THE CONNECTION

February 2015

MARDI GRAS

Mark your calendars for Mardi Gras on Sunday, February 15, at 5:00 pm. Dinner will be served, and music will be provided by Starlet Knight and Anthony Dowd, Centenary favorites! Please plan to attend.

ACTS OF FAITH THEATRE FESTIVAL

This winter, Centenary is again a sponsoring faith community in Richmond’s Acts of Faith Theatre Festival. We will be offering many opportunities to attend performances as a group around the area, as well as hosting some special performances here at the church.

Saturday, February 7, at 8:00 pm, we will be attending a Henley Street Theatre/Richmond Shakespeare performance of The Lion in Winter at the Leslie Cheek Theatre at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. In a family scuffle over succession to England’s throne, King Henry II of England squares off against three malcontented sons and his banished queen, the notorious Eleanor of Aquitaine. The kingdom teeters on the brink of bloody war, but the conniving members of this power-hungry tribe maneuver precariously for power, in this darkly hilarious modern take on medieval royals. Tickets will be between $0 and $25 each depending on the size of our group.

Monday, February 9, at 7:00 pm, Henley Street Theatre/Richmond Shakespeare will present a final dress rehearsal of Romeo and Juliet in our Fellowship Hall before they take this production on tour to Richmond City Schools. This will be a free performance for Centenary members and their guests. Invite a neighbor or friend to join us!

Sunday, February 22, at 2:30 pm, we will be attending a Huguenot Community Players production of Driving Miss Daisy at Huguenot United Methodist Church (10661 Duryea Drive). Driving Miss Daisy is about the relationship of an elderly white Southern Jewish woman, Daisy Werthan, and her African-American chauffeur, Hoke Colburn, from 1948 to 1973. Tickets will be $12 each.

Sign up for either or both of the outings on the bulletin board in the hallway across from the kitchen.

LOOKING BACK-AND AHEAD

Dear Centenary family,

As we close out 2014 and move into 2015, I want to thank you for all you have done to make 2014 a great year here at Centenary. Because of the hard work of dedicated lay leaders and our staff, we have much to be grateful.

We finished the year strong financially. We received 109% of the contributions we’d anticipated for 2014, allowing us to use only 60% of the funds from the endowment we’d anticipated having to use. Our average worship attendance continues to move upward slightly, with 138 as our average in 2014. We received 16 new members in 2014, two by Profession of Faith, and five who joined by Reaffirmation of Faith. And we had a net gain in membership—no small feat for a downtown, mainline congregation!

We made some major capital improvements. We resurfaced our parking lot, installed a new, energy efficient boiler, and installed a new security system. We touched lives through our Walk-In Ministry, Stop Hunger Now, and our many other missions and outreach ministries! We have a new website up and running and ready for expansion. We began a series of six workshops entitled “Remember and Recommit” with Asbury in Church Hill, the Pace Center and in partnership with the Virginia Conference that we hope will lead us to new forms of mission and efforts for justice.

We said farewell to Reeves Danter, our Administrative Assistant who retired, and has served Centenary so well. In January, welcomed Mandy Porter to our staff. We had wonderful quality worship in both of our services every Sunday of the year.

There are many other wonderful things that have happened. The most important accomplishments cannot really be counted. We cannot accurately measure the way faith has been borne or grown, the witness for Christ through words and actions by individual members, or the grace received and shared by each of us.

We have an exciting year ahead of us. One of our main tasks will be to begin the process of raising funds for the renovation of our kitchen and installation of a new elevator. Pray for this effort and our Building Committee, led by Mary E. Vetrovec, as they seek ways to help us meet this important objective. And we look forward to engaging our community more intentionally and discovering new ways to share the good news Centenary style and to find new possibilities for service and mission.

Thank you for all you are doing to make Centenary a tool for the advancement of God’s kingdom and a wonderful place to experience God’s love and grace! Peace, Matt

Remember and Recommit

Remember and Recommit is an initiative undertaken by Centenary United Methodist Church, Asbury United Methodist Church in Church Hill, and the Pace Center for Campus and Community Ministry along with the Office of Justice and Missional Excellence of the Virginia Annual Conference. You are invited to join us for the second of six workshops focused in remembering the modern Civil Rights Movement and recommitting ourselves to the work of racial reconciliation and the pursuit of systemic equity.

