Please read ALL OF THE ANNOUNCEMENTS!
SPRC Fellowship Gathering This Sunday After Church at Nido’s Backyard!
Staff Parish Relations Committee had a fruitful year in 2022. They are celebrating their work together after church at Nido’s Backyard. We praise God for their faithful work among us. If you have any questions, please contact Juliet or Pastor Sunae.
Godly Play Sunday School Now Meeting In-Person!
As it was announced, Godly Play Sunday school meets in person from this Sunday. Please let pastor Sunae know if your child can’t come to in-person Sunday school and would like to attend via Zoom by Saturday morning and we will make that possible.
End-of-Year Contribution Statements
End-of-year contributions have gone out by snail mail or email. Please look them over carefully and communicate as soon as possible with Kathleen Bell if there are any adjustments, any time up until February 23 when she leaves for an extended trip. Please make a copy of the email (it notes that it is from Patty Staggs); keep that copy in a safe place until you are ready to do your 2022 tax return. The same holds true for mailed copies.
Hope Through Darkness: Art Exhibit
We would like to put out a call for submissions for our 2023 art exhibit: Hope Through Darkness
Please create an art piece for our exhibit and reception – it can be 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional visual art, a written piece, or any variety of performance art.
The exhibit and reception will be in the Edwards Room.
Here are some questions you may want to reflect on while creating:
What has given you hope during the pandemic?
How do you cope with adversity?
What gives you hope?
What is darkness to you?
Is darkness bad?
Submissions are due by February 24, 2023 and a reception will be held on Sunday, March 5. Please email vivianjromero@gmail.com with any questions.
Krishnan Dean Family Meal Train
Deepak and Becky welcomed baby Kiara Isabelle into the big wide world on 11/29/2022!
You are invited to give a little love to Deepak and Becky as they transition into parenthood!
Sign up here to help.
Meal Train for Judi and Wayne
Judi continues her treatment and we are adding more dates to the Meal Train to support them. We continue to keep their household in our thoughts and prayers. We love you, Judi and Wayne. Sign up here to help.
Want to be a part of the Audio/Visual team? Sign Up Today!
Please email Randi Hoy at the office office@lakemerrittumc.org to sign up and learn to operate the live stream program and PowerPoint.
LMUMC Choirs Information
To join the voice choir, contact the Music Director,
Jim Meredith jimmeredith@mac.com
To join the handbell choir, contact the Handbell Director,
Margaret LeWright margaretlewright@gmail.com
January 22, 2023
The term, “doulos” in Greek is translated, as “slave,” and it appears in the New Testament 118 times. The Gospel of Matthew alone contains thirty references. These slaves in Matthew are forced to obey their masters (Matthew 8:9) and are fully subordinate to their masters (Matthew 10:24). Just reading the Gospel gives us a sense of how normative, and how horrific, slavery in the first century was. (The Difficult Words of Jesus, Amy Jill Levine, p. 62)
Today’s verse, Jesus says, “you have to be a slave,” what does that mean to people who have a legacy of slavery? What does that mean to people who themselves were enslaved because slavery continues to this day? Is this verse we can accept, “Be a slave to all”, or is this a verse we rebel against and says “no”? So we must wrestle with this Jesus’ difficult words this week.
Come and join us as we continue to talk about the discipleship of Jesus Christ.
Please read ALL OF THE ANNOUNCEMENTS!
Children’s Sunday School
Children with their families come to Sunday worship for the Children’s time at the beginning of worship. From there, they are escorted to the Sunday School classroom for a preschool program and elementary school students for Godly Play.
The preschool Sunday program centers around reading books and stories from bible, hands on activities and social interactions with their peers and we are passionate about teaching our young children that they are loved by God and their church family. For the elementary school students, their program is centered around Godly Play. Godly Play Sunday school is led by trained adult volunteers, the program includes an exploration of bible stories, play and craft time, and child-centric prayer and communion time.
During the pandemic, we give thanks to Susannah Wood who faithfully gathered our children for the Godly Play every Sunday via Zoom. We have been meeting both via in person and Zoom and we are make a shift to in-person Sunday school because it is very much challenging for a teacher to teach both in person and also engage the students via Zoom.
Having said that, if your child can’t join us in person due to illness or travel and would like to come to Godly Play Sunday school virtually, let Pastor Sunae know by Saturday morning, then she will send a zoom link to both the teacher and your family.
We give God thanks for our teachers journeying with our children’s faith journey and in becoming a vital part of our church. We plan to gather all children and their family for a fellowship and also to hear feedback in our children and youth program soon.
Jesus said, “Let the children come to me.” All children are welcome and we bless them as Jesus did.
Please Help Oakland Students and Families Displaced by Flooding
The storms and flooding last week have displaced hundreds of residents, including 40 families who have students in Oakland public schools.
These families can’t yet return home. Many have lost their most essential possessions including clothing, vehicles, and their children’s schoolbooks and toys. They need a safe place to stay, food, and other support.
The Oakland Public Education Fund is providing emergency support for these families through the Oakland Schools Emergency Fund—and we need your help.
We created the Oakland Schools Emergency Fund to ensure resources are immediately ready when emergencies arise that impact Oakland public school families. In collaboration with school leaders, we provide cash assistance, food, health and safety supplies, and other resources as needed. And generous donors like you make this rapid response possible.
Please give to the Oakland Schools Emergency Fund today and help these families and others recover and start rebuilding their lives.
Pastor Sunae attending the Gathering of Orders
called by Bishop Sally Dyck at Pacific Grove, CA.
All pastors in California and Nevada Annual Conference will be attending the Gathering of Spiritual Leaders from January 24 to 26, 2023 at the Asilomar Conference Grounds. If you need pastoral care or need to talk to Pastor Sunae, please call the church office and leave a message with Randi, our Office Administrator, she will connect with Pastor Sunae.
Please pray for all the pastors for their travel and for spiritual renewal.
Hope Through Darkness: Art Exhibit
We would like to put out a call for submissions for our 2023 art exhibit: Hope Through Darkness
Please create an art piece for our exhibit and reception – it can be 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional visual art, a written piece, or any variety of performance art.
The exhibit and reception will be in the Edwards Room.
Here are some questions you may want to reflect on while creating:
What has given you hope during the pandemic?
How do you cope with adversity?
What gives you hope?
What is darkness to you?
Is darkness bad?
Submissions are due by February 28, 2023 and a reception is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, March 5. Please email vivianjromero@gmail.com with any questions.
Krishnan Dean Family Meal Train
Deepak and Becky welcomed baby Kiara Isabelle into the big wide world on 11/29/2022!
You are invited to give a little love to Deepak and Becky as they transition into parenthood!
Sign up here to help.
Meal Train for Judi and Wayne
Judi continues her treatment and we are adding more dates to the Meal Train to support them. We continue to keep their household in our thoughts and prayers. We love you, Judi and Wayne. Sign up here to help.
Want to be a part of the Audio/Visual team? Sign Up Today!
Please email Randi Hoy at the office office@lakemerrittumc.org to sign up and learn to operate the live stream program and PowerPoint.
LMUMC Choirs Information
To join the voice choir, contact the Music Director,
Jim Meredith jimmeredith@mac.com
To join the handbell choir, contact the Handbell Director,
Margaret LeWright margaretlewright@gmail.com
January 15, 2023
We are journeying with “The Difficult Words of Jesus”, a book authored by Amy-Jill Levine and our first difficult words we wrestled last Sunday was “Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and… then come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21)
It’s hard enough to be told to be generous and then we come to the gospel of Luke this Sunday and it says, “Whoever comes to me, and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-27)
Really, Jesus? In order for us to be your disciple, we have to hate – hate our father, hate our mother, hate our wife, and hate our children to follow you? What were you thinking?
These are difficult words of Jesus! Come and join us as we wrestle with Jesus’ difficult words.
Please read ALL OF THE ANNOUNCEMENTS!
Hope Through Darkness: Art Exhibit
We would like to put out a call for submissions for our 2023 art exhibit: Hope Through Darkness
Please create an art piece for our exhibit and reception – it can be 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional visual art, a written piece, or any variety of performance art.
The exhibit and reception will be in the Edwards Room.
Here are some questions you may want to reflect on while creating:
What has given you hope during the pandemic?
How do you cope with adversity?
What gives you hope?
What is darkness to you?
Is darkness bad?
Submissions are due by February 28, 2023 and a reception is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, March 5. Please email vivianjromero@gmail.com with any questions.
Krishnan Dean Family Meal Train
Deepak and Becky welcomed baby Kiara Isabelle into the big wide world on 11/29/2022!
You are invited to give a little love to Deepak and Becky as they transition into parenthood!
Sign up here to help.
Meal Train for Judi and Wayne
Judi continues her treatment and we are adding more dates to the Meal Train to support them. We continue to keep their household in our thoughts and prayers. We love you, Judi and Wayne. Sign up here to help.
Want to be a part of the Audio/Visual team? Sign Up Today!
Please email Randi Hoy at the office office@lakemerrittumc.org to sign up and learn to operate the live stream program and PowerPoint.
LMUMC Choirs Information
To join the voice choir, contact the Music Director,
Jim Meredith jimmeredith@mac.com
To join the handbell choir, contact the Handbell Director,
Margaret LeWright margaretlewright@gmail.com
