February 2016 Edition
www.grandrapidsfumc.org
February is a busy month around First United Methodist Church! Activities abound all the time in this congrega- February 10: Ash Wednesday 7:00 pm in the sanctuary tion, but because of If we Live by the Spirit… Let us walk Easter being unusually early in 2016 in the Spirit. (March 27), Lent begins with Ash Galatians 5:25 Wednesday on February 10th. Consequently, with our Celebration of the Arts (February 12 – 24) PLUS the activ- February 14: Lent I – Celebration of the Arts 1 ities of Lent, First Church will be busDoes it Really Matter How… When… tling with incredible artistry, concerts, or Where We Pray? and spiritual growth opportunities. Matthew 6:5 – 8, 16-18 3:00 pm — Grand Rapids Jazz Our Lenten focus is on prayer, namely Orchestra Concert “The Lord’s Prayer.” Most of us pray the Lord’s Prayer with regularity. Certainly, we are familiar with it as part of February 21: Lent II – Celebration Sunday - #2 our worship liturgy Sunday after SunHow Do I Relate to God? day. For some, the Lord’s Prayer has Matthew 6:9 become a part of our life liturgy that 3:00 pm — Beaumont Brass Quinwe pray in the morning before starting tet Concert our day, or in the evening at the close of the day. When I served as a hospital chaplain, it was not uncommon to February 28: Lent III – Potential baptism Sunday hear a patient pray the Lord’s Prayer Is God Distant or Personal? in times of crisis. Sometimes, familiarMatthew 6:10 ity is a hindrance. The words roll off our tongue without the careful attention that the words deserve. When is March 6: Lent IV – Communion Does God Really Care? the last time that you took the Lord’s Matthew 6:11 Prayer apart, phrase by phrase, and examined what Jesus was teaching about March 13: Lent V - Daylight Saving prayer? time What Can We Expect Each Sunday When is the last time that from God and What beginning FebDoes God Expect from ruary 14, I will you took the Lord’s Prayer Us? attempt to an- apart, phrase by phrase, Matthew 6: 12, 14 swer a question and examined what Jesus that is based on was teaching about prayer? March 20: Lent VI – the phrases of Palm / Passion Sunday the Lord’s Prayer. The journey begins Does God Deliver Us from Evil? with Ash Wednesday – when we will Matthew 6:13 and Ephesians 6:10 gather for worship and reflection with the imposition of ashes.
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Intentional Faith Development
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Pastor’s Message
HOLY WEEK March 24: Holy Thursday 7:00 pm Communion 6:15 pm: meal in Wesley Hall The Fruit of Prayer Matthew 6:25-34 March 25: Good Friday 1) 12:00 pm: Community Service at Central Reformed Church 2) 7:00 pm: First Church Service in our sanctuary. A beautiful service of music, readings and reflection. MARCH 27: EASTER 8:15 and 10:45 am: Two Easter Worship celebrations, both in the sanctuary. We Have a “Glory” to Celebrate! Matthew 6:9-13; John 17:20-26; John 20:1-9 9:15 am: Easter Breakfast There will be class opportunities throughout Lent to learn, reflect or experience some aspect of prayer. Please watch the Weekly Pulse for class details. I will also teach a Wednesday evening class at 6:00 pm called, “Praying the Hymns We Love to Sing.” (Class begins on February 17 – March 16; 5 sessions.) AND – we will once again have our Men’s Lenten Breakfast that will begin on Friday, February 26 from 7:008:00 am. February will prove to be memorable as we enter the Lenten journey AND the Celebration of the Arts. Please join us, and bring your friends and family. Grace and peace.
Radical Hospitality 1
Risk-taking Mission and Service
Pastor Bob Hundley Passionate Worship 5
Extravagant Generosity 4
3 Compassionate Care
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Intentional Faith Development Lent at First Church Lent is the forty days preceding Easter. Lent excludes Sundays because we celebrate the resurrection on each Sunday, like a little Easter. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, a day when we commit to change our lives over the next forty days so that we might be more like Christ. This year Ash Wednesday is February 10. So why “practice” Lent? Lent is a great time to retreat from the hectic nature of our lives. A time to reflect on our spiritual nature. A time to reconnect with God through our relationship with Christ. A time to engage the Holy Spirit through prayer, fasting, and service.
