Our annual multi-church Softball Tournament is happening on July 13th at Pershing Park from 8:30am-12:30pm. We will be hosting a few different churches from Capinteria to Goleta and it’s set to be a great time. If you are interested in participating, reach out to Pastor Jake (jake@fmcsb.org). You are also invited to come and cheer from the sidelines.

We are thrilled to announce that the long-awaited Thursday night worship service will be starting this summer! Since 2016, we have been thinking and praying about this next step. Basically, we wanted to offer an alternative time for those individuals and families whose Sundays are sometimes taken with travel, work, sports, surfing, sleeping. . . as well as those who live out of town, who want to invite friends to something different, who might be more apt to come on a weeknight, and those who might like a different rhythm of their week. This fits with the mission of our church and it will allow us some different kinds of opportunities for outreach, including time on a Sunday morning. We will be giving you more details as we get closer, but we want you to know a few things:

The time will be 6:30pm in the sanctuary
Children will be welcome
It will be the same sermon, with the same pastor preaching, as the Sunday service later that week.
The music will be the same, although it may be more simple.
No one is expected to go to both. . . 

We are excited for this time, in the middle of our week, to honor and worship the Lord! If you have questions, please reach out to one of the pastors. 

CHAPALA: A Walk + Talk on Human Rights and Downtown Businesses

Wednesday, 6/26, 5-6:30pm

Location - 621 Chapala St. (New "FARO" Homeless Navigation Center)

Come learn about the challenges and possibilities of the soon-to-open FARO Center, a daytime navigation center for people experiencing homelessness in Santa Barbara. SB Neighbor Walks and SBACT will host a brief (1/4 mile) walk around the neighborhood followed by a short presentation and discussion at the day center. Families welcome.

An Evening of Art and Music
June 22nd
Stop by anytime from 6-9pm 

Join us for an evening garden party at “The Kassita” (the Kass's and Carri's backyard), featuring live music from Jake Elliott, and Chloe Liebengood & Crew. We will also be displaying art from talented individuals in our own congregation! Come savor the flavors of the season with a hot chocolate bar, some snacks to munch on, and homemade desserts. Consider inviting a friend or two. We can't wait to gather together and celebrate the start of the summer with you! Please stop by “The Kassita” anytime from 6-9pm, 724 Mission Canyon Road.

Parking: If you are ambulatory we ask that you park at the Mission and walk over to the Kass’s house, it is about a 10 minute walk and it is beautiful. If you need to be a little closer you can park on Glendessary Lane or on the westside of Mission Canyon road. If walking is difficult for you please park at the Kass’s actual house at 724 Mission Canyon Road. There is a front triangle of dirt parking to the left of their driveway or spots in their driveway. 

If you don’t want to worry about parking, we will be having a van shuttle people on the hour. At 6pm, 7pm, and 8pm you can get a ride to the Kass’s if you meet at the fountain in front of the mission. Look for the blue kia van. 

Make sure to invite friends or family! We welcome children of all ages, and ask that you leave all pets (even dogs) at home. :) 

Please contact Carri Svoboda with any questions: 805-680-6357 or Pastor Nikki 949-241-7851

Are you interested in volunteering in your community?

It’s almost time to help serve at Transition House! We are currently looking for some volunteers to help prepare the dinner meal. You can also help by donating funds or food items to help make this dinner happen. Reach out to Pastor Nikki, nikki@fmcsb.org, for more information about how you can get involved in this important ministry.

Come join us for a time of Bible-based discussion, prayer and connection with other parents while our children go to our neighborhood playground (with church- provided supervision). We will then all eat a spaghetti potluck dinner together. If you would like to attend, contact Sandy Patterson at sandy@fmcsb.org.

Baptism Sunday is happening on Sunday, May 19th! In our service you will share why you are choosing to be baptized, then, after the 10:15am service we will head down to the east end of Leadbetter Beach by the catamarans to gather for an ocean baptism. All are welcome to come and celebrate with us, either from the beach, or in the water. If you are interested in being baptized, reach out to one of our Pastors, or email pastors@fmcsb.org. One of them will meet with you before this day.

Vitalant is back to host a blood drive! Whether you’ve never given blood before or you give frequently, we are given a great opportunity to give back by donating to this great need. Make an appointment by scanning the QR code or calling 877-258-4825.

MORE INFORMATION

College students are invited over to the Elliott's for dessert and a study break! Contact Pastor Jake (jake@fmcsb.org) for the address!

Join us for a Parent Seminar on Thursday, April 25th. Dinner will be served at 5:30pm and the seminar will run from 6-7pm. Suzy Hermes, Speaker, Campus Director for Athletes in Action at UCI, Executive Coach, and Mother of 3, will be speaking on “Attunement.” “Come hear about a powerful tool to help deepen family bonds and take all your relationships to a new level.”

Childcare is provided! Sign up by emailing childcare@fmcsb.org.

Register for Women’s Retreat 2024! We will gather on April 20th from 8:30am-4:30pm in Lion’s Park in Carpinteria for a day of worship, fellowship, and reflecting on new birth and new life! We hope you can make it!

Register online here or at Connection Central

Pricing:
Registration: $60
Women under 30 years old: Use the Code: UNDER30 for $30 registration
College students: $25

Scholarships are available! Talk with one of the pastors to learn more!

