First United Methodist Church, Great Bend

09/05/2026

09/03/2026

Dear Church Family,

Have you ever noticed how the hardest relationships to heal are often the ones closest to our hearts?

Living out our annual calling to Care and Compassion isn't always easy, especially when it costs us our pride. This Sunday, September 6th, we are stepping directly into the sermon topic, "Care in Reconciliation: The Difficult Work of Reconciliation."

It is easy to offer care when things are peaceful, but true Christ-like care is revealed when we actively seek peace where there has been hurt or rupture. As Jesus teaches us in our scripture text for this week: "If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one" (Matthew 18:15 NRSV).

Reconciliation is hard work, but we do not do it alone. We gather around the Table to remember the God who reconciled us to Himself first. We invite you to join us this Sunday for Communion as we seek His grace together:

■ Traditional Service: 9:00 AM.

■ REVIVE Service: 11:00 AM.

Both of our gatherings will be Communion Services, offering a space to draw near to God, receive His grace, and be renewed for the week ahead.

As you prepare your heart for worship this Sunday, take a quiet moment to reflect on these questions:

1. Is there a broken or strained relationship in your life where God might be asking you to take the first gentle step toward peace?

2. What fears or hesitations do you need to bring to the Communion Table, asking Christ to give you the strength to offer grace?

We look forward to worshipping alongside you this Sunday!

All are welcome to our Father’s house!

With peace and warmth,

Revd. Robert Selvakumar

Pastor, Great Bend First United Methodist Church

08/27/2026

Dear Church Family,

As we walk together in our shared journey of faith under our theme, The Call to Care and Compassion, I want to invite you to a special morning of fellowship, worship, and learning.

On Sunday, August 30th, we will gather for a single Combined Service & Brunch at 10:00 AM in the Fellowship Hall.

Since this is a 5th Sunday, we are celebrating Our Alma Maters! Feel free to wear your school colors, a college shirt, or anything that celebrates the places that helped shape your educational journey.

We are truly blessed to welcome Rev. Hollie Tapley, Director of Disaster Relief for the Great Plains Conference, as our guest preacher. She will be sharing a message titled "The Practice of Presence," drawing from Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23. In a world that often feels rushed and distracted, learning how to truly be present with one another is at the heart of living out Christ’s compassion.

Special Post-Service Workshop: Church Safety

Directly following our service and time around the table, Rev. Tapley will lead a one-hour workshop on Church Safety. She will share practical guidance on how we can care for and protect one another, concluding with an open Q&A session. Caring for our neighbor includes ensuring our church home remains a safe, welcoming space for everyone, so I strongly encourage you to stay and participate.

All are welcome to our Father’s house - and there is a place at the table saved just for you. Bring an open heart, bring a friend, and let’s grow together in grace and service.

Grace and Peace,

Revd. Robert Selvakumar

Pastor, Great Bend First United Methodist Church

08/19/2026

Dear Church Family,

What holds your life steady when the cultural ground beneath your feet feels like it’s constantly shifting?

It’s easy to offer care and compassion when life is calm, but true, lasting ministry requires an unshakable base. As we gather for the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, we continue our overarching church theme, The Call to Care and Compassion, by looking at the essential bedrock that makes our care meaningful and resilient.

This coming Sunday, August 23rd, 2026, we are glad to welcome Todd Scheuerman to the pulpit. Todd will lead us through Matthew 16:13–20 in a sermon titled "Care with Foundation!" In this pivotal passage, Jesus asks His disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter’s bold confession, that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, becomes the rock upon which Christ builds His Church. Our compassion toward others cannot be a fleeting emotion or a temporary social effort; it must be built on the sure, enduring truth of who Jesus Christ is.

Come anchor your heart in this truth and be renewed for the week ahead.

Worship Services, Sunday, August 23rd, 2026:

》 9:00 AM - Traditional Service: A rich, reverent time of traditional hymns, shared liturgy, and deep prayer.

