Dear friend,

Let's be honest: there are a lot of things you could be doing with your time right now. And there are a lot of other web sites you could have landed at. I, for one, am glad you found us. And since you've found us, let me say just one thing:

Welcome!

Welcome to you in the name of Jesus. Whoever you are, wherever you are in life, whatever your faith journey looks like or whether you have one at all, you are welcome at First Lutheran Church. No matter where you come from, where you work, what you look like--or what your family looks like--you have a place in our family. You are welcome at First Lutheran Church. You, with all your quirks, gifts, fears, joys, struggles, dreams, and everything else that is YOU are welcome at First Lutheran Church. We are a community that gathers around the love and mercy of Jesus. In case you've ever heard differently, Jesus' love and mercy are for everyone and they are for you.

Chances are you already know what love is. Mercy is what happens when we screw the love part up--which if you're like me, is pretty much every day--and find that the love is still there. It's always there. We're here because we experience it in Jesus. It's the only reason we exist. We don't come together week after week to pretend to be people we really aren't. There's enough fakeness in this world, and we'd rather just be real with each other. We think God would rather we did too.

If you're looking for a community to give you all the right answers to life's questions and to force you to be someone you're not, then you've probably stopped reading this by now. But if you're looking for a community to embrace you just as you are, to be comfortable with your questions, to celebrate your gifts, to walk with you on your journey, and to share with you what we ourselves receive only as a gift, then please consider joining us for our Eucharist.

The word "Eucharist," which is what we celebrate each Sunday, means "thanksgiving." There's a lot to be thankful for: life, love, relationships, honest work, and our daily bread.

And I can assure you, if you come join us, we will also be thankful for you. We will look for the face of God in each other. We will share Eucharist together. And you will be welcome at First Lutheran Church.
Yours on the journey,

Jon Niketh +