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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230226T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230226T100000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230223T165557Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230223T194433Z
UID:15080-1677405600-1677405600@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:SEEKING: HONEST QUESTIONS FOR A DEEPER FAITH
DESCRIPTION:“Who Will You Listen To?” \nAre you distracted? What are the messages that fill your days? Do you listen to the demands of “do more” and “be more?” The season of Lent calls us to slow our pace\, make space for silence and reflection\, and have ears and hearts to listen to the still\, small voice of God. Our worship series for Lent is about the spiritual discipline of seeking and asking the questions that will lead us to a deeper faith. On this first Sunday of Lent\, we ask\, “Who will you listen to?” To be faith filled seekers we must maintain a posture of listening that allows us to stay open and curious rather than closed and calloused. Our Ash Wednesday worship was cancelled due to an ice storm. We will have an imposition of ashes as part of our worship. If you are joining us online\, please find something to symbolize ashes. Come\, worship and hear Love calling your name.   \nJoin us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am. Before you join us for in person worship\, please review our updated mask optional practice.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/seeking-honest-questions-for-a-deeper-faith/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/20230222_163432340_iOS-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230305T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230305T120000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230302T183857Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230305T145846Z
UID:15208-1678010400-1678017600@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Seeking: How do we begin again? 
DESCRIPTION:This Second Sunday of Lent\, two texts will guide our worship. The first featuring Abram and Sarai in Genesis Chapter 12. At the end of Genesis 11\, all things pointed to death for this couple\, and then in chapter 12 all things point towards life. In chapter 11 they were without direction. At the beginning of Chapter 12 they were called to new adventure. The rest of their lives would be spent seeking the God who first called them. In the gospel lesson\, Nicodemus comes seeking Jesus in the cover of night. Both men are Rabbi’s\, and Nicodemus is curious about Jesus’s teaching. The result is an invitation from Jesus to Nicodemus to be born again. In both texts God casts an invitation for new life. In Lent\, in all times really\, God casts an invitation to all for new life. Are you curious? May our worship be a time of seeking God’s newness\, to begin again.   \nJoin us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am. Before you join us for in person worship\, please review our updated mask optional practice.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/second-sunday-of-lent/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/20230222_163432340_iOS-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230312T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230312T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230309T211241Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230312T143026Z
UID:15322-1678615200-1678618800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:“Will You Give Me a Drink?”
DESCRIPTION:This third Sunday of lent Jesus crosses cultural\, religious\, and societal boundaries by leading his disciples through Samaria. In the heat of midday\, he seeks out connection with a Samaritan woman drawing water from the well. His command to her is also a question and an invitation to a new way of life: Will you give me a drink? For the woman\, to respond is risky but life-changing. This question creates a dialogue between them in which Jesus sees the woman fully; she leaves the well transformed. This week\, we might imagine ourselves at the well and as we do this\, we will engage with the living water during our worship celebration as the First Beats lead us musically. All will be invited to the fountain to remember that Jesus seeks us to be in a relationship of sacred mutuality. If you are worshipping from home\, make sure to have a bowl of water nearby. We will also be taking a loose change\, change the world offering for the UMCOR initiative of WASH that helps to provide clean water to communities. Let us come thirsty for the Living Water that Jesus provides.   \nJoin us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am. Before you join us for in person worship\, please review our updated mask optional practice.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/will-you-give-me-a-drink/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/20230308_184139895_iOS-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230319T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230319T170000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230316T172224Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230319T141658Z
UID:15500-1679220000-1679245200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Who sinned?
