Upcoming

Boundaries-training dates scheduled
Dates for required boundaries training for rostered, lay and youth leaders have been announced. The required trainings will be led by Barb Keller, ELCA consultant for misconduct prevention. To register, contact the synod office at swwsynod@plu.edu or 253-535-8300. Here are the dates:

April 4: For rostered leaders, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church of Everett, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., $30 including lunch.

April 5: For rostered leaders, Trinity Lutheran Church of Tacoma, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., $30 including lunch.
 
April 6: For youth and lay leaders, Glendale Lutheran Church of Burien, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., $5.

April 8: For youth workers, St. Andrew Lutheran Church of Beaverton, Ore., 3 to 6 p.m., $20 including sandwiches.
 
April 9: For rostered leaders, St. Andrew Lutheran Church of Beaverton, Ore., 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., $30 including lunch.

Renewing Congregations workshop slated
“Who is my neighbor?” Discovering the answer to that question will be the focus of the next Renewing Congregations workshop, to be held in various locations throughout the synod this month and in May. The workshop hosted by the Southwestern Washington Synod is free; to register, contact the synod office and leave your congregation’s name and the number of people who will attend. The workshops all are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. The dates and locations:

April 6, First Lutheran Community Church of Port Orchard

April 27, Calvary Lutheran Church of Federal Way

May 4, St. Paul Lutheran Church of Vancouver

Luau comes complete with ukelele singalong
Family of Grace Lutheran Church of Auburn invites all to its “Hawaii 55 Luau” on April 24, where 
proceeds will be raised from a host of island-themed fun for the congregation's care fund. A $12 
ticket buys a Hawaii-style dinner, plus music and dance performances. A non-alcoholic tiki bar will 
be available as fun-goers loosen up their inhibitions for a ukelele singalong. Call 253-833-8310.

Learn how letters can reduce hunger
The Rev. Herman Diers, ret., of Tacoma announces that Pierce County Hunger Advocates, a local chapter of Bread for the World, is organizing a workshop showing how congregations can conduct an offering of letters to help the cause. The workshop will be from 10 a.m. to noon April 27 at Allen AME Church, 1223 Martin Luther King Way, Tacoma. Participants at the conclusion will have the tools to conduct their own offering of letters to elected officials that ask them to support policies that help reduce hunger. Bread for the World is bi-partisan and ecumenical group. To register, contact Diers by April 20 at raindiers@harbornet.com or 253-272-6338.

Intentional-welcome workshop set
Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church of Vancouver will be the site of a May 4 workshop to assist 
congregations in providing intentional welcomes to people of all gender identities and sexual 
orientations. The workshop takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The fee is $25. Contact Rick 
Nelson at ernelson@teleportcom.

Volunteers breakfast for little white church planned
A volunteer breakfast for the Little White Church at Elbe will take place at 9:30 a.m. May 18 at Peace Lutheran Church of Puyallup. The speaker is local historian Andy Anderson discussing the church in pioneer Puyallup. Persons who are interested in helping run the tiny church on the shoulder of Mount Rainier are invited to the breakfast. They can RSVP to Kathy Mettler at 360-832-4922 or Doris Gadley at 253-847-2743.
During the spring, summer fall, services at the doll-sized house of worship are held 2:30 p.m. on the third Sunday of each month. Various pastors from around Pierce County lead them. Peace has a long history with the church, including its construction. To learn more, visit www.elbehistoricchurch.com.

Discounts to attend assembly in place until mid-May
Learn more and register to attend the Southwestern Washington Synod Assembly at www.lutheranssw.org/the-synod-assembly. The assembly will be held from June 7 and 8 at the Hotel Murano and Bicentennial Pavilion in Tacoma. Discounts can apply until May 16. Room reservations can be made by calling 888-862-3255 and asking for the Southwestern Washington Synod/ELCA group block. The theme of the assembly that will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ELCA, is “Always Being Made New.” Besides the election of a bishop, workshops and presentations will be offered. The Rev. Dr. Terence Fretheim, Old Testament at Luther Seminary, is a featured speaker.

Pastoral-theology conference focuses on Book of Matthew
“God is with us: Preaching, Teaching and Living the Gospel of Matthew” is the title of the 2013 
Pacific Lutheran University Conference on Pastoral Theology, from June 17 to 19. John Pilch of 
Georgetown University and the Rev. Dr. Melinda Quivik of Lutheran Theological Seminary at 
Philadelphia will share the cultural context that shaped the gospel. More information and registration 
is at www.plu.edu/congregations, 253-535-7424 or crel@plu.edu.