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A man's daughter had asked the local pastor to come and pray with

her dying father. When the pastor arrived, he found the man lying in

bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat

beside his bed. The pastor assumed that the fellow had been

informed of his visit. “I guess you were expecting me," he said.

"No, who are you?" said the father. "I'm the new pastor at your

church," he replied. "When I saw the empty chair, I figured you knew

I was going to show up."

"Oh yeah, the chair," said the bed-ridden man. "Would you

mind closing the door?” Puzzled, the pastor shut the door. "I

have never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the

man. "For all of my life I have never known how to pray. At

church, I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went

right over my head. I abandoned any attempt at prayer,"

the man continued, "until one day about four years ago my

best friend said to me, 'Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of

having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest: Sit

down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in

faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, "I'll be with you

always." Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now."

So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm care-

ful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nerv-

ous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm." The pastor was deeply moved by

the story and encouraged the man to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with

him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the church.

Two days later the daughter called to tell her pastor that her Dad died earlier that

afternoon. "When I left the house about two o'clock,” the daughter told the pastor,

The Herald

Elim Lutheran Church, Port Orchard, WA

5911 E. Hillcrest Drive, Port Orchard, WA 98366 August 2016 Email: elimlutheran@yahoo.com www.elimlutheranportorchard.com (360) 871-0602 Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:30 AM—12:30 PM

Prayer and the Chair

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THE EDGE OF HUMOR

“he called me over to his bedside, told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek.

When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was

something strange about his death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned

over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?"

The pastor responded, “ Don’t worry, he was in good hands." Author unknown

——-——-

May your prayer time give you confidence in our God who listens and answers, and

especially sits with you in each moment of life.

Pastor Chris Nolte

Visitation Information

Please drop in anytime to the church office (M-F 8:30 AM — 12:30 PM) or make an

appointment to see Pastor Chris or Katie. We look forward to serving you.

Please let the church office know if you are going to the hospital or are ill at

home. Hospitals do not call churches anymore. A visit and/or remembering

you in prayer are ways we can respond once we know. Thank you for your

assistance.

Besides Pastor Chris calling you for a visit, when you would like to have a

pastoral visit you are encouraged to call the office. Please call Pastor Chris

(360-907-4289) in an emergency or a time of need. Your call or contact is

appreciated. Pastor Chris’ email is: prnolte@gmail.com

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From the Council President

Vacations and back to school preparations—In a very busy month let us

continue to support Elim in our gifts and prayers. Thursday the 4th, at 7pm, let us take

time out to gather and pray for Elim and her Call and Mission. Let us this month say to

the Lord, “Here am I, use me”. In the turbulent times let us open our hearts for the

Presence of God’s Peace, His Shalom, the wholeness of God’s Life and Power in us to

be a sacramental Light to the community.

Sunday, August 14, we will be looking at Elim’s Mission and proposals to use our gifts

and talents to reach out to the community.

We on the Council are also praying and are in need of two, most hopefully three,

members of our congregation to come and join the Council. Barbara Merriman and

Ray Pardo are leaving the Council. Ray is the Vice- President and Admin Chair while

Barbara currently holds the seat of the Financial Secretary. We really appreciate and are

thankful for all the work they have done for Elim and they will be greatly missed. So,

we are also fervently praying for someone to volunteer for these positions. If the Lord

is calling you to join, or you know a likely candidate, contact Pastor Chris, I, or anyone

on the Council. Thank you all for your support and prayers

Remember we are all in this together; all called, each in our own way, to bring God’s

Love and Be His Hands reaching out and lifting up.

“Together in Christ, Doing God’s Work, Using God’s Gifts, Sharing God’s Love “

Blessings, Sue Anna Tucker, Council President

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Worship & Music Meeting — a monthly planning meeting is

on the first Thursday (August 4) at 11:00 AM. We meet in the

church’s library to design the congregation’s worship life. All are

welcome to join in.

Evening Prayer Service — We gather each first Thursday

which this month is on August 4 @ 7 PM. Come to the quiet! It’s a time of refresh-

ment of the spirit, of prayer and meditation, and of singing and listening. You are

invited to share in this time and all are welcome. We focus our prayer for this month

on discerning our mission.

Chancel & Bell Choirs are gearing up to sing and ring beginning in September.

The Chancel Choir begins rehearsals on Wednesday, September 7 at 6:30 PM and the

Bell Choir’s first rehearsal will be announced soon. Come to join the new song!

Educational Opportunities

Adult Forum on Sundays at 9 AM — “Acts of the Apostles” Come to read, learn

and discuss the beginning of the early Christian Church. We will meet each Sunday of

the summer except the last Sunday of the month when “Summer Singers” takes place.

