The Beacon Events – Page 36 – St. Christopher's Community Church, Olympia

November 13, 2018

New Advent Devotional Available for Free!

Advent, the four week preparation for Christmas, begins Sunday December 2nd. In preparation for Christmas this year we’ll be reading through Living Compass’ Advent devotional, “Practicing Generosity With All Your Heart, Soul, Strength, and Mind.” Your copy of this devotional is available at the church and is a free gift to you. Use it on your own, at home or on the go, OR, better yet, join in reflection groups on Sunday’s at 9am and Tuesday’s at Panera near Capital Mall a 6:30am. In addition, you are welcome to use Living Compass’ free wellness assessment tool available by app or […]

November 13, 2018

Leadership Update: 2018 Goals in Review

[by Fr. James] I want to give thanks for the Bishop’s Council (our governing board) and their hard work this year. I also want to brag about them a little. They have worked very hard on your behalf, they kept focus, laughed together, shared their thoughts and values honestly, listened to each other, and made significant steps forward for our community. Here’s some of the stuff that’s been happening behind the scenes… At the beginning of 2018 the Bishop’s Council determined three goals to focus our efforts upon. We call these our Mutual Ministry Goals (or MMG’s). Building Presence (in the […]

November 6, 2018

Pledge Harvest Luncheon is Sunday, Nov. 11th

In celebration of the faithful generosity of you and all the congregation we invite you to T he Pledge Harvest Luncheon sponsored by the Stewardship Committee. After the 10:30am service on November 11th. Come let us say ‘Thank you’ to you for your support. “Many of the best thank you’s are edible.” – Proverb of St. Rhonert the Forgotten. You can RSVP here.

November 5, 2018

St. Christopher’s Holds Candlelight Vigil Against Violence

On Thursday, November 1st, The Feast of All the Saints, St. Christopher’s opened its doors for Evening Prayer at 5:30. That’s not unusual since we have Evening Prayer every Thursday at 5:30. But this time there were more candles and more concerns. In the wake of 72 hours of violence the preceding week, children and adults gathered around the Christ Candle and the Baptismal waters to light our own candles and pray. It was simple. It was profound. It was healing. But this wasn’t just about us. It was also about our nation and our society. We prayed for us […]

November 5, 2018

Dio Olympia: “This is Us…” But who will be our bishop?

Bishop Greg Rickel of the Diocese of Olympia addresses the Convention and the Diocese in this video. He describes where we have been and where we are headed. The Bishop invites us into a time of discernment about the future of the diocese and its leadership… including who will be our bishop? See the video to learn more…

November 5, 2018

Leadership and The Sixth Commandment

By Rev. Kim Latterell, Synod Bishop’s Associate Given the craven state of affairs among our current political leadership, perhaps it is fitting, a ripe time to recall the Sixth Commandment, its prohibitions and encouragements. As the commandments are meant to both address human sin and guide civil life for the good of all, a refresher about fidelity seems timely. Regarding adultery, Luther in his Small Catechism explains the Sixth Commandment this way: We are to fear and love God, so that we lead pure and decent lives in word and deed. And each of us loves and honors our spouse. […]

November 5, 2018

Church finds new life, focusing on ‘congregation’ outside its walls

REDEEMER LUTHERAN BECOMES ‘BEACON OF HOPE’ IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS [Article from Faith & Leadership] The first time the Rev. Kelly Chatman stepped into the pulpit at Redeemer Lutheran Church 17 years ago, he looked out at his new congregation — 30, maybe 35 people at the most — and got a sinking feeling in his stomach. “I wondered if I had made a mistake,” he said recently. After 25 years spent mostly in education and church administration, Chatman had decided to try his hand at being a local church pastor. He had walked away from a prestigious and comfortable position […]

October 29, 2018

A Response to the 72 Hours of Hate and Violence of last week.

Dear Sisters and Brothers, In the last few days we have seen the evil within our society erupt once more – the shootingof two people of African-American descent after a failed attempt to enter a predominantly African American Church; the mailing of pipe bombs to the Clintons, Obamas, CNN, and others; and the violent slaughter of worshipers at a Synagogue in an anti-semitic rampage. [click here for the CNN article] First, please add the victims, their families and friends to your prayers. Prayer is mystical. It can, in ways we often cannot see or do not expect, change things. What’s […]

October 3, 2018

Blessing of the Animals: October 4th & 7th

Celebrate Jesus’ command “Love your neighbor as yourself” by recognizing all of God’s Creation as our neighbor, a teaching brought to light in the life and ministry of Saint Francis. Pastor Heather (Steamboat Is. Church) and Father James (St. Christopher’s) will be present on Oct. 4th at Companion Cove to bless your pet or animal. Even beloved stuffed animals welcome! Other opportunities with Fr. James include Oct. 4th at 9am, Carlyon beach Kayak launch area, AND Sunday, October 7th, 11:45am (following the 10:30am service) Sponsored by Companion Cove Pet, Feed and Garden Store, The Steamboat Island Church, and St. Christopher’s […]