This second workshop will be held on Saturday, February 21, at Centenary United Methodist Church, 411 E. Grace Street, Richmond, VA. The focus of this workshop will be on the events during the years 1960-1962. Topics covered include the lunch counter sit-ins, freedom rides, the Albany Movement, integrating the University of Mississippi, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Workshop sessions are led by Dr. Jim Melson, founder and leader of the Cornelius Corps, and utilize multi-media presentations that make these events come to life. The presentations lead to conversation and honest discussion about the meaning of this history for living our faith in the present time.

With recent events in Ferguson and New York City and elsewhere, we have become aware of the continued need for growth and understanding across racial lines in our country, and our calling as Christians to work toward healing, reconciliation, and justice.

The schedule for the February 21 workshop is: 10:00-10:30 A.M.—Opening: Welcome, Introduction, Worship 10:30 A.M.-12 Noon—Session One: 1960 (presentation and small groups) 12:00-12:45 P.M.—Lunch 12:45-2:15 P.M.—Session Two: 1961 (presentation and small groups) 2:15-3:45 P.M.—Session Three: 1962 (presentation and small groups 3:45-4:00 P.M.—Closing Worship

Though participants are encouraged to join us for the day, you are also invited to join us for the parts of the day that fit your

schedule. There is no charge for the event, but donations for lunch will be accepted. To reserve your place for the workshop, please call 648-8319 or e-mail cent.umc@verizon.net.

4th Sunday After the Epiphany February 1, 2015 Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Psalm 111 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Mark 1:21-28 5th Sunday After the Epiphany February 8, 2015 Isaiah 20:21-31 Psalm 147:1-11 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 Mark 1:29-39

Last Sunday after the Epiphany February 15, 2015 2 Kings 2:1-12 Psalm 50:1-6 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 Mark 9:2-6 1st Sunday in Lent February 22, 2015 Genesis 9:8-17 Psalm 25:1-10 1 Peter 3:18-22 Mark 1:9-15

The scripture readings are provided so that you may read and reflect upon them during the days prior to each worship service.

NOTES FROM THE LAY LEADER Phyllis Stump

For many people, Lent is a time to “give up” something they enjoy as an act of sacrifice and spiritual discipline. They view it as an extended time of self-denial when they can’t eat chocolate or drink coffee or do some favorite thing. Perhaps we could dig a little deeper during this Lenten season. What if we give up something spiritually or mentally that we would be better off not doing? We might consider giving up an attitude or a habit. Some examples might include negative thinking, self-pity, procrastination, or resentment. As we approach the altar on Ash Wednesday for the imposition of ashes, let us be ready to clear our hearts and minds and open ourselves fully to God’s grace.

TRIP TO LANCASTER, PA As part of a new initiative, Centenary Creating Connections, the Evangelism Committee is hosting a bus trip to Lancaster, PA on Thursday, March 19. The trip will include a performance of “Moses” at the Sight and Sound Theatre, the largest faith-based theatre in the United States. We will leave Richmond at 9:30 am and return at 10 pm. The trip includes a theatre ticket, bus transportation, a boxed lunch and dinner, a snack and beverages at a cost of $118 per person. Centenary members and guests are invited – invite a friend or neighbor to join you! Please sign up by February 1 by calling the church office or registering on the bulletin board across from the kitchen.

SACTUARY OPEN FOR PRAYER

Beginning February 3, the sanctuary will be open for prayer every Tuesday from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. Hosts are needed to be there each time to welcome visitors. Please let Ann Davis know if you are available.

OUTREACHINGS

The Outreach Committee held its first meeting of 2015 and discussed ways we could expand our services to the community. As we know, the most important thing we do (next to feeding the soul) is feeding our walk-ins. We discussed how we could offer help beyond food: counseling, help with taxes, health services, devotional time, etc. The Committee would welcome any input from the congregation as to suggestions or volunteering to help.

The Outreach Committee wants to thank all of you who provided services to our many guests during the Christmas season. Your time, contributions, and devotion resulted in many folks to feel God’s love. This year, we will continue to participate in, Stop Hunger Now, after we replenish our funds. The committee needs your help to raise $1000 before we can have another packaging. Our spring golf tournament is our main source of income and the date for the tournament is yet to be decided.

