A trained Nursery Care Giver staffs the Church Nursery from 9:15 – 10:45 AM during the School Year.  

That Escalated Quickly

In many a movie, when things start to go sideways, we have heard the line, "Well, that escalated quickly!" It is a sign of bewilderment, of surprise, of pure unexpected outcomes. I feal like I just was wishing everyone a "Happy New Year," full of promise and hope, to just turn around and discover that innocent people are being shot in the face by our own government.

Our newly installed Presiding Bishop, who offered words of hope and wonder at his installation, had to quickly turn around and renounce the evil that is going on around us. In his own words: Alongside our siblings in Christ in Minneapolis and throughout Minnesota and all who have been impacted by aggressive immigration enforcement and violence by federal law enforcement agents, I mourn the shocking shooting death of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on Jan. 7, 2026.

Continue to Pastor Berg's Blog.

Scrip Card Purchases are Available Online

You don't have to wait until Sunday to purchase Scrip. Purchase scrip cards directly from RaiseRight for your gifts and everyday purchases, and benefit First Lutheran Church’s Social Ministries programs!

Follow this link to easily set up your account. The RaiseRight app is available in the IOS App Store or Google Play Store.

Happy Shopping!

Widows Support Group

February 9, 10 am

We are not a therapy group, but we are a place for widows to find friendship, support, and fun.

We meet the 2nd Monday of the month at 10:00 am in the library. Please join us!

Call Paula Glandon for more info. 425-483-1783

Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study!

Saturday, February 21, 9 – 10:15 am. 

Join other congregation and community members for breakfast and conversation! There will be “food for the body, food for the soul and food for thought!” We will ask the question, "What do you think Joseph feared?" Please join us for discussion and enrichment. Questions to Roger Steinke

Youth

Tuesday, January 27, Youth Auction Set – Up and Silent Auction Prep (4 – 8 PM)

Help is needed with pricing and sorting the Silent Auction donations and with setting up the Youth Room for the Silent Auction. Please feel free to stop in for part or for all of this time slot.

Saturday, January 31, Youth Auction, Set – Up and Final Prep (9 AM – 1 PM)

Help is needed with setting up the Silent Auction Room, finalizing auction items, setting up the Fellowship Hall, decorating and cooking Taco meat and preparing the Youth Auction Appetizers and Lunch.

Sunday, February 1, First Lutheran Church Youth Auction (11:45 AM – 2:00 PM)   

The Annual Youth Auction supports the Youth Ministries of First Lutheran Church. This year’s auction will feature a “Beach” theme. The Youth Auction helps raise the funds that allow our youth to participate in major youth activities and events. In June 2026, a group of our youth and adults plan to attend the Western States Youth Gathering (WSYG) being held at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California.  

The February 2025 Youth Auction raised over $28,000 for our Youth Ministries! This year’s goal is to meet or exceed that amount. The Silent Auction & Appetizers begin at 11:45 AM. Lunch begins at 12:15 PM and includes a taco bar, a baked potato bar, a salad bar, chips and toppings. The Cake and Live Auction begin at 1:00 PM.  Local First Lutheran Celebrity, David Osborne, will serve as our Auctioneer. Donations for the Youth Auction are being received. Please contact Roger Steinke for additional information.  Please join us!

Friday, March 20 – Saturday, March 21, Elementary Retreat at Camp Lutherwood in Bellingham 

Young people in Grades 2 – 6 are invited to attend the Camp Lutherwood Elementary Retreat on Friday, March 20 to Saturday, March 21. The theme is “Wear Love” from Colossians 3:12. This “Over Nighter” includes Bible Study, Campfire, Games, Music, Outdoor Experiences and much more!  Youth from other church groups will help fill the camp! Cost is $30 per student (includes Friday dinner and lodging and Saturday meals).  We will meet at the church at 3:30 PM on Friday, leave at 3:40 PM and return to the church on Saturday night around 7:30 PM.  Please contact Roger with questions and/or additional information.  Please sign up on the Youth Board.   

Monday, Monday, February 9th Movie Review

“Breakdown: 1975!” Meets in Youth Room, 5 – 7 PM

“Breakdown: 1975 is a 2025 Netflix documentary directed by Morgan Neville, exploring how America's cultural and political turmoil (Watergate fallout, Vietnam, economic woes) during that pivotal year inspired a groundbreaking era of complex, dark, and iconic films like Taxi Driver, Jaws, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, featuring interviews with filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Ellen Burstyn, and Seth Rogen, and narrated by Jodie Foster. The film argues that 1975 was a turning point where cinema reflected the nation's "nervous breakdown," showcasing a shift from optimism to gritty realism before blockbusters took over.”  (Summary by IMDb and Netflix)

First Lutheran Church Book Club Meeting Via Zoom      

The Reindeer of Chinese Gardens by Barbara Sjoholm

Tuesday, February 24th at 7 PM

Discussion Leader: Donna Gilbery

“Norwegian-born Dagny Bergland and her husband arrive in turn-of-the century Port Townsend, Washington after years of sailing their merchant ship around the globe. They’re just in time for the Yukon Gold Rush and the arrival of a group of Sámi reindeer herders from Lapland on their way to Alaska to supply the ill-prepared miners. Dagny’s journals, beginning in 1897, tell a fresh and riveting history of the Pacific Northwest and its immigrants. A novel of friendship, love, loss, and motherhood, The Reindeer of Chinese Gardens is the story of a remarkable woman who learns to steer a new course in a new country.” (Summary by goodreads.) 

