Be just, be kind, be humble, these are the things the Lord requires of us. We’ve spent the last several weeks exploring Micah 6:8 helping us understand what God wants from us. Yet, There is more to our worship and relationship with God. There is also be generous and be love.

In some ways, generosity and love are the result of being just, kind, and humble. While in other ways, being generous and being love result in actions of justice, kindness, and humility. They are all intertwined. They are like concentric circles with the center focused on our relationship with God.

It’s important to note that these actions are not the way of salvation. They are not how our souls are saved. We cannot earn our salvation. Being saved, or the work of salvation is all God. It is God who invites us into God’s presence and justifies us, restores us, and makes us right with God. This work of God is called grace. Our role is to simply accept God’s grace by faith. Faith is believing in our innermost being what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. 

When we receive and accept God’s gift of grace, then our work begins. This response, or this work, is a process known as sanctification. Sanctification is the work and actions of becoming more like Jesus. 

Sanctification brings us back to Be Just, Be Kind, Be Humble, Be Generous, and Be Love. They are a result of our salvation. They are a sign and symptom of our relationship with God. If we are working on our relationship with God, then we are working on the works of justice, kindness, humility, generosity, and love. 

This Sunday we’re focusing on generosity. We will learn what biblical generosity means and what it looks like. We will explore how God is a generous God and how the early church and first Christians responded to God’s generosity. I hope to see you there!

Our next series will continue our Be campaign through Lent, and it will be called “Foolish Love.” This is where we learn what it means to Be Love. In 1 John 4:8, we read God is love. In fact, the passage goes on to say anyone who doesn’t know love doesn’t know God. So, what does it mean to Be Love? We will explore what love is, how we are made in God’s image and how we are a reflection of God’s love. This series will challenge you in many ways to grow deeper in your understanding of God and relationship with God. 

Therefore, I invite you to think ahead on what it means to Be Love. Think deeply about what it means to love. What are the different ways we love and have been loved. How might we express and demonstrate love to God, one another, our neighbor, the stranger, and even our enemy? Is there a difference between being loving and being love? Think earnestly about how anyone who cannot or will not love, does not know God. What does that say about us when we do not act out in love? These are piercing questions that will challenge us to grow closer and more like Jesus on our faith journey.

We will conclude the Foolish Love series on Easter Sunday with how God’s greatest act of foolish love overcomes. Don’t miss it. Don’t let your family and friends miss it. Invite someone, a friend, a coworker, a classmate, and the neighbor down the street, and let’s all learn how to follow Jesus a little bit better, together. 

Pastor Daniel 

It's time for our anual Stewardship Commitment. The purpose of Be Generous, our annual commitment campaign, is to encourage and inspire you to generously support your community of faith, our church. The decision of what you will give to our church and how you will serve in its ministries is one of the most important spiritual decisions you will make all year.

It’s very important, then, that you first pray and discern what God would have you do regarding your commitment. We want any decision to support our church to be based in prayer. You should be receiving your stewardship packet in the mail this week. Please pray together as a family about how you will give and serve in 2024 and fill out both sides of your commitment card located in your packet. Then, bring it to church with you this Sunday, February 4th to be blessed during worship. If you did not recieve a packet, we will have extras available on Sunday.

Many times in life, especially during an Election year like this year, kindness is often ignored. We argue, we insult and forget that we are friends, neighbors and co-workers. Kindness can be intentional, listening more and talking less. It’s recognizing the value of all people and learning from our differences. Kindness brings us together and gives us the power to change the world! Join the movement and order your shirt and yard sign today!

February 14th will be a bit different this year. That date brings to mind hearts and flowers and various shades of red and pink lining at least one aisle in every store. Stuffed bears holding balloons will be on display near the registers. Yes, Valentine’s Day is on that date. But this year the same day will mean something quite different because it is also Ash Wednesday which is the beginning of the season of Lent. Our sermon series this Lent is Foolish Love. God's love for us is so great that some would call it foolish.

