Category: Education - Edmonds Presbyterian Church

EDUCATION NEWS

9/28/2023

Did you realize that August 31 was International Overdose Day? The theme is “Recognizing those people who go unseen” acknowledging those people in our community who are affected by an overdose but may go unseen in the crisis. This movement was started by Sally Finn at the Salvation Army in Melbourne in memory of those who are lost and to protect those who can still be saved.

According to the Snohomish County Health Department the most common age for those suffering an overdose is from 35 to 41, however there are rapidly increasing numbers of overdoses among those over 55.

Since 1999 more than 1 million deaths have occurred in the United States due to drug overdoses. At that time most overdoses were due to alcohol, opioids, or methamphetamines, however in the past year there are rapidly increasing numbers of overdoses related to fentanyl. So far this year there have been 166 deaths due to opioids, 159 deaths from fentanyl, and 105 deaths from meth in Snohomish County alone. King County has had close to 1000 deaths from overdose so far this year.

What can we Do? An overdose demands immediate medical attention. Activate the 911 emergency system immediately if you find anyone unresponsive and not breathing then give CPR until help arrives. Be sure to state the emergency clearly and give the street address or exact directions to where the help is needed. Local fire departments or the Red Cross are glad to teach how to give either Regular CPR or the newer “Hands only” resuscitation methods. Emergency responders carry NARCAN, an antidote for overdose which usually gives immediate relief of overdose symptoms.

Margaret S, Education Elder

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

3/30/2023

“The Power of One”

Back when I was a university student, my roommate had a plaque on her desk. It read:
               I am only one,
               But I am one.
               I cannot do everything,
But I can do something.
               And by the Grace of God,
I will do what I can do.
To me, these words are an inspiration to do good wherever we can, however we can, no matter how small or how insignificant we may think it may be at the time. That there can be a ripple effect like throwing a stone in the water and the waves form larger and larger circles moving out from the middle.
I’d not thought about these words for years, until recently attending St Albans Cursillo weekend #7. One of the talks referenced this quote as the ‘Power of One’. Those words came back to me verbatim from all those years ago, and they still held the same transformative power that they did when I first heard them.
Variants of this poem have been attributed to various people, ranging from Helen Keller to Unitarian clergyman Edward Everett Hale to the religious revivalist Dwight L. Moody. The concept is thought to stem from Isaiah 6:8, in which God asks, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” and Isaiah eagerly responds, “Send me!” – which is also the theme of the song we sing at our Cursillo events, “Here I am, Lord!”
Our retired vicar at St Michael’s Anglican Church, Derek Hinge, recently shared a humorous version of this same concept, called the “COW” principle – which stands for:
CAN I do something?
OUGHT I do something?
WILL I do something?
– Which can be applied when in doubt of whether to take action or not.
It’s this concept that brought me to help with the Ukrainian refugees in our town. Like many, I’d been thinking about their terrible journeys to get out of the line of fire and how they’d left everything behind to come here. And so I went to the informational meeting at Markwell Pavilion here in our town centre, organized by Churches Together, on 23rd April of last year, where there was an appeal for volunteers to sign up for various tasks – ranging from job seeking to transportation to benefits claims and so on. At that point, we had a few first families coming into the town, being hosted by people who had offered to open up their homes, and we were expecting more to arrive. I don’t think anyone knew exactly what was to come, but felt compelled to help.
As Derek’s wife, Pauline Hinge, puts it, “expect the unexpected.” I wound up sitting next to Jenny Klincke from our church, and I’d whispered to her at some point in the meeting that if there was anything I could do to help, to please contact me.
Well, a few weeks went by and then one day I got a call from Jenny, who asked me to come to the Windhill church center next Wednesday ‘to see what we are up to and see what you think.’ And so I went, not really knowing anything more than that. And there at the sign-in desk was Mione Goldspink. I introduced myself and said I came to help any way I could, and Mione told me she needed help with the sign-in desk on Wednesdays. I later told my children, ‘I got the job!’ even though at the time I didn’t even know what job it was I was going to do! I later learned that Jenny had planned to have me help make sandwiches in the kitchen, so I joked to my kids that I got promoted on my first day.
Now, several of you will know Mione is actively involved with Herts Welcomes Refugees, which was set up in 2016. She has also been involved with Churches Together, which has 10 member churches currently in Bishop’s Stortford. And when someone said that Churches Together should do something to help the refugees, she stepped forward and offered to form a committee. It just takes one spark to kindle the fire.
From there, Bishop’s Stortford Ukrainian Guests Support was borne. Four local churches offered their facilities – St Michael’s Church, along with St Joseph’s Catholic church, offered their facilities on Wednesday mornings. The Methodist church offered space on a Friday morning, and the Charis Centre in town offered Monday mornings. Nearly 15 teachers came forward and offered their help to teach English as a second language. A few people living here already who spoke Ukrainian came forward and offered to help translate. A WhatsApp group was set up to allow everyone involved – host families, guests, and volunteers – to exchange information and problem-solve as issues arose.
So now, on Wednesdays, between 11 and 2, I come to the centre and help put up the signs, take down people’s names and help with any other tasks that need doing. Volunteers from our church make sandwiches, coffee, and tea to serve for lunch. And the guests come to socialize with one another and also learn English.
Many of the guests are multi-talented and highly educated – we have a cake-baker, an events organizer, a professional photographer, an MBA, a criminologist, an accountant, and lawyers. They keep a brave face despite the worries they shoulder daily. I never cease to admire their strength and courage to keep going, despite the destruction happening to their loved ones back home. Most are women and children, from places like Odessa, Kharkhiv, Mariupol, Kyiev. Some are from Russia but speak Ukrainian, and some are from Ukraine but speak Russian.
On Fridays, the county has provided an ESOL teacher to run a certification course from October through March. This month, about 10 students are taking their qualification exam, thanks largely to the volunteer efforts of the churches and community to bring this all together and make it happen.
It hasn’t always been easy, and there have been challenges along the way. We seem to have stopped getting new people coming, and have stabilized at about 70 families total. Numbers fluctuate as people find work, change homes, go back to visit family, attend school or deal with the never-ending paperwork that must be processed for support. But there have been moments of positivity and hope. For example, there was a New Year’s party where we all danced, sang, played games and shared food together. On 25th of February, the guests organized a prayer service to mark the passing of a year since the invasion began. For many, understandably, this was a somber time of reflection.
And just as another example of the transformative power of like-minded people coming together to help others, when the earthquake happened in Turkey and Syria, a Turkish immigrant in Bishop’s Stortford sent out an appeal for winter coats and other supplies to box up and ship out to the people suffering in the bitter cold. This had been posted on the WhatsApp group and the mother of a 2-year-old Ukrainian boy came in the next morning with nappies and baby food to donate. I was so touched, because here was someone a refugee herself who was giving what little she had for others in the world who were suffering. Which made me think about how those who have the least often give the most.
In Summary:
Sometimes we want to make a difference, and help people, but don’t know where to start. Or the problem seems too big or too complicated. But as the Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
We are called to be “the light of the world” according to Matthew 5:14 wherever we live and serve in the world. It just takes one person, or a few people, to step forward and be willing to take action in order to start a chain reaction of kindness and bring a community together for positive change. We can all do something, however small, and however seemingly insignificant, to contribute to an important cause. Together, our contributions can grow exponentially.
And that is what the Power of One is all about.
Ultreya!
Written by Betty P
Submitted by Margaret S

