A Weekly Newsletter
of First United Methodist Church of Madison
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Sunday News and Upcoming Events for members and friends
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- This week we will welcome Rev. Maribel Celiz as the newly appointed Associate Pastor of First Church. Her inaugural sermon will be at the July 19 service!
- Keep Going! Will be the theme of this week’s sermon. Rev. Fowler will draw the message from Romans 8:1-11 and Psalm 119:105-112. Watch our video service Sunday at 9:00 a.m. or any time after that, on our website or our Facebook page.
- Sunday's anthem is inspired by our Psalm for the day, Psalm 119: 105-112. In a world of doubt, fear, darkness and uncertainty we stand by God's word. The title of the anthem is "Here I Stand" inspired by the words of Martin Luther, "Here I stand I can do no other." Quoting from our anthem: "So with our hearts set firmly on Your promises, we stand and face the future unafraid." We are moving forward in these uncertain times because we stand on God's promises and eternal love. We welcome Brian and Anne Vanderbloemen providing the prelude for our service. We thank them for their good work!
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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.
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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. This Sunday, July 12,
Karen Andro
will be our presenter. Karen is the Director of Hope’s Home Ministries at First Church and will tell us what she and others are doing in ministry during these times of COVID-19. She will also tell us how she got into this ministry as well as how we can become more involved in reaching out to those in need in these challenging times.
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
Carla DiIorio
reviewing
The Water Dancer
, by Ta-Nehisi Coates. See a full list below.
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Welcome Rev. Maribel Celiz
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Please join me and the SPRC in welcoming Rev. Maribel Celiz to our First Church congregation. Maribel begins her ministry with us this Sunday, July 12. We are excited that she brings her strong faith and many gifts and talents to share in ministry.
During the current challenges with Covid 19, opportunities to meet with her in person will be more complicated. SPRC is working with Mark Fowler and the staff to help her get settled and begin to meet people. Over time, we will be organizing opportunities for small groups to meet with Maribel either on Zoom or in other carefully planned ways. Please keep Maribel in your prayers as she continues her transition to Madison and First Church.
-Ann Herrold-Peterson, Chair, Staff Parish Relations Committee
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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
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Hope's Home Ministry Volunteer Opportunities
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Hope's Home Ministries Volunteers help us to serve in community!
Michelle Ogilvie
is pictured here, helping with Emergency Food Package deliveries.
During the pandemic, we ask for volunteers to be under the age of 65.
If you are able to help, check out our greatest needs:
- Delivery Drivers (deliver emergency food packages)
- Specialized Food Shopping
- Garden Procurement
- Contributions to Food Pantry - click "give here" button
If any of these opportunities sound like a good fit, please email or call Karen Andro: 608.338.0320 or
[email protected]
for more information.
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Wednesday Evening Book Study Continues
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The RACIAL ISSUES CLASS will continue to meet on Zoom on Wednesday evenings at 6 pm. This week we are beginning to read and discuss
White Fragility, by Robin DiAngelo
. Milton and Emily Ford will be the facilitators for the next seven weeks. 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.
We hope that our discussion will produce strategic possibilities to further our work as a church in this vital area of ministry.
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.
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Take Time for Tea and Discussion
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We will read a section of
Braiding Sweetgrass
aloud each weekday, starting August 3. If there is interest we will also schedule a weekly review some evening during the week for those who are unable to participate during the daily readings. Tentatively the daily reads would happen from 3:00 - 3:30 p.m. during the week, and the weekly evening review would be Tuesday nights from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. These events will happen over ZOOM. Please email
Josie Gobel
or
Joan Maynard
to indicate your interest, questions, and for an invitation to the ZOOM meetings. These dates and times are tentative at this point – let us know if you p
refer a different time for this venture. Also, if you need instruction on attending these readings, please let us know.
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.
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Exploring the Edges of Theology, Summer Titles
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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 on July 5 or 12, please
email Doug Maynard
. Follow the links below, on the book titles, to learn more about each book.
- July 12, Carla DiIorio will discuss The Water Dancer, by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
- July 19, Doug Caves will discuss American Nations, by Colin Woodard.
- July 26, Doug Maynard will discuss The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz, by Erik Larson.
- August 2, Jo Sparks will discuss Spiritual Revolution, by George Valliant.
- August 9, Peter Hamon will discuss the First Civilizations TV series.
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Dear friends, this is a woefully inadequate way to say, “thank you,” but the truth is, I can’t imagine what I could say or do that would adequately express my gratitude. I have been blessed beyond measure by the opportunity to share ministry with you over the past twenty years. Thank you! Your kindness and generosity in the recognition and gifts shared last Sunday were truly overwhelming. Thank you, thank you! Know that I will give thanks for you and for your ministries in the world for the rest of my days. May you continue to find your dwelling place in the creating, sustaining, and transforming power of Love.
With deep appreciation,
Tina
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Keeping Connected Ministry
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Keeping Connected Ministry continues to be in contact with our members who cannot physically come to church. During this time of pandemic, staying together is even more crucial.
We are identifying those members who aren’t able to connect online or are feeling even more isolated.
A call or a card to someone who is lonely can lift the sender as well as the recipient. Our Assisting Pastor for Pastoral Care, Rev. Paul Melrose will connect you to another member who might need your loving kindness. Give him a call at 608.256.9061 or send him an email at
[email protected]
to be a part of this important ministry.
Thomas Merton wrote:
Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone - we find it with another.
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Please hold the following in prayer this week: Shirley Blank, Gary Jordan, Roy Prestage, Rev. Robert Fowler, Sally Hughes, Rod Curtis, Barry Carlsen, Rev Tina Lang, the Zirkle family, and Jim Reynolds.
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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
[email protected]
.
Thank you for not responding to this spam attempt, and
be careful what you click
.
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FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
203 Wisconsin Avenue, Madison, WI 53703
MAILING ADDRESS:
PO Box 7578
Madison WI 53707
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