Church,
Wow. What a week it has been! Today, I am on my way home to Waco.
I have spent the last week in Central America with our ministry partners in Costa Rica. We spent some time at the Methodist seminary with the pastors of the nation learning from and encouraging them during this incredibly challenging season of ministry. We toured a number of new church plants around the country that are working to build sanctuaries for their community. Most of these building sites have sat dormant for almost 2 years. In fact, First Methodist had the last mission team in the country in February 2020. As challenging as it has been to do ministry in the states during Covid, it is clear that our brothers and sisters around the world were hit even harder than us.
I spent much of my time with the students of the Colegio Methodista of San Jose. The senior class had gathered for a weeklong retreat, and I was able to preach and share the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with these bright and hopeful students. It has been good to venture back into the wider world and see both the challenges and opportunities that God is presenting to us for the future of our work and mission.
I look forward to sharing some of my experiences here in the coming weeks and working with the staff to plan our large-scale return to foreign mission work in 2022.
I look forward to being in worship with all of you once again this weekend. I hope to see you at one of our campuses!!
In Christ,
Pastor Ryan
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CLERGY & STAFF APPRECIATION |
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Click on the button above for a Daily Prayer guide to pray for our clergy and staff. |
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Watch previous sermons in the Better Than Before series, or check out the rest of the sermon series for any you may have missed. |
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Sunday:
- Main | 9:30 am | Contemporary Worship
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South | 10:00 am | Outdoor Traditional Worship
- Main | 11:00 am | Traditional Worship
- Downtown | 11:00 am | Contemporary Worship
- Online Campus | Streaming LIVE | 9:30 am YouTube & Facebook | 11:00 am Facebook
- Past weekend messages anytime – FirstWaco.com, YouTube, Spotify, or the First Waco app
Wednesday:
- Downtown | Noon | Communion and Community | Traditional Worship with lunch served thereafter
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Click HERE for more information about Children, Youth, and Adult Sunday School classes. |
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FIRST WACO PRAYER COMMITTEE |
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The Prayer Committee at First Methodist is currently recruiting new members from all campuses—Downtown, South, Main, College, and Speegleville. This Committee plans and executes numerous events such as Educator Prayer Partners, Shield-a-Badge, International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, the Prayer Chain, Prayer Team (for prayer requests and staff), National Day of Prayer, and others. Each event has a chair and members of the Committee to assist. Meetings will be only four times a year (more if needed) and probably at 6 p.m. to accommodate working members. We need women, men, high school students, college students, young, middle-aged, and senior citizens. Please pray to see if God leads you to serve and minister in this way. If so, please contact Pastor Steve Holston at steveholston@firstwaco.com. |
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Please contact Katy Griffis if you would like to help with the Angel Tree project.
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Minor changes are coming to JOY Club, where we gather as Joyous Older Youth for fellowship, a meal, and a program. This month we will gather as usual at 11:30, BUT our program will start at 11:45 before the meal is served. Lunch will start at 12:15. This is such a meaningful time each month for all of us Older Youth, and you don’t want to miss this month.
Tara DeLeon, our Director of Children and Family Ministry, will share with us at our next JOY Club gathering. Tara has been doing a stellar job leading our ministries to children and their families. She knows this ministry from the ground up because she started as a volunteer teaching preschool Sunday school at First Methodist many years ago. You have seen her creative and winsome drawings, illustrations, and art adorning the halls both at our Main and Downtown Campuses. You don’t want to miss this entertaining and informative gathering.
As always, Chef Cari Jones will be cooking up a spectacular meal for us. Get your reservations in ASAP so we will have a spot reserved for you by calling or emailing Janet Stephens: janet@firstwaco.com or 254-772-5630 by noon on Tuesday, October 12. Invite your friends and reserve a space for them. The cost of the meal is $7. |
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HEART OF TEXAS FAIR AND RODEO |
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JOIN THE BAYLOR HOMECOMING PARADE! |
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“…and the second is to Love your neighbor as yourself.”
