Nestled in the ninth chapter of the gospel of Luke, we find these words,

            When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem - Luke 9:51

 I love the phrase, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.  What it means is from that moment on, Jesus was bound and determined to go to the holy city. Because we live on this side of the cross, we know what awaited Jesus there.  One of my mentors put it this way, “Between chapter nine and nineteen of Luke’s gospel, Jesus makes his way to Jerusalem and no one and nothing will prevent Him from getting there.”

The season of Lent is a period of forty days (not counting Sundays), begins on Ash Wednesday (March 5) and ends on Holy Saturday (April 19). The word lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lencten, which literally means, spring.  This spring, this Lenten season, we are going to make our way to Jerusalem, once again. 

To get there, I’d like to preach a series of sermons that we will call Gospeled Lives.  The title comes from a Lenten study I did several years ago by that same title.  The study is written by John Indermark.  The subtitle of the book speaks, too.  It is this one, Encounters with Jesus.

Each week we will consider the theme and I will preach from one of the five suggested lessons. I thought that you might like to have the lineup, so here it is:

March 9^th – Theme will be Called.  The sermon will be taken from Mark 10:46-52, the story of Bartimaeus receiving sight. 

March 16^th – Theme will be Challenged.  The sermon will be taken from Mark 10:35-45. There James and John have a request of Jesus.

March 23^rd – The theme will be Rejected. The sermon will be from Mark 6:1-6. There we find the story of Jesus experiencing rejection is his own hometown and among his own people.

March 30^th  - The theme will be Transformed.  The sermon will be taken from Luke 7:11-17. There, we find the story of raising a boy in Nain back to life.

April 6^th – The theme will be Empowered.  The sermon will be taken from Luke 19:1-10. There we witness the encounter of Jesus and Zacchaeus.  The encounter changes Zacchaeus’ life.

April 13^th – The theme will be Open Ended.  Our sermon will focus on the crowd that followed Jesus most of his public life, and how the crowd turned on Him.  Luke 19:28-40 will be our lesson for this year’s Palm Sunday.

I invite you to join me on this annual journey to Jerusalem, to spend time with Jesus and to notice how He changes lives along the way. 

John Fleming 
Senior Pastor 

Stewards:
Jana Todd
Jo Wolf
Charleen Ahrenstorff

9:00 Servers:
Jeff & Olivia Clements
Charleen Ahrenstorff

11:00 Servers
Tom & Deborah Knox
Janice Williams

Our first “More than a Meal” will be on Wednesday, March 5th at 5:15 pm with a menu of Soup, Sandwiches and Dessert. As March 5th is also Ash Wednesday we will not be having a devotional time. However, we will all move into the sanctuary for our Ash Wednesday service at 6:00 pm. If you are planning on attending please sign up on the sheet at the Welcome Desk or you may mark next to your name in the attendance book how many will be attending. Example: John Fleming(2) or Jones Family(4). You can also RSVP using the button below. We also still need some volunteers to help with preparing the meals, serving and clean up. There are information sheets at the Welcome Desk if you are able to volunteer. Any questions please contact Aaron Hosman at 870-565-8367 or Hollye in the church office.

What is Lent?
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten Season in the Christian calendar. Lent is a season of forty days (not including Sundays) which begins today and ends on Holy Saturday (the day before Easter). Lent is the season during which we are called to prepare our hearts, minds, & spirits for Easter’s joy. During Lent, we spend time contemplating our sinful nature and seeking to refocus our hearts on holy living through prayer, repentance, and self-denial. Then, as Easter’s sun rises, we can more fully experience the wonder of God’s forgiving grace and resurrection power.

Why are we marked with a cross made of ashes?
On Ash Wednesday, we receive the “imposition of ashes.” The ashes serve as a reminder of our mortality (ashes to ashes) and as a reminder of our need to repent for our sins (ashes are used as a sign of repentance in the Bible). This ritual act in worship can be a powerful nonverbal and experiential way of participating in this season’s call to repentance and reconciliation.

