"That's where the fun is, to take a third path, to do something creative."--Melinda Mackey-O'Brien, Encounter, with Deacons Jennette Robertson and Andrew Carpenter, Elders Dave Hall and Kathy Reed, Music Directors Jan Klerekoper and James Vaughn, the Rev. Dr. Tobin Wilson 

--Sally Clark, president, Seattle City Council on the Seattle arena deal, "Key step, more work ahead" Jerry Brewer, Seattle Times staff columnist, The Seattle Times Sept. 12, 2012

That's where the fun is, to take a third path, to do something creative.... I think that is where we are at LBPC, taking the third path, the third way, working towards fun, being creative, imaging and moving towards being and doing church in a different way, moving towards being and doing our neighborhood/community in a new way. And, personally for me, moving towards being and doing "me" in a new way. After several years (and a lot of work) LBPC is in this place. The "E" teams met together Sept. 11 with the deacons (who are now incorporated into the teams). We were introduced to a planning concept and began "logic model" work with the Rev. Lina Thompson. It was energizing, eye-opening, fulfilling. We will continue to work through this process ending with a retreat in November. Coordinating, integrating, connecting, creating space and place for all to participate...a new way to be and do church, neighborhood, self. Encountering God the whole way.

The Encounter team would like to thank Dean Shull for his huge commitment to LBPC working the sound and audio systems Sunday mornings and special events for over 20 years. Thanks Dean! And speaking of sound, we are trying to keep the decibel levels at 85-90 (drums, organ, piano, voices). Our research informed us that most churches are at a 90-95 decibel level.

--Melinda Mackey-O'Brien, Encounter, with Deacons Jennette Robertson and Andrew Carpenter, Elders Dave Hall and Kathy Reed, Music Directors Jan Klerekoper and James Vaughn, the Rev. Dr. Tobin Wilson 

Most Frequent Binge Drinkers: Older Adults

Four or more drinks in one sitting at least once a week can harm brain health.

One in six American adults is a binge drinker, downing from four to nine alcoholic beverages in a single two-or three-hour session, according to study released Jan. 10, 2012 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But while most of these 38 million Americans binge drink about four times a month, the oldest among them-adults 65 years of age and older-binge drink nearly six times a month.

Since people tend to underreport their drinking, CDC officials believe their nationwide survey of 457,677 men and women may substantially underestimate the actual rate of binge drinking among Americans of all ages. That suggests that many older drinkers, who are especially vulnerable to the negative effects of alcohol, are engaging in heavy drinking that can do mental and physical harm.

"Binge drinking is dangerous both because it increases risk for violent behavior and leads to immediate impairment that affects driving, balance, and motor coordination, and also because it has long-term health consequences," says Marlene Oscar Berman, PhD, an award-winning researcher on the brain effects of alcohol who is associated with MGH's Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging.

"Heavy drinking affects all the organs of the body, and many of these effects on bodily organs contribute to damage to the brain."

Periodic consumption of large amounts of alcohol can increase risk for cancer and liver failure, cause harm to the pancreas and the gastro-intestinal system, lead to higher levels of triglycerides in the blood, and increase risk for heart arrhythmia, heart failure, hypertension and stroke, all of which can damage the brain. It also increases risk for mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.

Vulnerable To Alcohol

Excessive alcohol consumption is of special concern in older adults, Dr. Berman says. Advancing age brings changes in absorption and metabolism that diminish the body's ability to adapt to alcohol, and slows liver and kidney function, increasing the time it takes to clear alcohol from the body. In addition, since the average older adult takes an estimated two to seven prescription medications a day, the risk of harmful drug interactions is significantly higher for older people who drink than for younger people.

"A person's tolerance for alcohol also depends on other factors, such as the person's age, gender, general health, body size, whether the person consumes a good diet or a bad diet, and whether the person has other health conditions," says Dr. Berman, a Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Professor of Psychiatry, and Professor o Neurology at Boston University Medical School.

Social factors affecting older people can make matters worse. Seniors are more likely to experience loneliness, restricted mobility, chronic pain, and lack of social and economic support. Depression and anxiety that may result from changes in circumstances, such as retirement, suffering the death of a loved one, or experiencing declining health can lead, in turn, to even more binge drinking.

