of the world - Salem Lutheran Church

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. —Matthew 5:14
May 21, 2014
What’s on my heart ...
Long summer nights are
made for quiet reflection and
time with God. What often gets
in the way of visiting with God
is what St. Paul calls “the wisdom of the world” (I Corinthians 1:20). It is the arrogant assurance of those who feel they
Our Worship
Schedule
Sunday, May 25
Summer Schedule Begins
9:30 a.m.—Worship Service
Sunday, June 1
9:30 a.m.—Worship & Communion
and Grad Recognition
Sunday, June 8
9:30 a.m.—Worship & Confirmation
Sunday, June 15
9:30 a.m.—Worship & Communion
Sunday, June 22
9:30 a.m.—Worship Service
Sunday, June 29
9:30 a.m.—Worship Service
have all of the answers and know it
all. Paul calls this
kind of wisdom the
pl aygrou nd
f or
fools. What God has
made foolish is the
complacency
and
dogmatic
selfsatisfaction of the
“wise” people who
dismiss
all
knowledge but their
own limited kind.
The
distinguished architect,
Frank
Lloyd
Wright, has defined
an
expert
as
“someone who has stopped
thinking.” Where is the wisdom
of those who opposed new concepts and principles and ideas?
Where are the close-minded
scoffers who hurled the verdict
“nonsense” at Galileo’s fantastic
concept of the revolving earth?
Where are the wise ones who
had such fun ridiculing the
Wright brothers, including the
editor of the New York newspa-
of the world
SALEM
per who discharged a reporter
for turning in such a ridiculous
story?
The Hope of the World is
not the material wisdom of the
wise, not the expert with all the
smarts that he can muster; no,
the hope of the world rests with
the one who believes. In other
words, in following what St.
Paul calls “the wisdom of God.”
PASTOR KEVIN
LUTHERAN
CHURCH
2529 N. LaVenture Rd., Mount Vernon, WA 98273
(360)336-3600 E-mail: [email protected]
WEBSITE: www.slcmv.com
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SALEM LIGHT
INSPIRATI
Women’s Bible Study
set to begin in July
Join us for Summer 2014 Women's Bible Study, “Spirit Hunger.”
In this seven-session Bible study, author Gari Meacham peels back
layers of lesser loves we use to fill our true “hunger” for a relationship with God. Meacham, with the authenticity of her own life stories—marriage to a professional baseball player, struggles with severe food bondage, and a father who was a quadriplegic—came to the
realization that her prayer life and her belief needed to match.
Offering two options to join us: Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. and
Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. (Bible study start dates July 23 and 24.) The
Bible study will run for seven weeks. Childcare will be available. To
find out more or to sign up, send an email to [email protected] or leave a message at the church office for Anne
Stewart or Treva Votipka. Sign-up sheets also available in church entry. Workbook for class is $12.50 and (optional but encouraged)
book $15. We will need to order these by Friday, July 1, if possible so
they arrive on time.
Stewards of God’s Love:
Re-imagining Stewardship at Salem
The practice of stewardship invites us to look in three different
directions: DOWN, IN and OUT. We begin by looking at how God
has come DOWN to us. We then look IN to discover all that God has
entrusted to our care. We end by looking OUT to understand the
needs of our neighbors. While these three actions may not happen in
this order, the practice of stewardship always invites all three. Prayers of thanks to God and for all the prayerful giving to Oso victims.
DOWN
OUT
OUT
“ ‘You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and with all
your soul, and with all your mind.’
This is the greatest and first
commandment. And a second is
like it: ‘You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.’ ”
IN
MATTHEW 22:37b-39
Lenten offerings—Salem Lutheran
Church collected $4321 during the
evening services of Lent. This entire
amount was sent to Coastal Bank for
use wherever need is greatest to benefit the Arlington, Darrington and Oso
survivors of the March mudslide.
NS
Summer
schedule
begins May 25
Our summer worship
schedule begins on Sunday, May 25 – one worship service at 9:30 a.m.,
followed by coffee hour.
This schedule continues
until Sunday, August 31.
If you would like to share
a musical offering at one
of our summer worship
services, please talk to
Bill Franklin.
