I’m with the DJ | 11.3.21

November 3, 2021

We live in a world where the normal is a new normal. For months, I was anxious about what that might mean for us. I walked into Starbucks the other day and saw this sign. It wasn’t the first time I’ve been asked to show proof of my vaccination, I doubt it’ll be my last. I’m happy to show it to businesses that are doing their best to care for our community and their employees. Our church has the same policy.

I’m considered high risk by almost every measurable category. Many of you probably know that I have a routine chemotherapy two to three times a year. It’s become a part of my families routine. While it’s never easy, I’m incredibly grateful for medicines and doctors who provide people like me to live and thrive. As we have slowly started to add in-person events for our community, I want you to know that it’s okay if you are not ready to join us in-person. In fact, we encourage you to if it is best for you.

We still want you connected to your community group, engaged in a small group and worshipping regularly with us. This Sunday, I’ll begin a new sermon series based off of Matthew 5:1-12. Please take the time to read it before Sunday.

Here are a few ways that you can join us…
Come join us at the church for our annual Holiday Fair. We will gather this Saturday. I hope you get a chance to come by and check it out. This Sunday, we will celebrate Holy Communion, read the names of Saints and celebrate that we are debt free in 2021. If you have a name of a person you would like read during our Saints Day acknowledgment, please email pastorDJ@fwumc.org by Friday. If you were a part of helping us in our latest remodel, please let the office know so we can recognize you as well. Lastly, please let us know how you would like to join us in 2022. You could email generousfwumc@gmail.com or click here. 

Grace and Peace, 

Pastor DJ

I’m with the DJ | 10.27.21

Friends and families of Federal Way United Methodist Church, 

After two weeks of adding in person worship we are learning and celebrating many things. First, many of our folks, especially people who are high risk or children under the age of 12 are worshipping with us from home. It’s fantastic that our online ministry continues to thrive! Thank you so much for continuing to find new and creative ways to engage in our growing faith community. If you want to join us in-person, please take a moment to pre-register online, once we verify your vaccination card once, you won’t need to show it again. What’s also fantastic is that everyone is doing a great job maintaining physical distance and wearing their masks. Thank you so much!

Pledge cards (Generosity cards) are coming in through our website. We are also having folks email generousfwumc@gmail.com. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the ways you are helping our leadership at our church properly forecast our budget for 2022 in faith. If you want help setting up your online account through fwumc.org, please contact the church office. 

We have many very exciting happening things happening on November 7th. In addition to online and in person worship, we will be celebrating the sacrament of communion. There is something sacred about our community gathering online and in person. We will also be celebrating All Saints day. If you have a name of a loved one that you would like read during the service, please email DJ@revdj.com. Each name will be read and a tolling of a bell rung. On top of all these wonderful happenings, we will also be celebrating that our church is debt free in 2021!. Thanks to you generosity, we have paid off our mortgage and will return thanks to God and our generous givers. One fun thing we will do is to tear a ceremonial mortgage to celebrate together. Don’t worry, it isn’t real, just symbolic. 

I am looking forward to seeing you all soon. Please know that I am keeping you all in my prayers.

Thank you,

Rev.DJ

he | him | his

“Be curious, not judgmental” Ted Lasso quoting Walt Whitman

I’m with the DJ | 10.14.21

Friends and families of Federal Way UMC, 

Do you remember the heavy rain we got this past weekend? I absolutely love thunder storms. Heavy rain, lightening and the boom of thunder remind me of living in New Jersey when I was in Seminary. It’s so rare to have such a downpour here in the Pacific Northwest, that I’m often not ready to get ready for it. 

This Sunday, we will be adding in-person worship. Thanks to the hard work of our reopening team, aptly named the Jeremiah 29 team. Many of our staff and volunteers have been working hard to provide a safe space where we can worship together. We ask that you please pre-register for worship. That way we can know how many people to expect and prepare for physical distancing. In addition, vaccination proof will be required. You are welcome to send a copy through the registration process, or you can bring a copy to be physically scene on Sunday. You only need to show your vax card once. During our time together, we ask that everyone wear their masks at all times. Please remember that we will continue to offer live-streaming worship through our church Youtube account. 

