United Methodist Churches in the Western North Carolina Conference (WNCC) are encouraged to participate in a special offering for the Tornado relief efforts in the affected conferences in the Southeast Jurisdiction following the devastating tornado outbreaks earlier this month. SMUMC will participate in this effort by collecting an offering on Sunday, Dec. 26. If you want to participate, please place your contribution in an offering envelope and label it “Tornado Relief.” You may drop the envelope in one of the offering boxes in the Sanctuary, mail it to the church office or drop it in the mail slot on the Britton Street door. 

It’s time to decide! Please submit your commitment and pledge cards by the Sunday, Nov. 28, deadline. The Saint Matthews 2022 Pledge Form is available online (click here) as well as at the registration desk in the Narthex and at the Britton Street entrance where commitment cards and envelopes are also available.

A special charge conference will convene  Sunday, Nov. 28, at 12:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. The purpose of the meeting is to charge the trustees with approving or disapproving bankruptcy plans for the Boy Scouts of America as it relates to the local Boy Scouts in the United Methodist Church. 

The Creation Care Ministry wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving and asks you to consider the following while planning for the holiday:

1. Take stock before shopping to avoid duplication and food waste. Make room in the refrigerator/freezer beforehand to help reduce accumulation and waste. 
2. Consider going meatless. Check the internet for delicious vegetarian or vegan main dish recipes. If skipping a turkey isn’t an option, consider heritage breed or cage-free turkeys ideally raised by a local farmer. 
3. Choose a cage-free chicken if going vegetarian or vegan is not an option (and you don’t like turkey). 
4. Choose recipes that call for little or no dairy and eggs, when possible. Opt for organic/cruelty-free brands. 
5. Pick reusable dishes for serving instead of disposables as well as eco-friendly (non plastic) items for storage such as Bee’s Wrap, glass jars, linen bowl covers and recycled aluminum foil. 
6. Do not prepare dishes that are unpopular. Limit use of prepared foods, which can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with food production. 
7. Make food from scratch. 
8. Eat everything on your plate. Recycle and compost food scraps. 
9. Plan in order to eliminate extra trips to the store. This will also help minimize carbon dioxide emissions and combat global warming/climate change. 
10. Coordinate with guests to avoid duplication. Remember, the goal is a reduction in food waste. 

II Corinthians 9:11 — You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Free smart phone in-person workshops will be conducted Saturday, Oct. 16, and Sunday, Oct. 17 (please note, changes in COVID-19 restrictions may affect the dates). Topics will include smart phone types, smart phone features vs. other phones, cost vs. benefits, and smart phone technology features for safety, health, tracking and communication.

To prepare for the class, members and friends are asked to donate old smart phones to give away to those signing up for training. Please make sure the phones are in working condition and that they are stripped of any personal contacts, apps, etc.

Please email Russell Gibson with questions (see Sunday Bulletin for email address). To sign up for the class, call the church office, 336-272-4505.

The 41st annual Greater Greensboro CROP Hunger Walk will be Sunday, Oct. 3. Registration and entertainment begin at 1:30 p.m., with the walk beginning at 2:30 p.m.

CROP Hunger Walk T-shirts are $6, and orders may be placed beginning Sunday, Aug. 22.

CROP Hunger Walks help to support the overall ministry of Church World Service, especially grassroots, hunger-fighting development efforts around the world. In addition, the Greater Greensboro CROP Hunger Walk returns 25% of the funds it raises to Greensboro Urban Ministry’s Potter’s House Community Kitchen.

CROP Hunger Walks help to provide food and water, as well as resources that empower people to meet their own needs. From seeds and tools, to wells and water systems, to technical training and micro-enterprise loans, the key is people working together to identify their own development priorities, their strengths and their needs – something CWS has learned through more than 70 years.

Greensboro Beautiful is hosting The Big Sweep, Oct. 2–18, and volunteers are needed to collect litter from waterways, streets and neighborhoods.

Each fall Scout troops, community organizations, faith communities, schools, businesses and families take part in this activity, showing our community’s concern for cleaner waterways and public areas. Any church committee/ministry area or individual volunteer is invited to participate.

The Big Sweep is sponsored in part by the Rotary Clubs of Greensboro.

The SMUMC church family is invited to the Unity Prayer Parade on Saturday, Sept. 25, at 10 a.m. The name of Jesus will be lifted in prayer and worship as participants walk a circle around downtown Greensboro. The event will kick off with praise and worship at Greensboro Governmental Plaza, 110 S. Greene Street.

There are two ways to register:

1. Eventbrite: https://unityprayerparade.eventbrite.com
2. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unityprayerparade

Saint Matthews UMC will celebrate its 155-year anniversary during the 2021 Homecoming and Revival: After the Storm (Psalm 27:4-6 and James 1:2-5).

The homecoming service is Sunday, Sept. 19, at 10 a.m., and Dr. Samuel Moore Jr. will be the speaker. The revival is Sept. 20-22, 7 p.m., and Rev. Rodvegas Ingram Sr. will be the speaker.

Theme attire: Sunday, “African/Olden Days”; Monday, “Come Respectfully as You Are”; Tuesday, “Holy Spirit Red T-shirt”; and Wednesday, “Dress Your Best in Faith.”

Creation Care Saint Matthews UMC is now a part of the Partners in Health and Wholeness Collaborative – North Carolina Council of Churches. Our commitment is to healthy eating, smoking cessation, health aging, mental health awareness and increased physical activity. An October festival is being planned with the theme of healthy eating featuring produce from our very own garden. Please join us in the pledge to lead healthy, more wholesome lives by completing a health survey. The deadline is Sept. 15. Contact Karlah Burton, chairperson, with questions.