Maundy Thursday and Good Friday Tenebrae - Live Stream
Mission Focus - Operation Backpack
Spring Graduates - Where are you?
MAP is back
Music...Just What the Doctor Ordered
Tiwana's Corner - All things Adult
JUMP Nehemiah Action Assembly
Ethnic Ministries Grant - Can You Relate? Workshop
Impact Avenues - Community Furniture Collection
Genealogy Interest Group - Find your roots
Downtown Conmnections - Evergy Plaza Events
AGO Organ Recital
Disciple of The Month - Laura Lutz

Complete Church Calendar

Hope to see everyone for Maundy Thursday service in the Chapel at 6:30, and the Tenebrae service on Good Friday at 7:30 in the Sanctuary.

If you're not able to make it, both services will be available on the live stream.

Each year Topeka North Outreach (TNO) delivers almost 38,000 weekend food sacks to local school kids during the school year AND summer.  The cost of each food sack increased 13% in the last year - from $3.67 to $4.15.  TNO relies entirely on donations and grants to cover the $157,000+ annual cost of food for these sacks.  In April we will be collecting money for TNO to help cover the cost of these food items.  Please look for the special envelopes at each service in April for this collection.  You can also send your check to the church (payable to Topeka First UMC with "TNO" in the memo). You can also donate online through Tithely by selecting Topeka North Outreach.

If you are a Topeka First member and will be a college or technical school graduate this spring please email, De at the front desk. We will need to know the graduate's name, school and degree. We will be recognizing our graduates in May.

In April, the Mobile Access Partnership - a coalition of multiple Topeka organizations that go throughout the city to provide services(showers, clothing, medical care, food, etc.) to our neighbors without homes - is resuming its non-winter operations. This means that we will begin hosting them in our parking lot again two days a month. In April, these days will be the 11th and the 13th. Many volunteers are needed in order for MAP to function well, and helping out with this amazing program is a great way to love others and work for the good of the city!   

There are 2 main ways to volunteer. You can volunteer to be a bathroom monitor, which involves letting people into the building who need to use the restroom, showing hospitality and friendliness to them, and making sure that our bathrooms are not being misused. This is an indoor, primarily seated job, and shifts are 1 hour long from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. If you would like to be a bathroom monitor, please email Pastor Karissa at karissa@forthegoodofthecity.org.   

The second volunteer option is to work in the parking lot and help people use the various services provided. This may involve wiping down the shower trailer between uses, serving hot meals, or handing out clothing. These volunteer positions have longer shifts and are scheduled through Kim Turley at the Topeka Rescue Mission. Please email her at kturley@trmonline.org if you would like to do one of these volunteer jobs.   

Blessings,

Karissa Miller

Associate Pastor Topeka First UMC 

 The annual “Music…Just What the Doctor Ordered!” fundraiser concert will take place in our Sanctuary on April 30th at 3 p.m.  Come and enjoy performances by many doctor musicians from the Topeka area, including our own…….(Grace Morrison) Proceeds benefit the Marian Clinic and the HealthAccess Program. There is no cost for tickets but there will be a freewill donation taken at the concert. 

Phase 2 Fellowship - Friday, April 21st, Tulip Time at Lake Shawnee  11:00 a.m.  We will meet up at Ensley Gardens at Lake Shawnee (3650 SE West Edge Rd) and tour the tulips. Then we will  head over to “The Shack” around noon to enjoy lunch together.

New Church Directory - For those who did not get their photo taken for the Church Directory there are 12 directories available for purchase at $10 each. Please email Tiwana if you would like to purchase one.     

You are invited to join together with over 1,000 congregants from 30 Topeka faith communities in pursuing justice at the Topeka JUMP (Justice, Unity & Ministry Project) Nehemiah Action Assembly that will be held at Washburn University's Lee Arena (1901 SW Mulvane St.) on May 1st at 7:00 p.m. This event is the culmination of a great deal of work that has been done throughout the year on various justice campaigns - payday loan reform in Kansas, reducing gun violence, affordable housing, and mental health crisis. It is an opportunity for us to get the attention of leaders in our community and to advocate for important changes that need to be made in order for our city to be more like the kingdom of God. The more people who are there, the greater our chances of influencing our leaders in positive ways for the sake of justice. Your presence matters! If you have any questions, please email karissa@forthegoodofthecity.org.  

On Wednesday, April 19th from 6:30-7:30 p.m., you won't want to miss this workshop led by Heidi Unruh and Joy Skjegstad, our ministry consultants for the Community Listening Process and the authors of the book, Real Connections: Ministries to Strengthen Church and Community Relationships. In this workshop, we will explore why it is important for us to focus on building relationships as a community of Jesus followers, how to talk to strangers and create new relationships, the qualities necessary for a meaningful relationship, and the unique gifts that each of us bring to relationship-building. The workshop will be offered in-person and on Zoom. For those in person, there will be snacks provided! If you would like to sign-up, please stop by the front desk, email karissa@forthegoodofthecity.org, or go to our website.  

We will be collecting furniture in our parking lot for Impact Avenues, an organization that helps students and their families obtain stable housing. They have a particular need for couches, dressers, chairs, dining room tables, and end tables. Please do not donate mattresses. If you are unable to get your furniture to the church during the hours of the collection due to physical limitations or to not having a large enough vehicle, please email karissa@forthegoodofthecity.org.  

Summer events are getting started at Evergy Plaza.  Click here for the Evergy Plaza calendar of events.

Laura is a lifelong Methodist, and has been a member of Topeka First since the mid-80s. She and her husband, Brian, were married here. They have two children, Preston (29) and Mallory (26). Laura works in Government Affairs for Evergy, and spends much of her time at the Kansas Capitol educating elected officials about the energy industry. Laura has loved being involved in a variety of activities at Topeka First, including many years playing in the bell choir; going on several youth mission trips with Mallory; teaching Sunday School when her kids were little; participating in adult Sunday School; serving communion; ushering; serving as chair of Leadership Council and being on Trustees and Memorial Committee and being involved with Cocoa, Cookies and Carols. She also serves on the board of the Family Service & Guidance Center Foundation; the Topeka Symphony; the Boy Scouts; and Shawnee Heights Public Schools Foundation. One of her favorite things about Topeka First is the music, as well as the Christmas Eve and Easter services.