Each day this week (if you so choose) You are not required to feel joyful. You are simply invited to make space when joy appears. Questions for Contemplation
Adopt-a-School Update: January 2026
Happy New Year from the Adopt-a-School team! Last year was quite eventful and this year looks like it will be equally gratifying. Again, this year we are joining forces with Hawthorne and Bikes for Kids WI to supply bikes to students. For $42, a child will be given a bike, a helmet and a lock. If you are interested in …
A Spiritual Act for the Week of January 11
Once a day, pause for a moment, take a breath, and say, either silently or aloud: “I am called by name. I am beloved.” That’s it. No fixing. No striving. Just making space to remember what is already true. Questions for Contemplation What helps me remember that I am beloved? What causes me to forget? Where did I notice God’s …
More Than a Resolution: Practicing Faithful Stewardship for the Long Haul
A Message from the United Methodist Foundation: Every January, many of us start the year with good intentions. We resolve to spend less, save more, pay down debt, or finally feel less anxious about money. Some of those resolutions stick for a while. Many don’t. And it’s not because we lack discipline or desire. The truth is that healthy financial …
Hope’s Home Ministry 2025 Ministry Impact – Year End Report
Faith made visible through your love and service!! In 2025, Hope’s Home Ministry continued to show up, not occasionally or seasonally, but consistently. What follows is more than a collection of numbers. These figures point to real people: neighbors who came through our doors, volunteers who returned week after week, and partners who chose to walk alongside us in compassion …
Adopt-a-School Update: December 2025
Christmas time is here at Hawthorne Elementary School and it’s time to sign up to be a Holiday Helper. Hooray for everyone who donated to buy office chairs for the teachers at Hawthorne! We were able to donate eight (yes, 8) great chairs!!! Attention! Now is the time to submit your application to become a tutor, classroom helper, food pantry …
Indigenous Peoples Recognition
Three years ago, First Church held a special recognition day to honor the Ho-Chunk Indigenous People who lived on the land where our church building now stands. People from our Church, our Community, and the Ho-Chunk Nation attended the ceremony. It began in the Sanctuary with traditional Ho-Chunk drumming and ended outside where the red Wisconsin granite stone imbedded with …
Stewardship Update
By Scott Divine Over the past few weeks, we’ve been immersed in the parables of Jesus—stories meant to be remembered, shared, and witnessed. Jesus knew that a story can change a heart, and a changed heart can change the world. Our church, First United Methodist of Madison, has its own story—a living parable that began nearly two centuries ago with …
Advent Book Study Begins Soon
Begins Thursday, November 20, 2pm Join the Thursday Bible Study Group for a special Advent Study this season! Sessions will be held on Thursdays — November 20, December 4, 11, and 18 at 2pm in chapel café. Come and reflect together as we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. For more information, please contact Rev. Scott Walters.
Adopt-a-School Update – October, 2025
The 2025-26 school year is off to a great start! If you recall, our “goals” at the start of last year were to help Hawthorne finally get soccer goals for their field. This spring the goals were installed and they are a HIT! Antonio Cruz-Rodriguez, the Hawthorne Community School Resource Coordinator, followed Gerry Kennedy’s guidance and got the lines painted …