Coffee & Conversations
Join us Wednesday, March 20th at Noon for Coffee & Conversations held at Warsaw’s Courthouse Coffee.
Come and join together with women from churches from the Warsaw area as we meet together. This will be a follow up from the Trinity Women’s retreat as we build communicaton and camaraderie with one another. You don’t need to have attended the retreat to come and enjoy one another’s company!
Led by Pastor Cindy Gackenheimer.
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Easter Egg Hunt
Join us on Palm Sunday for a worship filled day (including Palm parade) and hang out afterwards for an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids!
Sunday, March 24th at 9 a.m.
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Design Outreach 5th Sunday
Lent/Easter Mission Offering
March 31, Easter Sunday, is also a 5th Sunday. This year’s mission offering for Lent/Easter and the 5th Sunday in March is the fundraising campaign with Design Outreach to provide a LifePump for Mwalupanga, Malawi. Mwalupanga is a community of 1,750 people in northern Malawi along the border with Tanzania. Currently, their water source is the Songwe River, where they collect water for drinking, cooking and bathing. The task of gathering water from the river is both time-consuming and arduous. As the river is contaminated with bacteria that carry waterborne diseases, the water being collected is not safe to drink. During the dry season, even their contaminated river water becomes scarce. The people of Mwalupanga need safe, reliable, accessible water. They need a LifePump.
What is the LifePump difference??? LifePump is . . .
- Long-Lasting: Designed to last for 30 years or more with minimal maintenance, LifePump provides clean water reliably without fear of breakdown
- Durable: Made of stainless-steel parts, LifePump can withstand the harshest conditions
- Deep-Reaching: LifePump goes 3 times deeper than standard hand pumps, accessing water from aquifers in some of the driest regions of the world
- Ergonomic: With its rotary motion, LifePump was designed so that all users – everyone from children to the elderly – can easily access even the deepest water
- Life-Changing: By providing safe water on even the driest days without fail, LifePump gives people the confidence and resources they need to better their lives, their families, and their communities
Design Outreach (DO) is a Christian humanitarian engineering nonprofit organization seeking to alleviate global poverty by creating life-sustaining technology. When DO provides a LifePump to a community, they also partner with local churches, pastors and Gospel-focused organizations to share the hope of Living Water through Jesus Christ. Visit DO’s website for more information.
To date, over $12,800 has been collected toward the $17,000 goal. Gifts to the Mwalupanga LifePump can be made using the Easter giving envelopes in the Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday worship folders, indicating “LifePump” on your check or regular giving envelope or via the online giving portal (MISSION Fund with LifePump “Note”).
Also, to all who are collecting coins for the LifePump using the Coins for Lent Giving Calendar – Thank you!!!
Your generous support is greatly appreciated!
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Making Sense of the Bible
“Making Sense of the Bible”
We will be offering “Making Sense of the Bible,” our basic Bible study, again in April. Familiar United Methodist pastor and author, Adam Hamilton, has written both a scholarly and a readable introduction to the Bible. In this six-week study he describes “the Old Testament in 15 minutes” and “the New Testament in 15 minutes.” He discusses what the Bible “is” and “is not.” He reminds us who wrote the Bible and how the Bible came to be. He leads us in how to read and interpret the Bible. Pastor Bill Kaster will lead this course. Our class will meet on Monday nights at 6:30-8:00 beginning April 8. Please register for “Making Sense of the Bible” at the church office and purchase your book.
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The Beatitudes Study Walk
The Beatitudes- we have all heard them many times. Jesus originally spoke these words to His disciples. What meaning do they have to us today as His disciples? This study is in workbook format and was written by Chaplain Steve Peterson at Snow Mountain Ranch, YMCA of the Rockies. First Church received permission to do it this Lent after Diane Quance went on a pastor’s retreat there and walked the Beatitudes Trail. Come along for the journey as the Beatitudes come alive in our daily life.
Wednesdays now until March 27th!
In-Person option Wednesday afternoon 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. in person in the church Parlor
Zoom option on Wednesday evening from 6:45 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. :
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85891175891?pwd=Uf1oGIc1jWHvnYcGKbJbupbmFseYHJ.1
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Sermon on the Mount Study
Sermon on the Mount Bible Study – Mondays 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. led by Pastor Bill Kaster in the church Parlor. Starts Monday, February 19th
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Beatitudes Lenten Series
Join us this Lenten Season as we learn about the Beatitudes from the book of Matthew. The Beatitudes are known as the teaching of Jesus summarized into eight distinct points.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
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Whole and Holy
Please see the following link on what to expect from the Winter Silent Retreat- come whenever you can. Stay as long as you like. Leaven when you are ready. Come back if you desire.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Jy_sXZPyUnUCQnSM5vrksuMQ0gqm_5wAUEO1FzwRtmY/edit?usp=sharing
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2023 Reverse Advent Calendar
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Letter to the Church
October 26, 2023
Dear Church Family,
I wanted to update everyone on where we are with all of the many shifts and changes that have been happening over the past month.
Renovations are well underway at the former Connection campus, now Joe’s Kids, with the hopes of completion up to the gymnasium before the end of the year. Part of that renovation process will include updating the current restrooms more than likely sometime the end of November/beginning of December. The 11:00am worship service continues to meet in the gym and agreed that during the weeks that the restroom renovations are being done that they will meet at Celebration UMC. The Celebration family and Pastor Stacy have graciously offered to shift their morning service to accommodate our 11:00am service and welcome us into their space while the restroom renovation is happening.
The visioning team has begun work exploring the ways we might come together as one Church for the future should the space at Joe’s Kids no longer work for us. The visioning team is discussing with Servant Council the possibility of working with a strategic planning consultant to help us in this work with support through a grant from the Centers for Congregational Excellence. At the center of this work will be the mission of our church – and giving better shape and substance to what we are called by God to be and do.
The merge of Walnut Creek into First has happened relatively smoothly thanks to our transition team, lots of prayer, and all of our great church family that has offered to help through this process. Pastor Stacy has made the move over to First and is settling into her new office space and roles. Our SPRC will be working to put together the specifics of Pastor Stacy’s job description as Associate Pastor for her time with us. In addition to worship support, Stacy will be helping with discipleship, care ministry, mission, and community engagement through outreach and collaboration with the other UMC’s in the community.
Regarding Walnut Creek assets, our finance team and Ann Baker have been working hard with the former finance chair from Walnut Creek to move accounts over. Most of the moveable items in the church have been moved out and are being repurposed. The Walnut Creek Church property has been listed with Peterson Realty and there has already been interest. The organ at Walnut Creek has been sold to Church of the Good Shepherd (the other church where Terry White plays on Sunday mornings). The transition team and Servant Council have been in conversation about the ways we can continue the legacy of Walnut Creek through our historian Janet Kirkpatrick and the resources that are generated and will keep us informed.
Please continue to be in prayer for our church as we navigate through these shifts and challenges.
Excited to see where God leads,
Pastor Brian
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