November 2021 Newsletter

Worship Schedule
November 7 - 21
Sunday Mornings
8:30 am and 11 am
(Christian Education at 9:45)

Worship Schedule
November 28
Sunday Morning
10 am
(Christian Education at 9:00)
pending council approval


Please join us for worship. Services will be both in person and live streamed. Contact Pastor Berg or Kristin Smith for the streaming information.

Falling
from Pastor Berg's Monthly Blog
As we move into November we can see the change of the seasons. The ground is littered with leaves and branches from the "bomb cyclone." The temperatures are dropping. Soon we will have morning ice and fog. It seems right that November is the month that we celebrate All Saint's Sunday. Especially this year.
The Live Project Community Course: 
Communal Spiritual Practices

Imagining Our Callings with God's People
November 20
Saturday, 9:00 - 10:00 am
Advent Lutheran Church, Mill Creek and
Zoom Platform - Presented by the Northwest Washington Synod of the ELCA



First Lutheran Church has signed up and paid for anyone in the FLC community to participate in the LIVE PROJECT in 2021 - 2022.
Our full cohort experience includes:
online courses, resources, and guided conversations from our community learning platform 
Access to as many congregational participants as you desire for 42 hours of  content in the full cohort experience  
Bi-monthly coaching to accompany your learning with your congregational team.

To Join the Live Project please email Pastor Berg for the prepaid invitation.

Future Courses in our Cohort Experience of the the LIVE PROJECT:
Culture Course - Interrogating Privilege (Jan 19 - Mar. 10, 2022) Wednesdays, 6:30 - 8 pm (Thursdays during Lent)
Community Course - Practicing Community (4 half day retreat experiences)
Communal Spiritual Practices - November 20, 2021
Dinner Church - February 12, 2022
Becoming Public Companions - March 26, 2022
Update From the FLC Council
Your council is hard at work each month and we thought we'd share our October Council meeting highlights with you: 
 
* We discussed Vision 2025. Each month we are discussing a particular principle and its impact in our decision making.  
* We are hoping you can participate in an exciting piece of our Lutheran Heritage. The Christian Education committee here at FLC is putting on a journey class November 14th that you won't want to miss!  
* We are also excited to launch "Give a card, Get a card" during the Bothell tree lighting ceremony. Look for more information on that soon!  
* The church staff and volunteers are continuing to improve our new way of worship, through in person and zoom. Thank you for your patience as sometimes we have technical difficulties. We are aware of them and try to improve each and every Sunday.  
* You may have seen the new addition to our parking lot. Council has approved Amazon to rent a parking space from us to bring their robot delivery service to the Bothell downtown area. Amazon plans to begin the testing phase this week with human pilots to navigate the delivery vehicles (called "Scout"). Eventually the delivery vehicles are planned to be automated, so watch for this very futuristic delivery system. 
 
Please remember, you can always view meeting minutes, attend a council meeting, or talk with your council liaison. If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know.  
 
Holly Batstone, Council President  
hollybatstone@gmail.com 
From the FLC Council's Covid-19 Task Force

Masks are required for all entering the First Lutheran Church Building.

All people who enter the building must hand sanitize. We ask that you stay home if you were exposed to COVID or have any symptoms.

Due to the currently high COVID infection rate in our community, FLC is currently not offering food or beverage during fellowship time with a goal of keeping people from congregating in a way that increases the risk of spread.  

If you test positive for COVID after attending an FLC service or activity, please notify Pastor Berg. He will keep the information confidential, but it will allow FLC to notify congregational members of possible exposure so they can take appropriate action. This is a very important piece in reducing the spread of COVID in our community.

For the time being, we will not serve any refreshments after worship services or at any FLC activities.

The FLC Council uses Healthy Washington - Roadmap to Recovery in making re-opening decisions. To see the current state of cases and vaccinations, please visit:

In an effort to stop the spread of COVID, we have turned off all water fountains in the building. Although bottled water is available, we ask that you get into the habit of bringing a reusable water bottle with you when you visit. Did you know that it takes up to 1,000 years for every single plastic bottle to decompose? Bringing a reusable water bottle will help us to reduce the environmental footprint of FLC and it is a great habit to get into as we look at installing water bottle refill stations in the building. 
Questions to Christy Freriks.
Women's Bible Study & Fellowship opportunities available:

Deborah Circle: November 9, 10:30 am. We continue the fall season with the gift of the Holy Spirit: Session 2, Breath of God: Reviver & Reformer
Contact: Bonnie Ahlstedt 360-805-1743 or bobbon_9@msn.com.

