Edmonds Presbyterian Church - Newsletter

From the Desk of Pastor Rob

8/27/2024

Dear Fellow Travelers,
We have so many things to be grateful for! The Preschool held a successful recruiting event. They are building a playground on our property. Vision House held their annual event at Edmonds. We completed our Hebrews study. We have restarted Children’s Time during worship. We have fresh new striping in the parking lot.

And amazingly, our roof came through a major thunderstorm without a single leak! Your generosity has really paid off! We still have about $9,000 of fund raising left to do. Thank you so much for your love of the church and congregation.

Grief Support classes are starting at Calvin Presbyterian on September 7. Please go to Grief Share to learn more. You can sign up here: GriefShare at Calvin

Bible Study will return in September on 2 Corinthians. Please join us after worship on Sundays, approximately 11:30 AM in person starting September 8th. Or you can join by Zoom on Tuesdays at 10 AM starting September 10th. Log in information is on the back of this newsletter.

Games Night on the 2nd Saturday of each month will continue through the summer. The next one is September 14th at 7 PM. Crafternoon was a great success in June. We will have it again on the 3rd Sunday after worship on September 15th.

Please tell your friends and family about our Online Streaming Worship. We are averaging about 30 views per week and would love to see it grow! Please go to the www.epc-pcusa.org website for the latest links.

This is what I am planning for worship in September.

Sunday, September 1st. In “Hebrews – Endurance as Discipline” This completes our series on Hebrews. I will give an impassioned sermon about the future of the church and how to be the church for young people again.

Sunday, September 8th. We are back to the lectionary with the story of Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7 with “A Good Name is Golden.” We see how Jesus changed his approach and how his fame grew through his ministry.

Sunday, September 15th. “Fiery Words” focuses on James 3 where the power of words is described. Words of encouragement and words of rebuke can last a lifetime. What we say really matters.

Sunday, September 22nd and 29th. We will host two guest preachers who are preaching in a neutral pulpit as part of their pastor nominating process. It is a great privilege to be part of this. You will greatly benefit from their wisdom and learning.

It is a joy to serve God with you! I look forward to worshiping with you in September!
Grace and Peace, Pastor Rob

MISSION NEWS

8/27/2024

The Salvation Army, Everett Branch, will receive our $100 mission allocation for this month. The Salvation Army is often the first place people who face unexpected financial difficulties turn to for help. The Salvation Army provides help with rent, utility payments and groceries so people do not lose their residence.

The Salvation also provides emergency shelter, meals, counseling for addiction to drugs or alcohol and some job training. Help in finding employment is available when a person is ready to work.

Gifts of blankets, furniture, clothing and household items help families get back on their feet after fire damage, and when moving from shelter living into their own house or apartment. Some help is available for special needs children.

Recently the Salvation Army and KIRO TV partnered to supply backpacks and school supplies for some children from low- income families.

Spiritual help is provided for people who want it, teaching them about God’s loving gift of salvation, and helping them to face life’s challenges knowing God is with them whatever happens.

Ruth R, Mission Eelder

WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION

8/27/2024

No meeting was held in August.

Our September meeting will be at 11:30 AM in the Friendship Hall at church. Since this is our last summer meeting please wear your favorite summer clothes and especially wear your favorite summer hat. Prizes will be given to the best outfit. Plans will be made for the coming year including suggestions for speakers and ideas for church projects. Lunch will be served at 12 Noon. All women are invited to attend and guests are welcome.

Margaret S, Women’s Association Monitor

Why Study 2 Corinthians?

8/27/2024

On September 8, the after-worship adult Bible Study will begin studying Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians and the Tuesday online study group will start the following Tuesday. If you are unable to attend the Sunday worship in person, you are welcome to attend the Zoom study on Tuesday. Here is the Zoom link: https://zoom.us/join, or call 425-776-4334 if you have any questions about how to join that class. We encourage anyone who is interested to join that class, even if you do not live anywhere near the physical church building.

Pastor Rob specifically wanted to address Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians this fall. The letter is more personal than other letters from Paul. In it, Paul tells about some of the challenges he has faced in his ministry and this makes it a good follow up to our study of Acts last year, but there are additional issues that make this a good study for Fall 2024.

