August Newsletter
What a summer! We aren’t quite done yet, but we are moving toward the end. This month, we will wrap up our Psalms: Songs for the Summer sermon series. The garden is producing squash and cucumbers galore (come lend a hand with the harvest on Saturdays). We enjoyed a fantastic outdoor worship service at Camp EPC—my first experience of the outdoor sanctuary—and it was glorious. Just one week later, we celebrated my installation service, where my friend Rev. Scott Castleman preached a sermon reminding us to keep the love of Jesus at the very center of our life together. The Holy Spirit wove his sermon together with Rev. Dr. Jeff Gephart’s charge to me, using the acronym VIDA (Vocación—vocation, Integridad—integrity, Descubrimiento—discovery, Amor—love). Thank you again to all of you. I am deeply grateful for your support and warm welcome over these past seven months.
In June and July, our Psalms: Songs for the Summer series invited us to explore the full breadth of human emotion in worship—from the joy and trust of Psalms of Orientation to the raw honesty of Psalms of Disorientation. We began with songs that celebrate God’s goodness and creation, then entered the valleys of lament, complaint, and even protest, learning how to bring our deepest pains and fiercest hopes before God. There is a Psalm for every part of life’s journey. Along the way, we reflected on sharing our stories as an act of faith, joined together in midweek prayer, and took time to walk with Jesus both in green pastures and in dark valleys. These months have reminded us that God welcomes our whole selves—praise, questions, grief, and hope—as part of our worship.
As we move into fall, we will continue the theme of worship with a new sermon series for September focused on Whole Life Worship. We will listen to the prophet Amos and Jesus in dialogue as they call us into worship—not just with prayers, songs, and Bible reading, but with the fullness of who we are and how we live.
Here are a few other things to look forward to:
Fall Harvest Festival – A wonderful opportunity to celebrate the bounty of God’s goodness together and to meet some preschool families. More details to come!
School Year Begins – September 3 is the first day of school and preschool. I will send out more details, but let’s welcome families back with coffee and pastries that first week.
UW Prayer Walks – I have greatly enjoyed walking the UW Bothell campus and praying throughout the summer. Join me on Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m. in September. Meet at the Terrace Dining Pavilion.
May God bless you with rest and peace as you enjoy the close of August.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Patrick
Upcoming Scriptures
August 17th: Psalm 8
August 24th: Genesis 1:29-31a
August 31st: Psalm 150
September 7th: Amos 7:12-15 and John 4:27-42
Planning Center Giving — Coming Soon!
Emmanuel Presbyterian Church changing our online giving platform. We are excited to be switching over to Planning Center Giving, which has a number of benefits.
The three most important benefits are:
Ease of use
Reduced processing fees
Great security!
We are excited about the upcoming change, which will enable us to grow our stewardship of the resources God has given us. Stay tuned as we target an early September launch date.
Closer to the launch date, we will provide a detailed transition guide that tells you how to give online and set up your recurring offerings. Plus we will provide live assistance after worship if you need a little extra help.
We are grateful for your generosity and look forward to continuing to grow our stewardship together. "The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters." Psalm 24:1-2.
Mission and Service
Fall Work Party
This year's fall work party will take place Saturday, September 27th. Stay tuned for more details in the September newsletter.
Aid and Assistance
Aid and Assistance is unpredictable in the receipt of requests for help. June saw a stampede; July a trickle (to mix metaphors!); August is quiet in the heat. Our team is always ready behind the scenes. We are blessed to be a blessing to someone.
For June:
6-11-25
$200. Cash, $200. Food card for man living in his car trying to recover from stroke. He is moving into housing in June.
6-12-25
$345.03 payment of utility bill for a Mother behind, as her daughter is recovering from a brain injury. Unexpected medical bills.......
6-15-25
$100. Cash, $100. Food card for Mother and Daughter fleeing from domestic violence.
6-18-25
$200. Food card for man and wife living in their car with her 2 service dogs.
For July:
7-25-25
$200 for payment on a car note for Mother and Son newly into housing (too many bills at one time).
Nothing, yet, for August.
Supporting Camp United We Stand
Camp United We Stand has relocated to St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Shoreline, where they will stay for the next three months.
Address:
St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church
722 N. 145th St.
Shoreline, WA 98133
Camp Phone: 425-616-8853
On my last visit, residents shared that frozen burritos have been especially appreciated, as they offer fresh, simple meals on their own schedule. Ongoing donations of clothing, towels, and bedding are also very welcome.
Makah Days
August 21-24 annual homecoming and cultural celebration of the Makah Tribe in Neah Bay. They want us to come! Accommodation available, contact Deb Melse (425-478-7553) for details.
News and Upcoming Events
Women's Fellowship
Women's Fellowship meets the first Saturday of the month from 9 am – 10:30 am in the Narthex. Our next one is scheduled for Saturday September 6th.
Bring your travel mug for coffee!
—Linda Avery
Men's Fellowship
Men’s Breakfast Summer Break: There will be no Men’s Breakfast in June, July, or August. The breakfast will return in September!
Fantastic News from Campbell Farm
Four of Campbell Farm's 6th grade STEM students recently won first place in both the regional and national NASA Artemis 2 Challenge. Because of their outstanding teamwork, creativity, and dedication, they’ve been invited to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a week-long adventure of a lifetime. Congratulations to the Space Warriors and their Campbell Farm mentors for this well-deserved success.
Video from Campbell Farm
We also received this great video Dionna at Campbell Farm:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CafBwaC9rz4
Maywood Hills Construction Update
Here's an update that was sent out for the month of August by the construction team about the progress at Maywood Hills Elementary next door to our church:
What's Happening on the Maywood Hills Project:
July was a highly productive month, with major milestones reached. Inside, crews finished installing all exterior and interior doors, restroom and kitchen tile, interior glass, and kitchen countertops. We also completed the final flooring on both levels, the Level 1 ceiling tile, and all casework and FRP installation. Outside, we finished installing the West retention vault and drainage structure run, and setting up the new generator. We also completed a new rock wall, covered play structure, and trash enclosure. The site is taking shape with work on asphalt paving and placing sidewalk concrete. Progress on the playground area was significant, with the installation of its asphalt, playground tiles, playground equipment, and a horseshoe-style seat bench.
