March 2023

Here at Burke UMC, we welcome all to experience Christ's life-changing love as we worship, learn, and share in caring community!

We believe that a holistic approach to discipleship includes engaging in all the core ministry areas of worship, learn, care, and share. This includes all ages, from the youngest to oldest members of our community. Be sure to scroll through this newsletter and read about upcoming opportunities to connect and engage in March.

As we move through Lent, we will be focusing on the Psalms. I always try to read a couple different devotionals throughout the Lenten season. This year, I am reading our Burke UMC devotional (you can find the devotional here in the format that is best for you) and also, following the footsteps of a colleague of mine, I am reading a book where you spend 40 days reading devotionals that connect with your enneagram type. I have always found so much of the Lenten season is time for building and growing in self-awareness. It is a tiring process. And sometimes, I think sustaining that work can be challenging. It is why I like this intentional window of 40 days. It doesn’t mean the work ends outside of these 40 days, but it gives me a block of time to dive deeper. A time to intentionally read a little more, or pray a little more, or be silent a little more. A time to step away from something to see what ways it might impact my health and faith. Whatever practice might create space to grow in self-awareness. My very first devotional reading reminded me of the importance of this. That “truth-telling and facing ourselves are the first steps toward wholeness and holiness”. May this season, as you hopefully engage the psalms, may you find words that resonate, challenge and maybe give language to some of the things that you are sensing in your heart. May you take this space and time to truly look inside and seek a stronger awareness of who you are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

-Pastor Jason

>> If you have not filled out skills/interests, please do so at burkeumc.org/interests. This tool will help us to find out ways that we might connect people with each other, create new ministries, and connect volunteers with their skills, interests and passions. We appreciate you filling this out to help us be the church in the best ways we can!

>> If one of your interests is in the work of connection, communication, or general volunteerism, would you consider serving as an Office Assistant in the coming months? Office Assistants help answer the phones during the work day and also may help out with other projects such as folding/cutting/organizing printed materials, preparing mailings, and other similar office tasks.

If you’re able to serve in this way, please sign up at HERE.

Not able to participate for a full 3 hour slot? No worries! Email Julie at juliechapman@burkeumc.org to let her know the times you are free!

We are thankful for all the hard work our building committee has put in to guide us through the next stage of our Building A Better Burke process lately!

We will have a called church conference on March 9^th at 7:00 pm. The purpose of this church conference is to vote on recommendations from the Building Committee on a) approving a plan for renovations and the phasing of those plans. b) the timing, funds and fundraising for phase 1. Information about the process and the items listed here can be found on the website at www.burkeumc.org/betterburke.

Through Lent, we continue our sermon series, "40 Days of Psalms." Here are upcoming opportunities to connect in worship at Burke UMC this month:

Weekly Lenten Services with Communion:

• Wednesdays at 11:30 am in the Sanctuary

Upcoming Special Sunday Opportunities: Sundays at 9:30 am

• March 5: Communion 
• March 12: Girl Scout Sunday, all current and former Girls Scouts are welcome to wear your uniforms to worship

BUMC 2023 Lenten Devotional: Download your digital PDF file HERE and journey through the psalms with us! You can also sign up HERE if you would like to receive the devotionals each day in your inbox. 

Ongoing Worship Opportunities:

• Weekly Sunday Morning Worship: 9:30 am, In Person and Online on our website at burkeumc.org/online
• Children's Church: Children age 4 - 2nd grade, begin Worship in the Sanctuary with their families. They will be escorted to Children’s Church when directed. Contact Katie Glick with questions.
• Altar flowers: We all enjoy seeing flowers on the altar! If you would like to donate flowers, click HERE.
• Missed a worship service? Really loved a sermon and want to listen again? Check them out by clicking HERE.

And a quick look ahead:

We will hold a Maundy Thursday service at 7:30 pm on April 6 and a Good Friday Service at 7:30 pm on April 7. Multiple Easter services will be held on Sunday, April 9. We will have a sunrise service at Lee Chapel at 6:30 am and two services at Burke UMC at 9:30 am and 11 am. More info to follow.

LEARN Classes Continue this Lent:

Lenten LEARN classes continue throughout this month! Interested in getting connected? Please check the website at burkeumc.org/learn or reach out to Rev. Evelyn for more information.

