Messenger Weekly News
April 14, 2022
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LENTEN WORSHIP SERIES
Jesus: An Autobiography
Can you imagine reading an autobiography written by Jesus? Instead of reading books and articles about what other people think and believe about him, you would be reading Jesus’s own words about who he is and what he wants you to know.

In the Bible, Jesus says, “I am…” seven times. Using these statements as our guide, our Lenten series, “Jesus: An Autobiography”, will be our opportunity to learn from His story in His own words. Join us in person or online as we prepare for Easter!
Online Services
MASKS ENCOURAGED: COVID-19 updates available online at moumc.org/covid.
WiFi: MUMCGuest (password: Welcome100%)
Pastor's Letter 
By Rev. Troy Bowers
The Power of Your Personal Recommendation

When my wife, Amy, and I first arrived in Columbia during the summer of 2021, many of you gave us some great recommendations – ‘must eat at’ restaurants, trails to hike, community events to attend, local attractions to enjoy. We’ve been to Living Windows in downtown Columbia, enjoyed Murry’s and Delia’s Mexican (and other restaurants!), hiked the Rocheport Katy Trail and taken our extended family to Warm Springs Ranch to enjoy the Clydesdales during the Christmas season. We went to all of these wonderful places because you recommended them to us!

There is tremendous power in a personal recommendation. A recommendation given to you by someone you know and trust is persuasive. Research tells us people are four times more likely to participate in an event or try a new experience if they receive a personal recommendation and invitation.

In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, we find a personal recommendation/invite. After Philip met Jesus for the first time, heard him preach and witnessed his ministry, he sought out his friend, Nathaniel. Philip simply said, “Come and See”. Of course, we know the rest of the story and how Nathaniel did respond to the invitation, going on to become one of Jesus’s 12 disciples.

So here is the pastoral question for this Holy Week: To whom can you give a personal invite or recommendation to to come and worship with us on Easter Sunday, or one of the Sundays following? Is there a person/family in our church whom you have not seen for some time, perhaps even since the pandemic began? Would you be willing to reach out via text, email, phone call or a quick visit to let them know they have been missed? Now is a great time to reengage with our church and the power of your personal invite/recommendation is great!

Perhaps you have family members, coworkers or neighbors who you could invite to ‘come and see’ like Philip did. Come and see how authentic, modern-day disciples of Jesus live out their faith and experience community together. Come and see how modern-day disciples of Jesus seek to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with their God. The power of your personal invite/recommendation is great.

As always, I’ll save you a spot in the ‘holy place’,

Pastor Troy

P.S. Amy and I are still open to receiving great recommendations!
Last Sunday:
Easter & Holy Week
Maundy Thursday Service | April 14
On April 14, a special Maundy Thursday / Good Friday service will take place in the Sanctuary at 7:00 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
Holy Saturday Prayer Vigil | April 16
The Prayer Ministry Team Leaders invite everyone to participate in the Holy Saturday Prayer Vigil in McMurry Chapel on Holy Saturday, April 16, between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Please feel free to come and go according to your schedule.

These three hours will be a quiet time with God to reflect and pray during the final hours of Jesus' entombment, and to prepare us for the wonder of Easter morning. Some suggested prayer focus ideas and a list of inspirational scriptures will be available if desired.
Play Your Cares Away | April 16
Play Your Cares Away, led by play therapists from Kindred Collective, will take place this Saturday, April 16, from 12:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Join us on Holy Saturday for play therapy centered on new life, concluding with an Easter egg hunt! This is a time of healing and fun for every member of our church family.

To register, click on the link below.
Arts in Worship: Mizzou Brass | April 17
On Easter, we welcome Mizzou Brass to worship at the 11:00 a.m. service! The performers are all affiliated with the University of Missouri and include Dr. Iskander Akhmadullin, Dr. Timothy Howe, David Myers and Theodore Leonard.
Easter Hospitality Volunteers Needed!
Easter is this Sunday and we are always looking for friendly greeters and users to welcome all Easter guests to MUMC! To volunteer, please email Betsy Vicente at [email protected] or Greg & Dora Thackery at [email protected].
Easter Sunday Parking
We are expecting hundreds of individuals in worship on Sunday as we celebrate Easter. As a reminder, there are a number of parking options for our worshipers:
  1. Limited spots are available in the church parking lot, with priority going to those who need to park closer.
  2. Hitt Street Parking Garage, catty-corner to the church parking lot, has free parking available.
  3. Downtown parking is free on Sundays!
Upcoming Worship Series
The Gospel According to Dogs | April 24 & May 1
Spiritual Lessons from Our Four-Legged Friends

There is much we can learn from dogs and in this two-part series, we will explore some of the great things we can learn from our four-legged friends.

