We invite you to join us in praying with and for one another as a community of faith. Each prayer request represents someone in our church family who could use encouragement, support, and the power of prayer.  We are a community, and each of us has something to offer. Whether you are able to pray for a few moments or spend more time in prayer, we encourage you to pray as you feel led and as your time allows.
Our staff also faithfully prays over the entire prayer list each Tuesday morning, lifting each person and request before God.

Thank you for being part of a church family that cares, supports, and prays for one another. Together, let us continue to lift one another up in prayer.

The list will be cleared at the start of each month. You are welcome to resubmit prayers for as long as you like. Please also let us know when those prayers turn into praises! We want to celebrate and give glory to God for the ways in which God works.

We've got a lot happening over the next few weeks! Keep reading to stay up to date.

Bingo Bake Sale is a week from Sunday! Job sign ups will be available during Prayer Furnace and Fusion. ALL student volunteers eat for free! Type YOUTH into the Discount Code space.

https://universitycityumc.subspla.sh/w72bxgt 

The Christmas Store is December 12th from 9am-2pm! The link below will take you to the jobs list and you can sign up there. If you have any issues I can get you signed up.

https://subsplash.com/u/-ZQJX79/forms/d/775722bd-4046-434e-819b-3a1dce61023f

November 29th the Covenant Keepers will be providing a taco bar and helping us put together the bikes!

Fill out the form below to let me know if you can come to the Christmas Lock-in on December 18th!

Our 22nd Annual Bingo Bake Sale benefitting the Christmas Store is November 22nd, 5:00-7:30pm!  It is $10 per person and you get a Bingo card and auction number. Use the link below to register! You can pay with cash or card the day of too!

https://universitycityumc.subspla.sh/w72bxgt

We also need baked items to auction off and cookies for the Cookie Walk! Sign-up below.

https://subsplash.com/u/-ZQJX79/forms/d/c456e4f1-4476-4cdc-9a37-9b24913f34db

Keep an eye out this Sunday, November 15th, for the Angel Tree and the Food baskets!

All children whose families will shop at the Christmas Store on December 12th get placed on the Angel Tree. Each child gets a new set of clothes, socks, underwear, a new coat, and an age appropriate book. All Angel items need to returned in a large gift bag by Sunday, December 6th! The Angel Tree will be out in the Gathering Space on Sunday mornings.

Another thing that families receive at Christmas Store is a food basket. Each basket has a list of suggested food items that can inside. Please do not overfill the baskets, they break easily.  Baskets will be available to take in the Gathering Space and need to returned  by Sunday, December 6th.

One last way you can support the Christmas Store is by VOLUNTEERING! Click the link below to view the different jobs and get signed up.

https://subsplash.com/u/-ZQJX79/forms/d/775722bd-4046-434e-819b-3a1dce61023f

Thank you for all your support to make both of these events a success! As always, IT'S FOR THE KIDS!!!

Sunday, November 8, 2026
24th Sunday after Pentecost

Video Announcements 

Musical Call to Worship: How Beautiful (Arr. Larson)
Alisha Brown, Music Assistant/Accompanist, UCUMC

Welcome: Elijah Shabazz, Fusion Youth Ministry, Renovation Youth Choir

Prayer for Worship: Elijah Shabazz

Hymn: UMH # 467 Trust and Obey (vs. 1-3)
Matt Guild, Praise Team, Choir, Congregation

Message in Music: Offering (Arr. Schrader) Celebration Choir

Generational Ministries Moment: Kayla Belk,
Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries

Passing the Peace: Kayla Belk and Praise Band

Song: Forever (Tomlin) Praise Team, Congregation

Call to Offering: Elijah Shabazz

Prayer of Dedication and The Lord's Prayer: Elijah Shabazz

Offertory: First (Daigle, Mabury, Ingram, Fieldes, Bentley)
Sierra Miller and Praise Team

Series Video:The Thankful Podcast

Scripture: Luke 12:13-21 (NIV)
Elijah Shabazz

Message: Where is Home? 
Pastor Donnell FitzJefferies

Celebration of Holy Baptism and Membership: Lisa Tannery; Reese and Sierra Miller, Pastor Donnell

Song: For All You've Done (Moen)
Praise Team, Congregation

Sending Forth: Pastor Donnell

Sending Forth Music: Praise Band 

The Church's mailing address has changed:
University City UMC
PO Box 480021
Charlotte, NC 28269

The Annual Charge Conference will be held on November 15 in the Chapel. All members of the congregation are encouraged to attend and participate in this important gathering.
Please note that while everyone is welcome to attend, only members of the Board of Stewards are eligible to vote during the conference.
We look forward to seeing you there!

