March 13, 2026

Join us for Holy Week

~Palm Sunday - March 29

~Maundy Thursday - April 2

~Good Friday - Apil 3

~Easter Sunday - April 5

Palm Sunday, March 29, for all morning services (8:15am Mosaic Service; 9:30am Abide Service; & 11:00am Traditional Service) - We will celebrate Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem with Palms & Praise!

Maundy Thursday, April 2 at 7:30pm in the Sanctuary. This will be a reflective service with Communion - featuring music from the Taizé tradition.

Good Friday, April 3 at 7:30pm in the Sanctuary. A powerful narration of the Passion Story with music by the St. John's Chancel Choir.

Easter Sunday, April 5 for all morning services (8:15am Mosaic Service; 9:30am Abide Service; & 11:00am Traditional Service). These glorious services - feature the journey through the powerful story of Christ’s love, sacrifice, and resurrection. All these wonderful services offer moments of worship, prayer, and renewal. Come and experience the hope and promise of Easter with us! All are welcome!

Irish-Themed Jazz Vespers

Saturday, March 14

Join us for a special Irish-themed Jazz Vespers on Saturday, March 14 at 5:00pm in the sanctuary. This unique service blends jazz with beloved Irish melodies for an evening of reflection and music. We are delighted to welcome Dianna Hughes back for the evening, joined by Linda Davidson, Cal Haines, Terry Burns, Michael Anthony, and Robert Lah. The sermon will be delivered by Rev. Craig Cockrell.

The service will feature Irish favorites including O Danny Boy, Newgrange, Celtic Idyl and Dublin. All are welcome to attend in person or stream the service live from home. Click here to watch the livestream.

 Mountain Cathedrals Hike

March 14 - Ball Ranch (North of the Sandias)

Continuing our Lenten journey, are there places close by where we have never stopped? People who have always been in the background? Please join us for a day amongst what Willa Cather called "endless red triangles" to see the beauty of the country south of La Bajada. This landscape is a product of water, sun, and the vividly colored Mesozoic rock layers. Amazing cacti, petrified wood, and wild horses may also be found.

Logistics: Let's meet at 8:30 AM at the St. John's UMC Albuquerque East Parking Lot to carpool the 43 miles to the trailhead. The Ranch is reached via a dirt road and is access-controlled; please contact me if you want to join us enroute. The hike is moderate (5 miles, 500 feet of elevation gain, a mix of streambed and trail/jeep trail). Plan to be back at St. John's by 4:00. Bring lunch, water, sun protection, and possibly trekking poles.

The next Mountain Cathedrals hike will be an Easter sunrise walk to Travertine Falls near Tijeras.

Contact: Mike Furnish, CLM, 505-440-7292; mdfurnish@comcast.net

We Care Support for Caregivers

Saturday, March 14



We look forward to meeting new caregivers (and our returning ones!) at our We Care Support Group for caregivers. This month's meeting is this Saturday, March 14 from 10:00am - noon in the church library (park in the West church lot on Arizona St NE). Topics discussed include Caregiver Burnout and thoughts on creative responses to stress. We offer a safe and confidential place to ask questions, share concerns, maybe cry a little, and laugh a little. This group is facilitated by Carol Dolan and Virginia Worrell. Call the church office or reach out to one of them for more details.

@Home Communion

    Sunday, March 15

Are you an @Home church member who would like Communion brought to you? Our @Home Communion servers will visit on Sunday, March 15 or the early part of the following week.

Please let us know you're interested by contacting coordinator Susan Perry at (505) 350-9633 or teachersusan@comcast.net by Friday, March 13.

Ask A Pastor

Sunday, March 15

Our first Ask a Pastor session in December was quite a success even though it was on a snow day – we had 21 people show up full of questions and full of listening to the input from our two pastors of the day. Our next session of Ask a Pastor will take place on March 15, a Sunday, again at 2:00pm in Room 149-151.

Our featured resources this time will be the retired Rev. Carl Schenck and Ms. Lauren Morgan-Smith, our church’s Director of Congregational Care and a candidate for ordination as a deacon.

We are aiming to have a space for people with questions to get answers from trained pastors. Have you ever had a nagging question about a Bible story? Have you been challenged in maintaining a prayer life? Do you want to talk to someone who is trained in the Bible and in the United Methodist Christian life?