Shall we golf?
Men’s Golf Group
meets Mondays, 4:45 p.m.
at Avalon golf course.
Come join us! Call Dennis
Jensen (336-3600) or
Mike Votipka (848-1487)
for more info or to let us
know you
are coming!
Ladies’
Golf Group
will be starting at 5
p.m. Tuesdays at Avalon. Contact Lori
Valgardson if you’re
interested,
[email protected]
or 333-1448.
SALEM LIGHT
CONNECTI
God’s blessings to:
 Chelsey & Mike Olsen upon the baptism
of their son, Harvey David Olsen, on May 18 at
the 11 a.m. worship service. Sponsors are David
& Tiffany Olsen of Bow and Nicole Nelson of
Burlington.
 Jeanne Clark, who was baptized on May
11, six years to the day after her twin sister, Joan
Powell, was baptized.
 Amy Felt, who will be returning to Kennedy Space Center this summer for her second internship in the past year with the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA). She was
one of thousands of applicants for a limited
number of summer internship positions. She is
an engineering student at Everett Community
College and the daughter of Chris & Cheryl Felt.
 Our eighth grade Confirmation class,
who will be confirmed on Sunday, June 8: Austin
Wright, Tyler Henry, Ryan Morrill, Colin Rittenhouse, Madeline Behrens, Claire Pratt, Lucas Sedano, Kelly Kennaugh, Aria Mazzerella and
Ryker Walde.
Our thoughts and prayers are with:
 Kristen Denton and family upon the
death of her father, John W. Denton, on April 13.
Graveside services were held on April 23 at
Pleasant Ridge.
 Pastor Kevin Forquer and family upon
the death of his stepfather, George Riemer, on
May 1 at the age of 85. A memorial service was
held May 17 at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church
in Bellevue.
 The family of Karl Jensen, who passed
peacefully on Wednesday, May 7. His ashes will
be interred at Lopez Island Cemetery in a private
family graveside service. A wake will be held at a
later date to celebrate his life; more information
will be forthcoming. In lieu of flowers, the family
asks for memorials to either Whatcom Hospice
Foundation, at 2901 Squalicum Pkwy, Bellingham, WA 98225, or to St. Joseph Cancer Center,
3301 Squalicum Pkwy., Bellingham, WA 98225.
3
NS
June Spaghetti Dinner is on Saturday, June
14, from 5-7 p.m. We hope
to see you there! Don’t forget you’ll enjoy a choice of
two sauces, Caesar salad,
garlic bread and for dessert, root beer or orange
soda ice cream floats! Invite a friend or a neighbor to join you for a delicious dinner! Please note
that we will not have a Spaghetti Dinner in July
because there will be a wedding and reception at
the church that day.
Friendship Circle will meet on Wednesday,
June 11. There will be a salad potluck at 12 noon,
followed by a meeting to discuss future planning.
Bring your favorite salad and join us for a time of
food and fellowship. Everyone is welcome. If you
have questions, contact Barb Schlagel or Sharon
Bowen.
The church office
will be closed Monday, May 26, in observance of Memorial
Day. The office will also
be open limited hours June 11-16.
Father’s Recognition BBQ, which is usually held in June, has been cancelled because of
scheduling conflicts. We will however, have a
similar BBQ menu at our August 17 Summer
Movie Night. Our apologies for having to postpone this celebration and recognition until August.
Puget Sound Blood Center will host a
blood drive at Salem on Tuesday, June 10, 12
noon-6 p.m. To make an appointment, visit
www.psbc.org
4
SALEM LIGHT
Gary & Marie Duskin are quiet servants
Our May Servants of the Month, Gary and Marie Duskin, find that volunteering is a great way to
get to know the other members of Salem, and they
say they enjoy serving to be a part of our church.
They have been members for 13 years; they transferred to Salem when they sold their farm and
moved to Lake Goodwin at that time.
They enjoy serving coffee and snacks to welcome people to our church during coffee hour.
They frequently bake cookies and bread for different occasions, and Gary has served often on committees and has served as president of the Church
Gary and Marie Duskin are our Servants of the
month for May.
