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News From
April 4, 2018
For the good of the city
... Jeremiah 29:7
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Church Office:
785-233-8100
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Give to Topeka First UMC
by text!
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Church Activity Communications Request
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Do you have information about a church activity you'd like to share? The deadline to submit an article for church publications is
12 p.m. each Tuesday.
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Coming Up Soon:
- Wednesday, April 4
- 12:00 p.m. Hannah UMW Circle, Rm 105
- 12:15 p.m. Midweek Meditation, Chapel
- 1:00 p.m. Naomi Ruth UMW Circle, Hearth Room
- 5:00 p.m. Praise Team Practice, Chapel
- 5:15 p.m. Phase 2 Yoga, Rm 212
- 5:30 p.m. Wednesday Night Dinner, Fellowship Hall
- 6:00 p.m. New Vibrations Bell Choir, Rm L17
- 6:16 p.m.
- Methodism 101, Rm L16
- Foundations, Rm 101
- Hero Central, Chapel & Children's Area
- Thursday, April 5
- 8:30 a.m. Senior Adults Coffee & Donuts, Paradise Donuts
- 5:00 p.m. Memorials Committee, Rm 106
- 5:15 p.m. Worship Experience Team, Hearth Room
- 6:00 p.m. Rhapsody Ringers Bell Choir, Rm L17
- 7:30 p.m. Sanctuary Choir Practice, Sanctuary
- Friday, April 6
- 8:00 a.m. WAFFLE, State Street Elementary
- Saturday, April 7
- 8:00 a.m. Stephen Ministry Training, Hearth Room
- Sunday, April 8
- 8:15 a.m. Arise Worship Service, Chapel
- 9:00 a.m.
- Coffee Connection, Celebration Room
- Youth Bake Sale, Celebration Room
- Shirt orders and name tag pick up, Celebration Room
- 9:30 a.m.
- 9-3-0 Worship Service, Chapel
- Sunday School for All Ages
- Confirmation Class, Hearth Room
- 10:30 a.m.
- Coffee Connection, Celebration Room
- Youth Bake Sale and Baked Potato Bar, Celebration Room
- Shirt orders and name tag pick up, Celebration Room
- 11:00 a.m. Sanctuary Worship Service, Sanctuary
- 12:15 p.m. Leadership Council Meeting, Rm 105
- 4:00 p.m. #Adulting and Phase 2 at Blind Tiger
- 5:00 p.m. Staff Parish Relations Committee, Rm 105
- Monday, April 9
- 6:30 p.m. Stephen Ministry Training, Hearth Room
- Tuesday, April 10
- 9:00 a.m. Quilting Group, Rm L 35
- 5:15 p.m. Worship Task Force, Rm 105
- Wednesday, April 11
- 12:15 p.m. Midweek Meditation, Chapel
- 5:00 p.m. Praise Team Practice, Chapel
- 5:15 p.m. Phase 2 Yoga, Rm 212
- 5:30 p.m. Wednesday Night Dinner, Fellowship Hall
- 6:00 p.m. New Vibrations Bell Choir, Rm L17
- 6:15 p.m.
- Methodism 101, Rm L16
- Foundations, Rm 101
- 7:00 p.m. Venture Crew Meeting, Rm L37
- Thursday, April 12
- 1:30 p.m. Shepherd's Center Line Dancing, Fellowship Hall
- 6:00 p.m. Rhapsody Ringers Bell Choir, Rm L17
- 7:30 p.m. Sanctuary Choir Practice, Rm L18
- Friday, April 13
- 8:00 a.m. WAFFLE, State Street Elementary
- Saturday, April 14
- 7:30 a.m. Men's Meeting, Celebration Room
- Sunday, April 15
- Tempero Sandall speaker at all services and afternoon workshop
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Church Office Hours
The church office is open Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
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Click image to learn more about the movie
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All-Church Potluck Dinner and Movie Night
Gather as a church family to enjoy a potluck dinner and a movie on Saturday, April 21st in Fellowship Hall. The meal will begin at 5:30, with the movie following at 6:15. Bring your pillows, blankets, or lawn chairs to get comfortable for watching the movie.
"Different Drummers," our movie for the evening, is a deeply inspirational film, based on a true story about the spiritual journey and unlikely friendship of two boys growing up in the mid 1960s. When David, who is in a wheelchair, accurately foretells the death of their 4
th
grade teacher, his hyperactive friend Lyle devises a plan to find out if God really exists by attempting to get David to run.
