Dear Friends,

Holy Week is beginning. After 5 weeks of journeying with Jesus toward the cross, and contemplating our mortality along the way, we arrive at Palm Sunday (or Passion Sunday) this weekend. It’s a special day when we remember not only Christ’s triumphant procession into Jerusalem, but also the betrayal and arrest and shadows of the events that followed. It is the Sunday that we also wrap up our series, The Great Beyond, by considering Luke 22:39-62, and taking a look at grief, hope, and something better.

This Sunday also marks the start of all of our events for Holy Week, as we remember the last week of Jesus’ life. Please prayerfully consider attending one or all of these special events:

• April 13, 9:15 AM - Downtown Churches Ecumenical Blessing of the Palms Service on the front lawn of First Baptist Church. The service should only take about 20 minutes and is in addition to our regular services at Missouri UMC.

• April 17, 12 noon - Midday Maundy Thursday service in the City space

• April 17, 7 PM - Maundy Thursday joint choral service with First United Methodist Church of Jefferson City at First UMC in Jefferson City.

• April 18, 7 PM - Good Friday joint choral service with First United Methodist Church of Jefferson City at Missouri United Methodist Church

• April 19, 2-4 PM - Holy Saturday vigil, in the gym.

• April 20 - Easter service at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00

I look forward to seeing you at these special observances this Holy Week.

In Christ,

Daniel

Weekly Events

Sunday 5:00-7:00 PM in The 3rd Floor Youth Rooms - MUMY

Monday mornings 10:00 AM in The Parlor - Knitters Group

Tuesday 1:30-3:30 PM in the Gym -

55+ Pickleball

Tuesday evenings 5:30 PM in The Chapel - Lectio Divina

Tuesday evenings 6:30-8:00 PM in Room 407 - Weslyan Ringers

Wednesday evenings 6:30 PM in the Neighborhood space - Crew, The Neighborhood

Wednesday evenings 7:00 PM in the Large Conference Room - Men's Group

Wednesday evenings 5:00-6:30 PM in the City Worship space - Praise Band Rehearsal

Wednesday evenings 6:30-7:00 PM in the City Worship space - City Singers

Wednesday evenings 7:00-8:30 PM - Chancel Choir Rehearsal

Thursday 8:30-9:45 AM - in the Parlor - Koinonia

Thursday 10:00 AM-2:00 PM in 303 & 305 - Quilters Group



Friday afternoons 1:00-2:00 PM in the Large Conference room - Friday Heretics

Sunday Services at MUMC

8:00 in the Chapel

9:30 in the City Worship Space (CLC)

11:00 in the Sanctuary



Online Service:

Attention Members and Friends of MUMC! 

We are hoping to foster a ministry by, with, and for, persons with an Alzheimer's or Dementia diagnosis and those who live with them and/or love them. To begin, we need to know who these folks are within our church community. Please send an email to amy@moumc.org with the pertinent information. All information is confidential and only for purposes of offering care and hope to those struggling with this life circumstance.

If you have an interest in being part of a ministry by, with, and for persons with Alzheimer’s and their families also email amy@moumc.org and I’ll be in touch.

In the Love of Jesus, Amy Bowers

Older Adult Ministry Coordinator

ForColumbia 2025

Saturday, April 26 - 9am to 2pm

Join us the morning and afternoon of April 26 for a really great opportunity to serve our Columbia community! At ForColumbia, churches from all across town come together across denominations to serve at different sites in our community. MUMC will be participating for the third consecutive year.

If you would like to serve as a family in the same location, make sure to sign up under Family Registration to ensure you're all assigned the same site. Otherwise, register your youth under Middle School or High School Registration, and if you'd like to ensure your youth serves alongside other congregants at MUMC, sign up under the group name "MUMY" (you must spell and capitalize it in that EXACT way). If you would like to serve, but not outside or on a project, you can still register to be a part of the Prayer Hub.

Sign up using the above QR code or the link below! The due date to register is Sunday, April 13.

Unhoused Ministry Opportunity

Join us on Saturday, April 12, from 8 AM – 12 PM for a meaningful seminar hosted by Missouri UMC’s Unhoused Ministry Team. Together, we will explore how we can create a more welcoming and inclusive space for our unhoused neighbors through theological reflection, practical strategies, and small-group discussions.

