What is Your Name

22st Sunday after Pentecost | Above & Beyond Kickoff Celebration
Just these lines, my friends …

… to say our parking lot was full of activity on Saturday with many of our Spanish-speaking friends as Pastor Roldan and our CCH community sponsored a health clinic for our neighbors. The Micah Connection provided support for this family-friendly event. Here is a photo highlighting how they are being not just a church IN the community, but a church FOR the community. AMAZING!

Youth Sunday (10/13), as always, was a rich, rich service of worship. A very special thank you to our youth, their adult volunteers, and our staff community: Pastor Corey, Rob Hunter, Alix Arndt, Connor Johnson, Sarah Biggers and Amanda Marcell. If you missed being with us on Sunday and missed Pastor Corey’s sermon, Unshakeable Faith, you can click here to worship.

This past week, we continued our efforts on behalf of the people of Western North Carolina who are suffering so deeply. The response of our church and community for relief in Western North Carolina has been unbelievable. Below is a brief summation of our MUMC efforts this past week:

• On Thursday (10/10), we sent a truck to Canton, NC with supplies.
• On Thursday (10/10), CCH sent 2 pallets of donations to a Latino church in Hendersonville, NC.
• On Friday (10/11), we used $768.98 from Disaster Relief to purchase small canisters of propane for people using grills to cook food. These canisters were delivered to Spruce Pine, NC.
• On Monday (10/14) & Tuesday (10/15), we collected donations and a truck picked up supplies and delivered them to Swannanoa on Tuesday.

 

We continue efforts this next week with our Collection Hub being open Tuesday through Thursday (Oct 22-24, 10 am to 6 pm) for sleeping bags, blankets & handwarmers for Western North Carolina. Please click here to stay up-to-date with all the opportunities to serve and give.

Our bishop of the Western North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church, Ken Carter spent all of last week visiting multiple communities throughout Western North Carolina. He shared the following:

“I have overheard a perspective that I would love to dispel. Someone (a total stranger) voiced it to me in a grocery store. A couple shared it next to me in a restaurant. Here is the myth: that the cities are being helped and the rural areas (smaller towns) are not.

This is completely false. I have been in some of the most rural settings of Western North Carolina. FEMA is present. First responders are present. Churches are present. Urban churches are in partnership with rural churches. And leaders in rural communities are amazingly creative and resilient. It is a beautiful thing to see…”

And you, MUMC, continue to be present through your many ways of giving. Remember, our efforts, with and for Western North Carolina, is a marathon and not a sprint.

 

Video Devotional

Some folks often ask what they should call me. Is it “Pastor,” “Mr.,” “Reverend,” or “Dr.”? My stock answer is that they can call me anything they like, just so they call me in time for dinner! Really, I prefer being “Chuck,” but these days I’m answering more to Chunkie (my Grandpa name). The clerical titles define what I do; Chuck and Chunkie define who I am.

But on a deeper level, what title would you choose to describe who you are as a follower of Jesus? I hope you’ll take the time to listen to my devotional, What is Your Name?

 

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 at 10:30 followed by Lunch – This Sunday, October 20, 10:30 am. (See more info below.)
• Trunk or Treat presented by Age-Level Ministries – Sunday, Oct 27, 6:00-7:30 pm. More info on about hosting a trunk or donating candy here.
• Baptism Class – Oct. 27, 8:10 am. Register & work toward the baptism of your child.
• Studies & Groups: Jesus Calling: Practicing Thankfulness Starting Oct. 29, Wednesday Evening Advent Study & Monday Morning Women’s Advent Study.
• The Real Christmas Story – NarroWay Theatre Day Trip – Saturday, Dec 21, 10:45 am – 3:15 pm. Details & register here. Space is limited!
• November 10 – In all our morning worship services, we will be celebrating our Veterans as well as sharing together in the culmination of our Beyond Hospitality efforts. Please prepare to make your commitments to our General Fund for 2025 and our Capital Campaign for the next three years.

 

This Sunday in Worship

This Sunday, Oct 20: ONE Combined Worship Service at 10:30 am followed by Lunch! To kick off our Dual General Fund & Beyond Hospitality Capital Campaign efforts, we’ll have ONE Combined Worship at 10:30 a.m followed by family-style lunch in the Commons & Gym (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, and plan to stay until around 1:15 pm. You won’t regret it! See Menu Options and Above & Beyond Event Details

My sermon for our special kick-off Sunday picks up on the theme of the day, Above and Beyond. You can prepare by reading Luke 4:14-30.

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.

My heart was resplendent with joy on Youth Sunday as I remembered my kids, all 30-somethings now, sharing their faith and singing their hearts out on Youth Sundays through the years. I’m reminded of a dear friend, Mark DeVries, offering a challenge saying, “We are to catalyze a constellation of relationships around every young person in the church, a web of intergenerational, vertical connections that keeps them anchored in the faith.”

Friends, we are that “Cloud of Witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) for the next generation. Let’s not miss a moment of influence. Join me in continuing to “show up” in their lives. Also, might you consider inviting someone to your show-up kind of church.

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

 

Did you know that White Duck Taco Shop on East John Street serves a la carte tacos and catered lunch for the MUMC team at our All-Staff October meeting? White Duck Taco is locally owned and operated and often has local artists performing that you may recognize (Stumptown Brass is just one example). Check them out!

Did you know that the Micah Connection Creation Care Ministry team shares monthly tips on our website for how to care for our world? Check out the October tips under the group page: https://matthewsumc.org/groups/micah-connection

Did you know that our 11th & 12th Grade Girls Youth Small Group wrote “Thank You” notes to the Town of Matthews Public Works and Fire Department, Southland Trucking, Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, Rainbow Express Ministry, the Global Impact Team and more for all they have done to make the Disaster Relief efforts possible?

Did you know The United Methodist Men at MUMC donated 30 locks for Ride Again Bicycle Ministry led by Tom Williamson? Tom has refurbished and donated countless bikes to kids and adults, and a number of these have gone to Hoskins Park and other outreach organizations.