Thirty years of service is the theme of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Federal Way Stake as it celebrates its 30th anniversary. The Church is planning an anniversary program Nov. 16, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Federal Way Stake Center, 34815 Weyerhaeuser Way South, Federal Way.
The program will be followed by an open house.
Although the Church was established in the Federal Way area decades earlier, the creation of a stake (similar to a diocese) is a significant milestone in the area. The Federal Way Stake was organized Nov. 20, 1977 at a special meeting at Decatur High School.
"It's been a privilege to be involved with the community," said Federal Way Stake President Ned Bjorn. "We have tried to contribute to the community by sponsoring scout troops, blood drives and food drives, volunteering in the parks and schools, helping people find jobs and research their genealogy and doing whatever else we can to make the Federal Way area a better place to live and raise a family."
In a small way, Federal Way has also influenced the world. Over the past 30 years, nearly 600 individuals-mostly young men and women-from the greater Federal Way area have served as missionaries in more than 50 countries around the world. Each missionary generally serves between 18 months and two years.
The Federal Way Stake also hosts the Federal Way Deseret Industries. At first glance, Deseret Industries appears to be simply a high-quality thrift store. But it is much more. It provides work and training to people who need to expand or improve their work skills. In the nearly 3 1/2 years since its establishment in Federal Way, it has trained nearly 100 workers-without regard to the workers' religious affiliation.
"As a 'thank you' for letting us be a part of the community, we are inviting our neighbors to join us for an evening of celebration," Bjorn said.
A short program will include a performance by the Federal Way Stake Choir. During the open house there will be tours of the Family History or Genealogy Center and the LDS Employment Service. Light refreshments will be served following the program.
To continue in the spirit of service, those who are able are invited to bring a non-perishable food item to benefit those in need within the Federal Way community.
The Federal Way Stake is made up of 10 wards (congregations) in Federal Way and adjoining portions of northeast Tacoma, Des Moines, Kent, Auburn and Fife. The stake currently has 4,281 members.
