Buck's Block

Every day we read about leaders who seem to have everything going for them, yet they fall. Their businesses, positions, and organizations that looked indestructible one day, collapsed the next. Moral failure, corruption, dishonesty, and temptation are just some of the many reasons leaders fail to finish strong. Leaders who want to stand the test of time realize that they must cultivate virtue.

Virtue is a word we don’t hear much of today, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t important. Virtue is moral excellence and integrity. The root word for virtue is “virtus” in Latin and means “strength” and “power.” General John Michel says that virtue “serves as the cornerstone for bringing out the best in ourselves, as well as those around us.” The truth is that it’s vital to us individually as leaders, as well as for our businesses.

We can think of virtue as a fork with 4 prongs:

1. Ethics - This includes things like being responsible, respecting the rights of others, keeping our word, and maintaining the right attitude regardless of the circumstances.
2. Excellence - This includes things like always doing our best, doing things right instead of just “good enough,” going the extra mile, and always looking for ways to improve.
3. Honesty - This includes being genuine and real with people, not taking advantage of their ignorance or weakness, and avoiding exaggerations and misrepresentations.
4. Moral Goodness (Integrity) - This is simply doing what is right, what would please, and honor God in every situation.
5. 

“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionable integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, on a football field, in an army, or in an office.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

In the ancient Roman Empire, the Legionnaires, who were essentially heavy infantrymen in the Roman Army, would stand at attention for inspection every morning. When the general would stand in front of a particular soldier, the soldier would pound his chest armor above his heart and shout “integritas!” In Latin this means wholeness, completeness, and entirety. The general would lean in and listen to the sound of the armor to make sure it was true and that it would keep the soldier protected in combat.

In the same way, our virtue and our moral excellence act as a shield and armor to protect us from things that would seek to destroy our leadership. When we have these four prongs of virtue operating together, they release the power and protection of God in our circumstances. We finish strong, inspire others, and leave a legacy that makes God look good.

Grace & Peace,

Buck Cueni-Smith

To Be or Not to Be the Church Series: Church is not a place you go, it’s something you are and something you do. Encounters with Jesus change people, not just for a moment, but by transforming us into something new. But we are not new by ourselves! We become new as part of a community, the church, held together and sent out by the Holy Spirit to introduce more people to the transformative Jesus! To be the church is to do God’s mission in the world.

April 28, 2024: Be A Witness - Matthew 28:16-20 - The gospel is a message to be shared. We are called (given authority!) to be witnesses beyond the walls of the church. We are not only witnesses to the power of God when we see how God sustains us, but also when we give, by faith, what has been given to us without fear that something will be missing in the future. God's infinite grace will take us to high places to experience eternal glory. Lord, we deliver the best we have to you! 

May 5, 2024 (New Worship Times Start): Be A Disciple - Luke 9: 23-25 - Discipleship involves commitment, giving of our whole selves and lives, not just Sunday morning. We will find true life only when we let go and lose our life to save it. We want to deliver our best to the one who has given us the best life in Christ himself. Let us joyfully express our gratitude to God for God’s goodness and care for us. Let us bring our best before God’s presence on this day. 

May 12, 2023: Be Transformational - Romans 12:1-2 - Being transformed allows us to be transformational in the world. Church, hear today that God is calling us to be agents of change. God calls us to not only be transformed but to be transformational. What a blessing that God would trust us in such a way. The invitation is before us to return that trust to God today and to exercise our faith in God today. One of the ways we do that is through our giving - sowing into our ministry, so that together, as a church, we might reach the world for Christ. So let us give today as God has given to us. 



May 19, 2024: The Church of the Pentecost - Acts 2:1-21 (focus verses: 17-21) - The gift of the Spirit allows us to be the church. People of God, the Spirit awakens us in new ways today – in our hearts, in our minds, and in our souls. As we seek to be the church in this world, let us be reminded that the impacts we make are stronger together, including our serving, our reaching, and our giving. So let us give today, not only in response to the Word, but in response to God’s call for us, together, as a church.  

Scholarship Information for Graduating Seniors 

In 2014, through the generation contributions of the CUMC congregation, the Finance Team was able to establish the Christ United Methodist Scholarship. This fund has grown over the past few years through generous contributions from the congregation. This  scholarship is for graduating seniors who are planning to continue their education beyond high school.  Applications for the 2024 scholarship award are now being accepted. The application can be found HERE .

The application deadline is May 8th.

Graduate Recognition Sunday

Sunday, May 19, 2024

If you have a student (child or grandchild) graduating from high school or college, please send their name, one picture and school they are graduating from to church.office@icumc.org by Tuesday, May 14th. Feel free to include their plans after graduation (college, job, military).

WOW!!!

HELP Sunny reach his goal!! We only need to sell 13.5 more panels! If you've been waiting, now is the time to contribute to the solar panel project!

Help Sunny with his gift to Christ Church by donating a solar panel for $600 (partial panels donations are welcomed as well!).

Please note "solar panel" or "Sunny" in the memo of your check. They’re going fast! As of Sunday, we have had 105.5 panels donated! WE are 89% of the way to Sunny's goal! Every dollar donated gets us closer to our goal!

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE DONATED! THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN AMAZING!

As panels are donated, the certificates will be removed by the office - to let the SUN shine in! When the entire solar panel is revealed, the goal of 119 panels donated will have been met.

PLEASE DON'T REMOVE the ticket from the panel - when the office receives your donation for a panel, we'll remove the ticket and get the certificate portion back to you in appreciation of your support of this project. The office will keep the small end of the ticket and put it on the information board as a visual sign of how many panels have been donated. Watch this board fill up!

CUMC Food Pantry Needs

This month, the pantry needs:

• Paper bags & Plastic bags
• canned pasta - ravioli, spaghettios, etc.
• hamburger helper type boxed meals
• pancake mix
• pancake syrup
• brownie mix
• toothpaste

Sermon Videos on YouTube

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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNmVAqRrvBHrF6M5hSRm3yg/featured