In Eugene Peterson’s introduction to 2 Corinthians in The Message, he states:
The provocation for Paul’s second letter to the Christians in Corinth was an attack on his leadership. In his first letter, though he wrote most kindly and sympathetically, he didn’t mince words. He wrote with the confident authority of a pastor who understands the ways God’s salvation works and the kind of community that comes into being as a result. At least some of what he wrote to them was hard to hear and hard to take.
So they bucked his authority—accused him of inconsistences, impugned his motives, questioned his credentials. They didn’t argue with what he had written; they simply denied his right to tell them what to do. . . .

Because leadership is necessarily an exercise of authority, it easily shifts into an exercise of power. But the minute it does that, it begins to inflict damage on both the leader and lhe led. Paul, studying Jesus, had learned a kind of leadership in which he managed to stay out of the way so that the others could deal with God without having to go through him. All who are called to exercise leadership in whatever capacity –parent or coach, pastor or president, teacher or manager—can be grateful to Paul for this letter, and to the Corinthians for provoking it.

As we approach election season, it seems a good idea to review what we can learn about leadership from this important letter, both the leadership that Paul exhibits and the leadership of the Corinthian church. We may all want to consider what it means to be a leader as we make our selections in November.

CONGREGATIONAL LIFE

8/27/2024

Game Night was held on Saturday, August 10 and those attending enjoyed a warm summer evening with outdoor games. The next game night will be on Saturday, September14 at 7 PM. Count on several games to play and please bring a favorite snack to be shared by all who attend.

Crafternoon will be held again following church on the third Sunday of each month following worship. Everyone is encouraged to bring the craft they are working on and work together while enjoying pleasant company.

Our August 11th potluck was again a big success. All had a good time enjoying each other’s cooking and socializing around the tables in the friendship hall.

Margaret S, Congregational Life Elder

From the Desk of Pastor Rob

7/24/2024

Dear Fellow Travelers,
With Summer in full swing, we have been busy at Edmonds PC. The roof redo is almost done. We only need some beams replaced in the atrium. There are two ways for you to help complete the job. Firstly, we have a Work-Day planned for Saturday, August 17 at 10am to paint some of the repaired woodwork. Please consider showing up in your paint-clothes and a paintbrush.

Secondly, you have generously donated to the roof fund. We have nearly $12,000 and we have about another $10,000 to go to cover the immediate costs. If you are able, we would greatly appreciate your further donations to the roof fund.

In worship, I am halfway through my 6-part series on Hebrews. It is such an important book to understand in our tumultuous times. We will continue after worship discussion time instead of Bible Study for the summer.

Bible Study will return in September on 2 Corinthians. This will go until Advent, when we will study the Names of Jesus by the amazing Walter Brueggemann. Please join us after worship on Sundays, approximately 11:30 AM in person. Or you can join by Zoom on Tuesdays at 10 AM. Log in information is on the back of this newsletter.

Games Night on the 2nd Saturday of each month will continue through the summer. The next one is August 10th at 7 PM. Crafternoon was a great success in June. We will have it again on the 3rd Sunday after worship on August 18th.

Please tell your friends and family about our Online Streaming Worship. We are averaging about 30 views per week and would love to see it grow! Please go to the www.epc-pcusa.org website for the latest links.

This is what I am planning for worship in August.

Sunday, August 4th. In “Hebrews - No Going Back” I will show how the Old Covenant fits with the New Covenant. The New Covenant is about second chances, and it is about the law written on your heart.

Sunday, August 11th. Rev. Rob Hagan will preach an inspiring sermon. He is our Presbyterian Foundation Development Officer and a terrific preacher.

Sunday, August 18th. “Hebrews - The Meaning of Faith” focuses on Hebrews 11 which contains the most beautiful definition of faith and then shows the cloud of faithful witnesses from the Old Testament leading up to Jesus.

Sunday, August 25th. Amy Clippinger will preach “The Armor of Righteousness” about the famous imagery of Ephesians 6. Paul used the language and imagery of the pagan goddess Artemis as an example of the saving grace of Jesus.

