Because of Love

SEPTEMBER 2016 because of love A COMMUNITY IN THE MODEL OF CHRIST Contents FROM THE PASTOR 3 MUSIC 9 VISION ALLIGNED BUILDING ANNOUNCEMENTS 10-12 (VAB) UPDATE 4 NEW MEMBER HIGHLIGHT 13 EARTHCARE/SOCIAL JUSTICE BIRTHDAYS & MEMORIALS 14 5-6 CALENDAR 15 YOUTH PROGRAMS & FAITH FORMATION 7-8 COVER: The children play together as the sun sets on another beautiful day at Golden Gardens. The sail boats pass by in the distance. INSIDE COVER: Meeting at Golden Gardens for an informal outdoor worship with music, a campfire, and s’mores! Our community, our calling. • Katherine Hawks, Pastor • Gretchen Mertes, Pastor • Karen Lee, 11 a.m. Traditional Worship & Music Director • Don Boelter, Parish Administrator • Nancy Oldenkamp, Office Assistant • TBD, Interim Faith Formation Coordinator • Jonath Ochs, Communications Director • Hannah Wetter, Nursery Care Provider 2400 NW 85th St. • Seattle, WA 98117 • 206-783-7900 • www.ourredeemers.net FROM THE PASTOR Music is my life. Don’t get me wrong, I love being a pastor, and I love my calling, but music is buried deep in the core of my soul and makes the rest of living worthwhile. I hear music in everything. Windshield wipers set my tempo, the hum of the refrigerator gives me the pitch. The cadence of your speaking sounds like a melody line to my ears. When asked to explain my faith in God and what anchors it for me, the answer is found in music. Scientifically, music is just sound waves emitted from an instrument that hit your tympanic membrane in your ear, which cause it to vibrate. Those vibrations send signals to your brain and your brain lights up. But that scientific explanation of how sound (and therefore music) works doesn’t explain for me how music can make you feel. Music changes the ambience and feel of a room, of a conversation. Imagine a movie without a soundtrack. How sad! Music, and its unexplainable depth of feeling are evidence of God, God’s creative powers, and the depth of God’s love for us. Karen Lee (my lovely counterpart in musical leadership in this congregation) and I were discussing music and worship over lunch the other day. We talked about how we plan music - hymns, songs, offering pieces and so on - to go with the readings, preaching themes, and liturgical seasons. And yet somehow, with all that intentionality, God takes the music we prepare and makes it greater, more connected, and with deeper meaning that we could have ever intended for it on our own. Music is the thing that takes worship from a simple prayer service to another level of emotional connectivity with God’s creative presence and spirit. However, it doesn’t happen alone. When we join together in singing to God, we are participating in God’s creative movement around and through us. It makes music exponentially more meaningful to do it together. Now, you may be saying, “That’s all well and fine, pastor. But I don’t sing and the people around me a grateful that I don’t.” Hey - I think maybe you should give it a try, even just tentatively. You’d be surprised at how much joy can be found, even just humming along with a large group of people. So sing a new song to God, and see what happens! With God’s spirit, there is always a great surprise to be had. Peace to you, Pastor Gretchen Mertes “Sing to the Lord a NEW song.” Psalm 96:1 VISION ALIGNED BUILDING UPDATE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FEASIBILITY REPORT FEEDBACK ON CONCEPT DESIGN SUBMITTED Don Boelter, Parish Administrator, Pastor Steve Olson, of Olson Advancement, has been capturing Congregational presented his final Capital Campaign feedback on the Concept Design Feasibility/Implementation Study report to Plans unveiled in May that have come the Church Council and VAB Team at the July via Congregational meetings, VAB@ 19th council meeting. The purpose of the ourredeemers.net email address, and study was to solicit feedback on the VAB plan the suggestion box in the Fellowship concept and then provide recommendations Hall. These suggestions have been on implementing a capital campaign. Pastor forwarded to our architecture firm, Olson’s report included the responses of atelierjones llc, and will be reviewed fifty-four people from Our Redeemer’s that with the Our Redeemer’s VAB Team represented a sample of active members in the as our architect starts work on Congregation. refining the concept designs after our Based upon the recommendations in the Congregational vote. Feasibility Study final report, the Church If you have any additional comments Council voted at its August meeting or suggestions on the plans, which to recommend moving forward with a are still available for viewing in the Congregational vote to proceed with hiring church narthex and VAB bulletin board Pastor Olson as a consultant for a VAB Capital in the Fellowship Hall, please submit Campaign. The Special Congregational meeting ASAP to