Faith Lutheran Church sits on McLeod Road in Bellingham, Washington, a block from the corner of Northwest Avenue, where the congregation has long been a quiet but determined presence in the city. The parish belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and specifically to the Northwest Washington Synod under Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee. It is also one of more than a thousand ELCA communities that have publicly declared themselves Reconciling in Christ, a designation that means the church welcomes and affirms people of every sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ability, age, and station, including those with doubts and questions.
A Mission Rooted in Word, Sacrament, and Neighbor
The parish's mission statement sets the tone for everything that happens inside and beyond the building. Members are called by God's grace, witnessed through the coming of Jesus Christ, and committed to sharing the gifts of Word and Sacrament, caring for one another, and serving those in need. The same statement names the church's commitment to promoting racial equity, social and economic justice, and the preservation of the natural environment. The parish acknowledges that Faith stands on the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish People, including the Lummi, Nooksack, Semiahmoo, and Samish, who have lived in this region since time immemorial.
Sunday Worship at Ten
Worship gathers at 10:00 am every Sunday morning, both in person in the sanctuary and live on the church's YouTube channel. The liturgy is drawn primarily from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, the ELCA's 2006 hymnal and service book, and follows historical patterns that reach back to the early church. Readings follow the Revised Common Lectionary, the three-year series of texts shared with many ecumenical partners, so that the prayers, songs, and preaching each week are tied to a long tradition as well as the present moment.
Because the liturgy uses ancient language to speak into contemporary life, services blend traditional and contemporary elements side by side. Some prayers and hymns go back to the earliest believers; others are newer compositions, even ones written for a particular Sunday at Faith. The musical settings change with the seasons of the church year, keeping the liturgy fresh without losing its shape. Printed bulletins guide worshipers through when to sit, stand, sing, and speak, though no one is pressed to use them. As the church likes to say, visitors are expected.
Children Are Welcome in the Pews
Faith describes itself as an intergenerational community where the youngest and oldest worship together. Parents are encouraged to sit near the front so little ones can see and hear, to sing the hymns and prayers, to stand and sit with the assembly, and even to bring infants forward for communion. Rocking chairs and an open chapel area at the back of the worship space offer room to move when a child needs it. A nursery is available for children ages five and under.
The parish asks adults to help maintain a safe environment by walking rather than running inside the building, modeling good inter-generational boundaries, and welcoming the noise that comes from having children present. The framing is simple: Jesus said, "Let the children come to me," and the congregation means it.
Pastor Jory Mickelson
Faith is served by Pastor Jory Mickelson (they/them), who joined the parish following a four-year seminary degree completed in two years at Luther Seminary in St. Paul through the school's MDivX program. A graduate of Western Washington University with a degree in English and journalism, and a former MFA from the University of Idaho, Jory spent several years in ministry and preaching roles in Bellingham before coming to Faith, including caring for a nearby congregation that was closing its doors during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic. Jory was ordained and installed at Faith by Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee. Their welcome to newcomers is plainspoken: "Doubters welcome, Questioners embraced. Come as you are comfortable." Pastor Jory can be reached at pastor@faithbellingham.org.
Music: The Singing Church
Lutherans have long been called the Singing Church, and music is central to life at Faith. Sunday worship may be accompanied by pipe organ, piano, guitar, flute, or violin, and the parish cheerfully admits the occasional kazoo. The Faith choir is open to all singers in the congregation, with no auditions required, and rehearses on Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Music Coordinator David Campbell, guitarist David Diehl, and violinist Meg Olson shape the parish's musical offerings alongside the choir. The aim, in the words of the parish, is simply to make a joyful noise.
The Visual Arts: The Tree of Life and a Working Collection
The arts are woven into the parish's identity in a way that goes well beyond decoration. The signature piece is a large two-panel silk banner depicting the Tree of Life, commissioned from artist Kristen Gilje and hung behind the sanctuary cross since 2015 for the duration of the church's green season, where it anchors the worship space during the long stretches of Ordinary Time.
