Come join us at the Capital City Pride festival!

On Saturday, 6/27 from 10am-6pm, First Olympia will have a booth at Percival Landing/Port of Olympia. Stop by to say hello or fill out the form below to sign up as a volunteer at the booth for 1-2 hours. We'd love to see you there!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0D4EA8A82EAA8-64214235-pride#/

And, if your boots are made for walking, we're marching in the Pride Parade on Sunday June 28th at 10am! You're invited! We are still holding a service so that means that you can choose to worship in the Sanctuary or on the parade route. If you would like to march in the parade, please fill out this online waiver and email the front office (fumco@fumcoly.org) asap to let us know you're coming.

In just over three weeks, nineteen Texas 4000 bicycle riders will be coming through Olympia on their epic, 10-week journey from Austin to Anchorage. On Sunday, June 21, we at FUMCO in collaboration with St. John | San Juan Episcopal will host the riders for a potluck dinner, brief program, and overnight home stays in support of their fundraising for cancer research, awareness and support.

Fun updates & more:

• TX4000 riders began their journey from Austin on May 16!
• Riders are in Las Vegas over this weekend, making their way to Yosemite!
• Click here to see a map and the route description.
• We’re currently finalizing host families—thanks to all who’ve shown interest!
• Consider coming & contributing to the potluck on 6/21 at 6pm.
  • A Sign Up link will be available in next week’s Courier.
• Learn more about Texas 4000 right here: www.Texas4000.org

The South Sound Co-Op wants to take YOU out to the ballgame this Summer!

The Tacoma Rainiers are playing on Sunday, July 19th at 1:30pm, and we'd love it if you joined in. A $15.50 ticket includes a reserved seat and a ballpark meal (hot dog & bottled water). The peanuts and crackerjacks you'll have to buy yourselves! The deadline to reserve your ticket is June 7th.

You can buy your tickets in the church office (on Sundays or during normal office hours) or by filling out this online form: https://fumcoly.breezechms.com/form/Rainiers2026.

Each year, FUMCO has a tradition of celebrating the graduates in our Congregation around this time of year. On Sunday, June 7th, we’ll take time during worship to recognize the names of all those finishing high school, college, and beyond!

If you have someone in your life you’d like recognized, please send a photo and the following information to Lauren (multimedia@fumcoly.org) as soon as possible: The graduate’s name, school, degree, and, if they’re continuing their education, where they’re headed next!

And, for elementary milestones, please email Lauren the names of your children who’ve completed Pre-school, Kindergarten, and 5th grade this month. We’ll recognize them too!

This Sunday, we’re excited to host the ENTIRE South Sound Cooperative in our sanctuary for a collaborative Pentecost worship service. And as hosts, it is our job to help make our neighbors feel comfortable in our space. Here’s a few things you can do!

• Madison Elementary has agreed to let us use their parking lot for overflow parking this week. So, if you can, please consider parking across the street in the school lot to clear up some more room in the normal FUMCO spots.
• Wear your nametag! Hopefully we’ll all be meeting a few new friends this week.
• When you sit down in the sanctuary, scoot as far as you can towards the center of your pew. It’ll be a tighter fit this week to squeeze everyone in. And remember that we also have additional seating upstairs in the balcony. Use either stairwell in the back of the sanctuary.

Thank you for helping us make FUMCO a more welcoming place!

The last gathering of our spring Compassionate Meditation series will be at Temple Beth Hatfiloh on Tuesday evening, May 26th from 7:15 - 8:30pm.

Host location: Temple Beth Hatfiloh, 201 8th Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501. You can find more information about this series on the IW website at https://www.interfaith-works.org/events.

Please save the evening of Thursday, June 11 for supper and a presentation from Missionary to Nepal Katherine Parker right here at First Olympia UMC.

All are welcome to share a meal and hear of Ms. Parker's many years serving the church in Nepal. United Women in Faith will provide the meal, and a love offering will be taken to support Katherine's ministry. More details coming soon!

Many people think that the classes offered through Lay Servant Ministries (LSM) are just for people seeking certification as Lay Servant, Lay Speakers, or Certified Lay Ministers. This, however, is not true. Lay Servant Ministry classes are open to anyone seeking to deepen their faith journey to become committed disciples of Jesus. In addition to LSM classes offered through our GNW Conferences, a variety of classes are available online through BeADisciple.com.

