October Bulletin of Oak Harbor Lutheran Church

The light shines in the darkness…

John 1:5

OHLC Staff Pastor: Jeffrey Spencer

Home Phone 360-279-0413

Pastor of Care Ministries Marc Stroud 360-632-4243

Volume 65 Issue 9

Preschool Director: Sara Harbaugh

October 2018

360-941-1484

Youth & Family Ministry: Beth Stephens 360-729-3031

O AK H ARBOR L UTHE RAN C HURCH a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) 1253 NW 2nd Avenue 360-679-1561 Oak Harbor, WA 98277 office@oakharborlutheran.org www.oakharborlutheran.org

Parish Secretary: Rekann Brannon

360-969-0775

Newsletter Editor: Martha Ellis

360-678-2264

IN THIS ISSUE:

Custodian: Salvador Carvallo

360-675-3957

The 10 Commandments are like a fence, pg. 2

Church Fax Church Phone

360-679-9795 360-679-1561

Come to the St. Francis party! pg. 3

Click on these links for the October newsletter inserts:

Stewardship: our duty and delight, pg. 5

The ELCA’s monthly Prayer Ventures: http://www.elca.org/en/Resources/Prayer-Ventures

His Kids enjoy snack, playing, gluing things, and the bunny, pg. 6

The Northwest Washington Synod’s insert, The Spirit: http://www.lutheransnw.org/files/publications/spirit/october_2018.pdf

Heads up for the bazaar! pg. 7

OHLC’s website: www.oakharborlutheran.org

Take a closer look at Lutheran World Relief, pg. 8

This issue was snail-mailed September 27, 2018 1

fast to this one true God and seek to gently bear witness to the faith that is in us.

Pastor’s Page: The Ten Commandments, Part 1

Of course, the gods we are tempted to follow don’t always go by names like Zeus. More often they are called money or power or pleasure. Anything we make more important than God becomes our idol, our god. God doesn’t want our hearts to cling to anything more than they cling to him, and so he builds a fence around our relationship by giving us this commandment, “You shall have no other gods.”

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onfirmation class is underway once again (with ten students this year!) and we are spending the next three months with a unit on the Ten Commandments. As our students are learning these important lessons I thought it would be good to provide a refresher for the congregation as well. As Martin Luther said, the teachings of the catechism (which include the Ten Commandments, the Apostles Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, Baptism and Holy Communion) can never be exhausted or explored deeply enough, no matter how old we get or how wise we think we are. So, this month begins a three-part series of newsletter articles on the Ten Commandments. (Confirmation students: think of this as your cheat sheet for Catequizm.)

With the second commandment, God seeks to preserve our relationship with him by protecting his name: “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God.” God’s name is not something to take lightly. We have been blessed to be given God’s name that we might call upon God and praise God. This name is put on us in baptism, and we are called to wear it well. To abuse or neglect this name damages our relationship with God.

In my last congregation we lived in a parsonage on a large piece of land. Since our boys were just toddlers, the congregation graciously put in a chain link fence around a section of the back yard so they would have a safe place to play. The fence was a gift. It allowed our boys to spend untold hours outside, free to enjoy themselves within those boundaries. It protected them from outside dangers like cars or aggressive dogs or the cows that sometimes got loose and wandered onto our property. It protected them from themselves as well. The fence surely didn’t always seem like a gift to them. When there was something interesting on the other side of the fence it was a hindrance to their plans.

Sometimes those plans were what they needed to be protected from the most.

Time together is an important aspect of any meaningful relationship, and so in the third commandment God commands us to “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.” Just as God rested on the seventh day, so too are we called to rest. This commandment is not, however, just about lying around in hammocks. It is about refraining from work so that we might spend time with God. As Martin Luther puts it in his explanation of this commandment: “We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and his Word, but hold it sacred and gladly learn from it.” Gathering with God’s people to worship and praise God and receive his gifts in Word and sacrament is the best kind of rest. It is rest that nurtures our relationship with God. (For the record, I am prohammock – after worship.)

The Ten Commandments are like a fence. They are a gift. They protect us from dangers. They protect us from ourselves. They don’t always seem like a gift to us as the sinner in us sees them as a hindrance to our plans, but they are for our benefit.

