Ge­mein­de­brie­fe

Dear friends in Christ,In this season of Lenten prayer and repentance, I pray that you and your loved ones are well and blessed.As you will note in this newsletter, the month of March is filled with a number of special worship services and congregational events.In worship on Sunday 10 March, we will hear the word of God preached by our District Superintendent, Pastor Stefan Schröckenfuchs of the Fünfhaus Gemeinde. Following worship, Pastor Stefan will lead us in our Charge Conference, the annual meeting of the congregation, to which all are invited.The following Sunday, 17 March at 10:30, we will celebrate a special joint worship service with our fellow Christians from the Fünfhaus Gemeinde. Joining us for worship shall be members of the UMC Central Conference Executive Committee who will be meeting in our building during the week. Our guest preacher shall be Bishop Stefan Zürcher, the newly elected bishop for our episcopal area. We ask ESUMC members and friends to bring a finger food to share during the fellowship hour after worship.On Saturday 23 March, all are invited to participate in "Growing Together: A Study of First Corinthians," a spiritual retreat to bless our Lenten journey, to be led by the Revd Dr. Robert Kinney and sponsored by the ecumenical English-speaking community in Vienna. ESUMC is the host for this event; details can be found below.Following the celebration of Palm Sunday on 24 March, the month concludes with Holy Week: solemn services of worship on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, culminating in the celebration of Jesus' resurrection on Easter Sunday 31 March.I warmly invite you to participate in these worship services and events throughout the month. In the meantime, may God bless you and your loved ones as you continue your Lenten journey. I pray that your spiritual disciplines in this season--fasting, Scripture reading, prayer--shall bring you closer into communion with God, who has pledged to be with us and never forsake us. May this truth give us assurance and hope, and the courage to confess our sins and receive God's great gifts of forgiveness and salvation.Yours in Christ, Pastor John

Dear friends in Christ,Greetings and peace to you all! Thank you for your prayers during my recent travels to Colombia to lead a gathering of United Methodist missionaries. We give our thanks to Jerry Barton for preaching and leading worship on Sunday 4 February.This past Saturday, nearly 40 members of ESUMC gathered for an evening of joyful fellowship at our annual Talent Show. We give thanks to Marilyn for leading the choir in song (see photo below) and organizing the evening, and to all who participated and brought refreshments to share.Tomorrow evening our observance of the Lenten season begins with our Ash Wednesday service of worship at 18:30 in the sanctuary. Join us for a solemn service of prayer and repentance, as we receive the mark of the ashes on the forehead.Yours in Christ, Pastor John

Dear friends in Christ,Greetings from Bogota, Colombia! As a missionary of our United Methodist Church, over the past few years I have had the reponsibility and blessing of helping to organize and lead gatherings of my fellow missionaries serving in different regions around the world.In 2023, two such gatherings were held, in Mozambique and Cambodia. In recent days, missionaries serving in Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Eurasia, and the Middle East have gathered in Bogota, the capital of Colombia, for a week of worship, fellowship, renewal, and small group discussion. We give thanks to God for the 36 missionaries, plus their family members, who have come together for this time of spiritual growth. Please keep me and my fellow missionaires in your prayers.We give thanks to God for Jerry Barton, who will preach and lead worship at ESUMC on Sunday 4 February. I will return to Vienna on Saturday 10 February, just in time for our congregational Talent Show! (See below for more information, please bring a finger food to share, and be in touch with Marilyn if you wish to share a talent during the evening.) As a reminder, Holy Commuion will be celebrated on Sunday 11 February. Our observation of Lent begins with a service of worship on Ash Wednesday 14 February at 18:30.Below please find articles and highlights about upcoming worship and fellowship events. I pray God's blessings on you and your loved ones, and look forward to seeing you upon my return to Vienna.Yours in Christ, Pastor John

Dear friends in Christ,I pray that you and your loved ones are well, and that the new year has started with blessings.In this brief mid-month update, we share news from our Wärmestube ministry, details of worship services in this season after Epiphany, and information about upcoming special fellowship events for our community members, young and old alike!Along with planning worship and fellowship events, our leadership team is also preparing our church budget for 2024, based on your Estimate of Giving pledges. We are thankful for the 27 church members and friends who have already offered their prayerful financial support for our ministry.If you have not yet submitted your Estimate of Giving for 2024, we kindly ask that you do so by the end of January. You may pick up a form in the fellowship area in church, or make your statement of support online via this dedicated link:ESUMC 2024 Estimate of Giving FormMay God's blessings and peace be with you in this new year!Yours in Christ, Pastor John

Dear friends in Christ,I wish you a happy and blessed new year! It has been a joy to gather with you in the last weeks as we have prepared for and celebrated the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to all who made our Advent and Christmas services such a blessed time of worship.And I pray that the start of the new year finds you and your loved ones in good health and Christian spirit. May God continue to bless you in this new year, as together we recommit ourselves to a new year of loving and serving God and others.In this month's newsletter, you will find articles about ongoing and new ministry programs in the community, including ways in which we shall strive to fulfill our commitment to Creation Care. We thank you for your support of these initiatives, and your feedback and encouragement is always welcome.Lastly, we give thanks to all who have pledged your financial, volunteer, and prayerful support for our ministry in 2024. As of the start of January, a total of 23 Estimate of Giving forms have been received from members and friends of ESUMC. We thank you all for your continued support of our ministry. Based on your levels of giving, our Finance Committee shall draw up a church budget for 2024.If you have not yet submitted your Estimate of Giving for 2024, you may pick up a form in the fellowship area in church, or make your statement of support online via this dedicated link:ESUMC 2024 Estimate of Giving FormMay God's blessings and peace be upon you all in this new year of worship, praise, and service!Yours in Christ, Pastor John