BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//First United Methodist Church of Kalamazoo - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://umc-kzo.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for First United Methodist Church of Kalamazoo
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/Detroit
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20200308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20201101T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20210314T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20211107T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20220313T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20221106T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210606T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210606T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210601T131723Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210605T224134Z
UID:3479-1622973600-1622977200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Doing Prayer
DESCRIPTION:This Sunday we explore living by a spirit that calls us to adventure beyond the spoken prayer and embrace that every moment has potential to be holy as we become prayer. Doing prayer means we are desiring to find the place that we are most ourselves and God is fully present. Doing prayer can be intentional or spontaneous and should be approached with delight and expectation. As we explore doing prayer\, let us be led by the Spirit of God and discover ways that our prayers might be more intentional and consecrated. Even our mission statement proclaims doing prayer by experiencing\, celebrating and sharing God’s love. Join us for worship! Note: It is a communion Sunday\, please bring juice and bread to your worship space if you are able.  \nOn Sunday\, June 6\, we will also offer communion in the picnic table yard after Worship and Watch concludes and until 11:45am. Please join us in the breaking of the bread and the sharing of the cup\, remembering that we are the bread and the love freely poured out in the world in the name of the Christ who redeems. \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/second-sunday-of-pentecost-doing-prayer/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/prayer-1308663_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210606T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210606T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210605T205559Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210701T190152Z
UID:3541-1622973600-1622977200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Worship at FUMC
DESCRIPTION:You are invited to join us on Sunday mornings at 10am for worship in the sanctuary. We ask that those who join us wear a mask and arrive at least a few minutes early to sign in at the doors off the parking lot. Please keep space from one another in the sanctuary and\, as you exit\, please use the Park Street doors and visit in the yard or parking lot. Ms. Julia\, Grandma Joyce or other approved adults will be on the playground for families who would like to bring their children for the fellowship of play. Children are welcome in the sanctuary as well.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/worship-and-watch/
LOCATION:MI
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Balcony.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210606T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210606T120000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210524T182123Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210605T204103Z
UID:3321-1622977200-1622980800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Sunday Morning Class: French or Foe? Cultural Competence for Christians
DESCRIPTION:Join us on Sunday mornings in June at 11:15am! Class is available in person in the parlor or online via Zoom. \nWe want to be a welcoming congregation\, and we’re pretty good at welcoming people like us. How do we extend the idea of Christ-like hospitality to people who aren’t like us? Cultural competence means appreciating and effectively interacting with people of backgrounds different than our own. The class will focus on a different culture each week that is represented in the Kalamazoo community. How do we reach out to those in our midst who see the world differently? Carol Hodges will lead this four week class. For the Zoom link\, please click here to contact Carol.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/sunday-morning-class-french-or-foe-cultural-competence-for-christians/
LOCATION:MI
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/FrenchOrFoe-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210613T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210613T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210607T155105Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210612T211310Z
UID:3568-1623578400-1623582000@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Walking Prayers
