June 27, 2022
Weekly Update
announcements & events
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Racial Equity & Reparations Fund of the NW WA Synod
Our Synod's "Racial Equity and Reparations Fund" team will be meeting the first week of August. We will be making another round of distributions to those BIPOC leaders in our Synod who choose to opt in. Since its inception in November of 2020, this fund has redistributed $20,450. Racism affects the experience of being Church leaders, and this effort is meant to foster solidarity and relationship between Rostered Ministers.
Donations to the fund can be made via the Synod's webpage HERE.
All Synod BIPOC leaders are eligible to receive distributions. Email nwwasynodreparations@gmail.com for information or if you would like to be more involved in this effort. |
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UPDATED Standard Mileage Rate
Please be advised that the Internal Revenue Service announced an increase in the standard mileage rate for the final 6 months of 2022.
Effective July 1st the mileage rate for business travel will be 62.5 cents per mile, up 4 cents from the rate effective at the start of the year.
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Lower Snake River Dams Draft Report Released
Comments to Sen. Murray and Gov. Inslee are invited now until July 11.
Our partners at Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power and Light. are asking for help in promoting this action and encouraging people of faith to publicly comment in support of removing the lower dams.
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Living Lutheran: “Gen Z and the Church”
“Young people in the church today know what they want from faith-based institutions,” writes Stephanie N. Grimoldby in the June/July issue of Living Lutheran. “If a church offers relationships, mentors, authenticity and political engagement, they’ll stay, often becoming leaders who will take to the streets to fight for what they believe.”
Learn more in this article and study guide about how Generation Z looks at the world and the church - and how we can show them that church is a space where they belong.
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Support the Bishop's Caring Fund
Do you know about the Bishop’s Caring Fund?
As people of the NWWA Synod of the ELCA, we care about our pastors & deacons. This fund is available to be used at our Bishop’s discretion to provide what is needed for individual rostered ministers. Support, training, coaching, and much more help our pastors and deacons be more effective leaders.
To give to the Bishop’s Caring Fund go to the Synod website's giving page:
Your gift is much appreciated!
BOOK BONUS! Because of the care Pastor Jane Prestbye has received during her years of ministry, she will gift you with a book if you give $25 or more to the Bishop’s Care Fund. The book records her reflections during her 2012 sabbatical, Roads for Renewal: A Pastor, A Motorcycle and a Sabbatical. To receive this book, send a message mentioning your gift (amount not needed) and your name and mailing address to klcpastor@kentlutheran.org. (Thank you, Pastor Jane!)
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Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Pursuing God’s call to ministry has caused many to assume financial burden. Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) is a program that may allow individuals to get the remainder of their federal student loans discharged. Every ELCA rostered minister received this info in an email because of the potential benefit of the PSLF program. Until July 2021, the PSLF program excluded church workers from consideration, but that exclusion has been removed, and many pastors and deacons may now be eligible. This is an opportunity for those who have served congregations or specialized ministries to greatly reduce the burden of their educational debt.
Determining whether you qualify for PSLF and completing the application process can be cumbersome, but there are resources available to help you. You can schedule an appointment with:
The waiver period, during which more people and loans qualify for PSLF, is currently scheduled to end Oct. 31, 2022, so don’t wait to act. The ELCA is pleased to once again partner with LSS Financial Counseling and Portico Benefit Services. They are here to help you navigate this unique opportunity.
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Sign up for ELCA World Hunger’s
Global Farm Challenge
This summer, join ELCA World Hunger in the Global Farm Challenge, a youth-focused, whole-church campaign to accompany our neighbors facing threats of hunger and poverty.
The goal is to raise $525,000 to equip communities around the world and in the United States with livestock, seeds, tools and training to turn a hungry season into a hopeful season. Visit the resources page to inspire and activate youth in your community with prayers and podcasts, guides and games. Sign up today to start a fundraiser with your congregation or by yourself for the Global Farm Challenge.
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Summer Sessions at the Grünewald Guild
The Grünewald Guild is an arts education nonprofit retreat center nestled on 16 acres of Cascadian woodland, bordered by the Wenatchee River in the Plain Valley of Washington. Snowcapped peaks, rushing waters and sweet-smelling ponderosa pine welcome, inspire, and create an environment in which people come to learn, to grow, and to explore the relationships between art, faith and community.
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Synod Events this week:
Tues, June 28, 10am-1pm - Synod Staff Meeting
Tues, June 28, 1pm - Bishop's Convocation Planning Team ( Zoom Link)
Mon, July 4 - Independence Day Holiday - Synod Office CLOSED
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ELCA Coaching Network - Weekly Sessions
Wednesdays at 11am (Pacific)
ELCA Coaching will continue with the theme of COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP. ELCA Coaching has invited various ministries to host these gatherings each week. There will usually be time for small groups in breakout rooms so that leaders across the church can continue to learn from each other and leave each gathering with at least one action step.
Join Zoom Meetings here:
Meeting ID: 180 439 412 / Passcode: 648160
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ELCA World Hunger Presents:
Hunger at the Crossroads
June 29, 4pm (Pacific)
This next webinar in ELCA World Hunger’s “Hunger at the Crossroads” series will be on Wednesday. “Housing and Hunger” with Brooke De Jong (ELCA World Hunger) and featuring a NEW! resource on housing.