Dr. Shawna Beese, a member of Spokane Valley United Methodist Church shares how one of her BeADisciple classes has given her hope during these challenging times. You can read her article: “Hope In Uncertain Times,” on the GNW News website.

The Olympia Marathon is THIS weekend, so here’s your friendly reminder to give yourself some extra time to get to church on Sunday, 5/17. Eastside St, State St, and 4th Ave will all be heavily impacted by the event. Runners are estimated to start hitting Eastside Street around 8 am with the heaviest crowds arriving between 9 – 11 am. (times are best estimates).

We ask drivers to be patient as the city tries to safely get them through between runners.

This month, we’ll be screening Minari (2020).

When Jacob Yi uproots his young family from California to the middle-of-no-where Arkansas, not everyone is excited about it. As first and second generation Korean immigrants, the Yi family struggles to make this new place a real home. Minari is an intergenerational exploration of one family's immigrant experience in America. It weighs the needs of each family member against one another in a delicate balance of culture, assimilation, and the hard work it takes to "plant seeds" in hostile soil.  

Click here to watch a full trailer.

We'll be showing the movie upstairs at First Olympia UMC in The Redwood Room THIS Sunday, May 17th @12:30pm. There will be a light lunch provided before/during the screening.

The discussion will be held the next day Monday, May 18th at 7pm in a hybrid-style. This means you’re welcome to join us in-person at First Olympia UMC or on our normal Zoom link. However you’d prefer to connect, we hope to have you there!

If you're interested in either the screening and/or the discussion, please RSVP here:
https://fumcoly.breezechms.com/form/ARFCMinari.

As part of our healing in recognition of our colonizing ancestors failure to honor the 1854 Medicine Creek Treaty that stole the land on which we live from the Salish Sea indigenous people Interfaith Works seeks to support our local tribes in reclaiming their culture.

You are invited to help our Nisqually Tribe neighbors make 2000 to 3000 gifts for the pullers (canoe paddlers) and guests who come from as far away as Tahola and Nanaimo for this year’s Canoe Journey which the Nisqually are hosting. All are welcome and the supplies needed for sewing, jewelry and basket making will be provided. Just show up at the Billy Frank Jr. Gym (down the road past the tall building across the street from their casino in Yelm).

• Monday, Tuesday & Wednesdays 10am-3pm & 5pm-7pm.
• Thursdays 10am-3pm & 4pm-6pm Song and Dance at the Youth Center.
• Fridays 4pm-6pm Drum Circle at the Youth Center.
  
  

Our friends in the South Sound Cooperative, over at St Andrews, are gathering on May 19 and May 26 to help make gifts. If you’re interested in joining the group, meet at St. Andrew's UMC (540 School St SE, Lacey, WA 98503) at 9:30 to carpool or meet us directly at the Billy Frank Jr. Gym.

And please consider volunteering for the event itself! With an estimated 2,000–3,000 people attending at peak viewing, the volunteer needs are vast. Organizers are requesting volunteers across many roles, including prep cooks, security, parking attendants, elder support, first-aid/medical volunteers, transportation/shuttle drivers, vendor support, and general day-of helpers. You can volunteer for a day, a few hours, or the entire week—any amount of time is helpful!

Sign up here: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/54f6cc07912f4782a3aa80223f5bb888?portalUrl=https://nit.maps.arcgis.com

We have seen an increase in phishing emails being sent out impersonating Pastor Heather. Often, these emails start by asking for some kind of urgent favor. If you reply, the email author will eventually ask for money or gift cards. When receiving an email from First Olympia UMC, always double check the address. Our emails always come from an @fumcoly address.  

Please verify any request like this with a staff member BEFORE sending money or purchasing gift cards. We will NEVER approach you for monetary donations in this manner. No request from a staff member will ever be so urgent that it can't wait for a personal verification (phone call, in-person conversation, etc...) Please let us know if you’re experiencing these scams.

This Sunday, May 10 will be Savannah Hemmings last day in the Church Office as she moves on seeking new opportunities. Savannah began working at the church about three years ago as an intern and then transitioned to Facilities Administrator. Most recently she has served as program support, been the online worship chat moderator, and staffed Sunday mornings in the Church Office.

Please stop by the Church Office on Sunday to thank Savannah or consider sending a card acknowledging her service and wishing her well in her future endeavors! We are looking for volunteers to staff the Church Office on Sunday mornings. If you are interested in serving, please contact Cathy in the Church Office (fumco@fumcoly.org).

