APRIL, 2024
Dear First Wausau Family of Faith,
Christ is Risen! As we step into springtime, the cool, dark, moist soil is preparing to turn seeds into sprouts that will grow and bear fruit. What has been buried through a long, dark winter will soon bloom. As Easter People, we are reminded to look for the ways that Christ has risen in and through each of us. As we pray with Jesus’ resurrection power, the darkness we may have endured will break into a new dawn. The cold hardness we see will soften with the warmth of God’s love and grace.
Like an echo of the new life of Jesus’ resurrection, April is a month that invites us to see the ways and places that God is doing a new thing and inviting us to grow in new ways. As the “snowbirds” return to the area and the risks of driving and walking in the winter weather ease up, I hope you will join us for worship and other opportunities to deepen your spiritual roots and widen the kind reach of your hands. In addition to several wonderful ongoing groups, I would like to highlight two special nights that I believe can help you grow in your faith, hope, and love.
On Monday, April 15 at 7pm, Rev. Forrest Wells, a retired UM pastor and district superintendent, will be coming to our church to share his stories and pictures of his trip to the Holy Land in March. Forrest has been on over two dozen trips to Israel and Palestine over the years, and bravely went back in the midst of the war between Israel and Hamas that has been tearing a delicate and diverse region to pieces. Watching the news causes us to feel awful, helpless, and often confused. Please come and listen and see Forrest’s insights which can inspire our faith and action to bring a lasting peace.
The next evening, Tuesday, April 16 at 7pm, New Beginnings for Refugees will be hosting an inspirational movie called The Swimmers at the Grand Theater. This movie is based on the true story of Syrian sisters who have to leave their family to escape their war-torn country and follows their harrowing journey toward safety
While still navigating the difficult immigration system, they are given the opportunity to demonstrate a gift their father, a swimming coach, helped them develop. 100% of donations will go to help New Beginnings provide for a wide variety of needs for our new neighbors, and you can learn how to make a world of difference for people who have endured more than we can imagine, often with gifts and talents to inspire the world.
Please invite your friends and neighbors to join you for these two events, as well as to Sunday worship. As we gather, we can be guided to some of the many ways that Christ ’s resurrection power can live in and work through you! Grace and Peace, Pastor Rebecca
With Christ’s Love,
Pastor Rebecca
