It’s the Monday after Easter, and we are taking a break. Join us next Monday!

Echoes’ yearly Easter Walk Wild Church wanders through downtown Bellingham honoring the stories of this place along Whatcom Creek that cradles Bellingham and the ancient stories of Jesus and his life and death and resurrection.

Starting @ City Hall, we’ll stop at several locations en route to Maritime Heritage Park along Whatcom Creek. At each stop we’ll read some of the Biblical story of the arrest, death, and return of Jesus, and provide a bridge from our own local history of the land we stand on and share. We’ll traverse paths, stairs, bridges and water ways before gathering around the Lummi-made totem pole of Salmon Woman to listen to this Coast Salish creation story and reminder that we are to protect Salmon woman’s children.

As it is Easter and we are reminded of the infinite possibilities that are presented on that day, we will share communion at the fish hatchery and bless the new life that is all around us and within us.

Around 3:45pm, following the Easter Walk Wild Church, we’ll meander to Structures Old Town for some light food and beverages and some time for Easter fellowship together! https://www.structuresbrewing.com/locations/holly-street

All Are Welcome to wander and to reconnect this Easter.

Email Pastor Emma with any questions or to let us know you'll be walking with us: emma@echoesbellingham.org

Walk Information: This is an urban walk that includes stairs, pathways along a creek, and park pathways. We encourage sturdy footwear and layering of clothing as we will walk in all weather. We’ll begin at Bellingham City Hall 210 Lottie Street (parking is free on Sundays) and end at Maritime Heritage Park 500 W Holly St.

Join Echoes as we meander through Holy Week with some Holy Wanderings through downtown Bellingham taking pause to reflect on the sacred story of Jesus in his last days, in THIS place.

Holy Week is the Christian tradition of honoring Jesus’ last 7 days on earth that began with a Processional through his Holy City: Jerusalem and ended on a cross up the hill of Golgotha. Jesus ministry was firmly rooted and shaped by the city, context and region that he lived, worked and played in. It’s clear Jesus loves the city he calls home, and invites us to love our cities (including Bellingham) and the people who dwell in them too.

We’ll explore sacred scriptures as well as these questions:
How does the city cultivate your ideas of God?
How does the region shape your understanding & faith?
How can our bodies help us more deeply understand the hopes & challenges of the city we share?
How do we make space to grieve what we’ve lost over the past year including some favorite shops, restaurants & places in Bellingham?

It’s Holy Week, specifically Good Friday, come & its time for some Holy Wanderings through Downtown Bellingham!

We will meet at the parking lot across from LCSWNW (925 N Forest St, Bellingham, WA 98225) on the corner of Laurel & Forest St, to wander and end downtown for some food and beverages.

Please contact Pastor Emma with any questions or if you need to join us later in the wander emma@echoesbellingham.org

Echoes invites you to join us for a time of creative experimentation AS worship.

We all have items we love that may have a hole or wear and tear that needs some extra tender care. Bring your garment or item to our mindful mending creative church. Echoes will provide simple needle and thread and patches for repair. We invite you to bring what you need for your small project on a well loved garment or item.

This event is free and open to all.
Please come and mend with us in community.

Contact Pastor Emma with any questions emma@echoesbellingham.org

"‘Help me to understand.’
Good hosts begin their conversation with these four words in an effort to learn more about the other. In the midst of difficulty, they turn to wonder rather than judgment. Whenever there are different perspectives in a conversation, a good host seeks to understand better how others see things, their feelings, and why their position is important to them."
— Diane M. Millis

Let’s help one another understand, as we share our perspectives respectfully in a communal space.
Echoes gathers in the pub, a place where no conversation topic is off the table! Come and join us in discussing things that matter with wonder rather than judgement!

All are welcome, religious background not require. Just an open mind & heart.

We will be in an indoor/outdoor open space, so please dress for spring weather and sitting under heat lamps. We’ll try to provide simple snacks, feel free to bring something to share.

