Service Opportunities

Second Sunday After Pentecost Comments Off on Second Sunday After Pentecost

Second Sunday After Pentecost

Posted by on Jun 11, 2023 in Blaine Youth Group, Church News & Events, Congregational Care, Giving, Innovation Hub, Prayer, Sermons, Service Opportunities, Small Groups, Spiritual Formation, Sunday Worship, Weekly Calendar

  • June 11, 2023
  • Hybrid Worship
  • Thank you to the Watanabe Family for today’s flower arrangement. Bob K. Watanabe, 98, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. Bob’s Celebration of Life service was yesterday, June 10 at BMUMC. May Bob rest in peace.
  • Continue scrolling for today’s bulletin or view the print version


Order of Worship

Prelude
As the Deer
Words and Music: Martin Nystrom

Miriam Tong
Welcome of Grace and Greeting
Rev. Dr. Jeney Park-Hearn
Call to Worship
Rev. Dr. Jeney Park-Hearn
*Opening Hymn
Be Still My Soul (UMH #534)
Neal Komedal and Miriam Tong
Opening Prayer
Rev. Shalom Agtarap
Scripture Reading
Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 (NRSVUE, JLB)
George Yates and Tsutomu Nagoya
Children’s Message
Sai Hanaoka
Sermon
Off the Sidelines
Rev. Shalom Agtarap
Hymn of Response
Grace Alone (TFWS #2162)
Neal Komedal and Miriam Tong
Introduction to the Offering
Rev. Shalom Agtarap
Doxology
Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow (UMH #94)
Miriam Tong
Prayer of Dedication
Rev. Shalom Agtarap
Announcements
Rev. Dr. Jeney Park-Hearn
Closing Hymn
We Are Called (TFWS #2172)
Neal Komedal and Miriam Tong
Benediction
Rev. Shalom Agtarap
Postlude
He Is Exalted
Words and Music: Twila Paris

Miriam Tong
Passing of the Peace
Rev. Shalom Agtarap
Zoom Breakout Room
Rev. Dr. Jeney Park-Hearn

Sermon Reflection Questions

  • Are there people that you have considered “not worth the trouble?” What is the rubric that goes into that conclusion?
  • How do you discern when someone is “beyond help” and when someone should be given more chances?
  • What shared values at Blaine Memorial UMC support this?

Upcoming Lectionary Scriptures

Monday, June 12, 2023:

Semi-continuous: Psalm 119:41-48; Genesis 16:1-15; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:2

Complementary: Psalm 40:1-8 ; Leviticus 15:25-31; 22:1-9; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:2
Tuesday, June 13, 2023:

Semi-continuous: Psalm 119:41-48; Genesis 17:1-27; Hebrews 13:1-16

Complementary: Psalm 40:1-8; Hosea 8:11-14; 10:1-2; Hebrews 13:1-16
Wednesday, June 14, 2023:

Semi-continuous: Psalm 119:41-48; Genesis 18:16-33; Matthew 12:1-8

Complementary: Psalm 40:1-8; Hosea 14:1-9; Matthew 12:1-8
Thursday, June 15, 2023:

Semi-continuous: Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19; Genesis 21:1-7; Hebrews 3:1-6

Complementary: Psalm 100; Exodus 4:18-23; Hebrews 3:1-6
Friday, June 16, 2023:

Semi-continuous: Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19; Genesis 24:1-9; Acts 7:35-43

Complementary: Psalm 100; Exodus 4:27-31; Acts 7:35-43
Saturday, June 17, 2023:

Semi-continuous: Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19; Genesis 24:10-52; Mark 7:1-13

Complementary: Psalm 100; Exodus 6:28-7:13; Mark 7:1-13


Announcements

33rd Annual ACRS Walk for Rice • June 17, 9am

This year ACRS will hold its in-person Walk for Rice at 9:00 am on Saturday, June 17, 2023 at Seward Park! Team Blaine’s fundraising goal is $7,000. Help ACRS feed AAPI community members who are experiencing food insecurity by joining or donating to Team Blaine! Go to Team Blaine’s page at ACRS’s website to donate! Or mail your donation to the Blaine office (checks made out to “Walk for Rice”, memo: “Team Blaine”) . Thanks for your support! Read more.

Special Edition Print from Blaine’s own, Glenn Mitsui! • Purchase here

From the Asian Counseling and Referral Service: 

To celebrate the return of Walk for Rice to Seward Park, we are thrilled to offer a special-edition art print designed by local artist Glenn Mitsui, the son of Sam Mitsui, who co-founded the first Walk 33 years ago. 

