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Thursday, April 11th, 2024 | |
WORSHIP SUNDAY:
4/11/24
Centering Music:
For the Beauty of the Earth arr. Chris Rice
Geoffrey Stemen, piano
Hymns:
UMH #158 Come, Christians, Join to Sing
UMH #702 Sing With All the Saints in Glory
Scripture:
Luke 24:36-48
(8:30 a.m.) Ki Addison
(11 a.m.) Steve Backstrom
Sermon:
"Deal With the Real"
Rev. Katie McKay Simpson
Offertory:
Appalachian Grace arr. Diane Hannibal and Joel Raney
Postlude:
It Is Well with My Soul, with Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini,
arr. Faye Lopez
Geoffrey Stemen, piano
Join Us Online on Our YouTube and Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/universitymethodist
https://www.youtube.com/uumcbr
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Appointment of a New Associate Pastor: | |
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Appointment of a New Associate Pastor
University United Methodist Church
Beloved,
I hope this letter finds you in a centered place in your mind and spirit as we all prepare to observe Holy Week— Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday together. I know some of you will be joining us for services in person and online, and others on vacation, or traveling to see family. However you choose to celebrate, I pray that this rich and powerful story of God‘s love found in Christ’s sacrifice reigns in your hearts and brings you peace wherever you and your loved ones can be found.
I'm writing to you because I have some good news to share! Bishop Delores Williamston and our District Superintendent, Rev. Karli Pidgeon have chosen to appoint Reverend Mary Rachel Moore as our new Associate Pastor effective July 1, 2024. Mary Rachel will be serving part-time in our congregation and part-time at the Wesley Foundation as its new Director. Mary Rachel is no stranger to University United Methodist Church as you can see from her biographical description included below, she is an alum of LSU and was a part of our worshipping community in the early 2000s. I have spoken with Mary Rachel briefly, and she is excited about this new chapter in her ministry and for the life of her family.
I am so thankful to the Bishop and our Cabinet for understanding this as the right time to invest valuable resources into our church for this critical and exciting moment in the life of our Vision process. Through this appointment, we will officially re-engage our relationship with the Wesley Foundation of LSU, expand our opportunities for worship leadership, deepen our reach in congregational care, and continue building a dynamic staff team for ministry that holds great promise for the future.
I know you may have questions. I assure you, there will be more information in the coming days, not only about our plans to welcome her and what impact this addition to our team will make. For now, your Staff Parish Relations Committee and I ask that you begin praying for Mary Rachel, Shane, and their two boys, Jack and James as they begin this transition in their lives together.
We continue to be a church with open hearts and an outward faith! May we trust in God that this change among others will help us to carry on that work with greater capacity and possibilities for the shared journey ahead.
With gratitude and great hope,
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Reverend Katie McKay Simpson | |
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Kids Hope Garden Party and 40 Years as Partners in Education Celebration
University United Methodist Church
April 11th, 2024
Dear Friends,
It is with great excitement that I extend a personal invitation to you as we celebrate two big events in the life of the church: our 40th anniversary as Partners-In-Education with McKinley Elementary and the Grand Opening of our new edible school garden the students have named “The Jaguar Jungle.”
For over 40 years, our church has showered our partner school with love and support in many ways. From yearly donations of school supplies and uniforms to countless volunteer hours mentoring, reading, and gardening with students inside and outside the classroom, to hosting fun school-wide events such as the Holiday Carnival and 5th Grade Graduation, and to treating teachers with tangible forms of our appreciation, we have strived to meet the physical, emotional, and social needs of every child and every teacher.
What better way to celebrate 40 years of dedicated service than to have a garden party? Please join us tomorrow Friday, April 12th at 9:00 a.m. at McKinley Elementary School located at 575 W. Roosevelt Street. Our 5th Grade Gardeners have been working very hard alongside our Kids Hope Garden Team volunteers, and they can’t wait to show you their garden. They will host demonstration stations and are even selling some plants they’ve grown from seed and greeting cards made from their artwork. We will also have Louisiana Elementary Teacher of the Year and McKinley Elementary first grade teacher, Ms. Kylie Altier’s Jr. Gardeners, there for you to meet and learn about gardening from their perspective.
The seeds of love and kindness that our church has sown over four decades at our partner school have cultivated transformative and thriving relationships. Much like a patient and persistent gardener, University United Methodist Church has nurtured and tended to these relationships, never losing hope of the harvest. These huge milestones are worthy of celebration, and I hope to see you all in the Jaguar Jungle on Friday!
