Rise Up with Jesus: Easter Event On Saturday, April 20 at 4:30pm, join us for the Kid’s Easter Adventure where families enjoy
discovery activities, an egg hunt and a potluck supper. Hand-inhand, families will journey through captivating stations that drive home one irresistible truth: Jesus is alive today! Bring a dish to share that would serve 6-8 people and 12 filledplastic eggs for each child who will be hunting. In the spirit of recycling, there are some empty eggs available in the office (sets of 12) which you are welcome to use. For questions or to RSVP, contact Director Colleen Bajema by clicking on her name or call her on the cell 616-834-8478.
Holy Thursday Worship There will be special Holy Thursday Worship in remembrance of the Last Supper of Christ, on April 18 at 7pm in the FUMC Sanctuary.
First Focus A Newsletter of First United Methodist Church of Holland Michigan
April 2019
Easter Sunday Worship Come and celebrate the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday, April 21st at 8:30am for the Traditional Service or 10:45am for the Contemporary Service. The “Hallelujah Chorus” will be sung at both services. Don’t miss this opportunity to invite your family or friends, too.
Join us for the service which will include singing, scripture, communion, and prayers.
Men’s Helping Hand Ministry Galatians 6:2 reads, “You obey the law of Christ when you offer each other a helping hand.” From time to time, each of us could use a “helping hand” around the house, such as a small construction project, repairs, painting, or a clean-up job. Carpenters for Christ is a small group of FUMC men who want to use their skills and interests in construction and home maintenance to provide help to others. So if you have a need at home, if you know of someone that would like our help, or if you would like to be a serving member of Carpenters for Christ, please reach out to us by contacting Steve Steggerda at steggs76@gmail.com or 616-510-0477. Don’t hesitate to call: Our Fee is Free, Our Compassion is Christian!
Inside this Issue: Youth / Camp / Offering
2
UMW /Birthdays/ Seniors
3
Children / Vacation Bible
4
Reconcile /Circles/Groups
5
Crop Walk/ Good Bye
6
Choir / Book / Taize
7
The Last Word
8
Our Vision: To be a grace-filled community aflame with God’s love for the world.
Page 2
Youth Group Here’s the Youth Schedule for April:
April 7: No Youth Group! Enjoy your last day of Spring Break!
Sunday, April 14: Youth Group, 5:30-7:45pm, both groups. After dinner we are heading out for a service project with people experiencing homelessness. We may be a little late returning to the church. Stay tuned for more details.
Sunday, April 21: Jesus is risen indeed! Happy Easter! No youth group or youth classes.
Sunday, April 28: Youth Group, 5:30-7:30pm, both groups. Looking Ahead: Sunday, May 5: Taste of Tulip Time returns! Both groups, 5:307:30pm. Come with money ($10-$15) to walk around and eat snacks/junk food from our various food vendors. No dinner will be served, so plan accordingly and bring enough cash for something dinner-worthy. Dress for the weather! Tip: bring a water bottle and you won’t have to pay for a drink.
For questions, contact LuAnne Stanley-Hook by clicking on her name.
Bread Pan Mission Offering April’s Bread Pan Offering for Missions goes to support the mission/service trip to Lake Louise Camp. This trip will provide needed repairs for the camp so that they can be ready for this summer’s camping season. You can also join this volunteer work week at Lake Louise, which runs Sunday, April 27 – Thursday, May 2. No special skills are needed, and all supplies are provided by management for each job—just bring your personal effects, a good attitude, and a smile because housing, room and board are provided. This mission is tied to our church since our children and youth regularly camp there and several adults have served there. Thank you for your donations and time to make this camp a better place for our congregation and others! For more information, contact Gene Wong at 616-510-9335 or Liz Carr at 317-847-3661.
April 2019
$10 for 10 Update A huge thank you to all who supported our very-successful $10-for-10 drive, which raised over $13,000 for children and youth church camp scholarships and mission trip support! God’s moving upon hearts and the support of our church family is amazing! As camp and mission trip season approaches, we appreciate your prayers for the safety and blessed experiences of our campers and mission trip teams. To all the church camp families, don’t forget to notify the church office when you sign up for camp, so that we can give you your scholarships!
Sign Up for Church Camp Sign your child or youth up for camp this summer before they fill up! Camps are available for all ages, including parent or grandparent and child camps. Michigan has great camps to offer: Four United Methodistowned camps and one United Methodist-related camp. Information is available at https://umcamping.org/ and https:// www.lakelouisecommunity.org /camps.html or contact LuAnne if you have further questions.