DESCRIPTION:You’re invited to join us for Coffeehouse Worship! \nSo if anyone is in Christ\, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see\, everything has become new. \nOur theme for worship is this week is “Doing Prayer” with an emphasis on “Walking Prayer.” This is not praying while walking\, rather\, setting the intention of our walking in and of itself being an act of prayer. This means paying attention to the holiness around us while walking\, and being open to an encounter with the living God while walking. In accordance with our text for the day is being open to the newness of God\, or walking into the newness of God at work around us. Join us and learn how to turn your walking into prayer. We also celebrate and bless our graduates this Sunday and we celebrate Pride Month.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/walking-prayers/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/dawn-1840298_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210620T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210620T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210607T180712Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210619T175830Z
UID:3571-1624183200-1624186800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Making Art
DESCRIPTION:We worship a creating God who calls us into this same creative\, spiritual energy. Creativity comes from God and is expressed in a myriad of ways and means. Children have this distinctive sense that they are creative and will find ways to express themselves. The trouble is that as we age\, we are often not encouraged to continue to be creative without having to become an expert. Let the children lead us into re-discovering our imagination. Author Kristen Johnson Ingram writes\, “When you long to create something visual and tangible\, I think that impulse comes straight from the Holy Spirit\, who fills us with life and expectation and invention. Art doesn’t require expensive materials or a background in painting or sculpture. Art as prayer demands only two things: intention\, of course\, and the belief that God gives you the ability to create.” Let us begin the work\, knowing and trusting that God will be with us. Let us worship our creating God.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/making-art/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/hand-84613_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210627T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210627T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210621T190818Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210627T135206Z
UID:3679-1624788000-1624791600@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Sacred Healing
DESCRIPTION:“Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!” \nI spent a week at Wesley Woods High School Camp recently with a large group of teenagers and every morning and evening we sang. (Don’t worry\, we were outside and a strong majority were vaccinated!) We sang contemporary worship songs by the fire with guitars and we sang “Amazing Grace” a cappella. One of our staff members shared with me that he was not much of a singer\, but for some reason\, the singing drove him to tears (he’s also not much of a crier). A most memorable moment of singing came on the Friday Night after party. We strung lights and lit up balloons by the lake front at midnight and had a Par-ty! And when a certain Taylor Swift tune came on\, every kid on the shore belted it out word for word. These were all acts of prayer. I don’t know if they all consciously knew they were acts of prayer\, but I am clear that God was there in those moments. It was prayer. It was also prayer when we stopped and listened to the bullfrogs in the evening when the sun went down and then again when we covered a slip-n-slide with shaving cream (yes…). Prayer is singing and prayer is listening\, as author Kristen Johnson Ingram reminds us. This week in worship we will look at moments when scripture points us to this truth\, and examine how we can set an intention of prayer in our singing\, our listening and in our playing.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/sacred-healing/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/walk-4666509_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210704T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210704T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210621T192635Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210704T134922Z
UID:3684-1625392800-1625396400@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Holy Food
DESCRIPTION:“If we live by the Spirit\, let us also be guided by the Spirit.” \nToday\, we gather around the table of grace to receive the bread of life and the cup that overflows with blessing and love. It is a holy feast. What if by way of doing prayer we made every meal an extension of the Communion table? From “Beyond Words” the author writes\, “Consuming food becomes a sacred activity\, one that combines intention\, gratitude\, and celebration as the main courses.” The Eucharist is the centerpiece of our faith. Jesus called us to a table of remembrance\, all of us\, from the faithful to the one that is betraying and invites us to eat and drink\, remembering that grace is food for the soul. As ways of doing prayer\, let us establish tables of grace each time we settle in to eat and drink\, sharing the love of God through one of the most basic of human needs. Come\, receive from the table of grace. \nJoin us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am. \nNote: It is a communion Sunday. Communion will take place right after worship outside in the picnic table yard at FUMC. For those joining us for livestream worship online\, please bring bread and juice to your home worship space. 
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/holy-food/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/bowl-1850039_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210711T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210711T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210706T150959Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210711T134623Z
UID:3994-1625997600-1626001200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:The Prayer of Planting
DESCRIPTION:“Blow upon my garden that its fragrance may be wafted abroad.” \nHave you ever planted a garden and even though you know what you put into the ground\, still you marvel at the way in which those seeds magically produce beans and squash and tomatoes and peppers and…all the amazing things? Of course it isn’t magic–it is God’s handiwork doing what it is supposed to do. This is how planting\, be it in a giant outdoor garden\, or a shoot of basil in your kitchen window\, can be prayer because planting seeds is tapping into the ancient and holy and sacred work of God that stems back to God’s first acts of creation. In worship today\, we hear a parable of a sower whose work of planting was done with a kind of joyful reckless abandon. The sower scattered seeds in all kinds of soils and rocks trusting that God could make anything grow anywhere at any time. We also celebrate Kathryn Sappington’s two years of ministry with us as a Global Mission Fellow\, celebrate and acknowledge the seeds she has planting among us\, and send her off to grow in her new adventure in seminary. Join us this Sunday online and in person for this special Coffeehouse Worship Experience.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/the-prayer-of-planting/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/greenhouse-6226263_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210711T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210711T120000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210713T010907Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210713T010908Z
UID:4112-1626001200-1626004800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Sunday Morning Class: Short Stories by Jesus
DESCRIPTION:Join us for Sunday Morning Class after worship at 11:15am: In person in the Parlor at First United Methodist Church of Kalamazoo or online on Zoom \nShort Stories by Jesus: Led by John Clark \nJesus knew how to tell a story. He knew that in order to get his message across he needed to relate to the people who gathered to listen—first century Jews—who lived in a very different world than the one in which we live today. In the video-based “Short Stories by Jesus\,” New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine takes us back in time and explains how original audiences understood Jesus’ parables. We’ll learn how new interpretations of the parables continue to challenge and provoke contemporary readers two thousand years later. \nNeed the Zoom link? Email KalamazooFUMC@umc-kzo.org.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/sunday-morning-class-short-stories-by-jesus/
LOCATION:MI
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Sunday-Morning-Class-In-person-or-online-Sundays-at-1115am-July-11-Aug.-15.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210718T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210718T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210706T152930Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210718T140817Z
UID:4009-1626602400-1626606000@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Beyond Doing
DESCRIPTION:“Be still and know that I am God.” \nAs we pray\, we are seeking love\, we are drawn into God because we are called by love\, we come out of prayer filled by love and ready to impart that love. Throughout this series we have explored the many adventurous ways to pray. Yet\, it is love that centers us and at times stills us\, so that we may be filled with God. It is good to do prayer and it is also worthwhile to be still so that we may be filled with God. When God is our home place\, we will be filled and we become prayer in our living and breathing. Let us experience God’s love as we worship. \nJoin us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/beyond-doing/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/cross-4565198_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210725T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210725T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210719T143756Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210725T135116Z
UID:4212-1627207200-1627210800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Doing Justice as Prayer
DESCRIPTION:For this final sermon in our summer preaching series The Renewing Work of God\, we turn to the work of Doing Justice as Prayer. Throughout this series we have been encouraged to set the intention of prayer while doing everyday ordinary things such as planting seeds\, going for walks\, making music and art and eating. Today we turn our attention to the act of doing justice and wonder how the work of justice itself can be prayer. The late congressman John Lewis who marched across the bridge to Selma in March of 1965 was known for likening that walk to prayer. “When you pray move your feet” he would say. Sometimes the work of doing justice can be met with terrible violence as Lewis experienced on that bridge. Sometimes justice making can happen quietly and almost unnoticed. Either way\, the work of doing justice is a participation in God’s ongoing plan to mend our broken universe to wholeness. Setting the intention of prayer while doing justice is intentionally tapping into God’s ongoing work. It brings rest to our weariness\, peace to the chaos surrounding us\, and the assurance that this is God’s work and not ours alone. Doing Justice is Doing Prayer.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/doing-justice-as-prayer/
LOCATION:MI\, United States