By Mike Grigsby, H2O Service Coordinator
We need God’s love, and He IS the only real hope. 99%+ of the people on this planet have suffered since this pandemic started. This is a picture of a house in Waco painted by the First Methodist Waco’s H2O Service Group and the Youth of our church. This house has a single occupant who recently concluded cancer treatment, is dealing with other issues of a long, tough life, and lived in a house that was getting run down. This was just for her. She needed so badly to know that God loves her.
Before Waco, we lived in the metroplex. One of my friends that attended a large church there said, “I love big churches. You don’t have to be involved.” Well, in the two years we have been at First Church, I know that is not our congregation. The more I get to know our members, I find a truly supernatural heart for giving time, money, blessings, gifts, etc. The Spirit moves and speaks through our church members, and it is so incredible to see God moving in our lives!
We have so many more people to reach. If three members share your incredible talent, you will only be called to help 1/3 of the time when that skill is needed. Sign up for H20 or sign up to support the church in another area. First Methodist Waco has so many places where you can Love Your Neighbor. To join H2O, contact Sara Holmes or call the church office at 254.772.5630 to be added to the list. When an opportunity arises, you will get an e-mail requesting help. If you can, you can; if you can’t, you can’t. If you are unable to help, we carry you with us in spirit as part of Christ’s community of His hands and feet.
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Sherry Harrington in the death of her husband, Harry Harrington.
Kermit and Evelyn Brock in the death of his brother, Frank Brock.
Jim and Laura Milam in the death of their sister-in-law.
Darrell and Donna Wheeler in the death of his mother, Luella Wheeler Bell. Also to her grandchildren, Austin, Barrett, and Lauren,
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SUNDAY, OCT 10:
- Message Generosity Matters: It Changes Us | Main & Downtown Campuses
- Message The Church | South Campus
MONDAY, OCT 11:
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Health Shapers | 9:30-10:30 am | Chapel | Main Campus
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Hip Hop Guys Basketball | 7 pm | Family Life Center | Main Campus
TUESDAY, OCT 12:
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Prayer Team | 1 pm |Chapel | Main Campus
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GriefShare | 6 pm | Chapel | Main Campus
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Pack 308 Cub Scouts | 6 pm |Main Campus
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Troop 308 G | 6:30 pm | Main Campus
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Troop 308 B | 7 pm | Main Campus
WEDNESDAY, OCT 13:
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Band of Brothers | 7-8 am |Chapel |Main Campus
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Communion and Community | Noon Worship & Lunch |Downtown Campus
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Midweek Meal | 4:45-6 pm | Garden Room & Commons | Main Campus
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Midweek Discipleship Classes | 6-7 pm | Churchwide | Main Campus
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Choir | 7-8 pm | Chapel | Main Campus
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Youth Bridge | 7-8:30 pm | Family Life Center | Main Campus
THURSDAY, OCT 14:
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Men's Prayer Breakfast | 7 am | Garden Room | Main Campus
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Health Shapers | 9:30-10:30 am | Chapel | Main Campus
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In Stitches | 10-11:30 am | Room 110 | Main Campus
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Joy Club | 11:45 am | Family Life Center | Main Campus
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Q&A with Pastor Ryan | Noon | Facebook
FRIDAY, OCT 15:
SAVE THE DATE
SATURDAY, OCT 16:
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Baylor Homecoming Parade | Contact Bridget to participate
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
MONDAY-THURSDAY | 8:30 am - 4:00 pm | Main Campus
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To reach the pastors by email, click here or call the church at 254.772.5630. To reach Lauren Lindsey at the Business Office, call 254.772.5630 x202 or email. To give to church ministry, click here, use the app or call the church. Mail checks to First Waco, PO Box 7736, Waco, 76714. You may text to give at 254.306.0810. |
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First Methodist Waco Campuses
Main Campus: 4901 Cobbs Drive, Waco, TX 76710
Downtown Campus: 1300 Austin Avenue, Waco, TX 76701
South Campus: 2801 Robinson Drive, Waco, TX 76706
If you need to reach a staff member by phone, please call 254-772-5630.
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Copyright © 2020 First Methodist Waco, all rights reserved.
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