Please contact Katie Pyne, Ann Aagaard or Roger Steinke for additional information about the Book Club. A copy of the Featured Book of the Month is available in the First Lutheran Church Library. 

Our annual photo contest is in full swing! Every year we invite people to share a favorite photo from the year. Whether you took the photo, are in the photo, or simply have a photo that was meaningful to you in 2025, we’d love for you to share it. Nine photos will be selected to hang in our library for the next year, but this is more than a contest. It’s a fun opportunity to share a little bit about yourself with your church family. What were you doing in 2025? What inspired you to take a picture? We have a special category for kids too, so this is for everyone. Informational fliers are available in the library and in the narthex, but here's all you really need to know: print your photo as an 8x10, give it a title, include a brief description, and leave it in the big basket in the library by the Valentine's Day deadline.

ON OUR NEW BOOK DISPLAY TABLE: The FLC Book Club meets monthly on Zoom for thoughtful conversation about a variety of interesting books, both fiction and nonfiction. Check out the display in front of the library to see some of our favorites from last year. Interested in participating? We’d love to have you! Contact Roger if you’d like to receive the monthly Zoom link. Also, on display this month are devotional books for Lent which begins on February 18th. 

Thank you, Dan Hendricks for the functional and beautiful table and shelf for displaying our FLC library books. 

CHECK IT OUT! 

February Ministry of the Month

Click on image for more information about Hopelink.

CHANGE FOR CHANGE All money received in the Change for Change jar will be used to support HOPELINK food bank.

Monthly Financial Outreach

January Outreach: Camp United We Stand

February Outreach: Hopelink

 Food donations are distributed to local food pantries and to school food banks.

CREATION CARE

King County Hazardous Wastemobile

The King County traveling Wastemobile program is active from February through October each year and provides a safe and easy method for King County residents and small businesses to dispose of household hazardous waste such as oil-based paint, batteries, antifreeze, or pesticides, all at no cost. The Wastemobile location nearest FLC is at the University of Washington - Bothell campus (18115 Campus Way NE). The schedule for 2026 should be published by early February, so for the schedule of dates, times, and locations, and complete instructions, please check their website.

National Skip the Straw Day

Each year on the fourth Friday of February, we are encouraged to skip the straw! This year, National Skip the Straw Day is on February 27th. Plastic straws aren’t recyclable, so they end up in landfills, water ways, and oceans, polluting our environment and endangering our ocean and land wildlife as well as humans. It takes over 200 years for plastic straws to degrade into microplastics, which can then invade the bodies of all living things, resulting in unknown consequences. So, if not every day, then on February 27th try sipping differently or, if you need a straw, use reusable alternatives (bamboo, metal, glass).

First Lutheran Church families with children aged 3-5 years old are welcome to join our preschool's annual story night on March 6, from 6:30-7:30pm. There will be treats & we will have special guests reading some of our favorite children's stories. Hope to see you there.

Heritage Fair! Save the Date - March 8, 2025, 4 pm.

In March 1886, seven pioneer families organized a church in a log cabin. Reflecting on their immigrant backgrounds, the new church was named ‘Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Lutheran Molde Congregation of King County, Washington Territory.

In the 140 years since the beginning with Norwegian-Dannish immigrants until now, First Lutheran Church has grown into a multicultural congregation family with roots in over 40 countries. We want to celebrate that!

On Sunday March 8th at 4pm, we’ll gather to enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of our collective cultural heritages.

Every room downstairs will represent a part of the world that our ancestors called home. We’ll honor each culture by displaying artifacts, artwork and historical items from the region. Guests will be able to learn about the countries, taste food from that region and hear traditional music. Native costumes are highly encouraged!

How can you help?

? Donate items to add decor to the rooms, either from your heritage or from your travels

? Help set up and decorate the rooms on Sunday afternoon.

? Bring an item of food. It may be from your culture or you may be asked to help with another region.

? Some rooms will need help to serve food throughout the evening.

? We still need a couple of room coordinators-especially for Asia

Let’s make this a great celebration of heritage and how diverse we truly are!

If you have any questions, please contact Linda Siebert or Joyce Thode.

First Lutheran Church has purchased the NWWA Synod's LiVE bundle for 2025-2026, so any LiVE events are free to our congregation! See the complete LIVE Project Catalog and register using FLC's Confirmation Code to register for free!  Please contact the Church Office for the Code.

NWWA Synod LiVE Project Opportunities:

The LiVE Project Offerings for 2025-2026 | Practicing Faith in Woven Ways 

* Retreat 3: Practicing Faith in the Wilderness: Mystics and Mysticism on Sat, Feb 7, 9am-3pm, in-person

* Lenten Course: Practicing Faith in the Wilderness: Mystics and Mysticism - Online Thursdays, Feb. 19-March 25, 7-8:30pm

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