Children’s Education Ministry — will resume in the Fall on the 2nd Sunday after

Labor Day (September 18). Many thanks to Adele Fisher, Yoli Pardo, and Sarah Linda

Stanley for their leadership in providing this important ministry. In the meantime, fami-

lies with young children are encouraged to use the Noah’s Activity Bags located at the

entry of the sanctuary.

Text Study — Each Wed., 10 AM. Come get a more in-depth discussion of the texts

for the coming Sunday. We meet in the library to share questions and views on what

the Word means to us. All are welcome.

Mustard Seed Evening Bible Study - This Women’s study will resume in September

with new subjects of study and discussion. We look forward to having you join us

then!

“999 Symposium” and Potluck — Thursday, August 18 & 25 at 6 pm, The 999

Symposium/Chew, Chant, and Chat is continuing with the last two Thursdays of the

month at 6pm, August 18 and 25th and in September 8,15 and 22

nd. We start with a

potluck and then sing, study, talk and pray. It’s informal and open to all. Come as you

are and contribute to our discussions. We would love your input. Please feel free to

share the enclosed insert with friends and neighbors.

Worship & Music Notes

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Gatherings and Opportunities

ICE CREAM SOCIAL — SUNDAY, JULY 31, following worship, please come

partake in the annual “Thank You” to the Elim Congregation Ice Cream Social, hosted

by the Ladies of Elim, in appreciation for all of your help and support throughout the

year! What a cool treat!

SUMMER SINGERS — JULY 31 & AUGUST 28 @ 9 AM We all have a

song to sing, and sometimes we don’t want to be in the choir. If you find yourself in

this category, maybe you will join us for Summer Singers. We gather in the sanctuary

on the last Sunday of each month of the summer at 9 AM to learn a song and then sing

that song within worship that day. No other rehearsals required, and no auditions

either — just the joy of singing a new song with friends. Hope you will join in the

chorus! Thanks to all who came to sing on June 26.

LYRICA CONCERT — AUGUST 24 @7 PM. The ladies choral will be

giving a performance titled “On My Journey” featuring a Celtic selection of songs in-

cluding Danny Boy, Greensleeves, Mairi’s Wedding and others. The best part is that it

will be taking place here at Elim! There will be a free will offering with proceeds shared

by Elim and Lyrica. Please see Lynne Ayers with any questions you may have.

MEN’S BREAKFAST & WOMEN’S LUNCHEON have been “fasting” for

the summer and will be engaging in dining delicacies on Saturday, September 3 at 8:30

AM and 12 Noon respectively. No reservations are needed, and you can bring a

friend. Be our guest!

VISIT AT LIVING STONES — On Saturday, September 24, a group from Elim

will be visiting Living Stones Prison Congregation in Shelton for worship and for the

fellowship of conversation and support with the men which follows. It is an exciting

opportunity to share in worship in this community. More than likely, you will share a

new perspective of the Church. We leave by 3 PM and return around 10 PM. In order

to be one of the 12 people that can attend (space is limited by the WCC), please sign

up on the “Local Outreach” bulletin board. We will be leaving in the midafternoon

and return around 10 PM. You will be asked for ID information (full name, last 4 digits

of your SS# and birthdate) for a background check with the WCC. If you have attend-

ed before, you will need to re-submit your info — neither Elim nor Living Stones keeps

the information previously submitted. For more information, please see Sandi Nolte

and look forward to this special experience.

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Elim Mission Update

Where is God leading Elim?

At our congregational meeting last January we adopted a

proposal to explore what mission and ministry God is

calling the people of Elim to embrace. We were invited

to a discussion of how to discern this through a time of

listening and a time of each member recommitting his or

her own involvement in the life of Elim through worship-

ing, learning, serving and giving.

Over the past six months a small group has discussed this

and been in prayer together. It is now time for the

whole congregation to be involved in this process. There are two opportunities in the

next few weeks for this to happen. First, our monthly prayer service on Thursday,

Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. will focus on our God’s vision for us. For one hour we will gather

together for quiet prayer, Scripture reading, and song. Most importantly we will listen

for God’s voice. Second, we will dedicate our fellowship time on Sunday, Aug. 14 to a

guided conversation about the ideas being brought forth from the small group.

The four areas being discussed are:

1. Generating respite care for families and patients in hospice, exploring ways to sup-

port the ill and dying and their caregivers.

2. Sharing our land as a place of healing and prayer by creating a community garden, a

labyrinth/healing garden, and spiritual walkway.

3. Building caring relationships with military families of our community, seeking to

serve them and make their transitions more joyous and peaceful.

4. Listening to the needs of the homeless and hungry, pursuing ways to meet their

needs of home, food and friendship.

