Our Mission, Ministry
and Music
in Action
Ministry and Christian Education
Wednesday Kids Club
April will be the final month for Kids Club this school year. We will meet on Wednesdays after school (3:20-4:20 pm) on April 3, 17 and 24. Pastor Stephanie will be attending a retreat on April 10 and will not be available to hold Kids Club then.
Celebrating Our Graduates
We will honor our graduates during worship on Sunday, April 21, 2024. Please call the church office (785-364-3275) to let us know if you or a family member is graduating from high school, college (2 year and 4 year programs) or grad school. Let us know by Monday, April 15th.
3rd Sunday Lunch
The Christian Education Team is hosting our 3rd Sunday "Graduate picnic" on April 21. We will be serving hot dogs, baked beans, chips, dessert and a drink. Our third Sunday lunch donations are disignated for our Mission Shares (apportionments). These funds are vitally important for supporting our districts, conference, global church, local church grants and lay training events to name a few. Please enjoy lunch and give generously to our mission shares.
Youth News
Middle & High School Youth are invited to meet on Sunday, April 21 after the third Sunday Lunch. We will talk about a summer youth/family mission opportunity to "the big garden" in Omaha, Nebraska. All middle school and high school students are welcome to participate, so come learn more and help us get the planning started!
April Birthdays
The following members of the congregation have April birthdays:
01 Judy Ireland
03 Joe Bohlender
04 Breckon Schlodder
07 Ida Nadeau, Shirley Coyle
09 Emily Wrosch
10 Brad Matzke
14 JR Ireland
15 Zoe Schuetz
16 Lakin Patterson
17 Donna Patterson
19 Christi Schumaker, Ethan Holaday
21 Terry Craig-Horning
22 Kristel Schlodder
25 Jenny Gilliland
26 Wayne Belveal
27 Liz Holaday
28 Makayla (Colhouer) Slocum
Food Pantry Needs
April is OUR month to provide food for our local food pantry sponsored by the Jackson County Ministerial Alliance. Please bring non-perishable food items to the church throughout the entire month.
At the March JCMA meeting, we learned that our pantry can no longer order food from Harvesters, which gave us a big discount. Thus, monetary donations to purchase food are also important. The need keeps growing.
According to Sarah Bahner, food pantry director, the items always needed include the following: canned meats, peanut butter, powdered milk, evaporated milk, spaghetti sauce, Spaghetti O's, ravioli, potato flakes, brownie and cake mixes, canned fruit, fruit juice, macaroni and cheese, can openers, toliet paper, toothpaste and tooth brushes.
United Women of Faith May Trip
Plans are being made for a May trip to Wetmore to enjoy breakfast. Stay tuned for more details. The May trip will happen possibly on Tuesday, May 14. Members also discussed possibly preparing ice cream for the fair, July 15-18, or for Bike Across Kansas on June 14 and 15. Look for future announcements of plans.
The group is furnishing cookies and beverages for a tea table when we host the Bishop on April 9th. It will be a come and go affair at 6 pm.
Youth/ Family Summer
Mission Opportunity
Our group mission experiences are a combination of hands-on work, educational opportunities, and small-group learning for youth and adults based around issues of hunger, poverty and food security.
We welcome groups of all sizes and varieties including youth groups, adult teams, school groups, community groups and families.
We believe strongly in educating mission teams about the intersectionality between justice issues. Our mission experiences provide teams with the tools and means to make mission happen within their home communities.
We offer a maximum of two days of programming per group. 1st UMC Holton is looking at July 31-August 2, 2024.
Groups work from approximately 9am-4 pm each day. The cost is $15 per person, per day paid to us. This fee does not include the team's food, travel, lodging or entertainment activities.
United Methodist Ministries (the parent organization of The Big Garden) is an accredited Volunteers in MIssion (VIM) site and its staff is fully certified under the Safe Gatherings system.
Church Scholarships Available
The church has scholarships that are provided through the Eckert/Neil Memorial and Scholarship Fund and the Cecil and Velma Bunton Memorial Fund.
If you plan to attend college in the fall of 2024, you are invited to apply. Applications are available for pick up in the church office and narthex.
June 1, 2024 is the deadline for submitting the completed application to the church.
Camp Chippewa
Summer Camp is an amazing way to help our kids grow in faith and meet new friends! Please check out this year's camp options at the following address: www.campchippewa.org
Book Club
Book club will meet on Thursday, April 18, at 9:30 a.m. in the Parlor. April discussion will be about the second book in the Butternut Creek series by June Myers Perrine.
Introduction to Lay Servant
Ministries - Basic Course
This course is foundational for all courses in the Lay Servant Ministries process. If you want to explore God's call in your life, learn more about servant leadership and developing consistent spiritual practices with the support of a discipleship group, please consider attending one of two upcoming trainings.
Saturday April 6, 2024 at Cosmos Court, 909 S. Kansas St. Topeka. Class time: 8 am - 4 pm. $30,00 registration includes lunch and snacks
OR
Saturday, May 4, 2024 at College Ave. UMC, 1609 College Ave., Manhattan. Class time 8AM - 5 PM.
$40 registration includes lunch and snacks.
Register online at www.greatplainsumc.org, click on Laity, then click on Lay Ministries Equipping Events, scroll down to the date desired and click for forms and information. You will need to buy Lay Servant Ministries - Basic Course Participants Book, by Upper Room Discipleship Resources (ISBN: 978-088177-626-3).
Fourth Thursday Lunch Bunch
On every fourth Thursday, any member who would like is invited to gather at Trail's at noon to enjoy fellowship and lunch. This month the fourth Thursday is April 25. Hope to see you there!
Worship Through Music
Praise through music is an important expression of faith at First United Methodist Church. Luckily, we have been blessed with many talented musicians in our congregation.
O Come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Psalm 95:1
Rainbow Ringers is our children's bell choir for children currently in second to sixth grade. Rainbow Ringers is under the direction of Dolores Wright.
The Chancel Choir is filled with the soulful voices of some of our musically talented members and friends--singing throughout the school year. The Chancel Choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 and is under the direction of Dolores Wright.
The Lady Belles handbell choir has delighted and inspired our congregation with their beautiful music for many years. Under the direction of Dolores Wright, the Lady Belles rehearse from 5:45 - 6:25 on Wednesdays during the school year.