The Weekly Courier

March 20, 2025

"We seek to connect people to God, each other, and the wider community and to welcome and affirm all people"

Prepare Your Heart...

Before you hear Kim lead our Song Team in singing "Better Is One Day" by Matt Redman, check out this acoustic cover from Sarah Kroger.

Click on the picture --> 

This Week's Calls to Action!

• Write a card for one of our kids being baptized THIS Sunday, 3/23
• RSVP now for the 2-day south sound co-op church retreat in May
• Submit a photo for our new church directory (if you haven't already)
• Buy a chocolate Easter egg to support our United Women in Faith

For more information about all of these events and opportunities, read on below...

This coming Sunday, March 23rd, we will be baptizing 9 children from our children’s ministry program! These special days are always filled with lots of emotions and joy and I cannot wait to watch the faith of these children grow as they age and become thriving members of society. I ask that over the next few days you take time to pray for these children and the step they are about to take in their faith journey. 

-Parker M

-Kennedy M 

-Charlotte N

-Maximus N 

-Amelia N

-Madison J

-Penelope G 

-Logan M 

-Amelia M

We will also be receiving these children into our community by transfer of membership. They were baptized about 2 years ago at a United Methodist Church in Auburn and we joyfully welcome them as well!

-Brutus D

-Pavlina D

Following the service on Sunday, the entire church is invited for an extended celebration in The Great Hall! Cake, punch, veggies and other yummy snacks will be provided. This is also the time where you can learn more about the kids who are newly baptized and members of our community. Each child will have their own station with pictures and responses to questions about who they are and what they enjoy! If you feel led, please take the time to write these kids a card this weekend to welcome them into our faith community. 

Peace in the Pause: Rest & Renewal in Sabbath

Join us for the South Sound Cooperative Ministries Retreat—a time to rest, reconnect, and renew. Open to all ages, this retreat will focus on understanding, embracing, and practicing Sabbath through worship, workshops, shared meals, and joyful community. There is no overnight lodging available, but will take place over the course of two days.  

May 30th and May 31st @ Kennydell Lodge 

$40/person, scholarships available

Register here: https://fumcoly.breezechms.com/form/kenneydellretreat.

Lenten Affinity Nights

Affinity Nights continue! Through Lent, we are hosting Affinity Nights every Wednesday evening from 6-8pm. Dinner will be served at 6pm and we'll break into activities at 7pm.

Kaleidoscope Kids will also be running alongside Affinity Nights activities—providing food and fellowship options for all ages. Childcare is available for those who need it during dinner/activity time.

This week's Activities (3/26):

RElationships Workshop, Intergenerational Trivia, Clean Up Crew, Youth Group, Kaleidoscope Kids

Interfaith Works Meditative Event

On Thursday, March 27th, Interfaith Works will sponsor another Compassionate Meditation session from 7:15pm - 8:30pm at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (1515 Harrison Ave, Olympia, WA 98502). Together, we'll spend time offering compassion to all who suffer.

Tumwater UMC Garden Plots

Do you love gardening? Our friends over at Tumwater UMC are setting up their garden again this year and offering to let folks at our church adopt a small portion!

The Tumwater Community Garden is a garden located on the grounds of Tumwater United Methodist Church. There are 16 raised beds with a drip irrigation system. Two of the raised beds are wheelchair accessible. The raised beds are available for adoption on a first come, first served basis by any community member, family, organization, school group, etc. regardless of background, income, or religious affiliation. 

There is a $20 refundable deposit for adoption of a raised bed. The deposit will be refunded in the fall after the gardener meets the requirements of volunteer participation outlined in the garden guidelines. The deposit will NOT be refunded if the volunteer requirement is not met. Persons who adopt a raised bed are also required to sign an agreement on garden practices including the conservation of water, respect for tools and property, and no use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. If you wish to do additional volunteer work and/or contribute financially to the garden project, please contact the Garden Coordinators. Email tumwatergarden@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.

Apply for a plot here: https://forms.gle/M7CRrXqGzLfQVyjt6.

March-April Upper Rooms

March-April issues of the Upper Room are ready for pick-up for $1.00!

You may get yours on a Sunday morning, before or after worship. Or swing by the church Monday-Thursday, 10am-2pm.

Come Join a Choir

Our Common Ground Choir meets on Thursdays @6:45pm in the Gathering Place.

