Faith Lutheran Church
Bellingham, Washington
A "Reconciling in Christ" Congregation of the ELCA.
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WEDNESDAY NIGHT BBQ's
Singe Boldly!
Please join us each Wednesday night for summer BBQ suppers! (Meatless options are available; if you have special dietary restrictions, pack some food for yourself and join us anyway!) Meal donation: $4/person or $10/family!
Also, we need grillers! If you'd like to sign up to grill for a specific Wednesday, please do so through Renee or outside the office. Also, you can sign up to bring salads/sides!
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CALLING ALL GARDENERS! 
The property committee needs your help to tidy up the columbarium area which currently has a general appearance of neglect. The final objective toward making it more attractive is to make the area more mower-friendly and accessible for more regular care. Please give serious consideration to pitching in on Saturday morning, June 9, 2012, at 9:30 AM. Bring gloves and your favorite digging tool! Also if you are interested in making a special donation toward bark mulch for the gardens, please do so through the office, indicated for this purpose. Thank you! |
KITCHEN WORK DAY
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
9:00am
Bring your rubber gloves.
Come when you can.
Stay for an hour.
Stay all day!
We need your input. If you use the kitchen and you have concerns, thoughts, ideas, please contact Karen Clark or Andrea Daniels. We plan to clean and do some reorganizing and de-cluttering.
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INTERFAITH COALITION EVENTS
The Interfaith Coalition is collecting items for Project Homeless Connect for dispersal during this all-day event July 27, 2012. A box and item list for donations toward this project is located in the church narthex.
Also, get your tickets for a fundraiser showing of Bellingham Theatre Guild's production, "Annie Get Your Gun", Wed, June 20, 2012. The evening includes appetizers from local restaurants, drinks and desserts--all included in the ticket price! Tickets are available through Sue Cole (360-671-3810).
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The Mount Baker Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will be holding their 5th Annual Picnic at Camp Lutherwood on Saturday, September 15, 2012. Thrivent Financial is extending a welcome invitation to one and all! You do not need to be a member of Thrivent to be able to enjoy a day of fun and good food!
So, save the date, and stay tuned for more information. Let's share the fun!!
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LADIES' DAY TRIP
Faith Ladies, save this date: Friday, August 17, 2012! We will be taking a day-trip Bainbridge Island!...On the schedule: visiting a delightful local yarn shop, enjoying the sights of the island, and perhaps sharing lunch together! We will plan to carpool to reduce ferry costs (and to enjoy the ride)! Costs will be individually determined but should include an average of $13 per person for the ferry.This will be a lovely, casual day--all ladies are welcome! Please contact Andrea Daniels with questions!
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THINKING AHEAD!
Faith Fall Fair
Sat, Nov 10, 2012
Mark your calendars and start planning those hand-crafted items! And fresh fruit will be plentiful soon if you're a wizard with homemade preserves!
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Upcoming Dates to Note:
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Weekly Sunday Worship
10:00am
Wednesday Supper & Prayer
Every Wednesday
6:00-8:00pm
(See updated summer schedule.)
Monday Community Garden Work Crew
Every Monday
6:00-8:00pm
Property Committee Meeting
Mon, June 4, 2012
7:00pm
Men of Faith
Thurs, June 7, 2012
Thurs, July 5, 2012
6:00pm
Blessing of the Graduates
Sun, June 10, 2012
During worship
Property Garden Work Party
Sat, June 9, 2012
9:30am
Blood Pressure Sunday
Sun, June 10, 2012
Following worship
Every Second Sunday
Parish Council Meeting
Mon, June 11, 2012
6:30pm
Worship Committee Meeting
Tues, June 12, 2012
5:30pm
Food Drive Sunday
Sun, June 17, 2012
Kitchen Work Day
Tues, June 19, 2012
9:00am
Summer Program Begins
Wed, June 20, 2012
"Annie Get Your Gun" Interfaith Coalition Fundraiser
Wed, June 20, 2012
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WEDNESDAY EVENING PROGRAM
Summer Update
Summer program starts Wed, 6/20, and that means Wednesday evenings at Faith will have a slightly different schedule. They will continue to be family-friendly and include both the Wednesday supper as well as Holden Evening Prayer. Throughout the summer months, however, they will also include a variety of activities for folk of all ages. Wednesday evenings are a casual time to spend together with your Faith family--so if you are a Wednesday regular or have never joined us for this evening, gather with us this summer! All are welcome.
