Dear Alki UCC,
I’m writing to you from a coffee shop at my alma mater, Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Alma mater is Latin for “nourishing mother.” We speak of where we have attended school as a mother who has provided us nourishment. Calvin nourished me for my first two years of college until I moved to Seattle and transferred to Seattle Pacific University in 1997.
And this week has been so very nourishing for my soul. I bought my plane ticket quite spontaneously to join my Dad in a visit to his sister Judy who has recently gone on Hospice. Traveling with my Dad has been pure joy, and our time sharing stories and singing with Aunt Judy is absolutely priceless.
Walking through this campus, I hardly recognize it because of all of the reconstruction and remodeling over the years. I’ve reconstructed my theology a lot since those years, too, shedding Calvinist thinking. Surrounded today by those faithful young Calvinists in a chapel service this morning, though, I don’t feel that I’m any more enlightened than them. We’re all just doing what we can with what we’ve learned. We’re all nourished by our metaphorical mothers along the way.
And I am so grateful for how my faith in God has been nourished by my Aunt Judy my whole life long. I only wish I had made this trip sooner. If there is someone you need to see again before they die, dear ones, book your ticket today.
In hope,
Pastor Emily
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schedule an appointment.
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Please Donate:
One Great Hour of Sharing
UCC Special Offering
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 Last Sunday we collected this special offering, and in case you missed it, you are welcome to donate any time here.
One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) is a vital special mission offering of the United Church of Christ. It connects you to disaster relief, refugee assistance and development efforts around the globe. When disasters strike, or when individuals are displaced due to violence or poverty, OGHS ensures immediate response and ongoing recovery. Through your support, OGHS funds comprehensive development programs in areas such as healthcare, education, agriculture, food security, microfinancing and women's empowerment. Thank you.
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Add your unique voice to
Earth Mother,
Alki UCC's Spring Community Concert
Thursday, May 14, 7:30 pm
 All singers ages 16 and older of all experience levels are invited to participate.
The deadline to sign up to sing is Monday, May 4. The only requirement is to attend two mandatory rehearsals at Alki UCC on Wednesday, May 6 and Wednesday, May 13 from 7:00 pm-9:00 pm.
The Earth Mother program, featuring the Alki UCC Community Choir and friends, celebrates themes of nature and motherhood through a range of provocative and compelling contemporary choral works by living composers. Selections by Frank Ticheli, Ola Gjeilo, Katarina Gimon, Dan Forest and other beloved composers are showcased.
To sign up, email music@alkiucc.org by May 4 to express your interest in singing with us. Digital music and rehearsal resources will be provided so that singers can study independently ahead of our two rehearsals.
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Alki UCC Outreach Ministry Team
Lenten Good News Corner
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Faithful Stewardship is Good News!
Saying No to Plastics:
This is the third year the Alki UCC community has committed itself to the shared goal of "Saying No to Plastics." What began as a hopeful challenge has grown into a meaningful cultural shift within our congregation — one that reflects our care for creation and our responsibility to live more sustainably, both individually and collectively.
 Led by the Outreach Team, our church continues to explore practical ways to reduce plastic use while encouraging thoughtful alternatives. While eliminating unnecessary plastics is central to our effort, we also help one another navigate the transition toward more sustainable daily habits, whether they involve a church utensil or a home tea bag.
One visible sign of this commitment shows in our shared spaces.
Church meals and gatherings now rely on reusable silverware or compostable utensils, and all paper products used for food sharing are fully compostable. In the church parlor, three clearly marked and distinctive bins — compost, recycling, and garbage — help ensure that waste is sorted responsibly. These simple but intentional changes help incorporate sustainability into our weekly rhythm as a community.
Meanwhile, back at home, Alki UCC community members continue to make meaningful changes. We encourage buying individual fruits and vegetables instead of plastic-packaged produce and choosing bulk goods using recyclable paper bags whenever possible. Many in the congregation are also exploring alternatives to everyday plastic packaging by switching to sustainable options for deodorant, shampoo, detergents and household cleaning supplies.
Another important part of our effort is helping find new purpose for items already in our homes. The Sustainable Steward Cubbies in the east corner of the Narthex is a collection hub for materials that are difficult to recycle but still useful, sending them on for redistribution instead of landfill. While this practice keeps plastics in the environment, this ministry reflects our belief that stewardship includes responsible management of resources already in circulation.