Coming Up Next:
We're in the final stretch and focused on securing the Certificate of Occupancy and Health Dept. permit to open the new building and kitchen. Inside, teams are completing the last of the flooring, Level 2 ceiling tile, door hardware, blinds, and finish paint, classroom fan coil units, along with final adjustments to the kitchen equipment. Outside, the final steps will be installing light pole bases and the irrigation system, followed by finish asphalt, soils, and plantings. We can't wait to share these new spaces with our students, staff, and community very soon!
July Newsletter
Songs for the Summer: Soaring on heights and walking in valleys
July 2025 Newsletter Article
by Rev. Patrick Vaughn
We’re now about halfway through our summer sermon series, Psalms: Songs for the Summer. So far, we’ve explored Psalms of Orientation, which express joy, order, and trust in God's goodness and creation (Psalm 1 and Psalm 33). These Psalms tell us of fundamental truths about who God is and who we are. They are like some of your favorite songs. You love to sing along with them because they make your spirit soar and your heart sing.
But sometimes in life you aren’t flying, sometimes you're deep in a dark valley.
We’ve now entered the middle portion of our series: the Psalms of Disorientation. These are Psalms of lament, complaint, and even protest —raw, difficult prayers that express the full depth of human pain. Last week, we began this journey with Psalm 13, a personal lament that asks, “How long, O Lord?” It’s a prayer for those who feel like God has forgotten them or when God seems silent. When we feel isolated and alone with sorrow that overwhelms. The darkness lingers longer than we can bear. Yet, in the same breath, the psalmist clings to God's hesed—God’s unfailing, covenantal love. Rolf Jacobson writes that in Psalm 13 “accusing God is the Psalmist’s way of refusing to despair.” It is an expression of defiant hope.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll go deeper into this honest territory, including confronting the imprecatory Psalms—the ones that include calls for vengeance and judgment. On August 3rd we will look at Psalm 94. This genre of Psalms can feel jarring, even out of place in Christian worship. In fact, many liturgical traditions, including the Second Vatican Council and certain Anglican prayer books, have omitted them altogether.
So why keep them? Why pray them?
As theologian Nicoletta Gatti writes, “The Psalms give power to the victims because they give them a voice.” These Psalms are not permission to take revenge—they’re prayers that place pain, rage, and injustice in God’s hands. Walter Brueggemann writes, “Israel hopes; Yahweh avenges as he chooses.” In other words, these difficult Psalms invite us to bring even our fiercest emotions to God, trusting that God alone is just, and that those who suffer injustice are not alone.
Psalms of lament and imprecatory Psalms teach us how to lament, protest, and grieve faithfully. They remind us that we are all caught in webs of brokenness, and that our prayers must include cries for help, deliverance and justice, as well as, peace. These prayers are offered in relationship. They are acts of trust in God who loves us with steadfast, enduring, suffering hesed love. They open the door to healing and, eventually, to New Orientation—a renewed song of praise and hope on the other side of sorrow. That’s where the Psalms are ultimately leading us and where we will end this journey.
Let me encourage you to take time this summer not only to praise God and enjoy God’s good creation but take time to walk the dark valley with Jesus. Go for a walk. Sit with a Psalm. Pray honestly. And don’t walk alone—join in midweek prayer (Tuesdays 12:30 pm or Thursdays 6:30 am), or reach out to pray with friends.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Patrick
Upcoming Scriptures
July 20th: Psalm 80
July 27th: Psalm 40
August 3rd: Psalm 94
August 10th: Psalm 146
Outdoor Worship July 27th
Please join us on Sunday, July 27 for worship in our outdoor sanctuary followed by our annual picnic/barbeque!
Hamburgers, hotdogs, and lemonade will be provided.
Please bring a side dish or dessert to share.
A few notes/reminders:
Children are welcome in the outdoor sanctuary (no Sunday School that day). The “cry room” will be open if needed.
The benches in the outdoor sanctuary can be kind of hard – you might want to bring a pad or picnic blanket to sit on
Consider dressing in layers – it is shady and cooler under the trees.
As a reminder, there will be no Zoom church on July 27
We’ll be setting up the canopies at 10 am on Saturday, July 26 – we could use your help if available!
Pastor Patrick's Installation Service
Pastor Patrick's Installation Service will be at 3pm on 8/3. This is a worship service to celebrate with members of the Presbytery the new chapter in Emmanuel's story and God's enduring faithfulness. Reception to follow.
News and Events Website Page
There is a News and Events page on our website (link). Stay up to date on what's going on in our church community by checking that page regularly!
Mission and Service
Neah Bay Work Party
As you read this, a group is out in Neah Bay swinging hammers, caulking, wielding paint brushes, installing a sump pump, etc. Please keep the workers and the Neah Bay congregation in your prayers!
P.S. It’s not too late to donate (designate for Neah Bay).
Supporting Camp United We Stand
Camp United We Stand provides a safe and stable community for up to 35 individuals experiencing homelessness. Currently located at 6620 NE 185th Street in Kenmore, the camp welcomes ongoing support from the wider community.
Thanks to a recent generous gift card donation, we were able to provide fresh butter, cream, coffee, and brand-new towels, washcloths, dish towels, and reusable plastic dishware.
There is a continued need for high-protein items (meat, protein bars, and frozen burritos are especially enjoyed) as well as good-quality shoes—particularly larger men's sizes. As always, the camp has refrigeration and can accept fresh or frozen prepared foods. Disposable wipes remain helpful during the warm months, as the camp has only one shower.
Thank you for your continued support—the donation bin is never empty! Items may be brought to the church or delivered directly to the camp.
