Welcome to the Family!

WELCOME to First Church!  We hope that you will want to be a part of all that we have planned for kids and families and that you will invite your friends to come with you.  We are excited about our schedule of activities and events, from Sunday School and weekday programs to special events throughout the year. A great bunch of volunteers have signed on to make things fun for all. 

CHILDREN'S SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM

8:15 AM
  Nursery care for Infants through 4 year olds in Room 155

9:30 AM
Nursery care and Sunday School for children through 5th grade

11:00 AM
Nursery care for babies, toddlers, and 2 year olds in Room 155. Children 3 years old (as of Dec. 1, 2007)  through 3rd grade begin in worship, then go to classes following the children's moment.  3s, 4s, and Kindergartners are grouped together and 1st-3rd graders are grouped together.  4th and 5th graders meet in the Children's Center for God's Kids Youth Group

5:00 PM
Nursery for Infants through Two year olds in Room 155
3 and 4 year olds (by Dec. 1, 2006) through 3rd graders begin in worship, then go to classes following the children's moment. 
 

Last Week of Lent - Holy Week

Lent is a special time when Christians get ready to celebrate Easter.  Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts 40 days plus 6 Sundays.  It is a time to think about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection; a time to study Jesus’ teachings, and a time think of ways to be more like Jesus.  Each week we will tell you about some of the ways people use Lent to become closer to Jesus. 

It’s all about Love

Holy Week is a good time to think of ways to share your love with others.  Thinking about Jesus’ last days on earth reminds us of the things he said and did during that time which show us how much Jesus loved us.  Maundy Thursday gets its name from the Latin word mandatum which means commandment. It was in the Upper Room after Jesus washed his disciples’ feet that he gave them the commandment to “Love each other as I have loved you.”  Churches everywhere have Holy Communion services on Maundy Thursday to remind us of Jesus’ love and his commandment to us to love each other.  Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of the whole world.  He gave his life so that people could be forgiven for the wrong things we think and say and do.  We can share Jesus’ love by doing things to help people.  We can thank Jesus for giving his life for us by showing our love for God and for his people

Palm Sunday begins Holy Week

Holy Week is what Christians call the week between Palm Sunday and Easter, when we remember the last week of Jesus’ life on earth.  The first day of the week we call  Palm Sunday to remind us of when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and all the people welcomed him as the Messiah.  Later in the week, on the day we call Maundy Thursday,  Jesus and his disciples met in an upper room to celebrate the Passover.  Jesus showed his friends how much he loved them by washing their feet as a servant would do.  After their meal Jesus told them that soon he would die.  He said to love each other and to remember him by sharing bread and wine together.  It was Jesus’ last meal with his friends. We call it the Last Supper or the Lord’s Supper. Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.  While he was there the temple guards arrested him and took him to the Council of Priests, who said Jesus had broken their religious laws.  The next day Jesus was taken to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. Although he didn’t think Jesus was guilty of a crime, Pilate gave in to the  mob, who called for Jesus to be crucified. Pilate ordered his soldiers to put Jesus to death on a cross. The sky turned dark, there was thunder and lightning and the earth trembled as if all of Creation were responding to Jesus dying.  The day Jesus died on the cross was very sad for the people who loved Jesus.  People didn’t know that in three days Jesus would rise from the dead. We call the day Jesus died Good Friday because Jesus’ death brought about his resurrection on Easter, which was good news for all people. 

 FAMILY WORK CAMP

Families of all ages will be taking part in the Family Work Camp experience the week after Easter.  The Ralstons, Stones, Nelsons, Hamels, Uleps, Gerwolls, Wahls, Mary Feldmaier, Jan Mistele, and Susan Ives will be spending the week at Camp Lael, where Choir Camp takes place during the summer.  A variety of projects and activities will keep everyone busy.  Keep these people in your prayers as they learn and work together!

DO YOU HAVE YOUR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY BANK? we are distributing banks as a way for children to be connected with the Habitat for Humanity fundraising effort. If you didn't get one in Sunday School, they will be available in the Children's Ministry office.

              First United Methodist Church
 PRESCHOOL AND ENRICHMENT PROGRAM
 A great place to learn!
Our church’s Preschool and Enrichment Program is taking registrations for next September.   Since 1959 our program has provided a great first school experience in a Christian setting.  If you know of parents who are looking for preschools for their little ones, please tell them about our program.