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News From
March 21, 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, March 21
- 12:15 p.m. Mid-Week Meditation, Chapel
- 5:00 p.m. Praise Team Practice, Chapel
- 6:00 p.m. New Vibrations Bell Choir, Rm L17
- Thursday, March 22
- 10:00 a.m. Tech Time, Rm 105
- 6:00 p.m. Rhapsody Ringers Bell Choir, Rm L17
- 7:30 p.m. Sanctuary Choir Practice, Rm L18
- Saturday, March 24
- 8:00 a.m. Stephen Ministry Training, Hearth Room
- Sunday, March 25th: Palm Sunday
- 8:00-9:45 a.m. All-Church Pancake Feed, Fellowship Hall
- Visit Children's Biblical Village before worship, Rm 212
- 9:30 a.m. Children Gather for Palm Processional, Celebration Room
- 10:00 a.m. Combined Worship Service, Palm Processional, and Third Grade Bible Presentation, Sanctuary
- 11:30 a.m. Third Grade Bible Family Lunch and activities
- 2:00 p.m. Third Grade Bowling
- Tuesday, March 27
- 9:00 a.m. Quilting Group, Rm L35
- 6:00 p.m.
- Youth Game Night, Rm 102
- Missions Team Meeting, Hearth Room
- Wednesday, March 28
- 11:30 a.m. Community Lunch, Celebration Room
- 12:15 p.m. Midweek Meditation, Chapel
- 5:00 p.m. Praise Team Practice, Chapel
- 5:15 p.m.
- Board of Trustees, Hearth Room
- Phase 2 Yoga, Rm 212
- 5:30 p.m. Chili Cook Off for Wednesday Night Dinner, Fellowship Hall
- 6:00 p.m. New Vibrations Bell Choir, Rm L17
- 6:15 p.m.
- "Hero" Lenten Study, Rm L16
- Foundations, Rm 101
- Hero Central, Chapel & Children's Area
- 7:00 p.m. Venture Crew Meeting, Rm L37
- Thursday, March 29
- 5:15 p.m. Maundy Thursday Worship, Chapel
- 6:00 p.m. Rhapsody Ringers Bell Choir, Rm L17
- 7:30 p.m. Sanctuary Choir Practice, Rm L18
- Friday, March 30
- 8:00 a.m. WAFFLE, State Street Elementary
- 7:30 p.m. Good Friday Tenebrae Worship, Sanctuary
- Sunday, April 1: Easter
- 8:15 a.m. Arise Worship Service, Sanctuary
- 9:00 a.m. Coffee Connection, Celebration Room
- 9:30 a.m. 9-3-0 Worship Service, Chapel
- 10:00 a.m. Easter Egg Hunt
- 10:30 a.m. Coffee Connection, Celebration Room
- 11:00 a.m. Sanctuary Worship Service, Sanctuary
- Monday, April 2
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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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 Tech Time at Topeka First UMC
TOMORROW, March 22nd, 10-11:30 a.m. in the Bishop Frank Forum, bring your iPhones, Kindles, tablets and other devices for some tech time. Craig and Rozanna Selley will be there to help you use your device to connect to the life of our church or answer questions in general about iPhones. If you need to get the Church Life App Directory on your phone, this is a great time to do that. Austin Harris, Director of Worship Enhancement, will also be there to discuss what live streaming is and how will it enhance our worship at Topeka First UMC. A light lunch will be served at 11 a.m. (free will donation accepted). Please sign up on our Church Connection Portal.
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 This Sunday: Pancakes and Palms
On
Sunday, March 25th
, we will celebrate Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem with a special worship service for
Palm Sunday
. We will wave palm branches and sing, "Hosannah," just like the disciples did on that day long ago. We are changing up our regular Sunday worship routine to recognize this holy day with a Pancake Feed from 8 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. A free-will offering will be accepted for the meal. Then, at 10 a.m., we will gather in the Sanctuary for one special worship service. In addition waving the palms, this worship service will include the presentation of Bibles to our 3rd graders.