Lent is a great time to retreat from the hectic nature of our lives. A time to reflect on our spiritual nature. A time to reconnect with God through our relationship with Christ. A time to engage the Holy Spirit through prayer, fasting, and service.
First Church’s Lenten 2016 focus will be prayer. Pastor Bob will be preaching on the Lord’s Prayer. We will have multiple classes and small group offer- • Add a prayer routine to each day: Say a prayer before you get out of • Pray the Lord’s Prayer every day. ings on prayer. We will be focusing on bed each morning. Before you email Pray it slowly, noticing words that prayer in our Lenten Devotional bookor text someone, pray for them. are particularly meaningful to you let and with weekly focused topics. Pray your way through the evening on that particular day. news. While recuperating from a virus last Join me in prayer during Lent. winter, I spent many hours playing solitaire on my iPad. Little did I know that • Attend Refresh services at First Church on Ash Wednesday, FebruLaure Mieskowski the app was tracking the amount of ary 10 and Wednesday, March 9. Executive Director of time I played. In one week I had spent Faith Development and Mission 16 hours playing solitaire! I admit that I still unwind almost every evening • Create daily quiet time: spend time in silence and prayer. Start with 5 or with this electronic game. Imagine if I 10 minutes. Increase to 30 minutes prayed for even a fraction of this game as you move through Lent. time. My goal during Lent 2016 is to give up (fast) from some iPad time to • Pray 10-second prayers for others be in Bible study and prayer. as you see them. Pray for the clerk in the store, people at work, the How might you practice prayer during person in the car next to you. Lent? • Read the Bible in an attitude of prayer. Choose a book, perhaps Matthew, and read through it slow• Try an electronic “fast:” Give up ly. Reflect on how the scripture imall things electronic one day every pacts your life. week. Replace TV, email, facebook, texting with a time of scripture study and prayer. Here are a few suggestions:
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Passionate Worship “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” This February marks the 43rd Annual Celebration of the Arts, a juried show featuring art with a sacred or spiritual dimension. During the show, there are many opportunities to view the art, with the gallery open daily from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, various gallery walks, and two special concerts featuring The Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra, with singer Edye Evans Hyde, and the Beaumont Brass, the faculty brass quintet of Michigan State University. From the 250 to 300 pieces entered, the juror selects about 130 pieces for inclusion in the show. Somehow, not even knowing what art will come in, it turns into an amazing and powerful show. I have said this of every show, and I never tire of seeing it happen: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” The art show takes on an identity all its own, and individual works become more powerful when placed in the context of the entire show. Some individual pieces seem to take on their full expression when strategically placed near another piece. Other pieces reveal new dimensions only when surrounded by particular other pieces that form the gallery. And here I have to thank Marion DeVinney, who is masterful at strategically placing the works in the gallery. I don’t know how this happens, but somehow it happens almost magically every year. However, an interesting thing about this concept that is perhaps overlooked is that the individual parts remain important. This is the work of the juror, judging not only the individual piece, but how it will fit into a cohesive and powerful whole. It seems to me that in order to have this magical whole, the individual pieces selected should be a diverse collection of art, with a variety of media, craft, perspective, color, form, story, and purpose. A diverse collection of pieces seem to make for a more powerful whole. This concept of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts can also apply to worship services. Worship services have various parts, and, how those
parts interact and relate to the whole shape how much of an impact it will have. It has become a part of my Christmas Eve tradition to tune in to the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols that is broadcast live from King’s College, Cambridge, England. There was the typical collection of sweet carols this year, all beautifully performed… Lovely, sometimes “fluffy” stuff (i.e. “Ding! Dong! Merrily on High”). However, there was a moment when the whole was transformed instantly. The commissioned carol for this year’s service, The Flight, with text by 2012 First Prize: Nancy Wanha, “I.N.R.I. In Need of Rescue George Szirtes and mu- Immediately – A different kind of crucifix” sic by Richard Causton, fully encapsu- St. John, a matchstick portrait created lated the contradictions of Christmas. of Mohamed Bouzzazi’s mother holdThe carol highlighted the current plight ing a photo of her son after he has set of refugees around the world, drawing himself on fire. He became the