January 21, 2022
In person
and Online
Worship
Sundays at 11:00 a.m.
Join us in our beautiful sanctuary or online at
Office Hours
Monday - Friday
8am-Noon

Contacts
804-648-8319
www.centumc.org

Email Addresses
Rev. Matt Bates

Rev. Tim Gerde

Stanley Baker

Office/Laura Nealley
The Day the Gift Boxes
Were Unopened
A Short Story by Mary E. Vetrovec
Setting: 411 E. Grace Street
Time: Sunday Morning
Strangely the steps were filled with unopened FedEx boxes. I saw the doors were open so I went in. What was going on? Nothing! Absolutely nothing. It was eerie.

The church was freezing cold. Had no one called HVAC repair? Had the heat bills not been approved?
No one offered a greeting or a warm word of welcome. The nave and altar were bare-no flowers, no candles, no altar cloths. no banners. There seemed to be one robed choir person and one other person possibly the minister?

I saw lifted hands in what could be an invocation but there was no sound. Did this mean that at-home worshipers had no service either? I looked toward a foot shuffle as a family with 3 children entered. They were looking for Sunday School. I said sorry I could not answer their questions. Then there was a person in tattered clothing carrying a filled trash bag. He inquired about what had happened to the lunch usually given out on Fridays.

Still, there was not a prayer or a hymn to be heard. Maybe the organ tuning had not been set up for the past Wednesday. I walked outside. A young couple approached, they were hoping for a Bible study and a church home in a new city. I sadly said this was reputed to be a small, vibrant church but I could not help.
As I walked away I noticed that the still unopened boxes had words printed on them:
DISCERNMENT, APOSTLESHIP. I shook my head, but then I saw words I understood: TEACHING, ADMINISTRATION, MERCIES, SERVICE ..... 
 
I remembered that God offered Himself as a gift to each of us
and in turn, we can offer gifts from our hearts for His service. 
Fellowship, Study & Outreach
We are excited to announce two new opportunities in the coming months!
One will be in February and one in March. Below are details for the February gathering. Stay tuned for more about the March gathering.

Pandemic Parallels: Impact and Moving Forward
Sunday, February 13, 2022 @ 9:30 am
Choose one of two Concurrent Sessions:
Online via ZOOM  
In-person Meeting ~ Church Fellowship Hall
 
Please join us for fellowship and discussion, where we follow up on Suzanne Ray's fascinating articles about the Pandemic of 1918 and the remarkable connections to the present-day pandemic (click button below for articles).
 
As part of this discussion, please consider the following questions, as they relate to our Church:

  • What are your thoughts about these parallels?
  • What has helped you during these challenging times?
  • What do you need?

A sign-up form and the Zoom link will be available next week.
Ongoing Fellowship Opportunities
Drop-In Cafe
Tuesdays at 11:00 am
Everyone is welcome to drop in for a chat, a prayer, or wherever the spirit may lead.
Lead by Rev. Tim Gerde.
Wednesday Bible Study
Wednesdays at 10:00 am
Join us as we look at the scripture
for the upcoming Sunday.
Lead by Rev. Matt Bates.
An email is sent each Monday that will include
the scripture and Zoom links for these gatherings.
Keeping You Informed
Memorial Service for John Ford
The memorial service for John Ford will be live-streamed Sunday, January 30 at 2:00 pm. Please click on the button below to be taken to Second Presbyterian's website and then click on the "Watch Here" button.
Needed: Altar Flower Ministry Chair
  1. Schedule sponsors for Sunday altar flowers as church family and friends want to honor, remember or celebrate with flowers.
  2. This job involves a flower calendar, phone contact with the florist and flower sponsors. This at-home volunteer opportunity has the added ministry of voice contact with 52 or more church friends each year.
  3. Phone visits and flowers bring happiness. Centenary is currently seeking a person for this unpaid position requiring 3-5 hours per month (wearing pajamas optional). 
Contact the church office for more information or to volunteer.
Covid 19 Protocols
The transmission rate for the City of Richmond remains in the HIGH category. Therefore:
  •  Masks are required for all persons attending in-person events, including Sunday morning worship.
  • Masks are required of all people (including church staff) in the building during the week unless those persons are working alone.
  • Please continue to practice social distancing. 3-6 feet is recommended. Please be especially observant of this during Sunday worship.
  • Every other pew will be blocked off for worship to encourage social distancing.
Thank you in advance for doing your part to help us continue to worship and serve in-person as safely as possible during this challenging time.
Inclement Weather
Winter weather has arrived and with it the possibility of weather-related closures. Generally, Centenary follows Richmond City Public Schools - if the schools are closed, the Centenary office is closed. The closure will also be posted on our Facebook page. If the weather forces the canceling of Sunday morning worship service, we will send out a church-wide email, publicize on Channel 6 (CBS), Channel 8 (ABC) and Channel 12 (NBC) along with a Facebook announcement as soon as that decision is made. We thank you for your patience and flexibility.
January 30 @ 2:00 pm - Memorial Service for John Ford at

February 1 @ 11:00 am - Drop In Cafe


February 2 @ 10:00 am - Wednesday Bible Study


February 8 @ 4:00 pm - Church Council


February 13 @ 9:30 am - Pandemic Parallels:
Impact and Moving Forward - Zoom and Fellowship Hall
CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH