THE AMBASSADOR So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20). Volume 16, Issue 2 A newsletter for the Pastors and Lay Leadership of the Charlottesville District March 2018 C Ville Apt. Project The Apartment That Love Built Contributions $128,465.67 as of 7/1/17 $400,000 Goal C ville Apt. Project Donations There is a change in the procedure for giving to the Charlottesville Apt. Project. As we continue our fund raising efforts for this ministry, please make your checks payable to Charlottesville District UMC and in the memo line write Apt. Project. Mail your contributions to: C'ville UMC District Office 914 E. Jefferson Street, Suite 104 Charlottesville, VA 22902 Or you can send the gift with your district apportionments. Please specify the amount for the Apt. Project. Thank you!. Fundraiser for Apt. Project Aprons are now available for $10.00 each. Please contact Linda Truslow in the District Office to order: charlottesvilledistrict@vaumc.org. Official 2018 VBS Preview/Workshop Want a more in-depth look at Cokesbury VBS? You are able to do so on March 17, 9:00-11:30 AM at Greene Memorial United Methodist Church in Roanoke. See the flier attached to this newsletter for more details. The Virginia Annual Conference Vision to be Disciples of Jesus Christ who are lifelong learners who influence others to serve. Apartment Project Update The Charlottesville District Vision Team desires to create more housing options for people with intellectual disabilities so that they can live safely, meaningfully, and as independently as possible as our neighbors. We envision building an apartment building where each person s unique gifts and talents are valued and utilized for the good of the community, where each person feels respected and enjoyed, and where each person looks out for his neighbors. We long for a community that is welcoming and safe for all people, including people with intellectual disabilities. God continues to move the Charlottesville District forward with this project. Hinton Avenue United Methodist Church is considering donating their educational wing to be renovated into apartments. An architect has sketched three very different and creative possibilities of how the educational wing might be renovated into apartments. The Vision Team and the trustees from Hinton Avenue UMC have together selected one of these to continue investigating. This plan that we selected will allow us to form 16 apartments by adding an additional floor to the educational wing. Fifteen of those apartments will have two bedrooms; one apartment will have one bedroom. The plan also includes a courtyard, a fitness room, and laundry facilities. We hope that the church s social hall can be used for joint activities between apartment residents and members of the church congregation. Our next step in this project is to have the property rezoned to allow for apartments. We have already communicated with the zoning department, who seemed supportive of our project and of the rezoning. Gaining neighborhood support is very important in getting our rezoning request approved. We intend to meet with the neighborhood association soon to explain our hopes for this project, show them the initial sketches, and receive their input. We want to be good neighbors, and so we intend to sincerely take their concerns and observations to heart. After the rezoning has been approved, we will begin recruiting one or more new partner organizations. Just as we used to partner with Heart Havens, we hope that our future partner(s) will be both a financial partner and will bring to the table expertise in serving people with intellectual disabilities and/or developing and managing apartments. The Vision Team would like to thank everyone for your generous support of this project. The fundraisers that are constantly being held by congregations across the district continues to warm our hearts. Thank you for caring about our brothers and sisters with intellectual disabilities. Please continue to pray for this project and for people with intellectual disabilities.
Do you like to BOWL? Would you like to BOWL for a good cause??? The Charlottesville District Mission Team is planning their 3 rd bowling event in support of the Charlottesville Apartment Project... "Bowling for a Cause", to be held on Sunday afternoon, March 18th, from 2-4 PM at Keglers Bowling Alley. The District Mission Team is currently putting together 12 teams of 6 people. (NO degree of skill or prior bowling experience is required). Shoe rental is free and plenty of bowling balls will be available. Each TEAM Member is required to get pledges from ANYONE who will donate any amount of money from $1.00 to $100.00. The TEAM is responsible for raising a minimum of $600 total. Of course you can raise more. If you would like to sponsor a TEAM or a member of a team, your check can be made to the Charlottesville District with Charlottesville Apartment Project Bowling Event in the Memo line. All proceeds will be used to help build/buy a residential facility in the Charlottesville District for adults with intellectual disabilities. NOTE: This is a DISTRICT event and only 12 lanes are reserved... If we get more than 6 people per team who would like to participate, we are allowed to form a SECOND TEAM... However, that TEAM would also be required to raise a minimum of $600. If you have ANY questions or would like to sign up for a team, please contact Deb Reynolds rynldsdeb@gmail.com or give her a call 295-8217. You can help build the community that love built in the Charlottesville District! Help us open a heart. There is a flier attached to the email with this newsletter with the details so you may share with your congregations. Bishop s Convocation on Race and Reconciliation Saturday, April 14, join Bishop Lewis and the Virginia Conference in the difficult conversations we need to have related to issues of racial division, justice, and God s call to ministries of reconciliation and peace. It will be held at Annandale UMC (6935 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA) from 9 am 5 pm. Register on the Conference calendar: http://www.vaumc.org, ($10.00 including lunch.) There is a flier attached to the email with this newsletter with more details. Collection for Migrant Populations The following list of items are being collected to assist the migrant population in our area: school supplies backpacks single sheets and blankets gift cards or gas cards hygiene items (shampoo, toothpaste and brushes, soap, sunscreen, and band aids) Open House at Westview on the James April 29, 2018 12:30 pm 4:30 pm at Westview on the James. Lunch and refreshments provided. Come tour the camp, try some activities and meet the staff. For details on the Resident Camps, Adventure & Mission Camps as well as the Mini Camps, see the flier attached to the email with this newsletter. Mission Trip I am planning the spring mission trip. The trip will be April 15-21. If you missed the first planning meeting, contact Scott Fellows at the email below. This trip will be geared for our older members. Later start and ending earlier. Please pass the word. All are welcome. If you have questions, email me at engtwr30@yahoo..com. Scott Fellows Charlottesville District UMW Annual Lenten Breakfast and Service Saturday, March 3, at 9:00 am, the breakfast will be held at Gordonsville UMC. Testimony will be given by Beth Weedor, Missionary and Founder of the Pedals of Hope Academy for Girls in Liberia, Africa. There will also be a message by Joan Hutter, Founder of Women Abide! In Charlottesville. The breakfast is potluck. Please RSVP to DCKGlobal@yahoo.com. More information is available on the flier included in the email with this newsletter. Come Pray with Us at the Kindred Project The Kindred Project is a group of clergy and laity who gather together for the practice of spiritual disciplines, contemplative prayer, and fellowship. A new group has started in the Charlottesville District. We gather on the second Tuesday of each month at First United Methodist Church, 101 East Jefferson Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902. We meet from 8:00 am until about 10:00 am. We pray, have some time of silence, share, and celebrate Holy Communion. Beginners and long-time practitioners of spiritual practices are welcome. Our next meeting is Tuesday, March 13. Join us in our stillness, as we discover the Holy One in our midst. For more information or to get on our email reminder list please contact the Rev. Bruce Lugn at brulugn@gmail.com or the Rev. Tom Frost at tefrost@aol.com. Donated items can be dropped off at the District Office (M-F from 9AM until 3PM). March 2018 Page 2
District Youth Dates for 2018 Fifth Sunday Praise and Worship April 29, July 29, September 30, and December 30. We need Host Churches for all of these dates. The District Youth Council plans and leads the worship service. We just need a sanctuary where we can gather with friends from across the District. Save the Dates! District Youth Rally August 26,2018 Host church needed! Mission Blast Saturday November 3, 2018 Aldersgate UMC in Charlottesville Teams will be going to different sites around Charlottesville for service projects and there will be a RAH Packaging Event that afternoon. All District Churches are challenged to raise at least $160 for Rise Against Hunger. Money is already being raised for this event. We normally pack 10,000 meals, but let's see if we can top that this year! Questions or to host an event, contact RebeccaWagner DCYMCoordinator @ wagnerwimps@yahoo.com or call 434-823-4645 Ready for the challenge? Bishop Lewis has charged the conference to read the Bible all the way through 2018 chronologically. You can find the whole year's schedule at the link: https://www.vaumc.org/pages/bishoplewis/2018biblechallenge. Michael Twitty visits UVA! The Wesley Foundation at UVA is thrilled to announce culinary anthropologist Michael Twitty as our 2018 McDonald Lecture guest on March 23-24! Author of "The Cooking Gene," a book equal parts thoughtful memoir and thorough history, Michael Twitty explores the South's troubled relationship with race through the lens of Southern cuisine and foodways. Twitty was recently named one of the 50 people changing the South by "Southern Living" and was named a 2016 Ted Fellow. Make plans now to join us for one or more events during his visit, which is offered in partnership with the Virginia Festival of the Book and MANY other ministries and UVA groups, departments, and organizations. Friday March 23rd at 2pm at the UVA Bookstore "Southern Food and Race: A Conversation" UVA professors Gertrude Fraser and Lisa Shutt join Michael Twitty in a discussion of race, power, cultural appropriation, and cultural diffusion in the world of Southern food writing and culinary politics. This event is part of the Festival of the Book and will include book sales and a signing after the talk. Friday March 23rd at 6pm at the UVA Ruth Caplin Theater "The Cooking Gene: A Journey through African American Culinary History in the Old South" Michael Twitty wanted to know more about his roots and heritage so he went on a multi state, international