The Beacon

It’s hard to believe, at least for me, that I’ve just about finished my first year at SLC. As they say, “Time flies when you’re having fun!” How are we doing so far? From what I hear, there is a new sense of energy and hopefulness for the future at SLC. It seems like my preaching and teaching ability have found favor in most and my pastoral leadership style seems to be a good fit.. It is good that we’ve had a positive first year. My prayer is that this first year will be a solid launching pad for many great things to come.

I’ll be spending a good amount of my summer planning for the fall (prayerfully with our new Pastor of Youth and Family Ministry) and letting all I’ve learned about SLC over this past year shape my personal and pastoral goals. The Council set some significant goals last January, and I’ll weave those into my hopes for the future. The “sheep dog” will continue to bark. I will continue to push us to be the Congregation we know God wants us to be. Indeed, together, we will keep working on those two great areas of Discipleship: Stewardship (using what God has loaned us to bless others) and Evangelism (sharing in word and in deed Jesus’ love for all). I am committed to make this first year a foundation for a launching pad and not for a Comfort Inn. Thanks be to God for an awesome first year, now let’s make the next year even better!

Worship and Music	Altar Care
Readers	Ushers
Acolytes	Sunday School (children and adults)
Manna Bible Study	Small Groups
Lay School of Theology	Preschool
Building Upkeep	Island Lake Cemetery
Stewardship

The 111 SLC members attending the Special Congregational Meeting on May 18th unanimously voted to extend a call to Pastor Jonathan Sansgaard to be the Associate Pastor of Youth and Family Ministries. The Call Committee made its report at the congregational meeting concluding with its recommendation to “call” Pastor Sansgaard. Following that action, the members also approved the council’s recommended compensation program for Pastor Sansgaard. Earlier in the week, Pastor Jonathan, his wife Karen and five-year-old son Jaden were present at a “dessert” gathering hosted by the Call Committee. There was a large turnout of both adults and youth who had the opportunity to meet and hear from Pastor Jonathan. He from Iowa and she from Portland and both from PLU and his approach to ministry.

Pastor Hoyum, the Assistant to the Bishop of the Southwestern Synod — ELCA attended the congregational meeting as the Synod’s representative. Following the meeting, the required documents were given to Pastor Hoyum so that the next steps in the call process can be completed. The Bishop will forward the formal documents to Pastor Sansgaard which he will consider and then advise of his decision. He has 30 days to make a decision and, if it is “yes,” he would give a 30-day notice to his current congregation, Hope Lutheran Church in Tacoma where he has served the past five years after graduating from Wartburg Seminary. All being well, Pastor Sansgaard’s arrival date at Silverdale Lutheran could be sometimes in August, allowing time for meeting commitments at his current congregation and attending a planned family reunion.

The SLC congregation members are asked to keep the Sansgaards in their prayers during this time.

It’s June and it’s time to bring the school year to a close. With school ending on June 13th, the children are full of excitement and with many things left to do. We will be learning about Oceans and Sea Life.

We will be having our end of the year “Spring Fling” on Tuesday, June 10th at 6:30pm. There will be fun and games for everyone and the last chance to our families to say goodbye.

Our registration for the 2008-2009 school year went very well. Four of our classes are full, and we have five opening in our

T/Th three-year-old class. If you want more information, please call the preschool office at 698-7414.

A special thank you to Pastor Bill for sharing the love of Jesus and the magic of his music that be brings to chapel time. The children love the interaction and how he makes that all part of chapel. With his guitar and songs that praise the Lord, Pastor Bill gives all the children something to sing about. I think we have many budding guitar players! God bless you Pastor Bill.

The Audit Committee reported the results of its audit of the financial books and records of the church and related organizations to the Council at its May meeting. The Audit Committee members are: Don Thorsen, Chair; Karen McQuillan, Kevin McNamara and Denise Quist. In short, the books and records of SLC appear to be materially accurate in all respects. The Committee noted that the controls governing financial operations appear to be in place, adequate and operating as intended although they did suggest additional work in some areas. The recommendations included improved documentation of policies and procedures to be approved by Council. It was recommended that the Council’s emphasis on updating and creating documented policies, procedures and practices continue by “re-chartering” the Finance Review Task Group. Committee members volunteered to continue on with that work. The Council accepted that offer and approved proceeding with that initiative. The Committee also noted the time commitment required by the Treasurer and recommended that ways should be explored to minimize that commitment. The Council officially accepted and approved the report of the Audit Committee including the recommendations. Many thanks to Don and the Committee members for their time, effort and expertise.

