COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RELIEF ROOM

This is a new Central United Methodist Church mission. The Relief Room, which is located in the area previously used by Boy Scout Troop 114, will be operated on a referral basis rather than being open to the public. The agencies we see working with us include Red Cross, Department of Child Services, Genesis, Refuge of Hope women’s shelter, Salvation Army, and perhaps more likely identified as we go along. It is likely members of the church may come forward identifying someone in need.

Ways members of Central may become involved in or give support to this mission include financial support, donations and help with the operation of the mission.

Those wishing to contribute financially can submit a check made out to Central United Methodist Church with Community Emergency Relief Room in the memo line. Contributions can also be made on-line. Needed material donations are listed below. If possible, donations should be left outside the Relief Room door. If assistance is needed for larger donations, contact Dana Mollenkopf at 765-277-0287 or papamole@comcast.net.  Volunteers will be needed to look through donated items, sort and then properly place items in the room.

Material Donations should not need repair. Clean clothes that are grown out, not worn out are appreciated. Things you would need to replace if suddenly you did not have them.

Clothing: All sizes of gently worn clothing, shoes, and accessories for ladies, men, children and babies. (We currently have a good supply of small to medium sized women’s clothing). Please make sure all items have been recently washed/dry cleaned. Plastic hangers are needed as well.

Household: Mildly used bedding, blankets, drapes, curtains, rugs, kitchen towels, bath towels and washcloths and pillows. Pots, pans, cups, glasses, dish ware, silverware, cutlery, small (working) household appliances and tools.

Toys and Sports Equipment: Clean, lightly used toys and children’s items like stuffed animals, dolls/action figures, board games (complete), and sports equipment.

Electronic Games/Devices: Working stereos, radios, DVD players, and small (easily liftable) working TVs.

Small Furnishings/Appliances: Easy-to-lift and transport nightstands, headboards, chairs, lamps, small tables, and other light home items.

Please, no large furniture and appliances (but let us know if available), infant/child car seats, cribs, mattresses, box springs, perishables, or anything with an expiration date.

May 31^st Worship Service Registration

Keep it Up! For the Faithful Ministry Leaders of Children, Youth, and Families

You have shown so much care and concern for kids, youth, and families in your church and community during this time.  You have spent hours on Zoom, mailed cards, made phone calls, and even stopped by houses.  You have adapted to a thumbs up online instead of hugs and high fives in person.  You have listened.  You have prayed.  You have become the tech guru of your church.  You walked through this time with uncertainty while leading and loving others.

Now you are facing a different season.  One of many questions about when and how to open your church doors and ministries back up.  You have already had tough conversations about how to do or not to do VBS, mission projects, and celebrations.  You have been asked the difficult questions about reentry.  You have engaged in online meetings about next steps.

You now have some decisions to make.  How do you make them when there are so many opinions, concerns, and pressures to consider?  To continue reading go here

UMW Antiques

Greetings from Creative Hands. We know that we’ve all been at home sheltering in place and have had time to organize and reorganize and have found antiques and collectibles that you think others would appreciate owning. We will be glad to take your donations of antiques and collectibles for our next Pop-Up for new owners to enjoy while helping UMW support their local charities. When it is safe, bring items to the church office for UMW. Please mark your donations “For UMW Pop-Up.” Thank you and we are wishing you well.

Dear Central Family,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and in the name of Jesus, our Lord.  Never before has our whole community seen such rapid and wide-spread changes in nearly every area of our lives.  Never before have we had such a need as a church to lean into our rock, our unchanging God.  Though trials may arise, nothing can separate us from his love (Romans 8).  

Navigating this fluid and contextual situation as a church has meant being aware the road ahead could change.  On May 1, we sent out this email  putting forth our hoped for path given what we knew.  We were aware our ‘headlights’ could reveal a constantly shifting course as we discern the path God has set before us to best make disciples of Jesus in a responsible way for this time.   Please read on for our ‘road map’ adjustments and general announcements for this week. We are in this together even if we must remain physically distant for a few more weeks.

Re-opening and Reservations for services until June 14th

We are still hoping to have our 1st in-person worship service on May 31st.  So far, there has not been a new outbreak as states have re-opened (praise God!).  However, we will not be offering an overflow room, nor will we be starting Sunday School back up. Further, to ensure compliance with the 100 person limit, we are asking people to reserve a spot at the 10:00am worship service through OnRealm beginning next Wednesday the 20th. Please be on the look-out for an email with instructions on how to reserve your spot.  If you have not yet logged-in to OnRealm to update your information, profile picture, and email preferences, please visit our Realm resource page for more information.  For those who are not on OnRealm please contact the church office at 765-962-8345 to reserve your spot.

We will be asking all people who come to wear a mask.  If you do not have one, we will provide one for you.  As we are working out how best to reopen our whole building responsibly, we see this as a way to love our neighbor – fellow church goer – by creating an environment where anyone could enter.  If you are uncomfortable with this, we understand and look forward to celebrating in person with you when we can all gather again without masks (please contact Pastor Joseph with any such concerns).  We also encourage anyone who is at-risk or is the least bit uncomfortable with larger gatherings to please stay home.  These first few weeks back are to work out the logistics of in-person worship so more may come soon.  We will still be offering our online services indefinitely. Pentecost will surely be a celebration as we begin our course of gathering as a church again.  Our laments will continue until we can ALL freely gather again.

Global 6k Saturday, May 16, 2020
Location: Wherever you are!

We wanted to give people an opportunity to look beyond this moment and beyond this place.  We have a crushing reality here at home which our community has been wonderful about addressing together.  Still, anytime we can turn on the faucet and there is water which can pour out for more than the needed 20 seconds to keep our hands cleaner.  We at Central want to live in a world where all can have access to that reality. 

You do not have to sign-up to run or walk, though you are welcome to share our enthusiasm and join our team.  We look forward to seeing pictures of you at Glen Miller, Hayes, Cope, or on the streets of Richmond.  You do not have to give, though if you are able, please join us in ending hunger and water insecurity around the globe.  We do ask that you pray.  Those already dealing with such insecurities will be feeling the impacts of this moment in ways far different than ourselves.

Pray at 7pm

Join with us as we pray and trust in God to provide in this time of great need. take a minute at 7:00pm (19:00 for Covid-19) each night to join the world in prayer for our response to Covid-19. Let us pray for those suffering, those without access to medical care, those who have lost their jobs, those who don’t know how to find resources, the heroes in the medical field, those serving in essential services, families spending more time together than ever before, families divided by quarantine, those feeling alone, those not regarding guidelines, those risking all to serve the least of these, and those on your heart each day. We are together in this fight.

Meeting with Central Medical Professionals coming soon!

A time to ask questions of and hear from those we know about the current state of our community’s fight against the Coronavirus while also offering encouragement and prayer for our members in the medical professions. Join us Monday, May 18^th at 7:00pm on Zoom!

Join Zoom Meeting​

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87037531807​

​Meeting ID: 870 3753 1807​

​Dial by your location​: +1 312 626 6799

UMW Antiques

Greetings from Creative Hands. We know that we’ve all been at home sheltering in place and have had time to organize and reorganize and have found antiques and collectibles that you think others would appreciate owning. We will be glad to take your donations of antiques and collectibles for our next Pop-Up for new owners to enjoy while helping UMW support their local charities. When it is safe, bring items to the church office for UMW. Please mark your donations “For UMW Pop-Up.” Thank you and we are wishing you well.

The seasons are changing (hello Sun!), yet our God’s steadfast love to you and through you to this community has not.  As we journey together let us always look to the One who guides us, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11

Yours in Christ, Central UMC Staff

‘So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.’  Friends of faith, let us continue in these times with unwavering hope.  And let all who look our way see Christ’s love in all we do.

GLOBAL 6K

DATE: Saturday, May 16, 2020
TIME: TBD
LOCATION: Wherever you are!

We wanted to give people an opportunity to look beyond this moment and beyond this place.  We have a crushing reality here at home which our community has been wonderful about addressing together.  Still, anytime we can turn on the faucet and there is water which can pour out for more than the needed 20 seconds to keep our hands cleaner.  We at Central want to live in a world where all can have access to that reality. 

