Pastor Meredith's Blog

Rethink Church

Meredith Brown — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:03:17 GMT

This Fall we're joining in the nation-wide effort of the United Methodist Church to get people to "Rethink Church." Maybe you've seen some of our ads on TV, the web, or print media? Most folks don't think of the powerful world-changing work that is at the heart of our church, so we're inviting everyone to come an check it out.

Through our connections with other United Methodists, we are part of an 11 million-strong church that opens hearts, opens doors, and open minds with our active engagement of the world.

We are doers, committed to social justice, ending hunger, eradicating diseases of poverty, and being God's hands at work in our world and community.

We accept people just as they are for just who they are, respecting other religions and treasuring diverse opinions.

We offer many ways to experience church so you can find a spiritual journey to call your own.

We are Community United Methodist Church.

Free Friday Family Movie Night

Meredith Brown — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:25:09 GMT

Everyone is invited to liven up their Friday evenings this summer at our Free Friday Family Movie Night. We're showing a family-friendly movie in our church building at 7:00 pm on every Friday from July 17-August 28. Our church family is providing free hot popcorn and drinks. Check out the directions link below for how to get here.

Because we're showing the movies for free, the studios won't let us use the actual movie titles in our publicity, but we think that you can get a pretty good guess from these descriptive hints:

Jul 17: “Classic Animated Cleaning Girl Goes to Prince’s Ball with Help from Fairy Godmother, Mice, and a Pumpkin”

All ages welcome to wear your own Princess outfit.

Jul 24: “Upbeat Story of Singing Teens Finding Love and Musical Theater”

Be ready for post-movie sing-a-long.

Jul 31: “Garbage-Compacting Robot Falls in Love & Rescues Humanity from Space”

Be eco-friendly! Walk, ride your bike or carpool.

Aug 7: “Original Movie of Space Princess Rescued by Her Brother, a Smuggler, an Aging Knight, two Robots, and a Wookie”

Wear a costume, bring your action figures, but leave your light-sabers and blasters at home.

Aug 14: “Mr. British Slapstick Comedian Named for a Legume”

Bring your best joke to share during intermission.

Aug 21: “Automobiles”

Bring your best toy car to enter into Byfield’s Largest Tiny Car Show during intermission.

Aug 28: “Black and White Bear Learns Ancient Chinese Martial Arts”

Come in your pajamas, kung-fu or otherwise.

Free Friday Family Movie Night

Meredith Brown — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:23:56 GMT

Because we're showing the movies for free, the studios won't let us use the actual movie titles in our publicity, but we think that you can get a pretty good guess from these descriptive hints:

Jul 17: “Classic Animated Cleaning Girl Goes to Prince’s Ball with Help from Fairy Godmother, Mice, and a Pumpkin”

All ages welcome to wear your own Princess outfit.

Jul 24: “Upbeat Story of Singing Teens Finding Love and Musical Theater”

Be ready for post-movie sing-a-long.

Jul 31: “Garbage-Compacting Robot Falls in Love & Rescues Humanity from Space”

Be eco-friendly! Walk, ride your bike or carpool.

Aug 7: “Original Movie of Space Princess Rescued by Her Brother, a Smuggler, an Aging Knight, two Robots, and a Wookie”

Wear a costume, bring your action figures, but leave your light-sabers and blasters at home.

Aug 14: “Mr. British Slapstick Comedian Named for a Legume”

Bring your best joke to share during intermission.

Aug 21: “Automobiles”

Bring your best toy car to enter into Byfield’s Largest Tiny Car Show during intermission.

Aug 28: “Black and White Bear Learns Ancient Chinese Martial Arts”

Come in your pajamas, kung-fu or otherwise.

What's Church Got To Do With It?

Meredith — Mon, 04 May 2009 21:21:09 GMT

I've been having a weird intersection of conversations in the past week about how people gain and lose faith. It's come up in some personal conversations, some web reading, and in a couple of interviews I've heard this week. What's suprised me in many of the these conversations is how little thought some people have given to the role of a faith community in nurturing and supporting faith. It turns out that if you are connected up into a community of supportive and encouraging relationships with other people who are intentionally growing in their faith, you are more likely to grow in yours. If you're out there all on your own, with just "you and the Lord," it's a lot harder.

This is why I believe in church. I'm convinced, from my own life and the lives of the hundreds of Christians I've pastored, that Christians need a church for comfort and challenge. My friends at church push me when I'm growing complacent, and they embrace me when I'm falling apart. It's what church does.

Community United Methodist Church is all about these kinds of relationships. If you're looking to grow in your faith, or even just keep from drifting away from God, join us for worship or study this week. We can help.