catalyst a parallel to the flight of the Holy Fam- for the revolution of Tunisia. Last year, ily fleeing the wrath of Herod. the peoples choice selection was Laura Rampersad’s textile work with a comAnd lest we forget he became a refu- passionate message, titled “Migrants’ gee, we remember now the stranger Story.” and the lonely among us. Not all of the prizewinners in CelebraThere, in the midst of all this loveli- tion have this social justice message, ness, the boys’ voices were sounding and that is not the point of this article. sirens and eerie alarms, as the choir My point is that art shows, like worship sings “The child on the dirt path finds services, like congregations, like faith, the highway blocked. The dogs at the need a diversity of parts to make a powentrance snarl that doors are locked.” I erful whole. encourage you to go online and listen to this remarkable piece. Paul said “Justification comes by faith apart from works or law. James said, It is interesting to note that in the past “Faith without works is dead.” Both five years of “Celebration” the first statements were made by apostles, both prize pieces have played a similar role appear in the New Testament, and both to this carol in the service. In 2012, seemingly contradictory to each other. the winning piece was “I.N.R.I. In And yet, the truth of one does not imNeed of Rescue Immediately – A dif- ply the falsity of the other. ferent kind of crucifix.” This piece, by Nancy Wanha, brought attention to the Isn’t this the “Christmas” experience? poverty and poor health conditions of Yes, God is no longer just Creator of Native Americans living on reserva- all life, but now, a participant in that life, tions. In the context of “Celebration” experiencing that life from the inside. this piece brought relevance and action to the work of an artist. In 2013, the Eric Strand first prize was titled “Is This Really the Executive Director of Cost of Social Justice” by Donna F. Worship, Music, and the Arts
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Risk-Taking Mission and Service Wonderful, Rewarding, Humbling!
I had the opportunity to join the medical mission trip to Nicaragua in November. I want to thank the long-time veterans of this team for a wonderful welcome to me and the other “newbies.” This was my first mission trip. I hope there are many more to follow. I want to focus on what it meant to me to be involved in this medical mission, answering the question everyone asked me, “How was your trip?” My short answer: “Wonderful! Rewarding! Humbling!” I think the best way for me to sum up my experience is “LAUGHTER!”
pharmacists. It has been said that laughter is the best medicine. Well, I have no problem being the object of laughter as I struggled to pronounce some of the names and the phrases to give direction. I was greeted with a smile as they gently corrected my initial pronunciation. The smiles and the laughter (even at my expense) were a relief for me and I hope for them also. I received many firm handshakes and expressions of gratitude from all of our patients. I can’t pretend to understand the underlying struggles or aches and pains the wonderful people of these small villages experience. I only know that many of them came in not feeling well and when they left our clinic they at least had something to laugh or smile about. I know we helped many people in many different ways in those six days of clinics. No matter the struggles we all live with, health, the basic struggles of day-to-day life, or language barriers, it doesn’t hurt to laugh once in a while and not take ourselves so seriously.
My task was to meet each adult and child who came to the clinic and administer parasite medication. After they saw the doctor or were fitted for lentes (reading glasses), they came to my table just in front of our pharmacy. In my very limited Spanish, I made an effort to greet each person with “hola” and to pronounce their name correctly as I copied their name onto the counseling slip. I gave them direction for I thank each and every person who the next step before handing their pre- was on this trip for their caring hearts scriptions back to our hard-working and their ability to bring laughter and
I can’t pretend to understand the underlying struggles or aches and pains the wonderful people of these small villages experience. I only know that many of them came in not feeling well and when they left our clinic they at least had something to laugh or smile about.
joy to those they serve! I think I improved on some of my pronunciations by the end of the week. I also want to thank the wonderful translators from the local communities and the group’s long time friend and translator, Regan, for helping me improve. I especially want to thank the Nicaraguan people for reminding me there is more to life than the things we take for granted in the US! Laughter goes a long way! Mark PreFontaine In the photo is Kevin, 18 months old, on our last day of clinics. He was having a blast playing catch with me with the Beanie Baby I gave him for being such a good patient. He greeted me with a very clear “Hola” and said goodbye with very clear “Adios.” PS: Maybe we will see him playing baseball some day! Or maybe he will have a laugh teaching me Spanish!
