Tower Echoes September 2012 - Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church · 3) The Grace for September The Grace...

Tower Echoes The Monthly Newsletter of Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church 7500 Greenwood Avenue North Seattle, Washington 98103 206.783.2350 — www.prlc.org

Volume 59, Issue Eight September 2012

Bread for the Journey, or “BfJ” as many here call it, is a comprehen-sive ministry program on Wednesday evenings that involves about 150 peo-ple in activities ranging from choir rehearsals to confirmation classes to family-style suppers.

BfJ resumes this year on Wed-

nesday, September 19th. This year our youngsters in

classes for Kindergarten through 5th grade will be joining the apostles for a journey through the Book of Acts.

Here's the schedule:

5 pm Youth Choir (Choir Room)

5:30 pm Angel Choir (Room 304) Cherub Choir (Tree of Life Room) 3rd-5th grade Class (Room 301-302) 6th grade Confirmation (Office Reception Area)

6 pm Dinner (Fellowship Hall)

6:20 pm Choristers (Choir Room) 1st-2nd grade Class (Room 301-302) Kindergarten (Room 304) 7th Grade Confirmation (Office Reception Area) 8th Grade Confirmation (Tower Room) Gospel Choir (Tree of Life Room)

7:30 pm Chancel Choir (Choir Room)

Bread for the Journey Is Back!

In early September we will wel-come our 12th Vicar to learning and service at Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church. Elizabeth Rawlings-Wright will be joining us from her most recent studies at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, Califor-nia.

Elizabeth will be a “fourth-year intern,” meaning that when her time with us con-cludes in May of 2013 she will be completely finished with her M. Div. degree and, if approved by the Candidacy Committee of the NWW Synod, will be eligible for ordination.

Elizabeth was born and raised in suburban Cleveland. She holds an undergraduate degree in Out-

door Leadership from Warren Wil-son College in Asheville, NC. In addition to her current seminary

studies at PLTS, Elizabeth also studied in the early 2000’s at our ELCA seminary in Chicago. She also holds an additional degree – a Masters in Public Administra-tion from Seattle Uni-versity.

Prior to return-ing to seminary to complete her journey toward ordination, Elizabeth spent much

of her career in outdoor ministry, and also served 5 years as Director of Youth and Family Ministries at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Bellevue. She has been married to Donald Wright, an IT Director on the Eastside, for five years.

PRLC Welcomes New Vicar

Elizabeth Rawlings-Wright

will be joining the PRLC staff

as Vicar this September

A PRLC Men’s Retreat is under construction for Friday and Saturday November 2-3, to be held at the church. Pastor Hoffman and Minister of Out-reach Patrick are thoughtfully planning a week-end of relevant content, great food (from Gor-geous George’s), and even a dodgeball tourna-ment. We’ll draw from scripture to discuss the roles we find ourselves living, and the freedom we have because of who God created us to be. Mark this weekend on your calendar and look for regis-tration information in September.

PRLC Men’s Retreat:

Food, Conversation, and Dodging!

September 2012 Tower Echoes

2

Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church 7500 Greenwood Avenue North

Seattle, WA 98103 206-783-2350 [email protected]

Church Staff E-mail Addresses

Paul E. Hoffman, Lead Pastor [email protected]

Beverly R. Piro, Associate Pastor [email protected]

Elizabeth Rawlings-Wright, Vicar [email protected]

Patrick Meagher, Minister of Outreach [email protected]

Nancy Monelli, Children and Family Minister [email protected]

Darren Hochstedler, Parish Administrator [email protected]

Tim Sullivan, Child Development Center Director [email protected]

Christina Bogar, Office Manager [email protected]

Sunday Schedule: Sept. 2: Holy Communion at 8:30 & 10:00 a.m.

Sept. 9 onward: Holy Communion at

8:30 and 11:00 a.m.

