First Lutheran continues to be big player in Nepal effort

Here's a story in part about First Lutheran Church of Poulsbo and its support of an orphanage in remote rural Nepal: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/jul/10/north-kitsap-religious-service-business-groups/

Community Shepherds invest at home

 

By Rachel Pritchett, synod communicator

CASTLE ROCK — They painted the outside of a restaurant struggling to stay open, then pulled waist-high weeds at a community garden.

They washed and waxed fire trucks and tested the hoses. They even battled the afternoon heat beating off the asphalt to built a skate-park ramp.

Those were among a dozen projects in and around Castle Rock taken on by 42 middle- and high-schooler in the extraordinary Community Shepherds Program at St. Paul Lutheran Church, from July 9 through 14.

"We had a bunch of different work sites this year," said organizer Lucas Myers, 23, St. Paul's youth director.

Each day when they finished work, they returned to the RV park where they were camping. 

Then it was into the pool to cool off their weary bones. After some well-deserved dinner, they worshiped and sang around the campfire.

In the end, the young Community Shepherds were changed. So were the communities they touched.

"I just don't think they're going to understand the love that's going to come from doing these things, how that can change someone's entire life," Myers said.

Amanda Snow, 14, member of St. Paul, agreed. "Just because we don't need help doesn't mean other people don't."

That is especially true in Cowlitz County, historically dependent on logging and construction. Unemployment persists at 11.2 percent, among the highest rates in Washington state.

In the past, St. Paul youth had gone to other places for their summer mission work. Why they weren't working in their home communities was a question that grew louder.

"I thought, 'Why are we going to Idaho and spending thousands of dollars on something that isn't being invested in our own community,' " said Myers, a Castle Rock native.

The cost per young person this summer was a mere $50. Fundraisers throughout the year brought in more money than needed.

The Community Shepherds Program is growing. For the first time this summer, youth and leaders from other congregations joined in, including Castle Rock Christian Church and Solid Rock Fellowship of Longview.

Myers wasn't too tired at the end of the week to begin thinking how the Community Shepherds Program might look next summer. He's thinking about extending it  throughout the summer, maybe with less camping.

"It's more of a lifestyle rather than a getaway," he said.

On July 14, as the workers were breaking down camp, the Rev. Robert Sinclair of St. Paul hoisted boxes and pushed heavy carts of folding chairs used for worship into a trailer.

"I think that God works in, with and through all of his children," he concluded.

To learn more about Community Shepherds Program, contact Myers at lmyers@atsu.edu or Pastor Sinclair at rsinclair001@luthersem.edu.

Pictured above top to bottom:

Left to right, Amanda Snow, Brandon Ruhland and Delaney Fouell spiff up a firetruck. (Cole Forney) 


Cody Dowell hauls a load at one of the gardens tended by the Community Shepherds. (Cole Forney)


Clarence Knutson, Brock Johnson and Steven Bohna work on free lunches for low-income people at St. Paul. (Cole Forney)

Closing camp with song (Pritchett)

St. Paul Youth Director Lucas Myers (Pritchett)

Myers also teaches biology at Lower Columbia Community College and has a 1-year-old baby. (Pritchett)

Amanda Snow of St. Paul (Pritchett)

Life was great in Castle Rock

Readers,

Here are some shots I took while in Castle Rock this weekend. Thanks to the Rev. Bob Sinclair of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Lucas Myers, the congregation's youth director, for welcoming me and accommodating my needs as I worked to get the word out about the extraordinary Community Shepherds Program.

Most of all, I'd like to thank young Cole Forney for his excellent photography of the Community Shepherds at work. Cole, you have tremendous potential in photojournalism, in my opinion. Give me a call sometime, 206-498-0920.

Top to bottom are some scenes around Castle Rock, volunteer Jill Lair, and one of the young workers dismounting from the trampoline after the week was over. 

I'd call Castle Rock an awfully good place to raise kids. It's a close-knit community where you roll down your window several times as you drive through town to update everyone on your current status. St. Paul is a very family-oriented congregation at the heart of Castle Rock. At times during my visit, it seemed as if every young person in town was a Community Shepherd.

