LiVE Project Fall Course CONTINUES

Faith and Civic Life:

Seeking the Well-being of All

Wednesdays at 7pm - now through Nov. 11

Online via Zoom

We welcome Facilitators and ELCA Social Statement Team Members: Dr. Laurie Jungling Dr. Kyle Pasewark, Dr. Carmelo Santos & Dr. Samantha Bise as we consider the ELCA social statement on Faith and Civic Life and ask what does it mean to bring our whole selves into public and civic space, and not to retreat from a world, nor also to be absorbed by it.

Learn more and register here: https://www.lutheransnw.org/events/live-course-faith-and-civic-life/2026-10-07

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 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.  

Lutheran World Relief (LWR)

Seattle 2026 Fall Ingathering



Nov 6th & Nov 7th

at Our Redeemers' Lutheran Church at 2400 NW 85th St, Seattle

You can deliver your boxes of quilts or kits during these days/hours:

Fri, Nov 6 from 8am-2pm

Sat, Nov 7 from 8am - 11:30am

We can always use a few more volunteers to direct traffic, or to help load boxes into the containers. If you can help for 1-2 hours, please contact Rich at 206-384-1183 or lwrmathes@aol.com. Boxes are generally 30 pounds or less. Traffic directors do not need to lift boxes - just direct cars and trucks. THANK YOU!!

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!

Beware of Phishing Scams!

Unfortunately, we need to share a reminder that our staff will not email or text you requesting gift cards or sensitive information. Always verify the email/phone number to be sure it is authentic before you click on links or respond to a suspicious email or text. The email should be from our domain @ lutheransnw.org only.

Reach out to us at our official work email addresses or phone numbers if you have any hesitation about an email or text that you receive! 

Thank You, Lutherans Tour!

The first person to visit all of America's 400+ National Park Service sites in a single journey, National Parks Expert and Lutheran, Mikah Meyer, is bringing his newest travel-adventure short films to the Seattle area this October 21-27 to thank area Lutherans for their contributions that helped create his newest short film: MISS ADVENTURE – about running across Mississippi in a unicorn dress after it was voted "The Most Homophobic State in America"!

Attend one of these 5 events happening around the NW Washington Synod to enjoy this FREE 90-minute show that will feature five short films, humorous anecdotes from America’s national parks, and singing.

More at mikahmeyer.com/film

Final show of the tour is:

Tues, Oct. 27 - Holy Spirit, Kirkland Doors by 6:30pm for 7pm Show

Food Addiction and Anxiety Recovery

from Center of Addiction & Faith

A one-hour free webinar on Oct. 28 at 10am on Zoom

Presenters Danielle Howard and Christine Lanzi are clinical leaders of the Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Mood and Anxiety Center. They will address how faith leaders can recognize warning signs, offer support, and connect individuals and families facing eating disorders, anxiety and depression with life-changing resources.  

Register HERE

No Hate in WA State Kick-Off and Canvas

Sunday, November 1 | 2:00pm

Central Lutheran Church, Seattle

No Hate in WA State is fighting to protect LGBTQ+ children and trans girls across the state by opposing anti-trans initiatives I-001 and I-638. With your help out at the doors, we can help ensure a Washington state that's safe for everyone. Join us at Central Lutheran Church in Seattle (1710 11th Ave) for a kick-off before we go to the doors to talk to voters about voting NO on I-001 and I-638. The campaign will provide training and materials, make sure to just bring comfortable walking shoes and a fully charged phone and you'll be ready to go! No prior canvassing experience is required. United States Senator Patty Murray and Washington state Senator Jamie Pedersen are scheduled to be at the event and help energize our efforts to protect the LGBTQ+ children and trans girls in our state.

Praying for America

From Braver Angels

A coalition of leading faith-based organizations dedicated to bridging differences will host a second “Praying For America” event on November 1. As prayer services, these events will embody very different values than those driving our divisive, zero-sum politics. These gatherings will focus on celebrating America’s core values as expressed through the right to vote.

Register for one or both Praying for America events here:

https://braverangels.org/faith-in-america/#national-prayer-event

ALSO - Upcoming screening of A House United

Novemeber 12, 6:30-8:30pm at Keystone Congregational UCC in Seattle

A documentary about the people working to bring a divided country back together.

Learn more here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/jojofilm/2463199

Burlington Lutheran Church

Speaker Series

Our social media feeds are often flooded with the world's injustices, trapping us in a cycle of “doomscrolling.” However, being inundated and overwhelmed by the trauma of others is not the same as being inspired toward meaningful social change. How can we remain actively engaged rather than detached or fatalistic about the state of our world?

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.

About our speaker: Dr Stearns’ academic work has focused on the interaction between theology and music, and she loves to talk about the Christian imagination. As a violinist, she brings with her a background in teaching violin and performing in chamber and orchestral settings. She also has a long history of serving in the Church as a musician, teacher, and worship leader. Having been a full-time professor at the Seattle School for Theology and Psychology, she is now affiliate staff in order to be involved in more ways in both the academy and church. She is an engaging speaker, with a very wide base of knowledge and experience.



