Gratitude & Blessings

We lift up the Rev. Cindy Myatt and our mission start of North Cascades Wild Church (NCWC). After thoughtful discussions and discernment, this community has chosen to end their formal relationship with the ELCA at the end of January. 

Their Board expresses their appreciation for the support the Synod and ELCA has provided to NCWC and their pastor over the years. As a synod, we are grateful for NCWC for their affirming ministry of welcome to LGBTQIA+ folx and their practices of experiencing the Divine in nature. We ask for God's continued guidance and blessing in their ongoing journey.  

Thank you & Godspeed

The Northwest Washington Synod gives thanks to Edward Moncivaiz for his work among us as Associate Director for Evangelical Mission (DEM). We are grateful for his enthusiastic work and generous heart. Our contract with the ELCA for his service is ending on January 31, 2026, the end of the fiscal year. Edward and his family are continuing as active members of Prince of Peace Lutheran in SeaTac. We offer gratitude for his time with us as part of the staff and God’s blessings on his journey ahead.

From our advocacy partners at Faith Action Network:

As we lament the killing of Alex Pretti this weekend and the trauma, repression, and total disregard for human life that ICE and this administration are perpetrating against immigrant communities across the country, we remember that we are stronger in community and that our values can guide us at this time. By grounding in our belief in our deep interconnectedness and our call to work for systemic change, we can turn to one another and continue organizing for justice. 

TODAY (Mon, Jan 26 at 5pm) we invite you to join FAN along with our partners in the Washington for All coalition for a rally at the Federal Building (915 2nd Ave, Seattle) in solidarity with the people of Minnesota. Senators Murray and Cantwell have tweeted that they will not continue to fund DHS, and we need to show up in force to make sure they don’t go back on their word! Click the link here to let us know you are coming to the rally. 

Following the rally, there will be a training covering Rapid Response, Know Your Rights, and some basics of getting your community organized. There is limited capacity for the training, but there will be future trainings - register here if you can be present at the in-person training from 6:30-8 PM tonight and you'll receive details on the location.

We hope you can join us at the Federal Building today at 5 PM. If you cannot be present tonight, join us in calling Senators Murray, (202) 224-2621, and Cantwell, (202) 224-3441, and let them know you do not support any more funding for DHS! You can also sign up here for WAISN's upcoming Rapid Response Training on February 6 at 6 PM over zoom.



Together, we will continue to lift our voices for justice and develop our skills to put our faith into action. 

Stay connected with our emails! Please be sure to list fan@fanwa.org as a safe sender by adding us to your contacts.

Upcoming and free events connected to ELCA Coaching:

Jesus is our primary model as we move toward Creating Beloved Community: Healing Together to learn together and experiment in community with a variety of spiritual practices and focus areas. See our elcacoaching.org events page for the focus of the week.

We have these upcoming trainings you may be interested in:

Monday, January 26 - Reading Into The New Year: Drag Queen Preacher, The Power of Identity (advance registration required)

Tuesday, January 27 - ELCA Coaching Community of Practice (advance registration required)

Friday, January 30 - Decolonizing Worship (advance registration required)

ALL of the above opportunities are fully subsidized by the ELCA or other organizations and are offered at no financial cost to participants! You are encouraged to check their events page weekly for late additions: https://www.elcacoaching.org/events

Showing of SUGARCANE

Six island churches, including Vashon Lutheran Church, other faith groups, and the Friends of Thunderbird Treatment Center, are co-sponsoring this movie. The film, from Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, is a groundbreaking investigation into an Indian residential school. It sheds light on years of forced separation, assimilation and abuse that Indigenous children experienced at the hands of Church and government. The film is one-hour & forty-five minutes, followed by a time for reflection and discussion.

While admission is free, donations for the Thunderbird Treatment Center will be gratefully accepted at the door. If you are not able to join the documentary screening please feel free to donate directly to the Seattle Indian Health Board for the Thunderbird Treatment Center.

Join us at the Vashon Theatre on Tues, Jan 27, 5:30

The film will be followed by a brief opportunity for reflection and response, concluding by 8 PM.  

When Play Becomes a Problem: Internet Gaming and Spiritual Formation

Jan. 28, 10am-11am (Pacific) on Zoom

hosted by the Center of Addiction & Faith

This free one-hour webinar features special guest Michael Hsu, MD, a board-certified addiction psychiatrist and health services researcher and clinical faculty at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. He will explore the role of internet gaming and digital technology in the lives of children, adolescents, and adults—highlighting both the potential benefits and the risks of problematic or compulsive use. The session will help faith leaders recognize signs of unhealthy gaming or technology use, understand when gaming may be serving deeper emotional or spiritual needs, and offer practical, compassionate ways to support individuals and families while encouraging balance, community, and healthy limits.