journey to discover his place in Southern food history and his place in the American story. Searching for his food roots and his family routes across the South he discovered a way to bring all Southerners to the table in a spirit of culinary celebration and spiritual and racial reconciliation. This event is part of the Festival of the Book and will include book sales and a signing after the talk. *Tickets are required but FREE at VABOOK.ORG* Saturday March 24th 11am-2pm [location TBA] Outdoor "Old South" period cooking demonstration and interpretation. Originally developed as part of his "Southern Discomfort Tour," in which he visited historic homes and plantations to re-interpret cooking methods and cuisine of enslaved people, Michael Twitty will offer a taste of how cooking and historical interpretation enlighten understanding. This is a drop-in event and participants will be able to ask questions and taste the dishes Twitty prepares. Michael Twitty's visit could not have come at a better time for UVA and Charlottesville. Make this visit one of the ways you choose to respond with #LoveOverFear and to #LoveYourNeighbor. For more information about the Wesley Foundation at UVA, please visit wesleyatuva.org. March 2018 Page 3
Lay Servant Academy The Lay Servant Academy, March 2-March 4, 2018, 4-H Center, Wirtz, VA, equips laity to carry out the mission of the church. The mission of the Virginia Annual Conference is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world by equipping its local churches for ministry and by providing a connection for ministry beyond the local church, all for the glory of God. Courses are open to anyone who would like to take one. Each course is designed to help those serving the local church learn more about leadership, personal faith development, and a deeper understanding of the UM Church. Registration is now available at https://www.vaumc.org/2018lsa. Share the Love The Wesley Foundation at UVA set up to Share the Love in February, giving away cookies and Wesley stickers to over 200 people! A Home Cooked Meal for College Students Wesley Foundations are United Methodist supported campus ministries. Did you know there is one at UVA? Located across from Grounds, this ministry invites, welcomes, and equips students to explore, engage, and embody an active and transforming faith. Weekly opportunities include Sunday night worship, Tuesday night dinner and forum (discussion focusing on faith-related topic), and small groups. One of our biggest weekly events is Tuesday night dinner. During the school year the Wesley Foundation offers free weekly dinners as a place for fellowship and a home cooked meal. I value Wesley dinners because I'm reminded of the community of students around me as well as the church community that exists around the university that is supporting us by giving their time and their service. - Emily Church As a graduate student I generally don't leave my lab until 9 or 10 at night. By the time I make it home, cooking for myself is the last thing on my mind so 90% of my dinners consist of frozen pizza or some other quick (probably unhealthy) alternative. Tuesday night dinners give me a chance to have a home cooked meal once a week that I can look forward to. - Philip Hahn If you are interested in providing dinner on a Tuesday night, please contact Leatha Harlow at leathaharlow@comcast.net. For more information about the Wesley Foundation at UVA, please visit: wesleyatuva.org. Raising Funds for Missionary Work The High Street United Methodist Church And the Christian Motorcycle Association "Wings Of Eagles Chapter are holding a charity ride event "Ride Against the Wind". It is Sat. May 19, 2018 from 9:00 am 1:00 pm, starting at High Street UMC, 31164 Camp Parkway, Franklin, VA 23837. All proceeds will go to U.M.C.O.R (United Methodist Committee on Relief) to help storm victims past, present, and future. Registration is at 9:00am. Kickstands up: 9:45am There will be a 70 mile ride through the country side ending back at the church for lunch. Bike Blessing Silent Auction Price: $20.00 per bike For questions Contact Richard Walker (757)617-1052 or walkerra1@live.com Dates to Remember March 2-4 March 3 March 13 March 17 March 18 March 23 Lay Servant Academy, Wirtz, VA Charlottesville District UMW at Gordonsville UMC Kindred Project First UMC VBS Preview/Workshop Greene Memorial UMC Bowling for a Cause Keglers Bowling Alley Michael Twitty, author, visits UVA March 2018 Page 4
Preaching that Connects in the 21 st Century Laity and Clergy Are Invited Date & Time: Wednesday, May 2, 2018 - from 9:00 AM 2:00 PM Please RSVP to Linda Truslow at 434.977.4254 or charlottesvilledistrict@vaumc.org Location: Cunningham United Methodist Church 3389 Thomas Jefferson Parkway Palmyra, VA 22963 In this workshop we will focus on the opportunities and challenges of preaching in the 21 st Century as we seek to effectively communicate the timeless truths of the Gospel in a rapidly-changing culture. Rather than proposing a singular right method, this workshop will focus on practical communication principles that can be applied to various styles of preaching. Reading list: Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World s Top Minds ~ Carmine Gallo https://www.amazon.com/talk-like-ted-public-speaking- Secrets/dp/1250061539/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UT F8&qid=1519578052&sr=1-1&dpID=41JSw4A- O2L&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=detail Communicating For A Change ~ Andy Stanley and Lane Jones