Extravagant
The Tupperware cupboard received great attention from our four boys as they passed through the toddler years. It seems that nearly every day we would have to spend time gathering all of the bowls, cups, and lids and putting them away at the end of the night. It seems that this collection of kitchen necessities was one of the greatest sources of playtime joy, as the bowls were stacked, knocked over, and carried about. Even with the collection of new toys that was accumulating, the Tupperware cupboard didn’t lose its allure during those years. I suspect it is that way in most homes. We can get great joy from the simplest things. Of course, our culture would have
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Radical Hospitality Christmas Packed Up
hand wash, and that’s about gone. I would guess you’ve put away ChristOne of my responsibilities for Christ- mas, too. However, in the midst of mas Eve was to help First Church cleaning up, did we pack away our warmly welcome over 1000 family, Christmas spirit? friends, and visitors into worship. We had more than 100 volunteers serve During Christmas, we invite people in hospitality and worship leadership. to our homes, to parties, to concerts. From greeting, to ushering, to serv- Many of us invited family members Marasigan & Pat Shaffer greeting on ing communion, to singing and more; to one of the candlelight services on Rhea Christmas Eve we made a difference in the lives Christmas Eve. That Christmas spirit of those who of hospitality and invitation needs to passed through continue throughout the year. If you our doors for packed it away with the ornaments, go an evening of unpack it today. I’ll wait. worship! Thank Invite your friends to join us for woryou! ship, a class, or an event. When you But now it’s enter the church parking lot, help February. I’ve others to the doors when it’s snowy. packed up all of When you enter the sanctuary, greet my Christmas people you don’t know and learn their decorations and names. If you see a new family, help taken all of the them find the kids’ bags, children’s lights down. (I bulletins, bathrooms. Ask a student hope you have, how their classes are going. Call those too.) The only you haven’t seen in worship and let remnant of them know they are missed. Let your light shine. Christmas left Michele & Rita Sami Marasigan in my house is Diarrassouba greeting Director of Evangelism the peppermint on Christmas Eve.
Generosity
this past Christmas, the hot gift was apparently a “hover board,” that as far as I can tell sells for about $500!! That seems like a whole neighborhood full of Tupperware! You get the picture. In such a culture, it’s pretty easy to get our priorities mixed up and become captured by the pursuit of more “stuff.”
God rather than the relentless pursuit of other priorities.
God suggests another way. God provides everything we need, so rather than become caught up in the neverending pursuit of happiness through possessions, God suggests using our bounty to help the poor, to heal the sick, to feed the hungry. At First Church, we practice Extravagant Generosity every day by giving to and supporting a multitude of amazing ministries that reach those in great us believe quite the contrary. Happi- need. Our gifts of time and money ness comes from a new car. A loving demonstrate that many in our church kiss cannot be yours without the in- family have discovered the joy and tervention of a new diamond. And fulfillment that comes from service to
I hope all of us can discover the simple joys in life like the Tupperware cupboard, so that we can be more focused on finding God’s direction for our lives. Fun times are ahead in ministry at First Church! Chris Hawkins Finance Committee
We can get great joy from the simplest things.
We are planning another amazing year of impactful ministry at First Church. Have you found your place in one of these ministries? Does your giving come from a joyful heart resulting from a growing faith?