We are testing out the concept of 90-minute sessions of asking and answering questions. A moderator will ask turned-in questions, ask for questions from the floor and the discussion will take off from there. Topics of specific questions to be addressed include personal prayer life and whether we should talk more about the devil.

**If you plan to attend and will need childcare for children ages 6 weeks to 4 years, please call the church at 505-883-9717 or email the church at reception@stjohns-abq.org by March 5.

This new event is created by the Look to the Future Work Group, and we would like to see it become a regular enjoyable event full of conversation. Please come and listen as well as ask questions in the great conversation we expect to create. Contacts are Donna Berry (505-604-4487) or Joan Shirley (505-238-1663). 

Social Concerns Committee

Tuesday, March 17

The guest speaker at the Social Concerns meeting in March will be Kelly McCloskey who is the coordinator of VIDA (volunteers for immigrants in detention-Albuquerque). The next SCC meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, at 6:30pm in the church library. All are welcome.

Grief Support Group

Thursday, March 19

Everyone has or will experience the grief that comes when we lose a spouse, a beloved loved family member, a dear friend or a precious pet. Grieving is felt differently by different people and may be expressed through different emotions such as anger, sadness, and depression. Loneliness also often accompanies grieving. Some people find support in their grieving though meeting with others in a caring, compassionate, and safe space where feelings can be explored, and support may be found through talking with others. We offer an invitation to those who are newly experiencing grief and for those who have suffered significant loss over time. Grief has no definitive ending. Please join us on Thursday, March 19 from 1:30 to 3 in the Church Library, 2nd floor. This group is facilitated by Carol Dolan and Karen Hall. Call the church office or contact them for more details.

Mobile Food Pantry

Saturday, March 21

Mobile Food Pantry will be on Saturday, March 21. Volunteers arrive at the Family Life Center about 8:00am-8:30am and distribution begins at 9:30am, depending on the time the Roadrunner truck arrives. Please contact me if you are interested in volunteering. Debby Smith 505-554-4238 or dysmith0427@gmail.com. If you have small to medium boxes, you can drop them off during the MFP at the Family Life Center or contact me to pick them up. Thank you for your continued support.

Quintessence Presents "A Sacred Place"

Sunday, March 22



Don't miss "A Sacred Place" on Sunday, March 22 at 3:00pm in the Sanctuary at St. John’s. This concert features the New Mexico premiere of Alex Berko’s cantata Sacred Place, and music by Jocelyn Hagen, Frank Ticheli, Craig Hella Johnson, and others.

Enjoy music from Quintessence: A Community of Singers, along with a special community pop-up choir made up of singers from across our area. St. John’s members can receive 20% off advance tickets by using the code SJUMC. Come experience this unforgettable afternoon of music that celebrates the fragility of our natural world. Click here to get your tickets today.

UWF Zoom Reading Group

Thursday, March 26

The United Women in Faith are doing their next Zoom Reading Discussion Group on Thursday, March 26, at 7:00pm.  The book being discussed is "Highway to Tears by Jessica McDiarmid." This book is from the UWF 2026 book list under the category of Social Action. The author and journalist, Jessica McDiarmid, investigates the murders of Indigenous women and girls along a desolate stretch of highway in British Columbia, exposing acts of systemic racism and indifference towards women that have been allowed for decades.

This reading group meets every two months on the fourth Thursday at 7:00pm. All are welcome to join this discussion group. Please contact Julie Bencoe at dabencoes @yahoo.com or Regina Hampton hamptonmason1@msn.com. 

An invite to the March Zoom meeting will be sent out on Monday, March 23, 2026.

UMC Handbooks Are Now Available

The Handbook of The United Methodist Church is now available. The digital, print-ready resource is designed to help people understand who United Methodists are, how we are connected and how we live out our shared mission together. https://www.resourceumc.org/.../united.../umc-handbook

"Introduction: The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide family of faith, united by one mission: making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We live out this mission through a covenant of connection that binds us together—across communities, cultures, and continents. This connection gives us strength, resources, and the ability to accomplish more together than any single congregation could do alone.

