God is a creative God— He created the whole world! Join us as we honor Him by getting creative in our worship.

Creative Worship is back on a monthly basis— the fourth Wednesday of each month, join us to explore a verse together, make art connected to it, and sing a worship song. Join us next Wednesday, October 23rd from 6-7pm in Fellowship Hall.

On Sunday, October 27^th at 1:00pm the Alzheimer’s Association will be holding a one mile Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital at 400 Martha Jefferson Drive Charlottesville, VA 22911.

At the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s, we’re fighting for a different future. For families facing the disease today. For more time. For treatments. We’re closer than ever to stopping Alzheimer’s.

But to get there, we need you. Join us for the world’s largest fundraiser to fight the disease. This event is a great way for our church members to show their support for the Charlottesville Community.  

If you wish to organize a church team, join an already registered team or donate click this link.

Join us for an afternoon of fun in the Charlottesville First UMC parking lot! Please reserve your parking spot on our signup genius if you’d like to decorate your trunk and pass out treats. Invite your friends! All ages are welcome!!

Contact connect@cvillefirstumc.org if you have any questions. 

"A Very Special Night" Children's & Youth Music Program

Sundays after Worship

Children and Youth are invited to join Kevin White and Lara Upton from 11:30am-11:45am on Sundays to practice 4 new songs that will be performed on Sunday, Dec 8th at 10 am and Tuesday, Dec 24th at 5 pm.

Contact Lara Upton at children@cvillefirstumc.org for more information.

Living As God's People

Sundays Throughout the Fall

This fall we will be following a theme each week during our children's time and Sunday School. 

This Sunday our curriculum will focus on Abigail and we will read 1 Samuel 25:1-35. 

We welcome you to join us throughout the fall as we continue to Live as God's People. 

The One Thing Ministry for the month of October will be helping the Haven restock their personal care supplies. They are in desperate need of deodorants, shampoos, soaps, underwear, etc. Thanks in advance for your generous giving!

Questions? Contact Carolyn McGee carolynmcgee@cvillefirstumc.org

Our upcoming mission trip to Haiti is fast approaching, scheduled for October 30 to November 7. During this trip, we will be traveling to Fort Liberté to install a roof on the school pavilion. We welcome any donations, which will be used to cover the cost of hiring local Haitian labor, as well as purchasing a generator and other essential supplies. Please note that all participants will be responsible for covering their own travel expenses. 

If you have any questions or if you are interested in traveling with us contact Dave Wheatley at wheat1506@gmail.com or Andy Guertler at andyguertler@gmail.com.

Spearheaded last year by Mackie Kudravetz and Marilyn Basham, CFUMC planted 100 daffodil bulbs in our flower beds by the parking lot. This past spring, they were so beautiful! 

November 3, (All Saints’ Day) after the 10am worship service, we will again have the opportunity to remember all the Saints who have gone before us by planting more bulbs! In April of 2025 they will burst forth in glory to give us joy and help in making Charlottesville a place of beauty. (Love the Whole City, Love the City Whole, Starting Right Here!)

That morning a team of people will be present to guide you and lend a hand. If you have a bulb planter, please bring it along. Rain date: November 17. All are invited to purchase and plant a bulb for $10.

If you are interested, put “daffodil” in the memo line of your check or give on REALM to "Daffodil Bulbs"

 Questions? carolynmcgee@cvillefirstumc.org

It's coming on November 10th, 2024.

Learn more.

If you or someone you know is interested in serving as a District Lay Member to Annual Conference, we encourage you to click the link below to complete a
Nominations Recommendation form! The deadline to submit the form is Monday, November 4. Please note that completing a Nominations form does not guarantee a nomination for 2025.It's coming on November 10th, 2024.

Learn more here.

As Charlottesville First United Methodist Preschool (FUMP) Board Chair, I want to thank everyone for the opportunity to celebrate FUMP in worship this past Sunday. FUMP has existed as an important outreach ministry of this church family for 40 years and one can feel the ongoing excitement for the program simply by seeing the joy in each child’s face when they run in the door every morning! If you would like to financially support our efforts, just put FUMP in the memo line of your check or in REALM, click on Preschool. Thank you in advance! ~ Marilyn Comfort

Our First United Methodist Preschool is selling Spirit wear. This is a great way to advertise for our preschool and support them financially. Scan the code to access
the shop. All orders must be placed by Monday Oct. 28th. 

Scan the QR code to shop.

Phillip Graham Ryken said, “Artists are called and gifted-personally, by name-to write, paint, sing, play, and dance to the glory of God.” 

Do you have a heart for the Arts? If so, consider being a part of making Worship Arts happen here at CFUMC! It would include meeting (mostly by ZOOM) to plan future art exhibitions, help with the “marketing” around them and  assist with “meet the Artists” receptions. Could you be a support for drama productions, (you do not have to perform if you are more of a backstage person!) Could you help coordinate future Arts Festivals? The possibilities are endless and when we all put our heads together, we could make a lot happen to build the Worship Arts Ministry at CFUMC!

For more info or to sign up carolynmcgee@cvillefirstumc.org

It’s only October but it’s time to start thinking about what you would like to contribute to the annual Advent Devotional Book!

No need to be a professional writer, just think of a personal experience or a thought that might go along with our Advent theme which is a quote from Willa Cather, “Where there is great love, there are always miracles.” Personal miracles can be big or small and when you think about it, what greater miracle is there than a baby, born of virgin, that came to save the world?

