member or disciple? - christ lutheran...
TRANSCRIPT
Important dates: June 11 - Graduate Blessing
June 18 - Education Hour
June 24 - Women’s Luncheon
Jesus came to the
d i s c i p l e s
and said to them, “All authority
in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. Go therefore and
make disciples of
all nations, bap-
tizing them in the
name of the Fa-
ther and of the
Son and of the
Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to
obey everything
that I have commanded you.
And remember, I am with you
always, to the end of the age.”
Matt. 28:18-20
On Pentecost Sunday, June 4,
we will be welcoming four new
members into our congregation.
Pentecost, a baptismal festival
day when we remember the dis-
ciples being “baptized” with the
Holy Spirit, is a perfect day for
bringing new members into the
fold. And, as we did last year,
we’ll have a baptism that day!
What a perfect celebration of
our life together in Christ.
Among church
leaders, there is
currently some
debate going on
about what con-
stitutes church
m e m b e r s h i p .
Questions are be-
ing asked about how and why
we do things the way we do:
What are the expectations of
church members? Are processes
and rituals around membership
necessary? What about people
who do not want to join as
members but are very involved
in the life of the congregation?
And it’s not just religious organ-
izations that are asking these
questions. As you may know,
many organizations that in the
past have counted on recruiting
and maintaining membership
rosters, such as churches, ser-
vice clubs, heritage and histori-
cal groups, political parties, etc.,
are all facing low membership
numbers. In this postmodern
era, people of all ages are just
less likely to be “joiners.” Ironi-
cally, those same people are all
incredibly connected through
Member or Disciple? — continued
CHRIST LUTHERAN NEWS
June 2017
2501 SW 320th St. Federal Way, WA 98023
ChristLutheranFW.com
Member or Disciple?
Christ Lutheran News—June 2017
2
social media, and, as the above study points out, “optimistic
about the future.” Even though people are officially affiliating
less and less with traditional organizations, there is still a deep
hunger to connect with others on a personal, meaningful level.
So when it comes to church membership, what might this mean
for us? In our denomination, we tend to value “good order” in
the church, meaning that we keep detailed records about mem-
ber’s significant events: birth date, baptism date, confirmation
date, wedding date, children’s names, children’s baptisms,
changes and transfers in membership... It turns out to be a lot of
paperwork! I think that it is important to track these details and
to encourage new people in the congregation to consider mem-
bership. But to really answer the question, we have to dig a little
deeper. We have to ask ourselves: what is the point of church
membership? Is it to show in numbers that we are a “successful”
congregation? Is it to keep track of who is “in” and who is “out,”
who is “us” and who is “them”? Is it to know who we can count
on to contribute to our budget?
Maybe. But underneath all those reasons, the real point of
church membership is to do exactly as Jesus said in Matthew 28:
Go make disciples, baptize and teach them. These are the last
words of Jesus to the disciples in Matthew’s Gospel, his post-
resurrection instructions to them about how to carry on as his
followers in his name. They are instructions for us as well. When
it boils down to it, we invite people to become a church member
because we are in the business of making disciples, inviting
them into the joy and challenge of baptismal living.
So perhaps we shouldn’t talk about members at all. Perhaps, we
should talk about disciples instead. After all, it is already there
in our congregation’s mission statement: We are disciples of
Christ, sent to love and serve the Lord. Making disciples in al-
ready there in our congregational DNA. Isn’t it time to claim it,
loud and proud?
Welcome to the newest disciples at Christ Lutheran Church:
Robert H., Liz L., and Erma and Robert O. We are so thankful to
be on the discipleship journey together.
Member or Disciple? — continued from page 1
Staff Pastor ............................ Rev. Chelsea Globe
[email protected] Pastoral emergencies outside of
office hours: (253) 237-4247 Office Manager .......................... Laura Olsen Music Director .................... Katie Stevenson Nursery Director ......................... Diane Putts Custodian .............................. Kayten Reimer
Church Council President .................................... Tom Hagen Vice President ............................. Gary Curtis Secretary.................................... Mary Hefty Treasurer ........................ Janeen Whitehead At-Large, Pos. 1 .......................... CJ Campbell At-Large, Pos. 2 .......................... Pam Wilson
253-927-6969 [email protected]
Tues. - Thurs. 10:00am - 2:30pm
Sundays at 10:00am
2501 SW 320th St. Federal Way, WA 98023
ChristLutheranFW.com
Christ Lutheran News—June 2017
3
Education Hour: Why So Many Types of Lutherans? Exploring Lutheran-ism in North America.
