Church guide

FLC members Doug DeSoto, Mason Massa and Colter Murphy are in Sacramento today for Lutheran Lobby Day! They will meet with lawmakers to advocate for safe drinking water for all, expanded Medi-Cal for undocumented immigrants, and ending childhood poverty.

Take a look at what the people of Faith Lutheran have been up to this past year! From giving out over 400 beds to survivors of the Camp Fire, to celebrating the beauty of creation, to supporting all God's children at Pride, we do small acts with great love because of the great love we have from Jesus.

Here are some images from this past weekend. On Saturday, some of our members gathered at Bill Augros's property for a survival class, led by Susan Kimball. On Sunday, Pastor Ben and Michael dyed their hair orange as the Do or Dye fundraiser for Rancho Santa Marta concluded. Meridith Woods did the dyeing. Doug DeSoto gave Pastor Ben a bit of Giants gear to match his new beard color.

Here are a few images from Holy Week. Foot-washing on Maundy Thursday, the Good Friday cross (made from burnt timbers from the Camp Fire) used to create the image of Christ from the charcoal, and a procession down 1st Ave during the Easter Vigil.

Tonight at 7pm we gather around a cross made from boards of the Lutheran parsonage that burned down in the Camp Fire. Come see how from this symbol of death, Jesus draws forth life.

It's a beautiful day to wear sandals! So come live out Jesus' command and get your feet washed this Maundy Thursday at 7pm!

Join an intentionally inclusive community this Holy Week as we walk with Christ to the cross and to the resurrection to new life that awaits us on the other side.

Our youth got their hands dirty on Friday (literally)! They spent some time working at the Jesus Center Farm pulling weeds, harvesting chard and lettuce, and turning soil over. It was a beautiful day to be outside. They were joined by a lively bunch of Montanans from Emmaus Campus Ministry at The University of Montana. After working up an appetite, the group had dinner together at the church and discussed homelessness in Chico. Thank you to the youth for their hard work!

Psalm 147:16, "God gives snow like wool; The LORD scatters the frost like ashes." Faith Lutheran spent some time in Lassen National Forest trying their hand at snowshoeing, snow sculpture, sledding, and general merriment!

We are so grateful for Living Spaces furniture company for donating 208 mattresses for fire evacuees, for the people of Faith Lutheran who registered people for those mattresses and distributed them, and for everyone who donated gift cards, who allowed us to hand out not only a mattress, but money to buy sheets and a pillow. Truly the Kingdom of God at work!

Faith Lutheran has been featured in an article on Living Lutheran's website. Follow the link below to read it. https://www.livinglutheran.org/2018/12/not-alone-in-this-horror/

We were blessed this Christmas by incredible music at Faith Lutheran. Listen to a traditional Irish carol offered in praise on Christmas morning at Faith.

Our weekly e-blast is filled with important information this week. Click the link below to view it, and message us with your email address if you aren't already receiving it via email. https://mailchi.mp/d9f615d6984d/advent-celebrations-evacuee-meal-creation

There are many opportunities to lend a hand in the coming days, particularly in the area of preparing food. Tonight at 5:30 for Wonders on Wednesday, we will be making 2 kinds of soup and spaghetti sauce to bring to East Ave Church. Shawna Burhans will present on the theology of food once we're done cooking and eating some of the soup we've made. Other chances to lend a hand in the church kitchen: Friday at 1:30pm Saturday beginning at 6am Sunday after the 2nd service Monday at 2pm Wednesday, Friday and Saturday's efforts will go towards feeding breakfast, lunch and dinner for all the folks staying at East Ave Church. Sunday and Monday's cooking will be for the CHAT Thanksgiving meal, to be served on Monday night.

Our quilters have grown in number this morning and are hard at work making sturdy tote bags to distribute to evacuees. We give thanks for their sewing skills and willingness to serve!

Thank you to the wonderful people who made burritos to give out to the evacuees. You are the hands of Christ at work!

As you thumb through the latest issue of Living Lutheran, you may see a few familiar faces! Our very own Laura Skinner and her wonderful horse Pumpkin were featured in an article. Click the link and give it a read: https://www.livinglutheran.org/2018/10/minature-therapy-horse-comforts-wildfire-victims/

Today, we celebrate an important 4-year anniversary! 4 years ago, Faith became a Reconciling in Christ Community. Our congregation's acts of acceptance, understanding and invitation are a constant work in progress. We continue to live out Jesus' call of unconditional welcoming by finding new ways to include and open our doors to our LGBTQI+ neighbors. Thank you to Bill Kees for capturing this moment at Chico Pride last month.

Join us after the service this coming Sunday for our What's Happening At Faith event. There will be games, prizes, a bbq lunch, and lots to learn about the many things happening at the church. Don't miss it, this will be a good time! http://www.chicofaithlutheran.org/events/whats-happening-at-faith

#MeToo and the Bible