Easter Lilies, deadline Wednesday, March 18 2

United Methodist Women Blood Drive, Saturday, March 28 7

United Methodist Men’s Breakfast, Saturday, March 14 7

Recharge Wednesdays, March 4, 11, 18 & 25 7 & 8

Messy Church, Tuesday, March 10 9

Prayer Shawl Ministry, Wednesday, March 11 9

Bereavement Support Group 10

Respite Job Posting, deadline Sunday, March 15 10

Rise Against Hunger, Saturday, March 21 11

Dr. Richard Freund Event, Wednesday, March 25 11

5th Sunday Luncheon, March 29 11

Annual Plant Share, Sunday, April 19 12

General Conference Information Session for Laity, Tuesday, March 17 16

For more information about each of these events, see their articles inside.

Messenger March 2020

The

March Events at Williamsburg

United Methodist Church

Page

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Easter Lilies You’re invited to provide one or more Easter lilies in honor or in memory of a loved one.

Return this form by Wednesday, March 18 with a check for $20 payable to WUMC and write “Easter Lilies” on the memo line. Place my gift of Easter Lilies:

In memory of (Print)

In honor of (Print)

Given by (Print)

Phone (Print)

GLOBAL OUTREACH

Beneficiaries For Lenten Offering

UMCOR Sunday (formerly One Great Hour of Sharing) - For more than 50 years, United Methodist congregations have been taking part in a special UMCOR Sunday offering, laying the foundation for United Methodist Committee on Relief’s worldwide ministry of relief and hope when disaster strikes. This one offer-ing during Lent will cover the operational and administrative costs associated with UMCOR’s relief efforts; thus, United Methodist Committee on Relief can promise that 100% of disaster donations go directly to relief.

EarthKeepers - EarthKeepers, a training program of Global Ministries and the United Methodist Commit-tee on Relief, is designed to equip United Methodist clergy and laity to lead their communities in environmen-tal stewardship. EarthKeepers trainings equip participants to develop projects that address environmental concerns in their churches and communities. All EarthKeepers are expected to launch an environmental pro-ject in their communities as part of their work.

Justice for Our Neighbors - The Justice for Our Neighbors network provides free or low-cost immigra-tion legal services to low-income immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, without regard to race, religion, ethnicity, ideology, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Justice for Our Neighbors is a network of 18 locally operated sites that collectively serve over 5000 low-income immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers each year. Together they host over 50 free or low-cost immigration legal clinics. JFON provides strategic support to immigration attorneys, volunteers, staff, and boards of directors to offer more effective immigration legal services to low-income immigrants.

On your behalf the Global Outreach Team has chosen these three organizations to receive a portion of WUMC’s Special Lenten Offering:

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On your behalf the Global Outreach Team has chosen these three organizations to receive a por-tion of WUMC’s Special Lenten Offering:

Fisher House Foundation

The Fisher House Foundation builds comfort homes where military and veterans’ families can stay free of charge while a loved one is in the hospi-tal. Started in 1990, the homes are at major mili-tary and VA medical centers nationwide, close to the medical center or hospital they serve. The Fish-er House in Richmond serves veterans under treat-ment at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center. The facility contains 21 family suites, in-cluding private bath, dining areas, recreation, and entertainment. It is fully handicap-accessible. Its average occupancy level is 92-94%, and the aver-age length of stay is 12-14 days. Over 2,000 fami-lies have been guests since the opening in 2008. A second Fisher House serves the veterans treated at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth.

Olde Towne Medical & Dental Center (OTMDC)

Olde Towne Medical & Dental Center (OTMDC) addresses the needs of Greater Williamsburg’s unin-sured and medically underserved residents. Its mis-sion is to provide quality, cost-effective, coordinated and preventative primary health care to clients, re-gardless of ability to pay. OTMDC is led by a small core of staff with extensive volunteer community support from 11 physicians, 16 dentists and 45 non-medical individuals, who average 650 volunteer hours per month. OTMDC’s services include chronic disease care; minor surgery; baby and well child care; routine women’s and men’s healthcare; rou-tine physicals; immunizations and flu shots; refer-rals for mental health care; prenatal care; dermatol-ogy; cardiology; and other specialized medical care. WUMC has supported OTMDC since its inception in 1993. The Immunization Clinic is named the Ann R. Yankovich Clinic in memory of an OTMDC founder and long-time volunteer who was a member of WUMC.

