Spanaway Lutheran Church

16001 A Street South

P.O. Box 1300

Spanaway Washington 98387

Sunday Worship 10 am

Sunday School 9 am

(Labor Day to Memorial Day)

Telling the Story of God's grace and calling

all people to live in faith through God's love.

Passionate about Making God's Gracious Love Known

In Worship

In Service

In Community Outreach

We gather to remember all that God has done for us:

We offer our time, talents

and treasures in gratitude

We demonstrate God's love

by reaching out to help.

Spanaway Lutheran Church

16001 A Street South

P.O. Box 1300

Spanaway Washington 98387

Sunday Worship 10 am

Sunday School 9 am

253-531-7000

Ongoing Ministry

Spanaway Lutheran Preschool is a non-profit community program offered as a ministry of SLC. Our director, Ellen MCCracken, is a 25 year veteran of Bethel School district as a kindergarten teacher. The program provides social and language development, school readiness, large and small muscle coordination and cooperative play. Visit the facebook page for more images and information at https://www.facebook.com/SpanawayLutheranChurchPreschool/. For additional information, a tour or to enroll your child contact the church office (531-7000) and we'll put you in touch with our preschool director, Ellen McCracken.
Spanaway Lutheran's Before and After School Enrichment began more than 20 years ago as an intentional outreach to the children and families of our community. B.A.S.E. provides before and after school care for kids in kindergarten through 6th grade. We service the following schools: Naches Trail, Camas Prairie, Thompson, Spanaway, Evergreen and Elk Plain. More than just a latchkey program, B.A.S.E. provides our children with homework assistance and tutoring on a daily basis, a seasoned staff known in the community for their commitment, skill & caring in dealing with children, and a safe environment in which parents can leave their children with peace of mind. For more information feel free to call or email our B.A.S.E. director Kathy Olsen at 539-2273 or base@spanawaylutheran.org .
The Spanaway Food Bank is a lifeline in our community, distributing more than 1/4 million pounds of food each year to Spanaway residents in need of food assistance. Unlike many food banks, which are open once a week, the Spanaway Food Bank distributes food every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1 - 3 p.m. Spanaway Lutheran donated space for the food bank, making it our closest neighbor and partner in ministry. For more than 40 years members of Spanaway Lutheran Church have consistently supported, staffed and helped manage this ministry along with our Lady Queen of Heaven, Spanaway United Methodist and Parkway Presbyterian Churches. Currently, our volunteers operate the food bank once a month, providing many opportunities to serve our neighbor in Jesus' name. If you have a heart for service, we are always looking for volunteers. Just contact the church office (531-7000) and we'll put you in touch with Gayle Halmo, our congregational coordinator.
Food for Families began as a ministry of Spanaway Lutheran Church in 2012 when we were approached by a local christian food gleaning ministry to consider being a distribution site. We chose to provide a weekend distribution to help working families unable to go to the Spanaway Food Bank because of work schedules or transportation issues. Over the years it has grown to serve an average of 15 - 20 households per week. The ministry is generously supported by the congregation, and has also received substantial support from ELCA Hunger funds. Food for Families offers plentiful opportunities for volunteer each week on Saturdays and Sundays. If you'd like to share in Jesus work of feeding the hungry contact the church office, and we will put you in touch with Edna Coonc, the program director.
Description

