03.19.08
Around the synod
April 12
Oregon Synod 2008 Stewardship Seminar
Featuring Author and Steward Key Leader - Rev. Michael Meier
Creator Lutheran Church, 13250 SE Sunnyside Rd, Clackamas, OR 97015
$25 per congregation / lunch free will offering
Rev. Michael Meier, author, stewardship leader and currently serving as a Steward Key Leader
with the ELCA Steward Key Leader ministry is no stranger to the Oregon Synod. He served as
Campus Pastor at Oregon State – Corvallis and later related to the Oregon Synod as
Stewardship Specialist with the Division for Congregational Ministries of the ELCA. Michael
retired as Director of Mission Support for the ELCA and moved right into serving as a Steward
Key Leader with the SKL ministry of the ELCA. Michael brings his life’s experience as a
steward to his work and motivational speaking.
Download PDF Flyer and Registration
April 12-13
Middle School Gathering
Theme: "Not Just A Survivor"
"...I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."- John 10:10
First, 725 33rd St., Astoria
What’s going on at the event?
� 2 Sessions with Rachel and the band.
� A service project
� Survivor Games (don’t worry… no one will be “voted off the island”)
� A talent show (come prepared to share something cool or crazy that you can do, solo or as a group!)
� Time at the Astoria Indoor Aquatic Park! What do I need to bring?
� Sleeping bags and pillows. We’ll be sleeping on the floor at the church.
� Clothes (remember a set of work clothes for the service project, including a pair of sensible close-toed shoes)
� A modest bathing suit (enforcement of what “modest” means is up to each church/leader)
� Bible
� Talent show props/costumes/material
� Personal medication and toiletries (chaperone for each group should be aware of the medication needs of the students, and supervise the storage and administration of meds)
� A sense of fun and adventure! Please contact Lisa Gray at zoaryouth@canby.com or at 503-266-4061.
Download PDF Postcard | Download PDF Forms | Download PDF Flyer |
Register by April 1st. Cost $25.
April 20
2008 Luther House Earth Week Challenge
The students, staff, board and friends of Luther House invite you to be part
of the 2008 Luther House Earth Week Challenge called "Love It! Live It! Move
It!" Sunday April 20. This event is designed to help us celebrate the beauty
of God's creation, express our gratitude through physical activity, and
raise funds for ongoing programming at Luther House and the new green
initiative by which we are making Luther House a more eco-friendly campus
ministry center. Plus, an afternoon BBQ and celebration awaits all
participants.
To help you advertise this opportunity, downloadable color brochure and
registration forms accompany this announcement. Just follow the easy
step-by-step instructions.
Download | Earth Week Challenge PDF Flyer | PDF Earth Week Challenge Registration Form |
If you can't join us in Corvallis, please note the option of organizing and
supporting the Earth Week Challenge closer to home with friends from your
neighborhood or congregation.
May 12-15
The Lutheran Staff Association (LSA) of the NW
Holden Village, Chelan, WA
Theme: Surrounded by God - Empowered to Serve
Bishop David Brauer-Rieke will be the keynote speaker. The LSA conference invites all lay staff who serve in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Act now to get this into your continuing education budget. Cost is $250 for early registration. For more information please contact Cathy Steiner at 509-838-9871. 
New Book: Opening the Book of Faith
A helpful introduction to the Book of Faith initiative, Opening the Book of Faith explores Lutheran perspectives on Scripture and applies these insights in practical ways. Perfect for leaders, Bible study groups, and individuals who want to renew their relationship to God's Word.
It is due to be released on April 1, 2008.
Click here to pre-order.
July 17-31
Global Mission Companion Synod Poland Trip
Download PDF brochure
Our Companion Synod Program links the Oregon Synod with the Evangelical-Augsburg Church in Poland. Each year a group from Oregon Synod has been traveling to Poland to as volunteers for this program, they have participated in a camp experience that has affected the lives of numerous children of Poland.
The main job of anyone who will be going is to participate in leading small groups discussions and participate in leading activities like: crafts, baseball, scavenger hunts, art and other activities. This year the cost for this trip is $2475 (Airport/Foreign Departure From Portland) The tour cost is per person. The trip is limited to 12 participants.
Looking for Assembly Registration Information? The Synod Assembly is fast approaching. The 2008 Oregon Synod Assembly Registration Form and the 2008 Hotel Registration information can now be found online at www.oregonsynod.org/08assembly/index.htm.Deadlines:
- March 28 - Resolutions
March 28 - Nominations
May 6 - Early Bird Assembly Registration
May 6 - Reduced Rate Housing Registration
Other Highlights
To read the complete description of events, please visit www.oregonsynod.org//publication/events.php Crunching the Numbers
by James P. Wind
Recently, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released the first set of findings from its massive U.S. Religious Landscape Survey 2008. As I studied the report and tracked its initial coverage in the mainstream media, I took special note of the phrases that had been chosen to catch the public's attention: "many Americans switch faith identity," "faith identity fluctuates," "constant membership turnover," "a quantum leap in the rate of change," "Churn. Churn. Churn."
