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Join the Small Group Book Study beginning May 9th
Small group study of Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans on May 9, 16 and 30 at 7 p.m. at the church. There will be a sign up this Sunday, May 7, or check with Suzanne Thompson, 314-781-1950, or Jan Harsh, 314-781-3960.
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Church and Community Potluck this Sunday
As part of our new vision and mission to feed our community in body, mind, heart and spirit through the love of Christ, we will be hosting regular church and community potlucks. We will be hosting one this Sunday, May 7th immediately following worship. Please bring a dish to share or some food for thought. Invite your friends and family
| Citizen of the Year award to Pastor Kim and the congregation of Maplewood UMC | |
In an award ceremony on April 28 Pastor Kim and Maplewood United Methodist Church were named “Citizen of the Year” by the Maplewood Richmond Heights Board of Education. Katie Kaufmann, MRH Board of Education Secretary, spoke to the congregation about the award, thanking MUMC, in particular for hosting Freedom School. If you missed the ice cream and cake celebration after worship, please pick up an MUMC Citizen of the Year button on the table at the top of the Sutton Street stairs! Thank you to the people of Maplewood UMC for making a difference in the life of the local community on behalf of Jesus! (more pictures below)
Holy Communion elements for May 7 worship are in the little library located next to Flora Avenue.
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This summer we are hoping to expand our children's ministry and bring in new leaders to teach the children about something that you have a particular interest in or an activity you enjoy! This went over so well last Summer we decided to do it again! Please consider signing up for one week (or more) and pick a project or activity you are interested in, you can even use some of the same activities as last year. Please know that you won't be in the classroom alone! You will have support from other adults who are familiar with the children. Please reach out to me if you have any questions! Please click on the link and sign up, please respond by 05/05/2023!
To sign up click here:
2023 Summer Sunday School
Brittany Link
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Trustee Report:
Painting of the Sanctuary will begin on Monday, May 15 and will be completed by the following Sunday. Help needed to move pews away from the wall and then back. Call Dave Vierse: 314-791-6687 to help
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Dear Friends,
This past Sunday on the last day of April, a member of the congregation and I discussed the answer to a question I have pondered for a good while. Maybe you have wondered about this too. This question has to do with December vs. May. Which month is busier?
For my conversation partner it is December, hands down. For me, it might also be December. But May comes in at a close m second. And May is upon us.
Basketball fans know about March Madness. But I think May brings a “madness” all its own. This month is so full!
Mother’s Day. Graduation celebrations. End of the school year or spring sports season celebrations. Finalizing summer plans for day camp or vacations. For Maplewood UMC… planning Summer Sunday school, Freedom School, Freedom School Aftercare, and summer special music. Some of us also throw in a few family birthday celebrations, then clear out the last few leaves in the beds and plant some flowers. It’s a busy, busy time!
And when you think about it, while graduating seniors and their parents might be experiencing waves of mixed emotions, most of what we just listed seems to be good stuff. Even the good stuff can wear us out! We find ourselves having nothing left to give, and then quite often we realize there is one more good thing to do. One more invitation. One more request to volunteer. One more card to send.
What do we do when the demands of life exhaust us no matter what month of the year it is?
This Sunday we will read a story from scripture about Jesus telling his disciples after they had fished all night without catching anything. They were tired and hungry. No doubt discouraged. And Jesus told them to keep on fishing!
I hope you will be part of worship this Sunday as we read this story and talk about how Jesus nurtured and restored his disciples, even when they felt like they had nothing more to give. I believe there will be a message of hope for each of us on Sunday as we “catch our breath” together.
God’s grace and peace be with you,
Pastor Kim
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CLEAN UP FOR FREEDOM SCHOOL AND AFTERCARE
A team from Freedom School and Freedom School Aftercare is planning to clean out the area behind the stage, the room behind the kitchen, and the corner of fellowship hall behind the screens. We don’t have a date yet but if you or your team, ministry, or small group have anything stored in those areas that you still want, please remove it by May 15th. If that is impossible, please label it by May15th with your name and where you would like it stored. We will send any unclaimed items to barter and curb. Thanks!
Mary Kunce: 314-283-6953 and Renee McDonough: 314-540-6707
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Celebration of Graduates!
Sunday June 4 during worship.
If you or a loved one is graduating from post-college, college, high school, 8th grade, please send a photo, the name of the school they attended and information about the next school or future plans to Brittany.l@maplewoodumc.org
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First Quarter Finance Report from the Finance Committee
The graph below shows the church’s finances through March 31, 2023.
