The Spirit

The September 2023 edition of The Spirit is available!

Read articles from our Synod VP, Kay Edgerton and Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee.

Find the September 2023 edition HERE

Read previous editions here: www.lutheransnw.org/news/the-spirit

Ground has broken at Faith Family Village!

We give thanks to God for the hard work of those behind this effort to help neighbors in Everett experiencing homelessness find safe housing.

Check out this King5 news story, from the day, including words from Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee.

YOU can support their efforts by making a purchase from their Amazon Wish List!

REMINDER - Purchase your LiVE Congregational Bundle!

A Bundle allows an unlimited number of church members to attend an unlimited number of courses and retreats at NO COST to them! Once you register for a Congregational Bundle, your church office will be given a promo code to pass on to your members so they can register for any LiVE offering for FREE!

Purchase your bundle here

The ELCA Youth Gathering registration opens September 15! Are you ready?

The Registration Workbook is now available!

This resource has all the necessary information you'll want to collect from participants to register.

Additionally, it walks through how registration works this year, which is different than previous year.

View it now at https://bit.ly/3QMM79g.

Questions, contact our Synod's Gathering Champion, Becky at [email protected].

Month of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools

September is a month of remembrance for those who experienced Indian boarding schools. The ELCA’s Truth and Healing Movement will provide opportunities to learn about federal Indian boarding school policies and address the ongoing trauma those policies have caused.

As a church, we are committed to understanding our role in this tragic and sinful history so that we can journey toward healing together. On Sept. 30, the National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, you are encouraged to wear an orange shirt and/or raise an orange flag and post a photo on social media.

Learn more about this effort and the Movement at ELCA.org/TruthAndHealing. 

“A Study Curriculum on Civic Life and Faith”

Your feedback is desired!

Feedback forms for “A Study Curriculum on Civic Life and Faith” are due Oct. 15. Your input is key to shaping a new social statement on church, state and civic participation.

The study’s six sessions are customizable and focus on topics such as the purpose of democracy and how we as Lutherans relate to government. To download the sessions, go to elca.org/civicsandfaithstudy. A Spanish translation is also available. 

NWWA Synod Trip to the Holy Land

January 14-25, 2024



NEARLY FULL - register now!

You are invited to join with others in the NWWA Synod for a life-changing trip to the Holy Land. Not only will we visit holy sites, we will also meet with, talk with, and listen to those who live, work, laugh, worship, and struggle in this land. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) is one of our partners in the Lutheran World Federation. They are excited to share their stories with us. There is also an additional post-trip to Egypt that you are invited to sign up for, as well.

We want this to be a time for people to interact with and learn with the people of this land. Therefore, we are only taking twenty-four people. We hope that you will come and be a part of this important trip. Please click the link below to find out more information or reach out to me for any questions you might have.

https://www.eliastours.com/tours/northwest-washington-synod-holy-land-trip-with-bishop-shelley-bryan-wee-dr-rod-schofield

Synod Events This Week:

Mon, Sept. 4 - Labor Day Holiday - Synod Office CLOSED

A Prayer for today: Loving God, on this day we recognize and pray for the work people do to sustain their families and the service they do to benefit their communities and society. We pray that all will receive fair wages, work in safe environments, be renewed through times of sabbath, and experience joy and fulfillment in their labor. We pray for all those who seek employment to find work, and for the well-being, care and support of people unable to work. Amen.

Tues, Sept. 5 10am-2pm - Synod Staff Meeting

Thurs, Sept. 7 - Wee Walk with Stillaguamish Cluster - rostered ministers check with your Dean regarding time & location!

Sun, Sept. 10 - Rally Sunday

In September, the Lutheran Faith Community Nurse Association will be offering a three-part series entitled This is How We Die. We will couple excellent content from Barbara Karnes’s 3 DVD series This is How People Die, with dialogue and reflection. Barbara Karnes is a registered nurse and well-known hospice pioneer and advocate. 

The events will be held on September 11, 18, and 25 starting at 4 pm (Pacific) While ALL are welcome to attend, nursing contact hours will be provided for the sessions attended.