DESCRIPTION:In John 9:1-12\, we read about the transformative power of Jesus’ love and grace as he healed a man who was born blind. This story reminds us that just as Jesus healed the man in the story\, he can also heal us and open our eyes to the truth of his love and grace. Through prayer and reflection\, let us offer our praises and thanks to God for his blessings in our lives and for his healing power. \nWe have sinned. We put our heads in the sand. We ignored people in need. We make false assumptions and fail to be kind. We are in need of forgiveness. Good news! Our God is a merciful God. God does not punish\, hold grudges\, or keep score. When you suffer\, God weeps. When you sin\, God forgives. When you lose your way\, God comes running. \nThanks be to God for a love like that.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/who-sinned/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/4601BEE2-219F-4546-96EC-42D614725C81-1-scaled.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230326T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230326T170000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230323T171353Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230327T134211Z
UID:15630-1679824800-1679850000@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Can These Bones Live?
DESCRIPTION:In this Fifth Sunday of Lent\, we gather to remember and reflect on the powerful vision Ezekial experienced. He was led by God into a valley of dry bones\, and there\, amidst the lifeless remains\, God posed a crucial question to him\, “Can these bones live?” As Ezekial prophesied to these bones\, God commanded that they would be filled with the breath of life and come to know their Creator. \nThis compelling story invites us to ponder the abundance of life that God provides. Can we recognize the glimmers of God’s abundance in our present lives? Will we persist as we receive the resuscitating breath of life from God? Do we have faith that life is possible\, always? \nIn this season of Lent\, our journey of questioning and seeking may not always yield clear answers. However\, we are drawn ever closer to the sacred center\, the Source that is God\, and our hope is nourished. We are called to come together\, to experience\, celebrate\, and share God’s love this Sunday. \nJoin us as we delve into the mysteries and wonders of our faith\, seeking solace and inspiration from the story of Ezekial and the dry bones. Let us embrace the challenge of finding God’s abundance\, even in the most unexpected places\, and rejoice in the gift of life that our Creator so graciously bestows upon us. \nJoin us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am. Before you join us for in person worship\, please review our updated mask optional practice.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/can-these-bones-live/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/20230323_134634107_iOS-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230402T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230402T113000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230330T173831Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230401T201740Z
UID:15733-1680429600-1680435000@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Palm Sunday
DESCRIPTION:Seeking: Where are you headed?  \nIf you were raised in the church\, then this is not your first palm parade. If you have never been in the church on the Sunday before Easter you might find things a little more than out of the ordinary. What’s with the Palm Branches? What’s with the marching? By the end of this worship you may be thinking “What’s with all the celebrating one minute and the low hum of grief the next?” This is the tension of Palm and Passion Sunday. One moment we remember when crowds of people celebrated Jesus\, while the next moment we remember how they denied him as he made his way to the cross.   \nWhat may seem chaotic and disorienting is in fact deliberate. Jesus resolutely paraded into a place that would ultimately see to his crucifixion. Jesus continues to walk into the suffering of the world and invites us to follow trusting in the good news proclaimed in the text to the Philippians that death would not have the final word. Today in our worship we ask the question\, “Where is Jesus Headed?” The answer is “To the cross.” Which begs the follow up question\, “Where are we headed?”
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/palm-sunday/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/20230328_144306490_iOS-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230409T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230409T113000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230406T165151Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230408T200742Z
UID:15820-1681034400-1681039800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Easter Sunday: Who Are You Looking For?
DESCRIPTION:Join us this Sunday for Easter. April 9\, 10:00 a.m.\n\n\n\nAfter nights of deep darkness\, we come in the bright light of Easter morning and celebrate that Christ is risen indeed! Resurrection is possible. It is a glorious morning filled with tulips\, lilies\, brass and timpani\, voices raised in joy\, all proclaiming “Alleluia!” On this glorious morning let us listen for a stone rolled away and the sounds of new life. Let us hear death moved aside for the sounds of life\, wholeness\, and resurrection. Jesus is alive and together we will sing the “Hallelujah Chorus” once again.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/easter-sunday-who-are-you-looking-for/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Olive-Green-Fine-Line-Crucifix-Good-Friday-Instagram-Post-2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230416T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230416T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230413T212517Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230415T234309Z
UID:15899-1681639200-1681642800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Christ is Risen!
