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The Beacon Newsletter 7/16/2025
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THE BEACON WEEKLY
 
 

Photos of Last Weekend’s Church Campout at Dash Point State Park, WA


Pictured above:
Tom Womble makes amazing pizza
on an outdoor pizza oven at the campout,
a new activity introduced this year! 



 

Articles this issue….. 
  
 

The Beacon Newsletter 07/08/2025



 
 
This Week at St. Christopher’s…
Week of July 14
Monday (07/14/2025) 
  Mitford Series Reading Group – 1:30 pm
  Bishop’s Council – 7:00 pm
    
Tuesday (07/15/2025) – Olga, Princess of Kiev, Confessor; died 969; Vladimir, First Christian Ruler of Russia; died 1015
  Faithful Living – 6:15 am
  Centering Prayer – 8:00 pm
      
Wednesday (07/16/2025)
  Worship Band – 11:00 am
  Widows/Widowers Support Group – 1:30 pm
  Hot Meals Outreach – 4:00 pm
                           
Thursday (07/17/2025) – Bartolomé de Las Casas, Missionary to the Indies; died 1566; Wiliam White, Bishop of Pennsylvania; died 1816
  AA Meeting – 6:00 pm
          
Friday (07/18/2025) 
 Clergy Sabbath
         
Saturday (07/19/2025) 
      
Sunday (07/20/2025) – Elizabeth Cady Stanton; died 1902; Amelia Jenks Bloomer; died 1894; Sojourner Truth; died 1883; Harriet Ross Tubman; died 1912; Renewers of Society 
   Morning Prayer – 7:00 am (Online only) 
   Contemplative Eucharist – 8:00 am (In-Person only) 
   Choral Eucharist – 10:30 am (Virtual* and In-Person)
   St. Kitt’s Guild – 12:00 pm
                                   
   *On our website, church app, Facebook, or Vimeo. 
** Via Zoom. Requires a free Zoom account for security purposes.             
Take a Minute:
Notes from the Bishop’s Council

– The BC Met on July 13th. 

– Sidewalk Enlargement. Linda & Del Bradford presented the case for widening the diagonal sidewalk leading to the front doors of the church to safely accommodate walkers, wheelcairs, and others with mobility concerns. After thorough discussion the BC voted to add this to our facilities projects. Next steps are to find a project manager who will refine scope and procure quotes from contractors. Fulfilling these next steps establishes our timeline for completion. 

– Financial Resolutions Signed. The BC approved and began collecting the appropriate signatures on a set of resolutions that among other things define our various holdings into restricted and unrestricted categories. It also approves placing these into the Diocesan Investment Fund (DIF) of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia. This is the culmination of about 2 years of research, discussion, and work. Many thanks to Mark Wheeler, volunteer Congregational Chancellor, who has donated much time and expertise in this area.  

– Discussed Lay Leadership Transitions.
— BC Members: Two members are stepping down. We will need to fill two seats on the Bishop’s Council by December if not sooner. 2.5 years left on terms of both seats. BC meets every second Monday. Successful candidates must be members in good standing will be voted in by BC and confirmed by Bishop(s). 
— Bookkeeper: Tucker Smyth is retiring from post as bookkeeper at the end of this year. He has been an amazing help for many years! We will need to fill this position before January 2026. 
— Project Lead for Sidewalk Expansion. As discussed in item above. 
— Various other lay leadership positions in transition were discussed. 

– A/C in the Church Loft. BC received a quote for a mini-split heat pump addition to the choir loft. With electrical work this will cost around $8,000. We have had an offer for a donation towards this endeavor. In addition, we received a quote to replace our downstairs electrical furnace with a heat pump system. A heat pump would add cooling and heating to the building. Cost would be around $15-$18k. This is not a project BC intends for right now (due to cost), but BC is keeping an eye on our 45+ year old furnace! It will need to be replaced sooner or later… 

– Two large donations received with great thanksgiving! Our regular giving on a monthly basis does not meet our expenditures. The deficit in spending has been shrinking as regular donors increase in number or increase their regular giving mount. Our deficit this year (as has happened also in past years) is being closed through unanticipated one-time gifts. Two gifts totaling more than $45,000 were received in June! We are astounded and immensely grateful! Thank you to these two donors and to all our donors for their faithful support. 