We will continue our "Be" campaign through Lent and Pastor Daniel invites you to think ahead on what it means to "Be Love". Think deeply about what it means to love. What are the different ways we love and have been loved. How might we express and demonstrate love to God, one another, our neighbor, the stranger, and even our enemy? Is there a difference between being loving and being love? Think earnestly about how anyone who cannot or will not love, does not know God. What does that say about us when we do not act out in love? These are piercing questions that will challenge us to grow closer and more like Jesus on our faith journey.

We will conclude the Foolish Love series on Easter Sunday with how God’s greatest act of foolish love overcomes sin and death.

What is Lent?
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten Season in the Christian calendar. Lent is a season of forty days (not including Sundays) which begins today and ends on Holy Saturday (the day before Easter). Lent is the season during which we are called to prepare our hearts, minds, & spirits for Easter’s joy. During Lent, we spend time contemplating our sinful nature and seeking to refocus our hearts on holy living through prayer, repentance, and self-denial. Then, as Easter’s sun rises, we can more fully experience the wonder of God’s forgiving grace and resurrection power.

Why are we marked with a cross made of ashes?
On Ash Wednesday, we receive the “imposition of ashes.” The ashes serve as a reminder of our mortality (ashes to ashes) and as a reminder of our need to repent for our sins (ashes are used as a sign of repentance in the Bible). This ritual act in worship can be a powerful nonverbal and experiential way of participating in this season’s call to repentance and reconciliation.

Studying Scripture is one of the most important ways we learn about God. FUMCMH presents personal Bibles to each student in 3rd grade or above as a statement of their growing faith development and as recognition of their being old enough to study Scripture on their own. We celebrate this tradition of presenting Bibles to our 3rd -5th grade students as a gift from the congregation. It is our prayer that this gift will be a starting point for a deeper relationship with God through Christ. Bibles for 3rd-5th graders will be presented during worship on Sunday, February 18th. That evening all 3rd-5th graders (regardless of when they recieved their bibles) are invited to Bible Exploration from 4:00-6:00pm. We will spend some time with the children talking about what a wonderful Book the Bible is and showing them some tools for finding their way around the Bible. Our prayer for these kids during this event is that it sparks a life-long love of reading the Bible. We will supply a snack during the event.

Confirmation is an initiation into the Christian faith.   In confirmation students learn about why we believe in God, what we believe about God, our faith as a United Methodist, and how this all applies to our life.  Confirmation classes will start the week of February 21st. Classes will be Wednesday afternoons from 4:00pm- 5:00pm. If your student is interested, please contact pastor Daniel or Kyra Anthony.

Pastor Daniel will also be offering a class during lent for parents and other adults interested in learning some of the things the comfirmands will be learning.  This class will be offered on Sunday mornings from 10:00-10:30am.

Our new “Ministry Match” tool has launched!  Thank you for responding so graciously and filling out the survey.  If you haven’t yet taken the survey it’s not too late!  Use the button below to take it. If you prefer a paper copy, let Hollye Lee know in the church office and she will fix you up!  

We will soon be sorting through the opportunities that “matched” your responses. We will then check in with you and see what you might like to pursue.  BUT, better yet, if you see something in your list that you know you would like to pursue or just learn more about, please reach out to us!  Wouldn’t that be awesome?!

We hope to have some great conversations with you soon!  It is exciting to think about having volunteers that are matched with opportunities that interest them!  

Blessings,

Kellye Cannon and Hollye Lee    

In the event of inclement weather, please look for closings and cancellations on KTLO, the church website fumcmh.org or our Facebook page.

What an amazing night of food, fun and fellowship we had! Thank you to all who participated in this event by making chili, making desserts, buying desserts, or just being present!  Kudos to Kyra Anthony and all the students for a wonderful night!  A special shoutout to Brandon Barnes our guest auctioneer! His presence truly helped to make this night a success.  In fact, we raised a record amount of funds! We made an incredible total of $12,500.00! Way to go FUMCMH!

