A weekly newsletter from First Lutheran Church, created to inspire and connect you with meaningful ministries and opportunities to live out your faith - within our church, our community, the world and your everyday life.

Highlights for the Week of October 21, 2026

Reflect & Pray

Reflect: Where do you see God’s abundance in your life right now?

Pray: Generous God, slow us down and open our eyes to the blessings woven into our days. Help us recognize your care in the people who love us, the gifts that sustain us and the community that surrounds us. In seasons of hardship, meet us with comfort and the help we need. Grow our gratitude and guide us to share what we have received so that others may experience your love. Amen.

Let Your Blessings Flow

Explore our Stewardship journey at flclincoln.org/stewardship and discover ways to share your blessings through financial gifts, time and talents. If you feel ready, you are welcome to make your 2027 pledge online now.

Your pledge can help meet a special challenge! Our Church Council will donate $1,000 to the Lincoln Lutheran Food Pantry if we reach 40% of our financial pledge goal by November 1. Making your pledge early helps First Lutheran plan for the year ahead and brings us closer to an additional gift of care for our neighbors.

Abundance in Action

What does it look like when blessings flow from one person to another? This past weekend at First Lutheran, it looked like shoes, socks, quilts and many willing hands.

Volunteers packaged 290 pairs of shoes and 1,450 pairs of socks, purchased by members, for children at 10 area schools. During worship, we also blessed 137 quilts made by our faithful quilters this past year. Draped throughout the Sanctuary and Chapel, they surrounded us with reminders of the care that will soon reach others through Lutheran World Relief.

Together, these gifts show how the abundance we recognize in our own lives can become care for others. A purchase, a few hours of service, a talent practiced faithfully: each has a place in God’s work through this congregation.

Thank you to everyone who purchased, packed, stitched, organized and prayed. Through your generosity, blessings are flowing and our neighbors will feel their warmth.

Sustaining the Ministry We Share

The stories above show what our generosity makes possible. September’s financial report reminds us that sustaining this ministry also requires our attention.

September income totaled $70,163, while expenses were $77,429, bringing our year-to-date deficit to $21,220.

Giving toward pledges remains on track, with 76% received through three-quarters of the year. However, non-pledged giving totals $74,000, compared with an average of $113,000 at this point over the past three years—a difference of $39,000.

As we finish 2026, please review your giving and bring your pledge up to date if needed. If you give without a pledge, or are able to offer an additional gift, your generosity now can help close the gap and support our ministry through year-end.

As we prepare for 2027, making a pledge helps the Church Council build a budget grounded in the support our congregation anticipates providing. Every commitment helps us plan responsibly for the worship, care, learning and community partnerships we share.

Thank you for the many ways you support First Lutheran. Please contact our accountant with any questions about the financial report.

A Message from the Council President

Grateful for Our Ministry, Planning for Our Future

The Council meeting was opened with devotions led by Pastor Andrew and a reading and discussion from Revelation.

We proceeded to approve the consent agenda, consisting of the meeting agenda, Council minutes, parochial report, staff reports and printed committee reports. The action agenda involved a discussion of the employee insurance plan for 2027. Our insurance provider, Portico, which is an ELCA synod group plan, followed the industry with substantial rate increases for 2027 and changes to the available options. These have been reviewed by Bryan Hanson and discussed with the Executive Committee and staff. A plan was selected that met the October 14 selection deadline.

As has been reported over the last few months, our year-to-date non-pledged revenue is still lagging behind historical and budgeted levels. The Budget Committee has begun meeting to develop the budget for 2027. As we move into our stewardship campaign, we pray that each of us will consider the role and mission of First Lutheran within our community as we move into the final months of our calendar year and begin planning for next year.

Council liaisons to the various committees and teams reported on activities and opportunities to participate within our church family. Continue watching for announcements of upcoming opportunities to serve. It was humbling to observe the “fruits of the labors of many” as we had the quilt blessing and prepared shoes for Kicks for Kids this past Sunday. These are just more reminders of how our members continue to serve our community, locally and globally, as mentioned in the opening prayer above.

Again this month, I want to thank Pastor Andrew and all the staff and lay leaders for the way they have stepped up during Pastor Erin’s sabbatical, and welcome Pastor Erin back. Everyone in the First Lutheran Church family has truly shown that we are the church.

As the ELCA has designated October for recognizing our pastoral leaders, I encourage everyone to join the Council as we host a reception during the 9:30 AM fellowship hour in the Gathering Area this Sunday, October 25. This is a time to gather and have fellowship with our church family. See the details below.

As a reminder, all are invited to the Council meetings on the second Tuesday of each month or you can reach me directly at council@flclincoln.org.

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