Here it is June and we’re settling into our summer schedule. Over the past several weeks we have learned a new setting of the liturgy, Setting 6 from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, the new ELCA hymnal. Thank you all for your willingness to stretch yourselves and learn something new. I hope you will enjoy singing it throughout our summer services.

I’d like to extend a big thank you to the members of the summer Worship Planning Team for all of their work in choosing the hymns we will be singing in June, July, and August. The members were: Randy Randolph, Phyllis Cleven, Bee Rose, Virginia Gilmore, and Ellen Posadas. Please thank these people when you see them. Over the past two years more than thirty people have volunteered to be on one of our seasonal Worship Planning teams. Perhaps you would like to participate in the future. During August a new team will meet to plan for the fall season. Consider volunteering!

What does being on a Worship planning team entail? We meet together twice, for about an hour each time. At the first meeting the members each get a small notebook with helpful information and copies of the ELW, WOV, Renewing Worship, and Worship and Praise hymnals to take home. Each member is assigned three different Sundays for which to choose hymns and is given resource material with the scripture themes for those days and suggested appropriate hymns. A couple of weeks later the team comes back together to look over the hymns that have been chosen by the individuals and to decide which liturgical setting we’ll be singing. Previous team members have commented on how they enjoyed being part of the planning.

Look for information about our Fall planning team in late July and early August. Have a wonderful summer.

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus.

Women’s Ministries	Fellowship (Dinner w/Friends, Golf, Prayer Breakfast)
Youth (KFC and teens)	Care Ministry
“In Touch” Ministry	Shawl Ministry
Prayer Chain	Memorials

You can look forward to all these things and more at the Silverdale Lutheran Church Annual Picnic at Lutherhaven on Wildcat Lake.

So set aside Sunday afternoon, August 3rd, for a great time of fellowship and fun.

God has given each Christian two vitally important gifts. The first if the gift of faith in Jesus Christ, his work of redemption, and thus forgiveness of sin. The second is the gift of one or more special abilities, which are to be used for the purpose of edifying the body of Christ and for the growth of God’s Kingdom. These abilities are called spiritual gifts and they are given by the Holy Spirit. The primary use of these gifts is to fulfill each of us in our daily life and as a larger body of Christ, employ these gifts to make a greater whole.

Like other presents, it is impossible to fully appreciate and make use of our spiritual gifts until they have been opened. Through performing a spiritual gifts assessment, congregational members will be better able to understand their gifts.

Most churches rely on volunteers to manage the various ministries and work the day-to-day operations of the church. Here at SLC we do an excellent job of performing these functions; however, there are times in which we need to find members to “Fill Jobs” to ensure that the work of the Church is accomplished. We want to change the culture of SLC to “Fulfilling People” rather than “Filling Jobs” and eventually be known as:

“The Church that helps people discover and use theirspiritual gifts in their homes, communities, and world.”

Through performing a Spiritual Gift Inventory members will be given the opportunity to further understand their strengths. Sometimes members are asked to “volunteer” in a specific area when in reality this is a weak area for them. Often in this situation the member is not fulfilled, but instead frustrated and unfulfilled. We want to help members say “No” thank you to areas that do not fit and say “Yes” to the ones that do. There are twenty (20) Spiritual Gifts that will be accessed; these are in the following areas:

Administration	Artistry	Discernment	Evangelism
Exhortation	Faith	Giving	Hospitality
Intercession	Knowledge	Leadership	Mercy
Music-vocal	Music-instrumental	Pastoring	Services
Skilled Craft	Teaching	Wisdom	Writing

An additional benefit will be educational seminars that will bring together members that have the same strengths and help members assess how to use these gifts throughout their homes, communities, world, and of course here at Silverdale Lutheran Church.

Currently the kick-off time for the Spiritual Gift Inventory project is planned for this fall. Please look forward to additional information concerning this project. 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12:6-8, and Ephesians 4:11-13 provide the Biblical background for this project. .

Please take the time to read and reflect on these Bible passages during the summer months. If you have any questions concerning this project or would like to participate in the implementation please contact Chuck McQuillan or Pastor Bill through the Church Office at 692-9263.