Church Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Friday 8:30-12:30

Next Tower Echoes Deadline:

September 19, 2012 (for the October issue, to be

emailed September 26, 2012)

The mission of Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church is to provide a place to worship God,

to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and to reach out to the community.

Circles for September

In the Family Died Elmer Erdman, died August 1, 2012 Charlotte Gaddis, died August 11, 2012 Orlo Stokoe, died August 21, 2012

Married Jesse Karlsson and Courtney Burris, married July 21,

2012 Jasen Frelot and Hannah Hong, married August 4,

2012

Transferred to a New Congregation Mary Lydic; Our Savior Lutheran Church, Warren-

ton, Virginia

“Who do you say that I am?”

~Mark 8:27

Once again our Women’s Bible Study Circles will begin their monthly meetings, as the sum-mer turns to autumn. Circles this month will be led by Pastor Hoffman, and the Bible text is text for Sunday worship on 16 September, taken from the Gospel of Mark.

Mary/Martha: Wednesday, September 12 at 1:00 pm in the Tree of Life Room

Bethany: Monday, September 17 at 9:30 am at Caroline Brakken’s home

Salem: Wednesday, September 19, at 10:00 am at the Norse Home

Worship Times and Office

Hours to Change Don't forget that on Sunday September 9, our

worship times will change back to their usual schedule

of 8:30am and 11:00am, with Evening Prayer as al-ways on the fourth Sunday of each month at 7 pm at Aurora Commons, 8914 Aurora Ave N.

The church office schedule will be changing too, with the office again open on Fridays, 8:30-12:30, in addition to Monday-Thursday, 8:30-4:30.

Please note also that the church office and CDC will be closed in observance of Labor Day on Mon-day, September 3. If you are in need of pastoral assis-tance on that day, or any other time the office is closed, please call the church’s emergency pager at 206-930-7954.


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Sunday SchoolSunday SchoolSunday SchoolSunday School Sunday School begins September 9. All youngsters in preschool through

high school will gather together in Room 301/302 for our opening celebration. There will be a theatrical presentation by our teens, an opportunity to meet all the teachers, and a chance to hear all about the exciting events planned for the year ahead.

Sensational SaturdaysSensational SaturdaysSensational SaturdaysSensational Saturdays Beginning this fall, there will be a special Children and Family event on one Satur-day each month. The September event is a hike to Twin Falls for boys and men. Led by David Rice, this event will take place on September 15. More informa-tion is available in the weekly worship bulletin.

New Classes for AdultsNew Classes for AdultsNew Classes for AdultsNew Classes for Adults Beginning on September 23, Sunday morning classes (10 am) will be of-fered for parents of children and teens. A complete brochure of all adult classes will be available soon, but here's a sneak peek at what will be offered during September:

Sept. 23:The Stroller Circle (a fellow-

ship and support group for parents of children who are age 2-3 and younger) will meet in the Nursery.

Sept. 30: More Than Saying Grace; Cre-ating and Maintaining Spiritual Tradi-

tions in Your Home - Led by Scott Shiebler

The Monelli MemoThe Monelli MemoThe Monelli MemoThe Monelli Memo Have you ever witnessed a miracle? I'm happy to say that I have lived long enough to observe more miracles than I can count. Perhaps this is because I've worked at churches for almost thirty years and most of that work has been with children. In truth I've never seen the miraculous acts of God that involved nature - like the part-ing of seas at the raising of a staff or someone able to walk on water - but what I have seen has been just as awe inspiring. Throughout the years, I've seen small children who were afraid to leave their parents and venture alone into a Sunday School class] go on to star in a Christmas or Easter play (in front of an entire congrega-tion) a few years later. I've met children who could destroy the calm of a Sunday School classroom with out-bursts and antics so dramatic that nothing could be taught or accomplished, only to see them grow into teenag-ers who would earnestly pray for ill classmates and sit for an hour of quiet visiting with an elderly nursing home resident. I've even seen one youngster who tried my patience and tested my faith nearly every time we were together go on to earn his PhD in sacred music and take a job as a church choir director. These miracles - and many others like them - inspire me on a daily basis and remind me of the importance of Sunday School, and the adults who serve there, in the lives of all children. If there is a child in your life, please bring them to Sunday School. There is a place for each and every one of them in our classrooms and in my heart. In Hope and Joy,

