At long last, the council has approved the final draft of the Vision, Mission and Value Statement of Milwaukie Lutheran Church.  Thanks to so many of you that have put effort into this process especially to our Vice President, Greg Jenks, who led us through the steps.  Please read and study these statements on your own, in your small groups, and among your church friends.  These statements will do us absolutely no good unless we as a community let them sink down into our very bones.  Today we introduce them to the congregation.  In the coming months we will find ways to help you to understand what God is calling us to be and to do through these statements.  I am excited about what God will do among us as we focus on God's mission and purpose for us.
In Christ,
Pastor Charles

VISION STATEMENT
As receivers of and believers in God's love and grace through Jesus Christ, we are a family of God, worshipping and learning together, sharing with and strengthening one another that we may reach out in God's love to all others.

MISSION STATEMENT
Milwaukie Lutheran Church is a gathering and scattering of people grounded in the love of God, guided by the Holy Spirit, reaching out to share the Good News of Christ Jesus.
As a community of faith, Milwaukie Lutheran Church
·welcomes all
·reaches out in witness to God's love
·provides a sanctuary of care, service and learning for all ages.
Loving God through all peoples, our community, our members and their families by reaching out in support to all on their faith journey.
 
VALUE STATEMENT
We undertake our mission together in furtherance of the following Lutheran values and beliefs.
·We celebrate our faith, and our support for each other through music and the message.
·We are invited into our Community, united with Christ, then sent to serve with - Invited, United, Sent. We strive to think globally and act locally.
·We support passionate spirituality or a place to grow more spirituality in our relationship with God regardless of where you are on the journey.
·We believe in and support our younger members in an ever challenging world. We believe in the future and recognize that our youth are both our today as well as our future.
·We provide mutual encouragement and support for a life of faith and devotion for God and to each other. We believe in helping people find their way to a deeper relationship with God.
·We proclaim our love and acceptance: seek out and get involved with the peace, justice, and sustainability; bring compassion to the greater community; nurture each soul and are joyful.
·We seek to provide an assortment of transformational, learning and service opportunities.
·We provide a caring community for worship and service - accepting all, being aware of and serving community needs, guided by studying God's word to share our blessing with others.
·We welcome all and celebrate our diversity - regardless of ethnicity, sexual orientation or place on the journey. We believe in a diversity of worship and celebration of God's love and the Holy Spirit.
·We provide a caring environment, learning and worshipping together.
·We believe in spiritual fellowship, strengthening one another through our love of God and believe it is blessed to be a blessing to others.

The Piecemakers
Due to Garage Sale preparations in the parish hall, the Piecemakers' Quilting will be cancelled for Friday, June 5.  We will meet on Friday, June 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

World Hunger
Check out our World Hunger thermometer.  Through mid-May we are nudging the $2000 level on our minimum goal of $7000. (Last year we gave $7950 for hunger, goats, chickens and other barn yard critters)  The first Sunday of each month has become sort of a "hunger Sunday".  The gifts on May 3 were $485.  Look for the thermometer in the breeze-way as we warm up!  400 quarters help students plant and tend cashew trees in their school garden in Mozambique.  Students eat and sell the nuts and use branches for firewood.  Ken Zabel
 
OUTREACH TEAM
Start Right.  Project Start Right begins in June - July.  Project Start Right is providing school items for foster family children in Clackamas county through our involvement in Love INC. Watch for the sales on school items- such as crayons, pencils etc. and help a child to start right in school!  Items will be listed on a handy shopping list in the bulletin
Recycle Cell Phones:  Did you know that over 130 million cell phones will be retired this year, but fewer than 10% are likely to be recycled? or did you know  that 70% of those living in poverty are women and children???
Use the box in the hallway (on a table next to the bears that collects tabs from pop cans).  Your  GOOD DEED  of recycling makes a difference to women and families in poverty in our local community as the Good Deed Foundation is partnering with the Women's Funding Network to help build women's financial assets, job opportunities, skills, and entrepreneurship.

Backpack Buddies.  The Backpack buddie weekend school lunch project continues to flow smoothly because of all your help and donations. The RED TUBS will continue to be out for donations during the summer months and will help to get a head start stocking shelves for the fall.
The King's Cupboard.  A NEW RED TUB- King of Kings, our partner in the Backpack Buddie Program, has opened a food pantry on Thursdays twice a month. They have had a big increase in the number of people they are serving and could use more food so please contribute any packaged or canned food.
Lutheran World Relief Soap Drive.  MLC collected 59 pounds of soap that was sent for delivery on May 2.  In 2008, Lutheran World Relief contributed 1455 tons of goods worth $13 million dollars to 740, 661 people in 27 different countries - including quilts, school kits, health kits, sewing kits, layettes and soap.