The library is almost completely organized, and here (just in time) are the rest of the book categories we use! For a quick review — so far we have: B (Biography), F (Fiction), D (Devotional and Prayer), P (Personal Faith and Growth), I (Inspirational), and H (Home and Family). Here are the rest!

Works related to the interface between Christianity and the scientific community.

Divided into three categories: congregational life, worship, and mission (which includes foreign mission as well as evangelizing close to home).

Faith as it relates to and interacts with society. Also church history. Some carryover in the P category.

Bible studies, both individual and group, as well as Bible commentary and discussion.

Summer is fast approaching & brunches will be starting on June 8th. We’re looking for people/groups to host a brunch each Sunday throughout the summer. These brunches are a great way to fundraise for your ministry, Bible Study, or upcoming event. A sign-up sheet will be posted in the Narthex beginning in May, along with an informational sheet. Please call Tricia Enger at 307-8432 or email at tenger@oz.net with any questions.

Lutheran World Relief	Hearty Meals
Senior Outreach Services	El Centro de la Familia
China Missions	Iraq Ministry
SLOGs (Silverdale Lutheran Old Guys)	Habitat for Humanity
MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers	Landscaping

Last Sunday as we arrived to worship in el Porvenir, a truck and two pick-ups of soldiers were in the village square—no police presence with them. The church coordinator explained that they come every day at 5am and are in the mountains as well patrolling because the violence has gotten so bad. The church was hot as incense filled the sanctuary and the neighbor’s chickens and ducks pattered on the tin roof above us. A teamsters strike began that day as well… there is no gasoline or food entering Guatemala City because the teamsters want to be allowed to enter the City at any hour without restrictions for rush hours. The standstill has left gas stations and grocery stores empty.

The following day I arrived in Minnesota… which is so green even after a long endless winter but there are trees and grass and living things not just concrete and more concrete… and no soldiers on the street corners. 35 is still under construction and food prices as rising here as they are in Guatemala… some common problems.

Our daily life enters into our life as church very clearly this Sunday as we celebrate Pentecost on Sunday; it is a day, a season, of the church year that I have new appreciation for now that I live in Guatemala and worship, preach and administer the sacraments in Spanish.

This April for the National Council Meeting and classes several of the newer ILAG churches sent representatives. They had been catechists in their former churches and were given one or two classes and told to teach the faith. As the five days passed, they received classes on the organization of the church, working in community, the Lord’s Prayer etc. Several came to Padre Horacio, fearfully and asked in the form of a confession if they had sinned all these years as they prepared people for baptism, first communion, and confirmation without understanding what they were teaching. I have rarely seen grown men so fearful, with so much weight on their shoulders.

Padre responded to each that no they had not sinned—they had taught with what they were given. That if someone was at fault it was those who had failed to prepare them. Now they have the opportunity to learn and teach in good faith and continue to seek more education.

My piece of the National Council Meetings and classes is to teach the catechism. In my class on the Lord’s Prayer we ended up getting only through the first three petitions because the leaders were so interested in learning and applying to their lives and churches what they were learning. I have realized recently that the catechism has become more familiar to me in Spanish than in English, yet to hear the words of forgiveness, of blessing in English still humbles me with the love of Christ who sent us an Advocate—to sigh for us, guide us, illuminate us. One Spirit working through the Word for one people made one in Christ. I don’t feel so far away from the peace I so often have to hope for rather than see in Guatemala.

This lesson I learned had me change my teaching and have the leaders read passages of the bible that I presented in both Spanish and Q’quechi so that they would understand much deeper the lesson. It is not only me who clings to my mother tongue as the language of my faith… yet like them my faith is becoming by-lingual out of necessity.

We prayed each day before our meals in a different language… I believe we managed to have 5 or 6 different languages represented. After my first day of classes on the Lord’s Prayer, I asked the Q’quechi leaders how to say Amen in their language. Five of them got together and worked on writing in on the white board, correcting each other so that the spelling was perfect. The finished product: jo’kan taxaq. They grasped onto the new understanding of Amen with such faith and wonder that they could finish the prayer with such hope and assurance that it will be as they pray, that they are listened and cared for by their Lord.

These men and women between 16 and 85 returned to their homes content and thirsty for more. They were honest about the challenges of shepherding a church but trusted in the presence of our Lord in their lives and ministry and the guidance of the Holy Spirit… as we hear in 1 Corinthians 12:3 “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit has hold of these leaders and it is all of our prayer that they will be guided to be church rooted in Christ… the Spirit of Pentecost where we live our faith daily were God calls us to be… and in many, many languages.

