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Charge: To foster authentic community and encourage congregational life at LBPC
As we write for each month newsletter, we realize the importance of keeping it brief and interesting. Although there are many ministries and work under the Encourage umbrella, it feels that the dinner for the Presbytery meeting on May 17 took a lot of our energy and focus. And what was so good about this is how many people were involved and therefore how this encouraged our congregational life at LBPC. We feel that this was shown in many ways, and especially on Sunday, May 15, when we brought tables from the basement, set tables and chairs for the dinner for a possible 250 participants.
One of the pictures of that morning was of two little boys carrying chairs, one at the time, up the stairs. We were such a blend of women, men, older ones, and younger ones.
Then we also worked on Monday and on Tuesday, creating and serving a dinner that was outstanding, and ending with the cleaning. Again, it was a mixture of many of us working together.
For us on the committee, it was the team work and the involvement of so many members that made this such a successful evening. It was really an experience of our congregational life.
So thanks so much to each and all of you.
At the same time, the committee continues to work in our coordination of ministries and to support the work that's been done by so many.
If you want to connect with us, please contact Norma or Margarita. You also are invited to join us at our next committee meeting on Tuesday, June 14. We start at 7 p.m. in the chapel, where all committees come together, and then each committee meets at a different place. Our Encourage committee stays in the chapel.
Again thanks for making the dinner on May 17 such a success, and for all the work that continues to be part of who we are.
Members:
Elders: Norma Kastien; Margarita Suarez
Deacon Moderator: Beth Williams
Presbyterian women representative: Barbara Carlsen
Key leaders: Jan Cox; Natalie Sarantos and Priscilla Stephenson
New Directory
The office will be putting together a new directory to include all our new members. Stan Lane, as in years past, has graciously agreed to be our photographer. If you're a new member or if you have already had your picture taken and would like to have it updated, please call the office (206.242.6023) so we can schedule that.
Please check the old directory to assure that the information therein is correct and complete. If you are a new member, please be sure we have names, address, children's names, phone numbers and a primary email address (unfortunately, our program will list only one email address).
Thank you for your help; we want to get this new directory in your hands as soon as possible!
The Deeds of Your Dedicated Deacons
Acts 6:1-7 tells us that as the Church grew, the hands-on tasks required to care for those in the congregation grew to be more than 12 men could handle, so others were commissioned. The Christian duties of caring for the sick, feeding those in need, caring for the widows and children were given over to a new group interested in serving their brothers and sisters. These are your deacons... at your service.
How are those first-Sunday-of-the-month loose offerings used?
30 percent of what is received is given to the First Avenue Service Center.
30 percent to the Highline Food Bank
10 percent to Northwest Harvest
And the other 30 percent? Monies are given to maintain the Pastor's Discretionary Fund for people with some emergent issue that Tobin may address confidentially. The balance is kept for use as the needs of others arise. Example: April's loose offerings - plus a designated deacons offering - totaled $284. $86 each went to FASC and to Highline Food Bank. $30 went to NW Harvest. $100 was put into the Pastor's Discretionary Fund. The deacons hold a balance in reserve of $170. Thank you for your support of the work of the deacons in your church and community!
How are the deacons evolving with the new Church configuration?
We have been working very hard to find ways to serve our congregation in the best way possible both practically and spiritually. We are working toward being a warm and welcoming church that supports and nurtures her congregation and is part of the larger community of Burien. We are a work in progress and transition.
Deacons' tasks fall under the category of Encouragement: providing food, transportation, hospitality, children's gifts, helping hands, outreach, visitation, spiritual support and homebound communion. This is the first part of an article to share with you what your deacons are doing and to invite you to join in a ministry that matches your situation, your gifts and your interests.
FOOD BASKETS
We always have provided holiday food baskets and have supported the community food banks. We will continue to do this and deacon Jan Mantle has increased the vision of this food support. She is inviting gardeners to plant a little extra this year and to donate their fresh produce to the food bank. Also, for those who have more fruit than they need or want in their backyards, she is proposing a gathering team to harvest those fruits for the food banks. Her idea is to have harvested foods brought to church on Sundays. She will deliver it to the Highline Food Bank on Monday. We will continue to remind. Contact Jan for more information.
THE 'ASK ME' TABLE
Sometimes it is hard to know what is going on here at LBPC and when. And, whom do you call if you'd like to help, or if you need help? When and where are activities held? What is available? How do you join a group? What about the kids? Who is in charge of...? What if someone I know is ill, in grief and/or needs assistance, or a visit? How do I make that happen?
Deacon Rhonda Duncan will be setting up an area in the Narthex for 15 minutes before and after Sunday services to answer the questions of old members, new members, visitors, guests and the pastor. (Okay, he probably knows most things.)
BOOKS FOR KIDS
Deacons Cindy Waddington, Jennette Robinson and Lolly Parker are working on a project to get books into the hands and homes of the children who attend the Union Gospel Mission after-school program, our Remix families and our Sunday school. Books that are theirs to keep. Many have already been donated. More are needed. Bible stories would be a great addition. Books can be given at the summer backpack party. Help is needed with sorting and organizing.
To make it all the more a personal gift it was decided that we would place a bookplate into each book that says: "This is ___________'s book. A gift from Lake Burien Presbyterian Church." And, a bookplate design is needed. Any and all artistic folks who attend LBPC are invited to submit design ideas. Please! Call one of deacons above for more information.
