Outside the Box: Be the Church Together

Dear Fellow Ministers,

What a joy it is to get to “be” church together! I thank God every single day for you and your witness in our community and world. You are making a difference for Christ, there can be no doubt. I enjoyed getting to participate in the Martin Luther King, Jr. events in Matthews and to worship with our friends from Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church (and others) on Monday. (See this clip from WCNC about the walk & service at Town Hall on Sunday.) It is always special to get glimpses of “beloved community.”

The worship services on Sunday were exciting and allowed us to talk about the way that God loves us in good times and in difficult times on our journey from hurt to wholeness. As always you can view our 9:30 am and 11 am. services on YouTube or the website (and use them to invite folks to worship with us). Our goal is to hear as many voices as we can – from music to scripture readers. (If you would like to volunteer to be on our scripture reader list, please contact Eon Malan.)

This Sunday proves to be special! Rev. Dr. Heafner-Heun will be preaching on Matthew 4:12-23. I hope you will read through that passage as God forms a sermon in us. We will be recognizing our Scouting ministry on Sunday as well. We give God thanks for the many ways this church touches the community, and Scouting is one of the many ways.

A word about what we are anxious about this weekend: Snowpocalypse ’26 may be coming! Please know that we will get the “word out” to this email list as well as our website if we need to cancel church. However, I always try to tell folks to make your own judgment. Please don’t take a risk (whether we cancel or not) … if you feel unsafe, please don’t try it. You can livestream with us! Be sure to view my weekly video!

Thank you for the many ways you share God’s love outside the box! I look forward to being in ministry with you this week!

In Christ’s Service,
David

Did you know that the partnership between Zoe Empowers & MUMC was this month’s Mission Spotlight by the Mission Engagement Team of the Western NC Conference? Read Amy DeVore’s article posted on the Conference website here.

Did you know that December 25, 2025 fell on a Thursday? That means Room In The Inn at MUMC was on Christmas night! We had 30+ volunteers who came out to serve 14 guests, giving out stockings, warm clothing and gift cards. THANK YOU Matthews United Methodist Church for showing up every Thursday, especially on Christmas night.

Did you know that Matthews community churches joined to honor Martin Luther King at a service at Mt Moriah Missionary Baptist Church on Monday? As part of the service, Addison Saunders and Jayden Scott were recognized as recipients of the annual Martin Luther King scholarships. We are blessed to be part of a community where churches, local leaders and law enforcement gather together to celebrate these accomplished young people.