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Transitions announced

Tammy Stampfli has been called as the new settled pastor for The United Churches of Olympia.

Corey Passons will be installed as minister for Community for Interfaith Celebration in Olympia, a UCC member congregation for more than 40 years and an interfaith community for 20 years.

Cristina Airaghi, pastor for children and youth at First Congregational UCC in Bellevue, will be ordained at 1 p.m., Sept. 17, at First Congregational UCC, Bellingham.

Judith Rinehart-Nelson resigned from Zion Philadelphia UCC in Ritzville effective Sept. 30, to begin full-time chaplaincy at Mt. Carmel Hospital in Colville with Providence in Stevens County Oct. 3.

Maurice Montgomery Bell, 83, died July 26. A graduate of Harvard Divinity School, his ministry included work as a community organizer and social change activist with University Congregational UCC, Bellevue First Congregational UCC, the Metropolitan Association of the New York Conference, Seattle Police Crime Prevention and other groups.

Beryl Sibley, 91, died June 4 in Des Moines, Wash. She was active in Beacon Ave. UCC, and local, regional and national UCC leadership, serving from 1995 to 2001 on the PNC Churches and Clergy Committee, and two terms on the national Office for Church Life and Leadership Board.

Armin Kroehler, 94, died July 31 in Honolulu. He served as a UCC missionary in Aizu, Japan.

Westside youth set gatherings

The Youth and Young Adult Task Force is hosting “2nd Sunday” gatherings for youth 6th to 12th grade this Fall, said Cristina Airaghi, pastor for children and youth at First Congregational UCC in Bellevue.

The September event was 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 11 at SkyMania Trampolines in Kirkland. Others are Oct. 9 at Bob’s Corn Maze in Snohomish; Nov. 13 to prepare and serve dinner for Congregations for the Homeless, and Dec. 11 at the Snowflake Lane Parade and Pizza. For information, call 510-410-1033 or 425-454-5001 ext. 1021.

Clergy Boundary Training set

PNC-UCC Committee on Ministry is sponsoring Clergy Boundary Training, led by Tara Barber, from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday, Oct. 24, at University Congregational UCC, 4515 16th Ave. NE, Seattle.

For clergy to maintain standing in the PNC-UCC, they are required to take a boundary training workshop once every three years, said Church and Ministry leadership: Eastside chair Marj Johnston, pastormarj@gmail.com, 509-730-9969 and Westside chairs: Ryan Lambert revryanlambert@gmail.com 425-822-3811 Judi Edwards, edwards.jc@comcast.net 360-303-0309.

Register at n-sid-sen.org. For scholarships and childcare reimbursement contact Michael Denton, 206-725-8383 ext. 2 or email revdenton@gmail.com.

Church offers lecture Oct. 7-9

The Lecture Series at University Congregational UCC, Seattle, features Stephen Patterson, New Testament scholar and former head of the Jesus Seminar, Oct. 7 to 9. He teaches religious and ethical studies at Willamette University.

In The Lost Way, he reveals the story behind the discovery of the earliest gospels, accounts that recover a lost ancient Christian tradition centered on Jesus as a teacher of wisdom.

From 5 to 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 7, before the lecture is an opening reception of the Charles McCollough Sculpture Exhibition, “The Wise and Radical Jesus,” hosted by the Creativity Council of UCUCC. Charles will speak and show slides at 11:15 a.m., Sunday morning, Oct. 9. Tickets are at brownpapertickets, search Patterson.

The Lecture Series will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2017 with John Dominic Crossan lecturing March 3 to 5. It brings leading Christian and non-Christian scholars, teachers, writers and speakers to the church to help stretch understanding of what it means to be Christian today.

For information, visit www.lectureseriesatucucc.org. To share memories, share stories and pictures at lectureseries@universityucc.org

Michael Dowd available for presentations

Michael Dowd, author of “Thank God for Evolution!” is living on Whidbey Island from September through December and is available to preach, teach and speak. He is a former UCC pastor, now Unitarian. His wife, Connie Barlow, is a science writer who works with him.

Michael, who will preach at Everett UCC at 10 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 16, is an evolutionary theologian, sustainable communities organizer, eco-theologian and pro-science evangelist. After worship, there will be a discussion with environmentalists and the community. He promotes sacred responsibility to future generations, and building bridges between religious and non-religious people,

Other opportunities to hear him include: Oct. 9 and 18 at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, Bellevue, and Oct. 22 at the University Congregational UCC Men’s Retreat at Pilgrim Firs in Port Orchard.

For information, visit www.michaeldowd.org.

Church Council holds event

The Church Council of Greater Seattle will hold a “Weaving Our Strengths” conference of fellowship, inspiration and skill-building to strengthen local churches from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 22, at Seattle First Baptist Church, 1111 Harvard Ave.

The event includes worship, workshops, a resource fair and awards. In 2015, more than 200 people of 16 faith traditions and 60 congregations in 22 cities gathered.

PNC presenters include Kelle Brown, minister of worship and pastoral care at Plymouth UCC in Seattle; Briana Frenchmore, who is on the Farm Worker Ministry Northwest and the UCC Justice and Witness Ministry Committee, and Kyna Grace Shilling, creative worship curator and facilitator with the PNCUCC and at Plymouth Congregational UCC in Seattle.

For information, call 306-525-1213 ext 105.

Holiday concert planned

“On the Beat, Music Retreat!” will be held from 5 p.m. Friday to 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 4 and 5, at N-Sid-Sen for Christmas jamming, improving music understanding, pitch matching, drumming and more. Participants are asked to bring instruments, 20 copies of a Christmas Gem to share, one to three vocal warm-ups. Register at n-sid-sen.org. For information, call Gen Heyward at 408-593-9556.

Book launch scheduled

Kizzie Johes, retired UCC pastor and author, and Scott Ward, illustrator now in Bellingham, will host a book launch for their newest book, A Tall Tale about a Dachshund and a Pelican: How a Friendship Camp to Be, from 6 to 9 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Edmonds Yacht Club, 326 Admiral Way in Edmonds. For information, visit kizzie jones.com.

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