SOUTHWESTERN WASHINGTON SYNOD ASSEMBLY VOTING MEMBER HANDBOOK JUNE 7-8, 2013

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1 SOUTHWESTERN WASHINGTON SYNOD ASSEMBLY VOTING MEMBER HANDBOOK JUNE 7-8, 2013 HOTEL MURANO, TACOMA, WA THEME: ALWAYS BEING MADE NEW SITE Hotel Murano, Tacoma, WA- The art-themed boutique Hotel Murano is listed in the CondeNast 2011 Hot List as well as being voted number 6 on the CondeNast Travelor s Reader s Choice list. The main assembly room, along with Synod Assembly registration, is located at the Bicentennial Pavilion at the back of the hotel. Parking: The hotel is located at 1320 Broadway Plaza, Tacoma, WA Self Parking is available at Hotel Murano for $15 per night, plus tax, and valet parking for $19 per night, plus tax. There is minimal street parking that may be available near the hotel. The hotel facility is handicapped accessible. You must make your own hotel overnight accommodation reservation. The hotel overnight stay is not included in the assembly registration. Day visitors may park free in the Sound Transit Tacoma Dome Station parking garage. Take the link light rail to the Convention Center/ S. 15 th St stop and walk South on Commerce Street; right at S. 15 th street walking west and Turn right at Broadway. Walk north on Broadway about 5 mins (0.2 miles) to the Hotel Murano. The first train leaves at 5am and the last arrives at the Tacoma Dome Station at approx. 10pm Friday night. Parking on the streets in Downtown Tacoma on Fridays is from 8am until 6pm the rate is $0.25/20 minutes or $0.75/hour with a 2-hour limit. There is some free street parking within a couple blocks of the hotel. On Saturday, you can pay $2.50 to park on the street from 8am until 6pm (all day) Driving Directions to the Hotel Murano, Tacoma Traveling Northbound on Interstate 5: Take Exit 133 toward I-705 N/. WA-7 S/ City Center Keep right at the fork, follow signs for Interstate 705N/City Center/Washington 7S/Pacific Avenue Keep left at the fork, follow signs for City Center and merge onto I-705 N Take the A Street Exit on the left toward City Center Keep left at the fork, follow signs for S. 15 th Street/Pacific Avenue and merge onto S. 15 th St. Turn right onto Broadway. The Hotel is at 1320 Broadway, Tacoma in downtown Tacoma. Please register in the hotel lobby if you are staying overnight. The Synod Assembly main rooms will be a

2 in the Bicentennial Pavilion on the back side of the hotel. You may take the elevator to the 2 nd floor of the hotel and go through the courtyard into the Pavilion. Traveling Eastbound on Hwy 16 toward Tacoma Travelling toward Tacoma, keep right at the fork, follow signs for Interstate 705N/City Center/Washington 7S/Pacific Avenue Keep left at the fork, follow signs for City Center and merge onto I-705 N Take the A Street Exit on the left toward City Center Keep left at the fork, follow signs for S. 15 th Street/Pacific Avenue and merge onto S. 15 th St. Turn right onto Broadway. The Hotel is at 1320 Broadway, Tacoma in downtown Tacoma. Please register in the hotel lobby if you are staying overnight. The Synod Assembly main rooms will be in the Bicentennial Pavilion on the back side of the hotel. You may take th e elevator to the 2 nd floor of the hotel and go through the courtyard into the Pavilion. REGISTRATION/AGENDA Registration will be open Thursday (June 6th) from 7:00-8:00pm, Friday (June 7th) from 8:00am-12Noon and on Saturday (June 8th) from 7:30am-Noon in the rotunda area of the Bicentennial Pavilion. The Synod Assembly will begin at 8:45am on Friday and continue until after the banquet dinner on Friday evening. Saturday s schedule begins at 8:00am until about 5pm. VOTING MEMBER ORIENTATION Voting Member Orientation to learn about the Synod, how the assembly works and how you vote, will be from 8-8:30am on Friday, June 7th in the Main Assembly Hall of the Bicentennial Pavilion. Pastor Ron Kempe, Assembly Chair, will be facilitating. FOOD AND DRINK Meals: Friday s lunch and dinner are included in the registration cost (unless you purchase the visitor without meals registration.) Saturday breakfast and lunch are on your own and are available for your purchase at restaurants within the hotel and nearby. The list will be available at registration at the assembly and on our Synod Assembly website Coffee: Coffee will be available in our Hospitality are located across from the registration area. The hospitality is sponsored by Korsmo Construction (who are remodeling the Karen Hille Phillips Center for the Performing Arts at PLU) b

