2024: Meeting Jesus at the Table

Our theme for Lent this year is Meeting Jesus at the Table. Week by week in worship and small groups, we’ve been diving into stories about Jesus multiplying bread to feed a whole crowd, relaxing with his inner circle, telling curious elites about even greater banquets, eating a not-Last Supper with his disciples and more. We’re seeking to connect these stories to our own practices of table fellowship and hospitality.

Holy Week & Easter

PALM SUNDAY, March 24: Services at 8, 9:15 & 10:45am; Children’s Palm Procession at 9:15am.

MAUNDY THURSDAY, March 28: Meal at 6:30pm and Service at 7:15pm in Fellowship Hall. Come enjoy a simple meal of soup and bread. Worship will flow right out of the meal and take place at the tables.

GOOD FRIDAY, March 29: Community Stations of the Cross Service at Manresa at Noon. Evening Service at SPUMC at 7pm in Sanctuary with choir and cello. Childcare is available Thursday and Friday evenings.

EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA: March 30, 9am – 11am. Don’t miss this great inter-generational event on March 30, 9am which is fun for the whole family. Do some crafts, play some games, enjoy snacks, and bring a basket for the Egg Hunt that starts promptly at 10am. Help is needed with hiding eggs at 8am that morning. This event is rain or shine. Questions? Contact Erica.

EASTER MORNING WORSHIP
Sunrise Service in the Garden at 6:30am (with Holy Communion)
Early Service in the Sanctuary at 8am
Contemporary Service (led by SPARK Worship Team) at 9:15am
Festival Service at 10:45am (Pre-Service Music at 10:30am) with Brass, Bells & Choir in the Sanctuary.

FAMILY SERVICE OPTIONS
Families with Young Children looking for a more relaxed space (tables and floor space for kids to participate in worship with kid-friendly, quiet activities) are invited to worship together in Fellowship Hall at 9:15 and 10:45am. The service from the Sanctuary will be simulcast to Fellowship Hall and facilitated by a worship leader. Families are also welcome to join us in the Sanctuary – your choice! Childcare available at 9:15am & 10:45am.

LIVESTREAM WORSHIP
We are offering online worship on Easter Sunday at 9:15am & 10:45am via Facebook or YouTube.

Worship During Lent

For a condensed version of all of our Lent activities, view our Lent brochure.

**ASH WEDNESDAY**: *Begin the season of Lent* in worship with us on **Wednesday, February 14** at **noon and 7pm**. Childcare available at 7pm. You are also welcome to come by the church throughout the day for **Ashes & Prayer** with one of our pastors from 6:30am to 4pm.

SUNDAYS IN LENT
February 18 – Dining Alfresco: The Feeding of the Multitude (Mark 6:30-44)
February 25 – The Welcome Table: “He Eats with Tax Collectors” (Matthew 9:9-13)
March 3 – Surprised by Grace: Dinner Interrupted (Luke 7:36-50)
March 10 – Relationships & Reciprocity: Making Room at the Table (Luke 14:7-14)
March 17 – Excuses & Invitations: Empty Chairs at the Table (Luke 14:15-24)

Together at the Table

Join us on Wednesday nights during Lent, February 21 through March 20 from 5:45-6:30pm for a light meal ($5-10 donation) and time of community. You are invited to stay for one of the classes afterwards or just for the meal.

Childcare is available by reservation. Please register each child separately to ensure appropriate care is provided. A new form is required each week.

Reserve childcare at the following links: February 21 | February 28 | March 6 | March 13 | March 20

Classes

We’re providing several classes during Lent to help you explore and deepen your faith.

*Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day!* is packed with bite-size reflections and action-oriented steps to help you get through the day, be it good, bad, or totally mediocre. This is a devotional for the rest of us—which is to say, the people who don’t have magical lives that always work out for the best.

If you want to build your daily habit of spiritual attentiveness, this book is here to say: *May all your days be lovely. But for those that aren’t, have a beautiful, terrible day!*

Join us on **Monday nights at 8:15pm on Zoom** (after the kids go to bed) for laughter, spiritual truths, and sharing life with other women who have also had a “beautiful, terrible day.” Books available on Amazon (or other book retailers). Sign up for the reading guide or download the group guide here.

Questions? Email Brenda.

“*It Is Finished*,” a Gospel study of the last few days of Jesus’ earthly life, is being offered by *Pastor Byron* as a Lenten Bible Study. The course will be on ZOOM on **Tuesday evenings at 7:30pm** from February 13 through March 19. The study includes the anointing of Jesus at Bethany, the events of Palm Sunday, various parables and teachings of Jesus, conflicts with the religious leaders, the Last Supper, and the passion and crucifixion. All are welcome as we prepare for the glorious day of resurrection.

Zoom link | Meeting ID: 839 9975 7432 | Passcode: Isaiah

Questions? Email Rev. Byron.

**The Gospels are full of stories of Jesus sharing meals with disciples, friends, even tax collectors and Pharisees.** Whether multiplying bread to feed a whole crowd, relaxing with his inner circle, or telling curious elites stories about even greater banquets, Jesus imparts wisdom as he shares the wine and grants forgiveness as he distributes the fish. This Lent, we will dive into biblical insights and thought-provoking queries regarding our own time, such as whom should we invite to Sunday dinner and who is left out and left behind in our culture today.

There are three opportunities to participate in this study:
+ Wednesdays at 6:30pm (after dinner) in Room 301 – led by Chip Linehan
+ Fridays at 7am (Men’s Study Group) in Fellowship Hall – led by Rev. Ron
+ Fridays at 10am (Women’s Study Group) in Room 301 – led by Rev. Lee

As we approach the Lenten season, a time of reflection, sacrifice, and renewal, we invite you to join us in a special **decluttering and organizing challenge**. Take this opportunity to simplify our lives, both physically and spiritually, by decluttering our homes. We will provide a simple, doable decluttering list, and support group. The goal is not just to declutter our physical spaces but also to create room for spiritual growth and contemplation during this Lenten season. Contact Rev. Narae for more information.

This class is being offered on Wednesdays at 6:30pm (after dinner) in the Parlor.

Easter Weekend

Order Spring Flowers or Easter Lilies