Stories

University UMC Doors Vandalized

Stories Published on
May 21, 2021

When you drive past University United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill, you see a series of doors. Not just the physical doors that allow entry into the church, but a display of brightly-colored doors on the front lawn, proclaiming that “GOD’S DOORS ARE OPEN TO ALL.”

There’s another door at the far end – a black door that proclaims “BLACK LIVES MATTER” in bold lettering. But since that door first made its appearance last year, it has been vandalized multiple times. But the church and its members remain committed to sharing the message that God’s doors – and their doors – will remain open.

Just like the other times the door has been vandalized, the door has been reinstalled in its place on the front lawn. Rev. Coleman had this to say: “The church says ‘No one is going to be pushed down and pressed down. We are the people who lift one another up.’ And so, we symbolize it in lifting up a thing like a door again, once it’s been knocked down, but we enact it by lifting one another up and by refusing to let racism press anybody down.”

Other coverage of this story: WRAL, WNCN, WTVD

An Encouragement for May

Stories Published on
May 10, 2021

“My mother used to say,” the 95-year old church matriarch began (a phrase which usually indicated surprising humor or deep wisdom would follow), “your sacrificing years are the best ones; so don’t complain!” Her eyes twinkled as she gazed into my sleep-deprived eyes of early parenthood. Then she winked and squeezed my hand, because we both knew that there was indeed a right and holy time for some complaining. Especially when lack of sleep is involved.

Still, her mother’s words have stayed with me. Time and again I’ve found that the most beautiful and best moments of life are often tangled up in the hardest and most painful ones.

For many of us, this past pandemic year has been a doozy of a “sacrificing year.” We have been walking through a dark valley, stumbling upon hard moments in life and ministry. We shake with grief as we consider all we’ve lost, all we’ve endured.

And yet…even in the darkest valleys, God nestles pretty meadows and peaceful waters. God weaves beauty into hardship like a master artisan. Into grief and hurt and despair, God weaves joy and kindness, laughter and hope, playfulness and rest, love upon love. So that the final masterpiece of our life, once completed, is a tapestry of grief and joy, sacrifice and abundance, despair and hope, all mingled together, telling a grand, powerful story of Divine Love.

So maybe it’s true after all, our sacrificing years can be our best years. And maybe we ought not complain…at least too much.

Read Psalm 23:1-4

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—
they comfort me.

Reflect: The Good Shepherd is leading you through your dark valley, providing refuge in green pastures along the way. There the Good Shepherd makes you lie down and be restored by the goodness in life. How has God comforted you in the dark valley lately? And with what beauty and goodness has God restored your soul?

Take Action: Lie down in a green pasture. Literally. Rest for a while, complain to God a bit if it would help, and then give thanks for the miraculous ways God restores your soul, even in the darkest valley.

In partnership,
Center for Leadership Excellence and the Commission on the Status and Role of Women

We are grateful to the Rev. Laura Johnson, Teaching Pastor at Apex UMC, for writing this month’s issue of Encouragements.

Churches Host Vaccination Clinics

Stories Published on
April 20, 2021

Over the past year, churches have found ways to help local communities during the pandemic through food distribution programs and remote learning spaces for students. As COVID-19 response efforts continue, Disaster Ministries and churches within the NC Conference have worked with health care providers to volunteer at vaccination clinics. Here are a few churches that have been serving at vaccination clinics in their communities:

Garner UMC

Garner UMC hosted a COVID-19 vaccination clinic on April 2 and April 3 in collaboration with Josefs Pharmacy. 1,100 persons were vaccinated at the clinic. Garner UMC is hosting a follow-up clinic on April 23 and April 24.

Photo provided by Rev. Greg Jenks

Fiesta Cristiana Mission Congregation

The Fiesta Cristiana Mission Congregation (FCMC) partnered with El Centro Hispano (ECH) and Wake County to host a COVID-19 vaccination event on March 11 in Apex. The main goal was to reach out to Hispanic-Latinx persons in the area. 300 doses of the Moderna vaccine were administered. A second shot was scheduled for April 8.

Photo provided by Rev. José Luis Villaseñor

Pastors José Luis Villaseñor of Fiesta Cristiana and Laura Katherine Stern of Apex UMC were on site to welcome Dr. Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson who serves North Carolina as the State Health Director and the Chief Medical Officer for the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Tilson and Pastor Laura Katherine received their first vaccines at the event. In speaking to local media, Dr. Tilson highlighted the importance of doing more to reach out to Hispanic-Latinx persons.

Photo provided by Rev. José Luis Villaseñor

FCMC and ECH are currently working to organize a vaccination event in April in the Angier/Fuquay Varina area. FCMC and ECH are also partnering to continue the distribution of PPE. They have partnered in the past to organize COVID testing events.

