Newsletter - Summer 2014

summer 2014

In This Issue

Note from Pastor Jake 2

Missions 2-3

On Fire! 4

St Luke’s School 4

L-Teams 5

Finances 6

God Story 7

Membership Updates 7

Staff 8

Sum, Sum, Summertime...It’s almost summertime! Are you ready for all that

summer brings? Most kids are excited for the school year to end. It’s time for freedom! Relaxation! Sleeping in!!! Adults are smiling because the sun is shining as the summer kicks in. Shorts and sunglasses! Family BBQs and boating! Trips and time off! Don’t miss it! Don’t let it pass you by!

Sometimes we sit in our offices, or in our homes and we look out the window and see the gift of summer. Even as I run into people in the mall or at church, people are in a happier mood. I myself look outside my office window and just start smiling. But the truth is until I get outside, I will miss out on the gifts of summer!

Back in the day when I used to drive, I always seemed to be in a hurry. Heather and I live four blocks from the church and yet I still drove everyday because I was so busy! Now that I walk more often, I use this time to talk to God. Allowing myself to hear the dreams and directions I need. Thinking about the craziness and asking God to help me.

Jesus himself speaks to us about summer. Mark 13:28-29 says, “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know summer is near. So also when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the

Vacation Bible School 2014Registration and volunteer forms are now at the Welcome Center for our annual VBS.

Register children who are age 4 and 5 and in grades 1 through 5 (in the fall). Youth going into grades 6 and above are needed as VBS helpers as well as adults. The dates for VBS are July 14-18. Invite friends to sign up or to help. Take extra forms to share. The theme this year is “Weird Animals – Where God’s Love is One-of-a-Kind!”

by Chris Davis, Lead Pastor

very gates.” Jesus even used summer as an example of God drawing near to us. As this season begins, know that the God who made you has plans for these months ahead.

What is God planning for you this summer? How much does God long for you to relax? What opportunities will you have? How is God going to use you? I encourage you to enjoy His gifts! Dip your toes in the water, go for a walk, listen to the sound of wind in the trees and the birds in the air, go outside and read a Good Book. Most of all listen to what God is saying to you in this season.

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A NOTE FROM PASTOR JAKE

MISSIONS

Jake AllstaedtAssociate Pastor

[email protected]

Valerie DanforthDirector of Missions

[email protected]

What happens to water when it reaches a temperature of 212 degrees Fahrenheit? You know the answer. Water needs to be heated to a certain degree before it starts to move. Our faith, in the same way, when it gets heated up, starts to move—it moves us into action and it moves us closer to Jesus. Our faith can get reach a “boiling point” in a number of ways. Mission trips are one of them. These trips cause you to move, to step out of your comfort zone and serve others. These trips take the focus off of you and on to those in need. These trips don’t allow your faith to sit idly like cool water in a pot.

We have a number of mission trips this summer: Gleaners (Grades 7-8, July 6-12), Hoonah (High School, July 17-26), and the Bronx (Grade 11, August 9-18). Please pray that these mission trips become “boiling points” for the youth who are going. Please also pray that lives are touched by the Good News of Jesus Christ through their words and service.

If you are not going on one of these mission trips, there are still plenty of other opportunities for “boiling points”! Every summer we attend the Creation NW music festival. This event is a time to hear speakers, jump around at concerts, and enjoy each other’s company. Creation is July 30-August 3 at a brand new location: the Tri-Cities. Tickets will be available at the office in the summer months. Ticket price will include camping, food, and admission.

Light it Up!, our Wednesday night youth group will also continue through the summer. In the spring, we made the decision to move the High School Light it Up! to Tuesday nights. We will continue with that schedule through the summer…

High School Light it Up! (Grades 9-12), Tuesdays, 7-8:30pm, Malkow Hall Middle School Light it Up! (Grades 7-8), Wednesdays, 7-8:30pm, Malkow Hall

Combined special events and off-campus special events will be made known through Facebook, on the youth board, and announced at Light it Up! You know we have some crazy stuff planned for this summer—come and check it out!