To learn more, visit: https://campunitedwestand-tentcity.org
Together, let’s continue to live out our faith through compassion and community care.
News and Upcoming Events
Women's Fellowship
Women's Fellowship meets the first Saturday of the month from 9 am – 10:30 am in the Narthex. Our next one is scheduled for Saturday August 2nd.
Bring your travel mug for coffee and your favorite recipe printed out to share with the group.
—Linda Avery
Men's Fellowship
Men’s Breakfast Summer Break: There will be no Men’s Breakfast in June, July, or August. The breakfast will return in September!
Preschool News
The Preschool Summer Program is buzzing with summer energy. The teachers have provided many science, art projects, and hot weather cooking projects for the kids to explore. We are getting to know several new families who have joined our preschool and we are enjoying the energy that comes with the warm weather and long days of sunlight. The kids love the changes that have been made to the playground. Thank you to Marcia Johnson for the generous donation of new sand for our new sandbox area and for the hard work of our preschool teachers and their family members who gave their time and energy to relocate the sand area and complete the project. We still have a few spaces available in our preschool program that begins in September. If you know of anyone who is looking for a fantastic preschool program for kids ages 2-1/2 – 5 years old, please pass along my contact information and I will be happy to talk with them about our program and schedule a tour. If you would like to get involved with this fantastic mission project, please contact me and we can discuss ways you can be part of the fun.
Email: directoratbcp@gmail.com. 425-381-7802
Play-based Learning | Bothell Community Preschool | Bothell
Maywood Hills Construction Update
Here's an update that was sent out for the month of July by the construction team about the progress at Maywood Hills Elementary next door to our church:
What's Happening on the Maywood Hills Project: Through June, crews started installation of finishes in the new building like light fixtures, flooring, and cabinets. Electrical and mechanical system work continued, preparing the support rooms to service the building in operation. Around the site, the workzone was modified to include the whole campus. Civil work continued with drainage line installation and new playground equipment foundations. Movers emptied the portables and some other rooms for summer removal and modernization improvements.
Coming Up Next: In the upcoming month, we'll begin modernization work on existing buildings, including exterior painting, fire alarm system upgrades, and heater replacements. Site work will also continue, focusing on the second water detention vault, parking lot reconfiguration, and the City's required frontage improvements. In the new Commons building, most of the work will be substantially complete as we anticipate the City's final inspection to obtain the Certificate of Occupancy.
June Newsletter
Current & Upcoming Sermon Series
Earth, Wind, and Fire: Life in the Spirit
Scripture gives us beautiful, powerful images of the Holy Spirit—wind and fire. These remind us that the Spirit empowers us to live in the world filled with the love of Christ.
Psalms: Songs for the Summer
When we think of singing, we often associate it with emotions and events that are happy, joyous, and good. But music and songs encompass the full spectrum of human emotion and experience. There are songs of victory and overcoming, but also songs of defeat and suffering. There are songs about joy and sadness; peace and conflict; loving-kindness and anger; abundance and longing. I think of one of my favorite bands, U2, and how I could find a song that corresponds to each of these. Music is diverse in its expressions, genres, and purposes—and the same is true of the book of Psalms. It was the prayer book and songbook of the Israelites, Jesus and the early church.
Songs for the Summer invites us into the breadth and depth of the Psalms, the human experience, and God’s steadfast love that endures through it all. “God is.” This is the foundation of the Psalms. Just as Genesis begins with “In the beginning, God,” the Psalms begin with the fundamental reality of God’s presence—and not only God's existence, but God's invitation to engage with us in a wide range of human experiences. God invites our praise and lament; our joy and tears; our confident declarations and our fears; our love and even our accusations; our faith and our doubt. In the Psalms, God welcomes all that we feel, think, and experience in life. God welcomes us—our whole selves.
In this sermon series, we will explore specific Psalms, sometimes lingering in a theme that connects several Psalms over a few Sundays. While we could spend nearly three years walking through each Psalm individually, we will instead focus on a few key themes that help us appreciate the wide range of what the Psalms offer us in our relationship with God.
Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann classifies the Psalms into three broad categories:
• Psalms of Orientation, which speak of the character of God as Creator and Sustainer, and evoke our delight and joy in response to God’s goodness.
• Psalms of Disorientation, which include lament and complaint, and speak to the pain, brokenness, and evil that plague human life.
• Psalms of New Orientation, which “speak boldly about a new gift from God, a fresh intrusion that makes all things new. These psalms affirm a sovereign God who puts humankind in a new situation.”
These three categories will roughly guide our exploration as we consider themes like God’s
goodness, lament, complaint, longing, justice, the wonder of creation, gratitude, and praise.
Go Deeper
The Psalms were made for everyday life. They give us space and words to recognize the God who is with us in every situation. We can bring all of who we are to God. We don’t have to hide or hold back.
During our Psalms: Songs for the Summer series, we’ll gather to pray through the Psalm for the upcoming Sunday. We’ll spend 30 minutes praying together via Zoom. Join us for the whole time or for as long as you're able. Use it as a moment to prepare for your day or to take a breather in the middle of it. Join us Tuesdays at 12:30 pm beginning July 1, or Thursdays at 6:30 am beginning July 3.
Another way to engage with the Psalms—maybe even as a fun challenge with a friend or your family—is to memorize Psalm 1. I’m planning to do this myself and invite others to join me.
Psalm 1 says that those who meditate on God’s Word are “like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in season, and whose leaves do not wither.” Drink deeply from the well of God’s Word and presence through this spiritual discipline. Don’t just memorize—meditate on the words. Let Psalm 1 guide your path and hydrate your soul.
☀️ As We Head into Summer...
Share a meal and share your story.
Share a walk and share your story.
Share a drink and share your story.
God is at work. He is not here—He is risen. And you are filled with the Spirit.
