Volume 18, No2 Wesley United Methodist Church 544 Government Street Baton Rouge, LA. 70802 Phone: (225) 343-8421 April 9, 2017

Pastor: Rev. Dr. Joe Connelly Newsletter Editors: Anita H. Hansberry, Bridget McGee, Jacquelyn Watts and Carolyn Branch

“Wesley, a Church in the Heart of the City, with the City at Heart”

Well, it is widely known now that I will be moving to a new assignment in July. As has been the custom since the time of John Wesley, ordained elders serve as Itinerant preachers, (move from location to location). The itinerant system is the accepted method of The United Methodist Church by which ordained elders are appointed by the bishop to fields of labor. All ordained elders shall accept and abide by these appointments. (In other words, ordained elders go where the bishop sends them to serve.) {Paragraph 338, UMC Book of Discipline}

Beginning July 2017, I will be serving as the pastor of Bethany UMC in New Orleans, and as the founder/executive director of a new nonprofit for the 7th ward. The assignment to Bethany is for the purpose of revitalization of the congregation, and the nonprofit will focus on Community Economic Development, and Community Organizing/Capacity Building.

For the past seven years, I have truly enjoyed serving as your pastor. The weekly worship experiences, bible studies, and seeing the children grow have all been a vital part of my personal growth. I feel like a part of the new me was reborn here, and for that I am grateful. I will miss you guys, but, New Orleans is just down the road. My prayer is that the new pastor coming will serve you

well and God will be pleased with all that you do. I ask that you keep me and the people I will be serving lifted in prayer.

Remember, God said, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”

Until July, I will see you at the place of Transformation and Transition.

Blessings,

Pastor Joe

Sunday, April 9, 2017

The Christian Year The Christian year includes two Christ-centered cycles:

1. Advent-Christmas-Epiphany and 2. Lent-Easter-Pentecost

The Christian Year begins with Advent. Currently we are in the second half of the Christ-centered cycle ~ Lent-Easter-Pentecost. Lent is the six and a half weeks between Ash Wednesday and Easter and is a period of penitence in preparation for Easter. [Continue on page 2 Holy Week]

THE WESLEY PERSPECTIVE

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The Christian Year [continued from page 1]

Holy Week

• The last week of Lent is referred to as “Holy Week”. The events of this week include the Last Supper, Jesus’ arrest, trial torture, execution and burial and are described in the four gospels from various perspectives.

• Palm/Passion Sunday recalls Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

• Maundy Thursday is an alternate name for Holy Thursday, the first of the three days of solemn remembrance of the events leading up to and immediately following the crucifixion of Jesus. As recorded in John's gospel, on his last night before his betrayal and arrest, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and then gave them a new commandment to love one another as he had loved them (John 13:34). This is why services on this night generally include the washing of feet or other acts of physical care as an integral part of the celebration. While John's gospel does not record the institution of the Lord's Supper among the events of this night, the other gospels do.

• Good/Holy Friday is the commemoration of Jesus’ torture, crucifixion, death and burial.

Why is the Easter season 50 days long?

Easter for Christians is not just one day, but rather a 50-day period. The season of Easter, or Eastertide, begins at sunset on the eve of Easter and ends on Pentecost, the day we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church (see Acts 2).

Easter is also more than just an extended celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. In the early church, Lent was a season for new converts to learn about the faith and prepare for baptism on Easter Sunday. The initial purpose of the 50-day Easter season was to continue the faith formation of new Christians.

Today, this extended season gives us time to rejoice and experience what it means when we say Christ is risen. It’s the season when we remember our baptisms and how through this sacrament we are, according to the liturgy, “incorporated into Christ’s mighty acts of salvation.” As “Easter people,” we also celebrate and ponder the birth of the Church and gifts of the Spirit (Pentecost), and how we are to live as faithful Disciples of Christ. (Source: UMC.org)

Join us on Wednesday April 12th for last Lenten/Luncheon Service 11:30-12:30

Speaker Walter Weiss, Sr.

Welcome Visitors & Friends

Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors ~ Welcome to Wesley United Methodist Church... May the peace and Spirit of the Lord inspire you to answer the call to Christian discipleship in 2017.

PRONOUNCEMENTS

Please visit us on the Internet: Our web address

is: www.wesleybr.org

The office e-mail address is: office@wesleybr.org

Twitter: @wesleyumcbr

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/wesleybatonrouge

THE LOUISIANA NOW, currently a quarterly

magazine that highlights opportunities, witness and

the various ministries for the Louisiana Annual

Conference is now available online at

www.la-umc.org/lanow/current

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On the conference homepage, there is a link to

subscribe to the weekly Louisiana Now E-Letter

To access United Methodist Men, United Methodist

Women, or Youth Ministries, go to the main page of

the LA Conference. Click on Ministries, and then

click on Laity. Note: there is a link to access the

new websites for United Methodist Women

[http://umwla.org] and United Methodist Men

[http://www.gcumm.org].