Amanda Olson de Castillo
Missionary and Pastor
Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala

Every year China Service Ventures (CSV) arranges for groups to travel to China to see, touch, and experience this ancient culture…however, this is not your normal “tour” of China. In fact, the word tour hardly describes a “Friends of CSV Visitation”.

While we will visit historical and cultural sites (the Great Wall, Summer Palace, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Terra Cotta Warriors, and the Nestorian Tablet- China’s early monument to the first Christian missionary), CSV’s purpose in providing this travel opportunity is to see a part of China that most travelers don’t see- the rural countryside and the Christian Church.

Because of the extensive relationships CSV has nurtured in the past 5 years, we have a great opportunity for travel groups to visit churches, schools, and medical clinics to meet the people we serve. CSV offers this educational opportunity so you can be better informed about the Church in China and needs facing those living in the rural areas.

Our next Friends of CSV Visitations are October 4-19 and October 19-November 8. Both Visitations will travel to Beijing, Xi’an, Xinyang (CSV’s area of service) and Hongkong. The latter Visitation will include travel on the Yangtze River.

Did you know that a Friends of CSV Visitation may be up to 75% tax-deductible? With CSV’s 501 3 (c) charitable organization status most of your costs (administration & orientation fees, air travel, in-country transportation, meals and lodging) may be tax-deductible.

For more information regarding itinerary, travel preparations, and costs contact Rev. Steven Ray at 1.877.408.7056

Join CSV in October and November as we begin to understand China, her culture, people, and the Christian Church. This will be an unforgettable experience!

CENTRAL KITSAP FIRE AND RESCUE: FUN AND SAFETY GO HAND IN HAND AT 23RD ANNUAL KIDS DAY.

Here at CKFR we understand that people’s lives get so hectic that it is easy to forget to take time out for fire and safety prevention. We’re doing our part to remind kids and families that safety is everyone’s responsibility.

Join us for a free, fun-filled day for kids and their families on June 7, 2008, at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. This year Kids’ Day is sponsored by Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue in conjunction with local organizations and businesses. Doors open for the community at 10am, and the show runs until 2:30pm. Kids’ Day is a free, fun-filled event that provides families with an opportunity to take a moment to have a good time while picking up tips and resources about ways to keep kids and families safe and healthy.

In addition to live fire demonstrations and vehicle extrications, the event will feature the Ride and Glide Stunt Team whose daring athletes engage kids while spreading the message about bicycle safety, positive self-esteem and healthy living. Over 45 booths will provide fire and life safety information. Kids, com meets Sparky the Fire Dog and his buddies, the Bloodhound Rescue Dogs. Everyone is invited to practice their skills with a fire extinguisher on “real flames”, challenge yourself to a Game of Frisbee golf, or get filled with a new bike helmet. There’ll be lots to do and see at Kids’ Day 2008!

Please contact Theresa MacLennan, Public Information/Public Education Officer for Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue for details: 360-447-3550.

Myanmar — May 16, 2008 — LWR has already assisted 100,000 people on the ground in Myanmar in response to the fatal Cyclone Nargis that cause havoc. LWR is able to do this work through our partnership with Action by Church Together (ACT) International, a consortium of faith based organizations. The United Nations is reporting that 2.5 million people are in need of urgent care and assistance, without immediate aid the death toll will only continue to climb.

China — May 13, 2008 — A massive search and rescue effort is under way in China as the earthquake that struck in the Sichuan region Monday is upgraded to a 7.9 magnitude. Our ACT partners have set up an office in Chengdu, about 98 miles away from the quake epicenter and have begun to coordinate relief efforts through their partners on the ground.

West Africa (Mali and Niger), Nicaragua, Colombia, the Philippines, and a jointly sponsored trip to India with Thrivent Builds are all part of the Study Tours for 2008.

LWR Study Tours are 12-14 day overseas travel experiences that offer participants firsthand knowledge of the work of LWR and its partner organizations. Travelers will meet local LWR staff and visit the communities in which LWR works to see their innovations, learn from their work and return home impassioned and empowered to advocate on their behalf in the US.

Upon returning home, LWR Study Tour participants will be encouraged and supported in sharing their learning and experiences in their local congregations and communities.