above email address or red will take place on August 28 between services. suggestion box. You can also speak Pastor Steve will present a summary of his to any of our VAB Team members: findings and recommendations in the Feasibility Mike Hlastala, Pastor Kathy Hawks, Study, and describe what services he would Jim Arnold, Andrew Brissette, Kirstin provide as a Capital Campaign consultant. Malone, Guy Michaelson, or Don If the Congregation gives its approval, the Boelter. proposed Capital Campaign will take place this Fall. WONDERING WHAT’S GOING ON? Want to see the monthly church council minutes? Love looking over financial statements? Contact Don Boelter Parish Administrator [email protected] 4 The Visitor September 2016 EARTHCARE / SOCIAL JUSTICE represented by an attorney would have to take FALL INITIATIVES FORUM place within 14 days. A final protection order Sponsored by Faith Action Network could be in place for as long as one year, when Wednesday, September 28 the subject would have the automatic right 7pm - 8:30pm in the Fellowship Hall: to a hearing to have it removed. While under that order, subjects would have to surrender We will present both sides of the following two firearms they own and be barred from buying or initiatives on the fall ballot: possessing new ones. If passed, Initiative 1433 will raise the statewide Each initiative presentation will follow this minimum wage to $13.50 per hour. The wage format: would increase to this level over four years (the • Pro initiative - 10 minutes current statewide hourly minimum is $9.47.) In • Con initiative - 10 minutes addition, employers would have to provide one • Rebuttals - 4 minutes each hour of paid sick leave for each 40 hours an • Community questions - 10 minutes. employee works. We are working now to find spokespeople for If passed, Initiative 1491 will allow family each side of each issue. If you know of people members or law enforcement officials to ask involved with either campaign who might be a superior court judge for an “extreme risk” willing to speak, please email Pastor Gretchen. protection order for someone they believe is a The greatest assistance you can provide for this high risk to harm themselves or other people. event is to help get the word out -- both to your A judge could issue a temporary order without congregations and to your neighborhoods. hearing from the subject, but a full hearing with the subject allowed to be present and RainWise Event at Our Redeemer’s On Sept 27 at 7pm, Sustainable Ballard and Our Redeemer’s are hosting an event about “RainWise.” Sustainable Ballard is excited to be partnering with Seattle Public Utilities and King County to get the word out about RainWise rebates. This program is a win-win-win for homeowners: Our storm water is safely managed on site, we get enhancements to our yards and property, and the average RainWise rebate is $4,400. Over 300 (and counting!) North Seattle households have already taken advantage of this program. Figure out if you qualify by going to their website: http://www.sustainableballard.org/rainwise/ Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church 5 E-cycling event j SEPTEMBER 24 @ 9-3PM Got junk laying around? There will be recycling for electronics, styrofoam, and of course the Goodwill Truck will be onsite. This event is Sunday, September 11th sponsored by our youth group, with donations going to defray the cost of camp and service Sign up in the narthex for the following service trips. opportunities for God’s Work - Our Hands: St. Luke’s Episcopal Daily Breakfast for the Homeless 2 p.m.- 5 p.m. • Painting Bathrooms • Floor Waxing • Washing Walls and Trim • Caulking Windows Fred Meyer Helping gather Mary’s Place supplies • 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. • 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. • 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. ACCEPTABLE ITEMS FOR E-CYCLING: Computers Misc. Office Machines Cell phones Laptops BBQ’s PDAs, Handheld Games Monitors (CRT, LCD) All Metal Items Cameras Printers / Scanners Televisions Batteries Fax / Copy Machines VCRs Misc. Electronics Ink Cartridges DVD players Washers Keyboards / Mice Stereos Dryers Servers /Routers Audio Components Ovens Networking Devices Phones Stoves Nothing that has chemicals in it. No light bulbs or furniture. Lawn mowers or anything that could have had oil or gas in it must have oil/gas drained out. 6 The Visitor September 2016 YOUTH PROGRAMS AND FAITH FORMATION Thank you, Steven! For the past six months, Steven Rystrom has done a wonderful job of stepping into the role of interim faith formation coordinator, and we couldn’t have done it without him. From GO! Night, to Kids’ Church, to Vacation Bible School, to Confirmation Camp, Steven has jumped in with a big grin and done a great job.

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