Thursday, March 21, 2024

Tonight Join the Spring Soup and Sandwich Dinner

This Sunday we will celebrate the Baptism of Dan Wine. 


After worship there will be cake and time to welcome Dan and also celebrate and welcome our other new members in 2024, Misty Demattee and Spencer Wilson.

For Easter Sunday, March 31st, we’re bringing back an older tradition called The Leftovers. This is a wonderful opportunity for folks in the congregation who enjoy singing to come up to the front of the sanctuary and sing a song with the choir. We will meet in the choir room right after the Easter egg hunt. We have a song that you’ll enjoy and it’s not difficult. Youth and adults are welcome- we need your voices to sing out on this stirring song. Hope to see you on Easter morning! Thank you, Amy🎶

 

The choir will meet on Wednesday, March 20th and Wednesday, Mar 27th at 7:00pm.

Smile God Loves You!

Dear Friends,


When we gather for worship this Sunday we will enter Holy Week, the most important week in the Christian year. During this week we remember that the triumph in Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday was short-lived. Just a few days later, he was being put to death on a cross.


While this year we our focus during Lent has been the power of the resurrection. Holy Week, is the time we remember that death must always come before resurrection is possible. So during this holiest week of the Christian year, beginning Sunday, March 24, I encourage you to take time to focus on Jesus’ last days and the sacrificial love that was expressed on Good Friday, as Jesus submitted to death on a cross. Below this letter is a link to online devotions for Holy Week, that you might find helpful for focusing on Jesus’ Passion.


I also invite you to meditate, if you will, on one sentence found in, “The Third Day,” the book that has guided our Lenten small groups and sermon series.  Author Tom Berlin states very simply “The power that conquers sin, evil, and death is love.”


Because of the resurrection, the power of love is granted to us through the Holy Spirit so that no matter the circumstances—seemingly great or small—we never need be overcome by sin, or evil, or the fear of death.


May God grant us eyes to see and hearts to seek and experience the power of love in our own lives during these holy days.

God’s grace and peace be with you.


Pastor Kim

Click on this link, Devotions for Holy Week, to join with a different United Methodist pastor daily Monday through Saturday of Holy Week for a special devotion that will guide you through Jesus and his followers' difficult journey. Each devotion consists of a Bible passage, a devotional thought, an idea for reflection, and a prayer. They are also each accompanied by a work of art and links to learn more about each of the artists. Journey with us as we prepare for a glorious Easter. 

Ways to be part of serving and celebrating during Holy Week and Easter:

--Pray for Lent, Holy Week, and Easter services and all who take part

--Invite your friends to celebrate Easter with Maplewood UMC.

--Sign up to help with the Maundy Thursday dinner. March 28, 5:30 – 6:45 p.m.  Coordinator: Charlotte Phelps (phelpscb@gmail.com); Pastor Kim (pastorkim@maplewoodumc.org); and Brittany Link. (Brittany.l@maplewoodumc.org)

--Attend the Maundy Thursday service, March 28, 7 p.m.

--Sign up to help with Easter Breakfast. Coordinator: Tom Cordeal tomcordeal@gmail.com

--Offer to arrange the Easter flowers on the Saturday before Easter Sunday. Email Pastorkim@maplewoodumc.org.

--Pick up a bag or two of plastic Easter eggs from the bins in the room behind the sanctuary to fill with candy for the Easter egg hunt. Each plastic grocery bag contains forty empty eggs. Thank you to Lesley Holloman for bagging up the empty Easter eggs from last year!!

**NEW DATES TO THE CALENDAR ARE IN GREEN

**Thursday, March 21

9:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. Church office open

9:00 a.m. - 2 p.m. Second Time Around Shop

2:00 - 3:00 p.m. "The Third Day" Book Study

4:30 p.m. Cub Scouts

5:00-6:30 p.m. -Community Unity Spring Dinner

6:00 p.m. Praise Band Practice

6:00 p.m. Women's AA Group

NO CHOIR PRACTICE


** Saturday, March 23

8:30 a.m. "The Third Day" Book Study

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85476158100?pwd=cmpFVlRCY3dmT2lIODlBcXg4VUdkZz09

10:30 a.m. - Women's AA Meeting


**Sunday,March 24

Palm Sunday

9:00 a.m. Prayer with Pastor Kim

9:45 a.m. Children & Youth Sunday School

9:45 a.m. Adult Discussion Group "Third Day" Book Study

11:00 a.m - Worship - In-Person and

online Link: maplewoodumc.org

5:00 p.m. Scouts

6:30 p.m. Ad Council Meeting



***Monday,March 25

9:00 - 11:30 a.m. Community Unity Team Meeting


**Tuesday,March 26

9:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. Church office open

1:00 pm. Prayer time via Zoom.

Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3745711178pwd=dktsaWkwNlNhVjRmOHpjTFNqR1dqQT09 Meeting ID: 374 571 1178

Passcode: 674257

6:30 p.m. Witnessing Whiteness Study

7:00 p.m. The Third Day Lenten Book Study


**Wednesday, March 27

6:30 p.m. Cub Scouts

7:00 p.m. Choir Practice

**Thursday, March 28

Maundy Thursday

9:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. Church office open

9:00 a.m. - 2 p.m. Second Time Around Shop

2:00 - 3:00 p.m. "Third Day" Book Study

5:30-6:45 p.m. Maundy Thursday Dinner

7:00 p.m. Maundy Thursday Worship

6:00 p.m. Women's AA Group


To see the entire calendar - click below https://73855810.view-events.com


Lenten Study Groups continue....see dates and times in calendar above.

Prayers for...


...Linda Vawter’s sister, Shari, Continued healing for back, a path forward for help with headaches, appropriate work for nephew Allen


...Peg Chulick: Grateful grandson Brian back at teaching, continued prayers for Jer’s strengthening of his heart and vision.

 

...Barb Riney and her family upon the death of Barb’s brother-in-law,

 

...Steve Findley and his family upon the death of his mother, Joy Findley.

 

...Juanita O’Laughlin and her family upon the death of her sister-in-law, Bobbi Cain

 

From Nancy Thompson- Please pray for my son, Peter Munshaw, to find appropriate employment. 


...Karen Raborn healing of hip issues


...Zambian government to provide vaccinations for Kwasha School children so they can reopen school during cholera epidemic.


...Pastor Kim for continued recovery from shoulder surgery


... Continuing prayers for Brian, Peg Chulick’s grandson, for continued healing as doctors adjust medications


...All the strife in Israel, Gaza and Ukraine


Continuing prayers for ...


...Skip Reynolds's comfort and peace


...Shay Blackwell - for relief of nerve pain and dizziness


... Nina Berry - for Chad to be happy and healthy.

Remember Stacy?

Stacy is the daughter of her proud mother, Betty Rhodes. Stacy was a member at Maplewood UMC for many years with her 3 children. She and her children moved to Pennsylvania to attend college and now is teaching in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District. Click on the link below to read all she is doing in her teaching career.


Catch the Magic: Wilkes-Barre Area autistic support teacher believes ‘each kid matters’

 

Read the whole article here: https://www.timesleader.com/news/1648253/catch-the-magic-wilkes-barre-area-autistic-support-teacher-believes-each-kid-matters

Don't forget your "coins for Lent" Calendars

“Coins for Lent” calendars are available at church. Following the daily prompts on the calendar can serve as motivator for collecting funds to be shared with the MUMC Easter Offering which will be for Kwasha Molye School in Zambia and Mosaic Services OR another organization of your choice. The “Coins for Lent” calendar can also be used as a means to count your blessings, as you follow the instructions to count the things in your house that we often take for granted: hats, light switches, boxes of cereal, pairs of shoes or t-shirts.

 

If you missed out on getting one, want to learn more, or would like to access the pdf to print your own, click on this link: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/coins-for-lent-2024

Freedom School Applications are available now!

Freedom School is a 6-week, full day literacy and empowerment summer program under the oversight of Children’s Defense Fund.

Freedom School will be in session June 17 – July 26 (Monday through Friday except for holidays) from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

 

Maplewood UMC partners with LifewiseStL to host Freedom School for children who have completed kindergarten through fifth grade.

 

There is no cost for this program.

 

Applications can be downloaded from the Maplewood UMC website or are available upon request from the church office. The links to online applications are: 

 

2024 FS Application:

https://form.jotform.com/240305064334142

 

2024 FS Application- Additional Child:

https://form.jotform.com/240517320763148

 

 

Maplewood UMC offers Community Unity Kids Club after Freedom School from 3 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. for families who need a later pickup time for their children.  There is no cost for this program but a separate registration must be completed. Click on this link to register for Kids Club: https://share.fluro.io/form/65e778417e85500037bfe640 or contact the church office for a registration form.

 

Be on the lookout soon for ways to sign up to serve with Freedom School.

MUMC Kids

Last week we learned that Jesus forgives and gives us second chances if we only ask for it!


This week we will prepare for Palm Sunday and don't forget during worship the children and youth will be asked to participate in the Palm Sunday Parade!


DEADLINE for the church newsletter is MIDNIGHT EVERY TUESDAY: send articles via email only to jbrx10@yahoo.com.

The Sunday morning worship bulletin will be sent via email at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday

For more information about Maplewood United Methodist Church, go to our website    (maplewoodumc.org ) or Facebook page (facebook.com/mumcstl)

The church office is open Tuesday, & Thursday from 9 a.m. til 1 p.m.

Office Phone: 314-781-5902. Pastor Kim Shirar: 314-651-9999 Email: pastorkim@maplewoodumc.org

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