News from Community UMC

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September 17, 2020

Join us for Sunday morning Worship

Community UMC continues to provide online worship opportunities at our Facebook and YouTube pages:

Traditional Sunday Worship at 9:00 AM
Modern Worship at 11:15 AM

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/CommunityUMCvirginiabeach
YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC55IMOHtY2mfvkf1mLaLzfA
Your financial gifts also matter. You can give online at the link below.
https://www.shelbygiving.com/inline/dedicated/?uid=ncs-2092&amt=10

Food Drive Saturday

Saturday, September 18 – An Interfaith Food Drive is scheduled for this Saturday, September 18 at 10 am. This event is open to anyone! It will be held at Faith Deliverance Christian Center, 1010 E. 26th Street, Norfolk, VA. This is a collaborative effort sponsored by the Interfaith Alliance at the Beach (IAB) which is a network of churches and social services in the area.

BSA Troop 362 seeks your help to fund tents

Our church sponsored BSA Scout Troop 362 is seeking funding to support the replacement and addition of Scouting related camping tents. They have researched to determine BEST items for their frequent and long-term use by our Scouts. They have estimated the cost at $1740 for six tents and related items. Our commitment to our Scouts goes back for over 70 years. Please prayerfully consider a contribution to support our Scouts and their activities.
Please contact Tiffany Hughes, Scout Treasurer, at tichontiffany@hotmail.com, 757-724-5081 to obtain instructions on multiple contribution remittance options. Thank You for Your Support!

Boy Scouts Popcorn Sales

Troop 362 is actively engaged in one of their annual fundraising campaigns "Boy Scouts Popcorn Sales". Please reach out to your favorite Scout or to their Popcorn Sales coordinator, Lakisha Owens at lmoshorty@aol.com for more information.

Healthy Church Team announces reopening plan

Dear Members and Friends of Community UMC:
CUMC returned to church wide in-person worship on Sunday, September 6, 2020 for the 9:00AM Traditional Worship service only. Both the 9:00AM and 11:15AM Modern Worship services will continue to be livestreamed. All small groups, including Sunday School classes, will continue to meet together online and not on church property. Please note that prior to the re-opening, we will ensure this plan is sustainable through a couple of "soft openings," when attendance will be limited to staff and leadership only.

Be aware that you cannot just show up on Sunday for worship. Our gathering will have a limited capacity. You MUST pre-register your desire to attend Sunday worship each week by completing a Health Acknowledgement form by noon on the Wednesday prior to the service you wish to attend. This form can be found on our church website: www.cumcvb.org. The first approved registrants up to a maximum allowed capacity will be selected to attend worship weekly. All others may continue to worship with the church online by following the links at our home page. All small groups, including Sunday School classes, will continue to meet together online and not on church property. Be aware that you cannot just show up on Sunday for worship. Our gathering will have a limited capacity.

Please follow these COVID-19 guidelines for in-person worship:

Stay home if you have a fever, COVID-19 symptoms, or exposure in the last 14 days.
Stay 6’ away from others as you enter the church, including in the parking lot. Parking spaces alongside the church are only for those who need to enter using the ramp.
Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth entirely at all times on church property.
Enter and exit through the designated doors and aisles as directed.
Be seated where ushers direct you to sit.
Use restrooms only if necessary; wash hands and follow posted rules.

The Healthy Church Team

Women’s Faith Focus begins a new study

Please join us in Women's Faith Focus Zoom meetings for the next nine Tuesday mornings as we explore "Growing Older and Wiser" Life Guide Bible Study by Dale Larsen and Sandy Larsen. We meet at 9:30 am. The first 15 minutes give us an opportunity to chat, then the actual study begins at 9:45 am and ends around 11:15 am.  Zoom Log In information available from Sandi Granger, grangr5@cox.net or on the Women’s Faith Focus Facebook page.
Caveat: Some of us, okay ALL OF US,  may be way too young to be doing this study, but let's store away this wisdom for the future. 😂🤟

9/22/20 Ch. 1 Wise Up! Led by Sandi G.
9/29/20 Ch. 2 Wisdom Hunt
10/6/20 Ch. 3 Listeniing to the Young
10/13/20 Ch. 4 When the Kids are Grownups Too
10/20/20 Ch. 5 Wiser by Faith
10/27/20 Ch. 6 They Don't Always Listen
11/3/20 Ch. 7 A Reason to Be Here
11/10/20 Ch. 8 Dealing With Fears
11/17/20 Ch. 9 Lifelong Trust

What is Grace all about anyway?

