Beyond the Pulpit 11.15.25

Happy Sunday CUMC!

This past week – beyond the pulpit – I joined our Contemporary Worship Lay Leader, Joanne McDaniel to attend the Crozet Small Business Collaborative where we connected with other leaders in our community and shared about our ministries. I also joined Bob & Lila Law for IMPACT Charlottesville’s Board Meeting. Bob is serving as IMPACT’s Treasurer this year, and I was elected to serve on the steering committee for IMPACT’s new initiative: Neighborhood Safety & Gun Violence Prevention. I joined our new Mission Team Co-coordinator Donna O’Rourke and Grace Grocery volunteer Deb Short at the Crozet Region Interfaith Outreach Council which met at Crozet Baptist Church. We learned about the ministry of  PACEM which provides shelter for the unhoused in the winter months. I hope we may be able to support Tabor Presbyterian Church when they host PACEM in early 2026.

Did you know that we are nearing the end of the church year? This Sunday (11/16) and next Sunday (11/23) are the last two Sundays of the cycle of the church year. We will be concluding our worship series on the Nicene Creed next week. This means that we will soon be preparing for Christmas with the season of Advent, which begins Sunday 11/30! There are lots of opportunities to plug in and grow in faith as we move through these next few months. I hope you will take some time to discern how you wish to grow in faith, and respond accordingly by participating in the life of CUMC!

Beyond our weekly opportunities to serve and grow, there are also a variety of upcoming events you may want to add to your calendar!

There will be more ways to connect as the season unfolds, but please add these to your calendars now. And don’t forget, there are always opportunities to serve through Grace Grocery! You can sign-up here!