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December 8, 2024

Advent & Christmas Events & Worship (2024)

Advent Quiet Day RetreatThis Advent season we invite you to join St Christopher, Olympia for a day of quiet retreat, designed to help you center your heart and mind in anticipation of Christmas. This retreat offers a sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle, providing a sacred space for reflection, prayer, and inner peace. We will allow the quiet of the spirit a place in our hearts through centering and imaginative prayer, lectio divina and the rosary. We will honor both sacred silence and sacred conversation, as well as offer an art journaling workshop and materials. The retreat will run […]

March 26, 2024

Easter & Holy Week (2024)

December 3, 2023

Synod eNews – Week of December 3, 2023

Southwestern Washington Synod E-News Week of December 3, 2023 Prayer of the Day Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. By your merciful protection awaken us to the threatening dangers of our sins, and keep us blameless until the coming of your new day, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Blessings to you on this First Advent! News and Updates Congregational Christmas Worship Services 2023 – Southwestern Washington Synod Find a list of Christmas Worship Services within our Synod HERE Washington Paid Family & Medical Leave Premium […]

November 6, 2023

“Kindness is Your Superpower,” November 3, 2023

D. Scott Stoner, LMFT Holly Hughes Stoner, LMFT November 3, 2023 Kindness is Your Superpower On a recent walk, we came across a sign that said, “Kindness is your superpower.” The message was quite timely. If you ever doubt the power of kindness, you can quickly become reassured of the difference it makes by trying it. Make an effort to say a kind word to someone today. You might call someone who could use a kind word, send an email, or text to someone who could use some encouragement. Or you could make a meal for a friend, help a […]

October 16, 2023

Bishop Skelton Calls a Fast Day. Plus Resources and Prayers for Peace in the Holy Land

From Bishop Skelton Resources and Prayers for Peace in the Holy Land October 16, 2023 Greetings, People of the Diocese of Olympia, Like me, you have probably been watching and listening in horror as the events in Israel and Gaza continue to unfold. The stories coming out of Israel are both heartbreaking and traumatizing to us, but especially to Jewish communities around the world that fear anew for their safety and future. At the same time, the scenes emerging from Gaza of innocent civilians attempting to flee or unable to flee are unbearable. In the midst of all of this, I […]

September 21, 2023

Fwd: From Bishop Skelton: Visit from Bishop Ernie Moral of the Episcopal Diocese of the Southern Philippines

From Bishop Skelton Visit from Bishop Ernie Moral of the Episcopal Diocese of the Southern Philippines September 21, 2023 Greetings, People of the Diocese of Olympia, The Diocese of Olympia is delighted to welcome Bishop Ernie Moral, his wife Mrs. Shirmen Moral, and Mr. Gideon Bustamante, the Regional Development Officer at Episcopal CARE Foundation Inc. Bishop Moral, the Bishop of the Diocese of the Southern Philippines (EDSP), and his party will visit us for two weeks in late September and early October, primarily focusing on Creation Care learning exchange and potentially expanding our partnership. Bishop Moral will also […]

September 13, 2023

Synod eNews – Week of September 3, 2023

Southwestern Washington Synod E-News Week of September 3, 2023 Synod Office Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 9am – 4pm News and Updates Please note that Bishop Jaech is now on Sabbatical and will be out of his office until September 20th. You can contact the Synod Office at 253-535-8300 if you need assistance. Our Synod Office will be closed August 21st through August 25th and September 4th through September 8th while our staff is on vacation. If you have an urgent or emergency need during this time, please call the Synod Office at 253-535-8300 and leave a message. Newsletter Link […]

September 6, 2023

Open Hands Foodbank Garden: Harvesting Abundance

St. Christopher’s Open Hands Foodbank Garden continues to be both a source of food and beauty on our campus. The garden is maintained by a small, devout group of community members. You are invited to help the garden – planting, watering, harvesting, weeding… No experience necessary and times are based on your own schedule. Contact Tucker Smyth if you would like to be a part of this wonderful ministry that gifts its produce to the Foodbank.

