All Saints Sunday

All Saints Sunday 2026 is on November 1st. We will be reading the names of the saints we have lost this past year during the worship service on November 1st. If you have a family member or friend that you would like to be included, please email their name to Lynne at lynne.inman@mlcauburn.org.

Prayers of Intercession

Seeking the Spirit of God who makes all things new, we pray for the church and the world.

A brief silence.

Holy God, we remember your promise of unity to those seeking refuge. Empower those who seek harmony among denominations. Give fortitude and resilience to those who forge connections with those of other faith traditions. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

Give us the wisdom to remember your promises to support and care for humanity amid storm and disaster. Renew all communities facing disasters, particularly in areas of warfare. We praise you for those who have the courage to sustain relief efforts.

Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

We remember your promise to wipe away every tear. Guide the ministries of Messiah that seek to heal and console all who are sick or suffering. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

We remember that you challenge this congregation to open wide our doors and welcome everyone to the table. Forgive us when we fail and open our hearts to the joy of hospitality to those who seek friendship and kindness. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

Trusting in your boundless grace, O God, we lift up these spoken prayers and those in our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Council Corner

Quilting is an activity that I like to do but that I am not really very good at. I love having a stash of fabric on the shelf in my sewing room and I love looking at quilts in quilt shops and at county fairs. But I’ve never really gotten the hang of getting everything lined up and square. Triangles are baffling. Tiny pieces are frustrating. Things just will not fit together like they are supposed to.

I quilt because my grandma quilted.

She made patchwork quilts out of any fabric that was available. She cut squares from unfaded parts of shirts and dresses. She used flour sacks and feed sacks. She made keep-you-warm-at-night-quilts.

Patchwork quilts are made with colors that do not ‘match’ and prints that clash with one another; modern, retro, bright, muted.

My grandma cut out squares and piled them on her sewing table. It was a mess of colors and prints of new and worn fabric. It was hard to image that anything beautiful could come from such a mishmash. But each square was carefully pinned and stitched to the next and the next and the next. Slowly squares were stitched into blocks of 9 and those blocks were stitched to one another. And finally it was a quilt. It didn’t look anything like the jumbled pile of random squares that sat on the table. Each quilt was vibrant and joyful. Every piece had a place and a purpose. Every piece of fabric was necessary.

Each of us has an opportunity to be engaged, to be a piece in the quilt of life. We are all loved. We are all valuable. We are all necessary.

We are fearfully and wonderfully created by the Creator to be unique in our own way…. Psalms 139:14

~~Linda Ahlvin

September Financial Update

Income: $48702.81

Expenses: $49741.35

Difference: ($1038.54)

YTD Financial Update

Income: $470304.83

Expenses: $460588.25

Difference: $9716.25

Fall Faith Formation

Faith Formation for youth in grades 5-12 starts again this fall! Faith in Action – our program for youth preparing to affirm their baptism – will meet after worship on the first and third Sunday of the month. This year, high school students planning on attending the Youth Gathering in 2027 will join them on the first Sunday of each month for a joint Bible study as we learn about how God calls us to Imagine More! Talk to Pr. Bridget if you have any questions.

Upcoming dates: 

October 18 – Faith in Action

October 25 – Affirmation of Baptism in Worship, followed by celebration after worship

Coming New: Men's Group and Study

A new group for the men of the congregation will begin on Tuesday morning, November 3rd, at 10:00 a.m. and finish in time for the Senior Luncheon. The intent will be for shared discussion and fellowship. Retired Pastor Arden Barden will serve as a facilitator for discussion and resource for the bible study, but the main of selections for the study and participation will be from those who gather. We will meet in the youth room.

For example: Someone may ask, "The New Testament often refers to Jesus as having compassion. What does that tell us about Jesus and about Christian relationships?" We will utilize that as a trial first gathering study and discussion.

If the group prefers, we may move from once a month to twice a month, but this will offer us a trial beginning. Our "success" will depend how much individuals become involved in questions and comments, including shared concerns for fellowship and prayer.