First Focus
Page 3
United Methodist Women The April Calendar Events are: 4
Executive Board Meeting, 6:30pm, Lounge
10 Hope Circle, 12pm, Lounge 11 Joy Circle, 1pm, Lounge Faith Circle, 7pm, Lounge 18 Maundy Thursday Breakfast, 9:30am, Fellowship Hall. Program to follow in the Sanctuary. 19 Good Friday 21 Happy Easter !!! 25 Executive Board Meeting, 6:30pm in M102, Lounge Service Circle is Hope
Meals in Time of Need is Joy
Just around the corner is Tulip Time, May 4th – 11th. We will be serving Lunch and Dinner at the Church for busloads of guests. Many volunteers will be needed. To help with dishwashing, cleanup, or preparing food in the kitchen, call Sally Garrett at 616-403-5431. To help in the Dining room, call Marsha Burnham at 616-834-6617. The money we earn is used to support missions within the Church, local social service missions, national groups and UMW programs serving families in more than 100 countries.
Seniors on the Go On April 25th, Seniors on the Go are off to the Kalamazoo Air Museum in Portage, Michigan. The bus only seats 13 Seniors, so the first 13 people to sign up can go! The cost will be $11 cash per person for the ride, admission, and bus expenses. In addition, bring around $10 for the lunch in their cafe. They have a nice selection of menu items from soup, sandwiches, salads, and hot food. We will leave from the church at 10:30am and return by 3:30 or 4pm (it takes a little over an hour to get there). We will begin eating around 11:30am. A docent will give us a tour from about 12:30 to 1:30 and then we are on our own. Walking is involved. To reserve a spot on the bus, call Mary De Ridder at 399-2161 or email her at deriddermd@juno.com.
Anniversaries & Birthdays Celebrating 50+ years of marriage: 5th Glenn & Shirley Schrotenboer, 466 Beeline, Holland, MI 49424 14th Ronald & Judith Rhoades, 4406 Grand Point, Holland, MI 49424 19th Bill & Joy Rankin, Sunrise Condos, 4141 S. Atlantic Ave, Apt 307, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169 20th Paul & Merilyn Klomparens, 800 Clarewood Ct, Holland, MI 49423 29th Gordon & Carolyn Hulst, 121 Sorrento Dr, Holland, MI 49423 Celebrating 85+ years: 3rd Harwell Dunning, 319 Winter Oak E, Holland, MI 49424 7th Dianne Munt, 145 Columbia Ave, #102, Holland, MI 49423 14th Evelyn Shriver, 1131 Harvard Dr, Holland, MI 49423 17th Bertie Dykema, 420 Ida Red Pkwy, Holland, MI 20th Gordon Hulst, 121 Sorrento Dr, Holland, MI 49423 26th Miriam Snyder, 145 Columbia Ave, #204, Holland, MI 49423
Page 4
April 2019
Children’s Ministry Sunday School classes are each Sunday at 9:40am and Children’s Time classes are at 11am. Check-ins are by entrance C. Kids will need to be checked in and picked up by an adult parent/guardian. Children can remain with us if they are also attending Children’s Worship. Questions? Contact Director Colleen Bajema by clicking on her name or call her on the cell 616-834-8478.
Roar Vacation Bible School Join us this summer at FUMC’s ROAR Vacation Bible School, where kids discover that God is good, even when life gets wild!
First through Fifth Grade Here is this month’s theme: “Bright Side: find the LIGHT in the DARK.” The Life Application is Hope, that is, believing that something good can come out of something bad.
world.” John 16:33b, NIrV
The memory verse this month is: “In this world you will have trouble. But be encouraged! I have won the battle over the
Here are the weekly themes: Mar. 3: Art in Me (Image of God) • Genesis 1:26-28.
Mar. 10: Between You and Me (The Lost Sheep) • Luke 15:1 -7.
Mar. 17: Dare You to Move (Timothy) • 1 Timothy 4:12 (supporting: Acts 14–17; 1 Timothy 4:14; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 16:10).
Mar. 24: Faith My Eyes (Samuel and David) • 1 Samuel 16:7.
Mar. 31: Basic Instructions (The Greatest Commandment) • Matthew 22:34-40.
Infants through Kindergarten April’s theme is “Pack a Picnic” and the following points will be reinforced each week. Memory Verse: “A friend loves at all times.” Proverbs 17:17, NIrV Basic Truth: Jesus is my friend forever. Here are the weekly stories: Apr. 7 Washing Feet • John 13:3-17
Apr. 14 Palm Sunday • Matthew 21-16
Apr. 21 Easter • Matthew 26:20-30; 27:45-50; 28:1-7
Apr. 28 Breakfast with Jesus • John 21:1-14
Children will participate in Bible-learning activities, sing catchy songs, play games, experience wild Bible Adventures, and test out sciency-fun gizmos. In the afternoons, we'll go on interesting field trips to look for evidence that God is all around us. Our VBS will run during our Serving Our Neighbors event July 25-27 from 9am 4pm. Register on the church website, on Facebook, or at this link: https:// vbspro.events/p/events
Last Word cont. . . beating, a cross and a tomb— Jesus thinks first about the other. Of all the reasons we proclaim Jesus as Messiah, it’s his capacity to do this—think of others at that moment— and in every moment, is no less important than all the rest.
