Reaching Out in Neah Bay

We have experienced another year of growth with our children’s ministry in Neah Bay. We often have as many children in this program as we had for total church attendance when we started working with this special congregation. We recently had a group from Our Savior Lutheran near the Tacoma, Washington, area visit us. The focus of this group, and many of the other servant-event groups, is to see our Cultural Arts building completed.

This facility has a multi-purpose function, and that is to encourage the Native culture of the Makah people as well as serve the congregational needs. Although it is not yet finished, it has been used for carving several totems, two of which are featured at the Makah Wellness Center. It has a very large “garage like” carving shed, as well as large multipurpose activity rooms. It has also been the carving shed for a canoe project for youth at need in the village.

More recently, we started to use one of the finished rooms for our children’s church and the kids are really excited about it. We look forward to seeing this facility completed and to watch how God will use it to be a bridge and tool to reach those in the village with the Gospel.

It is my desire to find ways to incorporate Makah culture within our gatherings, similar to the way Martin Luther sought to bring a worship style, liturgy and songs that fit the Germanic people of his day.

Vicar Winston Wilson (Cowlitz) Makah Lutheran Church

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