DESCRIPTION:Join us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am. Before you join us for in person worship\, please review our updated mask optional practice. \nEaster is now one week behind us. All the leftovers from Sunday’s ham dinner have long been consumed along with the chocolates from plastic eggs. And then we come into worship to see the word EASTER still written on our bulletins\, our liturgy yet proclaims “Christ is Risen!” and we continue with hymns singing of resurrection. Then we open our Bibles to the Gospel text for the day finding ourselves taken back in time where it is only evening of the day of Christ’s resurrection. The disciples are hiding in the upper room reeling from the events of the past three days. The women among them have spoken implausible things about an empty tomb and so they wait for confirmation\, for Jesus to appear to them…from behind the doors they have locked. We too wonder if resurrection is real\, if the tomb is truly empty and so we come to worship\, driven by our curiosities\, cautiously optimistic that like those earliest disciples Jesus will come to us. May it be so.  
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/christ-is-risen/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20230413_134922846_iOS-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230423T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230423T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230420T200003Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230423T134651Z
UID:16000-1682244000-1682247600@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:A Love That Makes Us Whole: A Sense of Place
DESCRIPTION:This Sunday we delve into the powerful story of the Road to Emmaus\, found in Luke 24:13-36. We’ll gather to reflect on the scripture where Jesus reveals himself to two of his followers\, offering hope\, healing\, and a sense of belonging. \nIn this passage\, the disciples Cleopas and an unnamed companion\, experience a profound transformation as they journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Engaged in conversation with the risen Christ\, they begin to understand the meaning behind the recent events in Jerusalem. Their hearts burn within them as Jesus opens the scriptures\, and they finally recognize him in the breaking of the bread. Through this transformative encounter\, we learn that Christ’s love accompanies us in our personal journeys\, providing guidance\, reassurance\, and a sense of belonging even during times of doubt and despair. \nJoin us this week in person or online at 10:00 AM for service! to immerse ourselves in the story of the Road to Emmaus and discover the love that makes us whole. All are welcome.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/a-love-that-makes-us-whole-a-sense-of-place/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20230419_141436004_iOS-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230430T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230430T113000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230427T154327Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230430T135955Z
UID:16089-1682848800-1682854200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:A Love That Makes Us Whole: Tender Mercies
DESCRIPTION:The Twenty-third Psalm is a great comfort to us as we imagine the green pastures and still waters. It also recalls the dark valleys and calls us into the not-so-easy practice of sitting down at the table with our enemies. A God of peaceful presence is with us in the good times and in the difficult times and invites us to be radically present to each other in the same way. This Sunday we celebrate the love of God that finds us just where we are and welcomes us into a love that makes us whole in tenderness and mercy. Our prayers will lead us into a time of anointing our foreheads as a sign of accepting the love that God offers and believing that surely goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives.  \nJoin us this week in person or online at 10:00 AM for service! to immerse ourselves in worship and discover the love that makes us whole. All are welcome.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/a-love-that-makes-us-whole-tender-mercies/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/e3bf1f12-fc9b-416d-ba6b-66eb171b9674.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230507T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230507T113000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230504T201221Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230506T202957Z
UID:16201-1683453600-1683459000@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:The New Storyteller
DESCRIPTION:There are many storytellers at work in this brief text from Acts chapter 7 that we will hear on this day in worship. The “old guard” storytellers casting stones at Stephen work to preserve an old narrative. The new storyteller\, Stephen is empowered by the Holy Spirit to tell a story of love and life and resurrection. Luke\, the gospel writer elevates Stephen’s martyred voice in the written word. And then there is the liturgy of our worship grounded in The Great Thanksgiving of our communion celebration telling the story of God’s work throughout human history and in our lives today. We\, the worshipers are challenged\, like Stephen to tell a new story which presses against an old narrative. The new story is one of love seemingly defeated and yet redeemed in resurrection. The old story rejects such powers and cowers behind fear and violence. On this fifth Sunday of Easter which story will you choose?  \nJoin us this week in person or online at 10:00 AM for service! to immerse ourselves in worship and discover the love that makes us whole. All are welcome.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/the-new-storyteller/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230504_144823817_iOS.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230514T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230514T120000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230511T175456Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230514T135156Z
UID:16270-1684058400-1684065600@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Advocate for Love
DESCRIPTION:“And I will ask the Father\, and he will give you another Advocate\, to be with you forever.” John 14: 16  \n An advocate is one who is called to the side of another as a source of help. Jesus calls the Spirit “another” advocate because through his life\, death\, and resurrection he is the first gift of love from God. The Spirit is then the way that this gift of love is given life in Eastertide\, the time after Easter. We often sing of the Spirit that is the wind beneath our wings\, giving us the capacity to arise and have a faith that is strong and free\, bringing gentleness and creativity to those we encounter and to our movements of love and faith. The Advocate is not only a source of help but completes the circle of love from God the Creator\, to Jesus the Redeemer\, to the Spirit that is Sustainer. Let us celebrate the Love that creates\, redeems and sustains us\, bringing us wholeness and abundant life.  \nJoin us this week in person or online at 10:00 AM for service! to immerse ourselves in worship and discover what being an advocate for love means. All are welcome.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/advocate-for-love/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/may14-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230521T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230521T130000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230518T150624Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230518T194710Z
UID:16388-1684663200-1684674000@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Confirmation and Ascension Sunday
DESCRIPTION:Join us this Sunday for a very Special day. On this day\, we will gather together to celebrate and acknowledge those who are taking a pivotal step in their spiritual journey. They have made the decision to affirm their faith\, and accepting the responsibilities and blessings of an active Christian life. It is a beautiful sight to witness the confirmation candidates\, having prepared themselves through prayer and study\, ready to affirm their faith in front of family\, friends\, and the wider church community. \nWhen a child is baptized the church promises to nurture\, love\, and pray for that child until the day when they make the decision for themselves to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Confirmation is the moment when the decision is made. And whether or not a young person chooses to be confirmed the promises of the church remain true. On this confirmation Sunday our gospel text is a prayer from Jesus\, to God. Jesus is asking God to protect the disciples\, the ones in whom he has poured all of his love and knowledge into that they may be his faithful witnesses after his death and resurrection. He prays that God protect them. He prays that they may be one. On this day in worship the church commits ourselves not only to those being confirmed but to all of our young people: that our Christian witness may protect them\, make them one\, and continue to nurture them as they grow to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/confirmation-and-ascension-sunday/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230517_193544920_iOS-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230528T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230528T113000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230525T182746Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230527T234922Z
UID:16424-1685268000-1685273400@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Pentecost
DESCRIPTION:Join us this Sunday in person or online at 10:00 am. Pentecost has arrived. It is the fiftieth day or the seventh Sunday from Easter Sunday \nAs modern Christians we observe Pentecost as a holiday\, not to celebrate a wheat harvest\, but to remember when the Holy Spirit invaded the church as the story is told in the second chapter of Acts. The Spirit is alive and moves among us as it did in the early church. We are a church that can proclaim resurrection hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. As the spirit is poured out\, the body of Christ moves and shifts and brings an amazing beauty to the world around us. Pentecost is an invitation to allow the wind of grace to carry us always. This wind of grace carries us into the world\, connecting us and offering whispers of restoration. It is Pentecost\, come Spirit of God and be our power and our life!