We are also beginning to plan for our 2022 budget as a church. Will you please consider how you and your loved ones can support the many ministries of your church by your prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness? You can fill out a digital pledge card online or fill one out at church and leave it in the offering box. We would humbly ask that you fill out your card for 2022 no later than October 31st. 

I’m leading an online study of Bishop Ruben Job’s book “Three Simple Rules” for the next couple of Tuesday nights from 6-7pm. If you are interested in joining us, please fill out this form. You can also register and watch the recording at your leisure.

I look forward to seeing you all soon!

Peace be with you, 

Pastor DJ

I’m with the DJ | 10.5.21

Friends and families of Federal Way UMC,

On October 17 we are adding in person worship to our services every Sunday morning at 10 AM. We are able to do this because so many of you have done such a great job caring for our neighbors and community. On our website fwumc.org you can pre-register to join us for in person worship, it’s important to pre-register because space will be limited so we can keep physical distance. During our worship services and whenever we gather, masks will be required. According to kingcounty.gov, vaccine records will  be required and provided. When you pre-register online you can add a copy of your vaccine record. Here is the link to pre-register for the immediate Sunday. 

On the same website you can also find a sign-up sheet for a new book study I’ll be leading starting on Tuesday nights from 6 to 7 PM via zoom. If you can’t make it to those studies as we read and learn more about Bishop Rubin jobs book 3 simple rules you can still register and get a copy of the recordings to watch at your own leisure.

Here at our church we’ve been working hard to update our website and I want to make sure you know that our calendar is up-to-date with meetings and information for teams in our community. If your small group would like to meet at our church, please email our Administrator Sharon office@fwumc.org for scheduling.

Something I’d love for you to do is to record yourself and/or with your loved ones reciting are welcome statement which is also on the front page of our website will be working on a project that shows all the people connected to our church reading a welcome for everyone please take the time to do so or you can record it with me after church starting October 17.

We are a welcoming community that seeks to grow in love 

for God and our neighbor as we walk in faith and reach out in love. 

We celebrate God's acceptance of all people, 

and affirm that all are made in the image of God. 

We welcome the full participation in our church of everyone, 

without regard to race, ethnicity, national origin, 

sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, education, 

marital circumstances, physical and mental abilities, and economic status. 

We passionately believe that God has given all people 

gifts to use for building a world of mercy, justice, and peace.

I’m with the DJ | 9.8.21

Family and Friends of Federal Way UMC,

This past Sunday we tried something new, we offered an online and outdoor service. We learned a lot and are excited to offer the next outdoor and online service on October 3rd. Our goal is to livestream through both Facebook and our YouTube channel. I hope you take the time to join us as we seek to Walk in Faith and Reach out in Love.

With so many students, teachers and administrators going back to school, let’s hold one another in prayer during this important season. While we are praying, please continue to pray for first responders who continue to care for the sick and needy in this pandemic. In just a few days it’ll be Sept. 11th, our world has shifted and changed a lot since then. That was the day I had a plane ticket to fly to Princeton, New Jersey to start seminary at Princeton Theological Seminary. Instead, a good friend and I jumped in my little Nissan Sentra and drove over 3k miles across the country together.

We will continue our sermon series on John Wesleys Three Simple Rules. The focus this week is Do Good. As we prepare for worship this Sunday, I’d love to know from you… What memory or experience do you have of someone doing good?

Peace be with you,

Pastor DJ

I’m with the DJ | 9.2.2021

For many of us parents and guardians, this is a special day because our children return to school.  We also have many teachers and administrators who attend our church too. This morning I was praying for safety for all our people. Will you join me as we lift up our community in this time?