Our normal schedule of Sunday Bible studies come to a close for the summer, but they will kick back up in the fall with many opportunities for continued growth in the Word. Confirmation (Grade 9) and Middle School (Grades 7-8) Bible Study will start again in the fall. We will also be seeking out new members for Charis (our High School girls group) and Alieis (our High School guys group)! Be on the lookout for these and other exciting opportunities to reach “boiling points”!

Only Because of Jesus,Pastor Jake

Save the Date!Third Annual OKTOBERFEST coming October 11, 2014This yearly fundraiser supports our ongoing partnership with Swaziland, our sponsored children and the team that St Luke’s will be sending to Swaziland in the summer of 2015. Mark it on your calendars now for a great night of food, fundraising and FUN! If you are interested in being a table captain, contact Valerie Danforth: [email protected].

Summer Missions!Please keep the following teams in your prayers this summer: Camp Primetime Family Mission Trips (August 15-17 and September 12-13); Gleaners Middle School Mission Team (July 6-July 12);Hoonah Mission Team (July 17-July 26) and the Bronx 11th Grade Mission Team (August 9-August 18). Keep an eye out for team fundraisers and please consider financially supporting these teams this summer. The Report Back weekend for all the summer mission trips will be August 30/31 at all services.

10 for the WorldWe are currently accepting applications for funding. If you volunteer for an organization, we would love to consider financially supporting that organization. We also support missionaries from the congregation. Please contact Valerie Danforth at [email protected] for information.

Mirror Lake Back to School BashThe 2014 Mirror Lake Back to School Bash will be held on Saturday, August 23 from 11am - 1pm. There will be sign-up sheets for helpers for crafts, face painting, hair cutting, working with food, and distributing the school supplies. Look for announcements in the News & Notes for school supplies we are collecting. Please note these are very specific requests because we are following the teacher’s requested items. Thank you. Please contact Mary Ann Hopewell at [email protected] or Sylvia Courtney at [email protected].

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MISSIONS

Ten for the World CornerBelow is an excerpt from an email sent by Dave and Debbie Wukasch while they were on their recent medical mission trip to Uganda to assist the South Sudanese refugees who have fled the war zone in their home country.

“We are so blessed to be here is so many ways and by so many experiences. Having said that it is also very stressful to be here in this harsh climate, with so few resources, and so little understanding of illness and care available, and so much we can’t change. So many of the kids that are brought to us appear almost dead, limp, comatose or very nearly so. I don’t think you ever get used to seeing this kind of thing. Today was especially difficult filled with life and death. Our midwife who has been up all night the last three of four delivering babies (6 in one day) became ill today with malaria. Our IV tent nurse was also too ill to come to work. I am guessing exhaustion and dehydration as the tent he provides wound care in has no ventilation and is stifling hot all the time. These two staff being sick really put some pressure on the rest of us. Our medical officer started to work on all the little patients as soon as we got to clinic in our IV tent. For Dave and I both our first patient of the day was in very critical condition. This is good work on the part of our translators who we have trained to bring the most ill looking people to us first and not in order of arriving as so many clinics work. We gave them this job after I tried to look at the crowd for ill patients and they all laid down and tried to look ill to be seen first! Can’t blame them I guess it does get boring waiting! Well my little boy had severe malaria, high fever, heart rate and respirations. So off to the IV tent we went for IV treatment. Then came Dave’s first patient and this was really critical, so much so none of our team was able to start an IV for lifesaving medications. We made a decision to attempt to transport this very ill kid to the hospital in Adjumani the town we spend the night in. This 45 minute ride was very difficult but the child was admitted by the nuns at the hospital to be care for. All day all efforts including blood transfusions proved no match for the malaria infection. As we were

Second Annual Health & Safety FairThe second annual Family Health & Safety Fair will be held on Saturday, August 2 from 11am-3pm in Malkow Hall. We will once again be partnering with Centro D’Amistad Christiano to put on this event which will provide free health screenings for diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol & BMI. There will also be presentations on medical coverage, worker safety, diabetes and breast cancer. New for this year will be the mobile mammography bus which will be on-site. This fair is open to the Federal Way Community and St Luke’s members. Last year we performed 70 free health screenings and welcomed over 250 people to the fair. Medically trained and general volunteers are needed for health screenings and registration. Contact Todd Zern: [email protected].

