Pacific Northwest Culture and Religious Identity Courses

Seattle University's School of Theology and Ministry

Two Seattle Presbytery (Rev. Scott Anderson & Rev. Kelly Wadsworth) ministers will teach the Presbyterian specific segment of these courses.

Courses begin September 28, 2017
Deadline to register is September 15, 2017
Professional Development Student Cost: $210 per course

Part I class dates are Sept. 28, Oct. 26, Nov. 30 from 6-9pm.
Part II class dates are Jan. 11, Feb. 8, Mar. 8 from 6-9pm.

Books and/or scholarships may be available to students. Please contact tricem@seattleu.edu for more details.

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Pacific Northwest Culture & Lutheran Identity I and II

This two-course sequence will prepare students to become fluent within their own ecclesial tradition, and within the complex cultural challenges and opportunities that the Church experiences today in this region. The focus is to assist students in: Identifying and analyzing the pressing questions and responses to being Church in this region; enlarging their ecclesial fluency in matters of life, worldview, faith and witness in the Pacific Northwest; refining their sense of relevant Gospel witness where theology meets life every day, including any synodically authorized ministry. Sources will range from ELCA social statements to interdisciplinary analyses, from poetry to prose, from local history to international Lutheran service around the world. All of these sources will assist students in living into the question of identifying the markers for a Lutheran Cascadian sensibility in this dynamic region of the world.

Pacific Northwest Culture & Presbyterian Identity I and II

The focus of this two-course sequence is to assist students in: Identifying and analyzing the pressing challenges and responses to being religious in this region; enlarging progressive theological fluency in matters of life, worldview, faith and witness in the Pacific Northwest; and refining relevant leadership acumen that anticipates and is responsive to the societal challenges in this region, which likewise impact the country and the world. 

The two-course sequence provides an enhanced learning environment inclusive of two kinds of students: Students in degree-seeking programs at STM (MDiv, DMin, MAPS, etc.), and non-degree seeking professionals from throughout numerous walks of life, who participate in the life of their community. Distinct from a course on the history, polity or doctrine of a particular tradition, this course will prepare students for fluency both within the Presbyterian tradition, and within the complex cultural challenges and opportunities that religion experiences today in this region. Sources for this two-course sequence will range from social statements to interdisciplinary analyses, from in-class guests to an assessment of global efforts with local impact. All of these sources will assist students in identifying the markers for a Cascadian sensibility in this dynamic region of the world.

Pacific Northwest Culture & United Methodist Identity I and II

This two-course sequence enables students to develop an ecclesial competency in the faith, order, life and work of the UMC. Pacific Northwest Culture and United Methodist Identity will prepare students to become fluent within their own ecclesial tradition, and within the cultural challenges and opportunities that the Church experiences today in this region.  This sequence, taken in the first year of the M.Div. program, is a bookend requirement toward the United Methodist Polity, History, and Doctrine courses (STMA 5860, 5870, & 5880), which rediscover the theological challenges of contemporary United Methodist - Wesleyan identity alongside the place and authority of the historical statements of the United Methodist experience for being Church in the world today.

Pacific Northwest Culture & UUA Identity I and II

This two-course sequence is designed in partnership between the School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University (STM) and the specific religious communities with longstanding commitments at this School for graduate theological education. The focus of this two-course sequence is to assist students in: Identifying and analyzing the pressing challenges and responses to being religious in this region; enlarging progressive theological fluency in matters of life, worldview, faith and witness in the Pacific Northwest; and refining relevant leadership acumen that anticipates and is responsive to the societal challenges in this region, which likewise impact the country and the world.  

The two-course sequence provides an enhanced learning environment inclusive of two kinds of students: Students in degree-seeking programs at STM (MDiv, DMin, MAPS, etc.), and non-degree seeking professionals from throughout numerous walks of life, who participate in the life of their religious community. Distinct from a course on the history, polity or doctrine of a particular tradition, this course will prepare students for fluency both within the Unitarian Universalist tradition, and within the complex cultural challenges and opportunities that religion experiences today in this region. Sources for this two-course sequence will range from social statements to interdisciplinary analyses, from in-class guests to an assessment of global efforts with local impact. All of these sources will assist students in identifying the markers for a Cascadian sensibility in this dynamic region of the world.

