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Weekly News & Updates
March 6, 2026
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Third Sunday of Lent - 10am
Join us tomorrow for Holy Communion.
Our Gathering Jam Band will begin playing at 9:45am!
And it's the 3rd Sunday in Lent. Let's continue our journey through Scripture and Art with the disciple Peter.
*“Praise the mount of God’s unchanging love...” This lyric represents Peter’s mountaintop faith moment. It speaks to spiritual euphoria and feeling the closeness of God. In this story, Peter proclaims who Jesus is. He speaks with conviction. Peter claims his faith. If you had to speak your faith in one sentence or phrase, what would you say? When we have the courage to say, “This, I believe...” then that conviction has a ripple effect on others. When life gets rocky, we lean on mountaintop moments and our deepest convictions to see us through.
Enter the building at the top of large staircase that faces Stockley Gardens (Rd).
* sanctifiedart.org; Image: "Who Do You Say That I Am?" by Rev. Lauren Wright Pittman
Read the artist’s statement.
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Pastor's Prayer for the Week
Affirmation of Faith
Jesus asked the disciples, “But what about you? Who do you say that I am?”
Jesus is a hand reaching out in the storm,
the voice of truth spoken over us,
and love without walls.
Jesus is justice for the weary,
healing for the hurt,
and welcome for the stranger.
Jesus is teacher, Messiah, and friend -
with me on the mountain
and beside me in the valley.
Jesus is a star in the night,
and the love that knows my name.
Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?”
Like Peter, we say,
“Jesus, you are the Messiah, son of the Living God.”
* The Wandering Heart series by A Sanctified Art, LLC - All rights reserved.
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Spring Forward
Daylight saving time begins this weekend. Move your clocks forward by an hour this weekend. You may want to change your clocks before you go to sleep Saturday night.
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Organ Recital by Bradley Norris
Join us at Trinity Episcopal Church, this Sunday, at 4 p.m. Organist Bradley Norris will have a free 30-minute organ recital featuring works of Herbert Howells, Percy Whitlock, and Johann Pachelbel.
The recital will be immediately followed by a service of Choral Evensong, featuring works of William Crotch, Herbert Howells, T. Tertius Noble, and William Smith, to be sung by the semi-professional Trinity Choir. A reception follows the service in the Parish Hall. For further information, call (757) 393-0431 or email music@trinity-portsmouth.org
Trinity Episcopal Church is at 500 Court Street, Portsmouth.
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Got an Old Shirt?
The women of St. James UWFaith in Hampton, are creating a quilt as their UWFaith Virginia Conference's contribution to the Folk Art silent Auction that will be held during Assembly 2026. They're using the outdated United Methodist Women's cross and flame emblem (see image to the right) from UMW shirts and tee-shirts as quilt squares.
So, they are asking for your help. Do you have a shirt, tee-shirt, or bag with the old UMW emblem embroidered on it? If you would like to contribute your UMW shirt to this conference project (or be a part of the creation process), please contact Debbie McDaniels by March 9 to coordinate getting your shirt to us. She is willing to drive for pickups!! Her email address is dhmcdaniels@gmail.com.
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Order Your Easter Lilies
Lilies will be placed at our entrance Easter Sunday, April 5.
Lilies may be dedicated in honor or memory of someone special. To sponsor a lily, please make a donation of $15, to benefit our missions.
Orders and donations are due Friday, March 27th. You may give through our online giving portal or make checks payable to Ghent UMC with notation for Lilies. To order, drop a note in the offering basket, email the office, call us at (757) 622-2843 or use the sign-up sheet in the back of the sanctuary.
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Palm / Passion Sunday at 10am
Highlight your holiday season by coming to our Palm Sunday worship service. We'll commemorate Jesus Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Organist Brad Norris will be playing.
Be sure to arrive on time so you don't miss "Jesus" riding our donkey into the sanctuary while everyone in the congregation waves palm branches and sings hosannas! This, as always, is a service for all ages.
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Annual Egg Hunt, Sunday, March 29
We are also excited to invite you to our annual, Egg Hunt following our special, Palm Sunday service. All children are welcome to the free, egg finding fun!