LOCAL OUTREACH

Beneficiaries For Lenten Offering

Lenten Devotionals “The Sanctuary for Lent 2020,”

devotionals for this season of Lent, are available in the narthex and Connection Corner.

One Child Center for Autism

The One Child Center for Autism on Midlands Road in Williamsburg is a non-profit supporting chil-dren and families affected by autism and other de-velopmental differences. Their mission is to provide services and support to each child regardless of their disability or financial circumstances. They op-erate on the presumption that every child has the capacity to learn, to communicate, to assert them-selves, and to be treated with respect. They under-stand that every child is unique requiring an individ-ualized collaborative approach to care. The center has created a network of support for families while helping to foster acceptance in the broader commu-nity through education. The center in Williamsburg serves families from surrounding areas including Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Matthews, New Kent, and York Counties, and Hampton, New-port News, and Poquoson.

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Fasting This Lenten Season The Lenten season is upon us with Ash Wednesday on 26 February . . . have you thought about what you

might do this year as we all take a walk in our wilderness with Jesus for the next 40 days or so?

There are many Lenten traditions like praying, fasting, and giving of special collections or alms.

Pope Francis had some words for us to consider about Fasting. We may not lose weight with his list, but these ideas will strengthen us spiritually. They will deepen relationships with God, our neighbors, and renew our individual commitment to live a righteous life in the image of Christ. Here’s what Pope Francis suggested for our Lenten fasting:

Lent is a time for sober reflection about our faith and our spiritual lives.

Make this Lenten season a meaningful walk in today’s wilderness . . . for you, your family, and our church.

With many blessings,

WUMC Stephen Ministers

On the Road:

“Opening the Door to Lent ”

Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. (Revelation 3:20)

I like front doors. As I walk through my neighborhood, I am drawn into the evaluation of everyone’s front door. I offer silent “constructive” criticism: This one is the wrong color; this one is too drab; this one is too small – or big. The list goes on. We recently painted our front door red, and it really stands out among the brown bricks and black shutters on the house. The prominence of the red door seems to say, “Welcome,” to all who pass the house. Yet, the front doors to our houses are usually not just closed, but more often locked for safety, security, and privacy. We only open the door to those we know and trust.

The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 26 and lasts 40 days (not counting Sundays) un-til Easter. Lent is the doorway to Easter, and during Lent we are called to read and reflect, to be penitent and patient, and to draw nearer to Jesus. As we read in Revelation, Jesus is standing at our front door, knocking, waiting for us to let him into our hearts and our homes. Open the door and let Jesus in so he can lead us forward in faith, hope and light and become a permanent guest in our lives.

Cindy Banek,

Director of Adult Discipleship

Fast from hurting words, and say kind words.

Fast from sadness, and be filled with gratitude.

Fast from anger, and be filled with patience.

Fast from pessimism, and be filled with hope.

Fast from worries, and have trust in God.

Fast from complaints, and contemplate simplicity.

Fast from pressures, and be prayerful.

Fast from bitterness, and fill your heart with joy.

Fast from selfishness, and be compassionate to others.

Fast from grudges, and be reconciled.

Fast from words, and be silent so that you can listen.

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Food for Thought by Senior Pastor Bill Jones

The season of Lent may not be the longest season in the church year, but it is one of the most important seasons, if not the most important season. Lent is supposed to be a time of se-rious spiritual searching and renewal. It is a time for self-scrutiny and re-dedication to a life of service and, if need be, suffering in the cause of God’s kingdom. It is a time of preparation for the passion of Christ. It begins with a special day of repentance, Ash Wednesday, and ends in the depth of sorrow and tragedy on Good Friday. The name of the season, Lent, does not re-flect the mood or message of the season. It is an old Anglo-Saxon word, Lencten or Lenchthen, which means the lengthening of the days as spring appears.

