This week our summer journey through Acts takes an unexpected turn. After the wave of persecution that scatters the church in Acts 8:1-3, where Saul, to become Paul, is introduced as one in opposition to the Spirit, a stark juxtaposition for how Philip, in our next story, follows the Spirit very differently. Of course, we will learn how the Spirit creates a different trajectory for this passionate persecutor of the early church.

The story that follows is the Spirit sending Philip down a lonely desert road to meet a single person, an Ethiopian eunuch, riding home, reading the prophet Isaiah, searching for meaning he can't quite name. We're grateful to welcome Pastor Terry Kyllo to preach this weekend, continuing our summer series through Acts by guiding us through this remarkable encounter in Acts 8:26-40.

My own reading of this text has been shaped by Willie James Jennings, theology professor at Yale Divinity, and his commentary on Acts (see video below), where he names something I find myself returning to again and again. He says that life together in the Spirit involves a forming of community that is not abstract, but one that creates a revolutionary intimacy, where the Spirit joins people to one another across every boundary we'd normally maintain, and every line we'd use to keep our distance.

Notice what Philip actually does. He doesn't preach at a crowd this week. He doesn't have an agenda to deliver. He gets in a chariot with one person and follows where the Spirit is already at work in the Eunuch’s life, and long before Philip ever showed up. That's a ministry of accompaniment, the discipline of noticing what God is doing in someone else, not only in us, and having the humility to simply join it.

Come hear Pastor Terry explore it with us this weekend!

Peace, Pastor David

https://youtu.be/zu2pt9Iv8r0?si=tbQFTG4_JH4V4DOr

This summer we've been walking through Acts, exploring the Spirit nudging a little community of outsiders out into a new kind of community—a community where all things were held in common, where diversity was welcome, and where the power of One raised from the dead in the Spirit challenged systems of domination. This week we turn to a passage that many communities of faith struggle with, the balance of waiting on tables and waiting on the Word: Acts 6:1-7.

The movement of Jesus, in Acts, is growing, and so are its growing pains. Greek-speaking widows are being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. It's a real problem, and the apostles don't dismiss it. But they also know they can't do everything. So, they ask the community to choose seven people, "full of the Spirit and of wisdom," to take on this work. One of them is Stephen, who we'll meet again soon as the church's first martyr.

What strikes me is the honesty of the moment. Even the apostles, the ones who walked with Jesus, couldn't hold word and service together without help. They needed to say, plainly, "We will not neglect the word of God to wait on tables." Not because tables don't matter. They do. But because a community that only serves, without staying rooted in the word, eventually forgets why it's serving at all.
I think we feel that tension too. It's easy, in our noisy, task-saturated lives, to let service crowd out silence, and prayer and waiting on God’s address in the word, get pushed to "later." Acts 6 doesn't resolve that tension, it organizes around it by building it into the church's very structure. Word and table, together. Neither one optional. They mutually inform one another.

I have come to imagine the balance through a book I was recently introduced to, Inviting the Mystic, Supporting the Prophet: An Introduction to Spiritual Direction. In defining spiritual and direction both words are considered, and recognized as too narrowly understood. Spiritual does not fully embrace the task of accompanying others because it is just as much about the material life as the spiritual, internal life, i.e. word and service, spirit and bodies. The word direction is also misleading, they argue. This is because the ‘director’ cannot be understood as the one to tell others what to do or how to do it. Rather, they write, “to the extent that there is a director in one’s life of faith, that director is always and everywhere the Holy Spirit.”

This Sunday, we explore this more closely considering what we even mean by the word, how it is that the Holy Spirit relates to us through it, and how it informs our life of service. Hint: the word cannot be reduced to a mere to-do list, or moral exemplar, giving us a template for how to live an ethical life; this would be to make Jesus into a principle, instrumentalizing Jesus as another Moses. We might also wonder, why Jesus and not buddha or any other model for us to follow? Somehow, this Jesus, and his movement the Spirit, is fostering something quite different, and that difference begs a little more curiosity.

See you Sunday,
Pastor David

While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came to them, 2much annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead. 3So they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who heard the word believed; and they numbered about five thousand. Acts 4:1-12, 23-31

I am deeply saddened and angry when I hear from those who have spiritual and religious trauma. I am sad not only because of the wounds they have endured, but because of the god who has been named that justifies such behavior. I am sad and angry at the religious leaders. I am sad and angry because the god that they appeal to is just plain wrong and off the mark.

Religious trauma is not new. Unfortunately, it is a part of every religious tradition because it is used as abusive power, and, in the hands of the wrong people it becomes a twisted understanding that misses the mark of who God truly is. To argue a different God is to do theology, for theology is not merely an abstraction of God, but, as we can see, is a justification for a theologically disordered understanding of God.

As we continue to follow the Spirit’s power unfolding through the book of Acts, we see similar grounds where religious trauma has been engaged by religious authorities who distort who God is. We will see how those religious leaders whose authority upholds and guards distorted systems react to the threat of an alternative. We also see who actually benefits from this theological alternative when a confession of God who, in this Jesus person, offers a more liberating perspective to the religiously traumatized.

Peter and John's central teaching is this, that “in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead.” But why is this so threatening and controversial? And what does it have the power to do? Why does this disrupt and outrage the authorities, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, such that they would imprison them?

Because this was a religious threat-to name the priest, the captain of the temple and the Sadducees was to challenge their authorities as religious leaders. What was of utmost importance was the temple, it was the place where the relationship with Hebrew God, the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob, was enacted; where God’s presence was guaranteed, where God was contained. The temple life was THE location where a relationship with God was enacted by particular kinds of rituals.

So, to name that “in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead” is to speak of a different power and authority differently and against the temple. It was to name Jesus as the governing person of God’s life among a people; it is not just that the people are included, in a more progressive sense. It has implications for how it is that God creates a community differently because of who God is. It is a dismantling of the established governing understanding and practice that upheld their entire religious order and way of imagining their relationship with God.

The religious authorities were on autopilot serving a system that had severe consequences for marginalized people, and they were being called on it, and now that whole system was suspect.

So, notice the juxtaposition between who is threatened, and who is liberated; the powers that be are threatened and the lowly ones in the established religious order are hearing this as good news; it is because it now means that God is not only available to them, but that they are no longer under the temple power to mediate a relationship with God. And with that is no tax-it is not only a religious ordering, but a political and economic ordering, for the ones who did not have any money had to pay temple taxes, and with the temple taxes came further poverty; so, having a relationship with God was costly, not in some spiritual sense, but in a real sense. This is the power of speaking differently about God. And Jesus is precisely this power that reorients and reorders the disordered systems of a god who has demands.