Story submitted by Rev. José Luis Villaseñor

Lake Waccamaw UMC

Amy Sessions, a member of Lake Waccamaw UMC, who is also a Pharmacist, noticed that out of the first 50 shots that she administered, only two of them went to African Americans. Out of Amy’s concern, Pastor Dalma Cribb notified Pastor Carl Nichols of the AME Zion lake church, inquiring of the possibility of holding a vaccine clinic focusing on African Americans. Pastor Carl and Amy organized the clinic with several area AME Zion Churches.

On March 17 at Lee’s Chapel in Bolton, members of Lake Waccamaw UMC registered and administered vaccines to 66 individuals. The day was filled with the development of new relationships, the sharing of personal stories, laughter, lots of celebrating as each person received the vaccine, and hope was given. Many of the conversations focused on the ability to spend time with family and friends as more people receive the vaccine.

Photo taken by Rev. Dalma Cribb

On April 14, the Lake Waccamaw team returned to Lee’s Chapel to administer the second dose of the vaccine and a few first doses. During the day, friendships were strengthened and wishes were made to see one another again through shared worship.

Story submitted by Rev. Dalma Cribb

La Semilla

La Semilla, in collaboration with Wake County and WakeMed Health, hosted a vaccination event on February 20 to vaccinate 200 people focusing on Hispanic-Latinx persons. La Semilla has volunteered at several other clinics in Raleigh, Greensboro, and Durham.

Watch “La Semilla Helping to Vaccinate the Community.”

Has your church held a clinic?

We would like to know how many clinics have been held in the NC Conference of The UMC and how many people were vaccinated. If your church has had a clinic, please fill out the Church Vaccination Clinic form.

If you would like to volunteer at a vaccination clinic, visit the COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic Volunteer page to sign up for an upcoming clinic.

Kaleidoscope 2021: Staying Safe During a Pandemic

Events, Stories Published on
April 20, 2021

This past weekend, we were able to have our first 2021 in person youth event for our middle schoolers at Camp Don Lee. Please watch the video to see what the Deans of Kaleidoscope and some of the youth attending had to say.

Disaster Ministries Volunteers at COVID-19 Community Vaccination Clinics

Stories Published on
April 13, 2021

As a part of our mission to be a caring Christian presence in the aftermath of disaster, we have found ways to expand our disaster recovery and relief efforts to help communities with COVID-19 response by donating personal protective equipment to hospitals and volunteering at COVID-19 vaccination centers.

Al Miller, Director of Disaster Ministries, and Ann Huffman, Conference Disaster Response Coordinator, have worked with health care providers to provide non-medical volunteers for vaccination clinics in Cumberland County and Johnston County.

Photo by Jaye White. Pictured Rev. David Blackman, Steve Taylor, Director of Connectional Ministries, Mark White, and Al Miller, Director of Disaster Ministries.

In February, Disaster Ministries and our Early Response Team members volunteered with Cape Fear Valley Health at a two-day community clinic at E.E. Smith High School. The non-medical volunteers assisted with registrations and directing traffic. Many of the volunteers returned to help at the following community clinic in February and throughout March.

volunteers working at vaccination clinic

Photo by Steve Taylor.

Thank you to all of the volunteers and health care providers who have donated their time to help local communities.

Visit the COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic Volunteer page to sign up for an upcoming clinic. For more information, contact our Call Center at 888-440-9167 or disaster@nccumc.org.

An Encouragement for April

Stories Published on
April 13, 2021

As spring is arriving and the earth is warming, it’s time for me to dust off my trusty bike and start to use a little peddle-power for exercise and entertainment. No one has ever looked at me and thought, there’s a cyclist. But I love riding my bike.

I also love watching cycling, especially the Tour de France. It is a grueling, three-week race that requires incredible endurance, but the most amazing part to me is the teamwork. Even though it is an individual sport, riders protect their own teammates. Teams work together by riding in a line, with each person taking a turn being in front and creating a draft or a “slipstream” to give their teammates an easier place to ride. If there is a breakaway, you will even see members of opposing teams working together to draft one another to maintain their breakaway. Some riders would never finish the race if it weren’t for their teammates.

Read Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their hard work. If either should fall, one can pick up the other. But how miserable are those who fall and don’t have a companion to help them up!

Reflect: We are not meant to journey alone. Some days we are out front peddling hard and other days we rest in the slipstream of those ahead. Who are the people you can count on as your teammates in ministry? And how are you a teammate to others who are journeying alongside you?

Take Action: This month, reach out to your “teammates,” and find ways to create slipstreams for each other. We all have tough times, perhaps caused by the loss of a loved one, a breakup, job loss – or just life, especially life this past year. We all need to have those safe places, those safe people, where we can rest, even as we continue the journey.

In partnership,
Center for Leadership Excellence and the Commission on the Status and Role of Women

We are grateful to Gayle Tabor, lay speaker and preacher for St. Paul UMC’s Carolina Beach’s Church at the Boardwalk, for writing this month’s issue of Encouragements.

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