Learn more.

Download bulletin insert.

Download poster.

Download postcard.

Click here to register

Message from Seattle Presbytery

Dear sisters and brothers,

Greetings in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ!

This past weekend we were front row spectators to the very face of evil as white supremacists, neo-Nazis and “alt-right” gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia. Once again this country’s centuries-old sin emerged from the fringes of society and leapt to the front page of newspapers, the screens of our televisions and electronic devices and conversations in our gatherings.

Racism, we were reminded, is alive and well and thriving.

Not since 1963 when Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his Letter from a Birmingham Jail expressing his deep sorrow and disappointment in US clergy for not uniting their voices in the struggle for civil rights, has the call to Christians been clearer. There is no place for hatred, racism or white supremacy, especially by those who dare to identify as followers of Jesus Christ. We must be resolute, clear and united in this message.

Our recently adopted Confession of Belhar writes, “We believe that any teaching which attempts to legitimate such forced separation by appeal to the gospel, and is not prepared to venture on the road of obedience and reconciliation, but rather, out of prejudice, fear, selfishness and unbelief, denies in advance the reconciling power of the gospel, must be considered ideology and false doctrine.”

The Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa, where this confession came from, learned that the work of facing and naming evil, speaking truth to power and beginning the work of undoing institutional racism begins with us, the church.  We need to examine how we have been complicit in maintaining structures that provide privilege for some but not all, how we have allowed the Gospel to be co-opted by those who espouse racist ideologies, how we have kept silent when our voices could be living water.

This is not about being political. This is about being faithful.

The Presbytery of Seattle is sponsoring the Crossroads Anti-Racism Training on Saturday, September 23. (Update: Registration deadline extended to September 10.) It has been completely underwritten in the hope that at least half of our churches will participate. We cannot pass up this opportunity to begin the challenging task of facing evil head on, and do this as the body of Christ. But I need you at this event.

Let’s learn how to talk about the sin of racism.

Let’s together live the faith we profess.

Scott Lumsden
Seattle Presbytery

Eliana Maxim
Seattle Presbytery

More resources:

Also online: PC(USA) Stated Clerk's statement: ‘Are we complicit in the racism of the alt-right?’ Read now. 

Link: Belhar Confession Resources

Stanford University: Letter from a Birmingham Jail

Shelley Dahl Memorial & Celebration

A witness to the resurrection and celebration of life

SHELLEY DAHL

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 10:00AM

Mercer Island PC, 3605 84th Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA.

In lieu of flowers, Shelley requested gifts be made in her memory to either the Presbytery of Seattle or the Women’s University Club of Seattle.

Please join the family at the Women’s University Club immediately following the service: Women's University Club, 1105 6th Ave, Seattle, WA.

Would you like to strengthen your New Testament Greek skills?

Study group for rebuilding skills in New Testament Greek

Dear friends,

A bunch of us are meeting twice a month with an extremely effective Greek teacher. We are finding that not only is our Greek improving, but we are also enjoying the whole thing.

Our teacher, Rene Williams,  has taught Greek and Hebrew at Fuller for three decades. She has a great sense of humor, explains things extremely well, and makes us feel that we are capable of learning whatever Greek we want to learn.

Since April five of us (plus Renee) have been working through various NT passages verse by verse. Renee sends emails in advance to help us with the passages.

In the meeting, we talk about the verses and she gives further information to help us figure it out. 

This method works well for people like me (who have a long way to go) but it also seems to be very valuable for the ones who know more. It is a great format for teaching people with different levels of understanding. The two hours feel like one hour.

We meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays.

Up through the second Tuesday of September (9/12) we are meeting from 6pm-8.

Starting on the 4th Tuesday of September (9/26) we will be meeting from 3:30 to 5:30, since the Hebrew class will be going from 6pm through 9:30 (which, by the way, any of us can audit. It is free if you went to Fuller, and for the rest of us it is $240.00. See their website).

We meet in a class room at Fuller (two blocks south of Northgate).

