Beyond the Pulpit 11.9.25

Happy Sunday CUMC Family!

I hope to see you today for Worship and Grow Groups! Remember…at CUMC we come together to Love, Grow, and Go – so join us!

This past week, beyond the pulpit, consisted of a variety of meetings with various ministry groups.

On Wednesday, I started the day with preschool Chapel for the students of Crozet Avenue Christian Preschool. This year we are learning what the Bible tells us about Love. So far, we have learned that Love is patient and kind. It does not brag and is not proud. We read Dr. Seuss’s “The Big Brag” and discovered that bragging is not the way we show Love. By the end of the day on Wednesday, I found myself sitting with college students at the UVA Wesley Foundation. In the wake of yet another active shooter lockdown (which, thankfully, turned out to be a false alarm) this week, we discussed safety procedures and support resources available to students. The Board also reviewed and approved their proposed budget for 2026.

Speaking of Neighborhood Safety & Gun Violence Prevention, this is the newly approved focus issue for IMPACT-Charlottesville in the coming year. At the recent Community Problems Assembly, 331 people from across Charlottesville & Albemarle County (including 22 people from our Crozet Justice Ministry) gathered and committed to working to improve Public Transit, Affordable Housing, and Neighborhood Safety & Gun Violence Prevention. This week I met with both Organizers for IMPACT, and I will begin serving on the Steering Committee for Neighborhood Safety. If you are interested in learning more about any of these issues, and IMPACT’s efforts, please let me know and/or plan to attend the Issue Committee Night this coming Tuesday, November 11, at 7pm, at Wesley Memorial UMC (1901 Thomson Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22903).

Finally, I want to mention the good work Grace Grocery is doing in our community. We are seeing an increase in the number of neighbors who are visiting on Mondays…including 7 new families this past week alone. At the same time, we are also seeing a generous outpouring of donations…from individuals to area businesses. Grace Grocery’s volunteers are SO very dedicated and are working hard to meet the needs of everyone. As we prepare for Thanksgiving, Grace Grocery is partnering with Love Inc to provide Thanksgiving Meals to those in need in our community. Thank you to ALL who are making this ministry happen. If you’d like to make a donation, you can do so here, and be sure to select Grace Grocery under “Fund.” Food donations are accepted at the church 10am-2pm, M-Th.

As a reminder, we have newly formed Ministry Teams (see last week’s article) and Co-Coordinators! If you already lead or participate in any of these ministries, you may be hearing from your Co-Coordinators soon. Or, feel free to reach out to them! If you see a ministry you’d like to check out, don’t hesitate to contact a Co-Coordinator!