How can we better understand the realities of homelessness in our city? At the Unhoused Neighbor Seminar on April 12, we’ll hear from a city representative who will share key insights and local data, helping us engage with our unhoused neighbors with greater awareness and compassion.

How do we authentically and respectfully connect with those experiencing homelessness? Join us on April 12 to hear from community advocates about best practices for meaningful engagement, rooted in faith and dignity.

Want to make a difference? The Unhoused Neighbor Seminar will introduce ways to serve, from hospitality and advocacy to youth engagement and spiritual inclusion. There’s a role for everyone! Sign up below.

Saturday Breakfast Cafe is Coming Up

We need volunteers to help Prepare/Serve food and to Clean-Up.

We need 8 volunteers each Saturday in April – 7:30am-9:30am, April 5, April 12, April 19, April 26.

If you can't volunteer for one of the Saturday mornings, you can still participate. The food items listed below are also needed each Saturday. Please deliver to CLC Kitchen by Noon on the Friday prior, marked for SBC. If you are volunteering you can bring the item with you on Saturday morning.

• 4 - 3 lb. bag mandarin oranges
• 4 Bunches - 20 bananas
• 6 Boxes - Granola Bars - soft (24 per box)
• 4 Boxes - Large box dry cereal
• 3 Boxes - Instant Oatmeal – (10 per box)
• 4 - 1 Gallon Milk, 1% or 2%
• 3 - 1 Gallon Chocolate Milk
• 3 - 1 Gallon Orange Juice
• 3 - 1 Gallon Apple Juice

You can sign up to volunteer or bring a food item at the link below.

FESTIVAL OF SHARING - Tiger Food Pantry

Thanks to everyone for their contributions to Festival of Sharing projects this year.  We will give a report on the donations received the past three months in a few weeks.  In past years, we have collected money during the month of April for the FOS Family Food Boxes.  This year we decided to take all contributions given during the month of April to purchase food for the Tiger Food Pantry.  This Food Pantry serves our University neighbors and is located across the street from our church in the Hitt Street parking garage.  To make a monetary contribution for the purchase of food supplies for the pantry, checks can be written to MUMC with “Tiger Food Pantry" in the memo portion.  Donations can also be made online by selecting “Tiger Pantry” or “Festival of Sharing Kits” in the drop down menu.  Any donations to FOS during April will be spent to support the Tiger Pantry. Cash donations are also accepted.

The Tiger Food Pantry and Festival of Sharing Packs are coordinated by Sophia Circle of UWF.

Palm Sunday FamJam | April 13 4:30-6:30 PM

Celebrate the upcoming Easter holiday with your family at MUMC! Families with kids ages 0-5th grade are invited to Palm Sunday Fam Jam! There will be crafts and activities, music, and dinner. Bring a friend!

Hungry Hungry Hippos Night

Sunday, April 27 - 5pm to 7pm

CLC Gym

Hungry Hungry Hippos night returns in 2025 - and thanks to the reopening of our gym, it's gonna be even bigger and better than before! If you've ever been curious about what it might be like to play Hungry Hungry Hippos in real life, then wonder no longer!

No registration or advanced signup is necessary. Dinner will be provided!

Join us on our summer service trip to serve at the Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso, Texas! LPI is a United Methodist-affiliated school that predominantly serves Mexican students who cross the border every day to receive their education. In addition to helping LPI as they prepare for the 2025-26 school year, we'll also have opportunities to learn about life at the U.S./Mexico border through the lens of the important subject of immigration.

We will depart on Sunday, June 29th and return on Sunday, July 6th. The deadline to register for the summer service trip is Sunday, May 25. Late registrations may be accepted but are not guaranteed. The registration fee is $125. A $50 deposit is due upon registration, and the rest will be due any time before the start of the trip.

If you have any questions or concerns - especially relating to money - let Ryan know. No youth who wants to go on the summer service trip will be denied that chance because their family can’t afford the registration fee!

We're incredibly excited for our return to UNITE, a weekly conference hosted at CMU by the Missouri Annual Conference's NextGen Ministries! MUMY had a blast at last year's event, and this year's is shaping up to be just as exciting. Incoming 6th graders, graduating 12th graders, and everyone in between are invited to go!

The deadline to register for UNITE is Sunday, June 1. Late registrations may be accepted but are not guaranteed. The cost is attending UNITE is $175. Note that you must fill out two separate forms, first one to register and then another to pay the registration fee.