Please note that UCUMC has a new mailing address:
University City UMC
PO Box 480021
Charlotte, NC 28269

Budget Gifts Received (11/1/26) - $22,895
MTD Budget Goal - $11,000
MTD Receipts - $22,895
YTD Budget Goals - $660,000
YTD Budget Receipts - $639,624
Reach - $22,458  (Reach new year 11/1/25)

Restore, Renew, Rekindle
Amount Pledged - $425,327
Amount Given - $316,327
Amount Spent - $225,043

Birthdays and Anniversaries
For the month of November, we have the following staff birthdays (no anniversaries):
Birthdays – Chad Hancock - November 10,  Alisha Springer – November 15,  Mitch Benson – November 26
Chad, Alisha, Mitch   - We wish you Happy Birthday and the best for your next year around the sun!
UCUMC Laity Service Award – Drum Roll Please!
Every year, each church in the Metro District  can highlight a dedicated disciple whose life and service reflects the heart of Christian discipline.  We are blessed to have so many great leaders at UCUMC and it is always so hard to pick just one. This year we have selected Cynthia McCormick for the 2026 UCUMC Laity Service Award. Thank you, Cynthia, for all that you do to serve the church. The service awards will be presented to all the Metro District churches at the Laity Service Award ceremony right here in the UCUMC Worship Center on November 15 at 3:00 pm.
Cynthia has provided service to UCUMC in so many ways.

• Board of Stewards (BOS) chair for two years (a member for 3 years).
• Led the move to reduce the budgets with innovated changes in how we used our facility and redistributed responsibilities when two staff members decided to leave.
• Negotiated the agreement with Ignite Academy to lease our Disciple Center
• Now that she is off the BOS, she now leads the trustee committee, and assist the finance committee
• Member of the UCUMC Choir
• Member of the Reflection Sunday School class
• Leader of the Sew & Sew small group
• Member of the community garden small group
• Member of the Campus Transformation team

Upcoming Board of Stewards Meetings/Minutes
All church members are invited to attend Open Session parts of meetings. Due to time constraints, only invited guests or those who have requested time to speak beforehand on a particular topic will be provided time to share with the board. Please contact the board at BoS@ucumc.org to request time on the agenda. All meetings are held via Zoom and the link is provided below.
Regularly scheduled meeting:        Thursday, November 19, 2026 – 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Regularly scheduled meeting:        Thursday, December   3, 2026 – 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Click below to attend Open Session parts of BoS meetings.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84476033871

We invite you to join us in praying with and for one another as a community of faith. Each prayer request represents someone in our church family who could use encouragement, support, and the power of prayer.  We are a community, and each of us has something to offer. Whether you are able to pray for a few moments or spend more time in prayer, we encourage you to pray as you feel led and as your time allows.
Our staff also faithfully prays over the entire prayer list each Tuesday morning, lifting each person and request before God.

Thank you for being part of a church family that cares, supports, and prays for one another. Together, let us continue to lift one another up in prayer.

The list will be cleared at the start of each month. You are welcome to resubmit prayers for as long as you like. Please also let us know when those prayers turn into praises! We want to celebrate and give glory to God for the ways in which God works.

We have A LOT going on over the next few weeks! Keep reading to stay up to date.

This week during Fusion we will be getting the Angel Tree and food baskets ready so they can be put out next Sunday the 15th in preparation for the Christmas Store.

Sign-ups for Bingo Bake Sale will be available during Prayer Furnace and Fusion!

Don't forget to sign-up to attend IgniteUS so I can get us registered!

It is that time of year again! Our annual Bingo Bake Sale is coming up November 22nd, 5-7:30pm. All money raised goes to support the Christmas Store where families in our community can shop for the holidays.