As we prepare for this short series, send us a photo of you with your dog to show how deeply our own companions impact our lives. Submit photos and the names of those in the photo to [email protected]! Entries will be shared in the slides before worship.
News
Office Closed Easter Monday
In observance of Easter Monday, the church office will be closed on April 18. The office will reopen for regular hours starting on Tuesday, April 19.
Upcoming Seekers Class Series | Starting April 24
Jim Bryan will be leading a four-week discussion of social justice based on the book Outrageous Justice by Craig DeRoche, Heather Rice-Minus and Jesse Wiese beginning Sunday, April 24, in the Seekers class. The class meets 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. in Room 302. All are welcome to join the discussion.
Graduating? Fill out Our Graduation Survey!
Are you graduating from high school, college or something else this spring? Or are you the parent/guardian of a graduate and want your graduate to be recognized in worship at MUMC? If you answer "Yes!" to either of the above, please fill out the survey below by April 26! We will be celebrating our graduates in our three Sunday services on May 1!
Music Director Position Opening
MUMC is searching for the right candidate to build upon the rich musical heritage of its church and congregation. This position is currently scoped for part-time (20 hours per week) with the potential of increasing the hours and responsibilities to three-quarters time or full time in the future. To see the full position description, click the link below.

Interested candidates should email their resume and cover letter to Adriene at [email protected].
MUMY Goes to Camp July 18-22!
Christ in Youth (CIY) is bringing their high-energy, weeklong event to Central Methodist University from July 18 to 22 for 7th-12th graders! For over 50 years, CIY has been at work with the simple mission of creating moments that inspire students to follow Christ into a life of Kingdom work through His Church. Register your youth below. Deadline is July 3.
Saturday Morning Breakfast Café
Each year, MUMC joins area churches to provide breakfast for food insecure individuals in our community on Saturday mornings. MUMC hosts this breakfast in April and June, and we would love to have you participate!

We will be serving breakfast in the Multipurpose Room and need help setting food out on tables, serving and cleaning tables after breakfast. We also hope you will visit with our guests to make them feel welcome.

To sign up to volunteer and see requested food items, check out the link below.
NextGen Summer Camp
Registration is open for the NextGen day camp this summer at Community United Methodist Church in Columbia! Camp will be held from July 25 - 29 for kids aged 6 to 12.
 
Volunteers are needed! Adults are needed to serve in different capacities around the camp, including as counselors and to prepare meals. Youth (13-17) are also welcome to assist camp counselors during the week. Please reach out to Caroline Lankton at [email protected] to volunteer.
 
To register campers, click on the link below.
Festival of Sharing
April's Festival of Sharing focus is Family Food Boxes. These packages include:
  • Three packages of macaroni & cheese
  • Three cans of vegetables
  • Three cans of fruit
  • One jar of peanut butter
  • One can of pasta sauce
  • One pound of pasta
  • Three cans of tuna
  • Three cans of chicken.

The estimated cost of each Food Box is $22. 

You can help support April's drive by donating any of the above items and bringing them to the container in the Connector or by giving a monetary donation online at moumc.org/give (indicate "FOS" in the memo box), via check ("FOS" on the memo line) or by bringing cash to the church office.

Festival of Sharing drives are coordinated by Sophia Circle of UMW. 
Tool Collection for Nicaragua
Throughout April, the Men's Group is collecting tools for the Rainbow Network Tools Collection for Nicaragua. Each Sunday, there will be Men's Group representatives in the Connector to answer questions and collect items. A container will also be placed in the Connector throughout the week.

The following items are requested:
  • 9” Angle Grinders
  • Crescent Wrenches
  • Electric Drills
  • Electric Saws
  • Files
  • Hack Saw for Metal
  • Hammers
  • Hand Axes
  • Hand Drills
  • Hand Saws
  • Hatchets
  • Hoes
  • Levels
  • Metal Wedges
  • Pickaxes
  • Plier Sets
  • Rakes
  • Rasp Sets
  • Screwdrivers
  • Shovels
  • Small Wood Saws
  • Socket Wrenches (especially metric)
  • Staple Guns
  • Tape Measures (need to show metric)
  • Utility Knives
  • Vice Grips
  • Welders
  • Welding Gloves

Monetary donations can also be made as a contribution to purchase larger items such as the concrete mixers and compactors, as well as cover shipping costs. For checks or online donations, please indicate that donations are for the "Men's Group Tools" on the memo line.

For questions, contact Bill Struckhoff at [email protected].
Is Everyone Familiar with Loaves & Fishes?
Loaves & Fishes is a nightly free dinner served from the kitchen of Wilkes Boulevard United Methodist Church in Downtown Columbia. While the meal is hosted at Wilkes, the program is organized through Ruth O’Neill with the St. Francis Catholic Worker House, and local churches sign up to serve on Saturdays to provide relief to those who serve throughout the week.

Missouri United Methodist Church is responsible for preparing and serving a meal on the second Saturday of each month to anywhere between 75 and 100 guests. Ministries or groups of members (typically 6-8 individuals) sign up to prepare these dinners each month and serve between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on the scheduled Saturday at Wilkes.

A number of MUMC groups are currently signed up to serve throughout most of the year, but we still need a group for the month of August! If you would like to volunteer a group for August or as an individual to help another group, please contact Greg and Dora Thackery at [email protected].
Email your entries for the Messenger to [email protected] by Monday at 5:00 p.m. to be considered for Thursday's newsletter.
As a Reminder: Church leaders will not email individuals requesting emergency favors or gift cards for charity. You can read about tactics used by email scammers here.
Sunday Worship Services
Three worship opportunities offered on Sundays:
  • 8 a.m. | THE CHAPEL worship in McMurry Chapel
  • 9:30 a.m. | THE CITY worship in the Christian Life Center
  • 11 a.m. | THE CATHEDRAL worship in the Sanctuary
Church Office at (573) 443-3111
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