A Pastoral Statement from the three ELCA Synod Bishops of Washington State - Regarding Initiative 638

Earlier this morning we shared a pastoral statement from the three ELCA Synod Bishops in Washington State. Find that full letter here.

Thank you, Bishops Manlove, Marshall & Wee!

Building Resilient Communities – Final round of grant distributions!

The NW Washington Synod has been distributing the Building Resilient Communities (BRC) grant throughout this year. So far 18 different ministries from around our synod have received funds to strengthen direct service ministries, fill critical gaps for vulnerable neighbors, and support our congregations as they respond to rising community needs. 

Out of the original $15,500, we have $6,675 remaining to share. There is one more round of distributions. Please apply by TODAY, Monday, November 9th. Even if you have already received a Daily Bread Feeding Ministry Grant or a previous BRC grant you may still apply. 

See how to apply HERE

Building Resilient Communities is a partnership between Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR), ELCA World Hunger, and AMMPARO.  

Faith and Civic Life: Seeking the Well-being of All

Final Wednesday in the series on Nov. 11, Online via Zoom

Join us as we consider the ELCA social statement on Faith and Civic Life and ask what it means to bring our whole selves into public and civic space, and not to retreat from the world nor also to be absorbed by it. Learn more.

SPECIAL INVITATION from the LiVE Team - FOR OUR NOVEMBER 11th SESSION!

Join us for the final session of Faith and Civic Life, an open conversation with Angela Denker. Angela is an author and the pastor/journalist who presented at our LiVE Retreat on Christian nationalism.

Wednesday, November 11, 7:00–8:30 pm (PST) · Zoom

Open to all. No prior sessions needed.

The session is donation-based (suggested $5–$20), and no one will be turned away!

Social justice-minded persons and teams are especially welcome.

Together we'll explore:

• Where we are as a church in light of our public faith, and post-election
• The courage, challenges, and the deepest opportunities, we face as persons of faith
• To discern God's call about where and how we show up in our communities today

Register: https://nwwasynod.regfox.com/live-project-fall-course---session-6-angela-denker--faith-and-civic-life-for-the-well-being-of-all (zoom link emailed to you after you register)

Questions? Contact us at live@lutheransnw.org

We hope you'll join us.

The LiVE Team

Jesus vs. Caesar: For People Tired of Serving the Wrong God

A LiVE Project Retreat

Sat, Nov 14, 9am-3pm - In-person at Edmonds United Methodist Church & online via Zoom

During this retreat, our facilitator, Dr. Joerg Rieger, will help us explore the ways our lives have become intertwined with the empire of Capitalism. We end up serving false gods, of nation, of party, economy, and to the endless exhaustion and demand. This retreat is for anyone tired of quietly serving gods and looking for something practical to do as people of faith. Dr. Rieger introduces us to the practice of solidarity circles, and with neighbors and communities, and where we can build power for resistance in the temptations to follow the Caesars in our day.

Learn more and register here

Young Adults in the Synod

Check out these Gather Groups in King & Snohomish Counties

click on the images to head over to their Insta pages

News & Upcoming Events from our Camp!

Fall is a busy time at Lutherwood Camp and Retreat Center, YOUR camp here in western Washington! Check out some of the happenings below. More information on all of these can be found on the camp website at camplutherwood.org or by calling camp at (360) 734-7652.

Fall Discount:

Book a stay with us in 2026 and receive 20% off! It's a great time for a family or church event here on Lake Samish.

Staff Hiring:

Applications for Summer 2027 Staff open on November 1st! Encourage a young person you know to apply. It's the best job ever!

Advent Retreat:

Our second annual daytime Advent Retreat will be on Saturday, December 5. Bring the whole family for cozy Christmas fun!

Summer Registration:

Opens in December! Look for more info in the coming weeks about programs and opening date!

LOCAL AUTHORS

We are proud to share news of books by authors in our synod.

You can find a listing here of these books by local colleagues.

NEW BOOK - It's nearly time! Largely inspired by sermons he prepared and preached throughout his call to Queen Anne Lutheran Church in Seattle, Pastor Dan Peterson's new book—Lost Gods of the Bible: Eight Encounters with the Sacred—is now available for pre-order. Join Dan as he uncovers eight hidden portraits of the divine in scripture that church authorities have long suppressed, portraits known only to a handful of scholars. This book may change what you look for in the Bible; it may even alter the way you see God. Pre-order here through bookshop.com (currently available at a discounted price) or anywhere books are sold.

We celebrate with Immanuel Lutheran Church in Seattle

Immanuel Lutheran has been invited to be one of 30 members of this year's cohort for the National Fund for Sacred Places, a program of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Less than 7% of the applications were selected for the cohort! This opens the door for them to receive some technical support for tending to the exterior of their building, along with an opportunity to receive $500,000 in matching donations towards the project.

Friends in Skagit County - we were asked to share this by our local Lutheran Disaster Relief Partner!

You’re invited to nominate a student for Lutheran Summer Music (LSM)

LSM is a faith-based residential music academy for high school students in grades 8-12. Students come together from across the country to pursue musical excellence and build an intentional, supportive, and fun community.

LSM 2027 takes place at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, from June 27-July 25. Priority Enrollment is open through December 1, offering a $100 tuition discount and first access to financial aid.

Nominate students at LSMacademy.org/nominate, and watch and share the LSM Experience Video to learn more!

