HTLC 'Spunky Lutherans' Page

We're heading to PDX

2011-07-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

The 2011 mission team is heading to Portland on July 31. This is a 'girl power' mission trip...Loreal, Alyx, Joanna, Nicole, Suri and Kelsey along with Anne and Kathy.
We're staying at Trinity Lutheran, Gresham http://www.trinitylutherangresham.org/ and they will be 'missioning' with us.
We are working with organizations that work to help women and children..."My Father's House' http://www.familyshelter.org/; 'Raphael House' http://raphaelhouse.com/; 'Zarapheth's Kitchen' http://www.trinitylutherangresham.org/ministries/zarephath.htm. We will be doing lots of 'random acts of kindness' handing out bag lunches, cleaning up trash and encouraging 'smiles' .

Follow along beginning Sunday night, our mission team will be the bloggers!!

Mission Accomplished !

2011-07-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who helped all week for our mission@home...
Annalise, Harrison & Shay - premiere bike movers ...
McKay, Cosmo & Suri - parking lot stripers
Caitlin & Cosmo - furniture movers

Good work = good times.

MISSION @ HOME

2011-06-19T10:44:00.000-07:00

June 25 - June 30th (Saturday - Thursday) we are keeping our 'mission' close to home. You have all been amazing - doing yard work, painting, tearing down houses, putting up sheet rock - in other communities; and we will do more of that in August. But we are going to kick off the summer doing that same kind of work close to home.

WE NEED YOU :)

This week (June 20-24) Kathy will be prepping -- gathering supplies, setting up. Can you help??
Beginning Saturday - the projects begin:

Repairing abandoned bicycles and donating them.
HTLC projects (painting, yard work, cleaning, sorting - re-striping our parking lots!)
Projects in the community:
   cleaning out a garage
   painting a family room
   moving furniture
   changing lightbulbs
   spreading gravel
Restriping the parking lot at a neighbor church

There is FOOD every day (Sunday is a pizza party!) and we end our week celebrating at the Lid Park with a picnic !!

Let Kathy know all the ways you want to serve ...

Happy Summer!!

we went to the mountain...

2011-05-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

Another Holden MYW...the wettest I can recall, btw.

Kudos to all of you who shoveled snow, cleaned gutters, did yard work and 'fuel relocation' in the rain! It was great to see you all strengthening existing friendships and making new friends. I love seeing how all our age groups from HTLC get to know each other better and even pray for each other.

Sad we left the snacks in the car.
Happy that Whitney wrote and sang an original song.
Full from milk shakes at 59 niner and Sonic (and, oh yeah, the tots)
Apple slices and french fries

Will be blowing up your 'prayer in 3 words' picture and more .... check the hallway next week :)
BIG merci to our amazing chaperones - Curtis, Laurie, Kelly and Jeremy (who dances with joy and abandon).

We really are spunky lutherans.

Pack and Go!

2011-05-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

Here we go .... Holden Village this weekend!
Thanks to Jeremy, Curtis, and Laurie (and maybe Kelly, if she recovers) for chaperoning this trip and to the our friends loaning us cars!!

Here's the skinny ... (in case you can't find your letter)

There is still some snow in the Village.
Have sturdy shoes.
$$ - for ice cream, bookstore items, free time craft options (like tye-dying)

Come to HTLC by 12:30 pm - EAT LUNCH or bring it with you.
Please bring a snack to share ...

Talent show?

We are doing the Old Testament reading for worship --- 1 Samuel 2 (Hannah's prayer). how will we do that?

No electronics ... even my hair is long enoug to braid.

Can't hardly wait --- See ya all Friday...

R U Ready?

2011-04-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

...for Holden?
...for summer?
...for a mission trip?
...for Vacation Bible Camp?
...to work?

Are you ready?

* We are taking another LARGE group to Holden village...isn't that great?

