October 25, 2024

Dear Centenary Family,

I was so proud of our laity last Sunday as they led us in worship. We have some gifted, talented, and committed laity who work hard to lead us in mission and ministry. And the church’s mission is always about every one of us finding our gifts, calling, and passion and offering ourselves to the work of the kingdom of God. I encourage you to continue ask what God is calling you to do and to become as a follower of Jesus Christ. The promise of the Gospel is that we find the meaning and joy of living by losing ourselves in service to God and others.

I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday. I’m working on a sermon based on Mark 10:46-52. It’s the story of Jesus’ healing of a blind man named Bartimaeus. He wanted to see. I wonder how the world looked to him when he saw it for the first time? The truth is, whether we struggle with imperfect physical sight or are impaired with spiritual cataracts that keep us from seeing the way God sees things, we all need help with our vision. Do we really want to see—see as God sees? To see as God sees is to see possibilities where others only see dead ends. It’s also to open ourselves to the challenge of working with God to make those possibilities for life and healing and justice real here and now. Let’s think together this Sunday about whether, like Bartimaeus, we’re ready to have our eyes opened.

I look forward to worshiping with you this week!



Peace,

Matt

Sundays at 10:30am

In person and online.

Volunteer Opportunity!

Dear fellow church members,

We are currently developing a working relationship with Commonwealth Catholic Charities (CCC) and their Youth Hub. The Youth Hub provides an array of essential services to homeless young adults ages 18 to 25. Many of these young adults are women with small children. CCC staff have recently made two requests.

• There is a young mother with two sets of twins, all under the age of 5. This young family just moved into a new apartment and are in need of 4 beds for the children. If you have knowledge of where this mother might be able to get the beds for free or at a low cost, please let me know.

• CCC has asked if we might have any church volunteers willing to make and deliver 30 bag lunches on Wednesdays. These lunches are given to the homeless clients receiving services on site on Wednesday’s. We will try to provide lunch as many Wednesdays per month as we have volunteers for. Centenary will cover the costs for the bagged lunches.

If you would be willing to make some bag lunches, please fill out this form with your contact information and availability. This is a great opportunity for families or small groups to gather to make the meals while enjoying fellowship. If you have any questions, please contact the church office.

Hurricane Disaster Relief

We all have seen the devastating images coming from all around the southeast in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. We cannot begin to imagine the lives that have been lost, and the lives that have been uprooted for many of our neighbors. We have several ways for you to donate through the UMCOR Disaster Relief program.

• Donate online directly on their website - UMCOR
• Donate online through the church here. Please choose UMCOR Hurricane Relief in the "Fund" pull down menu.
• By check - please put UMCOR in the memo line.

Wednesday Bible Study

We gather on Wednesdays at 10:00am via Zoom to discuss scripture for the upcoming Sunday. If you would like to join us, please contact the church office to be put on the email list. Every Tuesday an email is sent out with all information and the Zoom link.

We hope to see you there!

Falling Creek Middle School Fundraising

Kate Hundley here :) I am leading a student trip through EF Tours to Rome & Pompeii this June! We are very excited, and my students are ready to start raising money to pay for things like their lunches, sightseeing, and souvenirs.  

Doughnuts for a great cause!! FCMS Rome '25 is giving you the best reason to indulge in a dozen (or two) Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Until December 11, 2024, 50% of your order will be donated back to FCMS Rome '25 when you purchase via our fundraising sales page! Simply buy online, visit your local store & redeem using your code. Treat yourself or even gift them to friends and family here: grouprai.se/krispykreme48108ma. Or you can use the QR code found here.

Online Giving Made Easy

Use the QR code to quickly get to

our online giving page.