Join us for our Ash Wednesday Imposition of Ashes Service on Wednesday, March 5th at 6:00pm

CROSSROADS
March 9: Kaye Jarvis & Tina Benton
March 16: Lockie & Emma Jones
March 23: Aaron Hosman
March 30: Daniel & Ruth Greer
April 6: Robert & Michelle Clarke
April 13: Jack & Tucker Coleman

TRADITIONAL
March 9: Stephanie & Lindley Reubin
March 16: Jack & Bella Chance
March 23: Joy Montgomery
March 30: Cindy & Mark Burgess
April 6: Scott & Allison Booth
April 13: Rick & Melissa Steiner

GOOD FRIDAY TENEBRAE SERVICE
April 18: 
Bruce & Marilyn Loveless
Chris & Laura Pedigo

Easter Lilies are on sale now! Lilies can be purchased for $20 each. You can order by filling out a form at the church office, filling out an online form using the button below or calling the church office Monday-Thursday 8:00-4:00. Payment for lilies can be made by check to the church, online via the website at fumcmh.org/give or using the direct link provided after you have submited your order. Remember to type "Easter Lilies" in the notes/memo section. The deadline to order is Monday, April 14th by noon.

"Gospeled" lives are lives that have encountered Jesus Christ. Christ's call leads to a continually unfolding story for each of us. An encounter with the living Christ demands a response. In this Lenten series we will learn about New Testament characters who encountered Jesus. Some responded with joy and gratitude. Others ignored or rejected his offer of good news.

Did you know that with the generous donations from our congregation Hope For All was able to provide 9 adults as well as their children and pets with a total of 12 nights in a warm hotel room during the lastest cold snap with below freezing temperatures? We also had some folks take advantage of our daytime warming center in the UMAC Commons to warm up on a couple of the coldest days.

THANK YOU for everyone who has donated food toward the Angel Food Pantry. The love and support shown for those in need in our community is exceptional!

Scholarship applications for the 2025/26 school year are now available for graduating High School seniors who plan to pursue a post secondary education. Apply online from the youth page of the website fumcmh.org or use the button below. Application deadline is May1st to be announced at the school awards night. July 1st is the final deadline to apply for the scholarship.

Holy Week is the week leading up to Easter from Palm Sunday until Easter Sunday.  At FUMC the week is full of impactful events to enrich your experience leading up to Easter Sunday. Each year, we start the week with a palm processional by our children at both services on Palm Sunday! It's great to see the young people of our church remembering and celebrating Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem! This year the children will also be singing on Palm Sunday! Thursday we will have our Maundy Thursday Service as we remember Jesus' time with the disciples in the upper room as he broke bread with them. Then on Friday we will have our Tenebrae service. This is a solemn and powerful service. The gradual extinguishing of candles symbolizes the approaching darkness of Jesus' death and the hopelessness in the world without God. The service concludes in darkness. We leave in silence to ponder the impact of Christ's death and await the Resurrection. Saturday is our Easter Extranza Family Event, Road to Resurrection. It has always been important to this church to provide an Easter event for children that focuses on Jesus and the true meaning of Easter. Then comes Easter Sunday! He is risen, we proclaim as we celebrate and rejoice in the resurrection! 

Too often most of our culture wants to go from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, and they don't want to encounter the pain and suffering that Christ went through in order for us to get to where we are today. The difficult days leading up to Easter Sunday are so very important. Yes it’s dark, but the days like Good Friday are there to remind us of our brokenness, our humanness, and our need to encounter the cross today. Experiencing all the days of Holy Week really helps us to understand and feel the immense joy of Easter Morning! For this reason, we encourage you to try to attend as many of these events as you can.

This Easter, let’s consider the wonder of God's power and His love for us. He made the ultimate selfless sacrifice for us that we may live forever. He did this because He loves us. He knows us. He knows what we have done. He knows what we are going to do. But He loves us regardless. God doesn't need our praise or our service to Him; He desires it. It’s not what we do for God that gets us into heaven and gives us a right relationship with Him. It is only by faith in Jesus Christ that we are able to experience these things.

April 13: Palm Sunday Services 9:00am & 11:00am

April 17: Maundy Thursday Service 6:30pm

April 18: Good Friday • Tenebrae Service 6:30pm

April 19: Easter Extravaganza Family Event 11:00am - 1:00pm

April 20: Easter Sunday Services 9:00am & 11:00am

Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and begins the series of observances focusing on the events of Holy Week. This Sunday is also often referred to as Passion Sunday, marking the beginning of the passion or suffering of Jesus leading to and including the crucifixion.  The Children and youth will process with palm branches at both services and the children will sing at both services.

Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper when Jesus shared the Passover meal with his disciples in the upper room on the night before he was crucified. This service is solemn, marked by the shadow of Jesus’ betrayal. The service will include Holy Communion and the stripping of the altar in preparation for Good Friday & Easter Sunday.

