Reliant Apparel, a downtown Topeka business, has designed T-shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, and jackets for our members to wear when we are out in the community. You may visit our Web Store at ReliantApparel.com to view the products and place your order. You must place your online order by this Friday, March 31st. After that day, our web store will be taken down. All orders (web and in person) will be delivered to the church, and will be available for pick up on April 9th.

Beginning this Sunday, you may sign up in the Celebration Room to have your picture taken for our new Lifetouch pictorial church directory. You may also sign up online by visiting our Lifetouch appointment scheduling website.

Each household photographed will receive a free 8x10 portrait and a copy of the pictorial directory. To have this directory be a success we need your photo, so please plan to choose a date that best fits your schedule.

Sunday's Lenten meditation encouraged us to strengthen our lives with friendships. UMW (United Methodist Women) is a good place to see our friends and encourage one another in our faith. The meeting in April is on Wednesday, April 5th at noon. We meet in Fellowship Hall and enjoy a lunch prepared by one of our circles. Theresa Gartner will tell us about the Topeka North Outreach Youth Program. Most of you know about the back snack ministry we have with TNO, but some of you haven't heard about the youth program they have. The Priscilla Circle is serving and Mary Lou Auer will lead us in devotions. We hope you can be at the meeting.

 

If you would like to dedicate an Easter lily in honor or in memory of a loved one, fill out the order form at the front desk. Lilies are $10 each, and will be placed in the Chapel and Sanctuary on Easter, with the dedications listed in the bulletin insert. After this Sunday, you may pick up a form from the front desk. Order forms must be turned in by this Sunday, April 2nd.

 

Last year our members enjoyed running and walking in downtown Topeka's Bridge 2 Bridge 5K. We encourage you to join in the fun and participate in this event with your fellow church members. Our new church T-shirts will be ready in time for the race, which is the morning of April 22nd, so we can represent our community spirit as a church family! As you make plans to participate, send a quick note to Marsha Oliver so we can coordinate a meeting spot to take a "team" photo and run/walk as a group (if you like). Register for the race, circle April 22nd on your calendar, and look forward to a fun morning downtown with your church family!

 

Save the date, April 29th, to enjoy a Potluck Dinner and a Movie with your church family. We'll present the feature documentary Patterns of Evidence: Exodus.

 

Pastor Jeff invites all to join in a 3-part intergenerational conversation on how the church can best connect all generations. These conversations will take place immediately after the 11 a.m. worship service (around noon) on April 23rd, April 30th, and May 7th. Lunch will be provided. Please email Beth Evans or call her in the church office, 785-233-8100, if you'd like to participate. 

 

Phase 2 is sponsoring a night out at Topeka Civic Theatre for the Friday, May 5th dinner performance of  To Kill a Mockingbird . There are 24 tickets available at $54.03, or $52.39 for those 60 years and older. Phase 2 will provide popcorn as an intermission table snack. Get your reservations early for this popular American masterpiece. Email Tiwana to reserve your seat.

 

We need your help to find our new Director of Children's Discipleship. Are you connected with an organization, like a parenting club or a PTO, where there might be someone who is looking for a job working with children? Maybe you know someone with a teaching degree who is looking for something outside of the classroom, or a stay-at-home mom or dad who is looking to go back to work. We invite you to send this link to our job posting to anyone who might be interested, share it on social media, and post it on community message boards for preschools, playgroups, and other organizations where you are a member. We trust that God will provide us with the right person, but we need your help to get the word out!

Many of our senior adults enjoyed reconnecting with friends at the Brewster lunch, sponsored by Senior Adult Ministry. 

In April, the Missions Team is collecting protein bars for Topeka North Outreach. Please bring your donations to the receptacle in the Celebration Room.

Skip the gym, bring you rakes, shovels, and hoes, and come join your First Church family in fellowship Saturday morning, April 1. We need your help to spruce up our grounds. 

This spring we are going to do a major landscape renovation. We need your help in removing the old landscape bushes and plants to prepare for the new. We hope to get rid of the current landscape materials so that  Luxury Lawn and Landscape can begin planting the new before Easter Sunday. If you have a chainsaw, wheelbarrow, shovels, rakes, hoes, or hedge clippers, please bring them. We have a few supplies, but want to make sure everyone can stay busy.

Official start time is 9 a.m., but for early birds, Dave is planning to be here by 8 a.m. If you are thinking you aren't able to remove large bushes, that's ok. We still need you. There are lots of smaller tasks, including weeding, trash pick up, or even making sure others have water and supplies. There is a job for everyone! A light lunch will be served at noon. Come join us...no foolin'. Contact Tiwana for more information.

 

Are you daring enough for Very Dark Chocolate, or do you prefer a mellow Milk Chocolate when you need a taste of something sweet? Maybe you prefer your chocolate to mingle with flavors like mint or orange. The Equal Exchange table will have something for every chocolate lover's taste this Sunday. There is also a limited supply of Organic Dark Chocolate Easter Eggs to fill your Easter basket or serve with a cup of Equal Exchange coffee.

Speaking of coffee, the Equal Exchange table will also be stocked with your favorite roasts and flavors in regular, decaf, whole bean, and ground. We also have K-Cups!

If tea is more your speed, try a gut-healing ginger or peppermint tea, or a green tea in jasmine or mint to boost your metabolism and cardiovascular health. Of course, nothing beats English Breakfast or Earl Grey to kick off your morning! 

We also have a variety of snacks and pantry items to fill your grown-up Easter basket. Dried mango, tamari roasted or plain almonds, and olive oil are always a hit. 

Stop by the Equal Exchange table this Sunday in-between services. Making a difference never tasted so good!

 

Pat Anderson 

I was trained to be a Stephen Minister by Marilyn and Bill Siebert, who led the first Stephen Ministries class here at First UMC in 1995. The 50 hours of training taught me to  share God's love with persons in delicate situations. I learned  to acknowledge that there is nothing that happens about which God does not know. When we invite Him into our circumstances, we can find peace even in the midst of crises, knowing that God loves us, walks with us, is faithful, and is indeed supreme.