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First United Methodist Church Casper | | |
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January 12, 2024 | 011/2024 | |
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Scripture: John 13:34
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
Genesis 3:22-24
And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
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From the desk of the Senior Pastor
Many of you know I grew up in Casper, and my formative years in the faith were here at First UMC. According to Thomas Wolf, you can never return home. I can see some truth in that, and I can also say from my recent experience serving as your minister that it’s so much better than I remember.
I’m truly grateful for your kind “welcome back” for me and my family. I’m also grateful for the wonderful opportunity to work with a fantastic staff and our Executive Pastor, Rev. Loren Boyce. The synergy of our efforts is breathing new life into our faith community.
The Advent, Christmas Eve, and Epiphany services were very well attended. So many wonderful people were involved (too many to possibly name from those in front of you to those behind the scenes as well), and again, I’m grateful, for we could not have done it without all the love and hard work.
Janet and Jeff Garner provided leadership, and our old friends, the Magi, stopped by for a visit. Please see the list of those who helped with Epiphany, and be sure to extend your thanks to them. And speaking of old friends, our choir is back and and singing well.
Our initiative to help the unhoused, Kind Grounds, began in November. We are helping people find housing, employment, healthcare, and sobriety. Your church is making a difference with the homeless in Casper. We are at the forefront of providing solutions to one of our communities’ biggest challenges. Invite your friends to join us on Monday, January 15, at 10:45 for our Martin Luther King Day observance and service project, putting together sanitation kits for the homeless.
I’m also grateful for our Sunday School teachers' work with our young folks. The program is expanding, and we could use more volunteers. Also, Bible Sunday is coming up on January 21. Please let the office know if you know of a third grader or youth who would like a Bible.
Your FUMC staff is working so that 2024 will be our best in recent memory. Your continued support and presence could make this our best year ever!
Peace and love,
Rev. Dan
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Special prayers this week for these struggling with addiction.
Continuing prayers also for Della Works and Rita Livingston who are recovering from falls.
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Thank you from our director!
I want to thank everyone for coming to or watching on youtube the most recent version of our Epiphany Communion Service. All of us were pleased with it and your presence is what made it so enjoyable for us (Crew, Cast, Musicians, Pastors) to have presented it to you. In the spirit of “striking while the iron is hot” if anyone is interested in participating next year in any capacity, please call and leave your name & phone number with Julie at the Church Office, 307.234.9385. She will get me your information and I promise I will be in touch.
Thank you again.
Janet Garner, Epiphany Director
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Editor's note on Advent and Epiphany
BIG thank you to all that made our holiday season a success!
My estimate is that some 2000 hours went into making what was seen on the chancel happen during Advent/Christmas/Epiphany. The paid staff and volunteer staff did a wonderful job at planning ahead and getting things accomplished so that there was no emergency in the end. Over 1800 people attended or watched online the 10 worship services.
I personally, want to thank the tech and media team, our facilities manager, our office staff, our choir director, our bells director, all of the musicians, the worship design team, our communications team, the decorations squad (Dave Korenke's team), Rev. Jessica Boyce, our sacraments team, our children's ministry team and I'm sure I have missed plenty of others.
In addition to the work of Janet Garner for Epiphany, I also want to recognize all the folks who planned, rehearsed and participated on Epiphany Sunday:
Ronna Boril, Jeff Garner, Dean Boril, Anne Marken, Christy Garner, Rylie Garner, Dana Deuel, Heather Malody, Delores Thornton, Arlon Miller, Kristoffer Peterson, Josie Garner, Gayle Walsh, Chuck Schmitt, Brenda Bosco, Abegail Kennedy, John Griffith, Hal Hutchinson, Jens Boril, Leah Malody, Rebecca Malody, Hannah Malody, Elle Griffith, Maci Peterson, Irma Bideau, Ruthie Mitich, Winne Scott, Becky Ford, Kelly Schweda, Holly & Henry Rodriguez, Rev. Jessica Boyce, Rev. Loren Boyce, Rev. Dan Odell.
We SO look forward to what 2024 brings and thankful for the ways that we are FUMC together.
Rev. Loren
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Behind the Scenes
There are so many people from the church that work behind the scenes. You may not see them do the work but you will see the results of their work. I want to give a special thanks to one of these groups, the Worship Decorating Team: LuAnn Allhusen, Kim Gay, Tami Opella, Margaret Tageant. Others that help this team occasionally are Jessica Boyce, Brenda Kennedy, Anne Marken, Marsha Nichols and the husbands of this team. Lester Lebsock helps on a regular basis with changing the banners and the curtains on the back wall.
What do we do you ask? This team provides themed visuals, for the Altar and surrounding areas, as coordinated with the Ministers when they have a sermon series. All activities within the church are scheduled through Julie in the office. Other activities handled by this team include: putting candles out for All Saints, putting the Lilies and flowers out for Easter, and placing the Poinsettias around the church for Christmas. We change the Altar, Pulpit and Lectern cloths, called Paraments, according to the Christian season. Thank you to these hidden gems in the church! If you would like to participate in this ministry – especially woodworking and/or building projects - please let the Ministers or Julie in the office know.
After experiencing the beautiful Christmas service and Epiphany there are clearly others working behind the scenes that are not acknowledged in this report to make this church an awesome place to worship! Thank you to all of you as well!
Blessings,
Teresa Lebsock
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News from Naomi
The Naomi Circle of UMW Women of Faith will meet Thursday, January 18, 9:30 in the Sonrise Room. Please join for a devotion, program, fellowship and refreshments. New attendees are always encouraged.
More info: Jane Sizemore -- 307.237.7707
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Do you have information to share to the weekly newsletter?
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Call Julie at the office 234-9385 or
- Stop by the church office during office hours or
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Email your information to our Office Administrator
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Hospitality
January 14 Finance
January 21 Endowment
January 28 Naomi Circle
Every Wednesday
11:00 AM One Hour Prayer: Chapel
12:00 PM Mindful Warrior: Parlor
3:30 PM Sister Gathering: Parlor
5:30 PM Choir Practice: Sanctuary
6:00 PM Men’s Group: Lion’s Den
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United Methodist Thrift Shop
(2111 East 12th Street, Casper, WY)
Happy New Year! We still need volunteers, please prayerfully consider donating a few hours of your time, our proceeds go to the Holy Cross Food Bank and Interfaith.
Please contact Winne Scott at 307.277.6499.
This is a fun and entertaining way to give back to the community.
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Looking Ahead for the Month of January | | |
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MLK Parade and Lunch
January 15, 2024
10:00
Martin Luther King Day for Community Day of Service & Equality on Jan. 15, 2024.
March starts at ART 321 at 10:00 a.m. and the program begins at 10:45 in the sanctuary.
A service project follows where we will create sanitary kits for homeless with lunch at 12:00 pm.
Join us afterwords for an art show at the NIC featuring African-American cowboys in Wyoming.
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Meetings
January 18th Meetings Open to ALL
Finance: 4:30 pm Asbury Conference Room
Trustees: 5:30 pm Asbury Conference Room
Board of Stewards: 7:00 pm Sunrise Room
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Adult Sunday School
Revelation book to start soon!
Each Sunday is a self contained session, no extensive preparation is needed. In preparation for the Revelation book, this Sunday the class will review Hamilton's chapter, "Making Sense of the Book of Revelation" from Making Sense of the Bible.
Faith Finders meets Sunday mornings at 8:45 AM in the Parlor (2nd floor). Books are available in class. For more information, contact Rosemary Bartle by text at 307.267.0535 or by email at rosemarybartle82609@gmail.com.
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Dick Roth Work Day
January 20, 2024 - 8:30 AM til 2:00 PM
Join us to brighten and shape things up around the church. Bring your gloves and painting equipment and your heart.
More info? Hal Hutchinson - 307.441.0183
(call or text)
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January Book Club
A Classic American Poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
January 20, 2024
9:00 Sunrise Room
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