Weekly News & Events
Lopez Island
Orcas Island
Lopez Island
Worship Services
November 1 – All Saints Sunday (Pastor Emma Gone – Pastor Erik Leading)
9:00am Lopez Worship Service
Sunday worship meets in person at 9:00 a.m. at Center Church, 312 Davis Bay Road.
Live Online worship via Zoom at 11:00 a.m. Connection directions sent via email or contact the church email. Consult the online Weekly Worship Bulletin.
This Week's Events
Announcements
Wednesday 9:30 a.m. Bible Study via Zoom, Becky Moore host. We welcome anyone to join us for Bible Study on ZOOM each Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. We take time to study the scriptures for the coming Sunday (with occasional special studies). Feel free to drop in any week when you have an hour!
Church Birthdays & Anniversaries
10/25 Dorothy Baker, 10/26 Richard Wright,
10/28 Nancy Searls,10/31 Mary Lynn Whitley
Please let us know if we can add you to our prayer, email or special day list.
Advent Potlucks: We are looking toward trying something different this Advent gathering for conversation and devotional discussion during the 4 Sundays of Advent (Nov. 29, Dec 6, Dec. 13, and Dec. 20). The general format would be gathering around 11:00 AM. Sing and light an advent candle, then eat and enjoy conversation until about 12:00 PM. Those who would like to stay for some deeper, are invited to remain for further discussion using the Advent devotion questions. Please contact Ruth Fathergill for more information or to offer to host one of these potlucks.
11/1 All Saints Sunday – Special Worship time @ 10:00am
--10:00am Combined All Saints Worship in Friday Harbor with Saint Davids & ZOOM Service.
--11:15am Shared Potluck after Worship – Bring a dish to share that honors the memory of a loved one or saint in your life who has passed. We invite you to share the recipe or memory (written) so that others can see all the “Saints in Our Lives” and how they continue to impact us this day!
This will be our zoom service time just for this week, so please set your clocks back (its daylight savings Sunday) and join us at 10:00am!
El Camino Families: We learned from Pr. Zulma at El Camino De Emaús that two congregants are in ICE detention, and their families are needing financial assistance. Contributions may be made to Lutheran Church in the San Juans, memo line: “El Camino Families”.
Caution: Someone is impersonating Pastor Emma’s and Pastor Abby’s (St. David’s Episcopal) email. Be careful when responding to emails from them, especially when asking for ‘help to purchase gifts for “staff.”‘ The tip-off (aside for asking for financial help) is the email address: frrev0591@gmail.com. There may be no salutation, just a “Good morning,.” so be sure to double check the return address before you respond. If in doubt, contact them directly by phone.
Pastor's Note
This coming Sunday we give thanks for the saints who have gone before us, for the saints still among us, and for the saints of God still to come. Saints in the Lutheran tradition include both ordinary people and the extraordinary. We give thanks for the examples of faithful living that the saints have given us as they navigated the stormy waters of life, and also for the faithful acts of service we are empowered by God’s Holy Spirit to do in our own seas. We give thanks, too, for the fullness of eternal life in which the saints of God who have gone before us now partake and which we have yet to fully enjoy.
Spending time with four generations this week sure is reminding me of all the beloveds I journey behind and share this sacred thread with. I will miss being with you this Sunday, but am grateful to Pastor Erik for his sharing of the good word. Blessings to each of you.
Coming Events
Our transition groups have been hard at work across our branches, sharing in meetings and making room in their summer travel and visitor schedules! With all the moving pieces your Transition Facilitator Erik Samuelson and I have discerned that a slower schedule for all will benefit LCSJI during this process. We agreed that we will both stay on through the end of the year (and beyond) if helpful in the transition process. This will give us ALL some breathing room as we keep figuring out our way forward. May we continue to hold one another gently and ask the spirit to keep guiding us as we work together for the future of the Lutheran Church in the San Juan Islands.
Please take a moment to read our new Reconciling in Christ Statement – updated 2026.
As a Reconciling in Christ Congregation, we are committed to racial equity and, just as Christ welcomed all people unconditionally, we welcome people of all races, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, ages, cultures, languages, abilities, and political views. We seek to be a diverse ELCA community rooted in God’s gracious love.