Shirley Flake
Kids Hope Director
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Suicide Prevention and Intervention Walk: | |
Rise Against Hunger 2024: | |
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For those of you who are not familiar with Rise Against Hunger, it is an organization that sends individually packed meals to people throughout the world. Rise Against Hunger meals represent the hopes and dreams of people worldwide. Volunteers, such as ourselves, are the heart of Rise Against Hunger’s mission to end hunger. The organization sends millions of pre-packed meals around the globe each year.
Come and join us for this fulfilling event. Let’s do our part to help end hunger!
Use the following link to sign up: https://rah.my.salesforce-sites.com/events/homepage?id=7018c000001DmhfAAC
To learn more about Rise Against Hunger click here. More information will be available soon for all who plan to participate in this mission.
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All are invited to enjoy a beautiful student recital at University United Methodist Church This Sunday, April 14th, at 4 p.m. in the Church Sanctuary. Four students of Dr. Johnnie Bankens are fundraising for their educational trip to Italy this summer. Entry is free, but donations are appreciated!
More information on the program can be found here: https://fio-italia.com/summer-opera-festival-2024
| Our college students deserve some fun! Join us on April 27th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Roux 61 for the LSU Student Fun Day. We will enjoy lunch together and then the fun begins! If you have questions about attending, email Lauren Broussard LeBoeuf at lauren@universitymethodist.org. | Wisdom Worshipers Social: | Our next social is slated for May 3rd in the UUMC Fellowship Hall. During this time we will enjoy fellowship and conversation. If you have questions about attending, email Lauren Broussard LeBoeuf at lauren@universitymethodist.org. | Vacation Bible School 2024: | |
It is time once again for VBS 2024 where we will learn to "Shine Jesus' Light!" VBS will run the week of June 3rd - 7th from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. Aftercare is available from Noon to 5:00 p.m.
If you are available for the week of June 3rd to 7th, we are in desperate need of help. Some of our tried and true VBS helpers are unavailable this year. If you can only help for part of the week or even a day, we will make that work.
For those of you who can help during the week, please mark the following work days on your calendar: May 4th, May 11th, and May 18th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Cindy Hall has graciously stepped back in to help with the stage and other decorations. Thank you, Cindy! This means we will need all the help we can get on the work days!
Thank you all so much!
Please use the link below to register your child(ren) or to sign up as a volunteer for this fun-filled event. We Can't wait!
https://onrealm.org/uumcbr/PublicRegistrations/Event?linkString=MDY3NjZkZWUtMjE1ZS00NDcxLTg3NDQtYjEzMjAxMjViODNl
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Join us through April for a series on why the gift of Christ’s resurrection matters in our daily lives. This reality invites us to have hope, allows us to see beyond the boundaries life gives us, and reminds us of the way we are called by God to lead in the world. Our accompanying weekly devotional guide will be available on our website and in the bulletin.
Check out the leaders of our services this month:
April 14th- Rev. Katie McKay Simpson
Preview of UMC General Conference at 9:45 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall
April 21st- Members of our Youth Group (Youth and Senior Sunday)
April 28th - Dr. John Fletcher (Laity Sunday)
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Week Two Devotional Guide: | |
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Want to know what is happening in the life of the United Methodist Church?
Rev. Katie is a clergy delegate for General Conference 2024. She is one of three clergy that is a delegate from the Louisiana Annual Conference. One of the main topics being discussed is the Regionalization of the United Methodist Church. To learn more about this, click here.
Have questions about how this affects UUMC? Leave your questions in our UMC General Conference 2024 Google Form!
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General Conference Preview: | |
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University UMC is a part of a global denomination currently going through revival and renewal. Join Rev. Katie and our lay leader, Dr. John Fletcher, to hear about what to expect and what to watch for as the General Conference begins later this month. There will be a presentation on Sunday, April 14th, at 9:45 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall, on strategic priorities, how the changes might affect our ministry locally, and time for questions and conversation. This presentation will be offered in-person and live on our Facebook and YouTube channels.
To find out more information, please email office@universitymethodist.org.
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General Conference Prayer Service: | |
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The General Conference, the decision-making body of The United Methodist Church, will gather in Charlotte, NC, on April 23-May 3, 2024 for holy conferencing around pivotal church matters.
St. John's United Methodist Church (230 Renee Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70810) will host a Prayer Service for the upcoming conference on Sunday, April 21 at 5:00 p.m. We invite you to join us for prayer and Holy Communion in anticipation of the General Conference. Neighboring churches and clergy are invited and encouraged to attend.