How then has it become a time to give up chocolate, or hamburgers, or video games or Fa-cebook? Lent, the 40 days before Easter (not counting Sundays, which are not part of Lent), are considered by Christians as a season for fasting, penitence, church going, praying and abstaining from selected pleasures.

A century ago, Editor W. O. Saunders wrote in the Elizabeth City Independent that “everybody gets good for a season. But most of us slide back into our indifferent, happy-go-lucky ways within three weeks after . . . laughing, jesting and putting raisins in the apple cider just as if there was no death, no Resurrection, no afterlife to bother about . . . Funny how we refuse to take our poor little souls seriously all the time.” What have we done? Why have we so abused this time to grow in faith and love and maturity in Christ?

Lent was originally established for new Christians, those who experienced a call. They were to spend forty days and forty nights preparing for their baptism. If at the end they still wanted to follow Jesus, then on Easter Eve they would be baptized as the sun was rising in the east, sig-naling the new day, the new era, inaugurated because of the Resurrection. I am sure it had a powerful significance for them, to have prepared for their vocation as Christians the same way that Jesus following his baptism spent time in the wilderness to prepare for his vocation as the Messiah: forty days of introspection and self-examination. But later the Church used the forty days as a time of renewal for those who were already Christians, because at a certain point eve-ryone in the empire became a Christian, everyone was baptized as infants. So the time of Lent was used as a time of renewal and recommitment to the Christian life, examining our lives in light of the one we are supposed to follow.

Self-denial and self-improvement are indeed aspects of Lenten observance. But an im-portant and neglected way to practice Lent – and one of the many ways to practice Lent well – is to focus on the good gifts of God and how we might use those gifts to expand God’s kingdom in the world. Properly understood, Lent is more a time of taking up than of giving up. This jour-ney in faith might mean “taking up” in a special way those spiritual disciplines which give the body of Christ its identity: disciplines such as prayer, study of the scriptures, worship by Word and Sacrament, fasting, acts of penance and reconciliation, and witnessing. Seen this way, Lent can be the beginning of a conversion process which moves us from the “ashes” of Ash Wednes-day, through the life-giving new birth of the Easter event, to the sustaining fire of God’s Holy Spirit at Pentecost. That’s food for thought!

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Williamsburg United Methodist Women

March 2020

UMW Circle Meetings

Clark Heritage Circle Tuesday, March 3 at 9:45 a.m. in Room 309.

Our program will be presented by Hasbrouck Hughes speaking on the life of Harriet Tubman. We will be lunching together at a local restaurant. Eve-ryone is welcome.

Jean Craig Circle Tuesday, March 3 at 1:30 p.m. This meeting

will be held at The Brookdale Retirement Center.

Suzanna Wesley Circle Wednesday, March 4 at 10:00 a.m. in Room

309. The program will be presented by Rev. Me-ghan Roth Clayton who will speak on women in ministry.

Friendship Circle Tuesday, March 10 at 10:30 a.m. in the Church

Parlor. We will enjoy hearing stories told by Ory Stefaniw. Born in the Ukraine of parents who were political enemies of Stalin, Ory and her family es-caped in 1944. Join us for this spell-binding story. Guests are welcome.

Carol Scott Circle Tuesday, March 10 at 1:00 p.m. in the Church

Den. Our program will be presented by Nathalie Hathaway from the Ukraine who will share her life story with us. All are welcome!

Sisters in Faith Circle Tuesday, March 10 at 7:00 p.m. in Room 309.

Our program will be about the local Lackey Clinic presented by Susan Sallwasser. Please join us.

Important Dates in March

WUMW Board Meeting - March 23 at 7:00 p.m. in Room 309 WUMW Blood Drive - March 28 from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Sign-up online

UMW Book Club

The next meeting of the UMW Book Club will be Monday, March 9 at 7:00 p.m. at the home of Linda Upshaw (101 Mathew's Grant in Kingsmill).

We will be reading and discuss-ing, “Threading My Prayer Rug,” by Sabeeha Rehman. This is in the Edu-cation for Mission category of the 2019 UMW Reading Program. All are welcome.

For more information, please contact Carol Brinkley (258-0617) or cpbrinkley@aol.com.