Sunday, June 18 after worship
Our final class in our "Lutheran Questions, Lu-theran Answers" series delves into the question of why there are multiple Lutheran denomina-tions in the USA. What is the difference be-tween ELCA, Missouri Synod, Wisconsin Syn-od and others?
Women’s Bible Study Sat., July 1, 10:30am in Lewis Hall
Men’s Breakfast Sat., July 8, 8:30am at Biscuits Café
Tacoma Rainier's Baseball Game Thurs., July 13, 7:05 PM, Cheney Stadium Sign up sheet in Lewis Hall or email Pastor Chelsea [email protected]
Women’s Bible Study Sat., June 3 at 10:30am, Lewis Hall.
Living Stones Visit: Sat. June 3. Meet at CLC at 4:00pm to carpool
New Member Sunday: Pentecost Sunday June 4. We will welcome four new members of the congregation: Liz, Robert, Ir-ma and Robert. Celebratory fellowship to follow.
Men’s Breakfast 8:30 am, June 10th, Biscuit’s Café in Federal Way. Come join the camaraderie and our primetime car-nivorous breakfast sampling team. Okay, we’re just a BOGSAT (a Bunch of Guys Sitting Around a Table) enjoying each other’s company while dis-cussing world events such as whether the Mariners should just stick a fork in it for the season and we should turn our attention to the Seahawks. Regard-less, if you need a ride or have questions, please contact Tom Hagen at 253-952-2151.
CLC Women's Luncheon: Sat. June 24, Noon. All women of CLC are invit-ed to attend this celebration of sisterhood!
The CLC summer newsletter will be a combined issue (July/August). Deadline is June 24th
Pastor Chelsea will be out of the office June 26-July 2 for Continuing Education and
Vacation. For emergency pastoral care, please call
253-237-4247 to reach the person on call.
Christ Lutheran News—June 2017
4
Deep Roots, New Life
The Southwest Washington Synod of
the ELCA is launching a new campaign
called “Deep Roots, New Life.” The
campaign celebrates the history of God’s
work through the Church and our Lu-
theran heritage, and looks to the future
as the Spirit leads us to share God’s love
and grace through Jesus Christ. The spe-
cific purpose of the campaign is “to re-
cruit and equip leaders and congrega-
tions to carry out our shared mission to
spread the good news of Jesus Christ by
empowering congregations and church leaders
to grow in worship, education, outreach, stew-
ardship, and other ministries.”
Deep Roots, New Life is a dual-purpose cam-
paign. The first purpose is to fund theological
education. To recruit and support strong leaders
to serve in our Synod, financial support for theo-
logical education is imperative. While this educa-
tion used to be funded by the national church
bodies, this is no longer the case and now places
the increasing burden on ministry candidates to
pay for their own education. This burdens many
with overwhelming student debt and, in some
cases, prevents the candidates from accepting
calls to churches unable to meet salary levels
necessary to pay down the accrued debt. Gifts to
help in this area will provide scholarships to en-
dorsed seminarians and other called church lead-
ers from our Synod to avoid entering their minis-
try careers with heavy financial burdens. Your
support will also enable called pastors to model
a life of good stewardship and enable these
church leaders to be recruited to serve in minis-
tries throughout the Synod.
The second purpose of Deep Roots, New Life is
to help fund new and renewing congregations
and ministries in the Synod. The Southwest
Washington Synod has launched eight new mis-
sion starts in the past six years, including two
Korean, one Chinese and one multi-ethnic con-
gregation. The Synod is currently starting three
new mission starts, including two Lati-
no congregations. The mission cam-
paign funding new congregations and
ministries in the Synod will enable the
Synod to develop additional new con-
gregations, including mission starts
that specifically reach out to young
adults and families. Additionally,
twelve congregations in the Synod
have committed themselves to a guid-
ed process of renewal and transfor-
mation and have been underway on
the program since last November. Key church
leadership and members receive training and on-
going support that helps build energy, focus,
and skills for ministry. Another 10 congregations
are in the queue to start the program later this
year and the ultimate goal is to involve at least
50% of the Synod’s congregations in this guided
renewal process.
What does all that mean for us? It means the
Synod is asking for our support – to help them
meet the goal of $3 million in current and de-
ferred (wills, trusts, etc.) gifts through 2019 and
to take advantage of an opportunity to use our
resources to live into God’s future with imagina-
tion and energy. The formal “reveal” of this cam-
paign will occur at the Synod Assembly this
month, but until then, if you have questions
please see Tom Hagen, Lonnie McWilliams or
Marilynn Short, members who have met with
the ELCA Southwest Washington Synod’s Bish-
op Jaech and Pastor Steve Olson, the Synod’s
Campaign Manager, concerning these wonderful
opportunities. More information is available at
the website: www.DeepRootsNewLife.com . Our
top secret revelation: we’ve already had our first
pledge of funds for Deep Roots, New Life by one
of our members! Let’s continue to grow deep
roots and new life with even more commitments
for the future!
