Dear Congregation, 

The Personnel Committee received Richard Edmonds' resignation on May 23, 2023. We are sad to see him leave this role at FLC, but we wish him the best in this next chapter of his life. Richard has added such rich and meaningful music to our congregation, and he will be missed. We have been blessed to have his God-given talents a part of our worship services for so many years. 

Currently, we are not hiring a new Ensemble Director. The Personnel Committee will be reviewing the Ensemble Director's position in concert with Pastor Berg, Lucy Kay Osborne, and the Church Council. All music at FLC will continue to be overseen by Lucy Kay and any music-related questions should be directed at her. 

Please join us in celebrating the music ministry of Richard after our church service on Sunday, July 23rd. Richard's last Sunday as Ensemble Director at FLC will be on Sunday, July 30, 2023. 

God's Blessings, 

Holly Batstone

Chair, Personnel Committee

A Big Thank You!

The Building and Property Committee would like to acknowledge all the work Ann & Dan Bormann did in the month of May!

Here is just a few of the items they completed:

* Removed rust on bell tower patio with special product.

* Repainted the bell tower patio benches brown.

* Re-stained the teak bench.

* Fixed the front door area trim paint job that was left behind after the construction.

* Repainted the white stucco above and beside the door that appeared dirty or rusty.

* Touched up the yellow paint on the walls in fellowship hall, narthex, and preschool hallway.

There is more that was done, but we don’t have room to list them all.

How they find the Time & Energy to do all they do to keep our building looking good is amazing!

So, again we say,

THANK YOU Ann & Dan!

Fourth of July Rest Area!

July 4 - during the Downtown Bothell Parade

We will once again open the First Lutheran Church doors to parade visitors - sharing ice water and the use of our restrooms. Volunteers are welcome - please check in with Nora Strothman!

Members and friends of First Lutheran Church are welcome to park in the church parking lot for Bothell's 4th of July parade and celebrations!

Attention all committees! The FLC Finance Committee would like all 2024 budget requests before the Finance Committee meeting on September 12, to start the fall Stewardship Drive. Please send your requests to Kristin Smith, Bob Berg or Dan Bormann. Thank you for your help!

Council Corner for June 2023 Meeting

The Church Council would like to announce a new opportunity for an open dialogue, called “Coffee with Council.” On the first Sunday of every month, beginning on September 3rd, two members of the council will host a conversation in The Landing during our Fellowship Hour. There won’t be an agenda; it will, instead, just be a time of community for our church family. So, bring your coffee, questions, thoughts, and any ideas that you’d like to share and stop in for a few minutes or for the entire hour. 

Gary Curtis and Ho Brown will meet you in The Landing on September 3rd. See you then!

Yours in Christ because He lives,

Ho Brown

Council President

[email protected]

July Is Plastic Free Month 

Plastic Free July® is a global movement and is a registered charity based in Australia. It began in 2011 and grew into an international campaign. The focus is to encourage people to reduce plastic use and waste by eliminating single-use plastics, by recycling and by choosing other options besides plastic in our daily lives. Will you take the challenge and live a plastic-free life this month, next month and the month after that?

National Clean Beaches Week 

In 2007, Congress passed the National Clean Beaches Week Resolution by unanimous consent. The week is celebrated annually from July 1st through July 7th and is considered the “Earth Day” for our beaches. July 4th is the most popular day of the year in the U. S. for people to visit our beaches. This means it’s also the worst day for beaches and marine life because the beaches become littered with all the trash that’s left behind. So, when you’re heading home from the beach, only leave behind sand castles or your footprints in the sand; properly dispose of your trash or take it with you when you leave.  

King County 2023 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events – July & August

King County’s Wastemobile provides an easy, safe, and no-cost method for King County residents and small businesses to dispose of household hazardous waste such as oil-based paint, batteries, antifreeze, or pesticides. The location at the UW - Bothell campus doesn’t have an event scheduled for July, so if you’re looking for a location in July, the event scheduled at The Home Depot at 17777 NE 76th St, Redmond 98052 on July 14, 15, 16 might work for you.  

If you prefer the mobile service at the University of Washington - Bothell campus (18115 Campus Way NE), the August event will be held from Aug. 18th thru 20th; and Oct. 20th thru 22nd. Check out detailed instructions, acceptable items and allowable quantities for each, and the full schedule of dates and site locations for 2023 at the website below or call customer service at 206-296-4692 (Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

https://www.kingcountyhazwastewa.gov/en/news-articles/2023-wastemobile-schedule-and-announcement

A Celebration of 60 years!

Sunday July 9 five couples in our congregation will share their 60th anniversary celebrations with our FLC Bothell church family. Fellowship hour following the worship service will include mints, nuts, punch, and cookies, reminiscent of wedding receptions 60 years ago. 

And the library display will feature photos and programs from those five weddings in 1963.  

COME CELEBRATE WITH US!

Sandy and Allen Glenn, Donna and Dave Hillard, Noreen and Karl Kloster,

Carolyn and Jack Becker, Ann and Knut Aagaard 

Widows Support Group

August 14, 10 am

(formerly known as Friends Supporting Friends)

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! (Also available on Zoom)

Saturday, July 15 and August 19, 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!” A group of 17 men typically attend. Please join us for discussion and enrichment. Questions to Roger Steinke

July 6 – 9, 2023 Western States Youth Gathering (WSYG) at California Lutheran University.  A group of 12 youth and adults from First Lutheran Church Bothell are attending the multi-day gathering that gives high schoolers the opportunity to explore their faith. Our group will leave Seattle on Wednesday, July 6th and return on Wednesday, July 12th. After the WSYG our group will serve a meal to the homeless in Compton and contrast that experience with a visit to the Homes of the Stars in Beverly Hills. Our final day will be at Disneyland and California Adventure! Please contact Roger with any questions regarding the WSYG.