It is important to note that before God gave the commandments to Moses, he said: “I am the LORD your God, who delivered you out of slavery in Egypt” (Exodus 20:1-2). God did not say, “I will be your God if you perform well in the following ten areas.” The relationship precedes the commandments. But with these first three commandments God builds a fence around our relationship with him, seeking to preserve it, keeping it safe and strong. The sinner in us sees this fence as a cage, but the new person Christ is calling out of us through faith sees that fence as a gift, marking off the blessed space where we are free to run and play and grow.

In the first three commandments God builds a fence around our relationship with him. The first commandment is, “You shall have no other gods.” The one true God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The one true God is the God who makes himself known to us in the Bible. The one true God is the God who took on flesh in Jesus Christ and reveals himself to us as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

While we should certainly follow the ubiquitous bumper sticker’s advice and “coexist” with our neighbors of other religions, as Christians we hold

Pastor Jeffrey R. Spencer 2

October 21 – The Great OHLC Apple Bake-off!

YOUTH & FAMILY NIGHT AT OHLC

On your marks…get set…BAKE! Bring your favorite apple dessert to share after either the 8:00 or 10:30 AM service on Sunday, October 21.

Two judges (to be determined) will award a special prize for the best apple dessert at each fellowship hour. Apple cider and plain, fresh apples are welcome contributions to our special fellowship hour too.

Plan on sticking around after worship on the 21st to enjoy the deliciousness of Washington’s state fruit!

Sunday, October 7, 6:00-7:30 PM

We’re having a St. Francis Party!

October 28 – OHLC fall farm fun & fellowship !

Members and friends of all ages are invited to join us on an outing to The Stand (K&R Farms) at Dugualla Bay! We are getting a special group rate of $10 per person which includes the corn maze, hay ride, and a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch.

We’ll meet at The Stand at Dugualla Bay at 3:00 PM. We’ll need a head count, so please RSVP via the bulletin insert Connection Card or by emailing Pastor Jeff at pastor@oakharborlutheran.org.

Don’t miss this fall classic of family fun!

We’ll have: + A Petting Zoo! + Yummy snacks for humans and other critters! + Closing devotions featuring the story of St. Francis!

A few OHLC shirts still available

Well-socialized pets welcome!

OHLC acquired a few extra t-shirts with this summer’s order. Still on hand in the church office are 6 t-shirts, youth, size small; 1 t-shirt, adult size 4XL; and 2 hoodies, youth size small. Contact Rekann Brannon for information, 360-679-1561, Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM.

Join us as we celebrate all creatures of our God and King!

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Jesus through the eyes of Matthew

Growing & Learning

Whidbey Island Theological Studies (W.I.T.S.) announces the October 20th presentation of Jesus Through the Eyes of Matthew, 8:45 AM to noon at the Coupeville Rec Hall, 901 N Alexander Street, Coupeville (located at the corner of NW Coveland & N. Alexander).

Instructor Richard Erickson, PhD, retired senior associate professor of New Testament at Fuller Seminary, Seattle Campus, will illustrate the way Matthew uses his highly literary creativity to recount the significance of Jesus and his ministry. There’s no fee to attend; light refreshments will be served.

October 21 – Bible Basics for Third Graders ll third graders are encouraged to come learn how (and why!) to read the Bible. Fourth graders who are new to OHLC are also welcome. All attendees will be presented with their own Bible at a special ceremony on Reformation Sunday (Oct. 28).

We will meet in the library from 12:30-2:00 PM. At least one parent or guardian is expected to attend with their child. Lunch will be provided.

RSVP to Pastor Spencer at pastor@oakharborlutheran.org.

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The mission of W.I.T.S. is to increase the knowledge and love of God in the churches of Whidbey Island through college-level biblical, theological, and spiritual studies. Visit their website, www.whidbeyseminars.org.

Lutheran Marriage Encounter set for November 2-4

The Bible Project in October The Bible Project is off to a great start! Both our Sunday and Tuesday Bible studies have been FULL, but we’ll make room for you!

We meet with Pastor Spencer in the Library/Fireside Room on Sundays from 9:15-10:15 AM, and Tuesdays from 7:00 to 8:00 PM.

A Lutheran Marriage Encounter weekend is 44 hours where married couples can get away from jobs, kids, chores, and phones – and focus only on each other. If you’d like greater depth, growth, and enrichment in your relationship, you’ll like the difference a Lutheran Marriage Encounter weekend can make. Whether newlyweds or longmarried, all couples can benefit from this time together to focus on your relationship. There is no group sharing, just presentations, catered meals, and time to connect with your spouse. Join millions of couples worldwide who have learned how to keep their marriage vibrant and alive.

