It’s hard to believe that this is my second-to-last Thursday newsletter in my role as pastor at Alki UCC. February 21 will be my last day in worship. The mounting boxes and packing tape overtaking my home are constant reminders of the next chapter that lies ahead for both of us.
During coffee hour this past Sunday, Council Moderator Emily H gave an important update regarding the church’s plans for the next few months. Two things are happening simultaneously. First, a small group from the Council is working on hiring a Bridge Pastor with an estimated start date in March 2021. When they have something to announce, we will all find out together.
Secondly, during the Bridge pastor’s tenure, a pastoral search team will seek a permanent pastor (sometimes called “settled pastor” or “designated pastor”). This process is a bit more involved and is governed by Alki’s bylaws. The wise and diverse members of the congregation constitute this team and hopefully you received information about how to nominate someone for this special task! (If you didn’t, contact the office to make sure you are on the mailing list.)
Please consider taking some time this week to think about who in the church has an eye for the well-being of the whole congregation and might be a voice of wisdom on the pastoral search team. I will miss all of you dearly and have loved serving as your minister during this transitional time.
Transitional pastors never quite know how the story will unfold at the outset of their ministry and it is our deepest hope that the church will find her way through the times of uncertainty. Alki has done that and the entire congregation discerned together the way forward. The church is more than ready to search for the next pastor and to form a strong partnership for years to come. My prayers for you abound!
Ever onward,
Pastor Kelly
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Note:
Please plan on staying after worship his Sunday, February 14, to reflect with Pastor Kelly on the past year and share hopes for the future.
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Seeking Nominations for Pastor Search Committee
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By now you’ve probably heard that Pastor Kelly is leaving Alki UCC at the end of the month to accept the call as settled pastor for a church in Salem, Oregon. Over the last several weeks, she has observed that our church has worked through a discernment process, clarified a vision/future story and is now ready to call a permanent pastor. Rev. Mike Denton, Executive Director of UCC’s Pacific Northwest Conference, expressed the same sentiment at a recent Church Council meeting, attesting that: “Pastor Kelly is leaving you in a good place.”
Our next step is to review nominations for the important task of forming the Pastor Search Committee. Following are some suggested candidate guidelines from the UCC Guide to Pastoral Search and Call Notes for the Local Church:
Members of the committee “should serve with wisdom, maturity and creativity … compelled less by a personal agenda and more by a commitment to the future of the church. {They should} represent diverse ages, races and cultures, genders, life experiences and perspectives.”
The committee’s initial business should include time for “conference staff, prayer, reflection on the Local Church Profile, clarification of Search Committee’s role, agreed-upon criteria for the next minister,” and establishing “a sacred pattern of work: a meeting calendar with dedicated time for prayer and team building.” Candidates should expect to set aside time each week for the committee’s development and work.
The Council is planning to select five to seven committee members. Folks can self-nominate or nominate one to five individuals. Please send your nominations to Council Moderator Emily H, who will contact nominees to discern their interest.
The nomination closing date is Monday, February 15; committee members will be finalized at the Council’s March 3 meeting.
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Last Call!! Mardi Gras Gumbo Ordering Deadline this Friday, February 12
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 Executive Chef Dave S reports that the Mardi Gras kitchen is taking final orders through tomorrow for its signature homemade, takeout Gumbo with Rice to reheat and enjoy whenever you are so inclined. The Gumbo includes Chicken and (Chicken) Andouille Sausage, and you may order it with or without shrimp. A vegan option is also available.
Suggested donations are $15 for enough to serve two, or $8 for a single serving. Click here to order your take-out Gumbo,
Mardi Gras Monday February 15
Your order will be available for pickup at Alki UCC's front courtyard on Monday, February 15, between 3:00 and 6:00 pm.
Please have your payment ready as an exact cash donation or a check made out to "Alki UCC."
