Confirmation 2015 Thirteen students were confirmed on Sunday, May 3. Pictured below are the confirmands at the 8:30 service: Abagail Busch, Zachary Chang, Payton Yoder, Chase Pounds, Hunter Pounds. In the back row are Pastor Andy Ritchie; Rachel Goodell, the new Director of Family Ministry; Pastor Harrison Parker

Photo of the 11:00 group is on the next page

Newsletter June 2015

Confirmed at the 11:00 service were (middle row) Annika Rohde, David Ritchie, Ivan Keil, Fisher Davis. In the front row are David Robert, Rachel Miller, Emma McMillan. Grace Ritchie, not pictured.

From Pastor Andy Summer time is different in Alaska. There are a special set of challenges in the church we face so that means there are a special set of opportunities before us as well. We face decreased attendance in the summer from people wanting to go out and enjoy this short season of warmth and sun. July is a peak fishing month. Hunting possibilities come into the calendar early- to mid-August carrying through until mid- to late-September along with Silver fishing. Summer has no childrens Sunday School. There is no adult education in the summer time. Volunteers for services are harder to find and sometimes missing even if people have signed up for helping as life gives people options. People are coming and going and are not here in worship each week or even every other week. This is the reality and yet please understand I am grateful for each and every person who comes to worship

and grateful for those who are going outside and enjoying Gods creation. So what do we do to address these special sets of challenges? How do we offer meaningful ways to connect to Jesus through word and sacrament? A connected sermon series like we have just fished called Baptized We Live is not ideal as the topics connect and build on each other. Neither is what we finished up before as we walked through the Bible in The Story series. We have a possibility here to connect though in a different way for six weeks with a stand-alone sermon series that is for the long-time disciple of ALC as well as for visitor. It is very family-friendly for the kids who are here but wish to be out in the sun. Having worship the way we plan will address the essentials of our need for weekly word and sacrament strengthening. The series will also help fill in for the lack of an education hour. So, June 28th we begin this series which will run for six weeks titled Surprised by Hope. Hope

is not something we talk about enough. As a preacher I may have a sentence or two about hope. On rare occasions I might have a paragraph talking about hope and yet the Bible is all about hope and we struggle to grasp what hope looks like! The topics will be: Week 1: 6/28 Hope for the World God wants his people to experience hope and share it - and it's not just what God will do in the future - its God's kingdom now. Week 2: 7/5 The Hope of the Resurrection Hope is more than escaping this world to heaven. Rather its a confidence that God's kingdom, presence, and power are breaking into our world now and a new creation has begun. Week 3: 7/12 The Hope of Heaven Heaven is not just some far-away place we hope to go to. Through Christ, it is very near, and as we follow Jesus, the reality of heaven comes alive and is unleashed through us. Week 4: 7/19 The Hope of Jesus Second Coming We have a biblical confidence that Jesus will return to this world, restore creation, heal his people, and make all things new. Week 5: 7/26 The Hope of Salvation Through Jesus resurrection, we are saved from sin and death. But there is more: God is saving and restoring all creation, and he invites us into the work of sorting out what is wrong in the world. Week 6: 8/2 The Hope of the Church The hope is more than just what lies ahead it is our experience of Gods Kingdom breaking into our everyday journey of faith as we do justice, extend mercy, express love, offer compassion, and celebrate beauty, all in the name of Jesus. This will be a very different worship experience for six weeks as these topics need a little longer than the standard 20 minute sermon, which means we will trim some of the order of the church service temporarily. We want to help you discover for yourself what HOPE looks like and what Gods word says about HOPE. We are asking you to bring your Bibles. We will have some short discussion times where you can share

what you are discovering about HOPE or hear what others are seeing from Gods word concerning HOPE. It will no doubt make a few uncomfortable but we are asking for people to be open to this summertime-only opportunity! Church and worship are not about the place. Church and worship are about God coming to us and our response to God and to each other. In order for us to have a little discussion time and maximize our opportunity to be in the word of God, we will be worshipping in a different place than normal. Our fellowship hall is much friendlier for this opportunity! We will gather around round tables for the worship and sermon time. There will be some food and drink present for the kids (and adults if you wish to partake). The elevator is in good working order, and some may choose to enter the church through the doors off 15th Street and come across the patio. The service will be like I did three years ago when we gathered downstairs for Lent midweek and did a first-person biblical character each week from the Easter story. No matter which service time you attend it will have the essentials of worship: Gods word, confession and absolution, prayers, the Sacrament, and a few hymns or songs based on 8:30 or 11:00 worship styles. After spending nearly two years going through the books of the Bible (pre-Story sermon series and The Story sermon series) you will notice this deals deeply with doctrinal/teaching issues of Scripture. I hope those who come this summer enjoy this temporary change of worship style and way of looking deeply into Gods word in a worship setting which very closely mirrors how the early church gathered in the first 400 years of its existence before Christianity became a state-acknowledged religion. Please consider coming as you can and enjoy the journey! God Bless, Pastor Andy

Family Ministry I would like to start and thank you, the congregation for your support, as well as the support from Pastor Andy, Pastor Harrison and Terry Callies. God is surely on our side and we can see him working here at ALC. The excitement I feel is overwhelming as I dig in deep and serve the Lord. My first BIG job here at ALC will be directing and organizing Vacation Bible School. This year we will be doing a camping theme called Camp Discovery. VBS will take place August 3rd7th from 36 p.m. There are many opportunities to volunteer and child care will be provided. I will be holding two volunteer meetings. These meetings will give you a chance to learn about the opportunities and sign up.

