September 27, 2021
Weekly Update
announcements & events
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Memorial Service for Rev. James Braaten
It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Rev. James Braaten's death on September 22. We give thanks for his life of faith and service - and for the many gifts he shared. We hold his spouse, Patricia, and their family in our prayers. May God's love and hope surround and comfort all who grieve.
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Help Needed for Historical Church
Trinity Community Lutheran Church congregation was established in 1913 by Icelandic pioneers of Point Roberts. Point Roberts is located 30 miles south of Vancouver British Columbia. In 1920 a group of volunteers completed the sanctuary that has stood these 100 years, a symbol of Icelandic love of church and community. Now this iconic church, the sole church in Point Roberts, is in danger of collapsing.
The restoration to stabilize the church and retrofit a foundation is underway – but additional funds are urgently needed to meet the costs. This historic building is more than a church. It is the oldest landmark in Point Roberts and has developed an ecumenical membership that has flourished for over 100 years. It is the only concert hall, the emergency shelter for the Red Cross, a partner with both the Food Bank and Point Roberts Emergency Preparedness.
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Worship and Office Items Available
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church (Sammamish/Issaquah) has sold its property, and has worship and office items to share with other churches, including paraments, worship furnishings, piano, office furniture, etc. (They have entered a time of discernment about where and how to gather - we hold them in prayer!)
Please see the photos and measurements in this document ( note: pulpit, lectern, baptismal font, large bookcases, Pastor's desk, the table pictured in front of the stone wall have all been spoken for, other items and bookcases shown are still available - as well as items on this page.)
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Proclaiming, Reforming, Celebrating: Stories Of 50|40|10
The year 2020 marked 50 years since members of the American Lutheran Church and Lutheran Church in America voted to change their policies and allow women to be ordained. The year 2019 marked the 40th anniversary of the first women of color being ordained in these predecessor bodies to the ELCA, and 10 years since the voting members of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly allowed people in lifelong, same-gender, monogamous relationships to be ordained.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic thwarted many of the plans for celebration and lamentation around these anniversaries, the following authors took the time to write down stories that they wanted to share with the church. (Including a handful from the NW WA Synod!) These women’s stories also are connected through themes of love and joy. No matter where these pastors served or what they faced, God still worked through them. God sustained them through song, through laughter and hugs, through friends and strangers. Hopefully this collection will offer some sustenance for you. Thank you, authors, for accepting the invitation. Read these wonderful stories HERE.
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Did you participate in the Noisy Offering Initiative?
Coins flowed into cans in a noisy way - supporting Hunger Ministries in our NWWA Synod. Thank you to those congregations who participated (and have sent their offerings to the synod office). These funds will be used as grants to congregations/ministries in our synod who are involved in local hunger ministry or who need “seed” money to start something new. Last year we were able to give five $500 grants! We hope to continue this in the coming years...
It is never too late to participate! Noisy Offerings can be a monthly part of your community’s gathering. Noisy offering is an easy way to gather a little from each other that makes a huge difference.
Here is a link that gives you some support materials. BUT….you can just put a can by the door and encourage people to bring loose coins. No programming or planning needed! Count the coins and send your amount to the synod office. It is that easy! Find resources here!
PS - Join us at our next Hunger Team Meeting - October 28 at 5:30pm (we are moving our monthly meetings to the Fourth Thursday of the month - no meetings in Nov or Dec.!)