A Tenebrae Service, sometimes referred to as a Service of Shadows, includes the gradual diminishing of light through the extinguishing of candles to symbolize the approaching darkness of Jesus' death and hopelessness in the world without God. The service concludes in darkness. We leave in silence to ponder the impact of Christ's death and await the Resurrection.

First United Methodist Church of Mountain Home invites children & their families to join us for a Holy Week and Easter family Event, Road to Resurrection! This is a family-friendly event that gets families talking…and walking with Jesus! Scripture from the Gospels guide families through the events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection in this hands-on experience. Our hope is that this interactive event will deepen and enrich your family’s Easter experience. Don't forget your basket as the event will conclude with an egg hunt!

Hello Families!

Can you believe it's March already? 

We finally had our Bible presentation and Exploration last Sunday and it was great! Congratulations to this year's 3rd graders! Studying Scripture is one of the most important ways we learn about God. FUMCMH presents personal Bibles to each student in 3rd grade or above as a statement of their growing faith development and as recognition of their being old enough to study Scripture on their own. We celebrate this tradition of presenting Bibles to our 3rd -5th grade students as a gift from the congregation. It is our prayer that this gift will be a starting point for a deeper relationship with God through Christ.

3rd Graders
Patience Blankley
James Clarke
Makynlee Downing
Cannon Lee
Garnet Simmons

Next Wednesday, March 5th is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.  We will be serving a meal that evening at 5:15 after children's ministry, followed by our Ash Wednesaday service at 6:00pm.  I encourage you to attend this service as a family and to talk to your kids about Lent. Lent and Easter provide us with an important opportunity for families to celebrate what Christ has done. In the April newsletter, I will be sharing an Easter Family Devotional with you once again this year. As you inch closer to Easter, this devotional will help you lead your kids through the events of Holy Week, including the Triumphal Entry, the Last Supper, and the death and resurrection of Jesus. With talking points, devotionals, and guided prayers. Hopefully by doing this family devotional together, your kids will grow a greater understanding of who they are in Christ and the victorious hope we have in Him!

Speaking of Holy Week, the children will be processing with palms and singing on Palm Sunday, April 13th at both the 9:00 and 11:00 services. We have a month to get ready for that.  Look for more details in the next newsletter. We have already started planning our anual Easter Extravaganza, Road to Resurrection! This is an Easter Event for families on Saturday, April 19th from 11:00 to 1:00 so mark your calendars now!

Have a blessed month of March!

Laura

Hello 605 Students, Families, and Friends! 
 
March is here! Hopefully bringing warmer temperatures and knowingly bringing more outside sports and activities. 
We kicked off February with our annual Chili Cook-off and Dessert Auction raising just over $16,000. Thank you to everyone that participated in any way, we appreciate your support, and we thank you for helping provide what we need for all that we get to do as a youth group. 
We then enjoyed many different events for students including basketball games, wrestling matches, lunches at the schools, Night to Shine hosted at the Sheid, and so many other things. 
We ended this wonderful month with our weekend at Veritas in Fort Smith AR where we learned about Ardor and what it means to be on fire for our faith! 
 
With the changes in sports seasons occurring, please send me your students current sports and activity schedules, I cannot wait to support your students at all of their things! 
 
As much fun as February was, I am just as excited to jump into March. 
Here are some highlights of our month and things to put on the calendar with a full March Calendar at the bottom! 
 
Ash Wednesday- March 5th All students are invited for our first lesson of the Lenten season after school. Then all students and families are invited for our community meal at 5:30PM followed by our Ash Wednesday Service at 6:00PM in the sanctuary. 
 
March 8th- We are packing food boxes at the Food Bank as a youth group. Please let Kyra know if your student or your family plans to join us. We love this event here at FUMC and it is a fun way for us to give back to our community and serve together. We hope to see you there!
 
March 22nd- This is the date for Winter Jam 2025 in Springfield. This is not a trip our church have taken for a long time or maybe even ever. I would love to see a group of our people travel together to this awesome night of Christian Concerts. It is 10 artists in one night for $15. If you or your student would be interested in attending this event or have questions about it please let me know. I loved it growing up and I think FUMC might love it too! 
 
March 24-28- Spring Break! We are all excited for the wonderful things that happen over Spring Break, but remember there is no youth group on March 26th! No School = No Youth! Enjoy your break. 
 
Upcoming: 
 
April 4-6: Young Christians Weekend. Our students love this event and I love being able to spend time with them at Silver Dollar City. I am still looking for adults to chaperone this trip with me and until we find them, we cannot register students for this trip. WILL YOU COME WITH US? If you are interested or would like more information, please reach out. I would be happy to share with you about this trip. 
 
Full March Calendar
 
March 2: The Table Sunday School 
March 5: Youth Group and Ash Wednesday Service 
March 6: Lunch at the Junior High 
March 8: Food Packing at the Food Bank 
March 9: The Table Sunday School 
March 12: Youth Group 
March 12: YCW Registration Deadline (Pending Adult Chaperones)
March 16: The Table Sunday School 
March 17: Lunch at Pinkston 
March 19: Youth Group 
March 20: Lunch at the High School 
March 22: Springfield Winter Jam 
March 23: The Table Sunday School 
March 26: NO YOUTH! Happy Spring Break! 
March 30: The Table Sunday School

Blessings and hopefully a lucky March! 

Kyra Anthony

VERITAS 2025

WESLEY KITCHEN
In memory of John Simpkins
Betty Rutherford

GENERAL FUND
In memory of Calvin Czeschin
Amy Flowers & Jo Ellen White

Concerns:
Genie Widerstrom (02/25/25)
(Rebecca Williams) 
Bev Thompson (02/25/25)
Jo Wolf (02/23/25)
Terri Sorzita (02/23/25)
Curtis Gomez (02/23/25)
(Christine Rohr)
Will Thompson (02/17/25)
(Billy & Ashley Thompson’s son)
Nancy Cox (02/16/25)
(Christine & Cleo Holm)
Sue Wepprecht (02/11/25)
(Sheila Partee)
Kelly Bertrand (02/11/25)
Kolson Ahrenstorff (02/10/25)
(Tyler & Kim Ahrenstorff’s son)
Bernice Koonce (02/02/25)
Bonnie Benham (01/19/25)
Ron Riddell (01/12/25)
(Sharon Hamilton)
Kate Melnik (01/13/25)
(Tom Yoder)
Wesley Werner (1/7/25)
Tommy Hawthorne (1/7/25)
(Gail House's nephew)
Estes Owens (12/30/24)
Aiden Garner (12/30/24)
Ashton Walker (12/30/24)
Kaden Brassfield (12/30/24)
Landen Haynes (12/30/24)
Diwan Blackburn (12/29/24)
Mark, Melissa & Jason Morgan (12/23/24)
Doug Dethloff (12/22/24)
Tina Benton (12/08/24)
Mike & Mary Jane Carroll (12/08/24)
(Tina Benton)
Pat Harris (12/01/24)
(Tina Benton)
Paula Flippin (12/01/24)
(Tina Benton)
Diane Lucas (12/01/24)
(Tina Benton)
Emily Jones Griffin (12/01/24)
(Teresa Kenyon)
Bill Wagner (12/01/24)
Scott Cain (11/19/24)
(Jill Chandler’s Son)
Elden Lowe (11/19/24)
(Jill Chandler’s Nephew)
Linda Brooks (11/19/24)
(Jill Chandler)
Tim Dorram (11/12/24)
(Yvonne Hall)
Matt Zipperer (10/29/24)
(Sue Storm)
Ruth Greer (10/29/24) 
Carol Hurley (10/24/24)
(Sharon Fabich) 
Sharon & Wendell Dennis (10/13/24)
(Debby Bodenhamer)
Jack Knight (09/22/24)
(Jill Chandler’s brother)
Ruth Clark (09/19/24)
Regina Gillihan (09/15/24)
(Bernice Koonce)
Wally Smietanski (09/10/24)
Sue Robinson (09/01/24)
(Marilyn Bonecki)
Denise Rohr (08/18/24)
(Christine Rohr’s daughter)
Ronald Robinson (07/29/24)
(Marilyn Bonecki)
Casey Craig (07/21/24)
(Tim & Amanda King)
Jerry Beaver (07/07/24)
(Sharon Fabich’s cousin)
Connie Acheson (06/25/24)
Barbara Hagebock (06/24/24)
Johnny Johnson (06/09/24)
(Christine Rohr)
Heidi Garner (06/04/24)
(Phil & Vicki Garner’s daughter in law)
Chris Sinning (05/17/24)
(Paula Bodenhamer)
Gordon Knight (04/15/24)
(Tommy Knight’s brother)
Rexene Watson (04/03/24)
(Tom Yoder’s sister-in-law)
Nancy Reed (03/31/24)
(Mary Margaret Pearson)
Beverly Killbourn (03/20/24)
(Lucy Monger’s sister)