Council. He is currently serving on council again
and has been a stalwart on the Finance Committee.
They enjoy having family members attend
church with them, although none live close enough
to attend regularly.
For fun, they often enjoy trips to Mexico, Hawaii, and other “warm locations.” They like to go
camping, fishing, horseback riding and gardening.
They go packing into the back country with their
family and horses to camp, and also enjoy fishing
trips with the family. Their memberships include
the Skagit County Backcountry Horsemen and the
Washington State Veterinary Medical Association.
Gary is a retired veterinarian, and Marie has
been the “CEO” of their active family. Gary started
and was a partner in the Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital in Snohomish for 40 years. He became semiretired in 1995 and served as a consultant for national veterinary practice for four years.
The couple has been married for “56 years –
great years!!” They met at the home of Marie’s aunt
and uncle, who happened to be Gary’s neighbor
when he was growing up. Marie moved to Arlington during their first year of high school. They have
four children and nine grandchildren, and loved
raising their children on their horse farm. They
raised thoroughbred horses from 1969 to 2000 and
had many winners at the race track. Gary was also
a veterinarian at the race tracks in Renton and then
Auburn.
Thank you, Gary and Marie,
for your quiet service and calm leadership.
You are a blessing to Salem!
Could it possibly be true?
Bill Meador claims to be 90
Although it seems likely that he has counted wrong, Bill Meador claims he
is going to celebrate his 90th birthday on June 6. We will get a chance to celebrate with him twice:
On Sunday, June 1, everyone at Salem is invited to join him for a piece of
cake after the 9:30 a.m. worship service.
On Saturday, June 7, you can celebrate with him at the Farmhouse beginning at 2 p.m.
Cards only are requested—no gifts please. Best wishes to Mr. Meador!
Bill Meador
SALEM LIGHT
Congregational
meeting set for
Sunday, July 27
In a continuing effort to
provide opportunities for the
congregation to stay informed
about Salem’s activities and
efforts, the Church Council is
committed to conducting
quarterly congregational
meetings to discuss the business of the church.
The next meeting will be
held on Sunday, July 27,
following the 9:30 a.m. worship service.
Please plan to attend this
meeting so you can be up to
date on what’s going on
around here!
Summertime Jesus—
making faith visible
This summer, Salem Lutheran
Church is committed to making our
faith visible by remembering that everywhere we go—even on summer vacation — Jesus goes with us! There
will be “Jesus artwork cutout” with
instructions available soon for every
Salem member. You can take pictures
of Jesus with you on vacation, at the
beach, camping, visiting friends and
relatives or as He goes with you to a
doctor or dentist visit.
The church would like to post any
and all photos weekly and as a
“Summertime Jesus” wrap-up video in
September. Looking forward to summer! See Anne Stewart or Treva
Votipka for more information.
5
Family Promise update
At their March meeting, our Church Council heard a
presentation by local volunteers hoping to begin a Family
Promise program in Skagit Valley. On May 11, those volunteers came to our worship services and shared a video and
verbal presentation with our congregation. They also stayed
after the services, making themselves available for those who
might have questions or want more information.
Family Promise is a national interfaith organization
that provides housing for
homeless families through
host congregations. This
housing is meant to be temporary as the organization assists
families to secure affordable housing.
Through these presentations, it is hoped that you gained
some knowledge and awareness of the homeless family situation in Skagit Valley. We are continuing to have conversation
as to how Salem might be a part of Family Promise in the
Skagit Valley.
If you would like more information about Family Promise,
please visit their website at:
www.familypromiseskagit.weebly.com
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SALEM LIGHT
SALEM Y
UTH
Congratulations, Confirmands!
JUNIOR
The vision of the Youth and Family Ministry at Salem Lutheran Church is to provide
the youth of the church and community a place where they might:
Belong: to be a part of a Christian community and celebrate life in Christ together.
Believe: to grow in faith and relationship with God and with each other.
Become: to learn to be servants of Christ to the world.
