Greetings Topeka First UMC,

I hope that you are having a great week!

Construction continues here at the church. Carpet is installed in the sanctuary, painting is beginning in the Celebration Room, the brick walls in Klasse Chapel have been painted, and some carpet has been put down in the basement at the bottom of the stairs. More work begins next week in the Klasse Chapel.

The sermon theme this week is "Community of Love and Forgiveness." I’ll preach the same sermon during the 8:15 am service in the Klasse Chapel and also at 10:30 am at Evergy Plaza. This Sunday is the last 8:15 am service in the Klasse Chapel before the remodel ramps up next week!

This Sunday is World Communion Sunday and St. John’s AME, Grace Cathedral, and First Presbyterian church will be in communion with us. The service at 10:30 am is at Evergy Plaza. There is parking in the parking garage to the East of Evergy Plaza in addition to spots along the street. Chairs are provided but you're welcome to bring lawn chairs instead. Additionally, there will be a coffee truck and light snacks (both complimentary) before & during the service!

There are no Sunday School classes meeting this Sunday although we will still offer nursery from 9 am - 11:30 am in our church building.

Next Wednesday, Oct. 8, in addition to the meal at 6 pm, activities at 6:30 pm include the Practicing Hope class led by Laura Reiman; youth group; and Wednesday Kids. Since the Disciple Fast Track evening class isn't meeting, I'll be leading a discussion! With so many disturbing events happening in our world today, there becomes a question of the role of the church. To address this question, I will be hosting 2 dialogue events. To facilitate healthy conversation, I will be using a dialogue guide from the National Issues Forum. The dialogue guide is titled, "The Church's Role in a Divided Society." The dates of the dialogue events are:  

Wednesday, October 8, at 6:30 pm (plan to eat with us at 6 pm!) or Thursday, October 16 at 10 am

There is a 4-page guide that you’ll need to read prior to the dialogue events. Please sign up by sending an email to Shawna (shawna@fumctopeka.org) and she’ll send you the guide. If you’d prefer to pick up a copy of the guide, please let Shawna know and plan to pick up the guide on Sunday early next week.

See you Sunday

Pastor Brad