Dear Messiah Family,
The day has arrived! This Sunday, May 12, we will gather together as one big Messiah family for one combined worship service at 9:30a. For years, you all have asked if we could do one worship service, once in a while, so that you can see folks from “the other worship service.” So, this Sunday, we’re going to give it a try and it is my hope that we will pack the sanctuary! We’ll have music provided by our music teams from both services, Chancel Choir, organ and The Way Band. We’ll sing hymns and praise songs together, pray together, read scripture together and worship our amazing God together.
I will kick off our new, five-week sermon series, To Know What Love Is with a message titled, Made for Love. Is it true that “all you need is love”? Love is the central ethic of the Christian faith, and we were all made in God’s image to receive, reciprocate, and reflect God’s love. I’ll share so personal stories about the impact of God’s love in my life as well as three important take-aways to help you remember you are loved!
We will also be celebrating mothers and mother-like figures in our lives with a special gift for all women. The Imara board members will be providing coffee and refreshments for us after worship in celebration of all the Imara moms as well as their gratitude to Messiah Church, their legacy church, for your support over the years.
It is sure to be another great day of worship at Messiah Church! I hope you will plan to join us in person, if you are able or online here.
Worship Live Worship On Demand
Messiah’s Living Ministry Endowment Grant Awards
One way to leave a legacy is to support Messiah’s Living Ministry Endowment. It is a way to extend Messiah’s ministry beyond your lifetime, supporting ministry that is not part of our annual budget. Each year we set aside 5% of the endowment and seek applications for grants. This year, we had $21,725 available for grants. We received ten applications that totaled over $42,000 in requests. All of the requests were all incredibly compelling so the decisions were difficult. The Endowment Committee considered each of the applications and met with the applicants in order to make informed decisions. The team has asked me to share with you the grants that have been made.
- Re-Member-to hire a resident of the Pine Ridge reservation as a part-time Garden Assistant to help manage the bumper crop of over 2,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables that will be produced in their gardens this summer/fall.
- Iglesia Piedra Viva UMC-a neighboring UMC in South Minneapolis to help support community meals on Sundays after worship.
- Messiah Church’s Young Adult Ministry-to provide seed money to support this new ministry until it can be included in the 2025 annual budget.
- Afghan Refugee Family- to help the Amini family purchase their first car.
- Thrive Kenya-to pour a cement floor in the dining area of one of their children’s homes in Kenya and purchase a security gate for the same location.
- Eagle Scout Project-to plant evergreen trees along the church grounds by County Road 6 to help create a natural wind and noise buffer.
- In addition, there are two grant awards pending once more information is available to the Endowment Committee.
Messiah Family News
It is with a heavy heart that I share with you the passing of Bill Schumacher yesterday. Bill and Sally are long-time members of Messiah Church and pillars of our faith community. Bill had the gift of hospitality, making each and every person feel seen and loved as for years, he greeted us at the front doors with a smile, a hearty handshake and a hug. Bill was an important part of our Messiah Church family and he will be dearly missed. His Celebration of Life service details will be shared with you as soon as they are available. Please hold Sally and their family in your hearts and prayers as they mourn the loss of their beloved husband, father and grandfather.
I also share with you the passing of Carol Erickson’s mother, Shirley Erickson this past week after a fierce battle with cancer. Carol was able to return from Imara to be with her mother for most of her last week. If you wish to send a note of support to Carol and her Dad (Glen), here’s the mailing address.
11111 North Nine Mile Road
Nine Mile Falls, WA 99026
Thank you for holding Carol and her family in your prayers.
My Renewal Leave Begins
Well, Beloveds, this will be the last Friday eNote I write for a while as I begin my renewal leave on Monday. While I am gone, I will not be checking emails or responding to them when I return. (I wish all of you summer birthday people a happy birthday in advance!) If you need anything, you can reach out to Pastor Bethany as she will be the acting Senior Pastor in my absence. I am so grateful to the United Methodist Church for making these renewal leaves available for all their pastors and for you, Messiah Church, for being a faith community that supports and encourages your pastors’ health and well-being. I will miss each one of you while I am gone but look forward to returning August 1 rested, renewed and ready to be the very best I can be for God and for you, my Messiah Church family.
In Christ’s love,
Please Pray with Me
God of Love, we give you thanks and praise for your steadfast mercy, love and grace. Through faith, we trust that you are with us in all of life’s transitions and change. We trust in your goodness and know that with each ending comes new beginnings. So, come, Holy Spirit, come. Guide, strengthen, and encourage us on the journey that lies before our Messiah Church family. It’s the assurance of your unfailing love which enables us to trust you in every season of life. May your Word dwell in us richly, your peace rule in us powerfully, and may your glory be our main passion and greatest delight. In the powerful and precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.Join Us on Sunday
Worship In Person: Join us in the building at 8:30 am for our Traditions service or 10:30 am for our Journey contemporary service.
Worship Online: Join us online for the live stream of our Traditions service at 8:30 am and Journey contemporary worship service at 10:30 am CT every Sunday morning. Prior Sunday broadcasts are available on demand all week at your convenience.