Congratulations to the winners of the Chili Cook Off!
Champion Chili: Greg, Michele & Molly Elders with their delicious "Buffalo White Chicken Chili"
Best Dressed Chili: Laura & Skyler Law with their "Aloha Chili Tiki Hut"
Spiciest Chili: Nick, Leah, Jack & Tucker Coleman with their "Ski Ya Later Buffalo Chicken Chili"

The FUMCMH Scholarship Program exists to offer financial help to deserving young members or constituents of FUMCMH who plan to attend an accredited college or vocational school. Currently, we are serving students in the freshmen year only. Constituents (non-members) need a recommendation by the Youth Director 

The scholarship amount for this academic year is $800.00 to be paid in two equal amounts of. $400.00 each semester. Checks for the scholarship sum will be made out directly to the recipient 's school and mailed to the registrar of the designated school. 

Recipients must: 

   •  Be enrolled full time (academic load of 12 credit hours or more) 
   •  Maintain a "C" or 2.0 or above average to qualify for subsequent semester's payments. 
   •  Provide proper address for the registrar of their school 
   •  Provide documentation of acceptance to college of choice, which includes their student ID number, 
   •  Upon completion of the first semester, send, or bring a transcript of the previous semesters grades or email to the Church Financial Secretary at ahale@fumcmh.org in order to receive the scholarship payment for the spring semester. 

TO APPLY: Submit the completed application form to the Church Office by July 1st, or by MAY 1st IF APPLICANT WISHES TO HAVE THIS AWARD ANNOUNCED AT SCHOOL AWARD CEREMONIES. 

Paying for college can be stressful. For many families, affording higher education is the number one factor when deciding which school a student will attend. Applications are now open for scholarships from The United Methodist Higher Education Foundation. UMHEF scholarships help make it financially possible for students attending United Methodist-related institutions to obtain higher education.

Every year UMHEF awards $2 million + to students attending one of the 100+ UM related colleges, universities and seminaries across the country.  Don't let finances get in the way of achieving your dreams of a quality education.  Apply by March 1st.

Hello Kids & Parents!

It’s hard to believe that January is already over! I can't wait to see what 2024 has in store!

This month we will have our Bible Presentation and our Bible Exploration event. Studying Scripture is one of the most important ways we learn about God. FUMCMH presents personal Bibles to each student in 3rd grade or above as a statement of their growing faith development and as recognition of their being old enough to study Scripture on their own. We celebrate this tradition of presenting Bibles to our 3rd -5th grade students as a gift from the congregation. It is our prayer that this gift will be a starting point for a deeper relationship with God through Christ. Bibles will be presented on Sunday, February 18th during worship. Bible Exploration where we will play games and give the children tools to help them use their bible, will be that same afternoon from 4:00 to 6:00pm. All kids who are 3rd grade and up and have received their bibles from FUMC either this year or prior years are invited to participate in this event! 

I'd like to give a shoutout to our children and youth acolytes for their comittment to service.  This is a great way for our younger generation to serve, which we all know is an important part of our Christian faith and our discipleship path. Another important aspect of your kids acolyting is that they experience the traditions of our faith.  Children are trained to acolyte beginning is 3rd grade. Our hope is that they continue to serve our church in this manner on into Middle School and Junior High. I'm so very proud of all of you! Parents, please remember to have your kids dress in traditional Sunday attire on the days they acolyte.  I know our teenage boys are often most comfortable in shorts, but we would prefer them to wear long pants when they acolyte. 

Just a couple months ago, we were celebrating the birth of Jesus and the promise of the New Year. As we look ahead, we see Easter on the horizon, another time of celebration. But what do we do in the middle, during the cold, dark months of winter? Some of us hibernate, some immerse themselves in sports on television, some cozy up in the kitchen making comfort foods. We find ways to avoid the uncomfortable.

The season of Lent calls us to do just the opposite. The 40 days that mark Ash Wednesday to Easter  (not including Sundays) require us to confront the uncomfortable as we honor the 40 days that Jesus fasted in the wilderness and was tempted by Satan. Lent is a time for sacrifice in order to make space to receive all that God has for us in the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. 