Location: Stones Throw Brewery - 1009 Larrabee Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225

https://www.stonesthrowbrewery.com/

Contact Pastor Emma with any questions emma@echoesbellingham.org

Creative Church is an experiment in utilizing our artistic and creative skills as a spiritual practice to do some good for others.

This month we will merge Service & Creative Church and create garden plant labels for the Birchwood Food Desert Fighters Farm.

We’ll provide the supplies to create beautiful & useful plant markers that can aid the gardeners during the planting season to know what is what and where!

This event is free and open to all. Donations are welcome to help cover the cost of supplies and to give support to the BFDF.

Location: 2116 Walnut Street, Bellingham, WA 98225

Contact Pastor Emma with any questions emma@echoesbellingham.org

Join Echoes for our monthly Dinner Church.

This month we’ll have a delicious spaghetti feast!

We will provide noodles & sauce (vegetarian & meat) and you provide an appetite and a Side, Dessert or Drink to Share!
What to Bring to Dinner Church
Sides: Cheese, Salad, Dressings, Vegetables, Hot Sauce, Etc.
Drinks & Desserts

Here’s where you come in… Dinner Church only happens IN community, so your hands are as important as your heart in feeding those who come, including yourself! Join us at 6:00pm for set up & at 8:00pm for clean up.

While an RSVP is not necessary or required, we’d love to know if you are trying to make it so we can include you in our noodle count!

Contact Pastor Emma with any questions, or to let us know what you are bringing! emma@echoesbellingham.org

We will also collect food (& monetary) donations for the Birchwood Food Desert Fighters at Dinner Church on 3/24. Please bring shelf stable items (or monetary gifts) to share!

Birchwood Food Desert Fighters Food Box Needs - Shelf Stable Goods
granola bars  |  canned / shelf stable milk  |  nuts  | canned/pouch meat/fish  |  canned beans  |  canned fruit  |  soups/stews  |  jerky  |  fruits / veggies stable in cold  |  oats  |  sauces  |  spices  |  tea / juice  |  parmesan cheese  |  syrup  |  sugar  |  cereal  |  tortillas  | sliced bread  |  rice |  salt / pepper

We’ll gather on the shores of Lake Samish for our annual Spring Equinox Wild Church!

Our Wild Church experience will be filled with wandering, fire (s’mores!), prayers, meditation and exploring signs of spring awakening all around us.

Taking time in nature’s original sanctuary in community is good for the body AND soul. Whether you’ve been to a Wild Church or not, you are Welcome (no religious experience required).

We’ll gather for some snacks/s’mores around the fire before we officially begin our worship @ 6:00pm with the majority of our time spent wandering and before we re-gather for reflection and communi-TEA!

We are grateful to gather at Lutherwood Camp & Retreat Center which means there is room for EVERYONE! Join us in the big field near the lake after following the signs for parking/lodge.
All ages are not just welcomed but encouraged. Pets may also enjoy wandering the grounds.

This is an all weather event, so dress in layers as the lakeside gets cooler as the sun goes down. We recommend shoes that can navigate all terrain so you can fully enjoy your time in a beautiful tranquil sacred space in south Bellingham. Please bring what you will need to be comfortable including a water bottle, headlamp, camp chair/blanket if needed, snacks, writing/art supplies, whatever else will enhance your wild church exploration.

Location: Lutherwood Camp & Retreat Center 1185 Roy Rd, Bellingham, WA 98229
(Camp can get dark after the sun goes down so a flashlight/headlamp is recommended to aid in your wandering!) https://www.camplutherwood.org/

Contact Pastor Emma with any questions emma@echoesbellingham, we look forward to wandering with you!

We will not be gathering on Monday, March 17th. Enjoy your St. Patricks Day!

We’ll join in with our friends at NSEA for a planting party*!

You must register here: https://nsea.volunteerhub.com/vv2/event/27af9293-8768-40e1-8afa-4ea093c6f3c1

Help us and the Whatcom Conservation District plant trees and shrubs along Terrell Creek at a long-term NSEA restoration site. Since 2002, NSEA has partnered with BP Cherry Point and various community groups like the Chums of Terrell Creek to restore stream habitat by removing invasive vegetation and replanting native trees and shrubs.

