Don't miss 'Global Stories: From Trip to Pilgrimage'

By Rachel Pritchett

What turns a trip into a pilgrimage? Presenters will take up that topic at the all-day event "Global Stories: From Trip to Pilgrimage" taking place Nov. 10 at St. Mark's Lutheran Church by The Narrows in Tacoma.

The Rev. Dave Ellingson, professor of children, youth and family studies at Trinity Lutheran College, will give an account of his amazing 2,350-mile paddle down the Mississippi River last summer to the ELCA Youth Extravaganza in New Orleans. He'll share relationships he forged with people on the shore he met along the way.

The Rev. Jan Ruud of St. Mark's will reveal what he discovered through his own pilgrimages in France, Spain, Greece, California and the even the inner city streets of Vancouver, B.C. 
 
Ruud also will help enable listeners to find spiritual renewal through their own pilgrimages.
Lyle Morse, husband of the Rev. Valinda Morse, assistant to the bishop, will give a presentation about how the couple represented the synod in a visit in May to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia. 

And, youth from Mountain View Lutheran Church of Edgewood will share about the relationships they forged during work in Appalachia in July.

The event, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. also will include worship, time for fellowship and lunch. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The suggested donation of $10 will be split equally between support for the ELCA's campaign to battle malaria and the synod's companion relationship in Namibia.

The church is at 6730 North 17th St. No advance registration is necessary. the even is organization by the synod's Global Mission Committee. Contact Ed and Diane Armbrust at dparmbrust@hotmail.com for more information.

Pictured: Ellingson on the Mississippi

Upcoming events

 

Poulsbo lutefisk celebrates 100th anniversary
The Northwest's oldest and largest lutefisk celebration each October at First Lutheran Church of Poulsbo is always big new. But this year, the event that draws as many as 1,500 lovers of the specially prepared delicacy marks its 100th anniversary. 

The hard workers of the congregation who spend days preparing the cod, peeling potatoes, making meatballs, rolling lefse and finessing krumkake invite all lover of lutefisk to the giant celebration that routinely draws hungry eaters from as far away as the desert southwest. It takes place from 11:40 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct 20 at the Christian Center at the church, at 18920 Fourth Ave., Poulsbo. Seatings are every 20 minutes. For adults, the cost is $23, and for kids, it's $5. Proceeds benefit Martha & Mary, a local nursing home. 

Pictured are Margaret Smaaladen, left, who has organized the event for many years with Gorden Stenman, and friends. Continual entertainment, including Norwegian dancers, will be provided. As always, but especially this year in commemoration of hitting the century mark, it's all you can eat. Contact the church for reservation information at 360-779-7202 or at www.poulsbo-lutefisk.com.

Lutheran college fair coming
Representatives of many of the ELCA's 26 colleges and universities, along with some in Canada, will conduct a college fair from 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 21 at Messiah Lutheran Church of Auburn, 410 H St. NE. A financial aid discussion will be included, along with a reception at the fair hosted by the colleges, which remain committed to providing affordable college in tough economic times. More information is at utherancolleges.org/college-fairs/.
Also, the Office of Congregation Relations at Pacific Lutheran University of Tacoma is asking congregations to lift up the university on Sunday, Feb. 24, by designating the days as PLU Sunday. To register, call 253-535-7424 or go to www.plu.edu/congregations.
 
Reformation Sunday hymn fest in offing
Again this year, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church of Tacoma is the site for the popular 22nd annual Reformation Sunday HymnFest, this year taking place on Oct. 28.
Soloists, choirs and instrumental musical artists all will be on hand for a celebrat that begins at 3 p.m. Attendees will have plenty of opportunity to sing along, as well. A reception will take place afterward in Goldenman Social Hall. A free-will offering will be taken to offset musician expenses. The church is at 3315 19th St., Tacoma.

Workshop set for Good Shepherd
The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd of Olympia will be the site of a Nov. 3 workshop exploring the issue of congregations and Christians with alternative sexual identities. The workshop takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The fee is $25. Registration, by Oct. 19, is at www.welcomingresources.org/communityorg.htm.

Westphal to host gathering to support missionaries
The Rev. Lanny Westphal of the ELCA Global Mission will host a gathering for ELCA missionary sponsors from 3 to 4 p.m. Nov. 4 at Redeemer Lutheran Church of Fircrest. Participants will see how ELCA missionaries are making a difference around the world, and learn of new developments in missionary sponsorship. The church is at 1001 Princeton Avenue. RSVP to Synod Office Manager Allison Ramsey at 253-535-8300 or swwsynod@plu.edu.
The gathering will precede the synod's annual global-mission event Nov. 10 at St. Mark’s by The Narrows Lutheran Church in Tacoma. Titled “Global Stories: From Trip to Pilgrimage,” the all-day event offers inspiration and education. Lunch is included. Registration, with a $10 suggested donation, starts at 8:30 a.m. An offering will go equally toward the ELCA initiative to fight malaria, and to the synod's companions in Namibia. St. Mark's is at 6730 North 17th St. Contact Beth Ann Johnson for more at bethannj@mtviewcc.org.

Pastoral discernment workshops scheduled
Pastors and professional church worker seeking deeper discernment into their ministries are invited to an upcoming Crossroads Vocational Discernment/Transition Seminar in Seattle. It takes place Nov. 15 to 17 at the Lutheran Campus Center at the University of Washington. Seminar participants will explore personal future directions, potential transitions and next chapters in life and work, according to the Rev. Phil Streufert of Consultation to Clergy, sponsor of the session. To learn more, contact Streufert in the Consultation to Clergy office in Seattle at 206-623-8193.

Calendar

Contact the synod office for detail.