💬Why Sharing Our Stories Matters
Sharing our stories is one of the greatest gifts we can give to each other. When we tell how God is at work in our lives, we learn to notice and pay attention to the risen Jesus and His presence. Listening to God involves listening to one another.
On the Faith+Lead website, which has grown out of the book Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future, they talk about the importance of listening to each other's stories. These words stood out:
“Listening helps us remember how real God is to us and how much impact God has had on our lives.”
— www.faithlead.org
Listening to one another is a way to help us notice God at work. It’s a simple way of encouraging one another to walk with Jesus. Even if you don’t want to speak publicly, you can still share your story with someone close to you—a friend, a grandchild, a spouse, a neighbor.
With hope,
Pastor Patrick
Upcoming Scriptures
June 15th: 1 Corinthians 12:1-13 and Acts 11:19-30
June 22nd: Acts 16:6-15
June 29th: Psalm 1
July 6th: Psalm 33
Mission and Service
Aid and Assistance Update
Aid and Assistance continues its Mission to be the hands and feet of Jesus each month. We receive 1 or 2 requests a month for aid in this difficult economy and society. We have increasingly received requests from the working poor, whose money is not stretching far enough:
January: 4 calls for food cards and car repair references.. We included a reference to a Church car repair Mission. $400.
February: request from woman in Issaquah in between jobs; we paid her motel charges and food card necessities. $345.22
March: food card for a woman living in her car with her 11 year old son, seeking employment. $100.
April: food card for a former handyman at EPC. $40.
May: eviction aid to a disabled Mother and Daughter to forestall the eviction; The Mother is employed. $500.
In Christ's Light, Carrell
Neah Bay Work Party
Wednesday, July 17 – Monday, July 21
Our friends at Neah Bay Presbyterian Church need our help! Their buildings are aging and in need of repairs and maintenance. All skill levels are welcome—including those who can help with meals for the work crew.
Neah Bay is about a 4.5-hour drive from Bothell, so this is not a day trip. Lodging is available in the manse next to the church, which has four bedrooms and two shared bathrooms. You’re also welcome to bring a sleeping bag and stay in the church, or book your own accommodations.
If you’re interested in joining, please contact Deb Melse at 425-478-7553 or debmelse@yahoo.com. Let her know the dates you plan to attend (even if it's only part of the time), so we can coordinate carpools and meals.
An orientation meeting will be scheduled as plans come together—watch your email for details.
Donations to help offset costs are also greatly appreciated!
Mission opportunity: Community Supported Summer Meals
The Northshore Schools Foundation is accepting donations to support the Summer Meals program for Northshore School District students and families in need of food assistance during the summer of 2025. The Foundation will provide weekly food boxes, and donations will go toward purchasing food in bulk. One box, which feeds a family of four for a week, is $50. You can donate via the Foundation's website. Donations will be accepted until August 31, 2025.
https://www.northshoreschoolsfoundation.org/summer-meals-2025/
Supporting Camp United We Stand
Camp United We Stand offers a safe, stable community for up to 35 individuals experiencing homelessness. Now located in Kenmore (6620 NE 185th Street), the camp welcomes support from the broader community.
A list of needed items is posted in the church narthex. With access to refrigeration, the camp can now accept fresh or frozen meals prepared in advance. As summer arrives, donations of disposable wipes are especially helpful—there is only one shower on-site, and it's frequently in use.
Donations can be brought to the church or delivered directly to the camp.
To learn more, visit: campunitedwestand-tentcity.org
Let us continue walking in love with our neighbors, offering care and connection through thoughtful service.
Helping Earl Sande
A HUGE thank you to everyone who showed up to help get Earl's yard cleaned up on June 10th. The Sande family is beyond grateful for our help.
The front yard looks great but there is still some work in the backyard that needs to be done. Rob and Kelly, Earl's son and daughter-in-law, will be there on the 19th and asked if we could come and work our magic again. Lunch will be provided.
Thursday, June 19th, 10 am - 2 pm
Address: 18909 89th Ave NE Bothell, WA 98011
If it works better for you to come after work to help, the Sande family is open to that as well, just let Deb Melse (425-478-7553) know what time you plan to arrive!
News and Upcoming Events
Call for Volunteers: Building Use
We’re building a team of volunteers to help with building access during events. If you’re willing to be on a call list, we’ll reach out as events are scheduled to see if you’re available to:
Open the building
Stay on-site during the event
Lock up afterward
You don’t need to be available every time—just when it works for you! If you're interested in helping out in this important way, please contact info@epcbothell.org.
Women's Fellowship
Women's Fellowship meets the first Saturday of the month from 9 am – 10:30 am in the Narthex. Our next one is scheduled for Saturday July 5th.
"BYO Coffee" in any shape of travel mug!
Come with joys or concerns to share during our prayer time. Our meetings have no formal presentation or discussion leader. We are just enjoying our friendship-building time together.
—Linda Avery
Men's Fellowship
Men’s Breakfast Summer Break: There will be no Men’s Breakfast in June, July, or August. The breakfast will return in September!
Preschool News
The Preschool has hosted three graduation celebrations this week and we would like to extend a great big “Thank You” to everyone who has made this school year a great success. Thank you to all of the volunteers who have helped with our parent events and enrollment events during this school year. Your help and support is greatly appreciated. Thank you to the members of the Preschool Board, Deb Melse, Mary Anne Gibbons, Susan Sprague, Kelly Langford and Pastor Patrick Vaughn, who give their time and energy to support Preschool Teachers and families. If you are interested in being part of this great mission project of providing exceptional early childhood education to kids and families in our community, we are looking for a member of the congregation to join our preschool board. We do still have a few spaces in our Summer Preschool Program that meets in July and a few spaces in our classes for fall that begin in September. If you know of someone looking for a preschool experience, please pass along our contact information. Thanks again for a great year and all of your support. Email: directoratbcp@gmail.com.
