All are Welcome!
- Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
- Honoring Our Veterans
- Sunday, November 15, 2026, 10:30 a.m.
- View the livestream
Sermon Reflection Questions
- What does it mean to you to be a member of God’s household, and how can you help others feel welcomed and included in your church?
- What gifts, talents, time, and resources has God entrusted to you, and how are you using them to bless others and strengthen the church?
Order of Worship
| Prelude “All I Need Is You” TFWS #2080 Leann Onishi |
| Welcome of Grace and Greeting Rev. Karen Yokota Love |
| Land Acknowledgment Rev. Karen Yokota Love |
| Honoring Our Veterans Craig Iriye |
| *Call to Worship Rev. Karen Yokota Love |
| *Opening Hymn “The Summons” TFWS #2130 Eugene Onishi and Miriam Tong |
| Opening Prayer Ron Nobuyama |
| First Scripture Reading Matthew 25:14–30 (Common English Bible and New Interconfessional Translation) Tsutomu Nagoya and Ron Nobuyama |
| Children’s Message Church School Superintendent Sai Hanaoka |
| Special Music “Across the Lands” Blaine Praise Band |
| Stewardship Mission Moment Ron Nobuyama |
| Second Scripture Reading Ephesians 2:19–22 (CEB and NIT) Tsutomu Nagoya and Ron Nobuyama |
| Sermon “You are a Blessing” Rev. Karen Yokota Love |
| Hymn of Response “He Is God” Eugene Onishi and Miriam Tong |
| Introduction to the Offering Ron Nobuyama |
| Offertory Music “Holy, Holy, Holy” UMH #64 David Ige |
| Doxology “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” UMH #94 Eugene Onishi and David Ige |
| Prayer of Dedication Ron Nobuyama |
| Announcements Rev. Karen Yokota Love |
| Closing Song “The Spirit Sends Us Forth to Serve” TFWS #2241 Eugene Onishi and Miriam Tong |
| Benediction Rev. Karen Yokota Love |
| Postlude “He Is Exalted” TFWS #2070 David Ige |
| Sunday’s Altar Flowers Miriam Tong |
Daily Lectionary Readings
Blaine Memorial UMC Weekly Announcements
Dates to Remember
| Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Migrant and Refugee Donation Ministry at Riverton Park UMC |
| Wednesdays • Wednesday Morning Coffee and Prayer |
| Sunday, Nov. 15: • Personal Safety Presentation immediately following worship in the Sanctuary. Please note: This presentation will not be livestreamed or recorded. |
| Sunday, Nov. 22: • Stewardship commitment cards for 2027 are due. Cards will be consecrated and blessed during worship. • All-Church Gratitude Potluck in the Lee Activity Center following worship • Mashed Potato Making Party for the Kimball Thanksgiving Meals in the Lee Activity Center following the potluck |
| Saturday, Nov. 28, 9 a.m. • Greening of Blaine |
| Sunday, Nov. 29 • First Sunday of Advent |
| Thursday, Dec. 3 • Blaine Ukulele Group of Seattle (B.U.G.S.) Christmas Luncheon and Ukulele Concert in the Social Hall. RSVP by Nov. 25, 2026. |
New! Personal Safety Presentation on Nov. 15 After Worship
Please join us immediately following worship on Sunday, Nov. 15, for the third in our series of brief, in-person presentations on personal safety at Blaine Memorial.
We are pleased to welcome Mark Solomon, crime prevention coordinator for the Seattle Police Department’s South Precinct, who will share his knowledge and expertise on staying safe at church and being aware of our surroundings.
Please note that this presentation will not be livestreamed or recorded.
Feeling safe and valued helps us experience God’s love more deeply and encourages us to extend that same care and compassion to one another. We hope you will join us for this important opportunity to learn and strengthen our sense of community.
If you are unable to attend in person, please reach out to Arlene Naganawa, Dale Kaneko or Steve Sakahara for information shared during the presentation. If you need their phone numbers or email addresses, please contact the church office.
Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you there!
All-Church Gratitude Potluck on Sunday, Nov. 22, in the Lee Activity Center
Come, give thanks and celebrate the blessings we share!
Join us for a joyful All-Church Gratitude Potluck in the Lee Activity Center after worship as we celebrate Thanksgiving and Gratitude Sunday! It’s a special time for our church family to gather in fellowship, share a meal and give thanks for the many blessings God has bestowed upon us.
We will also celebrate the culmination of our stewardship campaign, Belonging: Blessed to Be a Blessing, recognizing that we are blessed not only to receive but also to share our blessings with others.
This Sunday is also an opportunity to express our heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to our beloved pastors for their faithful leadership, loving service and spiritual guidance. Let’s make this celebration extra special by bringing a dish to share and a heart filled with gratitude!
Potluck Guidelines
To help us coordinate our delicious feast, please bring a dish according to the first letter of your last name:
- A-H: Main dish and salad
- I-Z: Main dish and side dish
- Desserts: Generously provided by the Staff-Parish Relations Committee (SPRC)
- Singles: One dish or item is perfectly fine!
Let us gather around the table with thankful hearts, celebrate the blessings of belonging, honor those who shepherd us and rejoice in the spirit of giving.
We look forward to celebrating with you. Don’t miss this wonderful time of food, fellowship, thanksgiving and gratitude!
Questions? Please contact Sally Sekijima.
New! You’re Invited to a Festive Christmas Luncheon Hosted by B.U.G.S. on Thursday, Dec. 3, in the Social Hall
Blaine Lunch Timers (BLT) is back! Come celebrate the joy of the Christmas season with us at a special holiday luncheon honoring our beloved Blaine Memorial UMC seniors!
Everyone is invited! Please RSVP by Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2026, so we can get an accurate count for food.
Whether you’re a longtime member, a friend, a neighbor or a visitor to our church, we’d love to share this special time with you. Enjoy a delicious lunch, warm fellowship and festive holiday entertainment featuring the Blaine Memorial UMC Ukulele Group of Seattle (B.U.G.S.)!
Bring a friend, bring the family and bring your Christmas cheer! Children are always welcome!
Luncheon Details
- When: Thursday, Dec. 3, 2026
- Time: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Where: Blaine Memorial UMC Social Hall
- Please RSVP by Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2026.
- By email: office@blaineonline.org, subject line: Dec Lunch RSVP
- By phone: 206-723-1536
- Office hours: Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Come share the joy of the season! Let’s make this a wonderful time of laughter, friendship, good food and Christmas spirit. We look forward to celebrating with you!
Kimball Elementary School Thanksgiving Meals and Giving Tree Information
As we enter this season of gratitude and giving, we are excited to partner with Kimball Elementary School once again to bring Thanksgiving meals and Christmas gifts to students and families in our community who could use a little extra support.
Through this outreach, we have the opportunity to share more than meals and gifts — we can share kindness, hope and the love of our community.
Thanksgiving Meals
This year, we are expanding our efforts to serve even more families. Most of the Thanksgiving meals will be store-bought, while we will continue our tradition of coming together to prepare homemade blueberry crumbles and mashed potatoes. Our blueberry crumble work party took place Sunday, Nov. 8.
We invite everyone to join us for our mashed potato preparation: Sunday, Nov. 22, after the Thanksgiving and Gratitude Potluck in the Lee Activity Center!
Whether you can lend a hand with preparation or simply join others in fellowship, everyone is welcome! We are also gratefully accepting donations to help cover the cost of meals and ingredients.
Thanksgiving meals will be delivered to Kimball Elementary School on Tuesday, Nov. 24.
Christmas Giving Tree
Our Giving Tree, decorated with gift tags representing the Christmas wishes of Kimball students, will be in the Social Hall from Nov. 15-29.
