KIDZ
2100 "O" Ave. Anacortes, WA 98221 360.293.9586 info_anacorteslutheran.org
Youth Ministries
Adult Ministries
ALC Preschool
Children Ministries
A ministry that not only reaches out to youth, but empowers youth to be in minsitry. To raise up leaders in our midst, a variety of oppurtunities are offered in fellowship, worhsip, learning, and outreach. "It is by grace we have been saved through faithand this is not from yourself, it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8
Anacortes Lutheran Church has many Adult ministries that support our community as well as our members through fellowship, worship, and outreach.
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" Matthew 28:19
Anacortes Lutheran Preschool is a non-profit, Christian preschool which is a mission outreach of Anacortes Lutheran Church. We are committed to your childs growth, socially, emotionally, physically and cognitively.
Anacortes Lutheran church is a place for children and their families! We offer many exciting opportunities for children to grow in faith. We want children to not only know foundational Bible stories; we want kids to experience the Love of Jesus and have fun!
Kids of the
KINGDOM!
Sunday School
Busy Moms
Children's &
Family Events!
M.O.P.S
V.B.S.
Stay Tuned for 2012
Vacation Bible School!
4th Graders
Bible Boot Camp
Saturday, January 29th 9-10:30am
Club 456
Rollerskating & Pizza Party!
Friday, Janaury 27th 4:30-7pm $5, meet and return to ALC
Sign up with Steph Ogle a week before!
Whole Church Event
Lutheran Olympics!
Sunday, January 29th 3-5:30pm
In the Church Fellowhsip Hall. Final Competition: Crockpot Cook-Off!
WOW! What a week we had for Vacation Bible School (July 18-21) So much happened, so many friends made and memories that will be remembered forever. None of this could have happened without the continued support and help from all the volunteers, youth, trainees, and leaders. Each person who contributed played a huge part in the overall creation of VBS Pandamania 2011!
Stay Tuned for Vacation Bible School 2012!
Busy Moms' Bible Study
New! Thursday Evenings 7pm beginning January 5th (childcare not provided)
2nd, 3rd, & 4th Wednesdays 10:30am-12:00pm in Sunday School Area
Join us for any morning! This group has been a true blessing for many of us... a time to pray for each other and a weekly time to dig into God's word to see how it guides us through our joys, our struggles and every day in between! We meet in the Sunday School area (childcare is available.)
Our group has moms from their 20s to their 90s. You are sure to fit in somewhere!
Call the church office for more information.
No One can see the kingdom of Heaven without being born again.
John 3:3
What is MOPS?
MOPS stands for "mothers of preschoolers" - but don't let that confuse you. MOPS is about meeting the needs of every mom of a child from conception through kindergarten. Whether you're urban, suburban, rural, stay-at-home, working, teen, adoptive, special-needs, single or married, MOPS is for you! Being moms is what brings us together and allows us to build a community. The early years of being a mom are just as foundational to you as they are to your baby, and those years are filled with unique needs that other moms instinctively understand.
Anacortes Lutheran Church has an officialy registered MOPS group that meets the 1st Wednesday of every month from 9:30am to 11:30am at the Church.
Click Here to navigate to the MOPS Official Website!
Our Church home in the
heart of Anacortes!
Welcome to Anacortes Lutheran Church!
This is an amazing community of people committed to knowing and following Jesus.
I have the privilege of working alongside talented and dedicated people who are immersed in the love of God, each and every day. They energize and uplift me and make it a joy to serve here. I invite you to call our staff and get to know them. They are committed to serving and sharing their faith with you.
Wherever you are in your faith journey, it is my hope that you too might find a place and people at Anacortes Lutheran where you can connect to Christ, be immersed in God's love, and find joy in service. On behalf of our congregation and staff I invite you to make this your church home. Come and share the good news of God's gracious love made known in Jesus who forgives, heals and makes all things new.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Debra R.H. Benson
Pastor Debra Benson
Jeni Richards
Director of Children & Family Ministry
Tanya Twete
Director of Anacortes Lutheran Preschool
Steph Ogle
Director of Youth & Family Ministries
Suzy Berglund
Church Secretary
Laurie Julius Carver
Choir Director
Bob Foster
Custodian
Mirth Moore
Custodian & Child Care
Draw near to God,
and He will draw near to you. James 4:8
Sunday Mornings 9:00am
Our 9:00am Sunday service is a blend of contemporary and traditional worship music. It can also include gospel songs and other Christian songs. When needed, a song leader will lead the congregation in songs that are not as familiar.