Susanna Wesley Circle News

Our Circle is involved in several projects, two of which are highlighted here:

We are the Circle who delivers donated toiletries to Avalon, a local shelter for abused women and

their children. These toiletries need to be new and can be either full size or travel size. All donations are to be placed in the bin marked “Avalon” in the closet near the Connection Corner desk.

Questions? Contact Carolyn Munro (259-9833) or wbrglacemaker@cox.net.

We are the Circle who sells Rada cutlery and donates the profits to local non-profit organi-zations. With this fundraising activity, we sell many types of knives and kitchen tools as well as packaged sweet and savory

party dips and soups. Our boxed gift sets are great gift ideas for any special occasion. Ask about our best-selling tomato knife or our new meat chopper. This reasonably priced cutlery is manufactured in the U.S.A. To purchase items or for more infor-mation, contact Bonnie Knizatko (253-0992).

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United Methodist Women’s Service Project – Blood Drive

The Williamsburg United Methodist Women are sponsoring their 2nd Annual Blood Drive on Satur-day, March 28 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. To schedule an appointment, visit https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=WilliamsburgUMC. Our goal is 34 pints of blood. Your single donation can save up to 3 lives. Help us to reach our goal and be in service to our community!

Beginning at 5:30 p.m., and serving continuously until 6:30 p.m., enjoy a delicious dinner and good con-versation with others. Our meals are expertly prepared by a professional chef and yet inexpensive: $6/adult, $3/child (ages 3-12) with a $20.00 family maximum. After dinner, participate in our activities or simply enjoy the rest of your evening. Please make a reservation for dinner by completing a dinner form at Con-nection Corner, in the pew racks, calling the church office, or church website (https://www.williamsburgumc.org/connect/recharge-wednesday). Reservations are due into the church office by Tuesday noon before the Wednesday dinner. Questions, contact Cindy Banek (229-1771 Ext 258).

March 4 Meatloaf, Whipped Potatoes, Vegetable, Roll

& Dessert

March 11 Baked Ziti, Garlic Bread, Salad & Dessert

WEDNESDAYS

Menu for March

March 18 Build your own Cobb Salad with Chicken, Bread

& Dessert

March 25 Beef Taco Casserole, Cornbread, Salad & Dessert

The next men's breakfast is scheduled for Saturday, March 14 at 8:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. The cost is $10.00. The meeting should be an exciting event. The men from the Williamsburg Presbyterian Church will be join-ing us. The speaker will be Mike Frescina, a retired CIA officer, who was very involved with the Global Explorer, a mystery ship developed and deployed by the CIA for the mission of recovering a Russian submarine from the depths of the Pacific Ocean.

Contact John Tressler (259-1193) or jdthokie@msn.com for a reservation.

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ROAD OF DISCIPLESHIP: Making Disciples through Nurture and Learning

Wednesday ReCharge Activities: February 2020

Senior Pastor's Midweek Bible Study: Senior Pastor’s Favorite Bible Passages

Resumes Wednesday, March 4 & Thursday, March 5

Meets Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall & Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. in Room 171

Leader: Pastor Bill Jones

Study will resume with more of Pastor Bill’s Favorite Bible Passages from his 43 years of pastoral ministry, including The Case of the Pushy Widow (Luke 18:1-8). The class will meet on Wednesdays (7:00 p.m.) and repeated on Thursdays (10:30 a.m.) through the end of May.

LENTEN/EASTER STUDIES:

“The Passion Play: Living the Story of Christ’s Last Days” by Rob Fuquay

Begins Wednesday, March 4 at 6:15 p.m.

Leader: Rev. Meghan Roth Clayton

You are invited to this 6-part study led by Pastor Meghan on Wednesdays, March 4, 18, and April 1 - 22 from 6:15 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. With few exceptions, the Oberammergau Passion Play has been presented by the inhabitants of the village of Oberammergau, Bavaria, Germany every 10 years since 1634. The play is a stag-ing of Jesus' Passion story, covering the final period of his life from his visit to Jerusalem to the journey to the cross. Pastor Meghan, her husband Josh and several church members will be traveling to Germany to see the Passion Play this June. This study is open to all interested in the biblical story of the Passion Play.