Nancy

Children and Family MinistriesChildren and Family MinistriesChildren and Family MinistriesChildren and Family Ministries

More news from Children and Family

Ministries on p. 4 →→→→

Bible Basics in September

Our summer-long Bible study series still has a few weeks left. Our final two sessions will be

on Wednesday, September 5 and 12.

September 5 (Pastor Hoffman leading): Understanding Law and Gospel

September 12 (Pastor Hoffman leading): Where Do We Go from Here? (Meets in Fel-

lowship Hall.)

Kids classes – Parables in the Park --- will meet simultaneously on both evenings.


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Grace of the Month

Giving thanks to God before

our meals is a wonderful way to

remember all that God has given

us and it is often the way that

young children are first intro-

duced to God's love and care on

a daily basis. And what we say

around our dining room table

can do more than give thanks,

these words can also lead all

members of our family into a

deeper relationship with our

Lord.

Recently, Signe Roscoe came

up with a wonderful idea. She

asked if we could publish a

"Grace of the Month" in each edi-

tion of the Tower Echoes. This

would help us all - old and young

alike - to expand our prayer vo-

cabularies and keep us from just

saying what we already know

without really thinking about

what we are saying.

So each month you will find a

grace published in this space and

there will also be hard copies of

that grace (in a table tent for-

mat) available in the Children and

Family Ministry office and at

Grace Station.

Children and Family Ministries Children and Family Ministries Children and Family Ministries Children and Family Ministries (continued from p. 3)(continued from p. 3)(continued from p. 3)(continued from p. 3)

The Grace for September The Grace for September The Grace for September The Grace for September

God, we thank you for this food. For rest and home and all things

good. For wind and rain and sun above. But most of all for those we love.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Families Preparing Together for Holy Communion Saturday, September 15, 22, and 29; 10:30 am - noon

Preparing for the Sacrament of Holy Communion is an important step in every Christian's life. And it is a step that is never taken alone. In order to help your young son or daughter to prepare for their first commun-ion, or just increase their appreciation of this sacrament, a series of three classes will be offered during the month of September.

Using hands-on activities and parent involvement, these classes are designed to help your child better un-derstand the gift of the Eucharist and the meaning of each part of the worship service. Even if your youngsters are already receiving communion, they are invited to attend to review and renew their knowledge and appre-ciation of our central act of worship.

The class is designed for parents as well as their children. So please plan to attend with them, or have an adult with close ties to your child come if you can’t. That way, what they learn in class can be discussed and reinforced at home.

Registration before September 2nd is encouraged so that we can be sure of having enough materials for every participant. You can register by signing up e-mailing Nancy at [email protected] or by filling in a Sun-day morning Count-Me-In.

A special thank you goes out to all who con-tributed to our second successful week of host-

ing homeless women and children through our partnership with Mary’s Place. As we plan for our next host week from Oct 30-Nov 6, please

make room on your calendar to help out. We had to scramble for volunteers in a few areas over the summer, and we’d love to see more hands raise to share in the joy of this worth-

while ministry. Areas to help include volun-

teer coordinating, driving the van, preparing and serving meals, offering childcare at the

church, and staying as overnight host. Please contact Minister of Outreach Patrick Meagher (email [email protected]; phone

206-783-2350) if you are interested.

Mary’s Place Program Continues


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Spirited WomenSpirited WomenSpirited WomenSpirited Women Every Wednesday

10:00 to 11:30 Tree of Life Room

Spirited Women have been meet-ing for 12 years every Wednesday for fellowship, faith exploration, reflec-tion, and prayer. This is an open group and women are welcome to join at any time.