It is a joy to serve God with you! I look forward to worshiping with you in August!
Grace and Peace, Pastor Rob

MISSION NEWS

7/24/2024

Our mission allocation of $100 for July was given to the Northwest Coast Presbytery - Unified Mission fund. Money from this fund is given to: Eagle Wing disability Ministries, Renewal Ministries Northwest, Tall Timber Ranch, Tall Timber Camper Scholarships, Underground Ministries, Mending Wings, and Campbell Farm.

Eagle Wings disability Ministries is an organization that builds relationships for persons with disAbilities, their families and caregivers. An art class was introduced this year and has been very popular with people who attend. A new cooking class has also been well received. Social events are held throughout the year at local churches or other venues. Support groups are held for care-givers during some social functions.

Renewal Ministries Northwest seeks to help people grow spiritually. Retreats which emphasize spiritual growth are held throughout the year. Renewal Ministries is committed to the Scriptures, the historic Christian faith in the ancient creeds and the Triune God, an unwavering reliance on God’s Spirit, and fervent prayer.

Tall Timber Ranch located in Leavenworth offers summer camps for all ages, family camps, and group retreats. Youth camps give young people a chance to engage in outdoor activities, crafts, grow spiritually, build relationships, and learn how to be in the woods without leaving a trace behind themselves. “Scholarships” are provided for children from families who cannot afford to pay the fee to attend the camp.

Underground Ministries, founded by the Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church, builds relationships of trust between prisoners and the community, especially those nearing the end of their sentence, so the former prisoners will feel like part of the community when they are released. Assistance finding housing and jobs is provided, as well as social support and spiritual help. Underground Coffee Company provides training for ex-prisoners who want to work for the coffee company. A portion of the money from coffee sales goes to help the Underground Ministries.

Mending Wings exists to empower and heal Native youth through leadership development, cultural retention and revitalization programs, spirituality, and the Native way of life. Mending Wings seeks to teach Yakima teens their culture, language, and spiritual way of life so they are knowledgeable about and comfortable with their culture at a young age.

Campbell Farm is a faith-based community non-profit provider of educational and social services. They are focused on youth, and through them, their families. Campbell Farm is located on the Yakima Reservation in Wapato, Washington. The farm is a place of safety and respite with programs to address mental, spiritual, and physical health, educational achievement, food security, and Native American cultural awareness. All services are offered without regard to race, religion, national origin, or gender.

Private donations will provide a $100 offering to the Presbyterian Hunger Program. The Presbyterian Hunger Fund helps people become self-sufficient by providing monetary help, seeds and seedlings, farm land, farming tools, water retention tanks, and training in better farming practices. Gifts of chickens, a goat, pig, or cow provide a family with protein for their diet, and a chance to sell extra eggs and milk to add extra money to help the family buy necessities. Some food for distribution is purchased from local farmers, providing for more local income and reducing the cost of shipping produce to area residents.

If you would like to make a donation to help increase our mission giving, you may put “missions” on the subject line on your check, or put some money in an envelope marked “mission” in the offering plate so it will get to right place.

WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION

7/24/2024

Many thank-yous to all who helped us collect $800 for our mission fund, enabling us to send $65 to each of our 13 mission partners.
Our next meeting will be on September 11 at 11:30 am at the church. All women are invited to come to help us plan for the coming year. We are wishing everyone a fun, relaxing summer and hope to see you in the fall.

BUILDING AND GROUNDS

7/24/2024

CONGREGATIONAL LIFE

7/24/2024

Game night was held Saturday evening, July 13 with 6 people attending. Since it was a beautiful warm they played croquet in the back yard of the church. Next game night will be on Saturday, August 10.
Crafternoon was enjoyed by several church members on Sunday, July 21 following worship. Some people sewed, some brought embroidery to work on, and some worked on coloring pages. The next crafternoon will be held on Sunday, August 18.
A potluck lunch was held on July 14 following worship. We had a good time and had a nice variety of food served. There was enthusiastic agreement to have another potluck this summer on August 11.