1st Sunday of each month: Praise Music with song leaders and guitar and drums
2nd Sunday of each month: Blended service music
3rd Sunday of each month: Blended service music
4th Sunday of each month: Traditional Music (Red Hymnal)
5th Sunday of each month: (when applicable) Blended service music
Sunday Mornings 10:30am
This service is a traditional service using the red hymnal and a combination of organ and piano. The choir will sing, and occasionally the Sunday School will sing at the beginning of this service.
Children's Sunday School
Sunday School will be held during the first service again this year. Arrive with your family for the 9:00am service and children will be excused during the beginning of the service to head up to their classrooms. Parents are always welcome to walk their children up to their room if they are nervous or shy to begin with!
Music
F.A.S.T Team
Anacortes Lutheran Church has several small groups throughout the week to meet every person's interests, and schedule.
The doors are always open!
New! Busy Moms Bible Study Thursdays 7:00pm Begining Jan 5th
Men's Bible Study Thursdays 6:45 am (all year round)
Women's Bible Study Thursdays 12:00 pm (Thessalonians)
New! Men's Evening Bible Study Tuesdays 7pm (Book of Romans)
Wednesday Prayer Group 10:00 am in Conference Room
MOPS 1st Wed, 9:30am-11:30am (Fellowship Hall)
Busy Mom's Wednesdays 10:00 am (childcare provided)
Esther Circle 10:00 am
Hannah Circle 10:00 am
Ruth Circle 10:00 am
Mary/Martha Circle 1:00 pm
Anna Circle 6:30 pm
Women's Circles meet for Bible study and fellowship the second Tuesday of each month (Sept-May).
Call the Church Office for more details!
January Newsletter 2011.pdf
Janu_Calendar.pdf
Jan 22 lector.pdf
What's Going on
in the ELCA?
(Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)
A Message from ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanon
updated 12-28-2011
Last November I participated in the annual visit of ELCA bishops with members of Congress and the White House staff in Washington D.C. This year I began my conversation with them by referencing
Article 16 of the Augsburg Confession. I
reminded them that Lutherans see government to be a “good creation of God” and as such working for the good of all creation and its creatures. Frankly that introduction seemed to catch those involved in government by surprise.
In the middle of the partisan posturing that is occurring in halls of government this belief that those who are called to the vocation of leader are a gift from God is not part of our political dialog. As we begin a year that will be dominated by political campaigns and advertising, I pray that we might bring this understanding to our body politic. Understanding that good order and the
common good is in fact a gift from God does change the way we talk about government. This does not mean that one side in our political debates can claim theirs is the God given position. Rather it sees the whole process and all of those we elect as stewards of a call from God for the good of all. I am convinced that we need to be
reminded that as we think about the problems facing the world, our country, state or local community, we are part of something far beyond ourselves.
God is at work in the world and we are called to share in that work. Luther defines the creative activity of God as not just calling the world into being, but also “daily and abundantly provides shoes and clothing, food and drink, house and farm, spouse and children, fields, livestock, and all property—along with all the necessities and nourishment for this body and life.48 God protects me against all danger and shields and preserves me from all evil. And all this is done out of pure, fatherly, and divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness of mine at all!”1 The work of government is God’s work.
Government does not have the task of
preaching the gospel. That is still the task of the church. Caring for the creation and for all people is the reason that God calls leaders to serve in government. So, as you exercise your political vocation this year, listen to how those running for office
will exercise this call from God for the good of God’s world.
We are a church that belongs to Christ, and we believe God calls each of us by name. Therefore, the ELCA has repeatedly affirmed the biblical witness and our shared experience of working with and on behalf of Americas newcomers through our ministry with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service.