Lent is an important season for our kids as well. Our kids may not quite be able to wrap their little heads around why we  give up an item, a practice, or a food for 40 days, but the most important thing for them to understand about Lent is that we should spend those 40 days immersed in remembering all Jesus has done for us. And if we want Easter Sunday to be about more than colorful eggs, chocolate bunnies, and wearing our Sunday best, we need to take this journey with Jesus. So I encourage you to talk to your kids about Lent.

As you prepare as a family for Lent, here are three questions to consider:

How will you make sacred space in your home to observe Lent? Yes, God is everywhere, but it’s often helpful for both adults and children alike to have a special space set apart for spiritual practices. It might be a special chair, the family dinner table, or a corner of your child’s bedroom. Light a candle and visit this space daily during Lent to engage in spiritual disciplines.

How will you make sacred space in your calendar during Lent? Will you observe Lent in some way for each of the 40 days? Maybe one day a week is a good first step for your family? Ask the Lord how he would like for you to make space during this time and then listen for his answer. This could be something like reading the bible together as a family. It could be praying together as a family each day ord deciding what each of you will "give up" or sacrifice during Lent. This could be a bad habit or an indulgence.

How will you make sacred space in your heart during this season? What can you give up in order to make space for spiritual practices that will deepen your relationship with God? Can you replace screen time with time in God’s word? Can you get up with the alarm instead of hitting snooze in order to make time for morning prayer? Can you intenionally set aside time as a family to reflect on the ultimate sacrifice that was made for us?

Observing Lent is an intentional spiritual practice. Take time to seek God’s direction and watch how he will guide you and your family into a deeper relationship with his son Jesus. I encourage you as a family to attend the Ash Wednesday service as well as the Holy Week services leading up to Easter. Experiencing Holy Week and the Passion of Christ can be powerful and help prepare us for the incredible joy that comes with Easter morning and the Ressurection! 

We are starting to look at Easter Extravaganza ideas now! The date will be March 30th and we will need adult volunteers.  More details will come next month! 

God bless & have a safe and warm February!

Laura Law

Hello 605 Students, Families, and Friends!

January was a crazy month with the New Year coming faster than I think many of us hoped, and all of the weather conditions. I am so glad that you all stayed safe and for the time that we were able to spend together in worship and youth activities. 

I am so grateful to everybody that participated in our Chili Cook-Off and Dessert Auction. Thank you to those who made chili and desserts, and for those who came to taste test and buy! We appreciate you so much! 

We have got some exciting things coming up for youth and families: 
• February 23-25th: Veritas! It is finally the month for Veritas and we are so excited for the group that will be attending this year. Please remember to meet us at the church right after school so we can load up and head for Fort Smith. More detailed information about the trip will be hitting your emails later this month, so if your student has signed up for this trip make sure to check for that. You also should receive an email if I am missing any payment or paperwork for your student! Please make sure to turn those things in before we leave! 
• March 15th: Winter Jam! As a church we are planning to attend the Winter Jam Concert in Springfield, MO. This concert is a general admission ticket of $15 that you just have to bring with you. We will be gathering at the church after school that day to carpool/travel together. There will be a sign up coming if you know you would like to ride in the church buses, so make sure to let us know if you are interested in coming. This event is a come as you are, no pre-registration commitment so we would love to see our youth and families join us for this awesome event. Keep an eye out for more details to come. 
• OMP: Registration for this will be happening soon, so please keep an eye out for more information to come. We will be attending June 23rd through June 28th so mark off your calendars now for your students to attend this trip! I am excited to get this together and be able to to share more with you. 

Other Youth Things Happening: 
February 14th: Ash Wednesday! We will have the after school program and then a church wide dinner. We then will have Ash Wednesday Service in place of youth group that night so please join us for dinner and that Service. 
February 8th: I will be having lunch at the High School with students who would like to join me. I will be in room 405 for each lunch period, so grab your lunch and come hang out. 
February 15th: I will be having lunch at the Junior High. That place is to be determined but I hope to see many of our junior high students going me for lunch this day as well. 

If your student is involved in any activities please send me their schedules so I can make sure to plan to attend their games, meets, concerts, or anything else they might have. 