The link to register is https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/b-6ZDaJ-Rdi8wmAL33bIvw?mc_cid=cbf735f1ad&mc_eid=UNIQID#/registration

Give-Share-Eat is here again!

Through this program at Gethsemane Lutheran in Seattle we've been able to pool resources to package and deliver well over 650,000 meals so far. At the end of the month, we will do it all again -- packing and distributing another 54,000 shelf-stable meals.

Will you help? And maybe you also would invite a friend or two to work with you? Every shift on the sign-up sheet has openings and it helps so much if you sign-up in advance. 15,000 pounds of food is a lot to manage! Note that there are two different signups, this one for younger people (under age 8) and folks appreciating a lower-sensory room, and this one for adults on the full 2.5 hour shifts. Prepping is Thursday January 29; packing is Friday/Saturday, January 30-31.

If you are unavailable this time, but want to support the cause, please click here to make a contribution, and choose GiveShareEat from the drop down menu so that 100% of your gift will support meal packaging. 

Many meals already are requested by local food banks, schools, and shelters, but if you work with an organization that needs food, please ask them to complete their online request by Tuesday, January 27.

Learn more here: GiveShareEat

Seeking Religious Literacy Course

Seeking Religious Literacy is a self-paced course in a cohort of learners! Come understand your neighbors better and learn about the quest for meaning across religious beliefs around the world. 

Sign up today with Michael and Kara for our 5-week hybrid course every Thursday from Jan. 29 to Feb. 19.

 https://www.seattleu.edu/center-for-ecumenical-and-interreligious-engagement/ceie-leadership-academy/seeking-religious-literacy/

Rick Steves' Europe Presents

The Traveler, the Bishop, American Democracy, and Christian Nationalism with Rick Steves and Shelley Bryan Wee

Two Sessions to choose from on

Friday, January 30 at Edmonds Center for the Arts

5pm & 7pm

Join Rick Steves for a European take on Trump and American democracy (basically his “No Kings Rally” speech with an indoor voice). Then Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee will share a hard look (inspired by scripture) at the perversion of Christianity called Christian Nationalism. Prepare to be inspired as Rick’s talk will examine how lessons learned on the road can help Americans better understand and meet the challenges facing Democracy in the USA. And, whether you consider yourself a person of faith of not, Bishop Shelley’s message will bring a new dimension to your thinking about the place of religion in the political discourse of our country.

Free but registration is required:

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/travel-classes/travel-talks-with-rick

Upcoming Ordination

Northwest Washington Synod Ministry Candidate Anna Czarnik Neimeyer has accepted the call to serve as pastor at Christ Lutheran Church in Belfair (in the Southwestern Washington Synod.)

The ordination service will be January 31 at 11am at Trinity Lutheran Church in the Parkland Neighborhood of Tacoma, Light lunch reception to follow. Clergy are invited to process, gather at 10:30am - color of the day is red. Livestream available at https://trinitylutheranparkland.org.

God bless this new ministry partnership!

A LONG TALK about the UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH

Our neighbors in the SWWA Synod shared this invitation:

Ever find yourself in a conversation where someone says something you identify as racist? You’d like to say something, but you don’t want to pick a fight or make things worse? Would you like a one-session Zoom course on how to respond in truly helpful ways?

“A Long Talk about the Uncomfortable Truth” is being offered for free on Saturday, January 31, 10am-12noon on Zoom specifically for folks in our area (Region One of the ELCA)

You sign up here to join A LONG TALK UNIVERSE: https://www.videoask.com/f5sq9uf8q 

When the video starts, click Continue. 

You’ll be asked to join A LONG TALK UNIVERSE. 

Once in the universe, click on COURSES on the top menu. 

That will take you to “Cultivating a Conversation: A Long Talk with ELCA Region 1.” 

Click on that to watch a video, History of Racism in America, a 120-minute talk that is foundational. 

At the end, you will answer a few more questions to register for the January 31 talk. 

You’ll be emailed a link to the talk.  

Questions: clesontm@gmail.com

Award-Winning African Gospel Artist IJenNeh Concert

January 31, 7pm at Kent Lutheran Church

All are welcome to this evening of soulful music and powerful testimony featuring acclaimed musician Lasana Kanneh, better known by his stage name IJenNeh and brings a vibrant fusion of African rhythms, reggae, pop, and gospel. Born blind in Liberia and later ostracized by his community, Kanneh’s journey is one of profound resilience. After being abandoned at a school for the blind in Monrovia, he found faith and survival through music, famously singing for food on war-ravaged streets as part of the "Echoes of the Blind" group while bullets flew overhead. Since arriving in the United States, Kanneh has toured 46 states, performed at the Grand Ole Opry for a crowd of 20,000, and been featured on NPR and Voice of America. A two-time winner of the gospel competition at the Clackamas County Fair, IJenNeh is best known for his "crowd favorite" reggae rendition of Blessed Assurance.