Around the building, the parish curates a rotating collection of prints by artists including He Qi, John August Swanson, Laura James, and Sadao Watanabe, plus etchings by Joan Bohlig, a growing set of icons, original paintings, and stained glass by parish members Helen Harris and Marjorie Burkitt. Works are changed with the seasons of the liturgical year so that the art always reflects the story the church is telling. The baptismal bowl, water carriers, and many of the communion vessels were made by Deming, Washington potter Andy Wollman-Simson of One Heron Pond Studio, and some of the fabric used for altar paraments was hand printed by Bellingham batik artist Margot Myers. Members of all ages are invited to take part in congregational art projects.
Maple Alley Inn: Lunch at Faith Twice a Week
Every Wednesday and Thursday from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm, Faith's doors open for Maple Alley Inn, a free, hot community lunch served in the building. Meals are prepared from scratch and feature organic vegetables grown in Maple Alley Inn's plots inside Faith's own Community Garden. Since 1987, Maple Alley Inn has provided healthy meals and a place to gather for low-income families, people experiencing homelessness, veterans, isolated seniors, individuals in recovery, and many others in Whatcom County. Members of Faith volunteer with the program, and the parish's Community Garden, coordinated by Rochelle Wolber, channels fresh produce directly to the kitchen. Sarah Yates serves as the parish's Maple Alley Inn Coordinator.
One Parish One Prisoner
Faith's OPOP ministry team launched in December 2024 and is made up of ten members of the congregation. The team meets monthly to work through a series of learning modules that are printed out and mailed, along with personal letters, to an incarcerated friend preparing to return to the community. Over a two-year period the team builds that relationship and then walks alongside their friend through reentry. The work is mutual, the parish notes: just as OPOP seeks to heal the wounds of incarceration, it also strengthens the discipleship of the congregation itself.
Broader Community Partnerships
Faith supports several other local organizations as part of its outward-facing life. The parish takes an extra Sunday collection called Loaves and Fishes that goes directly to the Bellingham Food Bank, and parishioners grow and donate fresh produce from the community garden. A Faith member serves on the food bank's board of directors. Faith also hosts the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center's Supervised Visitation Program, providing a safe meeting space for non-custodial parents and their children, and is a long-standing supporter of Unity Care Northwest, the local affordable primary medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy provider. A parish representative serves on Unity Care's board as well.
Sacraments and Rites of Passage
Baptism at Faith is open to people of any age, from infants to adults, and usually takes place during Sunday worship so the congregation can welcome the newly baptized into God's family. Parents and godparents gather at the font and promise to raise the child in the Christian faith. Weddings at Faith are legally recognized in Washington State and include God's blessing of the couple along with prayers, hymns, and Scripture readings. The ELCA requires premarital counseling with the pastor, and the parish uses the Prepare/Enrich program for that work. Since 2009 the ELCA has welcomed same-sex marriages, and Faith affirms weddings between two partners of any sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Funeral services follow the pattern used across the ELCA, with prayers, hymns, and the Christian message of resurrection and hope; a downloadable Faith Lutheran Funeral Planning Guide is available to help families through the process.
Building Use and Giving
Faith makes its facilities available to community groups and organizations whose work aligns with the parish's values, including meetings, educational events, weddings, memorial services, and community arts events. Reasonable rates cover operating expenses, and the parish is not in the business of competing with commercial venues. Giving is welcomed in several forms: one-time or recurring donations through PayPal, checks mailed to the church office, or offerings placed in the plate on Sunday morning. Checks may be sent to 2750 McLeod Rd., Bellingham, WA 98225.
Staying Connected
Beyond Sunday worship and community programs, Faith keeps in touch with members and friends through a weekly email, a parish calendar, and an active presence on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and YouTube. Visitors who want to experience the parish before attending in person can tune into the livestream on the church's YouTube channel at 10:00 am any Sunday. Those who arrive in person will find a printed bulletin waiting at the door and a community that has spent decades learning how to make room for everyone who walks through it.