Dear friends,

I'm really looking forward to this Sunday at Centenary.  I hope you're planning to join us following our 10:30 a.m. church wide picnic outside on Grace Street.  You're invited to bring a side or desert and join us.  This would be a great event to invite a friend to come as your guest.  (We'll gather for lunch rain or shine.  We'll move indoors for lunch if weather dictates).

I'd also like to remind you that we look forward to our nursery reopening for worship this Sunday.

The sermon I'm working for this Sunday is entitled, "Saints, Sinners, and a Searching Savior."  It is based on Luke 15:1-10.  Regardless of whether we ourselves among the faithful few or among those who've gotten lost somewhere along the way, the good news is that God is always relentlessly searching for us, trying to persuade each of us to let ourselves be found and to be embraced and affirmed by the God who made us all!

In Christ's love,

Matt

Sundays at 10:30am

In person and online.

The Nursery is Opening!

Starting this Sunday, September 11, our nursery will be open for business in Room 206 during worship services and other events. A big THANK YOU to the many people who worked so hard to get the nursery moved, cleaned and set up!!

Save the Date! 

On Saturday, September 24

Centenary will have a booth at

PrideFest 2022. 

We will join with our LGBTQ sisters and brothers in celebrating diversity and proclaiming God's limitless love as PrideFest resumes after a two year hiatus. Sign up to participate in this opportunity to share Centanary's welcome for ALL! Use the button below to sign up. For more information, please contact the church office.

As was announced last Sunday, our first Rise Against Hunger event in a long time will be held on Saturday, October 8 at 9:30am. We do however need donations to cover the cost of $4,000, which in the past has come from golf tournaments. We already have $1,000 in our Rise Against Hunger fund, and we have received pledges of $1,000, which leaves us $2,000 short. Please help us reach our goal of helping the world’s hungry by indicating “for Rise Against Hunger” when making your donation.You may also donate online, by choosing Rise Against Hunger in the "Fund" pull down menu.

Traveling Friends Fall Trip to the Virginia Mountains

Peaks of Otter and Natural Bridge~Thursday, October 20, 2022

All-Inclusive Trip - $ 145  Per Person

Check and Registration form are due by September 25, 2022

This is an all-inclusive trip with motor coach transportation, snacks and bottle water on the bus, buffet lunch at Peaks of Otter Lodge, admission and trolley at Natural Bridge, and box dinner on the return trip to Richmond.  There is shopping at the Peaks of Otter and Natural Bridge Gift Shoppes. Please contact the church office for the registration form, more information and contact info.

UMW - Smethie Circle Meeting

Date: Thursday, September 15 - 1:00pm 

Place: O’Tooles Restaurant, located at 4800 Forest Hill Ave, 23225

(just over the Nickel Bridge)

Program: Beth Roper is a Child and Family therapist,

who works with SCAN Child Advocacy Center

Hope to see you there!

UMW Pecan Sale

It's that time again! Get your orders in and support the United Methodist Women! We are ordering in early September so we will get them in early November. as soon as they are harvested.

No price increase this year! Still just $12/bag.

• Mammoth Halves
• Medium pieces
• Chocolate covered
• Dark chocolate covered
• Cinnamon glazed.

To order, contact the church office.

Wednesday Bible Study

at 10:00 am

Led by Rev. Matt Bates, we meet via Zoom and look at the scripture for 

the upcoming Sunday.

If you would like to join us, please contact the church office to be added to our email list. An email with the upcoming scripture and all the Zoom

information is sent out on Tuesdays.

The Chosen

Join us Sunday mornings, following our 10:30am worship service, as we gather in the social hall to watch The Chosen.  

You can read more about it here.

We will take a break this week so that we can all join the Church picnic! Hope to see you there! Next week:

The episode explores life in Samaria, and we’re reminded of the deep-seated resentment, if not hatred, between the Jews and Samaritans. Jesus has something to say about that.

Book Club Invitation

The Devil's Half Acre by Kristen Green

Lumpkin's Jail, 3 blocks from our Virginia State Capitol, is the site of this true story. Read this inspiring story of an enslaved woman who liberated this infamous slave jail. Then she transformed it into what is today Virginia Union University.

Join the book club to hear author Kristen Green comments, research and writing of her latest book. If you enjoy local history, think you may like a book club

or want to meet "book people" and a local author, please join this group at



River Road Baptist Church

September 20, 2022 - 7:00 pm

Please contact the church office

for more details.