Cost:  I put my hat on one of the tables. People put into it what they decide to and it goes to Renee. Fuller donates the space. 

If you have studied NT Greek in the past, we would love to have you join us. Please email me and I will give you further information: alanbrucebeasley@gmail.com.  Also please email me if you can’t do it right now, but want to do it in the future.

God bless,

Alan Beasley

Book of Order 2017-2019

A free downloadable PDF version of the Book of Order 2017-2019 is now available online. This book is Part II of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and contains the Foundations of Presbyterian Polity, the Form of Government, the newly approved Directory for Worship, and the Rules of Discipline. Additional information is provided to the reader through the inclusion of Received Ecumenical Statements of Guidance and Articles of Agreement.

Download free PDF version.

Whitworth Office of Church Engagement: The Calling Initiative

The Calling Initiative

The Vision

The Lilly Foundation has invited Whitworth’s Office of Church Engagement (OCE) to submit a proposal for $1.5 million to launch a new initiative that will explore what it means to be "called" by God to kingdom work in a post-Christendom setting. By post-Christendom we mean a situation in which Christianity and the church no longer hold a position of cultural privilege and power.

We are choosing to identify this as "the Third Way," which echoes the language used during the early Christian period. The Christian movement was neither religiously pluralistic and syncretistic, as Rome was, nor was it culturally and ethnically isolated, as Judaism was. It embodied a "Third Way," which proved to be highly effective in the ancient world.

We are inviting your church to become a ministry partner with us in exploring what a "Third Way" identity and ministry may look like today.

The Commitment

Ministry partners are invited to step into the Calling Initiative by committing to a one year discernment process. Thereafter, a multiyear commitment to the Calling Initiative is asked from ministry partners by the OCE, for the intention of deepening relationship. The one year discernment process includes the following chronological commitments and begins in the Summer of 2018, with annual openings thereafter, e.g. Summer of 2019.

1. Partner with the OCE
2. Recruit a cohort of at least five people to participate in the Academy of Christian Discipleship’s "Third Way" track. The track explores and explains how the apostolic church (AD 40-90) and early Christian movement (AD 90-300) established a new way of living in the world, based on the gospel, and how we can rediscover this way for the contemporary church.
3. Participate in a process of discerning what your church needs and what it may mean to become a "Third Way" church, especially with reference to the six working groups mentioned below. Participation in the Academy will assist in this process.
4. Consider a multi-year commitment to participate in one or more of the following working groups, which will depend upon what your church needs. The goal here is to develop and deepen "Third Way" ministry in a post-Christendom setting. The six working groups we are considering include:
   • Secular vocation and Gospel faithfulness (Col. 3:14-17)
     Goal: Transform secular vocations for kingdom work
   • Worship: Old, New, and Global (Romans 12:1-2)
     Goal: Transform worship by exploring how the church can renew her vision of God
   • Intergenerational Discipleship (Malachi 4:6)
     Goal: Transform churches by challenging people of all ages to join together in fulfilling the Great Commission
   • Impact on the City (Jeremiah 29:4-11)
     Goal: Transform cities by exploring how churches can become salt, leaven, and light at the local level
   • Evangelism (Matthew 28:18-20)
     Goal: Transform how followers of Jesus understand, live, and practice the Good News
   • Hospitality (Leviticus 19:18, 34)
     Goal: Transform communities by welcoming strangers (immigrants and refugees), orphans, and widows into the church body
5. Continue to participate in the Academy of Christian Discipleship and collaborate with other partner churches within each group.

Read more.

Wholeness and Peace in My Vocation

A Letter from Sarah Henken, serving in Colombia

July 2017

Sometimes it’s the simplest thing that awakens me to joy. I hadn’t imagined myself playing tag and jumping rope when I got up that morning, but there I was, surrounded by children and adults enjoying some raucous play time. I was accompanying a delegation from the Seattle Presbytery on a visit to Semillero de Paz Shalom (Shalom Peace Seedbed), a project for neighborhood children run by Third Presbyterian Church of Barranquilla. I think I can speak for all of us grown-ups: that play time was a gift!