“The piece celebrates the beauty of the park, which my dad loved. He ran the loop and swam to the buoys countless times…In short, Walk for Rice and Seward Park were two of my father’s loves. It was an honor to try to capture why in this piece.” 

All proceeds from this special art print will benefit the ACRS Food Bank, which provides culturally familiar foods to immigrants, refugees, elders and families throughout King County. 

Join or support a fundraising team and walk with us at Seward Park on Saturday, June 17!

Join us for Father’s Day Lunch! • Sunday, June 18

Following Worship in the Social Hall Mark your calendars for Sunday, June 18 as we celebrate Father’s Day by honoring the father, father-figures and men of Blaine! Join us after worship service in the Social Hall to celebrate Father’s Day!

Music of Summer Sunday! • June 25 in Worship

Join us for a special worship service with Music Sunday at Blaine! We will kick off the summer with music from the Blaine Memorial Choir, BUGS, some special music and soloists. Join us for a full worship service filled with music! This will be the last day where the Blaine Memorial Choir will perform before taking a summer break!

Pride Month Film Night • June 30, 6:30pm-8:30pm

RSVP here or contact Lynne Onishi for more info.

VBS Collections • July 8-16

We are preparing for this year’s Vacation Bible School (VBS) from July 10-14! This year’s theme is Food Truck Party on a Roll with God! We are asking kindly for the following items:

Portable Picnic Table with foldable seats: We are looking to borrow this from Saturday, July 8-Sunday, July 16.

Koinobori/Fish kite decorations: Indicate your name on each item so we can return it to you! Small packs of snacks including: granola bars dried fruit juice boxes soda pop

Hygiene products: soap toothbrushes toothpaste shampoo conditioner deodorant shaving gel hand sanitizer Please leave your donations in the black treasure chest box in the Narthex and feel free to contact Pastor Mia at miablaine2020@gmail.com and/or Susan Lee at blainevbs@gmail.com with questions.

Summer Camps & VBS 2023! • See Dates

This summer’s Camping Ministries and Vacation Bible School schedules are out! Save dates for your children and youth!

June 25-30
Jr. High Camp
(for incoming 6th-9th graders):
Registration is now closed
July 10-14
Vacation Bible School
10am-3pm
Register now: blainevbs.square.site
July 23-28 Asian Camp
(for incoming 10th grade-2 years post-high school)
Register by June 25, here

Ongoing Request for Chips and Savory Treats

Thank you all for generously donating sweet and savory treats for post-worship fellowship time. Currently, we need more chips and savory items: wrapped bags of chips (potato chips, Doritos, Cheetos etc.) would be appreciated. Drop off your donations to the Narthex, Church Office, or Social Hall either on Sunday or during Church Office Hours (Tuesday-Friday 10:00AM-4:00PM). Help serve refreshments on Sundays after worship by contacting Julie Lock at: jtlock00@gmail.com

Ongoing Donations for Afghan and Ukrainian Refugees

Items being collected: At this time, we have an abundance of some items and so we are NOT in need of clothing or children’s toys. Especially needed items are women’s products, toothpaste, personal care items, rice cookers, blenders, mixing bowls, microwave ovens, toasters, mixers, irons, dish sets, towels, and blankets.

Blaine Memorial UMC Collection Hours: Collection items can be dropped off to the Blaine Memorial Social Hall from Tuesday – Thursday between 10:00AM-4:00PM. Please call the Church Office at (206) 723-1536 prior to dropping off your items. South King County Response Center Collection & Volunteer Hours: The Donation Center is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays from 10am-2pm, same time as the Tukwila Pantry at 3118 S. 140th St. Seattle.

Please text Kim Parks at (206) 683-1707 when you would like to help. Please wear a mask and bring a marking pen and measuring tape if possible. Please contact Donna Sekijima at: donnasek@outlook.com and/or Anne Arakaki-Lock at: aarakakilock@gmail.com.


Read our latest issue of the Beacon!

The June edition of the Beacon features stories from our church in celebration of Summer! Download the PDF!


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Senior Pastor News, June 2023 Comments Off on Senior Pastor News, June 2023

Senior Pastor News, June 2023

Posted by on Jun 9, 2023 in Blaine Youth Group, Church News & Events, Congregational Care, Giving, Innovation Hub, Pastors' Columns, Prayer, Service Opportunities, Small Groups, Spiritual Formation, Sunday Worship, Weekly Calendar

ACRS Executive Director Michael Byun and Rev. Karen Yokota Love hold up Church Member Glenn Mitsui’s special edition ACRS art print. You can purchase your copy at ACRS.org.