Register now for VBS!

Help is needed! Middle School, High School, College Students and Adults are needed for serving at Vacation Bible School. Please Sign Up on the VBS Helper Board in the Church Narthex. Contact Roger with questions.

Sunday, August 13 – Friday, August 18 

Camp Lutherhaven Summer Mission Trip.

Our group of youth and adults will serve Jesus this summer at Camp Lutherhaven in Coeur d’Alene  First Lutheran youth entering Grades 6 – 12 and recent High School Graduates are invited to attend.   

Activities include work projects at Camp Lutherhaven, Bible Study, campfires, hiking, a day at Silverwood Amusement Park and Boulder Beach Water Park, team building initiatives, climbing tower time and zip line rides. There’ll also be plenty of time for some “Water Fun in the Sun!” Situated on scenic Lake Coeur d’Alene, Lutherhaven offers many waterfront activities, including swimming, canoeing, water slides and time lounging on the beach!  

We will leave First Lutheran on Sunday, August 13th at 9:45 AM and return to Bothell on Friday, August 18th sometime between 5 - 6 PM. Space is limited, so please let Roger know if you can attend this Youth Trip by Sunday July 16th. Please contact Roger with any questions or for additional information.  

FLC Zoom Movie Review

July 30, 3:00 pm

Atlantics

 “Atlantics (French: Atlantique) is a 2019 internationally co-produced supernatural romantic drama film directed by Mati Diop, in her directorial debut. It was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. Diop made history when the film premiered at Cannes, becoming the first Black woman to direct a film featured in completion at the festival.”

“The film is centered around a young woman, Ada, and her partner, Souleiman, struggling in the face of employment, class, migration, crime, family struggles and ghosts. Working mostly with unknown actors, Diop focused in the film on issues such as the refugee crisis, remorse, loss, grief, class struggle, and taking responsibility (or not) of one’s actions.  The Atlantic Ocean is used in many ways throughout the film, including as a symbol and an engine for change, growth, life and death.” (Descriptions by Wikipedia) Click on the picture to view the trailer!

MOVIE REVIEW: Please watch the movie prior to our ZOOM Meeting Review. “Atlantics” is available to watch on Netflix. Our discussion will begin with a review of the main points of the movie. We will also explore the spiritual themes of this movie. Questions? Please contact Roger Steinke.

(Due to Summer Schedules, there will be NO August 2023 Movie Review Meeting.)

Book Club!

Discussion Book: Facing the Mountain by Daniel James Brown

July 25, 7:00 pm on Zoom

Discussion Leader: TBA

“From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Boys in the Boat, a gripping World War II saga of patriotism and courage: the special Japanese American Army unit that overcame brutal odds in Europe; their families, incarcerated back home; and a young man who refused to surrender his constitutional rights, even if it meant imprisonment.” 

“They came from across the continent and Hawaii. Their parents taught them to embrace both their Japanese heritage and the ways of their American homeland. They faced bigotry, yet they believed in their bright futures as American citizens. But within days of Pearl Harbor, the FBI was ransacking their houses and locking up their fathers. And within months many would themselves be living behind barbed wire.”

“Facing the Mountain is an unforgettable chronicle of war-time America and the battlefields of Europe. Based on Daniel James Brown's extensive interviews with the families of the protagonists as well as deep archival research, it portrays the kaleidoscopic journey of four Japanese American families and their sons, who volunteered for 442nd Regimental Combat Team and were deployed to France, Germany, and Italy, where they were asked to do the near impossible.” (Summary by GoodReads)

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

Discussion Book: Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

August 22, 7:00 pm on Zoom

Discussion Leader: TBA

“It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church.”

“Already an international bestseller, Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers.”  (Summary by GoodReads)

As you enjoy the summer months and new adventures, remember to take photos for our Share your Favorite 2023 Photocontest. We are creating a new youth category for next year( 2024). Watch for submission instructions coming soon! 

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: Earth Ministries

February Monthly Outreach: Hopelink

March Monthly Outreach: Lutheran Community Services

April Monthly Outreach: Poor Peoples Campaign

May Monthly Outreach: Earth Ministries

June Monthly Outreach: Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services

July Monrhly Outreach: Lutheran World Relief

FLC's Focus on Lutheran World Relief School Kits (July to September): sewing, collecting school supplies from LWR’s list and collecting funds for those who wish not to shop.

The display is up in the narthex with a list from LWR of what is needed. If you'd rather not shop, please call or email Lucy Kay.

We are in need of people to sew the bags. Cut bags and sewing instructions are located near the Caring Corner in the narthex on a small table.

Thank you to Sue Ebert for her many sewn bags, and to Donna Gilbery for her cutting skills! 

Thank you for your generosity and support! We appreciate your help.

Lucy Kay Osborne & Audrey Fisher

Summer Camp Registration is OPEN!

Click on the logos for more information!

First Lutheran members are eligible for a $150 Summer Camp Scholarship. Please contact Roger for information.