transporting another critically ill child to the same hospital we learned the first had died. I heard this as I was sitting next to a mother with a seriously unstable child from a scorpion bite, praying and counting rapid respirations and hoping this baby kept breathing until we made it to the hospital. We did in fact make it but I hold little hope this child will live to the end of the day. Just as we were leaving for the hospital with this ill child one of our pregnant patients delivered without a midwife and another threatened the same. As we were scrambling for the proper supplies for this birth we found the twins that delivered in the night needing help too. One of the twins had been feeding but the other had never latched on and therefore died as we were attending the delivery. Talk about being busy! So we rejoiced for the birth and mourned for the dead and prayed for the sick. This is the way of life of the poor and needy in the world where people have no other options or resources. It is the sad reality even with all the volunteers and donations we can’t fix it all. So we come and we do our best and we are grateful for all the little limp ones who have been restored and recovered.

Tomorrow is our last clinic and we will say goodbye to the brave nurses and translators who have answered our questions guided us when we were unsure and made us laugh when comparing our hair, Brillo pad and soft fineness. We have been a good team for these two and a half weeks and we are grateful for their care to us and for the opportunity to be part of this. For the South Sudanese, these tall regal looking people I wish them peace and safe journey back home someday. We will be replaced by others and the care and concern offered will continue to aid these people. For all the donations to all the world concerns your dollars are helping, we see it every day. I was interviewed today and shared my translator with UNICEF who came to make a video for donors to show the work being done here.

Spring is coming to northern Uganda, and the rains will come too and the crops will grow and life will go on.

Summer Movie NightsThe movies are coming to St. Luke’s! Bring your whole family and join us on the back property as we enjoy a movie under the stars on our new giant inflatable screen. Of course, invite your neighbors and friends, as well. More information to come soon…

Friday, June 20, 8pmFriday, August 8, 8pmSaturday, September 6, 8pm

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ON FIRE!

PRESCHOOL, KINDERGARTEN & CHILDCARE

Mitzie OllilaDirector of Children and Family

[email protected]

Chris DavisLead Pastor

[email protected]

FLAME - (grades 1 - 6)Sunday School ClosingSunday School will be ending. June 1st will be our last day of Sunday School for the season. That will also be Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Day.

All classes will have treats and teachers and helpers will go to lunch that day at Azteca. We thank everyone involved in Sunday School for their dedication and commitment to our Sunday School children and for sharing their faith in Christ as servants of the Lord.

Bible Camp 2014Our annual Bible Camp for fourth through seventh graders will be at Cedar Springs Camp in Lake Stevens, August 15-17. Sign up before June 15 and get a discount. Register online or pick up forms at the Welcome Center.

Bible Warriors Card Game!!!On Fire! – our Family Ministry Plan has been up and running for three years! God has been doing great things through this ministry as our families connect through events for their children.

Part of the plan three years ago was to develop a Bible Warriors Card Game. This is a chance for kids to grow in their knowledge and understanding of the Bible in a way that is fun and exciting.

The Bible Warriors Card Game is designed to teach Biblical characters, animals, angels, events, and much, much more. Each card is Biblically accurate and lists the chapter source from the Bible. Get ready to learn the Scripture!

A starter set of cards will be given to kids in grades 1-9 this Fall. There will be opportunities to collect cards, trade them, and play games with others throughout the year. Kids that attend Sunday School receive cards, as well as those who attend events. Keep your eyes open for ways to collect more and more cards! Trade them with friends! Come to the Bible Warriors Game Nights! Help develop new cards!

Bible Warriors Game Nights: Nov 14, Jan 30, and Mar 27. Start time: 6pm.

Summer Drama CampThe Little Red Riding Hoodby Greg and Nathan Gamble

Participants: Open to children ages 6 - 17Rehearsals: 9:00am - 4:00pm Monday - Thursday, June 30 - July 12Shows: July 11 - 7:00 pm July 12 - 1:00 pm and 6:00 pmCost: $250, first child / $175 second childRegister: Online or In-person (credit cards accepted)Contact: Dennette Church: [email protected]

KFC456 - Kids For ChristOur next KFC event will be May 21 in Malkow Hall from 6:30-8:30pm. Our theme will be “Oversized Game Night”. We will eat Sloppy Joes and study 1 Corinthians 13.Bring friends to join in the fun!