Accelerates Brain Aging

"The direct effects of excessive drinking on the older brain may cause premature aging of the brain, aggravating symptoms of cognitive decline and early dementia in the elderly," explains Dr. Berman. "There is a synergy that makes people old before their time.

"Research suggests excessive drinking promotes atrophy of the gray matter and other tissues in the brain and leads to impairments in cognitive functions such as abstract reasoning, performance on complex memory tasks, short-term memory, visual motor coordination, and visual spatial performance. Some brain changes visible on brain scan occur before behavioral changes become apparent."

High doses of alcohol also can inhibit the release of neurotransmitters involved in cognitive processes such as learning and remembering, and their proper functioning is altered by excess alcohol consumption.

What You Can Do

Since most people who binge drink are not dependent on alcohol, the following strategies may be helpful in breaking the habit, says Dr. Berman:

• Acknowledge problem drinking and resolve to reduce or eliminate your consumption of alcohol.
• Avoid social situations that involve heavy drinking, and spend time with friends who drink moderately or not at all.
• Choose activities that do not involve drinking, such as playing a game of tennis, attending a movie, or enjoying a concert instead of meeting friends at a tavern.
• Keep track of how much you are drinking and how strong your drinks are in order to pace yourself.
• Drink alcoholic beverages slowly (e.g., one drink per hour), and intersperse them with non-alcoholic drinks (soda, water, or fruit juice) to reduce overall consumption. Or request a drink with minimal alcohol.
• Eat something. Food slows the absorption of alcohol, and some people find that a snack reduces their cravings for alcohol.
• Seed professional help for problem drinking.

source: Mind, Mood & Memory, Massachusetts General Hospital, May 2012

Charge: To provide for spiritual nurture and growth for all ages to an engaging faith that articulates the Gospel with words and demonstrates the Gospel in love, justice and action

Carolyn Carpenter and Steve Turner, Chairs; Committee members: Gail Lane, Sharon Larson, Sally Mackey, Melinda Mackey-O'Brien, Sarah Pham (staff) Linda Shaw, Nola Sparks, Judy Todd (PW Women), Sonya Vasilieff, Don Weber, Dawn Wilson, Dee Wix.

1. Become a tutor with the after school program. After school program is held Monday-Thursday afternoons from 3-6 p.m. We are in need of people who can help Kindergarten-Sixth graders with their homework. Homework time happens from 4:30-5:30 each of these four days. It's only one hour each week, so please consider volunteering!
2. Make a snack. We serve a hearty snack every day of our after school program and we are looking for people who might want to help out one day a week in preparing the snack. We can do the shopping for you if you want to be the one who puts it together.
3. Cook a meal for Remix. Remix is our weekly Wednesday night dinner program that reaches out to the children and families of the after school program. The importance of our kids eating a meal together with their families is huge, and it is a great way for LBPC to build relational connections to the families of the after school program. OR if you're not much of a cook, but would like to host a table of children and their families by engaging in conversation with them, then this would be the perfect spot for you to serve.

I pray that you would consider being a part of the many ministries that we have here at LBPC that reach out to kids and their families, and if you can't physically volunteer, please pray for the work that God continues to do.

Many Blessings!

Sarah

Seahurst School Supply Project

Many thanks to everyone who supported our school supply project. This is the eighth year LBPC has provided school supplies for Seahurst School. This year has been a huge success. We received $1600 in monetary donations. Our neighbors Mary and Kevin donated 42 backpacks from Kevin's place of work. We took 150 backpacks, 86 binder notebooks, 96 spiral notebooks, 119 boxes of crayons, pencils, pens and many other supplies to the school. We have spent $1352.17 of the $1600. Because many things were purchased at sale prices, savings are $801.91. The value of supplies delivered to the school is $2154.08. We are working with the school to provide items that are in short supply with the remaining money.

This project is a good example of community outreach. Everything is taken to our neighbor Seahurst School. Teachers and school staff identify students who will need help to have school supplies. The supplies are put in a separate classroom. Children with an adult--parent or school staff--are able to pick out the grade appropriate supplies they need to start the school year. These are the tools they need to do a good job.

Thank you everyone for your continued support. We are helping many students as they begin the school year.

