The Season of Advent

Join us for the season of Advent at Fauntleroy Church

“How Does a Weary World Rejoice?” is our theme for Advent, drawn from the Christmas song, “O, Holy Night," a song that’s power lies not only in the tidal movements of the music, but in its acknowledgement of hardship and the rejoicing that can rise in its midst anyway. As the song builds, we hear …"a thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!” This Advent, we invite you to turn toward Christmas not by turning away from your weariness or the weariness of the world, but by acknowledging it and then exploring where the crescendos of life’s music might be found. Together, we’ll talk about connection, amazement and awe, stories of hope and ritual as elements that can help us and our world find lift and resolution in the hands of the Divine.

The schedule of worship services, events, concerts, and opportunities for service and fellowship is found below. For more details about the season, click here.

Festival of Trees

Our Festival of Trees is being planted this week and next. And with the trees comes a fun opportunity to support our local food banks. Forest wanderers of all ages are invited to vote for their favorites with shelf-stable food items. The polls open Sunday, Dec 3 after worship. There’s no Voter’s Pamphlet for this election, but proper preparation is needed. Please double-check the list below as you prepare to vote.

DOs & DON’Ts

  • Do check your pantry. What foods are your family’s favorites? Include some of these.

  • Do check expiration dates. If a Best Buy date has passed… please don’t donate the item.

  • Do check for opened, damaged or dented items. These aren’t appropriate for the food banks either. 

  • Do consider healthy options and ones that support a variety of diets.

    • All types of non-perishable food items are welcome, but there is a special need for healthier options and ones for those with special dietary concerns, for example – low fat, low salt, gluten free, etc. 

  • Do consider food items for those who need or choose to avoid dairy, soy, nuts or meat. 

  • Do think about hungry kiddos after school and put some easy and healthy snacks in your cart the next time you go shopping.

  • Do consider voting with culturally relevant food items. Both our local food banks serve individuals from diverse backgrounds.

  • As much as we love them and as healthy as they maybe, please do not donate homemade items. The food banks can’t verify the ingredients or the processes used. Do save these items for your family and friends. 

In addition to unstable funding and the growing need for food assistance, another challenge food banks face is WASTE – waste of staff and volunteer time sorting through and disposing of food that is not appropriate to be shared with our neighbors. We can help with this major issue by double-checking our votes before they are placed under the trees. THANKS for your help!

Enjoy the Festival of Trees during coffee hour, after worship, Sundays between 12/3 - 1/7, Wednesday, 12/13 from 7-8pm, and Saturday, 12/16 from 6-7pm, before the Christmas concert. Invite your friends and neighbors to join you too!

We Are An Immigrant Welcoming Church

Fauntleroy Church has been named an Immigrant Welcoming Church by the national United Church of Christ.  Alki UCC, which has been working with us, is working towards this designation also.  Together, we will be celebrating that honor beginning with a film “Which Way Home” Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at Alki.  What does it take to become an Immigrant Welcoming Church? Here is how Fauntleroy Church became an Immigrant Welcoming Church.  It likely involved you.

It begins with our church services.  How many times has a prayer, a song, a mission moment, or a sermon raised the issue of immigration?  It may have been about the three asylum seeking families we have been aiding, the recent mission trip to Guatemala or the wider challenges of immigration. Michael Ramos of the Church Council of Greater Seattle gave the sermon one Sunday in a program organized by the Worship Ministry that was dedicated to immigration.

The news of our immigration work continues in both newsletters and after church service programs.

Perhaps you attended the trivia night last January or the burgers and bingo event in the spring.  Both were fundraisers to aid our immigrant programs.  We have two funds to assist our asylees with housing and legal expenses and many of you have contributed.

The Second Time Sale has offered donations to the asylee families.  The Advent Giving Tree program has made donations annually.  Many church members bought Peruvian food Sundays through the Rico Peru program established by one of our asylees.  The Christmas Tree Festival last year featured a Peruvian Christmas Tree.

Church governance has been significantly involved including Church Council, Finance Ministry. Parish Life, Worship, Facilities and Christian Education.  So has the Homelessness Task Force.

Eighteen months ago the Outreach Mission was closed by church members with the goal of incorporating missional threads into the entire fabric of Fauntleroy Church.  Immigration is one of those designated threads.

In the next six months the Immigration Task Force, working at times with Alki Church, hopes to sponsor programs that celebrate our role as an Immigrant Welcoming Church.  One of our goals is to celebrate that all our families at one time were immigrants, that this is a nation of refugees, and we proudly are continuing that tradition.  Ultimately both Fauntleroy and Alki plan to develop covenants expressing our commitments to immigration issues.

The Immigration Task Force is always open to anyone interested in helping.  Please contact Bob Wyss or Dianne Sprague.

Immigrant Welcoming Church Event

Save the date: Wednesday, 12/6, at 6:30 pm, at Alki UCC.

The Immigrant Welcoming Congregation Core Groups of Alki UCC and Fauntleroy UCC are co-presenting the documentary "Which Way Home" in Anderson Hall at Alki UCC. The evening includes Admiral Theater popcorn and a facilitated discussion. More info soon--but get the date on your calendar. It's the first of several events we hope to offer as we learn more about what it really means to be an Immigrant Welcoming Church.

