As you know, I often use this space in the newsletter to reflect on our current sermon series, encourage your discipleship journey, or share what’s happening in the life of the church. This time, the focus is clearly on the latter, as we approach an important moment in our church family. Our annual Congregational Business Meeting is scheduled for the first Sunday of June. During this meeting, we will have the opportunity to participate in the election of our Board Officers— an important way each of us has a voice in the leadership and direction of Wildermuth Memorial Church. In accordance with our Constitution and By-Laws, the following positions will be open for election or re-election: Chairperson (Marvin Dollery), Vice Chairperson (currently vacant), Secretary (Greg Smith), Trustee (Randy Russell), and Treasurer (Barbara Dollery). I’ve included the names of those currently serving in these roles in case you would like to speak with them and learn more about what each position involves. You’ve already heard mention of this upcoming election from the pulpit, and you will continue to see and hear reminders as June approaches. However, I want to highlight it now for a specific reason: I am prayerfully seeking individuals who feel led to serve as part of our leadership team. Per our By-Laws, nominations must be presented to the current Board for approval before being placed on the ballot. As your Pastor, I am actively working through this process. If you feel God prompting you toward one of these roles, I encourage you to come speak with me. And don’t be surprised if I reach out to you as well, as I seek the Lord’s guidance in identifying those He may be calling to serve.  Let us enter this season with prayerful hearts, open and willing to follow where God leads in the life and ministry of His church.

Over the past several weeks, we’ve gathered at Carroll Cup Coffee House on Tuesdays at 9 AM for Bible study. We recently finished the book of 1 John, where one theme stands above the rest: God does not want His people to live in uncertainty about their relationship with Him. John writes so believers can have real assurance—not based on feelings or empty claims, but on a life rooted in Christ. He gives several “tests” to examine our faith, not to discourage us, but to help us rest confidently in Him: Truth Test: Do we believe in Jesus as He is revealed in Scripture—fully God and fully man? Light Test: Do we deal honestly with sin, confessing it and trusting God’s forgiveness? Obedience Test: Is our life changing, growing in alignment with God’s will? Love Test: Do we show active, sacrificial love for others? World Test: What captures our hearts—God or the world’s priorities? Righteousness Test: Is our life marked by a new direction, turning from sin toward God? Discernment Test: Can we recognize truth and reject what is false? Faith Test: Is our confidence grounded in Christ alone? John’s goal is not fear, but assurance: “that you may know that you have eternal life.” These tests help confirm genuine faith, expose false assurance, and draw us back to Christ. True assurance isn’t found in perfection, but in a life being shaped by Him. May we live not in doubt, but in the steady confidence that comes from knowing Jesus.  I encourage you, if your schedule allows for it, to join us each week as we dive into Scripture to strengthen and encourage us on the journey of life.

What a wonderful time we shared this past Easter weekend! A few of us gathered for the Community Good Friday Service, which left us reflecting deeply on the sacrifice our Lord made so many years ago. We departed in quiet anticipation, waiting for the joy of Resurrection morning. On Saturday, some of us had the opportunity to serve at an information booth during the Community Egg Hunt. It was a blessing to meet so many new faces, and we were delighted to add several individuals to our email distribution list. To those of you receiving this newsletter for the first time—WELCOME! If you do not currently have a church home, we would be honored for you to visit Wildermuth Church and experience our community. We did have to wrap up quickly as the egg hunt began, so I could return to the church to prepare for a wedding. I had to chuckle some as the groom chose that date so he could always remember it falls around Easter, and because of the simplicity of remembering the date “4–4.” Finally, many of you joined us on Sunday for our SONrise Service, Breakfast Fellowship, and Resurrection Service. Together, we explored the history and tradition of the Red Resurrection Egg and joyfully welcomed six new members into our church family. It was a full and meaningful weekend, and I must admit, I am just now catching up on a bit of rest and relaxation. While our calendar will ease up slightly in the coming weeks, our Kingdom work continues. We are already preparing for our next outreach event—a concert on Saturday, April 25th, featuring Don and Sylvia Lemley. Please take a moment to review the flyer at the end of this newsletter and share it with others. As we move beyond our Lenten journey, having walked through Holy Week and celebrated the risen Christ, our Sunday sermons will now transition into a new short series titled “What I Really Need Is…”. We will begin by exploring Spiritual Growth and considering what we need from God to live active and fruitful lives for His Kingdom. Will you join me on this next step of the journey? Blessings,