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/hands-5216585_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210725T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210725T170000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210712T202109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210712T203125Z
UID:4099-1627228800-1627232400@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Summer Concert Series: Bernie Foulk and Jacqueline Stilger
DESCRIPTION:Organist Bernie Foulk with Jacqueline Stilger featuring the Letourneau organ of First United Methodist Church of Kalamazoo \n\nBernie Foulk joined the staff of First United Methodist Church in 2007 as organist. He holds a bachelor’s degree in trumpet performance as well as master’s degrees in library science and organ performance.\nJacqueline Stilger has been the Minister of Music at First United Methodist Church since 2009. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance from the University of Louisville\, where she studied with Melvin Dickenson\, and a Master of Music degree in Organ and Church Music from Indiana University\, studying with Dr. Marilyn Keiser.\nThe Letourneau Organ: The concert will feature the three manuel\, 54 rank Letourneau pipe organ\, Opus 52\, installed in the church in 2000. The music will span the centuries with pieces from the renaissance period through contemporary.\n\nAttendees are asked to enter the church through our parking lot entrance\, located on Academy St. Please sign in as you enter the church and we ask all attendees to remain masked to ensure hospitality and protection for all vulnerable populations. Freewill offerings will be gratefully accepted\, but admission for all summer concert series events is free.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/summer-concert-series/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Summer Concert Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Summer-Concert-Series.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210801T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210801T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210726T141533Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210801T135949Z
UID:4289-1627812000-1627815600@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:AXIOS
DESCRIPTION:“…lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called…” (Ephesians 4:1). In the book of Ephesians\, the Greek word used by the author for worthy is AXIOS. Axios is a reference to a set of scales on which one would place a set of weights on one tray\, and an item to be weighed on the other. When the item is equal to the weight it is worthy (AXIOS) of the weight. Live a life worthy (in AXIOS) of the calling to which you have been called. It is the question we ask of ourselves in worship today. Is the life I am living worthy of the calling to which I have been called? The rest of the passage\, as does the worship\, offers several bits of good news in response to the question. 1. God has called each one of us. 2. All of us in the body of Christ are called collectively. 3. By God’s grace we are forgiven and renewed again and again when our lives fall short of their calling. All of this is proclaimed and affirmed in the Bread and Cup of Communion which will we share this Sunday. \nJoin us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am. \nNote: It is a communion Sunday. Communion will take place right after worship outside in the picnic table yard at FUMC. For those joining us for livestream worship online\, please bring bread and juice to your home worship space. 
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/axios/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/vintage-2862708_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210801T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210801T170000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210712T203551Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210712T203551Z
UID:4106-1627833600-1627837200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Summer Concert Series: The Great American Songbook and All That Jazz
DESCRIPTION:The Great American Songbook and All That Jazz with Terry Lower (piano) and Dr. Barry Ross (violin) \n\nPianist Terry Lower has been a fixture on the Michigan jazz scene for over 30 years. He is both a dazzling soloist and a superior accompanist. Find more information at https://terrylowermusic.com/.\nDr. Barry Ross is the Concertmaster Emeritus of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra\, Founder of the Kalamazoo Philharmonia and a Professor of Music Emeritus at Kalamazoo College. In his over four decades of residing in Michigan\, Dr. Ross has appeared as conductor\, concertmaster and a concert violinist throughout the country and maintains an active performance schedule.\n\nAttendees are asked to enter the church through our parking lot entrance\, located on Academy St. Please sign in as you enter the church and we ask all attendees to remain masked to ensure hospitality and protection for all vulnerable populations. Freewill offerings will be gratefully accepted\, but admission for all summer concert series events is free.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/summer-concert-series-the-great-american-songbook-and-all-that-jazz/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Summer Concert Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Summer-Concert-Series.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210801T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210801T220000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210410T004501Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210629T132203Z
UID:2677-1627846200-1627855200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Youth Tribe
DESCRIPTION:Teens are invited to join our active youth ministries at FUMC! Everyone has a voice as we learn together and take time to play\, too. For more information and details on upcoming events\, contact Pastor Matt Weiler at mweiler@umc-kzo.org.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/youth-tribe-2021-08-01/
LOCATION:MI
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/YouthTribe.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210808T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210808T100000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210802T191517Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210810T152354Z
UID:4379-1628416800-1628416800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:The Fragrance of Christ
DESCRIPTION:On this Coffeehouse Sunday we hope to bring in the aroma of herbs from our gardens\, patio boxes or even from the wild. We invite you to bring offerings of herbs with you as you come to the sanctuary or if you will be worshipping from home\, add some herbs to your worship space. A life worthy of our calling means that as Christ followers our lives offer a sweet-smelling fragrance to the world that is a kindness and tenderheartedness that will not be quickly forgotten\, but will be savored by those whom we encounter. Along with our herbal offering\, we will also receive an anointing so that our prayer may be “Jesus\, help me to spread your fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with your spirit and your love.” For those worshipping in the sanctuary\, you will be invited to the front lawn to receive an anointing for those at home\, please gather oil or lotion so that you may anoint yourself at home. We will also be collecting prayers of joys and concerns. If you are coming to the church to worship\, please bring a written prayer with you if you would like to share. There will be a basket at the door to collect the prayers. If you are worshipping from home\, you can add your prayers to the chat box on YouTube or email them to prayer@umc-kzo.org. May we live in love and be a fragrant offering to Christ and the world.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/the-fragrance-of-christ/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/lavendar-1153408_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210808T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210808T170000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210712T203939Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210712T203939Z
UID:4108-1628438400-1628442000@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Summer Concert Series: Hazeltree
DESCRIPTION:Hazeltree: Traditional acoustic songs and tunes from Ireland\, Scotland\, England and America \n\nHazeltree is ensemble of close harmonies\, guitar\, mountain dulcimer\, mandolin\, flute\, and drum. In Irish tree lore\, the hazel embodies creativity\, wisdom and transformation… Find more information at https://www.facebook.com/hazeltreemusic.\n\nAttendees are asked to enter the church through our parking lot entrance\, located on Academy St. Please sign in as you enter the church and we ask all attendees to remain masked to ensure hospitality and protection for all vulnerable populations. Freewill offerings will be gratefully accepted\, but admission for all summer concert series events is free.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/summer-concert-series-hazeltree/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Summer Concert Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Summer-Concert-Series.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210815T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210815T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210810T010703Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210818T131002Z
UID:4439-1629021600-1629025200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Live as Children of Light
DESCRIPTION:“But everything exposed by the light becomes visible\, for everything that becomes visible is light.”  -Ephesians 5: 13-14a \nWe are called to live as children of the light and we are to shine the light on that which brings darkness. Join us for worship as we light candles in prayer\, exposing and naming some of the darkness and despair that may keep us awake at night or certainly troubles our soul. Join us as we proclaim the psalms\, sing hymns and make melodies to God\, giving thanks and rekindling our light so that we may shine for the world and for Christ who is our center point. Let us look for the light\, in the stars\, in the time we share with friends or by beginning a gratitude journal and by holding onto a hope that will not let us go. As we worship\, we will claim the light\, cultivate the light and celebrate the Light of the World. If you are worshipping from home\, bring some candles into your worship space so that you may bear witness to the Light.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/live-as-children-of-light/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/candle-1750640_960_720.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210822T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210822T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210810T013349Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210822T123909Z
UID:4442-1629626400-1629630000@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Love and Hard Things
DESCRIPTION:Truth\, Righteousness\, Peace\, Faith\, Salvation\, Spirit. All these words are packed into these final verses of the book of Ephesians. These are among the most pious and abstract words in all Christian grammar. Truth like a belt\, righteousness like a breastplate\, peace like a pair of shoes\, faith as a shield\, salvation a helmet\, and the spirit a sword. Together these theological words are according to this disciple of Paul (more on that to come in the sermon) the “…full armor of God.” And why do we need the full armor of God? That we might live in the power of God. And this word – power – is the most intriguing of them all. The church has a peculiar relationship to this word\, power. We embrace power and we are embarrassed of power. We leverage power and we say that power is not Christlike. We claim power in our baptism\, we confront power\, we deny power. This book of the Church\, the book of Ephesians concludes by imploring us to embrace the power of God. Your baptism asks if you accept the power of God. So what is this power? And to what\, or where does it lead us?
