May 2017 Newsletter
Here is what is happening at First Lutheran Church this month!

Worship Schedule
Worship: 8:30 am & 11:00 am
Christian Education: 9:45 am

Summer Schedule Starts May 28!
One worship service at 9:30 am.


Communion served every Sunday
Pastor Berg's Message

Sabbatical Time.

Pastor Berg is on sabbatical and will have a new article in September. 

To see Pastor Berg's past articlesclick here.

May Adult Education
Sundays 9:45 am, Fellowship Hall (except May 28th)
May 7 - May 21 - A study of Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass, with Sister Liz Colter. You may check out the book at the church library.
 
FUTURE FLC BUS SERVICE
In the near future, we hope to be able to provide Sunday morning bus service for those who do not drive to worship services. This process will take time to plan and implement. We are generating a list of bus drivers and a list of possible bus stops.

If you are interested in helping plan and organize this program please contact either Roger or Pastor Berg. If you would like to be considered for a bus driving position please fill out an application available in the office. If you would like to be picked up on Sunday for worship look for a sign-up sheet in the near future when we are ready to begin this program.

Journey Classes are Back!
Sunday, May 7 Journey Class 5 -7pm : “Paddle Pilgrim,” with Rev. Dave Ellingson. 
In the spring of 2012, David Ellingson paddled the Mississippi River Headwaters to New Orleans (2300 miles). Join us as David shares pictures and stories of his kayaking adventure and pilgrimage on the Mississippi River. Dinner provided.

Sunday, May 21 Journey Class 5 -7pm: “Paddle Pilgrim” continues. David will share pictures and stories from his three week kayak adventure down the Erie Canal and the Hudson River to the Statue of Liberty.  “An epic tale is told with daily Posts, reflective ponderings and stunning Pictures.”  Dinner will be provided.

Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study, Saturday, May 20th:  9 – 10:30 am

Come and join other men from the congregation for breakfast and conversation!  There will be food for the body, food for the soul and food for thought! Gordy Phelps is preparing a delicious breakfast spread.  Ron Sailor will lead an inspiring Bible study and discussion.  Please join us!  

Roger Steinke's Notes

UPCOMING YOUTH ACTIVITIES:

Sunday, May 7th  12:30 – 2:00 PM
Elementary Youth Service Event

Students in Grades 1 - 6 and their families are invited to help assemble 150 sack lunches for Peter’s Place Shelter (part of Lutheran Housing Alliance).  This Service Project will begin with a light lunch at 12:15 PM.   The sack lunch assembly will begin at 12:30 PM.  The sack lunches will be delivered to the shelter in North Beacon Hill that afternoon.  Please Sign-Up on the Youth Board if you are able to help!


Friday, May 19 – Sunday, May 21 
2017 HOLDEN VILLAGE May Youth Weekend  
May Youth Weekends at Holden Village are back!  Holden Village is a year-round Lutheran Christian Retreat Center located in the North Cascades Mountains.  Our First Lutheran group will leave from Bothell early on Friday morning (5/19) at 5:45 AM and return to Bothell, late on Sunday evening (5/21) at around 9 PM.  Artists and Speakers at the May Youth Weekends include singer/songwriter Rachel Kurtz and Spoken Word Poet/Artist Joe Davis.  Both of these artists performed at the 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering in Detroit, Michigan.  The 2017 theme is “RESURRECTION!”  As you may know, the wilderness fires of August 2015 burnt the beautiful forests around Holden Village.  The Village narrowly escaped being burnt to ashes.  The “RESURRECTION!” theme is a very real story for Holden Village.  Closed for several years for Mine Remediation (Clean Up) and severely impacted by the Wolverine Fires, Holden Village is coming back!

Graduation is near!   
Graduation Information is needed! 
Please remember to forward information about your High School and College Graduates to Roger.  Please include any important information about their choice of college, awards, scholarships and other achievements.   The High School Graduate Breakfast and Recognition is scheduled for Sunday, June 11.

 
Here are several “Spring and Summer 2017” dates for your calendars!  

* High School Graduate Breakfast & Recognition: Sunday, June 11 (Starts at 9:30 AM)

* “Hot Rods & Hot Dogs!” 8th Annual Car Show which benefits Hopelink:  Saturday, June 24 (10 AM – 1 PM)

* High School Western States Youth Gathering, California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, California:  Sunday, June 25 – Sunday, July 2

* Junior High / Middle School Mission Trip, Camp Lutherhaven & Shoshone Retreat, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho:  Sunday, July 16 – Friday, July 21

* Vacation Bible School / Summer Day Camp (Grades 3 Year-olds – 6th Grade) “We are God’s Masterpiece!” Monday, July 31 – Thursday, August 3

A new color scheme organizing our extensive collection of Children’s Books has been created. Here is how you can find your favorite books: 

Purple:      Bible stories 
Red:         Christmas, Easter and other Holidays 
Teal:        Board Books 
Light Blue:  Fun Activities
Dark Blue:   Heroes of Faith 
             Fables, Folk Tales, and Fun Stories 
Light Green: Family Life 
             Fear and Other Feelings 
             Life is Hard (illness, death, divorce, etc) 
Dark Green:  Stories from Around the World 
             Creation and Nature 
Yellow:      Life Lessons 
Pink:        You Are Special
             You Can Do It! 
             Learning to Read and Count 
Orange:      Learning About Church 
             Learning About the Bible 
             Learning About God 
Black:       Prayer 
             Bedtime Stories and Lullabies 

Our library renewal continues. 

