Wesley United Methodist Church 2200 Phoenix, Fort Smith, AR 72901 www.Wesleyumcfs.org April 2020 Newsletter
From Pastor Zeke Page 1 From the Desk of Pastor Zeke CoronaCare “I thank my God every time I mention you in my prayers” Philippians 1:3 Paul begins his letter to the church in Philippi with this verse. It reminds me how there are still active things we can be doing as a church even when we are not meeting in person. James 5:16b says the “prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective”. I believe this to be truth and power, especially for us in these tenuous days. The fact of the matter is, however, that we are in a time when our faith must put on skin, grow legs, and carry us. With anxieties high and our social distancing it is critical we retain community in whatever means possible. CoronaCare is what we need to be engaging in. Make a phone call a day and check on someone. Drop a letter in the mail. Touch base with someone each day- it will be good for them and good for you. Lastly, be thankful. No matter how bad things get and how isolated we may become, there are always things to be thankful for. I think part of being a person of faith is having an attitude of gratitude. We must seek out things for which we are thankful for and focus on them. I think, when we do this, our perspective is shifted and our lives are lived more fully. Stay safe in these crazy days. If you need anything at anytime, please call me (501.650.1293) and I will do whatever I can to help. Be sure to check on one another and care for one another- it is part of what it means to be the church. -Keep the Faith Strong, Zeke Wesley UMC Newsletter April 2020
UMW News, Cub Scouts, Worship Updates United Methodist Women FAITH · HOPE · LOVE IN ACTION There will be no Wesley UMW activities until further notice. God bless each of you and stay safe. While March began normal enough for Pack 19 with regular den activities it has experienced an unprecedented and abrupt halt like the rest of the country. Our scouters have been using this time to individually work on advancements, hike, fish and other outdoor activities. Once the health threat has subsided meetings will resume as usual. Scouts are working extra hard to prepare their Pinewood Derby cars and will also be selling Blue & Gold Meats soon. In these times remember the Scout Motto; Be Prepared. Yours in Scoutings Best, Justin P. Cates Worship & “Fellowship” Updates I received an update from our conference office recommending we cancel any in-person church gathering through the end of April. While this is the last thing I want to do, I believe it is the responsible thing to do. Therefore, we will not gather for worship through the end of April and then we will Wesley UMC Newsletter • We will continue to have live worship on the Wesley Facebook page (WesleyUMCFortSmith) — 9:30 every Sunday morning. If you are unable to join us then for worship, you will still be able to watch the service at a later time on the Facebook page. • Clyde Bates of Wesley UMC will teach a Sunday School online from the quarterly. If you are interested in this, email Clyde at —clydewilly@live.com • I will offer Bible Study on Facebook on Wednesdays at 6:00. We are striving to creatively be the church within our context and that has proven to be difficult but we are all trying to make the best of it. • Please continue to financially support our church. We need your support to be able to pay our regular monthly expenses. If you have any questions on how to do this, please call me 501.650.1293. • If you or someone you know needs anything, please call me and myself or another volunteer will help make it happen. We are here to help. Just ask. Pastor Zeke Page 2 reevaluate from there. April 2020
Music Ministry, Facility Information Page 3 Greetings!!! Dear Wesley UMC Family, I want to begin by saying that I hope you are all well and safe. I know that we are living in uncertain times; I woke up with a slight cough the other day and promptly spent the rest of the day stressing out. It went away after an hour or so, and I have felt fine since. However, that is the world in which we now live. Fortunately, we are a people of faith. Faith is not the absence of fear; it is the understanding that despite that fear, God is in control and taking action based upon that belief. But, faith does not, I believe, call us to "dare" God or challenge his provision for us. I have said many times in the last couple of weeks that God does give us faith, but he also gives us common sense; he expects us to use both. I want to encourage all of you to continue in your faith and to keep trusting that by doing our part to slow the spread of this disease, God is also working within us and alongside us. That being said, I am about to go stir crazy!!!! I want to say to my choir and bell choir members that I really miss you all. It has been very difficult to not see you each week--to laugh, joke, and sing together. However, I want each and every one of you to be safe so that we can come back together soon to make wonderful music. In the meantime, everyone please stay safe and healthy and keep the faith, knowing that we will all be together again soon. Yours in Christ, Shane Sanderson Facility Information The new heating and air conditioning unit that services the kitchen, One Win Sunday School class, and rest rooms is scheduled to be installed the last week of April. Thank you to Harley for facilitating this and working so hard to keep our facilities up and running. Wesley UMC Newsletter April 2020
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