Posts by FUMC Office (Page 7)
Our Heart Breaks
First Church Family, First Buffalo, then Laguna, and finally Uvalde. What should our response be to the horrors that continue to pervade our country due to gun violence? Innocent victims, this time including 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders have been sacrificed needlessly. Of course, there are numerous possible responses, most of which lead us into the theatre of politics. We won’t go there. But we do decry such violence as evil. And we pray: * For the innocent victims. “LORD,…
FLAT WESLEY Adventure
Go on an adventure with FUMC as we celebrate summer with FLAT WESLEY! (The idea for the FLAT WESLEY is based on the youth literature character, Flat Stanley©, by Jeff Brown.) Directions: Color the FLAT (John or Charles) WESLEY template, then cut him out. Take FLAT WESLEY with you throughout your summer, take a photo of what you are doing with him to share with your church family! Let your imagination soar as we enjoy these tangible reminders of the…
May News
First Church Family, Several weeks ago, in a conversation with our Pete Kidder, Caldwell Habitat for Humanity executive director, I came to understand that: * there are houses within a mile of our church where families with children live on dirt floors.* more than 7,000 houses in our county are heated by portable kerosene heaters and by opening the oven.* 7,764 families in our county spend almost one-third of their total income on housing.* and many mobile homes in our county are so poorly…
FCY Fundraiser Lunch
First Church Family: I love this time of year, when the mornings are cool and the days are warm. I’ve already “put out” a number of vegetables in the garden, and am hoping we don’t have a killing freeze! This Sunday is the first day of May, and the month of May is one of the busiest months of the year for us, with Mother’s Day, school year ending programs, graduations, weddings, etc.. This Sunday is especially big for two reasons.…
Easter Announcements
First Church Family: What a blessed Lent we have had, through the Palm Sunday’s “The Last Supper Tableau”! Tonight at 6:00PM, we will continue to walk with Jesus to the Cross, as we participate in a Maundy/Holy Thursday Communion Service. For the first time in two years, you will have the opportunity to receive elements of bread and juice from the pastors. (The cellophane, pre-packaged wafers and juice will also be available, should you prefer that.) Then tomorrow, we will gather at St. Stephen’s…
Holy Week
First Church Family: After church on Palm Sunday, I sat in my office after experiencing our Last Supper Tableau program. I was exhausted but fulfilled, having had the privilege of serving with fellow followers of Christ during the program. At the close of the service, each one of Jesus’ disciples abandoned Him, leaving Him with the weight of the world on His shoulders. Can you imagine the darkness, pain, and discouragement He experienced, having everyone betray, deny, and…
Helping Those in Need
First Church Family, Last Thursday, in a conversation with our Pete Kidder, Caldwell Habitat for Humanity executive director, I came to understand that: there are houses within a mile of our church where families with children live on dirt floors. more than 7,000 houses in our county are heated by portable kerosene heaters and by opening the oven. 7,764 families in our county spend almost one-third of their total income on housing. and many mobile homes in our county are so poorly insulated that…
April News
First Church Family, It’s finally spring! I pray you are experiencing new life in Christ as we are reminded of God’s restoration of the earth after a long, dark, cold winter? One of the most important things we do as Methodists is participate in the ministry of the church worldwide. Paying our Apportionments is a way we participate. Recently, our District Superintendent wrote us about our faithfulness. United Methodist Church family, Congratulations and thank you for your…
Youth and Ministry
First Church Family, I pray you are in good health and spirits. Important things are happening in our church family. Over the past weeks, we have sought to recharge our youth ministry. During the past two years of COVID restraints, our Tara Hatton led us well. In the couple of months since she left the program to take better care of her family, we have prayed about moving forward and asked our congregation to assist us in recommitting ourselves to supporting a strong youth program. …
Spring Is Coming
First Church Family, I pray that you are enjoying seeing March flowers bloom. Spring will be here soon! Our Lenten worship theme is “The Bible: Full of Failures”, with a special focus on those who failed Jesus leading up to His Crucifixion. All of our worship will be directing us to a powerful experience of Holy Week, beginning on Palm/Passion Sunday, and extending through Easter Sunday, April 17. Please put the date of Palm/Passion Sunday, April 10, on your calendars…
March News
First Church Family, I pray that you are enjoying seeing March flowers burst through the ground. Spring will be here soon! I know it’s early, but I want to share several things with you about Lent, which begins on Wednesday, March 2, and continues through Saturday, April 9. A service of Dispensation of Ashes will be held on Ash Wednesday, at 6:00pm in our Sanctuary. All persons, regardless of age or membership, are invited. Our Lenten…
Moving Forward
Dear First Church Family, After a couple of icy mornings, we’re beginning to see the sun. And what a pleasant surprise that has been! About twenty-five students, parents, and grandparents stayed after church Sunday to begin the conversation of moving forward with our youth program. It was a good meeting. We all want the program to move forward productively; and we will see to it that will happen. I have already had preliminary interviews with two youth leader candidates who could…