CHECK IT OUT!
      
Happy Birthday to our 80+ Year Olds!
  • Ethel Eide        May 3
  • Roger Iwen      May 6
  • Geri Crawford  May 14
  • Jack Schunk    May 15
  • Jack Becker     May 23
  • Bob Ahlstedt    May 29

Stitch-by-Stitch

God’s Love, Our Hands 

Do you knit or crochet? First Lutheran has received a large supply of yarn which you can turn into knitted or crocheted items that can help others. The yarn is available in Room 111 (downstairs near elevator). Stop in anytime to pick up yarn and get started on a project. Return finished items to the drop box in Room 111.  Your knitted and crocheted items will be taken to places such as Compass Center, Eastside Baby Corner, Mary’s Place, nursing homes, and the Multiservice Center. You could also knit for our prayer shawl ministry. Needed items include:

               Warm hats for men, women, and children

               Warm scarves for men, women, and children

               Sweaters for infants and children to size 14

               Twin bed size afghans

               Infant blankets

               Prayer shawls

               Kitty blankets for the Seattle Humane Society (about 2 x 2 feet)

We also have a large amount of cotton yarn suitable for dishcloths or other projects.  

If you have unused knitting needles or crochet hooks that you would like to donate for others to use please leave them in the box provided in Room 111. Questions? Contact Karen Thomas.

Diana Butler Bass, author of Christianity after Religion
May 11, 7 pm
Diane Butler Bass will be speaking at The Well, a forum, at Queen Anne Methodist Church in Seattle. The adult classes at FLC during May will be using this book as part of our Congregational Sabbatical reflection and study.  Tickets should be purchased on line at www.thewellqueenanne.org/events/ as they often sell out.  If you would like to carpool and /or do dinner before, please contact Ray Thomas. 
Bell Tower Donations Report
Thank you for your gifts to the Bell Fund!
Good news! We have reached our fund raising goal of $53,000. Gabbert Architecture will manage construction. We are waiting on the city permitting process
Social Ministry Update
Thank You from Scrip!
The Social Ministries committee would like to thank the congregation for  their support of the scrip program for the past many years.

As a result of your support and generosity, we have been able to go above and beyond our budgeted outreach support to Hopelink, Compass Housing Alliance, and many other Lutheran organizations, and have been able to give thousands of dollars for such worthwhile needs as Mary’s Place, Nyer Urness House, water retention receptacles and drought relief in Tanzania, socks for Compass and Operation Nightwatch, school supplies for Northshore Schools Foundation and Easternwood, and Safeway and Fred Meyer scrip cards for Pastor’s Emergency Fund. Most recently, thanks to your scrip support, we were able to sponsor two apartments at Ronald Commons, a joint housing and food bank project with Compass, Hopelink and Ronald United Methodist Church.

We have a number of people who faithfully serve as scrip sellers, and we could use a few more! It’s easy and fun to do, you get to work some terrific people, and the pay is the satisfaction of knowing you are helping First Lutheran to help others. If you would like to be part of this ministry, please contact Marilyn Iverson, 206-941-1627. 

May Outreach

Money deposited in the Change for Change jar in May will go to Hopelink for End Summer HungerWhen school is out for the summer, many of the nearly 14,000 children in north and east King County who qualify for free or reduced cost meals during the school year may go hungry.


The focus of donations to the Hopelink grocery cart in May will be for replacements for school lunch programs (peanut butter, jelly, fruit cups, cracker & cheese packs, etc.)  
 

May Monthly Outreach: $1,000.00 will go to Augusta Victoria Hospital.

Scrip and Other Passive Fundraising for First Lutheran Church!
We have several opportunities for earning money while you shop for FLC's many social ministry programs:
  1. Buy Scrip on Sunday mornings or sign up for Shop with Scrip. Many vendors are available for instant purchase and redemption from your mobile phone in the Shop with Scrip program. No more writing checks; the money is automatically deducted from your checking account using Presto Pay. (The profit margin for scrip is not great enough to support credit card payments.) Scrip returns anywhere from 3 - 12% of your purchases to FLC! You can buy grocery cards, movie tickets, Amazon, even Groupon - the list is great!
  2. Sign up for Amazon Smile and name First Lutheran Church as your charity. Every time you shop with Amazon Smile FLC receive .05% of your purchase price. You can still use Amazon Prime. Get your kids to sign up, too!
  3. Link your Fred Meyer rewards card to their Community Rewards program for First Lutheran Church. All of your purchases will result in a quarterly donation to FLC.
  4. Sign up for Bartell's B Caring Program, and name First Lutheran Church as your charity.
Thank You!
Thank you to Dave Richards for assembling the new office chair in the music office. Your willingness to help out is greatly appreciated!
Women of First Lutheran Church (WFLC or WELCA)
The Women of First Lutheran Church (WFLC) is a local organization of the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (WELCA). All women at FLC are considered members of both WFLC and WELCA. You are invited to participate in any of the bible study circles, WFLC sponsored events and/or regional and national events.
This Month!
Bible Study opportunities available:
Deborah:  Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 10:00 am, The Landing at FLC.  
Reformation Bible Study, Galatians: Christian Faith and  Freedom
Contact:  Bonnie Ahlstedt 360-805-1743