It was one of the moments of life where grace bubbles up all around and seems to echo the affirming refrain of Genesis 1: “God saw how good it was” (CEB). Moments like that glisten in my memory, a counterpoint to the more challenging parts of ministry here in Colombia, and the new energy and enthusiasm of the delegation helped make this one possible. I’m grateful that my friends from Seattle were able to be part of that, and also that they bore witness to the shadow side of life in this wonderland of a country.

Read more.

July 18 Presbytery Meeting Photos

Apple picking weekends @ Campbell Farm

A weekend filled with apple picking!

Weekend includes: 2 night stay here on the farm, all meals, and 1000lbs of apples to share with your congregation.

$2000/20 people. Additional people negotiable

Weekends marked in green are available. Weekend marked in yellow is our Harvest Festival

For more info or to book contact:
The Campbell Farm 2527 Campbell Road Wapato WA 98951

email:campbellfarm3@hotmail.com Office phone 509)877-6413

Welcome Cristhian Gómez, Pastor-in-Residence

Cristhian Gómez

Through our partnership with the North Coast Presbytery in Colombia, our Seattle Presbytery welcomes Cristhian Gómez as a Pastor-in-Residence this summer. Cristhian serves as the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Barranquilla and also teaches Christian education at the Colegio Americano and pastoral theology at Universidad Reformada.  He possesses a vibrant faith that is translated powerfully into the work of equipping his congregation as they engage in acts of justice in the community, seeking always to accompany one another toward a life of flourishing. From his own story of heartache in the face of violence, he is committed to a lifelong work of reconciliation and restoration for God’s Kingdom.

Cristhian is available to meet with pastors and congregants from our Presbtery between now and August 25th.  If you would like to schedule a time with Cristhian, please contact Renée Notkin, reneen@upc.org or (206) 235-8346

On Wednesday evening, July 26th, you are invited to Union Church at 415 Westlake Ave N at 7 p.m. to hear Cristhian talk about the work of the church in Colombia.   He will share about his involvement in the work of reconciliation in Colombia as he comes alongside displaced people as the result of a 60 year civil war.  Learn how the gospel transcends cultures and borders as Cristhian shares his story of forgiveness and hope.

Way Forward Commission issues mid-term report

BOP Employer News: Annual Enrollment Prep

Getting Ready To Select 2018 Benefits

Here are a few things to keep in mind while preparing to review or update your Employer Agreement for 2018:

• The Employer Agreement details the benefits selections for 2018 that will be available to your employees on Benefits Connect during annual enrollment in the fall.
• Key considerations for building your Employer Agreement include who will be covered (and when); what benefits to offer; and how much you (and employees) will pay toward the cost of coverage.
• Be certain that your benefit groups are set up correctly; read Importance of Benefit Groups below.

Key Dates

• Late June: Web tutorials Considerations for Selecting Benefits: Building Your Employer Agreement and Creating Your Employer Agreement available
• Early July: The launch of Selecting 2018 Benefits section, on pensions.org
• Mid-July: Guides for selecting benefits and completing the Employer Agreement available on pensions.org
• July 17-October 13: Employers log on to Benefits Connect to begin reviewing, modeling, and building their Employer Agreements for 2018
• October 13: Deadline for employers to submit their final 2018 Employer Agreements on Benefits Connect
• October 30-November 17: Annual enrollment for members to elect 2018 benefits

If you have questions about the Benefits Plan or the benefits selection process, call the Board at 800-773-7752 (800-PRESPLAN).

Read more.

Kent First PC Final Worship Celebration

Article by Mark Klaas, Kent Reporter

Fri., June 9, 2017

Longtime Kent church to close

One of Kent’s oldest churches is closing, leaving behind a historic house of worship and questions about its future.

First Presbyterian Church of Kent, a part of the local faith community since 1889, performs its final service at 1 p.m. Sunday.

The decision to close was a difficult one for church leaders.

Rich in history and service, the church on East Hill and its aging congregation have arrived at a crossroads – a situation fraught by dwindling membership and financial hard times, according to Eyde Mabanglo, the church’s transitional pastor.