Prayer Shawl Invitation

Do you knit? Do you crochet? Messiah has a Prayer Shawl Ministry where we make shawls for people who are grieving or suffering from illness. Through the years records show that over 300 shawls have been made and given to Messiah members and friends. Prayer shawls sometimes express what words cannot. The shawl gives not only warmth but can help the person feel the support and prayers of others. The pattern for knitting is a three-stitch seed pattern and the knitter prays for the recipient throughout the creation of the shawl. Three to four skeins (approximately 18 ounces) of Lion brand “Hometown” or “Homespun” yarn are recommended for each shawl. The yarn should be soft and washable.

We have some yarn and needles that were donated for this purpose and Amanda Flannery is willing to give lessons. If you’re interested, come find out more about this ministry of serving others. We’ll meet by the Upper Gathering Space by the Chapel on Tuesday, Oct. 20th at 10 a.m. If you are not available at that time, contact Amanda at 206-427-4441 or mrs.flanery@comcast.net. Or contact Carmen Ode at 253-833-4524 or ode61@comcast.net

A Message from the Social Outreach Task Force

As we finish this year's stewardship season and step forward into our new one, our Social Outreach Task Force offers a heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you as a congregation. You really stepped up to help with the Community Meals we were responsible for this year. We had an average of 10 people helping at each meal we produced, making the preparation and cleanup lighter. When we asked for cookies from you at our last meal in August, you responded ten fold!!! It was amazing. When we asked to have people wrap table ware, you did it in bundles. We had many positive comments from this community on how delicious the meals were. 

Then, four weeks ago, we began working with Vine Maple Place to provide sacks of dinners for their single parent clientele during our Mission Fair Sundays. We're happy to report we have already made over 80 bags of meals either after church or through people taking bags home and filling them that way. We took the bags to Vine Maple Place in Maple Valley last week along with 6 bags of various sizes of Bombas socks. Vine Maple Place was so grateful for them. Their needs are great. We're looking forward to continuing this ministry throughout this next year.

So, as we continue with Social Outreach this next year, we hope that you will find your niche and continue to join us in providing these much needed services to our community. 

In peace and with grateful hearts,

Toni Minus, Kam Chamberlain and Kim Foss

Wharton Fuzzy Drive

Connor Wharton is once again collecting warm clothes and money for food to deliver to the Auburn Food bank. He has created an Amazon wish list of clothing items needed and is including a QR code to donate money for food. We will collect items until the end of October. We can donate newborn gently used items. Gloves, hats, scarves, socks, coats, blankets, etc.  

Here is the Amazon link.

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1AYN6ABK3BQCW?ref_=wl_share 

the Venmo QR code to donate $ for food is attached.  

Thank you so much for helping Connor with this important charity drive. There will be a collection box next to the Welcome Cart on Sundays. Items can also be left at the church office during regular church hours. When you donate via the QR code, it will go directly to the Auburn Food Bank website to donate. Please mark that it is for the Wharton Fuzzy Drive for counting purposes.  

Connor and Wharton family

Amazon Wish List

Please check out our updated list for these and other items. We have recently added items needed for the Community Meal served each Sunday. Many of the items listed are frequently needed but not covered by the budget. If you are able and interested in donating any of the following, please click on the link below to help. We cannot guarantee that someone will be at the church to accept the delivery, please have items shipped to your home and then bring to the church.

For those who prefer to donate funds for needed items, please drop a check in the offering plate or church office with a notation in the memo section "Donations Office Supplies".

Church Council

Please contact your church council with any questions or concerns.

Dave Carlsen - theapiary@msn.com

Charlie Radabaugh - cjradabaugh@comcast.net

Ernest Mendez-Thomas - ernest6060@hotmail.com

Dale Schossow - djschossow@gmail.com

Keri Olson - keri.llyn@gmail.com

Heather Caffoe - hcaffoe@gmail.com

Dielda Kuhlmann - dielda@comcast.net

Anna McAlpin - annarmcalpin@gmail.com

Linda Ahlvin - lahlvin@gmail.com

Messiah Church Directory

Our church directory of list members is on-line on the Instant Church Directory app. Please click on the link below to access the directions for getting the app. There are directions for the iPhone, iPad and Android devices. Members have the ability to update their information (phone number, email and picture), and a verification email will be sent to the church for approval before the directory is updated. Please contact the church office with questions.