I invite you to tune in Sunday to hear more. This same power to liberate by naming that “in Jesus is the resurrection of the dead” still holds as threat and liberation today. It is a threat to all leaders and authorities who wish to be god, to subjugate and hold absolute power. It is liberating to those who come to trust that God, this God as understood through the particularity of Jesus, frees persons from any obligation to comply or to conform to established institutional norms. This freedom is a gift. And when people hear it in relationship to God everything changes. No wonder when “many of those who heard the word believed numbered about five thousand”. This Word, this way of God, is a power that frees, and creates a community in God who can celebrate a God whose Spirit is poured out on ALL flesh.

Peace, David

Join a community effort to encourage infrequent Democratic voters in key battleground states to participate in the November election.
Together, we're writing and mailing 1,500 handwritten postcards to voters in Ohio, where key races for governor, U.S. House, and U.S. Senate could have a significant impact.
No experience is necessary—just bring your enthusiasm and a willingness to write a few encouraging notes. Postcards and instructions are provided.

Sage Small Group Gatherings at Salt House 10am–NoonContinental breakfast provided

• Saturday, June 27
• Saturday, October 10

"Go Forth Sundays" at 6838 122nd Pl. NE, Kirkland *Simple lunch provided

• Sunday, June 28
• Sunday, July 26
• Sunday, September 27

Whether you can write five postcards or fifty, your participation matters. Join us as we take a simple, meaningful action to help increase voter turnout and strengthen our democracy.
Questions or interested in participating? Reach out to learn more.
Karen Lynn Maher | karenlynnmaher@gmail.com

Part-time: 12-15 hours per week
Pay: $19.00 - $25.00 per hour

About Salt House Church
Salt House Church, nestled in the heart of the South Rose Hill neighborhood of Kirkland, is a vibrant and inclusive community dedicated to embodying the teachings of Jesus with a focus on social progressivism and radical inclusivity within the framework of the Lutheran (ELCA) tradition.
Salt House is a community that celebrates the love of God revealed to us in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  And it’s because of this love that we are committed to the radical inclusion of all people and the necessary work of anti-racism. So, no matter how we feel or what we believe, our race or physical ability, our gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, what we’ve done or haven’t done, whether we have questions or think we have all the answers, we are all truly welcomed and affirmed.
Our goal is to grow and be changed by our relationship with God, with those we call friends, and with the world around us, including our beloved neighbors and partners in service at Kirkland Place, a zero-barrier shelter for unhoused women and families.  Our mission is to make a profound impact in our neighborhood guided by God’s love.
Salt House’s mission is to be a church that lives by faith, is known by love, and joins God’s movement of healing, justice, and hope for the world. We believe the Holy Spirit calls this community together to find a home in God’s beloved community, learning to love like Jesus, as salt and light for the world.
About the Role
At Salt House Church, we believe youth ministry is first and foremost about relationships — creating spaces where students feel seen, known, loved, and welcomed exactly as they are. We are entering a meaningful season of rebuilding and renewal in our youth ministry, and we are looking for a Youth Programming Lead who feels called to walk alongside middle and high school students with warmth, consistency, curiosity, and faith.
This role is designed for someone who wants to make a real difference in the lives of young people during an important season of growth, questions, identity, and belonging. Our hope is not simply to build and run programs, but to cultivate an affirming Christ-centered community where students can experience authentic connection, explore faith honestly, and discover that they are deeply loved by God and by their church community.
Over the past year, participation in the ministry has declined, and part of this role will involve helping rebuild trust, connection, and excitement among students and families. We are looking for someone who is relationally proactive — someone willing to lovingly pursue students who may have drifted away, feel disconnected, or simply have not yet found their place. This role calls for a leader who sees ministry not as “if you build it, they will come,” but as adaptive to the needs to those who are in the room, and those who are absent.
An especially important part of this season will be cultivating a strong culture of adult volunteers who genuinely know and love our students. We believe youth thrive when surrounded by caring adults who listen well, show up consistently, communicate openly, and share the work of ministry together. Our hope is to create a sustainable and supportive community where students are deeply connected not just to one leader, but to the wider church family. Because this role exists within a season of discernment and rebuilding, adaptability, creativity, and collaboration will be especially valuable.
This position is currently envisioned as a part-time role during a year of discernment as Salt House explores a longer-term vision for ministry with children, youth, and families. At the same time, we remain open to the possibility that the right person for this season could grow in responsibility a longer-term role if their gifts, calling, experience, and theological development align with the future needs of the church.
The Youth Leader will help create a safe, supportive, inclusive, and joy-filled environment through weekly gatherings, shared meals, service opportunities, retreats, fun events, conversations about faith, and everyday relationship-building.
ROLE OBJECTIVE:
To build, implement and oversee youth programming at Salt House Church for middle and high school students in a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment. Lead discussions and teachings that explore age-appropriate lessons on biblical, spiritual, and relational topics for the furthering of spiritual development and the personal ownership of faith. A rhythm of monthly fun activities, communion-meal nights, and service projects give variety to these gatherings.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Weekly Youth Programming
Plan, prepare and lead engaging weekly programming for middle school (grade 6-8) and high school (grade 9-12) students which may include separate or combined gatherings.

• Design age appropriate, spiritually substantive weekly meetings that reflect Salt House commitment to faith, love, justice, and inclusion.
• Create programming that holds together spiritual depth and honest engagement with the world students are actually living.
• Build a youth community culture where difference is celebrated, hard questions are welcomed, and every individual experiences genuine belonging.
• Maintain consistent programming rhythms that student and families can depend on throughout the program year.
• Evaluate and adapt programming regularly based on student engagement, feedback, and the evolving needs of the community.

Curriculum Selections & Implementation
Collaborate with church staff and leadership to identify, select, and implement curriculum that aligns with the congregation’s faith and formation goals.

• Research and evaluate curriculum that integrates Scripture, Lutheran teachings and substantive engagement.
• Partner with the Senior Pastor and other staff to ensure theological consistency with Salt House’s mission and values.
• Adapt and contextualize curriculum materials to address the lived experiences of a diverse group of young people – including students of different abilities and color, LGBTQ+ students, and students from a wide range of family backgrounds.
• Intentionally incorporate content and practices emphasizing inclusion as a regular dimension of faith formation.
• Track curriculum progress and adjust implementation responsively throughout the program year.

Event Planning and Retreats
Develop and execute a calendar of special events, service opportunities, and retreats that deepen community, expand students’ worldview, and connect faith to action.

• Organize service and immersion opportunities that move students beyond charity into genuine solidarity and systemic understanding.
• Plan and coordinate two fundraising events each year, involving youth
• Coordinate seasonal events that connect youth to the liturgical life of the congregation and to the broader movements of love and justice Salt House participates in.
• Manage event logistics including transportation, permissions, budgets, meals, and participant communications, ensuring all events reflect Salt House’s safety policies and values.

Relational Ministry with Youth
Build genuine, meaningful, and appropriately boundaried relationships with individual students as the irreplaceable foundation of effective youth ministry.