Janus Greenhouse.  Many thanks to all contributing to Janus Greenhouse Street Youth.  Socks, clothing, and toiletries are an ongoing need.  A meal is prepared on the third Monday of each month for 60 youth.  Anyone who would like to make cookies for this program may leave them in the church kitchen on the third Monday by 10 a.m.  Mark them for "Greenhouse Youth".
Appreciation Dinner.  A big thank you to the thirteen women who generously baked and donated their pan of apple crisp to provide dessert for the third annual Appreciation Dinner for Clackamas County Foster Parents held at Gladstone Christian Church on May 5.  This dinner is a joint project of Oregon Dept. of Human Services of Clackamas County and several member churches of Clackamas County LoveINC. Our women's group donated $100 to help purchase food for the dinner and those excellent bakers Gretchen Miles, Paula Krewson, Lucille Peterson,  Carolyn Mills, Dolores Vilstrup, Carole Peggar, Gail Walker, Elsie Nordby, Janne McClain, Cheryl Johnson, Cathy Mathistad, Dorothy Wilsey and Dee Dee Watson put the finishing touch on the dinner.  We brought apple crisp to the first dinner and it has now become a tradition with the planners asking if the women of MLC will provide their "famous" apple crisp again. Who knew we would become a legend in our own time!  Karen Hicks, MLC LoveINC Coordinator
Bread for the World. . . Is a collective Christian voice urging our nation's decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad.
You are encouraged to act effectively!  Often, key congressional decisions are made at the committee level, so members of Congress are highly influential in making those decisions. Legislation can move along swiftly. Outreach Team encourages you to visit www.bread.org and click on "newsletter signup." You will receive by email opportunities for action.
On the national level as well as the local level: We encourage you to let your legislators know how you feel about important bills or pieces of legislation that are coming up for action. Letter writing is the most effective, emails and telephone call are good too, but after a visit to our state capitol and talking with the people we have elected you can tell that letter writing is the most important thing you can do to influence decisions - they want to know how their constituents feel, remember they want your votes too. The bulletin board outside the library has names of senators, representative - find yours and let your feelings be known! 
To all who donated food, money and time the Community Outreach Team sends thanks!  Marilyn Lease and Karen Hicks
Annie Ross House.  "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" - June at Annie Ross.  Your donations of packaged snack foods, dried fruits, juices, canned goods like chili, pork and beans and boxed soups and mac and cheese will make fun days more enjoyable.
Many blessings and thanks, Mike Inman, Community Outreach Ministry Team.
HEALTH MINISTRY TEAM NEWS  by Patty Shilling, Parish Nurse
May was National Skin Cancer/Melanoma Detection and Prevention month.
Is it a mole or melanoma?
A -Asymmetry - half of mole does not match other half
B -Border edges are irregular or scalloped
C -Color - entire mole is not the same color
D -Diameter - mole is over ¼" in diameter
E -Evolving - look of mole changed over time
Basal cell carcinoma looks like a pink or red patch or shiny pink, red or white bump.
Squamous cell carcinoma is scaly pink or red patch or raised warty growth.
Melanoma looks like tan, brown, black or multicolored patch often with an irregular edge.
There is a sunscreen for every skin type and sun screen scenario - make it a water resistant product that offers UVA and UVB protection and an SPF of 30 or higher.  Applying sun screen should be as automatic as brushing your teeth.  More than one million new skin cancer cases will be diagnosed this year - 90% of them sun related.  Read the label on your sunscreen - make sure it has:
AAD - American Academy of Dermatology seal of approval.
SPF - Sun Protection Factor (SPF of 30 or more)
Water Resistant (water proof) - All day protection - reapply frequently
Broad Spectrum - protects against UVA and UVB rays
Expiration date - make sure lotion is not out of date (new guidelines state you should automatically replace your sunscreen every year)
Let's all try to prevent skin cancers by staying out of the sun as much as possible.  If in the sun, wear sunscreen, hats with brims, long sleeves, and sun glasses and protect exposed areas of your body.  Have a wonderful summer from all the Health Ministry Team.  We'll resume our luncheons and speakers in September.

 Our congregation has been blessed with so many individuals giving of their gifts and talents freely to the church and community.  On June 7, we will celebrate your services to the church at the morning worship followed by a special "Thank You Dessert."  All are welcome.

This year we have the pleasure of welcoming Jack Kennedy, retreat facilitator, Spiritual Director and teacher, who will walk with us through a process for discernment. Discernment is a vital part of our spiritual journey...what are we being called by God to do in not only our spiritual life but our day to day living as well?  We need firm commitments from people no later than August 31 in the event we would not have enough participants and would need to cancel our reservation.  The cost per person is $130 which includes 5 meals, snacks, materials and towels and linens.  An additional $5 would be required for single rooms (which are limited).  Please contact the church office, 503.653.0250, if you would like to register.  Registration forms will be available at church by July 1.

 
The schedule is as follows:

Are you receiving and enjoying our electronic newsletter?  Would you like to submit materials or make suggestions?  Please send your comments and requests by e-mail to editor@milwaukielutheran.org.  Currently we use a single list of e-mails for both the Youth News and The Light.  Do you appreciate receiving both?  Do you share your e-newsletters?  Please let us know.  Since our electronic communication is a new format, we want to learn  what is welcome and effective. Deadline for submissions to The Light for the July/August 2009 issue is noon on June 17. Items for the newsletter may be submitted to editor@milwaukielutheran.org or Sheryl Ann in the office. Please include an author name or contact with every submission.  Hardcopy and e-mail newsletters are being created.  If you have questions or comments about this information, please contact our editor(s) at "editor@milwaukielutheran.org" or by calling the church office 503.653.0250.  Thank you, Eds.

-Lisaana 

 

To the congregation,  A special thanks to Ruby, Pastor Charles, the Wednesday night and Friday morning Companions in Christ, the Friday night small group, the R.O.M.E.O.s and the Wednesday morning breakfast for men.  The whole congregation is blessing me.  Your prayers, cards and hugs are very welcome.  A tremendous salute to Cheryl Drewes, who quipped, "We are partners in crime."  That remark tickled me pink.  She and I are going to experience a wonderful trip together.
Love you all and God Bless, Mike I.