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Midweek Update
April 3, 2024 |
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Pastor Alex reviews Holy Week and all that is upcoming in the coming weeks at Charlottesville First United Methodist Church. Can you believe over 250 people were with us Easter Morning and 150 more watched service online. God is good! Spring is here! And there's a lot to come at CFUMC.
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CFUMC's Social Justice Ministry 'Amplify' holds initial meeting
Wednesday, April 3rd at 6pm
Charity is crucial, but how can equitable opportunities reduce the need for charity? Social Justice ministries aim to bridge the gap between needs and rights, promoting access to opportunities through education, advocacy, and community networking. As Pope John Paul II said, "Nobody too poor to give, nobody too rich to receive."
The proposed focus for our initial conversations will be:
- Building an ‘Age-friendly’ Charlottesville for all ages (Health equity partnerships)
- Education and action (Community dialogue and involvement)
- Networking for support (Local organization analysis and collaboration).
If you are passionate about social justice and feel a call to action and collaboration, please join us in the first meeting on Wednesday 3rd of April at 6pm in room 308 of our church. Feel free to invite people outside the church who you think might be interested too.
With love and hope,
Lina Lopez
“Amplifier” lead & Social Justice area chair
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Town Hall on General Conference
Thursday, April 4th at 7:00 pm
Rev. Meredith McNabb, a member of the Virginia Conference delegation, will join Pastor Alex for a preview of the upcoming General Conference of The United Methodist Church to be held April 23rd - May 3rd in Charlotte, NC.
This will be the first General Conference to be held since 2019, and it is also the first to be held since the disaffiliation period ended in 2023. Issues on the table include how to function as a global church, a revised set of Social Principles, and the shape of the denomination in this new season.
Rev. McNabb graduated from UVA, where she was an active leader in the Wesley Foundation, and holds degrees in law (Washington & Lee) and theology (Candler). Currently, she is the Associate Director for Educational Programming at the Lake Institute on Faith and Giving. Previously, she was the Director of Clergy Excellence for the Virginia Conference.
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First Sunday "Kids and Youth Lunch"
Sunday, April 7th at 11:15
Join us Sunday after worship for a Kids and Youth Lunch. We will be having pizza and drinks on us. All children ages birth to 12 are welcome to join with their adults.
Join us for food, board games and fellowship in the CFUMC Fellowship Hall.
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Hike #6 - Fontaine to Ivy Road
RESCHEDULED - Wednesday, April 10th at 10am
Due to rain, the Great Rivanna Trail Challenge continues on April 10th with a hike from Fontaine to Ivy Road and Back.
The best place to park at the Fontaine Research Park is over to the right by the woods after you enter. This is an out-and-back route from the Fontaine Research Park. This is the hilliest section of the Rivanna Trail that weaves through some beautiful old growth forest with really tall trees. Round trip runs about 3.5 miles.
Let us know if you are coming and we will look for you.
Leaders for this hike: Dave Wheatley and Beth Reitzfor For more info contact connect@cvillefirstumc.org
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10th Annual 21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge
April 1st through April 21st
Food Solutions New England will host its 10th annual 21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge from April 1, 2024 to April 21, 2024.
Each year, thousands of individuals and hundreds of officially participating organizations join in a shared journey of learning and charting a course of action to dismantle racism in our food system and our world.
The 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge is simple! You commit to deepening your understanding of, and willingness to confront, racism for twenty-one consecutive days in April of each year.
For more information or to register, click here.
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April One Thing Ministry
Our April One Thing Ministry will benefit our own sweet preschool as they celebrate 40 years! Bring a birthday gift (no need to wrap!) of any of the following:
- Card Stock (any color)
- White Card Stock
- Smelly Markers
- Tissues
- 9 x 12 Construction Paper (any color)
- Clorox Wipes
- Paint Sticks
- Chalk
- Sandwich Ziplock Bags
- Gallon Ziplock Bags
- Napkins
- Paper Towels
- Elmer’s Glue Bottles
If you would like for someone else to do the shopping for you, just put “FUMP Birthday” in the memo line of your check. Thank you in advance!
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A Message from Haiti
The instability in Port au Prince is creating food and diesel is becoming scare, and people are in need of shelter.
Friends of Fort Liberte have reached out asking for your prayers, as well as donations that will help those who are in need.
Their website has more information about the featured fundraiser to Emergency Food Relief. If you would like to donate, you can do that here.
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Thank You For Your Continued Support to Loaves and Fishes
One of the many ways that CFUMC fulfills its mission is by serving people who are hungry, in part through the financial support and volunteers we send to serve at the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry.
