JOINT STATEMENT ON THE ATTACKS IN ISRAEL

October 8, 2023 

By Global Ministries

The World Methodist Council, Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church, and the Methodist Church in Britain work in partnership to run the Methodist Liaison Office based in Jerusalem employing 3 staff members. They have released this statement after the attacks in the region:

We are witnesses to the escalation of violence in the region and we call on Methodist people all over the globe to continue to pray for peace and for an end to the violence.

Pray for those who have lost family members and livelihoods, the injured, for those who perpetuate violence and for World Leaders that they may work for peace, the churches and all religious leaders and for those who work for peace in the region.

The situation is complicated, and we recognize the fear and sense of injustice that are felt, but we call on both sides not to resort to further violence and to engage in negotiation to establish a peaceful solution for all who live in the Holy Land.

Please also view this statement from the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem.

You are invited to Coffee with Pastor Kim on Sunday, October 22 in the chapel room next to the office. Come for a breakfast treat, coffee or juice, and the chance to get better acquainted and ask any questions you might have about the church, the Christian faith, or whatever is on your mind. This is a great time to talk about baptism or church membership as well.  If you have questions or know you plan to come please email Pastor Kim at pastorkim@maplewoodumc.org

All Saints Day is Sunday, November 5



The names of Maplewood UMC members and loved ones who have died since the last All Saints Day will be read during Holy Communion as a way of honoring their lives and celebrating that our communion with them continues in Christ Jesus. If you would like to have the name of a loved one read during Holy Communion, please share the name of the person, your name, and their relationship to you with Pastor Kim via email to pastorkim@maplewoodumc.org or text to 314-651-9999.  

Dear Friends,

When our son, Ben, was in middle school, I was able to go as a parent chaperone on a mission trip to New Orleans with his middle school youth group. One night near the end of the trip, the youth leader (whose name was Greg) told the group scary stories right before bedtime. I told Greg, he could tell all the scary stories he wanted, as long as he was the one who stayed up with the kids who were too scared to go to sleep. 

Greg told his scary stories and the entire group ended up hiding together in a closet while Ben read to them from the Bible. Now that I think about it, that might have been Greg’s secret method for promoting more Bible reading and prayer among the youth. I know for sure they were a little bunch of scared young’ uns. True to my word, though, I left them to the care of their youth leader and went to bed.

Since ancient times people have been telling scary tales—ghost stories. As Halloween approaches this year, rather than avoid the scary stuff, we are going to actually read a couple of “ghostly” stories from our biblical traditions.

Part of what makes ghost stories scary is that they generally happen at night. We will begin studying these “nighttime stories” on October 22^nd. But this Sunday, before we read scary stories that happen at night, Charlotte Phelps will preach about God’s gift of light for us. It’s a light that won’t be overcome by the darkest of darkness.

I hope you will be part of worship for the next three weeks for the sermon series, “Ghost Stories.” 

God’s grace and peace be with you,

Pastor Kim

As we gearing up for the “Ghost Stories” sermon series that begins on October 15, Please send us your best Trick or Treat jokes so we can share them with the congregation. Email the joke OR send a video of yourself telling the joke to pastorkim@maplewoodumc.org.  We will share them before worship on the slides and during worship as well.