GLUTEN FREE PANCAKES WILL BE AVAILABLE! Our conscientious kitchen crew will make them on a non-gluten contaminated griddle that has only been used for gluten-free pancakes.
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 Church Shirt Store Now Open
New church shirts are again available from our downtown partners at Reliant Apparel. You may order and pay for your shirt
on their website until April 8th, or order your shirt in person at 9 and 10:30 a.m. on
March 25th and 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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New name tag design |
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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Find this card in your bulletin this Sunday! |
Downtown Connection Week:
March 25th-31st
This Sunday, March 25th, marks the beginning of our next Downtown Connection Week--the week we make a concerted effort to support the downtown Topeka community as a church. Wear your church gear as you head downtown to shop and dine in our neighborhood. You will find a Downtown Connection Card in your bulletin this week. Take this card and write a note of encouragement or appreciation to the business you patronize. You can stop by the church office during the week to pick up more cards, if you like!
While you are planning your trip to the downtown area, also plan to come for our Holy Week services on Thursday, March 29th at 5:15 p.m. and Friday, March 30th at 7:30 p.m. If you have the Easter invitations from last week handy, maybe you'll have the opportunity to give them to someone you've been meaning to invite to church while you are out and about. (More cards will be available this Sunday.) Holy Week is the perfect time to reach out to our friends and neighbors downtown, and all around town!
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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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 March Madness Chili Cook-Off
Join us for a March Madness Chili cook off, Wednesday, March 28, 2018. Bring your favorite chili recipe to share or just join us for the meal at 5:30 p.m. If you can bring chili, please register on our Church Connection Portal. After dinner join us for fellowship and classes.
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Cornerstone Family Schools Spring Concert 
Exten
d your Easter celebration another day at Cornerstone's Spring Concert on Monday, April 2 at 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary. The concert is free and open to the public. Their theme this spring is God's love. Dorothy Iliff from our congregation leads the choirs.
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  Blind Tiger with Phase 2 and #Adulting
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In Worship This Week:
Message:
An Invitation to Celebrate
Rev. Jeff Clinger, Lead Pastor
Scripture:
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Click image to learn more. |
Worship With Us During Holy Week
Holy Week is the last week of Lent, the week immediately preceding Easter. We invite you to take part in our Holy Week observances to add fullness to your understanding of Christ's love for us. Everyone is welcome.
- Palm Sunday
- On Sunday, March 25th we will begin Holy week with a celebration of Palm Sunday. Come for an All-Church Pancake Feed at 8 to 9:45 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. At 10 a.m., join us for one combined worship service as we commemorate Jesus's triumphant entry to Jerusalem by waving palm branches. This begins the journey of the death and resurrection of Christ.
- Maundy Thursday
- On March 29th at 5:15 p.m., we invite you to our Maundy Thursday service in the Chapel. On Maundy Thursday we remember the Last Supper, Jesus's final meal with his disciples, during which he gave the commandment to remember what he was about to do for all people.
- Good Friday
- On Friday, March 30th at 7:30 p.m., join us in the Sanctuary for a powerful Tenebrae service. Tenebrae is the Latin word for "darkness." The distinguishing features of Tenebrae is the gradual extinguishing of candles and lights following the reading of Scripture passages until the Sanctuary is in darkness. The service focuses on the passion and death of Jesus.
- Easter Sunday
- Join us in praise and worship as we savor the gift of Easter on April 1st at 8:15, 9:30, or 11 a.m. Children are invited to an Easter Egg Hunt at 10 a.m. Click here to learn more.
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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:
Meriden UMC |
 Camp Chippewa Scholarships Available
Early bird deadline is April 1st!
Fun and meaningful summer memories are created at Camp Chippewa. This camp is supported by the Great Plains Conference and uses its over 600 acres for adventures in horseback riding, swimming, archery, and much more. Our church has scholarship money available, and the United Methodist Women provide generous scholarships for those who meet the early bird deadline of April 1st! That's just two weeks away! Registration is online. To register, each camper must provide 1/2 of the camp cost. Last year we were able to cover the remaining half for all campers. Join the adventure!
