Welcome to First Lutheran Church! A place where you can experience a grace-filled community who serves our servant leader, Jesus Christ.
At First Lutheran Church, you are important to us. We follow the lead of Jesus by welcoming all people and serving our neighbors across the world. No matter where you are, or have been, in your faith journey you are welcome here to experience new growth and new life in your faith life. Although our faith in Jesus may falter, Jesus’ faith in us never fails. That is his promise to us – that no matter what is going on in our lives Jesus will forever stand by our side. In good times and bad Jesus’ faith in us never wavers – his love for us is eternal.
Come experience a community of faith that serves the poor, encourages the broken, and is lifted up to new life in Jesus on a daily basis. We invite you come to and worship with us!
A Letter From the Pastor
Summer Greetings for First Lutheran!
I am excited to be back with you after my initial parental leave! Thank you all so much for the prayer, support, shared celebration with Sarah, Paul and I as we have welcomed Mary Pearl into our lives and our home. It has been an exciting and wonderful (while challenging!) time adjusting to a new little baby and her needs. A new baby changes a lot but only strengthens the desire to worship together and hear the gospel and live into our God’s mission and vision for First.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN JULY
During the next three Sundays of July, my sermons will focus on the theme of God’s Call for each of us: How God calls us to live our lives in this world and recognize and use our gifts for the good of the kingdom and our neighbors. In little ways and big ways God is constantly inviting us into new ways of abundantly living our life together. Through our community at First we help each other hear those calls.
The next two Sundays focus on Jesus’ parables of planting, growing and weeding. Activities many of us have done in some capacity in these summer months. If you don’t have a yard or garden of your own, there are community gardens (including one at our partner church All Peoples) that offer an opportunity to get your hands dirty in the life from the earth! These texts also help us think about and discern our calls in this world.
On Saturday, July 22nd our Vacation Bible School will focus on Art in the Bible. On July 30th, I will be celebrating my 15th anniversary of ordination and the call to be a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
At the same time our worship will be gathered around the theme of call and vocation, our First Lutheran committees and teams in July are checking in on how they are called to lead and do their work, and what opportunities for leadership and volunteering they can identify moving forward.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN AUGUST
Our administrator Barb Reed, our Volunteer Coordinator Joy Dowd and I will be meeting in August to map out these opportunities to grow, serve, and share God’s gifts and our times and talents as part of this church. We also will be selecting what ministries, organizations, and charities First will be making donations to in the coming year. The Stewardship Team will help us celebrate the events and experiences we have had at First so far this year. We will also welcome new members to First and have a baptism for Teddy Kurschner on Sunday, August 27th.
WHAT TO EXPECT THIS FALL
On Sunday September 10th, we will have an all congregation gathering similar to our Rejoice Sunday last December, when we will listen to opportunities to follow God’s call, as we help each other find meaningful ways to grow, serve, and share in life at First in the coming year. Including an opportunity to work with a Synod-sponsored Mission Coach to lead a Music and Worship assessment, and a Listening Team with our neighborhood that will match our calls and resources with community needs.
I am so excited to be together with you all again and continue to live into the mission we are called into together! We are moving forward with Christ and we are inviting more people to join us!
Pastor Josh