This Week at Centenary Friday, October 23, 2020

Dear Centenary Family, I, and all of our leaders, are so grateful for your response to our recent survey. We’ve learned a great deal from your input and look forward to integrating many of your ideas into our planning for mission and ministry as we finish 2020 and move into 2021. To move toward making some steps forward in ministry, we need more volunteers. We particularly need volunteers who might be willing to lead small groups for learning, fellowship, and growth. If you would have an interest in considering being such a leader of a group, either in-person, or online, I’d love to hear from you. Also, I’d like to hear from those of you who might have an interest in helping us plan smaller gatherings for worship or fellowship, perhaps in our parking lot, at a park, in someone’s backyard, or at church observing proper safety measures.    I also want to let you know of some changing requirements regarding how we approach our streaming of the Sunday morning service. When we began this process in March, the guidelines from the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Virginia Annual Conference indicated that 10 people could gather to present worship if they maintained the prescribed distance of six feet. We’ve been careful to operate in that way.    Recently, there have been some incidents of churches gathering with small groups to either rehearse for worship or broadcast worship where infections have occurred. Also, since March, we have learned that droplets from singing and speaking may linger in the atmosphere longer than originally believed. With those developments and knowledge, our Annual Conference has issued new guidelines for recording or live streaming worship. These guidelines still allow for 10 people to gather to lead worship, but now strongly suggest that masks be worn whenever anyone is speaking or singing, except for preaching. There is a new emphasis on ventilation, suggesting opening windows and cycling the air more frequently through HVAC systems. Finally, there is now information that the length of time people spend in the same indoor space is related to the spread of the Covid-19 virus. It is strongly suggested that when churches meet either for in-person worship, or live streaming, that services be limited to about 40 minutes.    We think that it is important to try to observe these guidelines for all involved in presenting worship each Sunday. So, this Sunday, we are using an abbreviated order of worship. We will do our best to conduct worship that is still meaningful and has integrity in 40-45 minutes.   Our Healthy Church Team realizes that some of us are eager and ready to return to in-person worship. We all are eager for that. Our Team is certainly carefully and prayerfully considering how and when we can do that safely. You may recall, that under the current guidelines, in-person worship requires that all people be socially distanced at six feet and that all people wear masks. Guidelines also mandate that congregations not use hymnals, paper, or engage in singing. However, I assure you that we’re diligently considering what is best for us and when. One reason I mentioned wanting to hear from those who might have a desire and interest in planning smaller gatherings, perhaps outdoors, is that this may be a way for us to take some next steps toward finding ways to connect with each other.    Also, I want to invite those of you who are interested in being part of a Bible Study to join me this Wednesday evening (October 28) at 7 p.m. on Zoom. We’ll use the same approach we’ve been using on Wednesday mornings. We will study the lectionary reading that is the basis for the coming Sunday’s sermon. We read through it together, listening to hear what God may be saying to us in this time and place. We check in with each other spiritually. And we pray for one another. You do not need to prepare in advance. Just show up. And we finish within one hour.    Remember that you are loved—by God and your church family!   Peace, Matt

Charge Conference Reminder Our Charge Conference will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, October 27 at 4 p.m.  You are invited to join us. Please email the church office at centunitedmethodistchurch@gmail.com and let us know of your plans to attend and we will email you the Zoom invitation you will need for the meeting. At our Charge Conference we will hear a devotional led by our new District Superintendent, Rev. Dr. Hyo Lee. We will vote on compensation for our clergy, elect leaders for 2021 and hear a report from our laity about our accomplishments in ministry in 2020 and some of our hopes for ministry in 2021. The meeting is scheduled to last an hour or less.

A New Way to Join Us for Worship Online Centenary is pleased to invite you to our new online platform - Church Online Platform. (https://centumc.online.church) Church Online Platform was create by a church - for the church. It allows you to watch the worship service, say hello and welcome people through Chat, see the order of worship (bulletin info) in Notes, search an online Bible, and see our upcoming Schedule without ever missing a second of the streaming worship service. Do you like to give online? There is a link to our online giving portal, which opens in a different window, so you can give online and still hear the worship service. No account is needed to access the entire experience. Just click on the provided link and you are there. You can use the same link every week! The link is also on the homepage of our website and will be included each week in the newsletter. If you would like to join in the Chat, simply enter your name (which can be whatever you want - first name, full name, initials, nickname) and you can chat with your Centenary friends. ' We will continue streaming to Facebook Live. So if you are comfortable there, no worries! We are still there for you. We look forward to you worshiping with us!

Young Adults!! Gather with us TODAY from 6:00-7:15 p.m. at Bryan Park. We had a lovely time together there just over a month ago catching up, reflecting, praying, and singing pop songs. It will be delightful to come together again as the sun sets on that day and week of work. Follow signs to Shelter 1 and we'll gather near there. Feel free to bring supper (from home or from the nearby Carytown Burgers & Fries Lakeside), and feel free to bring a friend or two. Most importantly, bring yourself. That's who we want to see and celebrate!