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/pentecost-2/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230523_194823578_iOS-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230601T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230601T113000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230601T223053Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230601T223125Z
UID:16535-1685613600-1685619000@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Trinity Sunday
DESCRIPTION:Join us this Sunday in person or online at 10:00 A.M \nWe’re reminded of Shadrach\, Meshach\, and Abednego’s courageous faith\, standing unflinching in the face of earthly power\, assured of God’s protection. As we delve into this Scripture\, we witness God’s deliverance from life’s fiery furnaces\, a testament to the divine protection available to all of us. \nIn this worship service\, we are called to reflect upon our own faith. Are we ready to stand firm\, like Shadrach\, Meshach\, and Abednego\, irrespective of the trials we face? Join us as we invite the Spirit of God to empower our faith and guide us through life’s challenges.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/trinity-sunday/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Cover_Art_June_04_2023-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230611T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230611T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230608T204446Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230608T204446Z
UID:16581-1686477600-1686481200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:PRIDE Sunday 
DESCRIPTION:Join us this Sunday in-person or online. \nOn this second Sunday after Pentecost\, we are reminded of the ways we might be filled with the sudden and fiery Spirit of God. \nArising from the spirit of bold resistance\, Pride month began through the action of trans women of color following a violent police raid on the Stonewall Inn in June of 1969. As a Reconciling Congregation we set a table of grace that welcomes all. \nWe believe the Spirit of God is poured out upon us\, each one\, and compels us to seek wholeness\, healing\, and vitality for all\, recognizing that “no one is free until we all are free” as Dr. Martin Luther King declared. Let us worship as an inclusive church that strives to embody and exemplify the kingdom of God. Please wear your rainbow colors as we celebrate.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/pride-sunday/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/20230606_221926619_iOS-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230618T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230618T113000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230615T143556Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230618T135310Z
UID:16640-1687082400-1687087800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Juneteenth and Graduation Sunday
DESCRIPTION:Nearly two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Emancipation Proclamation a Union general named Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston\, Texas to inform enslaved African Americans of their freedom. The date was June 19\, 1865. Ever since that moment black people in The United States have celebrated Juneteenth through prayers and worship\, with parades and picnics. With the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 and the energizing of the Black Lives Matter movement attention to the holiday became widespread and acknowledgement of black liberation became a prominent point of attention in our nation. In June 2021 President Biden declared Juneteenth to be a Federal Holiday. \nFUMC determined last summer that we would acknowledge Juneteenth in our worship and that we would set it aside as a time to reaffirm our own congregational commitment to antiracism. As Juneteenth celebrates the liberation of Black People from slavery\, Antiracism seeks the liberation of all people through the particular work of dismantling racism and its impact on our community and its institutions. \nThis Sunday in worship we will celebrate Juneteenth and our commitments to antiracism in liturgy\, in the sermon and in our hymns and we hope highlight the ways the gospel calls us to this work. \nWe will also celebrate our graduates this Sunday by hearing a bit about where they are heading and sending them off with a blessing. What a joyous day it will be in worship. Please join us!
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/juneteenth-and-graduation-sunday/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/20230613_185644533_iOS-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230625T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230625T113000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230622T173416Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230622T182053Z
UID:16694-1687687200-1687692600@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:The Call of Life  “Take the Plunge”
DESCRIPTION:The mission of Kalamazoo First United Methodist Church is to “Experience\, Celebrate and Share God’s Love. Our mission is love. Love is our calling and our vocation as individual participants of our church and as a body. \nIt is our strong conviction that God’s love changes us and has the capacity to change others who come alongside of God and our body of believers. If we immerse ourselves deeply into God’s love and grace then it means we will desire to turn away from sin and evil. We will want to live in harmony with God’s life-giving grace. Our baptism is an invitation to this immersion of love\, day by day\, breath by breath. Let us jump in and renew our faithfulness. \nJoin us this Sunday in-person or online!