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From our Partners at Faith Action Network
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Synod Events this Week
Tues. Sept. 28, 10am-12noon - Synod Staff Meeting
Wed. Sept. 29, 11am - Coaching Event: "Recognizing and Overcoming Resistance to Necessary Change in Church, Work and Life" (see below)
Thurs. Sept. 30, 1pm - Rev. James Braaten Memorial Service (see above)
Sat. Oct. 2, Synod Women's Organization Convention (more info here) |
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PLTS Founders' Day
Wednesday, September 29, 9am
Keynote Speaker Rev. Dr. David Vásquez-Levy (President of Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA) will present: Finding Level: Apocalypse, Prophets, and a Vision of the Possible. Extremes in weather conditions, ideological positions, and inequality are tearing at the fabric of our churches, communities, countries, and nations. At the same time, our connection to one another is made evident by everything from a global pandemic to global social awakening. What does this moment demand from and offer to the church and its leadership in the world? Register for the webinar lecture here: https://tinyurl.com/online2021foundersday
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Recognizing and Overcoming Resistance to Necessary Change in Church, Work and Life
Wednesday, September 29, 11am – 12:30pm
Hybrid event: via Zoom AND in-person at Pointe of Grace, Mukilteo
Change is hard and how people respond to change can be perplexing. This event, presented by Coach Northwest, examines the nature of resistance to change and how that resistance can be moved from rejection to acceptance and commitment. The 45-minute presentation will be followed by a dialogue.
(Meeting ID: 826 8895 2083 / Passcode: 332984)
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Opportunities from
Pacific Lutheran University
Pursuing a Meaningful Life
with Dr. Samuel Torvend '73
Thursday, September 30, 5:00-6:00pm
As part of PLU's Homecoming celebrations, this virtual workshop invites you to explore PLU’s distinctive understanding of vocation and how that view gives meaning and purpose to the lives of students and alumni. For more information and to register, visit plu.edu/homecoming.
The 11th Annual Lutheran Studies Conference
"Living with Mortality: Illness, Trauma, Joy and Hope" - featuring Dr. Deanna Thompson
Tuesday, October 5, including 12:00-3:00pm virtual sessions & 7:00pm Keynote Lecture
This year’s Lutheran Studies Conference will focus on finding hope and love in the wake of the pandemic and will address the various forms of trauma and loss we continue to face. We will look at how we carry both joy and brokenness as individuals and also what it means for our vocations of caregiving for one another and our community. For more information and to register, visit plu.edu/lutheran-studies-conference.
2021 Powell-Heller Conference for Holocaust Education
“Holocaust Denial And Distortion” - featuring Dr. Yehuda Bauer and Dr. Christopher Browning
Wednesday, October 27
PLU’s mission to support the education of our students and larger community on issues of diversity and justice are intimately connected to the study of the tragedy of the Holocaust. Students can see that marginalization of a minority group, such as the Jews of Nazi Germany, can lead to life-threatening situations culminating in one of the world’s modern genocides. Issues of distortion and denial make the process of reconciliation and healing less likely and serve as an insult to the memory of all those whose lives were destroyed in the Holocaust. For more information and to register, visit plu.edu/holocaustconference.
The 16th Annual David & Marilyn Knutson Lecture
"Bonhoeffer, the Church, and the Climate Question" - featuring Rev. Dr. James Martin-Schramm '81
Tuesday, November 2, at 7:00pm via Zoom
Where virulent anti-Semitism was the most important issue facing the church in Bonhoeffer’s day, Martin-Schramm argues Bonhoeffer would have grave concerns about the impacts of climate change on present and future generations. The lecture explores tensions between patriotism and resistance and considers how God is at work in the world today among all who are striving for climate justice. For more information and to register, visit plu.edu/religion/events/knutson-lecture.
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Crossways Bible Study
Pastor Mike Anderson, recently retired from Holy Spirit Lutheran, will offer a virtual Crossways Bible Study to begin October 3 to anyone interested.
Crossways is a two-year, in-depth, survey course of the entire Bible, Genesis to Revelation. Those registered will receive a video lecture to their email addresses each Sunday afternoon to watch at their leisure. An optional Zoom discussion group will be scheduled for the Thursday evening following each lecture release.
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Read The Koran in Four Weeks
Mondays October 4, 11, 18, 25 (7pm-9pm) via Zoom
Check out this unique class taught by Pastor Marshall, First of West Seattle, four times a year since 2003. The cost is $20 -- which covers sending you in the mail your own copy of an approved English translation of the Koran.
Call / email Pr. Marshall to register or ask questions (206) 935-6530 / deogloria@foxinternet.com. For more information on the class (including a half hour video interview) and some student recommendations, see flcws.org, “Reading the Koran with Pr. Marshall.”