Amplify - Online Learning Tool:

Remember! Amplify is a digital platform you can subscribe to for FREE! It is full of video teaching, conversation, and devotionals from Methodist and Wesleyan teachers for all ages. One member said it was her new Netflix. This could be a great way to learn more intentionally this Lent in an easy, engaging way. You can use the Burke UMC Access Code, which is WHBLZG. Click HERE to login.

March 25: Broadway at Burke, 6:30 pm

Free event in the Sanctuary sponsored by music ministries! Come enjoy an evening of songs from your favorite Broadway shows. No tickets required. Invite a neighbor and we hope to see you there!

March 26: Lenten Celebration, 10:30 am -- after church

Come celebrate Lent with us after worship at 10:30 am. Lunch will be served beginning at 11:15 am. We'll have a moon bounce, petting zoo, face paint, and an egg hunt. Fun for all ages!

April 4: The Holy Week in Art, 7 pm

Artists from the beginnings of Christianity have been inspired by the events of Holy Week. They used many different approaches to illustrate the sequence from Christ’s entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday through the resurrection on Easter Sunday. Roz Hoagland will use works from Early Christians through the 20^th century to tell the story of this most important week in the life of all Christians.

Roz Hoagland is a retired art historian. She taught at Northern Virginia Community College for 40 years and also at the Corcoran School of Art + Design and the U.S. State Department Training Center. In retirement, she teaches classes at GMU’s OLLI and NOVA’s Lifetime Learning Institute and continues to take groups to Europe to study art and architecture. Since 1999, she has led 58 trips to 28 countries. She is a long time member of Burke UMC where she facilitates WIS, runs the Banner Ministry and volunteers at the food co-op.

Burke United Methodist Walkers and Runners Group: Saturdays at 9 am

Do you enjoy getting outside and enjoying active fellowship time with others? The Burke United Methodist (BUM) Walkers and Runners group is for you! This group of supportive walkers and runners meet at 9 am at the church on Saturdays and carpool over to Burke Lake. Drop-ins of all fitness levels are welcome. Reach out to Robert Greenwood (rgreenwood@xsmail.com) if you have questions!

College Student Ministry:

Thank you for helping us send love and let our college students know we are praying for them, week after week! Today we invite you to send cards to the student listed below, as well as sign the card from the congregation which is available at the Connection Center before and after worship.

This week's student:

Will Walton, Junior at William and Mary

CSU 3426

P.O. Box 8793

Williamsburg, VA 23187-8793

Feeding Ministries:

We are in need of volunteers for our various feeding ministries! We prepare breakfast for FACETS on third Sunday mornings, lunch for the Lamb Center on 3^rd Monday mornings, and lunch for Rising Hope on 4^th Sunday mornings. Interested in joining a team that cooks monthly for organizations in our community? Be in touch with Katie Glick (katieglick@burkeumec.org).

Burke Gives Back Community Co-op:

Our co-op continues to grow and to serve the community in meaningful and profound ways! In January, we registered 51 new families and served 218 families total. You can sign up to volunteer with the co-op by visiting the BUMC website and clicking on the Share tab.

We always welcome non-perishable food donations in our donation boxes in front of the church. Current Co-op Needs:

• Pasta (any kind)
• Rice
• Spaghetti Sauce
• Canned Corn

Weekend Food Bags:

We are also currently accepting donations for weekend food bags! These are items we provide for elementary school kids that are in need for the weekend.

We need the following individual servings:

• Microwavable Pasta
• Mac & Cheese
• Chicken Cup Of Noodles
• Quick Chocolate Milk
• Applesauce
• Fruit Cups
• Pudding
• Oat Meal
• Breakfast Bars
• Granola Bars
• Cheese or Peanut Butter Crackers
• Monetary donations

Please leave donations (other than monetary donations) in the brown bins at the Donation Center outside the main entrance, labeled Weekend Food Bags.

Burke Gives Back Event-Save the Date!

Our spring Burke Gives Back event is scheduled for Saturday, May 13^th. Mark your calendars now! More details to come.

Kairos Prison Ministry:

BUMC is excited to support the Kairos Prison Ministry by baking cookies for their upcoming ministry weekend (March 30-April 2). Interested in helping with this effort? Contact Katie (katieglick@burkeumc.org) for more details.