Burlington Lutheran Church

Speaker Series

The 2026 Burlington Lutheran Fall Speaker Series explores music—specifically choral singing—as a powerful avenue for communal restoration, reconnection, and reconciliation. By weaving together biblical, historical, scientific, and community organizing insights, these lectures offer practical ways to stay involved, nurture realistic hope, and cultivate healing resources for today and tomorrow. Discover how singing serves as an unexpected, transformative tool for social change.

ALL ARE WELCOME to this series. All sessions are FREE; donations welcome. One more event:

Final week - Tues, Nov. 10: Sing a New Song:

Finding Hope in Troubling Times

This session will include community singing. 

Equipping the Church to Dismantle White Supremacy

A free, 5-part webinar series

The next session is Nov 10th

Thanks to a Strategy for Authentic Diversity grant, the series will highlight existing ELCA resources that encourage, equip, and support congregations and synods in the essential work of dismantling white supremacy. These webinars will elevate voices from across the church who are actively engaging this work and offer both practical and theological grounding.

Learn more about each of these sessions – and register here: https://www.elca.org/event/051226-equipping-the-church-to-dismantle-white-supremacy

Webinar #4:

Now is the Time: Living Into Our Church’s Declarations and Statements

November 10 at 5pm (Pacific)

Webinar #5:

Commemorating the Emmanuel Nine and George Floyd: Sacred Memory as Call to Action

January 12 at 5pm (Pacific)

The Wild Hope Center for Vocation has a host of fall opportunities for alumni and friends of PLU to consider our common vocation to promote human and ecological flourishing, especially in a time of increasing polarization and environmental degradation. These presentations focus on the core of PLU’s mission to link learning with care for others, their communities, and the Earth. As a university committed to life-long learning, we are eager to welcome thoughtful discussion among our alumni and friends on pressing issues of the day. Join us as we explore various dimensions of our vocations in the world.

NEXT OFFERING:

Step in to a world of wonder - Tuesday, November 17, 4 p.m.

Women have made foundational contributions to physics, from discovering radioactivity and nuclear fission to pioneering work in quantum mechanics and astrophysics. Join Dr. Katrina Hay, the first woman to serve as the PLU Physics Department chair, as she discusses the vocation to teach physics: its wonder, challenges, and relevance in today’s world.

Learn more about all the fall presentations here.

PLU president, Allan Belton will be at Saint Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Bellevue.

Belton became the 14th president of Pacific Lutheran University in 2017, bringing to the presidency a combination of business acumen, higher education experience, curiosity, and a willingness to challenge convention. A self-described believer in doing things differently when a better path exists, Belton has embraced the opportunity to lead PLU with both an eye toward what is next and a deep appreciation for what makes the university distinctive.

At the heart of his leadership is a simple belief: people matter, and how we care for one another matters. That belief is deeply connected to PLU’s mission and to the university’s commitment to educating students for lives of thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership, and care.

All are welcome to attend. Learn more here.

“Homelessness: A Renewal of Commitment” social message

Your feedback is desired by November 30.

All ELCA members are invited to share feedback on draft revisions to the social message “Homelessness: A Renewal of Commitment,” first adopted in 1990. At the request of the 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, the ELCA Church Council authorized a reconsideration for possible substantive revision of a section of the social message.

Reconsideration is a formal process of communal discernment about social issues in the church. This reconsideration allows the ELCA to revisit the social message in light of the church’s growing understanding of homelessness, the current lived realities of people who are unhoused or precariously housed, and changes in civil law and the economy that present new challenges to housing in the United States.

Visit ELCA.org/homelessness to read the draft and to submit your feedback via a survey before Nov. 30. Feedback, questions and concerns can also be sent to DraftSocialMessage@ELCA.org.

A PLU Christmas: Light Beyond Shadow

Join us for our popular series of PLU Christmas Concerts as the Choir of the West, University Chorale, and University Symphony Orchestra present Light Beyond Shadow. Come celebrate the spirit of the Christmas season and leave inspired by thrilling and poignant music that evokes transcendent themes of light, joy, love, peace, and hope. This year’s performance will be approximately 110 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission. 

Schedule:

December 4 at 7:30pm in Lagerquist Concert Hall

December 5 at 2pm in Lagerquist Concert Hall

December 5 at 7:30pm in Lagerquist Concert Hall

December 6 at 2pm in Lagerquist Concert Hall

December 7 at 7:30pm in Benaroya Hall

Tickets are on sale now - https://www.plu.edu/christmas/

Winter Stays at the Holden B&B

The B&B is available as a whole house rental offered through Vrbo, property ID #5147296. Please use their website to make your reservation. Also, this is a great place to check out our amenities and photos. The holidays are still available if you're looking for a place to gather with friends or family.

We are also open to individual guests during the winter season, November 2026 – April 2027. Weekends and Holidays will have preference for whole house rentals, but if two weeks out there is space available, we will be happy to take individual reservations. Request your reservation by contacting Roberta at BandB@HoldenVillage.org.

Pass the news! It’s a great way to support the Village and gather with friends and family in a unique and lovely home.  Come explore Chelan Valley wineries, take in a show at the Historic Ruby Theater, cross-country ski or snow shoe at Echo Ridge. Visit Chelan during Small Town Holidays and Winterfest, or just hang out and read, play games and do puzzles. Whatever you like to do, the Holden B&B is a wonderful place to do it!

Want an item included?

Email Susan Berg, Dir. Communications & Events

All items due the prior Thursday by 12:00 noon

Regular Office Hours - Mon-Thurs, 10am - 4pm

Northwest Washington Synod / ELCA

5519 Phinney Avenue North

Seattle, WA 98103

206-783-9292