We invite you to choose a tag (or several!) and help make a child’s Christmas a little brighter. If you are unable to pick up a tag after Sunday worship, please contact the church office to arrange a pickup during office hours.
Any tags not selected by Sunday, Nov. 29, will be collected and distributed to volunteer shoppers so every child has an opportunity to receive a gift.
If you are unable to take a tag but would still like to participate, monetary donations are also warmly welcomed. Every contribution helps make this outreach possible!
Please return all wrapped gifts, with the corresponding gift tag securely attached, no later than Sunday, Dec. 6.
Gifts will be delivered to Kimball Elementary School on Tuesday, Dec. 8.
How to Give
Donations for both the Thanksgiving meals and the Giving Tree may be made through Blaine’s website, text message (SMS), cash, check or Realm.
To ensure your donation is directed to the appropriate outreach, please use the following designations:
Thanksgiving Meals: Select “BYG” and enter “Thanksgiving” in the memo field.
Giving Tree: Select “Special Donations/Other” and enter “Giving Tree” in the memo field.
Thank you for continuing to open your hearts and share your blessings with families in our community. Whether you volunteer your time, prepare food, select a gift tag, shop for a child or make a financial contribution, every act of generosity makes a difference.
May we come together in the spirit of Thanksgiving and Christmas to remind these children and families that they are loved, valued and remembered. Questions? Please contact Terri Adolfo at locket8@gmail.com.
The Greening of Blaine! Saturday, Nov. 28, 9 a.m. to noon
It’s time to get into the holiday spirit! Join us for Blaine’s annual Greening of Blaine on Saturday, Nov. 28, from 9 a.m. to noon as we prepare our church for the Advent season.
The Worship Committee warmly invites everyone to come together for a festive morning of decorating and fellowship. Activities will include making beautiful wreaths, creating an artistic paper-cutout display for the Sanctuary wall behind the altar and decorating the Sanctuary for the holidays.
No experience is necessary — just bring your holiday spirit and willingness to help! If you would like to participate in wreath-making, please bring garden shears to help trim the greenery, if possible.
Following our morning of decorating, the Worship Committee will provide lunch. Love donations are welcome.
Let’s come together, share some holiday cheer and see if we can top last year’s record number of volunteers! Your helping hands will make a difference as we prepare our church to welcome the Advent season.
Everyone is welcome! Let’s make this year’s Greening of Blaine our best yet!
Questions? Please contact Miriam Tong.
Stewardship 2027: Belonging — Blessed to Be a Blessing
What a blessing it is to belong to a church family where we grow in faith, share in community and care for one another!
Throughout November, we’ll explore our stewardship theme, “Belonging: Blessed to Be a Blessing.” This theme reminds us that all we have is a gift from God and that we are called to share those blessings with others through our time, talents and giving.
We invite you to prayerfully consider how you can participate in the work God is doing through our church.
We belong. We are blessed. We bless others!
Migrant and Refugee Donation Ministry at Riverton Park UMC
Riverton Park UMC needs:
- Diapers (sizes 3-7)
- Baby wipes
- Kitchen pots and pans
- Paper plates
- Toothpaste
- Long-grain rice
- Cooking oil
Blaine Memorial UMC Collection Hours
Donations can be dropped off at Blaine Memorial UMC’s Social Hall Tuesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please call the church office at 206-723-1536 before dropping off your items.
Our Story Continues
- Senior Pastor Reflection: From Summer’s Gifts to Autumn’s Promise
- WFR and Blaine Memorial UMC raise $20,325 for families in need!
- LAC Chairs Are ‘Like New’ Now
- Our Scholarship Recipients for 2026
- VBS 2026! Hero Central: Discover Your Strength in God!
- BYG Update: Reflections of a Spiritual Summer at Blaine
Our monthly collection of ministry stories can be found in the Beacon newsletter. Happenings, Faith & Ministries, Visions, and Connections can be enjoyed through our PDF versions of the newsletter. If you would like to subscribe to a printed version, contact the Church Office for more information.