News from our Senior Pastor

Celebrating the Harvest

By Rev. Karen Yokota Love

“Celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the first fruits of the crops you sow in your field. Celebrate the Festival of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field.”

– Exodus 23:16

June is here, which means that summer is just around the corner! Summer is a season known for cultivating and bearing good fruit. There is just nothing like a sweet, sun-ripened, summer cherry. Could we say, it is like a taste of heaven? Summer is known to be ‘harvest time’ in the Pacific Northwest with the cherries, blueberries, marionberries to name a few. Farmers are busy, reaping and bringing in the fruits of their labors.

We, too, at Blaine Memorial are busy celebrating the hard work of our students and teachers as June signals the end of another school year. This month, we are celebrating our high school and college graduates, Church School teachers, BYG directors and leaders, dads, and father-figures alike. It also marks the season of summer activities including the National Japanese American United Methodist Caucus’ Jr. High Camp and Asian Camp, as well as, Blaine Memorial UMC’s Vacation Bible School. You are invited to celebrate our dads and father-figures at our Sunday, June 18 worship service with a special lunch provided for all of our father and father-like figures.

Thank you to our Church School teachers, BYG directors and leaders for all the flexibility, commitment, and love that you’ve demonstrated this year to our growing children and youth. You’ve all done a fantastic job continuing to share God’s good news! We also celebrate the fruits of the harvest as we honor and celebrate the good work in The Pacific Northwest Conference:

May 24, 2:00pm
PNW Clergy Session (online)
June 2 & 3, 6:00pm
PNW Focus Sessions (online)
June 13, 9:00am
PNW Opening Worship
June 13-15
PNW Plenary Sessions
June 13, 7:00pm
PNW Memorial Service
June 14, 11:30am
PNW Retirement Service
June 15, 11:00am
PNW Service of Commissioning and Ordination
June 15, 6:00pm
GNW Closing Worship

Each of these meetings and worship services are both in-person and online this year and will be available for your viewing at a later date. This year’s PNWAC representatives are Ron Nobuyama, George Yates, Lynne Onishi and myself. Rev. Mia MiKyung Park is a member of the Oregon-Idaho Conference so she will be attending her Annual Conference prior to the PNW Conference Sessions. Please visit https://pnwumc.org/ac2023 for the full schedule.

Finally, Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) Walk for Rice is on Saturday, June 17 at Seward Park from 9am-12pm. Walk with Blaine for a great cause to help those who are experiencing food insecurity. Join Team Blaine and read more, here.

During this season, continue to celebrate joys and lift up your concerns. Continue to pray for friends, family, and the stranger. Together, may we grow into all that Christ longs to pour into us, Christ’s body. May we continue to pray and shout for joy as we cover everything we do with God’s guidance, presence, and love to transform lives in every way possible.

May the Holy Spirit continue to open our hearts to receive God’s abundant grace, that it may flow through us, offering healing and hope to everyone around us.

Rev. Karen Yokota Love serves as the Senior Pastor of Blaine Memorial UMC.


Read our latest issue of the Beacon!

The June edition of the Beacon features stories from our church in celebration of Summer! Download the PDF!

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Seventh Sunday of Easter Comments Off on Seventh Sunday of Easter

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Posted by on May 20, 2023 in Blaine Youth Group, Church News & Events, Innovation Hub, Prayer, Sermons, Service Opportunities, Small Groups, Spiritual Formation, Sunday Worship, Weekly Calendar

Welcome!