Vacation Bible
School helpers
needed
Eighth Grade Confirmation will be on Sunday, June
8. Join us for worship at 9:30 a.m. to celebrate with
these students. Pictured left to right are Austin
Wright, Tyler Henry, Ryan Morrill, Colin Rittenhouse, Lucas Sedano, Madeline Behrens, Claire
Pratt and Kelly Kennaugh. Not pictured: Aria
Mazzerella and Ryker Walde.
Junior High Youth:
There are lots of opportunities for you to help out
at Vacation Bible School!
You will have a lot of
fun assisting the younger
children at church, and
this is a great way to
serve! The dates for VBS
are June 22-26.
Talk to Pastor Jennifer if you are able to
help out.
Junior High Ministry
Week at Lutherwood
Summer Camp
Salem’s Junior High Youth will be
going to Camp Lutherwood August 38, and participating in the H2O waterski and wakeboard camp.
This will be a great opportunity for
the youth to be together at camp, having fun learning about and living out
their faith. Registration material is
available on the church website.
CAMP LUTHERWOOD
August 3-8
Questions?
Talk with Dennis Jensen
Still time to Register!
SALEM LIGHT
7
Summer Camp Opportunities
Senior High Youth to host coffee
hour on Confirmation Sunday
The high school youth will
be serving coffee hour on Confirmation Sunday, June 8. We
will be serving cake and coffee
following the worship service.
Please join in serving, and
congratulating the 8th grade
confirmation students!
There is a parent/youth final information
meeting scheduled for Sunday, June 22, following the 9:30 a.m. worship service. We
will meet in the music room to go over trip
details, what to bring, how to pack, and
more details about our trip!
Recognition Service
for Graduates
On Sunday, June 1, we will be honoring the graduating class of 2014!
We invite you to attend worship at
9:30 a.m., on Sunday, June 1, as we
recognize this accomplishment in
the lives of these young adults. We
will have a cake reception in the
fellowship hall following the worship service. Please keep all of the
seniors from Salem in your prayers
during these final weeks of school:
Tessa Boswell,
Emily Hanger,
Michaela Ircink,
Tara Lee, Jake Pratt
Youth car washes:
May 31 & June 21
Salem Youth will host two car
wash work parties at the church
on Saturdays, May 31 and June
21, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. The
money raised will help support
the Senior High Summer Ministry
trip on Lake Roosevelt, and their
servant projects in Spokane this
coming summer.
Students
are asked to
bring a bucket and wash
rags, along
with any other car wash
supplies that
might be
useful.
SENIOR
The summer brochure for Camp Lutherwood is available for pick-up in the church narthex. If you are interested in attending summer
camp, check out the options that Lutherwood is
offering!
Salem Lutheran is encouraging all 6th-8th
grade students to sign up
Lutherwood
for the Camp Lutherwood
Waterski & Wakeboard
camp on August 3-8. If you
OR BUST!
cannot make the Junior
High trip, look for other
opportunities to go to Lutherwood this summer!
8
SALEM LIGHT
Two Vacation Bible
School programs
offered in June
We are again offering two separate Vacation
Bible School programs this summer, in cooperation with other Lutheran churches! The registration deadlines are drawing close – forms are
available in the church office and on our website
at www.slcmv.com
Preschool: Monday, June 23 – Thursday,
June 26 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at Fir-Conway Lutheran. $10 per student; registration deadline is
Sunday, June 8 (last day to register unless we
reach capacity earlier). Preschool registration is
very limited, so turn in your forms soon!
Elementary: Sunday, June 22 – Thursday,
June 26 from 5-8:30 p.m. at Salem Lutheran.
Camp Lutherwood staff will be leading this program. $20 per student; registration deadline is
Sunday, June 8 (last day to register unless we
reach capacity earlier).
Sign-up sheets for additional volunteers will
be in the narthex:



Preschool Volunteers:
Classroom aides/assistants – help with the
student groups (no preparation required – if
over 18, background check is required.)
Elementary Volunteers:
Registration/Check-In Assistants – help students check in, give out name tags.
Dinner – Prepare, serve, clean up on Sunday,
June 22 (4-6:30ish p.m.)
Please talk to Pastor Jennifer if you have any
questions about either VBS program.
Sunday School wrap-up
What a wonderful year
we had!
