Welcome To First Covenant Church, Seattle

Dear Friends,

Thursday’s Seattle Times gave us a snapshot of our Seattle community at a crossroads. While the end of our state’s mask mandate was moved up to this Saturday in light of the plummeting numbers of Covid cases, we read that some are not welcoming this news. Now to be sure, there are many for whom this day cannot come soon enough, especially since Washington is one of the last states to lift such a mandate. But there are more than the students and teachers cited in the Times article who accept this news with hesitation. We still have no vaccine for children 5 and under, we still have people who are immunocompromised, and we still have people who are, for any number of reasons, emotionally not ready to move into a post-mask world.

Our church is a microcosm of our larger Seattle community. Some of you have been ready for some time to put masks away. Others of you are hesitant to do so, especially at worship where we sing, creating an even greater risk of spreading any number of viruses, including the coronavirus.

The challenge of ministry is not to create unanimity within a congregation, but to move a community forward together amidst its differences. In discussing this Wednesday night at our Church Council meeting, we tried to find a way to honor the diversity of opinions within our church, while acknowledging the changing reality we now find ourselves in. To this end we have decided to continue to encourage people to mask and social distance in worship until Sunday, April 3, assuming Covid continues to recede. By then we will trust people to make their own best decisions about masking given their comfort level with the pandemic at that point. We are hoping that this three-week period of transition will give people the time to settle into what will be their new normal at worship, acknowledging that we will have a variety of preferences within our congregation.

These are challenging times. But we trust that these next few weeks will give us time to determine how each of us, who are ultimately responsible for choices about our own well-being and the well-being of those entrusted into our care, will choose to move forward, in worship, and in the world at large.

May God’s Spirit give us patience and understanding as we negotiate the shifting sands around us.

With confidence in Christ,

Pastor Todd

We will offer our children’s programs as usual to those who would choose to make use of those opportunities for their children. We will have ‘coffee hour’ after the service in the Fellowship Hall.

The Council decided to allow each outside group to use our space to determine what they feel is most appropriate for their group, knowing they are no longer legally mandated to mask. We are not placing any further requirements upon them as a church.

Thank you for your understanding. Contact me with any questions or concerns about these stipulations. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Weekly Pastor’s Note

August 17, 2022

My Dear Friends,

I have just returned from a trip to Toronto, Ontario. It is an old haunt of mine from the 1970s and 80s, growing up just south of the New York-Ontario boarder. Each time I have returned, I find it interesting to see how much Toronto has changed over the years—and how much it has remained the same.  I have always been struck by how clean a city Toronto is for its size, and that is still the case. What struck me this visit is that this very diverse and cosmopolitan city has become even more diverse. Part of the reason this visit was the number of international tourists who were enjoying Toronto and its mild summer weather. The other part is that it has become the home for an increasingly wide variety of people from around the world.  It had as much—if not more—diversity than I experienced in New York last month. And what is equally noticeable is how well everyone seems to get along. This should give us hope.

This diversity really came home to me when I attended the 11 am worship service at the Anglican Cathedral not far from our hotel. This was the most traditional service at a very traditional church. It had choir and organ, smells and bells (literally), and the most traditional language of the rites in the Canadian Book of Common Prayer (think King James English). But as I looked around I saw people of a variety of ages, ethnicities and hues of skin color, and expressions of gender. As I saw this unlikely cross-section of people in this fairly traditional church, I wondered what it would be like if First Covenant represented the diversity around its church in its worship services? It seems unlikely at first, but we are reminded that what is impossible for humans is possible for God. (Luke 18:27) This snapshot of the diversity of God’s people together in worship should give us all hope and something to aspire to.

Another thing that should give us hope, is the promise that birth provides to families and communities. And so, I am delighted to share with you the news of the arrival of Alice Yeri Lee, born to Jurhee Hong and Sang Lee on August 5. Alice and her mother Jurhee, our soon-to-be interim Organist/Accompanist/Choral Leader, are doing fine. Prayers for the Hong-Lee family are welcomed as they adjust to being a family of three.

I also have hope for the creation of a realistic church budget for the current fiscal year. We have just signed a contract for the Northwest School to use our Summit Building for the next three years as their Arts Building. The steady income from this rental, combined with the stable and increasing parking revenue these first months of Premier Parking’s oversite of our parking garage together are things we should celebrate. Along with this, shortly you will be receiving news of a survey we will be providing, requesting that each giving unit in the church submit their intentions for their giving in the next 12 months. This survey will be anonymous, and is requested simply so we can better plan our budget around expected revenues.

At the same time, this is an opportunity to consider your stewardship and support of our church. This survey, as well as the on-going talent survey are all ways we can consider how we might be good stewards of the graces and opportunities God has afforded us here at First Covenant Church.

It was good to be away and gain a broader perspective on possibilities. It is better to be back to begin prayerfully discerning how we might together be the church that God has called us to be at just this time.

Pastor Todd

View Sunday service bulletin here. (Opens in new window/tab)

GIVING: We are continuing our outreach to serve vulnerable neighbors at this time and are having more expenses to prepare meals for homeless neighbors during the Saturday morning Breakfast Club. We also continue to support our staff. As the work of this church continues, we encourage you to continue your giving and we recommend checking out our online giving portal through Breeze: https://firstcovenantseattle.breezechms.com/give/online If you prefer to write checks, they can be mailed to the church office at 400 E Pike Street, Seattle WA 98122. We are grateful for your support of our church’s mission and ministries.  https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/WhctKKXHGZfCbWbGZWdwDlfvCVvsZFnsGjwmJMvNCKSFBSJDdNjFPsmBBfdlWGMgMtxhbwL?projector=1&messagePartId=0.1.3

COMMUNITY LOVE AND ENCOURAGEMENT: If you wish to continue connecting with members of the First Covenant Church Community while we practice healthy social distancing, please go to our Facebook page and join the group titled “Community Love While Social Distancing.” There you can post any events, needs, ways you’re able to help out, prayer requests, encouragements, and anything else helpful.

We know that this continues to be an uncertain time and we are here to support you in every way we can. The staff is available by phone, text or email for prayer and encouragement. We are praying for you all!

With love,

Your church leaders and staff

For all other Sundays: Please join us Sunday for 10 am Worship!

We welcome all persons to call First Covenant Church, Seattle, home wherever they may be in their faith journey. We are a gathering of people deeply committed to our common faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of all; serving and loving each person as Christ loved us. We strive to embrace the rich diversity of the Body of Christ including one's race, ethnic or national origin, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, economic status, education, marital status, or stations in life. We welcome everyone to full participation, membership, and leadership in the life of our church.

First Covenant Church is a vibrant, inter-generational faith community, striving to be a vehicle of God’s grace in a diverse urban setting. Located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, First Covenant welcomes members and visitors alike into a historic and holy space. 

Here, seekers come to join others to proclaim Christ, nurture their faith experiences, and pursue Christ’s call to serve their neighbors, on the block, and around the world. Come join us in worship and experience God alive in the city!

We are located at 400 East Pike Street, Seattle WA. at the corner of Pike and Bellevue, just east of Interstate 5, a few minutes walk from downtown Seattle.  Click here to view our map for directions.

Sunday Forum with Pastor Todd Johnson

10/31   Languages of Christian Worship