Order of Worship

Prelude
Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness
By James K. Manley
Kathy Onishi
Welcome of Grace and Greeting
Rev. Karen Yokota Love
Call to Worship
Rev. Mia MiKyung Park
Opening Prayer
Rev. Mia MiKyung Park
*Opening Hymn
Sois la Semilla (You are the Seed)
(UMH #583)
Eugene and Kathy Onishi
First Scripture Reading
Acts 1:6-14 (CEB, JLB)
Terri Pittman & Yuki Sofronas
Children’s Message
Rev. Mia MiKyung Park
Special Music
O Jesus, I Have Promised
By J.E. Bode, A.H. Mann
Blaine Memorial Choir
Mission Moment: ACRS/Walk For Rice
Michael Byun, Executive Director;
Audrey Hwang and Justine
Second Scripture Reading
John 17:1-11 (NRSVUE, JLB)
Terri Pittman & Yuki Sofronas
Sermon
The Struggle for Love
Rev. Karen Yokota Love
Hymn of Response
Blest Be The Tie That Binds
Eugene and Kathy Onishi (UMH #557)
Reconciling Ministries Moment #3
Arlene Naganawa
Introduction to the Offering
Rev. Mia MiKyung Park
Doxology
(UMH #94) Kathy Onishi
Prayer of Dedication
Rev. Mia MiKyung Park
Announcements
Rev. Karen Yokota Love
Closing Hymn
They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love
(TFWS #2223)
Eugene and Kathy Onishi
Benediction
Rev. Karen Yokota Love
Postlude
Across the Lands
By Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
Kathy Onishi
Straw Poll
Arlene Naganawa
Not at in-person worship? Send your vote by May 21, 2023 at 2pm to blaineoffice@yahoo.com. This method is not anonymous.
Passing of the Peace
Rev. Karen Yokota Love
Zoom Breakout Room
Rev. Dr. Jeney Park-Hearn


Sermon Reflection Questions

  • What is a stream of Christian spirituality that you feel at odds with?
  • How is the Spirit inviting you to integrate some of their practices into your life?
  • What is a fragment of your story that you are ashamed of?
  • How is the Spirit inviting you to integrate it back into your life?


Upcoming Lectionary Scriptures

Monday, May 22, 2023
Psalm 99; Leviticus 9:1-11, 22-24; 1 Peter 4:1-6
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Psalm 99; Numbers 16:41-50; 1 Peter 4:7-11
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Psalm 99; 1 Kings 8:54-65; John 3:31-36
Thursday, May 25, 2023
Psalm 33:12-22; Exodus 19:1-9a; Acts 2:1-11
Friday, May 26, 2023
Psalm 33:12-22; Exodus 19:16-25; Romans 8:14-17
Saturday, May 27, 2023
Psalm 33:12-22; Exodus 20:1-21; Matthew 5:1-12


Announcements

Reconciling Ministries Straw Poll

Today after worship

The Reconciling Ministries Team will conduct a straw poll on Sunday, May 21. This poll is not a final vote on affiliation with Reconciling Ministries. The team is simply conducting a poll of our congregation to better understand your thoughts, feelings, and concerns about the reconciling statement. The vote will take place after the service is finished, and your participation is required.

VBS Volunteers Meetings

May 21 & June 4

We will be holding volunteer meetings on the following Sundays: May 21st and June 4th, after the service, from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm in the Webb Room. If you are planning to volunteer at VBS this year, please make sure to attend these meetings.

Wednesday Coffee & Prayer

May 24 • 9am on Zoom

Please join Rev. Karen for a time of meditation and prayer on Wednesday, May 24 at 9am. The Wednesday Prayer group continues to meet each week. Our time together consists of a check-in question centering around United Methodist Founder John Wesley’s famous question, “How is it with your soul?”

Please join us! Brew a fresh cup of coffee or steep some tea. This is a great opportunity to pause in the middle of the week to check in with others. The Zoom link will be sent out prior to gathering on Tuesday.


33rd Annual ACRS Walk for Rice

June 17 • 9am

This year ACRS will hold its in-person Walk for Rice at 9:00 am on Saturday, June 17, 2023 at Seward Park! Team Blaine’s fundraising goal is $7,000. Help ACRS feed AAPI community members who are experiencing food insecurity by joining or donating to Team Blaine! 

Go to: https://give.acrs.org/team/498138 to donate online! Or mail your donation to the Blaine office (checks made out to “Walk for Rice”, memo: “Team Blaine”) . Thanks for your support! Read more.

Blaine Cookbook needs your recipes!

Due May 31

Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church will release a 120th Anniversary Edition of “Let’s Dine!”, the latest in a series of cookbooks produced by Blaine Memorial over the past 70 years. This cookbook will commemorate the 120th Anniversary of Blaine Memorial, with a scheduled release of January 2024. We are seeking submissions for the 2024 cookbook and are calling on you to contribute! Read more.

Ongoing Donations for Afghan and Ukrainian Refugees

Items being collected: At this time, we have an abundance of some items and so we are NOT in need of clothing or children’s toys. Especially needed items are women’s products, toothpaste, personal care items, rice cookers, blenders, mixing bowls, microwave ovens, toasters, mixers, irons, dish sets, towels, and blankets.

