Ballard First Lutheran Church

Ballard First Lutheran Church Pastors

Pastor Erik R. Wilson Weiberg

Greetings! And welcome to our website. It is our hope here at Ballard First Lutheran that this "virtual" site will draw you closer to our flesh and blood community of faith.

There is nothing "virtual" about the Christian life. It is rather like inhaling and exhaling. In worship, the Christian breathes in God's gifts of love, mercy, and forgiveness. Without inhaling, a person cannot live. Without worship, the Christian life cannot be sustained.

The body does not live by inhaling alone, however. The body needs to exhale as well. When the Christian serves, it is like exhaling. In serving, the Christian shares God's gifts of love, mercy, and forgiveness with others. As certainly as exhaling is necessary for human life to continue, service is necessary to preserve the life of the Christian.

We invite you to come visit us and encounter the living, breathing Christians who make up the faith community that is Ballard First Lutheran Church. We hope that our life together here will inspire you to "come and worship" and to "go and serve." May that rhythm become as natural for you as the rhythm of breathing.

In worship, God blesses us. In serving, we share God's blessings with others. Indeed, we are blessed to be a blessing!

Sincerely in Christ,

Pastor Erik R. Wilson Weiberg

Pastor Laurie A. Jones

Lutheran Christians understand that in baptism we are claimed and named as God's own. In baptism, we are adopted into God's family and made "members of the priesthood we all share in Christ Jesus, that we may proclaim the praise of God and bear God's creative and redeeming Word to all the world." The community of faith welcomes and receives each of the baptized as "fellow members of the body of Christ, children of the same heavenly Father, and workers with us in the kingdom of God" (Lutheran Book of Worship, p. 124-5).

We at Ballard First Lutheran Church are committed to passing on the faith to the next generation. We seek to welcome people of all ages, and especially the precious little ones in our midst, so that together we can grow in faith, love, and obedience to the will of God. Our worship is joyful and joy-filled as people of all ages gather together each Sunday morning to hear God's Word and share in Christ's supper. We are also life-long learners committed to studying God's Word through age specific classes as well as intergenerational learning experiences. Following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, we go forth from this place to serve our neighbors in need striving for justice and peace throughout the world.

In Christ's Loving Service,

Pastor Laurie A. Jones