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

Deconstructing Our Faith

 French philosopher Jacques Derrida (1930-2004)1 introduced the idea of deconstructing texts to critique set truths and static meanings. The main way this works is that one cannot assume one knows fully what any one word might mean. Take for example the words man and woman. Many think that these are fixed and clear descriptions. But when these words are used in context it is never clear what they might mean. Are we taking about a tall man? A short woman? Long hair, short hair? European, Asian, African? Even when it comes to genitalia and strength we cannot be sure what the words man or woman might mean.



Deconstructing our faith is much the same work. Decades, centuries and millennia of assumptions are laid atop our sacred texts and our faith traditions. What I might assume Psalm 1 might teach us might not even be clear to a Rabbinical student. We make many assumptions that might hinder our faith. It is good to take apart our faith to reconstruct it in a healthier way and hopefully in a more fluid and unstuck theology.

Continue to Pastor Berg's Blog.

The end of the preschool year is upon us! Graduation was held in the sanctuary on May 20th. The students had a fabulous year learning all about their numbers, letters, dinosaurs, insects, community helpers, weather, transportation, farm, sea life, with some French lessons each week as well, and much more...

We are thankful to the FLC community & staff for all the support! 

Here is a picture of Mr. Roger's last chapel time with us. We will miss you, Mr. Roger!

Our registration for fall is going well. Please continue to share with family & friends that we have a few openings left.

Thank you!

Widows Support Group

June 8, 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, June 20, 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!” Please join us for discussion and enrichment. Questions to Roger Steinke

Youth

Graduation Recognition is Sunday, June 14, 9:30 am. A cake reception will follow the worship service.

2026 SUMMER DATES FOR YOUR CALENDAR:

The Western States Youth Gathering (WSYG)

June 26 – July 1, 2026

Youth entering Grades 9 – 12 in the Fall of 2026 (and 2026 High School Graduates) are all invited to attend. A group of 12 First Lutheran Youth and Adults are signed up to attend.

The WSYG will be held at California Lutheran University, June 28-July 1. Our theme is "A Faith Odyssey," where we'll take a deeper look into our spiritual journeys. Our youth will explore their faith, gather as a community through creative team-building activities and workshops, and enjoy endless summer fun under the sunshine of Southern California. WSYG will feature an outdoor festival-style main stage, interactive and service-learning opportunities, exciting worship and nightlife events. Karey Coble and Roger Steinke will be attending as adult leaders. A few spots for youth participants are still open, but the deadline for Sign-Up’s is March 15th. Please contact Roger with any questions about the WSYG.

First Lutheran Church Book Club Meeting Via Zoom      

The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon

Tuesday, June 23 at 7 PM

Discussion Leader: Katie Pyne

 “In The Small and the Mighty, Sharon McMahon proves that the most remarkable Americans are often ordinary people who didn’t make it into the textbooks. Not the presidents, but the telephone operators. Not the aristocrats, but the schoolteachers. Through meticulous research, she discovers history’s unsung characters and brings their rich, riveting stories to light for the first time.  

You’ll meet a woman astride a white horse riding down Pennsylvania Ave, a young boy detained at a Japanese incarceration camp, a formerly enslaved woman on a mission to reunite with her daughter, a poet on a train, and a teacher who learns to work with her enemies. More than one thing is bombed, and multiple people surprisingly become rich. Some rich with money, and some wealthy with things that matter more.

This is a book about what really made America – and Americans – great. McMahon’s cast of improbable champions will become familiar friends, lighting the path we journey in our quest to make the world more just, peaceful, good, and free.”  (Summary by goodreads)

Please contact Katie Pyne or Roger Steinke for additional information about the Book Club. A copy of this Featured Book of the Month is available in the First Lutheran Church Library. Please join us! 

In May we are highlighting books on the Bible. What is the Bible and how should we read it? What lessons does it have for us today? Take a look at the library display this month where both children and adults can find interesting and inspiring insights into these questions. Here are a few of our favorites:

* About the Bible: Short Answers to Big Questions 

* What Is the Bible?: How an Ancient Library of Poems, Letters, and Stories Can Transform the Way You Think and Feel About Everything

* How the Bible Actually Works: In Which I Explain How An Ancient, Ambiguous, and Diverse Book Leads Us to Wisdom Rather Than Answers? and Why That's Great News

* Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again

* Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life

* The Spirituality of Wine

* To the Table: A Spirituality of Food, Farming, and Community

* Old-fashioned on Purpose: A Homesteading Manifesto

CHECK IT OUT! 

June Ministry of the Month

Click on image for more information about Lutheran World Relief.

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: Camp United We Stand

February Outreach: Hopelink

March Outreach: Lutheran Community Services/Compass Housing Alliance

April Outreach: Global Refuge

May Outreach: Camp United We Stand

June Outreach: Lutheran World Relief Quilt & Personal Care Kits shipping

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!

Top 5 for Compass Housing Alliance!

The Social Ministries Committee invites your help collecting these “TOP 5” needed supplies for Compass Housing Guests and Families during May 2026. Items can be dropped off in the Church Narthex Caring Corner or in the Collection Bin located near the Preschool Entrance.  Questions? Contact Roger Steinke.

1. Men’s Underwear (M, L, XL and 3XL)

2. Women’s Underwear (S, M, L and XL)

3. Towels (New and Gently Used. Shower and Bath Towels)

4. Cleaning Supplies (Bathroom and Kitchen Cleaners, Brushes, Sponges, etc.)

5. Adult Art Supplies and Board Games (To Help with Facilitating Community Activities)

All through the month of May 2026, your Top 5 Donations are very much appreciated! Thank you!

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

CREATION CARE

World Environment Day

World Environment Day was established by the United Nations in 1972 and is celebrated annually on June 5th. What’s the theme for 2026? It’s simple, but complicated – Climate Change! The impacts of climate change are visible everywhere – our world is speaking to us and we must listen. Plant native trees and gardens; practice the 3 R’s – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle; replace single-use items with reusables; and increase awareness of the world around you, how you impact it today and how you can do better tomorrow.  

World Oceans Day 2026

Each year on June 8th we recognize that our oceans are in crisis due to the impacts of issues like overfishing, abandoned fishing nets and climate change. World Oceans Day’s message is to conserve our marine resources. The theme for 2026 is "Strong Marine Protected Areas for Our Blue Planet," focusing on goals known as “30-by-30,” which are to protect 30% of lands, waters, and ocean by the year 2030. Check out https://worldoceanday.org/12moa-2026/ for 12 months of ideas about how we can make a difference. Buying sustainable seafood products is one way to help. For information, visit the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) website.

King County 2026 Household Hazardous Waste Collection

King County’s traveling Wastemobile will not be at the University of Washington - Bothell campus in June. Looking ahead, the schedule for the remainder of 2026 is: July 10,11,12; Aug 21,22,23; and Oct 16,17,18 (not in September). If you need to dispose of household hazardous waste, check out the detailed instructions, acceptable items, allowable quantities for each, and the complete 2025 schedule of dates, times, and locations, check out their website.

Registration is open! Click on the picture to learn more.

Please contact Joyce Thode or Kristi Pyne with questions.

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.

• ELCA News
• Lutheran Disaster Response
• Northwest Washington Synod
• Global Refuge
• Living Lutheran
• Lutheran Counseling Network
• Faith Action Network
• Gay Church
• Poor Peoples Campaign Washington
• Reconciling Works