Passing the Mantle

Just these lines…

… to give thanks for the wonderful, welcoming, love encouraging Body of Christ at MUMC who have graciously embraced a quirky retired clergy woman still surprised and humbled by the unexpected new season of ministry I have shared with this congregation and your incredibly gifted and giving ministry staff team. This past Sunday, Father’s Day and Trinity Sunday, was a beautiful worship example of the power and beauty of diverse gifts unified in worship. I am awed and amazed every Sunday how the music offered by so many gifted people enriches our worship experience and our souls. Pastor Bill shared a thoughtful and thought-provoking sermon compassionately sharing from his personal family experience and insights into the challenges men face today for a multitude of reasons. We were reminded that each of us is God’s handiwork and a beloved child of God.

If you missed being here on Sunday, click here to worship.

 

Help Our New Pastors Get to Know You by Updating Your Profile in Realm!

Did you know that the Realm community connection tool not only allows for us to communicate with one another but also acts as our Church Database and Church Directory? Pastors David and Susan will join us July 1st and will be using the Realm Connect app (download here). Please be sure all your information is up to date, including your Profile Picture, Skills & Interests and Birth Date including the year. (If no year is listed, Realm assumes you were born in 1900 and says you are 125 years old!) Also, use Realm for Mobile Check-In for Worship & Groups, Register for Events, access the Church Directory & more!

Profile Updates & Worship Check-In:
Expand app menu by 3 Lines or 3 Dots (depends on Android or Apple)

• Add your Profile Picture
  • Click on the circle (profile image) on the top left
  • Click My Profile
  • Click on circle next to or above your name in the app
  • Take or select a photo to upload

• Add your Birth Date
  • Click on the circle (profile image) on the top left
  • Click My Profile
  • Click pencil icon by Birthday (or anything you would like to edit).
  • Scroll down to Add Skills & Interests

• Worship Check-In (In-Person or Online)
  • Click Check-In (one person can check the whole family in)
  • Check box for Check-In for Worship (no matter which service you attend)
  • Click Check-In at the bottom of the screen

Link to Realm on your desktop at http://onrealm.org/matthewsumc. Please email [email protected] with questions or call the Church Office if you need assistance.

 

Western NC Annual Conference of The UMC

This is Annual Conference Week (June 20-22) when all of the clergy and delegates for the Western NC Conference of The UMC gather at the beautiful Lake Junaluska to organize, vision, and plan the work for the upcoming year. The Annual Conference is made up of clergy and lay delegates from every United Methodist congregation from Greensboro to Murphy and Mt. Airy to Charlotte. There are 28 folks attending from MUMC, which include clergy, MUMC lay delegates and district & conference delegates. If you are interested in serving as a delegate next year, contact Beth Lynn at the Church Office.

Pastor Chuck has been invited to represent the retiring class of elders in “passing the mantle” to the new class of candidates for ordination at the Recognition of Retiring Clergy Service. It’s a tradition based on I Kings 19:19 when Elijah passed his mantle or robe on to Elisha. This is a great honor for Pastor Chuck, and you can watch this service (and all of the sessions) via livestream here this Friday, June 20 at 4:30 pm.

 

This Sunday in Worship

We invite you to join us this Sunday in person at 8:15 (Traditional), 9:30 (Contemporary), 11:00 (Traditional), or online at 9:30, 11:00 or 1:00 (Spanish – in person or here on demand).

This Sunday is the Second Sunday after Pentecost. We are entering the liturgical time of the year called Ordinary Times. We are Easter People after Pentecost living with the help of the Holy Spirit in Ordinary Times. I will be preaching in our morning worship services. My sermon title is Limited Vision, focusing on how our vision is limited by a number of factors but with God’s help we can begin to see what we have not been able to see. The scripture is Galatians 3:23-29 and my sermon will include the account found in John 9 of Jesus healing a man born blind and then Jesus defending the healed blind man now seeing from the unbelief and attacks of the Pharisees. Feel free to read John 9. If you are wondering or concerned, I do not plan to read the entire chapter in my sermon. Galatians 3:23-29 works nicely as a daily reminder on the fridge, mirror, or car dashboard.

In the Centro Cristiano Hosanna (CCH, our Spanish-speaking service), Pastor Roldan’s sermon title is Don’t Yield to the Pressure from Nehemiah 6:10-16.

We look forward to seeing you this Sunday! Invite a friend or neighbor to church! As Easter people living after Pentecost in Ordinary times, remember you are a child of God.

Gratefully,
Pastor Linda

Click HERE for the latest Celebration Newsletter (emailed last Friday) to see all church events & happenings!

Did you know that Fred Ashford was honored by Hoskins Park, one of our Global Impact partners, in their newsletter, Champions for Hoskins Park? You can read the article here.

Did you know that a memory bench has been added to the MUMC Columbarium & Memorial Garden? The marble top from the altar table was removed and later crafted into a bench by our own Clayton Jones, an amazing welder and carpenter, who outfitted it with a steel base. It will soon be topped off with a plaque in memory of Max McLeod, long-time church member and the architect of our Sanctuary. In the first photo below, notice the thoughtful design of curved arches in the base that match the marble. Thank you, Clayton!

Did you know that the Micah Connection at MUMC helped with the milkweed sale sponsored by the Town of Matthews? They sold 200 milkweed plants in 54 minutes! These plants are used by monarch butterflies as host plants for larvae.

Did you know that the Town of Matthews Police & Fire Departments have been conducting training exercises on our campus the past 2 Tuesdays? The last day for the training is this coming Tuesday, June 24 from 8 am – 12 pm. Please be aware these are simulated exercises, and there is no emergency situation. Complete Announcement