EDUCATION

2/23/2023

February is National Cancer Prevention month. According to National Cancer Society, over 119 million new cancer cases are expected in the US in 2023 and about 18 million Americans with cancer are alive today. Unfortunately, people who have or had cancer often face problems with discrimination. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides protection for individuals who currently have cancer, are in remission, or have a history of cancer. These protections are for individuals who are looking for a job, or already have a job. To learn more please review the following resources.
1) Cancer in the workplace and the ADA US Equal Employment Opportunity Committee
2) Your Employment Rights as a Person with a Disability and the ADA by Pacific ADA Center website: www.adapacific.org Phone 800-949-4232 (This site provides information about all disabilities, vision, hearing, medical conditions or handicaps.)
For the latest information on COVID Treatment see Health Advisory Increasing COVID Treatment.
A data dashboard explores details of opioid overdoses in Snohomish County including symptoms of overdose: www.snohomishoverdoseprevention.com/data Prompt treatment saves lives.
Margaret S, Education Elder

EDUCATION NEWS

10/27/2022

Bible Study resumed after summer vacation and is held at 2 times during the week, either on Sundays following church service, or at 10 am Tuesday mornings via Zoom. Our study continues in the book Toward the Kingdom of Heaven by Amy-Jill Levine.

The study center on the Sermon on the Mount as found in Matthew chapters 5-7 with practical advice on how to incorporate the bible teaching into our everyday lives. It answers such questions as how to get along with people we disagree with and how tradition is tied in with present policies of our church. The study lessons are led by volunteers taking turns each week with a lively discussion on every topic.

