Father’s Day

Father’s Day | 4^th Sunday after Pentecost 
Just these lines, my friends …

… to say it is wonderful seeing your faces again on Sundays. One person told me, “So many familiar faces and all smiles.” Thanks be to God. And the worship of God’s people called Matthews United Methodist (MUMC) was so rich. Our music and so much more was deeply inspiring. You can click here to view the service.

This past Saturday, laity and clergy from across Western North Carolina Methodism gathered virtually for Annual Conference, to engage in the tradition of holy conferencing that is as old as Methodism itself. It was a time of renewed connection, prayer, and inspiration, as we recommitted ourselves to making disciples for the transformation of the world.

With all the uncertainty and unsettledness in our denomination, I spent some time these last few days remembering why it is good to be a United Methodist Christian. The United Methodist Church nurtured my faith. It was instrumental in my call to ministry, and it is the context in which I love and serve people like you. It is not perfect, and other religious traditions have their own strengths and virtues, but in the days ahead (beginning July 11) we’ll be exploring the reasons why we can enthusiastically be people called United Methodists.

Wednesday Devotional

I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch my “I Love Being a Dad” devotional for today.  Please click here to watch. I hope you all have a wonderful Father’s Day…thanks to all of the dads, mentors and role models for our children!

Retirement of Madeline Kamp

After nearly 30 years of service, Madeline is retiring. She has impacted so many children and families and we are so very grateful. Please make sure you have Sunday, July 11 on your calendar to honor Madeline as well as to express your deepest thanks. We also hope you will express your thanksgiving for Madeline with a special love gift. If you’d like to contribute to a love gift for Madeline, you can do so with a gift to her directly (non-taxable for Madeline) or you can mail a check (taxable for Madeline) to MUMC with “Love Gift – Madeline Gift” marked in the memo line or click here to make your gift online.

Join us in celebrating this remarkable servant of God!

A Beautiful, New Bus

If you drive by the parking lot today, you’re going to see a beautiful new bus. This bus is a gift from the estate of a remarkable saint who was active for over 60 years in the life of our church and community. It will be used across all age-levels and ministries. It is a beautiful new tool for MUMC to make God’s love real to so many.

By the way, if you’d like to talk about including MUMC in your estate planning process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. Just click here to send me a note. There are so many opportunities in the life of our church where you could make a huge difference.

Juneteenth 2021

Change rarely happens in an instance. It is usually the messy, unfolding process of decisions and actions, commitments, and realities. Change is often frustrating. It takes longer to alter something than you think it should, and the more significant the shift (and the more people involved) guarantees higher complexity and more significant setbacks. The more substantive changes demand even greater costs.

Saturday, June 19 marks the unofficial holiday referred to as Juneteenth. The Emancipation Proclamation declared slaves to be free in the United States on September 22, 1862. The process, however, of liberating those slaves required years of conflict, strife, and tragedy during the Civil War. June 19, 1865 is the actual date when General Gordon Ranger read those official orders in Galveston, TX, the last region to receive the declaration of freedom as binding law. In other words, it took quite a while for freedom’s proclamation to become genuine emancipation. It took years to turn President Lincoln’s words into the lived-out truth for all people.

We are still living in the gap of our beloved Constitution’s genius, and everyone being created equal and the reality of that possibility.

Regathering Update: Exciting News for Sunday

For the last year, we have been worshipping together where we are, around kitchen tables, on back porches, in college dorms and hospital rooms, from New York City to South Africa to the beach. Wherever we are, these Sunday practices sustain us.

Even as we rejoice to returning to in-person worship and classes, we know that we do not need to be physically present at 801 South Trade Street to keep the Sabbath holy and connect with our church family. No matter where we find ourselves, we make time to be holy. Let us commit to a practice of weekly worship to sustain our souls! Will you join the live stream from a hotel balcony? Will you download the sermon and take it on a hike into God’s wilderness? Will you post a picture of your impromptu sanctuary on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to help others keep the day holy?

See You In Person for Worship, Classes & Deep Kids this Sunday! See Kids, Youth & Adult details.

Continued Worship Updates (Kids check-in process & protocols under date area):

• All are invited to attend in-person worship on Sundays (reservation system removed)
• Masks are not necessary for those who are fully vaccinated on campus (indoors or outdoors). We prefer that a mask be worn by anyone who is unvaccinated but leave that decision up to the individual. We encourage anyone who would like to wear a mask to feel welcome to do so as they participate in ministry and worship.
• There are some sections within the pews where social distancing may be easier to maintain.
• We will continue deep cleaning between services and on campus. To allow every effort for cleaning between worship services, please exit the Sanctuary in a timely manner.
• Church opens through-the-week for ministry on June 28. The Chapel Doors will be the main entrance for the Church Office.
• Coffee House on Sunday mornings will be on hold until a later date when we are able to mobilize volunteers to make this ministry possible. Complete the following to serve Coffee House Interest Form or Greeter Interest Form.

Check in for DEEP KIDS at the Gym Reception Entrance. Special age-level lessons just for kids! Register here for Nursery (Infant – 3 Years of Age) through 6th Grade. To ensure protection of our younger kids who are not able to be vaccinated, children 5 years and older and volunteers will wear masks at United Kids indoor gatherings.

This Sunday in Worship

We invite you to join us in person or online this Sunday at 9:30 am (contemporary), 11:00 am (traditional) or 12:30 (Spanish – in person only).

This Sunday, we join with you and your loved ones in celebrating the fathers and father figures in our lives. May it be a day of remembrance and gratitude for all of you.

In our Spanish-speaking CCH community, Pastor Roldan will continue the worship series, The Clock is Ticking. He will be preaching from Matthew 25:14-15 with his message titled, A Difference We Must Notice.

At 9:30 am and 11:00 am, we will be hearing from Pastor Brad. His sermon is titled Be Intentional from Deuteronomy 11:18-21 and I Samuel 3:2-10. Pastor Brad will invite us to consider how we can be more intentional in our relationship with God and in our relationships with those in the emerging generation.

At 9:30 am and 11:00 am, we will be hearing from Pastor Brad. His sermon is titled Be Intentional from Deuteronomy 11:18-21 and I Samuel 3:2-10. Pastor Brad will invite us to consider how we can be more intentional in our relationship with God and in our relationships with those in the emerging generation.

And now, as always, during these strange, uncertain, tumultuous, perilous, and hopeful days of pandemic remember … God does God’s best work in moments like this.

We are in this … together,
Dr. Charles (Chuck) W. Wilson II

Did you know that exterior work was done on the Eagle’s Nest last week?  Exterior woodwork repaired and the whole building was painted. Thanks to our ReFresh & ReNew funds, this is one of the many projects that have been done during this pandemic to freshen up our campus.