Christ Lutheran News—June 2017
5
May Youth Weekend - Holden Village, May 28-30
Well, I did it. I survived 3 days in Holden Village with 9 teenagers. Let me tell you about the awesome young members of this congrega-tion. As a group, they are thoughtful, curious, brave, and adventurous. They make the best of less-than-ideal situations, and support each other. They listened patiently to each speaker and sang along with Rachel Kurtz, fabulous Lutheran musician. They marveled at the beauty of creation and had a chance to put away phones and tablets to be present to God and each oth-er. They gladly entered into service projects on behalf of the Village without complaint. They are seriously amazing, and we had a fantastic time.
Because of its remote location, when you enter Holden Village, you feel all the distractions of everyday life fall away. There aren't any cell phones chirping or strict schedules to keep. There's only bird noise, quiet deer munching, and the gentle rhythm of life in com-munity, gathered around worship and prayer. Some of these kids had never experienced being in a place this remote. What a gift we gave them- the gift of time and space. The gift of prayer and renewal. The gift of space for the Spirit to do her work of faith-making and sustain-ing.
Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, for your support of these young disciples among us. It is these kind of experiences that they will remember in years to come and will encourage them to see the Church as home. God's grace was extended to them, and me, through you.
Now I'm going to go take a nap. Peace, Pastor Chelsea
Christ Lutheran News—June 2017
6
Social Ministries News
It has been satisfying to complete a couple of pro-jects this past month. It had been decided that our kitchen was in need of dishes so we could up-grade our serving style as well as be conservative in our use of paper goods. We were able to pur-chase 50 dinner plates and 100 dessert plates from the Corning Ware Outlet in North Bend. I would like to give a shout out to Corning Ware for providing a 50% discount for all church purchas-es, and to Sue O’Brien for procuring this purchase through her grandson. As an employee, he was able to give us an additional 10% off.
At this printing we have wrapped up our May Kitchen Towel campaign to replace worn (and missing) kitchen towels. Thanks to your gener-ous contributions we collected over 32 towels! We appreciate everyone’s diligence in caring for our towels, and ask for your help in keeping them looking good. (Please use paper towels to wipe up spilled coffee, etc.)
June events we are looking forward to are New Member Sunday reception on June 4 and the Women’s Potluck luncheon on Saturday, June 24 at Noon. This luncheon is for all women of the church and their guests. At this time the Secret Sisters will be revealed as well. Look for a signup sheet. We hope to see many faces, old and new!
Anyone interested in being a part of this ministry, please join us the first Tuesday of the month at 11AM in Lewis Hall, or give me a call. All are welcome!
God bless ~ Liz Smith 253-381-1453
If you are a crafter, artist, soap maker,
seamstress, knitter, etc., our annual Homespun
Holidays Bazaar will be held Saturday, November 4. Start those projects you’ve
been thinking about. Pass the word to friends
and crafters you know. If you would like to be
part of the planning committee contact Liz.
SAVE THE DATE!
Liz, Sue H., CJ, Marilynn,
Ramona and Sue O are
looking forward to many
opportunities for festivities!
Christ Lutheran News—June 2017
7
Outreach News
Well, I really fell down on the job last month. May’s discretionary offering went to Lutheran Community Services Senior Services Program in honor of “Older American’s Month.” I had ideas of an event to commemorate this month, but alas, it passed quietly.
I wondered how and “Older American” would want to be commemorated. Positive characteristics, rather than chronology, mark a life well lived: loyalty to spouse or partner, church and country; being resourceful, clever, intelligent: someone others come to for advice. These are all things I can say about the old-er members of this congregation and why we value them and their membership.
The next Community Outreach Meeting will be on June 11 after service in the classroom. This is a different meeting time for us. Our usual meeting time is the last Sunday of the month after service in the classroom. All are welcome to attend.
Ann Jaeger Community Outreach Team Leader
Notes from the Bench
The choir season will be coming to a close in mid-June and it has been quite a year! Some favorites from this year have been "Come, Emanuel " and "Lo How a Rose" from the Christmas/Advent season, Palm Sunday's "Ain't No Rock Gonna Shout", and the Easter "Resurrection Alleluia ". It is wonderful to have a very appreciative congre-gation for the choir to sing to!
