Our congregations

News from around the synod, for keeping up 
 

Sign worth a thousand invites: First of Poulsbo is getting lots of attention after placing this lighted sign at a busy five-way intersection outside the church. The $10,000 sign was made possible by a donor who gave $123,000 to the church. According to the Rev. Kent Shane, the donor hadn’t been regularly active in the church, but was confirmed there many years ago and early in his life made an investment that resulted in the amount donated. Church members used other parts of the gift to help five local assistance agencies, and gave $2,000 both to Living Stones Prison Ministry and an orphanage in Nepal. The congregation also used some of the funds for endowment and scholarship funds, and to upgrade classrooms and replace a floor.

People: Jasmine Phillippe is the new interim director of children’s and family ministries at Messiah of Vancouver. Phillippe leads Sunday school and midweek activities at the church.

High school moves: Mount Rainier Lutheran High School begins commences in the fall at a new but familiar location — Pacific Lutheran University. Now a decade old, the school’s been operating at a location on Waller Road in Tacoma. That location now has been sold.

WHO helped: Three recent wind and strings concerts, along with matching Thrivent grants, raised more than $3,500 for the Winter Hospital Overflow program in Vancouver, of which St. Paul and St. Andrew churches are deeply involved. Each night since November, St. Andrew provided shelter for as many as 50 women and families with children. St. Paul provides shelter for men.

Coffee Oasis: Members of Our Saviour’s of Bremerton continue to help homeless and at-risk teens through Coffee Oasis, a local nonprofit that provides counseling, job-training and shelter. Once a month, Our Saviour’s provides a home-cooked meal for 250 teens.