• Invest intentionally in getting to know each student – their story, their questions, their struggles, their gifts, and their identity.
• Be present and available to students beyond scheduled programming (e.g. attending school events, games or performances when appropriate).
• Maintain safe, transparent and professionally boundaried relationships with all minors in alignment with Safe Church policies.
• Serve as a spiritually grounded and affirming presence during some of the most formative years of students’ lives.

Family Engagement
Partner actively with the full diversity of families represented in the Salt House community – honoring every family structure.

• Establish regular touchpoints with parents, guardians and caregivers to share updates, gather input and build trust.
• Create opportunities for family involvement in youth ministry events and programming.
• Provide families with resources and encouragement to support faith conversations – including conversations about justice, identity, and what it means to love neighbor – at home.
• Be responsive and accessible to family concerns, questions and needs.
• Collaborate with families around key milestones such as Confirmations, graduations, etc.

Communication & Stakeholder Engagement
Maintain proactive, clear and consistent communication with all stakeholders – including youth, families, volunteers, staff and the broader congregation.

• Publish and maintain a youth ministry calendar and distribute it through appropriate channels (emails, bulletin, app, social media).
• Send timely communications regarding upcoming events, registration deadlines, and program changes -  communicating in ways that are culturally aware, gender inclusive and accessible to the full diversity of the Salt House community.
• Provide regular updates to church leadership and staff on the health, direction and needs of the youth program.
• Represent the youth program as an integral and vibrant part of Salt House’s larger mission.
• Respond to inquiries from students, families and church members in a timely, warm and professional manner.

Volunteer Leadership & Development
Recruit, equip, lead and care for a team of adult volunteers who reflect Salt House’s values and share in the priority of working with young people.

• Recruit volunteers who are themselves committed to radical inclusion, anti-racism and the full affirmation of all young people.
• Provide clear expectations, training, and ongoing support to all volunteers.
• Facilitate regular volunteer team gatherings for planning, formation, and community.
• Ensure all volunteers complete required background checks and Safe Church training in accordance with church and synod requirements.
• Recognize and appreciate volunteers’ contributions and invest in their growth and retention.

Congregational Participation
Model and nurture active participation in the full life of Salt House – helping young people experience themselves as belonging to and contributing to the whole community of faith.

• Attend Sunday worship regularly and integrate youth meaningfully into the worshiping life of the congregation.
• Participate in staff meetings, church events, and justice initiatives that are part of the Salt House congregational calendar.
• Coordinate opportunities for youth to serve and contribute within worship.
• Foster intergenerational relationships that connect young people to the broader Salt House family and its mission in the world.

Qualifications

• Active Christian faith with a personal commitment to Salt House values and practices (or sincere openness to it).
• 2-5 years experience in youth programs, education, or a related field.
• Proven ability to relate to youth, foster healthy interpersonal relationships among them, and earn their respect and trust.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate the Gospel in a clear and compelling way to middle and high school students. Comfortable leading prayer.
• Cultural humility and demonstrated competency working across lines of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and family background.
• Strong relational skills with the ability to connect authentically with teenagers and their families.
• Self-motivation and demonstrated organizational and event planning abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively with staff, volunteers and the lay leadership.
• Willingness to complete background check, Safe Church training, and any other required certifications.
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.

Core Competencies:
All employees of Salt House Church are required to be able to work effectively with church staff, lay leaders, members, and the general public. Each employee is expected to demonstrate the following core competencies and values:

• Collaboration and teamwork in service of a common goal
• Commitment to supporting, equipping, and empowering volunteers
• Adaptability in response to changing roles, needs, and ministry challenges
• Open, clear and timely communication
• Understanding and respect for professional boundaries
• Respect for and inclusiveness of all individuals, consistent with the Salt House mission
• Protection of confidential information

Physical Demands / Work Environment:

• Work schedule includes attendance at worship services on Sundays, and middle and high school youth groups on Sundays or an evening during the week (you will have input in determining regular meeting times).
• Occasional events and/or retreats on weekends.
• At least 1 overnight retreat per year.
• Required to speak and listen.
• Ability to lift or move up to 10-20 lbs.
• Position requires flexibility in scheduling.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily within the physical parameters and work environment described above. The requirements listed herein are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required and of the general working conditions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Required Certificates, Licenses and Registrations:

• This position requires a national background check.
• This position requires proof of eligibility to work in the United States.
• The position requires Safe Haven Training (to be provided by Salt House).
• This position requires you to have and maintain CPR and 1st Aid Certification.
• This position requires you to have and maintain a valid driver’s license and personal transportation to get to and from work and related off-site events

Apply by sending resume and cover letter to hiring@salthousechurch.org. 

The Spirit's Radical Repair

This Sunday, we continue our Acts sermon series on the Holy Spirit with Karen sharing on reparations. It also coincides with the celebration of Juneteenth where we how the Spirit's work broadens our attention.

When we read Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-35, this Sunday’s texts, we're witnessing the Spirit repairing what systems of domination have shattered, the kinship of humanity itself. The Spirit is mending the fracture created when some are declared less human, less valued. At Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13), the Spirit bridges, through language, those on the margins by creating a community more closely connected to a fuller sense of their shared humanity.

What is being repaired? The severing of community. The theft of labor, dignity, and future. The lie that some people exist to serve others, and where others are related to as deficits based on their lack.

This weekend we also celebrate Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Galveston finally heard: you are free. Yet that proclamation, while liberating, did not instantly repair centuries of theft. The reparations movement asks: What does genuine repair look like? How do we move beyond emancipation (naming someone as free) to restoration(rebuilding what was taken) and deeper belonging?

The early church's radical sharing was the Spirit's repair work: reshaping who counts, whose voice matters, whose belonging is non-negotiable.

Reparations align with Juneteenth because both ask the same Spirit-led question: How do we repair the human kinship that oppression and the deepest of divides break? Not charity from a distance, but genuine justice and belonging, recognizing our lives are bound together. The Spirit continues to call us to the mending work of dehumanizing systems.

Given Juneteenth, and if and as you have capacity, I commend to you this episode of On Being. Krista Tippett interviews pastor Ottis Moss about Howard Thurman's book Jesus and the Disinherited. It invites another curious way in to the Spirit's movement toward liberation from margins. In this 2020-episode, Rev. Moss reflects on the impact of George Floyd, via Thurman, and gives a beautiful, hopeful picture of what the Beloved Community looks like.

Join us Sunday as the Spirit invites us, through Karen, to imagine what a communion (koinonia is the word) or repair looks like among us.

Peace, David

Dear Salt House Community,

My imagination is stirring, and my heart is burning with hopeful anticipation as I look to this Sunday’s Acts 2:1-13 text. I’m working to make what is so seemingly familiar to us, a little less familiar, and perhaps even a big strange. For it’s in the unfamiliar and the strange where the gifts of the Spirit arise. It’s in the differences that are not reduced to sameness, but rather, differences that create conditions for a new kind of community. This is what one thing the Spirit is up to.

