March 2025 Newsletter

Please join us for worship. Service will be both in person and live streamed. YouTube page: First Lutheran Church of Bothell.

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FLC Activity Calendar

FLC Worship on YouTube!

Christian Education!

A Message from Pastor Berg

How Can I Help?

Pastor, what are we to do?

This question has come up a lot recently as the rights of our LGBTQ+ friends, native born neighbors and those seeking asylum in our country have been eroded or outright taken away. As our neighbor's federal jobs are being taken away illegally, our own social ministry organizations (Global Refuge and Lutheran Community Services NW) are being shut down because of suspended funding, one has to wonder, what can we do?

Continue to Pastor's blog

LWR Personal Care Kits:

Put your faith into action!

Lutheran World Relief has a long history of sending Personal Care Kits to refugees in other countries. Some stay closer to home now, going to places like North Carolina after Hurricane Helene and Southern California after the recent devastating wildfires. When disaster strikes, the items in these kits, necessary for hygiene, are often left behind.

The women’s Circles in our congregation have been making these kits for years. A chance encounter with a stranger who donated $250 toward our project made us realize that others in our own congregation might like the opportunity to participate in this important ministry too. During the month of March, someone from Hannah Circle will be in the narthex each Sunday to accept cash only donations. Your donation is a way to offer comfort and express love to our neighbors in need, and let them know that they haven’t been forgotten.

Council Corner

The new FLC officers for 2025 are Joyce Thode, president, David Berg, vice president and Rob Baker, secretary. Here are the Council liaisons to each committee:

Building and Property - Christy Freriks

Christian Fellowship - David Berg

Fellowship - Jacky Schnarre

Finance and Budget - Emily Curcio

IT/Communications - Noah Berg and Rob Baker

Membership - Ho Brown

Personnel - Joyce Thode

Preschool Board - Kristi Pyne

Social Ministries - Paul Flatness

Stewardship - Kendahl Adjorlolo

Worship and Music - Dave Shogren

Youth - Sandy Flying Cloud

Thank you very much for your service!

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!

Fellowship Opportunities

Widows Support Group

March 10, 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

Women's Bible Study & Fellowship opportunities available:

Hannah Circle: March 15, 9:00 am.

Contact: Linda Siebert 206-369-7047

Rebecca Circle: March 19, 10:00 am.

Contact: Lucy Kay Osborne 425-823-9793 or dlktutti@comcast.net

FLC circles welcome all women of the congregation! Please contact the persons listed above for meeting locations.

Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study!

Saturday, March 15, 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

Reach Ministries

Opportunities for all Ages!

Youth

Elementary Retreat at Camp Lutherwood in Bellingham

Friday, March 14 – Saturday, March 15, 2025

3:30 PM Friday to 8:00 PM Saturday

Grades 2 - 6

This “Over Nighter” includes Bible Study, Campfire, Games, Music, Outdoor Experiences and much more! Youth from other church groups will help fill the camp! Be prepared for some ultimate camp fun! Cost is $30 per person (includes Friday dinner & lodging and Saturday meals). Please meet at the church at 3:30 PM on Friday. We will leave at 3:45 PM on Friday and return to the church on Saturday night by 8:00 PM. Roger Steinke and another adult (TBA) are attending as Adult Leaders. The deadline to sign up is Sunday, March 2. Please Sign Up on the Youth Board! Questions? Ask Roger. More information is coming soon!

Mission Trip to Shoshone Mountain Retreat/Idaho Servant Adventures

Friday, 7/18 – Friday, July 25

Middle School & High School

Registration Information coming soon!

FLC Vacation Bible School will be Monday, July 28 – Thursday, July 31, 2025.

Book Club

The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom

March 25, 7 pm

Discussion Leader: Nora Strothman

“Adrift in a raft after a deadly ship explosion, ten people struggle for survival at sea. Three days pass. Short on water, food and hope, they spot a man floating in the waves. They pull him in. “Thank the Lord we found you,” a passenger says. “I am the Lord,” the man whispers. So begins Mitch Albom’s most beguiling novel yet.”

Albom has written of heaven in the celebrated number one bestsellers "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" and "The First Phone Call from Heaven". Now, for the first time in his fiction, he ponders what we would do if, after crying out for divine help, God actually appeared before us? A fast-paced, compelling novel that makes you ponder your deepest beliefs, "The Stranger in the Lifeboat suggests that answers to our prayers may be found where we least expect them." (Summary by Goodreads)

Please contact Katie Pyne 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.

March 2025 Library News

Thank you to everyone who participated in FLC library’s 2025 annual "Show Us Your Favorite Photo" contest. We will celebrate our First Lutheran Church's 139th birthday on March 16th with a photo display of this year’s photo contest submissions. In a few months the contest winners will be chosen and framed.

The theme for the March book display table is: “Simplicity”. As the familiar Shaker hymn reminds us, "Tis a gift to be simple." This month you'll find a display outside the library featuring a variety of great books that teach us how to embrace simplicity in our everyday lives.

Check it out!

Click here for Financial Updates as of January 2025

The above link will be updated with the previous month's financial information after the Finance Committee is able to review the financial statements at their monthly meeting.

A special note from the Finance Committee Regarding Credit Card Giving

Effective February 1, we will no longer be accepting American Express cards as payment for donations and other charges. They have raised their processing fees, again from 3.65% to 3.99%. We will continue to accept Mastercard, Visa and Discover which only charges 2.65%. Thank you for your understanding.

Social Ministry Update

March Ministry of the Month

Click on image for more information about Lutheran Community Services.

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: Compass Housing Alliance

February Outreach: Hopelink

March Outreach: Lutheran Community Services

April Outreach: Poor People's Campaign

May Outreach: ELCA World Hunger

June Outreach: Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Services

July Outreach: Camp United We Stand

August Outreach: Lutheran Disaster Response

September Outreach: Lutheran World Relief

October Outreach: Faith Action Network

November Outreach: Northshore Senior Food Bank

December Outreach: Camp Lutherwood and Retreat Center

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

CREATION CARE

World Wildlife Day

March 3rd is recognized annually by the United Nations as World Wildlife Day. This day celebrates all the world's wildlife -animals and plants - and the contributions they make to our lives and to the health of our planet. The theme for 2025 is “Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet.”

Solar Appreciation Day

Solar Appreciation Day is celebrated annually on the second Friday in March to call attention to the benefits of solar power. So, on March 14th, and any other day of the year, consider the benefits of solar power, including reducing the impact on our environment.

National Renewable Energy Day

To complement Solar Appreciation Day, National Renewable Energy Day is recognized on March 21st of every year. This day focuses on the dangers associated with over-exploiting fossil fuels and recognizes the benefits associated with using natural and renewable energy sources.

Help “Create the Biggest Hour for Earth”

Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 22nd, to “Create the Biggest Hour for Earth.” That’s the theme for 2025’s Earth Hour. Participate in this ‘biggest hour” and help reduce the critical state of our planet by turning your lights off for just 1 hour, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., local time.

From Our Partners

First Lutheran Church has purchased the Northwest Washington Synod's LiVE bundle for 2024-25, 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!

Click the button below for all the upcoming LiVE Project offerings and related information!

The LiVE Project Information