A Weekly Newsletter
of First United Methodist Church of Madison
Sunday News and Upcoming Events for members and friends
This Sunday
  • The journey through this difficult season will rely on Jesus’ teaching in the gospel of Matthew 14:13-21. The corresponding reflection given by Rev. Mark Fowler will be entitled On Having Enough. Rev. Maribel Celiz will lead us in the celebration of Communion. Bishop Jung has given the Wisconsin churches permission to celebrate virtual communion. Come with a loaf of any kind, and if not the unfermented juice of a grape, any drink that you would share with one another. We will be at the Lord’s Table together.

  • There will be a special appeal during the month of August to support our mission partners in Dane County. We extend our ministry in mutual partnership with these agencies. You may read more about them on our website, and Donate here.

  • Quadrilateral Quartet will sing "The Word of Life". A Celtic melody is paired with a text that tells the story of Jesus' life from birth to his death and resurrection, reminding us that "he's there when we call him, bringing health, love, and laughter to life now and ever after, for the good of us all." 

  • Thank you to all who have emailed and participated in our virtual attendance, getting-to-know-you project. We really appreciate your responses, and pass each message on as necessary.
We say farewell to one of our Quadrilateral members this week. Thore Dosdall has been our tenor section leader for nearly two years. Thore has completed his course work at the UW for a masters degree in vocal performance. We will miss his musical leadership and engaging personality. We wish him well on the next chapter of his life.
For Children and Youth
Children's Sunday School
Watch our Facebook page and our website for some Child-focused content!

Youth and Young Adults
There are Youth and Young Adult Zoom discussion opportunities! All are welcome!  Contact Megan  with any questions. The  FUMC young adults  are gathering on  Tuesday evenings at 7 PM . Through Zoom, the group shares and explores a topic together related to spirituality. Contact Megan  for more information.
Christian Formation
Sharing our Journeys: The Sharing Our Journeys class meets every Sunday morning at 10:00 AM via zoom.  We have a great time of sharing and learning from each other.

If you have not been attending and would like to do so,  please email Rich Oliver   or contact Rich by phone, at 573.999.0759 . Rich can help you with technology concerns, and will send the information needed for joining the group if you choose to participate.

Exploring the Edges of Theology:  We are continuing our summer book reviews this week, with Jo Sparks reviewing Spiritual Evolution . See a full list below.
No Smartphone, No Problem
We now have a new way to listen to our church service. For those without internet video capabilities, we have joined Sermon by Phone . Each Sunday at 9:00 a.m. the new worship service becomes available on our new phone number. Simply dial in and listen to the whole service. It remains up for an entire week so the listener can call in anytime. When you call there is a brief intro from Paul, and then the service follows. The phone number is 608.237.1695. We are sending a letter to those members who we know will be able to use this service.

We appreciate the irony of including this info in an electronic newsletter, so we hope that all of you will share this news with anyone you know, whether church member or not, who might be looking for a worship opportunity.  
Kramer Children's Fund
Eleanor and Bob Kramer were often Sunday School teachers at First Church. Eleanor taught first and second grade for seventeen years. In establishing the Kramer Children’s Fund , their daughter Beth Kramer-Simpson said that the program children and family First Church has envisioned to be the next major step into the future honored her parents, “They would love this work!”

The church has specifically created the new Associate Pastor’s position to work with current staff and lay leaders and teachers to build the Children, Youth, Young Adult and Young Families toward a vibrant future. In addition to the budgeted funds, the Kramer Children’s Fund provides $40,000 as seed money toward future fruitfulness. Beth Kramer-Simpson invites others to join in nurturing the Fund toward a more vibrant future. You can donate and support the fund here.

We are deeply grateful for this memorial gift to the blessed memory of Eleanor and Bob Kramer.
Pastoral Care, from Paul Melrose
Please listen to a recent recording I made about my work in pastoral care here at First United Methodist Church.  Please click here for the full video . Please know that I am available by email or phone as you might feel the need to reach out to a pastor.

Sometimes a moment of “not sure what to do” or “I wonder who I should talk to” is a good reason to give me an email or call. For our new followers who have joined us on line I would be happy to hear from you, too. Blessings to all.  
Loaves of Love Ministry
Our Loaves of Love project came about serving in community with Carmella Glenn of Just Dane (formerly known as Just Bakery). During the pandemic, Just Dane is contributing freshly-baked bread for our Food Pantry's delivery to households. Karen Andro came up with the idea of creating a team of community bakers to prepare mini loaves of freshly-baked sweet breads, savory breads, whole grain, and other varieties for individuals experiencing homelessness.

The Loaves of Love bakers contribute freshly baked bread for Emergency Food Packages delivered by Karen Andro and a team of outreach professionals who help individuals experiencing homelessness, and surviving outside the shelter system at encampments where there is more space. In addition to providing food and supplies, the team performs safety checks, shares connections of support and helps with housing resources.
Would you like to join our team of community bakers? Individuals, families and churches are joining us in sharing love through baking. Check out our online bread signup , or contact Karen for more information: 608.338.0320 or kandro@fumc.org .
The Lord's Acre
This is a time of abundance in gardens. I know there are many of us in the First Church congregation that love working in the garden.
 