ALL ARE WELCOME to this series. All sessions are FREE; donations welcome.

November 1: A Voice in the Wilderness: History of Prophetic Voices in Song

Song has rung out in protest and lament for millennia. This opening lecture traces biblical and cultural histories of those who have courageously raised their voices in prophetic song.

November 5: Why We Sing: Music, the Brain, and How Humanity Heals

Neuroscience provides powerful rationale for why music, especially choral singing, builds community and strengthens our capacity to engage the world. Learn how singing physically enables healing and builds resilience.

November 10: Sing a New Song: Finding Hope in Troubling Times

We sing to find our voices when we feel silenced. Throughout history, protest and resistance movements have started simply with the resources at hand: voices, feet, bodies, and communities united in song. This session will include community singing. 

18th Annual Powell-Heller Conference for Holocaust Education:

More Than Dust: Reclaiming LGBTQ+ Voices of the Holocaust

November 4-6

Thanks to the generosity of donors this event is free and open to the public.

Pacific Lutheran University will host this annual conference, a gathering dedicated to challenging traditional archives to recover the intimate histories of queer and marginalized histories of the Holocaust. This year’s conference focuses on LGBTQ+ experiences of the Holocaust. We are honored to welcome historian Anna Hájková as our Raphael Lemkin speaker. Her book, People Without History Are Dust: Queer Desire in the Holocaust, serves as the foundation for this year’s programming. As Dr. Hájková argues, “thinking about the marginalized can help us to develop a less judgmental, more inclusive past” – a project we aim to collectively engage in during our time together.

The conference features a special theater performance and a film screening alongside its academic components. Attendees will hear from leading international scholars in the field, including Laurie Marhoefer and Samuel Clowes Huneke, as well as a workshop from educators at The Pink Triangle Project and pedagogy sessions from educators at Yad Vashem. Through theater, film, keynote lectures, and panel discussions, participants will discover new methodologies for confronting historical erasure, ultimately reshaping how we archive, remember, and honor the Holocaust.

PLU’s mission to support the education of our students and larger community on issues of diversity and justice are intimately connected to the study of the tragedy of the Holocaust. Students can see that marginalization of a minority group, such as the Jews of Nazi Germany, can lead to life-threatening situations culminating in one of the world’s modern genocides. Issues of distortion and denial make the process of reconciliation and healing less likely and serve as an insult to the memory of all those whose lives were destroyed in the Holocaust.

Learn more and register here: https://www.plu.edu/holocaustconference/#:~:text=Dr. Edward Kissi, Associate Professor in

Church Property Resource Hub Webinar:

Disaster Response and Preparation

Thursday, November 5 at 4pm online

Congregations and their buildings play an important role in disaster response and recovery. As environmental disasters become more frequent and severe, more congregations will be affected or called upon to support their communities.

Join Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) for a conversation about how congregations can prepare for disasters and use their property to support response efforts.

Learn more and register here: https://leadership.elca.org/topics/45412/events/292433

Christmas Bazaar

Peace Lutheran in Silvana

Sat, November 7, 10am – 2pm

No cost for entry

This Bazaar is our one fundraiser to support next year’s budget. In addition to providing supplies, we support a mission project, 8 non-profit benevolences - and we will be supporting a girl for high school attendance at the Maasai Girls School.

Join us for this 53-year tradition!

Tanzania Trips

Saint Andrew's Lutheran Church (Bellevue) has a ministry partnership with two organizations in Tanzania. Both offer immersive travel programs and are registering NOW - considering joining us! More info here: Mission Trips to Tanzania | Saint Andrew's Lutheran | Eastside Lutheran Church Community

Kaifika House: Our two-week program is designed for guardians and teens to bond, grow and volunteer at Kafika House amidst the cultural and natural beauty of Tanzania and its people. This trip is not solely academic, solely service-based or solely culturally immersive -- it's the full package! It's time to go beyond comfort zones and perceived limits and join Kafika House as we change the landscape of rehabilitative care for children with disabilities in Tanzania. Check out their web site for more information and to register!

OBA (Opportunity Builds Africa), has four standard travel opportunities! Members of SALC are planning to go on the Tanzania Medical Impact Discovery Tour July 11-25, 2027. It includes time at the MaaSAE girls school! Think about joining them – or participating in another Discovery Tour. Find out more about all the Discovery Tours here. Registration closes NOVEMBER 15, 2026. Check it out now!

We welcome PLU president, Allan Belton, to 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.

Plan to come to meet him at Adult Education on November 22nd – bring your PLU Alum friends!

“Homelessness: A Renewal of Commitment” social message

Your feedback is desired!

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.

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