The Buzz newsletter | Updated Weekly
Food Distribution this Friday
Our monthly breakfast ministry and food distribution is this Friday April 3.Clients are served starting at 9:00 AM until food runs out around 10:30am. Because the food was delivered early for the holiday weekend, the giveaway will be indoors this month.
Additional volunteers are always welcome; if you can help out please contact us
and let the church office know. Please continue to pray
for opportunities to build connections with individuals we serve.
Good Friday prayer & reflection
An art installation will be in the Butler courtyard the morning of Good Friday for those who would like to prayerfully walk through the Easter story. The Stations of the Cross
art pieces were created by Jackson neighborhood residents here in southeast Fresno and are on loan from our sister church, Neighborhood Church. The stations will be posted from 7am to noon in the courtyard. (The first portion of the morning will be concurrently with food distribution.) An accompanying prayer guide will be available in English and in Spanish. In the afternoon, display will be on Huntington Blvd from 4-8pm. [find more info here]
Easter Sunday Celebration
We are looking forward to celebrating Easter together as one church family this Sunday! We will gather at 9:30am
for breakfast fellowship, followed by the worship service with communion and a bilingual message. A special activity is being planned for the children during our Easter Sunday service, and there will be a family photo area, too! Join us in praying over the many invitations that are being extended for friends and neighbors to come: we believe God's promise is for everyone!
"Look I am making all things new!" (Rev 21:5)
Joining in Membership
This Sunday we will also be formally welcoming several people into membership here at Butler! Their faith stories will be available this Sunday. While most were baptized previously, two are taking that step this Sunday!
Together we welcome: Lui Koui Saephan, Man Chiam Saetern, John & Jo Ann Salazar, André & Beth Stephens, Julie Korthof, and Seng Sio & Xeng Choy Saelee
Goal Reached!
We’ve reached our goal of $15,000 for the special offering for our ministry partners! Join us in praising God for the generous giving in support of Fresno Pacific University, Multiply, the Pacific District churches and USMB conference.
Volunteers for MCC World Relief
The annual West Coast Mennonite Relief Sale (aka "MCC Sale") is coming up on April 10 & 11 on the nearby campus of Fresno Pacific University. All funds raised at this Sale go toward helping people around the world. This is both a fundraiser and a great time of fellowship and connection, so don’t miss out! To help make this huge event possible, volunteers are still needed for several areas like: food booths (fritters, zwiebach, tri tip, etc), plus set up and clean up.
If you would like to volunteer, let the church office know, or contact Rosalyn Regier Malamma. Thanks!
If you would like to volunteer, let the church office know, or contact Rosalyn Regier Malamma. Thanks!
More news items....
Update from Pastor Ron
This weekend we move into
Holy Week
– beginning with Palm Sunday and our reflections on the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem (Psalm 118; Matthew 21). Every time we gather, we are invited to
interrogate our world with the goodness and healing of the story of Jesus. With so many parts of our everyday lives now affected by global conflict, political turmoil, and economic pressures, it is easy to lose sight of the good work we can faithfully do to join those on the margins.
Let’s embrace this Holy Week as a series of opportunities to see the passion of Jesus informing the places of suffering around us. Here’s one tangible option: our monthly food distribution will take place on the morning of Good Friday (April). At that same time, we will also have portable “Stations of the Cross” set up around our church campus green. Whether you would like to come to serve in the distribution, or whether you’d like a few moments of quiet reflection at the church (or both), this installation will be available until around noon on Good Friday. We look forward to seeing as many as possible take advantage of this.
Updates from Council
Even as we draw strength from each other in a community centered on Jesus, we are also currently organized as a church with four congregations in a time of transition. Visit our Council Updates page for details on the work the Council is doing to prepare Butler Church for a flourishing future. You'll find new information on task forces updating our Mission Statement, Budget Structure, and Ministry Model, as well as Transition Implementation.
Please pray for our Council, feel free to ask questions of council members as you see them (that includes our pastoral staff), and be on the lookout for further updates by the third week of April!
Mennonite Disaster Service Opportunity this Summer
The devastating Pasadena/Altadena fires in January of 2025 destroyed more than 8,000 homes. The California MDS Unit will begin construction on the first house MDS will build in what will become a national project. Plans are to start this June. This Pasadena project includes framing, adding siding, installing the roof, along with windows and doors so that the home can be mostly finished on the outside during the summer. Volunteers who can give a week or more are needed. All housing and meals will be provided. Construction experience is helpful but not necessary; skills will be taught. If interested, contact Jim Holm at mds.calif@gmail.com.
Butler members in the news!
Butler's own Yami Rodriguez
is featured in a short article in the March/April issue of Christian Leader, arriving in mailboxes now! This magazine of the USMB Churches is available to regular attenders of Butler Church. Did you know that Yami was appointed by the governor as a CSU trustee and works with a local non profit? No wonder she's such a busy gal! You can also find a link to the story here.
Listening Sessions available
Our Butler member, Dr. Emebet Mekonnen, is taking part in a chaplaincy training program this year, which will also bring an added blessing to our church family!
Butler Church partnering with “Clinical Pastoral Education of California” in this training, through volunteer internship hours. For the next 4 months, Emebet will be present on campus at various times during weekly office hours. Not only will this opportunity provide an educational context for Emebet as a chaplain-in-training, but our church family will benefit from her investment of time in the form of listening sessions.
Our goal is to make Emebet's time and listening presence available to church members and community neighbors who need a prayerful, listening ear. Dr. Mekonnen will be report weekly to Pastor Ron and others in Butler Church leadership. We will provide more information as to the times / places for this ministry in the coming days. Look for more details in our Sunday gatherings and in upcoming editions of the Buzz. We welcome Emebet as a volunteer member of our staff for the next several months! – Pastor Ron
January 2026
Assistance Fund Donations
Through the Butler Church Benevolent Assistance Fund, we have been able to help with several time sensitive needs recently. Given the upcoming cuts in SNAP funding even more requests may be coming in soon. Please consider making an additional donation to the church benevolent fund, by designating for this in the offering or through giving online. We also work with partner agencies like MB Foundation and Everence to expand our capacity through matching grants.
If caring for needs of folks in our community in very practical ways is something close to your heart, please also talk with your pastor or contact the church office. We would like to build a social action response team that can respond to needs as they are made known. If you have a personal need, please also talk with a pastor.
Text Updates from Butler Church
If you find an occasional text reminder helpful,
be sure to “Opt In”
so our “Breeze-butler” text messages get through! To share your preferences for text or email updates, you can complete the Butler Subscriptions form. Thanks!
Note: If you have signed up, but are no longer receiving text updates - try texting START to 87447. Remember that "msg & data rates may apply." Details are in the Butler subscriptions form.
Spanish Translation Available!
Our Butler website is also available in Spanish! Click the upper left corner to switch between English and Spanish. (If you notice any translation errors, please let us know!)
¡Nuestro sitio web Butler ahora también está disponible en español! Haga clic en el ícono de arriba para cambiar entre inglés y español. (Si nota algún error de traducción, ¡avísenos!)
¡Nuestro sitio web Butler ahora también está disponible en español! Haga clic en el ícono de arriba para cambiar entre inglés y español. (Si nota algún error de traducción, ¡avísenos!)
Updated on: 4/2/2026
Looking for earlier Butler news stories? You can visit our news archive here.