Beginning on September 12, the Nicene Creed will be the topic of study this fall. Adopted in A.D. 325 as the definite answer to many differ-ent teachings about the nature of Christ, it is an adopted creed of our church (ELCA). Some of its doc-trinal statements are challenged by modern thinking and are a stumbling block to many faithful Christians.

The study format will be a daily devotion on a single phrase of the creed and a short written reflection for five days of every week for seven weeks. When we come together on Wednesdays, we will share our re-flections and explore the background of the creed’s development. The fi-nal weeks will focus on a creedal statement that reflects who we are as God’s people today.

Sabbatical Sharing Adult Forum September 9 and 16 10:00 a.m. in the Tree of Life Room

Join Pastor Bev and her husband Rocky as they share their sabbatical travels with you. From London to Latvia and points in between; there was so much to see and learn, they only had a taste and now hunger for more. Then it was off to the St. Louis Fringe Festival and a Weaving Week at the Grunewald Guild near Leavenworth, Washington and time in between for naps in the hammock with little grandchild, Taylor. See and hear all about it—and don’t miss the unveiling of Pastor Bev’s thank you gift to the congregation!

Cookbook for PRLC? To celebrate the 100th Anniversary of PRLC, the 100 year committee is wonder-ing whether there is enough interest to pub-lish our very own cookbook. Recipes from members of the congregation, the Child Development Center, their families and friends would be welcome. The sorts of recipes would include appetizers, soups/salads, veggies, main dishes, breads, des-serts, cookies/candy AND a special cate-gory entitled FOREBEARS’ FAVORITES. This category would capture recipes from our Norwegian, German, Chinese etc. heritage. So think about this suggestion. There will be an item on the Count Me In forms later in September.

The book is The Nicene Creed. Ancient Words in the Light of Modern

Faith by Martha Porter. Copies will be available for purchase at the Grace Station.

Dear Friends in Christ at Phinney Ridge, I am filled with great joy and thanksgiving to

tell you that I have a Call to Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Issaquah to serve as their Pas-tor! As I share this news with you I am also filled with gratitude for the love and encouragement you gave me during my internship. My time with you

remains dear to me and I continue to hold you in my prayers. My heart-felt thanks to all!

It would be a blessing to have you join me for my ordination service, September 16th, at 4:30pm at Shepherd of the Hills.

Grace and Peace to you in Christ’s holy name, ~Debbie Boyce

Good News from

Vicar Boyce


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Take advantage of one of the many opportunities to make a joyful noise at Phinney: Chancel Choir is for singers who enjoy leading in worship with the classic music of the church. Psalms, hymns, spiritu-als and world music, as well as choral masterpieces from the Baroque to the present, are part of the Chancel Choir repertoire. A highlight this fall will be the singing of Rutter’s Requiem on All Saints Sunday, Nov. 4. The Chancel Choir leads congrega-tional song and sings an offer-tory anthem for 11:00 worship most weeks, and rehearses Wednesdays, 7:30-9:00pm be-ginning Sept. 12. Previous choir or music-reading experience is helpful but not required. Beginning and Advanced Handbell Choirs meet for 5-6 weeks in the fall and 5-6 weeks in the spring. Each 5-6 week session includes Sunday re-hearsals and ringing in several

worship services. For the beginning group, no experi-ence is neces-sary, but some mu-sic-reading ability is required. (A great opportunity for lapsed instrumentalists!) For the advanced group, significant handbell experience is ex-pected. Gospel Choir is for singers and instrumentalists who enjoy sing-ing contemporary gospel, spiri-tuals, and songs of freedom and peace. We rehearse each Wednesday from 6:20-7:15 during Bread for the Journey. This is an especially convenient time for parents who have chil-dren or youth involved in our choirs or confirmation. You are warmly welcomed to check us

out in the Tree of Life room. Experi-ence is not neces-sary. The choir sings monthly in worship and at various

