Left-Handed Power, Part 2

4th Sunday of Easter
Just these lines …

… to say that thank you for all our leaders of worship this past Sunday. Karen and I were away in New Bern celebrating the marriage of LuAnn Scruggs with Duke Pratt. I loved connecting with LuAnn’s girls, Katie and Ashlyn, who were deeply connected to MUMC in their early years. Thank you for the privilege you’ve given me to serve in these ways through the years.

If you missed being with MUMC this past Sunday, you can worship by clicking here. Thank you, Pastor Linda, and so many others for making our 3rd Sunday of Easter so special.

Our transition in pastoral leadership continues to take place. David Christy, our new Senior Pastor and Susan Heafner-Heun, our new Executive Pastor will be here a good part of the day on Thursday of this week. We’ve planned a very active day: lunch with our entire Staff Community; time with the Management Community (Pastor Roldan, Pastor Corey, Craig Estep, Debbie Fitts, Shannon Williams, Beth Lynn); and finally capping the day off with our Staff Parish Relations Committee. They will assume the mantle of leadership on July 1. So exciting! If you have not been able to pick up one of our prayer cards including photos, bios and a collective prayer, they are available at the Welcome Center or Church Office. You can get to know them by reading the welcome announcement where you can also link to their time with us from April’s All-Church Gathering.

Annual Accessibility Audit

Matthews UMC recently completed its first Annual Accessibility Audit for United Methodist Churches. This audit, developed by the Disability Ministries Committee of the United Methodist Church, assesses 59 items in 5 different areas:

1. 1. Getting into the church
   2. Getting around the church
   3. Sanctuary/classrooms/fellowship areas
   4. Communications and environment
   5. Attitudes

 

The committee confers badges at four different levels: Copper, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. We scored at the Bronze badge level, indicating our church meets basic accessibility needs and accommodations. Creating greater access for people of all abilities is a priority for the MUMC congregation and leadership. Goals have been set for our 2026 audit and beyond toward creating a campus with Gold level accessibility. To hear a detailed report on the audit and how we scored, check out this recording of the All-Church Gathering. The Audit update begins at the 33:10 minute mark. You can also learn more about the audit and the work of the Disability Ministries Committee by exploring this website. The badge has been added to our homepage with a link to the audit which outlines the badge program and criteria.

 

Video Devotional

These days, it seems, our nation has a collective obsession with right-handed power. We are always looking to get the upper hand. Let’s continue to talk about it this week in my devotional titled Left-Handed Power – Part 2.

 

Upcoming Events

• Common Heart Food Drive – May 11-June 15: Immediate Need for non-perishable, unexpired food due to a 50% cut in their federal funding. Please place donations in bins at campus entrances. (MOST NEEDED: Cereal, Chef Boyardee, Pasta, Pasta Sauce, Mixed Veggies, Mixed Fruit, Snack Bars)
• Mental Health Fair – Saturday, May 17, Drop In 9 am – 2 pm. Details
• Saturday Serve – Landscaping, painting & beautification for Global Impact Partners from 9am-Noon on May 17 at Turning Point Treehouse. Register here

 

This Sunday in Worship

We invite you to join us this Sunday in person at 8:15 (Traditional), 9:30 (Contemporary), 9:30 (Family Worship in The Gym), 11:00 (Traditional), or online at 9:30, 11:00 or 12:30 (Spanish – in person or here on demand).

Our CCH (Centro Cristiana Hosanna) Community continues to touch me so deeply with their hearts of service and thanksgiving. I’m always discovering new things where God has been at work in and through their hands and feet. This week, Pastor Roldan’s sermon title is A Mother Who Knows How to Intercede from Mark 7:24-30.

All are welcome to join us at Family Worship (9:30 in The Gym), an interactive, high-energy worship service for the whole family. This month we’ll be looking at the virtue of Initiative, as we explore how to love and care for others by “Seeing what needs to be done and doing it.” Plan to stay following the service in The Commons for refreshments and the opportunity for kids to make a gift for a special mother figure in their life.

Of course, we will be celebrating Mother’s Day in all our worship services on Sunday. Also, our United Methodist calendars mark Sunday as the Festival of the Christian Family. I will continue My Favorite Sermons series with one titled, We Are Family from Psalm 71:17-18 and Ephesians 3:14-19. I hope you’ll join us as I seek to walk us through three defining moments in the history and development of the Bible’s understanding of family.

Do you know someone who is looking for a community of love and forgiveness? Chuck Wright is fairly new to our church and he wrote me recently about what he and his wife, Janie, have found here at MUMC: “With Janie and I, Matthews United Methodist just stands on higher ground with a feeling of love that is unmatched. When you first walk in and are greeted, there is a warm compassionate sense of love. You can see this love all around you as you make your way throughout the church. Probably best of all, you can feel that love from everyone you come in contact with. What a blessed comfort to know that when you attend MUMC, love is guaranteed!”

And now, during these disconcerting, uncertain, confusing and yet, hopeful days, remember … God does God’s best work in moments like this.

Jesus is on the loose!
Dr. Charles (Chuck) W. Wilson II

 

Did you know that each year volunteers from MUMC serve as proctors for end-of-year testing at Greenway Park Elementary? If you would like to support this Global Impact Partner as a proctor in the coming weeks, please complete this form.

Did you know that the Asheville Mission Team was commissioned in the 9:30 worship service this past Sunday? We have 9 participants representing 3 churches who are doing recovery work this week in western NC. Please pray for them and for Disaster Ministries of The United Methodist Church.

Did you know that 15 people joined the Watch Party for Zoe Empowers this past Friday? We joined 25 youth leaders LIVE from Kenya and learned about their various businesses, how they support their siblings and their dreams/goals for the future. Thanks to your generosity, Global Impact and our church members now support 5 groups totaling 500 youth! An additional 100 youth graduated from our previous group and are now self-sufficient! To learn more visit www.zoeempowers.org.

Did you know that the United Women in Faith (UWF) Bake Sale on May 3-4 netted $661 to support two annual scholarships of $1,500 each? Unsold items from the United Methodist Men’s Pancake Breakfast and the UWF Bake Sale were contributed to the volunteer team working in Asheville this week. Thank you to all who contributed baked items, purchased baked items and made donations to the UWF Bake Sale. Being part of a committed mission-minded church community is truly a blessing.

Did you know that our Hope & Minds Mental Health Ministry is focusing on National Mental Health Awareness and Women’s Mental Health in May? For further information, click Mental Health Month, Women’s Health and NAMI. Drop in the Mental Health Fair  on Saturday, May 17, 9 am-2 pm.