Stop by for a few socially-distanced minutes and enjoy the warmth of our community fire pit. We will also be distributing packets of at-home ashes for you to administer during our Zoom Ash Wednesday service.
While you're at it, bring along your non-perishable food donation for the White Center Food Bank or a pair or two of new socks for a neighbor experiencing homelessness. — Vicky S
PS: You can also ask to have your Gumbo or Ash Wednesday worship ashes delivered; contact the church office by tomorrow, February 12.
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Outreach/Social Justice Team Update
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Calling all cooks!
Lunch Needed for WIN "Welcome Table"
Saturday, February 20
Be a part of Westside Interfaith Network's vital hot lunch program -- feeding more than 150 of our homeless and low-income neighbors in the White Center area.
Hosted from the Body of Christ Church kitchen, WIN volunteers serve each person an overflowing box of hot, nutritious food packaged to-go. Most of the men's clothing/sock donations received by Alki UCC are also distributed through the "Welcome Table" program, providing warmth inside and out as well as some basic essentials like toiletries and books.
Serving lunch is already covered by the host church. We are partnering with Admiral UCC to deliver 12-15 large trays of food the morning of February 20, so we need cooks! Make your favorite easy casserole in a large foil roasting pan: mac and cheese, chicken and rice, roasted vegetables, tuna casserole, lasagna, baked beans and hot dogs, etc. It doesn't have to be fancy, just simple good food!
So far we have seven people signed up, so I know we can do this! Contact Cinda to add your name and what food you'll bring:
Saturday, February 20
Drop off hot food by 11:15 am
Body of Christ Church
1320 SW 102nd, White Center, 98146
(two blocks east of Saars and McLendon's)
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 Workshop: History of Slavery in the United States
Our resident scholar and scientist, Joe Aprile, has developed an ambitious educational workshop about the History of Slavery in our country, which strikes me as an excellent follow-up to reading Caste, and a necessary step in our exploration of white supremacy.
Please fill out this short questionnaire if you are interested in attending a Zoom workshop, and if so, indicate your preferred time.
Pictured above: Sojourner Truth (1797 – 1883), an ex-slave and powerful spokesperson for the abolitionist movement and for women’s rights.
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Alki UCC Winter Food/Men’s Clothing/New Socks Donations Drive this Sunday, February 14
 Please drop by with your non-perishable food donations, men's casual/work clothes, and NEW socks. Collections are from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm outside the church's Hinds Street entrance.
If you have donations but you are not comfortable going out, we will come to you! Please contact me or the church office to schedule a pickup.
But wait, there's more!
If you're coming to the church on Monday, February 15 (3:00 to 6:00 pm) to pick up your Mardi Gras Gumbo and Ash Wednesday ashes, bring along a donation or two to drop off. The White Center Food Bank barrel will be right outside the main entrance. — Cinda S
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Special Prayers for the family and friends of Walter Wallace,
Jonathan Price, Jacob Blake, Rayshard Brooks, Manuel Elllis, George Floyd, Elijah McClain, Dreasjon (Sean) Reed, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and the heart-breaking list of African-Americans and other people of color murdered or wounded by police or self-declared vigilantes in our nation over many decades. We mourn with you and we stand for justice and healing.
Special Prayers for all those on the front lines of working to protect us, keep us healthy, sane, grounded, informed, fed and comfortable during the current COVID 19 outbreak: our faith leaders, front-line health care workers, EMTs, police, firefighters, educators, transit bus and rail drivers, farmers, therapists, social workers, shelter operators, engineers, grocery/drug store personnel, caregivers, childcare specialists, pharmacists, custodians, organizations caring for the most vulnerable, sanitation workers, dispatchers and others keeping our supply chains operational, truth-telling journalists and all the many public servants who are so vital to our community.
