June Breakfast

John, Ken, Rich and myself gathered from some WesternCo donuts, conversation and prayer this morning at Manitiou Park Presbyterian.  There was a lot of heart-talk going on and prayers for one another.  I think this may have had something to do with the amount of left over donuts.  Jeff, you remain in our prayers brother. It was good to be with y'all.

With John in Korea, me in Tennessee and others gallivanting around Washington we are going to skip the July meeting and gather again on Wednesday August 13th at 8:30 at the YFC office.  The gathering after that will be on Wednesday, September 10th at 8:30 at Manitou Park when we will eat some donuts and then proceed with the walk and blessing of the schools.

Enjoy the day,
Ken

March Breakfast

Thanks to John and Green Pastures for hosting this morning.  It was good to be together to share how well things are going with each of us.  My only regret from the morning is that we didn't close by singing It is Well with my soul...  Maybe next time.

Good conversation and enthusiasm regarding Point Break and Gray.  Thanks Ken for championing this endeavor.  You can now do so knowing you have the support of the South Tacoma Ministers.  We look forward to seeing how this all falls out.

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, April 9th at 8:30 at Evangelical Reformed Church.  Until then, blessings on your Lenten journeys.   May all be well.

February Breakfast

Big thanks to... well, me, for hosting our breakfast yesterday.  Actually, the thanks goes to my wife who made scones.  She's great and I know I don't tell her that often enough.  But enough of my confessions, let's jump into the recap.

After basking in the glow of great victory from Sunday (Jesus' victory that is, what did you think I was talking about?), we spent some time talking about the possibility of helping to bring the Pointbreak program to Gray Middle School. 

The purpose of Point Break is to improve the behaviors, values and attitudes of high school students on their campuses and in their communities, intervening before acts of hatred or violence occur. As a result, better learning environments are created, relationships are forged and reconciliation begins.

You can read more about it here.  Ken Schmidtke and Adam are familiar with the program as it is connected with YFC.  Both are fans and our group is still, let's say 'discerning.'  People seemed pretty interested in the shape of the one-day program, if still not sure exactly what it looks like.  In our conversation with the school district they seemed to be encouraging some large event for schools which none of us felt excited about.  However, this event seems more relational, more focused and more doable. With that being said, there are some questions that need to get fleshed out a bit which I'll go ahead and list here.
1.  What is the cost and who will pay it?
2.  What is a potential timeline?  If we started planning next month what's the soonest it could happen?
3.  What is the time commitment from volunteers?
4.  What does follow up after the event look like?  Small groups?  Campus Life?  Guidance counselors?

Ken, I'll direct these questions your way and perhaps you can come to our next meeting prepared to flesh some of these things out.  Speaking of the next meeting.  It will be on Wednesday, March 12th at 8:30 at Green Pastures Presbyterian.

Until then, enjoy the cold,
Ken

January 2014 Breakfast

Thanks to Ken and Adam for hosting us at the YFC office.  Coffee, donuts AND fruit!  Thanks guys (and yes Ken I did go back for some grapes.) 

The depth of our sharing in personal and pastoral situations is an encouraging indication of the trust we're building between one another.  Thank you for the prayers gentlemen. 

After prayer we spent some time discussing the meeting Rich, John and I had with Talana Penton at the Tacoma School District central office.  She had responded to a letter we dropped off at the schools during our prayer walk at the beginning of the school year.  We'd offered to help in any way we could.  She asked how we'd like to help.  What followed was a good discussion about where our strengths might match their needs.  The one area we agreed upon was to serve as emergency grief or tragedy counselors.  Other than that we agreed to explore the idea with the rest of the group.  This is what we explored at this morning's meeting.  How might we respond to the invitation of the school district to be more involved in the success of the South Tacoma schools?

The answer we landed upon was Point Break.  Click here to read more about it.  We're going to explore this possibility and discuss it at our next meeting.  Which is now on Wednesday, February 5th at 8:30 at Manitou Park Presbyterian. 

October Breakfast

Thanks to John at Green Pastures for hosting us this morning.  I always enjoy the coffee mix but I can't tell you how happy my taste buds were when I starting chomping that pumpkin muffin on the way to a meeting.  The only downside were my regrets for not taking one of the cranberry-orange muffins.  Those were really good, oh yes and the meeting was too.