Continue reading "Crunching the Numbers"
March 30
Teacher Training Workshop
Working with Kids of All Abilities
Prince of Life, Oregon City
Download JPG Flyer
April 5
The Inland Northwest Orchestra and Chorale Performance
Peace, 210 NW 9th St., Pendleton 541-276-7592
7:00 pm
The Inland Northwest Orchestra and Chorale will perform Schubert's Mass in C, Saint-Saen's Symphony Number 3 and Albinone's Adagio for Organ and Strings on Saturday April 5 at Peace Lutheran Church in Pendleton. Featured organist Lanetta Paul will play the recently rennovated Moeller organ. The concert will start at 7 pm on Saturday, April 5.
April 12
Earth Day workshop on green building methods and renovations
will help congregations save money and care for the Earth
“Green Building and Renovations”
Community Presbyterian Church, 529 NW 19th St., Redmond
11:00 am to 4:30 pm
“Green Building and Renovations” is a practical workshop to help congregations save money and lighten their foot-print on God's Creation. Topics will include: principles of energy-efficient building; why energy is a spiritual issue; case studies; getting the results you want—how to work with contractors and architects and more. Call for a discount on large groups from the same congregation. Call (503) 221-1054, ext. 203, or e-mail jkam@emoregon.org to register. Pre-registration is requested by one week ahead, but registration will be accepted at the door. To download a brochure, go to www.emoregon.org.
April 18-19, 2008
The Journey continues at Northwest House of Theological Studies and the Salem Interfaith Forum in cooperation with Office of the Chaplain at Willamette University as they present Roberta Bondi Wisdom for 21st Century Pilgrims: Ancient Lessons for Contemporary Life
MICAH Worship Center, 680 State Street , Salem, Oregon, www.nhts.org
If you are searching for rich and meaningful ways to access a deeper spirituality, then join Roberta Bondi’s presentation which brings the ancient spiritual practices of the early church to contemporary pilgrims.
Download PDF Registration Brochure | PDF Poster | April 20
Music at the Mount presents The Columbia Brass Foundry© Brass Quintet
Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church, 515 SW Maplecrest Drive, Portland, OR
503-244-5143
Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church, Music at the Mount presents The Columbia Brass Foundry© Brass Quintet, Sunday, April 20, 3:30 p.m. in a benefit concert for Lutheran Disaster Response - Oregon Flood Relief. The quintet is comprised of five professional symphonic musicians (2 trumpets, French horn, trombone and tuba) from Columbia and Washington Counties. They work with several symphonies in the area and meet on their own time for the joy of playing brass quintet literature. They have performed for political and patriotic events with a program of American patriotic music and other concert favorites. For this event they plan a concert of Marches, New Orleans Jazz , some Hispanic numbers and show tunes.
Location: Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church, 515 SW Maplecrest Drive, Portland, OR 97219; 503-244-5143
www.mtcarmellutheran.com Admission is free. Donations will be requested. The SW Portland Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has provided a $1000 matching grant.
April 24-27
Cursillo Retreat
Canby Grove Christian Camp and Conference Center, Canby Grove
“Cursillo” is a Spanish word (pronounced “coor-see-yo”) that means “a short course”. A Cursillo is a Spiritual Retreat, a short course in the basics of the Christian Faith. It’s a renewal movement that began in the Roman Catholic Church in Spain, but is now ecumenical and international.
For questions or for further information, contact Pastor Scott Dunfee, St Stephen Lutheran Church, Gladstone, Oregon (503.656-8194) or Pastor Janell Bethke, Oregon Synod Interim Ministry (503.667-7897), the Spiritual Directors for this Retreat
Download Brochure and Registration
May 16
Music At The Mount presents
Lisa Frenz & Mychal Aguilar in a benefit concert for the White Plume Family
Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church, 515 SW Maplecrest Drive, Portland, OR 97219, 503-244-5143
office@mtcarmellutheran.com Website: http://www.mtcarmellutheran.com/calendar.html
7:30 pm
Music At The Mount presents Lisa Frenz & Mychal Aguilar in a benefit concert for the White Plume Family, Friday, May 16, 2008, 7:30 p.m, at Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church. Admission is free. A Donation will be solicited. The SW Portland Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has provided matching funds.
They will do a program of protest songs, folk songs and show tunes. Donations will benefit the White Plume family whose story is told in the documentary “Standing Silent Nation” from Prairie Dust Films. Last December the White Plume’s family home burned to the ground. Since the fire, the White Plumes (Deb, Alex, seven grandkids, and daughter Rosebud) have lived in a hotel in Kyle, SD, while the rebuild on a temporary house continues (they will move into the temp house any day now). Resources are being gathered to rebuild a permanent, hemp/alternative house this spring and summer.