The 2011 Churchwide Assembly of the ELCA voted overwhelmingly in support of immigration reform and the DREAM Act. The churchwide assembly is the ELCAs highest legislative authority serving on behalf of 4.2 million baptized ELCA members.
The biblical call to hospitality also inspired Lutheran congregations across the country to discuss transforming communities into centers of hospitality through relationship building and advocacy. In addition, congregations are holding DREAM Act Sabbaths to lift up the experiences of undocumented youth and encourage broader public support for the legislation.
The need to overhaul the U.S. immigration system is becoming ever more urgent. In the absence of comprehensive immigration reform, states have felt compelled to write their own immigration laws, which are often shortsighted and misguided. The ELCA needs your leadership. We urge you to continue to speak to Congress and the American public to take action on comprehensive immigration reform and the DREAM Act and to explore other compassionate policy reforms that advance the common good.
As a national church body, the ELCA -- our congregations, bishops, schools and millions of individual members -- continues to preach, teach, advocate and work with and on behalf of Americas newcomers. This nation has achieved such greatness due to the resilience, labor and intellect of immigrants. We will roll up our sleeves and work tirelessly until this nation is once again a place of welcome and justice for newcomers.
In God's grace,
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Come Home to Christ
Dear Friends in Christ,
The girls were small and we wanted to be home for Christmas. We left a few hours before midnight, just after the late Christmas Eve service was over, hoping the 24 hour drive which stretched before us would get us to my parents home in time to be with family before Christmas Day came to a close. We discovered that most people are home for Christmas as the only places open along Interstate 94 were truck stops. The girls still remember their long ago Christmas Day feast of truck stop hot dogs.
Home takes many forms. We share the earth and it is our home. We share this church and it is our home. We have our own homes and yet we know that some are homeless.
People come home to church at Christmas because they are looking for those things that home provides: comfort, peace and belonging. It can be rough out there. It is the dark time of year. It can be cold and lonely. Our church home grounds us, renews us and reminds us that God loves us.
Christmas is Gods homecoming. And the word
became flesh and dwelt among us. God sends his son to make his home with us. Gods purpose in making his home with us is that we might be redeemed. God comes to the places we live and buys us back as his own. He renews his claim on us. He sais you are my people, and I am your God, and I will set you free. And so, he gives us Jesus, humbly born in a stable.
Years after that truck stop Christmas, when the girls were older, our usual state of high energy, intensely focused Christmas Eve activity found us rushing home between services to eat a hasty meal of meatballs before hurrying back for our respective late
services. I will never forget our daughters announcement as she left the table in tears, heading for her bedroom, that she wasnt going to eat with people who didnt love each other. The other three of us looked up from our plates and said incredulously, are you kidding, we dont have time to love each other, we have to get back to church!
I have pondered that for many years and finally it came to me. That is Christmas in a nutshell. God comes home to live and dwell and eat with us despite our lack of loving one another. God never sais, I will only make my home with those that love me. If God put that stipulation on us, Jesus would never have been born. The gift of Christ is that in him, God comes to our earthly home to live, dwell, and dine with us even when we arent so loving to God or one another. Christ is the Greek word for savior, deliverer, redeemer of the world. It is in and through Jesus the Christ, that God chooses to love us and in that love to change us to be like him. I dont know about you but for me that is a powerfully gracious word of good news.
Let us carry the gift of Christmas well into our new year and may it shape us as one people in Christ Jesus as we pray, in the words of the beautiful litany from Holden Evening Prayer:
Keep watch within me God, deep in my heart may the love of your Christ keep burning bright.
Blessings in the New Year Pastor Deb
Past Month's
News
We'd love to hear
from you!
ADDRESS 2100 "O" Ave. Anacortes, WA 98221
PHONE 360.293.9586
EMAIL info_anacorteslutheran.org
WEB anacorteslutheran.org
Church Office Hours:
Monday-Friday
9:00am to 3:30pm
Middle School
Confirmation!