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Click to learn more about Wednesday Night Dinners |
Wednesday Night Dinners
Join us for an intergenerational fellowship opportunity every Wednesday evening in Fellowship Hall. Adults and families attending Wednesday night classes gather from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. for supper. Dinner prices have dropped for the Winter Session to $6 per adult and $4 per child, with a $20 maximum for families. Please, make a reservation online or on your bulletin tear-off on Sunday each week so we can be certain to have enough food for the group.
If your Sunday School class, church group, or family would be able to help prepare a meal, please contact Allison Brewer, Director of Children's Discipleship. The menu is already planned. You can choose to help cook, set up, and/or clean up. Learn more on our website.
Click the date on the menu to sign up and pay for your meal:
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  Blind Tiger with Phase 2 and #Adulting
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Church Shirt Store Closes on April 8th
New church shirts are available to order from our downtown partners at Reliant Apparel until April 8th. You may order and pay for your shirt
on their website, or order your shirt in person at 9 and 10:30 a.m. on
April 8th
in the Celebration Room at church. All orders online and in person must be placed by April 8th, and all orders will be delivered to the church to pick up on April 29th.
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Pick Up Your New Name Tag This Sunday
If you ordered a new name tag, you can pick it up and pay for it in the Celebration Room this Sunday at 9 a.m. or 10:30 a.m.
The name tag costs $7 with a pin fastener, or $8.50 with a magnet fastener. You can pay for your name tag with cash, check, or card. Call the church at 785-233-8100 or
email Jayna McFarland, Publications Coordinator, with any questions
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If you missed your chance to order a name tag this time around, don't worry--there will be more opportunities later in the year to order one.
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Thanks for Supporting Downtown Topeka!
Last week, many of our church members showed their support for our downtown community by wearing church gear and leaving thank you notes when they shopped and dined downtown. Thanks for everyone who submitted a picture of their downtown fun!
Of course, it is always a good time to represent our church as we are out in the community, but our quarterly Downtown Connection Weeks can show our support in full force. We'll set another week aside this summer--watch this newsletter for details!
Pictured:
Jim and Kathy Maag, Ed and Jane Patrick, and Lon and Nancy Lewis met at The Pennant downtown to try out the new restaurant and show appreciation to those who have invested in the neighborhood. You can send your Downtown Connection Week pics to Jayna McFarland, Publications Coordinator, or post them on social media with the hashtag #forthegoodofthecity.
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| Have you seen the chairs and divan behind the pulpit? |
History Mystery
A piece of chancel furniture from the 1920s rebuilding of the Sanctuary has come up missing! The set of two side chairs and a divan were selected for our Sanctuary during its completion in 1923/24, after a fire had completely destroyed the church building constructed in 1880.
The architect, Williamson (also architect of the current Topeka High School) was chosen to design and supervise the new Sanctuary building. He designed or had input into every detail of the interior and exterior of the new building--layout, decoration, colors, flooring, lighting, furniture, etc. His original blueprints and detailed drawings are included in the special archive collection library at the University of Kansas. We have seen them there, handled them and were in awe of the immense, detailed work that went into our beautiful Sanctuary.
A Building Committee was formed hours after the fire and met almost daily, then weekly, for the nearly three years involved in the new construction. Not only did they have to supervise and make decisions on the new structure, but the education building (which you may know as our Mulvane Building) was extensively damaged by smoke and water and had to be redone.
The minutes of that committee make fascinating reading for historians and others. The Committee was faced with decisions about architecture, debris removal, new dining room and kitchen considerations, heating, lighting, easement issues, a new organ, and much more.
Now, the furniture in question! The three pieces were designed by Williamson and built by the American Seating Co.
in Chicago.
The minutes of the Building Committee (kept in the History Room and files of Topeka First UMC) record the consideration of the furniture, colors, finish of the wood, and eventually, the cost.
We have photos in the History Room that show the progression of the Sanctuary from about 1925 or 1927 until
the 1978 renovation. These three pieces of furniture can be seen in place on the Chancel from the beginning until the 1978 date. The photos reveal that the three pieces were reupholstered at some point from the original leather to the red velvet that is on them now.
