Type your new text here....  Read More

A sincere THANK YOU to the West Side family for sending me off into retirement in style! Sunday, June 25 was a gift and blessing together in worship and celebration, connecting with longtime church family as well as those new to my church family. Blessings to you all as I will continue to hold you close to my heart and in my prayers. Feel free to follow me on my Kross Kountry Adventure at:KrossKou...  Read More

We all have moments in our life, whether collectively, and individually, when we wonder- “will the night soon pass?” (Isaiah 21:11–12).  During such moments we all look for inspiration and hope, and sacred music throughout the ages has offered an abundance of both.  One of the most powerful pieces of music I know that offers hope following long nights of the soul is Lobgesang by Felix Mendelssohn....  Read More

Sunday, June18,  we ordained and installed the new elders and deacons elected by the congregation. Please include them in your prayers for the leaders here at West Side. We are grateful for their willingness to serve....  Read More

Chris KochSenior Director of MinistryOn June 20, 2023 I was examined by the Presbytery and approved to seek ordination in the PCUSA. Next week Wednesday, June 28 at 7:30pm, there will be a service where I will be ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament. Going through this process has reminded me of Gods work in the midst of our wanderings.   I first entered the ordination process in 2001, as ...  Read More

“Our world continues on, faster and busier, and we are reminded that our souls were not created for the kind of speed to which we have grown accustomed."—Rich Villodas, The Deeply Formed Life Our spring sermon series on 1 Peter invited us to live our faith with confidence in conflicted spaces and times. Confident faith grows from a life deeply rooted in God's love. This summer, with Pastor Rich Vi...  Read More

We are delighted to welcome Carys Parker to our staff this summer as a part time Pastoral Intern. Carys graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary (MDiv 2022) and is under care of the Seattle Presbytery for ordination. She was one of two students who received the Parish Pulpit award from Fuller that funded her "gap year" in Europe, where she walked a sizable portion of the Camino Del Norte before ...  Read More

By Stacy KutzFamilies and Youth Director What is your VBS story? As I am planning Vacation Bible School, I find myself reflecting back over my personal history with VBS. I remember days filled with singing songs, playing games, making crafts, eating silly food, and learning about God. My husband Dan fondly recalls the rigorous memory work program he participated in at West Side’s VBS. Starting in...  Read More

I was 23 years old, sitting in the kitchen with Norwegian cousins from the same generation as my grandparents. These dear, distant family members shared their memories of care packages sent from family in the States during the war. The impact of these gifts was far greater than their modest contents. My cousins described, with tears in their eyes, the encouragement of knowing that they were not al...  Read More

By Stacy Kutz, Families and Youth Director Where were you on Memorial Day Weekend, 1979? For many of our longtime members they were attending West Side’s first MDR at Ramblewood Retreat Center in Sequim.  Take a look at this photo and see if you can pick out... Paul Aronson, Bill Batts, Dan Kutz, Sheree Porter, Scott Porter, Jeff Ernst, Larry Burke, Kim Chamberlain, Jenni Batts, Ken McLaughlin and...  Read More

In 2015, Phyllis Sortir was kidnapped and miraculously survived to continue and expand her work in Nigeria. This June she is the commencement Speaker for Seattle Pacific University. The amazing story of her kidnapping and release has been made into a documentary fil entitle Kidnapped Redemption. Phyllis will preach at West Side on June 11 at both services. We will show the film also during both se...  Read More

Good news – the Session has completed the budget work for this year!  Our budget year ends on June 30, 2023 and the new budget approved begins on July 1, 2023.Elders are responsible for approving the budget and then presenting that budget to the members at our spring Congregational Meeting on June 11 at 10:15am in Howell.Elders are available on two Sundays beforehand to talk through the budget in ...  Read More