》 11:00 AM - REVIVE Service: An uplifting, contemporary worship experience designed to energize your faith and spirit.

Whether you are seeking strength, community, or a fresh vision for how to serve others, there is a place for you here. Bring a friend, bring an open heart, and let us worship together.

All are welcome to our Father’s house!

In the Spirit of Love and Grace,

Revd. Robert Selvakumar

Pastor, Great Bend First United Methodist Church

08/14/2026

Join us for worship this Sunday and bring those backpacks! Student, teachers, support staff - we can’t wait to pray for you and the school year ahead!

This Sunday will also be the presentation of youth bibles. We hope you can join us at First UMC!

08/13/2026

Dear Church Family,

When was the last time your faith compelled you to step across a boundary you were raised never to cross?

It is easy and comfortable to extend care to those who look like us, think like us, or share our background. But as we gather for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, our hearts are drawn to a theme that challenges our comfort zones: The Call to Care and Compassion.

This coming Sunday, August 16th, we will look at a powerful and surprising encounter in Matthew 15:21–28. In this passage, an outsider, a Canaanite woman, approaches Jesus with a desperate plea for her daughter. Her persistence and bold faith tear down cultural, racial, and religious walls, showing us that God's grace is never confined by human borders.

As Methodists, the concept of unlimited grace is at the very heart of who we are. Our founder, John Wesley, famously declared, "I look upon all the world as my parish; thus far I mean, that, in whatever part of it I am, I preach the glad tidings of salvation to all mankind" (Wesley, Journal, May 11, 1739). Wesley understood that the gospel pushes us outward, forcing us to ask where our compassion stops and where God is calling us to extend it further. Reflecting on this radical openness, Wesleyan theologian Dr. Albert C. Outler noted that true grace "is not a static possession but a dynamic relationship that continuously breaks down human divisions and opens us to the neighbor" (Outler, The Wesleyan Theological Heritage, 1994, p. 82).

This Sunday, under the theme "Care Without Borders!" we will explore how we, as a community, can imitate Christ by dismantling our own invisible barriers and offering radical care to everyone we meet.

Join Us This Sunday, August 16th, 2026:

》 9:00 AM: Traditional Service: A sacred hour of majestic hymns, shared prayers, and rich liturgical tradition.

》11:00 AM: REVIVE Service with Communion: A contemporary worship experience where we will gather around the Lord's Table, receiving the sacrament of Holy Communion, a visible sign of God's boundary-breaking grace.

Whether you join us in person or spirit, come with an open heart ready to be transformed.

As you prepare your mind and heart for worship this weekend, I invite you to pray over these questions:

1. Who are the "outsiders" in your daily life, and what boundaries (cultural, personal, or social) might be keeping you from extending Christ's compassion to them?

2. How can our church community more fully reflect a love that reaches beyond our own walls and into the margins of our world?

All are welcome to our Father’s house!

In the Spirit of Love and Grace,

Revd. Robert Selvakumar

Pastor, Great Bend First United Methodist Church

08/06/2026

Dear Church Family,

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a sudden, disorienting storm, where the waves of life feel too high, the night too dark, and your feet completely unable to find solid ground?

It’s easy to keep our faith steady when the waters are calm. But when unexpected crises hit, a sudden diagnosis, a season of grief, a financial strain, or anxiety about the future, fear has a way of sweeping in and taking our breath away. In those turbulent moments, we often wonder not just where God is, but whether we have the strength to keep our heads above water.

This coming Sunday, August 9th, 2026, as we gather for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, we continue exploring our Church Annual Theme: “The Call to Care and Compassion.” Together, we’ll dive into our sermon topic, “Care in Crisis,” through the powerful passage in Matthew 14:22–33 - the story of Jesus walking on the water and Peter stepping out of the boat.

