The East District is excited to partner with Keller UMC and The Caring Congregation to host speakers Rev. Karen Lampe and Rev. Joy Dister-Dominguez on Friday and Saturday March 1-2 at Keller UMC for an in-person Care Ministry Seminar. This seminar is for churches of all sizes to establish and equip pastors, staff, and care teams (laity) to cultivate a culture of care by providing excellent care ministries for their congregations and communities. Topics covered include theology of care, boundaries, listening and spiritual guidance, elder care, visitation, care for the sick and dying, organizing your teams, healing after disaffiliation, crisis care, evaluation, and building the vision for a culture of care.

Registration deadline has been extended to Monday, February 26th. Discounts are available for groups of 5 or more participants, with individual registration starting at $75 per person. Because CTC East District is sponsoring this event, we are able to offer Central Texas Conference, North Texas Conference, and Northwest Texas Conference clergy and laity a considerable discount (a savings of $175 per person) compared to The Caring Congregation’s National Care Ministry Webinar pricing. Please consider registering a group from your church, or partnering with your neighboring UMC, to take advantage of this training opportunity. The training counts toward pastoral continuing education.

Care Ministry Seminar @ Keller United Methodist Church

Friday, March 1st – 12 pm to 6 pm

Saturday, March 2nd – 9 am to 4 pm

Registration Cost

Individual Registration: $75 per person

Groups of 5+: $60 per person

Groups of 10+: $55 per person

For more information and to register, please visit www.ctcumc.org/careministryseminar-2024.

ASH WEDNESDAY
7:00 P.M.

It’s a simple service.

My message is short.

Some lovely music.

Imposition of the ashes and prayer at the rail.

Let God do whatever God wants to do in our lives this Lent. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday.

And repentance.

And thanksgiving for forgiveness.

Last Sunday

We will remember it as Keith Butterfield’s 97th birthday. We had a good time celebrating after worship. (We’ll do it for you, too, when you reach 97.)

Some folks thought I ran two women off during the sermon. I didn’t. That was just Vita and Linda stepping out to help with the birthday party.

What a job the choir did with just five people up there. No—I could hear no lack. Our tenor had to sing bass. Mary sang tenor.

Yes—we need a bass.

I want Blake to have what he needs.

Our choir is a bit of a marvel.

It sounds better than many larger choirs.

And it is a worship blessing.

This Sunday

Mary preaches for the next two weeks.

Do you remember all those questions Mary had to answer in prep for ordination? She will preach a couple of her answers in these sermons.

My next sermon is called “Jesus Got It Right.” How do we know? Does anyone know what God is like? Know for sure?

I say yes. But HOW can we know—for sure?

Remember breakfast.

(Do we have any others to help with this?)

See you WEDNESDAY! Perhaps? I hope.

God bless—MB

Greetings dear church and friends of the church!

Rev. Beverly Tye came through her surgery with a good report from the surgeon. We pray now for continued and quick healing for Beverly. We also pray for adequate pain control. She faces many months of rehabilitative therapy and I know she will be strengthened by your love and support. It was great to see the Maxwells this past Sunday. And it was great to celebrate Keith’s birthday! We have a real live WWII veteran in our midst folks. Dan Kessler took Keith out to the Joint Naval Reserve Base where Keith was honored with a cake and small celebration. The pictures are in this newsletter. I’ve never seen Keith smile so brightly. We love you, sir, and are grateful for your service.

Many of you will receive this newsletter on Wednesday, February 14, Ash Wednesday. This first day of Lent is a high holy day in much of the Christian faith tradition, Methodists included. As Max said on Sunday, we will come together to receive the mark of the cross on our forehead, indicating that we are the followers of Jesus Christ. The ashes represent our mortality. The entire exercise is intended to ask God for forgiveness and profess our devotion to God. While I will say the words, “you are forgiven,” I am only the messenger. I am not worthy to forgive you, only our Lord is worthy. I am humbled to be involved in the process. This is one of the reasons I am drawn to Methodism, this focus on the tradition of Lent. These next forty days are ours to use as we can to further God’s kingdom and strengthen our relationship with the One who loves us most. Until tonight, Mary

In our Bible story this week, Jesus had been teaching to large crowds and decided to take some time away with His disciples. Jesus and the disciples took a boat out on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was tired from teaching and ministering, so he went to the front of the boat and fell asleep.

Soon, a storm struck. The boat shook and the disciples were afraid. They went to Jesus for help but were surprised to find him soundly asleep. They thought, how can anyone sleep when there is a chance their boat might flood, and they might all drown? But Jesus remained calm.

Jesus got up and calmed the storm. He then asked the disciples why they were scared, as if their feelings of fear were unnecessary. The disciples were amazed.

We too, might feel amazed about this story — what amazing power Jesus has! What a gift it is to know there is someone like Jesus who can be present with us in the midst of life’s storms!

Speaking of gifts, we had something for you on Sunday. Valentine’s Day is this week! Maybe those things will still be there Sunday.

See you in church!

Board Meeting Last Sunday

We looked at the last year in a board meeting last Sunday and, the truth is, we are doing well.

And we want to keep doing well—or better. So let us remain faithful. Let us continue to reach people with the truth of God’s unconditional love for all people.

Worship Last Sunday

“I look forward to finding out how many we had,” someone said as they exited. “It looked like a full house.” We had 67. Which is a pretty good post-COVID bunch. And we had a good service.

That Communion choir number (“How Beautiful”) was particularly lovely. Our small choir makes a powerful sound. It helps to have a great choir director.

Transfiguration Sunday

This is Transfiguration Sunday and the Wednesday after is Ash Wednesday.

Our Ash Wednesday service will start at 7:00 p.m.

“He Shook the Foundations”

I will preach this Sunday—a sermon I am very excited to preach: “He Shook the Foundations.” When it is over, I hope we may better understand why the religious leaders wanted Jesus dead. (And if he came back today, most conservative Christians would want the same thing.)

Then Mary will have two Sundays to take us a few more “steps.” (Her sermons are following the “Twelve Steps” for addiction recovery.)

Breakfast

First of all—remember that we have it—10:30 every Sunday. Winston—inventor of the Sunday breakfast–wants to cut back to twice a month. Mac and Faith Salfen will take it for the third Sunday. We need someone to take the fourth Sunday each month.

See you Sunday.

Hey! Let’s hit 70 some Sunday soon.

God bless—MB