We will also have an opportunity to talk about our summer mission trip with the group from Trinity, Gresham (Oregon). They will be at Holden the same weekend with us, and will be partnering in our Urban Plunge in August.

* Are you working this summer?? Hope you find jobs that make you want to wake up in the morning :)

* Want to work in Mission? There are 2 TWO opportunities...
1. Mission at Home, June 25 - June 30. Each day there will be projects ... maybe at church, maybe at a member's home who could use some help...
then on Thursday - Church Picnic!! At the Lid. Food and fun!

2. Urban Plunge - 12 people. Getting on a train to Portland. Staying at a church outside of the city. Doing things each day to positively affect someone else ... are you in? Kathy has 5 spots available.

* Vacation Bible Camp. Counselors. That's you. The kids love you. You help. A great week!

So, my spunky lutherans... be the change you want to see in the world. Give a little of yourself to someone/something else.

I'm going to the mountain to pray about it. K

Walk the Walk

2011-03-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

Guess what happens on April 3rd ?? (No, not just people leaving town for Spring Break) ...
It's the MS Walk in Seattle !!!

Nicole's mom has MS. HTLC started 'Team Piehl' several years ago, and there have been ALOT of you who have put on the Adidas/Nikes/whatever and have walked ...

Blessing - Janet is managing her MS and felt up to taking on the "Team Piehl" organization herself this year. That doesn't mean that they will walk alone, right?

I'm walking on April 3rd ... you can too. Are you going walk? Can you donate (even $5 ?) ? Can you invite others to come / donate as well??

I walk for Janet, but I also walk for Cherilyn and Sally and Nancy and Richard and Lynne and everyone else who is living with or has died from MS.

So, come on! The link is attached - go to it. Join. Donate. We're 'spunky lutherans' for a reason ;)
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Walk/WASWalkEvents/538205757?pg=team&fr_id=15631&team_id=235614

All sorts of stuff ...

2011-03-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

I love the month of March. Why? For so many reasons...
1. Daylight savings time begins (March 13) - so we will see more sun (hopefully)
2. We're in Lent.
3. We will be planning our summer Mission trip (Sunday, March 20)
4. We will be designing our Holden T-shirts (look in your mailbox)
5. I can prune my roses, plant new flowers, think about my summer vegetable garden.
6. Spring begins (March 21).

Notice that a lot of the things I love about March include all of my Spunky Lutherans ???

COME - work on the mission trip!(March 20, after church. I will have pizza and salad to eat. We will look at all sorts of mission possibilities in Portland.) Who's signed up for the mission trip??
Joanna, Allie, Alyx, Nicole, Katie, Loreal. (Girl Power) ... I can take 6 more.

SEND - in your Holden t-shirt design. You will be receiving a paper in the mail... deisgn our 2001 Spunky Lutheran t-shirt! Sketch or computer design, give me color options...We will vote on the winning deisgn March 27) Who's coming to Holden?
Nicole, Allie, Joanna, Jordan, Brian, Annalise, Katie, Harrison, Haley, Jacki, Sydney, Kelsey, Finn, Whitney, Meredith.

PREPARE - Lent begins on Wednesday (yes, this week) with our Ash Wednesday service at 7 pm (come to that!!) How will you pare down for Lent? Giving something up ? (no chocolate/candy will be in my office for Lent ~ how about giving up 1/2 of your TV time to reading? Or no video games? or no texting? ) How about taking on a new - healthier - lifestyle habit? (walking every day for 1/2 hour? learning to cook? )

Isaiah 40:3-5 "Prepare the way of the Lord" ... or listen to the Godspell clip:
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wSIs1MHdFQY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

HOLDEN!!

2011-01-27T14:32:00.000-08:00

It's coming -- HOLDEN weekend ...

HTLC, we are heading to the mountain Friday, May 13 - returning Monday, May 16.

Are you coming? Do you have your registration? I have more paperwork (my favorite thing) on my door if the dog ate yours ... c'mon Spunky Lutherans we gotta go!!

