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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU Please Reach Out Office Phone (734) 663-4164 Office Hours Tues, Thurs, Fri 9am-2pm Wednesday 9am-11:30am Emails Office westside@westside-umc.org Pastor adam@westside-umc.org Director of Music jacob@westside-umc.org

Top of Page Special Events Calendars What's Happening? Special Events Church Calendar A listing of group meetings, committees, and other events in our building Calendars

WELCOME TO WEST SIDE CHURCH For all God's People, No Asterisk Welcome to West Side United Methodist Church, an intentionally diverse community of faith that embraces and celebrates all people as loved children of God. Our vision is to connect people to the life and love of Jesus Christ, supporting current generations and building future generations of Christians. We share our ministry with people of all faith histories, ages, races, gender identities and expressions, economic status, mental abilities, physical abilities, sexual orientations, marital status, and nationalities. We look forward to building relationships with you by sharing together our gifts, service, prayers, worship, and witness. Welcome home to West Side. Sunday Worship & Sunday School 10:30a.m. 900 South 7th St. Ann Arbor, MI 48103 New Of fice Hours: Tuesday, Thu rsday, Friday 9 am-2pm Wednesdays 9am-11:30am What's Going on at West Side? Blood Drive Coming May 30th from 10am-4pm Sign up here to volunteer du ring the drive. Help save a life! Schedule your blood donation today ! About West Side Church Many German immigrants came to the Ann Arbor area in the nineteenth century. These were farmers and business people who settled on the west side of Ann Arbor and began to build their new lives in America. In 1832 a group of these immigrants organized a German Evangelical Society, and 14 years later a group of families unhappy with the Evangelical Society petitioned the Ohio Conference of the Methodist Church to THE WEST SIDE STORY open the "Erste Deutsche Methodisten Kirche" -- the First German Methodist Church on the west side of Ann Arbor. The first church building was at the corner of Division and Liberty streets, and then later was moved to a new building at the corner of Jefferson and Fourth streets in 1896. Over the next 20 years the church gradually transitioned from the German language to English, and in 1919 re-named itself West Side Methodist Church. ​ In 1952 the church acquired property on Seventh Street near Pauline, and built the sanctuary portion of the current building. Later an education building was added to the site, and a connecting building was added in 1986. In 1968 the Methodist Church merged with the Evangelical United Brethren Church, and became known as the United Methodist Church. ​ Today, West Side Church fully lives into the diverse society found in our community. Ann Arbor is a major university city in America, and we celebrate and serve the unique diversity that comes with our location. MISSION & VISION Why We're Here & What We Aim To Do Mission: As a United Methodist church we share a common Mission Statement with Methodists around the globe: Make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. ​ Vision: CONNECT people to the life and love of Jesus Christ; GROW generations of Disciples; ACT on our faith to change the world OUR BELIEFS We believe the church belongs to God and that the church is, in the words of the Apostle Paul, the body of Christ, called to do God’s will and be the physical presence of Christ in the world. A UNITED METHODIST COMMUNITY West Side Church is part of the United Methodist denomination, the second-largest Protestant denomination in America, and we uphold our heritage by pursuing ministry in keeping with this tradition. We seek to be generous in spirit, broadminded, passionately devoted to Jesus Christ, and wholly surrendered to God. We strive for personal holiness by inviting people into a life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ. We also pursue social holiness in the public sphere by addressing key issues of our time so that our world will look more like the Kingdom of God. United Methodists have a passionate faith with strong convictions, but we also recognize that the world is not always black and white. We are willing to ask questions, to wrestle with difficult issues, and to do so with grace and compassion. THE BIBLE United Methodists are “people of the Book,” whose faith is firmly rooted in and built upon the scriptures. We hold the Bible to be divinely inspired and are committed to living by its words. We also recognize the Bible was written by people who heard God in the light of their own cultural and historical circumstances. As such, we make use of scholarship and study the scriptures carefully. When we encounter theological differences among Christians, we bear in mind John Wesley’s approach, “in essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” United Methodists share a common heritage with other Christians, holding to the historic essentials of the Christian faith. ​ We believe the goal of the Christian life is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as you love yourself. We value passionate worship, relevant preaching, small groups to hold Christians accountable to one another, and serving those who are in need. We value the spiritual disciplines and take a “methodical” approach to growing in the faith. OPEN HEARTS. OPEN MINDS. OPEN DOORS United Methodists value the full participation of people of all backgrounds in every facet of fellowship and leadership within the church and society. ​ This is our heritage, and it continues to shape West Side Church in every area of our ministry. UM FOOTBALL PARKING Parking for UM home games has been offered here since the 1970's. The price is $30 and it is on a first come first serve basis. If you have any questions please call Irene at 734-223-0392.