Pastor Rob is giving classes on how to join the church. Please contact him if you are interested in taking the class.

Margaret S, Education Elder

OUTREACH NEWS

10/27/2022

October is pastor appreciation month, and we are all thankful to have Pastor Rob and his wife, Carol as part of our church. Pastor Rob has been busy sharing the church’s message through Tik-Tok and Facebook so all can see and find us, and is currently giving membership classes to those who want to join. Please join us in thanking God for sending us our massager who brings us the Word from the bible and inspires us with encouragement to follow that Word.

Margaret S, Outreach Elder

Education and Outreach News

4/28/2022

Our Bible Study based on the book “Wholehearted Faith” by Rachael Held Evans and led by Pastor Rob Christ was completed the week of April 3.

Now a new Bible Study is scheduled to begin on Sunday, April 24 following church service, with a repeat class on Tuesday mornings at 10 AM. Books for the Bible Study are “Toward the Kingdom of Heaven” by Amy-Jill Levine and are on the table by the church entry. This is a collection of 40 readings based on the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5-7 and designed to tie the old and new testaments together and help us understand how the Jewish faith influences and enhances our Christian Beliefs. These classes will have rotating leaders with Pastor Rob taking part as he can.

Easter Sunday gave us the privilege and opportunity for our church choir to sing and our guest musicians including Nicole E to perform during the service. Following the service we had coffee and refreshments provided by Kathy M and Gina Z. We are indeed blessed to have them share their presence and talents.

Margaret S, Education and Outreach Elder

21 Day Racial Justice Challenge

9/29/2021

Our next “next steps” meeting will be Wednesday, October 27th at 7 PM via zoom. Join us to hear about our project to connect with and provide for the Afghan refugees that are being placed in our area.

What Do You Do with a Chance? By Kobi Yamada Illustrated by Mae Besom

7/1/2021

The 44- page book, What Do You Do with Chance is a gem. It is a beautiful combination of clear, yet evocative prose along with breathtaking illustrations. The reading level is for children ages 5-8, but truly, it is a book for kids-at-heart, of all ages. The message hits home and would be an inspiring read for any stage of life.
The story is about being courageous and getting outside of your comfort zone. What Do You Do with Chance teaches that chances are opportunities that we can pass by, but to our own peril. The boy in this book wondered why chance wanted him, so he ignored the chances when they came his way. Fortunately, he knew something was missing. One time he decided to finally take a chance, and it seemed like everyone was laughing at him. He describes reaching for a chance and then falling. Then one day, he realized, he had to joyfully embrace chance when it came around, and this time he did not fall. Instead, he held on with all his might. He was using his courageous heart to embrace the opportunity before him.
Isn’t this a perfect message for our church as we embark on our next chapter? What I love about this book’s positive message is that it so universal. Chances can be anything as small as sharing a cookie with a new friend to bigger things like the chance to serve each other, to forgive each other, and to love each other. The book beautifully illustrates that change comes with a price. One must first embrace the opportunities that are put before us-with courage, heart, and commitment.

Book review by Margaret K.

The 21 Day Racial Justice Challenge group at Edmonds Presbyterian Church wants to thank and congratulate all of you, in and out of our congregation, that have supported the purchase of books for Westgate Elementary to expand Black, Indigenous, and People of Color representation in their library. We have reached our goal! We are so very thankful for your help, and hope that the books will show the students of Westgate that they are valued in our community not matter what they look like or where they may be from.
Thank you!

21 Day Racial Justice Challenge

4/28/2021

Our group is alive and going well. We have almost hit our goal to provide Westgate Elementary with books that serve their BIPOC community because we know representation matters! This month we will meet on the 26th at 7pm via zoom and watch a Ted talk by Jennifer L. Eberhardt, “How racial bias works — and how to disrupt it” Please join us to learn and grow as a community.

Books for Westgate Elementary

2/25/2021

I just finished Dragons in a Bag, by Zetta Elliott. It is recommended for children 8 to 12 years old. I found it truly enjoyable. Jaxon is introduced to a woman who needs help delivering baby dragons to a magical world. There’s time travel, baby dragons living in a small tin, talking animals and plenty to hold your interest. Along the way Jax makes several new friends, counts on the help of old friends, and discovers new secrets. This story is “magical.”

The 21 Day Challenge for Racial Justice group is alive and well at Edmonds Presbyterian Church. And we are working on purchasing racially diverse books for the students at Westgate Elementary here in Edmonds.

Please, won’t you sponsor a book for Westgate Elementary?
To sponsor this month’s book, send a check made out to the church to the church office for $6.99.