Guatemala Mission Trip

We’re excited to announce a mission trip to Guatemala, departing Thursday, May 23rd and returning on Sunday, June 2nd! We’ll be assembling 110 stoves and water filters in the impoverished village of Esperanza Blanco Flor, guided by support from the village and local staff of Hands for Peacemaking. We also hope to provide simple toys and school supplies for 135 children. And, we’ll need the support of this whole church to make all of this happen!

The 800 residents of Esperanza Blanca Flor live in 110 homes and primarily support themselves by sustenance farming. Our goal is to supply all 110 homes with $300 stoves that help prevent burns and respiratory diseases, that burn more efficiently to save families time searching for fuel, and that lessen the environmental impacts of cooking with wood fire pits. Please contact Greg Dirks as you consider how you might help either by joining the travel team, getting involved with the significant effort to raise about $40,000 over the next few months, and/or finding other ways to contribute supplies that would benefit these families and especially their children.

Thanks in advance, Fauntleroy Church, for your support on this year’s mission project!

Fauntleroy Fine Art & Holiday Gift Show

This community event will bring a kaleidoscope of color to Fellowship Hall the weekend of Nov. 4-6.  These 16 local artists and artistic crafters will be showing and selling a wide array of work: 

  • Leslee Avery-Beausoliel - hand-crafted soaps 

  • Diane Bellisario - marquetry collages 

  • Tom Costantini - watercolors, prints, cards 

  • Apple Cox - whimsical prints & cards 

  • Gretchen Curtis - hand-knit wearable art 

  • Rance Holiman - everyday sightings in oil 

  • Dianne Johnson - bags, ornaments, quilts 

  • Susan Kemp - fiction 

  • Johanna Lindsay – sculptural beaded jewelry 

  • Kate Lorenzini - fabric, paper, beaded creations 

  • Ryan Miles - aeriums & earrings 

  • Dee Miller - glass art for the garden 

  • Kristen Miller - shadowboxes & quilted usable art 

  • Qui Daz Moede - creative calligraphy 

  • Britt Rynearson - beaded earrings & scarves 

  • Suzanne Uschold - quilted landscape collages 

Whether you’re looking for a child’s gift for grandma, an investment for your home, or nothing in particular, you’ll find it at the show Friday 5-8 pm; Saturday 10 am-4 pm, or Sunday 11 am-2 pm.  

All Saints Sunday 11/5

Next Sunday, we’ll be remembering those of our congregation who have died in the past year. During the service, there will also be an opportunity to lift up names of others dear to you who have passed. We embrace “All Saints Sunday” expansively, including our loved ones among the “saints” not because they were perfect, but because all are surrounded by God’s perfect love. We hope you’ll join us for worship.

Next Sunday's Neighbors in Need Offering

In addition to our regular offering, next Sunday, we will be collecting the Neighbors in Need (NIN) special missions offering of the United Church of Christ. Through these annual gifts we express our deep commitment to reaching out to our neighbors with justice and compassion. The offering funds program areas of environmental, racial, LGBTQ, economic, immigrant, and women’s justice, One-third of NIN funds support the Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM). Two-thirds is used by the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries to support a variety of justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects through grants. NIN grants are awarded to UCC churches and organizations doing justice work in their communities (Fauntleroy Church was a recent recipient!). Please consider making a gift online or you’ll find special offering envelopes in the pews next Sunday.

Guests From Guatemala

Next Sunday, Oct. 22, the National Director of Hands for Peacemaking, Marco Tulio Maldanado, his wife Mimi, and his son Alan, will be worshiping with us. Please extend the warm welcome of Fauntleroy Church to them, and then stay for the coffee hour in Fellowship Hall to say hello. We're making plans to build stoves in a remote Guatemalan village this spring with Marco’s amazing support team. This is a great opportunity for anyone who may be interested in joining or supporting us to learn more about all the good we can do together beyond our walls!

Wreath Sale Begins

The holidays will be here before we know it, and it’s time to ORDER YOUR CHRISTMAS WREATH(S)!

The 14” wreaths are made of noble fir with incense cedar and juniper accents topped with pine cones. You can also choose from three designs for your bow! These wreaths are great for decorating your own home and/or to give as a gift. They smell wonderful and last a long time! Wreaths will be sold from now until November 3. The cost is $30 each. Shipping boxes are available for $5.00. To order, please contact the church at info@fauntleroyucc.org or call 206-932-5600. Wreaths need to be picked up on Saturday, Nov. 18, (the Saturday before Thanksgiving) between 10 AM and Noon, in the church parking lot. If you can’t pick yours up, please make arrangements for someone else to do that for you.

You have two options to pay for your wreath:

1) You can pay online here. Fill in the total amount at the Events & Projects line and enter “Wreath” in the text box to the right.

2) You can pay by check. Please make checks payable to Fauntleroy Church UCC with “wreath” on the memo line and mail to or drop by the church office. Payment must be made when ordering. Putting up your wreath is a wonderful way to start the holidays! Thank you for supporting this important church fundraiser!

