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Crosswinds Newsletter
March 20, 2024 - Volume 713
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He is Risen! He has Risen indeed!
I love Easter Sunday. There’s an energy surrounding Easter that is unmatched
throughout the church year. We wear our best. We’re happy to be in church. In fact,
we’re so excited that we might even let an “Amen!” loose during the service. It’s great.
Everyone looks forward to Easter Sunday.
In my experience, it is easy for the excitement of Easter to overshadow the other events
of Holy Week. In some ways, that is a good thing given that we want the hope of the
Resurrected Jesus to take hold of our hearts. However, we do miss out on the beauty
of Easter when we forget Jesus’ anguish of the Garden in Gethsemane. The
celebration is not as deep when we don’t visit the agonizing despair of the cross.
There’s a cost to rushing past the stories of Jesus’ being anointed and Judas’ betrayal.
The cost is that we miss the wonderful movement from darkness to light, hopelessness
to hopefulness, defeat to victory. It is this movement that helps us encounter the glory
of what Jesus has done.
This is the idea in the Godly Play story called “The Faces of Easter”. The story is told
using two tiles. On one side, Jesus is on the cross. On the other side, He has risen
from the grave. As the teacher flips the tiles, she tells the children why it’s important to
hold these two stories together by saying, “You can’t have the sad and serious without
the joy and celebration. And you can’t have the joy and celebration without the sad and
serious. You cannot pull them apart.”
We stand in danger of missing all that if we brush past the ebb and flow of the events of
Holy Week. While it might not be easy, sometimes you have to look into darkness to
see just how brightly our hope shines.
I invite you to be intentional about moving with us through Holy Week next week. There
are several ways to do just that. You can follow our WayPoint readings for the week.
You can also join us for our Holy Week services on Maundy Thursday at 6:30 PM (FLC)
and Good Friday at 6:30 PM (Sanctuary). These worship opportunities will enable you
to better experience the hope that is ours on Easter Sunday. And what a hope we have
in our Risen Savior!
Also, be sure to signup to serve at Praise Hunt in the Park this Sunday. This is one of the best opportunities we have each year to reach new people in our community with the Good News of Jesus.
Blessings,
Pastor Brady
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This Sunday, March 24th at 3pm, we will join with our community in praising Jesus during the Easter season with egg hunts, games, inflatables, and crafts. We need LOTS of people to help serve the over 400+ kids that come experience the love of Jesus in this unique way! Look over the opportunities to serve and see which one calls your name. Sign up and Keelee will contact you with all the information and instructions for your station or team! Thank you!
If you plan to serve, we ask that you sign up so that we can make sure all areas are covered in advance. Volunteer opportunities are available for all skill sets:
- Trailer delivery and/or pick up
- Set up and/or tear down
- Welcome team
- Egg Hunt team
- Inflatables
- Stations
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Dinner is $8 per person - 18 and under eat free. Cash or a check may be placed in the box at the front of the serving line. Tonight's meal is Chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce, rice, beans,chips & salsa, dessert. | |
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In celebration of new life in Easter, order Easter tulips in honor or memory of a loved one and help decorate the church for Easter! Easter tulips will be placed around the altar in both the Sanctuary and the FLC. They may be taken home after service on Easter Sunday.
The cost is $15 per plant. To order, complete and submit this form. Payment can be made by cash, check made out to FMC Midlothian, Venmo @fmcmidlo, or online at https://fmcmidlothian.churchcenter.com/giving. Please memo your payment “Easter tulips". Checks may be mailed to 800 S. 9th St., Midlothian, TX. 76065. Orders must be placed by TODAY - Wednesday, March 20!
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The church is providing Easter meals for senior citizens and families that participate in our Food4Kids program. All meals (families and seniors) will be picked up or delivered on Saturday morning, March 30.
We need help in multiple areas:
We need packaged food, delivery drivers, packers, gifts for the senior citizens, and money to purchase food. Click the link below to sign up to donate food, gifts or volunteer to deliver meals or package food: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0E4CAEA928A1F58-48426214-easter.
You can also make a donation to the church by one of the methods below:
1. Online donation (select 'Holiday Meal Ministry') https://fmcmidlothian.churchcenter.com/giving
2. Venmo: @fmcmidlo (note 'Holiday Meal Ministry')
3. Zelle: Finance@fmcmidlothian.org ('Holiday Meal Ministry')
If you know a family not served by Food 4 Kids that could use a meal this Easter, direct them to sign up to receive a meal here: https://forms.gle/2NXdDiaNfPmNk3mK9
Do you know a senior citizen who could be blessed by a meal and a visit on Easter? Please email missions@fmcmidlothian.org with as much info as possible so we can add them to the list.
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Donate FMC Seniors Scholarships | |
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Each year, FMC Midlothian awards scholarships to high school seniors who plan to pursue a 2 or 4 year degree or join the military. Last year, $1,800 was awarded, with nearly $12,000 awarded to FMC seniors over the years. These scholarships are funded through the generosity of our congregation!
Our goal is to award as many scholarships as God gives us the funds to allow. To donate, you can send a check to the church, Venmo or give online below. Whichever method you choose, please memo that it is for “Senior Scholarships.”
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Class of 2024 Scholarship Application | |
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The 2024 First Methodist Church Senior Scholarship will be awarded to a graduating high school senior(s) who plans to attend a two or four-year college, or to join the military after graduating high school. The scholarship will be awarded based on the applicant’s history of activity and service within the church and/or the community, as well as the applicant’s answer to the essay question.
Graduates applying for a scholarship are asked to complete an application detailing their church, community, and service activities. They also must write an essay answering the question, "How has your life been changed by Jesus Christ?" or "How have you seen the lives of others changed through Jesus Christ?"