Music has the capacity to excite the soul in joy, provide comfort in sorrow, and inspire humanity’s noblest efforts toward peace and justice. Every child deserves the chance to develop a life-long passion for music. Confi- dence, artistry, and leadership skills can be achieved by every child through the caring relationship of a teacher and a child’s self-discovery when encouraged and inspired to aspire to great heights. JIM envisions the transformative gift of music to be a part of every child’s experience, encouraging creativity and accomplishment toward a compassionate life well lived. Jump into Music gives every child the opportunity to nurture their innate musical abilities, guided by enthusiastic and compassionate teachers. JIM is a registered 501c3 charity, allowing us to nurture children musically without regard to financial circumstance, and empowering each child to be a positive influence in the world. For more information go to www.jumpintomusic.org or call 253-394-6800
In 2015, Associated Ministries recognized Spanaway Lutheran Church as a congregation that had painted at least one home per year for 25 successive years for low income residents of Pierce County through Paint Tacoma-Pierce Beautiful (PTPB). Founded in 1985, PTPB organizes volunteer crews each summer to paint the exteriors of homes of low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners in Tacoma and other communities throughout Pierce County. Since 1985, nearly 2,200 houses have been painted. In 2015, more than 400 volunteers helped to paint 24 houses, and in 2016, we plan to paint 27 more! Go to Associated Ministries website, http://associatedministries.org/paint-tacoma-pierce-beautiful, to learn more about applying to have your house painted, volunteering, or sponsorships and donations. If you would like to join one of our painting teams, contact the church office (531-7000), and we'll forward your information to John and Mary Herem, PTPB coordinators for SLC. If you more information on Paint Tacoma Pierce Beautiful go to: http://associatedministries.org/paint-tacoma-pierce-beautiful.
In 2015 as part of our congregational greening movement members of Spanaway Lutheran Church began pursuing the idea of converting an unused portion of our church campus into the Spanaway Lutheran Community Garden. The garden serves a two-fold purpose: providing members of the community and neighborhood a place to get back to nature and grow their own pesticide free food, and allowing neighbors to meet and strengthen the community. A committed group of builders, organizers and master gardeners swiftly cleared a patch of ground large enough to accommodate 16 4 ft x 12 ft raised beds. The first few beds have been built and enriched with organic garden mix, and are ready for the start of next year's gardening season. For details about reserving a garden plot, our community garden policies and/or just to help out, please contact the church office (531-7000), and we'll put you in touch with a member of our garden committee.
As long as there has been a Spanaway Lutheran Church our quilters have demonstrated God's love to people in the congregation, the community and throughout the world with the tangible gift of handmade quilts. The quilters meet from Labor Day to Memorial Day on Wednesdays from 9 until noon, and complete their time together with a fellowship potluck. The quilters provided quilts to our local WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program, the Bethel School District counselors for distribution to needy kids and families, Wounded Warriors -- a group supporting recovering combat vets, and those who are baptized at SLC as well as members graduating from high school. Want to help? Want to learn to quilt? Want to be part of a hard working support group? Call the office and we'll put you in touch with the right person.

In 2011, a child not wearing a Bike helmet fell off of his bike while riding through our parking lot. He suffering a traumatic brain injury, and spent months in Mary Bridge Children's Hospital. Not wearing a helmet caused the child and his family great suffering, took nearly a year to recover from and left some permanent damage. After this tragic accident occurred members of our faith community resolved that every child in our neighborhood should have access to a quality bicycle helmet. Since 2011 we have provided new helmets for children and adults alike free of charge; hundreds of helmets have found new owners over the last 5 years. In May, our Bike Safety Fair provides repairs, training, and, of course, bike helmets to ensure the safety of our local cyclists, big and small.

Live plants inside a Church building bring the peace and beauty of God's creation into our midst. The live indoor plants at SLC are in need of some consistent TLC. Pastor Schier-Hanson has been doing his best to keep them watered, but they need more attention and nurture than he's able or qualified to give them. Contact Nick in the office(253-531-7000) if you would like to be our resident indoor green thumb.

Food for Families Pick Up Drivers

Our Food outreach minstry could really use a few more folks willing to pick up on Sdaturdays at 12:00 noon. If you have a van or pickup truck you have enough space to load our weekly food supply. If you commit to once a quarter, it would lighten the load of our regular picker-uppers a bunch. Sign up on the Outreach Bulletin Board, or contact the office(253-531-7000) and we'll put you in touch with Edna Coonc, our Food for Families director.

Spanaway Food Bank Volunteers Needed

Once every four weeks Spanaway Lutheran takes our turn providing the labor for the Spanaway Food Bank. We serve Monday, Wednesday and Friday for about 2 hours in the afternoon. Gayle Halmo, our congregational corrdinator can always us a few extras volunteers to fill vacant slots. Serve as often or as seldom as you schedule allows. To lend a hand call the office (253-531-7000) and we'll put you in touch with Gayle.