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TWO Faith Community Nurse / Parish Nursing Opportunities
Questions about either of these events, please reach out to our Region One ELPNA Director, Anita Huntley, at parishnurse@ctksnohomish.org or (206) 931-7976
1) Meet & Greet - Tuesday, October 5, 3:30pm via Zoom
All ELCA Region 1 & 2 Faith Community Nurses/Parish Nurses & all nurses involved in Health Ministry are invited to join this time of fellowship and connecting.
See the full invitation HERE!
2) Presentation: October 12, 4-6pm via Zoom
"Ministering to Those Who Live with Dementia and Those Who Love Them Through It" - Presented by the Evangelical Lutheran Parish Nurse Association - see full invitation HERE!
Registration fee: $20 for ELPNA members/$30 for non-members
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Installation Service for
Pastor Kristi Lambing
Sunday, October 10, 2pm
We give thanks to God as Rev. Kristi Lambing is installed as the pastor at Fir-Conway Lutheran Church in Mount Vernon. Rostered Ministers are invited to vest - the color of the day is green. God bless this ministry partnership!
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2021 Hein-Fry Book of Faith Challenge
From our partners in the ELCA Churchwide Offices: Some people may hope for a return to normal after the world-changing events of the last 18 months, but sociologists tell us our future will revolve around living into a “new normal.” Presented by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the 2021 Hein-Fry Book of Faith Challenge will probe this new normal. Under the theme “Imagining Scriptural Encounters in the New Normal,” four online presentations by ELCA seminary students will help participants deepen their encounters with Scripture and strengthen their relationships with God in a time of extreme and continuous change.
The annual Hein-Fry Book of Faith Challenge is an endowed theological lecture series that seeks to enliven the biblical engagement of the whole church by encouraging the development of faithful, innovative and effective ways to teach and learn Scripture. The event is sponsored by the seven ELCA seminaries, the Hein-Fry planning team and the ELCA Book of Faith Initiative.
Every year, one student from each seminary is invited to develop and present a class or series for people both familiar and unfamiliar with biblical texts. The students are then invited to report their findings.
This year the challenge will comprise four online events:
• Kaylie H. Ines from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, Calif., will present “Hope Remains: A Creation Care Faith Study” on Wednesday, Oct. 20, at 1pm.
• Aneel Trivedi from Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, will present “Return to Baptism, Return to a New Normal” on Friday, Oct. 22, 12noon
• Katrina Steingraeber from Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago will present “Looking at Today’s World Through the Psalms” on Thursday, Oct. 28, at 8am
• Melissa J. Harris from United Lutheran Seminary in Gettysburg, Pa., will present “Environmental Stewardship: Reconsidering the Creation Narratives in the 21st Century” on Friday, Oct. 29, at 10am
The Rev. Dr. Diane Jacobson will serve as online host. The public is invited to attend these free online events, but registration is required for each of them. Registration information is available HERE.
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Installation Service for
Pastor Steve Jerbi
Sunday, October 24, 3pm
We give thanks to God as Rev. Steve Jerbi is installed as the pastor at University Congregational UCC in Seattle. Rostered Ministers are invited to vest - the color of the day is green. God bless this ministry partnership! See more info here.
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Ministry Leadership Wellness Webinars
NOTE: The first webinar has been moved out one month!
Fourth Tuesday of the Month at 1pm
Oct. 26, Nov. 23, Dec. 28, Jan. 25, Feb. 22, and March 22.
These monthly webinars are open to all synod rostered and lay leaders for free - as part of a Synod Grant with Living Well! The interactive webinars will be designed to implement specific holistic wellness strategies within the ministry setting as a way to assist with stress management, maximize engagement, self-care, and self-compassion. Find more info and Zoom link here on our website.
Click HERE for more detailed information about the Living Well partnership.
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ReconcilingWorks -
FOUR online trainings!
+ Building an Inclusive Church
+ Consent in Community Building
+ Bias and Its Impact on Welcome
+ Let’s Talk About SOIGIE (Sex, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, and Sexual Orientation)
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Want an item included?
All items due by 2pm on the prior Thursday
Northwest Washington Synod / ELCA
5519 Phinney Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98103
206-783-9292
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