Arnie Olson

Name: Arnie Olson

Date you became a Deacon: February 24, 2002

Contact: Home phone listed in the Church Directory; copies available at the back of the church

Favorite part of your deacon job: I like to work with the Church website. I like talking with people about the ministries they are doing that are ordinary and extraordinary that no one knows about. I like seeing God work in the congregation producing joy in unexpected circumstances. I like the irony of being a hearing impaired sound man.

Wife's name: Liz

Children names: Michael (wife Bekah) and Matthew

Grandchildren's names: Brenna and Mollie

Education/preparation for deacon job: Years working with electronics and computers, and in Personnel Administration. Finding out the hard way that God's law is simply a statement of how the world works, like gravity. Like the law of gravity, you don't break God's law: it breaks you when you ignore or disobey it.

Hope and vision for ERC: That we continue to be aware of our tendency to follow the spirit of the age, that we daily repent of this sin, and return to the biblical Word of God as our measure of truth. That we comprehend the freedom we have in the Gospel. That we stop trying to burden others with things we are not willing or able to do ourselves.

How I got involved in ERC: I asked a friend who visits many churches, "What are the names of the Churches in Pierce County that continue to be faithful to the Reformation of the 16th century?" His answer, "My church and ERC in South Tacoma. I think they have a web site." I checked it out. Never did check out his church.

A few of my favorite things:
Hearing the Gospel preached, then receiving the Lord's Supper
Listening to sermons on Liz's ipod
Going for long walks with Liz, er, very short walks
Watching Liz laugh
Listening to Sinclair Ferguson say almost anything
Flying fighter kites with Matthew
Taking short, rock and flower collecting walks with Brenna and Mollie
Watching Michael interact with his dauthters when they are acting like he did when he was their age
Eating Bekah's lentil soup 'n cookies
Watching Michael's face when he is making a theological point
Getting caught up in Matthew's enthusiasm