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Rethinking Silence: A Tool for the Body, the Mind, and Sustaining Recovery
Offered by the Center of Addiction & Faith
Thursday, June 30, 9am-10am plus a 30-minute Q&A
We live in a world of noise and constant movement, but nearly all the world's religions and wisdom traditions teach about the value and importance of silence. Join Justin Zorn and Leigh Marz, authors of "Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise," as they invite us to rethink our definition of silence - not just the absence of noise, but as a presence that can bring us energy, clarity and deeper connection. You'll learn more about the science of why silence is essential for our bodies and minds, and practical approaches to cultivating silence in your life. We will discuss how silence can be key to promoting and sustaining recovery in all its forms.
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Building a Culture of Generosity
Online Introduction Zoom
Tuesday, July 12 at 1pm
Join Zoom Meeting here:
Are you conducting a stewardship appeal this Fall?
If so, our synod is partnering with ELCA Churchwide to bring you Building a Culture of Generosity (BCG) from GSB Fundraising. This program seeks to help congregations grow revenue by 5-10% and also teaches biblical stewardship principles, helps members discover generosity, and begins to build the foundation for a generous culture. This program is provided in a combination of a document library, video library, and live Zoom sessions. The program is led by Mike Ward, author of Abundance: Creating a Culture of Generosity, 2020 Fortress Press.
Here is what one recent BCG participant shared:
"We are pleased to say we received 39 new and increased pledges, out of 75 giving units
for a total increase of $14,535. I have a new way of looking at our congregation and how generous we are, thanks to your program. It’s more enjoyable to speak with positive affirmations rather than with (our church is dying) wails. You laid out this wonderful plan and had regular zoom meetings to learn more and hear from everyone. Your book, meetings, and documents helped me understand all the moving parts in implementing The Culture of Generosity message."
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Mission to Seafarers Yard Sales!
Sunday, July 17, 1pm - 4pm
Tuesday, July 19, 3pm - 6pm
at the Seattle Seafarers’ Center (3568 W Marginal Way SW, Seattle,)
They are moving to a new (smaller!) office space - and will be giving away much of our current furniture (with requests for donations!)
Featured items: pool table, upright piano, BBQ grills, gardening tools, bookshelves, filing cabinets, kitchen equipment, and more! Come by on either day to check out our available furniture, and we will help move any items you are interested in to your car. Donations are encouraged!
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Summer Gatherings
for these Rostered Minister Groups
Retired Rostered Minister BBQ
Tuesday, July 19, 11am-1pm at Advent Lutheran in Mill Creek
New-to-the Synod Rostered Minister BBQ
Tuesday, July 19, 4pm-6pm at Advent Lutheran in Mill Creek
ALL rostered ministers (and partners) who have recently benn ordained or moved into the synod are invited! We will be serving up grilled brats & dogs and side dishes.
Deans' Meeting & Dinner
Thursday, July 21, 6pm-9pm in Edmonds
Cluster Deans (and partners) - please join the bishop and staff in Edmonds as we serve up dinner!
More info coming soon to your email inbox soon!
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LiVE Information Sessions
(Living into Vocational Engagement)
Join one of our upcoming sessions:
July 20 or August 17 - 6:30-7:30pm on Zoom
Come and learn more about LiVE, get your questions answered, and see what this exciting opportunity holds in store for your own learning journey as a Christian public leader.
Please pre-register for one of these Zoom sessions here:
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Multicultural Youth Justice (MYJ22)
July 21-23 at St. Matthew's in Renton
MYJ22 is a national virtual faith-forming experience July 21 – 23 where our NWWA synod youth will be together in-person at St. Matthew’s in Renton. Each day is filled with different activities and learning opportunities and we’ll end each day with a live virtual celebration with music, speakers, and worship.
This experience is crucial for BIPOC youth and their European Descent allies because of the ways in which they have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and because we so often hear them speak about how they feel disconnected from the wider church. For young people, especially BIPOC young people, it often feels as though the ELCA is the church of “old white folks.” It is crucial that we provide a space now, where they can feel at home in our faith traditions and know that they are seen, heard, wanted, and loved. While MYJ22 is only one piece of what we hope will be an ongoing effort to make connections between BIPOC youth and their allies, as well as the elders who have gone before them, and the wider church, we believe that it is a crucial piece that will enable us to do the desperately needed relationship-building required in order to nurture those long-lasting connections.
Groups can stay overnight onsite or travel to the event each day.
For more information about the regional gathering contact:
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God’s work. Our Hands. Sunday!
Sunday, September 11
Old Lutheran has T-shirts and other items available for purchase. The deadline for ordering your congregation’s personalized T-shirts is Aug. 19.
Don’t forget to share your congregation’s participation with us! Send stories and photos to LivingLutheran@elca.org so that together we can celebrate what God accomplishes through you.
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Sacred Spaces:
Opening the Holy Invitation Even Wider
September 24, 9:30am-2:30pm
at St. Andrews Lutheran Church (2650 148th Ave SE, Bellevue)
Sponsor: NW Washington Synod
Join Facilitators and Practitioners of unique gatherings and organic forms of church, for a day of stories, experiences, and workshops to explore together how we can open God’s holy invitation even wider.
There are so many ways to gather as faithful communities, whether it's outdoors, creating art, at the pub, or just eating around one big table. Why shouldn’t our gatherings reflect our uniqueness?
Let’s imagine how we can foster organic sacred spaces right in our own backyards. How can we create more inclusive gatherings for people to encounter God? How can we experiment with the gifts we have to meet the needs of those seeking the spirit in our own neighborhoods? What is sprouting up within you that is ready for germination?
Come with ideas, come with questions, come to dream about what sacred spaces can be!
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Want an item included?
All items due by 2pm on the prior Thursday
Northwest Washington Synod / ELCA
5519 Phinney Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98103
206-783-9292
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