Hannah Circle: November 15, 6:30 pm.
Contact: Linda Siebert 206-369-7047

Rebecca Circle: November 17, 10:00 am.
Contact: Barbara Thieme 425-898-8982
Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study! (Also available on Zoom)
Saturday, November 20, 9 – 10:15 am. 
Join other men from the congregation and community for breakfast and conversation! There will be “food for the body, food for the soul and food for thought!” A group of 16 men attended the October 2021 in-person and zoom breakfast. Please join us for discussion and enrichment. Please watch for more information.
Roger Steinke's Notes
Director of REACH Ministries
Reach Ministries
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL AGES
College Care Package Assembly! November 6, 12:15 – 3 PM 
Students in Grades 7 – 12, are invited to help with assembling college care packages. Please give names and current address of your college student(s) to Roger. A Pizza Lunch will be served to the assembly crew. Sign Up on the Youth Board.  
Journey Classes! Everyone has a unique Spiritual Journey. All are invited to grow in faith, learn in understanding, share thoughts and ask questions. Please join us as we Journey in faith together. 

Journey Class: The Living Stones Project, Sunday, November 14, 2021,3 PM
The Living Stones Project is being presented to the congregation by members of the Christian Education Committee and the Church Council.

Available in-person in the fellowship hall or on Zoom.
Turkey Sandwich Boxed Lunches available on Sunday, November 21

Due to Covid safety concerns and other related considerations, the Youth Committee has decided to provide a scaled down Turkey Meal for 2021, instead of the traditional sit-down meal of prior years. For this year, a Turkey Sandwich Boxed Lunch can be preordered for pick up on Sunday, November 21st.  Members of the Church can leave with their boxed lunch following each Worship Service. Meals will include a turkey sandwich, a bag of chips, a prepackaged apple sauce container and a slice of pumpkin pie. Meals are also available for delivery after 12:30 PM. Questions? Contact Roger

Help is needed from youth in Grades 7 - 12 to prepare and package the lunches on Saturday, November 20, 11 am - 1 pm. and to help distribute the lunches on Sunday, November 21 from 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Movie Review
Captain Fantastic
Sunday, November 28, 3 pm
“In the forests of the Pacific Northwest, a father devoted to raising his six kids with a rigorous physical and intellectual education is forced to leave his paradise and enter the world, challenging his idea of what it means to be a parent.”  
Starring Viggo Mortensen, George MacKay, Samantha Isler, Annalise Basso.  

Movie Review on Zoom: Please watch the movie prior to our Movie Review. Captain Fantastic is currently available to watch on Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Vudu, Google Play, Netflix, Redbox and You Tube. Our discussion will begin with a review of the main plots of the movie. We will also explore the spiritual themes of the movie. Questions? Please contact Roger Steinke.   

Please watch the Weekly News for additional information.
From the Library Committee - November 2021
The First Lutheran Book Club continues to meet on Zoom for thoughtful discussions of our monthly book selections. Please join us!
Book Club!
Discussion Book: This Tender Land
by William Kent Krueger
November 23, 7:00 pm on Zoom
Discussion Leader: Marilyn Sides

 “1932, Minnesota—the Lincoln School is a pitiless place where hundreds of Native American children, forcibly separated from their parents, are sent to be educated. It is also home to an orphan named Odie O’Banion, a lively boy whose exploits earn him the superintendent’s wrath. Forced to flee, he and his brother Albert, their best friend Mose, and a brokenhearted little girl named Emmy steal away in a canoe, heading for the mighty Mississippi and a place to call their own.”

“Over the course of one unforgettable summer, these four orphans will journey into the unknown and cross paths with others who are adrift, from struggling farmers and traveling faith healers to displaced families and lost souls of all kinds. With the feel of a modern classic, This Tender Land is an enthralling, big-hearted epic that shows how the magnificent American landscape connects us all, haunts our dreams, and makes us whole.”   

         The Zoom link will be sent on November 22. A copy of the book will be available in the FLC library.

Questions to Clint Bastin (Book Club Coordinator) or Roger Steinke. Copies of the books are available on table outside the library.  

On the table outside the library are new children’s books on ethnicity and diversity: Whoever You Are, We’re Better Together,  Maybe I Can Love My Neighbor, The Other Side, and Who Is My Neighbor.  

The library also subscribes to magazines, which are on display on the tall shelf to the right when you walk into the library. Yes, they can be checked out. Two recent articles of interest:
  • Living Lutheran October 2021 page 16. I’m Lutheran about Carl Florea, the mayor of Leavenworth, manager of Cornerstone Community and a member of Faith Lutheran Church, Leavenworth, Washington. 
  • The Christian Century October 6, 2021, page 22.  Gods of Tech: Did Steve Jobs create more problems than he solved? by Trevor Sutton, about Steve Jobs who died l0 years ago (founder of Apple).
Check it Out!
The above link will be updated with August's financial information after the Finance Committee is able to review the financial statements during those months.
These are anxious and trying times for all of us. Physical distancing has changed how First Lutheran provides mission and ministry. We are all eager to have worship and all ministries return to normal.
 
What has not changed are the expenses for mission and ministry. Thank you to all who have continued their faithful giving.
 
