Moments for Mission Newsletter of the Southwestern Washington Synod of the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

The mission of the Southwestern Washington Synod is to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ by

empowering congregations and church leaders to grow in worship, education, outreach, stewardship and other ministries.

August 2011

Submissions can be sent to the synod office and to rachelpritchett@msn.com.

Editor

Rachel Pritchett

Staff

Bishop Robert D. Hofstad Rev. Ronald Hoyum,

assistant to the bishop Rev. Valinda Morse,

assistant to the bishop Rev. Melanie Wallschlaeger,

director for evangelical mission Rev. Donald Fossum,

assembly planner Allison Ramsey, office manager

Phone

(253) 535-8300

Address

420 121st St. S Tacoma, WA 98444-5218

E-mail

swwsynod@plu.edu Blogs

Synod updates http://swwsynodelca.blogspot.com Namibia companion relationship

http://namibiaconnect.blogspot.com

Websites

www.lutheranssw.org www.elca.org

E-mail

swwsynod@plu.edu

News

Food bank born from closing of church SOUTH BEND — It was heartbreaking for Laura Michaelson when Our Savior’s Lutheran Church of Raymond closed in 2008. The 64-year-old lifelong Pacific County resident had been baptized and married there. The church had been central in the lives of her children and grandchildren. But a declining timber-dependent economy left little choice. “It was extremely difficult,” she said. Members went on to worship with First Lutheran Church in nearby South Bend, led by the Rev. Laurie Johnson. Now, the death of a church has led to the birth of the only food bank in South Bend, where unemployment remains around 12 percent and where working families and seniors on fixed incomes struggle to make it to the end of the month. Some of the proceeds from the sale of Our Savior’s went to the food bank, at first opened in 2009 at First Lutheran. Just recently, First purchased nearby land and a building and moved the food bank there. A formal opening of the Legacy Community Outreach Food Bank was held in June. Inside the food bank stand shelves of cereal and soda, beans and chili. Closets are full of toilet paper and soda. So far, the food bank is serving about 237 families a month, which translates to about 800 individuals. Pastor Johnson’s husband, Gary, said that the food bank has caused First members to see themselves as servants. Meanwhile, the former Our Savior's building soon will open as a senior center, something else new that came from the closing of the church.

Left to right, First members and food-bank volunteers Mary Ann Dirkes, Laura Michaelson and Gary Johnson.

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Congregations in transition

Mobility Call process Position Status Pastoral care Christ, Belfair P TR Robin Pizanti Emmanuel, Tacoma AP TR Dan Shaw Family of Christ, Vancouver P TR Janell Bethke Gloria Dei, Olympia AP I Doug Knutson-Keller Messiah, Auburn AP I Greg Kaurin Naselle P TR Pulpit supply Our Saviour’s, Cathlamet P TR Les Foss Peninsula, Gig Harbor P TR Lyle Miller St. Mark, Lacey P TR Linda Nou St. Paul, Winlock P I Al Berg Trinity, Enumclaw P I Dennis Hartsook Trinity, Parkland P I Howard Fosser

Mobility position key: P – Pastor; AP – Associate Pastor; AIM – Associate in Ministry; DM – Diaconal Minister Mobility status key: NV – New Vacancy; TR – Transition; I – Interviewing; C – Calling Retiring: The Rev. Margaret O'Neal will retire as chaplain from MultiCare of Tacoma and the Rev. Barney Rinkel will retire from Bethany Lutheran Church of Longview, both effective Sept. 1. News

Trinity College receives largest gift in its history EVERETT — Trinity Lutheran College has received a pledge for the third largest gift in its history. Idaho residents George and Jackie Brammer have gifted the small college $700,000 to remodel its top floor into a center for worship and art. The chapel will be named after Mr. Brammer’s parents, Otto and Goldia Brammer, who were active in church and outreach. Trinity President John Reed said, “I’m thrilled

that the Brammer name is connected to this initiative, since their story serves as a model for our students. Here are two people who have been successful in life and remain deeply committed to the spiritual and vocational development of students who will be leaders for future generations.” The chapel design will have worship space at its center that will extend outward to areas displaying student art. Pictured: The chapel area today. Advocacy groups merge The boards of the Lutheran Public Policy Office of Washington and the Washington Association of Churches approved a merger in June. The name of the new organization is Faith Action Network: A Partnership for the Common Good. The executive directors of the two former organizations will serve as co-directors of Faith Action Network. The remainder of 2011 will be spent getting the new group off the ground. A kickoff celebration is slated for Sept. 17 in Seattle.