Welcome to the midway point of Holy Week! Can’t you almost hear the shouts of “Hosanna!” echoing through the streets? One of the unique perspectives we have, looking back on history, is knowing how quickly those cries of praise turned into shouts of “Crucify Him!” as Good Friday approached. As we move closer to that solemn day, I invite you to join us for our Community Good Friday Service on Friday, April 3rd at 7:00 PM at Trinity UCC (105 N. High St., Baltimore). This will be a meaningful and reflective evening centered on the death, burial, and sacrificial love of our Lord and Savior. It is also a special opportunity to gather alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ from across denominations as we remember what Jesus endured for us. Then on Saturday, April 4th, you’re invited to join us at Johnson Park in Baltimore for the community Easter Egg Hunt, “Eggstravaganza.” Setup will begin around 9:30 AM, with the event opening at 11:00 AM and the egg hunt starting at noon. If the weather holds, we expect a wonderful turnout of families from the community. This is a great opportunity not only to introduce others to Wildermuth, but more importantly, to meet people, build relationships, and perhaps even connect with the “ONE” God has placed on your heart. And if past years are any indication—don’t blink! Those eggs will be gone in no time! Please also note that on Saturday afternoon, Wildermuth will host a wedding for a couple who recently visited during one of our concerts. They fell in love with our church and asked to hold their ceremony here. I’m honored to be officiating this special occasion. Our weekend continues with celebration on Sunday morning at 7:30 AM for our SONrise Service. Yes, the sun will rise—but we gather to celebrate the risen SON! Following the service, we’ll enjoy a time of fellowship and breakfast together, thanks to your generous donations. Then we’ll come back together at 10:00 AM for our regular worship service, where we will celebrate new members joining our church and share in Communion. It will be a full and meaningful weekend. I encourage you to participate in as many of these opportunities as you can as we journey together from the cross to the empty tomb. Grace and peace , Pastor Vance

It was mentioned this past Sunday during announcements that we have a lot happening right now as a church. That’s true—and at times, it can feel overwhelming. With already full schedules, it’s easy to think there’s simply too much to do. As I continue to challenge each of us to reach our “One”—to build relationships and ultimately disciple others—remember that this calling is ongoing. There is always another “One” whom God may be placing on our hearts. Sometimes that “One” isn’t already within our natural circle of influence. Stated another way, we may not encounter them in our normal - everyday routines. That’s why, in addition to concerts, small groups, and other gatherings, we are intentionally creating opportunities to connect with people in our community. One way we’re doing this is by setting up a church booth at local events, complete with giveaways and materials to help us engage with others. Our first opportunity will be Saturday, April 4th at Johnson Park in Baltimore for the Community Easter Egg Hunt, “Eggstravaganza.” Setup will begin around 9:30 a.m., with the event opening at 11:00 a.m. The egg hunt starts at noon—and if past years are any indication, it will be over quickly… those kids find eggs fast! Please feel free to join me at this event as we reach out to possibly thousands of people in our area. Yes, in past years, when the weather is good, thousands of people show up for this event. Another important event coming up is the Community Good Friday Service. While I’ve mentioned it only briefly before, I do want to encourage everyone to make plans to attend. All are welcome to join us on Friday, April 3rd at 7:00 p.m. at Trinity UCC (105 N. High St., Baltimore) for a meaningful and reflective evening centered on the death-burial-sacrifice of our Lord and Savior. Thank you for continuing to be a church that is active, engaged, and committed to reaching others. In His service with you,  Pastor Vance

I want to take a moment to thank so many of you. Over the past several weeks I have been challenging each of us to identify our “ONE”—the person God has placed on our hearts to intentionally befriend and build a relationship with, with the ultimate goal of introducing them to who should be our very best friend, Jesus Christ. Many of you have shared with me about your ONE, and some of you even have multiple people you are praying for and investing in. Let me encourage you to stay the course. For some people it may take months, if not years, to develop the kind of relationship where a spiritual conversation or invitation to follow Christ becomes natural. Many of us would love to see things happen overnight—or even within minutes—but that is rarely how it works. As Scripture reminds us in Epistle to the Hebrews 12:1–3, we are running a marathon, not sprinting toward a finish line. As a church family, we are also creating many opportunities to help along this journey. Events such as concerts, the Ice Cream Social, and our participation in community activities like Carroll Community Days and the Hank Kabel Sarcoma 5K Run/Walk give us natural ways to connect with people. Soon we will also be launching a Grief Support Group. These events can serve as welcoming first steps that help people feel comfortable connecting with our church before taking the larger step of attending a worship service.  Of course, our deepest desire is for people to become part of God’s Kingdom, and we would love for that journey to include becoming part of the Wildermuth Memorial Church family. But we must remember not to get the cart before the horse. Relationships come first. Please take a look at the flyers at the end of each newsletter issue for upcoming events. As those dates approach, I encourage you to join me at these gatherings for as much or as little time as your schedule allows. You never know when a simple conversation might become the beginning of someone’s journey toward Christ.

