Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee - Sabbatical Time

Synod Staff members are eligible for a 3-month* sabbatical following six years of service. With hope for rest and renewal, we will send Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee off for her sabbatical in July.

The synod staff is well-prepared for her absence, has divided up responsibilities for coverage, and will be accompanied by Bishop Emeritus Chris Boerger.

Details on who to contact during her sabbatical can be found here: https://www.lutheransnw.org/news/bishop-wee-sabbatical

Blessing to Bishop Shelley as she prepares for and begins this time away! May it be a time of rest and renewal!

NOTE: While the bishop will return from sabbatical on September 20, she will be out of office until October 1 due to Synod and ELCA meetings.

*She will take two months this summer, and her final month in February 2027.

Read the July-August 2026 edition of The Spirit 

The Spirit is a monthly publication of the Northwest Washington Synod. It features reflections from Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee and Synod VP Kay Edgerton. Our hope is that you will include both articles in your congregation's upcoming newsletter.

NOTE: this is Synod Vice President Kay Edgertons' last edition - as her term as VP will conclude at the end of July. MANY THANKS to Kay for sharing her insights and stories these last 8 years – she & her words have been a wonderful gift!

Download the PDF version here

ELCA Property Hub Resource for You!

Church Building & Renovation Project Checklist 

Church building projects take many forms — from renovation and restoration of existing spaces to accessibility improvements, major system upgrades or new construction. This checklist offers a general roadmap to help your congregation understand the steps involved and how financial planning and fundraising align with design and construction decisions.

Download the full resource here: https://resources.elca.org/church-property-resource-hub/resource-mif-church-building-renovation-project-checklist

Lutheran Campus Ministry Strategic Planning Survey

Lutheran Campus Ministry (LCM) has served students on college campuses across the country for generations. Today, the ELCA entrusts two organizations with stewarding that work forward: LuMin and National Lutheran Campus Ministry, Inc. (NLCM). Together, we're paying close attention to the changes happening in the church and the world. There is a growing mismatch between how much these ministries matter to young people and to the church, and the shrinking resources available to fund them.

As LCM dreams again about how we might better address our current and projected funding challenges, we want to hear from the people who care most: our students, alumni, pastors, bishops, donors, and friends across the ELCA.

This survey takes about 8-10 minutes and will be open until Wednesday, July 8 at 9:00om (Pacific Time). Your responses are confidential and will be used to help LCM discern what might be possible in this moment. Thank you for taking the time to share your input.

Take the survey here.

CAUTION! A reminder (again!) that the synod staff will NOT email or text you

with requests for gift cards - or to download PDFs that you are not expecting!

ALWAYS be sure to confirm the email is being sent from our synod email. Stay safe!

NEW! A Study Resource for Groups

The 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly invited the whole church into a reconsideration of a section of the social statement Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust—specifically the section often referred to as “bound conscience.”  The task force called to lead this work is happy to share a new study leaders can use to open conversation. We hope that you are able to use it in your setting - soon!

The study, “Conscience and Conversation: A Study during the Reconsideration of the Social Statement Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust” offers activities, discussion questions, and a survey link for participants to submit feedback to the task force by September 30. This feedback will help inform the draft phase of the reconsideration process.

For more information on the Reconsiderations process, go to elca.org/reconsiderations.

Equipping the Church to Dismantle White Supremacy

A free, 5-part webinar series

The second session is July 14 (join any or all of the sessions!)

Thanks to a Strategy for Authentic Diversity grant, the series will highlight existing ELCA resources that encourage, equip, and support congregations and synods in the essential work of dismantling white supremacy. These webinars will elevate voices from across the church who are actively engaging this work and offer both practical and theological grounding.

Learn more about each of these five sessions – and register - here:

https://www.elca.org/event/051226-equipping-the-church-to-dismantle-white-supremacy

Webinar #2: "Freedom of a Christian: Reclaiming the Gospel for Justice" - July 14 at 7 pm central

Webinar #3: "Dismantle: Using the Devotional in Congregational Life" - September 8 at 7 pm central

Webinar #4: "Now is the Time: Living Into Our Church’s Declarations and Statements" - November 10 at 7 pm central

Webinar #5: "Commemorating the Emmanuel Nine and George Floyd: Sacred Memory as Call to Action" - January 12 at 7 pm central

Monthly Bible Study with ReconcilingWorks

When:  Every third Thursday of the month:

July 16, August 20, September 17, October 15, November 19, December 17

Time:  1pm - Pacific

Where: Online via Zoom (Register here for the Bible Study to receive the link)

More Info: Bible Study - ReconcilingWorks

• The Zoom link will be emailed two days in advance to those who register.
• The Bible Study is led by a rostered leader.
• The text for the Bible Study is for the Sunday ten days after the Bible Study Zoom gathering. 
• Sermon Notes are also available on the website.

NOTE: June Bible Study materials are already available on the ReconcilingWorks Bible Study webpage.(Click on image next to "Sermon Notes" or Register here for the Bible Study to receive an email)

Find ReconcilingWorks most recent newsletter here: https://www.reconcilingworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/June-2026-RWKS-Newsletter.pdf

Hey! Young Adults!!

Farewell and Godspeed

Rev. Priscilla Paris Austin will be leaving her call at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Seattle (July 21.) While we will be sad to see her go, we are thrilled that she has accepted the call to serve as Assistant to the Bishop in the New Jersey Synod - beginning mid-August. We give thanks to God for the rich shared ministry - and pray for God's blessings as she (and her fabulous family) prepare for this time of transition.

A celebration will be held on July 19 at 3pm at Immanuel - all are welcome to join - see details below:

Crossing the Street:

What the Church Discovers When It Becomes a Neighbor

Tuesday, July 21, 10am (Pacific)

Most congregations know how to serve their community. The harder move is learning to belong to it. To arrive curious rather than certain. To listen before speaking. To trust that God was already at work before the church showed up.

David Brubaker has lived this. He moved his family into a neighborhood where gunshots were common, and watched what became possible when a congregation set down its privilege and pulled up a chair at someone else's table.

Join us for a conversation, not a lecture. About half our time together is set aside for your questions and David's responses, so come ready to think out loud with him.

Learn more and register here: https://www.dialoguecircle.org/c/live-events/crossing-the-street

Camping Outing with Grace Chinese of South King County

Schafer State Park - July 24-26

Social Enterprise and Church Property

An ELCA Church Property Resource Hub Webinar

July 28, 4pm online via Zoom - no cost for webinar

Register here

RootedGood supports faith communities in generating new forms of income through social enterprise, developing buildings and land for ministry and aligning money with mission to increase impact. Join us to learn about social enterprises and how to leverage the assets of church property to create something new.  

Explore resources available to you through the Church Property Resource Hub - www.elca.org/cprh 

Want an item included?

Email Susan Berg, Dir. Communications & Events

All items due the prior Thursday by 12:00 noon

Regular Office Hours - Mon-Thurs, 10am - 4pm

Northwest Washington Synod / ELCA

5519 Phinney Avenue North

Seattle, WA 98103

206-783-9292