Join us as we continue our journey through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Each session stands alone, but if you’d like to get caught up on previous books we’ve covered you can visit our church Facebook page for videos and discussion questions. We have some very interesting books to cover in October. Here’s what’s coming: Sunday, Oct. 7/Tuesday, Oct. 9: Sunday, Oct. 14/Tuesday, Oct. 16: Sunday, Oct. 21/Tuesday, Oct. 23: Sunday, Oct. 28/Tuesday, Oct. 30:

The fall weekend for western Washington is November 2-4, 2018, in Vancouver, WA. To register, go to the Lutheran Marriage Encounter website, http://www.GodLovesMarriage.org. Questions? Ask Pastor Jeff or Amy Spencer, Presenters.

Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua 4

Fall stewardship drive: Our Duty and Delight

In Appreciation

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iving to OHLC is our duty. We unanimously passed a budget back in January, and we are currently $18,000 behind on that budget. We’ve been in this position before and have finished the year in the black. It is our duty to step things up and do so once again.

But giving to OHLC is not just a duty, it is also a delight. When we consider what a blessing it is to be part of this congregation and its ministry of proclaiming the gospel, supporting our general fund becomes a joy! Council members will occasionally be sharing short “Temple Talks” during worship his fall on how our giving to OHLC is both our duty and our delight. We hope it will encourage you in this important aspect of Christian discipleship so that our ministry here at OHLC can continue to flourish. Thank you!

ear OHLC family, D I want to thank you all for the prayers and support you have given me and my family over the last few months. My stepfather’s year-long battle with cancer is over, and he has gone to be with God. My mother is continuing her cancer treatment and will still need a bit of extra support from me, but I look forward to being home on weekends to worship with you!

Blessings on you all, Sharon Erickson that really delights me in all my years of being in the Something ministry is the abundant response of parish members to worthwhile projects that help the community that the church exists in. That goes especially for Oak Harbor Lutheran. Over the years, I have taken part in highway litter pick-ups, serving with a team of OHLC volunteers at SPIN Café, coordination of meals for people who have been sick, Cancer Walk gatherings, and helping people in the community to move.

Give to OHLC with your smartphone We have recently partnered with Tithe.ly to create online giving options for OHLC. You can now give through your smartphone by downloading a free app. Just download “Tithe.ly” (the one with the green logo) from Google Play or Apple. When it is installed you will be prompted to set up an account. You can then search for Oak Harbor Lutheran Church.

Once you’re set up you can give one-time gifts with a few taps or set up recurring automatic gifts. (Please note: If you already have automatic withdrawal tithes set up through Simply Giving, there is no need to change to Tithe.ly.) An online giving link has been added to our website as well. All electronic gifts continue to be tax-deductible and will be recorded in your giving statements.

Now I know it sounds like a thankless, frustrating task to move people’s worldly goods, but that makes it all the more a celebration when people pull together to make a move happen. That’s just what took place several weeks ago when we helped relocate Luana Kim’s household items out of storage.

It was a wonder to see everybody pull together and coordinate a successful move. My compliments to all the workers who did such a bang-up job [no, I don’t mean the bang-up part literally!] of organizing, lifting, and transporting all of Kim’s household. It was a delight to see everyone assuming specific tasks and completing the job quickly and efficiently like a well-oiled machine. Thank you, volunteers, and God bless you. Friday movers: Steve & Martha Ellis, John, Penny & Wolly Fowkes Weekend movers: Steve & Martha Ellis Saturday movers: Wade & Angela Stone, Mark Kirko, Jeff & Rachel Margraf, Dan & Yuli Fosso, Jay Decker

Support OHLC as you shop at Amazon.com!

Do you use Amazon.com? Did you know you can support OHLC at the same time? Bookmark the following link to participate in AmazonSmile http://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-6200388 and Amazon will donate 0.5% of the amount of all your purchases to OHLC! It’s as easy as that!

Pastor Marc Stroud Ed Note: Thank you, Pastor Marc, for the use of your trailer and for all the heavy lifting that YOU did for this project!

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Kennedy: I like to go to school. I like to eat snack.

Easton: I like it a little bit but not a lot. I like making the crafts.

Zeke: I like to color.

Levi: I love going to preschool. I like playing outside.

Owen: I like preschool. I like to cut out shapes.

His Kids Preschool a ministry of Oak Harbor Lutheran Church

W

e are beyond happy to be back in the classroom for the 2018/19 school year! Both the 3-day classes are at full capacity, and we even have a waiting list started! The pre-k readiness class has a healthy attendance as well, and we were able to start this class right at the beginning of the school year.