Texas 4000 is a nonprofit student organization at the University of Texas-Austin that “cultivates student leaders and engages communities in the fight against cancer.” Since its founding in 2004, it has raised over $4.6 million towards this endeavor. The cornerstone event is a 10-week, 4,000-mile bike ride from Austin, TX to Anchorage, AK – it’s the World’s Longest Annual Charity Bike Ride!

In collaboration with St. John | San Juan Episcopal Church in Olympia (who has hosted the event for many years, but cannot use their space this year due to a scheduling conflict), we will welcome 19 riders at FUMCO on Sunday, June 21! We will serve a potluck dinner, followed by a short and informative program, and then offer overnight stays in homes with host families. Hosts provide a dish for the potluck, a place to sleep (even an air mattress or pull-out sofa!), breakfast the next morning, and a ride back to the church for their brief send-off celebration. Riders also appreciate the use of laundry facilities and Wi-Fi in the hosts’ homes. Bikes will remain in a locked room at church.

Between the folks at St. John | San Juan and us, we will need a total of 9 host homes with at least 2 alternates should a host cancel. There should be two adults in the home for accountability purposes. 8 homes will host two riders, and 1 home will host three. Riders in each home will be of the same gender. Our goal is to have all host spots filled by May 29.

If you’d like to host, help with the potluck, or have any questions, please contact Peggy Rule (pegrule@comcast.net), or find her at a table in the library after church on May 10th. You can learn more about Texas 4000 right here: www.Texas4000.org. The riders coming through Olympia will be following the Sierra Route.

Click here to see a map and the route description.

Our little free pantry is getting lots of use these days!

Because so many of our neighbors are using our pantry, our stores are running low. We are in need of food donations to stock it. Donations can be dropped off in the church office during business hours (M-Th 10am-2pm) or Sunday mornings before or after the service.

We are also looking for help keeping it stocked. If you have some free time during the week and want to make an impact to our neighbors, email fumco@fumcoly.org or call the office at (360) 943-2661.

Last Sunday Pastor Alexa reminded us Jesus asked His Easter People to “Get up and go and trust that the Spirit is calling.” If you have been looking for a way to “use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world so our neighborhood might be full of peace” and know justice this is a perfect opportunity.

Furthermore the Interfaith Works Program Council provides a chance to better understand and find shared values with folks whose religions may be different than yours. While each of the participating 31 faith communities can only have one voting member at the June annual Interfaith Works meeting we are allowed to send up to three people to the monthly Program Council 3rd Tuesday meetings that occur from 7:00-9:00pm at the Temple Beth Hatfiloh in downtown Olympia. Attending via Zoom is an option. The Program Council does not meet in July, August or December although often activities related to the work of the Program Council may occur during these times, like volunteering to support the Nisqually tribe at the August 1-5th celebration following this year’s Canoe Journey.

If you are interested or want to know more or leave your name with Cathy Bennett at the church office (fumco@fumcoly.org) and someone will contact you.

Are you interested in kayaking with the South Sound Co-op? Here are some of our upcoming opportunities to spend time with members of the other churches in the community. All trips will begin at 9am on a Saturday morning. These locations ALL have rentals available are are typically about $30.

• Saturday, June 20 @Tugboat Annies in Olympia
• Saturday, July 18 @Owen Beach in Tacoma
• Saturday, August 22 @Willapa Bay in Raymond
• Saturday, September 19 @Millersylvania State Park in Tenino

Contact Deb Williams (dijit65@gmail.com) to RSVP.  

First United Methodist Church of Olympia is proud to be a reconciling ministry working to make the global church fully inclusive of our LGBTQ+ family, friends, and neighbors. In honor of our annual involvement in the Olympia's Capitol City Pride Festival, we're offering a new variation of our church t-shirt with a rainbow tree on the front. The shirt itself is plain white.

T-shirts are $15 and available in sizes from Youth XS to Adult 5XL. They have our church logo on the front and the phrase "In God's Love, we welcome & affirm ALL people" printed on the back. The deadline to pre-order is Sunday, May 24th.

Our hope is to have the shirts ordered and distributed in anticipation of Olympia's Capitol City Pride Festival. We hope that folks will wear their shirts to pride and that gathered together, we show that we are a safe and inclusive community for everyone. Beyond Pride, we hope you'll wear your shirts anytime you are out and about being the hands and feet of Christ in our community.

You can order your new shirts right here: https://fumcoly.breezechms.com/form/prideshirt2026.