Cost will be $10 per person and that includes your dinner as well as your Bingo card. We will be auctioning off delicious baked goods between games of Bingo and there will be a cookie walk where for $20 you can fill a box with as many cookies as will fit!

We would love to have you come out to the Bingo Bake Sale but we also need auction items made as well as cookies for the Cookie Walk! Scan the QR code or click the link below to sign-up to bring something.

https://subsplash.com/u/-ZQJX79/forms/d/c456e4f1-4476-4cdc-9a37-9b24913f34db

Other ways you can help can also include donating prizes (gift cards, gift baskets, etc) for the Bingo winners. 

Sunday, November 1, 2026
All Saints Sunday

Video Announcements

Musical Call to Worship: Raise a Hallelujah (Stevens, Hessler, Skaggs)
Renovation Youth Choir

Welcome: Bill Benson,
Campus Transformation Team

Prayer for Worship: Bill Benson

Hymn: UMH # 711 For All the Saints (vs. 1, 2, 4)
Matt Guild, Alisha, Choir, Congregation

Family First Moment: Janice Cloninger,
Director of Generational Ministries

Passing the Peace: Janice Cloninger and Praise Band

Song: 10,000 Reasons (Myrin, Redman)
Praise Team, Congregation

Call to Offering: Bill Benson

Prayer of Dedication: Bill Benson

Offertory and All Saints Remembrance: Sweet Beulah Land (Arr. Kirkland)
Celebration Choir.
Note: during this selection pictures of our dearly departed since All Saints 2025 will be displayed.

Series Video: Thanksgiving the Strange Paradox

Scripture: Luke 16:10-13 (NIV) Bill Benson

Message: In This Life and the Next; 
Pastor Donnell FitzJefferies

Confession, Assurance, Communion: Pastor Donnell

Communion Music: The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power (Crouch)
Christa Shephard-Shabazz, Praise Team

Song: The Blessing (Brown, Carnes, Jobe, Furtick) Praise Team, Congregation

Sending Forth: Pastor Donnell

Sending Forth Music: Praise Band

The Church's mailing address has changed:
University City UMC
PO Box 480021
Charlotte, NC 28269

Please note that UCUMC has a new mailing address:
University City UMC
PO Box 480021
Charlotte, NC 28269

Budget Gifts Received (10/25/26) - $11,288
MTD Budget Goal - $55,000
MTD Receipts - $48,798
YTD Budget Goals - $649,000
YTD Budget Receipts - $616,729
Reach - $22,213  (Reach new year 11/1/25)

Restore, Renew, Rekindle
Amount Pledged - $424,927
Amount Given - $315,927
Amount Spent - $225,043

Join us for a conversation with Leanna Pai (Ben and Susan Pai's daughter), Director of Advocacy and Clinical Services at Safe Alliance. Leanna will share about the important work Safe Alliance does to support individuals and families experiencing domestic violence, including the resources and services available in our community.
Whether you're looking to learn more, support someone in need, or explore ways to get involved, this session will provide practical guidance on recognizing when someone may benefit from Safe Alliance's services, how to make referrals, and opportunities to volunteer. There will also be plenty of time for questions and conversation.
Come connect, learn, and discover how we can all play a part in creating a safer, more supportive community.
Lunch of soup and sandwiches will be provided.

We invite you to join us in praying with and for one another as a community of faith. Each prayer request represents someone in our church family who could use encouragement, support, and the power of prayer.  We are a community, and each of us has something to offer. Whether you are able to pray for a few moments or spend more time in prayer, we encourage you to pray as you feel led and as your time allows.
Our staff also faithfully prays over the entire prayer list each Tuesday morning, lifting each person and request before God.

Thank you for being part of a church family that cares, supports, and prays for one another. Together, let us continue to lift one another up in prayer.

The list will be cleared at the start of each month. You are welcome to resubmit prayers for as long as you like. Please also let us know when those prayers turn into praises! We want to celebrate and give glory to God for the ways in which God works.

This volunteer opportunity is special.  You need to be able to connect with people from the community, people that you don't know and talk to them.  There is no age or stage cap on this volunteer opportunity because we can all be disciples.  If you don't hesitate to connect with people around you then this is the job for you.  

We've got A LOT coming up over the next few weeks! Keep reading to stay up to date.

