Friends,
There are so many opportunities to put our faith in action this month, and I hope you find several in the highlights below that inspire you to go out and serve in love.
If you're looking for something to do tomorrow night, (Saturday, February 3), at 7pm, in preparation for the premiere of "Blood Done Sign My Name," by Mike Wiley, adapted from the novel by Timothy Tyson, Raleigh Little Theatre will host a reading of the play at Fairmont UMC (2501 Clark Street, Raleigh, NC). The reading is free and open to the public and no tickets are required.
Grace & Peace,
Renae
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Church in the City: The Opioid Crisis
February 4, Chapel/Chapel Annex, 9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Join us for our, bi-monthly series where we invite local leaders and experts to talk about issues facing our city, and as Christians how we can respond. In February, we'll be discussing the opioid crisis in NC and Raleigh. With four North Carolinians dying everyday from a medication or drug overdose, this is a timely and important topic. Mark your calendar!
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Foster Parents Needed
Methodist Home for Children Information Session
February 5, 1041 Washington Street, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Some foster parents want to adopt; others want to help children during a vulnerable time in their lives. Either way, t
he Methodist Home for Children is looking
for foster parents who are willing to learn about grief and loss, and support each child as part of a team.
Learn more about the February information session.
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Locked in Solidarity
February 5, Kerr Hall, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Locked in Solidarity is part of a national prayer vigil of lament, hope and stories seeking the Lord regarding a Christian response to mass incarceration. This is a time to pray for our brothers and sisters who are incarcerated, their families, children, and loved ones. It is also a time to learn ways we can better support those who are incarcerated, and how to help welcome them back into our community when they are released.
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Fat Tuesday Pancake Supper
Help Support a Classroom in Haiti
February 13, Kerr Hall, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Don't miss our annual Fat Tuesday Pancake Supper, hosted by our middle and high school students. This year, our youth are raising money for a
Help One Classroom in Haiti through
Help One Now
. Help One Classroom supports an entire classroom for one year with just $3,000 (think teacher salaries, snacks, resources, etc!). Students helping students! It doesn't get much better than that. The food is free, but donations are appreciated!
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Lenten Journey
February 14 - March 29
During Lent, w
e invite you to join us on a 40-day journey of prayer and fasting
to build solidarity with orphaned children we support in Haiti and Liberia, to cultivate desire to care about those who are parentless and to deepen your own relationship with God. We
pray that through our willingness to be vulnerable, to be changed, to be active agents of hope and peace in a world that so desperately needs it, we will encounter the Risen Christ and be renewed and changed forever. Prayer cards with fasting suggestions will be available at our worship services throughout Lent. Be sure to grab one!
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The Green Chair Project's Tag Sale
February 15 - 17, 1853 Capital Blvd.
The Green Chair Project is open to the public several times a year to hold sales to raise funds that are vital for its programs. Every dollar raised goes directly to providing essential furnishings for over 500 households a year.
Great finds, all for a great cause. Shop local. Shop for good. Shop Green Chair.
Learn more.
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Red Rose Benefit
February 24, Kerr Hall, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
This fun fundraiser is for our Ruth Sheets adult day care center, which provides a safe place for older adults who need assistance with daily activities, but do not need to be in a nursing home, while their family members work or take a respite. The event includes dinner, entertainment, and live and silent auctions.
Tickets will be on sale at the church the Sundays in February or by calling the center at 919-832-7227.
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Run or Walk to Fight Pediatric Brain Cancer
March 24, 8:00 a.m., Chick-fil-A at Falls Village, 6701 Falls of Neuse Rd.
Run, walk or volunteer at Ella's Race in memory of ESUMC member Ella Newmiller, who passed away from a brain tumor six years ago at 8 years old. Proceeds from this fun and inspiring event benefit The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, and The Cure Starts Now, a foundation dedicated to finding the "homerun" cure for all cancers, starting first with one of the most deadly and difficult cancers: pediatric brain cancer.
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Take a ZOE Trip of Hope to Liberia
October 10 - 17
Want an opportunity to experience God's power at work in the lives of some of the most vulnerable children on earth?
If so, consider journeying to Liberia with
ZOE
, a ministry that empowers orphans to care for themselves and their siblings. While there, you'll meet our ESUMC
sponsored
orphan working group,"Friends Forever" (a name they picked), which consists of 25 orphan-led households, comprised of 77 children who are orphans. Come experience, and be
challenged by, the expressions of faith and discipleship evident in the lives of these young people.
To get a glimpse into the trip,
c
heck out this video
from a trip by the Woodlands UMC to visit their working group in Rwanda. If you want to join the October trip, email Renae to learn more.
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Check out A Place at the Table
300 W. Hargett Street
A Place at the Table
, is a place where all people are welcome to gather for community and healthy food regardless of means. This new pay-what-you-can cafe provides an opportunity for people to come and experience conversation and community while enjoying amazing, fresh and healthy food. We're so excited to have A Place at the Table as a neighbor! Check them out, and if you'd like to become a volunteer,
email Maggie.
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Serve Others in 2018:
Ongoing Opportunities
Looking for ongoing opportunities to serve this year? Here are a few ways to get involved on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis:
Loads of Love
Tuesdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m., weekly teams provide one free wash & dry to people in need, serve weekly or monthly.
Email Dawn
Reading Buddies
Spend 30 minutes a week reading with a child at a local elementary school (during the school day).
Email Renae
Tutor with Neighbor to Neighbor
Work one-on-one with a child for an hour once a week.
Learn more.
Raleigh Rescue Mission
4th Monday, 6:45-7:45 p.m., serve with our devotion/worship team -
email Cate
, or spend time with children, giving their moms time to relax, rejoice and rejuvenate during worship -
email Tina.
Family Promise - Helping Families who are Experiencing Homelessness
Quarterly we host families who are temporarily homeless - providing housing and meals for a week at a time. There are lots of ways to be involved.
Email Ed
to find out how. Upcoming dates are:
April 22-29, July 8-15 and November 25-December 2.
Ruth Sheets Center
Spend time with older adults in ESUMC's adult day center. Choose a weekday, 2:00 - 5:30 p.m.
Email Matt.
Missional Communities
We have Missional Communities across all of our campuses who live life together and serve in our community on a monthly basis.
Email Ashley
to connect with one of these amazing groups.
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"E
verybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant."
The Drum Major Instinct, February 4, 1968 Atlanta Georgia
Martin Luther King, Jr.
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