Greetings Topeka First UMC,

I hope that you are having a great week!

Thank you to all of you who made pastor appreciation Sunday so special! We appreciate your kind notes and thoughts!

Last Sunday we kicked off our new sermon series, "Finding Joy." We looked at a number of examples of joy and where we can find joy in our lives. This Sunday our focus will shift to finding joy in God. Sometimes we might miss moments of joy that God has in store for us, as we may be too busy or feel unworthy of God's presence. On Sunday, we will see God's presence coming to one of the worst people in the bible, as we are reminded that the deeply satisfying joy of God is never to far away.

***I encourage each family to click this link and select a Sunday to greet and hand out bulletins!***

If you enjoy reading scripture and saying prayer, please use this link to sign up to be a liturgist at the 10:45 am service. Spots are open October 26 - November 23.  If you have questions about being a liturgist, see Shawna.

Next Sunday, Oct. 26, from 2 - 4 pm is the annual Trunk-or-Treat held in our parking lot. We're pretty short on candy donations this year. If you're able to donate some candy, that'd be great! We'll set a basket out in the Celebration Room for any candy donations that come in this week.

See you Sunday,

Pastor Brad

Happy 10th Anniversary to Phase 2!

Ten years ago, Pastor Bruce Emmert asked a few members “of a certain age” to read Baby Boomers and Beyond by Dr. Amy Hanson - and Phase 2 was born. The book recognized our generation’s intention to “redefine” retirement and the roles we wanted to play. We agreed on the priorities of:

• Doing something “worthwhile”
• Utilizing our experience and expertise effectively
• Offering flexibility in our commitments, and
• Building and nurturing relationships and friendships

Those of us who have participated in Phase 2 events believe the programs have accomplished these goals and have provided an excellent community as we transition from careers and raising kids to the “next phase” of our lives.

Activities have included:

1. Passing out grocery bags to the congregation to fill with food for Doorstep
2. Attending a Tempero/Sandall lecture series presentation by Dr. Amy Hanson
3. Singing Christmas carols at area retirement facilities
4. Hosting a “Potluck/Trivia Night”
5. Fall bonfire parties at Rick and Betty Barkers’
6. A field trip to the Museum at Prairiefire and to Church of the Resurrection to hear Rev. Adam Hamilton
7. An evening of chili, cinnamon rolls and a scavenger hunt of sites in the church
8. A trip to the Flint Hills Discovery Center
9. Movie nights and quarterly “After Hours” social events
10. Promoting a seminar, “Retirement – After the Honeymoon” by Dr. Virgil Brady

We average having an event every month; so over ten years, you can imagine the list could go on and on.

And just this past month, in celebration of our 10th Anniversary, we took a three-day field trip to Branson to experience the production of “David” at the amazing Sight and Sound Theater – what an exciting adventure!

We invite our fellow Topeka First UMC members and their friends to join us as we enter our second decade of Phase 2. To learn more, please contact any of our Planning Team - Laura Smith, Tiwana Whitten, Dennis Tietze, Carol Sprague, Andy Tompkins or Marsha Oliver or simply call the church office, 785-233-8100 and we'll get you in contact with a Phase 2 member.

Be there…or be square!