Outside the Box: The Holy Spirit is at Work!

Dear Fellow Ministers,

What a blessing Pentecost Sunday was! We had a unique way to hear our scripture, the music was great, and we debuted “Experience of the Holy Spirit” in worship. We are blessed with many voices that are shared each week in worship. Pastor Roldan, our Spanish-Speaking pastor who leads worship at 12:30 p.m. each Sunday in our Sanctuary, shared his experience of the Holy Spirit.

Some great opportunities are coming up with hymns offered by Bach Charlotte in our Sanctuary this Friday night at 7 p.m. Matthews UMC’s own Eon Malan will be the organist. They will be presenting America’s early hymnody in a communal hymn sing! Registration is encouraged for this free event. There is also a Women’s Tea this Saturday, and the last day to register is today, May 27, by midnight.

As always, please pay attention to our website and our Celebration News that comes out each Friday. There are many ways for you to be involved, from support groups to Bible Studies. And, we have lots of Sunday morning group options for all ages at different times. You can contact Kim Layton about adult offerings, Corey Milliet about youth offerings, and Alix Arndt about children’s offerings.

View and share this link to our 9:30 and 11:00 am streams on YouTube as a way to invite someone to worship. You can also share my weekly video!

This Sunday, we will focus our worship around “The Great Commission” in Matthew 28:16-20 as God forms a sermon in us. We have English-speaking worship at 8:15, 9:30, and 11 am. We have Spanish-speaking worship at 12:30 pm, and Youth Worship at 6 pm. You are ALWAYS welcome! I look forward to being in ministry with you this week!

In Christ,
David Christy

Did you know that in 2025, Matthews UMC completed our first Accessibility Audit? This audit, developed by the UMC Disability Ministries Committee, assesses 59 items across 5 areas, one of which is the environment, including the products we use to keep our facility clean, as well as perfumes and personal care products we wear to church. Many people have sensitivities to strong perfumes and chemical odors, but for some, even a mild fragrance can induce severe allergic reactions. Minimizing the use of scented products is an important step in our Beyond Hospitality campaign to help everyone who visits our campus feel truly welcome and safe. Our facilities staff is doing a great job utilizing scent-neutral and environmentally conscious products where applicable. Please join our efforts by being mindful when applying perfumes and scented personal care products. We appreciate your willingness to learn more about Environmental Sensitivities and Fragrance Reduction solutions.

Did you know that we celebrated 14 Confirmands who publicly professed their faith in Jesus on May 17? We are so proud of the way they committed themselves to learning about God and His Church over the past school year. Thank you to every staff member, parent, mentor, and volunteer who poured into the lives of these Confirmands and helped prepare them to step into the next part of their faith journey!

Did you know we offer open play Mahjong three times a week for the community? It’s a wonderful opportunity of invitation to connect with others, build relationships, and sharpen your Mahjong skills in a relaxed setting. Visit the Mahjong page to explore available sessions, sign up to play, or register for our beginners classes (as announced).

Did you know that Matthews UMC members Amy Ramsey and Kelly Smith just returned from the Wesley Heritage Pilgrimage in England with 30 members of the Western North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church? They toured everything from the birthplace of John and Charles Wesley to the birthplace of the Methodist Church in Bristol.