Pentecost, originally, was a Jewish annual festival where Jews from various nations gathered to remember Moses being given God’s word up on Mount Sinai. In this moment, in Acts 2, the Spirit rushes in bringing a a fresh twist on the power of God’s word being given. Jesus is not just another updated Moses, with a better moral to-do list. The Word in this Jesus, the one the Spirit is creating with Christ, involves bringing together the most disparate voices, the scattered, diaspora communities, people from every corner of the known world. Suddenly, there are languages, complexity, and difference intermingling among them like a wind-chime—and yet, somehow, they receive each other, in their own language. Crazy! How is this even possible, right? They're united not by uniformity, but by their shared witness, in different languages, to God's deeds of power.

This is the heart of our summer series on the Holy Spirit through Acts: the Spirit is always about drawing together, joining persons from different backgrounds, and to bear witness to God in our differences, not erasing them, but through them forming a community. Difference is gift, not deficit.

As we read this passage, I keep thinking about an inspirational figure I have come to love and appreciate. Perhaps you too know of Gregory Boyle and his Homeboys Industries in Los Angeles. Fr. Boyle's vision of kinship and compassion across seemingly impossible divides reflects something fundamentally Pentecostal: that transformation across difference is not just possible, it's where God is most alive and at work.

For some inspiration this week, and if you can make time and have energy, I invite you check out this brief TED talk. See if you can catch the goodness of a vision for the qualitatively different community the Spirit is creating. Notice, too, that Fr. Boyle doesn’t really talk about sustaining any kind of institution. Rather, it's the fostering a kind of community from the deepest of polarization. He talks about raising up new life between and among people who the world considers disposable. https://youtu.be/ipR0kWt1Fkc?si=_cyBsHRoTxDCzTk8

What are you hearing? Please share. I love to imagine the Spirit’s movement with others.

See you Sunday.
Pastor David

This summer, we're diving into the Book of Acts. Not merely as a historical archive, but as an invitation to ask the questions the early disciples are learning to ask.

The disciples didn't begin their journey as masters of faith, if that was even their goal. They were learners, often confused, meandering, always wrestling with what it means to follow Jesus through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit leading them in new ways. And at the heart of their experience is a simple question: What is God up to?

This question becomes transformative. Before it is a purpose question, it is an identity question. Before “what do we do?” they are learning to catch up with “who are we in this crucified and risen Christ”? When the disciples ask questions, they're not just seeking information. They are clarifying new, received, not achieved, identities in Christ through the Spirit. Question become an opportunity, an opening for the Spirit to reshape them and their understanding of who they are being called to be as the church in the world.

We're exploring Acts through the lens of curiosity. Ours is a curiosity that is not the kind that doubts God's faithfulness, although that may be present in various ways, but the kind that trusts God enough to post the hard questions. What does the Spirit's elusive and often invisible presence actually look or smell or feel like? What kind of a community is the Spirit creating, and how might it be similar or different than the communities we create? What does it mean for us to be church now, in this moment, with one another, in our daily lives, and among our neighbors?

The Spirit in Acts isn't tame, domesticated, or predictable. The Spirit disrupts expectations, crosses boundaries, moves the marginalized, creates new possible futures, and persistently asks: Who are we? Who are we becoming? Where is God leading?

I look forward to joining with you in worship this summer. Come with your questions. Come curious. Come ready, alongside the people of the Way in Acts, to discover what it means to be a people created and sustained by the Holy Spirit, learning together what God is up to in our midst.

What is God up to in you?
 
This Coming Sunday’s Text: Acts 1:1-11 – For further exploration use the link and scroll down to Contemporary Commentary: http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/acts1a.htm.

Peace, Pastor David

Here's a video -- unfortunately, the video did not record well (specifically the audio). Click HERE to read a transcript. A summary of the meeting is provided below.

FY27 Budget Draft
 
In preparation for our Annual Meeting, I am sharing today a draft of the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) running from July 1st 2026 – June 30th 2027.  This draft has been prepared in partnership with staff, council, and the personnel and finance teams.  Council has not voted on this budget yet and whether to make any changes before sending it to the congregation for approval at our annual meeting on June 14th.  
This draft was presented to the community at the Virtual Budget Forum on May 13th. Unfortunately, technical issues made the recording unsalvageable.  The slides from that meeting are attached and below is an explanation of the changes for this year.  
We would welcome any questions / comments / concerns you have as soon as possible. You’re welcome to email treasurer@salthousehchurch.org or contact any council member with questions (who will likely refer you to the Treasurer).  
Thanks,
Irwin
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Operating Income
We attempt to estimate operating income each year as we set our expense budget to understand if we end the year with a net positive, neutral, or negative cash flow.  Our income comes from 3 sources:

• Giving – Always the hardest to estimate. This year we are on track to meet our FY26 goal of $435,000 in giving.  As such we would like to set a new goal for FY27 of $455,000, a 5% increase 
• Interest – This is based on interest from our bank accounts and investments.  No planned change this year.  
• Rent (Church + Parsonage) - We are proposing a 2% increase for our renters, just below the Cost of Living increase this year of 2.8%. 

The above changes would increase our income by ~$23,000 or 4%

Operating Expenses
Operating Expenses are what we plan to spend next year to operate our church.  Beyond what is approved in the budget, Council does have the power to authorize additional spending up to $5000 per contract if necessary.  Changes to the budget or spending beyond that from the general fund would require subsequent approval from our membership as we saw this year when we voted to repair the parsonage roof.
For FY27 the draft budget makes the following changes to expenses

• Staff – All raises are as advised by the personnel team and in alignment with Synod recommendations and Cost of Living increases 
• Raises 
  • 3.8% increase for our Head Pastor 
  • 2.8% increases for our Ministry Director and Families lead 
• Replacements 
  • Youth Leader $25/hour @ 15 hours/week  
  • Nursery Support Backup Person $19/hour @ 36 hours/year 
• No Change 
  • Admin $29/hour @ 30 hours/week 
• Interm Pastor 
  • 13 weeks of Pr David in FY27 
• Office Changes 
  • $2250 in Office Supplies and Digital Coms based on current year spending 
  • $2600 in in Software and Electric Bank Fees based on current year spending Thank you to the community! Those of you who moved from credit cards to debit cards or bank withdrawals have saved us a huge amount!  
• Buildings & Grounds 
  • $1000 for Improvements – Planned improvements we want to make to the building including new doors and roof coatings 
  • $2500 for Security based on last year’s spend and increase in monitoring costs 
  • $3650 in utility bills, insurance, taxes and fees based on spending and increases next year
  • $9000 to refill the emergency Building Fund. We established this fund last year and used ~$9000 from it to fix the parsonage roof.  We would like to refill that fund back to its initial $20,000 
• Ministry Programs
  • $1000 for Food, Supplies and Welcome gifts to support the growing community
  • $1000 to support Youth and Family programs 
  • $22,000 for Guest Pastors.  We set this to $30,000 last year to cover the transition to one pastor and preparing for Pr Sara’s sabbatical.  The new amount of $8000 covers 2x guest speakers per month + $2000 additional.  The balance is absorbed into staff costs for Interm Pastor David 

In total, this raises our expense budget by $38,200 or 7%.  With no changes we would be <$2000 net negative for next year and very close to balanced.