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News St. John’s: Regaining touch with its community LAKEWOOD — St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church is settling into its new status as the synod’s first congregation to go under “synodical administration.” That means the council of the struggling church has handed over major decisions to the synod in order to free itself up to plan a new future. Now led by the Rev. Joe Smith, the small congregation of about 35 members will reach out to Lakewood residents, and listen to what they say their needs are. Church members then will build a new mission around responding to those needs. “Every (church) community that I have served assumes they know who their neighbors are. I don’t think that we do,” Smith said. The first “listening” event might be a barbecue with the young, military families that live in Lakewood. Maybe it will be getting a booth at Lakewood’s Summerfest. “Rather than look for fresh meat for our committees, we actually look how we can serve people,” Smith said. “It’s a culture shift; it’s a language shift.” Other first steps are planned. The congregation is doing “asset mapping” to identify its strengths. As Bishop Robert D. Hofstad turns the focus of the synod from starting new congregations to strengthening existing ones, he said he hopes St. John’s becomes a model. He also said its members showed courage in choosing synodical administration. “I commend members of St. John’s, in the highest way, for taking a leap of faith into the future that may now be uncertain, but will certainly be faithful,” the bishop said. Synodical administration is not permanent; the congregation’s council will eventually take back the leadership it handed over. But while under synodical administration, St. John’s members now have the strong and close support of the wider church community as they walk together into a new future. Pictured: The Rev. Joe Smith of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lakewood says a new traffic signal on Bridgeport Way will cause passers-by to stop and take a look.

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News Missionary to Nigeria retraces Washington roots PARKLAND — Even when she was a high-schooler in Longview, Dorthea Hamman had a hunch she’d spend her life in missionary work. “I just had this feeling I wouldn’t stay in the United States,” said Hamman, now a longtime lay missionary in Jos, Nigeria. She came to visit family and friends in the Southwestern Washington Synod in July. After high school, it was straight to Colombia for her first taste of helping others abroad and also to Western Washington University in Bellingham, where the Rev. Jim Stender, then campus pastor and now pastor at St. Andrew Lutheran Church of Vancouver, encouraged her to follow her calling.

It’s been two decades, now, that Hamman has taught school in Nigeria. Today, she’s a volunteer ELCA missionary and history teacher at Hillcrest School. The school of less than 300 students is very diverse. Some are children of other missionaries or ex-pats who’ve settled in Nigeria. Some are children of local families. “I especially enjoy (world history) because because there is already such diversity in my classrooms that it connects to each of us in a different way, and studying it helps us to understand our own pasts

better,” she said. Hamman married a Nigerian clergyman, the Rev. Amson Adamu Hamman, in 1996 and today they have three children, Daniel, Annette and Nat. Her husband has a four-point ministry of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria in Jos and in surrounding villages. While in Washington, the family was treated to a tour of the synod office and Pacific Lutheran University by Ed and Diane Armbrust and Missy Tade of the synod’s Global Mission Committee. Hammon said that anyone who is considering missionary work should not put it off, even if they can't go as far as Nigeria. “If you want to be a missionary, start wherever you are,” she said. Pictured left to right: Annette, Amson Adamu, Daniel and Dorthea Hamman during a visit to the Southwestern Washington Synod office on July 7.