Membership is down to 57 members, many of whom having been with the church for 40 or 50 years and since retired, leaving only a few to financially carry the congregation.

Furthermore, the church, built in 1962, has aged to a point that it is outdated and too expensive to maintain.

“It’s been a difficult journey for them,” Mabanglo said of the close-knit congregation. “They were in a much more critical place than they had realized.

“Our final worship service many hope will be celebratory, and yet it’s hard for some members to not see it as a memorial,” she said.

Read complete article online.

Faith Action Network: We Stand with our Muslim Neighbors

From Faith Action Network: 

Friends,

We realize there has been a lot of constantly changing information already out there about the upcoming rally this Saturday, 6/10 in Seattle, by Act for America, recognized by Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group (now slated to take place at Seattle City Hall plaza, 600 4th Avenue). While faith leaders have been involved in conversations with an ad hoc group planning a counter presence this Saturday, FAN, the Church Council of Greater Seattle, and other faith organizations have decided not to sign on organizationally.

While solidarity with our Muslim neighbors has been lifted up as a primary value in planning for the counter-presence there, we realize that there will be a diversity of voices and expressions in how that counter-presence manifests itself, which may or may not be consistent with public vigils that local faith communities have traditionally convened.  We appreciate the significant thoughtfulness and conversation in planning among people and groups, some of whom have been meeting for the first time. That being said, we want to share some options for faith community members who will participate downtown or who choose to express solidarity in other ways.

We offer the following list of possibilities before/during/after 6/10:

The most important thing is we are there for one purpose, one message: We Stand with Our Muslim Neighbors. Whatever happens Saturday will have the greatest impact on their communities.

Read more.

Tall Timber Youth Camps

A WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR HAD THIS TO SAY ABOUT TALL TIMBER...

Jerry Sittser, Whitworth University's Professor of Theology, had this to say about Tall Timber:

I can't think of a more beautiful and inspiring setting for a camp anywhere in the country.

I think this perfectly sums up what Tall Timber summer camps offer to kids of all ages. Between the beautiful and inspiring setting at Tall Timber, the chance to make lifelong friends while on an outdoor adventure, and our dedication to God and all that He has created, we hope your kids will join us this summer.

Only a few weeks left to book. 

Blessings, 

Dave Saugen, Executive Director

Email: registrar@talltimber.org

Phone: 509-763-3127

CMC Pentecost Pitchathon

Thank you to Union Church for hosting and Chris Lim & CMC for coordinating this event.  About 24 people attended and ten pitches were presented. 

See more pictures.

Update from Rev. Ryan & Alethia White

Dear friends,

Please find our latest letter update posted here on our website: 

https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/missionconnections/letter/building-bridges/

We will be in the U.S. this summer from June-August to visit with churches and others interested in the work here in Berlin. Please find some info regarding this in our letter and we look forward to seeing some of you in person and perhaps others of you by Skype as we will be located on the East Coast this time. 

Peace to you,

Rev. Ryan and Alethia White

Presbyterian Church (USA) Mission Co-workers

https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/missionconnections/ryan-and-alethia-white/

‘We are not dying. We are Reforming.'

Significant Aspects of the 2016 Statistical Report

MAY 24, 2017

Office of the General Assembly
REV. J. HERBERT NELSON, II
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly

LOUISVILLE

We are moving towards a new future as a denomination. Membership loss, which was experienced since the 1970s, is slowing down. Congregations are refocusing on their mission. Mid councils are experimenting with ways to provide meaningful leadership in challenging times. Congregations are celebrating both anniversaries and new beginnings. Young adults are asserting their desires to serve in both domestic and international mission. Despite cries proclaiming the death of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), we remain a viable interfaith and ecumenical partner in many local communities while proclaiming a prophetic witness throughout the world. Our eulogy as a denomination has been written too soon, because God’s Kingdom has not yet come. We are engaged both in the United States and around the globe. We are well-respected for our priestly and prophetic voice within Christendom. Our challenge is to see the powerful opportunities that are before us while declaring with Holy Spirit boldness that God is doing amazing work within us right now.