Next Steps

• Council Meeting May 26th – Council reviews the budget, makes any final changes and approves a version to send to the congregation 
• Annual Meeting June 14th – Congregation votes on the budget 

A Note on Hiring
While we are not explicitly accounting for it in the budget, there have been questions on if/when we will hire additional spiritual leadership. An additional full-time Pastor would likely cost us $120,000-$190,000 in salary and benefits based on their experience. While they could replace up to $50,000 of current staff, it would still require significant growth in our income to support hiring at that level.  We do of course have options for a part-time leader as well.  
 
While not allocating money for this in the budget as there are no specific plans, we do view next year as a test of what we can really support financially via giving to determine what we can do for hiring.  We wanted to share this info as you consider this budget and your pledges/giving for next year.

We have an incredible opportunity in front of us. A group from our community has created a $20,000 matching pledge fund to encourage generosity and help grow the ministry we believe God is calling Salt House into.

Here’s how it works:

• If you’ve never pledged or given before, every dollar of your new pledge will be matched.
• If you already give, every increased dollar in your pledge will be matched.
• All matching applies up to $20,000 total.

This kind of generosity is already helping Salt House grow. Over the past year, giving increased by 10%, largely through new donors, and we are projected to finish in the black for the first time in years. At the same time, we know there is more ministry ahead of us.
As a community, we’ve named clear priorities for the future:

• Strengthening ministry with children, youth, and families
• Deepening belonging through groups, learning, and community life
• Expanding our justice work through homelessness outreach, radical welcome, and racial justice

To move toward these goals, we need to continue growing our giving and building sustainable momentum for the future. Even a modest increase in pledges this year could help position us to add future ministry staff and expand the care and connection our community longs for.

Whether your next step is starting to give for the first time or increasing your current pledge, every gift matters and every increased dollar will be doubled through this match.
We invite you to spend some time in prayer and conversation with God about what generosity could look like for you this season, and to submit your pledge by June 10.

The Salt House FY27 pledge campaign is underway! You’re invited to take part in our annual pledge campaign as we shape the vision and budget for the year ahead together. Your pledge—whether continuing, changing, or beginning—helps us plan faithfully and discern what’s possible for our shared ministry.

Please submit your pledge and be part of guiding the next chapter of our life as a community.

Irwin Dolobowsky is stepping down after his term as Salt House Treasurer! Thank you Irwin!

Here's a short presentation on what the treasurer does (and doesn't do) when serving the Salt House community.

Here is our FY26, Q3 finance update with Treasurer Irwin Dolbowsky.

During Pastor Sara's sabbatical Salt House has contracted with Rev. Dr. David Hahn for pastoral support! Join us on April 19 to meet Pastor David when he preaches at Salt House.

Pastor Sara will be taking a sabbatical this summer! Here are some important details and frequently asked questions.

When is Pastor Sara’s sabbatical? 
May 26 – August 26, 2026
 
Will Salt House have any pastoral coverage during that time? 
Yes! View the video above to hear about this plan!
 
What will Pastor Sara do on sabbatical? 
Grounding in marriage.  

• The Rooted Pastors Clergy Couple Retreat in Denver, CO.  
• A stay at the Posthotel, Leavenworth, WA. 

Grounding in family.  

• Renting a home in Cle Elum with the extended Wolbrecht family. 

Grounding in spirit and Spirit.  

• The Sacred Pause Retreat (for middle-aged clergy) in Sanat Fe, NM.  
• Spiritual Direction. 

Grounding in play.  

• The week-long course: Watercolor in the Sacred Milieu, at the Grunewald Guild near Leavenworth.  
• Exploring a local Walking-Soccer League! 

Grounding in body.  

• Organizing her home.  
• Exploring daily practices. 
• Getting help for GI and sleep issues.  
• Tending to new ways to exercise and care for her body. 

 
What does Salt House hope for during Pastor Sara’s sabbatical? 
We see this as a great opportunity to grow our connections, nurturing a sense of belonging. We’re going to have some fun while Pastor Sara is gone this summer.
 
Will Pastor Sara be in worship or at events? 
No. She will really be on sabbath from everything Salt House (with some FOMO).
 
What about Jason? Will he take time off? 
Jason will use PTO to take some time off during the summer, as well, and will miss a few Sundays.
 
Pastor Sara has had time off related to her concussion in 2018 and 2023. How does this relate to or affect her sabbatical? 
Pastor Sara had a reduced workload beginning in November 2018, after a concussion became Post-Concussion Syndrome. She was back in her primary Salt House responsibilities in January 2019. At that time, she began filming her sermons for Sunday worship (before COVID made video sermons the trend), which she did for about nine months while moving more fully into her pastoral role.

There have been a few times in the years following where Pastor Sara’s symptoms would be triggered again, usually due to a physical bump. She would adapt her workload as needed in those times.

Pastor Sara also took a six-month medical leave in 2023 (July 2023 – January 2024) to address the ongoing propensity for concussion symptoms being triggered. She was on state Disability pay and not compensated by Salt House during those six months. As her disability benefit ended and she returned to work, the Council decided that Pastor Sara would receive full compensation as she expanded her hours from part to full-time over the course of six months (January 2024 – July 2024).
 
How is Pastor Sara’s health now?
Pastor Sara is doing well! In the last year she’s used the program, Dynamic Neural Retraining System, which has helped her heal and sooth her limbic system (the source of lingering concussion and trauma symptoms). She is feeling stronger and sharper than she has in years.  
 
When was Pastor Sara’s last sabbatical? 
May 15 – August 15, 2017
 
What is Salt House’s sabbatical policy? How long, how often, and for what purpose? 
From the Salt House Personnel Manual:
Sabbaticals provide an extended period in which a rostered staff pastoral leader can
take a break from their regular duties for a season of sabbath, and/or to engage in other
activities to support their spiritual growth, reflect on the call to ministry and on their
relationship with God and God's people. The Sabbatical period and the terms of it are a mutually negotiated agreement (covenant) between the pastor and the congregation. It is recommended that this covenant be made in writing, signed by the Pastor and Council President.

• All Salt House rostered staff who currently work at least 30 hours per week, and who have been employed by Salt House by call or by contract for a minimum of six (6) consecutive years, are eligible for a sabbatical of three months. Successive sabbaticals can be granted no more than once every six years. An optional one-month sabbatical Approved by Leadership Team 10.15.2025 may be granted to an Employee after 3 years of service in place of 6 years of service.
  
