My Friends: My Avodah

16th Sunday after Pentecost
Just these lines, my friends …

… to say that Sunday was a wonderful day in worship for Matthews United Methodist Church (MUMC). If you missed worshipping with us, please click here and participate.

I hope you are saving the date of October 20 for our Above & Beyond Worship & Lunch. It will be a day you will remember for a long time in the history of our church. We are working hard to make it so. We will have one beautiful worship service at 10:30 am and a fabulous meal for all in The Commons and the Gym. Please SAVE THE DATE and participate.

At the Western North Carolina Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church in June, I learned of a study conducted in North Carolina by the Religion and Social Change Lab at Duke Divinity School. The study reported that our congregations within The United Methodist Church in North Carolina are theologically and politically diverse, thus creating a “purple church” which reflects our deep diversity. The study also indicated that United Methodist churches remain one of the very few institutions in American society where people from different political persuasions can build deep and meaningful relationships with each other. Hence, in a polarized and often toxic political climate, MUMC (along with other UM churches) is positioned to advance the ministry of Jesus by creating a beloved community that bridges political and theological divides. Read below about our worship series beginning this Sunday.

I hope you’ll register for my fall study beginning September 11, The Good and Beautiful Community. This study will show us how to bring spiritual life and community engagement together, and offer spiritual practices that root new, true narratives about God and the world in our souls. James Bryan Smith’s insight and humility will lead us to live in authentic ways as a good and beautiful community of Christ-followers, shining the light of the Spirit into every relationship. We’ll gather on Wednesday Evenings, 6:30-8:00 pm, September 11-November 13 in The Commons. Purchase book here, and register here.

2024 Capital Campaign & Questions We Hear You Asking

If you missed it, please link to the announcement here regarding our fall capital campaign for Sanctuary upgrades and read answers to Questions We Hear You Asking in the complete FAQs.

Q Will security be addressed with this project?
Safety & security is something we take seriously at all times. As this project approaches, our Facilities staff, with the input of Rob Hunter, a church & staff member and former Matthews Police Chief, will work to plan & provide recommendations to maintain a safe & secure campus throughout the project period. Throughout the year, an off-duty police officer is present from 9 am to 12:30 pm on Sundays and is tasked with walking the campus and driving the parking lot. Cameras are installed across campus and there is a panic system with quiet alerts to immediately notify authorities. Ushers, Age-Level Ministries and Facilities constantly stay connected through a walkie-talkie system on Sundays. Throughout the week, external doors on campus are locked, with visitors being buzzed into the Chapel Entrance. Please direct any additional questions to our Facilities staff.

Video Devotional

As I’m writing, it occurs to me that most people in the USA view Labor Day as a nice three-day weekend that marks the transition from summer to fall. For some, it signals the start of the collegiate and professional football season. For others, it reminds them that year-end business targets are closing in and the pace of work picks up. But few pause to remember the history of this day; how it was spawned by labor movement struggles in the late 1800s, offering one day a year of paid holiday from work. Let me share some more with you about this day in my devotional for this week, Avodah.

Upcoming Dates

• Check your Voter Registration so you’ll know when/where/how to cast your vote this fall! The Micah Connection and Bridge Builders teams will be in Sanctuary Reception Area between worship services this Sunday!
• Meet the Pastors Member Interest Gathering – This Sunday, September 8, 3-4:30. If you’d like to explore deepening your participation in MUMC with membership, please sign up to be a part of this fun, informative gathering. This will begin our next Disciple’s Path series that will begin that day and then occur on Sunday mornings (8 am), beginning September 15 through October 20 (Joining Sunday). Details
• Golf Outing: Driving for a Better Community – Thursday, September 19 at Olde Sycamore. Register as Individual or Foursome. Sponsorships Available. Proceeds support local missions. Hosted by UM Men
• Global Impact Poverty Simulation facilitated by Common Heart – Sunday, September 22, 12:30-3 in the Gym. Details & Registration
• Leadership Information Session – Tuesday, September 24, 7 pm in Room 158 or Zoom. Details
• Endowment Celebration Dinner – Wednesday, September 25, 6:30-8:00. Details & purchase tickets here.
• 5th Sunday Fellowship – Sunday, September 29, 12:15 at Matthews Presbyterian Church. Details
• Join one of our Short-Term Studies this fall, including Knowing Who We Are on Monday evenings and The Good & Beautiful Community on Wednesday evenings. Details
• SAVE the DATE! Sunday, October 20: ONE Combined Worship Service at 10:30 am followed by Family-Style Lunch in The Commons & Gym! Details

This Sunday in Worship

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

All are welcome to join us at Family Worship, an interactive, high-energy worship service for the whole family. This month we’ll be looking at the virtue of Compassion, as we explore how each one of us can “Shine God’s light.” Plan to stay for a few minutes following the service for refreshments in The Commons and the opportunity for families to take part in a mission project for the teachers and staff at COS Kids and Greenway Park Elementary School!

Our Spanish-speaking community (Centro Cristiana Hosanna – CCH) began a new worship series this past Sunday, titled Practical Apologetics. Pastor Roldan’s sermon for this Sunday is from Psalm 104:24-31, and is titled Worthy of All Glory.

The study I mentioned earlier has prompted me to begin a three-week worship series titled Finding Peace as a Purple Church. This week we are going to begin by exploring several elections that took place in Bible days with our primary scripture lesson, Isaiah 9:6-7. You will not want to miss these important days of learning, growth and inspiration.

Maybe your neighbors or friends are ripe for the opportunity of the faithful witness of Matthews United Methodist Church and how we build deep and meaningful relationships in and through our church. Invite them to come along with you this Sunday as we get underway in our study of the Purple Church. Moreover, you could tell them about our Meet the Pastors this Sunday, September 8, 3 pm, in our Sanctuary Reception Area. Thank you for sharing our faithful witness with the community.

And now, as always, during these strange, uncertain, but hopeful days, remember, God does God’s best work in moments like this.

Finding Peace as a Purple Church,
Dr. Charles (Chuck) W. Wilson II

Did you know that some of the youth and adults of United Youth volunteered at the Matthews Alive festival last weekend? A big thank you to all the youth and adults who staffed the ninja obstacle course and brought lots of joy to kids and families in our Matthews community.