Keep Showing Up

20^th Sunday after Pentecost
Just these lines, my friends …

… to say how about our wonderful young people … and their leaders. Aren’t they the best! Their presence and leadership in worship was just outstanding this past Sunday, October 3. If you missed, please watch here.

The Mental Health Forum held this past Sunday in the Sanctuary was a powerful evening of hope for households (one in four) that in ways have faced mental illness. If you missed the presentations and panel discussion, I hope you’ll watch here. The forum launched a new ministry, Hope for Minds & Hearts, which will include a mental health support group for persons & families affected by mental health challenges. The group will begin meeting on Monday, October 18 at 7:00 pm in Room 158.

Wednesday Devotional

I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch my “You Just Keep Showing Up” devotional for today.  Please click here to watch.

Important Dates to Remember

• October 10 – Westward Road in Concert in our Sanctuary at 6 pm. Click here to view one of their videos.
• October 12 – Melody Makers is back! Melody Makers is a vibrant Adult Community Choir that rehearses at MUMC. The choir was created in 1997 out of a growing desire to sing. The members represent 17 churches in the Charlotte/Matthews/Monroe area. Many of the members sing in their own church choir while others have never sung in a choir. The group longs to “make a joyful noise to the Lord” & take the Word of God through music to Assisted Living Facilities, Retirement Centers, Nursing Homes and other area churches. Rehearsals begin on Tuesday, October 12, 9:30 am 11:00 am, in the MUMC Choir Room. For more info, contact Kathy White at 704-815-1940.
• By October 15 – Encourage Frontline Workers: 30-Day Gratitude Campaign. Write notes of gratitude & drop them off in the baskets located in the Narthex & by the Front Office by October 15. Address your card & envelope to “Dear Frontline Worker.” We will deliver to area doctors, hospitals, & first responders!
• October 30 – MAGI Spiritual Gifts Discovery Workshop – 9:00 am – 12:30 pm.  Led by Carolyn Perlman, this workshop is designed to help you discover your spiritual gifts, identify your personal style, and name the passion God has put in your heart for service.  Learn more and register by visiting our website, under the Teach tab, and clicking Find Your Spiritual Gifts (click here).
• November 3 – Our Annual Matthews United Methodist Endowment Celebration – 6:00 pm in The Commons. Our featured speaker for the evening is our very own, Dr. Ken Lyon, the pastor of MUMC from 1995 to 2016. The entertainment for the evening will be Anne Lough. She will bring the finest of dulcimer music, song, and story. You will love hearing her mastery of the hammered and mountain dulcimer. Seats are limited and reservations are required. You may purchase tickets here or at the Welcome Center on October 17 & 24.
• November 14 – All Church Celebration of Engage. This will be the Sunday we make our annual financial commitments to the coming year for the work of God’s ministry in and through MUMC. We will gather for one worship service that morning at 10:30 am.

This Sunday in Worship

We invite you to join us this Sunday in person or online at 8:15 am (traditional – in person only), 9:30 am (contemporary), 11:00 am (traditional) or 12:30 (Spanish – in person only).

In our Spanish-speaking CCH community, Pastor Roldan will be preaching from John 4:1-9. His sermon is titled, Beware of Religiosity.

This week, all through our morning worship services, we will Engage as we’ve been doing all Fall. When we Engage, we pledge, we commit, we bind ourselves in a new step of discipleship by engaging in practices that, if exercised over time, will enable us to grow into a life that is centered on loving God and loving others. This Sunday we will be Engaging Your Gifts. You can prepare by reading John 13:12-16 and Romans 12:3-11.

Thank you, again (I can’t say it enough), for the privilege that is mine to be one of your pastors.

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 our Methodist Men were treated to a marvelous presentation about Promise Pajamas (founded by Debbie Vehr and Valarie Ross) on Saturday, October 2? Read here about the Promise Pajamas Collection drive through October 30.

Did you know Rev. Larry Watts has been appointed Pastor of the Bethel United Methodist Church in Thomasville, NC? This is a part-time interim appointment that begins this Sunday, October 10 through June 30, 2022. We wish Pastor Watts the very best in these next months of his time of service. We will miss him here at MUMC.

Did you know that Praise Packs are now available for kids to use during worship services? These special bags for kids ages 3–6 or kids ages 7-12 are designed to help them engage in worship by keeping their hands and minds busy as they follow along during the service. Families can pick up a bag for their child in the Narthex or on the cart across from the Welcome Center.

Did you know that Kristen Freeman ran her first full marathon (that’s 26.2 miles!) this past Saturday, and came in 2^nd in her age group?!? Way to go, Kristen… what an accomplishment!

Did you know about 18 members of the Faith Sunday School Class participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure this past Saturday? Since the race was not held in person this year, the class walked over 4 miles on the Four Mile Creek Greenway in Matthews, and made donations to benefit breast cancer research. They met another group from Friendship Missionary Baptist Church & snapped a photo. The Faith Class is one of many Sunday Morning Classes and meets at 9:30 am in Room 209/211.

Read below some of the amazing, thoughtful, inspiring reasons why our families support the life and ministry of Matthews United Methodist: 

• “I engage in generosity in and through Matthews United Methodist because faith without works is dead. I’ve been blessed beyond what I deserve to be able to give back to a discipleship that has supported and loved me through good and bad times. The Bible commands us to do this and my parents taught me to tithe at a very young age.” – Christa Tyson, MUMC member since 2017.
• “We engage in generosity in and through Matthews United Methodist to honor God and support the Church.” – Don & Kathy Remley, MUMC members since 2019.
• “I engage in generosity in and through Matthews United Methodist because I believe in our church, our message, our mission and the fellowship of our members. My contribution does more and means more to me personally knowing that it is working with other gifts for a bigger good.” – Mack Patterson, MUMC member since 1989.
• “We engage in generosity in and through Matthews United Methodist because MUMC has always been there for our family, especially when we needed it the most.” – Michael & Rebecca Holt, MUMC members since 2014.