Terrell Creek not only provides cold, clean, and clear water essential for local coho and chum salmon populations, it also promotes healthy habitat for wildlife throughout the watershed including 170 bird species, steelhead, coastal and residential trout, and a diverse selection of Birch Bay shellfish.

The address you receive is to the parking lot on BP property. There will be a shuttle to the nearby planting location. Ensure that you sign up to get the full details.

Let us know if you sign up and we can see about coordinating a carpool from Bellingham.
We will likely get lunch after our hard work in nearby Blaine before returning back to Bellingham. info@echoesbellingham.org

*Please note we are not the hosts of the event, just participants.*

“During a conversation, listening is as powerful as loving.” ― Amit Kalantri

Pub Church gathers in common space (across our sanctuary Bellingham) to engage in lively & respectful dialogue on all topics in an effort to remember that everyone & every idea has a place at the table.

Bring your ideas, opinions, questions and wonderings to our monthly Pub Church at Wander Brewing - 1807 Dean Ave Bellingham, Washington 98225 https://wanderbrewing.com/

There is tasty food to purchase from the food truck on site, and we’ll have light snacks to share.
Bring yourself. Bring your questions. Bring your voice - to Pub Church!

Echoes gathers for a special Ash Wednesday* outdoors @ sunset.
Engage with Earth. With Shore. With Sea. With Ash.

Taking time together to acknowledge our mortality and the blessing that is being here in the place another year is a gift.

Our Ash Wednesday worship recognizes that we come from the earth and as our sacred ground we take time to honor all that we receive from this place.
Together we come to receive ashes and remember: we come from dust, and to dust we shall return.

Receive Ashes & Remember.

*Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent, or the 40 Days before Easter.

Location: Waypoint Park Beach: 1145 Granary Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225
Depending on the weather we will gather on the beach. There is a gravel parking lot across from the park with ample spaces.

Contact Pastor Emma with any questions emma@echoesbellingham.org

Join Echoes for our monthly Dinner Church. Where meeting around the table IS worship.

Our theme this month is Breakfast for Dinner with Waffle Church!

We’ve got the waffle batter and makers and you bring the toppings and breakfast fixins!

We will potluck the rest of the meal so please bring delicious items to top our waffles like: Berries, Syrups, Jams, Whipped Cream and Sides like eggs, potatoes, juice etc. (gluten free and dairy free items will be available)

At Dinner Church, there are many ways to worship including helping with set up (6:00pm) & clean up (8:00pm), we welcome your hands and heart!

This event is free and open to all. Please come and nourish yourself.

Contact Pastor Emma with any questions emma@echoesbellingham.org

We will also collect food (& monetary) donations for the Birchwood Food Desert Fighters at Dinner Church on 2/24. Please bring shelf stable items (or monetary gifts) to share!

Birchwood Food Desert Fighters Food Box Needs - Shelf Stable Goods
granola bars  |  canned / shelf stable milk  |  nuts  | canned/pouch meat/fish  |  canned beans  |  canned fruit  |  soups/stews  |  jerky  |  fruits / veggies stable in cold  |  oats  |  sauces  |  spices  |  tea / juice  |  parmesan cheese  |  syrup  |  sugar  |  cereal  |  tortillas  | sliced bread  |  rice |  salt / pepper

We’ll take a Wild Church Wander at Squires Lake. This will be a little different as we traverse a 1.5 mile-ish trail around a lake (plus beaver pond) with guided questions and reading along the way.

Kids and pets are welcome and encouraged on this one.

We encourage you to dress for potential muddy and also hilly terrain. Shoes with tread recommended. Dress in layers and you may get warm as we traverse a small hill. This is a rain or shine event so please dress accordingly and note that much of the trails is tree covered.

Parking is limited, carpool is encouraged. Or you can also park along the road where there is room.