BTW - check out 'Tangled Blue' (Jeremy Glassy's favorite band) ... they will be the musicians at Holden!! http://www.tangledblue.com/

See ya Sunday ~

Ski Trip !!

2011-01-17T15:33:00.000-08:00

La Nina years are interesting -- apparently 'she' impacts the weather by having colder and wetter winters.
Well, Mt Baker was 'wetter' ...

Seven 'spunky' Lutherans took to the slopes - in the rain - for 2 days!!

Great group - lots of fun -- wish we could get Tore to dance.

Thanks to Kelsey and Brad for chaperoning, Lori & Terry for the use of the suburban, and to Hannah, Jordan, Nicole, Tore, Katie, Alec and Jacki for being their great selves. Good weekend ...

Planning ahead

2011-01-10T12:47:00.001-08:00

MISSION 2011 -

Please take the survey and let me know if you're coming, what dates work best!!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BRJBRKF

Happy New Year!!

2011-01-04T09:48:00.000-08:00

First - did you see the band marching in London?????? Awesome
.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkiZkyoD6Rw

Second - snaps to Joanna, Cosmo, Emily, Caitlin (Lynne and Jim, too) for cooking a great breakfast at the Compass Center on 12/16! They were the pancake and egg champs :)

Now, it's 2011...you know what that means, right?
#1 - Ski/Snowboard Trip Jan. 14-17!!
#2 - Holden May Youth Weekend (May 13-16)
#3 - Mission Trip (Urban 'plunge') (June 20-24)

New Year - New Plans

2010-12-26T18:56:00.000-08:00

Christmas was amazing ! Thanks to all the talented people who provided gifts of music, cookies, ushering, serving at our 3 Christmas Eve services. !! It was great to see so many of our college kids, too !!

Now I'm thinking about 2011. First cool thing??? So many of our HTLC high school kids will be in London to march in the New Year's Day Parade!! Can you watch? Yes:

The entire New Year’s Day Parade London will be streamed live around the World on the BBC website on January 1st, it has been confirmed. The 25^th Anniversary parade telecast, which features more than 8,000 performers from a number of nations, can be accessed at www.bbc.co.uk/london . Streaming is due to begin at 11.30 am GMT (06.30 EST).

There will be additional post parade streams at www.infomation.tv on January 1^st and 2^nd at 20.00 GMT (15.00 EST) and at 17.00 GMT (12 Noon EST) on January 3^rd.

MLK weekend is the Ski/Snowboard Trip to Camp Lutherwood!! Thanks to Kelsey Arias and Lisa Kittilsby for chaperoning!!

We need to meet and talk about our Summer High School Mission Trip ... Holden isn't going to work. Check here for date/time of high school meeting to talk/plan! Date will remain the same (June 18-24-ish).

Happy 2011!! Blessings - k

Christmas

2010-12-14T14:56:00.000-08:00

The countdown begins ... 11 days to Christmas.
At Holy Trinity we have had a bake sale; purchased, wrapped and delivered gifts for 2 families from 1st Place School; seen a flash mob at Nordstrom's; ridden the Seattle Downtown Carousel; attended Black Nativity; had the Children's Christmas Pageant. Next? Shop, wrap and deliver the Angel Tree gifts to Women's Compass Cascade, then worship on Christmas Eve.

What is the tradition you look forward to each year? Are you the tree-trimmer? Cookie-baker? Caroler? Does your family go to Westlake Plaza for the tree lighting? Downtown Bellevue for the Drummers? Ice skating and hot chocolate?

How about worship? Are mid-week Advent services something you've been a part of? If not, come on Wednesday for our final one in 2010. It's a quieter, musical time to sit and reflect on the promise fulfilled, the best gift given. Have you walked the labrynith downstairs?