Blaine Memorial UMC Collection Hours: Collection items can be dropped off to the Blaine Memorial Social Hall from Tuesday – Thursday between 10:00AM-4:00PM. Please call the Church Office at (206) 723-1536 prior to dropping off your items. South King County Response Center Collection & Volunteer Hours: The Donation Center is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays from 10am-2pm, same time as the Tukwila Pantry at 3118 S. 140th St. Seattle.

Please text Kim Parks at (206) 683-1707 when you would like to help. Please wear a mask and bring a marking pen and measuring tape if possible. Please contact Donna Sekijima at: donnasek@outlook.com and/or Anne Arakaki-Lock at: aarakakilock@gmail.com.

This summer’s Camping Ministries and Vacation Bible School schedules are out!

Please save the dates for your children and youth! Summer Camps & VBS 2023!

June 25-30
Jr/High Camp (for incoming 6th-9th graders) Jr. High Camp registration is open now! Please register your youth by May 31!
July 10-14
Vacation Bible School 10am-3pm VBS registration is open now! Visit the VBS 2023 page and bookmark it for updates!
July 23-28
Asian Camp (for incoming 10th grade- 2 yrs. post-high school)

Ongoing Request for Chips and Savory Treats

Thank you all for generously donating sweet and savory treats for post-worship fellowship time. Currently, we need more chips and savory items: wrapped bags of chips (potato chips, Doritos, Cheetos etc.) would be appreciated. Drop off your donations to the Narthex, Church Office, or Social Hall either on Sunday or during Church Office Hours (Tuesday-Friday 10:00AM-4:00PM). Help serve refreshments on Sundays after worship by contacting Julie Lock at: jtlock00@gmail.com

The Beacon newsletter is ready for viewing!

Printed versions are available in the office, sanctuary, and social hall!


Check out what’s happening at Blaine!

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Senior Pastor News Comments Off on Senior Pastor News

Senior Pastor News

Posted by on May 16, 2023 in Blaine Youth Group, Church News & Events, Giving, Innovation Hub, Pastors' Columns, Prayer, Service Opportunities, Small Groups, Sunday Worship, Weekly Calendar

Blaine Church members meet-and-greet with Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth. From (L-R): Sharon Maeda, Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth, Ron Nobuyama and Rev. Karen Yokota Love


We are resurrection people!

By Rev. Karen Yokota Love, additional photos by Lawrence Paltep and Jesse N. Love

Hallelujah! Christ is risen. Hallelujah! Christ is risen, indeed! I greet you with the miracle of Easter during this Eastertide season.

Members and friends of Blaine wrap the rice balls with anko. The rice balls were prepared the night before. Anko is a sweet red bean paste made from adzuki beans and sugar.

I’m thrilled because Blaine Memorial’s Sukiyaki Take Out benefit ministry event was an absolute success. After three years of being suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a great team of leadership resurrected Sukiyaki this year. Thank you for your generous support. This event can only be successful when folks like yourselves are willing to give your time, energy and commitment. Take a look at “Sukiyaki Photos 2023” to see all of the fun.

The Blaine Youth Group prepared a delicious breakfast for Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023.

To top that off, Easter Sunday at Blaine Memorial was magical this year. Our Blaine Youth Group (BYG) resurrected the Easter Breakfast! The BYG prepared and cooked a delicious Easter breakfast with all the fixings – scrambled eggs, mini sausages, fruit, cinnamon rolls, haupia, and so much more!

Steve Sofronas and Joseph Adriano set the flowered cross in the sanctuary.

The Worship Committee decorated the sanctuary on Holy Saturday. The altar was covered in lilies with white and gold touches. Joe Adriano, Steve Sofronas and Michael Corsilles carried in the flowered cross during the processional which magnified the sanctuary. Our Church School Teachers and BYG filled and hid 300 Easter Eggs in the Social Hall and Kono Chapel for our children. Even though it rained all morning, Easter was still special with Christ’s love surrounding us with breakfast, the flowering of the cross, a dynamic worship service and an Egg Hunt. Thank you for a special Easter, Blaine Memorial. Christ Is Risen, Indeed!

George Yates and Shig Nishida serve breakfast on Mother’s Day as Rev. Karen Yokota Love partakes in a hearty meal.

