Wesley United Methodist Church April 2021 Newsletter What’s inside: A note from Pastor Zeke Holy Week Schedule Cub Scout Pack 19 News
From Pastor Zeke Page 1 From the Desk of Pastor Zeke Silence or Noise? “Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid” -Mark 16:8 “And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” -Mark 15:37-38 Easter is coming this Sunday! The biblical testament of Holy Week is simultaneously noisy and extraordinarily quiet and intimate. Interestingly enough, God is found in all those instances. The presence of God permeated the final week of Jesus. From his triumphant entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the final teachings offered to his disciples, his last meal, foot washing, prayer in the Garden, his arrest, his crucifixion on Calvary and in the empty tomb and beyond. God is present in all of it. I think this is important for us today because I believe God continues to be found in all reaches of life- both those which are still and quiet and those which are loud and busy. The story of Easter is, in part, that our story is still being written. What once looked like the bitter end became an act of salvation and hope and strength. Part of that hope and strength is that we serve a living God in which even death itself cannot keep down. We must remember that the presence of God is with us always. Life can feel lonely at times and can be so incredibly difficult. Often, in difficult seasons of life, we can feel abandoned and cut-off. Easter reminds us that God is with us even in times that seem completely hopeless. It is my prayer that we might draw on the strength and hope of life through faith in Christ. Let us celebrate the fact that “Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!” - Keep the Faith Strong, Zeke Wesley UMC Newsletter April 2021
From Bishop Mueller, Missions Page 2 Bishop Gary Mueller “Feed Your Soul” There are going to be times when people challenge you, life gets tough and you feel like you’re all alone. When this happens, you need to feed your soul by trusting God, following Jesus and asking the Holy Spirit to help you make decisions about what you need to do. In fact, the tougher things get, the more you need to care for your soul. And when life is at its absolute worst, that’s when the single most important thing you can do is to engage in soul work. It won’t magically solve every problem. But it will place you right in the middle of the Kingdom of God. And that’s the best place of all to be! Missions Our missions team met recently to discuss current and future projects for Wesley and we are excited for the work we are currently doing and what’s to come. Backpack Bags—Wesley, in collaboration with Cavanaugh is providing 45 weekend backpack bags to children at Carnall, Cavanaugh, and Beard Elementary schools each week. We will continue to provide bags until the end of the school year. Community Garden—The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance will be out at Carnall soon to begin working up the dirt in preparation for planting sweet potatoes in May. More information on planting plans to come. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the love, prayers, support, kind words, food and financial support from everyone at Wesley. The kids and I could not have made it through that difficult time without each of you. Each day is better because of your prayers. We are truly blessed with the absolute best church family. Many Blessings—Carrie, Landon and Jordan Wesley UMC Newsletter Farmers Market—After having to take a year off from farmer market pickup we will be resuming that project starting in late May or early June. More information and a sign-up sheet to come! We have other mission opportunities brewing, stay tuned! April 2021
Sunday School Page 3 Facility Information Continuing in April, Blanche West is leading a class on Dr. David Jeremiah’s book “Reset”, a call for refocus and recommitment to God in our lives. The group meets in the Fellowship Hall after Sunday morning service around 10:30. There is plenty of room to social distance, so anyone who wants to join the group can still attend through the month of April. On Sunday, May 2nd, Sunday School will restart with classes for all ages. New classes will be forming, so now would be a great time to reconnect with Wesley friends or meet new people. Please pray for this ministry in our church. Bring flowers from your yard or from the store on Easter Sunday to help us Flower the Cross. Wesley UMC Newsletter April 2021 Two new projects have been approved by the One Council. On Monday the day after Easter our installer will start removing the 32 year old tile in the East and South entries and carpet in the sanctuary foyer. Porcelain tile will be installed in the two entries and carpet squares in the foyer. After this project is finished our installer will redo the women's and men’s bathrooms by the office. New tile floors will be installed, new paint, new Formica on the vanities, new mirrors and new commodes in the women's bathroom. Both of these projects are totally funded by memorials.
1 Council News, Holy Week Schedule Page 4 1 Council NEWS At the March 4 meeting of 1 Council, there were 14 members present to continue pressing forward in 2021, as advised in Philippians 3:12-15. Pastor Zeke is using this scripture as a focus throughout this year, challenging us to set goals personally and as a church. The worship team announced plans for the days before Easter Sunday: Adults & children are meeting for in-person Sunday School immediately following 9:30 a.m. worship service. Presently all adults are meeting together in the Fellowship Hall, while the children are gathering in the children's area. Installation of new flooring in the foyer and restroom areas will begin on April 5. The monthly meeting date has been changed to the Third Thursday, 6:30 p.m. beginning April 15. Wesley UMC Newsletter April 2021
Cub Scout Pack 19 News Page 5 Greetings from Pack 19, On March 13th we held some exciting Pinewood Derby races in the Wesley Fellowship Hall. 22 Scouts participated in the racing action. Overall winners were First Place Grayson Alexander, Second Place Megan Kasper and Third Place Maggie Meeks. As always the scouts worked very hard on their cars and did a great job building them. This past weekend of the 27th & 28th was the Arkansas Gathering at Rogers Scout Reservation. Scouts from all over the district met to trade trinkets, build wooden mallets and stools, hike, fish and enjoy the beautiful spring weather. We always invite all school age children to visit our meetings and experience Scouting for themselves. Yours in Scouting’s Best, Justin Cates Wesley UMC Newsletter April 2021
Cadbury Crème Egg Brownies, Parmesan and Garlic Asparagus Cadbury Crème Egg Brownies Page 6 Ingredients: 1 box brownie mix Needed ingredients to make Brownie mix 8-12 mini Cadbury Crème Eggs Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 325°. Line baking pan with parchment paper. 2. Make brownie batter according to package instructions. Be careful not to over-mix. 3. Pour brownie batter into parchment lines baking pan. 4. Cut each Crème egg in half and press into the brownie batter. Use as many as you want up to 12. 5. Bake according to brownie box instructions. 6. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Lift out parchment paper and let fully Parmesan and Garlic Asparagus Ingredients: 1 lb asparagus spears, woody base removed 1 tsp olive oil 4 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp lemon juice 1/8 tsp salt Dash ground black pepper 1/4 c parmesan cheese Instructions: 1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add trimmed asparagus spears and boil for 2 minutes, just until the spears are bright green and float to the top. Remove spears and place on a paper towel. Pat dry. 2. In a large, non-stick skillet, heat the oil. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1 min. 3. Add asparagus and sauté over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. 4. Remove from heat and toss with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. 5. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving. Wesley UMC Newsletter April 2021
Wesley’s One Council Members Lay Leader/Lay Delegate: Carrie Miller Clyde Bates Amy Cates Gloria Cates Steve Christian Twana Collinson Suzanne Gibson Billy Higgins Patrice Hulsey George Jensen Donna Moreton Jackie Nichols Joanne Peterson Rick Schmitz Harley Strang Blanche West The Wesley UMC Newsletter goes out at the first of each month. If there is anything you would like submitted in the newsletter, please send the information to Carrie Miller (carrielynn12983@gmail.com) or the church office at Wesleyumcfs@yahoo.com. 2200 Phoenix Ave., Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-646-9702 Wesley UMC Newsletter April 2021
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