Location: Squires Lake Park - 2510 Nulle Road Bellingham, WA 98229

https://www.whatcomcounty.us/3690/Squires-Lake-Park

Join Echoes for a casual game night! Bring your favorite group game that you enjoy playing!

We’ll meet at The Filling Station (Sunnyland) which has yummy burgers and shakes (vegetarian & gluten free options available) to play simple table games in community!

Since it’s President’s Day, we are just getting together to enjoy tasty food, so come ready to play collaboratively!

Bring along any games you think might be easy to teach/play/clean up and we’ll see what happens :)

Location: The Filling Station - (Sunnyland) 716 Alabama St, Bellingham, WA 98225

We’ll gather for a LOVEly Creative Church, just in time for Valentines Day!

Come experiment with love letters to your self or others as we explore calligraphy and the art of name writing!

We'll provide the supplies (markers, pens, blank cards & paper) simple instructions on the art of calligraphy and you bring your unique creativity! If you want to write a name on something special or specific you are welcome to bring that with you. No calligraphy experience is needed, just an open heart to remembering that you are beLOVED.

Location: 2116 Walnut Street, Bellingham, WA 98225
This gathering is free, but we always appreciate donations to keep community events like these going!

Contact Echoes & Pastor Emma with any questions, emma@echoesbellingham.org

Join Echoes for our monthly Pub Church where conversation matters.

We gather to discuss different topics allowing room for the spiritual lens at our tables. Bring your thoughts, opinions, faith (or no faith) to this time together in community.
All are welcome, we mean it, just come.

We’ll be at the big tables in the back, and come hungry as this brewery has delicious pizza (gluten free and vegan available).

Location-Larrabee Lager Co. - 4151 Guide Meridian Rd #100, Bellingham, WA 98226
https://www.larrabeelagerco.com/

Contact Pastor Emma with any questions emma@echoesbellingham.org

We need community, now more than ever. We believe that community can be found around the table. Join our monthly Dinner Church, as we gather to FEAST together AS worship.

Echoes will provide a delicious vegetable soup! You are invited to bring a side dish, beverage or dessert to share, but not necessary, most importantly bring yourself!

We are delighted to welcome back Pastor Charis, the FOUNDER of Echoes to facilitate our table conversation and worship! Charis is currently the Pastor of Burlington Lutheran Church, doing amazing loving things for the community in Skagit Valley! We are grateful for her leadership while Pastor Emma is away.

Location: 2116 Walnut Street, Bellingham WA 98225
This event is free, accessible and open to all.

Donations will be collected for the Food Boxes we fill with the Birchwood Food Desert Fighters on the 4th Tuesday of the month. Please bring shelf stable items that are easy to open, eat or prepare and can withstand the cold for our neighbors in need.

Creative Church welcomes you to come and create together IN community ONLINE!

Each month we gather to flex our creative muscles, because when we do so, spiritual practices that nourish emerge as well!

As 2025 is here, and we have had some days to ponder what new rituals, practices and revealings we hope to bring into our life, come craft Vision Boards or Bingo Cards online!
What do you envision for the coming year? What do you hope for your journey in the days ahead? Come create a Vision Board of collage materials, words and pictures or a Bingo Card of things that you hope to do/accomplish/reach in the 52 weeks of the year (don’t forget the FREE SPACE!)

Now is a great time to gather some magazines, newspapers, wrapping paper, pictures, words etc that could be used in your 2025 vision board. Or if you are creating a Bingo Card, begin to envision how that design might look.

What’s a Vision Board? https://www.betterup.com/blog/how-to-create-vision-board
What’s a New Year Bingo Card? https://www.producingparadise.com/self-improvement/how-to-make-a-new-year-bingo-card/

All are welcome to come create with us online.
No experience needed, just a desire to create in (online) community.

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82727230172

Contact Pastor Emma emma@echoesbellingham.org with any questions!

“Wisdom Comes with Winters.”
-Oscar Wilde

We’ll gather outdoors, honoring the new year, embracing the winter season and enjoying an OLD Whatcom County Park that may be new to you! Join Echoes at Berthusen Park for a Wild Church with lots of space to wander & roam on the lush trails between old growth firs, hemlocks & cedars.