Income is at the top of the graph and below that are the expenses and salaries broken into the four main areas of the church budget. In January we paid our Conference Apportionments for the year 2023 all at one time ($24,851). The deficit of $10,059 shown is due to paying those apportionments in a lump sum. The deficit should decrease as the year goes on.
If you have any questions concerning the church’s finances contact Mary Kunce, (314) 283-6953
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It’s not too early to sign up to serve at Freedom School 2023! YOU can sign up for Freedom School mealtime helper or to serve to support the aftercare offered for the first time this year by Maplewood UMC. Go to the easel behind the sanctuary on Sunday mornings or sign up via the app or website at this page: https://www.maplewoodumc.org/freedom-school | |
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May, 2023
If you know me, you know I am not a sports fan. But I do have an interest in unusual bits of trivia—factoids, you might say. Last month, I learned another one. Most of you know who Jackie Robinson was. He is widely credited with breaking the “color barrier” by becoming the first Black Major League baseball player in the 20th century for the Brooklyn Dodgers, even though Moses Walker had debuted sixty-three years earlier with the Toledo Blue Stockings as a catcher.
Robinson started for the Dodgers in April, 1947, playing first base. His first hit in the majors was on April 17 of that year. Although he would go on to win the National League batting championship in 1949 with a .364 average and achieve a lifetime average of .311, Robinson’s first hit in the majors was less than spectacular. He’d hit a fly ball in the first inning but he was still in search of his first real hit. Finally, in the fifth inning, he bunted down the third base line and got to first base. That’s right, a hit that made history . . . was a bunt.
He didn’t hit a line drive into the bleachers. He didn’t knock it out of the park. He gave it a nice, firm tap. But that was enough. He could have sent it to Mars. There could be guys with telescopes looking for it to this day. But even if there were, it wouldn’t have been any more historic. By making the first Major League hit by a Black ball player, Robinson sent a baseball into history. READ MORE
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NEW THIS WEEK: Items printed in Green
**Thursday,May 4
9:00 a.m. Second Time Around Shop
Half Price Sale
1:00 p.m. Caring Group
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3745711178?pwd=dktsaWkwNlNhVjRmOHpjTFNqR1dqQT09
Meeting ID: 374 571 1178
Passcode: 674257
7:00 p.m. Choir Practice
** Saturday, May 6
10:30 a.m. - Women's AA Meeting
**Sunday, May 7
9:00 a.m. Prayer with Pastor Kim
9:45 a.m - .ADULT DISCUSSION GROUP
9:45 a.m. Children's Sunday School
11:00 a.m - Worship - In-Person and on Facebook - Link: facebook.com/mumcstl
12:15 p.m. Potluck Luncheon
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**Tuesday, May 9
1 p.m. Prayer time via Zoom.
Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3745711178pwd=dktsaWkwNlNhVjRmOHpjTFNqR1dqQT09 Meeting ID: 374 571 1178
Passcode: 674257
3:30-4:30 p.m. - Boy Scout
Meeting
**Wednesday, May 10
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Boy Scout meeting
**Thursday,May 11
9:00 a.m. Second Time Around Shop
1:00 p.m. Caring Group Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3745711178?pwd=dktsaWkwNlNhVjRmOHpjTFNqR1dqQT09
Meeting ID: 374 571 1178 Passcode: 674257
7:00 p.m. Choir Practice
To see the entire calendar - click below https://73855810.view-events.com
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What Happened at Children's Sunday School This week
We discussed loneliness. We watched a video, did an experiment with oil and water, had an obstacle course. We learned that we are never alone, God is always with us!
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Prayers for....
...Shay Blackwell who is recovering at home.
...Jerry Chulick, health concerns.
...Our confirmation class members
...the people of Malawi impacted by a cyclone that caused catastrophic loss of lives and catastrophic damage
Continuing prayers for ...
... Nina Berry - for Chad to be happy and healthy
...John Rutledge- recovering at home
| More Pictures from Citizen of the Year | The crew that was at 9 Mile Garden to receive the award | Katie Kaufmann, Secretary of MRH School Board addressing the congregation at worship | The button made for the event. Pick up yours at church. | Church Apps to help keep you Connected | |
Online Church Directory App- a digital form of the paper church directory. You can call and email someone directly from the APP.
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The Maplewood UMC App where you can fill out the Connect Card to show you were at worship, see what events are coming, access online giving, audio Bible and more to come.
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Looking for a Summer Job? | |
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DEADLINE for the church newsletter is MIDNIGHT EVERY TUESDAY; send articles to jbrx10@yahoo.com.
The Sunday morning worship bulletin will be sent via email at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday
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