Wednesdays from 6:30-8:00pm
Fellowship: 6:30-7:00pm
Class: 7:00-8:00pm
Confirmation is the traditional program for middle school students to learn about their faith culminating in an affirmation of Baptism. Middle School students meet throughout the school year with our pastor and youth director to learn the Apostles Creed, Lord’s Prayer, sacraments and Old Testament and New Testament of the Bible. Confirmation students also participate in service projects and monthly events. Please reference youth website for more information. All are welcome!
4-6 Grade Ministry!
Students in grades 4th-6th grade have a ministry all their own at ALC! During the school year we meet once per month for a theme night.
We have wacky fun, while learning about God and his amazing gift to us- Jesus!
Click Here for upcoming events!
High School
Youth Group! Sundays from 5:30-6:30pm
at Anacortes Lutheran Church. Bring your bible,
a friend and come for dinner. Schedule:
Theme: Genesis
January 8: Chicken Noodle Soup!
Discussion: "Trust when trust is hard"
January 15: Pizza!
Discussion: "Called for a purpose"
January 22: Taco Bar!
Discussion: "Choosing correctly"
January 29: Chili!
Discussion: "Strength in adversity"
Photo Album!
Pastor Debra Benson graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN in 1981 with a BA in Social Work and Psychology and a minor in Religion. She worked at Lutherwood Bible Camp near Bellingham, WA and then as a Parish Assistant at Concordia Lutheran Church in Superior, WI before attending Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul where she graduated in 1988 with a Masters of Divinity. She served her internship year at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mount Vernon and was ordained in July 1989 at Grace Lutheran in Ada, MN where she recieved her first call. She served at Salem Lutheran Church in Mount Vernon, WA beginning in 1993. She was called to serve as Senior Pastor at Anacortes Lutheran Church in March 2002. She is a married to Pastor Lewis Benson who currently serves Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Lake Stevens, WA. She has two daughters, Kayla and Kathryn.
Steph Ogle, Director of Youth Ministries
Steph Ogle was born in Alexandria, MN. She graduated high school in her hometwon of Long Prairie, MN. Steph attended Northwestern, in Orange City, IA for two years. She then attended Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN and graduated in 2010 with a degree in Youth and Family Ministries. She was recently married to Dwight Ogle on July 30th, 2011. Some of her hobbies include knitting, making jewlery, and running.
Jeni Richards, Director of Children's Ministries
Jeni is from a small town in Minnesota called Blue Earth. The Navy brought her husband, two teenage sons and her back here for a second tour. When she is not working with church activites, she works for Navy Marine Corp Relief Society as well as being involved with the many activities of teenage kids!
Tanya, Twete, Director of Anacortes Lutheran Preschool
I have been with ALP for 4 years now. I graduated from Western Washington University with a BS in Psychology with an emphasis in development. After school, I began a career in Human Resources while working on graduate classes in clinical psychology and law. I then moved to Anacortes with my husband and two small boys where I taught ballet at the local studio. I first started with ALP as a parent of a preschooler and became the Chairperson for the Preschool Board. While having my third child, I decided that my drive was to provide the best education possible for students of this community. The opportunity presented itself in the fall of 2008 to become the Director of ALP. I have enjoyed being a part of this wonderful program and helping it grow.
Suzy Berglund, Church Secretary
This is Suzy's first year as Anacortes Lutheran Church's Secretary. Suzy grew up in Mukilteo Washington, and graduated from Kamiak High School. She moved to Sacramento, California in 2007 and received her Degree in Graphic Design at the Art Institute of California, Sacramento. After missing beautiful Washington too much, Suzy returned home and moved to LaConner, WA with her parents,
and began work at Anacortes Lutheran Church last February. She is also a freelance Graphic Designer on the side. In her free time, she enjoys reading, working out, and spending time with her friends and family.
Laurie Julius-Carver, Choir Director
Laurie was born and raised in Yakima, WA where she was baptized and confirmed at Christ Lutheran Church, Yakima. She has a B.A. in Music Education from Central Washington University and a Master in Choral conducting from the University of Oregon. Laurie moved to Anacortes in the fall of 1986 to take a job with the Anacortes School District teaching choral music in the 7-12th grades. So 25 years!!!
She has been married to her wonderful husband Jim for 21 years and has one son, Jacob, who is 14 years old.