Christmas Eve? Are you a 2 pm in the Chapel family? 4 pm? 11 pm? Will you invite a friend or neighbor to come with you as we pray and praise the beginning of the Christmas season and the birth of Christ? The world offers plenty of distractions and craziness - be sure an make the time to sit and recall what confessing Christians hold dear, the birth of our savior.
Pr. Deanna shared a couple of great links - one is a 'current' look at the Nativity story, using all the social media/communication tools you are used to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8BFbx8Vr68

The other is the flash mob - taken from where we were standing! Who do you see and hear that you know?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8BFbx8Vr68

The countdown is on ~ kf

Black Nativity '10

2010-12-08T17:08:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year, when HTLC high school students dress in Christmas gear, wear something a little silly, have lunch together, take some Christmas pix and get into the joy of Christmas at 'Black Nativity'. BN is an amazing show featuring the Total Experience Gospel Choir that gives the Christmas story an African spin. There is rousing music, dance, scripture...and it's very different that what we see and hear in our Lutheran traditions.
So - Saturday - 11:30 am, in the parking lot. We will hop into cars and head to downtown Seattle to fight the mall crowd for some food, enjoy the Christmas windows and decor (PIX!!) then off to the show. Be ready to clap (on 2 and 4), dance, sing along...
It's my favorite part of the season...k

Preparing

2010-11-16T14:19:00.000-08:00

First ~ Photo Art Show - June 4-5. Keep shooting your 'Visions of Creation' ... more will come about this in 2011.
SNAPS ~ MIHS Girls Swimming (Julia and Caitlin) ... #1 in the state!!! ; Nicole, Girl Scout Silver Award for helping Hamomi; Patrick and Kari ~ go, crew; Katie, Anna, Suri and Haley ~ freshman year soccer!! MIHS band (Annalise, Harrison, Jordon, Eric, Jimmy)...off to jolly old England to celebrate NewYear's Day in a parade in London! You all have worked so hard....I'm really proud of ya...

Here we go --- time to prepare.
What are you preparing for Thanksgiving? A pie, a table, things to do in a car??? Could ya take just a minute and think about what you are thankful for?? Psalm 100:4

How are you preparing for Christmas (Advent means 'arrival of what has been awaited')?? I hope you will take a moment - December 1st, to come and share some soup, hear and sing some prayers and walk the labyrinth in the Fellowship Hall. Take that moment - on the 1st day of December - to 'prepare' your soul for the season.

Blessings ... k

A Scathingly Brilliant Idea!

2010-11-08T11:54:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about how we are going to raise money this year -- for our Mission Trip in June (which will have a twist) and for the Gathering in New Orleans in 2012.

Then I got a 'scathingly brilliant idea' (Hayley Mills, "The Trouble with Angels" 1966).

We have been in some gorgeous places. We live in a beautiful part of the world. Many - if not all of you - take pictures. So (here it comes) --- how about selling some artistic photos --- taken by YOU??? (I will pause for a moment now, so you can take it all in...breath, applaud)

So, get those cameras out --- start shootin! falling leaves, Mt. Rainier, Seattle... we will set up a 'photo tour' . We will meet and share the pix, we will talk size and frames and then (drumroll) ... we will have an "ART SHOW" in the spring.

We will invite friends and neighbors, we will advertise in the paper, we will have refreshments and talk about the 'inspirations' to the patrons as they look and purchase your "Visions of Creation". We will (hopefully) get matching funds from Thrivent. We will make money!

Are you in?? I think it's brilliant ...

Who are YOUR saints??

2010-11-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, November 7, we will celebrate 'All Saints Day' in worship. Each year we light candles in memory of the 'saints' who have gone before us ...
Who are your saints?? Your grandparents? A favorite aunt or uncle? A parent? A friend?
Who has been your best example of being faithful? Who was not only faithful in worship, but lived their faith every day??
Did you know ... saints aren't just people who have gone before? They are people who are in your life right now. Maybe you're a saint to someone...
Think about that ... and come tomorrow to celebrate the saints in your life.
Shalom, K

BTW - this is my mom, Roz. She died 22 years ago, but is with me every day. She's my favorite saint.