Play-based Learning | Bothell Community Preschool | Bothell
Maywood Hills Construction Update
Here's an update that was sent out for the month of June by the construction team about the progress at Maywood Hills Elementary next door to our church:
What's Happening on the Maywood Hills Project:
Through May, metal panels sided the final layer of the exterior. The building looks a lot more like the rendering (on page 5) now! Crews have painted the classrooms on the first floor and spaces on the
second floor. Electrical and plumbing crews prepared the new kitchen, bathrooms, and mechanical/electrical spaces to serve the building. The elevator work is completed, as well as the roof screen and parapet top coping.
Coming Up Next:
In the upcoming month, we will wish the school community a happy summer and establish the workzone over the whole campus. Modernization work on existing buildings like exterior paint and heater replacement will take place through the summer. In late June and July, most of the portables will be sold or demolished. Civil work for the second water detention vault, parking lot reconfiguration, and right-of-way improvements will take place once the school year ends.
Financials Update
May Newsletter
✝️ He is Not Here—He is Risen!
He is risen! He is risen indeed! This Easter season, we’ve been exploring what it means to live in the light of the resurrection. I’ve loved hearing stories from our congregation about how God is alive and at work in our lives today.
The angel told the women at the tomb: "He is not here—He is risen!" Jesus is not physically here, but His Holy Spirit is. The risen Christ is alive, present, and working in our world.
In the coming weeks, we’ll hear stories from Carrell Tysver and Quinn Vaughn. If you have a resurrection story you’d like to share with the congregation, email me at 📧 patrickv@epcbothell.org.
💬 Why Sharing Our Stories Matters
Sharing our stories is one of the greatest gifts we can give to each other. When we tell how God is at work in our lives, we learn to notice and pay attention to the risen Jesus and His presence. Listening to God involves listening to one another.
On the Faith+Lead website, which has grown out of the book Faithful Innovation: Following God into a Hopeful Future, they talk about the importance of listening to each other's stories. These words stood out:
“Listening helps us remember how real God is to us and how much impact God has had on our lives.”
Listening to one another is a way to help us notice God at work. It’s a simple way of encouraging one another to walk with Jesus. Even if you don’t want to speak publicly, you can still share your story with someone close to you—a friend, a grandchild, a spouse, a neighbor.
☀️ As We Head into Summer...
Share a meal and share your story.
Share a walk and share your story.
Share a drink and share your story.
God is at work. He is not here—He is risen. And you are filled with the Spirit.
🔥 Upcoming Sermon Series
📅 June 8 – Pentecost Sunday
Pentecost marks the close of the Easter season. It’s the day we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church. We’ll also be welcoming new members!
Before we begin our summer series, we’ll spend a few weeks focused on the Holy Spirit:
Earth, Wind, and Fire: Life in the Spirit
Scripture gives us beautiful, powerful images of the Holy Spirit—wind and fire. These remind us that the Spirit empowers us to live in the world filled with the love of Christ.
Then, we’ll step into our summer series: 🎶 Psalms: Songs for the Summer
Let’s keep listening. Let’s keep sharing. Let’s keep living resurrection life—together.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Patrick
Upcoming Scriptures
May 18th: Acts 4:1-31
May 25th: Acts 7:54-8:3
June 1st: Acts 9:1-19
June 8th: Acts 2:1-13
Supporting Camp United We Stand
We are blessed with an opportunity to support Camp United We Stand, a self-managed, community-supported encampment providing a safe and stable environment for up to 35 individuals experiencing homelessness.
The camp is currently located in Kirkland at:
106 5th Ave, Kirkland, WA 98033
A needs list is available on the bulletin board in the church narthex, including essential items such as clothing, non-perishable food, hygiene supplies, and other basics. Donations may be brought to the church or delivered directly to the camp.
This is a chance for us to walk in love and solidarity with our neighbors. To learn more about the camp’s mission and ongoing efforts, please visit:
https://campunitedwestand-tentcity.org
Let’s continue to live our faith by building relationships and serving with compassion.
Mission opportunity: Community Supported Summer Meals
The Northshore Schools Foundation is accepting donations to support the Summer Meals program for Northshore School District students and families in need of food assistance during the summer of 2025. The Foundation will provide weekly food boxes, and donations will go toward purchasing food in bulk. One box, which feeds a family of four for a week, is $50. You can donate via the Foundation's website. Donations will be accepted until August 31, 2025.
https://www.northshoreschoolsfoundation.org/summer-meals-2025/
News and Upcoming Events
Book Group
Current book: Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life, by Richard Rohr
Details: Our discussions began May 1st. One group meets Sundays at 8:30 am at the Church. The other group meets Thursdays at 6:30 pm. Discussions are held every other week. If you would like to join the Thursday group, please contact Connie Weber.
Women's Fellowship
Women's Fellowship meets the first Saturday of the month from 9 am – 10:30 am in the Narthex. Our next one is scheduled for Saturday June 7th.
"BYO Coffee" in any shape of travel mug!
Come with joys or concerns to share during our prayer time. Our meetings have no formal presentation or discussion leader. We are just enjoying our friendship-building time together.
—Linda Avery
Men's Fellowship
The next Men’s Breakfast will take place on Saturday, June 14th, at 8:30 am in the narthex. Join them for great food and fellowship!
Preschool News
The Preschool Teachers wish to extend a heartfelt thanks to all of the people who helped with our Mother’s Day Tea. It is always nice to visit and we greatly appreciate the help as we prepare for the parent events. Thank you! We are rapidly closing in on the end of the school year and look forward to our preschool graduations with mixed emotions as we say goodbye to kids and families who are moving onto Kindergarten. Some of our families have been with us for many years as multiple children move through our preschool program. We also look forward to welcoming younger siblings and new families to our summer camp program and preschool in September. We do still have space in our summer camp program and in our preschool classes for the fall. If you hear of someone who is interested, please pass on our contact information and I will be happy to schedule a tour or talk with them about our program. Email: directoratbcp@gmail.com.