As you may recall, we
tried some new things this
past year. We added a new
class, Toddlers & Twos,
serving our youngest students in the nursery. They
did craft projects, had lessons, enjoyed playtime, and
the parents got to interact
with it all. We continued to
use a purchased curriculum
for two classes, Toddlers &
Twos and Preschool. Kindergarten through Fifth
Grade classes participated
in a curriculum we created
called “Passport to the Bible.” We utilized Bible stories, craft projects, games,
cooking time, and family
activities to serve these age
groups.
Sunday School offering continues to support
our two children, Erik and
Khoumba,
sponsored
through World Vision.
Their information is still
posted on a bulletin board
in the Education Hallway.
We are looking forward to starting classes
again in September. If you
would like to help with Sunday School, please talk to
Pastor Jennifer. There are a
variety of opportunities
available and you’ll find you
receive a lot of joy from
participating in this ministry with our students and
their families.
Sign up for
summer camp
at Lutherwood
Summer brochures and registrations for Camp Lutherwood
are available for pick-up in the
church narthex. You can also
check out Camp Lutherwood
programs on their website at:
www.camplutherwood.org.
Camp scholarship applications are now available in the
church office.
The
deadline
for turning in a
scholarship application is Sunday, June 8.
SALEM LIGHT
It’s a mosquito infestation!
Malaria at a glance
Malaria claims the life of a child every 60
seconds. An African child has an average between 1.6 and 5.4 episodes of malaria each
year. Almost 9 out of 10 of the 655,000 people who die from malaria each year live in Africa. Most are young children. In countries
with high rates of malaria, the disease accounts for 60 percent of health clinic visits.
Malaria can be prevented with bed nets
treated with insecticide. Coming soon you
will have the opportunity to purchase a net
for $10 as SLC joins ELCA’s Malaria Campaign to contain this deadly disease by 2015.
Ten dollars will pay for one mosquito
net—Nets available for purchase soon!
9
10
SALEM LIGHT
APPRECIATI NS
Salem Lutheran,
Thank you so much for selecting me as the
2014-2015 Jurgens scholarship recipient. I am so
incredibly blessed to have the support of such an
amazing church family. Receiving this scholarship has given me even more motivation to excel
academically and to reach my goal of helping
children.
It’s hard being across the state at WSU and
so far away from the Salem Church community,
but having your support makes it feel like you are
all right beside me through this crazy journey.
 MOLLY NOSTE
Dear Pastor Kevin & Salem Lutheran,
Thank you so much to Salem Lutheran
Church for supporting Friendship House during
our Spring Appeal—we are absolutely thrilled to
receive your gift! As you know, your money does
more than simply support our organization. It
has the potential to transform the lives of men,
women, and children in need. You’ve made it
possible for someone to receive a hot meal, a
warm bed, and a loving home. Thank you for
your support!
With gratitude,
TINA TATE, Executive Director
LINDSEY VIS, Development Associate
Dear Scholarship Committee,
(Many of you made a donation to FriendThank you so much for the $500 scholarship ship House at the time you had your church dito use at Central Washington University next rectory photos taken. This note is in response to
year. It will help so much, and is much appreciat- the check representing those donations that was
ed! Thank you!
ALISSA WATSON sent to Friendship House.)
Calling all
graduates
New pictorial church
directory coming together
Do you know of a college
graduate this spring from our
church family? Share the
happy news by calling or
leaving a note in the church
office. We’d like to know the
grad’s name, school, graduation date and type of degree.
We will be recognizing
our high school graduates on
Sunday, June 1: Tessa Boswell, Emily Hanger, Michaela
Ircink,
Tara
Lee, and
Jake
Pratt.
Many thanks to everyone who had their picture taken for the
new pictorial church directory! The portrait sessions seemed to go
smoothly and we really appreciated everyone coming out to make
it work. If you ordered pictures, they should be arriving at your
home soon, if they haven’t already. If you didn’t purchase pictures,
your free 8x10 may be available for pick-up in the church office.
