Your 2008 Board is pleased to produce our first 2008 Mount Baker Chapter Newsletter.  We are eager to improve communication throughout our Chapter and it is our goal to create an informative and educational forum with our members and congregational coordinators.  Your Mount Baker Chapter leadership board aims to highlight the many activities supported by our Chapter and share stories of success.  With your prayers of support, the Board will continue to serve you.

Join Hands Day is a nation-wide day of intergenerational volunteerism, sponsored by America's fraternal benefit societies, including Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, to generate awareness about the impact of grass roots volunteerism.  It encourages youth and adults to come together to identify, plan, and conduct activities to improve their communities.  Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and our members strongly support the purpose of this special day and the impact it has on communities nationwide.

This year, you and your congregation members are invited to attend Join Hands Day at Camp Lutherwood on Saturday, May 3, 2008, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Singles, families, youth groups, retirees -- ALL ARE WELCOME. It will be a fun-filled day of hard work, fellowship, and a free lunch.  Please contact Bob Merrill at 360-734-7652 or email Bob at bob.merrill@camplutherwood.org to allow Lutherwood to plan for your participation.  

Camp Lutherwood is looking forward to your help with the following projects:  Putting a new tar roof on the Lakeview Lodge, splitting firewood, repairing the girls bath house roof, building/clearing trails, building picnic tables, gardening, removing knotweed, installing bath house windows, rehabilitating campsites, and more.  Contributions of materials and money are welcome!  

Camp Lutherwood is located on beautiful Lake Samish at 1185 Roy Road and is owned by our Lutheran congregations.

In 2007 Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Mount Baker Chapter and Habitat for Humanity of Whatcom County established their first partnership in building a home in Kendall for a local mother and her three daughters.  With a great deal of coordination and a huge grant from Thrivent, along with our local congregations' donations and fundraising, YOU built a beautiful, cozy home for Vera and her children.  Thank you to our Thrivent Builds Chapter Specialist for 2007, Lisa Lockwood; Thrivent Financial Advisor, Holly Whittle; and every one of our volunteers who were at the jobsite. A special thank-you to those who donated time, materials, money or meals.  

In 2008 you have the opportunity to help build a Thrivent Builds/Habitat home in Skagit County.  Groundbreaking will be at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 8, 2008, at 530 Alexander Street in Sedro Woolley.  Al Peraino is our 2008 Thrivent Builds Chapter Specialist for this project, and he can be reached at 360-424-5802 or email Al at peraino.ajm1@verizon.net.  Al is looking for "Congregational Champions" from each congregation to help connect your congregation with this year's home.  

You may also visit www.thriventbuilds.com to learn how to volunteer or donate.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will supplement charitable giving by Thrivent Benefit Members to any Lutheran organization (that has provided the necessary paperwork) under the "Giving Plus" program.  Thrivent will supplement 50 cents on the dollar up to $300 to two organizations annually.  Thus, this could result in an amount totaling $600 from Thrivent.  Some examples of this are Camp Lutherwood, Pacific Lutheran University, Lutheran preschools or child care centers, Lutheran owned nursing homes, etc.  Forms can be found at www.Thrivent.com.

Has your congregation applied for your Care in Congregations funds?  Each year every congregation has available to them either $1,300 or $1,600 in supplemental funds, depending on its membership.  HOWEVER...  you must have three congregational coordinators who are Thrivent Financial for Lutheran members.  You are eligible to be a coordinator if you have purchased a Thrivent product or are an associate member.  These three volunteers do the necessary paperwork (online) to request the available funding from Thrivent.  These funds can be used at the discretion of your congregation.  Examples might include purchasing Sunday school curriculum, maintaining and/or repairing church properties, supporting missions, etc.

This is your opportunity as a congregation or with fellow Thrivent members to make a difference in your community.  Our Chapter funds projects up to $1,600 at 50 cents on the dollar for both fundraising events and hands-on service activites.  Forms are available on the Thrivent web site (Request for Funding Questionnaire) and when completed should be mailed to Mount Baker Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, P.O. Box 30376, Bellingham, WA  98228.  In the past, our board has funded projects such as Interfaith Coalition's annual auction, Lutheran World Relief, Cancer walks, Salvation Army, Josephine Sunset Home, Animals for Natural Therapy, several local hunger projects, preschools, Love, INC programs, Lopez Island Community Center piano repair, and many more.  For the year 2008 Mount Baker Chapter has $33,425 to distribute through the Care Abounds in Communities program.  If you have questions about this program, please feel free to contact any Mount Baker Chapter Board member.

Current Leaders  
 
President:  Lisa L Lockwood, 2480 Aldergrove Rd., Ferndale, WA  98248-9640
               (360) 380-4127, lockwood4kids@verizon.net

Vice President: Russell S Celia, 325 S 32nd Pl., Mount Vernon, WA  98274-8907
               (360) 424-4794, rcelia41@msn.com

Records Director:  Rebecca Ann Wietzke, 370 NE Camano Dr Ste 5, Camano Island, WA  98282-7279
              (360) 428-6128, rawietzke@yahoo.com  

Financial Director: Janet L Congdon, 1324 Welling Rd., Bellingham, WA  98226-8853
              (360) 671-0906, rjcongdon@comcast.net

Congregational Service Team Director:  Alvina Olstead, 1225 Private Dr., Bellingham, WA  98226-9617
              (360) 384-4021, fiddlemom@aol.com

Assistant Financial Director: Karen A Bellingar, P.O. Box 1121, Bellingham, WA  98227-1121
              (360) 734-8903, bellingarstorage@msn.com  

Events Director: Robert N Merrill, 1185 Roy Rd., Bellingham, WA  98229-8210
              (360) 756-6735, bobandmaryannmerrill@msn.com

Program Advisor:  Burnice Moore, 2704 Kentucky Str., Bellingham, WA 98229-4061
              (360) 734-9177, moorehaven1@msn.com

Thrivent Builds Chapter Specialist: Albert Peraino, 428 S 32nd Pl., Mount Vernon, WA  98274-8908
              (360) 424-5802, peraino.ajm1@verizon.net  

Thrivent Builds Chapter Specialist: S. Brusseau, 3448 N Woodland Dr., Mount Vernon, WA  98274-8618
              (360) 424-8038, SorenaBrusseau@regence.com

Thrivent Builds Chapter Specialist: Katherine M Stiles, 8079 Avery Ln., Sedro Woolley, WA  98284-8707
              (360) 856-5814, kbstiles@nwlink.com

All Mount Baker Chapter Board meetings are held on the third Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, 1720 Harris Avenue, Bellingham, WA  98225.  Visitors are always welcome.  

Thrivent Builds/Habitat for Humanity Groundbreaking in Sedro Woolley, 530 Alexander Street, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, 2008.  

Interfaith Coalition's Spring Auction, "Open Hearts, Quiet Minds in the Garden of Hope", March 29, 2008.  For ticket information, contact Interfaith Coalition, 360-527-2397.  

Gospel Jam Session fundraiser for the Ten Mile Chapel, April 13, 2008, 2 p.m. at Ten Mile Chapel, 800 Ten Mile Road, Lynden.  For more information, call Elaine Sheets at 360-366-9940.

Join Hands Day - May 3, 2008, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Camp Lutherwood.