UMCOR SUNDAY
Sunday, March 15th is United Methodists Council on Relief Sunday. The Claybanks United Methodist Church has supported UMCOR for many of its eighty plus years providing relief for those in need. During 2025, 137 worldwide Humanitarian Crises were addressed by UMCOR. Records show 454,163 lives were directly touched through the aid provided by UMCOR. 153 grants for disaster response and recovery were given in 2025. Included in these grants were eighteen for global migration, six for environmental relief, and ten for agricultural initiatives.
On UMCOR Sunday, the donations we give go to support the administration of UMCOR. By supporting UMCOR Sunday giving, when special requests for disasters and crises relief happens, all 100% of the funds given go directly to relief. In 2025, special giving totaled $32.96 million. The total funds raised went directly to humanitarian crises.
There will be special giving envelopes in the pews for UMCOR Sunday. Please prayerfully consider supporting them March 15th.
Holy Week
Holy Week begins on Sunday, March 29th, when we will celebrate Palm Sunday during our worship service. Holy Thursday, April 2nd, we are invited to worship with the White Lake United Methodist Church in the evening. The Claybanks United Methodist Church will have a Good Friday service at 2:00 in the afternoon. Easter celebration will begin with a visit to the empty tomb inside in the fellowship hall at 9:30 am. Following our visit, we will have an Easter breakfast provided for us by the Claybanks Women of Faith. At 10:30 am we will all enter the sanctuary together for our Easter worship celebration.
Adult Sunday School
Sunday, March 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th, we will gather and join other United Methodist churches in Michigan to learn from the book “Knowing who we are: The Westland Way of Grace.” The program will include readings, video presentations, and discussion on what we believe, what we do, and why. The program will offer us a clear picture of our Wesleyan way of following Jesus, focusing on core values like God’s full grace for everyone, real life transformation, how your faith leads to positive, visual changes in your life, your community, and the world. The materials were developed by Lacey Warner, a professor at Duke University divinity school. Everyone is invited to participate. We will have the coffee ready each Sunday and occasionally doughnut holes! See you at 9:30 am beginning Sunday, March 8th. Reading handouts are available prior to the beginning of our classes located on the materials table in the fellowship hall.
Missions for March and April
In the fellowship hall, you will find a table for the Trinity Lutheran baby pantry. On the table are handouts that detail some of the needs that the pantry has identified for us as donations. We will continue to have updates through March and April and as the table becomes full, we will deliver our donations to the Trinity baby pantry.
We are looking for suggestions for mission work in our community that we can assist in beginning in May and running through the summer. If you have ideas, please pass them on to the missions and outreach team.
United Women of Faith
Ladies of the church, WOF, we will have our first meeting of the year on the third Thursday in March. Can spring be far behind? Yea!!
Claybanks United Methodist Church 