This week's community joys & concerns from March 22, 2026

Among our joys:

• We praise God and celebrate with John and Alison Unterreiner on the birth of their first grandchild this week, a little boy named Salem Ozzie Solstone (pronounced “soul-stone”) who came into this world at 8 lbs and 12 oz, 20 inches long, on the 17th - St. Patrick’s Day. John and Alison were in California to meet him for the first time and be with Salem’s proud mom and dad, Avery and Frankie Solstone. We give God thanks for the blessing of life, and we hold in our prayers this young new family as they settle into a beautiful new chapter. Yahoo!!

• More good news has arrived from our dear sister, Lela Cox. Good news!  She learned this week that the lesions found in her bones are inactive, as is the tumor that was found in her lymph nodes! Her breast tumor has gone from an 8.7 rating to a 2.1 rating! This means she will shortly begin a less invasive treatment program later next month so as to maintain these good ratings, after she finishes recovering from the several-month stint of chemotherapy she has been receiving! Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

• And finally, let us rejoice at the signs of new green buds and blossoms all around; spring has sprung! May we incline our senses towards that which has been growing beneath the soil, in the soil of the earth, in the depths of our souls; in the bulb, there is a flower!!

   

Among our community’s concerns, we continue to pray for:: 

• Marc Master

• Cherry LaCross

• Pat McDaniel

• Lela Cox

• Laura Cohthril

• And Pastor Doug Collins, who is home this morning after a three-day stint in the hospital this week due to an infectious abscess found in his groin. He wishes to share his gratitude for all the prayers, hospital visits, and comedic relief provided by many in this beloved community. He misses being here this morning, but is grateful to Rev. Roger Davidson who stepped in at the last minute to deliver this morning’s message, and to all who are helping lead worship in his absence today.

We pray for the friends and family of our extended community: 

• George

• Raven

• Margo

• Steve

• We lift up our homebound friends and those for whom making it to Church is increasingly a difficult thing to do to a variety of challenge. Let us remember all those who feel isolated and in our praying, do what we can to remind them that we love them and miss them.

Among our local and global community:

• We pray for peace, for the sobering of the minds of those with power, as well as new clarity for the rest of us about how we're to live out the Gospel within our own contexts for the building of community and for healing. With boldness, with action, with righteous anger with which we ask God for direction and focus, let us pray vigorously for peace.

• We do continue to lift to God the village on 6th and Orchard, for those seeking shelter and community of many kinds, and for God's spirit to nudge us to the people and places where we might best use our resources to do ministry like Jesus would do - without prejudice, without hatred, with hope and joy and confident inclusion

• We pray for all involved in the war in Iran, for the just treatment of all of God’s children, and for a deescalation of all violence spoken and acted upon in the name of our Creator.

• Last but not least, please join me in lifting our Global Ministries partners, this week, in the nation of India.

If you'd like to share a prayer joy or concern, please contact Pastor Doug at doug@fcctacoma.org or by calling the church office. Please indicate whether your prayer is to be shared publicly or if you'd like it to be kept private.

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