Our partnerships with Ridwell, West Seattle Optix and West Seattle Food Bank remain an important piece of our long-term vision, helping us responsibly recycle materials that traditional systems cannot process. Our deeper goal goes beyond recycling alone. We seek to reduce dependence on plastic altogether by choosing products and systems that are sustainable from the start.
The success of this initiative lies not in perfection, but in collective progress. Step by step, the Alki UCC community continues to learn, adapt and support one another in making choices that honor both our faith and the Earth we share. Together, we are discovering that small changes — repeated faithfully — can transform not only our habits, but our sense of hope for the future.
—Your Alki UCC Outreach Team
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New Wellness Resource:
UCC Mind Body Spirit Newsletter
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Emily H writes:
Last Fall I took a class which was really a discussion with Rev. Dr. Peggy Matteson, RN who is chair of the UCC Wellness Leadership Team. Since then I have been attending team meetings, subscribing to the "Mind Body Spirit Newsletter and sending it out on the Pacific Northwest Conference online network.
I thought that it could be something we in the northwest could also use or adapt and work on with our own Caring Community and Fellowship Ministry Team.
Anyone can subscribe. Here's the link to sign up!
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Merciful God, we give you thanks.
We give you gratitude for the beauty of this life, for our relationships and our community of faith.
We pray for all those who grieve.
May they find strength and peace.
We pray for all who seek comfort, guidance or healing.
We lift them up to your loving care.
We pray for our wider world.
We pray for the earth, your good creation entrusted to our care. We pray for those affected by violence, war, and disaster. We pray for leaders to act with integrity and be held accountable for their actions.
In prayer, O God, you hear us and know us. In prayer, we are unburdened and restored. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Please contact the church office to add or remove a prayer request.
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6115 SW Hinds
Seattle, WA 98116
206/935-2661;
Church news/calendar updates at alkiucc.org.
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Worship this Sunday,
March 22
at 10:00 am
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Fifth Sunday
in Lent
The Good News is . . .
rooted in justice,
mercy & faithfulness
Rev. Dr. Keith Tanis
Guest Preacher
Joe M
Liturgist
Scriptures
John 8:2-11
Romans 8:1
NRSVue
Daniel Self
Music Director
Music Highlights
Let Us Remember
Anna Strickland &
George C. Stebbins
God Bless Our "No"
Hannah C. Brown
English Traditional
Arr: Ralph Vaughan Williams
Children of God
Still There Is Love
Poem, Edith
Newlin Chase
Music, Mary Alice Amidon
Image from
A Sanctified Art
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Sunday Worship Livestreamed on YouTube
The Sunday worship Live Stream video appears at 10:00 am every week at the top of the page.
Please "subscribe" to the Alki UCC channel
in order to participate
in the live chat.
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Palm/Passion Sunday
The good news is ... inspiring us to act
Sunday, March 29
at 10:00 am
Maundy Thursday
April 2 at 6:00 pm
Towel and Birdsong
A service of handwashing, Communion meal with soup and bread,
with flute by Daniel Self
Alki UCC Parlor
Good Friday
The good news is ...
revealed through
non-violence
April 3 at Noon
Easter
Sunrise Service
Alki Beach
April 5 at 6:15 am
Easter
Sanctuary Service
April 5 at 10:00 am
The good news is . . .
alive in the world
John Wells, Trumpet
Community
Easter Egg Hunt
April 5 at 11:30 am
(Rain or Shine)
A neighborhood tradition!
All ages welcome … come join the fun, including art activities and refreshments.
Invite your friends!
Image at top:
There Is Still Room
by Lauren Wright Pittman
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Alki UCC Men's Group Resumes Monthly Meetings
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Join us for meetings the first Monday of the month from 7:00 to 8:30 pm:
April 6
May 4
June 1
2610A Marine Avenue es. Future venues to be determined in time.
The group's mission is to create a time for men to connect with one another and share what's on their mind in an open, caring environment of listening and support.
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FREE!!
City of Seattle Recycling and Reuse
Collection Event
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Saturday, March 21
9 am - 12 pm
South Parking Lot
South Seattle College
6000 16th Ave SW
Entrance just north of
SW Morgan Street
& 16th Ave SW Intersection
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Sunday Worship Livestream
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The Sunday worship Livestream video appears at 10:00 am every week at the top of the page. Sunday Worship recordings
are accessed at the same link.
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