Loaves & Fishes helped 100,235 individuals in 27,212 households in 2023, a 33% increase over the number of people receiving groceries to in 2022. They received 2,457,748 pounds of food last year to accommodate this increase in visitors.
So, if you are ever wondering where your donations go, rest assured that more than just the utility bills at church are being funded! Thank you all for such generosity, and please consider making a donation via their website so that we can continue to support our community through Loaves and Fishes.
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Calling All Upcoming Grads!
Help us gather the names and info of our soon to be graduates in our CFUMC family.
Please send us the name, photos, next steps or any additional information you want to share with us about your graduates for a slideshow presentation on graduate Sunday. We would love to celebrate with you.
Already a graduate? We would also love to know what our young adults are up to. Please share your information with us to help us update our directory and connect with you while you are away or living locally.
Email info to connect@cvillefirstumc.org
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Solar Project Receives Grant
Apex Clean Energy has made a $2,500 grant to Charlottesville First to support the upcoming solar panel project. As discussed in our January Town Hall, our congregation is taking a major step toward sustainable energy use with the installation of solar panels on the roof of the building. The project was approved by the Church Council and work is slated to begin later this spring.
Ty Gallander, a member of the church who works for Apex, applied for the grant through the company’s Solar Nonprofit Grant program. Volunteers are needed to help in the grant-writing process. If you can help, please contact Guy Moffat. Thank you, Ty!
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Realm Connect Challenge
Nearly 150 people at CFUMC have created Realm Connect accounts since our launch on February 4th! We sent reminder links on February 12th, so make sure to check your email and junk folders to sign up. You can also click here to access the site.
Today's Realm challenge: Complete your Skills and Interests Survey!
Apple: Click 'More' on the bottom right. Click 'Serving.' There are 3 tabs on top - go to the second one for 'Serving'. You can fill in the days you can volunteer AND the dates you are unavailable this year. Then, scroll down to the Skills and Interests. Click the big blue bar and let us know your talents and how you like to use them. Be sure to click 'save' when you're done.
Android: Click the 'hamburger' icon in the top left. Click 'Serving'. There are 3 tabs on top - go to the one for 'Serving Profile'. You can fill in the days you can volunteer AND the dates you are unavailable this year. Click on the Skills Section then the Interests section to edit and let us know your talents and how you like to use them. Be sure to click 'save' when you're done.
Stay tuned for a new challenge coming soon! |
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Prayer as Living Actions
You may be wondering what the vessels full of folded purple slips are for... each slip is one new thing to try during our Lenten time!
Anyone is welcome to take one of the slips of paper -- two if you are feeling adventurous -- and do what's printed there. You can do your task for all five weeks of Lent or for one week before coming back and picking a new task.
The Rules:
1) Do not peek before picking out a slip.
2) Marked with a star (*)? Do these tasks at least once a day for at least one week during Lent.
3) If what you pick just isn't "you" or if you have qualms about doing what's written there, just put it back and pick another one. BUT, before you put it back, consider that the Holy Spirit just might be telling you something.
4) After the week, if you want, return the slip(s) and pick another one or ones. |
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Sign Up for the 2024 ASP Trip!
NOW is the time to sign up for this summer's Youth Mission Trip with Appalachian Service Project! Our week of serving is scheduled for June 23rd through June 29th, and we will be sharing God's love with others through home repairs and faith-building relationships.
This experience is for students grades 6-12. We will serve on a team with Aldersgate UMC again this year, and we still have spots to fill! The deposit at the time of sign-up is $50, and an additional deposit of $175 will be due on March 1st. Financial assistance is available.
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FUMP Enrollment is Open Now!
Enrollment for the 2024-2025 academic year at the First United Methodist Preschool is now open!
Visit the FUMP website here to find out more information or to fill out an application. |
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Artist Statement: Tom Ashley
We have a new gallery artist showcasing his work here at CFUMC!
He has written a brief statement about how he got started as a photographer, his sources of inspiration, and his work in Charlottesville. Click here to read the statement in full, and be sure to get up to the gallery to check out his work! |
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Dairy Market Dinners
Wednesday, April 10th from 6-7:30pm
Every second Wednesday of every month let’s gather for Dairy Market Dinners at……yep…..The Dairy Market on Preston Avenue!
Just a time of great fellowship, great conversation, and a chance to get to know each other!
Put April 10th from 6-7:30pm on your calendars for our first event! Jon and Cathy Scheumann will host!
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"A Bridge to Life" Film Premiere
Thursday, April 18th at 7:00pm
The film shares the Bridge Ministry – a local organization saving the lives of men dealing with life-threatening addiction issues and will be followed by a Q&A with The Bridge Ministry members and Director Chris Farina.