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/the-call-of-life-take-the-plunge/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/20230621_131943523_iOS-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230702T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230702T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230630T135713Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230701T191343Z
UID:16711-1688292000-1688295600@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Representing
DESCRIPTION:“Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple — truly I tell you\, none of these will lose their reward.” ~Matthew 10:42  \nWhat are you thirsty for? What is the thirst of our neighbor\, our world? Thirst is your body’s way of telling you that you need more water. Thirst is a strong urge and at times a cup of cold water is just what our body demands. Perhaps\, you have eaten spicy or salty food\, or you have been in the heat or completed a good workout. Thirst will not stop its demand until it is quenched. Our spirits get thirsty as well. We thirst for righteousness\, justice\, hope\, or simply an act of kindness. The cup is a powerful symbol in Scripture and often means “all that we have” is given from the grace of God. We are to offer and receive the cup\, we are meant to acknowledge the thirst found in another and we are to take the cup of blessing offered by Jesus at the communion table. This giving and receiving of the cup is a sign of hospitality\, a welcome to another. As we worship\, let us receive the cup knowing we are welcomed by God and then turn offering this welcome to our neighbor. Let us experience God’s love!
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/representing/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/20230625_152513786_iOS-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230709T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230709T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230706T195956Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230706T205605Z
UID:16836-1688896800-1688900400@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:The Way of Jesus
DESCRIPTION:This week\, come be a part of the Second Sunday Worship Team’s service. Pastor Matt will be delivering a sermon called “The Way of Jesus\,” drawing from Matthew\, Chapter 11. \nAdditionally\, we are privileged to have Dr. Chalae Davis\, the Executive Director of ISAAC (Interfaith Strategy for Action and Advocacy in the Community)\, who will be discussing the ongoing justice efforts in Kalamazoo. \nWe will also be taking up a special “Change the World” collection during the service\, the proceeds of which will be used to fund our yearly membership dues for ISAAC.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/the-way-of-jesus/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/20230702_154157666_iOS_1-scaled.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230716T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230716T113000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230713T201113Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230713T201113Z
UID:16894-1689501600-1689507000@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:“The Reckless Sower”
DESCRIPTION:This week in worship Pastor Matt will be reflecting on the Parable of the Sower from Matthew chapter 13 and together we will wonder\, “whom or what is the parable about?” It is easy to decide that the Sower is God\, and we are the soil. But perhaps it’s not so cut and dry. \nAlso\, we’ll be celebrating the end of Mandakini Brophi’s two year run as the Youth and Young Adult Resident\, AND blessing the Kalamazoo Service Project team. Join us this Sunday. \nJoin Us this Sunday in person or online at 10 AM!
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/the-reckless-sower/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/f31935b0-6ed1-a771-1531-ac247c0cf713.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230723T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230723T113000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230720T163709Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230723T134947Z
UID:16969-1690106400-1690111800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:“The mystery of parable”
DESCRIPTION:Last Sunday\, we heard of the “Reckless Sower.” Today we hear the second of seven parables in the Gospel of Matthew\, chapter 13. This parable is also about farming and planting but is concerned with a hostile force who introduces weeds into the field. The challenge of weeds is real. Parables are a vehicle of teaching\, with the hope that the lesson is planted firmly within the heart. Hear this parable which reveals some of the character of God’s reign and of God’s saving work in the world.     \nHe put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep\, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat\, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain\, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him\, ‘Master\, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where\, then\, did these weeds come from?’ He answered\, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him\, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied\, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers\, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned\, but gather the wheat into my barn.'” Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him\, saying\, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered\, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world\, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one\, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age\, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire\, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels\, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers\, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire\, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!  \nThis is what the Spirit is saying to the church.  