When the Oglala Sioux Tribe passed an ordinance separating industrial hemp from its illegal cousin, marijuana, Alex White Plume and his family glimpsed a brighter future. Having researched hemp as a sustainable crop that would grow in the inhospitable soil of the South Dakota Badlands, the White Plumes envisioned a new economy that would impact the 85% unemployment rate on the Pine Ridge Reservation. They never dreamed they would find themselves swept up in a struggle over tribal sovereignty, economic rights, and common sense. From the hemp fields of Pine Ridge to the US Federal Court of Appeals, the one-hour documentary Standing Silent Nation tracks one family’s effort to create economic independence for themselves, their reservation, and their future generations.
The hemp plant is like a new buffalo for the Lakota: a resource whose many uses from food to fuel to fiber, could enrich their sovereign nation. For three years, Alex White Plume and his family planted industrial hemp. But each year, their harvest was disrupted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which claims that hemp is marijuana despite the absence of marijuana’s psychoactive properties.
Meanwhile, despite the fire, the work of the White Plumes continues…Although EVERYTHING was lost in the fire (think about that for a minute: all your work, clothes, pictures, research, records for the past 20 years, toys, memories, beadwork, sacred shirts and dresses, computers, beds, etc), Debra and Alex have carried on their important sovereignty and land preservation work. Debra (whose office desk is an ironing board!) is currently working on her defense of tribal lands under threat of uranium mining, mining that would pollute the water table and render the land useless. Alex accepted a consulting position for Dragonfly Industries of New Mexico and will travel this spring to several countries in Africa, where he will spend a few months training others how to grow industrial hemp.
June 11
12 to 2:30 p.m., “Save Your Congregation Energy and Money”
6 to 8:30 p.m., “Energy Stewardship Workshop”
Central Lutheran Church, 1820 NE 21st Avenue, Portland
The keynote speaker for all three workshops will be Doug Boleyn, PE, who has over 30 years of experience in renewable energy and energy efficiency. He is the energy consultant for Oregon Interfaith Power and Light, past-president of the Solar Oregon, president of Cascade Solar Consulting, LLC, and a member of the Energy Trust of Oregon Renewable Advisory Committee. Better energy stewardship benefits the bottom-line of congregations, businesses and households and protects natural resources. These workshops will assist all who desire to improve energy stewardship. June 21
2nd Annual Footsteps to Freedom World Refugee Day Walk
South Park Blocks, Portland
Sponsored by Lutheran Community Services Northwest (LCSNW), in partnership with Catholic Charities and Sponsors Organized to Assist Refugees (SOAR)
This event is designed to celebrate and honor the resilience and spirit of over 55,000 refugees that have made their home in Oregon, as well as raise funds for the Refugee Resettlement programs at each of the sponsoring organizations. The day’s events include a 5K walk, refugee speakers, ethnic food, music and crafts, and a community resource fair. For more information or to register, please contact Megan Schaefer, Volunteer Coordinator for LCSNW, at mschaefer@lcsnw.org or 503-731-9553. July 24-26
2008 Gathering of the North American Association for the Catechumenate
Listening for the Spirit in a Post-Christian World
Dumas Bay in Federal Way, Washington.
The gathering will help us consider the challenges facing catechumenal ministers and Christian communities in an increasingly secularized society where an awareness of scripture and the sacramental tradition has diminished. How can we listen afresh to the stories of those who are seeking faith? How might the catechumenate offer a fresh approach to assimilating Christians in a culture at odds with the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Through presentations and guided group work, we will reflect on catechumenal ministry in our postmodern world and the grace this offers those who serve as practitioners of the catechumenate.
The keynote speaker will be Dr. Samuel Torvend, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Religion at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Washington. For more information and registration forms, visit: http://catechumenate.org/main.cfm?sid=3 October 16-18
Living Liturgy Event at St. Luke Lutheran Church, 9706 N. Division, Spokane, WA
Early Registration by 7/15/08: Individual $125 each; Cost per congregation (up to 4 participants): $100 each. Register after 7/15/08: Individual $150 each; Cost per congregation: $115 each.
Please make checks payable to St. Luke Lutheran Church PO Box 28948, Spokane, WA 99228. For accommodations call the Ramada Limited Suites at 1800-272-6232 or Quality Inn Oakwood at 1877-424-6423 and mention the Living Liturgy workshop at St. Luke. Call ASAP as there are other events that weekend in Spokane.
Position Openings/ Other Offerings
To view a complete listing of position openings around the synod visit: www.oregonsynod.org//congregations/positions.php. |