Hannah: Monday, May 15, 2017, 6:30 pm, Fireside Room, 
Child care available
Contact: Linda Siebert 425-821-1703.

Rebecca Circle:  Wednesday, May 17, 10:00 am in the Landing. 
Women of the ELCA Gather Bible Study and articles
Contact:  Barbara Thieme 425-898-8982

Women of the ELCA Tenth Triennial Gathering, July 13 - 16, 2017 in
Minneapolis, MN. Make your reservations now for All New. For more information click here.

Visit our Web Page!
A Cascadia Parish Event!
Congregations of the Cascadia Parish will be taking part in the Day of Service on Saturday, May 20th.
This Day of Service involves many congregations on the Eastside.  First Lutheran folks will be
involved in the Friends of North Creek Forest project which will focus on removing invasive weeds, spreading mulch, and removing garbage.
A second project will be supporting Pantry Packs, summer food kits to be distributed to hungry children. 
More information will come later.
From Our Partners
From the Cascadia Parish
From The Lutheran World Federation - 500th Anniversary of the Reformation Motto:  We are Liberated by God’s Grace.

The Lutheran World Federation, which has 145 member churches in 98 countries and over 70 million members, including the ELCA, has produced a document to support the 500th commemoration of the Reformation called: We are liberated by God's grace:  Across the world Lutherans are offering God’s grace revealed through Christ to God’s people everywhere. 
One of the highlights of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 is the Twelfth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation that will meet in Namibia in May under the theme “Liberated by God’s Grace”. 
To read more click on the link above pick up the full article from the news shelf in the narthex.
From Lutheran Counseling Network 
Faith and Everyday Life - May 2017

Too Uncomfortable:  The Letting Go
Sometimes those old hurts just aren’t worth hanging on to. There is nothing left to gain, or to protect or to punish. The time for holding out for resolution is clearly long past. The other isn’t going to give you the apology you want. Maybe they are even dead! 

Not speaking to “offenders” for years doesn’t happen to every family but you probably know one where that is how folks operate. It usually hurts everyone but when everybody is “right” and everybody is righteous about it, backing down doesn’t look like an option.
Sometimes you can get to a point where carrying the grudge becomes more uncomfortable for everyone involved than dealing with it. If this is the tenth Christmas you have boycotted because Aunt Mabel is going to be there, maybe it is time to let it go. Maybe you are making it just “too uncomfortable” for everyone. 

This is not what God intended for relationships.  He stands with us to help us overcome the pain that is causing the broken relationship. He can heal pain from relationships and set us free. He has come to overcome the world of hurts and pain.  He wants us to trust him and allow his grace to heal all involved. Even if the other person does not forgive, we can forgive and be free of the bondage of pain.
Maybe it’s time to just let it go.
Lutheran World Relief (LWR) needs a few more local willing people – anyone who can lift 30 pound boxes – to help with the twice-a-year Seattle LWR quilt and kit collection on Friday May 5th from 8am to 3pm, and Saturday May 6th from 8am to noon. If you cannot lift, or do not want to lift boxes, we also need traffic directors to manage the incoming loads, and help with checking cars in. Traffic directors get to wear bright yellow vests, and talk with everyone who comes into the parking lot. Traffic director is nice job if you like to socialize.  Food is provided for all.

Volunteers work two-hour shifts, if possible  – with time off between incoming vehicles for conversation and snacks. This is a physical Tetris game – we stack the boxes 9.5 feet high and 8 feet across in 53-foot long containers.  The boxes range from banana and apple boxes to various packing boxes, so loading can be challenging.   

This event takes place in the parking lot west of Our Redeemers’ Lutheran Church (2500 85th Ave NW).  We have two loadings a year – first week in May, and late October/early November.  

Please call Rich Mathes (206-384-1183) or Email lwrmathes@aol.com if interested in the loading, or just have questions.   

Summer Camp Registration is  Open!
We have a new online registration system. Please click the link below to register for camp. Questions to office@camplutherwood.org or call 360-734-7652, M - F 9 -4.

Registration
Connect With Our Partners
First Lutheran Church |  425-486-2314 | 425-297-4898 |office@flcbothell.org |flcbothell.org
Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action).

Create a great offer by adding words like "free" "personalized" "complimentary" or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take an action, so think about inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"