Gather your little ones at the front of our church facing Stockley Gardens. Ages 3 and under will hunt in our side garden, after the ages 4 and above are finished in Stockley Gardens across the street. Please BYOB (bring your own basket).
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We don't need any plastic eggs, but we could really use bags of individually wrapped candy and/or little, egg size toys. Please leave your donated items in the back of our sanctuary no later than Sunday morning, March 22nd.
On the same day, everyone is invited to stay after worship and stuff the eggs together. It's a great fellowship opportunity to hang out with some nice folks!
Volunteers are also needed to help with the Egg Hunt and to provide refreshments. Keep an eye out for the online sign-up or a sign-up sheet in the back of the sanctuary for more information. For any questions contact Melanie Cramer!
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Good Friday Service
Bring someone to our Good Friday worship service at 6p.m. on April 3.
Good Friday is holy and makes us holy because God is drawing the world to God's self in Christ. We reflect on God's purpose of loving and redeeming the world even in the face of human rejection and cruelty through the cross of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
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Easter Sunday Morning, April 5
Join us for worship on Easter Sunday, April 5. Rev. Britney Toner will lead our celebration of The Resurrection and to deliver the sermon.
Organist Brad Norris will help us to make a joyful noise unto the Lord!
Please bring fresh flowers from your gardens to adorn the Living Cross!
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Music Ministry
All are welcome to join our Minister of Music, Nellwyn Beamon, in the music ministry of the church.
Contact Nellwyn Beamon, at music@ghentumc.org, if you have any questions or want more information.
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Choir Rehearsal
Choir rehearsals are on Sundays from 11:30am to 12:30pm in the choir room upstairs.
If you are interested in joining us, please get in touch with Nellwyn. Email address is above.
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Gathering Jam Band
Each 2nd Sunday, all ages are invited to bring an instrument or use one of ours and play along during the gathering part of our service at 9:45am. If you would like the music beforehand, contact Nellwyn. Next Jam Band will be Sunday, March 8.
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Organ Music at Ghent
Our Organist Brad Norris plays during our worship services. His next dates will be Palm Sunday and Easter.
Violin Music at Ghent
Chris Taylor will play the violin during our worship service, Sunday, March 15.
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Congregational Care
In response to Christ's call to love one another, we want the members of our congregation to care for one another. In-person visits, prayers, phone calls, and mail are examples of the ways we reach out to one another.
If you would like to volunteer or request a visit for someone, call or email the church office.
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GUMP (Our Preschool)
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Our Spring Resale event is March 20-23! Get details. We are still collecting paper bags.
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GUMP earns $5 for each sale on its GUMP's Spirit Wear Store! Use the discount code WELCOMETOFIDGETY for free shipping on your first order.
Want to help GUMP when you buy groceries? Link your Harris Teeter Grocery HT Plus Membership account to GUMP (#5347). Ask your cashier to do it or link it online. For each linked account, Harris Teeter will send GUMP $10! Click this link for details.
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Children are Always Welcome at Ghent UMC
Our Children's Church* takes place each Sunday during our worship service, following the children's message. Children ages 3 through 5th grade meet down the hall from the sanctuary for an age-appropriate Bible lesson and related craft or activity.
Children are welcome to remain in the service and utilize the activity bags in the back of the church.
Our nursery* is available for infants to age 3 beginning at 9:50am.
Our professional workers are CPR certified, and our staff and volunteers are fully background checked.
*Children's church and nursery are optional. You are welcome to keep your child(ren) in worship with you, if you prefer. Activity bags and rockers are in the back of the sanctuary, if you wish to use them.
A baby changing station is in the lobby. Go out the swinging door to the right of our Coffee Station. The changing station is near the staircase.
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Ways to Give
- To give by mail, send your checks to GUMC, 531 Raleigh Ave., Norfolk, VA 23507.
- To give in person, put your donation in a basket on Sunday mornings or take it to the church office during the week.
- Other ways to give include endowments and stocks. For more information, call the church office at (757) 622-2843.
Our giving represents an act of worship in which we thank God for our blessings and acknowledge that everything we have is a gift from God.
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Need to get in touch with us?
The church office hours are Monday - Friday, 9am to 12pm.
757-622-2843 office@ghentumc.org
Click here for the staff's contact information.
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