Oct. 12 to 13: Southwestern Washington Women of the ELCA convention, Good Shepherd, Olympia

Oct. 12 to 13: Women of the ELCA auction, Good Shepherd

Oct. 19: Region 1 Governing Council

Oct. 26 to 27: Synod Council Retreat, Dumas Bay Centre, Federal Way

Oct. 26 to 27: Faith Action Network retreat on hunger, poverty and the environment, Lazy F Camp, Ellensburg

Nov. 2: 1,000 Mission Friends phone-a-thon

Nov. 4: Missionary support event, Redeemer, Tacoma

Nov. 15 to 16: Pastoral discernment, Seattle

Nov. 10: Synod global-mission event, St. Mark’s by The Narrows, Tacoma

Dec. 8: Faith Action Network annual awards dinner, Seattle

Jan. 22, 2013: Prayer Retreat preceding Bishop’s Convocation, Seabeck Conference Center

Jan. 22 to 23: Bishop’s Convocation, Seabeck Conference Center

June 7 to 8, 2013: Assembly of the Southwestern Washington Synod, Hotel Murano Tacoma

June 21 to 23: Region 1 gathering of Women of the ELCA featuring Jane Kirkpatrick, Heathman Lodge, Vancouver, Wash., Nancy at 360-740-9543

Items from around the synod, for keeping up

Out of the theater: Faith Community Church, a new synodically authorized worshipping community, no longer is meeting at the FireHouse Theater in Kingston and its leaders are reviewing sites for a new home, including a nearby Methodist church. Lack of lighting inside and lack of parking outside forced the decision of the federated Lutheran/Episcopal congregation that must move from its previous location — a Veterans of Foreign Wars hall — because the hall is being shut down. In a similar move, Messiah of Vancouver is looking for new space for its north-county campus. Lease cost was an issue.

Empowering life: Joan Nelson of Empowering Life, a ministry for helping women exiting prison and their families, has announced that a fall rummage sale in Gig Harbor netted $2,500.

Moves to two services: Moving from three Sunday-morning services to two over the summer proved to be a successful experiment, so Messiah of Vancouver this fall is making the change permanent. Worship times are at 8:30 and 9:45.

A Sunday-afternoon service: St. Paul of Vancouver on Oct. 28 will begin a 4 p.m. afternoon service, more informal and conversational than in the morning.

Blessed pets: Numerous congregations around the synod will bless the dogs, cats, amphibians and reptiles during the first week of October as they remember St. Francis of Assisi and his love for animals, as well as the role animals play in our lives.

110 and counting: St. Paul of Vancouver will celebrate is 110th anniversary in December. Besides a special meal celebration, St. Paul members will share with others what worship and fellowship at St. Paul has meant to them.

75th anniversary: First Lutheran Community Church of Port Orchard celebrated its 75th anniversary Sept. 29 with a celebration dinner, followed by a visit by Bishop Robert D. Hofstad the following Sunday morning. The church began in 1937 at the corner of Cline Avenue and Dekalb Street, then moved to its present location at 2483 Mitchell Road in 1989.

New winter coat: Grace of Port Townsend is putting a new coat of exterior paint before winter sets in, thanks to the work of many volunteers.

Namibia Task Force allocates funds

The synod’s Namibia Task Force, charged with continuing and building the three-decades-old companion relationship between the synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCIN) in Namibia, has allocated these amounts from its budget to various endeavors in Namibia:

$8,500 in scholarship monies to Oshigambo High School;

$5,000 to ELCIN; and

$3,500 to Paulinum Seminary for computers.

In addition, the task force elected Lyle Morse as its new chairman. He replaces the Rev. D. Randall Faro of St. John’s Lutheran Church of Chehalis, who served in that position for seven years. Morse is the husband of the Rev. Valinda Morse, assistant to the bishop. Early discussion is focusing on a 2014 trip to Namibia. For more information, contact Morse at morsevi@plu.edu.

— Rachel Pritchett

Synod Council forming process for electing new bishop

By Rick Nelson, Synod Council member

Members of the Southwestern Washington Synod Council reviewed issues ranging from the bishop-election process to mission starts when it met Sept. 22 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Tacoma.

Bishop Robert D. Hofstad will retire in 2013, and the Rev. Nina Body, chair of the synod Nominating Committee, outlined the process being developed to lead up to the election of a new bishop at the June 2013 synod assembly.

The Synod Council last year asked the Nominating Committee to develop a process to gather information about pastors willing to be candidates for bishop. Pastor Body reported that the committee soon will send an email to congregations to solicit input on what they’d like to see in the next bishop. The committee will present the information at regional talking-post meetings where people may start lifting up names of possible candidates. Possible candidates will be asked to complete a profile; these will be saved for use during the election at the synod assembly.

The election process at the assembly will be under the direction of the synod Elections Committee. The election will be conducted under the normal ecclesiastical election process, with the first ballot being a nominating round. The 2013 assembly will be June 7 to 8 at the Hotel Murano Tacoma.

In other business, the Council authorized assembly coordinator the Rev. Don Fossum to schedule the 2014 assembly at a church or college instead of a hotel convention center. Fossum said this would be a cost-saving measure for the synod. Voting members would be responsible for finding their own lodging for the two-day assembly.

Communitywide blessing of the animals Sunday in Port Orchard

PORT ORCHARD — Several South Kitsap churches will sponsor a "Community Animal Blessing" and pet walk, to begin at 2 p.m. Sunday at Port Orchard Marina Park.

Large and small pets are invited to the event sponsored by First Lutheran Community Church, Elim Lutheran Church, St. Bede Episcopal Church, all of Port Orchard, and Spirit of Life Lutheran Church of Olalla.

Participants are invited to bring pet food for a food bank.

For more information, call 360-876-3901 or visit www.firstlutheranpo.com.