Register with Pastor Meghan (229-1771 Ext 261) or mclayton@williamsburgumc.org.

The Grace of Les Misérables

Begins Wednesday, March 4 at 6:30 p.m.

Leader: Rev. David Hindman

Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables is a truly epic story. Whether you’ve tackled the 1,400-page 19th century novel, witnessed the Broadway musical, or seen the several screen adaptations of it, you already know the power of this story. Each Wednesday (March 4-April 8) during the season of Lent, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Rev. David Hindman will facilitate a study of this classic work using Matt Rawle's, The Grace of Les Miséra-bles, which explores six ideals found in the story — grace, justice, poverty, revolution, love, and hope—each represented by a character in Hugo’s story. As these imperfect yet readily recognizable characters interact, we can see how these ideals work together in the world. The study brings us to the intersection of Church and Pop Culture by drawing parallels between the iconic story and our Christian calling, inviting participants both to understand our faith and live it out in the world.

Interested persons should contact Cindy Banek (229-1771 Ext 258) or cbanek@williamsburgumc.org to register.

Registration for either study can be completed on the church website https://www.williamsburgumc.org/grow/christian-education.

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If you ever have a moment, stop by our website to see what’s going on at our church. The address is www.williamsburgumc.org. Find out about all the ministries and other activities that you or your family may be interested in joining!! We have something for everyone!!

If you have any questions about something you see on our website, contact the church office (229-1771).

Have you checked out our Website?

Prayer Shawl Ministry

Prayer Shawls are a wonderful gift our ministers can give to someone who is sick, lonely, or mourning the loss of a loved one. The hope is that the recipient will feel the warmth of God's loving arms wrapped around them when they wear the shawl and know they are not alone.

The Prayer Shawl Ministry meets on the second Wednesday each month in the Church Den from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. The next meeting date will be March 11. All are welcome even if you can only come for part of the time.

Everyone is invited – those who knit or crochet; beginners to experienced. Join us in the Den where we will knit/crochet and pray together. Yarn donations are welcome to help sup-port this ministry.

For more information about our prayer shawl ministry, visit the church website https://www.williamsburgumc.org/connect/adults or con-tact Wendy Geiger (570-4656) or wendy.geiger@cox.net.

Messy Church in March

Our next Messy Church is Tuesday, March 10 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., and we will talk about “Falling and Breaking.” Messy Church is an all-age worship experience with crafts, activities, Celebration Time and dinner – for all! In the Bible, Paul shares a meal with friends he is about to leave. Eating together and talking is a special way we feel connected to each other. Taking communion in church is a special way we feel connected to Jesus. At our March Messy, we will bake bread and then share the bread as we experience communion together! For information about Messy, contact Cindy Banek (229-1771 Ext 258) or cbanek@williamsburgumc.org.

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Do you have an article for the Newsletter?

If you would like to submit an article for publication in the Messenger, the deadline for submittals is the 15th of the month. Articles submitted should be typed or neatly

printed, limited to a 1/2 page in length and are subject to editing for grammar, spelling and content. Please submit by e-mail to Lianne Koch at

lkoch@williamsburgumc.org. Questions? Please e-mail Lianne or call (229-1771).

Bereavement Support Group

“Honoring the Journey”

Meets the second Wednesday of each month from noon - 1:00 p.m. in the Church Den

TOPICS:

March 11 - The Unpredictable Journey of Grief

April 8 - Healing of Mind, Body and Spirit

May 13 - Soul-tending Practices

While this bereavement support group is created for those who have experienced the loss of a loved one to extended illness, all are welcome. You can come for any session. There are planned topics, but we will keep an open forum: brief devotion, reflections on the day’s topic, open conversation, and a brief closing prayer. We find healing through sharing our stories with one another, but we respect an individual’s desire to listen without sharing. Healing, hope and renewal can be found through honoring each individual’s unique grief process and recognizing that it is a journey that takes as long as it takes.