First meeting: Wednesday June 17th at 6 p.m.

Second Meeting: Monday June 22nd at noon If you have already reached out to me to let me know you are interested I urge you to join in on a meeting anyway so you can better prepare yourself. I am really looking forward to working with the volunteers and I am open to your input. If you are interested in the slightest but worried about time, please let me know! We have big tasks and we have small tasks. Lets work together in Christ and share his good news!!! Thank you for your continued support and I look forward to working with each and every one of you. Please feel free to contact me at any time. Gods Blessings, Rachel Goodell Director of Family Ministry rachel@anchoragelutheran.org

Rachel and Jake Goodell

Weighing Anchor Jim Scriven, School Administrator

A vision that many of us have shared for some time is to expand our school ministry through high school. Were so thankful and excited to see that shaping into a reality. We are concretely planning to begin with a freshman class fall of 2016, just one school year away. Now, many of you are aware that we are working to build a large addition to The Lutheran Center which will allow us the space to host a full high school program right alongside our PS-8 classes. However, this new space wont be available until fall of 2019, should things proceed according to plan (and you never can be quite sure about plans this far out!). So how can we be saying 2016? Our ministry partners at Anchorage Lutheran Church, a founding congregation of our association and a ministry that has walked hand in hand with us these past 35 years, has made the offer for us to use classroom space at the church to bridge the gap in facility need as we continue to grow. Very exciting! Through their contribution of facility space and support, well be able to grow grade by grade all the way up through 12th Grade, so that when our new building is ready, we can move a full high school program into it immediately. That is tremendous stewardship of resources, and a huge blessing to the many families who are so appreciative to have this option. Each year families wish they didnt have to seek out a new school option as their children graduate 8th Grade. Thanks to the committed support and ministry-minded vision of the people and leadership of Anchorage Lutheran Church, as of next year

families no longer will have to. This years 7th Graders will have the option of becoming our first high school graduates, the Class of 2020! I look forward to the ways God will grow both Anchor Lutheran School and Anchorage Lutheran Church through this new step in partnership together. The school ministry spent its first years operating in the rooms of Anchorage Lutheran and Zion Lutheran Churches. How appropriate that this new direction for our program, high school, will have its birth in the same cradle! Mr.Scriven@ALSalaska.org 522-3636

Congratulations to our 2015 college graduates We didnt get all the names, but they include: Victoria Funner from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. Elsa Dieckgraeff from University of Alaska, Anchorage. Krista Dieckgraeff from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Alexandra Sedor from University of Colorado, Boulder, CO. Eric Hueners from Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA.

Lutheran Social Services of Alaska

Alan Budahl, Executive Director, LSSA 1303 W. 33rd Avenue 272-0643 Summer is upon us. Children are out of school for summer break, and as always we see an increased number of households coming through our food pantry. This year we are also facing a decrease in government commodities so this leaves us depending more on food donations and purchases to serve all those who are in need. In the summer kid friendly foods are needed such as cereal, peanut butter, jelly and canned fruit. Other items like boxed meals, pasta, spaghetti sauce/noodles, and canned protein meats like tuna, chicken or spam are popular picks from our client choice shelves. With the increased number of households served in the Food Pantry we are also in need of volunteers. We are really needing help on Wednesday evenings from 4:30 to 7 p.m. We can also use help on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday from 1 to 4 p.m. The HUGSS (Help Us Give School Supplies) and Coats for Kids program will be split into two separate events this year due to the renovation of the Sullivan Arena. HUGSS distribution of backpacks and school supplies will be on Tuesday, August 11th at East High School. Coats for Kids will be on Saturday, September 26th at the Salvation Army Gym located on their C Street campus. Volunteer opportunities for HUGSS will be available for set-up on Monday, August 10th and on Tuesday, August 11th for distribution. Also volunteers will be needed

for distribution of coats on Saturday, September 26th. Between now and distribution we need help with school supplies and donation of new and gently used coats. We also have a need for adult sized coats. You may drop off any coats at the Fireweed Cleaners on Fireweed and school supplies at LSSA office. If any Thrivent Member would like us to help you apply for the $250.00 mini grants that could be used for a food drive, shop for school supplies for HUGSS or purchase warm winter coats for children who need them. Please call Sue Freie (272-0643) at the LSSA office and we would be happy to help you write a grant. All Thrivent Members can write two grants per year. Associate Members can write for one grant per year.

Music Lessons: If you or your children are looking for an opportunity to take music lessons in Guitar or Piano, please contact Mischa Shimek, 529-7581 or mshimek@alaska.edu. Lessons can be scheduled for Mondays and Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Rates are $35$40 per hour.

Campout 2015 The Summer Campout will be held July 24-26 at Quartz Creek Campground. The campground is located on beautiful Kenai Lake and Quartz Creek . There are 11 first come, first serve sites available, but you need to arrive early to get one of those sites, we suggest Wednesday, Thursday, or as early as possible on Friday. It is strongly recommended that you go online to recreation.gov and reserve a site. There are a number of double sites available where two families can share a site. Mike and Lisa Wilkinson will be in charge so please let them know if you are coming and what site you will be in. 868-3901 or mwilki@gci.net. It is a beautiful campground and a great location.