Chris is renowned for his compelling documentaries that shine a light on everyday heroes, igniting inspiration within his community. In 2022, he was diagnosed with ALS. Despite facing formidable challenges, he continues to persevere in his storytelling, undeterred in his mission to make a difference.
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Spring Plant Sale
Saturday, April 27th from 8:00 am-12:00 pm
The Plant Sale is coming soon!! Are you getting your seedlings strong for adoption on April 27? Do you need any plastic pots for them to grow in? Are you planning to dig up some extra plants from your garden to donate?
We could also use some donations of potting soil, shallow boxes, and any plastic trays you may have from your purchases at garden centers. (We will use these for customers to carry home their purchases.) If growing plants from seed isn’t your thing, remember that we welcome plants from garden centers as well!
And, of course, much help will be needed on Friday and Saturday to price and sell all of the plants.
Join us as we plan this fun event! Please contact Cindy Poots Remington at 434.242.7563 or mspoots@gmail.com. |
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The Charlottesville Church Softball League is Starting Up Again!
Starting Friday, May 3rd
The CFUMC softball team plays other local churches in the Charlottesville Church Softball League (CCSL), which is a slow-pitch league that is open to men and women 16 and older. Games are played on Friday evenings at Darden Towe Park. The season starts May 3rd and continues into July, ending with a playoff tournament.
You can sign up in the Realm App. To sign up in Realm, go to 'Groups' either through your 'more' choice (Apple) or your hamburger menu choice (Android). At the top, choose 'Find Groups.' The type of group is 'Network'. There, you will find the Softball Team! Click on it, then click 'Join'. Bill Owens is the group leader and will then be able to contact you.
Play Ball!
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Scuba VBS
July 29th - August 2nd, 9:00 am-12:00 pm
At Scuba VBS, kids dive into friendship with God! Scuba is filled with awesome Bible-learning experiences that kids can see, hear, and touch -- we'll do hands-on science experiments, team-building games, sing unforgettable Bible songs, and enjoy some tasty treats.
From July 29th through August 2nd, kids ages 3 through 5th grade are welcome to join us from 9:00 am through 12:00 pm for some splash-tastic adventures! Youth helpers (rising 6th grade and up) are invited to come help by volunteering. So, save the date and please let us know if you'll be available to help us prepare. This will help us plan for how many children can come along on our dive!
Contact Lara Upton to RSVP and sign up to volunteer! |
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New Members Class
Starting Sunday, April 7th at 11:30 am
Pastor Alex is hosting a 3-week New Members Class beginning Sunday, April 7th at 11:30 am (following the service).
Our new members sessions will allow you to get to know CFUMC staff and leaders and to learn a little bit more about who we are and how we are active in the areas of nurture, outreach, social justice, and worship. We’ll also usually have a lunch option if you want to continue the experience. There will be a child care option during the 11:30 am - 12:30 pm hour.
The dates are April 7th, 14th, and 21st. Sign up via the Realm app or email office@cvillefirstumc.org. |
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New Study for Adult Fellowship Group
Sundays at 11:15am
The Adult Fellowship Group invites you to learn with us. The group will begin a new study on March 24th. "Wrestling with Doubt, Finding Faith" by Adam Hamilton. Meetings will take place on Sundays at 11:15am in Room 208. All are welcome!
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Young Parents Group
Starting Sunday, April 14th at 11:30 am
The Young Parents Small Group is taking a break and will resume with a new study on April 14, meeting on the 2nd and 4th Sundays.
Childcare is provided. New members are welcome anytime - come join us!
Contact Patricia Hott for more information, patriciahott13@gmail.com |
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UVA Learning Programs
UVA's Division for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is offering a series of online learning programs on topics such as Microagression, Introduction to DEI, Introduction to Implicit Bias, Introduction to Difficult Dialogues, Introduction to Equity, and more!
These are great opportunities to engage with our community and educate ourselves on issues of inequality. Click here to learn more about their offerings and to register. |
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On the Road with Mark: A Lenten Study with Pastor Alex and Dr. Laura Holmes
Thursdays at 7:30 pm
Pastor Alex and Dr. Laura Holmes invite you to an online Lenten journey through the gospel of Mark! This group is meeting each week to study a section of the most action-packed of the gospels and talk about how its challenging picture of Jesus can help us hear and respond to God's voice in new ways. The class will have six sessions total.
To get a Zoom link, just send an email to Pastor Alex. You can also register on the new congregational Realm app! |
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Journeys of Paul Cruise
Pastor Alex has updated information and a new video about the Mediterranean Journeys of Paul cruise scheduled for October 7th-14th, 2024. Stops will include Rome, Naples, Palermo, Santorini, Ephesus, Mykonos, and Athens, with plenty of time on board for optional classes on Paul and all the fun of the Voyagers of the Seas ship!