If you have any questions or concerns - especially relating to money - let Ryan or Rebes know. No youth who wants to go to UNITE will be denied that chance because their family can’t afford the registration fee!

It’s time for a YOUNG ADULTS! TRIVIA! SHOWDOWN!!!

For Thursdays on Tap on April 10, we have reserved three teams with six slots a piece, for a total of EIGHTEEN seats, at trivia night at Gunter Hans, which will run from 7pm to 9pm. On the night of, we’ll meet at 6:30 at MUMC to have a draft to determine the members of each team, with picks being made by three team captains. Plus, there will be a prize of some kind (TBD) for the team that does best of the three MUMC teams!

Let Ryan know ASAP if you plan to come. We hope to see you there!

After-Easter Egg Hunt

Saturday, May 3 - 5pm to 7pm

Who says Easter egg hunts are just for kids - or for Easter Sunday? Come join us on May 3 for the chance to participate in an after-Easter egg hunt across the ENTIRE church building! You can bring your own basket if you'd like, but we'll have some available for those who don't. Each egg will of course contain its own little candy prize for whoever finds it, but there will also be a prize for whoever collects the most eggs...

Are you a young adult looking for a place to build relationships and grow your faith? Then join MUMC's Zillennial Small Group, for Gen Z, millennials, and young adults of all stripes! Every other Monday at 7pm, we meet to enjoy each other's company and discuss topics of all kinds (and there are usually snacks, too!). If you're interested in getting involved, contact Ryan Cohen for more info.

Join us for a new study called Manna and Mercy

beginning Sunday, March 30 at 5:30 pm!

This vibrant, in-depth exploration of the Bible focuses on God’s grace and never-ending love for all creation. Manna and Mercy is a book about God--more specifically, the God of the Bible who is present and active in human history and in our lives today. Through his distinctive illustrations and hand-lettered text, Erlander conveys the continuity of God’s covenant of life, justice, and inclusion to all people and all of creation. God is in the business of mending the universe, and we are all Partner People in that work.

Manna & Mercy will meet Sunday nights at 5 pm in Room 302 beginning March 30 and running through May 18 (excluding Easter Sunday). Books will be available at the first gathering for a suggested donation of $10. This class is being led by Becca Griffin and Haley Hamblin-Dold. Anyone’s welcome!

55+ TAKE TWO MINISTRY

Breakfast Group: Third Wednesday 11:30 location TBD

Val's Circle: Third Tuesday 11:30 lunch - 12:30 p.m. meeting in the MUMC parlor

Esther Circle: Second Wednesday 10:00 a.m. MUMC room 303 & 304

Bratton-Cunningham Circle: Second Wednesday 10:00 a.m. at Lenoir Woods

Searcy-Feely Circle: Third Wednesday 10:00 a.m. location TBD

Wesley Circle: Second Thursday 1:00 p.m. in the MUMC parlor

Sophia Circle: Second Thursday 5:30 p.m. in the MUMC parlor

Gibson Circle: Third Thursday 10:00 a.m. in MUMC parlor

Eagle Online Circle: no regular meetings; weekly devotion posted each Monday

Young Women's UWF Circle

We had a really great first meeting last month and our second meeting will be on April 15th at 7pm in the parlor. This will start our regular meetings every third Tuesday at 7 in the parlor. Anyone who self identifies as a young woman or who wants a circle that meets in the evening is welcome. We are focusing on soul care and social justice in this circle. If childcare is something you need to make these meetings, please reach out to hunter@moumc.org by April 8th for this meeting and at least two weeks in advance after this. Childcare will be no charge to you.

"In the 1940's, Florence and Ernie Funk, members of Mo. Methodist Church felt there was a need to provide scholarships to women interested in entering the ministry. Florence Funk was an active member of what was then known as Missouri United Methodist Women, In conjunction with MUMW, the Scholarship for Women was created. Now known as United Women in Faith Scholarship Applications are available in the MUMC office and online.

Value of the scholarship is $500.

Below are the Criteria for the scholarship:

1. Women who are members or affiliate/attend MUMC

2. Completed 60 credit hours of study at an accredited college or university

3 Have financial need

4. Preparing for a career choice of Ministry, Education or Health Related Field

5. Most have involvement in church related or community activities

Deadline for application: May 31st

To be awarded no later than July 1st."