Saturday June 5th:
4:30 pm
BYO Picnic -
Keystone community gathering
Meet outside by Keystone playground (in the back), walk over to Meridian Playground (4649 Sunnyside Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98103). Bring your own picnic and blanket or folding chairs for Covid-safe social time just to catch up--in person! Contact Lauren for questions or more details:
4:30pm- 5:30 pm: This is a casual first meet up outside this spring! Come by the pretty church grounds and head over to Meridian Park (across 50th from Keystone in Wallingford). We won't be sharing food, but bring your own early supper snack!
Park your bike or car at Keystone as you like. Children, families and Anita & Lauren will meet at Keystone playground and walk over.
Parking at Good Shepherd offers a shorter walk. Or ask to be dropped off at 50th & Meridian, and there is a ramp under the stone archway. We will find a space for our picnic blankets at that end of the field, near the arch. Come for an hour of covid-safe-outside, masked & physically-distanced, time to catch up! There is lots of space for kids to run, a playground, & bathrooms. (Same park we gathered June 2020 to cheer Paisley's graduation.) Anita may read kids a story if we get a little group!
More outdoor chances to visit can come, if you are not around for this one!
Rain date for this first in-person BYO picnic:
Tuesday June 8 at 5-6 pm.
3 areas of Research: Volunteers sought: Help Gather info for Keystone-future conversations
Over the months we have been having good conversations about Keystone's future. We are at a point in the conversation where more information would be helpful.
Though Lauren and Rich may be able to provide some ideas, the research work will need leadership from members of the congregation. Here is what is currently needed:
Keystone is looking for volunteer(s) to research what other churches are learning from their various responses to post-Covid worship. (Ex. sanctuary worship + zoom or FB live, video recording of worship + posting, outdoor worship, etc.)
We are also looking for volunteer(s) to research the viability and zoning for selling our corner of land & buildings to redevelop the church buildings to become low income housing, a worship space, community renters, offices, etc.
And we are looking for volunteer(s) to talk with those who would not be able to attend Keystone for worship, if we worship in the sanctuary.
Please let Lauren or Rich know if you are interested in one of these opportunities.
Other areas of research have been well underway all year and continue. For example, how Keystone/ STCC/ PreSchool/ +all our cherished renters can safely come back-in-person. If you are vaccinated, WA State and King County continue to have encouraging words. But Keystone’s process through our winter and spring Listening Sessions have especially kept an ear tuned to whom may still be vulnerable. What do you need? (Ex. how can children safely worship, with singing, with communion, with their class, with hugs at coffee hour? What are the needs of those with particularly compromised immune systems?)
We are thankful for all the participation in the Listening Sessions, held at the end of each month. Next up: this month: Wednesday June 23, 6:30 pm. Save the date- thank you!
Thursday May 27 Lectio Divina Practice 6 pm
Come for this meditative practice (through zoom) as we sit with the scripture for Sunday May 30:
PS- Hi, maybe you expected Wednesday eve… so please note we are practicing Thursdays on zoom starting this week. Or perhaps you will be coming to the 6:30 zoom Listening Session and can come for the prayerful practice first? All welcome- no prep necessary!
Here is how to make a big impact this week and "Take 5"!
One of the ways to mark the anniversary of George Floyd’s death is to push for specific tangible long-lasting systemic reform. You can help here on the policing act! Also: these actions been culled to be powerfully timed: can you help make recovery just? Extend our WA eviction moratorium, expand health care. Close Guantanamo. And thank you- some King County folks will at last get their stimulus checks: see more on all these here:
https://mailchi.mp/47abc56a8f2d/keystone-ucc-take-5-for-advocacy-week-of-nov-2-5205717?e=bcae8006e1
Benediction from Pentecost
Rev. Lauren here. I loved Rev. Rich’s simple Prayer that closed our online Communion and our Benediction from Sunday May 23. Online worship is a different format and liturgical form than in person. But incase some of the Spirit of it comes through on the page, may this short Prayer/Benediction offer you encouragement this week:
We are loved by the source of love. We are fed by source of all things. We are called to be living blessings to the people and the planet. We have what we need to be the people God hopes we will be. Let us go forth with love and hope and joy.