I’m with the DJ | 12.27.21

This message is for people who attended our Christmas Eve service.

Since our Christmas Eve service, we have received news that a person in attendance has tested positive for Covid-19. This person is vaccinated. It’s likely that the person was contagious at this time. Since we are unable to confirm whether or not you or your loved ones were in close contact, we would like to encourage you to get tested and take every precaution necessary.

I’m attaching the Center for Disease Control’s guidance for those who came in close contact with a person with confirmed Covid-19. Here is the link from the CDC to learn more.

We believe that one of our primary objective as a church is to do no harm. Our church leadership has worked very hard to provide physical distancing, require proof of vaccination and keep everyone as safe as we can. This will continue.

Grace and Peace, 

Pastor DJ and Church Council

I’m with the DJ | 12.23.21

Friends of Federal Way UMC, 

For Christmas Eve this week, we will offer in-person worship in addition to online worship at 7pm. I want to encourage you to make the safest and wisest decisions for yourself and your loved ones. If that means you join us online, I’ll be right there with you. Covid-19 has come to our house and while one of our kiddos isn’t suffering, there are many who are. Therefore, I will lead worship digitally as well for your safety and my families.

If you are considering giving generously on Christmas Eve, know that your offering will be shared equally to the following programs. 

• 1/3 for our partners at Meredith Hill Cares

• 1/3 to our partner missionary organization at Jamaa Letu

• 1/3 is a discretionary funds administered by the office staff. Specifically to assist with utilities for persons who are in danger of having them turned off.

I’ve been talking with many of our church community regarding the rise of the Omicron virus and how that will affect our in person worship moving forward. The latest information from our United Methodist Conference leadership is found here. It’s very informative, click here to learn more.

The leadership of our church will continue to monitor Omicron numbers in our community and do our very best to continue to communicate with you.  My weekly communication and our website will be great places to catch up on where we are regarding if our church is open to the public or we fully shift back to online worship. 

I pray for peace to you and your households this holy and sacred week. 

Pastor DJ

I’m with the DJ | 12.9.21

I’m with the DJ | 12.4.21

Thank you dear friends for your cards, messages and prayers as my family and I mourn the loss of my father. I’m grateful for each and everyone of you. This Sunday, we continue our Advent series used with permission from our friends at Sanctified Art called “Those Who Dream”. Our focus will be Peace.

I’m with the DJ | 11.10.21

Used with permission from Canva

Church friends and family,

I hope and pray that you and your loved ones are doing very well. It’s been a fun week of sunshine and lots of rain! We had a great week last week celebrating that we have paid off our mortgage. That means we are debt free! We are also finishing up our generosity campaign. If you haven’t done so, please turn in your pledge cards. You can fill one out at church, online, or email us generousfwumc.org.

This Sunday we will continue our sermon series focusing on Matthew 5:1-12. Rev. Jan will be preaching. If you want to see last weeks service, please click here. I’m looking forward to see you all.

Pastor DJ

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