For more information go here:: https://lutheranfcna.org/event-5361391.

Here is a flyer with the registration link is attached to post and to share with all who may have interest.  

Installation of Rev. Abby d'Ambruoso

As the new pastor at Holden Village on September 12

We are delighted to announce that Pastor Abby is returning to the Northwest and all are invited to head up the mountain to celebrate her installation as the new Village Pastor. The service will be in the midst of a wonderful retreat week - join the celebration - and the learning! God bless this new ministry partnership!

Holden Village Retreat

September 10-15

A partnership with Music That Makes a Difference!

It is a collaboration gathering for all people who are working toward wholeness, justice, and all those good things.

Learn more HERE.

Children and Youth Leader Retreat – Save the Date!

September 29-30 at Camp Lutherwood

Theme: Holy Trinity, Wholly Love

More details coming soon!

Crossways Bible Study

Ever had reading the entire Bible on your bucket list? 

Let Crossways and Pastor Mike Anderson be your guide.

This two-year program, hosted by Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, begins October 1 with Genesis, and will include pre-recorded lectures sent on Sundays to your email address to be watched at your leisure. 

Optional Thursday evening Zoom discussions will follow each lecture’s release. The course is academic in nature and works well for those with or without Bible background. Click on this link to register and to read endorsements from former study participants. www.hslckirkland.org/crossways

2023 Addiction & Faith Conference

The Center on Addiction & Faith will host its annual conference Oct. 5-7 in Bloomington, Minnesota. You can participate in this hybrid event either virtually or in person. The conference uses science, spirituality and personal testimony to raise awareness about the scourge of addiction. The Addiction & Faith Conference is open to everyone including rostered and lay leaders, health care professionals, people in recovery, those who love people affected by addiction, youth leaders and addiction specialists.

Register at addictionandfaithconference.com. 

The European Descent Lutheran Association for Racial Justice is hosting their Triennial Gathering October 12-14 in Minneapolis, MN. Registration is open now and closes Sept. 15!

Highlights include:

• A pilgrimage to George Floyd Square co-lead by ELCA Racial Justice office
• Conversations with community members
• Worship & meals together
• Discussions on what EDLARJ does, where we are hoping to go, and how you can take part
• Elections of new board members and officers
• …and more!

Learn more HERE.

Native Americans and the Church:

Working Towards Truth and Healing

Mark your calendars! On Saturday, October 14th, we are excited to welcome Vance Blackfox, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, and the ELCA director for Indigenous ministries and tribal relations. He will be leading a one-day seminar at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Kirkland about the history and struggles of Native American peoples, as well as conversations around working towards healing relationships with indigenous peoples and learning from them about their relationship to Mother Earth. The seminar will be from 9am-2pm and will include lunch. This event is open to the entire synod – all are welcome! We are asking for a donation of $25 per person, but scholarships are available, so don’t let cost dissuade you from coming!

Registration for the event will open September 13th.

For more information, contact Pastor Gina Herman at [email protected]. 

FAN Events Coming Up!

FAN staff are working with faith communities in our network to find dates this Fall for geographical cluster gatherings across our state. These meetings provide a way to get to know your neighbors and talk about local concerns and responses to needs in your community, and perhaps create new collaborations. 

EAST KING COUNTY: Wednesday October 25, 6:30-8:00 pm

Hosted by Newport Presbyterian Church, Bellevue – Register here.

BELLINGHAM AREA: Sunday November 5, 4:00-5:30 pm

Hosted by First Congregational & Christ the Servant Lutheran. Registration to come.

AND...

Save the Date for the FAN Annual Dinner on Sunday, November 19, and stay tuned for more details. We hope to offer an in-person gathering in two locations with online attendance as well.

AND...

Earlier this summer, our friends at Paths to Understanding and Challenge 2.0 released this video conversation with host Jeff Renner about the 2023 legislative session. (click on the link - or watch below...) It’s helpful to review at this time as we prepare to work with our coalition partners, policy committee, and Governing Board to develop a legislative agenda for 2024. We invite you to listen and always welcome your feedback!