This Sunday, Sept. 5th, we are going to have a special outdoor service at 10am. We will still stream our service through YouTube. This is a chance for us to safely gather at our church while maintaining physical distancing. The service should be about 45 minutes long and we want to leave some extra time for folks to catch up and make new friends as well. 

During this time, we will also be giving away free luggage tags and have a blessing over the tags. Your student can put them on their backpack, lunch bag or anywhere else they like as a reminder that they are loved. If you can’t join us in person, please contact our office to pick one up.

We will begin our new sermon series “Three Simple Rules” by Bishop Ruben Job as well. Using Deuteronomy 20:1-20 as our guide, we will explore the first rule to “Do No Harm”. As you prepare for worship this week, try to consider these questions. 

1. What do the 10 commandments mean to you?

2. How do they affect your everyday life?

3. What are some ways that you do harm?

4. How is God calling you this week?

Peace be with you church!

Pastor DJ

I’m with the DJ | 8.25.21

Friends and family of Federal Way UMC, 

In the past week, many of the conversations I’ve had with people in our community focuses on the effects and deaths of people who have Covid-19. One of our sister churches, Browns Point UMC has very recently shifted to all pre-recorded worship. Our re-opening team, Jeremiah 29, continues to meet regularly debating, discussing and praying over the ways we can help people connect with God in safe ways. I really wish that I could write to you and tell you exactly when we will add in person worship. More importantly, I pray for wisdom to know how to guide our church and serve our community well. If you want to know more about our plan for adding in person worship, please click here.

Something exciting that we will be trying will be the first Sunday in September. On September 5th, we will continue to livestream our worship service at 10am. In addition, we are trying something new to kick off our Fall ministries. For this special Sunday, we will provide an outdoor, physically distant time of worship and gathering. Please bring your own chairs and I recommend that you wear masks as well. You are also welcome to provide your own sacred communion elements, we will provide pre-packaged communion elements as well. 

The service will last no longer than 45 minutes and we hope that you stick around to connect with our community as well. If you are high risk, unvaccinated or would rather worship with us online, please use our regular YouTube account to connect with us. 

In other news, founding members of our church Tom and Jan Crews will be moving full time to Arizona very soon. The Crews have been integral church members, disciples and servant leaders of our church for a long time. In the coming months, please know that we will be providing a time of formal blessing and gathering to celebrate their time with our church family. I hope you join me in thanking them and praying for their safe travels. 

Pastor DJ

I’m with the DJ | 8.20.21

I went to church this week to record parts of the service for this Sunday. After all this time, I still come to our sanctuary and imagine all our seats filled with familiar faces. In addition to familiar faces, I like to imagine new people walking through our doors seeking community and an encounter with the Holy Spirit. As your pastor, Sunday mornings are one of the highlights of my week. While it’s a highlight, if we reserved all our church to Sundays, we limit all the amazing things God is doing all the other days of the week.

Since the start of the pandemic, my understanding and expectation for worship continues to be reshaped and challenged. After talking with many of you, it’s clear that we are all in uncharted territory. Over the course of history, worship has evolved and shifted as the world changes.

There was once a time when the majority of people were not literate and the people sang songs to teach theology. Stain glassed windows were a visual reminding the people the stories of the Bible. As a parent of middle school children, the church I knew growing up isn’t the church I recognize today. There is a future and a hope for the current and next generation of followers of Jesus.

Now is a great time for us as a community to dig deep, reflect and pray for God’s guidance. There are aspects of our church that are essential to who we are as a faith community. In addition, there are also opportunities for us to learn, grow and share God’s love. While the Covid-19 Delta variant continues, will you join me in praying for courage and wisdom as we seek to be faithful together?

Grace and Peace,

Pastor DJ

I’m with the DJ | 8.5.21

Hello all, I’m excited to share that our Jeremiah 29 team has established august 29 as our relaunch date. So far, we are on track to begin to slowly add people to our existing worship. Please check our church website for up to the date information.