Reconciling Ministries

Group Meeting

SUNDAY, MARCH 2ND, 11:45AM

Join us Sunday, in Room 219 (near the Fellowship Hall) for our Reconciling Ministry Group meeting. This group is dedicated to supporting and strengthening Central’s commitment to welcoming LGBTQ+ and Queer individuals in the life of our church. We meet on the first Sunday of each month, and all who are interested are welcome to attend! 💜🏳️‍🌈 

UWF Upcoming Meetings

Eve Circle - 3/4 @ 10AM

Ruth Circle - 3/4 @ 10AM

Martha Circle - 3/11 @ 6:30PM

Eve Circle Meets on Tuesday, March 4th at 10:00AM in the Chapel at Brooks Howell. Members will belatedly celebrate Nancy Stancil’s 102nd birthday. A program on “Faith and Sisterhood” will be given by Sue Mather. Visitors are always welcome! skleduc@prodigy.net for more information.

Ruth Circle Meets on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at 10:00AM, for our Ruth Circle meeting. Ruth Circle members and friends will meet in the Central UMC Library at 10:00am. We welcome guest speakers, Marcia and Mary Longknight. During our business meeting Ruth Circle members will unite our hearts and hand for the Day of Giving for The United Women in Faith Legacy Fund, "For Generations to Come." United Women in Faith and Ruth Circle members are building a future filled with hope and support for women, children, and youth.

Ruth Circle member will be collecting canned chicken and tuna for ABCCM. We invite you to gather, pray, reflect, and put your faith into action! All are welcome to attend! For more information about Ruth Circle, please contact kimeverette525@gmail.com.

Martha Circle Meets on Tuesday, March 11th 6:30 PM, Library – Please join us as we welcome Mary Z and Marcia Longknight to our meeting.

They will share their stories about their December 2024 trip to Kenya including their work with UWF units, and ways that we can continue our support. Join us and bring a friend if you like! For more information please contact Laura Steil (laura.steil30@gmail.com) or Kathy Leftwich (kathleencleftwich@gmail.com). 

Ash Wednesday

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5TH, 8AM, 12:30PM, & 6PM

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a season of reflection, repentance, and preparation for Easter. We observer Ash Wednesday as a time to turn our hearts toward God, acknowledging our need for His Grace and renewing our commitment to follow Christ. Join us for one of three opportunities for beginning our time of Lent.

8:00AM - Haw Creek Drive-Thru Ashes

12:30PM - Haywood St. Congregation Worship Service

6:00PM - Central Downtown Worship Service

Stories of Faith Lenten Devotional starting March 5

Share your story of faith with the congregation via the devotional email and on our blog.

Tell us something about your faith journey from death to resurrection and everything in between.

Entries can be around 500 words.

Email Pastor Caroline to share your entry and make sure you are signed up for the morning emails. 

Central Youth and

C4C Holiday Food Drive

March 5 to April 6 2025

Central’s Youth and Congregations 4 Children are partnering on the 2025 Holiday Food Drive.  The Holiday Food Drive supports Children First of Buncombe County to provide Emma community families with pantry food staples during the Easter season. Central’s Sunday school classes, circles, groups, mission areas, families and individuals are asked to donate the following items that will be delivered to the Children First food distribution site behind Emma Elementary School.   

Requested items are:

• Peanut Butter & Jelly;
• Mac & Cheese;
• Oatmeal 
• Rice,
• Pasta Sauce/Pasta Meat Sauce,
• Canned Chicken,
• Canned Vegetables;
• Pancake & Syrup
• Spaghetti noodles
• Snack items(Goldfish and Granola Bars)  

This year’s Holiday Food Drive occurs during Lent from March 5th through April 6th.  Donation bins are located in the Fellowship Hall.

If you have any questions,

Contact: c4c@centralumc.org or Central Youth: ccamp@centralumc.org 

Your generosity feeds families and opens hearts.  

The Ongoing Fight for Freedom: Stories of NC Black Veterans

FRIDAY, MARCH 7th, 7:00–8:30 PM

Black Mountain Center for the Arts (225 W State St, Black Mountain, NC)

"The Ongoing Fight for Freedom: Stories of NC Black Veterans” is a one-man presentation & performance elevating Black freedom fighters and veterans with North Carolina connections – known & unknown, on and off the traditional battlefield – who have engaged in over 400 years of a struggle for freedom, liberty, and equality. Their sacrifices, resistance, and resilience have contributed to American democracy, even as they were denied the full rights of citizens. Through listening to their stories in this production, we can gain a deeper understanding of our nation’s founding ideals, and harness the hope to continue the work, together, of making those ideals a reality for all.