Rachel Pritchett, communicator

 

Giant garage sale at Messiah on Saturday

A giant garage sale takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 14, at Messiah Lutheran Church of Auburn, and all are invited. Furniture, yard equipment, toys and clothing are just some of what's available. The church is at 410 Eighth St. NE.

Deadline for August synod newsletter is July 20

Readers,

Friday, July 20, is the deadline for the August edition of Moments for Mission, the synod newsletter. You can send photos and information directly to me or to the synod office. If you would like to be included on the e-mailing list, let us know, as well.

Thanks,

Rachel Pritchett

rachelpritchett@msn.com

206-498-0920

Stories coming this summer

 

Hello everyone,


Some of the stories I'm working on over the summer are below. Contact me if I've missed anyone.

1. Next weekend, I'll be at the Toutle River Campground with youth from St. Paul Lutheran Church of Castle Rock, who by then will have devoted body and soul to a week's worth of work serving the local community under the Community Shepherds Program. I'll see what they've been up to. St. Paul is led by the Rev. Bob Sinclair. He and Lucas Myers, youth director, are overseeing the week. That's the Toutle River, pictured.

2. Patrick Cudahy is the synod's newest Young Adult in Global Mission. I'll be meeting with him in coming weeks between trips to Costa Rica and Malaysia, where's he is headed to perform his global service. Cudahy is the son of the Rev. Sigi Helgeson of Family of God Lutheran Church of Bremerton.

3. I'm planning a visit with Kathleen VanBeek of the youth ALYVE board, and we'll see what she has in mind for the group.

4. Just heard from the Rev. Steve Ray of Elim Lutheran Church of Port Orchard and director of Chinaconnect. He's given me an update of the organization's work in Nanchang, China, where he is now.

5. We'll be hearing from Allison Ramsey about Resurrection Lutheran Church of Tacoma's community garden, as well as fro the folks in South Bend about a big celebration of the expanded food bank initiative undertaken by First Lutheran Church.

6. We're going to look at a $100 million environmental remediation effort just getting started at Holden Village, the Lutheran retreat center in the Cascades. It's a former copper mining camp and some of the byproducts continue to migrate into a creek there. I think I'll be doing this for The Lutheran.

If you'd like to receive the synod newsletter, contact the synod office or myself.

— Rachel Pritchett, communicator

Pastor's corner: Make your choice carefully, lest you become like Emerson

By the Rev. Kim Latterell, Creator Lutheran Church of Bonney Lake, creatorpastor@comcast.net 

In preparing for a Bread for The World event planned by Associated Ministries of Pierce County, I came across a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson that spoke directly against being concerned about the plight of others. Emerson wrote: "Do not tell me of my obligation to all poor people. Are they MY poor? I tell thee thou foolish philanthropist, that I grudge the dollar, dime and cent I give to such men as do not belong to me and to whom I do not belong." Clearly, the poor are deemed neither Emerson’s concern nor responsibility.  To no one’s surprise, his viewpoint remains contagious in American thought and daily life.

On the other hand, as to counterbalance his view, I recalled an ancient Bible story involving one brother killing another, who, when asked about what he had done, responded with the question that still rings through the generations; "Am I my brother’s keeper?" Does somebody else’s life impinge on mine? The answer to his query appeared to be yes indeed, we are responsible to and for one another. Now I grant that the choice between the two approaches is a matter for your own heart’s consideration. If your heart and wallet grudge the poor still, individualism wins the day and Emerson is truly your man. But if your heart is moved by the plight of others to engage in both charity and justice on their behalf as well as the larger community, then clearly you’ve been shaped and led by a different Author and philosophy. You’re not libertarian but humanitarian.
 

The battle of viewpoint and worldview of the previous paragraphs is not newly made but forever engaged. Twenty-five hundred years ago, in a collection of proverbs, commonsense wisdom sayings gathered from real life experience, those authors included these hard earned lessons and passed them down for our consideration:  Do not let us close our ear to the cry of the poor. Those who are generous are blessed for they share their bread with the poor. And then this verse that speaks directly to American politics, policy and perspective: Oppressing the poor in order to enrich ourselves and giving to the rich, will only lead to great loss. But as I said, the choice and the vote is yours to make. Make it well, that every mouth be fed, every stomach filled, every home be made secure and every life become one of true abundance, together.