The "History Mystery" is...what happened to the second chair? At the present, one chair and the divan are located in a Sunday School class room. All three pieces were on the Chancel prior to the 1978 renovation. Consideration is being given to restoring the chair and divan, including new upholstery. It would be a shame to restore the two pieces and not the third, if that chair could be located. Anyone with any knowledge or memory of this chancel furniture may notify church historians, Larry and Doris Wills, or call the church office.
Larry and Doris Wills, Church Historians
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In Worship This Week:
Message:
Redeemed and Called
Rev. Jeff Clinger, Lead Pastor
Scripture:
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 Prayer Covenant Churches
The Topeka District of the Great Plains Conference has arranged a covenant calendar to ensure all churches in our connection are held in prayer by the others. We will pray for a different church each week. Check this newsletter for our next prayer covenant church, and join us in prayer for them as another church joins in prayer for us.
Prayer Covenant Church for the week:
Ozawkie UMC |
 Senior Adults Coffee and Donuts
Thursday, April 5th at 8:30 a.m.
Along with the robins and daffodils, senior donuts and coffee time has returned! Our new gathering place will be at Paradise Donuts (1620 SW 6th, across the street to the north of St. Francis). Come out of hibernation and join the fun. You buy your donut, and coffee is on the house!
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Rev. Dr. Roger Ross
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Transform Our Church, Transform Our Community
Come hear our Tempero-Sandall Speaker, Rev. Dr. Roger Ross
Are you energized by our efforts to engage with downtown Topeka, like Cocoa, Cookies, and Carols and Downtown Connection Week? Do you get excited about helping our community through our missions projects? Find out how we can take this momentum a step further at our Tempero Sandall workshop on
Sunday, April 15th!
On April 15th, the Rev. Dr. Roger Ross will be at Topeka First UMC to preach during worship and lead a Sunday afternoon workshop as part of our Tempero Sandall Endowed Fellowship. Ross is the Director of the Center for Congregational Excellence for the Missouri Annual Conference and author of
"Meet the Goodpeople: Wesley's 7 Ways to Share Faith." The workshop on Sunday afternoon, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., is free and open to all. At the workshop, Ross will lead a discussion about how we can take our passion for transforming lives beyond our walls and out into the community.
The Tempero Sandall Endowed Fellowship was created in 1982 in order to provide the members of Topeka First UMC and the community with opportunities to enrich their religious experience through workshops, lectures, seminars, and performances.
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Click image to learn more about the book.
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Meet the Goodpeople on Wednesday Nights
Study the book by our Tempero Sandall speaker!
During the Methodist movement John Wesley started in 18th-century England, he discovered seven ways to share faith with people. In "Meet the Goodpeople," Roger Ross updates those seven ideas for today's world. Join us for a discussion of this book, and ways we can share the good news of Jesus with our friends and neighbors. Michael Turner will lead the discussion on Wednesday evenings at 6:15, beginning on April 18th. Roger Ross, the author of "Meet the Goodpeople", will preach and lead a workshop at Topeka First UMC on April 15th.
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 Topeka First UMC Library
Your church library is located just a few steps north of the Celebration Room! It has many volumes ready for you to read. The church library includes fiction books to read for pleasure, as well as nonfiction books to study. The majority of the collection is written from a Christian perspective. To check out a book, simply write your name and the date on the card, which is found in the front of each book. Place the card above the book return basket. To return a book, simply place it in the black basket.
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 Midweek Meditation
Looking for a quiet and safe space to escape from the craziness of the week? Midweek Meditation 30 minutes of silence, reflection, prayer, and communion. We offer this time as a chance to reconnect and recharge every Wednesday at 12:15 p.m. in the Chapel. All are welcome to this time of worship.
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 Weekend Summer Adventure
Volunteer Drive
Sundays April 8th and April 15th
are your chance to sign up as a volunteer for our redesigned Vacation Bible School opportunities. We will offer two weekends of fun and growth for children at the church, which means we will have many opportunities for youth and adults to participate as guides, teachers, food servers, and more!
Mark your calendars for June 29th and 30th and/or July 27th and 28th and visit the display in the Celebration Room to learn how you can be a part of these adventures with children from our church and community.
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 Skills and Interests Survey
What are you passionate about? What do you enjoy doing, or do well? Let us know! Using your interests and abilities to serve God is satisfying and life-giving. We want to help you find your best fit for serving within the church and out in our in our community, for the good of the city.
We last surveyed our congregation for their skills and talents about five years ago.
