Serving the Community

Reclaiming and Blessing Ceremony Held May 22

On March 17th our church was the site of a violent act that took the life of Carol Parsons. Our whole community was stunned and heartbroken. Since then, Carol’s family and our congregation have received many kind words, and prayers of support and comfort as we work through the grief and sense of violation.

Pastor Cornell leads the service.


On Saturday, May 22, about 70 people gathered at Calvary to reclaim the Lutheran Counseling Network site as a place of peace and hope. We joined with others in the community to seek to turn “swords into ploughshares” and honor and welcome our city’s first responders, city officials, and others who represent the hope we now reclaim publicly.


Blood Drive Please consider saving a life this summer. Blood donations are needed urgently. Summer months are very difficult for blood centers - folks go on vacation and blood needs increase. Cascade Regional Blood Services will be hosting a blood drive on August 22nd, at Calvary Lutheran Church, 9:30-11:30 A.M. Please contact the church office to sign up or sign up in the main church lobby. Someone from CRBS will be available in the lobby and/or outside the Great Room on Sunday, August 8th from 9:00 A.M.-12:30 P.M. to answer questions about donating blood. Remember to eat a meal, be well hydrated, and bring ID when you donate blood. Bring a friend and together we can save lives in our community.

Blood Drive
Sunday, August 22
9:30—11:30 A.M.

 


 

Relief for Haiti If you are looking for a good place to support the Haitian people following the earthquake disaster, Food for the Poor is a good place. Pastor Ron Starenko has preached at our church, and has indicated that all the work they have been doing in Haiti will continue to be needed—providing for the basic needs of the Haitian poor. Contribute at www.foodforthepoor.org.

Another opportunity to contribute is through Thrivent Financial. Members who want to partner with Thrivent in responding to this disaster may make donations at www.thrivent.com/helpinghaiti or by calling (800) 236-3736 between 7 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. Central time, Monday through Friday. When prompted, say "directory" and enter ext. 83003.

Thrivent Financial will add $1 for every $2 members donate for “Helping Haiti.” Members may choose which of the four relief agencies they want their contribution to support, with Thrivent Financial adding up to $250 per member contribution.


Habitat for Humanity/Apostles Build


Calvary is pleased to donate our Easter offering to Apostles Build. In addition, we at Calvary are once again joining with Habitat for Humanity in a home building project. For any who don’t know, Habitat for Humanity is a Christian-based, non-profit housing ministry making home ownership possible by drawing together people of all faiths and backgrounds to build affordable homes in partnership with those in need. Two years ago we worked on and contributed to the renovation of several homes in the Westway neighborhood of Federal Way as part of the Thrivent Builds program. This year we will be supporting a new program called Apostles Build. This is a partnership that provides for twelve (more or less) churches to join together to build and fund a home for a local family. The house will be built in Pacific on land purchased by Habitat for Humanity. Construction is expected to begin in late July. We invite you to get involved either through donations or through actual work on the project. Persons over age 16 of all skill levels are welcome. Calvary’s Easter offering ($1,415) has been donated to Apostles’ Build. Calvary has made a financial commitment to this project. If you would like to contribute, please make your check out to Calvary and note “Apostles’ Build” in the memo line. Your donation may be placed in the offering plate or mailed to the church office.


For more information, contact Phil Sell  through the church office.


South King County Mobile Medical Van

Mobile Medical Van Helps Calvary’s Guests
If you are homeless, it may be hard to get transportation to local health care. You may not have insurance. You may not trust large institutions to serve you.


With this in mind, the South King County Medical Project began a pilot program for mobile medical service in South King County in November. The van services several sites, partnering with programs that attract chronically homeless people to regularly scheduled events, like the Community Supper at Calvary.

The van serves in Calvary’s parking lot on the third Thursday of each month. Caring staff provide walk-up access to medical triage and acute care, in addition to counseling in ways for the guests to get additional help. They help folks navigate the way to accessing housing, ongoing primary medical and dental care, mental health and/or substance abuse treatment, health care coverage, and other services.


This is a pilot program. There is hope to expand the service to other sites throughout South King County and rotate among sites according to a regular and widely-publicized schedule. Public and private investments in this project will be needed to sustain it beyond its pilot phase.

For more information, contact
John Gilvar
King County Mobile Medical Project Coordinator
401 5th Ave., Ste. 1000
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 369-3489


Haircutting
If you are dealing with unemployment or a related financial hardship, a local hair salon is offering free or reduced prices on haircuts.

Pollyanna Woods
Hair & Facial Designs
1720 So. 372nd Place
Federal Way, WA 98003
(253) 569-0554 / (253) 661-6370
 


Reach Out Program Calvary is part of a local ministry called Reach Out. We were blessed in  providing this ministry during the cold winter months.  Find out more about Reach Out at Calvary.

 


Pastor Ron Starenko of Food for the Poor, Inc.Food for the Poor, Inc. 

Pastor Ron Starenko  preached at Calvary on July 5th and shared with us the gospel and information on a ministry providing direct relief to the poor throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Pastor Starenko shared what he has witnessed about Food For The Poor’s mission to care for the destitute as a means of living out the Gospel mandate to love one another. Pastor Starenko was ordained in 1955 for the Florida-Bahamas Synod. For more information contact him at (800) 568-8124 or visit http://www.foodforthepoor.org.

 


Living Stones MinistryPastor Wangen-Hoch of Living Stone Ministries

 

Pastor Wangen-Hoch introduced us to Living Stones, an ELCA congregation within the walls of the WA Corrections Center in Shelton.