First Focus
Reconciling Ministries With the passing of a welcoming statement and First UMC becoming part of the Reconciling Ministries Network, the Welcoming Task Force’s work is not over yet. In many ways, it is just beginning! Since we said we are inclusive, now it’s time to joyfully and openly live into being fully inclusive. Our team is currently exploring areas of growth and opportunity within our church and looking at ways to make positive adjustments that will make First UMC even more welcoming, opening, and affirming for all people. As we enter this new implementation phase, we welcome those who feel called to join us in our efforts. If you are interested in serving on the Welcoming Task Force, please contact Tania Dozeman at tania@fumcholland.org.
Partners in Ministry Our next Partners in Ministry small group (formerly membership class) will be starting in May and meets on the 5th, 12th, and 19th during the Learning Hour from 9:40-10:30am. We welcome all new folks that are curious about what it means to take the next step in our faith community! For those new folks who would like to get to know the staff while munching on light snacks, the next Meet the Team event will be from 12-1pm on May 19.
Page 5
Circles Graduation Celebration Circles Ottawa County is a program sponsored by Good Samaritan Ministries that brings families of diverse incomes together in an effort to help low-income families achieve their financial goals. Circles will begin meeting on Thursday evenings at FUMC this April and will include programming for adults, children, and youth. The FUMC congregation is encouraged to engage with this ministry. A first step might be to attend a ceremony celebrating the milestones and achievements of the most recent Circles participants on April 11th at 6pm in the Sanctuary. Refreshments will be provided. Look for more information on how you can engage in the Circles Program in the coming months.
May Adult Small Groups This year we tried the exciting, short, three week term called January Freeze… Well, here is another short commitment opportunity for you – May Term! Just the first three weeks of May, so you have the holiday weekend free.
We are delighted that Karlene Stack and Cindy Helder have volunteered to lead the efforts in creating a new church directory.
Groups are being put together now. So if you have an idea for a short-focused small group, either fun or more serious in nature, let Heidi know. Be watching for a listing of groups and an opportunity to register soon!
This new pictorial directory will be accessible as a book and also online (password protected). Stay tuned for opportunities to sign up to have your picture taken at the end of the summer!
Are you interested in discovering what it looks like to be in ministry with us here at First? Our aptly named Partners in Ministry group will meet during this short May term.
New Church Directory
Page 6
April 2019
Crop Hunger Walk
Goodbye
CROP Hunger Walks are community fundraising events sponsored by the Church World Service (CWS). The money raised is used to provide food, medical care, disaster relief, and self-help development for needy people here and around the world. Last year this local walk raised $90,395 with over 325 participants. Locally, 25% that is raised go to these hunger fighting agencies: Buen Pastor Migrant Day Care, Christian Neighbors, Community Action House, Evergreen Commons Adult Meal Program, Harvest Stand Ministries, Holland Rescue Mission, Kids Food Basket, and the Salvation Army.
Jeff and I moved to Holland in the summer of 1996 when I was pregnant with twins and have happily been here ever since. This place has helped me raise two babies into amazing young men, and has nurtured my faith ever onward and deeper.
Sign-ups for the walk begin on Sunday, March 24th after both services. There will be a table in the Lounge with all the needed information, or you can go to www.crophungerwalk.org/ hollandmi to sign up online. You do not have to keep track of who gave you money. Return your envelope to Mary De Ridder or the office. New this year: Youth challenge: If three or more youth ages 18 to 21 raise $599, a local donor will offer an additional $250 for the Walk. This can be done online or with a packet. This challenge is called Veggies, Eggs, and a Side of Hope. Dates of the walk are Saturday, April 27th starting at Holland Christian High School or Sunday, April 28th starting at Beechwood Reformed Church. For questions, contact Mary De Ridder at deriddermd@juno.com or call 616-399-2161.
Reception for New Citizens To welcome two groups of people who will become naturalized citizens of the USA and their families, Holland’s Herrick Library is hosting a reception on Friday, April 19th. The library needs cookies, a total of 50 dozen, to be exact. We have committed to providing the reception cookies. Will you make your specialty cookie or would you be willing to buy a few dozen? Please contact Ann Weller at 396-2201 or at editann@aol.com and tell her how many cookies you can donate. Cookies should be brought to the FUMC kitchen on Maundy Thursday, April 18. A crew will pack them up and get them to the library early Friday morning. Our church has reached out to welcome immigrants and refugees for the past 10 years. Providing cookies for new citizens is a small new way for us to carry on that tradition!
