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Midweek Update
February 14, 2024 |
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Ash Wednesday Service and Lunch
Today, Wednesday, February 14th at 12:30 pm
All are invited to the first Ash Wednesday Service and Light Lunch in the Fellowship Hall today, February 14th at 12:30 pm!
Pastor Alex will deliver a message and tell those gathered how they can take ashes into the community (think neighbors, co-workers, assisted living facilities, etc). Ashes will be given out at the end of the event for all who decide they would like to be a part of this ministry.
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Evening Ash Wednesday Service
Wednesday, February 14th at 6:30 pm
An evening Ash Wednesday service will take place in the CFUMC Sanctuary at 6:30 pm. There will be a time for the imposition of ashes, and the choir will sing.
We hope to worship with you on this first day of Lent! |
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On the Road with Mark: A Lenten Study with Pastor Alex and Dr. Laura Holmes
Thursday, February 15th at 7:30 pm
Pastor Alex and Dr. Laura Holmes invite you to an online Lenten journey through the gospel of Mark. Beginning Thursday, February 15th, the group will meet 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.
To get a Zoom link, just send an email to Pastor Alex. You can also register on the new congregational Realm app, which is being rolled out! |
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Worship Choir Workshop
Saturday, February 17th from 10:00 am-2:00 pm
Your Worship Choir would like to invite you to join us for a day of singing, learning, and community as we come together to celebrate our love of music! With a special guest director leading the way, this event promises to be a truly enriching experience for all.
Whether you're a seasoned singer or just starting out, this day is open to everyone who wants to be part of our vibrant musical community. From vocal warm-ups to group rehearsals, there will be plenty of opportunities to learn and grow as we raise our voices in harmony.
Don't miss out on this unique chance to connect with fellow music lovers and make beautiful music together! See you on February 17th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, with lunch included! RSVP to Carolyn McGee. |
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Youth Faith Build
Saturday, February 17th, from 8:45 am-3:30 pm
All youth ages 16 and older are invited to participate in the Youth Build Day for Habitat for Humanity! Join us in building homes for our Habitat Partner Families as part of the Faith Build event. Let's help strengthen our community by working toward housing justice in a hands-on way!
Dave Wheatley and Lara Upton welcome all youth and their families to attend. Contact connect@cvillefirstumc.org with any questions, and visit the Habitat for Humanity website here to sign up. |
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CFUMC Visioning Informals
Charlottesville First has begun a new visioning process to see where God is leading us in the next 3-5 years and beyond. The first phase will be a series of Vision Informals, where individuals can gather around the table to discuss where we are, what we value, and how we can "love the whole city and love the city whole" into the future.
Each informal includes a time to assess the general health and values of the congregation as well as a special focus for the second part of our time together. Here are some of the upcoming informals:
- Sunday, February 18th at 11:30 am. Hosts: Beth Reitz and Jeff Taylor. Focus: Giving. Location: church.
- Wednesday, February 21st at 5:30 pm. Hosts: Bill Clarke and Gary Bibb. Focus: Participation. Location: church.
- Saturday, February 24th at 9:30 am. Hosts: Lisa Hanrahan and Fred Schneider. Focus: Leadership. Location: church.
- Saturday, February 24th at 5:30 pm. Hosts: Lina Lopez and Jon Scheumann. Focus: Outreach & Social Justice. Location: Archer at Brookhill 485 Crafton Cir, Charlottesville, VA 22911
- Monday, March 4th at 7:30 pm. Hosts: Carolyn McGee and Patty Taylor. Focus: Nurture. Location: online
- Wednesday, March 6th at 5:30 pm. Hosts: Karla Kincannon and Paige Lindblom. Focus: Quality of Relationships. Location: TBA
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Realm Connect Challenge of the Week
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 next week! |
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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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Support Needed for Loaves and Fishes
One of the many ways that Charlottesville First UMC fulfills its mission is by serving people who are hungry. Not only does our generous church family support our Bread and Blessings soup kitchen, it also sends financial support and volunteers to serve at the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry.