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Compassionate Care In You I am Well Pleased What if our health or mobility is failing? What if our relationships are strained or our loved ones have died? What if our possessions are stripped away or we discover that they are meaningless? Is there anything—is there one thing—that can carry us through? As a chaplain at First Church (as well as Spectrum Health and GIFT), I often engage in heart-to-heart conversations with people who are asking such questions. Perhaps right now your life is full of joy because of meaningful work, school, or activities with family and friends. Good! Enjoy these gifts, and give thanks. A time comes in everyone’s life, however, when we find that our losses lead us to ask some profound questions about life. So what is the one thing we need to know when all else fades or fails? We can find it in the story of the baptism of Jesus, which is one of the lectionary passages every year on the Sunday after Epiphany (an ancient Christian holiday celebrated on January 6). Appropriately, this year we also renewed our baptism vows in church on this particular Sunday, January 10. The late Henri Nouwen, a Catholic priest who was one of the greatest
spiritual writers of the 20th Century, reflected on Jesus’ baptism in his book Life of the Beloved. He focused on the words from God the Father at the baptism of Jesus, “You are my beloved son. In you I am well pleased.” Nouwen believed that God says those words to us, too. Not in exactly the same way since we are not (as Christ is) fully human and fully divine. However, the Bible teaches us that we are beloved children of God and that God delights in us. As followers of Jesus our faith journey (like that of Jesus) is rooted in our baptism and in those affirming words of God the Father to Jesus. Imagine going through life with these words from God resonating deep in your heart: “You are my child, and I love you. In you I am well pleased.” Or as the CEB version says, “In you I find happiness.” How do you respond when you reflect on this? I find myself thinking of John Wesley’s description of his own spiritual renewal, that his heart “was strangely warmed.” When we go through life with the deep assurance that the Creator of the universe loves us and is pleased with us, we can face life with joy, peace, and confidence. We can treat others with courageous love. We can face loss and suffering with hope.
A time comes in everyone’s life, however, when we find that our losses lead us to ask some profound questions about life.
Sometimes, however, we forget who we are and whose we are. So we need to be reminded.
Since I joined the church staff in September, I have enjoyed meeting many of our members in hospitals, nursing homes, senior living centers, homes, or church. I see my role as simple: to remind those I meet of God’s words to us in our baptism, “You are my beloved child. In you I am well pleased.” I don’t necessarily say these precise words; there are lots of ways to communicate God’s love. But that message undergirds all of my pastoral care. The church’s baptism font is at the front of the sanctuary to remind us of our baptism.
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See the baptism-themed stained glass windows in the church’s chapel.
I think that’s a good way to see all of our congregational care here at First Church—whether formal or informal. We remind each other about who we are as God’s beloved children. It’s a role we can all play, isn’t it? Rev. Jim Lucas Chaplain
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February 1, 11:00 am Retiree Bible Study 6:30 pm Stephen Ministry February 2, 10:00 am Pastoral Care February 3, 6:00 pm Young Adult Group: Bible Study at The Cottage Bar February 4, 10:00 am Moms’ Group Coffee and Playing at Rivertown Mall 6:00 pm Jubilation Ringers 7:15 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal February 5 and 6, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Celebration Art Intake 7:00 pm Confirmation Field Trip February 7 Communion and Blood Pressure Sunday 8:00 am Infant and Toddler Nurseries Open 8:15 and 10:45 am Sunday Worship 8:30 am Children’s Chapel (dismissed from worship) 9:15 am Church School for all ages 10:45 am Children & Worship and Shine (dismissed from worship) February 7 - 12, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm Art pick-up of non-selected art February 8, 11:00 am Retiree Bible Study February 9, 10:00 am Pastoral Care 12:00 pm JFON Advisory Board 5:30 pm Finance 5:30 pm Staff Parish Relations February 10, 3:30 pm MLK Board 6:00 pm Young Adult Group: Dinner in Vine 7:00 pm Ash Wednesday/Refresh Service February 11, 9:00 am Fixin’ ‘n’ Fellowship 5:00 pm Trustees 6:00 pm Jubilation Ringers 7:15 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal February 12, 5:30 pm Moms’ Group Brinner, Crafts, and Games 7:00 pm Celebration Artists’ Reception February 13, 10:00 am-6:00 pm Celebration of the Arts Gallery February 14, 10:00 am-6:00 pm Celebration of the Arts Gallery 8:00 am Infant and Toddler Nurseries Open 8:15 and 10:45 am Sunday Worship 8:30 am Children’s Chapel (dismissed from worship) 9:15 am Church School for all ages 9:15 am Gallery Walk 10:45 am Children & Worship and Shine (dismissed from worship) 12:00 pm Kids’ Club, Jr & Sr High Youth 1:45 pm Gallery Walk 3:00 pm Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra Concert with Edye Evans-Hyde February 15, 10:00 am-6:00 pm Celebration of the Arts Gallery
Mark your calendars 11:00 am Retiree Bible Study 6:30 pm Stephen Ministry 7:00 pm Leadership Council February 16, 10:00 am-6:00 pm Celebration of the Arts Gallery 10:00 am Pastoral Care February 17, 10:00 am-6:00 pm Celebration of the Arts Gallery 9:00 am Caring Connection 12:00 pm Gallery Walk 6:00 pm Young Adult Group: Sandwiches and Lent Study February 18, 10:00 am-6:00 pm Celebration of the Arts Gallery 10:00 am Moms’ Group Invade the Children’s Museum 6:00 pm Jubilation Ringers 7:15 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal February 19, 10:00 am-6:00 pm Celebration of the Arts Gallery February 20, 10:00 am-6:00 pm Celebration of the Arts Gallery February 21, 10:00 am-6:00 pm Celebration of the Arts Gallery February 21, 8:00 am Infant and Toddler Nurseries Open 8:15 and 10:45 am Sunday Worship 8:30 am Children’s Chapel (dismissed from worship) 9:15 am Church School for all ages 10:45 am Children & Worship and Shine (dismissed from worship) 3:00 pm Beaumont Brass Quintet Concert 5:00 pm Kids’ Club, Jr & Sr High Youth February 22, 10:00 am-6:00 pm Celebration of the Arts Gallery 11:00 am Retiree Bible Study February 23, 10:00 am-6:00 pm Celebration of the Arts Gallery 10:00 am Pastoral Care 5:30 pm Moms’ Group Service Project Exploration: YWCA Women’s Shelter February 24, 2:00 pm Off the Wall Party 6:00 pm Young Adult Group: Kids’ Food Basket February 25, 9:00 am Fixin’ ‘n’ Fellowship 6:00 pm Jubilation Ringers 7:15 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal February 26, 7:00 am Men’s Lenten Breakfast February 27 JFON Clinic February 28, 8:00 am Infant and Toddler Nurseries Open 8:15 and 10:45 am Sunday Worship 8:30 am Children’s Chapel (dismissed from worship) 9:15 am Church School for all ages 10:45 am Children & Worship and Shine (dismissed from worship) 5:00 pm Kids’ Club, Jr & Sr High Youth February 29, 11:00 am Retiree Bible Study
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PERMIT #354 GRAND RAPIDS, MI
First United Methodist Church 227 Fulton St E Grand Rapids, MI 49503-3236 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Ash Wednesday Service Wednesday, February 10 at 7 pm in the sanctuary
Celebration of the Arts
One of the largest in the country!
artOpen exhibit hours: to the public
February 13 - 23 daily 10:00 am - 6:00 pm February 24 - 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Celebration of the Arts — Gallery Walk-Through • Sunday, February 14 from 9:15-10:15 am and 1:45-2:45 pm and Wednesday, February 17 from 12:00 - 1:00 pm Adults are invited to experience the show through the special insight of Nancy Clouse, artist and retired faculty member from Grand Rapids Community College. “A Celebration of Jazz” — Concert by Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra with vocalist, Edye Evans Hyde • Sunday, February 14 – 3:00 pm The Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra is West Michigan’s premiere Big Band jazz ensemble. They have recently been featured with top jazz solo artists, Phil Woods and Randy Brecker. For this concert they will join with jazz vocalist, Edye Evans Hyde. For more information on the Jazz Orchestra, see www.grjo. com. Free will offering. “A Celebration of Brass” — Beaumont Brass Concert • Sunday February 21 – 3:00pm The Beaumont Brass is a brass quintet whose members include faculty members and graduate students in the MSU College of Music. The Beaumont Brass has performed throughout Michigan, the Midwest, and has also appeared with the Empire Brass and the Canadian Brass. Free will offering. Please help us spread the word about this great event! For more information visit www.theCelebrationoftheArts.com firstchurch@grandrapidsfumc.org
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