Dear Friends in Christ,
October 15 is our Commitment Sunday, when will celebrate our theme for this year’s stewardship campaign—Join the Team! The CUMC Team!—and you will be invited to make your estimate of giving toward the ministry of Central United Methodist Church! As an act of worship, you will be asked to bring your commitment card to the front of the Sanctuary and place it on the Communion Table.
As we work toward meaningful ministry in a post-pandemic world, we hope you will celebrate with us as we make plans to move into 2024. We have hired a new Life-Long Faith Formation Director, Patty Stroup, and a new bookkeeper, Cassandra Thompson who replaced Sue Newill as she retired from that staff position. We are working to clarify our church’s identity by creating a formal statement of inclusion. Additionally, there have been meetings and discussions around creating a second Sunday morning worship service. I have the firm hope that more people will find giving to be a growing spiritual discipline rather than a duty; I want everyone to enjoy giving through Central United Methodist Church.
Our worship services this month are focused on giving toward the work of Christ in our congregation. We started this past Sunday with a golf theme and we will talk baseball next Sunday. Then, on Commitment Sunday, October 15, we will consider football as a metaphor for being an effective team for the Kingdom of God on earth. Afterward, we’ll have a “Tailgate Potluck” and hope to have folks from local schools bring items to create table centerpieces that represent their schools.
God calls us to be a blessing to others as we have been blessed. That includes our time, abilities, influence, relationship, property, and finances. It means becoming an active part of the team that is Waterford Central. Please prayerfully consider your support of Central Church in 2024 by filling out the online pledge card at https://bit.ly/2024-pledge.
Thank you so much for being a blessing to others – as you have been blessed! Thank you for being a part of the CUMC Team!
Because of Christ,
Pastor Jack L. Mannschreck