It was good to catch up and hear how well things seem to be going with our respective churches/ministries.  Also thanks for the chance to discuss the question, "Do our churches tend to mostly attract the folks who already seem to fit?"  I can't speak for everyone else, but it was a helpful conversation for me.

Blessings on the rest of your Octobers and we'll meet again on November 13th at 8:30 at Zion's River.

Grace and Peace,
Ken

September: Back to School Prayer Walk

Well we couldn't have asked for a better day to have a prayer walk.  September really is one of the best months to live in Tacoma.  Jeff, John, Ken, Rich and myself gathered around 8:30 at Manitou for some sugar free donuts and coffee as well as conversation.  Our prayers are with Rich's church as they walk through the valley of the shadow of death with one of their families whose 18 year old son died last week.  Thanks to Rich for sharing the struggle with us.

Fueled up on sugar and caffeine we headed out to walk the "education triangle" that is Manitou-Gray-Mt. Tahoma.  We stopped at each school to offer prayers for the staff, students and family as well as to drop a not of encouragement off to the principal.   The note offered to be available to help in any way we could this school year.  Rich offered a healthy warning before we signed the letters that we should not be surprised to get a call next week to help chaperone a dance.

We finished at Mt. Tahoma having in one sense done very little, just whistling against the wind, when you consider the magnitude of challenges and struggles and possible even tragedy that each of these schools have and will face.   What difference does a little prayer and walk make?  Thank God that the answer is not in our hands.  Today we sowed, others water, but it is God that causes the growth.

Grace and Peace.

Next meeting, Wednesday, October 9th at8:30 at Green Pastures Presbyterian 
Next, next meeting: Wednesday, November 13th at Zion's River Church

August Breakfast

Jeff, Adam, Ken and Rich, it was nice breaking maple bars with y'all this morning.  Thanks for the chance to meet, eat and pray (there's your next book title Rich).  I really appreciate the chance to hear a few moments of reminder of God's grace; discovering a thirty year old confirmation letter from your father, standing in line as co-workers with a principal that expelled you, comforting a grieving new widow and holding a new-born baby on the same day, memories from Minagua and unexpected church growth.  Hearing y'all share reminded me of fishing for pink salmon yesterday and catching nothing (til much later in the day), I saw a kingfisher.  Since seeing them cruise through the Oostanalee Creek of my neighborhood, these have been my favorite bird.  Gerald Manley Hopkins wrote a poem that combines these two thoughts:

As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies dráw fláme;
As tumbled over rim in roundy wells
Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell’s
Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;
Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:
Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;
Selves—goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,
Crying Whát I do is me: for that I came.
Í say móre: the just man justices;
Kéeps gráce: thát keeps all his goings graces;
Acts in God’s eye what in God’s eye he is—
Chríst—for Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his
To the Father through the features of men’s faces. 

The poetry connection comes at no extra charge today.

Community
Saturday August 17th 12-4, Zion's River Block Party
Saturday, August 24th, 10-3, Mt. Tahoma,  Convoy of Hope. Click here for details
Diego Wendt event at Ft. Steilacoom August 16-18
Welcome Pastor Bill Greaver and Tacoma First Congregational to South Tacoma
Oak Tree Park Stewards in the Park Hikes.  Tuesdays, 9:00-12:00 til September 3rd.  

Prayers
Prayers for YFC camp this Friday as well as the Manitou Arts Camp

Next Meeting
Wednesday, September 11th at 8:30.  School Prayer Walk. Once again, we'll meet at Manitou Park Presbyterian to begin our 3 school prayer walk from Manitou Elementary to Gray Middle and finishing at Mt. Tahoma.  Rich is going to reprise his letter from last year so that we can drop it off to let the staff know we're praying for them.  Though we may not know it, I received several comments from teachers that noticed us passing and were thankful for our prayers.  If you can think of ways we might additionally offer our assistance to the schools (PTA support, hosting teacher prayer breakfasts, etc.) feel free to send to Rich for him to include it in the letter.

In Christ,
Ken