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Women at the Well
Thursdays at 9:30 am
All women are invited to come together for a new Lenten study called
Remember (God’s Covenants and the Cross) by Susan Robb.
Let’s gather as we learn how to read the Bible, meditate upon it, then pray and contemplate its message until it becomes a script for our own lives. |
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Men’s Bible Study
Tuesdays at 8:00 am
Meeting at Wegmans at Fifth Street Station, we are continuing with fellowship and a concentrated study. All men of every age are invited.
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Faith Seekers Class
Begins Sunday, January 28th at 8:45 am
The Faith Seekers class will begin the study of a recent prominent book on the relationship between Christian depictions of Jesus and and cultural understandings of masculinity. Kristin Du Mez's
Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation offers a history of church and culture that gets at a central tension in American life.
Come join this adult class in Room 208 at 8:45 on Sunday mornings! For more details, contact Kathy Berlin. |
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Faith Explorers
Sundays at 11:15 am
The Faith Explorers class (Room 308 at 11:15) is reading Diana Butler Bass’s book,
Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening. The book is about introducing people to shifting religious demographics and to propose how communities of faith might rethink some basic issues about their identity, practices, and theology. The thesis is that certain forms of “religion” always end, often challenged by emerging cultural forms of spiritual experience and engagement, and that such endings are usually the beginning of some new and unexpected awakening. |
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Interested in Reading?
Pastor Alex's book,
A Space for Peace in the Holy Land: Listening to Modern Israel and Palestine, can be purchased as an e-book on Amazon for $4.99.
If you are not a Kindle reader, simply purchase the book as if you were (so that the publisher will be paid) and we will print a physical copy for you here in the church office.
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Caring Writers
The Caring Writers are a group who enjoy sending cards and letters to those who are homebound, feel isolated, or just need to know that someone cares. The commitment is to send a card or letter to two recipients per month.
If you are interested in becoming a Caring Writer, please contact George Batten or Maurya Batten. You can also contact either of them if you know of someone who would enjoy being on the recipient list. |
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Music Ministries
Our Music Ministry includes choirs, bands, instrumental ensembles, and soloists of both traditional and contemporary sounds. There is no shortage of ways to praise God through music, and everyone is invited to explore the gift of music, even if you are just singing along in the congregation!
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AED Certification
We are compiling a list of members who are certified in AED use. If you are certified, please email Karen Young. |
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Enjoying the food and fellowship at Portico Café after worship?
Thanks to those who recently gave monetary contributions for Portico Cafe - we have enough funds for coffee and creamer for the next couple of months, so you won't see the donation jar any time soon!
We will continue to host Portico Cafe outdoors as long as the temperature is above 50 degrees and not raining. Otherwise, it will be held in the Gathering Space.
Email Lisa Hanrahan if you want to sign up to bring treats. A sign up sheet is also available by the coffee area. The success of Portico Café depends on the generosity of church members to help or contribute food! |
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Rainy Day Blues?
“Love the City” umbrellas will be left at the Front and Welcome Center entrances for all to borrow and then return on rainy days!
If you would like to purchase an umbrella to support our Nurture Ministries and our CFUMC Vision of
“Love the City," they are $20. Put “umbrella” in the memo line of your check. |
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The Quiet Center
Sundays at 11:15 in the Chapel
The Quiet Center is an after-church gathering of, and for, anyone who wants to know more about grief’s journey. The sessions are “stand alone,” to join anytime and as often as you wish, to explore the many faces of grief and to share with each other our time, our experiences, our presence and our prayers.
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Congregational Prayer Time
Now Tuesdays at 12:00 pm on Zoom
Meeting ID: 882 7977 8844
Passcode: 968327
If you are interested in praying for our church and community, be in touch with Carolyn McGee for the link. |
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Clothes Closet
Donations to Hinton Ave UMC clothes closet:
Hours of operation: Tuesdays from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
We are looking for children to adult sizes, spring/summer clothing. Please make sure the clothing is gently used, clean, stain-free, and in good repair. Also accept some household items (e.g., sheets, towels, small appliances, dishes, pans).
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Assistance for Ukraine
UMCOR International Disaster Response and Recovery, Advance #982450, is collecting funds for humanitarian assistance.
You can donate directly online or designate "Ukraine relief" on your checks made out to CFUMC. |
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Prayer Quilt Ministry
Contact Teri Guertler if you need a prayer quilt for someone going through a difficult time, or if you would like to help in the creation of the prayer quilts. No experience necessary.
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