And the Jeffords Memorial Handbell Choir 

meets on Wednesdays @5:30 in the Choir Room. Please come join us!

LAST Call For Directory Photo Submissions

We are putting together a NEW church directory and we'd love to include you!

We've spent the last three months taking photos in-person (and we've caught many of you after service) but if you weren't able to make any of of photo sessions, we invite you to send in a high-quality and recent photo of yourself. If you're taking a new photo, we recommend sitting near a window for natural light and taking the picture in landscape mode if possible. You can send all photo submissions to Lauren (multimedia@fumcoly.org).

Additionally, if you would NOT like your information to be included in the directory (with or without a photo), please reach out to Lauren immediately. We have a hard deadline of Monday, March 31 for all photo and information submissions.

Easter Chocolate Eggs Fundraiser

It's time again for the UWIF Easter Egg Sale! Orders will be taken from now until April 6th for your whole personalized Solid Fudge Easter Egg ($6.00) or half egg ($5.00).

Delivery date is Sunday, April 13th.

You can email Carol Gruen at gruencl1941@gmail.com or call 360-352- 9703 and leave your order on her phone but be sure to spell names and give color choice and size and your name and phone number. Or you can pick up an order form in the office, or on Sunday morning in the narthex.

Anyone interested in helping with this tasty fund raiser—call Carol Gruen at 352-9703 or you can e-mail your request to gruencl1941@gmail.com.

All proceeds go for United Women In Faith mission projects.

A Message From Interfaith Works

Last week, Interfaith Works' Program Council voted to endorse a statement on the sanctity of our sacred spaces. They have created a letter for members of IFW-associated communities to sign. The letter begins:

"To whom it may concern: All of us—clergy and congregants, guides and those seeking guidance—have created sacred spaces for worship, prayer, meditation, and the practices that awaken, nurture, and sustain our spiritual lives. These spaces go by many names: church, temple, synagogue, mosque, zendo, monastery, meeting house, spiritual community, and more. For centuries, a hallmark of all but the most brutal societies has been the principle that sacred spaces—and those seeking refuge in them—must remain beyond the coercive presence of civil authorities. Even when not explicitly enshrined in law or regulation, this principle has been widely respected, except in the most dire emergencies where immediate threats to life and public safety exist"

You can read ithe full letter and choose to sign here:

https://www.interfaith-works.org/protect-sacred-spaces.html.

Scarf Bombing News

Spring has come and it is time for our scarf bombing ministry to go on hiatus. Many thanks to all of you who have knitted, crocheted, cut and tied, prayed, and otherwise kept us in scarves this year. To date, we have given away approximately 250 scarves to help folks keep warm throughout this fall/winter.

It’s been a cold year, and I know that your gifts of time and talent have been a blessing to many. We will start distributing scarves again in October, so now is the time to stitch away!

Road trips, plane travel, time at the beach, listening to audio books or podcasts, watching March Madness – these are all great times to pull out the knitting needles or crochet hooks and stitch away. We will need a good stash of scarves come fall, so keep bringing them in and they will stay safe and warm in the library office.

Gratefully, Sue Sugarbaker

Life of the Church

Last Saturday, our Friendship Hikers kicked off the hiking season at Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. The wild wind and rains didn’t stop this adventurous group from spotting three Bald Eagles, a Great Blue Heron, many ducks, a deer, a rabbit, and a glorious fully arched rainbow! If you’re interested in joining the group again on the trail, the next hike will be on Saturday, April 12. Please reach out to Ginger Sarver (bgsarver@comcast.net) and Mae Wharton (maewharton@gmail.com) for more information on time, location, and hike difficulty.

You can find more photos from this event (and many more) on our Facebook page: 

https://www.facebook.com/FUMCOLY.

We Remember...

The memorial service for Elma Lu Casebolt will be held in the First Olympia UMC sanctuary at 11am on Saturday, 3/29. There will be no livestream.

Our Welcoming Statement

First United Methodist Church of Olympia welcomes people of all ages, all abilities,

all sexual orientations and gender identities, all nationalities and ethnicities,

the poor and the rich, single people and the many forms of family.

See our Church Calendar.

Visit our webpage!

Watch our latest worship service

Read the latest Joys & Concerns

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Contact us ...

by phone: 360-943-2661 by email: fumco@fumcoly.org

OFFICE HOURS: Sunday 9am-noon | Monday-Thursday 10am-2pm

The Weekly Courier editor: Lauren Fontanilla