This show was collaboratively written and is performed by Dr. Sonny Kelly, founder of Legacy Heirs Productions. The play’s development was commissioned & funded by the NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources’ America 250 NC initiative & produced by the Learning Happens Here initiative of the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, in collaboration with Carolina K-12.

Sign-up to attend the event here: https://bit.ly/4kw45cS 

The event is free, but space is limited. 

A Message from Church & Society Committee

"We recognize, embrace, and affirm all persons, regardless of country of origin, as members of the family of God. We affirm the right of all persons to equal opportunities for employment, access to housing, health care, education, and freedom from social discrimination. We urge the Church and society to recognize the gifts, contributions, and struggles of those who are immigrants and to advocate for justice for all. We oppose immigration policies that separate family members from each other or that include detention of families with children, and we call on local churches to be in ministry with immigrant families."  UMC Social Principles - Section 162 (H) 

Congregational Care Service Opportunities | Check Out centralumc.org/CARE

There are many ways to serve. We invite you to assess how God may be calling you to serve. Contact Pastor Lisa for more information. 

Ongoing Opportunities

•Table to Table helper 

•Circle of Prayer 

•Children’s Care Ministry 

•Homebound Visitor 

•Prayer Shawl Ministry

On-call Opportunities

•Be a Meal Train provider 

•Be a Worship Buddy 

•Set-up & take-down for special 

events 

•Bereavement Receptions

Telling Stories

WEDNESDAYS, MARCH 12-APRIL 9 AT 10AM

Everyone has a great story - which means everyone has the capability of telling a great story! Ben Sharpton is offering a five-week class this Lent to help you learn and tell a story of your own.

Participants will meet from 10 to 11 AM on Wednesday mornings (in person at Central) starting March 12th. Expect a hands-on experience where you practice what you learn through writing and discussion to produce a story by the end of the five weeks.  

Space is available for 10 people.  

Sign up by emailing Jan Griffin. 

New Testament Bible Study

WEDNESDAYS, MARCH 12-APRIL 16 AT 5:30PM

Richard Hays and Christopher Hays have co-written a book, “The Widening of God’s Mercy: Sexuality within the Biblical Story.” It’s split into two halves: Old Testament and New Testament.

We spent 6 weeks studying the Old Testament using “Widening” as a guide this winter. During Lent, we’ll shift to the New Testament. If you didn’t participate in the winter OT course, you can catch up by reading the first half of the book and join us for six weeks in the New Testament this Lent.

Congregational Care

Ministries News

What do you know about our Recovery Care Resources Ministry? 

“RCR” is a ministry of CONNECTION helping individuals retain their independence with the support of community agencies within their home.” 

*IF you or someone you know (do not have to be a member of Central) could use the support of RCR, please call Pastor Lisa to have a confidential conversation with her about your situation! 

In celebration of National Social Services Month, the Congregational Care Council brings to you Central’s very own social service ministry, Recovery Care Resources, launched in 2023! 

Youth Spring Retreat

FRIDAY-SUNDAY, MARCH 14-16

Register today for a weekend at Camp Tekoa where youth groups from Western North Carolina will gather for a weekend of faith, fun, and friendship.

This retreat is made by and for sixth through twelfth graders. The theme is Freedom in Forgiveness. Cost is $150 per person.

Scholarships are available upon request. 

Register Here!

We Need Your Story!

We need your story!

The Reconciling Ministries Group at Central United Methodist Church is updating our book, Come to Me All.

If you gave us a story for a previous edition we need to know if you would like that story to be reprinted. If you want to update your story, please email it to jonathanlmeadows@gmail.com

*note updated email address above!

If you have a story to tell about yourself or a LGBTQ+ family member that has not been printed before, we would love to have you tell it. We all can grow by sharing our experiences. We are particularly interested in experiences you have had – good or bad – with Central UMC.

If you have questions, contact Maggie Charleton at charletonsasheville@gmail.com.

We need to have our stories ready by the middle of May, so we need your story by April 15, 2025.

UWF Maureen Carr Memorial Scholarship

United Women in Faith is now accepting applications for the Maureen Carr Memorial UWF Scholarship. Two awards of $1000 each will be given to high school seniors and/or college students who are active at Central UMC. 

Applications are available on the church website or by emailing Alexandra Holland alexandra@wncnature.com. 

The application should be completed and returned by May 1, 2025.