ESUMC News­let­ter

Dear friends in Christ, 

Greetings and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! 

Our newly restored sanctuary is now open! On Sunday 18 May, we gathered for the first time since last fall in our beloved sanctuary. It was a joyful service of worship and praise, with the message delivered by Daniel Mohr, and special music offered by Maria Tobler Kudaya on the recorder, and by Daniel and Emmanuel Antwi on drums.

This Sunday 25 May, we will celebrate Music Sunday in the sanctuary. The theme for the day shall be "Bless This House," and during the service we shall hold a dedication of our newly renovated worship space. We will be blessed by special music from our Chancel Choir, Sing Out Choir, and African Singers and Drummers. We will also receive a brief greeting from the Rev. Antje Klein, the newly-appointed pastor of the Fünfhaus Gemeinde.

Following the worship service, we will gather for an extended Coffee Hour. To help us celebrate, please bring a "finger food" or dessert to share with others during this special time of fellowship.

As we return to our sanctuary, we give our thanks to the Kirchenvorstand (church administration) of the UMC in Austria for financing the great majority of the renovation project. We are also grateful to the UMC in Austria property management team, and to our Superintendent Stefan Schröckenfuchs for his tireless oversight of so many daily details throughout these many months.

In the spirit of gratitude, on Sunday we will take a special offering to help offset some of the renovation expenses. Join us on Sunday for worship and fellowship in our newly renovated sanctuary, as we ask God to "bless this house!"

Yours in Christ, Pastor John