Free The Girls:

We will continue collecting gently used bras through March 15 for the Free the Girls campaign. Gently used bras can be left in our donation bins in front of the church. How does your bra donation support survivors of sex trafficking? The Free the Girls website explains: “We partner with individuals and organizations to work with survivors of sex trafficking and help answer the question of “What happens next?” We are committed to addressing the circumstances that created the vulnerability towards exploitation in the first place - namely, isolation and poverty. The foundation of our answer is to provide a pathway for the women to lift themselves out of poverty through entrepreneurship and relationships; granting them the capacity to earn a sustainable livable wage while they focus on all others areas of healing. Our most successful initiative to date has been equipping the women in our programs to run and operate their own bra-selling businesses using the new and gently used bras we collect from donors around the world as their inventory.” You can learn more at freethegirls.org!

Used Book Sale:

Our used book sale is scheduled for June 10th! We will begin collecting books in mid-April. Be on the lookout for more information in the coming months.

Click below to see highlights of upcoming opportunities for kids and youth this March! Visit our website for a full list of opportunities.

Leadership Board:

The Leadership Board met on February 16th with an agenda focused primarily on the Building Committee and its recommendations on the next steps to be considered in our master plan. As a result of the discussion and subsequent meeting of the Building Committee a Church Conference will be held on March 9th to finalize the next steps to be taken.

The next Board meeting will be March 16 at 7pm via zoom. At this meeting, the Board will focus on the annual review and approval of revised financial and personnel policies and procedures. In addition, we will be receiving an update from other area congregations to add staff qualified in social work to assist in our Outreach effort. If you’d like to attend, you can register for the meeting by clicking HERE.

Calendar and Church Space Use:

The building of Burke UMC is utilized by many church and community groups throughout the week. This is wonderful, and we give thanks to God for providing resources that we can share with others. To avoid conflict and/or confusion, please contact juliechapman@burkeumc.org to request space for your meetings and access into the building. Remember to turn off all lights and double check that the outside doors are locked before you leave. Thank you for continuing to be good stewards of God’s creation.

Financial Update:

Not counting church property, our dollar assets at the end of January totaled $557,981. The majority of our dollar assets are in restricted funds (funds given for specific purposes) which cannot be used for the general operating account. Please prayerfully consider supporting the general operating account when making your gifts. 

As of the end of January, the outstanding church mortgage balance was $234,228. At the same time, the Church Facility Care Endowment Fund account was valued at $25,361, up from the initial $24,000 investment in September 2022. We are pleased to report that pledges for 2023 increased by $24K over 2022, with 101 families increasing their pledges.

For those in the congregation age 72 and older (who must take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from traditional IRAs and 401Ks before December 31st this year), please consider a Qualified Charitable Deduction (QCD). A QCD is a direct transfer of funds from your IRA, payable directly to a qualified charity. Amounts distributed as a QCD can be counted toward satisfying your RMD for the year, up to $100,000. The QCD is excluded from your taxable income. Just ask you IRA custodian to send your QCD directly to Burke United Methodist Church and enjoy paying less tax while supporting BUMC’s mission.

Your tithes and gifts continue to be essential to the successful operations of the church. Our members are continuing to give faithfully. Thank you for your continued support!

On Feb 18^th, the Virginia Conference had a called Annual Conference to vote on 34 churches who had moved through the disaffiliation process and will no longer be United Methodist Churches. The body chose to take New Town UMC in Williamsburg out of the vote on the 34. We then voted on 33 churches and left discussion open on New Town. The issue that was raised for Newtown is that the land the church is on was donated by a family to be a United Methodist Church. Although legally, there is no stipulation guaranteeing it would remain United Methodist, the family agreed under the understanding that the trust clause would keep it either in the United Methodist Church or that, if the time were to come when it would not be United Methodist, the church would be able to sell the land and utilize the funds for the UM Church. If New Town disaffiliated, they would keep the property under the current paragraph for disaffiliation (2553). After hearing from a family member, who is a United Methodist Clergy, the body decided against disaffiliation for New Town UMC. Please keep in prayer these churches that have left the denomination, New Town UMC, and all others who are in discussion around the issue of disaffiliation. If you have other questions, don’t hesitate to contact one of the pastors.