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News

Tanzania missionary Robertson to speak in Olympia Everyone is invited to hear remarks by Tanzania missionary Barbara Robertson as she makes a rare visit home. She will speak at 3 p.m. Aug. 28 at The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd of Olympia. Good Shepherd is one of the synod congregations that supports Robertson, and Robertson at one time directed the Good Shepherd choir. In 1999, she went to Tanzania as a language teacher. Eventually she became involved in HIV/AIDS education, and today is a HIV/AIDS programs officer in Morogoro. She also has been active in the local Lutheran diocese there. “My greatest joy has been learning Swahili and making friends with some really wonderful people. My greatest frustration has been learning the Tanzanian bureaucratic system, both within the church and the government,” she said. Her sponsors include eight in Washington, six in Maryland, three in Michigan, two each in Idaho and Pennsylvania and one in Ohio. Good Shepherd is at 1601 North St. SE. The following congregations support or have pledged to support missionaries, along with the synod: Bethany of Spanaway; Elim of Port Orchard; First of Poulsbo; Good Shepherd of Olympia; Mount Cross of University Place; Mountain View of Edgewood; Our Saviour’s of Bremerton; Peace of Puyallup; Peninsula of Gig Harbor; Redeemer of Fircrest; Resurrection of Tacoma; St. John’s of Chehalis; St. Mark’s by The Narrows of Tacoma; St. Paul of Vancouver; and Trinity of Longview. In Yelm, Emmanuel members spurred into action YELM — Emanuel Lutheran Church has hosted a weekly a “Giving Thanks” dinner since last November, and since then, the joyful event has attracted about 70 church and community regulars. “We’ve had a ball every Tuesday night since,” said the Rev. Jerry Collell, who leads the rural congregation. “While initiated in the face of a hard winter for the homeless and low-income ... even

more important was the fellowship — being able to get out and be with people,” Pastor Collell said. “Emanuel struggles with meeting our bills, like most small congregations. This experience has taught us how God provides abundantly with food and help. We took a leap of faith that many haven’t come down from yet,” he said. He added that congregation members see need they didn’t see before. Half a year since starting the free dinners, they have an emergency shelter at the church. Members help the needy buy bus passes. They phone family members to let them know their loved one is OK. “Seeing God at work there spurred us into action. Our name means God with us and these dinners have really brought that home,” Collell concluded.

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News

Bishop’s daughter marries Lynn Hofstad, daughter of Bishop Robert D. and Linda Hofstad, married Bryce Godfrey on July 23 at The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd of Olympia. Bishop Hofstad walked his youngest of two daughters down the aisle in the same church he and Mrs. Hofstad raised them in, and where he preached for many years. Sister Sara Womack was matron of honor. Retired Bishop David Wold officiated. A reception followed at the Olympic Flight Museum. From left, Bishop Robert D. Hofstad, groom Bryce Godfrey, bride Lynn Hofstad and Linda Hofstad, mother of the bride. More images from the reception are at http://swwsynodelca.blogspot.com. Voices

Synod’s congregations passionate about fighting hunger By Rick Nelson, synod Hunger Committee Churches in the Southwestern Washington Synod are very supportive of ELCA World Hunger. From February 2010 to January 2011, 51 of the synod's 93 congregations and authorized worship communities donated $96,830 that passed through the synod accounts. On their own, congregations directly donated another $62,100 to the ELCA World Hunger for a total of $158,930. That averaged

$4.30 per baptized member of the synod. In the first four months of the 2011 fiscal year, 34 congregations have donated $25,574 to World Hunger through synod accounts. Total gifts from ELCA churches to World Hunger in 2010 totaled $16.2 million. In the World Hunger financial model, between 20 and 25 percent of World Hunger gifts are spent domestically. The 2012 Domestic Hunger Grants application was finally made available July 22. You can access the application at www.elca.org/domestichungergrants and then proceed to the application link to get started. Please note that the application

is due by Aug. 26, 2011. The synod Hunger Committee will evaluate the applications once they have been received. In 2010, 12 churches and related non-profit organizations were funded. These included a mobile food bank, a community center providing services for children, a community garden, and a weekend food backpack program for low-income children.

