Saturday, Dec. 26th 2020

Weekly Newsletter—December 23

new & upcoming at LUMC!

The Christmas Eve worship service is prerecorded to allow our worship leaders to spend the evening at home with their families. The service will be livestreamed on our Facebook at 7 p.m. and again at 9 p.m. Tune in at either hour to watch in community with your church family. If neither of those times work for you, don’t worry! The service will be uploaded to our website here earlier in the day, so you can watch it at your convenience.

(Note: Communion will not be part of the Christmas Eve worship service.)

watch LIVE!

CHRISTMAS EVE OPEN REFLECTION/COMMUNION

Thursday, December 24 | 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

The Sanctuary will be open on Christmas Eve for those who wish to come for a time of reflection. Christmas hymn recordings will be playing, and communion will be available. We invite you to come by for a time of private worship and prayer. Please wear a mask and socially distance from others in the Sanctuary. The pews will be sanitized throughout the day as people leave. Candles will also be available for you to take home to use for Christmas Eve worship.

Tune in to our livestream at 9:00 a.m. to watch Pastor Ezekiel bless the communion elements!

CHRISTMAS EVE OFFERING

This year’s Christmas Eve offering supports Hillcrest Transitional Housing. Hillcrest provides working adults who have lost their homes with three months of housing. By participating in the program, the residents are able to become self-supporting and self-reliant. Lenexa UMC sponsors one apartment which costs approximately $7,000 per year. You may give online or by mailing a check to the church office marked “Christmas Eve”.

YEAR-END GIVING

To take a charitable deduction in 2020, the church must receive your contribution by December 31, 2020—or it must be postmarked by December 31. For items dated in 2020, but received after January 1, the postmark will determine whether it is considered a 2020 or 2021 contribution. If you have any questions about where you stand on your estimate of giving for 2020, please call Linda Stokes in the church office. Thank you to everyone for your generosity in 2020.

Sunday worship

DECEMBER 27

1^ST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS DAY

“Christmas Meditation”

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7; Luke 1:26-35, 38; Luke 2:1-7; Luke 2:8-16; Matthew 2:1-11; John 1:1-14

Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. preaching. This special Christmas service will feature guest worship leaders, choirs, and musicians from throughout the Great Plains conference.

watch worship live!

JANUARY 3 WORSHIP

We’ll start the new year off by celebrating Holy Communion on January 3. You can either supply your own bread and juice for worship at home or pick up prepackaged communion elements at the church. Elements can be picked up at the church office or during the Dinner’s On Us drive-thru on Wednesday, December 30, 5:30–6:30 p.m. Have your communion elements ready on January 3 to be blessed by Pastor Ezekiel on the livestream.

In-person services are temporarily suspended for everyone’s safety, but that hasn’t stopped us from worshiping together! We livestream the 9:00 and 10:30 services every week on Facebook, then post the videos on our Online Sermons page later that day.

Miss last week’s service?

catch up on previous services >

ongoing events & announcements

DRIVE-THRU DINNER’S ON US!

Wednesdays | 5:30–6:30 p.m.

We’re serving you curbside at Dinner’s On Us, our weekly free meal!

Enter the lot on the northwest side of our property and we will serve you from the extensive sidewalk at our west entrance. Spread the word to your friends and neighbors!

menu options:

#1: pulled pork sandwich, chips, and a cookie

#2: PB & J sandwich, chips, and a cookie

Contact Wayne Dothage or Lisa Freeman to volunteer as a server/baker.

CARES ACT TAX DEDUCTION

As part of CARES Act passed earlier this year, taxpayers who don’t itemize deductions may take a charitable deduction of up to $300 for cash contributions made in 2020 to the church. Additional information on pandemic-related changes to taxes and charitable giving can be found at the IRS website.

JANUARY–FEBRUARY UPPER ROOM

January–February Upper Rooms are here. You may pick one up at the church or if you would like one mailed to you, contact the church office.

FOOD PANTRY DONATIONS NEEDED

The Johnson County Food Pantry is accepting all donations. Please bring donations to the gray bins outside of the church office.

connect with us!

Connect with other members via Facebook—though we may not see each other in person as often, our LUMC community is active online and as welcoming as ever!