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/the-mystery-of-parable/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/20230718_224516626_iOS-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230730T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230730T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230727T163446Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230730T134104Z
UID:17030-1690711200-1690714800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Elusive Kingdom
DESCRIPTION:The Kingdom of Heaven is like a free store where all are welcome\, all the treasures are free\, and abundance is experienced.     \nThe Gospel writer Matthew tells us that Jesus teaches that the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed\, like yeast\, like treasure hidden\, like a pearl\, like a net full of fish\, and treasure new and old. The realm of God is valuable\, it is ordinary and spectacular at the same time. They are stories about seeking\, finding\, paying attention\, and honoring God’s presence. As we worship this Sunday\, let us accept Jesus’ invitation to bring forth the kingdom. Please join us for our last hymn sing of July after worship in the sanctuary. Step out and grab a cup of coffee if you’d like and then we will gather around the piano. \nJoin us in person or online at 10 am this Sunday.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/elusive-kingdom/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/c-Mumma-071-7-23-23--scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230806T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230806T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230803T201758Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230806T133208Z
UID:17103-1691316000-1691319600@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:“Bless Me!”
DESCRIPTION:Join Us this Sunday in person or online at 10:00 am \nRev. Callie Plunket-Brewton writes this about Genesis 32: 22-31. “This is a profoundly mysterious story with numerous unanswerable questions. A lone human being wrestles through the night with a nameless antagonist and emerges from the night transformed—is one repeated so often in human experience that the reader scarcely realizes this is an ancient story. Because it involves the theme of human transformation\, it is a familiar and compelling narrative to people of all times.” Hear this story this morning that is familiar in both a Biblical context and also as a personal narrative.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/bless-me/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230802_150014797_iOS-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230813T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230813T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230810T192906Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230810T193727Z
UID:17211-1691920800-1691924400@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:God in the Storm
DESCRIPTION:Join us this Sunday at 10:00 AM in person or online! \nThis week\, we join the disciples on their journey of ministry following the feeding of the 5\,000. \nAs Jesus goes to pray\, they heed his instruction and set off in their boat on the Sea of Galilee\, heading towards Gennesaret where they will continue their work together. Once in open water\, the disciples encounter a great storm. Battered by the wind and waves and without their teacher\, they huddle in fear. Suddenly\, a figure approaches\, proclaiming himself to be Jesus\, walking on the water. In fear and disbelief\, Peter says to the figure\, “Lord\, if it is you\, command me to come to you on the water.” At Jesus’ call\, Peter steps out of the boat\, only to find himself sinking. Jesus immediately reaches out\, saving the “Peter of little faith.” \nTogether\, we will explore what it means to have faith in Jesus\, how we can confront the storms of life and ministry with God’s help\, and what our faith in action might look like. Come prepared to reflect\, rejoice\, and join in fellowship with God and one another!
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/god-in-the-storm/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230809_143244562_iOS-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230820T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230820T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230817T210026Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230817T210207Z
UID:17327-1692525600-1692529200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Genesis 45:1-15
DESCRIPTION:In this passage\, Joseph reveals his true identity to his brothers. They had sold him into slavery many years earlier out of jealousy\, thinking they had rid themselves of him for good. However\, through a series of events\, Joseph had risen to a position of great power in Egypt\, becoming the second-in-command to Pharaoh. \nWhen a famine strikes the region\, Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt seeking food. Joseph recognizes them but they do not recognize him. After testing them over a few encounters\, in this chapter\, Joseph can no longer contain his emotions and makes himself known to his brothers. \nOverwhelmed with emotion\, Joseph weeps loudly enough that the Egyptians in the palace hear him. He tells his brothers not to be distressed or angry with themselves for selling him into slavery\, asserting that it was God’s plan to send him ahead of them to save lives in the face of the devastating famine. \nJoseph’s revelation is met with shock and disbelief by his brothers. However\, after their initial surprise\, Joseph reassures them of his love and forgives them for their past actions. He encourages them to bring their father Jacob and the rest of their families to Egypt where he would provide for them. \nThis chapter highlights themes of forgiveness\, providence\, and reconciliation\, showcasing the transformation of a family torn apart by jealousy and betrayal into one that is united and cared for.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/genesis-451-15/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Service-Reminder-7.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230827T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230827T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230824T204141Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230827T135329Z
