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Midweek Update: August 27, 2025 |
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DID YOU KNOW?
CFUMC has had a Stephen Ministry since 1991 when it was organized by Tony Layman and Lillian Marsden. Revitalized under the leadership of John Conway in 2025, the ministry offers confidential on-on-one care for those experiencing a difficult time in life. Ministers receive 50 hours of training in order to bring God’s love and care to people during a time of need. Since its inception 44 members of CVILLE FIRST have served as Stephen Ministers.
We’re excited to announce that we will be celebrating the 100 year birthday of Charlottesville UMC and our 2025 Consecration Sunday on the same day in early November!
We are collecting stories to share around these celebrations. Do you have a story to share? Contact Rex at rexhickman@comcast.net or Carolyn at carolynmcgee@cvillefirstumc.org. Thank you!!
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Traveling Tiny Jesus
Pick up a tiny Jesus or two today on your way out of worship and take Him with you as you travel through life! If you go on vacation, place Him in your photo! Let us see the places you visit! (Truthfully, don’t we always want to have Jesus by our side?)
Share your photos with Carolyn and we will share them here!
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Wild Church
Are you seeking a welcoming community to connect with in nature?
Join us on the Sacred Way, where we come together to worship and celebrate the Divine amidst the beauty of the outdoors. We meet outside several times a month to hike together.
Each gathering begins with a brief reflection and prayer before we embark on our holy hikes. All ages are invited to participate.
To stay updated on our Sacred Way, Wild Church offerings, click here.
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IMPACT Welcomes New Organizer - Will Christians
We're excited to announce that the Rev. Will Christians will be starting as IMPACT's new associate organizer this month, and that he will be working with our congregation!
Rev. Christians is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and has previously served churches in Alabama, Tennessee, and Michigan. His family recently relocated to Charlottesville following his wife's call to serve as Senior Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church.
He is excited to call Charlottesville home and looks forward to building powerful relationships for the pursuit of justice in our community. As part of starting his role with IMPACT, Rev. Christians will be reaching out to many of you to find time to meet so that he can get to know our congregation better, we encourage you to meet with him.
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Reconciling Church Vote Continues through August 31
CFUMC is continuing its commitment to welcome all people by exploring a partnership with other UM churches in the Reconciling Ministries Network. Part of that process is to register our alignment with the RMN welcome statement through a congregational vote which began last week and continues through midnight on August 31.
Here’s how you can vote:
- Take a ballot from a Reconciling Ministry table at the front or back of the sanctuary, fill it out, and place it in the designated box.
- Alternatively, you can vote through this Google form online - a valid ballot -- i.e., one received with a professing member's name -- with neither "yes" nor "no" marked will be counted as a ‘no.’ (RMN standards call for a 76% ‘yes’ vote of all ballots received for passage.
Eligibility to vote: All professing members of CFUMC and UM clergy who have officially placed their charge conference membership in CFUMC are eligible.
What is a Professing Member? A Professing Member is someone who has publicly taken vows of membership in this congregation through confirmation, transfer, or baptism as an adult and is officially recorded on the church roll.
Confidentiality: Counting will be done confidentially by two lay volunteers each week and our church administrator will confirm names of professing members.
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The One Thing Ministry for the month of August will be collecting snacks for The Trailhead Learning Community. This therapeutic separate day school serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade whose emotional and behavioral needs require smaller classes, increased teacher to student ratio, and counseling services. Thanks in advance for your generosity.
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Join the Southwood Outreach Team
Are you passionate about building community and making a difference? CFUMC, in collaboration with local UMC churches and the Three-Notch’d District, is exploring new ministry opportunities in the growing Southwood neighborhood.
We’re looking for visionary, action-oriented individuals to help shape this exciting outreach effort—people ready to form meaningful relationships, listen deeply, and grow our congregation’s presence and impact in Southwood.
Ready to learn more or get involved? Contact Pastor Alex at alexjoyner@cvillefirstumc.org.
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Terra Divina
Wednesday, August 27th from 6-7pm
Terra Divina is a spiritual practice that helps us see the Divine in nature. Join us at Riverview Park this evening. Bring a chair!
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Join CFUMC at Pride Fest
September 6th
Join Charlottesville First UMC, Restoration UMC, and Wesley Memorial UMC at Cville Pride Fest, Saturday, Sept 6th at Ting Pavilion for a fun time together! You can be a table host or stop by to enjoy the festivities.
Table Hosts, please sign up through the link under CFUMC's time slot.
We'll be there to share information about our church and to have some fun activities, like making beaded pins, a photo booth, a storytelling and blessing station, and other free giveaways. We will also have a prayer wall to share our prayers and lift each other up. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to: connect@cvillefirstumc.org.
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Women at the Well Resumes
September 11th from 9:30-11am
The Women at the Well (CFUMC’s all woman spiritual study) will resume study and sweet time together on Thursday, Sept. 11 from 9:30 - 11:00am. Meeting very Thursday morning in room 308, the group will be looking at Kate Bowler’s book, “The Lives We Actually Have”. As we discuss Kate’s words, we will find heartfelt blessings are a chance to exhale when we feel everything from careworn to restless, devastated to bored. We will be reminded that we don’t need to wait for perfect lives when we can bless the lives we actually have. Come and join and bring a friend!
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Upcoming IMPACT House Meetings
September 11th from 6:30-8pm in Room 308
IMPACT is our local, interfaith ministry that is currently focusing on social injustice in the areas of affordable housing and efficient public transportation in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.
Four House Meetings will be held soon in order to take the feedback and concerns of community members to help build our annual plan for addressing these issues with local elected officials. This year, the stories we share will be used to select an additional focus area for upcoming years.
If you have stories or experiences to share about injustices you have experienced or witnessed pertaining to affordable housing, public transportation, or other areas of social injustice in our community, please join us at one of our meetings. House Meetings are also a place to learn more about IMPACT generally and to hear about how you can participate in encouraging our elected officials to advocate for this important social justice work.
RSVPs are preferred but not required.
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SAVE THE DATE!
September 27, 2025
The Rummage Sale is happening on Saturday, September 27, from 8:30-1:00. We will be accepting your gently used, good condition items (no clothing, books, or artwork) the week before the sale, and details will be forthcoming soon. All proceeds will benefit Loaves & Fishes Food Bank.
For more information, contact Cindy Poots Remington (mspoots@gmail.com) or Marilyn Basham (mvbasham@mail.com). We will also be looking for volunteers to help with the event.
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