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Upcoming

PLU night at Cheney Stadium on Aug. 12 The Tacoma Rainiers take on the Iowa Cubs on Aug. 12 at the newly renovated Cheney Stadium in Tacoma during Pacific Lutheran University night. All friends of PLU are invited. A $10 admission ticket buys a hot dog, soda, chips, plus PLU demonstrations and fireworks after the game. Game time is 7 p.m. Camp Lutherwood anniversary extravaganza coming LAKE SAMISH, WHATCOM COUNTY — A day of family fun is planned Aug. 13 as Lutherwood Camp and Retreat Center celebrates its 65th anniversary with an open house. On tap besides lunch and a benefit dinner is swimming, canoeing, water skiing, wake-boarding and tubing, as well as hiking and access to the high-ropes course. The event is to raise funds to support the camp located just south of Bellingham. Go to http://www.camplutherwood.org for more detail. Reservations for the 6 p.m. benefit dinner can be made to Corey Peterson, (360) 734-7652 or office@camplutherwood.org. Courtesy photo Follow the action in Orlando The ELCA churchwide assembly takes place August 15 to 19 in Orlando, Fla. To watch it live or for news updates, visit http://www.elca.org. Enjoy August service at Little White Church The peak of summer is a good time to take part in an Aug. 21 worship service at the Historic Elbe Evangelical Lutheran Church on Mount Rainier. All are welcome to the service that begins at 2:30 p.m. Refreshments and fellowship follow. To become a volunteer for the Little White Church, contact Kathy Mettler at (360) 832-4922. Stewardship workshops planned Congregational stewardship leaders are invited to attend one of four stewardship workshops soon to be presented in the Southwestern Washington Synod. Presenters include the Rev. Charles Lane, a stewardship expert from Luther Seminary; the Rev. Melanie Wallschlaeger, synod director for evangelical mission; the Rev. Jim Leistikow, planned-giving specialist; the Rev. Sarah Roemer, mission interpreter; Margie Fielder of the ELCA Mission Investment Fund; and synod stewardship expert Carol Watson. Times and locations are 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 25, Silverdale Lutheran; 9 a.m. to noon, Aug. 27, Mount Cross Lutheran of Tacoma; 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 28, St. Andrew Lutheran, Vancouver; and 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 30, Saron Lutheran, Hoquiam. To sign up, email name, congregation and email address to the synod office at swwsynod@plu.edu.

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Upcoming

Bible-study event focuses on Book of Mark The Rev. Patricia Lull will lead a Bible study examining the Book of Mark as an invitation to discipleship from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 27 at Messiah Lutheran Church of Auburn. Lull has served as parish pastor, ELCA director of campus ministry and dean of students at Luther Seminary. The cost is $15. Make checks payable to the Women of the Southwestern Washington Synod. Send to Kathy Ifft at P.B. Box 1262, Eatonville, WA 98328. Lutheran golf tourney slated A Lutheran Cup Golf Tournament is slated for 8:30 a.m. Sept. 10 at Green Mountain Golf Course in Vancouver. The cost is $75 per person. More information is at (360) 834-4201. Neighboring synod invites participation in stewardship learning The Northwest Washington Synod presents its Care for Creation Fall Stewardship Event on Sept. 24 in Seattle. It will feature Paul Johnson, professor at the University of Washington School of Oceanography. The event is from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. John United Lutheran Church, 5515 Phinney Ave. N. The cost is $15. To reserve a spot, send a check to the Northwest Washington Synod at St. John. The zip code is 98103. Our congregations

