After a time of consultation and prayer, Bishop Carlo A. Rapanut intends to appoint Pastor Michael Long as a licensed local pastor to serve as Associate Pastor at Dayspring UMC, effective July 1, 2023. Pastor Long currently serves at Village UMC in Oklahoma City, OK.

Pastor Long has most recently been serving as a local pastor in the Oklahoma Conference and is excited to be relocating to the Desert Southwest Conference. Pastor Michael is a compassionate, unconventional humanitarian with a heart for God and God’s people. Pastor Michael believes in authenticity, openness and divine creativity as the church strives to bridge the gap between tradition and innovation. Pastor Michael’s gifts of creating and engaging community will be a blessing to Dayspring UMC as you continue grow at both the Tempe and Arcadia campuses.

The Bishop and Cabinet are praying for you during this time of transition, as you find ways to say farewell to Rev. Bullock and to welcome Pastor Long. We pray you will know and feel God’s presence and peace in all that you do.

Grace and peace,

Rev. Melissa Rynders

Missional Strategist & Superintendent

Read the letter

Bishop Carlo shared a video message on Sunday, marking one year to General Conference which begins April 23, 2024.

Join Tempe Interfaith Fellowship at 6pm on May 4

at Tempe City Hall (31 E. 5th St) at the Tempe City Council meeting for a proclamation read by Mayor Corey Woods, followed by an opportunity to visit various faith centers. This will be an opportunity to pray together for our city, country and global community. learn more

Dayspring has a team at UMOM’s 14th annual Walk to End Homelessness. We invite you to join us on Saturday, May 6 from 6-9am at the Phoenix Zoo, for a family-friendly event aimed at restoring hope, rebuilding lives, and ending homelessness in our community. Walkers not only help save lives, but also get a FREE day pass to the Zoo! Register at: https://fundraise.umom.org/team/497485

From Coffee Hosts to Children's Sunday School teachers, Shepherds to Sound Booth, and everyone in between, Dayspring wouldn't function without you! We'd like to show our appreciation at a volunteer brunch on May 7 after each service. Please join us as we celebrate all the wonderful people who help us make God's world more peaceful, just, compassionate, and inclusive.

Sno cone Sunday returns May 7! All church volunteers will receive a free sno-cone. For everyone else, sno-cones are $1. All money earned from sno-cones benefits Project Hope, our clean water well project in Liberia. Learn more about this project HERE.

Are you new to Dayspring UMC or have you been attending for a while and are interested to know more about the church and what is involved in membership? We invite you to learn more about the UMC and Dayspring specifically, at our next new member orientation on Sunday, May 7 at 11:45 in Room 112 and on Zoom. Please email the church office if you are interested in attending.

Join the Arizona Cantilena Chorale as they present Favorites of the Stage at 4:00pm on May 7 in the Tempe Sanctuary. When is the last time you heard your favorite Opera choruses or Broadway hits live? With works by Bizet, Offenbach, Verdi, Gershwin, Sondheim, Rodgers & Hammerstein and Lin-Manuel Miranda among others, you couldn't choose a better way to spend your afternoon. Come see your Favorites of the Stage performed expertly by this premier choral ensemble. The concert is free and donations are appreciated.

On May 14, the 9:00 Explorer's Class and the 10:30am Contemporary Issues Sunday School Class will host Professor Jennifer Linde from the ASU College of Communications for a class on civility in public and personal conversations involving controversial topics. Professor Linde will introduce the audience members to consider a provocative statement, assume a position of agree or disagree in an atmosphere that promotes respect and equanimity. The goal of the session is to reacquaint us with the notion that we can have differing viewpoints and disagree without demonizing the opposition. Please join us as we welcome Professor Linde and we learn about civil dialogue. Email Jim for more information.

After a recommendation from Dayspring leadership, the congregation was informally polled and it's been decided we will have a combined service starting at 10am in Tempe during the summer starting Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.