Play-based Learning | Bothell Community Preschool | Bothell
Maywood Hills Construction Update
Here's an update that was sent out for the month of May by the construction team about the progress at Maywood Hills Elementary next door to our church:
What's Happening on the Maywood Hills Project:
In the last month, the project is making significant progress with several key updates. Interior framing and backing are complete, and MEP perimeter rough-in is underway. Window and door frame installations have begun, along with drywall and wall rough-in. Exterior insulation and siding supports are being added. Elevator installation is starting, and the fire department connection standpipe and waterline to the building are in place. Roof walkoff pads and mechanical equipment have been set, marking the completion of the roofing phase.
Coming Up Next:
In the upcoming month, we will install the parapet top coping, acoustic ceiling tiles, and ceiling framing. Exterior metal panels and the remaining window frames will be added, while the OTIS elevator installation continues. Interior insulation will be placed on level 1, and overhead MEP rough-in will proceed on level 2. Glass installation at windows, sprinkler rough-in, drywall taping and mudding, and the application of paint primer and the first coat on level 1 are also scheduled. The storm sewer system will also be installed.
April Newsletter
Entering the Mystery of God’s Love: Holy Week and Easter at Emmanuel
Sunday, April 13, we enter into Holy Week—a sacred journey that follows Jesus through his final days leading to the cross and ultimately to the resurrection. We begin with the crowds' loud shouts of praise as Jesus enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, a moment punctuated by his tears over the city—tears shed for hearts closed to God's peace.
On Thursday, we will gather to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, remembering that Jesus welcomes us into table fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, just as he did with his disciples in the upper room.
On Friday, you are invited to contemplate the pain and mystery of Good Friday through interactive stations of personal lament. Come anytime between 4–7 p.m. to encounter Jesus, the wounded healer—who suffers, dies, and therefore knows the depth of your pain. Cry out to the One who ultimately holds you with sacrificial love.
Saturday is the day Jesus lay in the tomb. I invite you to slow down, to sit in stillness and silence. Jesus is dead. Perhaps read Psalm 88, which ends with the haunting line: “You have caused friend and neighbor to shun me; my companions are in darkness.” This can feel heavy, sad, and painful—and that is okay. Because it is not the last word.
By walking through the entirety of Holy Week, we are invited to cling to the truth that God sees us and hears our cries. God did not stay far off but sent His only begotten Son to take on the fullness of humanity. Jesus suffers, dies, and is buried. And on the third day, in the power of the Spirit, he rose to new life.
On Easter we shout: He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Nothing can contain the love of God. Not even death.
The gates of hell cannot stand against the power of God.
Jesus is alive! He is alive! He is alive!
And we are filled with the Holy Spirit to live by faith and walk with the risen Christ in the newness of life. We are empowered by Jesus and filled with the Spirit to go out as His ambassadors, carrying forth the sacrificial love of God.
Easter also marks the beginning of a new sermon series: "Resurrection Life: Living His Story". In this series, we will consider the meaning of the resurrection for our lives today. Through stories from the book of Acts, we will explore how the early church lived out Jesus’s story and embodied the good news of new life in Christ. The resurrection proclaims that God brings life out of death—and we are invited to live this good news and carry it into our relationships, neighborhoods, and cities.
My invitation to you is to enter fully into the mystery of God’s redeeming love this Holy Week. Make space to pay attention—along with God—to your story and His. Let yourself feel: be disturbed, disrupted, moved to tears, gratitude, anger, joy—whatever comes. Feel all the feels. Know that God invites it. Give yourself over to this story of God’s transformative and sacrificial love.
Bonnie Thurston, in our Lenten book study O Taste and See, writes:
“This isn’t easy because it involves self-giving to a plot that we don’t create, to accept a role prepared for us in a great drama that we don’t write. It is, in short, to surrender to God. Surrender is costly, but in the particular story to which we are invited, it is, paradoxically, our victory.”
The cross and resurrection are God’s great paradox:
Life won through death.
Peace won through violence.
Joy won through suffering.
Community won through forsakenness.
And through it all, the love of God reigns.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Patrick
Holy Week
Maundy Thursday Service 7pm: We will worship together and share communion with one another and our host Jesus as we remember His last supper with the disciples.
Good Friday Self-guided Stations of Lament: This day we remember Jesus was crucified and died. It is somber in mood and invites us to weep alongside mother Mary at the death of Jesus who enters into our suffering. There is no part of human experience that Jesus did not know, including death. Come anytime between 4-7pm. There will be seven stations that coincide with the seven last words of Christ. At each station there will be a prompt and an interactive component to lead you in personal reflection and lament. You set the pace and may choose to skip stations if you like. This is your time to pray, reflect and be held within the community of Love (Father, Son and Spirit) as you lament evil, brokenness and sin as you experience it in your own life.
Easter Sunday Service: 10am, Invite your family and friends to celebrate the resurrection and new life in Christ!
Sunday Morning Fellowship Volunteers Needed
We are in need of fellowship volunteers for Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. We will need a volunteer to set-up before church for both Palm Sunday and Easter, as well a volunteer to clean-up after fellowship on Easter.
It would also be great to have additional volunteers to bring cookies or snacks for both Palm Sunday and Easter!
Please email micaelaa@epcbothell.org if you would like to sign up.
News and Upcoming Events
Book Group
Next book: Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life, by Richard Rohr
Details: Our discussions will begin after Easter—more details to follow. If you’re interested in joining the discussions, please email Connie Weber (weber_connie@hotmail.com) to get on the email chain.
Remember that if you purchase the book from Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, you’ll receive a 20% discount when you mention the book group at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church.
Women's Fellowship: Meets the first Saturday of the month from 9 am – 10:30 am in the Narthex. Our next one is scheduled for Saturday May 4th. "BYO Coffee" in any shape of travel mug!
Come with joys or concerns to share during our prayer time. Our meetings have no formal presentation or discussion leader. We are just enjoying our friendship-building time together.