You do not have to sign-up to run or walk, though you are welcome to share our enthusiasm and join our team.  We look forward to seeing pictures of you at Glen Miller, Hayes, Cope, or on the streets of Richmond.  You do not have to give, though if you are able, please join us in ending hunger and water insecurity around the globe.  We do ask that you pray.  Those already dealing with such insecurities will be feeling the impacts of this moment in ways far different than ourselves. HERE IS OUR PAGE

Opening Central

Our Bishop and our Governor continue to update us with guidelines.  We will adjust as they share more.  We acknowledge those who are at a greater health risk will stay home and encourage those who continue to do so.  Please continue to reach out to one another and your amazing church staff for ways we can come alongside you. For all below, additional measures of sanitation and social distancing will be implemented. Hopefully, we can begin walking this road wisely…

Praying at 7pm

Fu Face Mask Pattern

Joann Fabrics Pattern

Let us rest our anxieties at the feet of our God, work at what we are called, love our neighbor well, and enjoy this life as we find it – not as we think it ought to be.

Shalom,

Central Staff

Greetings in the name of Christ. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus!

The days ahead are still not clear, but we do know we serve a mighty God, our strong tower, refuge and strength.  It is a privilege to serve alongside all of you.  As the future continues to become the present, we wanted to share a few updates and announcements for the coming week.

Passing Along a Legacy

For most of our lives the death rate has hovered just around 100%.  As much as we want to believe the cultural trends and myths, our bodies will fail us.  As an Easter people we know we need not fear this death for we have the key to eternal life in knowing Jesus.  We can bravely face what is to come, and benefit our families in the process.  Join us Sunday Morning at 11:15 for a ZOOM conversation on estate planning, wills, and advanced directives.  Doug Oler, a Central member and lawyer who has several decades of experience in facilitating these actions, will lead our time together.  This conversation is made possible by the Endowment Committee of Central UMC.  Let us together continue working to build for the generations to come.

Topic: Passing Along a Legacy – Estates, Wills, and Advanced Directives​

Time: Apr 26, 2020 11:15 AM Eastern Time 

​Join Zoom Meeting​: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89619042761​

​Meeting ID: 896 1904 2761​

or Dial-in to join: +1 253 215 8782 US​

Emergency Resource Room at Central

Emergency – a serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action. In many cases, people cannot anticipate and/or prepare to face an emergency situation. Often, it is necessary to rely on others to get through these difficult situations. What do these look like? Perhaps it is a fire that occurs and destroys many, if not all, of your earthly possessions. It may also present itself as a woman, and her children, who suddenly need to flee an abusive situation with nothing but the clothes on their backs. It may be a family who has opened their home to take in a child through an emergency placement and is challenged to meet the needs of that child. Or perhaps it is a homeless person trying to get back on their feet. It is likely there are additional examples. In response to addressing these needs, Central United Methodist Church is opening an emergency resource room. Assistance will be provided on a referral/request basis rather than an open-to-community arrangement. Items available through the resource room will include clothing for women, men, and children; small kitchen appliances and utensils; household management items; small furniture items; supplies for babies and children; and more. How can you help? Donations to establish and maintain the resource room are needed. Anything that meets the needs listed above are being gathered. Items that are clean and in working order. Things that you no longer need, but could be used by others. For more information, to assist with resource room, or to arrange a donation, feel free to contact Dana Mollenkopf at (765-277-0287 or at papamole@comcast.net).

Upper room

The May/June upper rooms are available. If you would like one, please contact the office during our modified business hours of 9am – 1pm and we would be happy to mail one to you or you can drive by the church and we will bring one out to you. You may also download it and read it for free HERE

Realm

If you have not join our online community through onrealm.com or the realm connect app, please take a look at our Realm resource page on our website to get set up HERE! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the church office at 765-962-8543.

Pastor Office Hours

We have designated a time for one-on-one conversations with a Pastor on Wednesdays from 1pm – 3pm on Zoom. This is a private time for you to discuss any prayer requests or concerns. If you have any questions, please call the office at 765-962-8543

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/986183597…

Zoom Meeting ID: 986 183 597
Password: 4082020

Mobile Call-in: 1-929-205-6099

Scripture Reading Info

If you are following along with us as we read the bible in a year, we are on week 16 as of today, Friday April 24th. We are reading Isaiah 28-30 and Psalm 115. If you do not have the readings, you can download the ReadScripture app or check out the readings here.

Together, though physically apart, we will continue to shine brightly the love of our God until all of Richmond and beyond are awash in redemptions glow.  May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Yours in Christ,

Central UMC Staff