Afternoon class Sharon: I like to play outside and watch the bunny.

Logan G: I like to eat snack and play outside.

Grey: I like to play with the dinosaurs.

Charlee: I like to play with the toys.

Avery: I like to play outside.

Kaitlyn: It’s good. I like to play with blocks.

Paisley: I love my friends.

Aiden: It’s good. I like to build stuff with Legos.

Edwin: It’s awesome. I like to play with the cars.

Alina: I like to play with the clay.

Adalyn: I like to play with the stacker toys.

Andi: It’s good. I like the Play-doh.

Taylor: I like to play with everything and color.

Naomi: I like to color.

As we all adjusted to being back in school in September, we began our year with colors and shapes, as well as focusing on the alphabet letters C and A. We wrapped up our first month with our alwayspopular apple day, where we made homemade applesauce. It’s always a tasty day, and the hallways smell amazing! We sampled different flavors of apples and then graphed the results of which was the best.

As we prepare for the month of October, we look forward to autumn themes, crisp colors, the study of nocturnal animals, our annual field trip to the pumpkin patch, and our famous PJ party.

God’s Blessings, Ms. Elva, Ms. Michelle, Ms. Sara

Our quotes for this issue of the newsletter are the students’ response to “This is what we have to say about our first month of preschool!” Sometimes, it’s the simple things in life that makes us the happiest.

Included in this newsletter are Prayer Ventures and The Spirit for October.

Morning class: Logan Z: It’s fun. I like to do the Magna Doodle Lawson: I love it. I like playing.

Colt: It’s good. I like to glue things.

Logan B: I like it. I like to eat snack.

Cole: I like playing with all the toys.

Scott: It is good. It is fun. The cars are my favorite.

Mya: It’s exciting. I like to play.

Ainhara: I like it. I like to play outside.

Lily : I like it. I like playing outside.

Amy: I like to play with Ainhara.

Elijah: I like playing on the playground.

The deadline for articles for the November newsletter is Monday, October 22.

Heads up! This month, OHLC’s volunteer days at SPIN Café are Thursday, Oct. 25 and Wednesday, Oct. 31.

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OHLC Women

Lydia Circle invites you to their

6th annual

opportunities for fellowship, study & service

HOLIDAY BAZAAR

Blanket Workshop

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lanket Workshop meets Tuesday & Wednesday, Oct. 2 & 3, beginning at 9:00 AM in the fellowship hall to assemble tied quilts for Lutheran World Relief. Sewing experience is helpful but not vital – if you’re interested in helping out we’d love to have you join us! If you’d prefer to sew at home, we welcome donations of all-cotton quilt tops, 60x80” (please, no religious, patriotic, or military symbols).

Questions about Blanket Workshop? Contact Leona McKee, 360-675-5712, or Becky Wold, 360-679-4154.

Saturday, November 3, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM in the fellowship hall Set-up begins Friday, Nov. 2, 4:00 PM Wonderful crafts, home-baked items, holiday décor, Granny’s Attic, local vendors.

NOTE: Blanket & school kit loading will be Thursday, Nov. 1! See the announcement on page 17.

Will you be donating baked goods or craft items for the bazaar? Please make a note on a Connection Card worship bulletin insert during October! (and thank you!!) Interested in lefse-baking? Contact Barbara Wilson, bar1-bot.wil@comcast.net .

Circle meetings in October OHLC’s women’s circles meet regularly for Bible study, fellowship, and occasional service projects. Newcomers are always welcome! For information, call the church office, 360-679-1561, or contact the following: Deborah Circle - Gaye Rodriguey, gaye@tobysuds.com Lydia Circle – Mary Brock, mkb1998@comcast.net Rebecca Circle – Colleen Pedlar, ccpedlar@comcast.net 10/1, 15 10/4, 11, 18, 25 10/8, 22, 29 10/16

Lydia Circle meets for Bible study at 6 PM in the prayer room.

Deborah Circle meets at 10 AM in the library.

Lydia Circle meets for bazaar workshop at 6 PM in the education wing.

Rebecca Circle meets at 10 AM in the library.