Emmanuel Farm Fall Festival
Saturday, October 12 – 11 am – 2 pm
Game Night!
Friday, September 27 - 6 pm
Join us for a fun night of friendly competition and fellowship in the Narthex. Bring your friends, family, and a favorite game if you have one. This is a kid friendly event!
Pizza and ice cream sundae bar will be provided (donations welcome). Bring your favorite topping to share.
Outdoor Worship and BBQ - August 11
Please join us on August 11 for worship in our outdoor sanctuary followed by our annual picnic. Hamburgers, hotdogs, and lemonade will be provided.
Please bring a side dish or dessert to share.
A few notes/reminders:
· Children are welcome in the outdoor sanctuary (no Sunday school that day). The “cry room” will be open if needed.
· The benches in the outdoor sanctuary can be kind of hard – you might want to bring a pad or picnic blanket to sit on.
· As a reminder, there will be no Zoom church on August 11.
Emmanuel Farm
The spring rush is on to get the beds ready and the crops in. The gentlemen have accomplished their annual “March of the tomato trellis” which is always a highlight! If you stop in, you’ll see some new additions including food heritage informational signs and a sink for cleaning produce. Both have been on our wish list for a long time.
Thanks to a friend of Carol Steinhauer’s, Emmanuel Farm also boasts several heirloom strawberry plants, a variety with deep roots in this country. We’re eager to see how they turn out!
Women's Fellowship
Saturday, May 4, 9 am - 10:30 am
Lady Birds will meet in the sanctuary May 4th at 9am. Bring your own coffee, conversation, knitting, prayer requests, etc! We welcome all ideas and suggestions to help us create this woman’s fellowship.
Hope to see you there!
Blessings in Jesus,
Linda Avery
2024 Church Spring Cleanup
Saturday, March 23, 9 am - Noon
Just a reminder our spring cleanup is next Saturday! There is plenty to do to beautify our flower beds, playground, outdoor sanctuary and other areas of our beautiful acreage.
A few added details:
We plan to serve soup, bread, and of course cookies! If you can help provide any of these items, there will be a signup sheet in the narthex or you can reply to this email.
Great news! It's time to start planting at Emmanuel Farm - we'll have plants ready to go if you want to help.
Digging in the dirt not your thing? Plenty to do inside - help serve the workers, maybe work on tidying up the pantry - something for everyone and a great chance for fellowship!
Hope to see you all there!
Lenten Service Schedule
Palm Sunday service March 24 10 am
Maundy Thursday service March 28 7 pm
Easter Sunday service March 31 10 am
A note to families:
There will be no childcare available during the Maundy Thursday service.
On Easter Sunday, the Sunday School teachers have fun activities planned (including an egg hunt during the service!)
Emmanuel Farm
Despite the recent flurries, we have faith that spring will appear soon. Emmanuel Farm is gearing up for our seventh season and it’s promising to be a busy one, in the best of ways. Larry Gibbons has kindly offered to install Irrigation in the beds along the fence line, we’re adding a sink to wash produce before delivering it to the Northshore Senior Center and you’ll soon encounter some new signs describing some of the rich local food heritage some of our crops boast.
We “Putterers” will start meeting Saturday mornings at 9:00 fairly soon. We’ve grown considerably in number over the last few years! Anyone is welcome to join us, regardless of gardening experience. Come learn how to grow food in a way that honors and celebrates our Creator’s creation!
2024 Church Spring Cleanup
Saturday, March 23
It's Spring and that means it's time to work outside at Emmanuel, getting the landscape ready for summer. Join us for a few hours on Saturday, March 23 beautifying the flower beds, playground, outdoor sanctuary, and other areas of our beautiful acreage. Bring your gloves and garden tools if you have them!
It's a great way to get to know some of your fellow members so we hope to see you Saturday, March 23 from 9 am until noon.
Men's Breakfast
Saturday, March 9
Fellowship and food come together for the men of the church on Saturday. March 9 at 8:30 am in the narthex. Jason Bohreer is cooking something special for us this month, so put it on your calendar.
Sunday School Mission Project
THIS Sunday, November 19th is the LAST week to bring hygiene and other items to support our unhoused youth community.
Items most needed include:
Body wipes & Hand Sanitizer
Uterine care (tampons, pads, liners)
Bandaids
Floss
Little flashlights
Warm hats
Other items to consider:
Ziploc bags in Gallon, Quart, and snack size to package items
Small activity books/cards/notebooks
Markers/Pens/Crayons
Dog treats/food
Thank you for your generosity!
Advent Party, Saturday, December 2, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Join with our preschool families for a time of celebration and preparation for the upcoming Christmas season. Our wonderful preschool teachers will be hosting ornament-making stations in their classrooms. We’ll trim the tree in the narthex, share a meal and get to know each other during this fun event.
Ways to help: There is a sign-up sheet in the narthex for sandwiches, fruit, veggies, chips, cookies and on-site help with setup, lunch prep, cleanup.
Neah Bay Christmas Party, Dec. 9 & 10
Neah Bay Christmas Party December 9 and 10
Reminder! We’re thrilled to resume our Neah Bay Christmas celebration on December 9-10.
A little history: For more than forty years, members and friends of Emanuel have been traveling to Neah Bay on the second Saturday of December to join the Makah Native community in a Christmas celebration. Along with partner churches, Emmanuel congregation members have provided dinner, gifts, and children’s crafts and activities, while the Neah Bay Church has provided the venue, enthusiasm, and many children, their families, and the community’s Elders. It has become a much-beloved Christmas tradition for families on both sides of Puget Sound.
Ways to help: We will need donations of Christmas cookies, wrapped candy, and $25 Walmart gift cards for children's gift bags, and candy for gingerbread house-making. Financial gifts to help cover the cost of food and additional gift cards will be greatly appreciated. There is a Neah Bay line on our contributions link on the website. Emmanuel Presbyterian Church Bothell (epcbothell.org). There is also a signup sheet in the narthex.
