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We are so sad to report the death of our friend and Board member, Jeff Brady. Jeff was born July 2, 1940 in Evanston, IL and went to be with his Lord and Savior on July 17, 2007. He and his wife, Linda, would have celebrated 50 years of marriage in November. Jeff co-founded Northwest Information Systems, Inc. in 1979 and took over the business in 1984. He was a successful businessman and volunteer worker, always ready to help out when needed. At the time of his passing, Jeff served on the boards of the Eastside Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Lutherwood Camp and Retreat Center. In addidion, he was a dedicated worker for his church, Wooden Cross Lutheran Church in Woodinville. With a passion for youth and fellowship, Jeff helped in the "Faith Alone" youth band at Wooden Cross. He was foundational in leading the Spirit Lodge building project at Lutherwood, dedicated to the memory of his son, Michael Brady. His influence on the youth in his congregation was evidenced at his service, and even in other congregations through the young people he has inspired, as evidenced from the St. Luke's Lutheran (Bellevue) newsletter: "(Recently) a former mentor of mine passed away. I thought back over the times that we shared at Wooden Cross Lutheran Church while I was a teenager and realized how much he truly cared for the congregation and the world. He gave his time and money to help support great organizations like Camp Lutherwood in Bellingham. He put his whole heart into helping others in need and he did that until the day he died. It is a man like this that I aspire to be. We need good examples like him so we can have someone to emulate. We have many people at St. Luke's who have the compassion and generosity this man had. We all have good hearts and at times we need guidance from others, but we always need guidance from God." (Ben Richards, youth director) Jeff loved photography and anything to do with computers or electronics. He also loved to travel with his wife and had been to all six major continents. Mariner's baseball, the theater and pop concerts were also high on his list of things to do. Jeff is survived by his wife, Linda, and their children Mark, Kathryn, and Kimberly. He was blessed with 10 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested contributions to Lutherwood Camp Endowment Fund, 1185 Roy Rd, Bellingham, WA 98229 or The American Heart Association. The East King County Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has dedicated our Habitat pledge of $5000 in Jeff's name, and we are in process of creating work party events at Lutherwood in Jeff's memory. Details will be in our next chapter newsletter. Jeff will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.
The importance of filling key positions in the East King County Board is urgent. We are planning to hold Board elections the week of October 7 - 14. Each lead congregational coordinator at the 27 Eastside churches will have ballots available for Thrivent members to cast a vote. As an incentive, the EKC Board will be drawing names of coordinators from participating voting congregations to win 2 free tickets to the 2008 Habitat Golf Tournament Dinner and Auction next spring. The 2007 Golf Tournament brought in some $60,000 to benefit Habitat for Humanity, so you can see that it a ticket worth having! Many of the current Board members can serve only one more year, so we are praying that YOU will think about being a part of this incredible group of volunteers (although all positions are open each year to new nominees). The commitment is one meeting/month (the second Wednesday) and then additional follow-up hours, depending upon the job assignment. The need is great for an Assistant Financial Director for 2008. We would love to have a Youth Director, Community Service Team Leader, and Event Director as well. If you are interested in any of these positions, or the required positions of President, Vice President, Financial Director, Records Director, or Congregational Coordinator (or assisting one of those positions) PLEASE visit our website at Lutherans Online for job descriptions; or contact us at eastkingcochapter@yahoo.com. Is this fun? Of course! It's the best Board in town!
On June 12, some 85 people gathered at First Lutheran in Bothell to celebrate a common love of quilting. Over 17 quilts were presented to Lutheran World Relief, a mere sampling of the more than 2000 quilts sewn this past calendar year. Mr. Don Haven, the Western States Mission Advancement representative of Lutheran World Relief, blessed and accepted the quilts on behalf of LWR. He then shared a DVD that shows exactly how the quilts are used and appreciated around the world. The luncheon was hosted by the EKC chapter of Thrivent. It was estimated that Eastside churches have over 450 years of experience in quilting and tens of thousands of quilts have been sewn throughout the years. In appreciation for the work being done, the EKC chapter presented a roll of batting to each church in attendance.
On May 5th, EKC chapter leaders and members helped to prepare Camp Lutherwood for the 2007 summer programs. The day was planned for volunteers to get lots done--and they did! Gardens were weeded and planted, a new roof was put on one building, exterior painting was done, potholes filled, tables sanded and stained, equipment washed: many hands made light work! There was a fantastic BBQ lunch and time to talk with people from other Thrivent chapters and churches around Western Washington. Thanks to the financial support from EKCC, costs were kept down enabling Lutherwood to reduce its prices for summer campers.
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