We have much more than we recognize. It is my hope that initially we will make bold moves to embrace the communal nature of our theology and practice. I want to encourage mid councils to implement strategies to move congregations categorized as “Fellowships” to the status of chartered congregations, particularly when they have met membership requirements to charter. Many racial ethic immigrant congregations are classified as “Fellowships.” These congregations are participating in the PC(USA), but are not fully brokered into the membership of the denomination. They are not required, in most instances, to pay per capita, while remaining non-voting members of presbyteries. This “half-in/half-out” status creates a perceived, racially motivated compromise that limits full participation even when many of these congregations outnumber by large margins long-term member congregations. My international travel offers clarity related to the new evangelism field of immigrants that know well the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). We should embrace these immigrants with a sense of kinship while recognizing their long-term familiarity and association with our missionary work. Immigrants are not strangers. Therefore, we must not categorize immigrants as such through existing membership double standards. They are Presbyterians and should be accepted and embraced as we do all Presbyterians. This effort alone could demonstrate our intentionality towards fulfilling our failed commitment to increase racial ethnic participation 20 percent by 2010.[1]

God through Jesus Christ awaits our commitment. As we are challenged to become a more racially diverse denomination in order to grow into the future, it is imperative that we invite new immigrants into our congregations as members; connect with those who benefitted from our ministry partnerships across the globe; hear the voices of our youth and young adults regarding their vision for the future of the church; train a new generation of leaders; and creatively engage in inviting people to a transformative experience in our worship and mission. Take the risk of asking those persons in your midst (both members and nonmembers) the question Jesus ask Bartimaeus “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mk. 10: 51). This question has power when offered in love. 

I pray that a move of the Spirit will come over us in this new period of reform. Claiming persons to both experience the joy of fellowship and the faith within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

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[1] Resolution on Racial Ethnic New Church Development and Redevelopment, Minutes, 1996, Part I, p. 378, paragraph 33.148.

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PC(USA) membership decline continues but slows (Press Release)

A complete report of the comparative statistics is available online. Miscellaneous information also is available.

Sammamish PC's involvement with the refugee crisis in Greece

Update from Sammamish PC given at July 18, 2017 presbytery meeting:

Refugee Crisis Update: Donations Urgently Needed to Replace Facilities Lost in a Fire

On July 10th a protest at the detainment center in Moria led to a fire that resulted in almost a complete destruction of EuroRelief resources on site in the detainment center/refugee camp. Both the “buildings” and contents of the buildings were burned to the ground and now EuroRelief has been left no facilities nor supplies to minister to the 3000 inhabitants of the camp. Funds are urgently needed to replace the destroyed infrastructure. Here is a more detailed update from the EuroRelief leader Kim Garrity.

“As for needs, we lost our whole office, with computers, printers, as well as wrist band and ID cards. Many volunteers as well as our translators lost their back pack with passport, phone, wallet. The translators that were living on the office area escaped with the shirt on their back. The clothing store and container we're destroyed as well as the new sewing lab, with four industrial machines, and the computer lab. We lost all of our sporting equipment, including the volleyball net, boxing mitts and bag, all balls. The evening tea was served from there, so we lost our tea pots and all supplies for that. Smoke damaged all our stock of blankets, sleeping bags and tents. Our tools were mostly destroyed, starting over there, too. Both hand tools and electrical and cordless. Most of the walkie talkies we're saved, as they were on us at the time. But 90% of the chargers were burned in the fires. Fortunately, our warehouse off site, full of clothes, was unaffected. We are compiling a good list, for donors, prioritizing what we need. It is best for churches and individuals is to donate money, and specify which item, rather than buying it in North America and trying to ship it over.”