Ever hear of the old idea of “The Lord’s Acre”?
In the late 1800s and 1900s in the United States it was often the custom of local farmers to donate to their church the harvest – or proceeds from the harvest – of one of their acres of crop land. Many Methodist churches adopted this custom. Maybe we can too. For our purposes this would be about donating some of that abundance in our gardens to people who use our pantry. 
 
There is a real need for fresh produce. It would be great if we could plan on providing as much as we can Mondays through Thursdays. Kelly and I do. Karen is ready to receive it. Give her a call and she will meet you at the church door for a non-contact handoff. Who’s up for it?  --Dave Kinyon & Kelly McFeeley
GREATEST NEEDED ITEMS
  • Garden Produce
  • Beef Sticks (single serve wrapped)
  • Fruit Cups
  • Snack Bars
  • Toilet Paper
  • Mini Toothpaste
  • Toothbrushes

NO GROCERY BAGS NEEDED
Contact Karen via phone or email (see contact info below) to make arrangements to drop off a donations. Please do not leave donations outside the church without contacting Karen ahead of time. This is important to our church's safe operations.

To make a financial donation, mail a check to First Church, PO Box 7578, Madison, WI 53707, or contribute online and select Hope’s Home Ministries as your gift designation.
Please email or call Karen Andro at 608.338.0320 for more information.
Absentee Voting Deadline Approaching for August 11 Primary
The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot for most voters is Thursday, August 6 . (Your request must be received by 5:00 p.m. on that day). However, given the problems that occurred during the April election with some experiencing great delays in receiving their ballots, it would be best to submit your request as soon as possible. Please go to  myvote.wi.gov  to submit your request electronically, and for additional information.
When you request a ballot for the August 11th election, you will be offered an option to automatically receive absentee ballots for the November election.
Wednesday Evening Book Study Continues
The RACIAL ISSUES CLASS will continue to meet on Zoom on Wednesday evenings at 6 pm. Join us as we discuss  White Fragility, by Robin DiAngelo . Milton and Emily Ford are the facilitators of this discussion. This book helps us explore our own experiences and responses to the issues of race which we find so prevalent in our world today. Please join us and if at all possible find and read the book before the sessions. Rich Oliver (see below) will send out the invitations.

To receive the weekly Wednesday zoom links, check the Tuesday evening eNews , or  email Rich Oliver . If you have any technical difficulties, please call Rich at 573.999.0759.
Take Time for Tea and Discussion
Now is the time to sign up for the Book Reading of Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer . On Friday, July 31 at 3:00 p.m. there will be an introductory session of this book on zoom. Starting Aug. 3, we will Zoom together to listen to the author read the book on zoom. (Readings are scheduled from 3:00 to 3:40 p.m. on weekdays until we finish the book). If you are not available for the daily readings, there is the possibility we will schedule a weekly chapter review of the book on Tuesday evenings.

Email Joan Maynard for an invitation to this Zoom meeting, if you have questions or are interested in a weekly review of the book.
Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. We invite you to take a midday break, enjoy a cup of tea, as we listen to the author read, and then we will discuss this beautiful book.
Exploring the Edges of Theology, Summer Titles
The Exploring the Edges of Theology class is hosting a summer book review, featuring a different title each Sunday at 3:00 p.m. To join the zoom discussion, please email Doug Caves . Follow the links below, on the book titles, to learn more about each book.

Pandemic Mail Disrupted
Regular delivery of USPS mail to First Church has suffered due to the pandemic. As a result, our new Post Office Box is the most reliable way to send any mail to FUMC. We welcome your continued communications to the church, but please address them as follows:
 
First United Methodist Church
PO Box 7578
Madison, WI 53707
Joys and Concerns
Please hold the following in prayer this week:  Gary Jordan, Shirley Blank, Roy Prestage, Rev. Tina Lang, Rev. Robert Fowler, Jim Reynolds, Sally Hughes, Jim Reynolds, Richard Wood, Liz Gill, Sandra Heine, Phylliss Kauffman and Dorothy Gosting .
Corey Whitmore Update
Many of us remember Corey and Kim Whitmore and their family. The Whitmores created the Alana Rose Foundation in an effort to raise awareness of the prevalence of pregnancy and infant loss, and to help other grieving families. To read more and get an update on Corey, his family, and their good work, click here to visit their website .
Scam Alert - Updates
We have learned that some members and friends of FUMC are once again receiving fraudulent emails from Kelly Walling or Rev. Mark Fowler , asking for help and contributions. These emails appear to come from church staff, but  they are from a FALSE Gmail account. 

DO NOT RESPOND  to these emails.  DO NOT CLICK  in the emails - they are a  SCAM  and are not from First Church or Pastor Fowler. When you receive emails from us, they will be from our Constant Contact mail service ( as this one is ) or from an address ending in  FUMC.ORG .

The staff of First Church would never contact a member via email to solicit donations or funding of any kind.  If you are unsure about any email message, please contact the Welcome Center at 608.256.9061 or email at info@fumc.org .

Thank you for not responding to this spam attempt, and  be careful what you click .
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
203 Wisconsin Avenue, Madison, WI 53703

MAILING ADDRESS:
PO Box 7578
Madison WI 53707
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