Game night fundraiser supports local ministry Mighty To Save Ministries is a local nonprofit organization formed to assist young adults wanting to transition from a life of addiction to one of sobriety. They’ve announced their first ever MtSM Game Night fundraiser, featuring a Family Feud tournament, Friday, Oct. 26, 7:009:00 PM at the Elks Lodge, 155 NE Ernst St., Oak Harbor. General admission is $10; come watch the live action! See the poster on the narthex bulletin board for information or visit their website, www.mightytosaveministries.org, and click on Events.

Deborah Circle notes: In October the group will (finally!) begin our new study by Philip Yancey, The Bible Jesus Read.

10/ 4: Session 1: Is the Old Testament Worth the Effort? pages 9-15 10/11: Session 1: Is the Old Testament Worth the Effort? pages 16-22 10/18: Session 2: Understanding the Old Testament, pages 23-31 10/25: Session 2: Understanding the Old Testament, pages 32-40 7

BookMarks

Compassion Ministry

The Coupeville Book Group

will meet at Jan Heideger’s house, 146 E. Welcher Road, on Tuesday, October 2 at 7:00 PM. Donna Reib will provide the dessert, and Carol Wall will lead the discussion of the book Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of A Family and Culture in Crisis, by J. D. Vance: From a former marine and Yale Law School graduate, a powerful account of growing up in a poor Rust Belt town that offers a broader, probing look at the struggles of America’s white working class.

Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of white working-class Americans and a story of how upward mobility really feels. An urgent and troubling meditation on the loss of the American dream for a large segment of this country, J. D. Vance tells the story of what social, regional, and class decline feels like when you were born with it hung around your neck.

Nonfiction, 265 pages Also available as an e-book, downloadable audiobook, large print book, and audiobook CD.

Take a look at Lutheran World Relief

The Second Wednesday Book Group

You’re invited to make a donation this month for Lutheran World Relief above and beyond your regular giving to Oak Harbor Lutheran Church. Please write your check payable to OHLC and put LWR/Shipping in the memo line. Thank you!

Empowered by God’s unconditional love in Jesus Christ, we envision a world in which each person, every community and all generations live in justice, dignity and peace - Vision statement of Lutheran World Relief

O

ctober’s highlight is Lutheran World Relief, serving people all over the world. Special giving this month at OHLC will be used for shipping costs for school kits and quilts. Your generous August donations of items such as notebooks, pencils, erasers and scissors were assembled into school kits by our Sunday School as a God’s Work. Our Hands. project on Rally Day, Sept. 9. The beautiful quilts are made by the talented ladies of OHLC’s Blanket Workshop.

They meet two days a month in the fellowship hall and also do some of their “magic” from home.

One recipient of a quilt from LWR is Sabina Carranza, who lives high in the Andes mountains of Peru, where temperatures can drop below freezing and the wind whips through the community. Sabina is a weaver. It takes her up to 3 weeks to weave a blanket, which she can sell for $8 to $12, and she has no time to make anything for herself. Her blanket from Lutheran World Relief keeps her warm while she works to support herself.

meets in the church library at 1:00 PM on October 10 for a discussion of The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II, by Denise Kiernan: Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was one of the Manhattan Project’s secret cities that didn’t appear on any maps until 1949, yet at the height of WWII it was using more electricity than New York City and was home to more than 75,000 people. Their jobs were shrouded in mystery but they were buoyed by a sense of shared purpose. The author traces the story of these unsung World War II workers through interviews with dozens of surviving women and other Oak Ridge residents.

Nonfiction, 373 pages Also available as E-book, Audiobook cd, large print, and downloadable e-book.

The Compassion Team HELPING HANDS WANTED: We’ll be loading the bus with boxes of school kits and quilts for the fall shipment for Lutheran World Relief on Thursday, November 1, starting at 7:00 PM. Meet in the fellowship hall! Our thanks to OHLC’s Rita Carter, driver, and to Whidbey SeaTac Shuttle for the loan of the bus for our semi-annual delivery of projects for the LWR ingatherings in Seattle.

- Compassion Ministry continues on the following pages 8

Stephen Ministry recruits for January training

Coming Soon.......

Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

- Galatians 6:12 Stephen Ministers are called to be caregivers. We are reminded that as Christ spent his time on earth serving humanity and humbly giving himself up on the cross for humanity, that we too are called to be servers.

Friday, OCTOBER 19 OHLC’s Watoto Team’s annual

The Stephen Ministry training series is a program for equipping people to do caring ministry. A new class will begin in January at OHLC and will offer a solid foundation for caregivers in the practice of listening and tending to people in crisis. This is a uniquely Christianbased program with training in therapeutic care based on the best practices model of modern counseling.