For those grieving the recent death of a loved one:
Friends and family of Sue B's friend Toni, Charlie H and family; Candace G and family; Ed B and family; Jeff D's cousin Jerry Elder and his wife Tami Elder; Todd S and family; Patty M, family and friends of Bob J, family and friends of Jim C, Kirstin and family; Larry G
Recent hospitalization, illness and other concerns:
Jeff and Kirstin's sister-in-law Sue, Sandy and Jim's friend Al, his mom, Sue and friend Kay; Penny M; Kirstin D; Shannon P's father, Rev. Dr. Bill; Verona's younger brother Eric; Julia C's long-time friend Megan; Bonita C; Claire F; Dayle B; Imy P; Kirstin D's father; Don P; Jeff J; Bev C; John K; Jan C
For homebound members/friends of Alki UCC: Doris C
Wider World: Prayers for all those affected by the corona virus outbreak; all those suffering from PTSD in the military and around the world; for all those affected by the increasingly cruel and inhumane US immigration policies imposed by the current administration; prayers for fewer guns, for all victims and those affected by gun violence; victims and survivors of extremist violence around the world; migrants seeking refuge around the world, and for those who are trying to help them. The rest of the missing schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram, who remain in our hearts as long as they remain missing. The hungry and homeless, the ill and the addicted, the lost and the lonely; the unemployed.
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Worship this Sunday,
February 14
at 10:00 am
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Pastor Kelly is preaching; it's Transfiguration Sunday.
Theme:
The Jesus Approach:
Transfiguration
Scripture:
Mark 9:2-9
Liturgist:
Vicky S
Moment of Ministry:
Faith Formation
Music Highlights:
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Charles Wesley
What The Worlds Needs Now (Is Love)
Hal David & Burt Bacharach
Jesus Loves Me
Anna B. Warner & David Rutherford McGuire
During Coffee Hour, we'll share reflections on the past year and our hopes for the future with Pastor Kelly.
Sunday's Order of Worship, including the scripture text, is linked here.
Worship & Music team meeting after worship this Sunday.
Add your voice to help us shape Lenten and Easter observances. The team will take on an expanded role in the next couple of months in our work with the Bridge Pastor. Contact: Joe M
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Alki UCC Winter Food Drive and Call for Socks This Sunday
10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Hinds Street Courtyard
Last month, our generous community donated more than 1,200 lbs of food for the White Center Food Bank ... plus armloads of men's casual/work clothes and NEW socks ... the clothing item most requested by our neighbors experiencing homelessness..
Let's top that! — Cinda
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Ash Wednesday Zoom Service
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February 17
at 7:00 pm
Join us to observe the beginning of Lent and our time of communal reflection.
Registration, different from Sunday worship, is required.
Click here for link.
You will receive a confirmation email with your own unique login.
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Pastoral Transition Dates
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Sunday, February 21
Pastor Kelly’s final Alki UCC worship
March TBD
Bridge Pastor begins
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The Alki UCC Council now meets on the first and third Wednesdays of the month (except for 2/17, which will be on 2/16).
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Zoom Registration Link for Sunday Worship
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You only need to register once for Sunday worship.
You will receive a confirmation email with your own unique link to join Sunday worship.
For additional assistance, phone or text Tech Deacon Shannon P.
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PNCUCC February Calendar Now Online
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Admiral UCC "Theology Thursdays"
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Admiral UCC invites you to a new monthly series of live, interactive guest (Zoom) lectures called Theology Thursdays, planned for fourth Thursdays from 3:00 to 4:00 pm. The Feb 25 topic is "What They Don't Teach in Sunday School:
Women Have Been Leaders All Along."
To register, visit admiralchurch.org, click Events, then Upcoming, then the “Join Mailing List” box under the Theology Thursdays logo..
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Alki UCC Sunday Worship YouTube Channel
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Sunday Worship videos posted weekly. Click image below.
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Click on the blue donate button to make a secure, online credit card donation and an overview of other ways to donate.
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6115 SW Hinds
Seattle, WA 98116
206/935-2662
Check for church news and calendar updates at www.alkiucc.org.
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