concerts and community events throughout the year. Rehears-als begin 9/19. Open house and workshop with Eric O’Del and his choir Spirit of the Sound on 9/12. The Angel Choir, for 4 year-olds and pre-K students, meets from 5:30-6:00 on Wednesday evening. Discovering the joy of music, singing and forming a group of friends with whom to sing are just some of the goals of the Angel Choir. The Angel Choir’s first worship leadership experience is singing Away in a Manger with the Cherub Choir

on Christmas Eve at the 5 PM service. Regular rehearsals begin 9/19. The Cherub Choir, for children kindergarten through second grade, meets 5:30-6:00 on Wednesday evenings in the Tree of Life Room. These be-ginning singers learn music to sing for Sunday worship. They enjoy music as a means of self-expression, work on matching pitch, learn to discover and use their voices well, and explore rhythm and text. The Cherubs sing in worship one Sunday per month, at the 5PM Christmas Eve service, and at the Easter Vigil. Rehearsals begin 9/19. The Choristers, a choir for students in third through sixth grade, meet in the Choir Room from 6:20-7:05 on Wednesday evening. They learn to read music, explore the connection between text and tune and ex-perience the joy and challenge

Raise a Racket at Phinney

Continued on p. 7 →

With the coming of fall here at

PRLC we look forward to the re-

sumption of some favorite activities.

Here’s some of what lies ahead:

Sunday Service Times Change: Sunday Service Times Change: Sunday Service Times Change: Sunday Service Times Change: On

Sept. 9, Sunday morning service times

return to 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.8:30 and 11:00 a.m.8:30 and 11:00 a.m.8:30 and 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School and Adult ForumSunday School and Adult ForumSunday School and Adult ForumSunday School and Adult Forum:

Starting September 9, we will again

offer Christian Education for all ages

between services at 10:00, with Sun-

day School for the younger members

and a full roster of Adult Forums for

the grown-ups. Stop by the latte cart

in Fellowship Hall for a little caffeine

boost while you’re at it!

Bread for the JourneyBread for the JourneyBread for the JourneyBread for the Journey: “BfJ”, as it is

often called, resumes on September

19. See details on page 1.

Choirs: Choirs: Choirs: Choirs: Sing with the Chancel Choir,

the Gospel Choir, or one of several

choirs for younger members. You can

even play in the Handbell Choir! Re-

hearsals for most choirs begin on

Wednesday September 19. Details

below.

Spirited WomenSpirited WomenSpirited WomenSpirited Women: Every Wednesday

morning a group of Spirited Women

gathers in the Tree of Life room from

10:00 to 11:30. We share snacks at

the beginning and prayer at the end

and in between we consider matters

of faith and life. This lively group

resumes regular weekly meetings on

September 12. See details on page 5.

The WAYThe WAYThe WAYThe WAY: The WAY invites you to

explore, nurture, and renew your

faith while establishing—or re-

establishing—your walk as a disciple

of Christ. This group meets Sunday

evenings from 5-7:00 p.m. Watch for

announcements and starting dates this

fall.

Women’s Bible Study CirclesWomen’s Bible Study CirclesWomen’s Bible Study CirclesWomen’s Bible Study Circles: PRLC

has three different Women’s Bible

Study Circles that meet at daytime

hours once each month during the

school year. Details for September’s

meetings are on page 2.

A Fall Full of FaithA Fall Full of FaithA Fall Full of FaithA Fall Full of Faith

Members of PRLC’s Gospel Choir in

worship


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The Pastor’s Page I Carried You With Me

I boarded an airplane for London on April 26, ten days after the start of my sabbatical. I took only one bag which, despite my best efforts to be efficient, weighed in at 45 pounds (not lifting that into an overhead bin!) and a loaded backpack. Deciding what to bring along was hard. I would be in Lon-don, Sweden, and the Baltics in springtime. Hmmm. A heavy coat would probably be needed at some point, but oh, so bulky to haul around for al-most six weeks. I’m a complete Goldilocks weather-diva, you know. I want to be comfortable – not too hot; not too cold. What will be just right?