We invite everyone to come to our annual All Church Meeting. This is a time to gather as a family of God to share a meal together, hear a report from each Pastor’s ministry area, and elect delegates who represent our church to the Free Methodist California Annual Conference for the next year. We will also hear an update on the strategic plan. All are welcome to attend, and if you are a member, you will be voting.

We will worship together in the sanctuary at 8:30 and 10:15am. At 11:45am we will enjoy a lunch together in the upper room. Then, we will move back into the sanctuary for the meeting.

Childcare will be provided, but children are welcome at the All Church Meeting if preferred. Email childcare@fmcsb.org to sign up. FM Kids will meet at the 10:15am service, but there will be no Connecting Families Group.

Young adults: Get ready to break out your well-crafted strategies, competitive spirit, and dedicated teamwork for a night filled with laughter, friendly competition, and great company. We're having a game night on April 13th from 7-10pm in the Upper Room at church.

Whether you're a board game enthusiast, a master at trivia, or simply looking to have some fun with friends, there will be something for everyone. Sometimes we don't make enough time for fun and play in our lives. This is a great opportunity to unwind, play, and build meaningful connections with other young adults. We'd love to see you there!

Dear Church family,

Many of you know Tammy Lashlee and the challenge she is facing with cancer. You have been faithfully supporting her in prayer and other ways. The Lashlee family has been so grateful for your support during this time. 

Now we come to a time when you can support her in another way. We are setting up a registry recruitment event designed to recruit potential blood stem cell donors. Your donation may lead to a cure.

Here are the details:

Tuesday, April 9
Free Methodist Church Upper Room
1435 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara
5-8pm

You can drop by anytime, register and give a cheek swab. Those who are 18 - 40 years of age are eligible. If there is a match you will be notified and given further options. 

For further information contact Pastor Doug at 805.965.1338 x224

Join us as we worship the risen King Easter Morning! We will have two regular services at 8:30 and 10:15am in the sanctuary and an online livestream at 8:30am.

VOLUNTEER

We are grateful to gather for our annual Easter sunrise service. Meet us IN THE SANCTUARY at 6:00am to worship and hear from God’s Word. Come comfortable, a continental breakfast will be provided after the service.

We will continue our time of worship in the sanctuary at 8:30 & 10:15am (+ 8:30am livestream).

We hope to see you there!

VOLUNTEER

We are sorry to say that we will not be having our annual Easter Egg Hunt at La Mesa Park this year as we are expecting a ton of rain on Saturday. Join us on Sunday morning for our Easter Services! Children's programming will be offered at the 10:15am service!

In our Tenebrae service we remember the great love Christ showed for us on the cross. We will read through the story leading up to the cross, and will slowly extinguish candles until we leave in darkness. Join us for our 7:30pm service in the sanctuary, or watch online.

VOLUNTEER

This year for Maundy Thursday we are going to have Seder (Passover) dinners in people homes.  Seder is a meal practiced by our Jewish brothers and sisters and is a tangible celebration of God's deliverance in the Exodus. The church will provide all of the Seder elements (matza, charosa, horseradish, etc.)  and then the groups will provide for the dinner potluck style. Once you have signed up, you will be placed into a group and the host will contact you the week of the dinner with directions and with what food you can bring.  Seder is a chance to celebrate the deliverance of our God both now and in the Exodus! This is a great opportunity to meet new people while celebrating Holy Week with part of our church family. Please sign up no later than March 24th by 12:00pm to reserve your spot at the table! Email Pastor Nikki (nikki@fmcsb.org) with any questions. 

SIGN UP HERE

All college students are invited to East Beach Tacos after the 10:15am service on March 24. Pay $5 and get some tacos and tokens for the batting cages. This is a great chance to get to know the other students that are part of our church (and take a good swing at any pent up stress you have about that upcoming paper). RSVP to jake@fmcsb.org if you'll need a ride. 

Join us for a night of fellowship and fun! We will be playing games and simply hanging out with the women at our church. Come join us and invite a friend. All ages welcome!! And feel free to bring a game you might like to play. We will have tables set up so multiple games can be happening at once. :) Hope to see you there!

Got kids 3 years old or older? Do you need some time away? Parent’s Night Out is here to help! We are offering free childcare (+ $5/child for pizza) on Thursday, February 22nd, from 5:30-7:30pm here at the church. Please sign up by emailing childcare@fmcsb.org by February 16th to reserve your spot. 

We hope you will join us for a beautiful worship service of scripture and music that will prepare us for the season of Lent. This service highlights themes of humility, repentance, and mortality, and we will spread ashes on your forehead, a long-standing tradition of the church.

SB MISSION CONFERENCE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN. Registration for “Engage,” the 2024 Santa Barbara Mission Conference, is now open. Register by going online at sbmissionconference.org or by filling out a form available at partner churches and sending a check. Come in person or join us via livestream. You can look forward to keynote speaker Robert Chao Romero plus 8 outstanding breakout sessions, which will motivate you to engage in your mission.

All sixth through twelfth graders are invited to join us on Friday, January 12th, from 5:45 - 7:45 pm to walk Milpas and eat one taco at a time at one restaurant at a time. We will begin at Rosales Mexican Restaurant and end at Taqueria El Buen Gusto. The cost for this is $25 (or less, depending on your appetite!). Sign up with Pastor Doug by Wednesday, January 10. For more information, go to our webpage.