While the choir takes a break over the summer, we will try to include more solo offerings as we did last summer. If anyone has a desire to be in-volved in this in any way, please let me know.
I want to send out a big thank you to all who were involved in the music-making this year: Bill, Ellen and Anna Wells, Ann and Christian Jaeger, Kari Stone, Brendon Mix, Coleen Adams, Laura and Guy Olsen, Mary and Peggy Hefty, Gary Russ, Bryan Fiehler, Stan Tiedman, and Liz Smith. Please take a minute to thank these people in person when you see them in church!
Blessings, Katie
JUNE
Marlys Chovil June 1
Ann Murphy June 2
Elizabeth Lien June 14
Guy Olsen June 15
Eric Olsen June 29
If we missed your birthday,
please notify the church office!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Greeter Ministry
Like to smile? Have a warm handshake? Share them! You’re qualified to be a CLC Official Greeter! Greeters help everyone feel comforta-ble and welcomed in our worship. Though this might be especially important for guests and visitors, all of us enjoy experiencing a warm, heartfelt welcome. It’s easy - just show up at 9:45 am, grab your name tag from the office and take station near the narthex entry with your partner!
Christ Lutheran News—June 2017
8
Council Corner June is arriving and with it signs of summer as the month of May winds down. Some sure signs of summer are vacation plans, lawn watering and just the sheer enjoyment of the bountiful and beautiful Pacific Northwest that we live in – what a blessing from our Creator! That said, the Coun-cil continues their dedication to the congregation without pause – another blessing from our Crea-tor! Here’s a summary of our May 16th Council Meeting at which we…
Acknowledged the smooth coverage of Pastor Chelsea’s vacation in London by members of the congregation. A special thanks to Liz Smith for being on call for coordinating pasto-ral care and to Pastor for her usual meticulous pre-planning that made Pastor Martha’s con-duct of the Sunday worship successful.
Heard from Pastor’s report to Council that the youth trip to Holden Village over Memorial Day weekend is set and will have 7 attendees, including Pastor. Additionally, we will be re-ceiving 4 new members Pentecost Sunday, June 4th, all of whom were heartily approved for membership by consensus of the Council.
Discussed the financial state of the church, as usual. All accounts are current and a Finance Team audit immediately preceding the Coun-cil meeting verified bank balances and Treas-urer accountability. Thanks to Finance Team member Trudy Sorensen for her continued support of the audit process and to Treasurer Janeen Whitehead for her continued faithful and precise service in that role for the past several years.
Received a report from Gary Curtis that three
bids have been received for the broken win-dow replacement. Council voted to select Valley Glass to effect those repairs as soon as feasible.
Noted that we really need help on the Proper-ty Committee, not necessarily to perform the work, but to manage prioritization of property needs. Volunteers are welcome; please see Tom Hagen, Pam Wilson or Gary Curtis.
Approved funding to purchase new dishes for the kitchen. Thank you to the Social Minis-tries Committee for providing the research and ordering those badly needed replace-ments.
Voted to approve use of the church Fellow-ship Hall for Lifeline Screenings in September, exact date TBD.
We welcome your inputs for Council and invite you to attend our meetings held the second Tues-day of each month at 6:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall, the next one of which is June 13th.
Tom Hagen Council President
Christ Lutheran News—June 2017
9
“I’m a Lutheran” Every month we will feature members of our congregation who will share a bit about what being Lutheran means to them.
Grant Costa My first experience with church was: 3 or 4 years in Sunday school – singing “Jesus Loves Me” as loud as I could. The leader with the sto-ries she told using flannelgraph cutouts
On prayer: I told my Sunday school class – talk to God about everything. If you want something – ask (1 boy wanted a new skateboard). God hears and answers every prayer. We have to be ready to respond to Him. He might answer in a way we do not understand (“My ways and thought are not your ways”)
My favorite church memories are the music and the hymns we sing
Most people don’t know that I study history and archeology for fun. I almost get excited when an archeological [thing] relates to time and place in the Bible – it brings it all together for me. I also read a lot of Jewish history. I gave myself a complete set of the Talmud (Jewish Bible) which I am trying to learn to read.
My favorite piece of Scripture - Prov. 3:15, Phil 4:6. Little verses we don’t give a lot of thought but can mean a lot - Rom 15:25. Saints need help also. Comfort – Ps 30:5, Lam 3:19-3:25. Ps 3:5 leads to other verses about being sustained (This is difficult because I have many favorite verses).