In June we have our family picnic at Steel Lake Park on June 18th from 6:30-8:30pm. We provide hot dogs and buns. Families bring drinks, chips, salads and desserts. Third graders and their families are invited! We say farewell to the sixth graders.

Preschool and Kindergarten Closing ProgramsOur 3-Day Pre-K Class closing program will be Tuesday, June 10 at 7pm. Our 5-Day Pre-K Class closing program is Wednesday, June 11 at 7pm and our Kindergarten closing program is Thursday, June 12 at 7pm. All three programs are in the Worship Center followed by a reception in the lobby area. Everyone is invited to attend.

Enroll Now in Our Preschool and Kindergarten ClassesWe currently have openings in our classes for 3, 4, 5 and 6 year olds in our preschool and Kindergarten classes for the 2014-2015 school year. Registration forms and information are available online and at our Welcome Center. See Heather in our office for more information and to register or take a tour.

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L-TEAMS

Jan GrotheDirector of Spiritual Growth

[email protected]

What is an L-Team?People engaging in a Live.Love.Learn. activity where relationships are built and Christ is shared.

L-Teams are not small groupsThey may or may not meet weeklyThey may or may not open a Bible or pray or talk about Jesus

L-Teams can include anyone, meet anywhere and do almost anythingThey are not just for St. Luke’s people - invite co-workers, neighbors and friendsThey can meet at your house, at church or at the bowling alley

L-Team samples: Golf Tournament, NFL Pick ‘Em League, Christian Motorcyclists, and Afternoon Tea. We’ve also had a neighborhood trash pick up L-Team and Mirror Lake community service teams, We have boy scouts, small group teams, hospital visitors, thrift store shopping, and bowling.

For more information, contact Jan Grothe: 253.941.3000 or [email protected]

L-Teams for Fall 2014Now is the time to start processing the L-Teams you are thinking about starting in the fall. September will be here quicker than we realize. (August 6, 2014, is the due date for fall L-Teams.) If you need help, direction, calendaring, or whatever, let me know. ([email protected])

Membership ClassDiscover Life with God – This workshop and Next Steps events are designed to learn about the vision and purpose of St. Luke’s, as well as our ministries and L-Teams. We cover topics in the Christian faith, including Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The next workshop is: Friday, September 19 and Saturday, September 20.

On Fire - Family Ministry This has been our third year of On Fire, our Family Ministry with Spark (ages 1- 5 years old), Flame (grades 1- 6), and

Ignite (grades 7-12). Each age group has had a Special Event wrapped around a theme

for that group. In addition, there have been other activities to draw families

together – individual families and the family of Christ at St. Luke’s. Our News

and Notes on the weekends will continue to have reminders of what’s available for your

children. Keep your eyes open for the Red Envelope Information which will be coming in the mail in August.

Red Envelope Time!Watch for Red Envelopes going up later in the summer on the Family Ministry wall in the lobby.

Special Events coming up quickly in the fall: Kick Off Sunday (Sept 7) for three year olds as they begin Sunday School and Presentation of Toddler Bibles for the two year olds during worship (Sept 21).

Bridges MinistryOur mission: to provide a Christ-centered, caring and nurturing bridge between generations.

For those of us who had the best grandparents (or uncle, auntie or neighbor lady) in the world, God blessed us with a priceless gift! These people taught us things, took us places, comforted us & gave us pieces of themselves. Or, maybe when WE were parents, we had people around who helped us out with some babysitting so we could take a sick child to the doctor without having to take the whole family! They were part of our life and family, even if they weren’t related by blood, and made everyday living a little easier because of their willingness to help. Pretty soon they were bridging the gap between generations and everyone involved was growing and learning from each other.

As I said, we were so blessed! There are those who are not so fortunate. There are many circumstances that separate families from their loved ones - their support group. Jobs, schooling, military situations, health concerns, finances, etc. These parents and children need people in their lives to reach out to them and give them the support they would have from their own parents or grandparents or the neighbor next door who has known them for years! The benefits that come from this are endless - both for the receiver and for the giver!

Being a Christ-light to a family can be the best thing in the world! This is what Bridges is all about. If you need someone in your life, let us know! If you want to be a Bridge for a family, let us know! Information can be found at the Welcome Center, by calling the church office or by emailing me.

Debbie Fuller: [email protected]

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FINANCIAL UPDATE

ST LUKE’S FOUNDATION

2013 MISSION PLAN PERFORMANCE - July 2013 - February 2014

Todd ZernDirector of Operations

[email protected]

Revenue and ExpensesTotal YTD income of $1,373,992 falls above total expenses of $1,276,966 by $97,026 (+12% to budget). After mortgage principle payments and capital improvements, the budget surplus of $7,544 exceeds FY14 YTD budget expectations by $17,932. The budget surplus is absorbed by cash reserves.

General Fund CashGeneral Fund cash reserves at the end of this reporting period is $739,553.

Legacy: Remembering St Luke’s in Your WillA charitable bequest is a “legacy” gift to a charity made at death through a will or trust. You can make a bequest of any size, and direct the gift to support the purpose and vision of the St. Luke’s Foundation. The Foundation is a newly formed organization with the sole purpose to carry out the long-term vision and ministry development of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church.

Bequests received help transform the lives of every person that come through our doors and interact through the various ministries of St. Luke’s. Whether it is through worship, L-Teams, the preschool-kindergarten and childcare programs or receiving care through Operation Blessing, the Word of God is reaching and changing lives. Your bequest can continue this vital work and leave a lasting legacy.

One of the goals of the Foundation is to educate individuals and families of the importance of establishing an estate plan for your family. Please contact us if you have already made provisions in your will to leave a legacy to St. Luke’s or if would like more information on how to do so, please contact Ky Hopewell ([email protected]) or Dave Danforth ([email protected]).

First Annual Grant AwardedThe St. Luke’s Foundation board of directors is proud to award their first annual grant of $5,000 to the Mirror Lake Elementary School Feeding Program, a new ministry of St. Luke’s. More information to come in the near future. If you would like to donate time/funds or find our more information about this exciting new program, contact Val Danforth ([email protected]).

2013-2014 Capital ImprovementsFirst of all, thank you so much for your continued generosity in supporting the Building Fund. These restricted funds help finance large capital improvements projects that are necessary to maintain and improve the facilities that God has give us. Thank you again for your support!

The following projects are planned for the 2014 calendar year. Please prayerfully consider helping support these projects by donating to the Building Fund.

• Expand security camera infrastructure to include exterior property – In process

• Replace all remaining single pane windows in the preschool and kindergarten classrooms, as well as the Chapel - $67,000

• Replace the playground fence - $10,000

GIVING UPDATE (3rd Quarter FY 2014)

Actual $ 879,490

Projection (Budget) $ 934,225

% Actual vs. Projection - 6%

Feb 2014 vs. Feb 2013 - 1%

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GOD STORY

MEMBERSHIP UPDATES & THANK YOU’S

Too Tired to ThinkJan GrotheHere I sit. Waiting for inspiration. Nothing is coming to my mind for my newsletter article. What would be totally awesome? What would be so wonderful everyone would want to read it? Can’t think of a thing.Outside I see bright sunshine and wish I was out there. Anywhere but here. (Well, not anywhere!) I’m watching several wasps outside the window and am pretty sure there’s a nest in this little patio. They seem very busy doing whatever it is wasps do, while I’m here doing…. nothing. I’ve been on Facebook, Google+, and Twitter. Maybe something there will inspire me. I’ve looked through a catalog to see if a title would spark a thought. This realization came: I’m too tired to think. Mentally and physically drained. I have had (and will have) moments when tiredness overwhelms. My brain can’t process another thought; the idea of thinking is tiring. This, too, shall pass. Thankfully.These moments have happened spiritually, too. Praying or reading my Bible was way too difficult, because I was exhausted, ill, or injured. There have been times when I’ve seemed to have lost my joy and passion and didn’t know

Kudos to the forty 1-5 graders who comprise the St. Luke’s Scout Pack 307. In March they held a Pinewood Derby and then “scouted” for food in pouring down rain. The pack collected 107 full-sized bags of groceries for Operation Blessing (a 20% increase over last year.)