Just look at what Loaves and Fishes accomplished in 2023:
- Nearly 500 individuals provided close to 13,000 volunteer hours
- Volunteers prepared over 1.9 million pounds of food for clients
- Volunteers packed carts of food for clients, providing a minimum of 100 pounds of groceries per household
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! 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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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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February One Thing Ministry
Our February One Thing Ministry will benefit the wonderful work of church member Dr. Denise Young, an Obstetrics and Gynecology expert and the daughter of Margaret and Ken Stickley! Denise works with many under-served women in Charlottesville and Louisa. To support their journey into parenthood, we will collect:
- Diapers sizes 1-2
- Baby thermometers
- A&D Cream (or any diaper cream)
- Vaseline
- Simple infant toys
- Board books for infants
- Gently used or new infant clothes
- We will be requesting formula as soon as we know which brands are preferred
Thank you in advance for your generosity as we support these women who are experiencing housing and food insecurity and will now have another little soul to care for! Please place your donations in the red bins in the Welcome Center.
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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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Great Rivanna Trail Challenge: Hike 3
Date TBA
Unfortunately, the rain last Saturday required the CFUMC Hiking Group to reschedule the 3rd hike in the Great Rivanna Trail Challenge. Stay tuned for an updated date and time when we'll make it up!
Have you logged into Realm Connect yet? Going forward, we hope to use Connect for our Hiking Group Chat and notification system. Check your email for the sign-in link, and send us a note if you need one resent. |
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Great Rivanna Trail Challenge: Hike 4
Tuesday, February 20th at 1:00 pm
Three hikes down, seven (plus a bonus hike!) to go!
Join us on Tuesday, February 20th at 1:00 pm for Hike #4 from City Gardens to the Darden School (otherwise known as the Bodo loop). Stay tuned for more information about trail conditions and parking.
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Lenten Service and Lunch
Wednesday, February 21st at 12:30 pm
Join us for the second Lenten service and light lunch of the 2024 Lenten season! Rev. Karla Kincannon will be delivering the message.
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FUMP Chick-fil-A Spirit Night
Wednesday, February 21st from 5:00-8:00 pm
Come out to the Pantops Chick-fil-A on Wednesday, February 21st for dinner and help support the First United Methodist Preschool!
A donation will be given back to the school for 15% of all FUMP sales made during the evening. Please let the Chick-fil-A team know that you are there for the FUMP Spirit Night when you place your order in the restaurant or the drive-thru. |
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Christian Unity and the Cross
Thursday, February 22nd at 11:30 am
Pastor Alex will be speaking on the topic of "Christian Unity and the Cross" for the Lenten lunch series at Culpeper UMC next Thursday, February 22nd at 11:30 am. If you would like to attend, the congregation at Culpeper is providing the meal.
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Bishop Sue's District Visit
Sunday, February 25th - Monday, February 26th
Sue Haupert-Johnson, the Resident Bishop of the Richmond Area Virginia Annual Conference, will be visiting the Three Notch'd District from February 25th through February 26th!
She will be preaching at New Song UMC in Mechanicsville, VA on Sunday the 25th at 9:30 am. At 3:00 pm, there will be a Dessert Reception with laity at Zion UMC in Troy, VA. If you wish to attend, please register here. All are welcome!
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Chili Cook-off and Contemporary Worship
Wednesday, February 28th, from 6:00-7:30 pm
The event formerly called "God in All Things" is getting a fresh start in the New Year! We're kicking off a new format with your suggestions in mind.
Join us in the Fellowship Hall for a chili cook-off meal followed by contemporary worship! We'll start with chili and cornbread at 6:00 pm, and we hope to be finishing worship by 7:30 pm. All ages are welcome to attend, and children will be invited to move into a separate space for their own message during the worship time.