Prayer Furnace 

This week we will be in the gym for the Town Hall meeting! The Town Hall will give students a chance to stay up to date with what is going on in the life of the church outside of our ministry. Parents you are welcome to join too. This is open to the whole church!

Fusion

Dinner will provided by Ms. Jyrl, she is making mac and cheese, chicken nuggets (veggie option available), salad, and dessert.

We will be talking about what the rest of the year will look like, Bingo Bake Sale, and Christmas Store!

Take note of the dates below. Both Bingo Bake Sale and the Christmas Store are youth hosted events so I encourage ALL youth to be present to help make it a success! All of these can also be used for volunteer hours needed for school!

Sunday, October 25, 2026
22nd Sunday after Pentecost

Video Announcements

Musical Call to Worship: Thine is the Glory (Arr. S.Geschke)
Joybells

Welcome: Cynthia McCormick,
Celebration Choir, Sew & Sews, Campus Transformation Team

Prayer for Worship: Cynthia McCormick

Hymn: UMH # 110 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (vs. 1-3)
Matt Guild, Alisha, Choir, Congregation

Message in Music: Lead Me, Lord (Arr. Cymbala)
Celebration Choir, Christa Shephard-Shabazz, soloist

Generational Ministries Moment: Kayla Belk,
Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries

Passing the Peace: Kayla Belk and Praise Band

Song: Praise (Lake, Moore, Brown, Carnes, Barrett, Furtick)
Praise Team, Congregation

Call to Offering: Cynthia McCormick

Prayer of Dedication and The Lord’s Prayer: Cynthia McCormick and Congregation

Offertory: Procession (McAninch)
Joybells

Series Video: Thanksgiving the Strange Paradox

Scripture: Matthew 13:44-46 (NRSV)
Cynthia McCormick

Message: Thanksgiving and Treasure
Pastor Donnell FitzJefferies

Celebration of Holy Baptism: Holden Miller;
Pastor Donnell

Song: In Christ Alone (Getty, Townend)
Praise Team, Congregation

Sending Forth: Pastor Donnell

Sending Forth Music: Praise Band 

The Church's mailing address has changed:
University City UMC
PO Box 480021
Charlotte, NC 28269

October has flown by!  I hope it has been good to you!  We have had a lot of fun in these first few weeks on Sunday mornings.  We have all been learning about the life of Moses.  

UC Kids Arts has been going great too!  Our UCKA Choir is learning music with boom whackers!  They are sounding really well with Mrs. Emily leading them.  Our Little Lambs are loving their time making joyful noises with Ms. Karen and Olivia.  

Each Sunday morning we need around 10 people to help everything run smoothly in UC Kids Zone and Nursery.  Not only have we not been playing from a full roster but we have lost a few faithful volunteers.  I am asking you to give some thought to how you can be a part of the Sunday Morning UC Kids Team.  There are many opportunities to serve including leading a small group.  Other opportunities include hall monitor, check-ins/greeting, and nursery assistant. There is a place for you in the UC Kids and Family Ministry and I look forward to helping you find that place.  Please reach out to me if you have any questions.  

This Sunday is our indoor Trunk of Treats!  You are invited to come through from 2:00-4:00. This is an amazing and fun event every year, as well as, an easy event to invite your friends, neighbors, & coworkers to.  Costumes are not required but we do love to see all the creativity that the community comes through with.  I will be there and I cannot wait to see you! 

Over the next two weeks I have the opportunity to travel to two different conferences to learn more about welcoming children into worship.  First I will be at The Annual Gathering in Indianapolis. My focus will be on Strengthening Ministry with Children and the workshops I am attending will cover many different aspects of ministry.  The week after I will head up to Lake Junaluska to attend The Wonder Summit with Pastor D and Priscilla Edgin.  Together we will represent University City as we learn how to better include children in our worship service.  Workshops include discussions on reimagining play in worship, best practices for neurodivergent children in worship, intergenerational goals, and anti-ableist worship.  I am grateful for these opportunities to learn more about how to better serve my church family.  Please pray for safe travels from myself and my travel companions as well as my family as they do life without me for a few days in the next couple of weeks.  

Thank you all for the support you give to your children and the children and family ministry at University City.  Please let me know if you have any questions.  I am available by email while I travel.  