Community Life Connect with groups and activities that inspire & move you Ladies, here’s a Bible study for you. Liz Curtis Higgs, the author, says she wants women to use this study “to embrace God with joy and abandon.” Sign up here or on the sheet in the Welcome Center. WEST SIDE READS We will be discussing is Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This book will provide us a closer look at the Native American population and the world we all share. We will be discussing this book on May 7 at 7:00pm on ZOOM. Here is the Goodreads summary: “As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these lenses of knowledge together to show that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings are we capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learning to give our own gifts in return.” This book is available on Audible, Kindle, used or new through Thrift Books on-line or Amazon and through Ann Arbor District Library. We’d love for you to join us on ZOOM as we continue reading about Social Justice in our world. The ZOOM link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89549025616 Meeting ID: 895 4902 5616. If you have any questions at all, please contact Cindy Pelo Heflin at heflincl@gmail.com or Ann Andraska at yellowstonefun4@gmail.com . Getting involved is an important part of growing in your faith journey. West Side provides many opportunities for you to learn and grow. ​ NEW BOOK STUDY COMING ON WEDNESDAYS IN MAY AT 1PM IN ROOM 208

CHILDREN & YOUTH Join us for Sunday School and Youth group Sunday school Sunday mornings at 10:30, Youth group Sunday evenings from 5:30-7. Children are at the heart of Jesus' ministry. We use a rotational model of children's Sunday School to give our elementary-aged kids a chance to learn about memorable and important bible stories in more depth. We focus on a single bible story over several weeks using a series of different experiences including music, art, games, science, and performance, to gain a deeper understanding of the story. ​ ​ CHILDREN AT WEST SIDE CHURCH For Students Grades K- 6 SUNDAY SCHOOL YOUTH AT WEST SIDE CHURCH For Students Grades 6 - 12 Youth group will return at 5:30pm in Weiss Hall. Parents if you'd like to volunteer to sign up to provide snacks and chaperone, please email Pastor Adam . As young people grow in age and maturity, so also their faith journey grows. Harder questions about who we are and what we believe needs to be cultivated and explored in safe, relevant and meaningful settings.

Contact Us GET IN TOUCH We'd love to hear from you westside@westside-umc.org - Office adam@westside-umc.org - Pastor ​ Call us during office hours T- Th 10:00am-2:00pm 734-663-4164 Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WSUMC/

West Side In Action: Mission & Ministries in our Community Habitat for Humanity Each summer we work with other churches in our area to complete 2-3 habitat for humanity houses in Washtenaw county. Alpha House About four times each year, we take responsibility for one week of assistance at Alpha House, a temporary housing orginization for families in our area. There are many opportunities to help with providing food, preparing meals, child care, over night assistance, and more. C.R.O.P. Walk Part of the Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice, this annual walk-a-thon is a fund raiser to provide food resources in our community Please reload