From websites, newsletters and announcements across the synod, for keeping up

Cultivating leaders: St. Mark’s by The Narrows is among six congregations and church-related groups that will share $60,000 from The Fund for Theological Education to train future religious vocational leaders. The program at St. Mark’s that attracted the Fund’s attention is “Hearing and Answering Christ’s Call.” In Dominican Republic: The Rev. Peter Mohr led a team from Lutheran Church of Christ the King of Tacoma to the Dominican Republic, where members were in San Juan helping to finish 18 Habitat for Humanity homes. Plenty of pipe organs, but no players: The new Peace Lutheran Fellowship of Port Ludlow meets in a lodge whose owner collects pipe organs, but the new worshiping group has no players. To volunteer, call (360) 379-4854. Rummaging around: First Lutheran Community Church of Port Orchard will be accepting items for an upcoming rummage sale from Aug. 7 to 25. The congregation's Rumage Sale and Family Fun Day takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 27. The church, led by the Rev. Doug Nemitz, is at 2483 Mitchell Road SE. For more information, contact the church at (360) 876-2613 or mailto:flchurch@wavecable.com. New: Jill Knoblauch is the new child-care director at Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Tacoma. New youth director: Our Saviour’s of Bremerton has welcomed Rebeckah Selnick as its youth director. Receives grant: Peace of Tacoma has received a $5,000 grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans to continue providing emergency assistance to community members. On national board: Ely Smith was elected to the executive board of the national Women of the ELCA during its triennial convention in Spokane in July. Smith, member of Trinity of Parkland, will serve a three-year term.

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Bulletin board

Videos of new congregations available To get copies of any of the three videos on new worshiping groups in the Southwestern Washington Synod shown at the assembly in May, contact Spiritborne Productions of Olympia at (360) 866-2021 spiritborne@earthlink.net, or the synod office. Featured groups included Living Stones Lutheran Worshiping Community at Shelton, Peace Lutheran Fellowship of Port Ludlow and the second site of Messiah Lutheran Church of Vancouver.

Foreclosure mediation program begins Are you teetering on foreclosure and need help? The help of a mediator now is available through a new state program. To line one up, call the a state foreclosure prevention hotline at 1 (877) 894-4663. More information is at http://www.commerce.wa.gov. Seminary training focuses on inter-cultural Those interested in receiving theological education that makes inter-cultural training front and center are invited to consider The Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest. The training involves the Theological Education for Emerging Ministries (TEEM) and is led by the Rev. Javier Alanis. To learn more, visit www.lsps.edu. The institution is in Austin, Texas. Calendar

Aug. 12: PLU night at Cheney Stadium, see Page 7 Aug. 13: Camp Lutherwood extravaganza, see Page 7 Aug. 15 to 19: ELCA churchwide assembly, Orlando, Fla., see Page 7 Aug. 21: Elbe worship, see Page 7 Aug. 25: Stewardship workshop, Silverdale, see Page 7 Aug. 27: Women's Bible Study Event, Messiah of Auburn, see Page 7 Aug. 27: Stewardship workshop, Tacoma, see Page 7 Aug. 28: Missionary Barbara Robertson presentation, 3 p.m., Good Shepherd, Olympia, see Page 5 Aug. 28: Stewardship workshop, Vancouver, see Page 7 Aug. 30: Stewardship workshop, Hoquiam, see Page 7 Sept. 10: Lutheran Cup Golf Tournament, Vancouver, see Page 8 Sept. 17: Faith Action Network kickoff, Seattle, more detail to come, see Page 2 Sept. 17: Synod Council meets, 10 a.m. to mid-afternoon, St. John’s, Lakewood Sept. 24: "Care for Creation" stewardship event, Seattle, see Page 8 Oct. 2: Associated Ministries' Hunger Walk, Fort Steilacoom Park, 9601 Steilacoom Blvd., registration noon to 1:30 p.m., more at www.associatedministries.org. Oct. 8: Southwestern Washington Women of the ELCA anti-racism forum, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Good Shepherd, Olympia Oct. 28 to 29: Synod Council retreat, Dumas Bay, Federal Way Nov. 12: Synod global mission event, St. Mark’s, Tacoma April 20 to 22: Women's spring retreat, Dumas Bay, Federal Way April 28: Women’s Narrows Cluster Event, St. Mark’s, Tacoma May 18 and 19, 2012: Southwestern Washington Synod Assembly, Vancouver, Wash.