OKTOBERFEST Oak Harbor Elks Lodge, 155 NE Ernst St. benefits OHLC’s outreach to Watoto Childcare Ministries, Uganda

Silent auction!

Good food!

Quilt raffle!

Uganda presentation!

Entertainment includes Lori Hansen of Oak Harbor’s

Is this ministry for you? Are you being called to help and support people as an attentive listener? Do you have the desire to pass on to others the love that God has shown you? Do you want to learn about your personal abilities and get to know your own talents better? If you say “yes” to these questions, then perhaps becoming a Stephen Minister caregiver is for you.

Pickled Herring Band Tickets for Oktoberfest and the quilt raffle will be available in the fellowship hall after worship, beginning Sunday, October 7.

Remember that God is your support. Consider these assurances: “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you” (Psalm 55:22).

“Cast all anxiety on him, because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

Dinner is $25 per person.

Silent auction begins at 5:30 PM; Dinner is served at 6:00 PM Program begins at 6:45 PM.

To learn more about Stephen Ministry in our congregation and how you might become involved, contact Gaye Rodriguey or Pastor Marc Stroud by calling the church office, 360-679-1561.

Roadside litter pick-up Jeff Margraf, coordinator of litter pick-ups along OHLC’s adopted 2-mile stretch of Highway 20, has scheduled a pick-up for Saturday, October 27. Meet at church at 8:30 AM to carpool to the site north of Oak Harbor. According to state law, participants must be at least 15 years of age.

This project can count as volunteer hours for anyone who needs them. Jeff says he can’t make guarantees about the weather, but he’s hoping for the best!

The staff & board of the Pregnancy Care Clinic sent us a thank-you for our contributions of $507.91 in their recent Baby Bottle Boomerang fundraiser. For more about PCC, talk to OHLC’s Morrie Parker.

- More from Compassion Ministry on the next page 9

out to the residents. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but it is a gift of love that we try to do for every resident who is spending their Christmas at Josephine.

Annual collection is underway for coats and more!

October is Warm Coat & Warm Socks collection month! If you have new socks to share or new or clean and gently-used coats, please put them in the bin in the narthex. All sizes are needed, children up through adults. Warm hats and gloves are welcome, too! These will be shared with local people and with El Camino de Emaus in the Skagit Valley.

“Christmas” Talk?

D

At this moment, I am asking you to pray about whether or not you would like to participate. The first step will be your Josephine delegates helping us get the word out and then getting a list of names of everyone who would like to participate. So, expect that to happen soon.

Thank you in advance for participating with us in this act of love! Made in the image of God, I believe from the bottom of my heart that we are made to love. May this be one way we practice that love as we are church together. God’s peace be with you all!

- Josephine Caring Community Stanwood

Chaplain Andy

ear Partner Churches, Let me start off as always by saying the word thanks.

Your participation in our ministry here is wonderfully touching. Grace and peace to you as we continue our relationship together and continue to work together.

Congregation News

I know we’ve just entered October, so please don’t throw stones at me for bringing up Christmas. However, it’s time to start preparing for our Josephine Christmas Giving Tree. For the past several years, Josephine has taken on a major giftgiving project by trying to provide gifts for each one of our nursing home, rehab, and assisted living residents. We have opened that opportunity to our Partner Churches. We have to tell you the response has been tremendous! We’d love to offer the opportunity again this year.

We join Agnes Bos in rejoicing at the birth of her great-greatgrandson Morgan Curb on September 20. Morgan and family live in Everson. For those of you long-acquainted with Agnes and OHLC’s extensive charter member Christensen family, Morgan’s great-grandmother is Agnes’ daughter Sherri Lee Rossmiller.

Talk to Agnes or her cousin Anabelle Mitchell if you’d like to catch up on further family connections!

As you can imagine, as we prepare to coordinate with 18 of our partnering congregation in getting and matching meaningful gifts for over 200 of our residents, it takes some time to do this right. Our Activities Staff will be going around to each of those residents and asking them for three options of Christmas gifts, each under $20, that they might like. With the help of your Josephine delegates, we will get those requests out to all who would like to participate in this project. Let me take the opportunity right now to give you at least one instruction that we will also repeat on the gift tags themselves...you do not need to get all three of the gift options; choosing one of those options is all that is needed (but of course if the some of those options are on the smaller side, and your heart moves you to give more, you are certainly free to get more). Once you are able to get those gifts, we will then need to get them back to Josephine and process them before eventually giving them

Our hearts go out those mourning the recent loss of loved ones, including... ...Alan Parker, following the death of his brother, Dennis Parker. ...Lou Jacoby following the death of his wife, Lois. Longtime OHLC members, the Jacobys moved to Tucson some years ago and have continued to receive our newsletter.

