This Fall there is an opportunity for congregations to participate in a cohort around “Building a Culture of Generosity.”

Please register here by Monday, August 15: https://tithe.ly/event-registration/#/5634977

The cost for the congregation will be $250, with the ELCA and Synod picking up the additional $200.

You can have several members of your Stewardship Committee participate in the program.

QUESTIONS? Contact Dianne@lutheransnw.org

Read articles from our Synod Vice President, Kay Edgerton and Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee in this monthly publication.

Find August's edition here.

(Find previous editions here: www.lutheransnw.org/news/the-spirit.)

The Washington State Department of Health and its partners, Birds Eye Medical and Color Health, have launched a new free telehealth option to increase access to free COVID-19 oral antiviral medication. This new option builds upon the Federal government’s Test to Treat initiative and gives people another way to quickly access free treatment for COVID-19.

Until now, telehealth for COVID-19 has only been available to insured individuals who receive care through a health care provider that offers telehealth visits. This new program makes telehealth consultations for COVID-19 available to everyone, regardless of insurance status, with no out-of-pocket costs. Under this initiative, anyone in Washington state who tests positive for COVID-19, including with a self-test, can arrange a free consultation with a health care provider using a smartphone or computer with a high-speed internet connection. If appropriate, they can receive a free prescription for pick-up at the nearest pharmacy that has the oral antivirals or have their medication delivered. Currently, more than 1,000 sites have oral antivirals available to allocate across the state.

There are two options to set up a telehealth appointment - either by visiting DOH’s new telehealth webpage or by calling the DOH COVID-19 call center. Those interested to arrange an appointment by phone can call the DOH COVID-19 call center at 1–800–525–0127 and press #.

Thriving Leadership Formation (TLF) is currently recruiting leaders and participants for the next round of Cohorts this Fall! Watch this video to hear from those who have found community and meaning through their Cohort.

The goal of the Cohorts to foster and equip spiritual leaders for new models of ministry and church. These small groups are communities of practice, learning and friendship… places for you and others to form meaningful relationships built on trust. TLF offers Synod Cohorts (11 Synods within ELCA Regions 1&2) and At Large Cohorts (organized around a particular group or theme)

Learn more and complete a participant OR leader interest form here: Contemplative Action Cohorts

Fe y Esperanza (Faith and Hope) Remote Tutoring Program is looking for adults to assist with tutoring. No experience necessary!

The kids we currently assist come from families whose first language is Spanish. The time commitment is an hour and-a half a week via Zoom. We currently tutor on Monday afternoons and/or Saturday mornings. Volunteers who are able to commit to ongoing assistance OR on an occasional basis are welcome! For more information, please email Karen Curtis at curtkd1@gmail.com.

If you are interested in any of these items, please contact the church office (NativityLCoffice@gmail.com or 425-228-5464) for more information.

We’ll be holding a “No-Sale Garage Sale” on Friday, August 19th (9am-3pm) and Saturday, August 20th (9am-2pm). We’d love to get as many of these spoken for before then as possible!

With Rev. Dave Ellingson (schedule now for the fall/winter)

For more information: head to paddle-pilgrim.com

To schedule a presentation or class (in-person, Zoom, hybrid) email: paddlepilgrim@gmail.com

Options:

LiVE Information Sessions

August 17 - 6:30-7:30pm on Zoom

August 17 - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrfuigqjwtHtzYCDO9ddSdb0aqtIeI0UEz 

https://www.lutheransnw.org/ministries/the-live-project

Read more & REGISTER at https://lcsnw.org/kitsap-ride-for-refugees/

Email reformride@lcsnw.org with any questions.

August 22-23 and 29-30 (four days total)

The Spiritual Leadership Development Intensive (SLDI) is an opportunity to engage with deep questions about your gifts, the challenges confronting you and your community, what God is calling you to, and how to be a spiritual force-to-be-reckoned-with in this turbulent world.

During these four days of leadership development and spiritual discernment in a safe and supportive environment, you have the opportunity to explore the dynamics of your life and ministry, how you got to where you are, and how to use fresh awareness and insights to enhance, strengthen and expand your ministry - and who you actually are.

Webinar series: Building an Anti-Racism Team: Next Faithful Steps*

This is a follow up series to the ELCA European Descent Lutheran Association for Racial Justice (EDLARJ) webinar around How to Build a Congregation, Synod and/or Campus Anti-Racism team. (All are welcome to attend this next series, even if you were not able to participate in the first series.)

As with any team, having shared goals is really important for doing effective work. The team should decide what their function will be by identifying their goals. Each racial justice team is unique to a specific congregation and community context. The goals of the team should be defined keeping that in mind. The main areas that a team focuses on falls into three areas: internal team goals, congregational goals, and community goals.

Hosted by: The ELCA European Descent Lutheran Association for Racial Justice (EDLARJ)

Audience/For whom: Anybody in the ELCA, specifically interested in connecting with other folks building or working at a synod, campus or congregational anti-racist team.

Register in advance: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZckdOyqpzgiHddA6usF4rGRm6lMlGYlIAP8 

Website: https://edlarj.org/events/

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/944572272926787/944572882926726/

September 7, 4:30 – 6 pm Pacific time: Internal Team Goals

Team goals are generally focused on one or more of the following:

• leadership development of team members - trainings, etc.

• cultural competency work as individuals and a team

• examining the culture of the congregation

* We thank and acknowledge the wisdom, experience and knowledge that Brenda Blackhawk put into creating this resource. She has offered it to us to use for our benefit. Our work will be better and stronger because of this resource…we acknowledge that as white-bodied people we cannot do this anti-racism work without siblings of color and culture. Please donate if you use this resource. 

Congregations of the ELCA will join together for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday, our annual day of service. As you explore opportunities to participate in your community, ELCA.org/DayofService has everything you need to plan and promote your day: Planning toolkit. | Worship resources. | Posters, postcards and social media graphics.

Spanish-language resources. | Promotional items. | Videos.

Old Lutheran has T-shirts and other items available for purchase. The deadline for ordering your congregation’s personalized T-shirts is Aug. 19.

Don’t forget to share your congregation’s participation with us! Send stories and photos to LivingLutheran@elca.org so that together we can celebrate what God accomplishes through you.

at St. Andrews Lutheran Church (2650 148th Ave SE, Bellevue)

Sponsor: NW Washington Synod

Join Facilitators and Practitioners of unique gatherings and organic forms of church, for a day of stories, experiences, and workshops to explore together how we can open God’s 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. Why shouldn’t our gatherings reflect our uniqueness?

Let’s imagine how we can foster organic sacred spaces right in our own backyards. 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? What is sprouting up within you that is ready for germination?

Please register HERE: https://tithe.ly/event-registration/#/5557479

ALL NW Washington Synod Rostered Ministers, Mission Developers and Interns, please plan to join us for our Fall Bishop’s Convocation for Rostered Ministers of the Synod. Our day will feature a live-streamed presentation and discussion with Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, as well as stories from local ministries who are accompanying immigrants and refugees. More information and registration link coming soon!