We would love to have you join us at Neah Bay.
We can always use more elves! Contact Deb Melse for more info on lodging, what to expect, etc.:
Email: debmelse@yahoo.com Cell: 425-478-7553
2023 CHURCH SPRING CLEANUP
The Stewardship Commission has planned the 2023 Church Spring Cleanup for March 25th from 9 am to 12 pm. The items we hope to work on and the garden leads are shown on the Church Spring Cleanup project list below. A signup list will also be on the Volunteer Board in the Narthex. If you have a wheelbarrow and a shovel that you could bring that would be very helpful because we plan to spread about 3 yards of mulch.
It is always a lot of fun working together to spruce up our church prior to Easter. If you have any questions, please contact Larry Gibbons.
Weed flower beds and spread mulch
Kitchen/Office (Larry)
Front bed by Sanctuary (Linda)
West & South Rose Garden (Larry)
East flower beds by Sanctuary & Nursery (Mary Ann & Connie)
East Flower bed by Classroom (Larry)
Flower beds along 104th (Marie)
Garage area (Larry)
Clean outdoor chapel (Larry)
Remove blackberries and trim branched as needed
Clean benches and rake ground by benches
Trim & Mulch parking lot island (Kristel)
Clean Sanctuary Gutters
Mow lawn
Wash Narthex & Sanctuary Outside Windows (Mary Anne)
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Advent Happenings
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Services
Our Christmas Eve service will be 5:00 pm in person and on Zoom.
Christmas Day is on Sunday this year! Service will begin at 10:00 am in person and on Zoom.
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There's lots of fun in store at the Emmanuel Farm Fall Festival this Saturday, October 22nd from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Live music
Fish for toys
Hands-on wooden railway
Hay hunt for candy
Cider making
Cookie Decorating
Fall Crafts
Free lunch (soup and rolls)
Apples - apples - and more apples!
Hope to see you there!
August News
A Note from the Pastor regarding a New Members Orientation:
In the wake of the Covid shut down and the corresponding advent of having a congregation that worships in two places it is sometimes hard to identify who is a part of the congregation. The ambiguity of what constitutes “meeting together” makes for an interesting discussion about the nature church membership. But belonging to a community in which we find support and encouragement to persevere on the journey of following Jesus is still an important resource for the life of faith. Whether we meet together online or in the building, the same question is before us: “Do we belong?” Do we belong to a people? Are we a part of a web of relationships that is knit together by a common dedication to walking on the Way of Jesus? Church is not merely gathering for a worship service. Nor is it merely hearing a sermon. It is about joining with others in listening for and acting on the call of Christ.
Do you belong?
If you want to explore that question and how Emmanuel Presbyterian Church might be a part of an answer to that desire to belong to a community that is “on the Way,” we want to hear from you. After several failed attempts to get a new members orientation together, we are trying once again. It will no doubt need to be, like worship, an event that is offered simultaneously in person and online. In the past we have dedicated 3 hours on a Saturday morning to these new member orientation gatherings. That time and structure can flex given our new situation. But we need to hear from you regarding what format would work best for you. Would you prefer to attend online or in person? Would 3 hours on a Saturday in the near future work for you? Do you have any other suggestions about a good time to hold this class (perhaps one evening a week for three or four weeks)?
Please call or text me at 206 715-3007 or email me at daver@epcbothell.org with your thoughts. Let’s work together to pull this gathering of “inquiring souls” together. I look forward to hearing from you.
Dave Rohrer
Book Discussion Group
Are you interested in reading, and participating in a discussion of a book about Jeremiah during the eight weeks of the sermon series on Jeremiah? If so, you can be a part of a conversation about Eugene Peterson’s book Run with the Horses on Tuesday nights at 7pm on Zoom. Beginning on Tuesday, August 23rd Dave Rohrer will facilitate these weekly 60 minutes discussions. There are 16 short chapters in this book, and we’ll read and discuss two chapters per week. Ten copies of the book are available for purchase through the church at $11 or you can locate your own copy online through a used book seller. For the first week’s meeting a PDF of the first two chapters will be made available for those who want to be a part of the group. If you would like to be a part of the group and want to purchase a copy of the book, please contact Dave via email at daver@epcbothell.org. Copies of the PDF of the first two chapters can be picked up at worship on Sunday 8/21 or can be sent to you via email.
Summer Project Updates
The Shed…. Project Complete!
Our storage building behind the church was in desperate need of maintenance and painting. A Big thank-you to the many folks involved in this months-long project:
Maintenance, Repairs, surrounding grounds clean-up: Steve Nguyen, Emmanuel Nguyen, Loren Steinhauer, Wayne Kenney
Power Washing: Wayne Kenney, Joshua Cooper, Tom Cooper
Scraping: Bob Walther, Larry Gibbons, Lois Robinson, Scott Robinson, Tom Cooper
Painting: Scott Robinson, Lois Robinson, Drema Cooper
Point for paint purchase: Bob Walther
Garden Bed Clean-up:
While the shed was being painted, several folks decided to clean out the garden beds that were overgrown with weeds and deteriorating wood borders. Thanks to Lois Robinson, Susan Sprague, Drema Cooper, Wayne Kenney, Bob Walther and Tom Cooper who helped beautify this area!
July visit to Mary’s Place Kenmore
On Saturday, July 23rd, our picnic at the women and children's homeless shelter in Kenmore was a very enjoyable day for the folks there. Thanks to all of you who contributed to the menu items! We had enough food at the end to stock their refrigerators for the following day, a Sunday when nothing is provided for them.
The colorful tables with balloons, corn hole games provided by Larry Beach and great story telling by Deb Melse made the day fun for all ages. One of the most successful parts of the picnic was the distributing of very nice car club t-shirts donated by Lois Robinson. There were XS for the smallest children to XXXL for the largest adults, and they were a huge hit!
Yasmin, the director of the shelter, sends her thanks to our congregation.