Dean Hendricks will be baptized at OHLC on Sunday, October 7. His parents are Zachary and Jasmine (Case-Smith) Hendricks, currently making their home in Wyoming.

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Worship assistants

Financial Report

August

October 7 Assisting Minister: Tom Piper 8:00 AM Healing Prayer: Communion Asst.: Ron Ernst M. Stroud, Ushers: Fosnaugh family G. Rodriguey Assisting Minister: Amy Bruce 10:30 AM Healing Prayer: Communion Asst.: G. Rodriguey M. Stroud, Music: Harbor Choir G. Hawley Presider: Pastor Marc Stroud 6:30 PM Cantor: Carol Reafs Communion Asst.: Gisela Hawley

Acolyte: Lucas Stone Computer: Donna Aspery Organ/Piano: Kris Bruland Acolyte: Ryleigh Bruce Computer: Luke Spencer Organ/Piano: Sue Stroud

10:30 AM

6:30 PM

Assisting Minister: Shanna Lundstrom Communion Asst.: Candi Amarelo Ushers: Margraf family Music: Morning Glory Assisting Minister: Carol Fitzgerald Communion Asst.: Peg Fosnaugh Music: Harbor Choir Presider: Pastor Jeffrey Spencer Cantor: Carol Reafs Communion Asst.: Margaret Anderson

Date Sept. 2 Acolyte: Natalie Stone Computer: Organ/Piano: Jan Ernst Acolyte: Anders Spencer Computer: Organ/Piano: Jan Ernst Assisting Min.: M. Anderson Piano: Kris Bruland

10:30 AM

6:30 PM

Assisting Minister: Jeff Margraf Communion Asst.: Marge Moore Ushers: Ellis family Music: Praise Team, Youth Choir Assisting Minister: Carol Reafs Communion Asst.: Bobbi Miller Music: Harbor Choir, Youth Choir Presider: Pastor Marc Stroud Cantor: Carol Reafs Communion Asst.: Curt Davis

10:30 AM

6:30 PM

Assisting Minister: Communion Asst.: Mike Fankhauser Ushers: Lenita Forster, Joan Flowers Music: Morning Glory Assisting Minister: Trudy Decker Communion Asst.: Jay Decker Music: Harbor Choir Presider: Pastor Jay Decker Cantor: Carol Reafs Communion Asst.: Carol Snoble

Coupeville 41

10:30 AM 90 89 122 100

Nursery 0

Coupeville 21 21 34 29

Nursery 2 1 2 2

Average Sunday attendance: 196 Sept. 30 will be included in next month’s statistics.

Acolyte: Isabel Carr Computer: Organ/Piano: Verna Morgan

Lesser Festivals & Commemorations

Acolyte: John Totten Computer: Organ/Piano: Verna Morgan Assisting Min.: Curt Davis Piano: Kris Bruland

4 Francis of Assisi, renewer of the 18 Church, 1226; Theodor Fliedner, 23 renewer of society, 1864 26 6 William Tyndale, translator, martyr, 1536 7 Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, pastor in North America, 1787 28 15 Teresa of Avila, teacher, renewer 31 of the church, 1582 17 Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, martyr, c. 115

October 28 8:00 AM

September

9:30 AM 145

Date 8:00 AM Sept. 9 72 Sept. 16 82 Sept. 23 60 Average Att. 71

October 21 8:00 AM

Year to date $ 280,029 298,222 $ (18,193)

Worship Attendance

Assisting Min.: Gisela Hawley Piano: Kris Bruland

October 14 8:00 AM

August $ 28,972 37,270 $ (9,299)

Income Outgo

Acolyte: Johannes Christensen Computer: Organ/Piano: Sue Stroud Acolyte: Ryleigh Bruce Computer: Organ/Piano: Verna Morgan Assisting Min.: Carol Snoble Piano: Kris Bruland

Luke, Evangelist James of Jerusalem, martyr Philipp Nicolai, 1608; Johann Heermann, 1647; Paul Gerhardt, 1676; hymnwriters Simon & Jude, Apostles Reformation Day

This month’s decorative font is

Little Lutheran bags for October – Gaye Rodriguey .

11

October

Autumn Nights.