All are invited to come and join us for our monthly Wild Church. The Forest is our sanctuary and the bulk of our time will be spent listening and engaging in conversation with nature. If you've been in need of some forest bathing, come and be awash with tall wise trees.

Location: Berthusen Park- 8837 Berthusen Rd, Lynden, WA 98264

This is an all weather event (unless its very windy or snowy) so dress in layers and be prepared for possibly wet/muddy trails. Bring what you need to be comfortable including water bottle, writing materials, chair etc. There is a bathroom facility on site.

https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/berthusen-park

Please contact Pastor Emma with any questions emma@echoesbellingham.org

Join Echoes for Movie Church! Together, we will be watching the Children of the Setting Sun film - Salmon People: Preserving a Way of Life. We’ll gather to watch a movie together and discuss it afterwards. All are welcome to join us for this showing.

Scha'nexw Elhtal'nexw Salmon People: Preserving a Way of Life is an hour-long documentary inspired by the late Chexanexwh Larry Kinley, a Lummi fisherman and tribal leader who promoted sovereignty. 

The film follows two Lummi families fishing for sockeye. As they navigate climate change and a depleting fishery, Larry asks: “Who Are We Without Salmon?”. Celebrating the resilience and adaptive natures of salmon and the people, the film is a spiritual reflection on a lifeway centered on respect and gratitude for salmon.

As a community who thinks a lot about salmon, we hope you will come think about salmon and it’s people with us at Movie Church. Snacks will be provided.

Learn more about the film here: https://settingsunproductions.org/salmon-people-film

Come watch, learn and discuss with us!

“Life is a conversation. Make it a good one.”
-Glennon Doyle Melton

There’s room for everyone at our monthly Pub Church gathering!

We need your voice, and your spirit at this conversation that covers topics of all types. Topics that matter.

This month’s location: El Sueñito Brewing: 1926 Humboldt St, Bellingham, WA 98225

This queer owned brewery has a delicious full Mexican food menu with vegetarian and gluten free options, so come hungry! https://www.elsuenitobrewing.com/bellingham

(We will try to get a table inside, but please dress in layer in case we are outside under the heat lamps).

Please contact Pastor Emma with any questions emma@echoesbellingham.org

Echoes will (weather depending) try for a Snowshoe at Mt. Baker!

If you are interested meet Callie to carpool at the Deming Library.
(Details in photo)

No Gathering on Monday December 30, 2024.
Take the time you need to rest and recharge before the new year.

We will see you in the New Year!

“Christmas is a bridge. We need bridges as the river of time flows past.
Today's Christmas should mean creating happy hours for tomorrow and reliving those of yesterday.”
- Gladys Bagg Taber

We’ll gather online to create a bridge between the ancient story of Jesus’ birth and the reality of the birthplace of Jesus right now. Join us in celebrating the coming of love through Jesus as we engage scripture, story, video and reflection from right where we are, online.

This service is open to all and gives you space on Christmas Eve to remember and recall that Love can transcend everything and build bridges to connect seperated places and people. We need Christmas now more than ever.

We hope to see you online: Zoom link Here.

There is room at the inn. Join Us.

Contact Pastor Emma with any questions emma@echoesbellingham.org

We will gather for a special Advent/Christmas Dinner Church.

We’ll have simple Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese, the ultimate comfort meal, made for you :)

(gluten & dairy free options will be provided)

Come bathe in the light of the Advent season at a table that is truly open to all.

At Echoes eating together, saying simple prayers, listening to one another IS worship.
Come and Eat.

We’re keeping this Dinner Church simple, so feel free to bring something to share, but it’s not required. We’d love to see you in community on this monday before Christmas!
If you would like to help set up join us at 6:00pm or stick around after to aid in clean up at 8:00pm.

