Greetings! As I write to you today, I am looking outside my window and relishing the warmth and vibrancy of Spring. Kathy and I are thinking about renaming our house “The Little House on Gregory Avenue” in honor of the Little House on the Prairie. Much like the Ingalls in the Little House books, Ma and Pa Kerr-Carpenter have used much of their shelter-in-place time to plant and cultivate our version of a Victory Garden.
I can hardly wait for all the wonderful things we’ve planted to come to fruition. I think the thing that gives me the most satisfaction with my garden is seeing – and eating – the fruits of my labors. Every day we go outside and marvel at how much our tomatoes or strawberries have grown in a days’ time, and that very soon they will be on our dinner table.
My garden also reminds me of the small miracles God gives us each day: the miracle of a seed becoming a plant, the miracle of sun and water being part of bringing that plant forward, and the blessing of being one with our precious earth. In my deep periods of anxiety and depression in this pandemic, the simplicity of planting my garden and seeing it grow has immeasurably nurtured my soul and renewed my spirit.
I hope that you too will find those things that nourish you and renew your spirit… Pastor Colin
Our weekly congregational updates…
Worship Services. There are three ways to access our taped Sunday worship services:
- By linking through our WCUMC website;
- By accessing our WCUMC Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/walnutcreekumc;
- Or by going to our WCUMC YouTube. Simply go to YouTube and search for Walnut Creek UMC (hint: there are two Walnut Creek UMC’s. Our YouTube page has a picture of the front of our church).
We also realize that some of our folks do not have access to technology. If you would like a written summary of Pastor Colin’s sermon, please call the church office.
Zoom Coffee Hour. We had a wonderful time yesterday. There were at least 27 folks that joined in. We will gather again this Sunday, May 3rd at 11 AM. Here is our Zoom link to join us this Sunday:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81097909646?pwd=QXhkZ1ppcE9RZFB2SWdKZGg1M2xnZz09
Meeting ID: 810 9790 9646
Password: 293803
Or by phone, dial by your location
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 810 9790 9646
Password: 293803
We hope to “see” you next Sunday!
Church Financial Update. Your Finance Committee has been meeting regularly throughout this crisis. We are very happy to announce that we ended the first quarter with a balanced budget! Many churches have applied for loans through the recent aid package passed by Congress. WCUMC has not had to take such drastic measures. Furthermore, we are fortunate to continue to pay all our staff and meet all our other financial obligations. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your continued generosity and support during this time!
Please remember you can give to your church in the following ways: 1) by mailing your offering directly to the church office; 2) by giving online through our church website (please click here); or 3) by texting your donation to (877) 769-1961. Thank you for your continued support of your beloved church.
Prayer Requests. Many people gave me prayer requests to include in our service last week. We will continue to do this as a normal worship practice throughout our sheltering in place. So if you have a specific prayer you would like me to publicly pray for during the service, please email those prayers to [email protected] no later than 11am this Thursday, April 30th.
Children’s Ministries. A vital ministry at WCUMC is our ministry to our children. This report comes from Corrie Binker, our Director of Children’s Ministries…
For Sunday School: I sent packets home to all the children with the Easter materials I had gotten for them (books and activities about Holy Week). I will continue to send/email lessons home to them, and to be in touch with their families. Children’s Time is again part of our Sunday Worship services.
For Bus Stop: I heard from some of them that they are doing okay. Days are spent doing schoolwork, texting their friends, and playing lots of video games. I will send home to the 4th Graders their “Graduation from Bus Stop Program Certificates” and their Gift Cards to Staples, which are a tradition.
For FALL: Who knows what will happen and when?! Stay tuned for updates! Thank You!! to all the Teachers, Tutors, and Children’s Time Folks for giving of your talents and time to our Children. You (and they!) are very much loved and appreciated.