Pastor’s eNote: Weekly Update

I’ve been wondering over the last couple of years how we can open the doors of FFMC to our community. After all, those living in our immediate neighborhood are a priority for us as a church. Our doors for worship are always open, but the intimidation barrier to enter our space on a Sunday morning is often too much to ask of people.

I started spending most of my Wednesday afternoons not working in our church office. I keep “office hours” at the Hilltop Ale House in Queen Anne. When I arrive at 2:00 p.m., most people there for lunch have left, and it is a relatively quiet place. By 4:00 p.m., the crowd begins to swell, with very few, if any, tables available for seating. Here is what I have learned:

• Employees often know the names of their customers.
• Groups are usually three to four people, with very few twosomes.
• Topics I overhear vary from sports to politics.
• There is laughing. Lots of it.
• I have not seen an intoxicated person yet.

I wonder how we can create spaces that have some of the same “vibe” (characteristics) at our own church. Where can we make space where people feel welcomed, known, and safe? How might people experience our witness of hospitality in the name of Jesus?

We’re no ale house. It seems to me that the ale is not what draws people together. There is a hunger for community and connection that is in-person. On that subject, we can do something.

For five weeks during Lent (February 25–March 25), we will be offering a Wednesday night dinner for our church and our community. It is called “The Table,” and is part of the community dinner church movement in Seattle. Our Lead Team of paid and unpaid staff are in training right now. We intend to open our doors wide at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday evenings for a time of dinner, discussion, and prayer. I hope there are lots of laughs, too! All are welcome.

Look for more information to come. For now, let’s pray that this new expression of our church’s life and witness will spark new community at FFMC.

Grace to You All,

Pastor Craig Brown

P.S. You may see me in my Seahawks jersey this Sunday. Feel free to join me on Super Bowl Sunday with your Seahawks swag!

(February 3rd, 2026)