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The final tally indicates that the $3,863 raised by Team Thrivent members for the American Cancer Society puts us in fourth place among nearly 40 teams that participated in Arlington Relay For Life this year! Our 14 team members and numerous friends who attended Relay at Wakefield High School on June 23 and 24 enjoyed picture-perfect weather, delicious refreshments donated by Advent member Desiree Jessimy, and wonderful fellowship. The poignant luminaria ceremony, held at dusk, included a video montage of honorees and the lighting of the luminaria bags. The candles inside the bags illuminated the names of loved ones, inspiring us to keep walking through the night. Team Thrivent members raised over $120 at the event by selling popular lap-counting strings. Walkers purchased the strings for $3.00 and then added a bead after every lap walked. Thrivent member and cancer survivor, Paul Hetzer, collected 64 beads which translates to over 16 miles walked during the 16-hour event! Event Coordinator, Marianne Hetzer, expressed joy and enthusiasm for the collective efforts of the four congregations within the chapter to make this event so successful!
Over 80 people progressed through four fabulous dinner courses on Sunday, June 3 -- each course hosted by a different Lutheran congregation in Arlington. The fundraising event resulted in $4,864 and 300 hours of volunteer service to support the Arlington Food Assistance Center.
Chapter congregations are in the middle of a four-month campaign to fill the shelves at the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) with breakfast cereal. Alas, cereal is such a popular commodity at AFAC that it flies off the shelves as quickly as it is stocked! Undaunted, Our Savior began the drive in July and collected 305 boxes, including 200 contributed during their Vacation Bible School! The campaign continued at Resurrection where 247 boxes were collected in August (actually through Rally Day on Sept. 9). Efforts are now underway at Faith; please feel free to bring a box or several when you worship or attend any other event at Faith during the month of September. And Advent will make the final push in October -- will the chapter collect 1000 or more boxes???
Chapter members and friends will walk together in the 10K Arlington CROP Walk on October 20, beginning at 8:00am at Arlington Forest United Methodist Church (4701 Arlington Blvd). Millions of adults and children world-wide are hungry or drinking unsafe water. "CROP Hunger Walks help to provide tools of hope that empower people to meet their own needs. From seeds and tools, to wells and water systems, to technical training and micro-enterprise loans, the key is people working together to identify their own development priorities, their strengths and their needs -- something CWS [Church World Service] has learned through some 60 years of working in partnership around the world." (taken from www.cropwalk.org). Twenty-five percent of all money raised in the Arlington CROP Walk will benefit the Arlington Food Assistance Center. The rest of the money will be used nationally and globally to fight hunger, thirst and homelessness.
Chapter Board members serve one-year terms (January - December) which means that opportunities exist every year to incorporate new leaders with fresh new ideas and positive energy. Long time Board member, Marianne Hetzer, is stepping off the Board this year only because of a constitutional requirement that Board members must take a one-year break after three years of service or a two-year break after four years of service. Marianne is choosing the one-year break because she enjoys working with the Chapter so much that she will likely want to return in 2009!
Chapter members must vote in person. Elections will be held in each congregation on October 21st and/or October 28th. The election process is a very important way for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans to demonstrate two required elements of a fraternal benefit society:
Resurrection is conducting a fundraiser for former youth director Diana York Luscombe. Diana was in a terrible car accident this summer and has a long recovery and rehabilitation ahead of her. The fundraising period will conclude with the congregational picnic on September 16, and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will supplement the funds raised from its Care in Congregations™ program.
There are over 800 members in the Arlington Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans! Twenty-three percent of our members are affiliated with one of the four Lutheran congregations in Arlington. However, 77 percent of our members have an Arlington County street address but show no congregational affiliation. We are able to reach out easily and directly to the congregations to offer opportunities for volunteering in our community and participating in Thrivent activities. For those of you who are not members of Advent, Faith, Our Savior or Resurrection, it is important that you read these newsletters and check our web site (www.lutheransonline.com/arlingtoncountychapter) for the latest information about what we are doing. We want to involve you in the Chapter. We believe that you have ideas for serving the needs of the Arlington County community. Finally, for those of you who have not told Thrivent your congregational affiliation (be it in Arlington or elsewhere), please contact Thrivent Fraternal customer service at 800-236 -3736, and let them know your Church home.
President Rich Kauzlarich rkauzlarich@cox.net Vice President Chris Johnston chris1223966@yahoo.com Records Director Vacant Financial Director Wendell Anderson annwen@erols.com Assistant Financial Director Brian Brunsvold chicabrunsvold@juno.com Cong Service Team Director Elizabeth Morse emorse@centexhomes.com Communications Director Marianne Hetzer mwhetzer@comcast.net
October 15 7:30pm Faith November 19 7:30pm Resurrection December 17 7:30pm Advent (location tentative)
Our vision is to be a dynamic organization of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans members. We practice careful stewardship of human and financial resources to demonstrate care and concern for others by bringing volunteers together to make a difference in Arlington, Virginia and beyond.
This newsletter is written for you by volunteer leaders of your local Thrivent Financial for Lutherans chapter, and any views expressed are those of the writer. For questions, comments or to learn more about chapter activities in your area, please contact one of your chapter leaders, who are listed on our Web site at: www.thrivent.com/members. Just click on Information About My Chapter.
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