April 2024 Newsletter

Fremont United Methodist Church



We seek to share the joy of God's love so that all might live with dignity and purpose.

"Peace Be With You"

Dear Fremont Family,

Easter Sunday was so wonderful! I am still basking in the beauty of the day. We could not have had such an amazing celebration of Jesus' resurrection without so many of you helping to create an experience of community. I won't be able to convey my gratitude to everyone, but I did want to say a special word of thanks to Louise Darling and the Worship Team who assisted me with all of the Holy Week services from the Footwashing, to the Easter Vigil, to the Easter Sunday flowers and backdrop. I also want to thank Kathy Elliott and the Congregational Life team for putting together an incredible Easter breakfast. The opportunity to gather around table and welcome family and friends into our fellowship was awesome. Finally, I need to thank our Confirmation Class who stuffed over 300 Easter eggs and hid them outside for the kids. Also, Brandie Skariah and Anne Shapland stepped in to lead the Egg Hunt while Pastor Ashley was away. And, that is just scratching the surface. The music was amazing, the joy was palpable in receiving new members, and your love for one another flowed. Thank you!

Now, we begin the Great 50 Days of Easter. The extraordinary reality of Jesus being raised to new life unfolds for the disciples over time. It begins with fear and shame as the disciples hide behind locked doors, and it ends with the disciples growing bold in the knowledge that God has done the impossible, defeated death and given us all new life. And the hallmark of that new life is peace.

The first words that the risen Jesus speaks are, "Peace be with you." That will be our theme for the Easter season. What does this greeting mean? What does peace look like? In a world of so much violence, how do we live that peace? So often we think of peace as the absence of conflict, when really peace is so much more. It is the presence of forgiveness, justice, well-being. I can't wait to explore the depth and breadth of God's beautiful invitation to live in peace. "Peace be with you!"

I will be away this coming Sunday, April 7, for a brief time of rest and renewal. Our guest preacher will be Forrest Nameniuk, a young Christian leader who is creating community around the art of storytelling. Please welcome him with hospitality and love.

Grace and peace,

Erin

The BeTween Class is An Amazing Place!

Every Sunday morning, kids ages 9 to 12 are dismissed by Pastor Erin from the main service to meet up for their own special time with seasoned teachers, diving in deeper to concepts of personal spirituality. We aim to make this a calm place where every question can be asked and we are curious together. We understand that each kid has their special places of interest and their own special thoughts, feelings, and even concerns, and we love the opportunity to come alongside them and seek out safety and confidence in faith and community. We hope your kids can join us - we have snacks, the kids do beading and other crafts while listening, and it is a place full of smiles and giggles. Email Pastor Ashley with any questions or special needs for this time - family@fremontumc.org.

New Members

Pastor Erin and Catechist, Charlie Collier, continue to lead a spiritual journey called, “Come to the Waters.” The weekly meeting time is a place of nurture, of connection, of renewed life. The process is designed for people who are new to Fremont, maybe even new to Methodism or Christianity, to learn more about the Jesus way (via John Wesley), and as a place where people are who are long established at Fremont might discover new life. Three of those participating chose to become members at Fremont, welcome to: Debbie Raby, Holly Livengood, and Courtney Odom. The "Come to the Waters" class will now move into the final phase where participants will identify their spiritual gifts to be used within our community.

Sending a Thank You to:

Yard Clean Up Crew: All who came to weed and trim so that we were able to look lovely for Easter morning.

Mark Cotton Service Crew: So many of us were happy to honor this wonderful man by volunteering at the service. Thank you to all who set up, prepared the reception, provided music and hosted those who came.

Check out the new Community Hub pages on our website.

Find the following three pages:

• Main Community Hub page with Alameda Neighborhood Activity Calendar.
• Building Partners page with information about what they offer in our building and their contact information,
• A community Events Page! Find more information about the events here on this page.

Pizza and Preparedness

Wednesday April 24, 6-8pm - Here at Fremont

Bring your family and join the ANA for free pizza and a presentation on emergency preparedness from the American Red Cross and local Neighborhood Emergency Team volunteers.

Come socialize and learn how to team up with neighbors so you’ll be ready when the next emergency arises! For kids, there will be concurrent, age-appropriate presentations for K-2nd grade and 3rd-5th graders. Please RSVP to alamedanewsletter@gmail.com by April 17 with the number of adults/children attending.

Fremonter Details

Fremont Newsletter Articles and Production 

The Fremonter Newsletter has always been a critical part of how we communicate, worship, prayer and celebrate together. We would love to encourage everyone to contribute articles to the monthly news letter. Interested in sharing, here is how and when to do it. 

• Fremonter articles are always due 5 days before the end of each month.
• Need a couple more days? That's ok, just contact Diane and let her know you will be submitting a piece.

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