Clergy and laity who would like to participate in the service are invited to contact Rev. Lane Cotton Winn (pastorlane@stjohnsbr.org)
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Grad Sunday is right around the corner on Sunday, April 21st. We have two high school seniors who will be recognized; James Stuckey and Annabelle Meiners. We will have blankets available to sign and to leave a note of encouragement to each graduate on Sunday, April 14th, and Sunday, April 21st. These will be in the Fellowship Hall on one of the raised side tables and will be available all morning of Sunday, April 14th, and on Sunday, April 21st until 10:50 a.m.
If you are unable to attend either service and would like to write a note, you can stop by the church office during business hours the week of April 15th-19th.
Joseph LeBoeuf
Director of Youth Ministries
youth@universitymethodist.org
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Hope Ministries Food Drive
Donation Drop Off: Church Office During the Week or in the Fellowship Hall on Sundays
The food bank has notified us that there will be no meat for the next few months. They do not have funds to purchase it. In an effort to bridge the gap until they send meat again, our clients would greatly appreciate any canned meat donations. Canned tuna, chicken, salmon, vienna sausages, and ham would all be welcomed.
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Kids Hope Book Club Leaders:
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Our mentors and book club leaders wrapped up the school year with lots of fun activities this week.
Our 3rd-grade mentoring pairs had a “blast” playing the Headbands Blast Off game on their last day together! Shout out to Lucy Smith, Emma Burke, Lauren LeBoeuf, Janis Kile Roux, Fred Enright, and Margarita Wetzel for spending time each week getting to know our super smart 3rd-grade mentees. We expect great things from this group of young scholars.
Our 4th-grade book club leaders were showered with handmade thank-you cards from their book club students on their last day reading together. The children have made great gains in their reading skills this year thanks to the dedication of these awesome volunteers: Bobby Fahey, Carol Lewis, Marianne Hebert, Lisa Frost, Doreen Maxcy, Vicki Frick, Merissa Butler, Nathalie Henderson, Paulette Hamilton, Greg Hamilton, Melissa Nguyen, Rob Roux, Mindy Piontek, Sheri Lee, Kay Willson, Merrill Faye Eglin, Sara Ginn, Kaylee Underwood, Gail Braymer, Ki Addison, Joe LeBoeuf, and Rachel Frazier.
To find out how you can join our fabulous Kids Hope family, please reach out! We’d love to have you next school year.
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Meet Our New Members and Witness Our Recent Baptisms! | |
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We are doing a new thing! As many of you have seen, our branding and social media have been updated. We are also taking a new approach to recognizing new members and recent baptisms! Each quarter we will be posting the additions to our church family. We are so thankful that our congregation is continuing to grow. If you would like to make that next step, email Lauren Broussard LeBoeuf, our Director of Welcome and Engagement, and she will be happy to help you with that process!
Lauren Broussard LeBoeuf
lauren@universitymethodist.org
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Sunday Morning Offerings: | |
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On Sunday Mornings, we now have large print worship service programs. We also offer hearing devices for those who need additional listening support during service. Lastly, we have a few large print copies of the red hymnals and The Faith We Sing in the Narthex.
Please ask the ushers on Sunday Morning to help you with any of these offerings and we look forward to worshipping with you on Sunday.
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Employment Opportunities at UUMC: | |
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UUMC will be hiring a new Director of Children's Ministry this spring. If you are interested in the position, please use the link below to see the full job posting on the UUMC Website. Directions to apply are included in the job posting.
Director of Children's Ministry -Job Posting
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Prayer List:
Bobbie Barbier, Brother Cliff King, Kari Behan, Robert Blackledge, Marc Blackwell, Myrtle Branning, Doug and Gail Braymer, Bob Buchanan, Beth Courtney, Blaire Dickey, Janet Grace, Kerry Hawkins, Kristine Hawkins, Elliot Irby, The Family of Arnold Jackson, Linda Joseph,
The Family of Ulysses Joseph, Dana and Curt Kinard, Katie Love, Rev. Mary Rachel Moore and Family, Sonni Muller, Sally Perry, Jan Phillips, Cristy Reed, Vanessa and Brooklyn Rives, Jessica Roux’s Ukrainian Host Family, Jessie and Herbert Sibley, Leah Stewart and Family, Mary Tinsley, Garrett Ward, Wesley Foundation Leadership all of those in our congregation who are in nursing homes or homebound.
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