Contact Pastor Emma with any questions emma@echoesbellingham.org

We will collect Food Donations for the Birchwood Food Desert Fighters at Dinner Church for delivery on 12/24. Our neighbors need to eat too during this season. Bring your shelf stable donations (or funds) and we’ll make sure they stock the boxes!

Food Box Needs - Shelf Stable
granola bars  |  canned / shelf stable milk  |  nuts  | canned/pouch meat/fish  |  canned beans  |  canned fruit  |  soups/stews  |  jerky  |  fruits / veggies stable in cold  |  oats  |  sauces  |  spices  |  tea / juice  |  parmesan cheese  |  syrup  |  sugar  |  cereal  |  tortillas  | sliced bread  |  rice |  salt / pepper

We’ll gather for Wild Church on Winter Solstice for an opportunity to wander in a spiral of evergreen boughs as we make our way towards Christmas.

Walk the Sacred Spiral

The seasonal change is upon us and we invite you to honor the winter solstice with a spiral walk. The spiral will be lit with candles as a space to pray, to reflect and to meditate on this sacred time before Christmas.

All are welcome to walk, sit, pray or meditate to guitar in a candle bathed holy space.
This is a drop in event, so come anytime between 6:30-8:00pm as your spirit needs.

If weather permits there will also be space to walk a labyrinth/spiral outside.

The last three years we had snow or heavy rains on our winter solstice wild church, so we’re hoping planning an indoor/outdoor opportunity will help with this.

Location: Faith Lutheran Church -2750 McLeod Rd, Bellingham, WA 98225
https://www.faithbellingham.org/ (There is ample parking, with entrance off of the lot.)

Contact Pastor Emma with any questions emma@echoesbellingham.org

We’ll gather in community for conversation because that too can be a holy space.
Join Echoes for Pub Church @ Kulshan Brewing - Sunnyland (James Street).

All are welcome to an open discussion that needs you and your thoughts, opinions and prayers!

Location: Kulshan Brewing Co. (Sunnyland) - 2238 James Street, Bellingham WA 98225
https://kulshanbrewing.com/sunnyland-brewery

We’ll have snacks to share, and there is a Food Truck onsite with yummy eats via Outpost Eats
https://outpost-eats.com/menu

Depending on our group size we may be outside, so dress in layers in case we are under heat lamps.

Contact Pastor Emma with any questions emma@echoesbellingham.org

“We do not think ourselves into a new way of living. We live ourselves into new ways of thinking.”
-Richard Rohr, Preparing for Christmas: Daily Meditations for Advent

Gather with Echoes for a time of meditation, prayer and quiet reflection by candlelight.

In the season of Advent we are invited to taken on an unhurried posture. The quickness of which the world wants to move to Christmas reminds us that journeying with Jesus is a different pace. Taking time to hear the story before the birth of Love in the world is time worth taking. Let’s live our way into new ways of thinking with love at the center, Slowly.

This season is busy, come slow down. Light a Candle. Be.

We’ll have different experiential prayer stations for you to take what you need in a sacred space.
All are welcome and invited just as you are. We’ve got room.

Contact Pastor Emma with any questions emma@echoesbellingham.org

“Advent* is designed to show that the meaning of Christmas is diminished to the vanishing point if we are not willing to take a fearless inventory of the darkness.”
― Fleming Rutledge

*Old English aduent, from Latin adventus ‘arrival’, from advenire, from ad- ‘to’ + venire ‘come’.

We will gather for the ancient practice to begin the waiting season before Christmas with creating Advent Wreaths (or candle holder)! Supplies of evergreen boughs, pinecones, simple seasonal decorations, ribbons and more will be available so you can create your own countdown with candles.

We’ll provide the greenery and candles and you provide the creativity to create your own wreath or candle holder to help you in your waiting until December 25th.

This event is FREE and open to all! (Suggested Donation of $5 to help with supplies)

If you have greenery, branches, boughs or Christmas craft supplies you want to donate, BRING THEM!

Location: 2116 Walnut Street, Bellingham, WA 98227

Email Pastor Emma with any questions emma@echoesbellingham.org