Sign up to bring chili or cornbread here, and please RSVP with Lara Upton. This helps us to plan for your presence, but don't be afraid to attend regardless! |
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C'ville Youth Collective
Sunday, March 10th
Save the date for the next C'ville Youth Collective! Ivy Creek UMC will be hosting, and more details are soon to come.
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PACEM at Westminster Presbyterian
Saturday, March 2nd - Saturday, March 16th
Our friends at Westminster Presbyterian Church at 400 Rugby Road will serve as the host congregation for the PACEM men's shelter Saturday, March 2nd through the morning of Saturday, March 16th. There was a fair number of Westminster congregants that served during our hosting of PACEM, and we would like to return the favor. Please log on to their Sign-up Genius and volunteer to help out: Westminster Presbyterian - PACEM.
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It Starts with a Meal: Rise Against Hunger
Saturday, March 16th
The Rise Against Hunger organization targets remote communities within hunger pockets that are designated as Serious or higher on the Global Hunger Index. These are the hardest places to reach, and they are often difficult to access and have poor infrastructure. With the support of global impact partners, RAH practices locally-led development by providing expertise vital to empower communities and providing meals through local schools to incentivize attendance and enable kids to obtain an education.
Maintaining the dignity of those who are served is of prime importance; RAH doesn't intend to rescue the people it serves, but rather works alongside local communities to support rather than direct them as they tackle their food and nutrition challenges. The ultimate goal is sustainability as well as building long-term relationships.
Our work starts with a meal, so join us on March 16th for the CFUMC Meal Packaging Event! |
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Spring Plant Sale
Saturday, April 27th from 8:00 am-12:00 pm
Save the date! The Second Annual Plant Sale is scheduled for April 27th, and we need your help! No green thumb, you say? No problem! We need help from all kinds of skill sets to price, set up, sell, and clean up.
Do you hang onto the pots from the flowers and vegetables you put in last year, or am I the only one? Do you have some tools that you aren't using anymore? We will take them! We will also need some canopy tents to protect those precious plants from the sun. If you are artistic, paint some birdhouses! Before long, it will be time to dig up any volunteers in your garden to share. You might also consider purchasing seedlings to donate to the sale, which will be raising money for our Bread and Blessings food ministry. If you have been looking for a way to support our Downtown Ministries and follow our mission, this is your chance!
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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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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Watch the Floris UMC General Conference Forum
Virginia Conference and other global leaders in the United Methodist Church spoke at a forum on February 6th about preparations and legislation related to General Conference 2024.
Hear how leaders are working towards regionalization in the church and the removal of language and restrictions from the United Methodist Book of Discipline that are harmful to our LGBTQ+ siblings. Watch now! |
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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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Young Parents Small Group
Sundays from 11:30 am-12:30 pm
The newly-formed Young Parents small group has begun a 6-week study of "Reckless Love" by Tom Berlin.
Anyone interested is welcome to meet with us in the Youth Room on the third floor of the CFUMC building at 11:30 am. |
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Women at the Well
Thursdays at 9:30 am
The Women at the Well have started a new study of Courage by Tom Berlin!
By examining the life of Christ, we will be able to begin understanding what true courage is and how God works in our lives when we exhibit a brave faith. |
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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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The Adult Fellowship Group invites you to join us
Sundays at 11:15 am in Room 208
This class recently began a new study entitled “Questions God Asks” from the Life Guide Series (Larsen and Larsen, authors).
The book is available through Amazon, or you can contact Carolyn McGee to obtain one.
So… grab your coffee and goodies from the Portico Café and come on in!
All are welcome! Questions? Contact Pat Graham.
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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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Lenten Handbell Schedule
Mondays from 6:00-7:00 pm
We will meet in the handbell rehearsal space on the third floor, which is elevator accessible. Rehearsals will be held on January 29th, February 5th, February 19th, and February 26th.
Please contact Kevin White if you are planning on attending so that he can have the materials prepared! |
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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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