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/armor-of-god/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/thunderstorm-3625405_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210829T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210829T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210824T153842Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210829T142539Z
UID:4623-1630231200-1630234800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Begin Where God Begins
DESCRIPTION:John Wesley said once that “Religion if it is not to be the pious form of worldliness\, if it is instead to be the response to the action of God\, must begin where God begins\, among the poor\, the despised\, the oppressed\, and the marginalized.” The key words in his teaching are begin where God begins. God began by taking on the form of human flesh and living with and as one with the poor\, the despised\, the oppressed and the marginalized. God began by proving to the world that God is not some distant overbearing unknown figure rather that God is here\, right here with us and within in\, listening and being with us. God did not begin with a snap-of-the-fingers quick fix\, or a financial distribution program\, or a soup kitchen rather God began by simply being with. This is where God begins and so this is where we are to begin – with.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/begin-where-god-begins/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/beach-1893714_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210905T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210905T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210901T175145Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210905T134829Z
UID:4695-1630836000-1630839600@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:When John Wesley Lost His Mind
DESCRIPTION:Faith without works is dead. One of the most often quoted bible verses from one of the shortest books in the New Testament. It becomes a mantra of sorts from churches that like to get things done. And there’s nothing wrong with getting things done. Jesus calls us to do justice and so we do. But sometimes we can get so caught up doing justice that it comes at the expense of our own personal spiritual lives. Our Wesleyan tradition calls us to a balance or a praxis whereby we reflect of the love God in our lives\, we respond to this love by doing justice\, and in turn we reflect on the work of justice making and the love of God within the work. So may our faith be found alive\, and fueled by a reflective practice of being loved by God and being the love of God. \nJoin us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am. \nNote: It is a communion Sunday. Communion will take place right after worship outside in the picnic table yard at FUMC. For those joining us for livestream worship online\, please bring bread and juice to your home worship space.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/when-john-wesley-lost-his-mind/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/lake-michigan-113681_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210912T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210912T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210909T160755Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210912T121434Z
UID:4867-1631440800-1631444400@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Habits of Hospitality: Offering Peace
DESCRIPTION:“If anyone is there who shares in your peace\, your peace will rest on that person.”  ~Luke 10: 6a \nJesus sends more than seventy out on a mission of peace. He says\, “Whatever house you enter\, first say\, “Peace to this house!” They are to offer peace\, receive peace and reassure all that “The Kingdom of God has come near.” The mission and invitation are as simple as it is every time we make it: when you endeavor to love your neighbor and live in peace with each other\, there’s always room for you\, no matter whether you think you “fit” or not\, no matter whether you’ve been coming to church a long time or not in a long time\, whether you worship online or in person. Welcome home. Peace be with you. Jesus moved forward with hope and promise. And so shall we. Come\, join us for “Hospitality Sunday” this Sunday and each Sunday. God loves all people. And so do we. \nJoin us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am. You are invited to our Hospitality Sunday kick off event on Sunday\, September 12 at 9:15am on the church front lawn. Learn more through this link. \nNote: We will be collecting prayers of joys and concerns. If you are coming to the church to worship\, please bring a written prayer with you if you would like to share. There will be a basket at the door to collect the prayers. If you are worshipping from home\, you can add your prayers to the chat box on YouTube or submit them through our online form.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/habits-of-hospitality-offering-peace/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GodLovesAllPeopleResized.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210919T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210919T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210915T175034Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210920T212809Z
UID:4949-1632045600-1632049200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Habits of Hospitality: Welcoming All the People
