All Pilgrims Christian Church
Come As You Are!
All Are Welcome!
Sunday Schedule:
10:30 AM Worship
11:45 AM Coffee Hour
Location:
500 Brodway East
Seattle, WA 98102
Mailing Address:
509 10th Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98102
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Action Inquiry Teams
Active This Summer
All Pilgrims' congregation met for the first Action Inquiry Team Rally on June 7. The meeting was a chance to check in on progress of Action Inquiry teams that got started in May. It was also a time to announce new conversations that may turn into Action Inquiry teams.
Groups have formed around Interfaith Dialogue, Spiritual Formation (formerly Adult Education), Internet Outreach and more.
The New Beginnings team is exploring communications tools to help teams keep the congregation apprised of their activities. We may be offering a combination of online/paper-based communications systems. Please watch for an announcement about this in July.
The Action Inquiry process is intended to be ongoing as a way for members to explore and discern new programs or projects that are inspired by the purpose statement: "We are a community of progressive, diverse Christians which gathers on Capitol Hill for spiritual formation that compels us to action."
For support about starting an Action Inquiry or for additional information, please contact Eric Liljegren seattleviking@comcast.net
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Greetings from Pastor Nina
The pastor's column is taking a summer break for July. Talk to you in August! |
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People Happenings
Office will be Closed
July 28 - Aug 7
During the last days of July and the first week of August, our office will be closed. Our Office Administrator, Jeremy Matheis, is getting married! Jeremy and his partner, Jeff, are celebrating their marriage on Lake Union and then will be honeymooning in Puerto Vallarta. During this time, if you have emergency needs, please contact Pastor Nina. Otherwise, your calls and e-mails will be returned after Jeremy returns. Congratulations to Jeremy and Jeff and prayers of blessings!
Sidewalk Repaired
Under the heading, "Little-Jobs-Needing-Doing-That-I-Never-Thought-About," there was a significant hole in the middle of our sidewalk along East Republican. That's opposite Starbucks, of course, and that piece of sidewalk is almost a regular parking spot for those making a quick dash across the street for a triple tall, half caf, half decaf, 1 raw sugar with room for cream iced cappuccino. This editor saw, for instance, a Seattle police car parked there two Sundays ago. Anyway, someone reported a toddler almost falling into the hole -- and that was it. Wayne Daly soon brought some asphalt  and filled the hole, along with other cracks caused by the (illegal) vehicle parking. We say "thanks, Wayne, for all you do, including things we don't think about."
Incidentally, Wayne and Ray Nutter routinely take turns chairing the Building & Grounds committee. Not that they like it that way; there simply has been no one willing to step up to the plate. So, as Wayne retires this year, Ray has again stepped forward for 2009-10. What would we do without them!
News From the Ground
APCC Ground to be Specific
Some of you may remember the bouquet of weeds I presented to the church 3 weeks ago. We made a substantial dent in the weed crop on Saturday the 13th, and I appreciate all of the 8 people who helped to get rid of the overgrown weeds. As you may be aware, however, the weeds like other problems are never done so we will need to have garden parties almost monthly in the summer to keep the grounds looking nice. We will schedule them and announce them in church so that you can participate.
One other area that needs serious attention is the "secret garden" behind the sanctuary. We put black plastic over the area last year to kill off all of the morning glory and black berries and it is now ready to be replanted. I need someone to head up the project of installing a retaining wall and regrading the soil for replanting. Too much lifting you think? If you can lift a phone and make calls that is what we need. We can hire the wall and labor to regrade the area but need someone to coordinate the project. If you are able to help, talk to Ray Nutter or Wayne Daly and we can let you know what the project requires.
Thanks for your help.
- Wayne Daly |
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Groups, Committees & Events
Pastoral Search
- Progress to Report!