The deadline for the devotionals to be sent to carolynmcgee@cvillefirstumc.org is Nov. 18 but the earlier the better! The devotional books make

a great gift for family and friends.

Following the devastating after effects of Hurricane Helene, the United Methodist Church and the Appalachian Service Project (ASP) are responding with opportunities to help. The Virginia UM Conference has set up a landing space at vaumc.org/helene with connections for prayer, emergency response team training, and a link to donate to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Our partners in the Appalachian Service Project (ASP) are on the ground already in some of the most hard-hit areas and you can donate to that organization at https://asphome.org/give 

Rides to Vote is a nonpartisan community program offering free transportation to Charlottesville and Albemarle County residents to vote in the upcoming November election. Transportation is offered for both early voting and on Election Day. Vehicles that can accommodate wheelchairs are available upon request.

To schedule a free ride to vote, call or text Kate Fraleigh at (415)-601-3076.

This ministry gives CFUMC a chance to reach out to congregants who may have mobility or immunity issues or may be living elsewhere or possibly traveling and not able to attend and faithfully worship with us on line.  CFUMC wants to connect and get to know on line worshipers just as we get to know our neighbor sitting next to us.

We envision offering a virtual Portico via zoom meetings during the Portico time 11:00-11:30am where remote worshipers log into a zoom meeting to get to know each other. However, this requires the online worshiper to send us their email, strictly for conveying the zoom link, unless they want other announcements as well.  Congregants can also click on the QR code at the beginning/end of our service to get the zoom link.

What is needed to help this ministry continue?  

A volunteer from our live congregation is needed to host the meeting each week. If you are interested, you will be trained (easy-peasy!) Ideally we need 4 to 5 volunteers to host, which would mean the volunteer would only have to man the computer once a month. (We have 3 volunteer hosts so far!)  There is no agenda, just a chance to make new friends!

Welcome to Candida Franklin, our current artist to exhibit in the CFUMC Gallery.

In speaking with Candida, I learned that she likes to get to the heart of things and is most at home communicating in the abstract. She prefers artistic content that depends on intrinsic form rather than realism and believes that we are at our most perceptive when we use our heads and our hearts. She is inspired by the colors and forms in nature and by other artists working outside of the lines.

Candida is originally from Philadelphia, PA and her Grandmother was a great painter! Candida is an abstract expressionist. She says, there are no limitations, there are no rules, but her art is always personal. 

Come see this beautiful exhibit and meet Candida! More info, candidafranklin@gmail.com

Are you getting ‘invalid credentials’ on your device when you try to login to Realm?

You can use this document to help troubleshoot the issue. There are directions for both Android and iOS/Apple.

Sorry for any inconveniences you may be experiencing. You can always use www.onrealm.org from your phone’s browser or a computer browser.  If you are having other access issues, please send an email to financialsect@cvillefirstumc.org.

The solar project construction will wrap up within the next week or so and all equipment will be out of parking lot! Thank you for your patience through this project. 

The clothes closet is currently still operating out at 750 Hinton Ave, lower level off parking lot, every Tuesday from 10am-1pm. Donations accepted during these hours of operation.

We are currently in need of clean/gently worn winter apparel:  ladies/women's pants, jeans, underwear, socks; men's pants, jeans, short sleeve shirts, t-shirts, underwear, socks; and infant/girl/boys clothing.  We need all of these items in a variety of sizes.   We also accept household items such as sheets, blankets, towels, kitchen items (dishes, pots/pans, utensils, small appliances).

If any questions on the above, please contact karenlapps@yahoo.com or seek me out after Sunday church services.

If you or someone you know can no longer attend services but would like to receive Communion in your home please contact Carolyn McGee at carolynmcgee@cvillefumc.org. or
DeAnn Posey at 757-208-6998 or dsposey2426@gmail.com

After rent and utilities, the most requested need is for furniture.  Love INC Cville is desperately looking for volunteers with vehicles to pick up and deliver furniture that has been donated to Love INC for distribution to our neighbors in need. Without the ability to deliver the furniture, large amounts end up in the dump instead of going to those who desperately need it.

To inquire about how to help, message Raymond Klein, Executive Director of Love INC at raymond@loveinccville.org .

Did you take photos at a recent church event?

Did you get together with friends and snap a selfie?

Do you have an upcoming event that you want to invite others to?

Please consider sharing your snaps and events with me (Erica Gregory) so I can post to our social media pages! We have so many amazing things going on, and this is a fun way to spread the word. 

Just email coms@cvillefirstumc.org with a little blurb about the photo or event.

And be sure to "Like" us on Facebook to follow along!

CFUMC will be hosting our unhoused neighbors in partnership with PACEM February 8 - 21, 2025.  

Please mark your calendars and contact Jon Scheumann for more information please contact jonscheumann@gmail.com or 434-422-1749.

• 2,760 total households
  • That is an average of 184 households/719 people receiving groceries on each of the 15 distribution days in September.
• 10,789 individuals:   
  • 37% aged 0-18; 52% aged 19-59; 11% aged 60+  
• Roughly 9% of households last month were first-time visitors, and approximately 33% of our clients visited us twice in the month. 

Monday Grad Chats

Mondays from 12-1pm

Are you looking for a space to connect with other graduate students who are a part of UVA's Progressive Christian Community?

Join us every Monday starting September 2nd from noon to 1pm for a free lunch at Wesley at UVA and a discussion on a topic of interest.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Faith Explorers

Sundays at 11:15 am in Room 208

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.