Please note that UCUMC has a new mailing address:
University City UMC
PO Box 480021
Charlotte, NC 28269

Budget Gifts Received (10/18/26) - $8,015
MTD Budget Goal - $41,250
MTD Receipts - $37,510
YTD Budget Goals - $635,250
YTD Budget Receipts - $605,441
Reach - $21,538  (Reach new year 11/1/25)

Restore, Renew, Rekindle
Amount Pledged - $423,697
Amount Given - $314,697
Amount Spent - $225,043

This mission project is about more than packing boxes. It's about caring for neighbors, encouraging families, and sharing Christ's love in practical ways through our partnership with Harbor Light Baptist Church in Oceana, WV.
Whether you have an hour to serve, can help with delivery, or would like to make a financial contribution, there is a place for you. Every act of generosity, no matter the size, helps make a difference.
Ways to Serve
Thursday, November 12

• Event Set-Up – 6:00 PM

Friday, November 13

• Pizza Party Set-Up – 5:00 PM
• Pizza Party – 6:00 PM
• Food Box Packing – 6:30 PM
• Event Clean-Up – 8:00 PM

Saturday, November 14

• Food Box Delivery – 7:00 AM (departing from home)

Help Feed a Family
You can also support this ministry financially by helping cover the cost of:

• ½ of a food box
• One or more complete food boxes
• Any donation amount

Every gift helps provide food and encouragement to families who need it most.
To make a donation, visit:
https://www.ucumc.org/give
(Please select the WV Mission fund.)
No contribution is too small. Whether you pack, deliver, pray, or give, you're helping bring hope and practical support to our neighbors in West Virginia. Join us as we work together to make a tangible difference in the lives of others.

We invite you to join us in praying with and for one another as a community of faith. Each prayer request represents someone in our church family who could use encouragement, support, and the power of prayer.  We are a community, and each of us has something to offer. Whether you are able to pray for a few moments or spend more time in prayer, we encourage you to pray as you feel led and as your time allows.
Our staff also faithfully prays over the entire prayer list each Tuesday morning, lifting each person and request before God.

Thank you for being part of a church family that cares, supports, and prays for one another. Together, let us continue to lift one another up in prayer.

