No Christian Education classes on Sunday, January 4.

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

Happy New Year

 happy (hapee) adjective

1.  feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.

2.  having a sense of confidence in or satisfaction with (a person, arrangement, or situation).

The word "happy" shows up in the NRSV translation of the Old Testament 56 times. Only once in the New Testament. 

I have been thinking about this greeting "Happy New Year." On one hand it is a hope filled greeting. A greeting filled with anticipation and expectation of a better year than the last. On the other, it is also an ironic statement. We all know from a lifetime of experience it never really will be a year of happiness. We may have fleeting moments of pleasure or contentment. We might in moments have a sense of confidence or satisfaction. The irony is in the transition from year to year. 2025 was a brutal year and if we look forward, 2026 does not look a whole lot better.

Continue to Pastor Berg's Blog.

Journey Classes are Back!

In addition to approving the annual budget and electing Council and Synod representatives, we will be voting to approve FLC Constitutional amendments. You can view the amended constitution here. Annual Committee reports are due this Sunday, January 4 for inclusion in the FLC 2025 Annual Report!

If you or someone you know is looking for a preschool next year, please plan to attend this open house!

Updated Personnel Policies Now Available

Last year, the Personnel Committee updated the Personnel Policies for FLC Personnel and Volunteers. In conjunction with that work, the Committee developed a Safe Community Policy (Appendix B of the Policies). This new policy applies to all Church-related activities that involve children, youth, and vulnerable populations. The Congregation Council approved both the updates and the new appendix, and the process to review these policies with our staff and appropriate volunteers is underway. If you’d like to view a copy of the policies, two copies are available in the Information Center, one copy is available in the church office, or you can view/download it here. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact any member of the committee: Ho Brown; Susan Casperson; Marilyn Iverson; Rachel Jackman; Joyce Thode; and Pastor Berg.

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

January 12, 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, January 17, 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

Sunday, January 18th: Youth Pizza Lunch at Sparta’s Pizza Restaurant (11:45 AM – 2:00 PM) 

Youth in Grades 7 – 12 are invited for lunch at Sparta’s in Bothell! We will leave the  Church after the Education Hour / Sunday School ends and head to Sparta’s for lunch. Part of our conversation will include “our plans for the New Year” and talk about how to help at the February 1st Youth Auction. Please bring $5 to help cover a portion of your lunch. We will return to the Church at 2 PM. Please Sign-Up on the Youth Board.  

First Lutheran Church Book Club Meeting Via Zoom      

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

Tuesday, January 27th at 7 PM

Discussion Leader: Ann Bormann

Gripping, tragic, and densely atmospheric—a masterpiece of suspense San Piedro Island, north of Puget Sound, is a place so isolated that no one who lives there can afford to make enemies. But in 1954 a local fisherman is found suspiciously drowned, and a Japanese American named Kabuo Miyamoto is charged with his murder. In the course of the ensuing trial, it becomes clear that what is at stake is more than a man's guilt. For on San Piedro, memories of a charmed love affair between a white boy and the Japanese girl who grew up to become Kabuo's wife; memories of land desired, paid for, and lost. Above all, San Piedro is haunted by the memory of what happened to its Japanese residents during World War II, when an entire community was sent into exile while its neighbors watched. 

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. 

2026 Book Club books are: 

Jan: Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson 

Feb: The Reindeer of Chinese Gardens by Barbara Sjoholm

Mar: Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jessie Q Sutano 

Apr: Breakfast at Sally's by Richard LeMieux

May: The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict

June: The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon

July: The Summer Book by Tove Jansson 

Aug: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Sept: Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls 

Oct: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

Nov: Martin Marten by Brian Doyle

Copies of all books are in the library on the book club shelf. Time, date, and zoom contact for joining the discussion in January newsletter. 

Featured Christmas book have a theme of HOPE and are on the library table in front of the library window. Check out the ADVENT DEVOTIONS and CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS BOOKS in the cart next to the table.