Through the years, I’ve had people come up to me after a service and say things like, “Pastor, you really stepped on my toes this morning,” or “Pastor, that sermon felt like it was written just for me.” I can honestly say that I have never intentionally aimed a message at any one person. My prayer each week is simply that God would guide me to the message He wants shared and that He would use it in the hearts of those who hear it. This past Sunday, however, I had to pause for a moment and chuckle. The title of the message was “Distractions.” Whether it was the time change, not quite enough coffee, or something else entirely, it seemed like everything possible was trying to distract me throughout the service. In the middle of it all, I realized that God was allowing me to experience the very thing the message was about. My mind and thoughts seemed to be pulled in every direction except toward worship—ironic, considering the whole point of the message was learning to set distractions aside and focus on God. I want to thank each of you who joined us in person or online. Even in those moments, God reminded me of an important truth: there is victory in Jesus! We simply need to persevere and continue walking by faith. As the special music reminded us Sunday morning, “I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords.” Friends, exciting times lie ahead. We have several opportunities coming up to reach out to our community. In addition to the concerts and times of fellowship we enjoy at the church, we are making plans to participate in local community festivals and events. More details will be coming soon, so be sure to watch future editions of the newsletter as those dates approach.  As we move forward together, let’s set aside the distractions, keep our focus on God, desire Him first, love our neighbors, and continue reaching “The One.”

We had a wonderful concert this past Saturday with Kameron Waits. He is truly a gifted singer with a heart for sharing the Gospel through song. Thank you to everyone who joined us in person—it was a meaningful and uplifting evening of worship. For those who were unable to attend and attempted to watch online, I want to offer a sincere apology. Unfortunately, we were unable to get Facebook to cooperate, and much of the livestream was blocked. That’s one of the ongoing frustrations of technology. Thankfully, a few songs were able to be salvaged and reposted. While we don’t have full control over what social media will or won’t allow, it does serve as a reminder of the value of being present in the room whenever possible. There is simply no substitute for gathering together in person. On another note, as I’ve mentioned before, I am part of a Ministerial Association serving Baltimore, Thurston, and Carroll. This association hosts several community worship services throughout the year. The next of these will be a Good Friday Service. The leadership at Wildermuth Memorial Church has decided that this year we will join in that community service rather than hosting our own. Please make plans now to join us on Friday, April 3rd, at 7:00 PM, at Trinity UCC, located at 105 North High Street in Baltimore. This service is a wonderful opportunity to worship alongside believers from across our community, and you will also experience ministers from several local churches leading different parts of the service together. It is a powerful witness to the unity of Christ’s Church. We hope you’ll plan to be part of this meaningful evening of worship and reflection as we journey toward Easter together .

What is Lent—and why does it matter? Lent is the 40-day season (not counting Sundays) leading up to Easter. It mirrors the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness and recalls the 40 years the Israelites wandered in the desert. More than a stretch of days on the calendar, Lent is an invitation: a sacred time to slow down, reflect, repent, and prepare our hearts for the joy of Easter and the celebration of Christ’s resurrection. While Lent is most often associated with Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican traditions, many Protestant churches—including ours—have found it to be a meaningful season of spiritual renewal. Lent helps us examine our lives, turn again toward God, and make space for the Spirit to form us more fully into Christlikeness. I also want to remind you about our upcoming New Members Class , which you’ll see more details about later in this newsletter. This class is open to anyone—whether you’re considering membership or simply want to learn more about Wildermuth Church. Together we’ll explore our rich heritage, our theology and doctrine, and how our church is structured. And then comes the challenge. Each of us has THE ONE—that person God has placed on our heart. During this Lenten season, I invite you to intentionally invest in that relationship. Pray for them. Walk with them. Perhaps, as God works, that relationship will grow to the point where they join you for a New Members Class. Better yet, perhaps God is stirring something deeper—leading you, or your ONE, toward baptism. With that hope in mind, I am making arrangements for a Baptism Service on Easter morning. If you—or someone you know—are feeling led to be baptized, please reach out and let me know. I would be honored to walk with you in that step of faith. Grace and peace as we journey through this Lenten season together.