Harbor Beacon, January 2020
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OHLC Staff Home Phone The light shines in the darkness… John 1:5 Pastor: Jeffrey Spencer 360-320-4041 Pastor of Care Ministries Marc Stroud 360-632-4243 Preschool Director: Sara Harbaugh 360-941-1484 Youth & Family Ministry Volume 67, Issue 1 January 2020 Beth Stephens 619-729-3031 OAK HARBOR LUTHERAN CHURCH Parish Secretary: Rekann Brannon 360-969-0775 a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) nd 1253 NW 2 Avenue 360-679-1561 Newsletter Editor: Oak Harbor, WA 98277 [email protected] Martha Ellis 360-678-2264 www.oakharborlutheran.org Custodian: Salvador Carvallo 360-675-3957 IN THIS ISSUE: Church Phone 360-679-1561 2020 vision focuses on 5 core purposes pg. 2 Epiphany party, Jan 5, Click on these links pg. 3 for the January newsletter inserts: New Bible study series The ELCA’s monthly Prayer Ventures: highlights Galatians, http://www.elca.org/en/Resources/Prayer-Ventures pg. 3 The Northwest Washington Synod’s insert, The Spirit: Council news: Ron signs off, https://faithconnector.s3.amazonaws.com/lutheransnw/files/publications/spirit/januar semi-annual meeting ahead, y_2020.pdf volunteers sought, pg. 5 Gingerbread men, Voltron, and a monster truck OHLC’s website: for Jesus! www.oakharborlutheran.org pg. 9 SPIN’s still spinning, This issue was snail-mailed December 30, 2019 pg. 10 1 to the weak tea of so much of pop spirituality. While we celebrate and Pastor’s Page: 2020 Vision share our Lutheran identity, we continue to partner with other Christians, as we have done with St. Augustine’s Catholic Church, Grace For now we see in a mirror, dimly, Community Church, Whidbey Presbyterian, and others. but then we will see face to face. In some ways the way 1 Corinthians 13:12 forward for the church, both at large and our congregation specifically, ow. 2020. A new year. A new decade! An optometrist will seems murky. There are many tell you that 20/20 is perfect vision. What is our vision for challenges and the way forward our congregation in 2020? At our fall council retreat we W isn’t always easy to see. This isn’t established five core purposes of our congregation to help us see the way anything new. St. Paul himself forward more clearly. wrote that on this side of the The first core purpose is “Connecting people to Jesus Christ kingdom come, we only see things 1 through Word, Sacrament, and witness.” Worship is what as through a mirror, dimly. But I connects people to Jesus Christ, and so it is the hub of our life together as don’t think having 20/20 vision for a congregation. What we receive in worship we go out to share with our congregation as we look to a others, so they can be connected to Jesus too. new year and a new decade means seeing things perfectly clearly. The second is “Forming faith through Christian education.” As Rather, I believe it is a matter of 2 our society continues to become more secular, it is increasingly staying focused on these core urgent to teach the faith – both to adults and to children. The culture will purposes of why our congregation not do this work for us, and poorly catechized Christians are far less exists. likely to endure in faith in the cultural landscape currently taking shape. This June I will be celebrating the twentieth anniversary of my The third is “Serving our neighbors near and far.” Whether ordination. I have a bunch of wonderful memories, a few scars, and, I 3 through Stephen Ministry, Lutheran World Relief, the ELCA hope, some wisdom gleaned from two decades of ordained ministry. I Hunger Appeal, SPIN Café, the Pregnancy Care Clinic, Help House, or am increasingly aware that programs and people come and go, while the our neighboring schools (see related article on Hillcrest Elementary on core purposes of a congregation remain. We live in time of rapid page 6), we live out our faith by serving others. Faith without works is change. Keeping our core purposes in front of us helps keep things from dead! (James 2:17) getting too blurry. The fourth is “Living together in Christ’s love while respecting Our vision is most clear when we stay focused. Let’s stay 4 our differences.” This is an election year, and both tempers and focused on the ministry Christ Jesus has entrusted to us, in 2020 and rhetoric are sure to run hot. Remember that “love is patient, love is beyond. There are plenty of new ways to live out our core purposes here kind.” (1 Corinthians 13:4) at Oak Harbor Lutheran Church, and I look forward to exploring those new ways with you in the new decade ahead of us. The fifth is “Celebrating our Lutheran identity