A HUGE GIGANTIC ENORMOUS thank you to Barb Schlagel
for helping with the scheduling and the nuts-and-bolts of getting
the directory together and ready for printing. Thanks also to
Barb’s crew who helped with reception on the picture-taking days,
including Valerie Jensen, Marcia Pratt, Suzanne Lee, Karin Leander, Lisa Kennaugh, Susan Faller, Candy Johnson, Jim Bowers,
Pastor Jennifer, and Mary Pat Lorente.
We will prepare the rest of the content for the directories in the
next three weeks and then look forward to the arrival of our new
directories, hopefully in July.
SALEM LIGHT
11
CELEBRATI NS
June 1—Lori Lacey
June 2—Monika Bloor
June 4—Addison Brown
Mary Gurney
Ken Kingma
June 5—Lori Valgardson
June 6—Randi Leber
Bill Meador
June 7—Candy Johnson
Lynne Rittenhouse
June 8—Bruce Brown
Chelsey Olsen
Shirley Tjersland
June 9—Amy Felt
Mike Olsen
June 11—Virginia Good Vlahovich
Judy Markus
Jennifer Schultz
June 12—Dennis Jensen
June 13—Julie Rousseau
June 14—Andrew Henry
June 15—Grace Uppendahl
June 16—Lynn Lee
Cody Pohren
June 18—Holly Berard
Marily Nelson
Nicholas Ruby
June 18—Tatiana Ruby
Bill Webb
June 19—Joan Brady
Chase Rochelle
June 21—June Bounds
June 22—John Johnson
Florrie Reep
Nancy Slind
June 23—Jody Carabba
Laura Sedano
Polly Walser
June 24—Lynn Barber
Finley Uppendahl
June 26—Justin Henry
June 27—Mel Takehara
June 28—Susan Watson
June 29—Riley Anderson
Diane Webb
Works of art in April
June 6—Evy & Knud Elmer
June 7—Mary Jane & Nelson Bender
June 11—Jerry & Susan Banta
June 14—Ken & Flo Dahlstedt
June 14—Pastor Kevin & Kim Forquer
June 16—Don & Erin Moe
June 16—Mark & Lori Valgardson
June 17—Don & Alice Sorensen
June 18—Ray & Chery Henry-Smith
June 18—Bob & Nancy Slind
June 18—Maury & Susan Wright
June 19—Mark & Ann Klitzke-Nelson
June 24—Reid & Angela Anderson
June 24—Dennis & Annette Jensen
June 26—Jim & Nancy Johnson
June 26—Mike & Treva Votipka
What colorful works of art were on display at Salem in April! At left, some of the Ukranian eggs
created by the Junior and Senior High youth under the supervision of Keith Wiemerslage. At
right, quilts made by Sewing for Others lined the
chairs in the sanctuary.
SALEM LUTHERAN CHURCH, ELCA
2529 N. LaVENTURE RD.
MOUNT VERNON, WA 98273
NON-PROFIT
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
MOUNT VERNON, WA
PERMIT NO. 8
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
OUR MISSION STATEMENT:
It is our mission as members of this congregation to share the unconditional love
of God in Jesus Christ with all people, and to serve God by serving others.
CHURCH
COUNCIL:
Marcia Pratt,
President
Anne Stewart,
Vice-President
Treva Votipka,
Secretary
Sean DiLulo
Gary Duskin
Joan Lee
Mike McManus
Bob Slind
Kay Stendal
Steve Uppendahl
Lori Valgardson
David Walde
OTHER OFFICERS:
Lee & Melody Kue,
Financial Secretaries
Susan Ragan, Treasurer
SALEM STAFF:
Rev. Kevin J. Forquer,
Senior Pastor
Rev. Jennifer L. Schultz,
Associate Pastor
Dennis Jensen, Director
of Youth Ministries
Mary Pat Lorente,
Parish Administrator
Jim Bowers,
Custodian
Bill Franklin,
Minister of Music
Clara Johnson,
Choir Director
Lori Churchill,
Nursery Attendant
E-MAIL:
Pastor Kevin/Church Office:
[email protected]
Pastor Jennifer/Children:
[email protected]
Dennis Jensen/Youth:
[email protected]
@Salem
Lutheran
Church
E.L.C.A.
PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
www.slcmv.com
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS:
9 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday