Please visit the ELCC website for event details and registration links; a list of participating churches with locations, websites, and contact information;
our mission, our charter, a list of active board members, and approved meeting minutes.

In case you missed it...

• Good Friday Service - In 2025 a group of our Eastside Lutheran Church Community congregations gathered at Saint Andrew's to share in the solemnity of Good Friday worship. It was powerful. Good Friday worship was celebrated as a collaboration of ELCC churches this year at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Mercer Island. It was a joint effort of Holy Trinity, St. Lukes, Cross of Christ, Saint Andrew's, Sammamish Hills and Love of Christ Lutheran churches. Members from the represented ELCC congregations joined together in music. Clergy and congregation members shared the story of Christ's passion. It was well attended! There were 155 people in person, and 117 watched on line. (You can still watch online at: Good Friday Worship Livestream @ HTLC - April 3, 2026. A freewill offering was taken to support the "Love Me. Love Us." program at Sammamish Hills Lutheran Church. Thanks to Pastor Rhonda Bostrom and the Holy Trinity community for coordinating, and to the pastors and members of the sister congregations for participating. It was a special time during Holy Week.  
• ELCC All-Call Stakeholder Meeting - Meeting was held on April 11th at St. Luke's: Meeting Minutes. Next meeting will be July 11th from 10:00am-noon at St. Andrew's Lutheran. EVERYONE is invited but clergy and board members are especially encouraged to attend.

These events and offerings are open to everyone within the Eastside Lutheran Church Community AND our broader communities. A link to the event will be provided if it has been posted on the ELCC website.

• Day of Service 2026 - Saturday, May 2, 2026 - Sammamish Hills Lutheran Church. Each year we bring hundreds of volunteers together to help give back. The Day of Service began in 2012 as a way for Sammamish Hills Lutheran, to volunteer in the local area. It has grown to be a large interfaith and community event we plan to continue annually as a way to lift up those in need. We promise it will be a day that you will remember. Join us! Offical website.

• Kafika House Interfaith Mission of Healing - Saturday, May 2nd - 10:00am with lunch at 11:45am at Saint Andrews Lutheran Church. Not too long ago, one woman had a vision to heal children with disabilities; kids who lived in rural Tanzania with families who thought them cursed. God worked through her to bring her vision to life, growing from 5 patient beds to hundreds of kids helped each year. We hope the story of Sarah and Kafika House will inspire you. You’ll learn about life in Tanzania and the work of Kafika House, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that no child in Tanzania lives with a treatable disability. Guests will hear powerful stories of transformation and discover ways to help restore hope and health to children across Tanzania. The guest speaker, Sarah Rejman, is the founder of Kafika House, and she will be joined by others who recently visited Kafika House. Enjoy some traditional Tanzanian food, drink some Tanzanian chai, and mingle with attendees of different faiths. This event is free, but registration is appreciated so we know how much food to prepare.

• People of the Resistance: Following Jesus in Times Like This. A 4-week hybrid learning course (April 19, 26, May 3 and May 10) hosted by Our Savior Lutheran. Led by Rev. Dr. Rick Rouse and Rev. Dr. Michael Trice. Session One:  “The Threat of Christian Nationalism:  Competing Visions for Christianity in America”  Session Two:  “Faith and Civic Life:  What Happens When Our Core Values Are Under Attack?” Session Three: “How We Lead Matters: Cruelty and Beauty in Our Common Life” (Michael Trice) Session Four:  “Courageous Discipleship in Action:  What Does it Mean to be a Person of Faith and a Member of the Resistance?” Each Sunday class is hybrid and if you wish to get the ZOOM link, contact Marko Jokinen. Each session will also be recorded and available on the Our Saviors YouTube channel. 
• Annual Women's Retreat at St. Luke's Lutheran - Theme: "Walking With," Saturday, May 2nd from 9:00am-3:00pm. Guest presenters include Jean Wahlstrom and Jane Prestbye. Contact Pam Webber with any questions.
• Generosity / Discipleship Retreat at Our Savior Lutheran - Friday, May 15th 4:30 – 9:00 pm | Saturday, May 16th 8:00 am – 12 noon. Issaquah is hosting a Journey of Generosity (JoG), which leads participants to explore passages from Scripture, listen to engaging video stories from people who have expanded their own generosity, and reflect on topics that examine the joy of being a disciple of Christ. For questions, please email Jeff Jewell or call 206-859-1304.
• Young Adult Spring Book Study Join Gather-King County for a spring book study on Hope is Here! by Luther E. Smith Jr. This book study will take place during the month of May. Meetings will be hybrid (in-person and online). Fellowship and discussion will be led by Julia Glassy, from Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Mercer Island. Meeting one will cover the first half of the book on Thursday, May 14th at 7pm. Meeting two for the second half of the book on Sunday, May 31st at 1pm. Pick up a copy of the book starting the week of April 27th at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (8501 SE 40th Street, Mercer Island, WA 98040). Email Julia Glassy at to reserve your book. You can also look for audiobook version from your library or other sources.
• Skills for Disagreeing Better Workshop - Sunday, June 6th at St. Luke's Lutheran. Would you like to learn how to disagree better? How to explore where we differ, and how to recognize what we share across the gap of political views? Then please join us at this workshop as we learn and practice skills for listening carefully, looking for common ground, and sharing our perspectives in ways that connect rather than create more misunderstanding. We encourage you to invite those from your circle with different views. This workshop is about sharing experiences and finding common ground, not about debate or persuasion. All viewpoints are welcome. We hope you’ll join us, and stay tuned for how you can register.

Confirmation

• Upcoming monthly Confirmation classes at St. Andrews - Sundays, 4-7pm: Redemption and Resurrection, May 10, End of Exile and History of Ancient Israel.

Events, Summer Camps, Retreats & More

• Summer Family Camp at Camp Lutherwood - Registration opens February 1st. Camp dates June 28 - July 3rd. 
• Sock Samurai! - May 17th from 5:30-8:30pm at Saint Andrew's Lutheran. High school & middle school youth are invited to join other youth from our ELCC partner churches for a wild game of SOCK SAMURAI! This is a game that Saint Andrew's has been playing for over 20 years. Best way to describe it? It's like tag or assassins with socks. 
• Vacation Bible School: Come and Gather "At the Table". Registration Now Open! We are exploring the theme of sharing stories, sharing food, breaking bread, and loving our neighbors. Come and Gather "At the Table" as we explore five Biblical stories featuring table, bread and God's Word. Three ELCC churches are partnering to bring three incredible weeks of VBS to our communities; Mt Si: July 13th - 17th, Sammamish Hills: July 20th - 24th , & St Luke's: July 27th - 31st. Come learn about what it means to share a meal with a neighbor, make crafts, do fun science, bake bread and more. Children in kindergarten thru sixth grade are invited to attend. A suggested donation of $20 per participant with a max family donation of $40 is appreciated. No child will be turned away. For more information or to volunteer contact Melinda Steen  
• Imagine More: ELCA Youth Gathering 2027 - Zoom meeting: Wednesday, May 27th, or Sunday, May 31st at 7:00pm. As we begin to make plans to attend the ELCA Youth Gathering in June 2027, the ELCC will host two information meetings for all interested youth and parents on Wednesday, May 27th at 7:00pm and again on Sunday, May 31st at 7:00pm. This is the same meeting; you can choose which date works best for you. If you are not able to attend either of the zoom meetings, a recording of the meeting will be made available. Please use this link to sign up for the zoom meeting.
• NWWA Synod Youth Fall Retreat - November 7-9 - More information coming soon 

• Bell Choir  - Alice Lewis, the ELCC Bell Choir director, is gathering names & contact info from those who might be interested in future Bell Choir projects. If that’s you, please email her to let her know your name, your church, and contact info.

• Late Spring Ring? - The joint HandBell Choir recently rang for worships at Mt Si, St Luke's, and Our Savior.  Would you like to join us for a Late Spring Ring? We are proposing 4 rehearsals in May and ringing for worship(s) in June. Experience is not needed though it is helpful to know how to count. If you want to know more or have interest in ringing this Spring, or maybe in the Fall, please let me know at wendywinslow@hotmail.com. You can also call or text me at 206-550-0472.   

Mt. Si Lutheran

• Women's Bible Study - Mondays at 12:30pm - meeting at Mt Si in multi-purpose room
• Men's Bible Study - Saturday at 9am - meeting at Little Si Restaurant in North Bend
• Quilters - Mondays at 9:30am in Mt. Si quilting room
• AA “Surrender on Sunday” – Sundays, 6pm
• AA: Candlelight Meeting – Thursdays, 7–8pm

St. Luke's Lutheran

• Women's Book Club - First Tuesday of the month - 12:30 pm on ZOOM - contact Diana Howell
• Dorcas Circle Bible Study – Third Tuesday of the month, 12:00pm in Pierson Hall. They meet for study from the Gather magazine. Feel free to bring a sack lunch to enjoy during fellowship and conversation. Contact Pam Webber
• Men's Donut and Work Group - 1st/3rd/5th Wednesdays of the month, 9:30am in Pierson Hall. Ask for Bob or Harvey
• Piecemakers Quilting Group - Every Thursday, 9:30am in Memorial Hall. Ask for Cheryl Caron
• Troop 600 Scouts BSA – Mondays, 6:15–8:15pm
  
• AA: Bellevue New Group – Tuesdays, 7:30–8:30pm
• AA: The Fourth Dimension – Wednesdays, 7:30–8:30pm
• AA: Sober Sisters East – Thursdays, 7–8pm
• AA: A Way Up – Fridays, 7:30–8:30pm

Our Savior Lutheran

• Bible Views and the News - Thursdays, February 12 through March 19th - in person at 12:00 noon @ Anderson Hall, Our Savior Lutheran Church, or, the noon class will be repeated on ZOOM at 7PM (email office@oslcissaquah.org for link). Join Rev. Dr. Randy Webb as you explore some of the key scriptures which should guide our actions in modern public discourse. How might these scriptures offer guidance for faithful living in these crazy times?

St. Andrews Lutheran

• Bible Study – Sundays, 9am
• Dorcas Circle Quilting Group – First Tuesday, 9:30am–12:30pm, Room 302 / Fellowship Hall South
• Midweek Bible Study – Tuesdays, 10–11am, Room 212/Library + Zoom
• O.W.L.S. Lunch + Program – Third Tuesday (Sept–May), 11:45am
• Women’s Book Group – Wednesdays, 10–11:30am, library
• JEDI Group – Fourth Wednesday, 7pm
• Tuesday Morning Men’s Group (online) – Tuesdays, 8:30am

Sammamish Hills Lutheran

• BMen’s Gathering – Mondays, 7–8am, Fellowship Hall
• Mission Quilters – Mondays, 10am–2pm, Fellowship Hall
• Prayer Group (Zoom) – Tuesdays, 10–11am
• Bible Study: Genesis (Zoom) – Wednesdays, 10–11am. On hiatus until September. 
• Men’s Faith Talk – Thursdays, 7–8am, McDonald’s Redmond Ridge
• Women’s Evening Bible Study – Thursdays, 5pm, Preschool Conference Room

Cross of Christ Lutheran

• Grief Group – Meets on the 4th Monday of the month at 10am
• Quilters – 2nd and 4th Monday's in the Fellowship Hall
• Monthly Women's Bible Studies (there are several) – Contact the front office for information
• The Third Saturday Hikers – Contact the front office for information
• Weekly Zoom Bible Study– On hiatus until September. Please contact Pastor Dave for more information

Title of Event or Opportunity
Date, time, location
Contact/Host name/email/phone for questions
A link to event if it’s been posted on the ELCC website

The newsletter will be published every third Monday of the month
Newsletter submissions are due by the second Monday of every month for inclusion.