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In this ISSUE

Holy Week Services 2

2016 Leadership Updates 3-4

Judy Flanagan Memorial 5

Upcoming Events 6-7

Final Reminders 8

The

March 2016 Volume 9, Issue 2

A monthly newsletter published by Magnolia Presbyterian Church: A welcoming community of caring Christians in service to God… A well of faith and renewal. Spire

Pastor’s Column: Let Your Light Shine! In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells his disciples they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Of course salt only does any good to preserve and to flavor when it’s nice and salty; light only does any good when it shines freely. As followers of Jesus, we shouldn’t be hiding our light, or playing down our distinctive flavor. When we try to blend in with everyone else, we’re not really doing our job. So what do church communities like ours have to offer that is distinctive? Where can we shine, in a unique way? How can we salt and flavor the world around us? Your Session members and Deacons will begin a conversation along these lines at our officers’ retreat later this spring, and we will be looking for ways to continue that conversation with you throughout the year. Don’t be afraid to be salty, people of God! And let your light continue to shine!

Grace and peace, Pastor Deb Sunoo

Holy Week Worship Schedule

Palm Sunday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March 20 Maundy Thursday . . . . . . . . . . March 24 Easter Sunday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March 27

Easter Lilies for the Sanctuary The tradition of honoring loved ones with lilies for the sanctuary will continue this Easter. If you wish to purchase one or more lilies to help decorate our sanctuary for Easter, please send a check for $10 to the church office with “Easter Lilies” in memo line along with the name of the individual(s) you wish to remember or honor. Your order must be in by Palm Sunday, March 20th.

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March 2016 The Spire — Magnolia Presbyterian Church

The Whole Family is invited to Holy Week Services March 20th is Palm Sunday - join us for Worship at 10:30 am with a palm processional around the sanctuary led by our MPC kids. March 24th at 7 pm we will gather around the Table for a Maundy Thursday Service as we serve the elements to one another. We will conclude the service with a look ahead toward Good Friday. March 27th is Easter Sunday - the celebration begins at 9:00 a.m. with Easter Breakfast, followed by a 10:00 a.m. egg hunt, and the Easter Worship Service at 10:30 a.m.

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March 2016 The Spire — Magnolia Presbyterian Church

MPC Leadership in Ministry 2016

2016 Members of Deacons Seated: Freda Clark, Pastor Deb Sunoo, Barb Bily-Parr. Standing: Sally Cummings, Laurie Trettel, Chris Wyrick, Linda Keylon, Alina Sunoo, Greg Kelly, Clark Bathum.

Save Friday May 6th MPC Deacons will host a Mexican Dinner and Dessert Auction on Friday, May 6th to raise funds for their mission and outreach projects. Mark your calendars, and watch for more details to come.

This special offering supports important global ministries such as Presbyterian Disaster Relief and the Presbyterian Hunger Program. Watch for bulletin inserts with more information in the coming weeks, or go to http://specialofferings.pcusa.org/oghs. We will collect both your checks and the ‘fish banks’ coin offerings for One Great Hour of Sharing on Palm Sunday, March 20th.

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March 2016 The Spire — Magnolia Presbyterian Church

Session Assignments for 2016 If you have questions or suggestions in any of the following areas, please contact the Session member responsible: Clerk of Session: Steve Moore Adult Education: Jeff Tyler Budget / Finance: Steve Moore Building: Cheri Yonich, Jerry Leighton, Jim Glaser Grounds: Anné Wikstrom Children's Ministry: Cheri Yonich Communications/Publicity: Riki Clark Emergency Preparedness: Jerry Leighton Hospitality/Events: Sharlene Bathum Nominating Committee: Jerry Leighton and Catherine McCollister Personnel: Riki Clark and Catherine McCollister Stewardship: Sharlene Bathum and Steve Moore Worship and Music: Catherine McCollister and Anné Wikstrom Youth Ministry: Jeff Tyler

2016 Members of Session Seated: Sharlene Bathum, Jeff Tyler, Riki Clark, Catherine McCollister. Standing: Jim Glaser, Anné Wikstrom, Steven Moore, Cheri Yonich, Jerry Leighton.

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March 2016 The Spire — Magnolia Presbyterian Church

Remembering Judy Flanagan On January 28th Judy’s 15-month struggle with cancer ended. She will be remembered as a Loving Human Being, Chanteuse, Fashionista, Good Neighbor, Great Worker, Excellent Friend. Judith Marguerite (Cooke and Whitten) Flanagan was born on September 19, 1938 in Seattle and lived here most of her life. She graduated from Queen Anne High School in 1956 and went on to study at the University of Washington. She was the consummate working woman; her employers included Ayer-Baker and McCann-Erickson advertising agencies, the Seattle P-I and, for over 30 years, KPFF Consulting Engineers. She loved to travel and she loved to sing. For many years Judy added her rich alto voice to the MPC choir and will be remembered for duets and quartet music she performed for summer worship services. She enjoyed working with the Deacons group that prepared bags of groceries to supply neighborhood food banks. Judy is survived by her brother, Dan; her daughters, Mary (Meg) and Stephanie; her grandchildren, Chelsea and Zachary; her nieces, Shannon and Kerri; and a myriad of friends. A memorial service celebrating Judy’s life was held on Saturday, February 27th at Magnolia Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers Judy has requested that contributions be made to theNature Conservancy or the Ballard Food Bank.

