Resources

Financial Narrative for February 2021

February Revenue		February Expenses
Pledged Offering	$ 11,767.00	Staffing	$ 17,109.41
Non-Pledged Offering	$ 4,352.00	Programming	$ 1,211.81
Other Revenue	$ 2,963.00	Apportionments	$ 4,017.00
From Endowment	$ 1,636.91	Building Operations	$ 5,219.47
Total Revenue	$ 20,718.91	Total Expenses	$ 28,546.17
		Net YTD	$ (6,838.78)

There is Light Ahead – April 2021

“The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines even brighter until the light of day.”

How is your Lent going? Does it feel long, dark, and empty? Lent can feel that way when we give up fun activities or foods that we like. This year in particular, we are also still dealing with the pandemic. Closed or limited occupancy to our favorite places, the need to stay away from people, and the illness and death rates all increase the feeling od darkness. But is that it? Is that all there is?

There is light ahead. Literally there is light ahead when you look at when the sun sets in the next few weeks. The sun will set at 7:37pm at the end of March. It will set in April at 8:30pm. May: 9:17pm. June: 9:34pm. There are brighter days ahead.

There is light ahead. On a dark morning, the women will come to the tomb just to find it empty.

Christ arose! Christ arose!

There is light ahead. The virus will be beaten down. Our communities will open up. We will be able to see and hug our families again. Our church will open again.But what will be left of our church? What have we given to the church to sustain it during this long haul? How have we given our time, talents, and treasures over the last few months... and how will we give for Easter and the next few months to make sure we can continue our church's mission and ministry? Be the light now so it can burn brighter later!

Rev. Krystal Goodger, Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation

You can give online by going to

wisconsinumc.org.

Click “Donate to Your Local Church” then scroll to the bottom to find “Wausau: First UMC.” It’ll take 2 minutes to create a profile, then you’re set to give.

Want to make Gift-Giving Easy???

SCRIP can make great gifts fo this Christmas season! Without it costing you any extra money, you can support the church by buying gift cards at church that you can give away or spend just like cash.

If you would like to order some specific scrip for gift giving please let Mark or Jen Johnson know. We are going to do a big order at the beginning of December for your gift giving needs. If you would like to see what is available, there are lists in the parlor. First Church pays a $10 fee each time we place an order to handle shipping costs. So we want to limit our orders to keep the costs down. (The exception is Trigs and Culvers. They are local business we work with and are able to get Scrip cards at anytime without a processing fee.) Please feel free to contact Jen or Mark Johnson at 715-470-2527 with questions. Thank you!

Amazon, iTunes, Dick’s, Bass Pro, Cabela’s, Bath & Body Works, Carnival, Delta, Eastbay, Land’s End, Royal Caribbean

Trig’s, Pick ‘n Save. Menards, Home Depot. Fleet Farm, Krist, Holiday, Kwik Trip, AutoZone

Dunkin’, Starbucks, Pizza Ranch, Dominoes, Pizza Hut, Subway, Culver’s, Burger King, Hardee’s, Arby’s, Panera, Taco Bell, Papa Murphy’s, Noodles & Co, Olive Garden, Red Robin, Buffalo Wild Wings, Texas Roadhouse

Barnes & Noble, Target, Kohl’s, Best Buy, Walmart/Sam’s Club, Walgreens, CVS, Great Clips, Hilton Garden Inn

About This Guest Writing

Do you have a recent faith story you feel led to share? Has God touched your life in a way that begs to be repeated? If you would like to put something in an upcoming edition of the Messenger, speak to Mike Zahn. Maybe we can include your story in the coming months.

Texas Roadhouse Dine-to-Donate Sundays

Enjoy a meal while raising money for your church. Bring in your church bulletin or newsletter and give it to your server along with your receipt. Then from your total, you receive 10% back.

A seven-week class to help adults reduce falls and stay active. In this interactive weekly class, learn about balance
and strength exercises, safety at home, and ways to be strong and steady wherever you go. Classes are held at the Aging & Disability Resource Center of Central Wisconsin, 600 Stewart Avenue Suite 25.

For information, call 715.261.6070
A contribution of $10 for the full 7-week session is suggested, but is not required to attend.

Lay Leadership Report 2020

Click the link below to download PDF

Some of you have faithfully been writing checks to pay down the loan on the church’s parking lot. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Yes, we’re still taking funds for this excellent cause. You can write a separate check, or write a single one and identify how the money is to be split. Either way, we appreciate your contribution toward the physical structures of our church. Thank you, again!

Beautify the Church Office

Did your Norfolk Island Pine get too big for the room while it was outside all summer? Would you like to gift it to a location where people will truly appreciate it? The church office is looking for just such a plant. Call or email Joan at the office to talk about giving your plant a new home.

Help Your Church Do Ministry

Would you like to give of yourself to the church but don’t know how? Do you have a secondary laptop (Windows 10 or newer) at home that you could gift to our ministries? This could be your way to serve the First United Methodist Church is in need of one (or possibly two) laptops. The “Volunteer” computer in the office is old enough that it can’t do the work asked of it. The laptop attached to the projector uses Window 3 and does not support newer PowerPoints or videos.

Mission Giving Without Pain

UMW collects Kwik Trip bottle caps, pull tabs and “box tops for education” for missions. Kwik Trip caps go to Harbor House, a UMW sponsored women’s shelter, “box tops for education” are sent to Redbird Mission in Kentucky, and pull tabs are sent to Ronald McDonald House. For your convenience there are collection baskets in the parlor. And remember, aluminum cans are collected for our own mission trip.