A note from Pastor Travis 1/28/21

Dear FUMC Family and Friends,
 Lent had just started last year when we had to pause in-person worship and study to keep everyone safe from COVID-19. It was a difficult decision, but, naively, I thought that we would be back together by Easter. However, the pandemic has been much worse than I anticipated, and as Lent approaches again, we still cannot meet in-person for worship and study.
Throughout the pandemic, even though we have not been meeting in-person, we have been active in ministry. We have been actively engaged in worship, study, and mission. There has been a learning curve and we have had to work hard to discover new ways to connect with each other. We have overcome many obstacles to ministry. Thus, as Lent approaches, we will have a number of opportunities for you to be involved in worship and study, as you prepare your heart for Easter. 

These ministry opportunities include:
Ash Wednesday:
There will be 2 ways you can participate in the Ash Wednesday. One way is by participating in the Virtual Ash Wednesday Worship Service on service on February 17 at 7:00 pm. The second way is to use the Ash Wednesday Family Service that will be sent to you by Constant Contact in the week prior to Ash Wednesday. This option is especially good for families with children. 
But, what about the ashes you ask? In early February, we will be making ashes available for pick up at the church. A Constant Contact notice will be sent letting you know of the dates and times the ashes will be available. We also have volunteers who will be dropping ashes off for the homebound.

Virtual Lenten Bible Study:
Feb 24-March 24, 7 PMThis year our Lenten Bible Study will be a joint virtual study with Grace United Methodist Church of Lynn. It will be led by Pastor Sandra and Me. We will be using the short book Get A Life! (Experiencing the Blessings of the Beatitudes of Jesus for Today), by Ted Creen. You can purchase the book at Amazon, Cokesbury, or from christianbook.com.The price of the book is about $10.
We will be sending out a zoom link by Constant Contact a week before we begin on Feb 24. The link will be good for all sessions. We invite you to join us and invite others to join us too! 

Lenten Prayers:Each day in Lent you will be receiving a prayer from the church. Many of these prayers will be written by church members! We are looking for volunteers to submit a prayer. If you are unsure what to write or how to write it, have no fear, Jayleigh has written a guide to help you write your prayer. You will find her article in this e-newsletter. We look forward to all of the prayers, as we worship together through them.

We may not be together in-person for Lent, but we will be together both virtually and spiritually.

Blessings and Grace,
Pastor Travis