Traveling Lighter

4th Sunday after the Epiphany
Just these lines, my friends …

… to say that what a special week: small group studies, Room In The Inn, Bingo Night, Youth basketball filling up the Gym on Friday & Saturday, and, of course, Sunday worship and celebrating our Scouts. All of these are opportunities for you to make connections. Remember … is there anyone you know you could call at 2 o’clock in the morning? If not, then let’s get after getting to know people and make those connections. If you missed our time of worship this past Sunday, you can participate by clicking here.

Friends, Karen and I came down with COVID, and this is the first time for me to have it. I’ve been quarantining and feeling OK, and hopefully, I can be with you over the weekend.

This Saturday, January 27, brings our annual Leadership Connection. For nearly a couple of decades we’ve been using this event to launch our servant leadership of the church into the coming year. This year, our Leadership Development Team (LDT) is developing the theme of Leadership in Turbulent Times and have identified two amazing women, Christa Tyson (church member) and Dawn Hand (former pastor of MUMC) to guide us in our discussions. I know it will be a powerful and helpful morning.

Global Impact 2024 is just around the corner. I hope you’ll read below about the ways to get involved.

Wednesday Devotional

I hope you can take a few minutes to watch my devotional for the week titled, Traveling Lighter.

Upcoming Events

• A Charge Conference will be held by the Administrative Council to review pastoral salaries and the church budget for 2024. Saturday, January 27, 12:30 pm in Room 94. All are welcome to attend, but only Council members are allowed to vote.
• Former MUMC Pastor Rev. Dawn Hand preaching in all morning worship services – this Sunday, January 28
• Anxious Nation – Wednesday, January 31, 6 pm in The Commons. Details
• Global Impact Missions Celebration – February 3-11 Schedule & Saturday Serve Registration
  Our Global Impact Missions emphasis provides the congregation with the opportunity to make an annual commitment to a life of missions and service. Our theme is HOPE based on the scripture from Romans 15:13 CEB. Be sure to register now for the February 3 Operation Saturday Serve event to make 1,000 sandwiches for Local Missions Partner, Roof Above.
  
• Jemar Tisby (author of The Color of Compromise) presents Race and Religion: Challenges and Opportunities for Churches – Saturday, February 10, 9-11 am, at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte. Register here.
• Embracing Disabilities Lenten Emphasis: February 18 – March 17. Details

This Sunday in Worship

We invite you to join in worship 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).

In our Spanish-speaking CCH community, Pastor Roldan’s message is titled, Details Do Matter, from Ruth 4:13-17.

In all our morning sanctuary services we welcome Rev. Dawn Hand back to the pulpit of MUMC. Pastor Dawn served our church for five years from 2006 to 2011. We were her first appointment after seminary and ordination. Today, she serves as the District Superintendent of the Central Maryland District and Dean of the Cabinet in the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. I’m so excited for people who have been around for a while to hear her again and for our newbies to be awe-inspired as she puts the Word into words. Her sermon is from Jeremiah 29:11 and titled, With Hope.

I hope you’ll be sure to invite someone to church because you never know who might need to hear this fresh voice of amazing faithfulness.

And now, as always, during these strange, uncertain, and yet hope-filled days. Remember … God does God’s best work in moments like this.

Better … together,
Dr. Charles (Chuck) W. Wilson II

Did you know that Family Worship this past Sunday was all about pets as we learned about Responsibility? After the service, families made 80 dog toys for the Union County Animal Shelter and had the opportunity to adopt their own pet (of the soft toy variety) to be responsible for at home!

Did you know that Global Impact distributed $191,719 OUTSIDE the walls of MUMC in 2023? This number includes $19,865 in Disaster Relief and $18,054 in Christmas Eve offering. Global Impact donations were divided as follows: 57% went to local ministries, 8% to regional partners, 25% to international ministries and 10% to Disaster Relief. THANK YOU for your gifts to Global Impact in 2023!

Did you know that Roof Above had an emergency situation and asked MUMC to host women instead of men in early January? Our Room in the Inn team responded with radical hospitality and grace as they welcomed 14 women with a hot meal, showers, warm beds and a hot breakfast. THANK YOU, Room in the Inn team for your welcoming spirit and dedication to this ministry. An emergency happened and you responded. We are grateful!

Did you know that our mailing volunteers prepared the mailing for our Global Impact emphasis on Tuesday? Look for the mailing, which includes Faith & Life Commitment Cards, in your mailbox later this week!