The World Needs More Compassion

21st Sunday after Pentecost
Just these lines, my friends …

… to say it was a beautiful Sunday (10/6) at Matthews United Methodist Church: assembling cleaning/flood buckets and hygiene kits in the Courtyard to go to Burnsville, NC; great coffee from Will Beans; Family Worship in the Gym; the Sacrament of Holy Communion on World Communion Sunday; gorgeous music; Scouts and BBQ; and so much more. It is the honor of a lifetime to be serving alongside the amazing people of MUMC. If you missed being with us on Sunday, and my sermon, The Longest Table in the World, you can click here to worship.

The past week has been unbelievable with the response of church and community for relief in Western North Carolina. Below is a brief summation of our MUMC efforts:

1. Sunday (9/29) – We sent 6 pallets of Hygiene Kits packed previously through Global Impact events. These were delivered to the Boone area and were being used by survivors Monday morning (9/30)
2. Monday morning (9/30)– We (thank you, Beth Merchant, Global Impact chairperson) mobilized volunteers & opened a Collection Hub in the Gym to stage donations.
3. Tuesday at Noon (10/1) – We filled a Town of Weaverville dump truck with supplies and sent it back to North Buncombe County. Renee Weaver (former church member), our contact in North Buncombe County said, “The MUMC items were truly lifesaving. Those items got back to people and areas that had not been discovered. It was the first supplies going into a couple of areas.”
4. Wednesday Afternoon (10/1) – With the help of volunteers, staff, and new friends from the Town of Matthews Public Works and Fire Department, we filled an 18-wheeler (with a driver/neighbor from Hampton Green that works for Southland) that arrived in Downtown Asheville the same evening.
5. Thursday Night (10/3) – With volunteers and members of a support group that meets on our campus and Boy Scouts & their leaders who were on campus cooking for their BBQ sale, we filled a 24-foot U-Haul destined for Polk County.
6. Friday Morning (10/4) – With the teamwork of Town of Matthews Public Works & the Fire Department, staff and volunteers (including a group from La Casa Church in Charlotte), we filled another 18-wheeler that went to Swannanoa. We also learned of a Spanish-speaking United Methodist congregation in Hendersonville in need of so much. Pastor Roldan began mobilizing our CCH community with specific cultural supplies for this community. These supplies will be delivered on Friday, 10/11.
7. Saturday (10/5) – We continued to collect supplies from all over our community.
8. Sunday (10/6) – 190 Hygiene Kits & 147 Cleaning Kits were assembled between worship services and taken to Burnsville.
9. Sunday Afternoon (10/6) – Rich & Pam Alter, past church members who now live in Asheville and were here over the weekend, took 2 truckloads of supplies back to their church & community.
10. Monday Morning (10/7) – Another 18-wheeler was loaded by volunteers, Public Works and the Fire Department, and it headed out to Black Mountain.

In all, the weight of the supplies on three of the semi-trucks totaled an estimated 51,000 lbs — a feat only possible with a coming together of our community.

A highlight experience for me was on Thursday night (10/3). We had persons on site for one of the support groups we host. Several of them came to help and they worked hard. As we concluded the evening and Karen and I headed to get something to eat, we saw a couple of them walking home. We stopped to say thank you and offered a ride. They blew me away with their hearts of service. I’m so thankful to have these two new friends in our community.

We continue all our efforts this week with relief for Western North Carolina. Please visit Serve Now to stay informed with all the opportunities to serve and give.

DISASTER RELIEF Collection Hub:

Mon & Tues, Oct 14 & 15, 10am-5pm
Tues, Wed, & Thurs, Oct 22-24, 10am-6pm

Donation Supply List
Volunteer Spots Oct 14-24, Sign up Here!

 

Video Devotional

This week, I’ve seen great compassion at work. Compassion is what God’s “abundant life” looks like – not hostility, indifference, or patronizing pity, but genuine compassion, the kind of care evoked by Jesus’ call to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

I hope you’ll take the time to listen to my devotional, The World Needs More Compassion, by clicking below.

ONE Combined Worship Oct 20 at 10:30 a.m. followed by Lunch

Mark your calendars for Sunday, October 20 at 10:30 am! To kick off our Dual General Fund & Beyond Hospitality Capital Campaign efforts (details below), we’ll have ONE Combined Worship at 10:30 a.m followed by family-style lunch (no charge, no lines, no waiting) with music, door prizes, videos & special guests! Kids meals come with a cool toy! Be sure to wear your favorite team colors to church that day! See Menu Options and Above & Beyond Event Details

2024 Capital Campaign

View FAQs (updated 10/8/24) for Capital Campaign Sanctuary Upgrades. See our featured question/answer below.