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March 2016 The Spire — Magnolia Presbyterian Church

From the Stewardship Team Did You Know? Our church runs solely on the amount of money each person contributes to the plate every week. Here’s what that means: When you put money in the collection plate, or donate online, we get to use that money to pay for all church employee salaries, building maintenance such as heating, plumbing and lighting, grounds keeping to make the sidewalks safe and the flowers pretty, children’s programs, support for ongoing projects like Mary’s Place and Night Watch… this list is endless. But what does that really mean? It means that every penny is used to keep our church going on a daily basis. It also means that when we don’t receive enough money, we are forced to make sacrifices. Our funding comes from what we give, and what we give alone. How can we help? Commit to our community. You built it. Let’s keep it going. It’s easy!

* Put cash in the offering plate – like a good amount. * Write a check – if you carry them with you. * Auto-withdrawal from your bank account – like your cable bill. * Donate online – through PayPal – what’s easier?

Remember, each week is your opportunity to support us all.

Women’s Walking Group The next MPC Women's Walking group is Saturday, March 5th. We will leave the church at 9:00 with return scheduled for 10:00ish for coffee in the Mount Rainier room. We plan to adjourn no later than 11:00. Childcare will be available. You are welcome to come for any portion of the time (e.g. you do not have to walk to join us for coffee). Hope to see you there!

Taproot Theater Presents Cotton Patch Gospel March 23 – April 23 Bring your whole family! It’s a rare play that can boast favorable reviews from both Rolling Stone and Christianity Today. That’s why we’ve revamped this bluegrass musical, based on the story of Jesus’ birth, and put it back on Taproot’s stage. Experience the soul-stirring power of excellent storytelling and inspiring music. You will laugh, you will cry, you will want to stand up and dance when the music plays and the action begins in Cotton Patch Gospel. For more information, go to www.taproottheatre.org

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March 2016 The Spire — Magnolia Presbyterian Church

March MPC Birthdays

March 2nd Cherryl Towey March 4th Donna Leet March 6th Sarah Madill March 7th Claire Johnson March 11th Dave Bowman March 14th

Allison Sopko George Keylon March 23rd Greg Kelly March 24th Ruth Trail March 26th Leigh Canlis March 27th Scott Madill, Jr. March 31st Jim Mills

How Does God Communicate with Us? Please come to the Women Evening Bible Study on Monday, March 21st and share your ideas about this question. We’ll meet at 7:00 at Maria Dammer’s home 7302-26th Ave. NW in Ballard. Lesson 7 in the Job Study Guide will focus on chapter 33 verses 12-14 and 26-28.

Adult Class Continues C.S. Lewis Study The Sunday morning Adult Class will continue its study of the writings of C.S. Lewis this month. Meet in the 2nd floor Mt. Baker Room at 9:30 am to join in Justin Beatty’s class. Discussions will focus on several of Lewis’ most well known works. The C. S. Lewis Adult Class will run through April 24th excluding Easter on March 27th.

March 10th Afternoon Women's Bible Study “Streams of Mercy and Forgiveness” will be the focus for Afternoon Women's Bible Study meeting on Thursday, March 10th. Please join us at 1:30 pm in the Mt. Rainier room as we continue with Lesson Seven in the Come to the Waters curriculum.

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The Spire Is a monthly publication issued by Magnolia Presbyterian Church

Pastor: Rev. Dr. Deborah Hannay Sunoo News Editor: Nancy Wright

Copy Editor: Sharlene Bathum Layout/Design Editor: Jacquelynn Kuhn

3051 28th Avenue West Seattle, WA 98199 206-283-3322 church@magpres.org www.magpres.org Find us on Facebook!

Magnolia Presbyterian Church

We welcome you to join us any Sunday! 9:15 am Choir Practice 9:15 am Adult Bible Study 10:30 am Worship Service 11:30 am Coffee Hour

March 2016 The Spire — Magnolia Presbyterian Church

Women’s Walk & Coffee Group Saturday, March 5th at 9:00 am in the Mt. Rainier Room Stewardship Meeting Sunday, March 6th at 12:00 pm in the Mt. Rainier Room Nightwatch Wednesday, March 9th at 7:30 pm Women’s Afternoon Bible Study Thursday, March 10th at 1:30 pm in the Mt. Baker Room Emergency Preparedness Meeting Tuesday, March 15th at 7:00 pm in the Mt. Baker Room Deacons Meeting Sunday, March 20th at 12:00 pm in the Mt. Baker Room

Women’s Evening Bible Study Monday, March 21st at 7:00 pm at the home of Maria Dammer Maundy Thursday Service Thursday, March 24th at 7:00 pm Easter Breakfast Sunday, March 27th at 9:00 am in Fellowship Hall Children’s Easter Egg Hunt Sunday, March 27th at 10:00 am Easter Service Sunday, March 27th at 10:30 am in the Sanctuary Men’s Coffee Group Tuesdays at 9:30 am in the Mt. Rainier Room AA Meetings Two AA groups are now meeting at MPC—Tuesdays at 8:00 pm and Wednesdays at 6:45 pm. All are welcome to attend.

Prayers, cards, and calls to those who cannot be with us regularly in worship are always appreciated:

Charlotte Ferguson Dorothy Fergusson Evelyn Freeman Katherine Hoagland Nancy McPhaden