Top of Page About Staff Beliefs Our Story Becoming a Member Info Get To Know Us! a great place to find out more about West Side Church About West Side Meet our Staff Our Story Getting Involved Beliefs General Information About West Side Church Our Mission: As a United Methodist church we share a common Mission Statement with Methodists around the globe: Make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. ​ Our Vision: CONNECT people to the life and love of Jesus Christ; GROW generations of Disciples; ACT on our faith to change the world ​ The Journey: Connecting with the life and love of Jesus Christ is a life long journey. It requires a process of engaging, learning, growing and serving. We work together in small groups and as a congregation to ignite that growth. ​ Our Welcome: West Side United Methodist Church is an intentionally diverse community of faith that embraces and celebrates all people as loved children of God. Our vision is to connect people to the life and love of Jesus Christ, supporting current generations and building future generations of Christians. We welcome, affirm and share our ministry with people of all faith histories, ages, races, gender identities and expressions, economic status, mental abilities, physical abilities, sexual orientations, marital status, and nationalities. We look forward to building relationships with you by sharing together our gifts, service, prayers, worship, and witness. Welcome home to West Side. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ About Meet Our Staff: Head Pastor: Adam Bissell Director of Music Ministries: Jacob Carroll Office Manager: Lisa Mayne Meet Our Staff: Staff Our Beliefs ​ We believe the church belongs to God and that the church is, in the words of the Apostle Paul, the body of Christ, called to do God’s will and be the physical presence of Christ in the world. ​ A U nited Methodist Community West Side Church is part of the United Methodist denomination, the second largest Protestant denomination in America, and we uphold our heritage by pursuing ministry in keeping with this tradition. We seek to be generous in spirit, broadminded, passionately devoted to Jesus Christ, and wholly surrendered to God. We strive for personal holiness by inviting people into a life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ. We also pursue social holiness in the public sphere by addressing key issues of our time so that our world will look more like the Kingdom of God. United Methodists have a passionate faith with strong convictions, but we also recognize that the world is not always black and white. We are willing to ask questions, to wrestle with difficult issues, and to do so with grace and compassion. ​ The Bible United Methodists are “people of the Book,” whose faith is firmly rooted in and built upon the scriptures. We hold the Bible to be divinely inspired and are committed to live by its words. We also recognize the Bible was written by people who heard God in the light of their own cultural and historical circumstances. As such, we make use of scholarship and study the scriptures carefully. When we encounter theological differences among Christians, we bear in mind John Wesley’s approach, “in essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” United Methodists share a common heritage with other Christians, holding to the historic essentials of the Christian faith. ​ We believe the goal of the Christian life is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as you love yourself. We value passionate worship, relevant preaching, small groups to hold Christians accountable to one another, and serving those who are in need. We value the spiritual disciplines and take a “methodical” approach to growing in the faith. Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors. United Methodists value the full participation of people of all backgrounds in every facet of fellowship and leadership within the church and society. ​ This is our heritage, and it continues to shape West Side Church in every area of our ministry. Beliefs Our Story ​ Many German immigrants came to the Ann Arbor area in the nineteenth century. These were farmers and business people who settled on the west side of Ann Arbor and began to build their new lives in America. In 1832 a group of these immigrants organized a German Evangelical Society, and 14 years later a group of families unhappy with the Evangelical Society petitioned the Ohio Conference of the Methodist Church to open the "Erste Deutsche Methodisten Kirche" -- the First German Methodist Church on the west side of Ann Arbor. The first church building was at the corner of Division and Liberty streets, and then later was moved to a new building at the corner of Jefferson and Fourth streets in 1896. Over the next 20 years the church gradually transitioned from the German language to English, and in 1919 re-named itself West Side Methodist Church. ​ In 1952 the church acquired property on Seventh Street near Pauline, and built the sanctuary portion of the current building. Later an education building was added to the site, and a connecting building was added in 1986. In 1968 the Methodist Church merged with the Evangelical United Brethren Church, and became known as the United Methodist Church. ​ Today, West Side Church fully lives into the diverse society found in our community. Ann Arbor is a major university city in America, and we celebrate and serve the unique diversity that comes with our location. Our Story Getting Involved We all desire to make a difference in the world around us. As Christians, we believe that Christ offers the perfect example of committed, compassionate, loving action to make a difference in the world. We want you to find a place to utilize your gifts, push outside your comfort zone, and make a difference for one person, a small group, or a larger community. Want to learn more? Start here , and then talk to our Staff or our welcome team members to take the next step. Becoming a Member Info