I am a Lutheran because it is part of my heritage and DNA. I had two uncles who were Lutheran pastors. My parents were actively involved in starting a new church which eventually became one of the largest Lutheran churches in the area. Despite my Lutheran background I am very non-denominational in my thinking. If people ask me what religion I am, I respond “Christian – I be-long to a Lutheran church”
I go to Christ Lutheran because of the people – very friendly and will-ing to help when and where it is needed. I love the music – while we do the “golden oldies” we also do new ones, too. The choir is excellent beyond words. I still remember when they sang “You Raise Me Up” about the church itself. It’s people. A fellow worshiper once told me after a service “I always feel better after church here.”
Significant Events in the Life of Martin Lu-ther and his Reform Movement
June 13, 1525—Katharina von Bora and Mar-tin Luther are married, Luther becoming the first married priest in 500 years. His artistic collaborator, Lucas Cranach, and Cranach’s spouse, Barbara Brengbier, serve as witnesses.
June 15, 1520—Pope Leo X signs a papal bulla or letter listing 41 of Luther’s teachings that he must recant; if he refuses, he would be excom-municated from the church and handed over to the secular authorities for “punishment by fire or water” – by burning or drowning.
June 25, 1530—The Augsburg Confession, the primary confession of “evangelical” or Luther-an theology, is presented at the Diet of Augs-burg by German princes and representatives from the free cities of Germany who followed Lutheran teaching.
Christ Lutheran News—June 2017
10
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In the ELCA
St. Petersburg Men's Ensemble in Concert: Wed. June 7, 7:00 PM, Peace Lutheran Church, West Seattle
Synod Assembly: June 16-17, Trinity Lutheran/PLU Campus. Pray for all elected representatives and church leaders as we prepare for our Synod Assembly.
Beer & Hymn Sing at Synod Assembly: Fri. June 16, 7:00 PM, Chris Knudsen Hall at Pacific Lutheran University. Let us lift up our voices and sing to mark the 500th an-niversary of the Refor-mation. Wingman Brewers in Tacoma is partnering with the Synod to create a special Reformation beer just for this event! Open to all ELCA members of the SWWA Synod.
23rd Sunday after Christmas:
Baby Jesus starts teething.
Christ Lutheran News—June 2017
11
From the Prayer Team
Resting In Christ Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls… –Matt 11:28-29.
Thanksgiving and Praises: Ginny Kuhlman, continued healing from a broken pelvis; continued recovery of Pastor Hermstad from a stroke and broken pelvis;
Health and healing: Shirley Allen, as she transitions to a new living situation in Seattle; Lonnie McWilliams, recover-ing from knee replacement; Dorothy Wells, diagnosed with stage 3 liver disease and breast cancer; Jill Curtis, healing; Harold Trump and Barbara Woodworth as Harold is expe-riencing health concerns; Maria Riemer diagnosed with lu-pus
Peace and comfort for those who grieve: The family of Don and Marlys Chovil upon the death of their daughter Peggy; Coleen Adams and family upon the death of Max Watkins; Barbara Heist and family upon the death of her brother;
Family and Friends: Betty, mother of Laura Olsen, upon her cancer diagnosis; Miska Martin, daughter of Pam Wil-son, upon her cancer diagnosis; June, wife of Dwayne Langlund, and family as they grieve the loss of their patri-arch (friends of Marilynn and Jim Short); Donna Gullikson (friend of Marilynn Short), recovering from fall; Joanne Kai-ser (daughter-in-law of CJ Campbell), undergoing back sur-gery; Steve (friend of Bill Wells) upon diagnosis of brain cancer; Linda Gaskill (Frank’s wife) recovering from a mild stroke; Kari (Nancie Russ’ sister-in-law) as she recovers from surgery; Kasen Berg, for Kayten, daughter of our cus-todian Maria; Ken Wilborn (CJ’s friend) with recurrence of cancer; Jan (Carol Sutphen’s daughter) recovering from mild stroke; Frank Alexander (Dorothy Graham’s brother-in-law) having surgery; Jean Alexander (Dorothy Graham’s sister), with heart problems; Bill Owens (friend of Skau/Savini family); Kirke Sutphen (Carol’s son): Lynn Kuhlman coping with the effects of a brain aneurysm; Coleen Adams and family.
Interested in joining the e-mail prayer team? Contact Liz Smith - 253-381-1453
JULY/AUG NEWSLETTER
DEADLINE: 6/24
THURSDAY, JUNE 15
12:00 Noon, Lolli's Broiler and Pub, 32925 1st Ave S N
Save the date: CLC picnic Sunday, August 27th Steel Lake Park
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