When the disciples were tossed around in the storm, Jesus didn't wait for the weather to clear before reaching out. He walked right out into the middle of their chaos. And when Peter took a leap of faith, sank, and cried out in terror, Jesus didn't lecture him from a distance, He immediately reached down and caught him.

"Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. 'You of little faith,' he said, 'why did you doubt?' And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down” (Matthew 14:31–32.)

Christ’s care in times of crisis isn't reserved for when we have perfect courage; it's right there the second we call out for help. Choosing trust over fear isn't about ignoring the storm around us, it's about fixing our eyes on the One who holds us through it. As C.S. Lewis wisely noted: "Trusting God does not mean believing He will do what you want, but believing He will do what is right and good, even when you cannot see it” (C.S. Lewis, “The Problem of Pain”).

Whether you're currently navigating smooth seas or facing a sudden storm, we invite you to come, rest, and draw strength from Christ and community.

◇ 9:00 AM - Traditional Service.

◇ 11:00 AM - REVIVE Service + Communion.

As you prepare your heart for worship this weekend, take a quiet moment to consider these questions:

1. What "storm" or uncertainty are you currently facing, and what would it mean to take your focus off the waves and fix your eyes on Jesus?

2. How can you extend Christ's reaching hand of care to someone in your life who feels like they are sinking right now?

We look forward to worshiping, praying, and seeking God's peace together this Sunday.

All are welcome to our Father’s house!

Grace and peace,

Revd. Robert Selvakumar

Pastor, Great Bend First United Methodist Church

07/31/2026

Two meals served yesterday. The Barton School Agers helped hand out lunch and then Raco bar for supper.

07/30/2026

Dear Church Family,

Have you ever looked at an overwhelming need in your life, or in the world around you, and wondered, “What could I possibly have to offer that would make any difference at all?”

If you’ve found yourself asking that question lately, you aren't alone. So many of us carry the quiet weight of feeling stretched thin, running low on time, energy, patience, or hope. The sensation of "not having enough" is a deeply human experience, but it is precisely in those moments that God’s grace steps in to do something extraordinary.

As we gather this coming Sunday, August 2nd, 2026, for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, we continue walking together through our Church Annual Theme: “The Call to Care and Compassion.” Our reflection for the morning will center on the sermon topic, “Care in Scarcity,” rooted in the story of the Feeding of the 5,000 from Matthew 14:13–21.

When the disciples looked out at the hungry crowd with only five loaves of bread and two fish, they saw an impossible problem. But Jesus saw an opportunity for divine care. He took their meager offering, blessed it, and turned perceived scarcity into staggering abundance.

"When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick... Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied” (Matthew 14:14, 19–20a).

When we feel we have little to give, Christ reminds us that compassion isn't about having endless reserves of our own, it's about placing our small offerings into the hands of the One who multiplies. As Christian writer and theologian Henri Nouwen beautifully wrote: "Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those who are in misery, to mourn with those who suffer, to find comfort in those who weep" (Henri Nouwen, “Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life).”

This Sunday, we invite you to come as you are, whether your heart feels full or completely spent. Both of our morning gatherings will be Communion Services, where we celebrate Christ's ultimate act of provision and care for us.

◇ 9:00 AM: Traditional Service.

◇ 11:00 AM: REVIVE Service.

As you prepare your heart for worship this weekend, take a quiet moment to ponder these questions:

1. Where in your life are you currently feeling the strain of "scarcity," and what would it look like to entrust that small, broken piece to Jesus this Sunday?

2. Who around you might be quietly hungering for a moment of care, and how can you offer Christ’s compassion to them this week, even in a small way?

We look forward to breaking bread, sharing fellowship, and worshiping alongside you this Sunday.

All are welcome to our Father’s house!

With warmth, and grace,

Revd. Robert Selvakumar

Pastor, Great Bend First United Methodist Church

07/30/2026

Great first night of athlete meals at Barton Community College. Men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball!!! Thanks to everyone that helped.