EVERY WEDNESDAY EVENING
5:00 PM Activities for Children (Art, Games, etc.)
6:00 PM BBQ Supper ($4/person or $10/family)
6:30 PM Activities for Children and Adults (Art, Discussions, Games)
7:30 PM Holden Evening Prayer
WEDNESDAY ACTIVITIES CALENDAR
6/20 Hymn Sing
6/27 Prayer Flag Making & Capture the Flag
7/4 Happy 4th of July! NO WED EVE PROGRAM!
7/11 New Community Garden Sign Art Project/Water Balloon Toss
7/18 New Community Garden Sign Art Project/Other Games
7/25 Outdoor Movie Night!
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BELLINGHAM FOOD BANK UPDATE
By Dick Clark
On behalf of the Bellingham Food Bank I want thank you for your continued support. Your donations each Sunday during Lent was inspirational. Now we are back to only the third Sunday of each month. However, if that Sunday does not work for you please feel free to bring in your donations at any time and place them in the baskets under the table in the Narthex.
If you are wondering how important your food and monetary donations are to the food bank, consider the following:
Feeding Hungry Families
- Averages about 9,500 client visits each month
- Client visits have increased by more than 50% since 2007
- 1 in 6 Bellingham households visit the food bank on a regular basis
- Each family receives about 65 pounds of food per visit
- Distributes about 240,000 pounds each month, which is the equivalent of 8 fully loaded semi-trailers
Distribution to Other Food Banks
- Serves as the emergency food hub for Whatcom and San Juan counties
- Routinely receives, stores, and redistributes food for more than a dozen other small rural food banks
Agricultural Programs
- The Food Bank Farm is a three acre project that grows about 25,000 pounds of food annually
- The Small Potatoes Gleaning Project rescues about 120,000 pounds of food annually from home orchards, farmers markets, and local farms
- The Garden Project builds 25 raised bed gardens each year and provides new gardeners with soil, plant starts, gardening tools, and a mentor gardener
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!
NEXT FOOD DRIVE SUNDAY:
Sun, June 17, 2012
Please bring items from list and donation checks to the church (made out to Faith Lutheran Church, memo: Food Bank).
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FAITH COMMUNITY GARDEN
Monday Night Work Crew
6:00-8:00pm
Every Monday night--bring gloves and pitch in!
Thank you to all who have volunteered time and energy in the multiple work parties over the last month! We have five new raised beds. The pumpkins are planted. The bee garden is in the works. The pathways are covered with wood chips. We still have several projects to go, but it has been a great start to the season!
We have over a dozen gardeners signed up this year--some gardening a single or double plot, and some gardening two whole beds! We also have two beds planted growing beets, potatoes, and corn for our community meals here at Faith! We are very encouraged by the high level of participation--and it's even more fun to walk out and see things growing!
If you would like to volunteer in the community garden, please contact us or come any Monday night!
For info, email the garden team at:
community.garden@faithbellingham.org
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LIFE AT FAITH
The past month at Faith has been a busy one! We welcomed Addison and Olivia Wildenberg as newly baptized members into the Faith family! Between garden work parties, youth trips, and ongoing Wednesday evening activities, we continue to come together for worship, word, and meal--living out our own baptisms as the body of Christ. This includes celebrating the children among us and celebrating the ones on the way with a classic Lutheran lady baby shower for Cindy Early! As our Faith family grows and changes from year to year, we are grateful for each individual and family who helps make this community unique and alive.
 
 
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A BOOK REVIEW
by Dick Clark
Putting Away Childish Things:
A Novel of Modern Faith
By Marcus Borg
I really enjoyed this book! I have been reading Marcus Borg for a number of years and I found his first novel to be a fun and thought provoking read. The title of the book comes from the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:11; "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways." Marcus weaves a lifetime of teaching and scholarship into a story that presents to the reader a number of different understandings of what it means to be a Christian today. These differences include how to understand the Bible, Adam and Eve and "original sin", the Christmas Stories, Jesus and the gospels, the Bible's teachings about homosexuality, and the meaning of 'believe".