  
• Successive sabbaticals of one month would not be granted more than every 3 years. An employee could also qualify for a three-month sabbatical after 6 years of service, following their one-month sabbatical.
  
  
• An extended leave of absence of more than six weeks does not count toward consecutive service for sabbatical eligibility (e.g. An employee who takes a 2-month leave of absence would need to work 6 years plus 2 months to be eligible for a sabbatical).
  
  
• The rostered staff member is expected to develop a plan for the sabbatical that outlines the activities they will engage in and the goals they hope to achieve. Sabbath is considered an appropriate part of the plan for a sabbatical.
  
  
• The rostered staff member's sabbatical plan and timing must be approved by the Church
  
  
• Council at least 3 months before the sabbatical begins. As part of this approval process, the Church council will develop a backfill plan to cover the pastor’s duties and responsibilities while they are on sabbatical.
  
  
• The plan should include a description of the activities the rostered staff member will engage in, the expected outcomes, and a timeline for completion.
  
  
• The rostered staff member is expected to provide a report to the Church Council within 60 days of the completion of the sabbatical period. The report should include a summary of the activities the rostered staff member engaged in, the outcomes achieved, and any recommendations for future sabbaticals.
  
  
• The congregation/Church Council can also provide insights and visions that it has had during the sabbatical period (optional).
  
  
• Return to Work: The expectations for continued service by the rostered staff member to the congregation after the Sabbatical period is completed should be explicitly discussed and agreed upon prior to the approval of the sabbatical plan by Church Council. For example, specific timing, duty transitions, congregation communications, etc.  

Salt House Church in Kirkland is looking for a Church Operations & Community Manager to join our vibrant, inclusive community dedicated to social progressivism and radical hospitality. This part-time role, offering 30 hours per week, manages day-to-day building operations and serves as a vital connection point for staff, volunteers, and the local community. If you are an organized and proactive individual with a heart for service, please apply by sending your resume and a brief cover letter to hiring@salthousechurch.org

DETAILS:
Position Type: Part-time (approximately 30 hours/week), Non-exempt
Schedule: Sunday–Thursday, approx. 9am–3pm
Compensation: $23–$30/hour based on experience
Benefits: $270/month benefits stipend | Paid Time Off | Continuing Education
Reports To: Church Pastor
Location: Salt House Church | 11920 NE 80th St, Kirkland, WA 98033
Travel Required: No
Background Check: Criminal background check required | Safe Haven Training provided

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Operations & Property Stewardship

• Own the day‑to‑day operations of the church building and campus, ensuring spaces are safe, functional, and welcoming.
• Coordinate and schedule maintenance services in cooperation with the Building and Grounds Team, including cleaning, utilities, pest control, security, equipment, landscaping, and required certifications.
• Manage keys, alarms, access, and building readiness.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for urgent building or alarm issues. This responsibility does not limit personal time; only active time spent responding is paid.
• Oversee the campus calendar and building use.
• Cultivate positive relationships and serve as a liaison to renters, church congregations, and onsite partners, including Kirkland Place and the Kirkland Co-op Preschool.
• Monitor building use and ensure smooth transitions between users, so spaces are adequately prepared.
• Develop systems to refine and improve operational efficiency/effectiveness, advancing our mission, vision, and initiatives.
• Work closely with church leadership to develop and maintain procedural policies and protocols for staff and volunteers that align with our mission and values.

Office & Systems Management

• Maintain an organized, functional, and welcoming office environment.
• Manage office operations including incoming and outgoing mail, general church email, inventory and purchasing office, kitchen, and building supplies, printing, and office equipment maintenance.
• Manage databases, records, lists, and passwords.
• Ensure accurate data entry and that all records are maintained in a safe and secure manner.
• Maintain institutional documentation and systems that support the ongoing work of the church.

Administrative & Financial Support

• Provide administrative support to staff and ministry teams to advance program and ministry outcomes.
• In cooperation with the bookkeeper, support the financial systems of Salt House Church.
• Support the work of the Finance Team, Treasurer, and Financial Secretary.
• Process bills, reimbursements, and checks; support payroll reminders and financial workflows.
• Prepare reports and documentation as requested in coordination with the bookkeeper and leadership.
• Support the Personnel Team with administrative tasks, paperwork, and systems as needed.

Welcome, Communications & Community Interface

• Serve as a primary point of contact and welcoming presence for staff, volunteers, congregants, partners, and community members.
• Manage incoming phone calls, emails, referrals, and front‑door interactions, directing people to appropriate staff, ministries, or resources.
• Produce and distribute the weekly email newsletter.
• Support and maintain the church's social media presence, including creating and curating content for platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.
• Help tell the story of how Salt House Church is making a positive impact in the community with and through God's love.
• Create an Annual Report by collecting weekly 'This Is Goods' and other newsworthy items from the life of Salt House Church.

Volunteer Coordination & Support

• In collaboration with staff and ministry leaders, identify volunteer roles and support the creation of volunteer position descriptions.
• Support recruitment, screening, onboarding, training, oversight, and coordination of volunteers as needed.
• Cultivate positive, appreciative relationships and clear communication with volunteers.
• Support volunteer teams that provide essential operational and ministry support across the church.

Justice Work Support

• Provide administrative and logistical support for Salt House's justice‑focused initiatives, including reparations work.
• Track funds, reimbursements, and reporting related to justice and community initiatives.
• Support communications, scheduling, and coordination for justice‑focused teams and activities.

WEEKLY RHYTHM

• Maintain consistent office hours aligned with the posted schedule, with occasional flexibility to support operational needs.
• Meet weekly with the Pastor to share updates, coordinate priorities, and address operational matters.
• Participate in weekly staff meetings and provide administrative and operational updates as needed.
• Support the preparation and flow of weekly administrative items related to facilities, partners, volunteers, finance, shelter coordination, and personnel matters.
• Regular Sunday presence is expected as part of community engagement, with flexibility for scheduling needs.

 
MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• 3–5 years of administrative experience, preferably in a nonprofit or faith-based setting, with demonstrated responsibility for independently managing systems or operations while working collaboratively with staff, volunteers, and community partners.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative, showing a willingness to take responsibility and get things done.
• Strong attention to detail with proven ability to achieve thoroughness and accuracy.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to identify problems and resolve them with efficiency, flexibility, and creativity.
• Enthusiasm for being part of a growing community and serving others with love and compassion.
• Proven ability to extend sensitivity and inclusivity to guests and members, especially people from marginalized communities, including unhoused neighbors.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships and communication with staff, volunteers, and community members.
• A collaborative and adaptable mindset, with a willingness to embrace change and innovation.
• Comfort with technology and learning new software; proficiency in MS Word, Excel, and Outlook required.
• Ability to complete Safe Haven Training at Salt House (provided).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• An associate's degree in business administration, nonprofit management, or related field.
• Budget management and fiscal agent experience.
• Proficiency in QuickBooks, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, SharePoint, and Expensify.