Scholarship winners will be selected by a committee of educators and youth leaders. Applications are due by April 14, 2024 and winners will be announced by the end of May. For more information about scholarship requirements, contact Laurie Lundberg at 972-877-8838 or email Laurie. Scholarship applications may be downloaded by request to complete by hand or completed online using the button below. We encourage all FMC Midlothian high school seniors to apply!
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Our confirmands took a trip to The Nazarene Experience and Biblical Artifact Exhibit. We had a great time experiencing the life of Jesus in a new, immersive way! Our confirmands enjoyed the afternoon learning and imagining the stories of the Bible. | |
The Missions & Outreach Team is researching international missions opportunities. We would like to assess the congregation's interest. Please send an email to missions@fmcmidlothian.org to indicate if you are interested in international missions. This does NOT commit you to any mission, it just gives us an indication of the amount of interest in our congregation. If you have specific missions knowledge, please share with us any information or opportunities that we could research. | |
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JR Irvin is looking for Reading Buddies! We have a special opportunity to reach beyond our walls and read to the children on Fridays, 9 to 10 AM. You can choose what Friday(s) you want to read and as well as what grade you want read to! We will read to preschool, kindergarten or first graders if we have enough volunteers each week. Midlothian ISD requires a background check for all volunteers, which will be provided after you register your interest. Please email Missions if you have questions.
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Mar 24: Palm Sunday, Praise Hunt in the Park
Mar 28: Maundy Thursday
Mar 29: Good Friday
Mar 30: Easter Meals
Mar 31: Easter Sunday
Apr 8: VBS Sign Ups
Apr 14: Senior Scholarship Deadline
Apr 21: VBS Cookout
Apr 28: Senior Sunday
May 5: Confirmation Sunday
May 19: Pentecost Sunday
May 29: VBS Volunteer Training
Jun 9-13: VBS
Jun 15-21: High School Maui Mission Trip
See weekly information below for regularly occurring events.
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March 24
“Made Clean”
John 13:1-17
8:30 & 11 AM Traditional Worship
11 AM Contemporary Worship
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WayPoint is a weekly devotional, written by our pastors to dig deeper into the current sermon/series. Click the links below to access digitally. | |
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Office hours are Monday through Thursday 8 AM - 4 PM and Friday 8 AM - 12 PM.
For non-emergencies, please contact church staff during office hours or send email.
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Join us Wednesdays as we study, sing, eat, worship and fellowship together! Wednesday Schedule
(SB denotes Sanctuary Building, FLC denote Family Life Center):
Pastor April’s Bible Study, 4:30-5:45, Sanctuary
Children's Choir, 5-5:45, SB 301
Wednesday Meal, 5:30-6:15, FLC
Men’s Bible Study, 6:30-7:30, FLC 108
Women's Bible Study, 6:30-7:30, moved to FLC 107
KidsClub, 6:30-7:30, SB Fellowship Hall, Nursery, 202 & 205
Adult Choir, 6:30-8, SB 301
Student Ministries, meeting at Cedar Hill Roller Rink on 2/21, 6-8
DivorceCare & DC4K, 6:30-8 PM, FLC 203 &201
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Weekly & Monthly Gatherings | |
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Sunday School Classes meet between worship services from 9:45-10:45 AM. Children's classes meet in the Sanctuary building. Youth and adult classes meet in the Family Life Center (FLC).
Children's Classes, Sanctuary Building
Youth Classes, FLC Youth Halls
Bill Theiss Fellowship Class, FLC 109
Adult Bible Class, FLC 110
Upper Room Class, FLC 201
Open Door Class, FLC 107
Servant's Hands, FLC 208
New Horizons Class, FLC 203
Awakening Class, FLC 204 & 205
All Thee Above, FLC 207
Men's Monday Night Bible Study, Mondays 7-8:30 PM, SB 302
Handbell Choir Mondays, 5:45-6:45 PM, SB 302
Discipleship Groups, contact the church office for information
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Please send your prayer request to Mary Beth or Joy. If you want to join our Prayer/Card Ministry group, send your request to Joy. Not everyone sends cards, but you can pray, thus Prayer/Card Ministry.
New Prayer Request:
Benita Collard (sister to Bridget Flaherty) - cancer surgery
Shirley Lotts - hospital (may be home)
Dave Hinson - heart surgery
Randall Hill - eye surgery
Continuous Prayer:
Karen Wilson, George & Dee Culps, Don Lish, John Lowe, Boyce Whatley, Pat Patterson, Joy Price
Military:
ARMY - Matt Carroll, Tim Kruettner, Harold Barton, Josh Schenck, Austin Lockwood, Trey Ditto
NAVY - Matthew Price, Andrew Cantrell, Zachary Tucker, Thomas Shirley, Matthew Watford, Thomas Padgett
AIR FORCE - JD Culps, Andrew Miller
MARINES - Josh Dunaway, Bradley Perez, Elizia Delapaa, Cash McAdoo
NATIONAL GUARD - Derek Boots
TEXAS ARMY NATIONAL GUARD - John Jackson
Derek Vance
Note : Please let Joy Price know if anyone on the list above should be removed.
Remember in Prayer:
Our world, our country, our community leaders, all our military troops and first responders around the world, our church, our pastors, the staff, church members, visitors, and Midlothian community
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Thank You for Your Generosity | |
Thank you for your generosity! We continue to do great ministry as a church because of you and your faithfulness. You can give to the church's ministries in service, mailing in your financial gifts or clicking below to give online. Every gift helps us do great things for God's Kingdom! | |
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FMC Midlothian | 972-775-3993 | fmcmidlothian.org
Office Hours: M-Th: 8 AM - 4 PM, F: 8 AM - 12 PM
Pastors are available for non-emergencies M-Th during office hours
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