.  

“Preaching and Teaching with Love and Respect for the Jewish People” explores challenging topics, lectionary selections, and Bible passages to inform Christian preaching and teaching so that they respect the integrity of the Jewish tradition and avoid anti-Jewish interpretations of New Testament texts.

These and other inter-religious resources seek to guide the whole church in upholding the commitments we have made to love and serve all people and to strive together for justice and peace for the whole of creation.* As we abide in God’s baptismal promises, I pray that we will experience profound joy in the sharing and receiving of God’s good gifts. 

Pacific Lutheran University

Campus Ministry Update

PLU Campus Ministry is off and running for fall semester, reconnecting with continuing students and meeting new Lutes. 

There is good energy. Every new year and season brings its changes, and this fall we’ve made a few changes in Campus Ministry programming and the ways Campus Ministry is contributing to PLU’s mission and care for the spiritual development of students and community.

It’s a time of ongoing reformation, ministry, and hopefully transformation, too!

Read more from Rev. Jen Rude, University Pastor at PLU HERE.

LCSNW - Refugee Northwest

Refugee Foster Homes AND Home Stay Hosts Needed!

We are always in need of foster homes for youth, particularly those from Afghanistan and Central America, but recently we have seen an increased need for affordable housing for youth, ages 18-21, who are in our Extended Foster Care program. These youth are seeking affordable rooms to rent as they complete their studies and/or work, and our Host Home Program provides a bridge between living in a foster home or group home and becoming fully independent.

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN HELP:

On Tuesday, Oct. 4, 5:30pm-7pm - Join the Refugees Northwest Foster Care Virtual Info Session

Registration is required here by Mond, Oct. 3: https://forms.gle/if9W39dV1bFCmd9j9

Find the flyer about the info session HERE.

Find a list of our five young men who are currently looking for an affordable room to rent HERE.

Find a and a flyer describing our Host Home Program HERE.

Bright Stars of Bethlehem

Fundraising Evening

with Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb & Rick Steves

Wednesday, October 5, 7pm-9pm

at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lynnwood

Bright Stars of Bethlehem is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the health, education, and cultural and spiritual development of the people in the Middle East in order to promote peace and harmony in the region. Bright Stars impacts the lives of over 60,000 men, women, and children in Palestine. Born out of the vision of Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb and his outreach ministry in Bethlehem, Bright Stars is now more than fifteen years old. The staff and volunteer leadership work together to provide support to the Palestinian people to help grow hope in the midst of occupation.

REGISTER NOW for this special evening of updates and stories with founder of Dar a-Kalima University and co-founder of Bright Stars of Bethlehem, Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, and travel expert Rick Steves!

Holden Village Online Auction

October 5-9

Celebrate Holden Village's 60th anniversary...

Support Holden for the future!   

Learn more here!

Faithfully Queer (and Allied) Speaker Series

at Burlington Lutheran Church

This Fall we’re hosting several dynamic speakers to share about their own faith journeys toward loving all people, especially LGBTQIA+. How can one have faith, hold to their faith tradition (including to the Bible), AND be queer or actively support queer folx? The Faithfully Queer (and Allied) speaker series seeks to address this question. Each event is 6:30-8pm.

October 7: Jennifer Knapp Highly acclaimed for her contributions to the Christian Contemporary Music genre, Jennifer Knapp rocked religious conservatives with a very public “coming out” in 2010 through interviews with The Advocate, Reuters, Christianity Today and an appearance on Larry King LIVE. In doing so, she experienced firsthand the devastating effects religious prejudice has on the LGBTQ community and recognized something needed to change to turn the tide. In an effort to encourage constructive and uplifting dialogue in matters of LGBTQ faith, Jennifer established and now speaks and performs on behalf of the Inside Out Faith Foundation. An IOF event with Jennifer Knapp is part concert, part storytelling, part speaking and part audience interaction. Through her passionate music and disarming charm, she speaks of the challenges she and many others face in claiming their unique identity as LGBTQ people of faith. (Location is at the Lincoln Theater in Mt Vernon, 712 S 1st St.)