Faith Race & Action Group – November 11 @ 7:00pm. In November our Faith Race and Action Group will meet on zoom to discuss Trevor Noah’s book 'Born a Crime.’ Ruth will facilitate; all are welcome to join!
SEVEN SISTERS: RETURN OF THE MATRIARCHY
November 13 @ 2:00-4:00pm @ Brickworks in Friday Harbor.
The Seven Sisters Campaign is a National, multi-site public engagement and leadership initiative led by Se’Si’Le in partnership with tribal, environmental, and faith-based organizations. This gathering is one of a series of events designed to elevate the leadership of Seven Indigenous Women whose work addresses the intersecting crises of biodiversity loss, climate disruption, and environmental injustice.
Why Now? The campaign responds directly to an unprecedented ecological emergency by amplifying Indigenous women’s leadership - leaders whose approaches emphasize relational responsibility, ecosystem restoration, collective action, and long-term stewardship. By centering Indigenous ways of knowing, the campaign advances solutions grounded in accountability, resilience, and care for future generations.
More Information: https://se-si-le.org/campaigns/seven-sisters
All Congregational Meeting – November 15th Sunday 11/15 after worship to discuss how to distribute the Lopez portion of the endowment in our community.
Sacred Duty, Sacred Earth Follow Up Meeting Saturday, Nov 21 @ 2:00-5:00 pm. If you would like to continue the interfaith conversation started on Lopez Island with community members and the Madrona Institute, please join us for a continued conversation on how we can work collaboratively for a more resilient Lopez Island!
Harvest Celebration – November 22
Bring the work of you hands or produce from your garden to place on the altar as a celebration of the bounty of the land.
Adding an event/announcement: Please forward your written listing to Corky Searls by Thursday for inclusion in that Sunday’s bulletin. For additional events, please write to the parish administrator Jonna at sanjuanlutherans@gmail.com to get your meeting or event added to the all-church calendar. Be sure to include all relevant information (who, what, when, where, why, how). Unless otherwise specified, announcements will be listed for one week and events will be listed weekly until the event date.
- Weekly Reflections -
In addition to preaching a weekly sermon, Pastor Emma sends out short weekly reflections that cover scripture, current events, church news, and other items of interest. Past reflections are available at Sermons and Reflections.
Weekly update for PNW Synod of the ELCA is available here.
Prayers
Our Prayers – November
Healing: Rich Barker, Bill Lowe (friend of Samantha Bryner), Barbara S., Helena (granddaughter of Craig & Krispi), Dave Staehlin, Christine, Janet, Lilly, Michelle Jennings for healing & strength.
General/Support: George and family (brother of Lilly Handler), Ann Brewer (caring for parents), Jim (son-in-law of Joan & Gordon Eustis), Scott and Marie, Mary, Steven, Rachel (friend of Lilly Handler), Ryan, Andrew and Andrew’s son Tre’vion (healing).
Lopez Island Prayer Chain: We have now reconstituted our prayer chain. If you have a prayer request, please send it to Pastor Emma at pastoremmad@gmail.com and to Anne Hall at anneshall67@gmail.com and they will pass it on to the prayer chain. If you want to be on the prayer chain and haven’t yet contacted Anne Hall, please email her or call or text her at 360-298-0228.
Requests for Sunday Prayers can also be made via the Contact Form.
Also of Note
WRITING CHECKS: Checks to be deposited to the church’s bank account should be made payable to “Lutheran Church in the San Juans”. If you would like to designate your gift in any way, please note that in the memo line. Thank you! - From your Financial Secretary.
Email changes: Please contact Corky Searls to make changes to the email distribution list for these notes. Please also contact Jonna, the parish administrator so that address and email changes may be saved for the church directory.
Sunday Signup: Laura Evans has recreated the online sign-up sheet which covers multiple Sunday morning tasks. Here's the link:
Note: Mary Ann Cameron handles the worship assistant and readers schedule. Contact her at 425-361-9933 or maccameron@frontier.com
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