…Check out the Happenings at StC Page! Please check out the Happenings at StC Page below the “Did you know?” section for major announcements.

…On July 18, 1853, the first train arrived at its station in San Francisco, California, initiating a new era of transportation for the booming city of the West Coast.

…The “Charism” of St. Christopher’s. In the monastic tradition the various orders often discern their “charism” – the God-given gift and character their Order has to share with the Church and world. One astute member identified St. Christopher’s charism as “Authentic Christian Community”. This rings true in that we aspire to be a little bit of Heaven’s Gospel presence right here and now. And if that’s true, then opportunities to gather for worship(Eucharist & Daily Offices), service (Foodbank, garden, hot meals), study (Faithful Living class, Baptismal Classes) , and fellowship(Breakfasts, Widow’s/Widowers Group, Mitford Group, Blueberry Bash) are the conduits through which we offer Christian community. 
 
…There is a new section in the Beacon! “Take a minute: Notes from the Bishop’s Council” provides highlights of Bishop Council actions to keep you updated on decisions affecting the congregation. The Bishop’s Council meets every second Monday at 7pm in hybrid format (Zoom/in-person). Meetings are open, but meeting guests wishing to be on the agenda must submit their requests and get approval at least 24 hours in advance. 

…Blueberry Bash is coming up! August 17th, Noon-4pm. Please invite a friend or neighbor. Volunteer to help out to set up, bake, or with the many other jobs by talking to Lisa Andrew. 



The community of believers was one in heart and mind. None of them would say, “This is mine!” about any of their possessions, but held everything in common. (Acts 4:32 CEB)

Give Something Away Day: In this modern age, where many people have more than enough, one way to help mitigate the problem of too much stuff has come to the rescue. It’s National Give Something Away Day – celebrated on July 15th.
 
Many ways can be found to observe National Give Something Away Day. Get started with some of these:
Those who have perfectly good items sitting in a closet or basement might want to take this opportunity to do a bit of purging and give some of those things away. Whether it’s that pair of snow boots your daughter grew out of before winter came, or a set of dishes from grandma that just doesn’t go with your current decor, thrift stores and charity shops are happy to take them. The decluttering of the home is a benefit to you, and the things you give away to charity or a friend in need will be a benefit to them. It’s a win-win.

Other ideas for practicing generosity on this day might be to make a donation to a local charity that helps people in need. Giving something away might also include giving of time by volunteering at a homeless shelter, soup kitchen or other charitable organization.

National Give Something Away Day could be a perfect excuse to give a gift to someone who has been an inspiration as a model of generosity. On a day when that person might be out giving something away, surprise them by reaching out with a small token of appreciation for their generosity.

 
 
 

The Beacon Newsletter 07/08/2025

Jul 08, 2025 09:01 am


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Happenings at StC
Important Announcements & News…

SAVE THE DATE!  Blueberry Bash 2025 –  AUGUST 17th, 12- 4 pm
Please reach out to Lisa Andrew if you can help with organization and planning. Everyone is needed!
Lisa 360-789-8784 or LDAndrew@comcast.net

Pie makers and helpers needed!
As Blueberry Bash approaches, it is time to bake pies! We are looking for new and experienced pie makers to help. We have planned the following group pie-making sessions at church:

  • Sunday, July 27, children’s pie making during the 10:30 am service

No experience necessary- all ages and skill levels welcome! We have lots of roles if you’re new to pie baking or want to help in other ways. If you’re available to help or curious to learn more, please reach out to Laura Johnson at (703) 424-8664 or lawigand@gmail.com.

