In this issue:

• A final word as this experiment comes to an end

• Introducing Pastor John Schraan

• North County Youth Coming Events

• Opportunities to serve

• Mutual Transformation—One Parish One Prisoner

• Adult Education

• Dinner Church

• Worship with Us (find a church)

Wait. What? Two years have gone by? Wow. That was quick. It feels like I’m just warming up and have a long way to go. In the beginning (March 2020), we had high hopes for this experiment, that is, finding ways to enable relationship building and partnerships between the congregations of the Stillaguamish Cluster.

And then COVID happened. We adapted and adjusted, and it turns out that some things we hoped for just could not happen. Some things we never imagined did. The Spirit leads.

There’s no one perfect way to “build relationships,” and in this time and place, the work has begun slowly but continues quietly, steadily, and will no doubt make a difference in the life of the participating congregations.

The harvest is small and subtle. We are barely planting seeds. We have, in fact, been doing the work that happens before seed planting. We have been preparing soil, making sure it is healthy, removing obstacles (or at least acknowledging them and finding ways to think about them that may lead to more than just hand wringing about our shrinking memberships). We have been building spiritual infrastructure.

• The cluster pastors, deacon and mission developer have continued to meet weekly to share joys and concerns, to study scripture and to consider ways to strengthen the ties between their congregations and communities.

• Camano and Peace have continued to work together to lead and learn alongside their youth and confirmation students.

• North County Youth, now led by Emily Brebner, gather monthly in creative ways, masked and distanced, and have fun no matter what!

  Here’s what’s new:

• A Lay Leaders Team meets regularly, sharing in real, honest ways, learning about and trying various spiritual practices, reading and discussing a book: How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going by Susan Beaumont. Their conversation has been facilitated by Rev. Helen McPeak and myself; Pr. Erik Samuelson will be providing additional training in the months to come.

• The Office Managers meet monthly via Zoom to encourage and teach, share news and information with each other.

• The Cluster “One Parish-One Prisoner (OPOP)” Team meets monthly, learning about the prison industrial complex in general and specifically how to be a friend to our releasing friend, Kelly, as he prepares to re-enter community life. Camano Lutheran members are in the lead on this one.

• A Monday night Zoom Bible Study has met faithfully through the pandemic and includes Vern and Hilda Williamson, who moved to Africa in the middle of the pandemic and can still Zoom with us (when the electrons allow).

• The Cluster Treasurers and the Cemetery Managers all know who each other are and know who to call when they want/need to connect.

• The Care Teams at Camano and Faith are reinvigorated and ready to share what they know (and learn from others who serve as lay visitors and Eucharistic ministers).

None of these meetings has resulted in a giant upsurge of active cooperation and partnering throughout the cluster. What has happened though, is that more people from each congregation know someone else in another church. They recognize that each congregation has an abundance of gifts and a complicated list of challenges. If they need help, they know who to call (besides or in addition to the pastor, because sometimes a congregation goes on without a pastor). When one church decides to reach out into its community and serve, the people will know who to call and invite to help. In these ways, we are on the road to living out our baptismal call as the priesthood of all believers.

My part of this work in the cluster ends at the end of February. I will take a bit of Sabbath rest and return to work when/if the Spirit calls. In the meantime, I give thanks to God for this opportunity, for each and every conversation you have shared, for your loving and prayerful support. I pray that God will continue to bless your fellowship with and service to each other and the people of North Snohomish County.

Grace and peace,

Le

Pastor John and his family come from Christ Lutheran Church in Yakima where he was a Pastor for the past 10 years. Pastor John completed his pastoral training at Luther Theological Seminary, located in St. Paul, MN where he earned a Master of Divinity degree. Prior to that, he studied at Trinity Lutheran College (Lutheran Bible Institute of Seattle) where his major was Biblical Studies. Trinity is where he met and fell in love with his classmate Katrine, an Issaquah native. In college, he also fell in love with the beauty of the Pacific Northwest where he hoped to return after Seminary.

​Pastor John enjoys opening the Bible and connecting the Scripture with our daily lives through preaching, teaching, or song. He delights in responding to the "hard    questions" of faith. The most exciting part of being a pastor for him is watching for the sudden spark of new insight as the Bible comes alive for a parishioner. Pastor John enjoys reading, sharing a meal with friends, playing trumpet, exploring nature, fishing in the family boat, playing video games, and spending time with his family.

Opportunities to love and serve our neighbors in and outside the church walls.

Give at: TheCenteratNorthMarysville.org/support-the-center

MUTUAL TRANSFORMATION

Stillaguamish Cluster One Parish One Prisoner Program

Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m., Men’s Small Group and Bible study. Contact Josh Smith at josh@lincnw.org.

Monday evenings at 7 p.m., via Zoom. Feel free to join us at any time. Contact Faith Lutheran Church for details.