Most of us know what it feels like to want to believe and still struggle.
We pray, but wonder if anyone is listening. We read promises that sound beautiful, but life doesn't always look like those promises are true. We show up to church, sing the songs, and say the right things, while quietly carrying questions we aren't sure we're allowed to ask.
If that's you, you're not alone.
In fact, one of Jesus' closest friends felt the same way.
After the resurrection, the other disciples told Thomas something almost impossible to believe: "We've seen the Lord."
Thomas wasn't trying to be difficult. He wasn't trying to rebel. He was hurting. Confused. Disoriented. The world as he knew it had fallen apart, and he wasn't ready to stake his life on someone else's experience.
So he said what many of us would have said:
"Unless I see it for myself, I can't believe it."
For centuries we've called him "Doubting Thomas." But that's not quite fair.
When we look closely at the story, Thomas wasn't asking for more than the other disciples had already received. They had seen Jesus with their own eyes. They had seen His wounds. They had heard His voice. Thomas simply wanted the same opportunity they were given.
He's not the villain of the story.
He's us.
He's every person who has sat beside a hospital bed and wondered where God is.
Every person who has buried someone they love.
Every person whose prayers seemed unanswered.
Every person who wants faith to come easier than it does.
Thomas reminds us that struggling to believe doesn't make us failures. It makes us human.
And the most beautiful part of the story isn't Thomas's unbelief.
It's Jesus' response.
A week later, Jesus comes back.
Think about that for a moment.
Jesus could have ignored Thomas. He could have corrected him. He could have said, "You should know better by now."
Instead, He walks directly toward him.
"Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Reach out and touch my side."
Jesus doesn't shame Thomas for needing help. He meets him in the middle of his struggle.
That matters because many of us assume God only moves toward people with strong faith.
But the Gospel tells a different story.
Again and again, Jesus moves toward confused people. Fearful people. Broken people. People hanging on by a thread. The people who received grace weren't the people who had everything figured out. They were the people who knew they needed Him.
And when Thomas sees Jesus, everything changes. He doesn't deliver a carefully reasoned theological statement.
He simply says:
"My Lord and my God."
In a single moment, uncertainty gives way to surrender. Faith becomes sight. Not because Thomas suddenly became smarter or stronger, but because Jesus revealed Himself.
That's often how faith works.
We tend to think faith means forcing ourselves to believe harder. But faith is less about our ability to hold onto God and more about God's willingness to reveal Himself to us.
The truth is that every believer knows what it feels like to live between faith and sight.
We trust, but sometimes we're afraid.
We hope, but sometimes we're disappointed.
We believe, but sometimes we struggle.
That's why one of the most relatable prayers in Scripture comes from a desperate father who cries out to Jesus:
"Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief."
What an honest prayer.
No pretending.
No spiritual performance.
Just honesty.
"I believe as much as I can. I want to trust You. But there are still places in my heart that need Your help."
And Jesus responds to that prayer.
Not with condemnation.
Not with rejection.
But with compassion.
The same Jesus who met Thomas still meets people today.
He still meets the exhausted.
The grieving.
The skeptical.
The disappointed.
The person who feels abandoned.
The person who keeps trying and keeps failing.
The person wondering if faith is worth holding onto.
He comes to us where we are, not where we think we should be.
So what does it mean for faith to become sight?
It doesn't mean all our questions disappear. It doesn't mean life suddenly becomes easy.
It doesn't mean every prayer gets the answer we hoped for.
It means we begin to trust that God is present even when we can't see Him clearly. It means we stop interpreting every circumstance as evidence that God has abandoned us. It means we learn to see beyond what is immediate and temporary and start viewing our lives through the lens of God's faithfulness. And when that happens, our priorities change.
Generosity makes more sense than greed.
People become more important than possessions.
Faithfulness becomes more important than success.
Love becomes more important than being right.
We begin to live as though the Kingdom of God is real because we truly believe it is.
At the end of Thomas's story, Jesus pronounces a blessing on those who will believe without seeing.
That's us.
We weren't in the room.
We haven't touched the scars.
We haven't seen the empty tomb.
But we've received the testimony of those who did.
And every day we are invited into the same choice:
Will we trust Him?
Not because we have every answer. Not because our faith is perfect. But because He has proven Himself faithful. Faith becoming sight is not the end of questions. It's the moment trust becomes stronger than fear. It's the moment hope becomes more convincing than despair. It's the moment we discover that Jesus has been walking toward us all along.
And when we finally see Him for who He is, our response becomes the same as Thomas':
"My Lord and my God."

There is something special about coming together to make a difference. Sometimes it looks like sharing a meal, playing games, and worshipping with friends in West Virginia. Sometimes it means packing groceries for families who need a little extra help. And sometimes it means opening the doors of our church to welcome our neighbors and celebrate together.

Because of UCUMC's commitment to missions, the Missions Team continues to support ministries making a difference in the lives of children, families, and neighbors near and far. And there are so many ways to be part of what God is doing!

Last weekend, Tori, Aly, and Kristi traveled to Oceana, West Virginia, to spend time with the HarborLight community and continue building relationships with the people there.

The visit included games, crafts, worship, and plenty of time together. The UCUMC team also prepared and served dinner for the congregation on Saturday evening and returned Sunday morning to serve a big, delicious breakfast!

These moments are about so much more than activities and meals. They're about showing up, getting to know one another, strengthening relationships, and sharing God's love through the simple gift of being together.

UCUMC's partnership with HarborLight has created opportunities to serve and connect with this community for many years. And the relationship continues to grow!

Our WV Food Box Packing Event is coming up Friday, November 13, and it's shaping up to be a wonderful evening of fellowship and service!

For many years, UCUMC has partnered with HarborLight in Oceana to support its ministry and the families it serves. This November, the church family will come together to pack 150 boxes of groceries filled with staples families can use to prepare meals at home.

And because serving together should be fun, the evening begins with a pizza party!