NEXT MONTH, more will be shared about some wonderful ideas and projects on which the deacons are working. In the meantime, if you or someone you know can use the assistance of the deacons, please contact our moderator, Beth Williams. Share YOUR ideas with us.
Your deacons are: Beth Williams, Lolly Parker, Sarah Fox, Penny Hickman, Peggy Meyer, Andrew Carpenter, Paul and Lisa Larson, Gail Peters, Jennette Robinson, Rhonda Duncan, Lee Weber, Cindy Waddington.
Peggy Meyer
Hospitality House Meals
The week of June 13 through June 19 is Lake Burien Presbyterian Church's turn to provide dinners for the ladies of Hospitality House: a main dish, salad or side, and maybe a dessert or some fruit. We have some faithful providers in this church and they need your help! If you would like to join them in this simple but so appreciated ministry, please give me a call. Share the meal responsibility with a friend, daughter/son, or niece/nephew - a great way to involve our younger people in the care for others. Just one meal a year, if you like. Call Peggy Meyer at 206.242.2422.
From the Health Care Team
Sound Sleep Can Improve Memory
Research suggests some memory dysfunction associated with aging may be related to sleep disturbance.
A good night's sleep is good for your memory, according to researchers at Harvard Medical School and other top institutions. Their work suggests that six or more hours of restful sleep triggers changes in the brain that help with learning and memory retention, while sleep deprivation impairs the brain's system for processing and storing information.
The findings shed new light on brain processes that occur during sleep, and underscore the importance of resolving sleep disorders and getting adequate rest in order to achieve proper brain function.
"By providing evidence that sleep is essential to the brain's memory functioning, such research has demonstrated that sleep disturbance can be a significant contributor to memory impairment," said John Stakes, MD, Director of the Sleep Disorders Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. "That means that for those individuals who experience both memory and sleep problems-such as the elderly, people with restless legs syndrome or individuals who experience sleep apnea and other episodic breathing disorders-treating sleep disorders may offer an avenue for addressing memory loss.
"If your sleep is not restorative, or if you have sleep problems you can't resolve on your own, you should see a doctor."
The Harvard study found that a group of subjects who were kept awake for 35 hours before viewing images in a slide show were less likely to remember those images two days later after catching up on their sleep than were a comparable group of subjects who were not deprived of sleep. As study participants tried to remember images, they underwent brain scans using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The scans revealed that a brain area called the hippocampus-which is responsible for short-term memory-was less active in the sleep deprived subjects. The study, published in February 2007 in the journal Nature Neuroscience, suggests that lack of sleep impairs brain function, and that it is this factor rather than reduced alertness or an inability to absorb information that accounts for poorer memory among sleep-deprived individuals.
How Sleep Affects Memory
In addition to the study cited above, recent discoveries about sleep and memory include these findings:
ˇ Newly acquired information appears to be consolidated in the brain during sleep. In one study, participants who slept an average of seven hours after learning random word pairs scored 13 percent better on tests 12 hours later than participants who did not sleep, according to a report in the July 11, 2006, journal Current Biology.
ˇ Sleep may make memories resistant to interference. In the same study, subjects who slept, and then were shown a new series of word pairs right before testing, scored 58 percent better in recalling the original word pairs than subjects who didn't sleep.
ˇ Sleep deprivation may interfere with short term, or working memory (involved in temporarily storing and managing information). A series of studies at the University of California at San Diego found that sleep deprived subjects performed worse than rested participants in short-term memory tasks that involved arithmetic, verbal learning, and a combination of arithmetic and verbal learning.
ˇ Sleep appears necessary for acquisition of procedural memories (memory for skills and procedures, such as how to ride a bike). Subjects who slept after learning finger tapping movements did better on tests requiring them to recall the movements 12 hours later than did subjects who stayed awake, according to a report in the June 30, 2005, issue of the journal Neuroscience. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) revealed that a motor area of the brain that controls speed and accuracy was more active in rested subjects than in sleep deprived subjects.
7 WAYS TO GET BETTER SLEEP
Sleep problems are not normal at any age, and it's important to try to solve them. If you think your tossing and turning may be affecting your health-and your memory-try these seven suggestions:
1. Seek treatment for anxiety, medical disorders, and mood disorders that interfere with sleep. These include conditions that cause pain, depression, restless legs syndrome, acid reflux, sleep apnea, congestive heart failure, nervousness and many other conditions.
2. Manage stress. Make an effort to deal with worries during the day then set them aside at night. Use techniques such as meditation and visualization to deal with stress, and pursue relaxing activities before bedtime.
3. Establish a sleep routine. Try to go to bed at the same time each evening, and get up at the same time each morning. Avoid excessive daytime napping that can upset your sleep schedule.
4. Expose yourself to daylight. Get outside in the sun if you can-exposure to bright light in the day and early evening can help prevent insomnia.
5. Get plenty of exercise. Regular workouts help reduce tension and promote relaxation.
6. Watch caffeine, alcohol, and medications. Avoid caffeine at least four to six hours before you go to bed. Limit alcohol-it may make you sleepy, but it can also lead to sleep disruption. In consultation with your doctor, work to eliminate medications that may interfere with sleep.
7. Limit heavy meals and liquids in the evening. Feeling too full can keep you awake. Avoiding drinks late in the evening can prevent you from having to get up to use the bathroom.
Source: Massachusetts General Hospital, Mind, Mood and Memory, May, 2007
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