August 15, 2023

August News for the SW Washington Synod

SW WA Synod August 2023 Newsletter. Events, News, & Opportunities.

August 15, 2023

Across the Diocese – August 11, 2023

View as Webpage August 11, 2023 Holy Cow Survey and Holy Conversation Updates Three weeks left to respond to the Holy Cow Survey! We are inviting all clergy and lay members in the diocese to provide us with your input. Take the survey, today! Help us reach our goal of hearing from all of you! And if you have yet to participate in a Holy Conversation, please see the list of locations remaining and select one that is most convenient for you. We don’t want you to miss out on the opportunity to provide us your […]

August 15, 2023

Supporting Relief Efforts for the Fires in Hawaii

Bishop Skelton shares a message from the Bishop of Hawaii.

August 8, 2023

Thank you, Pr. Jessie & Fr. Daren!

In appreciation to our supply clergy during Fr. James’ Sabbatical…

May 2, 2023

“What’s Your Joy?”: A Sabbatical Journey

What is joy? What is your joy? Where does it comer from? How do you know it when you see it? How can you live a life filled with joy regardless of circumstances? While I’m away on Sabbatical (May 1st – July 31st of 2023), I’m inviting our community to explore Joy. I’m suggesting we do this together, while we’re apart, and that we will share our discoveries when we’re reunited in August. Here are a couple of suggestions on how we will do this together:

March 9, 2023

Diocesan Youth Ministry News

Children, Youth & Families Ministry Leaders: You’re Invited to our Spring Quarterly Gathering Join us to connect with Children, Youth & Families Ministry leaders from around the Diocese! Let’s gather via Zoom on Wednesday, March 29 from noon – 1:00 p.m. We’ll tackle the questions that we’re hearing most in the Diocesan Faith Formation office: How do we (re)start our ministry? How do we bring children, youth and families back to church again? And we’ll share ideas for Easter, look ahead to summer plans, and hear back from our Forma delegation about what’s new in faith formation from around the country. […]

March 6, 2023

Spring Retreat Info, Faith and Seasons on Earth,

February 28, 2023

Türkiye (Turkey)-Syria Earthquakes | What You Can Do

UPDATED 3/2/23 Earthquakes in Turkey GIVE NOW Thanks to generous people like you, Lutheran World Relief is delivering aid and support to survivors of the earthquakes in Turkey. We are bringing our decades of experience responding to humanitarian crises together with the expertise from across our Corus International family to care for children, women and men devastated by the quakes. As of February 25, 2023, according to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), more than 130,000 buildings have been destroyed or damaged, and more than 500,000 people citizens have been evacuated from the affected provinces of Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, […]

October 11, 2022

Where do our Tithes go?

Recently I’ve spoken about the necessity of tithing for the effective functioning of the Church. To recap, the Tithe is the Biblical principle of giving 10% of your income to God as an act of thanksgiving and faithfulness for the accomplishing of God’s purposes in the world through the Church. But what is your local church doing with those tithes? Where does that money go? Every year at the annual meeting we publish a Narrative Budget.* It’s an accounting of what we do in story-form rather than a line by line itemized version.* This year’s budget was broken down into four […]

August 17, 2022

Types of Christian Music

What’s your favorite kind of Christian Music?Text the letter only of your top choice to 360.810.3292 .

August 10, 2022

SW WA Synod Summer newsletter

Please click the pdf link below to read the July/August “Moments for Mission” from the Southwestern WA Synod. Moments-for-Mission_July-August-2022-final-.pdf

July 17, 2022

Bishop’s News – Special Edition: A Message from Bishop Rickel to the People of the Diocese of Olympia

A Message from Bishop Rickel July 15, 2022 Bishop Rickel reflects on his time as Bishop of Olympia and shares plans for the future. Video Transcript A Letter from the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Olympia Dear friends, Rest assured that the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Olympia was informed of Bishop Rickel’s decision in advance of this announcement and already are proactively responding. The Standing Committee met with Bishop Todd Ousley of the Presiding Bishop’s Office of Pastoral Development to discuss best practices for transition in the Office of the Bishop. Our immediate goal is to reassure […]