Electronics trove available at Spanaway Lutheran

Spanaway Lutheran Church has sound and light components free for the taking to any congregation in need.  If you are interested, contact the Rev. John Schier-Hanson at (253) 531-7000.

The items and quantities are as follows:

MR7 7 channel-mixing board (1)
Tapco seventy-two 12 sound board (1)
NEI Model 2712 1/3 octave graphic equalizer (1)
Fostex Patchbay model 3010 (1)
McGowan mModel 103 10-watt amplifier (1)
Radio Shack PA amplifier MPA - 40 (20 watt) (1)
Audio Technica ATW R10 Diversity wireless receivers (2)
ETA 1710 model 1251 dimmer packs with 1,000 watts per channel (2)
Audioarts Engineering model 1500 Tuneable notch filter - feedback processor (1)

Harvey banks her birthday

GRAYLAND —Her son suggested she mark her 90th birthday by skydiving in Florida, and Elaine Harvey, longtime member of Twin Harbors Lutheran Church, gave that some serious thought. But in the end, she settled on a celebration less terrifying and more meaningful to this Grays Harbor County community, where unemployment remains at 11.4 percent, among the very highest in the state.

Harvey instead threw a big party for herself at the local grange hall, inviting church and community members and asking them to bring donations of nonperishable food items or money for the South Beach Food Bank in nearby Westport.

The response was overwhelming. Donations from more than 100 willing guests resulted in $1,200 in cash and checks and a pickup truck load of food for the hungry and unemployed in this Pacific coastal town. 

Skydiving? Maybe next year.

— From Merri Erickson, president, Twin Harbors Lutheran church

A Christmas message from Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson

This year the Christmas story is inseparable from our deep sorrow for the children of Newtown, all who died and all who mourn. We can make no sense of such violence, so we cry out for mercy. And God hears our pleas.

God responds with words of promise saying, "I am with you. I am with you in Jesus, the child lying in a manger. I am with you in Jesus who has borne your grief. I am with you in Jesus on the cross and risen from the dead."

God's promise is that nothing in all creation will separate you from God's love in Jesus. So amid the unspeakable, we can join the angel choir singing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace." Because our hope is in Christ, we can rejoice in the wonder of Jesus' birth.

I wish you a blessed Christmas.


Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Coming up in the January Moments for Mission

Readers,

Last Sunday, I worshiped with the Rev. Andy Willis and the people of St. Christopher's Community Church of Steamboat Island near Olympia. Pictured is Willis, wife Grete and son Trygve Benjamin Willis, who at 6 months already has two teeth.

In January, the synod newsletter Moments for Mission continues its series featuring its eight new worshiping groups. I'll look at the two federated Lutheran/Episcopal church starts, St. Christopher's being one and Faith Community Church of Kingston being the other.

We'll also have the first of three pieces about the upcoming bishop-election process. I met with the Rev. Nina Body of Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Tacoma on Sunday, as well. She laid out for me the first steps of the process, which she is leading.

Lastly, we'll look at The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd's 20th anniversary of its after-school tutoring program.

Contact me if you want to receive the newsletter but are not.

Rachel Pritchett, communicator
rachelpritchett@msn.com
206-498-0920

Finally, a long-awaited wedding takes place in Namibia

Readers,

Ezron Kapolo, minister of finance for the Western Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Namibia (ELCIN), was married on Saturday. Several formal receptions lasting two days followed the wedding. That means they should be finishing up celebrating around now.

In 2010 when I accompanied Bishop Robert D. Hofstad on a visit to ELCIN, our companion synod, Kapolo told me that he had wanted to marry this beautiful young woman for a long time. Only now it has it come true for him. I'm not exactly sure why he had to wait so many years, but I'm guessing it was so that he could get enough money together to support a wife and family.

Kapolo and I communicate regularly, and I received a wedding invitation. I couldn't really justify going half way around the world for a wedding, although I certainly wanted to. I made him promise to send me more photos, and I'll post them here when I get them, so we can all see what a wedding in Namibia looks like.

Rachel Pritchett, communicator

Realizing 'what is really precious' this Advent

Dear Friends,

I know most of you don't hear from us too often, so we wanted to just connect with you during this holy season to share a few photos from our recent "Sankta Lucia "Child of Light" Festival" at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church on Dec. 13.  Our girls Megan and Alyson along with about 17 of their friends joined with them to observe this special festival of carol singing, story telling, pagentry, candles, children and luciabullar (special saffron buns eaten on Lucia Day).  There is a special glow about these children and that night that I wanted to share with you in hopes to brighten your holiday.  In light of the recent shootings, we are all counting our own blessings and realizing what is really precious to us in this world.
Please go to this link to look at the album:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151299982307937.493101.374559357936&type=1&l=0032e7339d

God Jul,

Ron and Carol McClung
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
360-620-2365
PO Box 1324, Stevenson, WA 98648
www.shepherdofthehills.info

Communitywide Christmas concert tomorrow

 

Poulsbo First Lutheran Church hosts a special communitywide music festival from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, at the church's Christian Center. It's free, but bring food for Fishline and toys, too, for Fishline.

This will be a drop-in concert for most, so from start to finish, here's the lineup.

Cantata by First's Cathedral Choir
Splash Singers
Bethany Brass
Splash Singers
Poulso Elementary School Chorus
North Kitsap High School Northern Lights
Peace Lutheran School (Bremerton) Bell Choir and Chorus
Liberty Bells
North Kitsap High School Jazz Choir

This is all part of First's strengthened outreach to the community, begun by a very successful block party late last summer.

— RP