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New Learning Opportunity: Methodism 101
For centuries, Methodism has shaped lives around the world, including yours. Whether you are brand new to the denomination or have been a part of the Methodist Church for your entire life, there is something to learn from our shared history. Meeting on Wednesdays, April 4th-May 23rd, 6:15-7:15 p.m. Austin Harris, Director of Worship Experience, will explore the long and rich history of the Methodist Church from its foundation in 18th century England to its continued growth and impact on the world today. We will examine how that history, and the beliefs shared by Methodism, impacts our faith and the people around us through an in-depth conversation that is open to all ages. Please sign up on the Church Connection Portal.
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Rev. Dr. Roger Ross
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Tempero-Sandall Speaker: Author Rev. Dr. Roger Ross
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 the public. At the workshop, Ross will lead a discussion about how to transform an established church into a more missional congregation.
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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 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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 Cookies Needed for Easter
Children's Discipleship will host an Easter Egg Hunt at 10 a.m. on Easter morning. We would like to have Spring cookies to offer after the hunt. If you would be able to bake cookies, please call or email Allison Brewer, Director of Children's Discipleship, to volunteer. Cookies should be delivered by Friday, March 30th.
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March Missions Collection Sponsors GED Scholarships
For our March mission project, the Missions Team will collect funds for Let's Help to provide scholarships for GED tests.
The cost for one GED test is $33. Pick up a coupon from the Missions bulletin board, located in the Celebration Room, to donate in increments of $3. Return money and coupon in envelope at the reception desk. A book icon will be put on the board with your name on it. If you want to pay for an entire GED test ($33), then a certificate icon will be placed on the Missions bulletin board with your name on it. Make sure you put your name on the envelope so you can be recognized for your donation. Thank you for your support!
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Click icon to learn more about Doorstep.
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Looking Ahead: Fill the Bag for Doorstep in April
This April, we are going to fill the food pantry at Doorstep. At the one worship service at 10 a.m. on Sunday, March 25th, the Faith Connections Sunday School class will hand out grocery sacks with lists of needed items. Please take a few extra minutes at the grocery store to fill this bag with any--or all--of the items and bring it to the Celebration Room any time in April. If you need more bags, please feel free to fill your own grocery sacks!
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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 Palm Sunday Processional
The children of our church will help open
our combined 10 a.m. worship service on Palm Sunday, March 25th,
by processing in with palm branches and singing an opening song.
Children will gather in the Celebration Room at 9:30
. Volunteers will help the children to process in with palms and after singing children will be seated with their families.
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 Visit the Children's Bible Village
The fourth, fifth, and sixth grade Sunday School class has been building a table top Bible village as part of their class sessions this Winter. They will finish up their hard work by Palm Sunday and invite you to come and see what they have done. Feel free to visit the Bible village in Rm 212 (Moses Mosaic room) on Palm Sunday, March 25th, before the one worship service at 10 a.m. or on Easter, April 1st, 9-9:30 a.m.
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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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Youth Events for Sunday, March 25th: Pancakes and Palms
- 8:30 a.m. Youth help with serving pancakes in Fellowship Hall
- 9:00 a.m. Confirmation class meets for breakfast in Fellowship Hall
- 10:00 a.m. Worship in Sanctuary
Our Next Youth Game Night is:
- Tuesday, March 27
- 6-7:15 p.m.
- Meet at Godfather's Pizza at 17th & Fairlawn
- It's Buffet Night, so bring your appetite! We have a reserved space to eat dinner together and play games.
Alaska Mission Trip Info:
Alaska Mission Trip Goers, as you receive your online invitations from PPM, go ahead and accept the invite and fill out your required paperwork. If you did not receive an invitation yet it just means I don't have an email address from you. Please send me the email address you wish to use and I will get your invitation sent online. Thank you.
Youth Game Night was nothing but green with a little gold to remind us about our hearts and our treasure.
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A late night with some silliness, drinks, fries, prizes and friends. Youth got the opportunity to bowl over spring break--lots of fun and fellowship along with a little friendly competition.
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