For questions about the Support Group, contact a facilitator:

• Deacon Francis Roettinger, froettinger@bedeva.org

• Nancy Rivero, (206-1943)

• Pastor Meghan Roth Clayton, mclayton@williamsburgumc.org or (229-1771 Ext 261)

Job Posting for Respite Care

Part Time RN Respite Manager

Since 2001, Respite of Williamsburg United Methodist Church has provided an afternoon social engage-ment program with stimulating activities for dependent seniors from all faith communities. We seek a part time (25 hours over 4 days/week), compassionate, enthusiastic nurse manager for our flagship program. Two years minimum experience with seniors living with dementia. BS in nursing or comparable, plus man-agement experience. Music, arts, exercise passion beneficial. Candidates interested in this rewarding ministry should submit a resume by March 15 to:

Carolyn Yowell, Executive Director Respite of Williamsburg United Methodist Church cyowell@williamsburgumc.org (229-1771 Ext 354)

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Rise Against Hunger Event Coming Soon

On Saturday, March 21 the church will mobilize to fill 40,000 bags of nutritious food for Rise Against Hunger (formerly known as Stop Hunger Now). We hope that you will want to join us that day to help those who need food. Rise Against Hunger saves lives by meeting the most basic needs of vulnerable people around the globe and by supporting safety net programs that provide nourishment and skills training to aid the difficult journey out of poverty.

We will be meeting on Saturday, March 21 at 8:45 a.m. in the Atrium to get ready to work. We need 130 people, so we hope many of you will be there. We will probably be finished by noon, but we ask for only the time you can give. There will be a sign-up table in the Atrium on Sunday, March 8 and Sunday, March 15. Also, you can call the Church Office (229-1771) to register.

Come and join us for this important service op-portunity!

Fifth Sunday Luncheon

Mark your calendars and plan to attend the Fifth Sunday Luncheon on March 29 sponsored by the Welcome & Hospitality Committee. The luncheon will be held in the Fellowship Hall fol-lowing the 11:00 a.m. worship service. Please

bring a covered dish to share.

This is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy good food and fellow-ship with each other! See you there.

Dr. Richard Freund to Speak

at Williamsburg United

Methodist Church

presented by the Historic Area Religions Together (HART) and Christopher Newport University

Williamsburg UMC is pleased to host Dr. Richard

Freund, the inaugural holder of the Bertram and Gladys Aaron Endowed Professorship in Jewish Studies at Christopher Newport University on Wednesday, March 25 at 7:00 p.m. This is pre-sented by The Historic Area Religions Together (HART) and CNU. At the height of World War II, the Nazis rounded up and killed over a 100,000 Jews from Vilna, Lithuania and from the ancient is-land of Rhodes in eastern Greece. Two ancient cit-ies where Jews had lived for centuries were de-stroyed within three years. Vilna was known as the “Jerusalem of the North,” and was seemingly des-tined to be forgotten. The Jews of Rhodes were seen as the elite of Sephardic Jewry, and they too, were almost forgotten. Until now. Freund and his team of students and staff have recovered what was thought to be a “lost history.” Join us as he recounts the dramatic escape from Ponar on the last night of Passover, 1944 and the escape tunnel they dug and learn what we now know about the last days of the 2,300-year-old Jewish community of Rhodes. Learn how archaeology and geoscience are transforming our understanding of the Holo-caust. Dr. Richard Freund has directed over 30 ar-chaeological projects in five countries and his dis-coveries have been featured in the New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, CNN and many other out-lets. The PBS “NOVA” science series chronicled his most recent work in Lithuania in the episode “Holocaust Escape Tunnel.” We look forward to having Dr. Freund here! All are welcome.

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Get Ready for Kits for 2020 Conference!

In 2019, folks at Williamsburg UMC sent 1,281 Kits (School and Hygiene) to Annual Conference, for distri-bution to areas around the USA impacted by disasters or other special need. Altogether, those Kits were val-ued at more than $15,000. Wow! Well done, saints!

Now it's time to begin preparing for our 2020 Kits for Conference drive! In March, while during your reg-ular shopping, be on the lookout for deals on toothbrushes and band aids. The toothbrushes should NOT be removed from the packaging and must NOT have personal advertising. The band aids should be ¾’” by 3”.

We will be receiving needed items at the church during the month of May, so simply keep those toothbrushes and band aids in a safe place at home until then.