Other web resources:

www.umc-gbcs.org

www.gbgm-umc.org (Mission)

www.tenthousanddoors.org

www.gbhem.org (Scholarships)

www.gbod.org (Discipleship)

www.umns.umc.org (News)

The Church Office must be notified of ALL

Meetings to be held at the church to avoid

schedule conflicts. Cards will be sent out one

week prior to the meeting date, if the office knows

of the meeting and the persons who are to attend.

SAFETY REMINDER: Young children (under the

age of 12) leaving the Sanctuary during worship

services to visit restrooms, water fountain, the

nursery, narthex or any part of the building should

be accompanied by a parent or another responsible

adult. Thank you for your cooperation.

Reminders!!

❖ The Church van is available if you need a ride

to Sunday School and Worship; please call the

church office at 225-343-8421 by Thursday of

each week to put your name on the list.

❖ All vouchers, receipts, reimbursements, etc.

must be submitted to the Finance Committee by

Wednesday of each week.

❖ Announcements to be made during Sunday

Worship Service should be received in the

church office by Thursday at noon.

❖ If you have moved recently/changed your

telephone number or email address or if you or

a member of your family are ill or hospitalized,

etc. please notify the church office by phone or

email.

❖ All meetings, rehearsals, trainings and class

studies must be scheduled through the church

office to avoid conflicts.

❖ If you are in church with your smartphone, you

are invited to tweet or post on Facebook your

church attendance.

Sunday School theme for the 2017

Spring Quarter: “God Loves Us”

Unit I. March~ God’s Eternal, Preserving, and

Renewing Love [1 John 4:7-19, Ephesians 2:1-10,

John 15:1-17, Joel 2:12,13,18,19,28-32]

Unit II. God’s Caring, Saving, and Upholding

Love

• April 2 Lesson Title: Shepherding Love ~

Scripture Psalm 23

• April 9 Lesson Title: Saving Love ~

Scripture: John 3:1-16

• April 16 Lesson Title: Victorious Love

~ Scripture: John 20:1-10, 1 Peter 1:3-9

• April 23 Lesson Title: Reconciling

Love ~ Scripture: Romans 5:6-11; 8:31-39

• April 30 Lesson Title: Protecting Love ~

Scripture: John 10:1-15

Unit III. God’s Pervasive and Sustaining Love

• May 7 Lesson Title: Sustaining Love ~

Scripture: Jonah 1:7-17

• May 14 Lesson Title: Preserving

Love ~ Scripture: Jonah 2

• May 21 Lesson Title: Forgiving Love

~ Scripture: Jonah 3

• May 28 Lesson Title: Pervasive Love

~Scripture: Jonah 4

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Discover the spiritual enrichment, maturity and

joy that learning can bring. Make Sunday

School attendance a priority and pray for

discernment to answer God’s call for your life.

United Methodist Men’s Bible Study

meets 1st and 3rd Saturdays at 8:30 a.m.

Wednesday Morning Bible Study meets

at 11:00 a.m.

Blackwater United Methodist Women will host their study “The Bible and Human Sexuality” on 9a.m. Saturday, April 29, 2017 at Blackwater UMC, 10000 Blackwater Rd, Central LA, Rev. Clifton Conrad will be leading the study. Registration will begin at 830a.m., lunch will be provided. Point of contact is Carol Forman, (225) 931-0348

In lieu of our regularly scheduled April meeting, we have been invited to participate in the above mission study. At our last meeting (Call to Prayer and Self-Denial), we discussed an action project that would meet the requirements for our unit to get credit for a mission study…”The Days for Girls Project”. Our unit would have to attend the study and then do a follow-up project. More information on the project is forthcoming.

2nd Quarter Schedule

April

9 Palm Sunday

12-Lenten Service 11:30

13-Holy Thurs Service

6:30p

14-Good Friday Service

Neely UMC 10:00 a.m.

15-Holy Saturday

16. EASTER Service

23. Boy Scout Sunday

30. Native American Awareness

Sunday-Youth Sunday

May

7. Holy Communion/Birthday

Sunday

14 Mother's Day

21. Founders' Day/Heritage Sun

28. Ascension Sun/Memorial

Sunday

29 Memorial Day

June

4. Pentecost/Holy Communion

/Birthday Sunday

11. Trinity Sunday Graduate

Sunday/Peace with Justice

18. Father's Day

25. Youth Sunday

AC2017: Bold Imagination

Over 1,000 United Methodists are expected to gather

in the Shreveport/Bossier area for Annual Conference

2017: Bold Imagination June 7-10 to worship, share

in fellowship, “boldly” imagine and strategize their

work in ministry to make disciples of Jesus Christ for

the transformation of the world.

