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West Side Weekly - April 4, 2024
Published about 1 month ago • 9 min read
Me & Lili Calvo the Easter Bunny at our Easter Eggstravaganza!
...and the following classic Easter jokes were left for us on the back of the sign-in pads! Thank you Leigh Schroeder!
We are so thankful for all of the volunteers who made our Easter weekend happen! Attendance was booming at Good Friday, the Easter egg hunt (even with the rain!) and of course for Easter Sunday! And please give an extra special thanks to Jacob, our much-loved Music Director - for the time, passion and recruitment he put into both Good Friday and Easter Sunday worship! Hopefully we will have a video of both of those services available soon!
The month of April we will be focused on our AccessAbility Capital Campaign. You will hear some testimonies from folks sharing about how West Side makes a difference in their lives, hear some sermons inspiring us about God's vision for West Side, and a pledge card will be mailed out this month as well. Our shared prayer is: "Lord what do you want to do through me?" And I want to thank our prayer team for making calls this past month - it was a blessing to connect and re-connect with so many folks! Many prayers were shared with Pastor Sam and I.
Save the dates:
April 28 - after worship we will offer the opportunity for a Q&A about our plans for the funds raised via the AccessAbility campaign
May 5 - pledge cards will be turned in and we invite you to join us for a Celebration Luncheon after worship!
Here's our first testimony about the impact of West Side Church in people's lives:
West Side UMC has been a very special place in our lives for the past 43 years. We were attracted to West Side because of its intergenerational and friendly congregation. Our lives have been blessed by friendships with people we likely never would have encountered if we hadn’t been members and regular attenders at West Side. Our faith has been strengthened through bible study, music, mission projects and pastoral guidance. We have gladly donated our time and resources to projects that will make our West Side Congregation a viable presence in our community. We are grateful for the love and support we continue to receive through West Side UMC.
~ Marilyn & Duane Kirking
If you would like to share a story or "testify" to the impact of West Side in your life, please send/email/voicemail me a message, and we'll print it in the Weekly!
On the way there,
Pastor Adam
The cold and the rain could not stop the fun at our Easter Eggstravaganza! Having the event indoors allowed over a hundred people to check out our church. Kids had a blast searching for eggs, doing crafts, and playing games in the fellowship hall. Thank you so much to all the volunteers who helped put a smile on so many faces this past Saturday! 1,700 eggs went out the door with happy children! Enjoy the pictures. Since we couldn't have the giant bounce house up due to the rain, we have it available for kids to bounce in after church this Sunday, April 7th.
Children's Church Volunteers Needed
We need your help making Sunday School happen! Please sign up here or at the children's welcome table near the entrance to help teach or assist with the elementary class or hang out in the nursery on Sunday. All volunteers are required to have a background check.
Young Adult Small Group Lunch April 14th No matter what you believe or don't believe or how you identify, join our young adult small group for conversation and fellowship at Union Rec from 12:15-1:30.
Youth Group with First UMC @West Side April 28th
If you are in 6th-12th grade, join us here at West Side from 6-8pm for a pizza party, 9 Square, pickleball, and campfire hangout. Invite friends
It's not too late to sign up for a Summer Service Trip with First UMC! Check out the link for more details. I will not be attending this trip. However, youth from the West Side are still encouraged to attend if they would like to go. We also offer youth scholarship money to make the trip more affordable. The deadline is marked for the end of March, but they are taking registrations through the end of this month.
Volunteers Needed As your lay leader, I want to make you aware of some areas where we need some volunteers.
Coffee Hour
We are blessed to have a small group that makes sure we have snacks & beverages for coffee hour after worship each Sunday when no one has signed up to host. If you enjoy these goodies & time of fellowship, please take a look at the sign up sheet in the hospitality/welcome area to see which Sundays are open. You don’t have to provide homemade items, store bought food is also an option. If you have interest or questions, please contact Kendra Brewer 734 645 5378
Worship Leader
The worship leader is another position we need volunteers to sign up on a sheet in the welcome area. The worship leader will usually read the scriptures & lead the responsive readings. Pastor Adam can tell you more about this position at 734 663-4164
Sunday School/Nursery
Our children need you to help in their Christian education program & to keep the younger ones so that their parents get an opportunity to part in the worship service. This is not an every Sunday commitment. Contact Pastor Sam at 734 663-4164 for more information. Funeral Luncheons/Provide a meal to someone in need
We could also use some more names to help out with funeral luncheons or to provide a meal to someone in need. For funeral luncheons, we ask the family to provide food that is catered and we provide the personnel to set up, serve and clean up at the luncheon. Pastor Adam will use this list of funeral luncheon volunteers to see who is available to help the family plan and staff the luncheon during this significant event in their lives.
For those needing a meal, the volunteer would provide & deliver a meal to the person in need. If you want to volunteer to be on a call list to provide a meal or have questions, please contact Marilyn Kirking @ 734 358 7985 or mkirking@umich.edu Thanks for your help,
Get ready for another wild ride with some very interesting women of the Bible. We will finish the book on Wednesday, May 15th at 10:30 AM. We gather around the fire place in the hospitality area and study a different woman each week. If you have to miss a session, that’s ok.
This class is an 8 week class filled with laughter and discovery. It’s very informal and the discussions are lively. If you ever thought you might like to try a Bible study, but were afraid, thinking you didn’t know enough or you don’t have time for a lot of homework, this is the study for you!
