If you ordered Easter flowers be sure to pick them up Sunday

There are still Easter flowers in the sanctuary. Some will be fully open this coming Sunday and some may be a bit beyond fully open. You are welcome to take home the flowers that you gave or that were given in your honor next Sunday. The list of flower donors and those who they are remembering or honoring are included in this newsletter.

Pastor Kim will be out of town through Wednesday, April 26.

If you are in need of pastoral care please reach out to Rev. Steve Wall-Smith at (314) 369-7952, Kathy Schmid, 314-503-1101, or Rev Sharon Kichline at 314-566-0332.  If you are in need of pastoral care and prayer and/or meals, please reach out to Lis Wall-Smith at (314) 497-9186. If you have questions about other church matters please reach out to our Office Administrator, Brittany Link at the church office, 314-781-5902 or Brittany.l@maplewoodumc.org

Not so Big Dig coming soon at Maplewood UMC



We have contracted with Sunset Landscaping to address the water seepage issue on the East side of Fellowship hall. They will make changes in the grade next to the wall in order to direct water to both sides and then down a slope to the sidewalk/street. The area under the dripline of the two beautiful flowering dogwoods will not be disturbed in order to minimize the effect of the grading on their continued well being. The plantings next to the wall will be removed. Sod will be installed to replace any grass lost in the grading. Please contact trustees Barb Riney or Dave Vierse if you have any questions.

Many, many thanks to the Trustees for tackling a long-standing issue with water intrusion in Fellowship Hall! 

Come to Coffee with Pastor Kim, Sunday, April 30 at 9:50 a.m. in the Chapel room next to the church office. This is an informal time to get to know each other better and ask questions about the Christian faith, baptism, church membership, United Methodist beliefs, history. An RSVP is requested but not essential. If you have questions or plan to come email Pastor Kim (pastorkim@maplewoodumc.org.)

Hospitality Table needs help to revive

Enjoy having a cup of coffee or a snack before or after church? To continue offer this at the hospitality table, we need help cleaning up the table after worship on Sundays. If you can help once a month let Brittany Link or Mary Kunce know or call all the church office 314-781-5902

Maplewood UMC has a new way to keep in touch ...

It's an APP!!



Our church has a new mobile app and we can’t wait for you to explore it!  

Here’s how to get it:

1. Open your iTunes or Google Play Store.

2. Search for Maplewood UMC and look for the icon up there. 

3. Click download, then install and you are ready to go!

Here’s what you will find on the app:

· A calendar of upcoming events

· A portal for giving

· Ways to connect with the people that you are serving with in 

book studies... on committees... in fellowship...

...And much more

Dear Friends,

We had a glorious Easter celebration

Hallelujah!!! Christ is Risen!

After a few years of not so much and then a little bit more we were blessed to celebrate Easter in full-on Maplewood UMC fashion! 

Easter Breakfast was a huge hit! Thank you Tom Cordeal, Steve Shirar, and Larry Schmid for your coordination efforts, and to all the men who helped cook and clean up, thank you as well! I heard ninety-one plates were used for Easter breakfast!! I think that this could be a record for Easter breakfast attendance, even before COVID!

The children’s Easter Egg hunt was joy-filled! There were SO MANY EGGS. As we looked at the plastic Easter eggs covering the front lawn, Steve observed that it wasn’t an Easter egg hunt, it was an Easter egg harvest. (Any one wonder HOW all those eggs got filled with candy?)

I am grateful that we could celebrate the joy of the resurrection during worship. God is love. Love always wins. It was a delightful day!

While I was driving this morning, I heard a devotion on Joy98 that referred to Psalm 18: 18 – 19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; he delivered me because he delighted in me.

You might remember these verses that we studied and memorized two years ago during Lent. Listeners were reminded that we often we focus on “what” God has done—especially during Holy Week and Easter. This Psalm reminds us of God’s “why.” The “why” for what God does is: God delights in us. 

Remember all the ways you experienced delight on Easter Sunday—sharing breakfast with family and friends; watching the children hunt/harvest Easter eggs; or worshiping together on the high holy day of our faith. Multiply that delight by more than you can count, and perhaps you will begin to understand how much God delights in you.

Of course, we will continue celebrate what God has done on Easter Sunday. I invite you to savor God’s “why” as well.  God takes delight in you.

In resurrection hope and joy,

Pastor Kim

Starting this Sunday, a new sermon series: "Catch your Breath"

We’ve experienced those breathtaking moments in life, when we are overwhelmed by beauty and goodness.

And, there are other moments in life that take our breath away–moments of fear, doubt, exhaustion, loneliness, or division. 

When we are facing rough times sometimes all we can do is stop and take a breath.  

During these weeks after Easter, just like a deep breath fills your lungs with life-giving oxygen, the stories of Jesus will invite you to fill your life with life-giving news. Be ready to catch your breath, even when life is hard! 

This Sunday we will Catch our Breath in times of fear. There are many things that keep us locked in fear. Finances, broken relationships, addictions, the unknown, our past, the list can go on and on. We all have fears. Even when we are locked in the room of our fears, Jesus breathes new life into us!

A sign outside Bethany Baptist Church, Moline, IL.

"Prayer was the first wireless communication."