Thank you for your continued generosity in this effort. Many hands and loving hearts make great miracles, as well as light work!

Watch future issues of The Messenger and weekly bulletins as plans develop. Let's Do This, and Make a Difference for Good in God's World!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Meals on Wheels is experiencing significant meal de-mand and is serving more people every day. Drivers are needed Monday through Fri-day. The commitment is for 1 1/2 hours per shift starting at 11:00 a.m. Please con-tact Sarah Grueter (229-9250) or Sarahjgrueter@gmail.com to volunteer. This is a great opportunity to help the elderly in our community with the daily food and safety check they need.

EARTH DAY 50th Anniversary April 22

In recognition of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day the WUMC Green Committee will sponsor a PLANT SHARE event on April 19, the Sunday after Easter. This has been a popular event for several years and we need your help. If you have any plant material (indoor or outdoor) to share, ie. rooted cuttings, ba-

bies, seeds, bulbs or roots, label them, bag them or pot them soon if possible and bring them to share with others. There will be committee members available to help you choose your new plant from 9:15 a.m. until noon. More info in the April Mes-senger.

The Green Committee is also initiating a Lenten Challenge which will begin on the first Sunday in Lent, March 1. A different challenge will be announced

each week in our bulletin. These small steps can help us to remember to care for the environment.

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Thank You Williamsburg UMC for your SOUPER hearts! On Sunday, February 2, our youth participated in the country’s largest youth-led weekend of giving and serving. We asked, and YOU stepped up! Numbers are still coming in nationally, but I can absolutely declare us all winners in this effort. As one church member put it, "[The youth ministry] is the team I'm rooting for!" 30 years ago one kid believed his youth group could make a difference. On Super Bowl Sunday, WUMC Youth surely did.

Williamsburg UMC Youth collected 416 food items and $1,304 following worship on Super Bowl Sunday. We logged our statistics on the Souper Bowl of Caring website (tacklehunger.org) and donated 100% of your gifts to the Wesley Campus Ministry Food Pantry. This organization is now better able to provide food to the hungry and compassion to the needy.

"I was hungry and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me drink . . . whenever you did this for one of the least of these followers of mine, you did it for me!"

Respite Welcomes

New Board Members

Respite of Williamsburg United Methodist Church welcomed five new volunteer board members: Rev. David Benedict, Jim Goldhammer, Dawn Michelle, Faith Shartzer, RN, and Terry Sweaney.

Respite has provided dependent seniors of all faith communities with afternoon social engagement and stimulating activities since 2001, allowing their family care partners time to replenish. Scholarships are available. Openings are available if you have friends or family who may benefit.

Contact Carolyn Yowell for information (229-1771 Ext 354).

Seated, from left: Rev. David Benedict, Vice Chair; Deacon Francis Roettinger, Chair; Bonnie Knizatko, Treasurer; Jim Goldhammer, Dawn Michelle, Terry Sweaney. Standing: Carolyn Yowell, Respite Direc-tor; Ken Turner; Nancy Ward; Ruth Simpson, Secre-tary; Barbara Monteith; Jan Boykin; Rev. Meghan Roth Clayton, WUMC Associate Pastor and Faith Shartzer (not pictured).

416 Food Items

+ $1,304

A Whole Lot of Caring!

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The Bible and Human Sexuality In the church, one of the most significant places of disagreement about sexuality

involves Biblical interpretation. How is it that faithful people read and understand the Bible differently? Why is it that traditionalists and progressives disagree on issues of LGBTQ inclusion, and yet both point to the Bible as a source of their beliefs about God’s intention for human relationships and sexuality?

As an introduction to these issues, you might want to look at the video link below. On your own, or in a class or small group, listen to two contrasting UM scholarly perspectives on Biblical Interpretation around LGBTQ+ issues. The presenters are both professors at the United Methodist Candler School of Theol-ogy at Emory University. Presenters are Rev. Dr. Kevin Watson and Rev. Dr. Kendall Soulen. See the video at:

https://www.ngumc.org/newsdetail/dunwoody-umc-hosts-dialogue-on-biblical-interpretation-and-human-sexuality-12829234

What’s Happening in the UMC?

