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A Pastoral Message from Bishop Keith Marshall – 1/20/2026

 Beloved Members of the Southwestern Washington Synod,I find myself at a loss for words in this moment. I sit shocked and heartbroken,crying out to God, asking where we are to turn in a time as our divisionscontinue to grow and what has become normalized is so shocking andstartling. As your bishop, I find myself deeply concerned for our hearts, ourcommunities, our families, and ourselves.Along with the violence and hate we see on display daily, I am concernedto what extent that level of dehumanization and desensitization has takenhold among us. I am troubled and concerned that violence, hate, andrhetoric have become […]

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SW WA Synod eNews – January 21, 2026

 January 21, 2026  Synod ResourcesAdministration, Compensation Guidelines, Constitutions, Financial, Personnel Policies, Pulpit Supply, Immigration, TransitionLatest Letters and Press Releases from the Synod and ChurchwideOrdination AnniversariesJanuary 2026Rev. Carol L. Schneider10 Years – Minister of Word and Sacrament – January 16, 2016Rev. Ralf Kalms40 Years – Minister of Word and Sacrament – January 26, 1986Thank you for your faithful service to the people of God!  Administration This and That2026 IRS Mileage Rate is 72.5 centsMid January the ELCA portal will open for the 2025 Annual Congregation Report – please expect an email from ELCA Churchwide soon!MarketplaceMessiah Lutheran in Vancouver has several communion ware items […]

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SW WA Synod eNews – January 14, 2026

SW WA Synod eNews – January 14, 2026

  January 14, 2026     Synod Resources Administration, Compensation Guidelines, Constitutions, Financial, Personnel Policies, Pulpit Supply, Immigration, Transition Latest Letters and Press Releases from the Synod and Churchwide Ordination Anniversaries January 2026 Rev. Carol L. Schneider 10 Years – Minister of Word and Sacrament – January 16, 2016 Rev. Ralf Kalms 40 Years – Minister of Word and Sacrament – January 26, 1986 Thank you for your faithful service to the people of God!     Administration This and That 2026 IRS Mileage Rate is 72.5 cents Mid January the ELCA portal will open for the 2025 Annual Congregation […]

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SW WA Synod eNews – January 7, 2026

January 7, 2026  Synod ResourcesAdministration, Compensation Guidelines, Constitutions, Financial, Personnel Policies, Pulpit Supply, Immigration, TransitionLatest Letters and Press Releases from the Synod and ChurchwideDownload new 2026 Compensation Guidelines HERE!Ordination AnniversariesJanuary 2026Rev. Carol L. Schneider10 Years – Minister of Word and Sacrament – January 16, 2016Rev. Ralf Kalms40 Years – Minister of Word and Sacrament – January 26, 1986Thank you for your faithful service to the people of God! As we step into a new year together, we trust God’s promise of renewal. God is still at work making things new in our lives, our congregations, and our communities.May this year be rooted […]

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Deacons included in new Episcopal, ELCA clergy exchange guidelines

View this email in your browserForward this email to a friendNote: The following information is presented in English and Spanish.Aviso: La siguiente información se presenta en inglés y en español. Deacons included in new Episcopal, ELCAclergy exchange guidelinesMarking a quarter-century of full-communion partnership, The Episcopal Church and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) now welcome the exchange of deacons in updated clergy exchange guidelines.  Available in English and Spanish, the new “Principles for the Orderly Exchange of Pastors, Priests and Deacons Through ‘Called to Common Mission’” offers practical guidelines to help churches and dioceses implement all such exchanges between the two […]

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Bishop Keith’s Christmas Message to SW WA Synod (2025)

Dear siblings in Christ of the Southwestern Washington Synod,Grace and peace to you in the name of the newborn Christ! At Christmas we rejoice in the good news that God has come near, that the Word became flesh and made a home among us. This is the heart of our faith and the gift we receive again in this holy season.In the story we heard on Christmas Eve, the angel says to the shepherds, “I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, […]

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Bishop LaBelle’s Christmas 2025 Address