Serving at West Side There are many ways to use your gifts inside the church. What excites you? There are so many opportunities to make a difference in the life of our church. Explore some of the many places you can help by clicking on options above, or by talking with our staff. Hospitality Do you have a gift of making people feel welcomed? Find out about serving as a greeter, a host, or an usher Learn More Worship & Music A powerful, moving worship experience requires talents from an entire worship team. Do you have gifts that you would like to share as part of the worship experience? Lay readers, communion assistants, choir members, instrumental musicians, sound and video operators all play an integral role in worship. Do you have gifts to share? Learn More Grounds & Gardens Are you blessed with a green thumb? Do you love to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty? We pride ourselves on our beautiful memorial garden, flower beds and lawn. By spreading the work among a group of volunteers, we can keep each gardener's work load light while still maintaining the beauty and scerenity of our outdoor spaces. Learn More Please reload

Top of Page Introduction Worship Times Getting Here Children's Program We're happy that you want to visit! Introduction Worship Times Getting Here Children's Programs First Impressions Matter Coming to a new church for the first time can be difficult. What will the service be like? Will the people greet me? Will they seem too pushy? Will I fit in? Come and see why so many people have found West Side Church to be a welcoming place to learn about the life and love of Jesus Christ, and to find deeper meaning and an opportunity to serve and be served. People of all ages, races & backgrounds -- single people, married people, families -- people just like you. Welcome. Jacob Carroll - Director of Music Ministry, Pastor Sydney Richards - Director of Discipleship, Pastor Adam Bissell - Lead Pastor, Mi Zhou - Organist & John Solari - Pianist. Introduction Sunday Morning 10:30 am Come and join us this Sunday. We have ample parking behind the church and one time use worship bags for children to take home and utilize during the service. Dress is casual and comfortable. ​ 900 S. Seventh St. Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103 734-663-4164 ​ Worship Times Getting Here Sunday School meets at 10:30 Little Ones ​ Children are always welcome to stay with you during the service. If you prefer we offer infant and toddler care during worship time. If you elect to have our trained staff watch your small ones, we will have you check them in with our family tracking system, and then we will introduce you to our child care staff. Children's Program

2023 VIDEO LIBRARY MUSICAL OFFERING FEB. 26, 2023 by West Side Church Music Director Jacob Carroll and vocalists Tyler Middleton, Hayla Alawi & Marissa Redding. *Psalm 46, Deus noster refugium, chant composed by Martin Luther *Sweet Prospect, composed by William Walker, 1833; Text by Samuel Stenneett, 1787 *Idumea, composed by Ananias Davisson, 1816; text written by Charles Wesley, 1763 * Expression, Unattributed Music, text by Caleb Jarvis Taylor, 1803 IF YOU FALL DOWN FEB. 26, 2023 New Testament Reading: Matthew 4:1-11 Bulletin Costa Rica Mission Facebook Page Pastor Adam Bissell Singing Hymns * In The Garden * The Old Rugged Cross

IF YOU FALL DOWN// 2.26.2023 Our Most Recent Sermon Due to power loss we did not have in-person worship on Sunday, February 26, 2023. Please join us for our online worship at the following link: Worship Service - February 26, 2023 ​ Bulletin - February 26, 2023 ​ Musical Offering by Music Director Jacob Carroll and vocalists Tyler Middleton, Hayla Alawi & Marissa Redding - February 26, 2023 ​ Pastor Adam's Musical Offering - February 26, 2023 ​ Costa Rica Mission Facebook Page AVAILABLE ON-DEMAND HERE Spotify Amazon Music Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Most Recent Sermon View Sermon Libary BE THE GIFT ​ DEC. 6, 2020 - JAN 3, 2021 LEARN MORE YOU ARE THE LIGHT NOV. 1, 2020 - NOV. 29, 2020 LEARN MORE SERMON LIBRARY A Treasure Trove of Tiny Desk Sermons THE WAY ​ Sep. 13, 2020 -OCT. 18, 2020 LEARN MORE PIVOT ​ AUG. 9, 2020 - SEP. 6, 2020 LEARN MORE FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS ​ JUL. 5, 2020 - AUG. 2, 2020 LEARN MORE BEGIN AGAIN ​ MAY 26, 2020 - JUN 28,2020 LEARN MORE EASTER ​ ​ APR. 12, 2020 -MAY 24, 2020 LEARN MORE LENT ​ ​ MAR. 1, 2020 - APR. 5, 2020 LEARN MORE