Fauntleroy Fall Festival 10/15

Sunday, October 15, 2023 from 2-5pm

The Fauntleroy Fall Festival is an annual toast to the Fauntleroy neighborhood.  The event started over 20 years ago in response to the unfortunate events of September 11th.  Our neighborhood had changed; people were afraid.  With new families moving in to the neighborhood, we decided to create a humble gathering of a few hundred neighbors for some family fun hopefully could spark a rebuilding of our community.  This festival did help to rekindled our community and has blossomed into an annual free event that will welcome over a thousand neighbors in a celebration of goodwill and camaraderie.

Certain things have remained in our 20 year legacy - we have and always will try to be a free community event.  Our committee is committed to making the event safe and fun for our neighbors and families.  Our legacy activities - salmon hat making, pumpkin decorating and birdhouse building will persist.  All the musical bands, food vendors and other events may change but will still be an integral part of the festival.  We could not do this event without support from our community partners:

DSquared Hospitality Company, Endolyne Joe's, Fauntleroy Children's Center, Fauntleroy Church, Fauntleroy Community Association, Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, Garden Coaching Solutions, Pilates at Fauntleroy, The Birdhouse, West Seattle Nursery, and Wildwood Market

We also could not run the festival without the hundred or so volunteers who will be needed to make the festival a success.  If you would like to volunteer even an hour of your time (and bring a friend!) check out our numerous opportunities at https://tinyurl.com/2023FFFVolunteers

As costs continue to raise to put on this festival, if you happen to make it to the event, please don't hesitate to donate in one of the bright orange boxes to keep this festival free.  The committee and all the sponsors look forward to seeing you there rain or shine!

CROP Hunger Walk 10/1

Our congregation will be walking in the West Seattle CROP Hunger Walk on Sunday, October 1. The CROP Hunger Walk is a nationwide movement sponsored by Church World Service (CWS) to raise funds to end hunger and poverty in the U.S. and around the world. But, there is so much more to it than that.

CWS is a faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster. CWS works to empower people to have thriving livelihoods in their own communities, and with their own families. There is a global food crisis. Millions are on the brink of famine. When people join the CROP Hunger Walk movement, donate and raise funds, they provide life-saving support like emergency food along with the seeds, tools and programs that will help families feed themselves in the future.

Last year, 34 people and 3 dogs from our congregation walked together to raise awareness and $8,717 to end hunger. 25% of the funds we raise each year come back to local agencies that are fighting to end hunger in our community! Those agencies are West Seattle Food Bank, White Center Food Bank, North Helpline, and Food Lifeline.

Join us in walking and/or sponsoring our team by vising our team page on the CROP Hunger Walk website:

https://events.crophungerwalk.org/2023/team/fauntleroy-church-ucc

ADDITONAL WALK INFO

When: Sunday, October 1.

Where: We will gather at Fauntleroy Church and then walk through Lincoln Park.

Timing: We will start checking in at noon and will take a group photo and have a blessing close to 12:15. After the blessing, some will start walking from the church and others will drive to Lincoln Park and start walking there.

Distance: It is just a little over 3 miles to walk from the church, down the length of the waterfront in Lincoln Park, and back to the church. You can choose to walk as little or as much as you’d like.

Lunch: We will have 50-60 minutes between worship and the walk. Bring a brown bag lunch for yourself or pick up lunch from Wildwood Market or Endolyne Joe’s and enjoy eating with fellow walkers at the church.

Wear RED: We encourage everyone to wear a red shirt or jacket so that we stand out as a group.

Fauntleroy Fall Festival Fundraiser at The Birdhouse 9/12

Come enjoy a latte, breakfast sandwich or sweet treat at The Birdhouse at 3507 SW Henderson St from 6am to 3pm and help raise funds to help keep the Fauntleroy Fall festival free to the community. 30% of the proceeds from the day will go to offset some of the festival costs so bring your family and friends!

Taste & See Event 10/8

Are you considering joining Fauntleroy Church as a member or would just like to learn more about the congregation while making some connections with other members, visitors and friends of the church? Come “taste and see” what we’re all about! The next “Taste & See” event will take place in-person, following worship on Oct. 8. We will share the history of the UCC denomination and of Fauntleroy Church, learn about how we govern ourselves and how to get involved, and have lunch together while getting to know each other. Lunch will be provided by the church. Please contact Sarah Ackers by 10/1 if you would like to participate. Childcare can be provided upon early request.

2nd Time Sale 9/16 - 9/17

Our wildly popular 2nd Time Sale will be Saturday, Sept. 16 (9 am - 4 pm) and Sunday, Sept. 17 (11:30 am - 3 pm) in and around Fellowship Hall. This event is much anticipated by the whole community, from those who really need bargains to those on the hunt for just the right collectibles or books. See the poster below for the full scope of what will be on offer.

If you have clean and complete items in working order to donate, see the list of what we cannot take at fauntleroyucc.org/2nd-time-sale/ or call the church office. We'll be accepting small items at the back door of Fellowship Hall weekdays 10 am - 4 pm Wednesday, Sept. 6, through Monday, Sept. 11. Check with the church office about weekend hours.

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