The UMW is supporting Life 4 Real  - a ministry that rescues battered women, women and children from sex traffickers. They also work with the YWCA and other similar organizations. The UMW is joining with Journey Church to collect needed items and invite Centenary members to help support this ministry.

With COVID-19 and some of the cascading, detrimental effects, Life 4 Real has seen an increase in demand. Below is a list of current, immediate needs. The colder weather is definitely affecting what they're requesting. If you are contributing clothing, please make sure it is gently used, stain free, hair free, and also free of any slang or negative printing. It is sincerely appreciated. Please donate only the needed items listed. You can drop off your items on October 25 at  the Hilton Garden Inn parking lot from 11AM -12PM. Or you may give your items to Leah Hundley and she will make sure the donations get to Journey Church. Thank you for your support! Girls Sizes 10-16, Ladies XS-Med Fleece jackets Fleece or fuzzy lounge pants Fuzzy socks PJ bottoms Long sleeve T-shirts Fleece throw blankets Single bed sheet sets and blankets

CALL TO ACTION To all Centenary Members We are writing to ask you to consider joining the Reconciling Task Force in one of two ways. Option One: To become an “ad Hoc” Task Force member and assist with one of our initiatives until it is completed. Option Two: To become a full member of the Task Force and work with us on an on-going basis to achieve our goals to make Centenary a more inclusive, welcoming and accepting church. Current Needs: Barrett Brown has been searching the archives in order to get an idea of CUMC's history over the years with regards to our response to racial issues. But more can to be done. Volunteers are needed to work with Barrett to help research our church's records. Sadly, we are learning more and more from our records about CUMC’s racist history and efforts to exclude persons of color from our church. Jim Hill has been providing leadership to the effort to display rainbow colored banners on the front of the church. Volunteers with an artist's eye are needed to work with Jim to come up with alternative ways to tastefully and artfully display the banners. We have agreed to work with the Reconciling Ministries Network to raise money for their organization.  https://rmnetwork.org/   We can use help with organizing and managing our church's effort to assist this organization efforts to raise funds to support the important work they do. If you would like to learn more about the Task Force and our goals, please contact Joe Speidel, joespeidelva@gmail.com

I had a wonderful birthday, all because of you! The drive thru was a perfect way to celebrate on a chilly, rainy day. The many cards and calls brightened my day! God loves you and so do we! -Merle and Betty Brown

Online Worship Join us on Church Online Platform or Facebook Live as we gather together for worship this Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Invite others to join us this Sunday and on the Sundays to come! This Sunday Rev. Matt Bates will be preaching. His sermon is titled Simple--But Not Easy. Bulletin and scriptures for this Sunday.

Online Giving Centenary has moved to Realm E-giving. If you would like to give online, please click on the "Give" link on the top our our homepage. Here is a short tutorial about Realm online giving.

Wednesday Bible Studies That's right! We now have two opportunities for Bible study on Wednesdays! Wednesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. OR Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm Both groups will meet via Zoom - each with separate Zoom links. Keep an eye out for the Bible Study email that is sent out on Tuesdays. It will include more information about that week's study and the separate Zoom links!

The Upper Room available as a PDF The Upper Room is continuing to support their standing order partners with a PDF of the September/October issue! You may download your copy here.

Birthdays This Week October 23 - Matthew Simpson October 24 - Mary Shingleton October 26 - Lynette Bailey October 28 - Mary Anne Dazey October 30 - Anne Richardson

Oct. 23 @ 6 p.m. Young Adults at Bryan Park Oct. 27 @ 4 p.m. Church Charge Conference Nov. 9 @ 7 p.m. Council/Dream Like Jesus Team Nov. 18 @ 4 p.m. UMW Smethie Circle Nov. 23 @ 7 p.m. Council/Dream Like Jesus Team All events are on Zoom unless otherwise noted.

Ka Cheng - friend of Vicki and Phyllis Stump diagnosed with breast cancer. Ronnie Clements Jack & Denney Collins - Jack is now recovering at home. Continue to keep him and his wife Denney in your prayers. Jack and Denney are part of our young adult ministry. Cards and expressions of support and concern can be sent to Jack Collins, 1217 Stanhope Avenue, Richmond, VA 23227. Shannon Conway - requests prayer for the Charles Sherman, Peter  Oxborrow, Leon Beale and family. Jeff Hatch Clyde Hundley - recovering from a recent blood clot.  Heidi Kara - Please remember Heidi and her family in your prayers. Heidi's step-mother, Graciela Puente, passed away Wednesday, October 21 in Texas. Mary Mismas - recovering from back surgery. Patti Oman - health concerns - friend of Beth Hensley. Lolly Parker and family - friends of Barrett Brown, as Lolly struggles with COVID 19 and is in the ICU. Jerry Rodwell - Amy Bates's dad - recent cancer diagnosis. Phyllis Stump - at Lakewood Manor. Rev. Kathy Talley - recovering from surgery. Ron Towers - recovering from knee surgery. Cards can be sent to 202 North 20th Street, Apt. 306, Richmond, VA 23223. Chris Wimbush - the recent loss of his father.