Join us for two days: Friday May 1st and Saturday May 2nd at South Puget Sound Community College Lacey Campus (4220 6th Ave SE, Lacey, WA 98503) **Please Note: you may attend both days - or just one day and this an in-person only event Space is limited – register now! Registration link: https://tinyurl.com/ThurstonForward2026

This FREE two-day community experience is dedicated to strengthening equity, belonging, and collaboration across Thurston County. Designed to foster multi-racial, intergenerational collective action among community leaders and individuals passionate about equity and racial justice and dedicated to making a difference.

Friday, May 1, 2026 , 10:00am – 6:00pm Tribal Partnership Cultural Acknowledgement Community Connection Saturday, May 2, 2026, 8:30pm – 4:30pm Collective Learning Youth Leadership, a Community Action

FREE Lunch & Snacks provided BOTH days at no cost for all registered participants.

Sue Raymond will present a midrash on the Book of Ruth for May's UWiF luncheon program. Please join us at 11:30 am on Wednesday, May 13 in the Great Hall. Croissant sandwiches, soups, fruit and desserts will fill our board, although you are welcome to bring your own food if you prefer.

We will also hear about Missionary, Katherine Parker's upcoming visit in June and a report on the annual Tacoma Community House luncheon, held May 1. Our meetings are open to all.

The Pacific Northwest has FOUR amazing summer camps associated with the United Methodist Church. Ocean Park, Indianola, Lazy F, and Twinlow are all currently accepting applications for new and returning campers to explore their faith with one another in the great outdoors!

Each location offers different camp opportunities for kids in grades K-12!

If you have any youth interested, Pastor Alexa will be a camp pastor at Ocean Park for the Mid-High kids, and Lauren Fontanilla will also be serving that week as a counselor. So, you already know two people at camp! Our church has some camperships available to support the cost of attending camp, so don't let cost keep you from going. If this is something you're interested in, please reach out to Pastor Alexa (pastoralexa@fumcoly.org).

To learn more about the PNW camps: https://pnwcamps.org.

Interfaith Compassionate Meditation Series
On Tuesday, April 28thst at 7:15pm at Temple Beth Hatfiloh
(201 8th Avenue, Olympia, WA 98501).

Help Our Nisqually Tribe Neighbors
As part of our healing in recognition of our colonizing ancestors failure to honor the 1854 Medicine Creek Treaty that stole the land on which we live from the Salish Sea indigenous people Interfaith Works seeks to support our local tribes in reclaiming their culture.

You are invited to help our Nisqually Tribe neighbors make 2000 to 3000 gifts for the pullers (canoe paddlers) and guests who come from as far away as Tahola and Nanaimo for this year’s Canoe Journey which the Nisqually are hosting. All are welcome and the supplies needed for sewing, jewelry and basket making will be provided. Just show up at the Billy Frank Jr. Gym (down the road past the tall building across the street from their casino in Yelm).

• Monday, Tuesday & Wednesdays 10am-3pm & 5pm-7pm.
• Thursdays 10am-3pm & 4pm-6pm Song and Dance at the Youth Center.
• Fridays 4pm-6pm Drum Circle at the Youth Center.
• 
  

And please watch this space to register as a volunteer for the Journey’s End Celebration held at the Nisqually Protocol Tent on the lawn. There will be dancing, story telling, and food.

Do you like to share your gift of hospitality? Might you want to help people feel comfortable and welcomed on their most difficult days? Please consider joining our Memorial Reception Teams in providing hospitality along with reception fare following memorial services held here at First Olympia UMC. As part of a rotating team, you'd be serving with two or three other team members for three to four hours on the day of the service.

If you feel this is your call to serve, or if you have questions about this ministry, please reach out to Donna Gaddy at (206)785-5264 or Ruth Barnard at (360)621-2055. Thank you!

As our children’s ministry program grows, we are in need of donations for our wiggle worship space! Our kids currently have a lot of sweets available, so if you would like to donate savory snacks to our young people, here are a list of things they would be so grateful for!

• Goldfish crackers
• Pretzels
• Cracker sandwiches
• Granola bars
• Cheez-its

Next Thursday, April 23, from noon-3pm, our Craft-y Ladies will convene, supplies on hand and healthy snacks on the sideboard, in Room 222.  Pet crafts (like beds and snuffle mats) will continue and we may explore some possibilities for "plant friends." Supplies are provided and all are welcome!