Game night - Friday, Sept. 4th, 6:30 – 9 PM at the church! Bring a board game and we’ll also set up croquet or badminton! Pizza provided. Friends and family are welcome to attend.
 Greetings! This summer I have been doing some reading and thinking about the topic of stewardship. What comes to mind for you when you hear that word? I know for me, for many years, stewardship meant pledging money to the church. As many churches do, we have a stewardship drive and a stewardship Sunday. But stewardship actually means more than that. To be a good steward is to care for something on behalf of someone else. A steward may watch over someone’s home and yard while they are away for an extended period of time. They may be authorized to pay bills, to make repairs on behalf of the home owner. Jesus tells parables about honest and dishonest stewards, teaching his disciples that all we are and all we have belongs to God. We are each stewards of that great gift. During 2015-16 we will be looking at the many facets of stewardship. What does it mean to be good stewards of our physical body, mind and spirit? What does it mean to be good stewards of the corner of creation that is entrusted to our care? What does it mean to be good stewards of our time? And to begin, we are asking what it means to be good stewards of our choices. Here’s the dictionary definition of choice: choice (chois) n. the power, right, or liberty to choose. A number or variety from which to choose. To be human is to have choices. We choose how to use our time. We choose what to eat, what to wear, how to spend our money. We choose which friends and family to stay in touch with. We make hundreds of choices in a single day. God has given us the capacity to choose – and the responsibility to choose well. Some of our choices are easy or inconsequential. Do I drive I-5 or Highway 99? Do I have the turkey or the ham on my sandwich? Do I wear the yellow or the blue shirt? Other choices have longer lasting consequences. Do you remember, if you are married, the steps that led to the decision to marry the one you loved? Do you remember saying “yes” to a job offer? Do you remember the process of making a decision to move away from a place you called home? These far-reaching decisions deserve our best discernment, our best attention. They deserve to be made in light of God’s presence in our lives. It is these decisions that we bring before God in prayer, humbly seeking for help in making good choices. And it is those decisions that motivate us to ask others for their guidance and prayers, or to read the scriptures to help us discern God’s will for us in that situation. On September 13th we will explore this theme further during our Sunday worship. Come join us as we consider how the choices we make reflect and are informed by our faith in God. In Christ, Pastor Amy  Come join us Tuesday mornings at 10 AM as we begin a new study on the New Testament Letters, beginning with Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Come and bring a friend!
 Are you looking for an evening bible study and prayer group? Once a month a small group of women will gather with Pastor Amy to share the Presbyterian Women’s bible study materials, “Come to the waters.” The fall meeting dates are: 7 PM on Thursdays, Sept. 24. Oct. 22, Nov 19, and Dec. 17. Please RSVP to Pastor Amy if you plan on attending and to reserve your copy of the study guide.
A Confirmation class for high school youth inquiring into church membership is at its midpoint. Three youth and their mentors are meeting after worship on selected Sundays. Next meetings are: September 6, October 4 & October 18 at 11:15 AM in the back classroom.
 Do you love to sing? Do you want to assist the choir in leading worship on a weekly basis? Come join your fellow musicians and share your gifts and talents with us all! Choir rehearses on Wednesdays at 7 PM. Come and bring a friend!
A quick reminder: While finishing the summer, the dog days of summer, and going into September, please remember your monthly pledge/offering. It can be easy to overlook while having enjoyed our beautiful Pacific Northwest summers. Our expenses do continue and EPC counts on your steadfastness of being good stewards of God's gifts to pay our bills promptly and in order. Thank you.
 Starting on September 20th, and for nine Sundays afterwards, please join Doug Daniel after morning worship in an exploration of the historical context of the Bible. Come with Doug on a journey of 10,000 years, as we explore the events of the Bible in the light of the wider world in which they occurred. Find out about the Assyrians, the Hittites, Egypt, and how the Trojan War affected ancient Israel. Learn what Rome had to do with the Jewish Festival of Hanukkah, and how a terrible war sealed the fate of two great religions. You will see the Bible in a new light, and understand how God's purpose has been worked out in the course of human history. Please join us.
  VERGE 2.0
On October 17, VERGE 2.0 converges 7 innovative ministry leaders to share their stories with you, ignite your imagination, and encourage your ministry. None of them did it alone. They all steward stories bigger than themselves about God partnering with ordinary people to write new chapters in His unfolding mission on earth. Inspired by the TED Conference, we're asking these innovators to give the presentation of their life in 18 minutes or less. As a VERGE 2.0 participant, you will also receive timely and practical learning resources throughout the following year so that you can continue to benefit from this new learning community. Everyone is invited! Join us Saturday, October 17, 9 am - 3 pm, at Community Church of Seattle in Bothell to behold the bold things God is doing!  Look all around you! What a blessing we have been given! Look up and you’ll see a new roof over the fellowship hall and entry-way. Look down and you’ll see new flooring, a new walk-off mat by the front entrance and new carpet! This is possible by generous financial donations and by the gift of time & talent of people like Gay Hawkins, who did the woodworking for the chancel. Thank-you, Hawk! And thank-you to all who moved pews, emptied bookcases, stacked chairs – your assistance is very much appreciated.
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