Over time, I have served in many roles here at First, the most recent and long-standing role is the Adult Discipleship Ministry Director for 14 years. But I have psoriatic arthritis, and find this chronic condition limiting me for most of the year in this northern climate. It is with mixed emotions that I begin saying good-bye to First UMC. Jeff and I recently decided we will move to the warm, dry southwest desert in Nevada this summer. We are both excited for the new possibilities this offers, yet sad to say good-bye to a home, co -workers, dear friends, and church that have seen us grow from new parents to middleaged empty nesters. I will continue in my current position until the end of April; however, Jeff and I will still be present as members here through the month of June. I am so excited for all that is in store for this congregation as I watch the many ways that God is moving among you. And as God continues to brood over the water of creation here at First UMC, I expect to continue to hear good things of you and this place. Heidi Lynn DeMoss, MCE
First Focus
Page 7
Easter Choir
Slow Me Down
Calling all singers! If you are unable to make a full-time commitment to the choir, we would welcome you to sing with us on Easter.
“Slow me down, O Lord slow me down Help my heart to hear your sound”
We traditionally close the service with the Hallelujah Chorus, and would love to have you join us. Please attend the rehearsals on Wednesday evenings, April 11 and 18th at 6:30pm in the choir room (lower level, last room on the left). For questions, contact Julia Colingsworth by clicking on her name.
April Book Club For April, we will be discussing “The Charm Bracelet” by Viola Shipman. Through an heirloom charm bracelet, three women will discover the importance of family and a passion for living as each charm changes their lives. Read the book and join us Monday, April 8, 6:30pm in the Lounge/M102.
Cardboard Recycling Here at First United Methodist, we recycle cardboard boxes twice a month, when Republic Services empties our blue metal bin labeled “CARDBOARD ONLY” and they take it to a Padnos recycling center in Grandville. At that location, they compact and bale all of the cardboard they collect into 1,000 pound bales. The bales are then taken to paper mills in Otsego, Kalamazoo, or Battle Creek where the cardboard is prepared for re-making new cardboard. Our bin is out back near the loading-area (next to the kid’s playground). The boxes have to be flattened before putting them in the bin, so there will be enough room for 2 weeks’ worth of cardboard.
The words of Robbie Seay may have been reverberating through your mind these last few weeks as we have been thinking about Living Intentionally in our worship series. During this series you may notice the music in our worship is a little more meditative. We’re featuring the music from the Taizé community in France. This community is an ecumenical monastic order dedicated to peace and justice through prayer and meditation. It was founded in 1940 by Roger Louis SchutzMarsauche (known as ‘Brother Roger’) who composed many of the songs used in Taizé worship. Today, Taizé is one of the world’s most important sites of Christian pilgrimage. Each year, tens of thousands of young pilgrims flock to the small village of Taizé in central France to share in the community's way of life. Prayer and silence are at the heart of the Taizé experience. People from every corner of the globe are encouraged to live out the Christian gospel in a spirit of joy, simplicity and reconciliation as they come together in the community. The singing of distinctive and muchrepeated prayer chants are a hallmark of Taizé worship. Taizé music highlights simple phrases, usually lines from the Psalms or other pieces of scripture repeated many times. The simple repetition is designed to help in meditation and prayer. Singing these simple choruses many times helps to immerse ourselves in prayer and worship as we allow the music to carry us to a more intimate relationship with God.
Have you remembered the First United Methodist Church of Holland in your will?
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Holland, MI Permit No. 445
First United Methodist Church 57 W. 10th St. Holland MI 49423 Return Service Requested
Reverend Brad Bartelmay Phone: 616-396-5205, ext. 105 or 269-266-2221 April Worship Series: “Slow Down” and “What am I Hungry For?
Upcoming communion date: June 9th
Visit us online at www.fumcholland.org
The Last Word Sometimes it’s the little things.
The deadline for submissions to First Focus is Thursday, April 18th. Please email articles to erin@ fumcholland.org
There’s a story about Jesus. In Mark’s gospel, it’s the last story before the entry into Jerusalem. Jesus is leaving Jericho and a blind man sitting by the road cries out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Again and again he calls, even though the crowd tries to quiet him. I bet you’re familiar with the story; maybe have even heard someone preach on it. “Cry out for Jesus and you will receive mercy. Cry out to Jesus and you will be healed.” I think I’ve preached that message myself. This time let’s take the focus off of us, and put it on Jesus. Oh to be sure the blind man is healed, and Jesus even makes a point about how it’s the blind man’s faith that gets the job done. But before the healing, Jesus says something and it stops me in my tracks: “What do you want me to do for you?” And there it is—heading into the final week—a week which culminates in a heart wrenching meal, agonizing prayers in a garden, arrest, trial before a kangaroo court, a torturous
This article continues on page 4