St. Christopher’s Needs Your Help:

  • Interested in hosting coffee hour (weekly on Sundays after 10:30 service)? Please contact Annaka at Annaka.Thibodeaux@gmail.com or (206)678-3437 (call/text).
  • Interested in acting as a Reader? If you are interested in reading at one or more services, please sign up on the list by the sign-in book in the church. If you have questions, please contact Marcia Rugg at (206) 200-5536 or via email at ruggmbeach@comcast.net. 
  • Interested in Volunteering for Hot Meals Outreach (3rd and 4th Wednesday of Each Month)? Please contact Will Mayes at mithra651@yahoo.com or (206) 380-3410.

Text Message Reminders about Worship. Would you like text message invitations to our online and in-person services? Receive reminders on your phone by texting WORSHIP to (360) 810-3292 or clicking this link https://mtxt.cc/list/join/360.810.3292/worship. You can opt out anytime by texting STOP or text HELP to see other options.
 
 

In our Prayers

Prayer of the Week: O Lord God, your mercy delights us, and the world longs for your loving care. Hear the cries of everyone in need, and turn our hearts to love our neighbors with the love of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Congregational Prayer List
Khyra and family who have lost property in a recent fire. 
Marty Menzies 
Sherri Scott, now on hospice, & for all Wes Scott’s family. 

Congregational Cycle
Andy Mohrle

Diocesan Cycle
St. Augustine’s in-the-Woods, Freeland
St. Philip’s, Marysville

Synod Cycle
Key Peninsula, Lakebay
Emmanuel, Tacoma

 

Daily Scripture Lessons 

Regular time spent in scripture and prayer ways we grow as people of faith: here is a list of suggested daily readings to complement the Sunday readings in worship. (from the Daily Revised Common Lectionary).  

Monday
Psalm 25:11-20
Job 24:1-8
James 2:1-7

Tuesday
Psalm 25:11-20
Proverbs 19:1-17
1 John 3:11-17

Wednesday
Psalm 25:11-20
Ecclesiastes 9:13-18
Matthew 25:31-46

Thursday
Psalm 15
Genesis 12:10-20
Hebrews 5:1-6

Friday
Psalm 15
Genesis 13:1-18
Ephesians 3:14-21

Saturday
Psalm 15
Genesis 14:1-16
Luke 8:4-10

 
 
Next Week at St. Christopher’s…
Week of July 21st
Monday (07/21/2025)
  Pastoral Care Coordinators Meeting – 12:00 pm
  Brotherhood of St. Andrew Meeting – 6:30 pm
                    
Tuesday (07/22/2025) – St. Mary Magdalene
   Faithful Living – 6:15 am
   Evensong: Feast of St. Mary Magdalene – 7:00 pm
   Centering Prayer – 8:00 pm

Wednesday (07/23/2025) – Birgitta of Sweden, Renewer of the Church; died 1373  
  Worship Band – 11:00 am
  Widows/Widowers Support Group – 1:30 pm
  Hot Meals Outreach – 4:00 pm
              
Thursday (07/24/2025) – Thomas à Kempis, Priest; died 1471
  Fellowship Breakfast – 9:00 am
  AA Meeting – 6:00 pm
    
Friday (07/25/2025) – St. James the Elder, Apostle
  Clergy Sabbath
       
Saturday (07/26/2025) – The Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary
    
Sunday (07/27/2025) – William Reed Huntington, Priest; died 1919    
  Morning Prayer – 7:00 am
  Contemplative Eucharist – 8:00 am (In-Person only) 
  Choral Eucharist – 10:30 am (Virtual* and In-Person)
  Children’s Pie Making – 10:30 am
 
       
   *On our website, church app, Facebook, or Vimeo. 
** Via Zoom. Requires a free Zoom account for security purposes.
 
 
 
Contact Us:
(No solicitations, please.)

(360) 866-2111

Office@StChristopherOlympia.org

St. Christopher’s Community Church
7902 Steamboat Is. Rd. NW
Olympia, WA 98502
 
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