Highlights
April 21 — Easter: Bluegrass Service, 8 a.m.; Traditional Service, 11 a.m.
April 22 — Church office closed
April 28 — Adult Ed: Preaching in the Age of Donald Trump
April 28 — Fourth Sunday Offering: One Great Hour of Sharing
May 5 — Youth Sunday
May 19 — Election of church officers, after worship
May 26 — Summer hours start: No Church School or Adult Ed; worship moves to 10 a.m.
Evotional
"Holy Hell Week"
"We have spent the last six weeks on a Lenten journey, preparing or, dare I say, conditioning ourselves for Easter. However, when this week arrives, we tend to want to rush too quickly to the empty tomb on Sunday morning. We are so ready to roll that stone away and sing 'Alleluia' again that we forget to dwell on or grieve the death of Jesus. ... Don’t lose focus. Stay vigilant. And I’ll see you at the empty tomb."
— Alicia Reese
Calendar
April 7, 14, and 28 — New Moms Flower Power Project donations accepted
April 7, 14, and 28 — CROP Hunger Walk donations accepted
April 21 — Hot cross buns available between Easter services
April 25, 26, and 27 — Dinners for Eight: Prime Time and Midpoint
April 26 — FUSH year-end lock-in, 8 p.m.
May 5 — Prayer workshop, 12:30-2 p.m.
May 5 — CROP Hunger Walk, 2 p.m.
May 10 — Dinner and a Movie, 6 p.m.
May 12 — Second Sunday Sundaes
May 19 — Church picnic, after worship
Sermons
"We are Made for Compassion"
Luke 15:11b-31
"It’s in [the] context of pushing back against the boundaries we construct that [Jesus] tells three parables about a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a prodigal son. With these parables he makes an interesting rhetorical move. He refuses to get pulled into a conversation about insiders and outsiders and where boundaries should be drawn between people. Instead he invites us to look at our relationships with other people through a different set of lenses. Instead of talking about who’s in or out, he suggests, let’s think about who’s lost or found. "
— Deborah Kapp
March 31, 2019
About Us & Registration Forms
What’s Happening
Right now is a perfect opportunity to consider using your gifts and talents in a more formal way to serve the church. The Nominating Committee is compiling a list of people to serve as an elder, a deacon, or a committee member. One of those names could be yours! You can fill out a Nominations card in the pew racks or at the Elder's Desk and put it in the offering plate or Nominating Committee mailbox. Or use this online version and simply hit "submit." You can nominate yourself to serve in any of those capacities, or nominate another church member whom you feel would be a good leader.
Our Lenten theme: Take Nothing With You
Throughout Lent, First United will provide suggested activities for your personal contemplation and spiritual practice. Our Lenten season and Holy Week are rich with events that show what we need to leave behind as we grow in our commitment to follow Christ. A Lent and Easter flyer available at the link below describes the many events and worship opportunities leading up to Easter. In addition:
- We will offer a weekly list of Lenten practices, which will include daily devotions, prayers, and even a video for further reflection. Here's the link to the sixth week: Palm Sunday.
- You can join a Lenten book study group. Learn about the books and choose a group at this SignUp Genius link.
- We need Holy Week volunteers to bake bread on Wednesday and get Centennial Hall ready for the soup supper before the Maundy Thursday Tenebrae service, as well as table hosts and people to clean up. Find out what's needed and volunteer at this SignUp Genius link.