Anita Holzemer, Bell Choir Director
Anita was an Army brat moving around in Illinois, Virginia, Missouri, Wisconsin, and France all by the age of 10. However she eventually settled in Wisconsin where she finished her schooling. Her family is still in Wisconsin, and will always be a cheese-head at heart. (Go, Packers!) Anita got her degree in Elementary Education from Viterbo College in LaCrosse WI. and then moved to South Dakota to begin her teaching career. That is where she met her husband, Kenny. He joined the Navy, and she became a Navy wife starting her travels all over again. They have lived in Spain, Tennessee, Florida, and Guam, and eventually landed in Anacortes when the Navy transferred them here in January 1995. They now consider Anacortes home, having raised three children here in this beautiful town. Being so far from family in the Midwest, ALC has become like an extended family for them.They are loved and inspired by all the wonderful people in the church, and are continually amazed by the depth of the people's faith. They are shining examples on a daily basis of what it means to walk in Christ's path.
What is F.A.S.T?
*F.A.S.T. stands for Faith and Service Teams. They're our church's way of organizing our members to handle the Sunday morning worship tasks. (You may chip in and help even if you're not on a team.)
WELCA
CARE TEAM
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Ephesians 6:10
MELCA
MUSIC
Anacortes Lutheran Church has many Adult ministries that support our community as well as our members through fellowship, worship, and outreach. Explore our different groups what they are, and what they do within our Church. You are welcome to call the church office for more information on any of the Adult Ministry groups.
Care Team Leader: Ida Ford
Meeting: 1:30pm 4th Thursday of the Month in ALC Conference Room
What Care Teams can do:
•Providing assistance to individuals and married couples suffering from ill health.
•Relieving a homebound patient's principal caregiver to allow that person to shop, go to church, or just have some free time.
•Assist with gardening, light housework and home repair.
•Providing transportation to medical or other appointments.
•Reading to people or helping them write letters.
•Bring nutritious meals or treats for those for whom cooking is difficult.
•Visiting, telephoning and just "being there," providing a little joy.
What is the Care Team Ministry?
Care Team Ministry responds, free of charge, to the non-medical quality of life needs of individuals. The Care team, staffed by volunteers from the church, provide respite care for overburdened home care givers, socialization for frail elderly, and individualized support for anyone with special needs. Care team members make a weekly commitment to calling, visiting, writing, or performing other activities within their comfort level. Each month, Care team members meet to review their caring ministries. Through these team meetings, members provide each other with peer review and support.
The program's team-oriented structure helps the church to provide coordinated and consistent care. It's the team that's key: each team member receives the support and encouragement of every other team member...and no single member need feel overly burdened.
Tanya Twete, Director
2100 "O" Ave. Anacortes, WA 98221
alpdirector_anacorteslutheran.org
360.873.8748
About Us
Events & Calendars
Forms & Downloads
Scholarship Application Deadline
has been changed to
Thursday, January 28th
Newsletter
Preschool Staff
We at Anacortes Lutheran Preschool undertand that whether your student is your firstborn or the caboose, sending any child off to school can be scary for both parents and the child. While we are not the entire "world," we are part of your village, and we take this order very seriously.
-Anacortes Lutheran Preschool Staff
A Note from Tanya:
Parent Teacher Conferences!
Conferences will begin the week of January 30th. Please look for sign ups on January 12th.There will be day time slots as well as evenings. Here are a few things to make your appointment successful:
-Please arrive on time. The teachers can not stay past their time or go into another parents time slot.
-Please take some time before your conference to jot down any questions or concerns you have so you can discuss them.
-If you find yourself unable to make your allotted time, please call me (Tanya) asap to change times or cancel.
Conferences are set up for every 4-yr-old in order to discuss Kindergarten Readiness. 3-yr-old classes may set conferences on an individual basis by filling out one of the conference request forms found in the front pocket of the sign-in log. Parents may set an individual conference for any teacher/class through out the year by filling out the conference request form. Please be considerate of the fact that teachers are only paid for 30 minutes after class to do cleaning and prep for the following day. If you need to discuss your child, please utilize the conferences set or set up a special time with myself. Thank you for your understanding and diligence toward making your allotted time.
