We launched our new worship series last Sunday. Each of the five weeks of the series is going to feature a different monster that is commonly reviled and feared. 

For that first week, we looked at zombies. You may think of stories of undead marchers as a relatively recent invention. But did you know that long before Hollywood directors like Ed Wood and George Romero offered their takes on the walking dead, the Old Testament Prophet Ezekiel had a vision of the Valley of Dry Bones.

Ezekiel's ministry took place in the 6th century BC, just before and after the Babylonian Exile. Like his fellow Prophet Jeremiah, Ezekiel tried to get the people of Israel to repent - acknowledging that defeat by Babylon was the well-deserved punishment for their idolatry and sin. But after God's people were taken into Exile, Ezekiel changed gears. He became a great cheerleader. He had confidence that Israel's enemies would be defeated, and the people would again rise to inhabit the land promised to Abraham. But the people weren't easily convinced. That saw themselves as good as dead. Ezekiel said God would bring them back to life:

The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”

“O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.”

Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.

Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’”

So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ 

Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’”

Wow! Did you know that was in scripture? And if God is able to bring dead bones back to life, how much stronger is he than any challenge you and I will face? Thanks be to God who breathes life into some of the least likely places.

If you like a good monster story, whether it occurs in the Bible or not, you'll love our new worship series at Faith Church. It's called Things that Go Bump in the Night. If you missed the first Sunday, where Pastor Matt asked what zombies can teach us about the Christian life, you can find it on YouTube HERE. After the service, Matt shared a collection of "Prayers Not to Be a Zombie" which can be found HERE.

Rob Nelson, who attends Faith with his family, kindly made us a great promo video for the series. Click HERE for the Facebook version and HERE for the YouTube version. We hope you'll like, comment and share these with our friends and neighbors.

Join us in person in the Sanctuary at 10:35 AM or via the livestream or recording on YouTube or Facebook. The monster we'll feature on October 16 is the werewolf. Join us... if you dare.

On Sunday, October 16, "The CREW" is having a worship night - including walking a labyrinth - in Faith Church's Sanctuary.

Join us from 4:30-6:00 PM.

This combined United Methodist Youth Group is open to all those in Grades 6-12.  Next Sunday, we're planning to carpool to the "Aw Shucks" Corn Maze from Indian Trail UMC at 3 PM.

Contact our Youth Coordinator, Daniel Nelson, for more details at [email protected] or 407 718-8856.

Every Wednesday between now and November 16, Faith United Methodist Church will be offering what we're calling Wonderful Wednesdays.

A simple Fellowship Meal will be offered from 5:30-6:30 PM. There's no set charge for the meal, but folks are welcome to make a contribution if desired. If you would like to help prepare or clean up a meal, we'll have opportunities to do so. After the meal, we offer a nursery, children's program, confirmation, a youth Bible study and two adult classes. There's literally something for everyone on Wednesday nights at Faith.

You can help us make sure we have plenty of food and plenty of class opportunities by completing the Survey Monkey survey found HERE. If you have any questions, reach out to Pastor Matt at 704 882-6623 x102 or [email protected].

Faith Church plans to again host a Trunk-or-Treat on Fri, Oct 28 at 6:00 PM. This is a fun, safe and wholesome event for our kids but also a great outreach to the community.

Eighteen of you have signed up to decorate trunks. What a great response. We have room for a few more. You can sign up by clicking HERE.

If you aren't able to decorate a trunk, you can still help. Bring a sealed bag of Halloween candy to our worship services on October 16 or 23. If you have any questions, reach out to Lindsey Stanley at 704 942-6725 or [email protected].

Charge Conference is coming soon.

Each year United Methodists have some important meetings which all interested members and friends are invited to attend. We’re having a Zoom meeting of Faith’s Leadership Team on Thursday, October 20 at 6:30 PM to vote on a few items, including our pastoral salary and our official leaders for the next year.

Then, at a meeting 4 PM on Sunday, October 23 at Union UMC in Waxhaw, our votes and those of many other Union County UMCs will be ratified. Our Metro District Superintendent Dan Pezet will preside.

If you are interested in participating in either or both meetings, reach out to Michael Williams at 704 517-9553 or [email protected].

Faith Church is seeking a part-time administrative assistant to help manage communications, calendars, facilities needs and more.

We're hoping to get someone Monday-Thursday from 9-2:00 or Monday-Friday from 9-1:00. Sunday mornings are also a possibility if the assistant is available. The job description is available HERE.

If you or someone else you know is looking to work 20-25 hours per week, reach out to Pastor Matt at your earliest convenience. His email is [email protected] and his number is 704 882-6623 x102.

Women of every age and ability are invited to join the Women of Faith for a fun service project tomorrow morning - Sat, Oct 15.

Thanks to your generous support, they'll be packing 100 feminine hygiene kits for women in places affected by natural disasters and other crises. They look forward to seeing you in the Community Building at 10 AM.

Would you like to share the joy of Christmas with children in some of the world's poorest countries?

Beginning this Sunday, October 16, Willie Caldwell will have boxes and instructions for those wishing to pack boxes for Operation Christmas Child. A box containing a ball, a doll, colored pencils and warm socks becomes an opportunity for churches to share the Good News with children in the developing world. The boxes will be due back on Sunday, November 13. 

Last Friday and Saturday, volunteers from Faith Church, BSA Troop 151, Girl Scout Troop 3755, the Children of Faith Preschool and the community joined in packing nearly 40,000 lbs. of potatoes for people in need.

Through receiving churches, food pantries and neighborhoods these spuds were distributed to people in need in Union County and across the region.  A few pictures from our days of service follow below.

Speaking of feeding people in need, Pastor Matt got an email this week telling him that the 14,000+ meals we packed with Rise Against Hunger in May have now been shipped to Nicaragua! Thanks for all you do to feed the hungry around our church and around the world.

Two weeks ago, members of our Finance Team prepared one of our periodic stewardship mailings. Included in it were our records of your giving in 2022 to date, some celebrations and some of the things we're anticipating in the near future. Pastor Matt also extended some challenges for the months ahead.

If you didn't receive that letter, the standard portion of it can be found HERE.

If your records differ from ours, contact our Church Treasurer, Amy Zelen, at 704 441-1690 or [email protected].

Giving & Budget Update



Weekly Need in 2022 - $6,600

Received October 2 - $9,859

Received October 9 - $4,177

Our Stewardship Thought for the week is a short one from popular horror writer Stephen King:

Acknowledge your good fortune by sharing it.

For those who are well aware of how fortunate, blessed and rich (according to the world's standards) they are, Faith offers a variety of ways to give:

• Those coming to worship in person may bring cash or check with you to the next service and drop it in the basket as it is passed.
• To give to the church via check at other times, please mail your gift to Faith Church, 3708 Faith Church Rd, Indian Trail NC 28079.
• To give via credit card or ACH bank draft through the church's secure donation portal, please click here or you can now scan the QR code below with your phone.

If you have any questions about giving, reach out to Amy Zelen, our Church Treasurer, at 704 441-1690 or [email protected].