TRAILS - Annoucements
Tax Advice
All Methodists are eligible to have a financial plan done for them at no cost?

TRUE!!

Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 affects all taxpayers as follows: Income Tax Rates have been lowered; Some Tax Brackets have expanded; The Child Tax Credit has increased; Tax Rates on dividends and capital gains have bee reduced; Retirement Plan Contribution amount has increased ; and Estate Tax Exemption amount has increased.

Current and Deferred Giving consultants can help you prepare—at no cost to you—a comprehensive financial plan that will:
Provide for your family
Facilitate transfer of assets
Ensure effective management of your estate
Reduce or eliminate taxes
Maximize potential gifts
Fulfill stewardship goals

For more info—contact:

James N. Park, Director
3450 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1126
Los Angeles, CA 90010
213-386-5335 Jpark@gbgm-umc.org
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Missions: Communion Offering Report
On the first Sunday of each month, a special collection for the needy is taken immediately following communion. You will notice a small basket or collection plate placed where you can make a contribution as you leave the communion area. The communion offering is given to a different organization each month, and it is one of the Missions Committee’s tasks to designate beneficiaries.

For the month of March the communion offering will go to the First Avenue Service Center. The center, located in downtown Seattle, makes services available for homeless people such as free shower, laundry, clothing, and a place to pick up mail and phone messages. There is an emergency day shelter for families with children under 18, including resource for diapers, children's clothing, etc. There is also a nighttime shelter facility.

February’s collection of $126 went to Lambert House, is a center offering support for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning youth.

-Patti Amundson
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Interfaith Hospitality Network Report
During this past hosting week Debbie Groth was initiated into her new role as my associate IHN volunteer coordinator. She has learned that this job involves a bit more than making a few phone calls. “It’s all about keys” she pronounced afterwards, referring to a couple of rough patches. Keeping the building secure while assuring that the right people have the right keys at the right time always poses a challenge. On this occasion we did fine until Saturday night. On that evening I had neglected to give Judith Harold a key to the office and when the guests arrived (late, after a harrowing day involving the death of a beloved mother and grandmother) they found their sleeping room locked and Judith unable to get at the key ring. Fortunately, Tom Yeager arrived and saved the day. The other occurrence was on the last Sunday of hosting after the guests had left and Deb was wrestling with the wrench to lock up the breezeway doors. She spent such a long time in this fruitless endeavor that Lia Fae wondered aloud whether they were ever going to leave for home. They finally had to trudge across the parking lot in the driving rain and awaken Katie from a nap.

It was a very successful week despite all that and despite the fall-out of a 14-year-old guest’s fascination with the dishwasher, which became the occasion for a new rule: No one may touch the dishwasher except under direct supervision of a church member who knows how to operate it. With these qualifications, I feel that it was our most satisfying hosting week thus far. Having the capable and cheerful help of Deb Groth was a joy and a blessing. In addition, we had the opportunity to serve a record number of guests. There were two families (7 guests) at the beginning of the week; we lost one on Monday but added two more on Tuesday and Wednesday. From Wednesday through Sunday we fed and sheltered 12 guests in three families.

And, finally, the families were particularly wonderful. They were courageous in the way that Hemingway defined courage – as “grace under pressure.” Being homeless with children is one of the most stressful situations I can imagine. We hosts are prepared to take this into account and to overlook any crankiness or despondency that our guests may exhibit. What is amazing – this is not the first time I have seen it, but these families were prime exemplars – is that people in crisis can be generally cheerful, openly grateful and outstandingly kind and considerate to each other and to the other guests. It was a blessing to get to know such people.

Debbie and I heartily thank our great volunteers. Some of those from our church who contributed time, food and/or money were: Patti Amundson, Maggie Brown, Arthur and Peggy Campbell, Patrick and Suzanne Campbell, Young In Chung, Pat Dougherty, Lois Goodwin, Judith Harold, Dave and Lia Hiscock, Skip Holmes (that great chili, again!), Katie Ladd, Anne Lewis, Shawn and Selina Moyer, Anna and Kathy Olson, Jennifer Roberts, Marilyn Romsdahl, Dorothy Senior, Dorothy Trenor, Jeff and Carol Waymack, John Wejak, Melanie White with Jordan and Campbell, and Ginny and Andy Woo. We also thank my daughter and granddaughters (Susanne, Jane and Tess Kelly) and a woman from my office, Tsukina Blessing, who served a dinner with her husband Michael Douglas and their son Ezekiel. Tsukina and her family are Sufis – which extended the interfaith participation this time. St. Catherine of Siena parish, our partner IHN church, sent us these additional, wonderful volunteers: Julie Alaimo, Krista Dierks with her husband Arthur and son Christian, Mary Griffin, Mary MacFarlane, Mike and Mary Jean Mitchell, Johnna and McKenna Reitz, and Mary and John Solack. Others, whom I haven’t named, have also supported this effort, welcoming these guests into our midst, tolerating the toddler wandering into choir practice, working around our clutter to hold a UMW meeting, moving other meeting sites. Janine is always gracious about the invasion of her office space. Suzuki and the SHARE guys also make allowances for the additional noise and disruptions. God bless you all.

-Linda Dailey
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Many Thanks
Hello,

I have so many people to thank for their prayers and support as I progress through seminary and discerning my call to ministry. Thank you so much.

Blessings, Christie

Christie Newbill recently became a certified candidate for ordained ministry as an Elder in the United Methodist Church. Christie is a Master of

Divinity student in the School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University and plans to complete the program in June 2006. She is now a student intern at Bothell UMC. She interned at Haller Lake UMC last year and spent the summer of 2004 as a pastoral intern at the Moravian Church in Bethel, Alaska. Christie graduated from Central Washington University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Science in Organization Development and was a member of the Ellensburg First UMC until she relocated to Seattle to attend seminary. She is now a member here at Woodland Park UMC.

Following a career as a CPA, accounting instructor and business/financial

manager she is responding to God’s call to ministry. She is an advocate for people with disabilities, people with domestic violence/sexual assault concerns and those in recovery from alcoholism and addiction. She is a member of the Reconciling Ministries Network.

Christie has a home in the First Hill area of Seattle near Seattle U and enjoys spending time with her sons and their families (including five granddaughters) in Portland and Lake Stevens, as well as with Christie's mom in Bremerton.
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