Pastor Wangen-Hoch has been our guest preacher in the past. We traveled as a group to worship with this congregation again on March 14, 2009. 

 

We  welcomed Pastor Wangen-Hoch to Calvary again on July 25, 2010 and we will go to worship with the inmates on August 14, 2010. We will participate in a Holy Spirit driven worship service that will amaze, inspire and lift you to new heights of praise, worship and love for our Savior, Jesus Christ.

We will share fellowship before and after the service, partake of Holy Communion (with the elements), and join in joyous song with their Praise Band. As always, a message from Pastor Eric Wangen-Hoch provides insight to our Savior and its application in our lives. Our visitors can share a brief introduction, testimony or scripture. You must be at least 18 years old. Contact the church office soon to register and obtain a security clearance.

 


Red Wagon Red Wagon

The Red Wagon is truly a wagon which is rolled through worship on the second Sunday of each month. The Red Wagon will roll again on August 8th collecting school supplies, since the need is so great.

 

 

 


Emergency Food
Calvary serves as a drop-off facility for the Emergency Feeding Program. People in need can go to several locations (one being the Federal Way Multi-Service Center) to sign up for the program. They will receive an order card, which they bring to Calvary and then receive the food.


Sack Lunch Ministry  

Our neighbors who are hungry can come to Calvary Monday through Thursday and receive a free sack lunch between 11:00 a.m.—1:00 p.m.

 Read more information about our Sack Lunch Ministry.

Calvary members greet guests with a lunch

 

 Would you help hand out these lunches? Help is especially needed on Wednesdays or Thursdays. You could help each week, occasionally, or as a substitute.   If you would like to help distribute these lunches, please contact the church office.

 

 


Prayer Shawl MinistrySharon Stenersen presents a Calvary graduate with a prayer shawl



 

We are a group who lovingly knit or crochet shawls for those in need of God’s love and comfort in difficult times as well as times of celebration. If you have a person on your heart and mind that you feel needs to be surrounded with God’s peace and love woven into a prayer shawl, please contact Deanna Kaasa through the church office.

 

Our next meeting will be in September.
 


Care Connection

One of the functions of the Calvary Care Connection is to make personal connections between those with a need and finding help on a short-term basis. It may be a home maintenance task, a meal for someone following illness or surgery, transportation, or making a phone call to check on someone. Care Connection specializes in creative use of resources within our church and our community. If you have a need and aren’t sure where to turn … call us!! We can be contacted through the church office. If you would like to serve others, this team would love your help.

Our next meeting is August 12 at 10:30 a.m. in the Social Hall.


Community Supper
Calvary is a host church for the Thursday night Community Supper. Come and enjoy a hot, home-cooked meal. Volunteers are also available to direct you to assistance you may need.

 

 If you would like to help with the Community Supper contact Heather Parker. We currently need people to help with registration, cleanup, and serving.

 


How you can help our guests in need  The SOS Program of the Federal Way Community Caregivers Network has a table at the Community Supper held weekly at Calvary in which they distribute goods and information to our guests in need. You may help by donating the following items:

SOS Table Items Needed
 

  • Socks – white – one size fits all

  • Small flashlights and batteries

  • Hotel/motel size soaps

  • Small hand towels

  • Chapstick

  • Small container shampoo

  • Small deodorant

  • Disposable razors

  • Small shaving cream

  • Tampons

  • Tooth brushes

  • Small toothpaste

  • Small mouthwash

  • Small hand cream

Our SOS table equips our guests at the Community Supper with necessary items, in addition to providing them with information on community services. If you can help replenish these supplies, please label them SOS and leave them in the church office. Thanks so much!
 

You Can Make Placemats The Thursday Community Supper has lost the services of a long time volunteer group from the Mormon church who have been making table centerpieces for all of our holiday meals. We are looking for a creative person(s) who would like to take on this ministry that brings a lot of joy to our guests. Each holiday requires 12-14 centerpieces delivered to the church by the Thursday the meal is served. There are some supplies, so it wouldn't be starting from scratch. The holidays we look for decorations are: Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Our Leaning in Motion students recently made placemats and the guests enjoyed them immensely. For more information, contact the church office.
 

You Can Help Prepare Meat
What: Cutting and prepping frozen meat
When: Occasional Wednesdays
Where: Calvary’s kitchen
Requirements: Ability to stand to do work

Perks:
You will never be alone, Jan Olson or Phyllis Dirks will be there with you.
Use your skills for the Community Supper

Contact Phyllis or Jan for more information.

You Can Donate Socks We are collecting new men’s socks to give to our Community Supper guests. Please leave your donation of socks in the church office and mark it “SOS”. We will collect more items for SOS in January, but your immediate help with socks will help conserve funds we have left for this special project.

Do you Shop at Albertson's? Food Lifeline, the area food distribution center that supports the Federal Way Community Caregiving Network's Community Suppers, including the Thursday Supper served at Calvary every week, is a "Community Partner" with Albertson's grocery stores. If you shop at Albertson's and use their Preferred Savings card, the store will send a small percentage of purchase prices to Food Lifeline! All you have to do is take your card to a store and have a clerk register it to link to the agency. The Food Lifeline's Community Partner ID # is 4900010144290. It won't cost you an extra penny and whatever is contributed helps feed the poor in our local communities.

Donate Plastic Containers  We like to send our guests home with leftovers on Thursday nights. If you have pint or quart sized plastic containers that you will donate, please mark them “Community Supper” and leave them in the church kitchen.


Calvary Lutheran Church
2415 S. 320th St.
Federal Way, WA 98003
(253) 839-0344

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