Find Community this Easter!

Meredith Brown — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:18:16 GMT

You're invited to our Easter & Holy Week worship experiences.

Maundy Thursday & Tenebre - April 9 at 7:30 pm

Together we'll remember Jesus' last night with his disciples. Through our services of foot-washing and Holy Communion, we'll recall his last actions of service and love, and through our service of Tenebre ("darkness"), we'll retell the story of his arrest, passion and execution.

Good Friday CrossWalk - April 10 at 6:30 pm

Gather at Community UMC, and we'll walk around Byfield as we pray and retell Jesus' walk through Jerusalem ont he way to his crucifixion. Our sanctuary is open to everyone for prayer and vigil from 5:00 - 9:00 pm.

Easter Sunrise - April 12 at 6:00 am

Get up early to meet Christ's new dawning. We'll be outdoors at Manter's Field (the Newbury soccer fields on Central St. across from Fatherland Dr.). You're welcome to join us after worship to warm up over breakfast at the Church from 7:00 - 8:30 am.

Easter Morning Celebration - April 12 at 9:00 am

With beautiful music, festival worship, children's Sunday School and Nursery, your whole family can enjoy our celebration of hope for the world in Jesus' new life.

Invitation to Spiritual Practices for Lent

Meredtih — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:49:23 GMT

This Lent, we’re inviting everyone in our church family to take an intentional journey of growing closer to God and growing in discipleship. We’ve picked three of the classic spiritual practices of the Christian faith to focus our common efforts. If you’ve never done anything like this before, this is a great time to try! Grace abounds, so don’t feel guilty about your ability to rigidly keep these practices. We’re sure that you’ll grow in faith, calm, hope and God’s love by making these spiritual practices a habit in your life.

Our Spiritual Practices Covenant During Lent

1. Participate in Worship Each Week

Worship is our primary communal spiritual practice, where we meet God and each other in order to grow in our faith and discipleship. Each week in Lent is special, so come often!

9:00 a.m. Classic Worship
6:00 p.m. Celebration Worship
When you’re out of town on a Sunday, you can go to church elsewhere, or maybe visit a midweek worship service when you get back.

2. Practice Personal Daily Devotion and Prayer

Spending as little as 10-15 minutes daily in intentional relationship building with God through scripture and prayer will change your life. Try it; you’ll see.

Use the “Community Devotion and Prayer Guide” available each week in worship or visit it online at www.peopleoflivingfaith.blogspot.com
Use “Today’s Devotional” found at www.UpperRoom.org
Use the mp3 download found at www.pray-as-you-go.org
Use another model or resource for daily scripture reading, reflection & prayer

3. Participate in a Small Group

During this season, each of our small group experiences will offer support for these three spiritual practices. We hope that everyone will find a group to connect with in order to help make these practices fun and fulfilling.

Sundays, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Coffee Room & Faith Hall, Sanctuary
Sundays, 7:15-8:30 p.m., Conference Room, Church Office
Mondays, 12:00-2:00 p.m., Conference Room, Church Office
Saturdays, 7:15-8:15 a.m. (Men’s Group), Conference Room, Church Office
Other times as requested - contact pastormeredith@cumcbyfield.org.

Get Praying...

Meredith Brown — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:29:55 GMT

I keep talking with folks who are trying to figure out a way to experience God more fully in their lives, but don't feel they have the time right now to join in with one of our small groups. I feel that same rush-rush in my life, and I know that it can be hard to make time. I still believe that sitting down to talk with other people about life and faith is the best way to grow closer to God, but it's not the only way.

If you can find 5 minutes or 10 minutes a day, you might start spending more time with God by using one of these short, simple, powerful on-line resources:

www.upperroom.org - Read their brief daily reflection, scripture and prayer focus directly from their site, or you can subscribe to their daily e-mail or blog feed (RSS).

www.pray-as-you-go.org - Download their daily prayer MP3 or subscribe to their podcast. This 10-12 minute guided experience includes worship music, prayers, daily scripture, and guided reflections.

FAQ's of Faith

Meredith Brown — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 03:59:43 GMT

We're continuing with our "Frequently Asked Questions of Faith" worship series. We gathered questions about faith from our church and community during December, and now we're answering them. Questions include:

Jan 4 - Is Christianity the Only Way?

Jan 11 - Why Don't I Feel God's Presence?

Jan 18 - If God is Good, Why Do Bad Things Happen?

Jan 25 - Does Prayer Work?

Feb 1 - What Happens When We Die?

Feb 8 - If Church is So Great, Why Does It Have So Many Phonies, Fakes and Hypocrites?