Everyone's Help Needed for Easy Congregational Survey
by July 12
We've heard from several interested members of the congregation about the pastoral search committee's progress in locating long-term pastoral leadership. We're happy to report the committee is moving forward with enthusiasm ("Full speed ahead!") and due diligence ("Not so fast!"). Actually, the committee is pursuing a detailed procedure outlined by our UCC & DOC denominations. The DOC Regional and UCC Conference leaders met with us jointly at the beginning of our work and gave valuable advice, including not to take shortcuts. There is significant and necessary work that precedes actual conversations with candidates.
The committee is now preparing a "Local Church Profile" that is quite thorough in its description of a local church seeking leadership. And now we're at a critical step in the process: input from the congregation!
We'd like each of you to provide feedback to the committee (and to interested ministerial candidates) via an all-church survey that covers everything you might want to ask or say about your ideal minister (ideal ministers don't exist of course, but we want to come as close as we can to the "collective ideal.") The survey also asks respondents' opinions about All Pilgrims itself.
How will this be done? Glad you asked. First, an email will go out to everyone who is able to receive it with a link to an on-line survey. This is the fastest and easiest way for you to take the survey, and for us to quickly compile the results. Then, on two Sundays in July, this coming Sunday the 5th and the following Sunday the 12th, those who are unable to take the survey at home will be invited to sit at a provided computer and take it right after worship. Assistance will be provided. If you are more comfortable with paper and pen, those will be provided as well. Help us in our search and make your opinions known!
Pride 2009 - All Pilgrims Participated!
The Capitol Hill Community Council hosted the Capitol Hill Pride Festival 2009 on Broadway, Saturday June 27, between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm. The format of the festival was an all-ages family fun festival celebrating diversity and community pride. It was located on two blocks of Broadway between Olive and Harrison Streets.
All Pilgrims also participated with about 15 people from the church handing out free water, soda and church brochures to those walking by. We were on our front walkway with bright green t-shirts and a wonderful  rainbow banner with the phrase "God loves you and there's nothing you can do about it!". It was quite a festive environment, with a drum and special music playing on the carillon.
It was a great opportunity to show the community that All Pilgrims is a different kind of church that welcomes everyone. There are plans already started for next year to open up the sanctuary so that everyone can see that beautiful space. A special thanks to Kathleen Hosfeld for getting the design for the rainbow banner and the t-shirts, to Jeremy Matheis, Eric Lilljegren, Ray Nutter and Pastor Nina for making sure we had everything we needed including the t-shirts, banner and drinks, and an extra special thanks to everyone who came and shared God's love with our community.
Growing Our Church Activities
This spring and into the early summer, the Growing Our Church standing committee has been active in bringing All Pilgrims to the attention of our wide community. During the Easter season, we ran ads in the Capitol Hill Times and sent out postcards to about 2,000 targeted residents in the immediate Broadway neighborhood.  During Pride Week in June, we ran full-color ads in Seattle Gay News and the neighborhood newspapers of Pacific Publishing (Capitol Hill Times, North Seattle Herald-Outlook, Queen Anne & Magnolia News, South Seattle Beacon, and Madison Park Times). We've been seeing numerous new faces among us on Sunday mornings, and the committee likes to think its efforts have played a role in that.
The committee would also like to remind everybody that the task of reaching out and bringing people into the warmth of our church community involves all of us. We know we have one of the coolest, most inclusive and spiritually nourishing churches in this town, and we need to let others-friends, relatives, neighbors, workmates-in on the secret. In fact, we don't really want it to be a secret, do we?
And what happens when we do have visitors and newcomers? Repeat after me: "We welcome them personally, introduce ourselves and encourage them to join us in Stuart Hall after worship for coffee, food and fellowship." Nothing succeeds like the personal touch. It's our job to help turn those new faces into familiar faces that we see again and again. Please help out in any way you can.
Interfaith Action Inquiry for New Beginnings
On June 4, six people met in exotic West Seattle to discuss how to proceed with an action inquiry around the questions of (1) what does it mean that All Pilgrims likes to call itself a "progressive Christian congregation," and  (2) what does that mean for our life in a world where there are many faiths besides Christianity? The six of us couldn't answer those big questions in one sitting, so we decided to continue the discussion. We think the questions are beginning to point us toward three threads of inquiry, having to do with education, affirmation, and action:
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What do we need to learn about the constellation of faiths in our contemporary world, and how can we go about doing that in a productive way?