Nola Sparks, Project Co-ordinator

206.824.3186 or nolasparks@msn.com

Thank Offering on October 28

Since 1888, Presbyterian Women (PW) have joyfully expressed gratitude for God's blessings by sharing their blessings with those in need at home as well as around the world. This PW Thank Offering funds programs that provide education, safe housing, clean water, health care, help for prisoners, justice for women and much more.

In 2012, 26 of the 70 proposed projects were chosen as recipients of the 2011 Thank Offering grants. Thirteen of the projects are national, 13 projects are international. Fifty-three percent of the 2011 offering funds will support health ministries. An example of a national grant is to fund a central heating and cooling system at a domestic violence shelter in Wyoming. Another grant will fund the Camp Noah programs to help children and parents from two disaster-affected communities in Arkansas. An example of an international grant gives funds for a cereal dryer and silo for food security and income to enable refugees to dry and store harvested cereals in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Another grant will build a water tank and pipeline to bring drinking water to high-school children in Andhra Pradesh, India.

We invite everyone, both men and women, to participate by giving a contribution as a "thank offering to our Lord" to our PW Thank Offering Jar that will be located in the narthex on Oct. 28. Look for the display with a list of all 26 grants. Together nationwide we can affect many of God's people. We are grateful for your support.

"As God's chosen ones...clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience." Colossians 3:12

Seattle Presbyterian Women's Gathering on Oct. 27

Every fall, the Presbyterian Women from all the churches in Seattle Presbytery gather together. This year, the Fall Gathering will be held at Lake City Presbyterian Church on Saturday, Oct. 27. A highlight of this year's gathering will include first hand experiences of person's from Japanese Presbyterian Church who went to Japan to help after the earthquake and tsunami. Also, there will be information on the PW Churchwide Gathering that was held in Orlando in July. Save the date now. We can carpool to Lake City. Contact Gail Lane for more information.

Presbyterian Women's Churchwide Gathering Report

Every three years, Presbyterian Women from the United States gather together for worship, workshops, forums, Bible Study, and plenary with information on activities of women worldwide. This year almost 2000 women gathered in Orlando, Florida along with 32 international women guests. I was blessed to be able to attend and to also serve as a Voting Delegate to the PW Business meeting as a representative of the Seattle Presbytery. Here are just a few of my impressions. Twenty Dollar Gift Cards were brought to the gathering. Dave Moore, the executive director of Beth-El Farmworker Ministry in Florida was in tears as he was presented the cards worth $39,250.15. Over the last seven years, this ministry has provided food for more than 609,000 people and given more than 80 tons of clothing as well as providing a weekly worship place for hundreds. We were shocked to learn that the daily wage of tomato pickers has not been raised for 30 years.

We were greeted by the newly elected moderator of the 220th General Assembly, Neal Presa. He called Presbyterian Women the crown jewels of the PC(USA). He also told us, "Presbyterian Women are the first kind of people who make change happen. But we are now a church divided. The good news is that we are also united because Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. Let us create opportunities for churchwide conversations so we can ask 'how can we be the PC(USA) family again?' Let's continue to serve with hope as we seek that unity." It is hard to hear about so many churches leaving PCUSA because of the gay ordination issue. In 1988 when I attended my first PW Churchwide Gathering, the Northern and Southern Presbyterian Churches had just united together to form the PC(USA) and Presbyterian Women also combined. That year I was so proud. This year it was sad to hear about the new divisions of the church as churches are separating and leaving the PC(USA) and starting new Presbyterian denominations.

The offering from the PW Churchwide Gathering was collected in buckets to symbolize the difficulty women in South Sudan face in providing life-giving water for themselves and their families. The offering raised $38,555 for wells in South Sudan. PC(USA) is a connectional church. It is exciting to be part of Presbyterian Women who work together throughout our country and the world, so that together we can accomplish God's work for God's people.

Our speakers included our Bible Study Horizon author, Nancy-Benson-Nicol, a speaker on Human Trafficking, a Native American woman, and one on the environment and others. We viewed the YouTube video, The Story of Bottled Water (2010). Check it out. It is clever, and very informative. We voted to ask women not to use bottled water at the next PW Churchwide Gathering in 2015. The Gathering also included wonderful worship services, singing and forums given by our international guests. There is more I could share, but I wanted you to just get a small sample. Presbyterian Women accomplish so much together and I am grateful for all the support you give our Presbyterian Women.

Gail Lane