News for the Week of May 21, 2021
In-Person
and
Online Worship
Sundays at 11:00 a.m.
Join us in our beautiful sanctuary or online at
This Sunday Rev. Matt Bates
will be preaching.
His sermon is titled
Calling Down the Fire
Contacts
804-648-8319
www.centumc.org

Email Addresses

Rev. Matt Bates

Rev. Drew Willson

Rev. Tim Gerde

Stanley Baker

Office/Laura Nealley
Hi, wonderful Centenary family! 

We’re going back to in-service worship
in the sanctuary on Sunday, May 23.  

The Healthy Church Team (HCT) met recently and has made a decision to have an indoor/outdoor service on May 23, just in time for Pentecost and to celebrate the 2021 confirmation class: John and George Thrower, John and Thomas Stottlemyer, and Stella and Whit Vetrovec! After the service in the sanctuary, we will exit the front doors of the church into the closed-off street for fellowship and celebration!
With new UMC Virginia Conference guidelines, we will even be able to sing together while following procedures to distance and wear our masks.

The current Virginia Conference guidelines still recommend that all churches continue to worship with masks on when indoors. The Healthy Church Team will continue to evaluate what safety procedures are most appropriate for our congregation. We will have one
in-person service, as well as continuation of virtual services, each Sunday at 11:00 a.m. continuing
throughout the summer.

Sunday School classes and other activities will begin in the fall, and you will be notified of any special CUMC events. If small groups wish to gather for study or fellowship in the building, please contact a member of the Healthy Church Team and we will consider those requests. Please click on the button below for more information and protocols for in-person worship.
Thank you for your love, understanding, and support as we enter into this new normal for our church and our community.  You are loved and appreciated.

Your HCT,
Matt Bates, Bob Almond, Jim Hill, Karen Junker,
Susan Thomas, Meredith Thrower (legal liaison)
& Dr. Jim Wickham (medical liaison)
Expanding Our Welcome
Join us for our last session!
We are committed to providing an opportunity for learning that feels safe for all. Regardless of where we are in the journey to better understand the experience of transgender folks and their loved ones, we can learn much together. Our goal is to become a more welcoming, inclusive community.
 
Monday - Monday, 7:00-8:30 p.m., May 24, 2021
In our final week of the series, we continue our education process through personal narrative, and will focus on specifics of offering welcome and support. All are welcome.
Young Adult Gathering
Young Adult Gathering
Friday, June 4 at 6:15 p.m.
Behind the VMFA. We'll meet near Chloe again and find a spot that suits us. Maybe the storms will even stay away this time! Feel free to bring food and drinks or to get some at the Café before we meet.
More News
Wednesday mornings
10:00 a.m.
Please join us as we look
at the scripture for the upcoming Sunday.
We meet together via
Zoom for study and
fellowship. The Zoom link
will be sent via email on Tuesday. We look forward
to seeing you there.
The Upper Room
The Upper Room is
continuing to support
their standing
order partners with
a PDF of the
May/June issue!
Correction
Rev. Matt Bates new email address was incorrect in
the last newsletter.
His new email is srpastor@centumc.org. Thanks to all who have
been using it,
and our apologies
for this inconvenience!
Please join me in wishing Regan Sprenkle a very fond farewell. Regan has resigned as the choir alto section leader as of the end of May to spend more time with her family. Regan joined the choir as section leader in
September, 2017, and has ably fulfilled that role in many different ways. Best wishes for the future!

Stan Baker and
the Chancel Choir
Join us for a study of the book
by Heather McGhee. 
This study will be on
Sunday, June 6 at 9:30 a.m.
on Zoom. Please contact Barrett Brown
to register
Sign Up for Altar Flowers
As we resume in-person worship in our Sanctuary, we will again be adding beautiful floral arrangements from Coleman's to our altar. I have a tentative list from 2019, but am open to anyone who would like to request a particular Sunday. The price for each week is still $25, with checks being made out to Centenary UMC & sent to the office or dropped in the collection plates at church - with "ALTAR FLOWERS" noted in the memo line. Please let me know any preferences you have to contribute to this beautiful part of our Sunday services! Please contact Sharon Steele for more information.
May 23 @ 11 a.m. Return to In-person
Worship with Confirmation Celebration

May 24 @ 7 p.m. Expanding Our Welcome

May 26 @ 10 a.m. Bible Study

May 31 - Office Closed for Memorial Day

June 4 @ 6:15 p.m. Young Adult Gathering at VMFA
CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Find us at www.centumc.org
Email us at: admin@centumc.org