SUNDAY

MONDAY

The church calendar is updated regularly on OHLC’s website, www.oakharborlutheran.org

7 Healing prayer at the morning services Worship 8:00 Sunday School 9:15 The Bible Project 9:15 Worship 10:30 Den meetings 3:00 Youth & Family Night 6:00 Vespers/Coupeville 6:30 14 Worship 8:00 Sunday School 9:15 The Bible Project 9:15 Worship 10:30 Den meetings

3:00

Vespers/Coupeville 6:30 21 Worship 8:00 Sunday School 9:15 The Bible Project 9:15 Worship 10:30 Bible Basics 12:30 Den meetings 3:00 Confirmation 5:00 Vespers/Coupeville 6:30 28 Reformation Sunday Worship 8:00 Sunday School 9:15 The Bible Project 9:15 Worship 10:30 Fall Farm Fun & Fellowship 3:00

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

2

12:30 Munchy Monday

9:00 Blanket Workshop

5:30 Girl Scouts 6:00 Lydia Circle Bible study 6:15 4-H K-9 Korps 7:00 North Whidbey NA 8

6:00 Patrol Leaders 7:00 The Bible Project 7:00 Cpvl Book Group 7:00 Boy Scouts

5:30 Harbor Bells 7:00 Harbor Choir 7:00 Overeaters Anon.

9

10

12:30 Munchy Monday

9:30 Stamping Group 12:00 Brotherhood of St. Bernard

11:30 OHLC Staff

7:00 The Bible Project 7:00 Boy Scouts

5:30 Harbor Bells 7:00 Harbor Choir 7:00 Overeaters Anon.

3:45 Youth Choir 4:00 Morning Glory 5:15 Praise Team 5:30 Stephen Ministry 6:00 Knitting Group 7:00 Council

15

16

17

18

12:30 Munchy Monday

10:00 Rebecca Circle

11:30 OHLC Staff

10:00 Deborah Circle

5:30 Girl Scouts 6:00 Lydia Circle bazaar workshop 6:30 SPIN Café board 7:00 North Whidbey NA

5:30 Girl Scouts 6:00 Lydia Circle Bible study 6:15 4-H K-9 Korps 7:00 North Whidbey NA 22 Newsletter Deadline

6:30 Scout Adult Comm.

7:00 The Bible Project 7:00 Boy Scouts 23 9:30 Stamping Group

12:30 Munchy Monday 12:00 Brotherhood of St. Bernard 5:30 Girl Scouts 6:00 Lydia Circle bazaar workshop 6:00 North Whidbey NA 29

7:00 The Bible Project 7:00 Boy Scouts 30

12:30 Munchy Monday

5:30 Girl Scouts 6:00 Lydia Circle bazaar workshop Vespers/Coupeville 6:30 6:00 North Whidbey NA

3

THURSDAY

1

9:00 Blanket Workshop 11:30 OHLC Staff

1:00 Book Group

4:00 Endowment Comm.

5:30 Harbor Bells 7:00 Harbor Choir 7:00 Overeaters Anon 24 11:30 OHLC Staff 1:00 Library Committee 5:30 Harbor Bells 6:00 Pack4098 Spookerie 7:00 Harbor Choir 7:00 Overeaters Anon.

31 Reformation Day OHLC at SPIN Café 11:30 OHLC Staff

7:00 The Bible Project 7:00 Boy Scouts 7:00 Scout Board/Review

5:30 Harbor Bells 7:00 Harbor Choir 7:00 Overeaters Anon

12

4 10:00 Deborah Circle 10:30 CADA Support Group 3:45 Youth Choir 4:00 Morning Glory 5:00 Praise Team 6:00 Knitting Group 11 10:00 Deborah Circle

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

5

6

12

13

19

20

OHHS home game – church parking lot in use

3:45 Youth Choir 4:00 Morning Glory 5:00 Praise Team 6:00 Knitting Group

5:30 Watoto Team’s Oktoberfest, Elks Lodge

25 OHLC at SPIN Café

26

27

10:00 Deborah Circle

8:30 Meet at OHLC to carpool for litter pick-up

3:45 Youth Choir 4:00 Morning Glory 5:00 Praise Team 6:00 Knitting Group

HIS KIDS PRESCHOOL M, T, W: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM 12:45-3:45 PM Th, F 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Open House: Oct. 17

Heads up for

Saturday, Nov. 3: Lydia Circle’s annual

B AZ AAR , 9 AM to 2 PM