march 27 THROUGH APRIL 3, 2024

***Denotes the announcement was highlighted during worship


STUDENT MINISTRIES

UPCOMING WEEK:

4/4 Thursday - WATER Supermarket Sweeps (if necessary)
Weekly shopping trip for the Food Pantry from 4-5p. Drop off and pickup at the Pantry.

4/6 Saturday – FIRE BINGO at Hamilton Trace
Jr. High students are invited to play BINGO with the residents of Hamilton Trace from 10-11a. Drop off and pickup at Hamilton Trace.

The Summer WATER Mission Trip sign is almost full! Visit Here for more information and to sign up.


ALL CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS

***(NEW) NEXT AT FISHERS UMC
//Sunday, April 28, 10:45a-12p, Fellowship Hall//

NEXT is four, comfortable, fun and welcoming sessions for adults who want to connect more with God and Fishers UMC as we explore the Bible, our beliefs, God’s story, missions and ministries. NEXT helps you find out who we are, what we do and how you can enjoy meaningful participation at Fishers UMC. A different NEXT opportunity is offered each month for the total of four months and is a precursor to Membership Class. Sessions are facilitated by our Assimilation Director, Lisa Ellcessor. Our upcoming NEXT opportunity is Missions and Ministries -Sunday April 28, 2024, at 10:45a-12:00p in the fellowship hall. Sign up to attend by tapping the link.

sign up to attend


(NEW) FUNDRAISER LUNCH
//Sunday, April 28, 11:30a-1:15p, Gym//

Join us for lunch on April 28th! A fundraising lunch for the Intergenerational Mission Trip will be in the gym starting at 11:30 through 1:15pm. Spaghetti, bread, salad, & dessert will be served with donations collected to support the team. For more information about the trip or joining the team, visit here. Want to support the team but can't make it to the lunch? Tap the link below to donate online.

donate to the mission team


(NEW) ITEMS NEEDED FOR VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Every Year Fishers UMC is able to host a free Vacation Bible School because of the generous donations from the congregation. This year we are planning on taking the kids on an Epic Underwater adventure where they will Dive into a friendship with God. Many items are needed to make this we a success, tap the link below to view the Amazon Wishlist. All items ordered off the list will be delivered to the church office. Don't want to shop on Amazon but still want to support Vacation Bible School? Tap the donation link below to give money to go towards purchasing items. Thank you for making this a wonderful experience for all the kids of Fishers.

view amazon wish list
donate money to vbs


(NEW) FISHERS UMC HISTORICAL BOOK

Fishers United Methodist Church, originally known as Fishers Methodist Episcopal Church, was formed in 1874. In celebration and recognition of our rich history, Kim Arnott has written "Growing Together - History of Fishers United Methodist Church". Filled with images and details, this historical book takes an in depth look at our origins through present day. Spiral bound books may be pre-ordered for $10 each. A sample chapter may be read by tapping the link below.

read sample chapter

pre order book


(NEW) APRIL COMMUNION SERVERS NEEDED

Communion unites us both to Christ and to each other as believers in the body of Christ. This special part of worship needs several people to serve the elements at all three worship services. Would you consider serving on April 7? Tap the link below to sign up.

sign up to serve communion


(NEW) CORRECTION TO PREVIOUS EMAIL

In the previously sent out email regarding our Holy Week Services and those who donated Easter flowers, there was a mistake for one of the donations. The following is the correct information:
Given In Memory Of: Our Parents Genevieve and Ralph Dicken and Norma and Dee Cooke;
Given In Memory Of: Susan Satkamp
by Peggy and Mike Cooke.


***150 ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
//Sunday, April 14//

Did you know Fishers UMC turns 150 this year? On Sunday, April 14 we will have a special Sunday to celebrate all we have accomplished in the past 150 years! Current and past Fishers UMC families are invited to attend a special all-church worship at 10am where will we learn about our past and celebrate our future with our new endowment fund. Please note: there will be no Sunday School on this day, childcare will be available during worship for those 5 & under.