TableTalk Chefs Wanted

If you like to cook, we can use your skills providing your culinary expertise once or twice a year for our New table talk Ministry. On the first three Thursdays of October & November, or January & February a meal will be provided for 15-20 attendees of the Table Talk study group. You make the menu, we buy the food. Everyone enjoys a good dinner and fine fellowship. Sign up on the Christian Education bulletin board, or contact the office (253-531-7000) and Nick will put you in touch with Pastor about available dates.

Coming Soon

Vacation Bible School

Monday, July 10^th thru Friday, July 14^th

from 9^am'til 3:30^pm

Paint Tacoma Pierce Co. Beautiful

Birthday Lunch

Tues., July 18^th

11:30 am

BibleQue

Begins Wednesday, June 21^st

6 pm til 8 pm

Join us for our monthly birthday Lunch on Tuesday, July 18^th at 11:45 am. We gather at the Gateway Cottage to celebrate our appreciation for each other on the occasion of birthdays 

For the 27th straight year team Spanaway Lutheran volunteers under the direction of John and Mary Herem will pick up their pressure washers, sand paper, scrapers, brushes, rollers, buckets and paint the home of a pierce county resident in need. We're always in need of new painters. Keep an eye out for updated information, and the join us on prime and paint days.

It's time to take the grill out of mothballs. Our Summer Bible study series, BibleQue, resumes on Wednesday, June 21^st. As always the church will provide the the meat, and everyone else brings side dishes, salads, and desserts to share. It's always a pleasant evening, and a great way to get to know more of your brothers and sisters at SLC.

This year’s theme is “Water of Life” and we will be talking about creation, Jesus being baptized, the Pool of Siloam, The Woman at the Well, and Psalm 23. Children who will have finished Kindergarten and are no older than finished 5th grade can register. Registrations are now available in the church office. Hurry and secure a week of fun activities, chapel time, crafts, and food for your child!

Wanted: Sunday School Substitute Teachers

Ways to Serve

Everyone deserves a break every once in a while, especially our devoted children's Sunday School teachers. The curriculum we're presently using is easy to understand and teach. If you'd be willing to fill in for a week or just help out when an extra pair of hands are needed let us know in the office (253-531-7000), and we'll put you in touch with the right person.

Have a Green Thumb?

Wanted: Office Volunteers

You too can be the cheerful voice of Spanaway Lutheran Church. If you're looking for an entertaining volunteer opportunity, sign up for Tuesday afternoon or Friday morning in the Church Office answering phones and doing sundry office work. Few things are more entertaining than working with Nick our Administrative Assistant. He'll keep you busy and smiling. Cal him at call the office (253-531-7000) and he'll put you to work.

Calling All Teachers

Is there a class or Bible study, a forum or book study you'd love to share with your Spanaway Lutheran brothers and sisters during the Adult Sunday School hour? The adult class loves a change of pace, even a single class or short series.Call Nick in the office(253-531-7000) and he'll have Pastor Schier-Hanson put you on the teaching schedule.

Pick a Patch: Garden for Jesus

If you like outdoor gardening and want to help beautify the Spanaway Lutheran Campus by picking a patch and calling it your own. Presently, we need gardeners to tend the enclosed outdoor atrium, the patches at both entrances, or the courtyard/ memorial garden. There's an old saying, "A person enters a garden at the speed of a human, and leaves at the speed of a plant. Take a peaceful moment and do a little church gardening? Contact Nick in the office(253-531-7000) if you would like to be our resident outdoor green thumbs.

Children's Choir Chaperones

On Tuesday, October 4th at 5 pm Cheryl will kick off our new Children's Choir. An extra pair of hands would be much appreciated; many hands make for a lighter load. Give us a call in the office (531-7000) if your interested, and we'll make sure Cheryl gives you a call. It'll be great fun.