Church News

Easter Week Schedule:

          Maundy Thursday Service March 28th at 7pm

          Good Friday Service @ the United Methodist Church March 29th at 7pm

          Easter Sunday, March 31st:

                  Easter Breakfast at 9am

                  Easter Egg Hunt at 9:30am

                  Easter Worship Service with Holy Communion at 10am

Please sign up for the Easter Breakfast Potluck on the bulletin board! All donations to the breakfast will go to the Youth for their trip to the ELCA Gathering. The Youth will be handling the preparations for and hosting of the Easter Egg Hunt for the little ones.

Tanzania Presentation

Sunday, April 7

 

“Bega Kwa Bega”: Walking “Shoulder to Shoulder” with our Siblings in Christ in the Ulanga Kilombero Diocese (UKD) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania!


You are invited to attend a presentation after worship on Sunday, April 7, in First Lutheran’s fellowship hall, highlighting a companion synod visit made last year. The photo presentation will be about 45 minutes in duration.

  In October 2023, Bishop Meggan Manlove, Deacon Heidi Cryer, Dan Cryer, Carla Bergman, and Pastor Ethan Bergman journeyed to Tanzania to visit our companion synod friends in the Ulanga Kilombero Diocese (UKD).

  The visit included bringing greetings from the Northwest Intermountain Synod (NWIM). The journey incorporated visits to Tumaini Lutheran Seminary (TLS), Lugala Lutheran Hospital, and the headquarters of the UKD in Ifakara, Tanzania.

  The group also embraced fellowship with our good friends Pastor Moses, Pastor Eliud, and UKD General Secretary Philorian.

  The UKD consists of 27 parishes with sub-parishes served by about 40 pastors. New friendships were nurtured at seven parishes that were visited including the ordination of Pastor Frank Mauyo, headmaster at TLS.

  A return trip to the UKD is planned for July 5-22, 2024. This year’s group leader, Pastor Ethan Bergman, will be accompanied by Carla Bergman, Eric Merten from First Lutheran, and nine others from around the synod as we continue to strengthen our relationship with our brothers and sisters in the UKD.

Youth, College & Young Adult Bible Study will continue to meet on Wednesday evenings from 6pm to 8pm. Dinner will be served in the fellowship hall at 6pm with the confirmation students for dinner. There is a NEW sign-up sheet on the bulletin board for providing a simple crock-pot meal for the Wednesday night study groups. We will then move to the youth room to continue our Bible study, and will have games from 7:30 to 8pm.

 

Confirmation Classes will be on April 3rd, 10th and 17th at 6:30pm. These are the last three classes of the school year, so remember to bring in your homework! Students are welcome to join the Youth & Young Adult group for dinner at 6pm.

Youth Rummage Sale will take place on Friday and Saturday, April 12 and 13th, 9am to 1pm both days. Now is the perfect time to begin spring cleaning, and we can start by bringing in items for the Youth Rummage Sale! We are accepting items from April 2nd through the morning of April 12th. This event will be hosted by the Youth; all donations will go towards their ELCA Gathering trip in July.

Staff Appreciation Day: April 14

As a church community, there are so many spokes in the wheel that keep us moving.  We are so fortunate to have the staff we have.  They do so many things that none of us will ever see.  We will be celebrating them on April 14th after worship with treats. Please join us in recognizing their service to FLC and their Lord.

Memorial Service for Ken Hunter will be held on April 27th at 2pm. Refreshments will be provided.

LOVE TAKES ACTION: Compassion Sunday will be on April 28th this year. Every year we promote Compassion International, a nonprofit organization that partners children in need from around the world with sponsor families. Sponsor families give a monthly donation that provides extra income for the child’s needs, pray for their sponsor child and their family, and can also give and receive letters and pictures to keep in touch with them as they grow. As April 28th approaches, please consider if you would like to sponsor a child and how long of a commitment you can make.

May the Fourth Family Tea Party

We welcome all to an afternoon of fun, treats and tea on May 4th at 2pm here in the Fellowship Hall. Come as you are or dress as fabulously as possible—your choice! Tickets are available and will be sold for $10. All money and donations will go to the Youth and Young Adult group for their July trip to the ELCA Gathering in New Orleans, LA.

First Lutheran is hosting one of the One-day Synod gatherings on Saturday, May 18th from 9:30am to 4pm.  Bishop Manlove will be here.  Our guest speaker is Grace Pomroy of Luther Seminary speaking on “Funding Forward based on Ezra 3:10-13. Other sites (on different dates) are Spokane and Twin Falls.

          As a church we can have as many people attend as we want.  Other ELCA churches may send up to 10 people.  We have Synod Gatherings every other year: when we are not having a Synod Assembly.  We don’t vote on anything at Synod Gatherings.  It’s all about education and fellowship. Please sign up at the bulletin board; price to attend is $15 per person (for lunch). We will need helpers, coffee hosts and child care providers.