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Do we as a congregation want to affiliate with The Center for Progressive Christianity and affirm its eight principles (including one recognizing that "other people have other names for the way to God's realm ... that ... are true for them") as principles by which we live our faith lives?
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What can we do to build meaningful bridges between our congregation and other faith communities (Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, etc.)?
A further question we might consider concerns the relationship of our brand of Christian faith to science.
We intend to meet again in July. Ray Nutter has set up a Yahoo Group e-mail list to facilitate communication among all who are interested in participating in further discussions.
- Dave Beck, Kathy Dawson, Vince Larkin, Ray Nutter, Muriel Saunders, and David Paul
Food Drive a Great Success!
Thank you to everyone who gave of their time and resources to help fight summer hunger for kids in King County.
Because of your help we gathered 3 large barrels of food to help out those in need. Indeed, your generosity is much appreciated and shows the love and compassion of Christ.
THANK YOU!! |
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Money News
First the Bad News,
Then the Good
- APCC's Investments
The bad news: we're spending the principal, not just the interest.
Most of us know that APCC is blessed with endowed funds that are invested and growing or shrinking with the market. It is intended that interest from these funds be used for special ministries like the minister's discretionary fund (used to help people who need a short-term crisis intervention requiring cash). Among other uses are such things as scholarships, camps and conferences.
Note: it was never intended that we invade (spend) the principal of these funds. To do so is to take a steady path to financial insolvency. Yet, that is the path we're on! We're routinely spending down the principal of our endowment funds in order to balance the budget (read: "pay the bills because our offerings are not large enough"). We shouldn't be doing that. Our invested dollars are needed for building repairs (ever looked at our roof?), or for new ministries we want to do, and may even be needed for major renovations or re-location, if either becomes necessary. Everyone knows we must find a way to increase the gifts of All Pilgrims' members and friends. Frankly, our collective giving is quite poor. Enough said.
Now the good news: Three of our members serve on the Endowments and Special Gifts Committee. They are responsible for selecting the management of our endowment. Eric Liljegren is chair; Clark Beck and Kathleen Hosfeld also serve on the committee. With their advisement all our monies are invested with our two denominational foundations, the Christian Church Foundation and the United Church Foundation.
And how would you imagine they're doing in this bad economy? They're down, of course, but....let's see now....the S & P 500 is down 37%. On the other hand, APCC's monies invested with the foundations are down 29.7% -- a lot, but so much better than the commercially managed funds. Maybe that's because no one's salary is $10 million-plus at the church-related foundations, you think? Thank you committee members for performing a very important task on our behalf.
Timing is Right for Charitable Annuities
Now may be one of the best times for donors to consider completing a charitable gift annuity contract with one of our denominational foundations. With CD interest rates so low, a charitable gift annuity is an attractive way to increase cash flow, guaranteed for as long as you live. With wide fluctuations in the stock market it is rather nerve racking if people are relying on dividends. The gift annuity option, on the other hand, guarantees a regular payment that will never fluctuate.
A charitable gift annuity is a contract between the donor and the Foundation; in exchange for an irrevocable gift of cash or appreciated securities to the church. The  annuitant(s) receive(s) a set payout amount for as long as s/he/they live(s). The payout is based on the annuitant's age(s) at the time the agreement is signed, and does not change.
Some sample rates -
Single person: Age 60: 5.0%; 65: 5.3%; 70: 5.7%;
75: 6.3%; 80: 7.1%; 85: 8.1%.
Couples: Ages 60/63: 4.8%; 65/68: 5.0%; 70/70: 5.2%; 72/76: 5.5%; 77/81: 6.0%; 82/85: 6.7%.
Let Norm Wells know if you're interested in specific information matching your age(s). |
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