Ways to Donate:

www.EuroRelief.net

Crowdfunding Campaign: www.YouCaring.com/Eurorelief-877187

Donate or send a team of volunteers:

www.GEMISSION.ORG/REFUGEE

Other ways to help:

Donate to the UNHCR www.donate.unrefugees.org

Buy a product to fundraise and promote awareness:

Buy a bracelet made out of refugee lifejackets worn during their crossing to Greece: (These benefit both the refugees and the suffering islanders of Lesvos.)

www.getazoeband.com

Buy a welcome mat or table runner made out of lifejackets:

www.thistlefarms.org

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Sammamish Presbyterian recently teamed up with Greater Europe Mission to send a mission team to volunteer at the Moria Refugee Camp/Detainment Center on the Island of Lesvos in Greece. With only four miles of water to cross between the island and Turkey, Lesvos has become ground zero for refugees trying to reach the EU. The NGO we worked under at the camp is called EuroRelief and they are the NGO with the contract to run the camp on behalf of the UN and the Greek government. While it is technically a military run detainment center guarded by Greek police, EuroRelief does the all work of distributing the food, blankets, clothing, and manages the living arrangements within the camp. While about half the asylum seekers are Syrians fleeing the war, everyone who gets caught trying to get into Europe gets detained and processed at this facility so over 40 different nationalities were present within the camp.

For the manpower to staff the camp of 2200 asylum seekers on a 24 hour, 7 days a week schedule, EuroRelief relies on a constant rotation of volunteers from a wide array Christian ministries such as YWAM, Greater Europe Mission, and I58. These organizations send teams of church members and college students as well as solo individuals from all three North American countries and Western Europe. The core job description of the volunteer work at the camp comes straight out of Matthew 25. “I was hungry and you fed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was in prison and you visited me.”  While on shift at the camp, our team did many routine tasks such as monitoring the entrances of the various the housing units, distributing meals, making hot tea on a cold night, and escorting those that needed medical attention to the volunteer doctors on site.
 
Probably the most important ministry we provided beyond meeting the basic physical necessities was to be a sympathetic ear and an open heart as the refugees shared their incredible stories of survival and loss. Most of them have experienced a great deal of tragedy and hardship by the time they arrive at this camp and are often deeply traumatized by those experiences. It was critically important that we volunteers made sure theses survivors realized that they are cared for not forgotten by the rest of the world. While no proselytizing is allowed in camp, volunteers are able to have meaningful conversations about whatever topic the individual refugee desires to bring up.
 
One of the great surprises for our team was the incredible hospitality and care the refugees showed us in return. Even though most of these individuals had lost so much and had so little in the form of resources, our team was constantly treated as guests of honor and offered the best seat by the fire or a portion of whatever food was being passed out. Our female team members were often escorted by male refugees from place to place to make sure we stayed safe.  Our entire team would most likely agree that while this mission trip was one of the most heartbreaking experiences they had ever felt, it was also one of the most rewarding mission trips they have ever taken. Our church plans to send another team to Moria next spring and to search out opportunities to help with the refugee crisis here at home as well.  
 
Robin Brumley
Neece Administrator

Learn more about SPC's trip.

iKokua Partnering with Nonprofits

Introducing www.iKokua.com: an online classified ad site that the seller can donate the proceeds directly to charity.  You can also find us on Facebook, @iKokua. There is no cost to the nonprofit other than their normal process for substantiating donations!

Nonprofits are deeply valued in our community, but too often scramble for ways to keep lights on and programs up. Many people like the idea of donating to nonprofits, but may be unfamiliar with philanthropy or short on cash. iKokua bridges these things with a solution that funnels money to nonprofits while giving donors an easy way to support them.

 How it works:   

·         Sellers post tangible goods on www.iKokua.com to be sold in a virtual auction, choosing a local nonprofit to benefit from the sale. 

·         Buyers browse, shop and make purchases in this online environment.

·         After the auction, sellers and buyers make arrangements between themselves to convey items purchased. Items that don’t sell remain with sellers, or can be reposted later. iKokua emails sellers verification of their donations (considered in-kind) for IRS tax deductions.

·         Nonprofits benefit at no cost to themselves. iKokua forwards 95 percent of sale proceeds to them, while keeping just 5 percent for handling and processing. 

Learn more.

 iKokua auctions are fun, meaningful, and provide a new, seamless way for nonprofits to fundraise – and friendraise – in the community. 

Rich Sasaki, Nonprofit Service Representative and Founder iKokua, Inc., is a member of Seattle Community Church (Seattle Presbytery).