Put on your dancing shoes and join us for a fun-filled evening of fellowship tonight, January 30! Trish Ranson will guide us through a variety of folk and country dances. No experience is necessary, and all ages are welcome - non-dancers are welcome to come and enjoy watching too! A pizza dinner will be served beginning at 5:30pm, followed by dancing from 6:00–7:00pm.

Two thousand years after Jesus’s crucifixion, the cross remains one of the most recognized symbol in the world. It crowns church steeples, hangs around necks, and fills our hymns and prayers. Christians speak of Jesus “dying for our sins,” but what does that really mean? Why did Jesus have to die, and how does his death bring life? Ask a dozen Christians and you may hear a dozen different answers.

The holy season of Lent begins in just a few weeks. Our focus will be a question that many people ask, "Why did Jesus have to die?"

Following the outline provided by Pastor Adam Hamilton, we will explore the richness of the New Testament’s answers to this question. Notice that answers is plural. No single image or theory can capture the mystery of the cross. We'll learn how Christians through the years have found meaning in the death and resurrection of Jesus, giving a picture of God’s message to us, told by and through the cross.

Many of our Sunday School classes will be following a curriculum that parallels the Lenten sermon series. This is a great chance to join a class and travel this learning journey with a group of folks seeking a deeper faith together.

The United Women in Faith will meet in the Social Hall at 11:45am on Wednesday, February 4. A program on Fraud Prevention will be presented by Kara Robinson, a specialist on fraud prevention. All women are invited to attend.

There will be a new women's Bible study starting Tuesday, February 10, at 9:30am. It will last for 7 weeks. The title of the book for the study is Imagine Life God's Way by John Ortberg. It will focus on studying Jesus' parables. It is not necessary to purchase the book to participate in the study.

Please contact Velda Lorenz if you have any questions @ 405.269.8287

The Church Technology Assistant supports weekly worship services by working alongside the Technology Director to ensure smooth, high-quality technical production for both in-person and online worship experiences. This role is hands-on and service-focused, involving preparation during the week and active participation on Sunday mornings. When the Technology Director is unavailable, the Church Technology Assistant will also help lead and coordinate Sunday tech volunteers.

Prior experience with ProPresenter and Planning Center is strongly preferred. Familiarity with PowerPoint, Digital Soundboards, PTZ cameras, OBS, Blackmagic ATEM systems, Vista lighting software, and both hymns and modern worship songs are all a plus but not required. This is a paid, part-time position, on-site training will be offered.

Please visit our website for more information:
https://fumcstw.org/jobs

Momentum Youth’s 8th Annual Chili Cook-off has been rescheduled for February 22, 5:00-7:00pm.  $2 a person at the door gets you a full chili dinner, as well as an opportunity to taste the entries! Enter YOUR favorite chili by CLICKING HERE or contact Janelda Lane at jlane@fumcstw.org

Every Wednesday evening, we serve a meal in the Social Hall of the Sanctuary Building (downstairs.) Some of our youth enjoy the table fellowship before youth group. Members of the choir enjoy the same before rehearsal. Members of Disciple Bible Study like to eat together before class. Typically, there at 15-25 people who eat together on Wednesdays.

With the announcement of our Food Services Director, Sapeida Myers', resignation, the mid-week meal is changing. We'll be bringing in food from area restaurants like: McAlister's Deli, Chick fil a, Hideaway, etc. We're also looking at options for BBQ and Mexican offerings. The meal will be simple: a main, a side, dessert -- beverages (tea and water). Served on paper plates, the meal needs to be easy to set out and clean up before the evening activities.

We'll be trying out different food options for the rest of the school year and then take a break from serving this meal over the summer. In the fall, we'd like to expand our Wednesday night meal to include more people. We'll keep you posted as we find out what works and what doesn't work in this new arrangement.

Our Closer Walk worship service needs your help to set up and tear down chairs. The set up time will be Sunday mornings, 9:00-9:30 am. If you could help once a month setting up chairs in the multi-purpose room, then return the chairs to their storage location after the worship service is over, please let Pastor Charla know. CLICK HERE to let her know you’d like to help. The goal is to have teams serving on a once-a-month rotation. Thanks for stepping forward to help.

We are hosting a blood drive on February 8 in our Family Life Center from 8:30am-12:30pm. Please consider donating as many blood drives had to be cancelled due to the weather conditions across the state! To sign up, please CLICK HERE (walk-ins are welcome, too)

This is an excerpt of a Pastoral Letter from Bishop Laura Merrill

The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church has launched a historic engagement initiative in advance of the Council’s 2026 Leadership Gathering, “Emboldened by the Spirit: Imagining a Church Yet to Be.” The Gathering will convene October 20-24, 2026, at Knox United Church in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, bringing together nearly 300 participants including bishops, clergy, lay leaders, and young adults from across the world.

The engagement initiative is designed to expand participation in the event, giving every United Methodist a direct voice in shaping this conversation about the denomination’s future. At the heart of this initiative are three participation pathways:
A denomination-wide survey,
A worldwide webinar series, and
A newly coordinated website.
Together, these pathways are intentionally designed to gather and share the hopes, wisdom, and vision of United Methodists across the worldwide connection.

The Gathering’s design team has publicly committed to crafting the event around the thoughts and hopes that United Methodists share. As suggested by the designers, I am encouraging pastors across the connection to request their congregations participate collectively in the survey. (CLICK HERE to access the survey. Click on your preferred language to enter the survey.) This shared moment of discernment is intended to spark a movement of “gathered hope” across our church.

Friends, there is a whole lot right now that’s filling up our hearts, our prayer time, and our many forms of service. Yet in the midst of challenge, I find hope in our connection and the expressions of Christ's gospel love across our church, in very diverse contexts. Engagement with this survey and conversation is a way to set our people’s sights on who we are called to be, together, going forward. I hope you will find your participation to be fruitful.

Grace and peace,

Do you know the blessing of a warm shower, a clean towel, and clean clothes?  We might take this blessing for granted. Now, imagine how it feels when someone that does not have access to a shower tell you that you are a blessing to him. He thanks you and tells you multiple times how much he appreciates having a shower this week. The blessing is ours because we are able to offer this ministry at FUMC. In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

Our Shower Ministry provides weekly showers to individuals in our community that do not have access to regular showers. We need your support in this winter season to restock our supplies, particularly for the clothing items we give each shower guest. CLICK HERE to respond and let us know how you can help.