The main character is Professor Kate Riley, a religious studies professor at a small liberal arts college. All is going well until she is confronted by a number of her students who identify themselves as "born again" and belong to "The Way", an on campus evangelical ministry. As the story unfolds the reader "hears" liberal and evangelical voices on the different issues. But what does it mean to be a liberal or an evangelical Christian. Marcus shows it is not always easy to put a label on the voice. In one scene a liberal school is struggling with whether to accept a $6 million donation for the purpose of endowing a chair in evangelical theology. The school faculty ends up struggling with what it means to be an evangelical and the answer turns out to be not as straightforward as they might have wanted. It is often assumed that evangelicals are indifferent to the need for social justice, for example, but if that is true what do you do with a Jim Wallis or a Tony Campolo, two prominent evangelicals who have demonstrated a lifelong passion for social justice. In the end the evangelical donor, like everyone else, only wanted her or his voice to be heard and not ignored or discounted.
I recommend this book for anyone who is curious about or is struggling with the different understandings of what it means to be a Christian today. To that end Marcus presents a well-balanced story illuminating both sides of the issues of faith confronting the church today. This story brings the reader up against the culture wars and hot button issues of today. I think ultimately Marcus is asking each reader to examine her or his own thoughts and behaviors and then asking each reader to ponder "to what extent have I put an end to my childish ways".
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MUSICALLY SPEAKING
The Adult Choir is not part of the offertory schedule during the summer and this year proves the rule. The music during worship, however, will still center on the Word and sacraments, as always. We will hear from small groups and the instrumentalists, of course; but the assembly will also have a chance to participate during several offertories as we learn and sing new music together.
This means that you'll do a couple things at once: pass the offering plate while you listen to singers, then sing together what you've heard. It's kind of like listening to and singing with the radio while you drive or cook. The best part though, is that we'll be doing this and worshiping together at the same time.
Hope to see and hear you often in church this summer!
Peace and grace,
Renee
For more info on music at Faith, contact Renee King, Music Director
Ph: (360) 733-3970 or (360) 927-6331
E: renee.king@faithbellingham.org
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SAVE THE DATES!
Mark your calendars now for these learning and discussion opportunities in the fall!
Are the Creeds Credible?
With Dr. Dan Peterson
Sat, Oct 6, 2012
Every Sunday many Christians profess their faith in the words of the Nicene or Apostles' Creed. But what do the words of these creeds mean? Why were they written, who wrote them, and what was their original function? Designed especially for those who wonder about the relevance of the creeds for faith today, this series brings to the surface what the creeds actually say-and do not say-about the "essentials" of Christian faith. The study concludes by considering what the creeds might mean for us in a context radically different than the one(s) in which they first appeared.
www.soundtheology.net
How Did We Get the Bible?
With retired professor of church history,
Rev. Dr. Gerald Hobbs
Sat, Oct 27, 2012
Where did the biblical Canon come from? How was it assembled? Where did we get this collection of Scriptures, and how does that effect our experience within the modern church?
A Reformation weekend event paired with Faith's first "Beer & Hymns" event!
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FAITH YOUTH
MAY YOUTH WEEKEND REPORT
Dear brothers and sisters at Faith,
As you may (or may not have) noticed, three of our youth, Kolby and Chase Olson and Drew Markwood, were not present at church the weekend of Memorial Day, but instead spent the weekend at Holden Village attending Trinity Lutheran College's annual May Youth Weekend. We also adopted two youth from Hope in Lynden, Sabrina Delzell and Elizabeth Lohafer, for our crazy weekend adventure.
The theme for this year was "Keep Church Weird." The guest speaker/musician was Nate Houge, who led several sessions, such as "Keep You Weird," "Keep the World Weird," and "Church as a Game Changer." We met for these sessions in the Village Center at Holden, and they involved looking at the roles that identity and labels play in our lives. Several smaller-group workshops were also offered and led by students from Trinity, Holden's current intern pastor, as well as others. There were two workshops that we all attended-one on Being Counter-Cultural and one on The Church as Community.