Learn more about his ministry that focuses on spreading the message of God’s faithfulness through music that is "good for the soul" here: ijenneh.wordpress.com.

This event is free to the public. A free will offering will be collected.

Learn more and register here: https://www.seattleu.edu/center-for-ecumenical-and-interreligious-engagement/upcoming-events/

Get Registered for our next LiVE Project Retreat

Retreat 3: Practicing Faith in an Age of Radicalization   

Saturday, February 7, 9am to 3pm at Holy Spirit, Kirkland

Join The LiVE Project for a timely retreat examining how radicalization and Christian Nationalism are shaping our common life - featuring author and pastor, Rev. Angela Denker. Together, we’ll explore how Scripture is used to advance ideology, why certain communities are especially targeted, and how people of faith might respond together with wisdom and hope.

Rev. Angela Denker is an award-winning author, ELCA pastor, a veteran journalist and speaker whose work examines the intersection of Christian faith, politics, and culture. She is widely known for her writing on Christian Nationalism, rural ministry, and the public witness of the church, and brings a grounded, pastoral voice to some of today’s most urgent questions.  You can read more about her HERE  

Registration Info

• Cost is $50/person. FREE if your congregation has purchased a bundle this year - ask your congregation office for the code - enter it when registering.
• Register here: https://nwwasynod.regfox.com/retreat-3-practicing-faith-in-an-age-of-radicalization

Save the Date!

FAN's Annual Interfaith Advocacy Day in Olympia

Thursday, February 12, 9 AM - 3 PM

Exact Location details for our time in Olympia together will be announced closer to the event or once you register.

Register today for your best chance to get an appointment with legislators in your district.

• Learn more and register here: https://fanwa.ourpowerbase.net/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=320

Learn more about the event - and get registered here: https://globalrefuge-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/HKU2B1ecRSmpYYtOtZ28pw#/registration

LiVE Project Lenten Course

Mystics and Mysticism: Practicing Faith in the Wilderness

Thursdays 7-8:30pm - Feb. 19, 26, March 5, 12, 19, 26 - Online via Zoom

This 6-part Lenten course journeys with a variety of Christian mystics who encountered God in the depths of solitude, silence, and struggle. Through Scripture, contemplative practices, and the voices of mystics across time, participants will engage the wilderness as a sacred space for transformation and deeper trust in God. This journey invites leaders to discover how mystical wisdom can shape faithful living in uncertain times.

Registration

• Register here - you will receive the Zoom link: https://nwwasynod.regfox.com/practicing-faith-in-the-wilderness-mystics-and-mysticism-a-live-lenten-online-course
• Cost is $50/person or FREE for members of congregations who purchased a bundle - contact your church office to get the code before you register!

Learn more about this event and register here: https://www.plts.edu/events/6512/

Re-Imagining Evangelism

Thank you to all who attended our first of two offerings this last weekend. Plenty of time to sign up for the Feb 28 workshop - hope to see you there! PLEASE SHARE this opportunity for A FREE gathering for lay and rostered leaders seeking to find creative ways to share the story of Jesus with their neighbors through word and action.

FEBRUARY 28, 2026

·   9am-12noon

·   Our Savior's Lutheran Church - 215 W Mukilteo Blvd in Everett

·   coffee and treats at 8:30am

·   Register HERE  

There is no cost - but we ask that you register and plan to bring a non-perishable food item for a food pantry or donate to the NWWA Synod’s New, Emerging & Strategic Ministry Fund (https://www.lutheransnw.org/give - click give online now, select Emerging and Strategic Ministries from the drop down. THANK YOU!)

Telling Our Story, Listening for God

March 6-8 at Rainbow Lodge in North Bend

This Women’s Retreat, featuring Rev. Deanna Wildermuth as our speaker, is being organized by Our Savior Lutheran (Issaquah) and Saint Andrew’s Lutheran (Bellevue).

Learn more and find register here - Download Flyer

Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) Discernment Weekend

Are you wondering if seminary might be right for you? Consider joining PLTS visit and discernment weekend, Signs Along the Way, March 13 - 15 in Berkeley, California. This weekend is a great opportunity to connect with others in discernment, get to know PLTS faculty, and explore what it’s like to be an online student in the MDiv, MA in Spirituality and Social Change, or Lutheran Year programs. As PLTS transitions to solely offering online study with in-person intensives, this weekend is designed for folks interested in online seminary education. PLTS covers lodging and meals during the event and can offer travel assistance for those who need it.

Visit plts.edu/signs to learn more and sign up.

Want an item included?

Email Susan Berg, Dir. Communications & Events

All items due the prior Thursday by 12:00 noon

Northwest Washington Synod / ELCA

5519 Phinney Avenue North

Seattle, WA 98103

206-783-9292