We were glad not only to share God’s good news with you but also our very lives because we cared for you so much. -1 Thessalonians 2:8
Knightdale UMC came to be in 1917 thanks to the faithfulness of some very beloved daughters and sons of God who launched a new congregation out of the longstanding congregation at Oakey Grove Methodist Church in rural eastern Wake County.
Since then, in its almost 106-year history, KUMC has been a pillar of Christian service in its community, practicing the promise that God’s grace is free and for all people, and that all have a place at Christ’s ever-growing table. Paul’s encouragement to the church in Thessalonica encapsulates this well: “We were glad not only to share God’s good news with you but also our very lives because we cared for you so much.”
In recent decades the outward reach of suburbia around Raleigh has transformed Knightdale into more of a bedroom community, with new neighbors moving here every month. With the community always evolving to welcome new faces, cultures, and backgrounds, the congregation has had to rise to meet this challenge also.
KUMC has had to reimagine with God how to be good neighbors in our community in recent years. And Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians have given us our vision to be sharers of God’s good news through the sharing of our lives because we have learned how to care deeply for one another.
Over the last year, we have worked together to meet the needs of families experiencing crises due to various circumstances. This has included helping not simply with utility payments, but also in procuring beds, couches, and other furniture needs, as well as helping families search for affordable housing in our area. Everyone holds an important piece of the puzzle in the work of caring for each other.
We are grateful for the saints who paved the way for ministry here in Knightdale today, and we are hopeful for where God is leading us in this season.
Holy God, you spread a table far greater than we could spread ourselves. Your graceful hospitality shows us how to open our lives to others. Press us to make room so that the grace we have come to know in Jesus Christ may be freely lavished on those you have invited to be the church with us. Help us, we pray, to live your future until it becomes our reality. Amen.
Rev. Patrick Murphy serves as the pastor of Knightdale UMC in Knightdale, NC.
Our theme for this year’s Lenten reflections is Graceful Hospitality. 2023 marks the 70th anniversary of the Ten Dollar Club, now known as the New Room Society. We give thanks for our Conference’s ongoing commitment to co-creating new places for new people to gather in communion with Jesus Christ and extending graceful hospitality to all of God’s children.