First Lutheran Church

Good luck & safe travels to all of the Decorah cross country runners (and coaches, fans & family!) competing in today’s state meet! We’re especially cheering our FLC youth: Hattie and Olivia L; Clarence, Derek, Oak, Oscar, Leonard. ❤️💙

Pastor Brian Scott joined us this past Sunday to share Lutheran World Relief’s ministry. Afterward, he sent a note of thanks worth sharing with all of you: “First Lutheran is filled with warm, friendly people. I really enjoyed worship — the music was excellent at both services. And the children were awesome, too! Thank you for your partnership with Lutheran World Relief! I records of a gift from First Lutheran as far back as January of 1990. For at least 36 years, the generous compassion of your congregation has made it possible to do such things as educate girls in Sierra Leone, help farmers in Indonesia, offer hope to displaced families in Nepal, and care for children in Venezuela.”

Thirty-six years of faithful partnership — thanks be to God. The regional quilt and kit ingathering is Saturday, November 7, at Olson Explosives. Deep thanks to the Olson family for their generous hospitality in hosting.

Our building will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, October 29, while Alliant Energy and Decorah Electric crews connect the new electrical service and transformer that our building project requires. The power will be off for the day, so the offices will be closed and our staff will be working remotely.

Thank you for your patience through one more day of construction disruption. Every one of these steps — including this new electrical service — is bringing us closer to a renewed, accessible, and welcoming building for generations to come. Imagine our new addition decorated and ready to welcome you and your family this Christmas!

Pastor David was in Chicago this week with the Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) Community of Practice Gathering. He and Pastor Jen Thomas from the synod office connected with colleagues involved in disaster response from around the nation and world. The synod’s goal is to develop a robust network to prepare for and respond to conventional and unconventional disasters. LDR’s unofficial motto is: “We’re the last to leave!” Being present for long-term recovery is one way that we “love our neighbors as ourselves.”

Last week, FLC MS & HS youth groups explored the ways God can be seen in our everyday lives! ❤️

Students were asked:
🎨 If God were a color, what color would God be?
🌸 If God were a scent, what would it be?
🌦️ If God were a natural phenomenon, what would it be?
🎶 If God were a sound, what would it be?
💬 If you had to use ONE WORD to describe God, what would it be?

How would you answer these questions? We'd love to see your responses in the comments!

A special THANK YOU to our 5th & 6th graders for baking communion bread during Sunday School this past Sunday! 🍞❤️ An extra-special thank you to communion bread team members Sue Goodman & Susan Nelson for leading the group and sharing their time & talents. We’re grateful for all who help make our worship services happen each weekend!

Construction Update: October Progress! 🏗️
Our building’s exterior is coming together, with brickwork underway and the building now weather-tight! Inside, work is shifting toward drywall and finishing, while sprinkler installation continues. New doors connecting the Welcome Center/Atrium to the sanctuary are coming soon, with worship continuing as usual. Flood cleanup and repairs are also ongoing. We’re moving toward our December completion! Thank you for your patience and support as we build for generations to come.

Learn more about our For Generations to Come project & see more updates here: https://firstlutherandecorah.org/capital-campaign/

🎉 Everyone is invited to God’s Party! 🎉

This past weekend, our Sunday School kids learned that everyone is invited to God’s party! Some of the kids made signs to share the good news and posed for pictures. Here are a few of their fun creations! 💛

We pray for all those who mourn the death of Tom Haugen. Funeral services will be held today at 11am in the sanctuary & a livestream of the service can be found below:

In loving memory of Tom Nelson Haugen - October 12, 2026 First Lutheran Church604 W BroadwayDecorah, IA 52101563-382-2638...

🎉 Happy 6th Ordination Anniversary, Pr. David! We are so grateful to have Pr. David and his family as part of the First Lutheran Church family. Thank you for your faithful leadership, care, and the many ways you share God’s love with our congregation and community!