Blessings,
Tanya Twete, ALP Director
jan_Preschool_newsletter.pdf
ALP 2011 Registration Form
ALP 2011 Enrollment Form
2011-alp-registration-form.pdf
2011-enrollment-form.pdf
January 1st Happy New Year!
December 19th-January 3rd Christmas Break, No School
January 3 year old
Snack Calendar
January 4 year old
3ys_Jan.pdf
4ys-jan.pdf
Our Mission:
Our Method:
We provide a developmentally appropriate creative curriculum offering experiences in art, music and movement, dramatic play, hands-on science and math, literacy through childrens literature, storytelling, creative writing and sequencing, outdoor play, cooking and nutrition, health and personal safety, field trips, gardening, parent forums on child-related topics, parent/teacher conferences, prayer partnerships and worship.
Our Commitment:
Our program will help your child to develop the skills of listening, communicating, negotiating, creative expression, independence, self discipline, and positive self-concept. An environment is provided where your child can feel valued and safe; and has the freedom to grow in confidence and in their ability to learn and respect others. As a faith community we are also committed to your childs spiritual growth in faith in Jesus Christ.
Our Community:
ALP is partners with Anacortes Early Learning Partners which exists to help all children become Kindergarten ready. We are dedicated to reaching out to the community in which we live for both service lessons and enhancing educational themes including field trips to pumpkin patches, police and fire stations.
Our Staff:
Both our three year old and four year old classrooms are staffed by a Lead teacher and a Teachers Assistant. Our four year old classroom has a 9-1 ratio, while our three year old class has a 6-1 ratio. Our program is lead by a Preschool Director who is overseen by our Preschool Committee and the Church Ministry team.
Join us during the 9am worship service in the Castle for Kids of the Kingdom. Kids begin the service with you and then they will head up to Sunday School after the Childrens Sermon!
Each class is staffed with teachers who have dedicated their time and love to serve our children for the entire year!
Sunday Worhip Schedule: 9:00am and 10:30am
We will have Sunday School during the first service as usual BUT then we will have music time at the end of Sunday School (10:10-10:25am) and then all Sunday School kids will sing at the opening of the second service and then exit through the narthex. I anticipate the singing to be done by 10:35am. It might work out perfectly for parents to come back into the sanctuary at 10:30am, listen to the kids sing, and then collect them as they come down the aisle into the narthex. It will be so exciting for the
people who worship during the late service to see and hear our energetic children.
Regular Sundays: Sunday School kids will start with their parent/grandparent in the 9:00am service and be dismissed to Sunday School around 9:15am. Sunday School will be dismissed at 10:15am - so go grab a cup of coffee and visit for a few minutes after the service is over! Children that are Pre-school through 1st grade must be picked up by a parent or older sibling, older kids will be allowed to head down to the Fellowship Hall with their classmates.
If you have not had a chance to make it to Sunday School yet - please join us! We are beginning to make new friends and it is great to see the kids 'bunching' together after class to catch up - just like we do in the Fellowship Hall! One of the kids told me this past Sunday that she had a girl come up to her in school and say, "Hey, don't you go to my church?" Yep - it's a new identity and a sense of belonging!
"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save." Zeph. 3:17
Teachers!
Preschool
Grade K1
Grades 2 and 3
Grades 4,5,6
Biographies
Anne Hofferth has been faithfully teaching our PreK class and will continue her gift of working with our youngest Sunday Schools kids. We were so fortunate to have her spend her vacation week with our 4 year olds in VBS!
Kate Gagnon is a joyful and kind addition to our PreK class. She and her husband, Les, have some fantastic travel scheduled for this year. However, when she is not traveling, she is excited to spend time with our little ones.
Cami Mavar has the best snacks! But that is just a small detail compared to the love that she has for each one of her K/1 students.
She makes me want to be five or six again!
Denise Lowrie and Erica Avedikian are sharing the responsibility of leading our 2nd/3rd Graders.
Erica was a Crew Leader for this age group during VBS and really felt called to come back this fall as their Sunday teacher. With two preschoolers of her own, we are honored to have her share her faith
and precious time with us!