DESCRIPTION:“For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you.” -1 Thessalonians 1:9a \nThe scriptures this day invite us to connect\, and they point us toward true community where none is better than another\, none are excluded from the presence and love of the risen Christ. Not sure you are welcome? Hear this good news today – all are welcome! The Apostle Paul visited many places in his life and each time an enthusiastic church came to life. He encouraged “Radical Hospitality” long before it became a common phrase of the modern church. Imagine an enthusiastic church practicing radical hospitality that is guided by gentleness\, invested in strength-based method and steadily gives thanks to God. Let’s imagine and live enthusiastically into a church community that welcomes all people. \nJoin us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/habits-of-hospitality-welcoming-all-the-people/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/welcome-905562_640.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20210926T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20210926T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210921T192650Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210926T134825Z
UID:5016-1632650400-1632654000@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Habits of Hospitality: Sharing Our Authentic Selves
DESCRIPTION:“…Because we loved you so much\, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”  -1 Thessalonians 2:8(b) \nDuring the last week of July the FUMC Kalamazoo Youth Tribe\, along with a great number of adults\, came together for a week of service around the community as well as in the church. There was a tremendous amount of work accomplished and the love of Christ was surely made known to our neighbors and among one another through our actions. Even more\, this week created space for the the young people of FUMC to share their authentic selves with one another. After a year of pandemic isolation\, Kalamazoo Service Project (KSP) was a week where our young people were seen and affirmed and acknowledged. There was a space for everyone’s gifts to be used\, for everyone to learn to new skills\, and importantly for everyone to let their guards down and play a little. In worship this week\, we’ll hear the story of KSP through the testimony of participants\, through video and through song. \nJoin us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/habits-of-hospitality-sharing-our-authentic-selves/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/KSPRampResized.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20211003T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20211003T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20210930T181452Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211003T130001Z
UID:5179-1633255200-1633258800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Stewards of a Hope Filled Future: Hope Moves you Forward
DESCRIPTION:“For surely I know the plans I have for you\, says the Lord\, plans for your welfare and not for harm\, to give you a future with hope.” ~Jeremiah 29: 11 -14 \nWorld Communion Sunday is a hope filled table. On the first Sunday in October\, United Methodist congregations join many Christian churches across the globe in celebrating World Communion Sunday. United Methodists believe in an open table\, anyone may receive communion. We believe the communion table\, the giving and receiving of bread and cup are signs of grace and hope. It is a communal act. We receive strength from each other\, we gather\, we are joined together in the moment and are nourished for the journey of Christian faith. This Sunday also finds us beginning a new worship series\, “Stewards of a Hope Filled Future.” Even with the continued unknowns of the pandemic\, we embrace hope\, believe in hope\, and become hope for the world. In United Methodist Churches around the world\, a special offering is collected on World Communion Sunday to fund scholarships for seminarians\, we too will participate in this special offering. Come\, let us be stewards of a hope filled future. \nJoin us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am. \nNote: It is a communion Sunday. Communion will take place right after worship outside in the picnic table yard at FUMC. For those joining us for livestream worship online\, please bring bread and juice to your home worship space.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/stewards-of-a-hope-filled-future-hope-moves-you-forward/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/World_Communion_Sunday_Bread_and_Cup_resized.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20211010T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20211010T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20211004T155236Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211010T135023Z
UID:5220-1633860000-1633863600@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Stewards of a Hope Filled Future: Hope Broadens the Mind
DESCRIPTION:Hope broadens the mind. As we enter into the second week of our “Stewards of a Hope-Filled Future” series this week\, we are challenged to examine in what and whom we invest our hope\, and\, to allow the gospel to inspire our imaginations. As the theologian Walter Brueggemann asserts\, we Christians struggle to imagine that God can do anything with our future alternative to the present we know. (He of course says this way more elegantly…) We invest our hope in stuff and not in God’s promises. Our greatest deficit is our lack of imagination. But\, according to the first chapter of Ephesians\, we have been given a great inheritance by the God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead. And so\, can you imagine what God can do with our lives? \nJoin us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/stewards-of-a-hope-filled-future-hope-broadens-the-mind/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/dayne-topkin-xTmqoidRoKQ-unsplash.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20211017T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20211017T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20211014T141117Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211017T124815Z
UID:5387-1634464800-1634468400@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Stewards of a Hope Filled Future: Hope Is Healing