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OUR CHURCH FAMILY

Remember the following persons in your thoughts

and prayers

PRAYER REQUEST

Brandi Beal Lillian Brule’ Shelly Clark Alicia Connelly Rev. Joe Connelly Catherine Dawson (Care) Dorothy Davis Virginia Gaines (care) Cornelia & Lillian Hill

Janice Johnson Leonard Robinson Mister Samuel Bertha Toussaint Anna Turner Theresa Tyson Charlie Wetherspoon(Care) Mack Willis Wilhelmenia Woods

We express our deepest sympathy to Rev. Yvonne

Dayries on the death of her husband Mr. Herman

Dayries. His Celebration of Life Service is scheduled for

Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at St. John Catholic Church, Hwy

73 Prairieville, LA. Visiting is at 9:30 a.m. followed by

Mass at 10:00 a.m. Please keep the family in your

prayers.

• Leo Washington who recently retired after 38

years of service with Entergy.

• Laketa Caston for her recent performance in the

play “Dot” held at the LSU School of Music and

Drama.

• Uzoamaka Njoku placed first all around in her

age group in gymnastics and is representing the

State in North Carolina. If she qualifies, she will

go to the national competition. Pray for a safe

journey

• John W. Coleman, Jr. for the award-winning

article Award-winning article--Pastor’s healing

from abuse inspires ministry and a meeting with

the Pope (source:

http://www.epaumc.org/news)

May 1st Ronald Williams

Marissa Thompson

Justin Ennis

May 2nd Rose B. Mason

May 3rd Virginia R. Gaines

May 4th Shilonda Shamlin

Marian Smith

Mycah Hines

May 5th Katisha C. Lathan

May 6th Gordon Curry

Clayborne M. Thomas

Micah Jordan

Khloe Jordan

May 7th Karleen Green

May 10th Rose Hudson

May 12th Cynthia Doyle-Lewis

May 13th Reginald Lewis, Sr.

May 14th Craig Johnson

May 15th Gaynell V. Johnson

May 16th Chester Charles II

May 17th Cherie Beal

Robert Clark

May 18th Ebony Warren

May 19th Angel Jackson

Stephanie Norwood

May 20th Gary Shannon

May 21st Reginald Lewis, Jr.

May 23rd Anna F. Turner

May 24th Cornelia B. Brossette

Jamon Hall

May 26th Jerome B. Palmer

Chase Bernard Hansberry

May 29th Lana P. Lathan

May 28th Dayton McQuarter

May 30th Cyra C. Charles

IN MEMORY OF

May 1st Consuella Hall Fobbs

May 2nd Rosabelle Jenkins

May 5th Lillie Buchanan

May 6th Jim Lathan

May 9th William Hicks

May 12th Mrs. Caroline S. Jones

May 15th Faye B. Ross

May 18th Rebecca Netterville

May 27th Eunice Collins

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Valerie F. Moore June 1st Ameen Walker Lenora Robinson Jarrell Gray June 2nd Janis J. Pitcher June 3rd Marilyn Reynaud June 6th Kaden Jordan Myrtle Alexander Courtney Burdette June 9th Janice S. Hall June 10th Karl Dunmoore Henry Collins III Tonette McMorris June 12th Markayla Collins June 14th Markeisha Collins Brandi Rose Beal June 16th Laela Baham Raynell Fleming, Sr. June 17th Leroy M. Edmond June 18th Lois Fouse Tanya Mencer June 19th Connie M. Chapman June 20th Raynell Fleming, II June 21st Lula W. Lee June 24th Bennie L. Davis June 25th Taylor McGee Raylen Lenora Fleming Samuel L. Hughes June 26th Angele Horton

In Memory of

Mr. Charles McCue June 2nd Mr. Hurd Robinson Jr. June 2nd

Mrs. Daisy Moore June 7th Mrs. Anna Robertson June 12th

Mr. Don Pelichet June 14th Mr. Edward Morrison June 19th

Mrs. Matilda Allen June 21st Mrs. Brenda Mims June 23rd Mrs. A. Vanessa Jingles June 27th

Mrs. Effie K. West June 26th Mrs. Bertha Rodney June 30th

Mrs. Annie Atkins June 30th

Photos- Compliments Dr. Donna Washington

Church Leadership & Planning Retreat

2/11/17

Presentation to Baton Rouge

Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome

Outstanding Leadership 2/12/17

Children’s Black History Presentation

Youth Dr. Martin L. King Presentations

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2017 LENTEN SPEAKERS

Wesley was blessed by the Lenten Meditations given by the following person:

Mrs. Bennie L. Davis ~ March 8th Mr. Leo Washington ~ March 15th

Mrs. Celestine Davis ~ March 22nd Mrs. Colleen Collins~ March 29th

Mrs. Anita H. Hansberry~ April 5th Mr. Walter Weiss, Sr. ~ April 12th

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