View as Webpage    December 23, 2025″Within all of that turmoil, both on a large scale, but also in our own individual lives, we’re reminded that God is with us.”Bishop LaBelle shares his reflections on Christmas this year and what it means that God is with us. HOMEFIND A CHURCHGIVECONTACT USDiocese of Olympia | 1551 10th Ave E | Seattle, WA 98102 US

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Episcopal Presiding Bishop’s Christmas Letter (2025)

View this email in your browserForward this email to a friendNote: The following information is presented in English and Spanish.Aviso: La siguiente información se presenta en inglés y en español.Christmas message from Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Sean RoweThe Nativity and the Adoration of the Magi, Greek Orthodox icon, circa 17th century. / El nacimiento y la adoración de los Reyes Magos, icono ortodoxo griego, circa siglo XVII.Dear people of God in The Episcopal Church, If you imagine yourself as a character in the Gospel Nativity readings, you’ll soon realize that the first Christmas was not about staying home by a warm […]

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Flooding Across Western Washington: Impact and Donations (2025)

     December 11, 2025Flooding Across Western Washington: Impact and DonationsDear Friends across the Diocese,I am certain you have been very much aware of the catastrophic flooding happening here in Western Washington. I have been in contact with Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) who is eager to assist needs that may emerge in our Diocese.First, know that my prayers are with those who’ve been impacted, and I encourage you to offer your own prayers as well.Second, we have developed a form in conjunction with ERD to assess the need for assistance. If you, your congregation, or others in your community […]

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The Beacon Newsletter 12/19/2025

THE BEACON WEEKLY Christmas Eve Services:5pm & 7pmPoinsettias for Christmas:  https://bit.ly/STCFLOWERS. Articles this issue…..  Across the Diocese: December 18, 2025Moments 4 Mission December 2025 This Week at St. Christopher’s…Week of December 15thMonday (12/15/2025)   Pastoral Care Coordinators Meeting – 12:00 pm  Mitford Reading Group Series – 1:30 pm  Brotherhood of St. Andrew Meeting – 6:30 pm    Tuesday (12/16/2025)   Faithful Living – 6:15 am  Centering Prayer – 8:00 pm      Wednesday (12/17/2025) – O’Sapientia  Worship Band – 11:00 am  Widows/Widowers Support Group – 1:30 pm  Hot Meals Outreach – 4:00 pm  Blue Christmas – 7:00 pm                               Thursday (12/18/2025)   AA Meeting – 6:00 pm           […]

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Across the Diocese: December 18, 2025

View as Webpage    December 18, 2025″As I look at the Family Center and what’s been achieved by the staff and volunteers, the families themselves, and the church, I think of it as a miracle across the parking lot.”St. James, Cathlamet is celebrating 40 years of running the St. James Family Center! Learn more about the impact this small and faithful congregation has had in their community!As floodwaters surged through the Pacific Northwest last week, the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia became one of the first organizations to mobilize disaster relief — applying for early grants and opening assistance to anyone […]

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Moments 4 Mission December 2025

  A Monthly Newsletter of the Southwestern Washington Synod – ELCADecember 2025  Synod StaffFind Synod Staff Contact Information HERESynod EventsFind Upcoming Events HERETransitionsFind Congregations in Transition HEREOn The Road With the Staff ArchiveFind out what our staff has been doing throughout the year HERE Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2026 from your Southwestern Washington Synod Office!In This Month’s Edition:A Word from Bishop Keith MarshallA Word from Bishop Associate Michelle de BeauchampA Word from DEM Joey AgerA Word from Associate DEM Melissa Anderson TrustA Word from Synod Administrator Stefanie DeZarnOn the Road with the StaffMinistry Voices “In the Spotlight” – Ministers in […]

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SW WA Synod eNews – December 10, 2025

 December 10, 2025  Synod ResourcesAdministration, Compensation Guidelines, Constitutions, Financial, Personnel Policies, Pulpit Supply, Immigration, TransitionLatest Letters and Press Releases from the Synod and ChurchwideDownload new 2026 Compensation Guidelines HERE!ELCA World Hunger Advent Resources (Advent study guide and resources for your community to bring warmth, welcome, and hope to your home, your neighborhood, and the world, including “Stocking the Streets” bags for our unhoused neighbors)Upcoming Eventslinks to event info embedded if applicableDecember 10Advent Eucharist @ Gloria Dei, Kelso – 10am-1pmDecember 11Advent Eucharist @ Our Saviour’s, Bremerton – 10am-1pmJanuary 26-28Byberg Preaching Workshop, Seaside ORFebruary 20-22Ignite! Synod Youth Retreat @ Camp Arnold EatonvilleApril 24-25PSALM […]

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Across the Diocese: December 4, 2025

   December 4, 2025Dear Friends,Welcome to an updated “Across the Diocese” newsletter. We’ve updated the look and feel, the included content, and the frequency of these emails in a desire to both increase important communication with you while also streamlining what we send in order to make these emails more engaging and informative. I hope you’ll take the time to read through and check out this new format.We’re in the midst of Advent and also “the holiday season.” More and more companies have created Advent Calendar offerings—running December 1-24, which rarely aligns with the Church Calendar for Advent. Their desire […]

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Bishop LaBelle’s Advent Message (2025)

      Sharable Link”Wake up, that’s one of those calls that we hear during Advent, right? Wake up from all that is going on around us, wake up from the droning of our culture that says it’s all about things and not about relationships. This season of Advent gives us an opportunity to wake up and realize that Jesus is coming once again to help us prepare room in our own hearts, in our souls, for the Christ child to be born.”Bishop LaBelle shares his reflections as we begin this season of Advent.Diocese of Olympia | 1551 10th Ave E | Seattle, […]

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Across the Diocese: November 21, 2025

View as WebpageNovember 21, 2025    Announcing Newsletter Changes for Across the Diocese and Clergy News and UpdatesBeginning with the first week of Advent, both Across the Diocese and our clergy newsletter will move to a twice-monthly release schedule in alternating weeks so that we can focus on sending out more stories from across the Diocese, reflections from Bishop LaBelle and the canons on staff at the Office of the Bishop, and ensuring that the newsletters we do send out are filled with essential information and don’t simply repeat the same content each week.We will no longer include recurring events, […]

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SW WA Synod eNews – November 19, 2025

 November 19, 2025  Synod ResourcesAdministration, Compensation Guidelines, Constitutions, Financial, Personnel Policies, Pulpit Supply, Immigration, TransitionLatest Letters and Press Releases from the Synod and ChurchwideDownload new 2026 Compensation Guidelines HERE!ELCA World Hunger Advent Resources (Advent study guide and resources for your community to bring warmth, welcome, and hope to your home, your neighborhood, and the world, including “Stocking the Streets” bags for our unhoused neighbors)ATTENTION!!! New Phone Number!!!Please note that the Synod Office has a new phone number!! We’ve made the switch to a VOIP phone system to better accommodate remote working possibilities and weren’t able to switch over the existing number.Please […]

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Across the Diocese: November 14, 2025

View as WebpageNovember 14, 2025    Following the Way of Jesus: Bishop LaBelle’s Convention Address and the 2025 Bishop Cross AwardsThe 115th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia may be over, but you can still review all of the great work accomplished at this year’s Convention by watching our Convention recording. We’ve also made Bishop LaBelle’s Convention Address and the 2025 Bishop’s Cross Awards available as stand-alone videos!Watch these and more by following the link below!MORE INFOZimzum Discipleship: Practices for a Christ-Centered LifeJoin us on our new three-year discipleship series on Zimzum Discipleship, of intentionally making space to live […]

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Wellness Compass: “Beyond Thank You: Four Insights About Gratitude from an Unexpected Vista,” November 21, 2025

   Holly Hughes Stoner, LMFTScott Stoner, LMFTNovember 21, 2025Beyond Thank You: Four Insights About Gratitude from an Unexpected VistaThe two of us went on a hike the other day. It was a beautiful late Wisconsin fall day. We had chosen a large state protected area we’d never explored before, and as we switchbacked up a ridge, we had no idea we were about to experience gratitude in its truest form.Turned around at the top, we were overwhelmed with the unexpected view we now had looking out over the Wisconsin River. The sun was hitting the river at just the perfect angle […]

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