So I packed a good weatherproof coat with a removable polar fleece lining (layers) loaned by a friend and a variety of clothing layers that I hoped would get me by without causing me to carry around too much or be caught with too little. Goldilocks!

What I hadn’t counted on was bringing all of you with me. But I did. I saw you, individually, on the streets of London. Some of you I saw at church on Sunday morning and others in the subway station or in a coffee shop. I dreamed of you at night.

I saw you in our Easter Vigil video, Storied Fire,

Storied Water, Storied Meal, viewed by a group of

catechumenate leaders from 22 European countries in London, and with eight members of the worship committee from a rural parish in Sweden. I shared your stories through Pastor Hoffman’s book, Faith

Forming Faith. I shared your encouragement and

support for faith formation in meetings with cate-chumenate leaders in the Diocese of Lund and the

Diocese of Stockholm in Sweden and with leaders of the Finnish Lutheran Church in Helsinki, There was neither too much nor too little to share. It all felt just right!

My husband Rocky caught up with me in Stock-holm. By that time, I knew the answer to the coat dilemma. He reluctantly brought a winter coat.

What a wonderful three weeks of travel together to places we had never been. We saw spring blos-

soming in city after city so that by the time we re-turned to Stockholm at the end of our trip, the daffo-dils had given way to tulips and trees that had been clouds of pink blossoms were green with new leaves. It was the longest and most beautiful spring ever and it was just right.

Our last day in Stock-holm we bought another piece of luggage and a lug-gage scale and I threw away the pair of shoes that were by now worn out. That was one less thing to

carry back home. In their place we carried home treasures – some in the new luggage but so many more we carried in our minds and in our hearts. We can’t wait to share them with you on September 9 and 16. Come to the Adult Forum and learn more about this time when you went on sabbatical with me.

Want to know the very best part of a sabbatical? Coming back to be with YOU. And that feels oh, so very right. In faith, Pastor Piro

Pastor Bev’s worn-out traveling shoes at the end of her

sabbatical, just before she dropped them in the trash.

of playing handbells. The Choristers pre-pare for a variety of worship leadership roles - learning anthems, hymn verses, descants, and other elements of the Sun-day service. They sing in worship one Sun-day per month, at the 5 PM Christmas Eve Service, and at the Easter Vigil. Rehears-

als begin 9/19. The Youth Choir, for students in grades 7-12, sings under the direction of Valerie Shields and is accompanied by Shari Anderson. Meeting each Wednesday 5-6:00, the Youth Choir works on a challeng-ing classical repertoire. They lead worship with anthems, Psalm settings, and other

liturgical music. Members of the Youth Choir are encouraged to prepare for solo and ensemble singing and can provide instrumental offerings during Sunday ser-vices. Individual coaching is available from Valerie on request. The choir also enjoys several social gatherings throughout the year.

Raise a Racket (continued from p. 6)

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RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

TIME VALUE

SEPT 3

MON

Labor Day Holiday

Church Office and CDC closed

SEPT 5 &

12; WED

Bible Study for All Ages

7 pm in the narthex

SEPT 9

SUN

Regular Service Times Resume

Sunday services at 8:30 and 11:00 am

Sunday School and Adult Forum Resume: 10 am

SEPT 12

WED

Gospel Choir Fall Open House: 6-8 pm

Spirited Women resumes: 10:00 am

Mary/Martha Circle resumes: 1:00 in Tree of Life

SEPT 15,

22, 29; SAT

First Communion Class

10:30 am - noon

SEPT 17

MON

Bethany Circle resumes: 9:30 at Caroline Brakken’s

home

SEPT 19

WED

Bread for the Journey and Choir Practices Resume

Salem Circle resumes: 10:00 at the Norse Home

SEPT 15

SAT

Sensational Saturday: Hike to Twin Falls for men and

boys

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