After worship, we will go to the gym for an all-church meal together. Fishers UMC will provide all the food, but we are asking our Fishers UMC family to bring desserts. In order to make sure there is food enough for everyone, if you plan on attending the meal, please R.S.V.P. by tapping the link below or call the Church Office at 317-849-1805. Want to bring a dessert or help with tear down after the event? Just let us know on the same R.S.V.P. form. We look forward to celebrating with you!

rsvp to church meal


SINGLE BOARD MODEL APPROVED

On March 12, 2024 at a called Charge Conference, a single board model of church governance was approved for Fishers United Methodist Church. The "Church Board" will provide administrative and spiritual oversight to the church's ministry going forward. Please see the Church Board Policies document by tapping the link below for details on how the board will function. Also, please see the Church Board Assignments document to see who is on the current board and how they are assigned to various sub-teams. Please continue to be in prayer for the outstanding leadership of our church!

church board policies
church board assignments


(UPDATE) FAMILY PROMISE HOUSEWARES DRIVE

Fishers UMC has had a long time partnership with Family Promise's Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN). Prior to Covid, Fishers UMC regularly housed families struggling with homelessness, in the IHN program, upstairs in the Family Life Center. IHN now places families in apartments where they can eventually take over the lease. Although we can no longer host these families, we now have the opportunity to help furnish apartments in this new program. This successful new program is taking off and our goal is to provide furnishing for 6 apartments. New or gently used items are needed, tap the link below to view items and to sign up. PLEASE DO NOT BRING IN ANY ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ON THE LIST, FAMILY PROMISE WILL ONLY TAKE ITEMS ON THE LIST. PLEASE ALSO SIGN UP ON THE LIST SO WE KNOW HOW MANY ITEMS ARE STILL LEFT TO PURCHASE.  Questions? Contact Peggy Cooke at . Please bring items to Connection Central by April 14 or if you order items online they may be directly delivered to:

Family Promise of Greater Indianapolis
1850 North Arsenal Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46218

view list and sign up


2024 LAITY SERMON MANUSCRIPT CONTEST

The Indiana Conference Board of Laity is pleased to sponsor the 2024 Laity Sermon Manuscript Contest again this year. The contest is open to all laypersons in the Indiana Conference. In collaboration with the 2024 Indiana Annual Conference Session, the theme for this year’s manuscript contest is Cultivate Joy! based on Romans 15:13: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." The author of the winning manuscript will present his or her manuscript during the Laity Session of Annual Conference, which will take place at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Indianapolis June 6-8. For rules and submission information, please tap the link below.

manuscript contest details


CHATTING ABOUT RETIREMENT
//Tuesday, April 2, 7p, Room 203//

The next Chatting About Retirement session will be Tuesday April 2 at 7p in room 203. We will be remembering one of our founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, that night who famously said, “but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Two topics that nobody likes but are important to talk about. First, we will not be talking about death, but more importantly about the significance of the legacy you leave behind. What can we do to be a blessing to our families by having all the right plans and documents in place so that they can easily carry out our wishes. Unfortunately, studies show that less than half of Americans have a will or medical directives. Since it is also “tax time”, if you have any tax questions we will discuss those as well. Please come and join us for a casual and informative evening.

sign up to attend


HOLY WEEK AT FISHERS UMC

We invite you to join us for Holy Week Worship:
Maundy Thursday 3/28
7p Worship with Communion
Good Friday 3/29
7p Worship
Easter Sunday 3/31
8:30 & 9:45a Traditional Worship
11:00a Contemporary Worship
No Sunday School

Childcare for 5 & under will be available for all worship services
Livestream Worship available on our Website & YouTube


FISHERS UMC LIBRARY

The Fishers UMC church library is a precious place that is highly sought after for meetings, studies, and support groups. We have found over the last several years that books (outside of study materials) are rarely checked out or borrowed. As a result, we are proposing that we limit materials in the library to:
• Bibles, commentaries, and other study materials.
• Devotional books and small group curriculum.
• Comparative religion texts and faith-based non-fiction books.
As a result, we would remove:
• Fiction books.
• Non-fiction books or materials without religious context.
• Aged materials that require VHS or cassette or have clearly diminished value.
Freeing up this space would allow us to have:
• Space to display memento's celebrating our past and present ministries.
• Increased capacity for meetings, studies, and worship.
Congregation members would be able to browse and take any displaced books. The remaining books would be donated.
Before we move forward, we wanted to give congregation members a chance to provide input and insight regarding this proposal and to help determine the most effective use of this space. Please reach out to Mark Stebbe at by March 30, 2024 if you would like to discuss, have questions, or have anything to share.