Keep Up with the Latest . . . The 2020 UMC General Conference will meet in Minneapolis May 5 - 15. During these months of prepara-

tion, please keep the delegates and the whole church in prayer. To learn more about the issues coming be-fore the Conference, see the links below:

To learn more about all kinds of news from around the UMC, including information about General Confer-ence and the Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation, go to www.umnews.org. You can subscribe to regular email updates.

For more specific and detailed information about General Conference, go to: http://gc2020.umc.org/.

For detailed information about the Protocol, implementing legislation, and more, go to: www.gracethroughseparation.com/.

For more information about the Christmas Covenant, go to: https://www.umnews.org/-/media/umc-media/2019/12/19/20/51/christmas-covenant-document.ashx.

Before watching the video, take a few minutes to reflect on your own perspective. What ex-periences helped shape your be-liefs about the Bible and human sexuality? Try to cultivate your own curiosity by considering:

• “I wonder why some persons I respect have perspectives different from mine . . . ”

• “I wonder how my beliefs might be different if I’d had different experiences . . . ”

After each presentation, stop the video and reflect, on your own or with others:

• What did I hear that was new to me?

• How does this presentation fit with other things I’ve heard or been taught about these is-sues?

• How do the insights in this presentation address some of the challenges the church is facing?

• What questions would I like to hear this presenter address?

• Try to summarize the main points of the presenter.

After watching the dialog sec-tion (Part 2) that follows the two main presentations on the first video:

• Jot down the most significant points you heard.

• Make a list of others who might find this video worth watching.

• Think again of what further questions you have about the Bible and these issues.

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Condolences

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those who have passed away during the month of February:

Al Gunner

Endowment

Notes Consider making a special gift – at

year end, at Easter, in honor or memory of a loved one – to the Williamsburg United Methodist Church Endowment. Gifts of any size are welcome. Your gift to the Endowment provides enduring support for the ministry and mission of WUMC.

Thank you.

Prayers Can’t Be

Answered Unless They are Prayed

by Helen Steiner Rice

Life without purpose is barren indeed-

There can’t be a harvest unless you plant seed,

There can’t be attainment unless there’s a goal,

And man’s but a robot unless there’s a soul . . .

If we send no ships out, no ships will come in,

And unless there’s a contest, nobody can win . . .

For games can’t be won unless they are played,

And Prayers can’t be Answered unless they are Prayed . . .

So whatever is wrong with your life today,

You’ll find a solution if you kneel down and pray

Not just for pleasure, enjoyment and health,

Not just for honors and prestige and wealth . . .

But Pray For a Purpose to Make Life Worth Living,

And Pray For The Joy of Unselfish Giving,

For Great Is Your Gladness and Rich Your reward

When you make your Life’s Purpose the choice of the Lord.

For more information about our Prayer Ministry, contact Cindy Banek (229–1771 Ext 258) or

cbanek@williamsburgumc.org.

Thank You

Ann & Ron Vineyard wish to thank Williamsburg United Methodist Church for the prayer, cards, phone calls and numerous acts of kindness during the passing of our son, Steve. Especially appreciat-ed was the close contact with Pastor Meghan during this difficult time.

May God bless you all.

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The Messenger

A Monthly Publication of

Williamsburg United Methodist Church

500 Jamestown Rd., Williamsburg, VA 23185

Church Office (757-229-1771)

www.williamsburgumc.org

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RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

General Conference Information Session for Laity

March 17

1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

All laity are invited to an information session about General Confer-ence with Conference Lay Leader, Warren Harper. During this gather-ing, we will focus on how laity can serve on the local, district, and con-ference levels of the church. Additionally, we will discuss the impact that lay voices have at the General Conference and learn more about how we can support the members of our delegation as they prepare to serve in May 2020.

Sessions of this event will be held at St. Luke’s UMC, Yorktown. Please RSVP through St. Luke’s website (click on General Con-ference Laity Info Session) so, our hospitality team can pre-pare enough refreshments for the event.

St. Luke’s UMC 300 Ella Taylor Road Yorktown, VA 23692

(898-3017)

www.stlukesyorktown.org