Thank you all so much for your support of this ministry and our students. 
Happy Valentine’s Day and Start of Lent

Kyra Anthony

GENERAL FUND
In memory of Calvin Czeschin
Zo Holley
Tom & Deborah Knox
Greg & Michele Elders
Farris Insurance Agency
Mark Kenyon
Glenda Bodenhamer & Family
Tom & Debbie Wren
Gregory & Susan Ashcraft
In memory of Dr. Paul Wilbur
Tom & Deborah Knox
In memory of Michael
Charleen Ahrenstorff

BUILDING FUND
In memory of Dr. Paul Wilbur
Gary & Bernice Bell
Phil & Vicki Garner
In memory of Calvin Czeschin
Gary & Bernice Bell
Jeff Quick

WESLEY KITCHEN
In memory of Rosemary Finch
Cathy Roshon
Larry & Peggy Hoffmeister
Shirley Poynter
In memory of Calvin Czeschin
Shirley Poynter
In memory of Paul Wilbur
Shirley Poynter

WEDNESDAY NIGHT MEALS
In memory of Rosemary Finch
Larry & Peggy Hoffmeister

MUSIC
In honor of Terre Ware & Shirley Poynter
FUMC Chancel Choir

BACKPACK FOOD 4 KIDS
In memory of Calvin Czeschin
Mary Walker
Kathy Norcross
Tommy & Jo Strickland
In memory of Jill Wescoat
Tommy & Jo Strickland

PASTOR'S FUND
In memory of Rosemary Finch
Richard Ruedin

Concerns:
Patty Frase (02/01/24)
Karen Bryant (02/01/24)
Don Abel (02/01/24)
Patricia Werner (01/09/24)
Kate Melnik (01/07/24)
(Tom Yoder)
Johnny Brown (01/02/24)
Marty Steele (12/18/23)
(Roxy Koop)
Jeanette Thorne (12/11/23)
(Johnny Brown’s sister)
Jeannie Alley (12/11/23)
Vicky Parks (11/30/23)
(Kelli Camp)
Ursula Fry (11/21/23)
(Carolyn Densmore)
Doug Dethloff (11/13/23)
Mackenzie Cole (11/09/23)
(Christine Rohr)
Barbara Sandberg (11/05/23)
Sue McMillan (11/05/23)
(Sheila Partee)
Bonnie & Darrell Benham (10/31/23)
Joe Wallace (10/29/23)
(Jean Wallace)
Marilyn & Fred Kobialka (10/29/23)
Russel Jones (10/29/23)
Gene Rowland (10/29/23)
(Paula Bodenhamer)
Sam Rhoades (10/22/23)
Ashley Thompson (9/24/23)
Shirley McDowell (9/3/23)
Carolyn Whisenant (7/30/23)
Clark Knight (7/30/23)
(Tommy & Brenda Knight’s grandson)
Cathy Millison (7/9/23)
(Christine Rohr)
Glenda Small (5/7/23)
(Kellye Cannon)
Sissy Czeschin (4/30/23)
Joan Beckham (4/23/23)
(Kevin Beckham’s mom)
Peggy Pawlak (4/23/23)
(Sheila Partee)
Ron Czanstkowski (4/23/23)
(Sheila Partee)
Susie Welby-Bennet (4/16/23)
(Sue Storm)
Carol McKee (4/9/23)
Bob Dickerson (4/9/23)
Kim Miller (2/26/23)
(Justin Long)
Scott Cain (2/5/23)
(Jill Chandler’s son)
Ruth Clark (1/8/23)
Lyn Yarborough (11/27/22)
(Christine Rohr)
Rexene Watson (11/13/22)
(Dr. Tom Yoder’s sister-in-law)
Jackie Knight (11/6/22)
Nancy Reed (10/16/22)
(Mary Margaret Pearson)
Doug Engle (9/4/22)
(Beth Pierson’s brother)
Bobby Myers (8/14/22)
(Gail House’s cousin)
Terri Chapman (6/26/22)
(Cindy Long’s sister)
Denise Rohr (5/22//22)