Outside the Box with David Christy: Celebrate the Change (Worship in Gym this Sunday!)

Dear Fellow Ministers,

This week the “change” from the Sanctuary to The Commons (8:15 am) and Gym (9:30 am, 11 am, and 12:30 pm [CCH]) begins! See a few pictures and watch my short video clip for this week. Isn’t change fun?! Actually, it brings great opportunities to really focus on what is important.

Pam and I are discovering that truth as we continue in what, to us, feels like the world’s longest move. We were anticipating moving to Matthews on July 1, but our closing dates have been changed several times (we will be moving in to our Matthews home on September 23, finally!). The issue is that we packed most of our things anticipating a move of July 1. So, almost daily, we are looking for “that thing” that is long since in a box that I cleverly labeled “stuff” so there is no telling where it is. Yet, we celebrate that change is giving us the opportunity to declutter our lives and figure out what we really want to keep.

It is my hope that our transition to The Commons and Gym will give us a similar perspective, spiritually. We will be preparing, in a very real and deep way, how to provide hospitality for every person who may come in to worship. The Sanctuary is going to have lots of subtle changes that allow us to better “embrace disabilities” and have spaces where WE ALL can feel comfortable, and every person is made to feel of equal importance. Thank you, Matthews UMC, for being willing to go “beyond hospitality” to make this happen.

Please remember that the North Parking Lot (by the Sanctuary) will be closed so that our construction crew can work and always have access to the building from there. We are asking everyone to park in the South Parking Lot (the large one by The Commons). If you are able to easily walk, please consider parking further away from the door as an act of hospitality so that those who have trouble walking distances can park as close as they need.

Please pray through Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19 as God forms a sermon in us for Sunday. This is a GREAT time to invite someone to come with you to church! Change actually is fun when we focus on the One who never changes: Jesus Christ. Please continue to be flexible and go out of your way to find someone you don’t know and greet them on Sunday. I look forward to being in ministry with you this week!

In Christ’s Service,
David

Did you know that last week’s Music & Arts Camp had 95 campers and 45 youth/adult volunteers? Approximately 45% of the campers do not have a church home or are from other churches. It was an AMAZING week with hundreds of people joining us on Friday evening for the presentation of The Sailor’s Bible. Watch here. Thank you to Ashley Broome and Shannon Hurleigh for leading the camp!

Did you know that our VBS Mission this year was the Great Outdoors University (GoU) run by the North Carolina Wildlife Federation? GoU provides “Day Trip Adventures” in the Greater Charlotte Region serving kids ages 4-18, so youth can travel free of charge to local parks for hiking, canoeing, fishing, and other outdoor adventures. Park Ranger Penelope encouraged us to help our neighbors and to be creative on how to raise money for GoU. Our VBS families & volunteers raised over $4,200, enough to send 85 kids on an amazing day of discovery in the natural world that God created for us to enjoy. GoU!

Did you know that the refresh of the pastoral offices was provided by distributions from the Endowment Fund? Register for the August 21st Endowment Dinner (deadline is Sunday!) for a unique opportunity to celebrate the generosity of giving within our church community.

Check out all that is happening at Matthews UMC by reading our weekly Celebration News!