Q. Will energy saving measures like LED lighting or solar be incorporated into the project?

• All recessed lighting in the Sanctuary will be replaced with LED lighting.
• The new video system in the Sanctuary will consist of two video walls (like we have in The Commons) which will be more energy efficient than our current system.
• The Director of NC Clean Future, John Morrison, discussed the opportunity for Energy Efficiency (EE) of our HVAC replacement project with Building Committee representatives. John reviewed our projects for EE and then agreed with our direction of installing 30-40% more efficient boilers and an updated chiller for our HVAC needs with our existing buildings.
• Over the past year, due to incentives for nonprofits and Houses of Worship passed in the Federal Infrastructure Act, our Micah Connection Ministry Creation Care team (led by Brenda Messera) has been looking into installing solar. In his review, John Morrison also recommended that we consider installing roof solar panels and perhaps solar awnings in our parking lots when the EPA finalizes a loan program, expected to occur later this year or in 2025. The new loan program would be expected to significantly enhance the financial and business case for solar installation on our campus. The Creation Care team is monitoring this possible opportunity.

In a separate effort being led by Pete Sherrard with our Creation Care team, Duke Energy will perform a commercial Energy Efficiency audit of our campus and operations.

Upcoming Events

• Above & Beyond ONE Combined Worship followed by Lunch – October 20, 10:30 am. (See above.)
• Baptism Class – Oct. 27, 8:10 am. Register & work toward the baptism of your child.
• The Real Christmas Story – NarroWay Theatre Day Trip – Saturday, Dec 21, 10:45 am – 3:15 pm. Details & register here. Space is limited!

Mental Health Awareness Month

By the way, just in case you didn’t know, October is Mental Health Awareness month. Our Hope for Minds & Hearts Mental Health Ministry is focusing on Depression Awareness. Depression is the opposite of simple; it’s a complex condition that can affect people no matter the age, gender, race, or life situation. Learn the signs and symptoms of depression, how it is diagnosed, treatments, and ways to get help by clicking here.

This Sunday in Worship

We invite you to join us this Sunday at 8:15 am (traditional; in person only), 9:30 am (contemporary; in person or online here), 11:00 am (traditional; in person or online here) or 12:30 (Spanish; in person or on demand here).

Our Spanish-speaking community (Centro Cristiana Hosanna – CCH) begins a new series on stewardship and generosity. Pastor Roldan’s sermon for this Sunday is from Luke 12:35-40, and the sermon title is Let’s Prepare the Right Way. This Saturday (10/12), a Health Clinic, featuring 11 doctors and dentists, will be staged in our parking lot for Hispanic community. It will be a marvelous time for CCH to introduce themselves to the community.

This Sunday, our community is in for a real treat as our United Youth Ministry leads us in a special Youth Sunday worship! Our teens will lead music, read scriptures, and share prayers and testimonies with us as we worship God together. On top of that, Pastor Corey will share a special message titled Unshakeable Faith, where she will focus on how in Christ, we can live unshaken when we come to Him and surrender every worry and care before God. Living unshaken doesn’t mean you never experience trials, feelings, worry, fear, or doubt! It means you bring those cares to Christ in the midst of your circumstances and walk away with God’s peace. In order to live unshaken, you first have to know who God is and who you are in Him. Though our circumstances change, God never does. He is unchanging and it is on His promises we build our life and find our identity! God is the Way-Maker, Stronghold-Breaker, and Peace-Bringer. He is the Unshaken One, and in Him, we too can live unshaken.

It is deeply important that as a community of faith we come together to support our young people in their worship leadership with our presence and enthusiasm for their efforts. Come discover God’s unshakeable presence in your life Sunday with our United Youth!

Closed Captioning in Sanctuary Worship is now available. Scan the QR code on the bulletin/screen with your own device (tablet or smartphone) which will open a tab in your browser, then customize font size, text color & background color. Instructional Video. *In lieu of a translator during our Oct. 20th combined worship, this same program will provide translation for English or Spanish.

Our MUMC campus has been filled for the past week with persons who might not be all that familiar with us – so many folks from our community dropping by with items to be shipped to the many devastated areas of Western North Carolina. Many of them had a home House of Worship, but some didn’t. I loved seeing all of us loading trucks, sorting supplies to pack, and sharing together for the common good. MUMC, it all started this past week as a sprint, but now we begin the transition to a marathon which will take years of love, care, support, determination and so much more.

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

Beyond Hospitality,
Dr. Charles (Chuck) W. Wilson II

Did You know our Hearts & Hands Ministry has generously contributed a total of 21 prayer shawls, 3 afghans, 30 baby hats, 3 baby blankets, 8 small scarves, 37 hats for adults & children, and 5 comfort animals to support relief efforts in Western North Carolina? Each of these items was lovingly hand-knitted or crocheted, infused with care and prayers to provide comfort and warmth to those in need. A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated Hearts & Hands ladies for creating such beautiful gifts for our church community.