NOVEMBER!!!

2010-11-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

Can you believe 2010 is almost over ?? I can't!

Thanks to all who made confirmation Sunday so special...we had a good day :)
Kudos to all the musicians at all-Island Band night ...
Deep thoughts - COME! 9 AM Sundays ...
Latte Cart (we need to make another $200 before the end of the year for our Hamomi commitment!)

Coming up:
* Black Nativity!! Saturday, Dec. 11 - 12 n - 5 pm. Lunch, great show ~ jingle bracelets (because we have a spunky reputation to keep up. $20 ... do I have you driver permission slip and $$ ??
* Ski Snowboard trip - Camp Lutherwood, January (MLK weekend). Yes, you can come and not ski. Need to register - soon! Deposit $$ and slip due 11/14.
All information/paperwork is available on my door or the HLTC website - http://www.htlcmi.org/

What about some fun KathyFisher? Talk to me :)

95 Theses

2010-10-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

Hey - remember all those confirmation lessons?? Well, Reformation Sunday is 10/31...time to revisit good ole Martin Luther and his (how many????) 95 Theses!!
Check out these cool youtubes...Luther Rap
Luther Rap II - with movie visuals!Luther rap II
How about a Reformation Polka??? Reformation Polka

See ya Sunday as we welcome our latest confirmation group into 'adult' life at HTLC...

College CARE packages - because we care...

2010-10-22T14:24:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, we will be putting together little boxes of love for our friends/siblings/members who are in college. Some are far away, some are across the bridge, but all of them are in a different environment. And who doesn't love treats??

So, high school people --- come to deep thoughts at 9 am... and help put these boxes together! We have drink mixes, snacks, candy, emergen-c and motrin...plus whatever great baked goods people bring in!

Feel free to write a little note to a friend and add it in...who's getting treats?? Annika, Caitlin, Cosmo, Brita, Becky, Casey, Kelly, Emily, Josh, Ben, Cameron, Angela, Liz, Michael, Matt, Ian and Rachel.

Friday Night Lights - Homecoming 2010

2010-10-16T18:16:00.000-07:00

You know what's great about being in a small community? Being in a small community!!
Homecoming - Mercer Island style - is the perfect community event.
Band ~ you rock!! I can't believe 290 of you can march as one.
Cheer and drill ~ amazing!
Floats ~ very clever (although I do suspect there was a lot of parent assistance :)
Community - way to come out and support!!

I'm looking forward to the dance pix - but the assembly, parade and game were great (if only MIHS had won...)
Go, MI!

Confirmation 'HomeWork'

2010-10-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

Confirmation students ... you have homework this week!! Ya know, we've been talking about how the church started out (with Jesus...) and how it's grown and changed...how different denominations came to be...and what churches are on Mercer Island -- maybe your friends go to one of them. So, you get to chat with your friends about that!! Here's the homework:

Talk to 3 friends this week, ASK:

*Are you part of a faith community?

*What is your favorite part of that faith community?

1.Worship

2.Mission

3.Social opportunities

If you’re not part of a faith community, are you curious about mine?

Sending the answers to these questions to me in email or on paper next week gets you 2 sermon note points …

So, I hope some of you do this --- it will be interesting! k

Sunday 10/10/10

2010-10-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

This has been a cool century so far ... you have all lived the past 10 years with 'special days' that can only happen once - a -century. Like this Sunday - 10/10/10.

Kinda cool, huh?

So, what makes a day 'special' - the number? The work? The rest? The people that are part of it?

You decide -- that's my 'deep thought' for today. k

Welcome to 'Deep Thoughts' pages ... HTLC Youth

2010-10-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

We're blogging ... for HTLC high school and middle school students - this will be a place to see some announcements AND talk about the cool stuff you are doing AND lead you to some interesting places.

So, be a 'follower' ...
kfish