This information has been used regularly as a resource to find support for various needs, activities, and missions-related projects.
This Sunday, April 8th, and on April 15th and 22nd, you will find in your bulletin an updated version of the survey. Please take it home and thoughtfully fill it out. Your responses will become a part of our Church Life database, so you might get the occasional call if your particular skill or interest is needed for a church or mission project. You will also have the opportunity to indicate whether you are interested in working with one of our many teams and ministries. Indicating interest does not obligate you to serve, but it might open up a path for meaningful involvement in the life of our church.
Please return your survey by April 29th. You can place your survey in the box by the missions board in the Celebration Room.
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Click icon to learn more about Doorstep.
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Fill the Bag for Doorstep in April
This April, we are going to fill the food pantry at Doorstep. Please take a few extra minutes at the grocery store to fill a bag with any--or all--of the items listed below and bring it to the Celebration Room any time in April. Doorstep, Inc. strives to provide well-rounded food orders for their clients. The food is selected to put meals together and last for five days at three meals a day. They also need hygiene items like, deodorant. Below is a typical client food order:
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Pinto Beans
- Spaghetti
- Canned Fruit
- Canned/Packaged Soups: Tomato, Chicken Noodle, Vegetable, Ramen Noodles
- Milk - Canned/Powdered
- Cereal - Hot/Dry
- Jelly
- Bread
- Egg Noodles
- Rice
- Spaghetti Sauce
- Tuna
- Canned Vegetables: corn, green beans, peas, pork and beans
- Crackers
- Peanut Butter
- Hamburger--1 lb.
- Sugar, Flour, Cake Mixes, Cooking Oil, etc. per client request, if available.
Thank you for partnering with Doorstep to help our fellow Topekans, for the good of the city!
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Third Grade Bible Celebration and Palm Sunday
Thank you to the volunteers who made the Third Grade Bible Celebration on Palm Sunday a fun and special day for those who received Bibles. The third graders are Hannah Clinger, Harper Tenbrink, Evie Blow, Mallorie Fox, Jacob Downs, and Kaitlynn Frye.
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| Third Graders were presented their new Bibles. |
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| Children waved palms and sang, "Hosanna!" |
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A Joyful Easter Sunday
The children had a wonderful time hearing the Easter story and celebrating with friends on Easter Sunday! Special thanks to our Sunday School teachers, Children's Discipleship Team, cookie bakers, and to the Youth Group for hiding eggs.
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Save the Dates for Summer Adventures at Topeka First UMC
- June 29th and 30th: Rolling River Rampage Vacation Bible School
- Friday, June 29, 5-7:30 p.m.: Family Friday Night
- Saturday, June 30, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.: Nursery and Programming for 3-year-olds through 6th graders
- July 27th and 28th: Summer Adventure Camp--Art, Science, Sports, and More!
- Friday July 28th. 5-7:30 p.m.: Family Friday Night
- Saturday, July 29th, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.: Nursery and Programming for 3-year-olds through 6th graders
Contact Allison Brewer, Director of Children's Discipleship, for more information and to volunteer!
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This Weekend's Youth Events
- Saturday, April 7th
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5-7 p.m. Alaska Mission Trip Bake Sale
& Baked Potato Bar set-up.
Youth may bring their baked
goods in during this time, too.
- Sunday, April 8th
- 9 a.m. Mission Trip Bake Sale starts in the Celebration Room.
- 9:30 a.m. Confirmation Class resumes in the Hearth Room. High School youth attend the 9:30 worship service.
- 10:30 a.m. Baked Potato Bar starts in the Celebration Room. We will sell through the noon hour until we sell out of all items. Thank you for supporting youth in missions!
Upcoming Dates:
- Sunday, April 8th:
- Alaska Mission Trip Bake Sale & Baked Potato Bar 9 a.m. through noon hour in Celebration Room.
- Confirmands meet for class at 9:30 a.m. in the Hearth Room. You will have your pictures taken before and after class.
- High School Seniors: Look for an information packet coming in the mail soon about High School Senior Grad Sunday here at church.
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Youth Game Night is going strong. We went off-site for a pizza buffet, games and devotions last week. Our next one on April 17th will be at The Pennant for vintage fun.
We had a large group of youth hide about 500 eggs on Easter for the children's egg hunt. They had to get creative for some hiding spots....thank you for your help, youth.
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