DESCRIPTION:“Have mercy on me\, Lord\, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” ~Matthew 15: 22b \nAs Jesus entered Tyre and Sidon\, a Canaanite woman presented herself as a one-person welcoming committee. She approaches him with shouting\, “Have mercy on me.” She is in despair and yet\, she draws near to Jesus with hope in her heart believing all that she has heard and that he can heal her daughter. Hope is a desire for something to happen. Hope compels us to believe that things will get better\, that there are other ways for us to perceive and respond to our situations and circumstances. Hope boldly proclaims that helplessness or hopelessness is not a viable option that brings abundant life. Hope is a step of healing and is followed by further steps that courageously shout for mercy. Let us gather as a hopeful people\, shouting for mercy and believing that hope heals ourselves and others. \nJoin us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/stewards-of-a-hope-filled-future-hope-is-healing/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hand-g70ab427b2_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20211024T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20211024T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20211021T205532Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211024T123159Z
UID:5490-1635069600-1635073200@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Stewards of a Hope Filled Future: Hope Is Practical
DESCRIPTION:Hope is Practical. The gospel is not. When the blind man shouted out begging for Jesus’ mercy\, the crowds told him to sit down and to be quiet. Against popular demand\, Jesus invited the man to come to him and then asked the man\, “What do you want?” Was it not obvious? He wanted to see again. In case the readers have any doubt the man states this clearly for Jesus. The man received what he wanted and in return he followed Jesus. There is\, in this very brief story\, the image of the reciprocal relationship Christ calls us into. Christ’s mercy meets our need. We receive healing and in response\, we follow Jesus. The journey begins with hope; hope that Christ will see our need. The journey continues with hope; hope that the risk of following will outweigh the cost of “going back.” Hoping that our lives might change is a practical thing. Where Jesus might lead us next likely is not.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/stewards-of-a-hope-filled-future-hope-is-practical/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/trees-g04397dced_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20211031T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20211031T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20211028T140137Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211031T124442Z
UID:5616-1635674400-1635678000@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:Consecration Sunday: Hope Is Infectious
DESCRIPTION:“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing\, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” ~Romans 15:13 \nThis last Sunday of the series offers a time of celebration and naming of hope for the future and a dedicating of our gifts. We sing and speak of the day when all will be one\, when all will be fed\, when all will be loved. We imagine what the reign of God looks like and commit anew to live that out as disciples of Jesus who is hope of the world. To this hope we return again and again\, to this hope we find our purpose and reason for living. Our inspirational hoping can inspire and motivate others. Hope is infectious. When we are centered on hope\, others will be encouraged\, others will notice and wonder\, “What have they got that I do not?” Let us offer hope with abundance that is communal centered and leads to joyful and generous living. \nJoin us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/consecration-sunday-hope-is-infectious/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/StewardshipHandsResized.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20211107T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20211107T110000
DTSTAMP:20260403T133003
CREATED:20211103T190433Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211108T040820Z
UID:5752-1636279200-1636282800@umc-kzo.org
SUMMARY:All Saints Day
DESCRIPTION:All Saints is a day of remembrance for the saints. We celebrate the communion of saints as we remember the dead and celebrate our connectedness as Christians. The Christian festival of All Saints Day comes from a conviction that there is a spiritual connection between those on heaven and on earth. It is also an opportunity to express gratitude to God for the lives and deaths of all the saints that have influenced and shaped our lives. On this Sunday we remember that Jesus wept as he was surrounded by those who were grieving the loss of his friend Lazarus and as he was confronted by his sister\, Mary. Grief and despair can be overwhelming and yet Jesus commands that Lazarus come out of the tomb\, he is raised to new life. On this All Saints Day\, we remember\, we weep and we look to the promised possibilities of life beyond death and are reassured that Christ stands with God to wipe away tears and turn us in hope toward the resurrection that is possible. \nJoin us in person or online for worship on Sundays at 10am. \nOn this All Saints Sunday\, we will celebrate communion. Communion will be served in the sanctuary. We will have four stations in the front of the sanctuary and servers will come to persons who would prefer to be served in the pews. For those joining us for worship online\, please bring bread and juice to your home worship space.
URL:https://umc-kzo.org/event/all-saints-day/
LOCATION:MI
CATEGORIES:Service
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://umc-kzo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/a-candle-gbc90caa98_640.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR