Family Life Meetup for Asheville Christmas Parade

Saturday, November 22 @ 10:30am

Join your Central Family Life friends and families for the Asheville Christmas Parade! We’ll gather at Central UMC at 10:30 a.m., where you can conveniently park at the church, and then walk together to the corner of Patton Avenue and Church Street to enjoy the parade. Bundle up, bring your holiday cheer, and come make merry memories with our church family as we celebrate the start of the Christmas season together!

Peace Lights for Maureen Carr Memorial UWF Scholarship

This Advent and Christmas season, United Women in Faith will be placing a Peace Tree in the Memorial Garden in front of the Fellowship Hall. We invite you to participate by remembering or honoring a loved one. For each $5 donation, a light will be placed on the Peace Tree. Net proceeds will go toward the Maureen Carr Memorial UWF Scholarship Fund. UWF will award two scholarships to Central’s high school seniors or college students in the spring.

Members of UWF will be collecting submissions outside the sanctuary the first three Sundays in November. You may also find a submission form on the church website under “UWF.” Please submit your donation to the church office by Sunday, November 23.

A list of all those who are being remembered or honored will be handed out at the worship service on December 7. 

For further information, please contact Alexandra Holland alexandra@wncnature.com.

Faith Feeds Winter Campaign: Helping Our Neighbors Through the Coldest Months

As winter approaches, food insecurity is rising sharply across Buncombe County. Many families are still recovering from Hurricane Helene, and reductions in SNAP and WIC benefits—combined with rising food and heating costs—are leaving more households struggling. Local food pantries are seeing record demand, and our community has an opportunity to help.

Central UMC is joining ABCCM’s Faith Feeds Winter Campaign, a united effort by area churches to keep food pantries stocked from November through February. Every can, box, or bag of food makes a meaningful difference for families in need.

How You Can Participate

Prepare: Pick up the Faith Feeds Shopping List and help us meet our weekly food goal.

Gather: Collect items during the week and bring them to church; we’ll bless the donations in worship.

Deliver: All items will be delivered to ABCCM’s Arden warehouse (1845 Brevard Rd) early in the week.

The official Faith Feeds Shopping List includes staples such as cereal, canned fruits and vegetables, pasta sauce, proteins like tuna or chicken, peanut butter, rice or beans, snacks, fresh produce, and more (see full list at abccm.org/faithfeeds).

Get the shopping list here!

Your Impact

Even a small weekly collection from Central can provide essential support for families who might otherwise go without. Financial gifts are also welcome and help ABCCM fill pantry gaps with perishable foods and high-need items.

To learn more or see downloadable resources—including shopping lists, bulletin inserts, and flyers—visit abccm.org/faithfeeds.

Get the Faith Feeds Winter Flyer Here

Together, we can ensure that hunger does not have the last word in our community this winter

🌏 Eco-Tip: At your Thanksgiving meal, express your gratitude to God, who created everything and entrusted us with the care of creation. Remember all the workers who helped grow, pick, clean, package, transport, and stock the food you enjoy today—farmers, harvesters, drivers, and store workers. 🚜📦🚚🛒

Alternative Gift Fair - Loaves & Fishes

Looking for a meaningful Christmas gift? The Loaves & Fishes Alternative Gift Fair provides a way to honor loved ones while supporting Asheville nonprofits making a real difference. This interfaith effort—led by Central UMC, First Presbyterian, and Trinity Episcopal—raises awareness and funding for agencies at the heart of our shared ministries.

You can order online at fpcasheville.org/loaves-fishes and receive a printable PDF for your holiday cards, or choose prepared cards and inserts for pickup during the in-person event. Online orders are open through December 19.

The in-person event will be Sunday, Nov. 30, 10:00 AM–1:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall of First Presbyterian Church (40 Church Street).

Enjoy brunch refreshments and meet representatives from participating nonprofits to learn more about their work in our community.

Hanging of the Greens

Tuesday, December 3 @ 6:00pm

It takes many people to prepare our church for the Advent and Christmas season. If you are interested in helping decorate, please join us for Hanging of the Greens! Meet in the Sanctuary on Tuesday, December 3 at 6 pm to help us adorn the church. Everyone is welcome. Even if you can’t climb ladders or haul boxes, we’ll have a task for you. If you have questions, please contact Alexandra Holland at alexandra@wncnature.com.

Table 2 Table: Lite Bites & Children's Christmas Musical

Sunday, December 7 @ 11:00am

Celebrate the season with a joyful morning of food, fellowship, and music!

Start in the Fellowship Hall at 11:00 AM for Table 2 Table: Lite Bites, a festive appetizer and treat potluck. Bring a ready-to-serve appetizer or sweet treat and drop it off with the Bereavement Team in the Fellowship Hall before worship. Enjoy warm conversation and delicious bites as we gather around the table together.

Then, at 11:30 AM, make your way to the Sanctuary for the Children’s Christmas Musical. Our Children’s Choir has been working hard, and they can’t wait to share the joy and wonder of the season through song.

Come for the bites, stay for the music, and help us celebrate the gifts and spirit of our children and our church community!

Help Us Light Up Christmas at Central

Do you have a working pre-lit Christmas tree you’re no longer using? Central is hoping to frugally replace a couple of our current trees that are no longer functioning, and we would love to give your gently-used tree a new home! Ideal size: trees 6 feet or taller are especially helpful for our larger spaces.

If you’re planning to donate a tree or have an extra one tucked away, please reach out to Hayes Brown at hbrown@centralumc.org. Your gift will help brighten our spaces as we celebrate the season together.