This guide is designed to introduce you to who we are as United Methodists, how we are organized, and how we live out our mission. Inside, you will find explanations of our structure, beliefs, ministries, and how our global connection shapes our work. Whether you are new to the church, need a refresher, or are simply curious, it offers a helpful overview of the work and witness of The United Methodist Church.

As we face the challenges of our time, the church is called to a renewed future— one that embraces love, service, and courageous leadership.

We strive to:

• LOVE BOLDLY — welcoming all people with compassion and grace.
• SERVE JOYFULLY — offering care, hope, and partnership to those in need.
• LEAD COURAGEOUSLY — working for peace, justice, and reconciliation in the world."

Go With the Choir to Carnegie Hall!

Music Director Matthew Greer has been invited to conduct a concert at Carnegie Hall in May of 2027, and the St. John’s Chancel Choir is organizing a trip to go sing! The concert will include 125 singers, and professional orchestra. Both singers and non-singers are welcome to make the trip to New York.

The first informational meeting will be Sunday, March 15 at 12:15pm in the Choir Room. All who are interested are invited to attend. Got Questions? Email Norlynn Blocker Price. 

St. Paul's UMC

Over the River &

Through the Woods

March 14 & 15

This is a heartwarming comedy play by Joe DiPietro. It's about family, faith and ties that bind. When a young Italian American man faces a dilemma when he gets his dream job offer- that would take him away from his beloved but meddling grandparents in New Jersey. For tickets and all the event details click this link. Over the River & Through the Woods

Little Books - Big Messages

St. John's email Bible study will take a quick look at a dozen little books, the shortest in the Bible. One theme that runs through several of these books is the importance of being on guard against false prophets and deceivers. Jesus warns us, “Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray” (Matthew 24:11), and John recommends that we “not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). This is excellent advice in this day of AI and social media: Is a message in line with scripture? Can you determine a source? Can the source be trusted? “Do not be deceived, my beloved” (James 1:16).  Pick up a study guide at the Hospitality Desk, or write or call Regina Hunter at drhunter@nmia.com or (505) 294-2877 to receive daily study tips by email.

  Announcing an Evening Men & Women's

In-Person Bible Study Opportunity!

Have you been looking for an opportunity to join a Bible Study group that meets in person during the evening? If so, please consider joining our Tuesday night study group. We will begin our next study on March 17 and continue through April 21 in rooms 245/247 from 5:30pm - 7:00pm. 

The study group will be using Adam Hamiton's book, Christianity and World Religions, to explore four major world religions; Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism, and how these beliefs compare with Christianity. We will consider how we as Christians may be able to learn from other faiths and relate to our neighbors of other faiths in a constructive manner. If you would like to purchase the book through Amazon, you can use this link.

Interested? If so, please contact Debbie Benton at debabqq@gmail.com to sign up or to get additional information about the class. You may also sign up at the Hospitality Desk on Sunday mornings!

New Women's Bible Study

March 31 - May 19

Live Free: A Study of Galatians

by Elizabeth Woodson

A new Women's Bible study will begin Tuesday, March 31, and runs through Tuesday, May 19. Class is from 9:30am to 11:30am in rooms 245/257 for a total of 8 weeks. The study will be led by Shanlii Payment.

We long for peace, to have lives marked by freedom from difficulty and pain. We look to countless places to fill this need - our possessions, relationships, intellect, spirituality, political affiliations, and so on. But, by relying on these things for freedom, we unintentionally make them our savior instead of Christ.

This exchange leaves us enslaved to a false gospel and to the very things we hoped would set us free. Walking verse-by-verse through Paul's letter, Elizabeth highlights how this letter teaches us that in the gospel alone do we gain what we desire - freedom from sin and freedom to experience true peace, living the abundant life Jesus offers.

Three More to Go!

Missed the Fish Fry Dinner last Friday? Don’t worry! You still have 3 more chances to enjoy this beloved community tradition! Join us each Friday from March 13 through March 27, 4:00pm – 7:00p.m. in the Family Life Center, for a delicious meal featuring fried or baked fish, tasty sides, and chicken tenders for those who prefer something different.

It’s more than just a meal — it’s a perfect opportunity to connect with friends, meet new faces, and share in great food and fellowship.

Have You Noticed the Tip Jars?