https://www.amazon.com/communicating-change-irresistible- Communication- Resources/dp/1590525140/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=151957791 1&sr=8-1&keywords=communicating+for+a+change+andy+stanley Preaching at the Crossroads: How the World And Our Preaching Is Changing ~ David J. Lose https://www.amazon.com/preaching-crossroads-world- Preaching- Changing/dp/0800699734/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?s=books&ie=U TF8&qid=1519577959&sr=1-1&keywords=preaching+at+the+crossroads CEUs: Those attending the workshop will receive 0.5 CEUs. Those attending and reading two of the books on the reading list will receive 1.25 CEUs. Those attending and reading all three of the books on the reading list will receive 1.5 CEUs. The Faithful Aging Conference The Faithful Aging Conference attempts to address opportunities related to an aging congregation and meeting the needs of older members, inside and outside the walls of our faith communities. Presented by the Beard Center on Aging at Lynchburg College and Pinnacle Living, the conference will be held this year at Williamsburg United Methodist Church on Tuesday, April 24 th. The conference is supported by a range of sponsors including the Virginia Conference Older Adult Council. A request for.5 CEU for clergy and certified professionals has been submitted to the Virginia Conference Board of Ordained Ministry and Conference Committee on Lay Servant Ministries. The registration deadline is April 6, 2018. Cost is $40/individual which includes lunch, refreshment breaks, and all conference materials. Adults 65+ can register for $30/person. Groups of 3 or more individuals from the same church or organization can register for $25/person. Limited scholarship funds, sponsored by Pinnacle Living, are available for Virginia Conference United Methodist Church congregational teams. For more information about the scholarship assistance, contact me directly. To register on-line, visit www.lynchburg.edu/beard. Registration can be completed by mail using the last page of the conference guide. The guide is attached but can also be found by going to the April 24 th date on the VAUMC website calendar: https://vaumc.org/events?cid=3&ceid=1739&cerid=0 &cdt=4%2f24%2f2018 Relief Supply Kits Relief kits help provide care for the most vulnerable people during times of crisis. UMCOR collects hygiene, school, and cleaning kits for distribution within the United States. Kits help sustain everyday life for people who lack ready access to essential supplies when a disaster strikes. International distribution of relief supplies will be discontinued by December 31, 2017. Relief grants will be offered to international partners to allow for local purchase and assembly of kits which are more culturally appropriate. Here is a link to get the full information about the supplies needed. http://www.umcor.org/umcor/relief-supplies Note: Patriotic symbols, such as flags, do not need to be removed from relief kits. In the past, UMCOR requested that these were removed to ensure relief kits could move easily through international customs. This is not an issue for Hurricane Harvey relief kits. March 2018 Page 5
Rewoven After Jen Hatmaker s dog shredded an heirloom baby blanket, she piled up the dirty yarn and asked her mother-in-law to somehow reassemble the original. In Of Mess and Maxie (Nelson Brooks) Hatmaker explains how this is a picture of God s sovereign work. When our lives are tattered by sin and suffering, God doesn t start from scratch or create a replica. Instead, he uses the original threads to reweave a stronger version and to restore beauty. (Interestingly, when Joseph tells his brothers in Genesis 50:20 [ESV], You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, the word meant is Hebrew for wove.) Nothing bears a better witness than watching God resurrect someone s life, writes Hatmaker. That is a God who folds want to know, a God worth his glory. ~Newsletternewsletter, March 2018 Charlottesville District Youth Retreat Laughter, conversation, silence and voices lifted in praise to God--all this and more was experienced by peopling attending the Charlottesville District Youth Retreat at Westview on the James on February 24th and 25th. Chelsea Morse, a candidate for the ministry, was the speaker. Music was provided by "The Frame" led by Lee Baines from Orange, Virginia. Youth and adults gathered in small groups to discuss how to Do No Harm, Do Good and Stay in Love with God which were the topics of the teaching sessions. Money was raised over the weekend for the Youth Service Fund. Toiletries for Teens Opposing Poverty were collected and sorted. We began the process of making mats for the homeless using plastic bags and a loom. We are thankful for the unusually warm weather we had over the weekend. Thanks to everyone who attended and made this a wonderful and inspiring weekend. Newsletter Deadline - March 15 Please send your submissions for the April 2018 by March 15 to Carol Frost at cifrost@aol.com. The Ambassador by email If you would like to receive The Ambassador by email, or if your email address has changed recently, please send an email to the District Office with your request to CharlottesvilleDistrict@vaumc.org Attached to this email are fliers about the March 5 Talent Academy, Bishop s Convocation on Race and Reconciliation, VBS workshop, Charlottesville District UMW Annual Breakfast, Westview on the James summer information, and Bowling for a Cause. Remember to move your clocks forward when you go to bed on Sat. March 10. Daylight Savings Time begins at 2 am on March 11. March 2018 Page 6