Speaking of eggs, our Mother’s Day Breakfast made a comeback! We honored the women and those who identify as women at Blaine Memorial UMC on Sunday, May 14. We showed love to our mothers, grandmothers, godmothers, aunts, sisters, cousins, wives, teachers, mentors, and all the women in our lives that have influenced and shaped us into the people who we are today. The men of Blaine Memorial prepared breakfast early at 6am. Thank you to Howard Nakase for chairing this year’s Mother’s Day breakfast!

Team Blaine represents at the ACRS Walk for Rice!

May signals the importance of Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. On Sunday, May 21, we will celebrate our long-standing relationship with Asian Counseling and Referral Services. Executive Director Michael Byun will join us in our worship service and share stories with us about ACRS’s long history with Blaine Memorial. ACRS promotes social justice and the well-being and empowerment of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other underserved communities – including immigrants, refugees, and American-born – by developing, providing, and advocating for innovative, effective, and efficient community-based multilingual and multicultural services. We’ll also hear from Audrey Hwang and Justine about the upcoming Walk for Rice event in June. Visit “Walk for Rice 2023” for more info.

The Rev. Karen Yokota Love presents a Reconciling Ministries Moment during Sunday Worship on May 7, 2023.

Also on Sunday, May 21, we will take a straw poll after worship. This poll is to identify if we can become a reconciling congregation. It will also give us an opportunity to measure our progress and to discuss further scripture texts, intentionally facilitate dialogue, and answer any questions that one might have to become a reconciling congregation. Please look at “God’s Radical Love: Diversity”, where Lynne Onishi discusses the process more in depth.

Earlier last month, I had the honor of meeting our new Greater Northwest Resident Area Bishop, Cedrick D. Bridgeforth at a Meet-and-Greet with the SeaTac District. We also had the chance to meet his spouse, Christopher. Bishop Cedrick expressed his great passion with a wide range of social justice issues, including restorative justice, homelessness, and hunger. He articulated in his sermon that one of his goals while he serves the Greater Northwest Area is to eradicate racism and discrimination of all kinds. I look forward to Bishop Cedrick’s leadership and where he will take this conference with his vision and innovative ideas.

As we move towards Pentecost, which signifies the birthday of the church, may you feel and know the power of the Holy Spirit this season. May you celebrate and be renewed with God’s Spirit. May you use this time of deep reflection and a renewal of faith. May God be with you. Blessings to you during this season!


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Walk for Rice 2023! Comments Off on Walk for Rice 2023!

Walk for Rice 2023!

Posted by on May 16, 2023 in Blaine Youth Group, Church News & Events, Giving, Service Opportunities, Small Groups

Last year, Team Blaine raised over $8,300 to help support local food banks with a special focus on the Asian Community. Now is the time to help! Reach out to Justine or Audrey Hwang for more details!

Support Walk for Rice Now!

By Justine, photos by Audrey Hwang

The 33rd annual ACRS Walk for Rice will be on June 17, 2023 at Seward Park!

Blaine Memorial UMC has a special connection to the Asian Counseling and Referral Service Walk for Rice. In 1990, Sam Mitsui, with Herb and Bertha Tsuchiya, wanted a way for everyone to help feed the community. Team Blaine continues to honor Mitsui’s contribution through the Walk for Rice, commemorating 33 years of service.

This year’s Walk for Rice will be in-person at Seward Park on Saturday, June 17, 2023! We need you!

The ACRS Food Bank remains one of the busiest food banks in King County, distributing more than 1 million pounds of food annually to 5,700 clients. More than half are children under the age of 18 or seniors over 65, and many people served by the ACRS Food Bank are low-income. Proceeds from the Walk for Rice allow ACRS to buy many of the culturally familiar foods that its Asian clients rely on: tofu, noodles, and produce like bok choy. Don’t forget, rice!

Last year, Team Blaine raised over $8,300, which put us in third place! This year, ACRS hopes to raise $325,000 and Team Blaine’s fundraising goal is $7,000. You can also support us by joining Blaine Memorial at Seward Park on June 17th at the Walk for Rice celebration!

Go to our team page to donate online or join our team as a walker! You can also mail your donation (checks made out to “Walk for Rice”, memo: “Team Blaine”) to the Blaine office.

Thank you in advance for supporting ACRS Food Bank – every dollar counts!

Justine serves as Team Captain for the ACRS Walk for Rice, representing Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church.


Read our latest issue of the Beacon!

The June edition of the Beacon features stories from our church in celebration of Summer! Download the PDF!

Learn More