FOOD PANTRY - CREW CAR WASH FUNDRAISER

You can help over 16,000 hungry citizens of Hamilton County by getting your car washed! The Come To Me Food Pantry is partnering with Crew Car Wash as a fundraiser in the month of March. Tap on the link below to purchase car washes and the Food Pantry keeps 50% of the proceeds. There are three options to choose from: Basic Wash $11, Basic Plus Wash $17 and Ultimate Was $22. Car washes also make a great gift for friends and family, all while supporting those in need.

PURCHASE CREW CAR WASHES


INTERGENERATIONAL MISSION TRIP

Everyone over the age of 8 is invited to be a part of the Intergenerational Mission Trip travelling to St. Louis June 23rd through June 28th and serve in the city Monday-Thursday that week. The team will be housed at The River @ Eureka, a UMC in Eureka--a St. Louis suburb. Serving days will be from approximately 9am to 3/3:30pm with a packed lunch onsite. Our evenings will have some free time, dinner together, a few adventures, and an evening time of vespers. Cost is $200/person. The church & student ministries are covering part of the cost of the trip in an effort to bring the cost down and encourage greater participation. There will be a fundraising lunch in April or May to help offset the cost, but we do not want anyone to miss the experience due to finances. To that end, financial aid is available. Please speak to Liz or one of the pastors about aid. Tap the link below to find out more and to sign up.

sign up for the mission trip


TURN AWAY NO LONGER - SWAG PACKS

United Women in Faith have partnered with Turn Away No Longer, an Indiana nonprofit faith based organization. Turn Away No Longer’s mission is to positively impact the lives of children in the foster care system. They believe no child should feel “forgotten” or “unloved” and strive to show them the love of Jesus in every program they create. As part of this partnership, Fishers UMC has become a donation location to collect items for their Swag Packs. What are Swag Packs? When a child or teen enters foster care, they may not get the chance to pack up their belongings and often they have to leave home or school with nothing but the clothes they’re wearing. This is where Swag Packs can help. Each Swag Pack is age-specific, ranging from newborn to teens. Tap the link below to view their donation list for Swag Packs, all items must be NEW. Drop off items at Fishers UMC in the Turn Away No Longer Bin inside Door #1 by the Church office. You can find out more about Turn Away No Longer by visiting turnawaynolonger.org.

view packing slip for turn away no longer


ALTAR FLOWERS

Are you looking for a way to Be God's Light in 2024? You can honor or remember a loved one by sponsoring a flower bouquet on Sunday mornings! This is a great way to mark special life events such as birthdays, anniversaries, baptisms, confirmation, and the memory of a loved one. You can choose to take your bouquets home after the 11:00 service or bless someone else by having the bouquets delivered by United Women in Faith to persons in our congregation and community. We have two bouquets each Sunday (except for communion Sundays). The donation is $30 per bouquet. Sign up by tapping the link below. You may sign up for one or two bouquets per Sunday, and also for more than one Sunday. This is a wonderful way to bring beauty to the sanctuary and to share your special life event with others.

SIGN UP FOR ALTAR FLOWERS


HELPING HANDS MINISTRIES

If you, or someone you know, are in need of minor lawn maintenance (weeding, weed eating, trimming bushes, etc.), a ride to an appointment or church, minor plumbing work, or minor home repairs (a light fixture, electrical socket, light switch, etc. being changed) email Pastor Ben at . If you’d like to add your name to the Helping Hands Ministry team, please let Ben know.


GIVE BACK WHILE YOU SHOP
Did you know Fishers UMC is part of rewards programs at Kroger? Kroger gives to Fire & Water student ministries through your purchases-at no additional cost to you! It's quick and easy to set up Fishers UMC as your charity of choice on your Kroger Plus card, tap the link below and enter our number of SN812.

sign up kroger