HOLY WEEK OFFERINGS
Westside Food Bank Food Drive
Missions Council will be hosting a food drive for the Westside Food Bank, so bring cans and dry goods to donate from April 3 – 17. Look for the bins on campus before and after Sunday worship.
Sunday, APRIL 10: Palm Sunday – Holy Communion
10 a.m. In-Person and Online Worship
The day we celebrate Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, with the waving of palms and loud Hosannas!
Sunday, APRIL 10: Easter Hop-By
10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. in the Courtyard
Following Palm Sunday worship, come by the Courtyard for the Easter Hop-By, hosted by Children and Family Ministries. Featuring crafts bags, a family photo opp, flowers, and a visit from the Easter Bunny! Fun for all ages!
Wednesday, APRIL 13: April Mid-Week Recital
12:10 p.m. Online
Tune in to the April Mid-Week Recital, featuring Sean O’Neal, organ.
ONLINE: Facebook: @santamonicaumc • YouTube Channel :
http://www.youtube.com/c/santamonicaumc • Website:
http://www.santamonicaumc.org/livestream • The First UMC App:
(To download, go to the App Store, search FirstUMC_SM)
Thursday, APRIL 14: Maundy Thursday
7 p.m. St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
St. Paul’s Lutheran is holding an in-person Maundy
Thursday Service.
958 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403
Friday, APRIL 15: Good Friday Service
7 p.m. St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
St. Paul’s Lutheran together with First Presbyterian Church
present a Good Friday Service.
958 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403
Easter Worship Services:
April 17: Easter Sunrise Service
6:30 a.m. Palisades Park
(Santa Monica Blvd. & Ocean Ave.)
First UMC is excited to announce the Easter Sunrise Service is back this year! Bring fresh flowers for the cross, and a lawn chair or blankets. Hot coffee served.
April 17: Easter Celebration Worship
10 a.m. In-Person and Online Worship
Family Service, Choir, Organ, Easter Flowers, and Alleluias!
LENT 2022
“The Road to Easter in John’s Gospel” Bible Study with Rev. Larry Young
Rev. Larry Young will be leading a Zoom Lenten study on “The Road to Easter in John’s Gospel” beginning March 9 and 10. In 2019-20 Rev. Young was leading a study of John which was cut short by the onset of Covid; so this will be a chance to complete that study with a focus on the events leading to Easter. All are welcome, whether or not you were a part of the previous study. Duplicate sessions will meet Wednesdays at 7:15 pm and Thursday at 2:00 pm, running for 6 weeks, ending April 13/14. To sign up, email Rev. Young at lyoung@ljyoung.net
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/99130945843?pwd=eFliTHFUZ3JuVG1sUm5VdkxJZGRJQT09
Meeting ID: 991 3094 5843
Passcode: 976304
Lenten Devotional
The Spiritual Formation Council invites you to read your Lenten Devotional online and in print. The devotional is written by First UMC congregants and provides a wonderful opportunity to share Lent with family and friends. Printed copies are available at church on the table outside the Sanctuary, and daily emails have begun. To sign up for the emails go to: http://eepurl.com/brFsJL
Click Here to Read Booklet
How to Keep a Holy Lent: Spiritual Guide 2022
Look for the fold-out card Lenten guide called How to Keep a Holy Lent: Spiritual Guide, available now. The guides are available in front of the Sanctuary after Sunday worship, or you may print it out at home (download file here), or save it to your desktop or phone for easy reference. Each day includes a suggested tip for observing Lent.
From the UMC: What is Lent and why does it last forty days?
Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, meaning “lengthen” and refers to the lengthening days of spring. The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.
Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by new converts and then became a time of penance by all Christians. Today, Christians focus on relationship with God, growing as disciples and extending ourselves, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of ourselves for others.
Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a “mini-Easter.” This is why you will see the designation “Sunday in Lent” rather than “Sunday of Lent” in the naming of these Sundays. On each Lord’s Day in Lent, while Lenten fasts continue, the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.
Stay tuned for more Lenten offerings to follow!