At Maple Leaf Lutheran Church it seems that we always have something cool going on.  YOU too can become involved in many of these things.  For more information on any of these items please contact us .  Check out the list below for just some of cool activities in store for you:

• Volunteering with Habitat for Humanity:  A couple times a year we gather a group of volunteers and spend a Saturday working at a local Habitat build.  It’s a great way to serve our community and to get to know one another.  www.habitat.org

• Summer Picnic: During the summer months we gather together at a local park or a member’s house for a BBQ, fun games, and fellowship. 

• Trunk or Treat:  On Halloween we join with the Wedgwood Business district in a three-hour event passing out candy to the local kids.  We park our cars in front of the Wedgwood Broiler, open the car trunks filled with candy and have a great time getting to know our neighbors and looking at cute and scary costumes. 

• Reach Out Church Karnival (R.O.C.K.):  In September we kick off the Fall season with a fun Sunday full of worship, singing, a BBQ, games, a visit from the local fire department and other fun activities.  Several times we have had a bounce house for the kids.  Every year the theme is different.  Come check it out.

• Senior Recognition:  Every spring we recognize the High School seniors in our church who are graduating.  We have a special service where we pray for these young adults and bless them.  It’s a meaningful time for the families, the students and the entire congregation.

• Quilters Group & Quilt Sunday:  We have a dedicated group that gathers together every Monday morning from 9:00 am to Noon to put together quilts for Lutheran World relief (www.lwr.org)  Twice a year we have a special service where we bless the quilts before sending them off to be used all over the whole.

• English As a Second Language (ESL):  We offer free English as a Second Language classes and conversational times.  These classes are either beginning, intermediate, or advanced classes.  We also offer an ESL sewing class where students can learn how to sew while developing their English skills. 

• SHARE Shelter:  Maple Leaf Lutheran Church is a site for a SHARE shelter.  In cooperation with Seattle Housing And Resource Effort, we house twenty homeless people in our church basement community hall 365 nights a year.  SHARE is self-managed (for better or worse) and runs 14 night shelters, mostly at churches, with about 300 beds total. They come in every night at 9:00 pm, sleep and leave every morning at 8:00 am.  It’s a great partnership.  For more information call 206-448-7889

• Big Rock Walk and Fun Run: In the summer we organize a Walk and Fun Run (about 2.5 miles long), to benefit a different local organization each year.  In the past we have donated the proceeds to Annie’s Playground, Lake City Food Bank and Thornton Creek Alliance Education fund. 

• Dinner’s for eight:  Just this fall we piloted our first “Dinners for Eight" program. With 30 people signed up to participate we divided them into four groups.  These groups meet together once a month for four months to share a meal and fellowship.  So far the reviews have been wonderful and we will plan other groups in the coming months.