UID:17422-1693130400-1693134000@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Exodus 1:8-2:10
DESCRIPTION:Last week we heard the narrative of Joseph at the end of the Book of Genesis. It was a narrative culminating in God’s newness\, abundance\, safety\, and a promise of wellness for Joseph and his family. \nThis Sunday we find ourselves at the beginning of Exodus the story picks up and we find Joseph’s descendants are enslaved and oppressed. What happened? A new Pharaoh happened. And this new Pharaoh didn’t know the God of Joseph and did not remember how God used Joseph for the good of Egypt. Even more\, this new Pharaoh was fearful of Joseph’s descendants and so enslaved them. The new Pharaoh had become forgetful of God\, fearful of the people\, and so created an oppressive system. This is the modern formula for injustice: when people of power are forgetful of God\, fearful of people\, and so create oppressive systems. In the Exodus story some unlikely heroes emerged – midwives practicing civil disobedience in the face of Pharaoh’s injustice.  And God is always raising up unlikely subversive heroes in the midst of injustice.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/exodus-18-210/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230823_182847099_iOS-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230903T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230903T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230831T161945Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230903T135610Z
UID:17525-1693735200-1693738800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:“Love Opens the Door”
DESCRIPTION:Join us this Sunday in-person or online at 10 AM \nWe are called to: Experience God’s love. Celebrate God’s love. Share God’s love. This is the mission of Kalamazoo First United Methodist Church that was discerned by church leadership in 2001. Since this time\, we have been discerning and discovering how it is that we are called\, marked and defined by the love of God. As we celebrate Labor Day this weekend\, we remember the works of labor that have contributed to the development of our society. As we worship this Sunday\, let us re-commit ourselves to the labors of love that transform our lives. May we present ourselves to the God of Love as a living sanctuary to be renewed and dedicated to a transforming love that delights God and brings a sense of wholeness and goodness. Let us be a labor of love with God\, for God and in God. 
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/love-opens-the-door/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230910T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230910T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230907T165648Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230907T182850Z
UID:17630-1694340000-1694343600@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Rejoice Sunday
DESCRIPTION:On REJOICE SUNDAY we celebrate and we anticipate all that God will accomplish in and through First UMC in the days ahead. We lift up our mission to EXPERIENCE\, CELEBRATE\, and to SHARE God’s love. We make a conscious choice among all the other choices available to come together as the church. So what makes us the church? What makes us unique from all the other forms of community available to us? The answer is JESUS. Simple right? Well\, maybe. When Jesus asked Peter “Who do you say that I am” he confessed\, “You are the Messiah.” For this Peter was blessed and given the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. \nThe question becomes for the church\, “Who do we say Jesus is?” Our answer to the question has everything to do with how will live\, and specifically\, how we will be a visible alternative to all other choices for community.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/rejoice-sunday-2/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/20230905_172436922_iOS-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20230924T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20230924T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192026
CREATED:20230921T164332Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230922T130055Z
UID:17784-1695549600-1695553200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:God Sized Vision & Provision
DESCRIPTION:The first week of our worship series\, “Braiding Our Stories: Aligning our Values\, Vision\, Mission\, and Generosity” finds us in the Book of Exodus discovering the gifts of God’s provisions. This portion of the Exodus story reveals a people who are distraught with the worry of how they might survive. Their doubts grow and they begin to complain to their leaders. God listens and answers their concerns. As we begin a discerning process for the future of Kalamazoo First United Methodist Church\, let us open our hearts to the question of “what is God doing?” and then listen carefully. Come\, celebrate that God is love.     \nThis week\, we particularly want to spotlight the Altar visual. Much like our new worship series\, the altar is undergoing a series of transformations\, culminating in its final form to be unveiled on October 21st at our workshop. On the altar this week\, you’ll find individual pieces of fabric/cloth. Each originates from different places\, served its own unique purpose\, and holds its own distinct story. What will this pieces become? \n 
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/god-sized-vision-provision/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/20230919_183317666_iOS-scaled.jpg
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END:VCALENDAR