while partnering 5 with other Christians.” We have a rich theology to share with the world. Themes in Lutheran theology such as the proper distinction Pastor Jeffrey R. Spencer between law and gospel, justification by grace through faith in Christ, and the theology of the cross offer important and biblical counterpoints 2 January 11: New Member Class Youth & Family Night astor Spencer will be holding a one-session new Sunday, January 5, 6:00-7:30 PM P member class on Saturday, January 11 from 9 AM to noon for those who would like to become members of Oak Harbor Lutheran Church. Lunch will be provided. Join us for an Epiphany Party! New members will be received on Sunday, January 12. Please sign up for the class via the Connection Card in the worship bulletin, or by sending an RSVP to Pastor Spencer at [email protected]. Please note any allergies or dietary restrictions. Child care may be available upon request. Six-session study on Galatians begins January 12 Galatians: Faith, Freedom, and the Fruits of the Spirit Kick off the new year with a six-session study of one of Paul’s passionate letters, his letter to the Galatians. This study is offered both on Sunday mornings from 9:15-10:15 and Tuesday nights from 7:00 to 8:00. Here’s the schedule so you can read ahead: Sunday, Jan. 12/Tuesday, Jan. 14: Galatians 1 Sunday, Jan. 19/Tuesday, Jan. 21: Galatians 2 + We’ll enjoy King’s Cake cupcakes! Sunday, Jan. 26/Tuesday, Jan. 28: Galatians 3 + We’ll play Epiphany-themed games! Sunday, Feb. 2/Tuesday, Feb. 4: Galatians 4 Sunday, Feb. 9/Tuesday, Feb. 11: Galatians 5 + We’ll learn more about Epiphany! Sunday, Feb. 16/ Tuesday, Feb. 18: Galatians 6 In commemoration of the gifts the Wise Men brought to Jesus, each family is January 12: OHLC at Silvertips hockey! encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item for the food bank! After worship on January 12, we are headed to Everett to watch some hockey! At newsletter press time the bus may well be full, but we might be able to get more seats in our section if you are willing to drive yourself. Inquire at the church office. Many thanks to Lydia Circle for All are welcome! chartering our bus! 3 Loving our neighbors – at Hillcrest Elementary! Luth Youth fundraiser: t our fall council retreat one of the goals we A established was to reach out to our kitty-corner SUPER BOWL neighbors at Hillcrest Elementary. We found a niche in serving our neighbors at Oak Harbor High School with our Munchy Monday after-school program and wanted to see if there were ways to be similarly helpful to the faculty, SUBS! staff, and students at Hillcrest. I recently met with the principal and one of the counselors at Hillcrest to introduce myself and discuss ways we might be of service. Three ideas emerged from our conversation. Help send our Luth Youth to the Quake youth ministry event at Great Wolf Lodge this spring by ordering sub sandwiches for Super First, they are always in need of snacks for students. Kids can’t Bowl Sunday! learn, nor are they usually in the best of moods, if they are hungry. Meal programs make sure students have access to breakfast and lunch, but Order forms for your fully customizable 6 or 12 inch subs will be there are times when they really need a tide-me-over. Parents know how available in our worship bulletins beginning January 12. Youth will important it is to have healthy snacks on hand. They are needed at make the sandwiches (with adult supervision) on February 1 for you to school too. This is an easy way for us to help. Starting in January we pick up at church on Sunday, February 2. will dedicate one of our donation bins in the narthex to snacks for Hillcrest students. Watch for sales on single-serving snacks (Goldfish Thank you for supporting our youth! crackers, fruit snacks, etc.) and bring them to church! Second, teachers have a difficult job and always appreciate a show of support. This might take the form of donuts dropped off to the teacher lounge or providing lunch on teacher appreciation day. I plan on taking Starbucks coffee boxes over on the first day back after Christmas break. I also plan on periodically including Hillcrest teachers in our Music Ministry Sunday prayers. You’ll be hearing more in the year ahead about ways we can show our support for Hillcrest teachers to encourage them in their Men’s Ensemble begins rehearsals important work. The Oak Harbor Lutheran Church’s Men’s Third, they need volunteers. Having other caring adults on Ensemble will sing at both morning worship services on Sunday, campus, especially for those students who are having a hard time, is a February 23.