The weekend also provided opportunities for work and play. All youth attending had to sign up for one servant project-jobs in the village that paired teams of youth with Holden staff members. These servant projects were meant to accomplish in a few hours work that would take days or weeks for the Holden staff to do without help. Our youth signed up to weed and restore the pathways at the Labyrinth and to clear a roadway that needed work. For weekend fun, there was a lively talent show, being treated by Steve Swanson in the ice cream shop, bowling, shooting pool, the sauna, and much more!
In addition to the workshops, sessions, and servant projects, as a group we hiked to a waterfall, mischievously "relocated" another group's pirate flag, ate good food, and played lots of card games, ping pong, and pool! The weather was amazing for the entire trip. The weekend passed all too quickly, and a great time was had by all!
In peace,
Kevin Wolber
PROGRAM Youth Nights Wednesdays (through 6/13) 7:15-8:45pm Join us early at 6:00pm for dinner and Holden Evening Prayer! Serve CAST Downtown Second Wednesdays monthly 6:30-7:30pm (Followed by regular program at the church--upcoming date: 6/13.) SUMMER SCHEDULE (starting 6/20) Wednesday Activities 5:00-8:30pm Meet at the church for games & activities, followed by BBQ dinner, more activities, and ending with Holden Evening Prayer.
Contact Jessie Twigg-Harris for more info:
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NOTE FROM THE PASTOR
By Pastor Sharon Swanson
We are in the world but not of the world. Time is different here. Our calendar is particular - some call it peculiar! We are entering the long green season of the church - "Ordinary Time" we call it. Expressive of creation, and new growth, the Sundays in Ordinary Time help us to establish what the church is really like, week after week, until late in October, when the colors start to change for different festivals.
At this time of year, transitions are all around us: Sam Frakes, Grant Smith, and Maddie Zuelhke are graduating from high school and moving on to university in the fall. We pray them on their way knowing that God watches over them. We pray for their families as they prepare for this new stage in their parenting journey.
Others are coming home with their undergrad degrees and other achievements: we congratulate Lydia Smith on her graduation from Linfield College in Oregon, and celebrate with Kat Smith on becoming a Registered Nurse (her "pinning" ceremony takes place this week at Whatcom Community College).
Change is a part of life, and it is in the context of a faith community where all of life's changes are lived out. No matter what other activities crowd the schedule it is our baptism which is the high point of all our lives. Being named as God's beloved child trumps all other milestones and achievements. We are interdependent and woven together, not by our choice but by God's. When a part of the Body stays away, the community is diminished.
And God places individuals in community so we aren't alone. Church is the place where we can bring all of our joys and sorrows, marking our beginnings and our endings and everything in between. Here, we speak of life and death with equal hope. Last month we gathered with the Stephan family around God's gifts to remember Arlene, who has completed her baptismal journey, even as we gathered around the font in the Easter season to celebrate as Liam, Sarah, Chloe, Jace, Jamison, Olivia and Addison began theirs.
In Ordinary Time we will hear of Jesus' miracles of feeding and healing as we follow his ministry among the people, and learn more about God's intent for the flourishing of humankind. In a way we are most ourselves during this season, which makes these Sundays the very best time for visitors to show up and be a part of our worshipping community - far better than the big festivals of Christmas and Easter when everything is so elaborate and untypical that we barely have time to stop and greet anyone.
So greet visitors warmly - before and after worship - and make them feel welcome. Invite others to join us on Wednesday evenings as we become more relaxed in the summer months with BBQ dinners, family activities, gardening, conversation, and Holden Vespers to send us home.
And finally, remember that the church is much wider and bigger than Faith Lutheran in Bellingham. On Pentecost Sunday we heard the vast extent of God's ministry among God's people all around the world. When you are travelling this summer, find a church community where you can share God's gifts with others. Experience being the stranger, the recipient of hospitality. Enjoy the unfamiliar within the context of the familiar. Bring greetings from this parish, as I am pleased to greet you now:
God's peace and safe travels,
Sharon
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Pastor Sharon will be on vacation and study leave for the month of July. Pastor Bob Johnson will be preaching and presiding at worship from July 1st through the 22nd. Please phone the office if you have a pastoral care emergency.
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