Get ready for PHOTO CONTEST FOR 2025-2026! Guidelines for submitting your photos are on the desk immediately to your left in the library. Please take a copy and share!  The deadline for submitting photos is February 14th. All submitted photos will be on display in the library in the middle of March, and the winners will then be framed and hang in the library for a year. 

CHECK IT OUT! 

January Ministry of the Month

Click on image for more information about Compass Housing Alliance.

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: Compass Housing Alliance

Thank you!

Compass Housing Alliance: The drive to donate $25 Gift Cards for Compass Housing families was incredibly successful! Because Gift Cards allow our families and clients to select the gifts and items they need and want. First Lutheran Church donated $8,675 in Gift Cards to clients and families of the Compass Housing Alliance! Thank you for your incredible generosity and support!

Hopelink:  With “Lend a Hoping Hand,” donations give critical funds for services that partner with our neighbors to heat their homes, pay emergency expenses, and more. Donations also ensure the shelves of all five Hopelink Food Markets are stocked throughout the season, so families can keep their seasonal traditions alive. 100% of your gift directly benefits Hopelink services. Every contribution – no matter the size – makes a difference. First Lutheran Church Bothell’s Giving Page has currently received $1,200 in monetary donations! Donations will continue to be received through January 2026.  Thank you for your generous help and support!

To support Hopelink please visit Hopelink's First Lutheran Giving Page to make your donations.

Together we can make a BIG difference to make Christmas a little brighter for families in our area.

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

CREATION CARE

National Bird Day 

National Bird Day is recognized annually on January 5th. This day was designated in 2002 by Born Free USA and the Avian Welfare Coalition to promote avian awareness and spotlight issues that affect birds in America, such as disease and a fast-dwindling habitat. What can we do to help? Learn about birds, give them a safe place to live and feed them food that’s a proper diet for birds. There are about 11,000 species of birds in the world recognized by ornithological committees. But, depending on how they are categorized, e.g., genetics and physical traits, that number could be closer to 18,000. The smallest bird in the world lives in Cuba. What is it? It’s the Bee Hummingbird. The females weigh 0.092 oz and are 2 3/8 inches long, while the males are even smaller, with an average weight of 0.069 oz and length of 2 1/8 inches. These tiny birds lay their eggs in nests that are about the size of a quarter. 

Earth’s Rotation Day

On Thursday, January 8th, we celebrate the 1851 discovery by French physicist Léon Foucault that the Earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours. Scientists have reported that beginning in 2020, the Earth has started to spin faster. There are various theories as to why, including the complex motion of oceans and atmosphere and possibly climate change. Climate change is causing the ice at the Earth’s poles to melt, which then changes the shape of the Earth and the center of gravity. This allows the Earth to spin faster. Previously, June 29, 2022, was recorded as the shortest day; the Earth completed a rotation 1.59 milliseconds faster than 24 hours. That record was broken on July 5th, 2024, when the Earth completed its rotation 1.66 milliseconds faster than the 24-hour day. If this increased speed prevails, it could eventually affect timekeeping and many other aspects of daily life.

National Cut Your Energy Costs Day

National Cut Your Energy Costs Day is recognized annually on January 10th as a day of awareness to reduce energy usage. How can we participate? Weatherproof our homes; turn down the thermostat; replace incandescent bulbs with CFL bulbs; turn off lights that aren’t in use; wash clothes and dishes only if you have a full load; maintain heating and cooling systems; and shut down and unplug computers and other electronics when not in use. These are all ways we can help reduce our impact on the environment and save costs as well!

Sunday, February 1, 2026, 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 being held at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.  

The February 2025 Youth Auction raised over $28,000 for our Youth Ministries! This year’s goal is to meet or exceed that amount. Our young people are counting on your help and support. Can you help? 

The Silent Auction & Appetizers begin at 11:45 AM. The Taco Bar 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 auction and donation information.  Please join us!

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 

* Fall Course: Practicing Faith Beyond Certainty -Online Wednesdays, Sept. 24- Nov. 12, 7-8:30pm

* Retreat 2: Practicing Faith in Woven Ways on Sat, Nov 1, 9am-3pm, in-person

* 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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