The Seekers SS class will be studying Grace for 10 weeks beginning in October. We will use Phillip Yancey’s million seller, What’s so Amazing About Grace? as our guide and will explore all the manifestations of grace and ungrace including forgiveness, Wesley’s means of grace, faith not works, legalism and more.

To join Seeker's Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3701568734?pwd=T2puMXo1VVFZVXlSK2h0Vk9pd1d3dz09
Meeting ID: 370 156 8734
Passcode: 400849

Missions and Service Update

Our members can be assured that CUMC has remained involved since our time of isolation began. Our assistance with the food pantry at The Gathering at Scott Memorial United Methodist Church has proven to be a positive partnership. Thanks to all for your donations to their food pantry and to our volunteers that are helping on a weekly basis. We are making a difference! In addition to the Food Pantry we have done the following:

*JCOC Meals were prepared and served in February, May & August (Sallie Volk)
*Rise Against Hunger donation made for 2020: $1430.
*UMFS Foster Families: A donation was made for requested supplies: $117.74
*Meals on Wheels continues to serve one week a month (Lou Schroeder)
*Blessing Bags: a total of 70 have been donated for the homeless/shut-ins that do not have transportation.

Blessing Bags are distributed by members of The Gathering and have been gratefully received. We plan to continue this monthly donation at least until the end of 2020 and then will reevaluate. An average of $300. is spent per month using mission funds. Last month we started to order online since actual donations cannot be accepted at this time and our supplies were depleted.

If you would like to create a Blessing Bag for your personal use to keep in your car, I have included the suggested list below.
Donations for Blessing Bags
Items found at Dollar Tree, etc. or can be purchased in large quantities.

Plastic gallon size zippered bag
Bottled Water (8 oz.)
Tuna or chicken salad & crackers (Brunswick)
Hand sanitizer
Socks
Toothbrush & toothpaste (Travel Kit)
Tissue (pkg. 6/$)
Rain poncho (disposable)
Breakfast Bar (Nature Valley 4/$)
Razors (5/pkg)
Gloves or hand warmer
Donations of Travel size bar soap, shampoo, lotion.
Optional: First Aid Kit

Thank you for your donations and prayers as we move through this challenging time. Blessings to each and every one of you!
Mary McConathy and Anna Crowder
Missions and Service Coordinators

Meals on Wheels making changes

Sentara Healthcare recently announced a decision to sell its nursing home division, necessitating that Meals on Wheels (MoW) must change its location. Beginning September 1st, meals will be picked up by volunteers at Kings Grant Presbyterian church on Little Neck Road. Chef by Design has agreed to furnish the meals. MoW has had an increase recently in requests for meals and are now serving 140+ meals daily. If you would like to volunteer to deliver meals, please call Lou Schroeder at 757-495-1809.

S.W.E.A.T team supporting the food pantry

Community UMC’s S.W.E.A.T team has had great success with supporting The Gathering at Scott Memorial UMC’s food pantry. They are able to bless many families and we are excited to continue to help them.

If you would like to make an online donation, simply go to their website: The Gathering at Scott Memorial United Methodist Church. To mail a donation, the address is 409 First Colonial Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23454. Be sure to designate your donation for the food pantry on the memo line of your check.

Upper Rooms are here

Copies of the Upper Room have been placed in the plastic box outside of the tower door. Please feel free to stop by and pick up your copy/copies. Please do not leave any contributions in the outside box.

Current CUMC Contact information

To help keep everyone safe, the church is now working with minimal staff, uncertain office hours, and limited operations. If you have a need during this time, please note the following contact info:
Pastor Matt: 703-819-0687
Minister Jannette: 757-633-1843
Leadership Team Rep. Liz Griffin: 757-621-9795

Church Office Business Hours

Office Hours: 9:30am-3:30pm Monday-Thursday
9:30am-12:00pm Friday

To contact a pastor, call the church office at (757) 495-1021

Links to the Methodist connection

Follow this link to the latest events and announcements from the Elizabeth River District

Follow this link to the latest news from the Virginia Conference

Follow this link to the General Conference for the latest United Methodist News

Copyright © 2020 Community United Methodist Church, All rights reserved.

Telephone:
(757) 495-1021

Web Address:
www.cumcvb.org

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