3 WORSHIP We have three worship services; all within the main assembly hall of the Bicentennial Pavilion. On Friday morning, we have a Service of the Word. Saturday morning will start with a Eucharist service which will include an affirmation of Bishop Hofstad s ministry. The final short worship will be Saturday afternoon when Bishop Hofstad installs the Synod Council members, the ALYVE (youth) Board members and affirms the Bishop-Elects ministry. The offering will be shared between the Federal Way Chinese Fellowship and the ELCA Malaria Campaign. OFFERING will be shared between the Federal Way Chinese Fellowship and the ELCA Malaria Campaign. BOOKSTORE There will be a good selection of books available for purchase from The Garfield Book Company at PLU in the room right outside the main assembly room. Checks, cash and credit cards will be accepted for the books from the Garfield Book Company at PLU. WORKSHOPS The list of Workshops on Saturday afternoon is on pages of the voting materials. DISPLAYS 25 ministry related displays will be located the Rotunda of the Bicentennial Pavilion on the way to the main assembly room. The list is on page 19 of the voting materials. VOTING- ELECTIONS, RESOLUTIONS AND CONSTITUTION CHANGE Voting Members have the privilege of electing several positions in the synod, including a new bishop. There are still some other positions open, so that list is linked below. There is one constitutional ratification from the Churchwide Assembly that will be voted on as well. We use colored voting cards AND electronic voting machines to vote this year. Bishop Hofstad will train all voting members on using both the voting cards and the voting machines during the plenary session. Voting members will have the opportunity to speak and vote on a resolution on Advocating for Hunger. c

4 The proposed constitutional change is on page 60 of the Voting Materials. These constitution change is mainly regarding the structure of the boards and committees of the synod, and other matters stemming from the 2002 (really!) Churchwide Assembly constitution and bylaw changes. SEATING The first business session starts at 8:45am on Friday in the Main Hall of the Bicentennial Pavilion. Singing will start about 15 minutes prior to the business meeting. During plenary (business) sessions all voting members are to sit in the designated seating area for voting members. Additional seating is provided for voice-only participants and visitors at the rear of the assembly room. Seating will be at round tables of There are not assigned seats for individual or congregation voting members. OFFICE An Assembly Office will be located right next to the main assembly room. Stop by if you need special assistance. Pat Durston will be managing the office, with her volunteers, Lisa Boers, Dick Schmidt and Chuck Pfister. Rachel Pritchett, Synod Communicator and editor of the synod supplement in The Lutheran and the synod newsletter, Moments for Mission, will be in the office or out gathering information for the next synod newsletter. MESSAGES Announcements and emergency messages may be posted on the Message Board at the entrance of the main assembly room. HANDOUTS We are making every effort to provide necessary information for informed decisions while using less paper. Therefore, the material that is distributed to all voting members during the assembly is limited to the necessary paperwork for business, workshop and program presentation. Most information will be projected on large screens in the main assembly room. Some information related to the ELCA that the Planning Committee viewed to be of interest to members, such as The Lutheran magazine, will also be at the tables in the main assembly room. Please read #13 of the proposed Rules of Procedure (page 56 of voting materials)- all materials desired for distribution to the voting members must be submitted to the Assembly Office for approval by the Secretary of the Synod and the Advice and Council Committee before being distributed by the ushers. Materials for possible distribution will need to be taken to the Assembly Office by 7am on Friday, June 7th, for distribution, if approved. d