Thank you Mark Duckworth and Mark Taylor for cooking the scrumptious Easter Breakfast that was enjoyed by 300+ people. Between donations from the congregation and the generosity of our cooks, the youth who worked the breakfast raised $2000 for their retreats or missions.

Bible Study Fellowship gathers at St. Luke’s on Wednesday mornings. BSF changes lives through Bible study, fellowship, and prayer. In May the 250 women and 100 children said goodbye to us for the summer. We received many notes of gratitude and wanted to share some snippets.

• The beauty of your church and the lovely windows are conducive to worship.

• Bless those men who put up chairs each week. • The classrooms and toy storage spaces are ideal for

our children’s ministry. • Your church is so missional...thanks for being a light to

our community. BSF resumes in September with a study of Moses. For information contact Dixie Greegor: [email protected] or 253.833.0606

MEMBERSHIP UPDATES - Jan-Mar 2014Baptized:Dawn Brown 02/02 Elijah Quinn 03/02Alice Yelle 02/02 Isaiah Quinn 03/02Ashlea Liljar 02/16 Makena Togia 03/05Allison Quinn 03/02 Ashley Gillis 03/19

Weddings:Dustin and Jennifer (Becker) Covert 02/15

New Members:Jennifer Becker Steve GouldDawn Brown Roxanne Monson-SimmonsShanda Chun Richard Moye (Kawika) AiliDee NybergDustin Covert Ed SteffeSharon DeLorenze Pat WellsJessica Easter-DeLorenze Dave and Alice YellShawna Futch

Death:Nils Straume 02/01 Marion Tam 03/17Marjorie Truax 02/11

Transfers:James and Jean PallanscheTerilyn (Wildhirt) KirchenbergCarl, Michelle, Paige, and Nicholas Hallstrom

First Communion:David Anderson Barnabas Keables Erin MeyerAnthony Castro Eric Kinzner Benjamin MusiakLevi Chapman Max Kliewer Reagan NeumannKyle Hoagland Alexis Knopp Eva RuppelAlyssa Hulse Lacey Krueger Makena TogiaKaila Hulse Abby Marshall Kelsie Zern

where to find it. Through these experiences, I’ve learned a few things. First and foremost, trust God. He knows exactly what I’m going through. He is my Strength, my Constant during turmoil (Psalm 46:1-2) Second, reading God’s Word and prayer is important. Even when I don’t feel like it “does” anything. God speaks through His Word; I can be honest with Him in my prayers. Third, God is using this time for my growth; be patient even if it’s difficult. Fourth, allow the body of believers to walk alongside.I am thankful for people who have prayed for me and with me; who have encouraged me when I couldn’t seem to hold my own; who couldn’t “make me better” but continued to pray. Their strength was my support. In 1 Thessalonians 5:11-14 Paul speaks of encouraging one another and helping the weak. People have done that for me. I’m glad to be able to do it for others; I know it’s important. Do you know someone who is going through a rough time or feels dry spiritually? Let them know you are praying for them and encouraging them. It makes a difference. A big difference.Maybe I’ll go back to watching those busy wasps and get some inspiration.

pastoral staff leadership staff

support staff

general infochris davis

lead pastor

jake allstaedtassociate pastor

bob beckstromvisitation pastor

valerie danforthmissions coordinator

heidi francisdirector of communications

kathryn frostaddirector of childcare

jan grothedirector of spiritual growth

brian keiperinterim worship coordinator

mitzie olliladirector of children’s ministries

todd zerndirector of operations

tammy caleyassistant to the lead pastor

donna breyerassistant to the associate pastor

heather halbakkenpreschool registrar

karla harvathassistant to dir of spiritual growth

rob percivalfacility and maintenance assistant

worship servicessaturday - 5:00 pm

sunday - 8:00, 9:30 and 11:00 am

sunday school available sunday mornings

childcare available weekdays - 6 am - 6 pm

preschool and kindergarten

available during the school year

contact515 s 312th street

federal way, wa 98003253.941.3000

www.stlukes-church.com

childcare253.941.3630

preschool - kindergarten253.839.0173

www.stlukes-preschool.com

St. Luke’s Lutheran Church515 South 312th StreetFederal Way, WA 98003

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

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PAIDFederal Way, WA 98003

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