February 2023
Pastor’s Notes
Lent will be observed from February 22 to April 8 this year. What is Lent anyway? It is a period of religious observance in the Christian liturgical calendar, marking the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the desert, enduring temptation by Satan.
February 22 we will have our traditional community Wednesday night supper followed by our Ash Wednesday service in the sanctuary at 6:30. Please plan to come. You are welcome to bring family and friends.
Many choose to “give up” something for the 40 days of Lent just as Jesus did. I have given up various things in various years. One year I gave up Dr. Pepper. That was very hard for me, as it should be. I was used to drinking one Dr. Pepper every single day. There were days I wanted a Dr. Pepper so badly.
Giving up something I did not care about would have been easy but would defeat the purpose. This is meant to show God that my relationship with him means more to me than the thing I am giving up. An alternative to “giving up” would be to “do for”. Here is an example: clean one closet or drawer each of the days and start boxing those things up to give to Open Door Ministries or an other form of giving.
There are many, many ideas and suggestions on the internet to help you.
A look down the road…We chose not to have a Maundy Thursday service this year as we will be going to Leon UMC for the Good Friday service April 7 at 6:00 p.m. Easter sunrise service April 9 will be announced based on projected “sunrise” but probably in the 7:00 a.m. range joining with the Christian church for worship and breakfast. We will follow up with our traditional 11:00 service that morning.
It is my hope that you will make this Lenten season a meaningful relationship between you and God. This is an opportunity to learn so much about the meaning of Christ’s final months and days on earth and how they affect each of us in our lives.
Love to you all,
Pastor Janet
Church News and Happenings
Missions and Ministry
We support our Great Plains Conference, as part of the larger church. Our commitment to the conference for 2023 is $5178. This is down by $1133 from last year. Along with leadership, there are many programs and grants that the conference supports.
Installation Service
Our new Bishop for the Great Plains Conference is David Wilson. His installation service will be held at 10:00 a.m. at the Countryside UMC Church in Topeka. He is the first native American to be elected to this position.
Pancake Supper
Our Groundhog Pancake Supper was a huge success with about 90 people in attendance. Dean’s famous homemade sausage was loved by all. We still have some extras if anyone is interested in purchasing it for $3.50/lb. Thanks to all the hard workers who worked tirelessly to get everyone served in a timely fashion. The donations and proceeds made the UMM about $800.
Basketball Dinner
We will be hosting the DHS Basketball teams following their practice on Thursday, February 16th at 5:30 p.m. Join them for Mexican dinner and a Bulldog roar.
Community Dinners
Thanks to all of you and your generous food donations and giving of your time to make the meals happen every Wednesday evening. They continue to be very well attended.
United Women in Faith
The United Women in Faith (UWF) have been sharing some information monthly about their programs. We had an information session led by Leola Little about the Deaconess Program and what all Deaconesses do in our church.
February Events
02-01 Groundhog Supper 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
02-04 UMW Meeting at 9:00 a.m.
02-07 Bible Study at 10 AM
02-08 Community Dinner 5:30 PM
02-08 Leadership Bd Mtg. 6:30 PM
02-11 Healthy Congregation Meeting 1:00 p.m.
02-14 Bible Study at 10 AM
02-15 Community Dinner 5:30 PM
02-16 Basketball Team Dinner 5:30 p.m.
02-21 Bible Study at 10:00 AM
02-22 Community Dinner 5:30 p.m
02-22 Ash Wednesday Service 6:30 p.m.
02-25 TEFAP 9:00-11:00 a.m.
02-27 Sr Center Monterey Dinner 5:00-7:00 p.m.
02-28 Bible Study at 10:00 AM
02-28 Card Players at 1:30 PM
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