Pastoral Update
Last Sunday, March 13, the Staff-Pastor-Parish Committee and the Pastoral Search Team announced they had unanimously approved the intention of Bishop David Bard to appoint Pastor Jason Steffenhagen our new pastor as of Sunday, May 1. During an extensive interview, it became clear that he was a perfect fit for Peace Community of Faith spiritually, theologically, and personally. Pastor Jason is currently serving as an associate pastor at The Well UMC in Rosemount. Read more about Jason here. Please help us welcome Pastor Jason and his family to Peace on Sunday morning, May 1.
Pastor Gary, as you know, is retiring on April 30. To help him celebrate, Peace is hosting a benefit concert for OutFront Minnesota featuring Bobby Jo Valentine on Saturday, March 26. If this special event isn’t on your calendar yet, get it there fast–it’s only 2 1/2 weeks away now! He would love to see all of you there supporting OutFront and enjoying Bobby Jo’s meaningful and inspiring music. We are pleased that Bobby Jo will also join us at worship on Sunday morning, March 27.
Easter Flowers
We are pleased to provide you with a variety of options from Hummingbird Floral to help us decorate the sanctuary for Affirm Sunday and Easter Sunday this year.
Please submit your orders no later than April 3 so your flowers will be here in time! Use the attached order form to tell us what kind of plant(s) you want; then either
- Mail the form and your check to the church, or
- Leave the form with your payment in the offering plate by Sunday, April 3.
You may pick up your plant after Easter worship on April 17.
Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign
Ralph Reeder Food Shelf invites you to participate by joining your co-workers, friends and neighbors in collecting donations. Your efforts will provide food and other programming and services for nearly 3000 children, adults and seniors that receive services from the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf each month.
How can you help? Drop off food and hygiene products at the Food Shelf, 2544 Mounds View Blvd,
Mounds View, MN, 55112, by April 11. Drop-off times are Monday-Friday, 9 am to noon or by appointment (651-621-6282). Or donate funds online.
Women Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet!
This is the subject of the Women’s History Month Zoom event sponsored by the Northeast Metro Climate Action. It features Rebecca Otto, former Minnesota State Auditor, and Nicole Rom, founding Executive Director of Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy, a nonprofit dedicated to engaging individuals and their communities in equitable solutions to climate change. Join in online on March 24 at 7 pm at tinyurl.com/NEMCA3-24-22.
Red Cross Blood Drive Coming to Peace
Sign up now to donate blood on Friday, March 25, between noon and 6 pm, in the Peace Commons. Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter “Peace United Methodist Church” to schedule an appointment.
Women’s History Month
Consider boosting your reading for Women’s History Month with books from Wood Lake Publishing. Find titles like these:
Annie Ruth’s Truths – Rarely do we see in print the wisdom and wit of Christian African-American female elders. These expressions are a creative response to the soul challenges of rural country life lived in the American Deep South.
Activist Alphabet – “How does it happen that a rather shy and not-terribly-brave individual finds herself getting arrested on Parliament Hill? Why does a woman who prefers to commune with pole beans all summer end up laboriously writing speeches to present at City Hall? There is no need for this. I am 74 years old, elderly. It would be more suitable for me to spend my remaining days quietly reading novels than singing protest songs. What happened?”
Good Neighbor Meals
Indoor dining will resume in April, and so volunteers may sign up for one or both time slots (prep from 9-11 am, and/or serve and clean up from 11 am-1:30 pm). To help at the next meal, or if you have already signed up for a meal in April or beyond, please check Sign-up Genius to make sure you are still signed up, and for the right time(s).
Bobby Jo Valentine: Did You Know?
New Year resolutions are the inspiration behind his hit, “Something You Happen To.”
We’ve reached full sponsorship of his March 26 concert at Peace! Anything you donate now toward sponsorship will be added to the funds collected at the concert to benefit OutFront Minnesota. Complete concert details (including a link for online donations) are posted on a special website page at https://peaceumc.com/staging/8882/bobby-jo-valentine-concert/.
Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine through UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief)
United Methodists and others wishing to provide humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian people in the wake of the Russian invasion of their country may contribute to Advance #982450, UMCOR International Disaster Response and Recovery. This fund will provide direct assistance to those in Ukraine as well as assistance to Ukrainians fleeing to neighboring countries.
Gifts to support the people of Ukraine can be made in the following ways:
- Online at https://umcmission.org/advance-project/982450
- By toll-free telephone: 888-252-6174
- By check made out to Global Ministries/UMCOR with “Advance #982450-Ukraine” written on the memo line, either mailed and addressed to Global Ministries/UMCOR, GPO, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY, 10087-9068 or given at or through any United Methodist church
One hundred percent of all Advance contributions go to the designated cause.
The United Methodist community in Ukraine, though quite small, is actively engaged in assisting neighbors in need. Global Ministries is in touch with the church’s leadership as well as with church leaders in countries welcoming those who are fleeing from violence in Ukraine.
Funding US-based Charities Engaged in Ukrainian Relief Efforts (Bank of America)
Since the start of the armed conflict in Ukraine, the Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund has seen our donors quickly stepping forward to lend their support for Ukrainian humanitarian relief and recovery efforts. As an additional resource for our donors, we are pleased to share a short roster of U.S.-based charities engaged in this important work.
- HAIS Inc.- https://www.hias.org/ EIN: 13-5633307
- CARE- https://www.care.org/about-us/contact-us/ (They have a specific Ukraine Crisis Fund.) EIN: 13-1685039
- United States Association for UNHCR- https://www.unrefugees.org/ EIN: 52-1662800
- United Help Ukraine- https://unitedhelpukraine.org/ EIN: 47-1837509
- World Central Kitchen- https://wck.org/ EIN: 27-3521132
- NOVA UKRAINE- https://novaukraine.org/ EIN: 46-5335435
- International Rescue Committee, Inc.- https://www.rescue.org/ EIN: 13-5660870
These charities have been culled from the list of Charity Navigator’s most highly rated charities providing humanitarian relief and recovery effort, all of which are in good standing with the IRS as 501 (c)(3) public charities. Charity Navigator is a public charity specializing in providing assessment and ratings of nonprofit providers to donors. These charities have been supported by our current donors targeting their grants for Ukrainian relief efforts.
Feed My Starving Children
Many of you are familiar with this well-respected organization partnering with groups all over the world to supply nutritious and much-needed food. Here’s a short message from its CEO on their work in Ukraine. Donate at fmsc.org.