Here's the plan:

• 6:00 PM - Pizza Party: Gather in the Gathering Space, enjoy dinner, and spend time together.
• 6:30 PM - Pack the Boxes: Head to the gym and work together to pack 150 boxes of groceries.
• Around 7:30 PM - Load the Trucks: Get the boxes ready for delivery to HarborLight the following day.
• Around 8:00 PM - Pray and Wrap Up: Pray over the boxes and the families who will receive them, then help with cleanup.

With a good group working together, the packing should take about an hour. No special skills are needed - just a willingness to pitch in and share God's love!

There are several ways to participate:

• Pack: Join the pizza party and help pack food boxes on November 13.
• Deliver: Have a truck? Help transport the boxes to West Virgina on Saturday, November 14.
• Sponsor: Can't attend? Sponsor half a food box for $25 or a whole box for $50 through the event sign-up.
• Give: Make a direct donation through the church's giving page by selecting the WV Mission line from the dropdown menu.

Every helping hand and every gift helps make this ministry possible.

UCUMC's commitment to missions reaches well beyond individual events. Through the congregation's generosity and the work of the Missions Team, funding has been provided to support several important ministries, including:

• Gregg Michael with Back to Back Ministries, supporting a growing and expanding ministry that serves vulnerable children and families.
• Hope Street Food Pantry, helping provide food and care for neighbors in need.
• Nourish Up, supporting efforts to address hunger in our community.

The Missions Team is also helping fund some exciting upcoming events that will welcome the greater community onto UCUMC's campus to celebrate the holidays. These gatherings will create opportunities for neighbors to connect, experience the warmth of our church family, and share in the joy of the season.

This is what REACH is all about: extending God's love beyond the walls of the church and finding meaningful ways to serve, connect, and grow together.

More opportunities to serve and connect are on the horizon! Watch for new REACH dates and details about upcoming projects. There are many ways to get involved, whether you have a little time to give or want to make serving a regular part of your routine.

Nourish Up is in need of ONE volunteer to help one Wednesday afternoon from 3:00-6:00 pm each month. If you have time to share, consider signing up to serve!

Room in the Inn offers another meaningful way to care for neighbors experiencing homelessness. Volunteer sign-ups are coming in November! Hosting RITI is an important part of making this ministry possible and providing a welcoming, caring place for our guests.

Mark your calendar for May 1 for the Making Waves Block Party.

More details will be coming as plans take shape, but it's never too early to save the date!

Every act of generosity matters. A box packed, a meal shared, a volunteer hour given, a financial gift offered, or a neighbor welcomed can become part of something much bigger.

Thank you, Church Family, for making these ministries possible through your generosity, your service, and your commitment to loving our neighbors. Together, UCUMC is continuing to REACH around the corner and REACH around the world.

There's a place for everyone in the work God is doing. Let's keep REACHing together!

Welcome to this week's calendar - the one place for everything happening in our church family. From kids to adults, small groups to special events, here's how you can get connected over the next seven days.

Video Announcements

Musical Call to Worship: Blessed Assurance (Arr. S. Tucker)
Exaltation Ringers

Welcome: Kristi Miller,
Missions Team Chair, West Virginia Team Leader, Communion Coordinator

Prayer for Worship: Kristi Miller

Hymn: UMH # 452 My Faith Looks Up to Thee (vs. 1-3)
Matt Guild, Alisha, Choir, Praise Team, Congregation

The Apostle’s Creed (Ecumenical) UMH # 882
Kristi Miller, Congregation

Message in Music: Brother James’ Air (Arr. Pethel) Celebration Choir

Missions Moment: Kristi Miller

Passing the Peace: Kristi Miller and Praise Band

Song: This I Believe (Crocker, Fielding)
Praise Team, Congregation

Call to Offering: Kristi Miller

Prayer of Dedication and The Lord’s Prayer: Kristi Miller and Congregation

Offertory: All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name (Arr. Eithun)
Exaltation Ringers

Series Video: Moments and Significance

Scripture: John 20:21-34 (NRSV) Kristi Miller

Message: The Moment and Faith 
Pastor Donnell FitzJefferies

Altar Call: Pastor Donnell

Song: Goodness of God (Johnson, Cash, Ingram, Fielding)
Praise Team, Congregation
 
Sending Forth: Pastor Donnell

Sending Forth Music: Praise Band

The Church's mailing address has changed:
University City UMC
PO Box 480021
Charlotte, NC 28269