October 18: Tony Brown Pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Port Townsend, Tony Brown has experienced a solid share of church trauma. Having undergone conversion therapy in his adolescence to get rid of the gay, Tony has come out on the other side, happily married to a man, and serving in the church. He has an incredible story of faith and tenacity. At Burlington Lutheran Church.

November 4: our very own Xade Grant!

Xade will put on a concert to close out this series. He is a singer, songwriter and pianist who has performed throughout the Pacific Northwest as well as parts of the UK and Europe. Xade plays anything from worship to familiar contemporary songs and songs he wrote himself. His style has been likened to Elton John, Billy Joel and Michael W. Smith. Filled with abundant passion as he performs, it is his heartfelt desire to bring encouragement, joy and happiness to all who come to hear him perform. He resides in the Skagit Valley of Washington with his lifelong partner. At Burlington Lutheran Church.

Spirit Stirring & Story Telling 

A LiVE Project Day-Retreat

Saturday, October 8, 9am-3pm 

at Advent Lutheran Church, Mill Creek

Our personal and collective stories give the context for noticing the Holy Spirit in our lives. Through them, we discover the challenges and opportunities before us to give witness to God, and to be discerning of the responsibilities in the world to which we are called to engage. This first retreat invites us to hear the various ways the Spirit meets us in the stories we find ourselves in. 

Lunch will be provided. Childcare provided upon request.

Learn more and get registered HERE

Morning Art Retreat

Saturday, October 8

7400 Woodlawn - Center for Community, Arts, and Spirituality

(home of our mission start Emmaus Table)

Laurie Rudel, Artist/Spiritual Leader, Teaching Faculty with Grunewald Guild, will offer a retreat-paced time of art-making, sharing the intro basics of Zentangle. Producing is not the focus here, rather, resting and being is! 

(To learn more about Zentangle, see https://zentangle.com/pages/learn.)

To register, go to the Emmaus Table Donate page (www.7400woodlawn.org/donate), click Donate button and then find the Zentangle tab in the list. Registration is on a sliding scale, $30-60, covering materials and teaching fee. Please consider a heartfelt amount to support this offering and the work of 7400 Woodlawn - Center for Community, Arts, and Spirituality.

Rev. Daniel Erlander Memorial Service

Saturday, October 15, at 3 pm

at Trinity Lutheran in Lynnwood

6215 196th St SW, Lynnwood, WA 98036

A memorial service for Rev. Daniel Erlander will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, Lynnwood. Masking will be optional. Clergy will not vest or process.

A reception and time for sharing stories and remembrances will follow the service in the parish hall. 



The service will be livestreamed through Trinity’s YouTube channel and also be available to watch later, accessed through this link: https://youtu.be/5PXhEuQo7uc 

We continue to hold Karen Erlander and her extended family in prayer following the death of Rev. Daniel Erlander on August 28. We give thanks to God for the creative, poignant, and delightful ways that Dan so generously shared the Gospel. 

Cards of care may be sent to Karen at 6850 Woodlawn Ave. NE Apt 302, Seattle, WA 98115-5666.

Planning Your Legacy

FREE webinar from ELCA Foundation

Wednesday, October 19, 2pm (Pacific)



Register Here

The current economic landscape may influence your estate planning and charitable giving. This free session will highlight a few key details of the current economic climate, give an overview of what you need for a solid estate plan, learn how you can leave a legacy to support ELCA-related ministries and save on taxes.  Learning Objectives:

• Learn about the current economic climate
• Discover what you need for a solid estate plan
• Explore the most popular ways you can leave a legacy to support ELCA-related ministries
• Learn how to save on taxes and be charitable

Make a Difference Day

At Camp Lutherwood in Bellingham

Saturday, October 22 – beginning at 9:30am

All ages, families, friends, and volunteers join us for National Make a Difference Day at Lutherwood. Join us for a day of fun around camp with work projects and cleaning up camp! Lunch will be provided.

Learn more and register here: https://www.camplutherwood.org/volunteer