God is on the move among us! We look forward to joining with each of you for

prayer on Aug. 4 and for worship and conversation on Aug. 14.

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Elim Updates

Lutheran Church Women of Elim

Waterman Circle will resume in August. “Mustard Seed” and The Ladies Saturday

Luncheon will resume in September. However, we are still busy!

Rummage Sale, August 19 and 20. Remember to set aside donations for the sale, and

you can even drop them by (large furniture and heavier items should be dropped by

the week of the sale) Also we need volunteers to help set up and be a part of the

event. We will be setting up on Thursday the 18th. Most of all, save the date to come

on by and find that just right awesome item, gift, whatever you’ve been looking for, or

to donate to the cause.

LWR Kits: You may have noticed a few “back to school” sales around, check them out

and get a few supplies for our Lutheran World Relief school kits. We need 12 inch/

metric rulers, 24 piece crayons, pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners, erasers (the bar type),

70 pg spiral binders. You can drop them by the box in the Fellowship hall.

GOD’S WORK. OUR HANDS.

SUNDAY — SEPTEMBER 11

“God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday is an opportunity to celebrate who we are as the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) – one church, freed in Christ to serve

and love our neighbor. The date for the 2016 dedicated day of service is Sun., Sept. 11.

This year’s date also marks the 15-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on

the United States. As we share God’s love with your neighbors, please consider

thanking and praying for the emergency responders in your area.

“The world can be a dangerous place. But there are some who, when disaster strikes,

run toward the danger. These are the first responders, firefighters, police and EMTs,

who live out their baptismal vocation in service to their communities in times of

intense need. They do God’s work with their hands.” – ELCA Presiding Bishop

Elizabeth A. Eaton

We will be planning for a service activity in our community, offering us an opportunity

for us to explore one of our most basic convictions as Lutherans: that all of life in Jesus

Christ – every act of service, in every daily calling, in every corner of life – flows freely

from a living, daring confidence in God’s grace. We will be joining other Lutherans in

this area as we develop this idea. Please save the dates of September 9-11 to help out.

More details will follow as we plan together to “Use God’s Gifts and Do God’s Work”

in our ministry.

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“Golden Rule Account” Activities

The Golden Rule Account is a benevolent fund of the congregation which is designed

to be an outreach of helpfulness in need to anyone. The funds are dispersed at the

discretion of the Pastor when a need is evident or requested, and as funds are

available. The fund receives gifts from specific donations and is not supported by the

church budget. This account gives us opportunity to make significant gifts to people

and change lives with the knowledge that a Christian community of people

are ;praying for them and supporting them. A suggestion is made to each recipient

that the gifts they have received could be returned some day when they are in a better

financial position in order “to help others as they have been helped,” but no

requirement of repayment is contingent in any way upon the giving of the gift.

Thank you to all of you who have donated money in the past and will give funds in

the future. You are making a positively great difference in people’s lives and in the

way some view the Church. Here is a list of the activities of the fund in the year:

Beginning Balance: $ 1,472.

Rental Assistance — (2) $ 475.

Medical Assistance — (1) $ 1,250.

Utility Assistance — (1) $ 100.

Donations: (3) $ 765.

Gift from Elim Endowment $ 465.

Ending Balance: $ 877.

Also a “Gift Card” for $25 was given out.

...and many happy returns to these loved ones who have

birthdays in August:

Maureen Jarrett 8/02

Erika Carlson 8/04

Bob Fisher 8/05

Stephanie Armstrong 8/11

Raelene Smyth 8/22

Jeanne Gardner 8/24

Dorothy Sandberg 8/25

Norma Faulkner 8/26

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999 SYMPOSIUM: The Trinity and You

Sharing and exploring this wonder-full relationship and how we enter God’s rest in

this turbulent world* at zip code 999. Please join us for a Chew-and-Chat-and-Chant

Symposium and indoor picnic potluck (beverages and condiments provided) on

Thursdays, 6 pm August 18, 25; Sept 8, 15, 22, 29. Cohosts: Wilma Eads, Sarah Linda

Stanley, and Sue Anna Tucker.

1Thessalonians 5:23-24

Please contact Sarah Linda Stanley at 360-871-8478 with questions or for driving

directions to Elim Lutheran Church.

999

Welcome to a symposium on The Trinity and Man.

Come hear of our Heavenly Father’s Plan.

To save Creation before it began.

And if your not His, He’s got a place.

In His heart, just for you, just by His grace;

Where your darkest night He will erase.

There your home zip code will always be

999, the land of sweet liberty.

Land of the truly, wholly, thankfully, FREE.

Our bank’s routing number there is 999.

There, our Father’s in charge with Love divine

And area code 999 will reach Home, at any time.

~Sarah Linda Stanley

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