Listed below are ways for you to share with First Lutheran.
  • Mail in your checks. We are still doing weekly deposits.
  • Set up electronic giving by using the Give Online button at flc.bothell.org, or calling Vanco services at 800-675-7430. Note: there is a one time fee to FLC for the set up of bank to bank transactions. There are approximately 3% transaction fees on all credit card donations, making credit card and debit card giving more effective if combined into a monthly transaction, rather than smaller amounts, weekly.
  • Set up one time or auto payments through your bank’s pay service

Thank you for your faithfulness. 
 
The Finance Committee
Bob Berg, Chair 
Social Ministry Update
Thank you!
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE COMPASS HOUSING TOP FIVE MOST NEEDED ITEMS DRIVE!  During the month of October, First Lutheran Church Bothell collected needed items for the Compass Housing Hygiene Center in Pioneer Square and to different area shelters. Again, THANK YOU for your help and support!
Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pies for Compass Housing Alliance
First Lutheran Church will be collecting donations to help with purchasing pumpkin pies and cans of whipped cream for the more than 400 women and men who reside at a number of Compass Housing shelters and homes. The Social Ministries Committee is will purchase 50 pumpkin pies and cans of whipped cream at Costco (required by health & safety laws) to help the residents with their Thanksgiving celebrations. Please write donation checks to First Lutheran Church and write “Thanksgiving Pies” on the memo line and envelope. Please contact Kathy Konieczka or Roger Steinke for more information.
November Community Food Drive
First Lutheran is partnering with the Northshore Nourishing Network with a Community Food Drive. Non-perishable food items can be brought to the Church anytime during the month of November. Please support the Food Drive and give what you CAN! For more information, including a list of Suggested Food Bank Donations, please contact Roger Steinke. To learn more about the Northshore Nourishing Network click here.
The Social Ministries Committee is asking the congregation and council to enter a period of discernment regarding becoming a Faith Partner with the Washington Poor Peoples Campaign.  (Please note that the ELCA World Hunger and Bread for the World are already National Mobilizing Partners with the Poor Peoples Campaign.)

For more information about the Washington Poor Peoples Campaign click here, visit poorpeoplescampaign.org an/or on Facebook.

We will be holding small group meetings live and on zoom to share and discuss how the Poor Peoples Campaign fits with our Mission Statements and Goals. The January 9, 2022 Journey class will focus on The Poor Peoples Campaign.

All are welcome to attend Social Ministries Committee meetings on the first Tuesday of each month. Contact Ray Thomas at rayt2015@gmail.com or Roger Steinke at rsteinke@flcbothell.org with questions.
Monthly Outreach

CHANGE FOR CHANGE All money received in the Change for Change jar will be used to support HOPELINK food bank.

HOPELINK helps homeless and low-income families, children, seniors and people with disabilities gain stability, while providing others with the tools and skills they need to exit poverty for good. Hopelink is not accepting food or other goods at this time. Click here for donation information.

January Monthly Outreach: Compass Housing Alliance
February Monthly Outreach: Hopelink
March Monthly Outreach: Lutheran Community Services
April Monthly Outreach: Earth Ministries
May Monthly Outreach: ELCA World Hunger
June Monthly Outreach: Lutheran World Relief
July Monthly Outreach: Open Door Ministries Seattle Chapter
August Monthly Outreach: Global Citizen Journey
September Monthly Outreach: Lutherwood Camp & Retreat Center
October Monthly Outreach: TBA
November Monthly Outreach: Faith Action Network
December Monthly Outreach:
Scrip and Other Passive Fundraising for First Lutheran Church!

This is an excellent time to set up Shop with Scrip and Presto Pay for instant Scrip purchases and redemption on your smart phone. This is a super easy way to continue to support FLC's Scrip program. (See below for more information.)

Additionally, while worship is being celebrated virtually, you may mail a check to FLC Scrip, attention Gordy Phelps, with a note of what scrip cards you wish to purchase, and he will mail the cards back to you.

We have several other opportunities for earning money while you shop for FLC's many social ministry programs:

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.

If you have questions email Gordy Phelps.
A Publication of the NW Washington Synod
Connect With Our Partners
Lutherwood's Online Auction 2021
Saturday, November 13, 4 - 5:30 pm

Please support our ministry by attending or donating! Items we've loved in the past include: Airbnb rentals, quilts, theme baskets, gift cards, sports tickets. We appreciate your consideration and support. If you wish to make a donation, please call our office at 360-734-7652 or email office@camplutherwood.org to arrange pickup or drop off. Thank you for your support!
November 21, 2021, 4:00 pm
Lyric Arts Ensemble presents The Joy Returns - Celebrating the Season Early at First Lutheran Church in the sanctuary. This is a favorite start to Advent and Christmas; all are welcome to attend! Bring a friend or two!
First Lutheran Church | 425-486-2314 | 425-297-4898 |office@flcbothell.org |flcbothell.org