CORE COMPETENCIES
All employees of Salt House Church are required to be able to work effectively with church staff, lay leaders, members, and the general public. Each employee is expected to demonstrate the following core competencies and values:

• Working with others toward one common goal
• Commitment to support and empowerment of volunteers
• Adaptability to changing roles and job challenges
• Open and timely communication
• Understanding and respect of professional and personal boundaries
• Respect for, and inclusiveness of, all individuals, consistent with our mission statement
• Protection of confidential information

 
PHYSICAL DEMANDS / WORK ENVIRONMENT

• The employee frequently is required to talk and hear
• The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 20 pounds
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus
• Position requires flexibility in scheduling, including odd hours

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily within the physical parameters and work environment described above. The requirements listed herein are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required and of the general working conditions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

REQUIRED CERTIFICATES, LICENSES AND REGISTRATIONS

• This position requires a criminal background check.
• This position requires Safe Haven Training (provided by Salt House).

HOW TO APPLY
We'd love to hear from you. Please send your resume and a brief cover letter to hiring@salthousechurch.org.

Our mission is to be a church that lives by faith, is known by love, and joins God's movement of healing, justice and hope for the world.
salthousechurch.org

Salt House Treasurer Irwin Dolobowsky gives a finance update for the Salt House community. Here is an overview of the Salt House FY26 Q2 Finance Review highlighting the important elements:

• Financial Health & Giving Trends
  
  • Record-Breaking Months: The church experienced its best October and November ever for giving.
  • Income Performance: Year-to-date General Giving is at $230,429, exceeding the budgeted amount of $217,500 (106%). Total operating income stands at $305,871, which is 105% of the budget.
  • Expense Management: Expenses are currently under budget at $260,960 (91% of the planned $285,395).
  • Significant Surplus: Due to high giving and lower expenses, the Net Operating Income is $44,911, far exceeding the budgeted surplus of $7,082.
    
    
• Funds & Assets
  • General Fund: The General Fund balance has grown to $273,253 as of the end of Q2.
  • Restricted Accounts: There has been active distribution of restricted funds into the community, particularly from the Community Initiatives and Reparations funds.
  • Total Assets: Total assets are valued at approximately $3.64 million, with very low liabilities ($15,920).
    
    
• Staffing & Personnel Updates
  • Finance Secretary Transition: Scott Moor was thanked for his service, and Mariah Mannia-Hitz was welcomed as the new volunteer Finance Secretary.
  • Open Roles: The current Treasurer's term ends in June, creating a vacancy for a new Treasurer. The church is also looking for new members to join the Finance Team.
    
    
• Future Planning & Activities
  • FY27 Budget: The budget process for the next fiscal year is kicking off, with a community vote scheduled for June.
  • Wisdom Council / Hiring: Discussions are ongoing regarding future staffing. The Treasurer noted that while the church is doing well, hiring another pastor (estimated at $130k–$160k/year) would require significant growth in the congregation and giving.
    
    
• Ways to Give
  • In-Person: Donations can be placed in the "Joy Jar" located in the sanctuary.
  • Online: Gifts can be made via the online giving portal, which supports one-time and recurring donations 
  • Giving Page at Salt House Church - https://www.salthousechurch.org/giving
    
    
• Community Note
  • Girl Scouts: Irwin is coordinating Girl Scout cookie sales at the church to ensure fairness among the scouts involved.

Lent is a season for spiritual renewal—forty-ish days that invite us to slow down, tell the truth about our lives and the world, and lean into God’s deep love that meets us right where we are. You’re invited to engage in worship, community, justice, and shared spiritual practices throughout the season. Come for one thing or many—there’s room for you. You can find more info on our website

Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent with worship, prayer, and the marking of ashes. Join us for this reflective evening service at Salt House.
Childcare available for ages 0–5; kids of all ages are also welcome in worship.

Sundays | 10:00am Worship
The embodied journey of Lent - we journey honestly toward our mortality with Jesus (and he walks faithful toward the cross) while trusting God’s powerful, renewing love at work within and among us.

Wednesdays at 6:30pm | MEAL SIGN UP HERE
Join us for a shared meal, simple meditative worship (Taizé & Holden Evening Prayer), and community connections. Family-friendly; nursery care available.

Tuesday, March 10 | 6:30pm
Award-winning journalist and author Nico Lang joins us to share from their book American Teenager, lifting up stories of trans youth with courage, resilience, and joy. Together we’ll explore how our community can better support queer and trans kids.
Free and open to the public. Book signing to follow.

Starting March 17 we will host a Tuesday evening book study on John Fugelsang's book Separation of Church and Hate -- Pick up a copy and start reading! The book study will be an ONLINE event via Microsoft Teams.

Sunday, March 1 | 4:00–7:00pm
MAPS Redmond (17550 NE 67th Ct, Redmond)The Muslim Association of Puget Sound (MAPS) invites our Salt House community to their 2026 Interfaith Iftar, celebrating 20 years of service, unity, and community impact. Ramadan is a sacred month centered on fasting, reflection, generosity, and renewal, with each evening’s iftar meal offering a powerful expression of shared values.This evening will bring together faith leaders, educators, public officials, and neighbors to:

• Learn about Ramadan and its significance
• Build relationships across faiths
• Celebrate shared values through dialogue and a shared meal
  RSVP by Feb. 9, 2026: bit.ly/mapsinterfaith Use promo code: hend26

You’re invited into the ancient Lenten practice of fasting on Thursdays (in whatever way makes sense for you) and to join a virtual prayer gathering from 12:00–12:30pm via Microsoft Teams.

New Bethlehem Place Volunteer Training | Sunday, Mar. 8 at 11:30am
Required training for those interested in serving in facilitation and community event roles with our neighbors at the family shelter next door.

Sunday, March 29 | After Worship
Help spruce up the Salt House building and grounds as we prepare for Easter. All ages welcome—stay as long as you’re able! Music, hot dogs, and good company included.

Two classes during Lent | First Communion Sunday: March 29
For kids in 1st grade and older, culminating in a joyful celebration during worship.

