The View is Different from Up Here

2^nd Sunday of Easter/April 7, 2021
Just these lines, my friends …

… to say that it has been wonderful to connect with so many of you during the last few days as we made our way through Holy Week. I loved serving Holy Communion to so many of you who came by in your cars on Maundy Thursday. Then Easter Sunday morning was full of resplendent joy that could not be dampened by an early morning cold temperature. Pastor Brad and our worship leaders launched us powerfully into the dawning of Easter 2021.

If you missed my Easter Message, Easter Earthquake from Matthew 28:1-10, please click here. Near the end of my message, I shared the extraordinarily moving GodStory of Michael and Rebecca Holt. They faced the tragedy of tragedies on Good Friday 2017, with the death of their five-year-old son, Charlie. Please take four minutes and watch their story by clicking here. When you finish, click here to go to the Charlie’s Heart Foundation website. You will love how the Holts are empowering families to stay together when different life circumstances are trying to force the family apart.

Just a reminder: Easter isn’t just one day—it is an entire season. The next fifty days celebrate Jesus’ victory over sin and death—which is even longer than Lent. It’s a reversal that resounds through all time and eternity.

Wednesday Devotional

I hope you’ll take the time to watch my devotional for today titled, “The View is Different from Up Here.” It will take only a few minutes of your time. Please click here to watch.

Returning to In-Person Worship

Be sure you read the letter here from Pastor Paul about all things returning to in-person worship. These will be the first of three updates in the weeks ahead.

Charlotte Kludzuweit Retires on April 15

Our beloved Church Office Receptionist, Charlotte Kludzuweit, has announced her retirement after 21 years of dedicated service at MUMC. Welcoming and taking care of our visitors and callers for the past twenty-one years at our front desk has been her gift to our church. It all comes so naturally to her. She will be greatly missed on staff!

Charlotte writes, “For those of you who thought I would never retire … SURPRISE!!!  Twenty-one years seems like quite long enough to devote to a ‘retirement’ job.  Yep, I tried retirement before but soon found that I missed working, so shifted from a MUMC volunteer to a MUMC staffer.  I had no idea I would stay this long but I loved my job … mostly the people … too much to leave.”

Well done, good and faithful servant! We are sure going to miss you! Keep shining your light!

Matthews United Methodist Endowment Annual Report

I’m so pleased today to share with you the remarkable work on our MUMC Endowment. These efforts are guided by our Endowment Committee, led by Terry Efird. For the second year in a row, the Endowment distributed dollars to be used by our Trustees and our Finance Committee. You can read the 2020 report of the Endowment here. In addition, I hope you’ll take a few minutes and watch our award-winning film on the Endowment…just click here.

Please let us know if you might consider leaving a gift to MUMC. The Endowment is the perfect place for your gift to give forever.

Racial Wealth Gap Simulation

The simulation is an interactive tool that helps people understand the connections among racial equity, hunger, poverty, and wealth. It is a good first step for people unaware of structural inequality, a support tool for those who want a deeper understanding of structural inequality, and a source of information for experts who want to know the quantifiable economic impact of each policy that has widened today’s racial hunger, income, and wealth divides. Saturday April 17, 10:00 am – Noon, Led by the RWG Simulation team. Register here.

This Sunday in Worship

Will you join us for online worship this Sunday at 9:15 am (contemporary), 11:00 am (traditional) or 12:45 (Spanish-speaking).

This week in our CCH community, Pastor Roldan continues the worship series, And Now, What’s Next? He will be preaching from Acts 2:32-37 with his message titled, An Identity We Cannot Lose.

At 9:15 am and 11:00 am we will be in week two of our worship series titled Easter Earthquake! How the Resurrection Rocks the World. We hope to do our best to answer the question: What difference does the resurrection make in the way we face the crucial issues/crisis/concerns of our time? This week our sermon is The Crisis of Terror from II Corinthians 5:14-21 and Matthew 5:43-48. There is a new world being offered to us through the resurrection.

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 that Easter Love Bags were delivered to 200 of our families (over 300 children ages 3-11) by a group of 20 amazing volunteers from throughout the church? What a wonderful surprise for our families to find a package on their doorstep to remind them how loved they are by our church and to help them celebrate that Jesus is Risen!

Did you know that our United Methodist Men participated in an outstanding program on Holy Saturday, April 3, with Jared Keaton, the Chief Operating Officer for the Alliance Center for Education (AC4Ed)? Formerly the Bethlehem Center of Charlotte, AC4Ed has been improving economic mobility for thousands of Mecklenburg County children since 1940. AC4Ed’s mission is to provide high-quality education and support for children in need through partnership with their families. With its 5-star licensed early childhood centers serving children from birth through age five, and its Out of School Time programming for kindergarten through 12th grade, AC4Ed serves more than 800 families daily.

Did you know that Matthews-area businesses (including MUMC) planted pinwheel gardens in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month? We want to remind all to #BeAConnection for the children and families! Together we can develop the caring, connected community we all need.