Weddings are conducted in our beautiful sanctuary, which is available to both members and friends of the congregation. It is a lovely setting for weddings both large and small.

The Church also offers a small group class for all wedding couples called Making Love Last a Lifetime.

Contact Laura Flinchum, Wedding Coordinator, at lflinchum@att.net or at 704.766.0428, to learn more or to confirm date availability.

Room In The Inn at FUMC is on Sunday nights. Homeless men, women and children are served dinner and provided a warm, safe place to sleep in the Fellowship Hall. Showers are available. Breakfast is served the next morning and guests receive a bag lunch.

Volunteers are needed to prepare and serve food, fellowship and serve as overnight hosts for the guests. To learn more, please contact Sandi Ridout at 704.650.2353 or s.b.ridout@att.net.

Adult Sunday School
Sunday – 9:45am-10:45am

Gathering Class
Meets in the Gathering Classroom, 2nd Floor Office Suite; various ages.

Seekers Class
Meets in the Small Dining Room of the Fellowship Hall; various ages. Contact Joe Hamby, 704.574.6154.

Adult Fellowship Class
Meets in the 2nd Floor, Office Suite; older adults; led by Rev. Bob Boggan. Contact Ann Irwin, 704.588.4480.

Meditation Class
Meets in the Parlor off of the Fellowship Hall. Contact Jane Patterson, 704.334.7145.

CONNECT
Meets in the Library. Discuss the message from the CONNECT service and connect with others. Contact Jonathan Coppedge-Henley, jonathanch@fumccharlotte.org.

Other Groups

Young Adults Fellowship Group
Meets at the Warehouse, 1001 West 1st Street, Uptown on Sundays at 7:00pm. Contact Paige Wilson, apw78@aol.com.

Small Groups
Small group communities gather for supportive Christian friendship, accountability, encouragement, reflection and prayer. Contact the Church Office to find out more information.

DISCIPLE Bible Study
This Bible study is an in depth, year long study of Scripture. Call the Church Office for dates and times of this course offering.

This Week’s First Connections | February 15, 2012

To learn more about how to get involved, please contact Phyllis Johnson 704.542.6355.

Gethsemane Healing Team
Commits time, talents and Gifts of the Spirit to the healing of the mind, body, spirit and relationships of congregants, guests and the community-at-large. Offers the Ritual of Healing once a month on Communion Sunday. If interested contact Charles Walkup at 704.552.2843.

Prayer Covenant Network
Pray for prayer requests submitted to the Gethsemane Prayer List. Prayer lists will be emailed (preferable) or mailed to network participants to pray over during regular, personal prayer time; and/or volunteer to pray in the prayer room (Bishop’s Office, located near the Sanctuary) on a monthly or weekly schedule.

Prayer Before Worship
Volunteer to pray with the pastors before the Worship Services in the Prayer Room (Bishop’s Office, located near the Sanctuary). If interested in prayer before worship contact Jinny Mitchell at 704.561.7023.

Prayer Event Team
Help plan, promote and implement various prayer events through the year. If interested contact the Church Office.

To my FUMC Family,

There was a moment on Sunday where it struck me just how truly blessed we are at FUMC…how truly blessed we are to be loved children of God. This realization did not come to me while I was taking communion at Connect or even while I was listening to Jonathan’s inspired sermon for the second time in the Traditional Service. It didn’t come as I was singing “O for a Thousand Tongues” or “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” at the top of my lungs. The realization didn’t come when I took my families pledge for next year to the rail or after the services as I helped gather and sort those cards. I realized how blessed I was…how blessed we all are….when I walked into the Fellowship Hall and saw God’s love in action. At that moment, God showed me the wonders that can be had with fried chicken and casseroles…with food and fellowship.

Thank you to all who participated by bringing a dish in to share. Thank you to all who helped with setting-up and cleaning-up. Thank you all who blessed us with your fellowship.

I also want to say thank you to all who pledged your time and talents and gifts for next year.

Now I know some of you did not receive your Stewardship packets in the mail in time or maybe just forgot to bring them on Sunday. Don’t worry…there is still time to get them into us before the final tally is needed for budgeting purposes for next year. Bring your completed cards to the Church Office or drop them in the mail or you can just hand them to me. If you pledged last year “save us a call” as we will be contacting those who we don’t hear from! If you have not pledged in the past but are a regular giver, please consider pledging this year – it will really help us plan our ministry for 2012.

I know at the beginning of this journey I asked that you all pray and to ask God some very specific questions. My hope is that you have enjoyed the conversation. My prayer is that you will continue this conversation with God for the rest of your lives.

Grace,

Steve Kurt

Stewardship Chair

(The 5’8” Mason & Hamlin grand, dedicated in 1964, currently resides in the choir rehearsal room.)

View of the Young Chang 6’1” grand, with Soli Deo Gloria music banner in the background

Close-up of the Young Chang piano console

Close-up of the needlepoint piano bench cover

Needlepoint piano bench cover presented to First United Methodist Church September 1994
in honor of the children and grandchildren of
Joe and Loretta Lentz and Jack and Betty Jeanne Gray:
Joe Lentz, Jr. – Adam and Brandon
Elaine Lentz
————
Karen Gray Morgan – Justin and Jonathan
William E. Gray, II – Tripp and Kali
Robin Gray Mullis – Anna and Caroline
Alison Gray Appel – Jesse and Sarah

The needlepoint design matches the communion rail kneelers.

Needlepoint work: 233 hours
Needlepoint craft by:
Betty Jeanne Gray
Loretta Lentz

All photos courtesy of Chris Wysocki.

Join us every third Tuesday of the month as we welcome various guest speakers that are prominent in the Charlotte Community. Tuesday Topics takes place from September- June at 11:30 am in the Fellowship Hall. Lunch and parking is provided for those who attend.

Contact Hank Donaghy for more information, hdonaghy@finsvcs.com.

Boyd Johnston – Director
Don Kaufhold – Accompanist

The Chancel Choir assists the gathered community of faith in worship through the singing of the praises of God.  Our choristers help guide and enhance the worship experience at the 11:00am Sunday service as well as other liturgical services throughout the year and is a vital ministry in the building up of the Body of Christ.

At the founding of the church in 1927 (then known as First Methodist-Episcopal Church, South), there was no chancel choir – only a paid quartet.  Over the years, the quartet eventually grew into the chancel choir of today, which is divided into Soprano I & II, Alto I & II, Tenor I & II (baritone) and Bass I (baritone) & II.

We learn and sing a wide variety of musical styles, from the baroque style of Antonio Vivaldi to Taizé and other modern-day composers. The FUMC choir presents annually a cantata or major choral work during Advent and begins preparation with a fall choir retreat. The choir also gathers annually for a Christmas party hosted at the home of one of our members.

Singing in the choir family at FUMC is a supportive, spiritually-based environment that includes education and growth: not only do we sing together, but we also minister to one another on a regular basis through the weekly sharing of joys, concerns, and prayer. Our choir does not perform – our choir returns the gifts that God has given them in the form of a stewardship of talents.

The Chancel Choir rehearses on Thursday evenings from 7:30pm-9:00 pm (September – May) and 7:00pm-8:30pm (June-August) on the 3rd floor of the Education Building in the Raymond Brietz, Jr. Choir Room and from 10:00am-10:30am on Sunday mornings in the sanctuary.  The choir is open to adults who love to sing and are willing to give their time in preparation of leading worship and other occasional seasonal services.

New members are always welcome any time of year: trained and experienced singers, lay music lovers, and everyone in between!  Contact Boyd Johnston or Don Kaufhold, 704.333.9081 x112.

The Chancel Handbell Choir

Boyd Johnston – Director

The Chancel Handbell Choir provides a rich enhancement to the worship experience at the 11:00am Sunday service. The camaraderie of this group also provides ample opportunity for adults to become part of a small faith community within the congregation and to participate in worship leadership at FUMC. The handbell choir rehearses on Thursday nights (with a short break over the summer months) from 6:30pm-7:30pm in the sanctuary and on Sunday mornings as announced when playing at the 11:00am service.

New members are always welcome for those who are able to committ their time in preparation of leading worship with this cohesive group of players.  Contact Boyd Johnston, 704.333.9081 x112.

CONNECT

The alternative CONNECT service offers praise and worship through a band and singers. They are always looking for new musicians, audio/video assistants and singers. They practice on Wednesday nights at 5:30pm in the Sanctuary. Contact Jennifer Wallis for more information, jwallis@fumccharlotte.org.

Read more about the History of the Music Ministry

A History of Music Directors/Choir Directors

A History of Organists

Hook & Hastings Organ (1928-1967)

Moller Opus 10260 Organ (1967 to present)

Virtual Tour of the Moller Opus 10260

Sanctuary Grand Piano/Young Chang