Good Friday Worship | Friday, April 3 – 6:30pm
Easter Sunday Celebration | Sunday, April 5 – 10:00am

Job Title: Nursery Team Member
Job Category: Childcare
Department/Group: Children’s Ministry
Training Required: Safe Haven
Training Provided: Yes

Location: Salt House Church, Kirkland, WA      
Compensation: $17.13 - $20.00 per hour, depending on experience
Position Type: Part-time (6 hours/month)
Reports to: Rachel Horton
Travel Required

Applications Accepted:

• By: EMAIL: rachelh@salthousechurch.org 
• MAIL: Salt House Church, 11920 NE 80th St., Kirkland, WA 98033

Job Description

Salt House Church, a welcoming and progressive community in Kirkland’s South Rose Hill neighborhood, is seeking a warm and enthusiastic individual to join our team as a Nursery Team Member. We are a community grounded in the teachings of Jesus, with a strong emphasis on inclusivity and social justice within the Lutheran (ELCA) tradition.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Help create a loving environment for the youngest members of our community. As a Nursery Team Member, your primary responsibility will be to care for and engage with children aged 0-4 during worship services, ensuring a safe and nurturing environment.
This position will require the person to work in nursery room two to three Sundays per month, plus one other non-Sunday “event.”  Responsibilities include:

• Welcome and Engage: Create a welcoming atmosphere by warmly greeting parents and children as they enter the nursery.
• Lead or Assist in Activities: Support or lead circle time, which includes reading stories, singing songs, and leading prayers (materials provided). Interact with children and encourage involvement in activities.
• Safety and Hygiene: Ensure child safety by following established drop-off and pick-up procedures and providing toileting support as needed.
• Communication: Communicate effectively with lead staff regarding any needs, supplies, or issues. Utilize flexibility and creativity to solve problems/conflicts between children.
• Clean-Up: Maintain a tidy and organized nursery space by cleaning and straightening toys, equipment, and other materials after use.

HOURS:

• Work two to three Sundays per month from 9:45 am – 11:15 am.
• Work one additional non-Sunday “event” to provide childcare while parents are participating in the event.
• A monthly check-in meeting with the Children, Youth & Family Ministries Director is also required.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be 16+ years old.
• Experience caring for children preferred.
• Ability to work well in a team and communicate effectively is essential.
• This position requires a national background check for candidates aged 18+.
• This position requires Safe Haven Training (provided by Salt House).

PHYSICAL DEMANDS / WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Must be able to lift up to 20 lbs and engage in activities that require talking, hearing, and seeing.

CORE COMPETENCIES:
All employees of Salt House Church are required to be able to work effectively with church staff, lay leaders, members, volunteers, and the general public.  Each employee is expected to demonstrate the following core competencies and values:

• Working with others toward one common goal
• Commitment to support and empowerment of volunteers
• Adaptability to changing roles and job challenges
• Open and timely communication
• Understanding and respect of professional and personal boundaries
• Respect for, and inclusiveness of, all individuals, consistent with our mission statement
• Protection of confidential information

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily within the physical parameters and work environment described above. The requirements listed herein are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required and of the general working conditions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Here's the finance update for FY26, Q1 with Salt House Treasurer Irwin Dolobowsky.

Hello Salt House!

With the launch of our fall Small Groups, we are creating connections with one another! And one of the tools we’ll be implementing to help the Salt House community do this connecting work is an ONLINE DIRECTORY for anyone in our community who is a member or regular attender.

If you’re part of the Salt House community, we have much of your information organized and ready to go; however, your personal information is always private in the directory until you choose to share it.

Access to the directory is the same as your access to your giving or any other space in the Planning Center System (enter your phone number or email, plus authentication code sent via text message or email). Any given individual’s access to the directory is determined by the permissions we set as administrators.

You should have received an invitation to access the directory and choose your publicly available information. One nice feature is that your personal contact information is ALWAYS hidden, but if folks want to contact you, there is a “contact” button that relays messages to your primary email. It’s a sweet system. If you don’t receive an invitation to the directory, let us know via the email address below.

If you have any questions or need to update any of your information, please let us know – send a message to info@salthousechurch.org

KATIE'S GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARD!

After many months of planning, the new basketball pad for the New Bethlehem Shelter next door is finally complete — and it’s already being put to good use! The kids began playing the moment the concrete dried. The court is also open to our own youth and the Kirkland Co-op Preschool.

This project began as part of Katherine's Girl Scout Gold Award, which focuses on creating lasting, community-centered impact. When I learned that the shelter kids had been playing basketball in the parking lot — even against a neighbor’s wall — it was clear a safer space was needed.

With guidance from Jim Anderson, Sean Mobley, and James Colver, and help from Pastor Ryan and shelter contact Chanel Fleming, we were able to design a plan that met the shelter’s needs without disrupting residents. After our first contractor fell through, we partnered with Miguel from Kirkland Concrete, who did a fantastic job. Funding came from the Salt House Community Initiatives Fund (thank you, Council!), and Jim Anderson generously donated the pole and backboard.

It’s amazing to see this vision come to life. As a next step, I’d love to host a short basketball mini-camp to teach kids fun games for a smaller court. If you have any basketball experience and would like to help, please connect us at Salt House.

Thank you all for your support in making this project a reality!

Salt House Treasurer Irwin Dolobowsky shared our end-of-year Finance Update for FY25

Howdy! I (Rachel Horton) would like to set up our youth for a successful, fun, and engaging 2025-26 programming year! This means having volunteers and support set up for the new youth leader (or myself!) before the fall kickoff. I'll try to answer some common questions here about Co-Leading at Salt House.

What is the commitment?
It would be a one-year commitment (August 2025 - June 2026). Each group meets for 1 hour per week. As a coleader, you will be in-charge some sessions, so you may want to set aside 30 minutes during those weeks to go over the lesson.

What do I need to do as a co-leader?
While you may be leading the group some weeks, all of the curriculum and materials will be provided to you -- you don't have to come up with anything by yourself (unless you have some game ideas you want to share!).

What makes a good co-leader?
Someone who is willing to sit with the youth and genuinely engage with them. None of us know everything, so it's okay not to have all the answers -- just be willing to talk about it and form relationships with the kids. And be ready for FUN! The youth often go out and do fun things -- pumpkin patch, rock climbing, service projects, etc. If this is something you love, this volunteer position is PERFECT FOR YOU!

Please prayerfully consider if this service opportunity might be right for you. These programs don't happen without volunteer support, so thank you for considering!

Let me know if you have any questions :)

Hello friends!

It's time to soak up the sun and enjoy one another's company. At Salt House, we've been working hard to organize connecting opportunities for y'all. Look below for a number of ways to enjoy the beautiful Pacific Northwest weather, good food, and meet some new folks. If you're newer to Salt House, these opportunities are the perfect way to engage.

A few folx from Salt House are opening their homes for dinner gatherings! Check out the options below!

Host: Becky Wilson
Where: Duvall
When: July 18 from 6-9pm
Up to 11 people, all ages
SIGN UP HERE

Host: Jim & Anne Anderson
Where: Kirkland (South Rose Hill)
When: July 23 from 6-9pm
Up to 10 people, all ages
SIGN UP HERE

Host: Linnea Anderson
Where: Bothell
When: Aug 1 from 6-9pm
Up to 10 people, singles and couples (no kids)
SIGN UP HERE

Host: Pam Waring, Terry Doty, and Deb Paget
Where: Kirkland
When: Aug 18 from 12-3pm
Up to 12 people, singles and couples (no kids)
SIGN UP HERE
 
And there's more!
- Movies at Marymoor on July 2, July 24, and Aug 20
- Queer Group Events
- VBS - July 14-18
- Wavery Beach Park Hangout, July 30