September 18, 2018

Updated Safeguarding God’s Children Policy & Training on Sept 22nd

Fr. James is leading a Safeguarding God’s Children Training on Saturday, September 22nd 1pm-4pm RSVP to Lisa at lisa@stjohnsoly.org Who needs this certification? All staff and Bishop’s Council members Anyone working directly with youth or children (including volunteers) Anyone with a key to the church facilities. Here is letter from Bishop Greg Rickel talking about updates to our policy. If you have had this training in person you are eligible to take the training online. Further details and nnstructions are in the letter below. —— From Bishop Greg Rickel, Diocese of Olympia——- “Dear Ones, As Christians we are the Body of […]

September 18, 2018

Diocese of Olympia Annual Convention, Oct 26-27 2018

Each year we participate in the annual gathering of either our Lutheran synod or our Episcopal diocese. Lutheran’s call this annual meeting “Synod Assembly” and Episcopalians call it “Diocesan Convention.” The meetings are remarkably similar in the way they are conducted and topics covered. This year, we participate in the Episcopal Diocesan, held October 26-27 at the Doubletree, Seattle Airport. The meetings are open anyone but participants must register to attend, which includes a registration fee. Only delegates and clergy have voice and vote for the business sessions, unless an exception made officially by vote at the Convention. We will […]

September 11, 2018

America’s non-Essentials: A Conversation of Art, Awareness, and Immigration

Photographs by Thomas Kiefer, from his collection “El Sueño Americano”, will be on display at St. Christopher’s Church (7902 Steamboat Is. Rd NW; Olympia, WA) on Saturday and Sunday, September 15 and 16 from noon to 4pm each day. With permission of the artist, some of his photographic images were made into prints and mounted for the community to view in and around the church grounds. As a janitor for Customs and Border Protection in Ajo, Arizona from 2003 to 2014, Mr. Kiefer found, through serendipity, the confiscated and discarded belongings of undocumented migrants apprehended in the desert. Being a photographer, […]

September 11, 2018

Practices of a Jesus-Centered Life

September 8, 2018

Come and See… Go and Tell / Cursillo

Dumas Bay Conference Center, Federal Way | October 19-21 | $100 (includes all lodging, meals, materials!) Come and See… Go and Tell offers an experience of spiritual renewal. Guests will experience God’s unconditional love while deepening their understanding of Jesus’ teachings. Stories of faith presented on the weekend encourage living out our baptismal covenant in the world. Guest cost of $100 includes all retreat materials, all meals and snacks and 2 night’s lodging. MORE INFO

August 30, 2018

Tri-Parish Picnic, This Sunday (Sep 2nd)

No Services on St. Christopher’s church grounds… We’re taking it to the park! Everyone is welcome. Join us, St. John’s Episcopal (Olympia) Church and St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church (Lacey) for Eucharist and a picnic at Tumwater Historical Park, 10:30 am. Bring a chair and/or blanket, and a dessert to share.

August 21, 2018

Thank you for a great Blueberry Bash, 2018!

This was our 40th Blueberry Bash and we want to say ‘thank you’. Thank you… …all who supported us, …all who came, …all our sponsors, …all community organizations …all you marvelous volunteers. Good community is made of good people doing good things together well. And that’s what we all did. Together. Thank you. – St. Christopher’s Community Church

August 21, 2018

August is National Make-a-Will

(… See below for a free resource!) Did you know that August is ‘National Make-a-Will’ month? Although having a valid will is one of the best ways to ensure that your end-of-life wishes will be fulfilled, only about 50% of Americans have an up-to-date written will. It’s always best to use a qualified attorney to set up your estate plans, but before you meet with your lawyer, Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF) has several resources to help you prepare for writing or updating your will. They have available for you, a free downloadable copy of ECF’s Planning for the End of Life in […]

June 12, 2018

Friends and Mission Partners with Namibia, Sunday, June 17

Come hear about our friendship with Namibia Come join the conversation on Sunday, June 17th with Rachel Pritchett of the Namibia Task Force of the Southwestern Washington Synod as she explains our synod’s longstanding companion relationship with the many Lutheran churches in the African country of Namibia. She comes wit an invitation to participate. Rachel is the former communicator for the synod and a retired newspaper journalist who lives on Bainbridge Island and worships and works at Bethany Lutheran Church of Bainbridge Island.

May 31, 2018

From Bishop Rickel: A Plea for Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza

[From Bishop Greg Rickel, Diocese of Olympia, WA] Dear Ones, As a Board member of the American Friends of the Diocese of Jerusalem I am writing with a desperate plea for specific help for one of the ministry of the American Friends and especially of the Diocese of Jerusalem, Ahli Arab Hospital. This hospital is the only Christian hospital in Gaza. You may remember that I was fortunate enough to visit there in 2015. With the terrible unrest of these past weeks the hospital is in desperate need. Here is the latest update from John Lent, Executive Director of the […]

May 21, 2018

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry coming to Olympia

Episcopal Presiding Bishop (PB) Michael Curry to visit to the Diocese of Olympia June 14-17. In addition to making stops at the Diocese of Olympia’s Refugee Resettlement Office, the College for Congregational Development, and Chaplains on the Harbor, PB Curry will be speaking at public events across the diocese. On Thursday, June 14, at 7:00 pm, PB Curry will be preaching at Evensong in Saint Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle. St. Christopher’s will be joining St. Benedict’s, Lacey and St. John’s Episcopal, Olympia in chartering a bus to go up to St. Mark’s Cathedral to hear the PB. Sign up by contacting […]