Since the beginning of our Fish Fry Dinners, it’s been our tradition to place tip jars on the tables for anyone who’d like to support local “food projects” in Albuquerque. This year, you’ll also find these jars available on Sunday mornings in the Hospitality Center—an extra opportunity to give!

The 2026 recipients of your generous donations are the Weekend Meal Bag Program for Zuni Elementary and the Tutoring Snacks Program for Tierra Adentro New Mexico (TANM). Many students in our community face food insecurity, and these programs help ensure that kids have full bellies so they can focus on learning. Zuni Elementary, right across the street from St. John’s, has been one of our long-standing partners. TANM, located in Albuquerque’s Sawmill District, is home to one of our own—Janine Burford, a teacher and tutor who sees firsthand the difference an afternoon snack makes for hungry students.

Whether you drop a few dollars in the tip jars at the Fish Fry or contribute in the Hospitality Center on Sunday, every bit helps. Together, we can keep local kids nourished and ready to learn. Let’s do this, St. John’s!

Advance Tickets for the Fish Fry Dinners!

Looking for a fun and meaningful way to show someone you care? Treat them to a Fish Fry Dinner—or two—or three! Advance tickets make wonderful gifts for friends, neighbors, or anyone you’d like to thank and appreciate. You can purchase tickets on Sunday mornings in the Hospitality Center. Recipients will simply bring their tickets and go through the serving line when they arrive.

Ticket Prices are $20 for an adult and $9 for children age 10 & under. Share the joy and good food—give the gift of a Fish Fry Dinner!

Community Easter Celebration

 & Egg Hunt

Saturday, March 28

Don't miss our annual Community Easter Celebration & Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 28 at 10:00am - 12:00 (noon). Kids are invited to head out into the garden and playground areas for some Easter fun. Come and enjoy crafts, games, photos with the Easter Bunny, a bouncy house, food and more. Bring your baskets and get ready for a morning of fun!

Recycling Update

A million “thanks” to all those who are donating cardboard tubes to Children’s Ministry; keep those paper towel, wrapping paper, & toilet paper tubes coming! Now you can also donate brown paper bags or paper to the cause. All items are being used to create building materials for True North VBS happening this summer. Please continue to bring all donations to the front office or place in the boxes outside Angela’s office. Questions? Contact Angela Lybarger at childrensdirector@stjohns-abq.org. Thanks for your ongoing support.

    Snack Drive for Tierra Adentro New Mexico

Throughout March, we’re collecting snack items to support students at Tierra Adentro New Mexico (TANM) Arts Charter School in northwest Albuquerque. TANM serves middle and high school students, including a number who face food insecurity.

Our church currently provides weekend meal bags each week for seven TANM students experiencing homelessness or food insecurity — and our friends at TANM have shared that 50 more students could use our help. This month, we’re focusing on snack donations that will be distributed directly to those students either through the tutoring program or as needed.

Suggested single-serve items include cheese and crackers, beef jerky, applesauce, pudding or fruit cups, granola/protein/cereal bars, ravioli, Spaghetti-O’s, macaroni and cheese, soups (with pull-tab lids), ramen noodles, trail mix, fruit snacks, boxed drinks or juices, chips, pretzels, Goldfish, Vienna sausages, Pop-Tarts, and oatmeal packets.

Please drop off your donations in the Hospitality Center collection bins any time during March. Thank you, St. John’s! Your generosity helps our neighbors in Albuquerque know they are cared for — and you truly make a difference!

March Lenten-Special Offering

Lent, the time of preparation for Easter, is a time of confession, prayer, fasting and spiritual renewal with an emphasis on self-sacrifice. At St. John's this offering traditionally goes to local ministries such as the Ramp Project, Roadrunner Food Bank, Family Promise, Asbury Pie Cafe, The Rock at Noonday, Barrett House (emergency shelter for women) and many more.

A long, long time ago, we put daily quarters in a special folder (anyone remember those?!). Today we give in different ways, but the purpose is the same: to daily remember those in need and dig deeper into our resources to show love to our neighbors. 

St. John's United Methodist Church | (505) 883-9717

2626 Arizona Street NE | Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110

Office Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Friday, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

If there is an after-hours Congregational Care need, you may leave a message on Lauren Morgan-Smith’s church office phone 505-883-9717, ext. 127 – or email care@stjohns-abq.org and she will respond as soon as possible.