The book is available on Amazon for around $13 and I have found 4 used books that I have put in the office. They are free to the first 4 people who want one. Please call Betsy Doepken (317-437-0971) to have any questions answered.
If you would like to include a prayer concern to be listed in this section of our Weekly email, please email the church office with the name, and if you would like, you may add a brief description, eg. surgery, cancer diagnosis, death in the family, etc. This concern will be listed for 8 weeks. You can request the office to leave the name on the list for a longer period as well.
Andy Siddall (Tom Hams’ nephew)
Fay Cozadd
West Side Bookworms
The West Side Bookworms will be meeting on Thursday, May 2nd at 10am. Please join us around the fireplace to discuss The Alice Network by Kate Quinn. Need a copy? Call Betsy Doepken at 317-374-0971
May 2 The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
June 6 Throwaway Children by Diney Costeloe
NO MEETING JULY 4
Aug. 8 The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck
Our April, 2024 book will be: How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith.
Goodreads summary: “Beginning in his own hometown of New Orleans, Clint Smith leads the reader through an unforgettable tour of monuments and landmarks-those that are honest about the past and those that are not-that offer an intergenerational story of how slavery has been central in shaping our nation's collective history, and ourselves.”
This book is available on Audible, Kindle, new in hardback through Thrift Books on-line or Amazon, local bookstores in Ann Arbor and through Ann Arbor District Library.
Because we have Westside friends that are no longer in Ann Arbor, we will continue to have our discussions via zoom. Please join us on ZOOM in April as we continue reading and learning about Social Justice in our world.
If you have any questions at all, please contact Cindy Heflin Pelo at heflincl@gmail.com or Ann Andraska at yellowstonefun4@gmail.com
Library Book of the Week
In the eastern highlands of Charlevoix County is a beautiful, spring-fed lake with a fascinating history. Traditionally called Thumb Lake, and possibly by its Ottawa equivalent - Gitcha-Ninj Nebish, for over sixty years many have called it Lake Louise.
The book relates stories of pioneer families who settled at the lake following the Civil War and the lore of Thumb Lake's lumbering era. After the hills were stripped of their timber, a wealthy industrialist bought the cutover land around the lake. Spring-fed Waters tells of the gift of the vast tract to the Methodist churches of Michigan; how Lake Louise Christian Community came into being in 1934; and how the lake is rich in memory for thousands who have attended Lake Louise United Methodist Camp and Retreat Center, Camp Kinawind (United Methodist), Lake Louise Baptist Camp, and the former Camp Jeffery (Presbyterian).
Crafty Christians
Bring yourself, a craft or a coloring page for a fun time! We meet Fridays from 11am-1pm. All are welcomed for fellowship and laughter. Please contact Judy Smith with any questions.
April
Community Offering:
Growing Hope
Growing Hope fosters an equitable and sustainable local food system where all people are empowered to grow, sell, buy, prepare, and eat nourishing food.
Ypsilanti is a community where all people–particularly those with barriers due to race, class, culture, language, ability, and mobility–have access to nourishing local food that is culturally appropriate and affordable, can grow and prepare their own harvests, and may earn a living as a food grower, producer, or entrepreneur.
Growing Hope distinguishes itself in the realm of food justice and food access, addressing our food system’s most pressing challenges by advocating at a local and regional level and implementing innovative solutions. In 2006, Growing Hope ensured that the Ypsilanti Farmers Market was a pioneer as we became one of the first farmers markets in Michigan to accept food assistance as a form of payment, and we continue to advocate for food assistance expansion throughout the state.
Supporting Growing Hope and the Ypsilanti Farmers Markets helps ensure finances are not a barrier to accessing life-sustaining, fresh food.
Church Calendar
To stay up to date on what is going on at West Side, check out our calendar. Please contact the church office to schedule a room for a meeting or event.
Frank J. Siller April 30, 1930 - September 2, 2022 Nancy Brewer January 14, 1944 - September 2, 2022 Judith Oakes Fraleigh November 21, 1935 - January 18, 2023 Edith Laura Semark August 18, 1934 - February 3, 2023 Trenna Elizabeth Garner January 8, 1935 - January 14, 2023 Carol Kreischer December 28, 1930 - February 25, 2023 Joyce Weldon Clark September 28, 1935 - February 27, 2023 Richard "Rip" Kinney March 17, 1934 - April 21, 2023
Graham Robert Putnam April 11, 1947 - October 31, 2023
Stephen Lacoe February 10, 1936 - February 15, 2024
Marguerite Fisher November 21, 1923 - February 16, 2024
Giving Generously & Virtually
If you are able to, please consider giving virtually in the upcoming weeks by visiting our giving tab from our website here, or using our text-to-give function (instructions on how to do this can be found here). Thanks for all that you do to support the West Side family!
Pastor Adam Bissell adam@westside-umc.org Associate Pastor Samantha Tidball samantha@westside-umc.org Director of Music Ministries Jacob Carroll jacob@westside-umc.org
Office Manager Lisa Mayne westside@westside-umc.org Church Office Hours - Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 10am-2pm 900 S. Seventh St Ann Arbor, MI 48103 734-663-4164
This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. -Jeremiah 6:16a
West Side is a church that provides a variety of spiritual growth opportunities and experiences. We recognize that there is no “one size fits all,” when it comes to how people live out their spiritual journeys. Subscribe to stay up to date on all the exciting things going on at West Side.
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