5 FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) HOW MUCH MONEY WILL I NEED TO BRING? You will need money for your Saturday breakfast and lunch, your lodging, and if you will be giving an offering at worship. You may also desire to have money for purchases in the Garfield Book Company opposite the Assembly Office outside of the main assembly hall. Friday lunch and dinner are included in the registration, unless you ve selected materials only for non-voice/non-voting members. HOW SHOULD I DRESS? The Synod Assembly is a business meeting, so we ask that you dress in business casual. Hotel room temperature seems to fluctuate frequently, so dressing in layers is always a good idea. Our work days are pretty long, and there is a lot of sitting, so please dress comfortably. WHO S WHO? Bible Study Leaders: Rev. Dr. Terence Fretheim, Old Testament Professor at Luther Seminary and Rev. Donald McCoid, ELCA Executive for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations. ELCA Representative: Rev. Donald McCoid, Executive for Ecumenical and Inter- Religious Relations in the Office of the Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. SYNOD COUNCIL Conference/Office Member Term Ends Congregation City Bishop Rev. Robert Hofstad 8/1/2013 Synod Bishop Vice President Mr. Paul Opgrande 7/1/2012 Mountain View Edgewood Secretary Rev. Kim Latterell 7/1/2014 Creator Bonney Lake Treasurer Ms. Dianne Stoehrs 7/1/2012 Mt. Cross University Pl. Young Adult Ms. Elise Erickson 5/15/2013 First Poulsbo At Large Ms. Monica Hurley 6/9/2012 Creator Bonney Lake At Large Rev. Pamela Hunter 5/19/2012 Prince of Peace Forks Coastal Rev. Linda Milks 5/14/2014 Saron Hoquiam Evergreen Rev. Lori Cornell 5/15/2013 Calvary Federal Way F t Vancouver Mr. John Jablonski 6/9/2013 St. Andrew Vancouver Lower Columbia Mr. Eric Nelson 5/19/2012 Stella Longview MISS Rev. Randy Olson 5/14/2014 Tacoma Luth Ret-Tacoma Mt. Rainier Mr. Marc Rieke 6/9/2013 Mountain View Edgewood Olympic Ms. Karen Meyer 5/14/2014 Holy Trinity Port Angeles Peninsula Ms. Ann Cummings 5/19/2012 Silverdale Silverdale South Sound Ms. Darcy Huffman 5/19/2012 Good Shepherd Olympia Tacoma SW Ms. Kathryn Nelson 5/19/2012 Tacoma Narrows Rev. Heinz Malon 5/18/2014 Key Peninsula Lakebay Advisors:W/ELCA-Ms. Carol Fossum; Assistants to the Bishop: Rev. Valinda Morse and Rev. Ronald Hoyum; Director for Evangelical Mission: Rev. Dr. Melanie Wallschlaeger; Office Manager: Allison Ramsey; Adjunct Staff: Rev. Donald Fossum, Rachel Pritchett e

6 What Does this Mean? An expanded list of vocabulary and acronyms is on pages of the voting materials. Voting Member- Active participant sent by a congregation to exercise prayerfully his/her judgment concerning matters to come before the assembly for a vote. Such matters include budget, elections, resolutions and memorials, and bylaw change. This is not a delegate. Plenary- business session at which all are present. Resolution- a request from the synod assembly for action that is concrete, specific and within the power of the assembly to implement. Memorial- a motion made by the synod in assembly requesting action by the Churchwide Assembly on a broad policy issue. Following passage of a memorial by the synod in assembly, the memorial is sent to the memorials Committee of the ELCA where it is reviewed and recommendations made to the next Churchwide Assembly. Synod Quick Facts The Southwestern Washington Synod is: One of 65 synods of the ELCA One of 6 synods in Region One Divided into 10 conferences Number of Congregations: 88 (including 4 Congregations Under Development and 2 Synodically Authorized Worshipping Communities) Baptized Members: 32,237 (2012 ELCA statistics) Synod Roster: 257 Ordained ministers, 10 lay rostered Clergy and AIM under call to congregational ministry: 112 Retired Rostered Clergy and AIM: 143 Clergy and AIM in Specialized Settings (MISS): 19 Clergy and AIM On Leave from Call: 9 Clergy and AIM on Disability: 1 f

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