We are looking at mission trip opportunities and will explore the possibility of joining with another church on a joint project. Shalom Farms is a readily available option for service for those interested in getting their hands dirty in the service of others. One of our goals is to attempt to involve the Pace Center in our mission programs.

Julie Landsdowne is scheduled to return from her mission trip to Israel and Kenya on February 1st. We are working with Julie to provide a time for her to brief us on her experiences in working with people from those countries.

ORGAN CONSOLE REFURBISHMENT

How much do you suppose our entire church property is worth? Some estimates put our combined assets between $12-14 million. Now can you imagine one single item of our property that is worth around seven percent of that assessment? I guess that’s pretty obvious coming from the guy who plays it every Sunday! Yes, our Casavant pipe organ is very likely worth a cool million.

Take four percent of that and what do you get? Forty thousand. That’s how much we need to raise to bring the console (the keyboards, pedals, stop knobs and their connections) up to modern standards and fix some of its geriatric problems.

The inner workings of the console have not been modified much at all since the organ’s installation in 1965. Several years ago, many people donated funds to add some electronic 32’ stops (very low bass notes) in memory of Billy Stump. We couldn’t really afford to do the console refurbishment at the time so some of the new stop knobs are “in the wrong place.” There are also some stops which are unreliable due to the aging mechanism. Since 2015 is the fiftieth anniversary of its birth, we felt that this would be a very appropriate time to do some needed repair and celebrate our organ’s significant history here at Centenary.

If any of you are familiar with the console, you probably know that there are several “registration aids” in the form of buttons beneath each keyboard (and also near the pedals). These buttons allow the organist to change the stops instantaneously from a thunderous roar to a whisper and back, simply by pressing a button or two (we call them pistons). Currently the console has six pistons for each of its three keyboards and six which control the stops for the entire instrument. Once we replace the pistons with an electronic solid state system, the number of buttons will increase slightly BUT the number of possible preset combinations will increase to 256! The work on the console is slated to take place during a couple of months this summer. After they are completed, we are planning to present a major organ recitalist to show off our newly refurbished instrument. At its November meeting last year, the administrative council voted to create an organ fund for the refurbishment of the console. Please consider making a contribution to keep our organ going strong for the next fifty years! Stanley M. Baker Director of Music/Organist

SUN MON TUES WED THU FRI SAT

Every Sunday

8:40 AM Informal Worship

10:00 AM Sunday School

11:00 AM Traditional Worship

Every Monday

10:30 AM Zumba Class

Every Tuesday

12:00 PM Men’s Group at

Aunt Sarah’s

12:00 PM - AA

11:30-1:30 pm Sanctuary Open for

Prayer

Every Wednesday

10:30 AM Zumba Class

12:00 PM

Staff Meeting

7:00 PM Chancel Choir Practice

Every Thursday

Every Friday

10:30 AM Walk-In & Bless My

Sole Ministries

12:00 PM - AA

1

12:15 pm Heart Healthy Lunch

2

3

Administrative Council 8:00 pm

4

“Unbinding Your Soul”

7:00 pm

5

6

7

Theatre Outing

The Lion in the Winter 8 pm

8

9

10

11 12

13 14 Valentine’s

Day

15

Mardi Gras 5 pm

16

CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED

17

18 START OF LENT Ash Wednesday

Service 7:30 pm

19 20 21

Remember and Recommit

10-4pm

22

23

24

25 26 27 28

1

2

3

4 5 6 7

Romeo & Juliet 7 pm

March

BIRTHDAYS

February 1 Chloe Simpson February 2 Rachel Bates February 4 Maria Dandridge February 5 Troy Nelson February 9 Toni Shelton February 11 Jim Hill February 12 Peggy Childress February 14 Mary Edwards

February 17 Eli Armstrong February 18 Earl Jones Christina Kidd Gregory Speidel February 19 Andy Jordan February 20 Agatha Kidd February 21 Chrissy Muse February 22 Nancy Grand Ann Sykes Ley Willis February 23 Jim Armstrong

February 25 Justin Bates Alan Davis Virginia Sykes February 26 Melissa DeVader February 29 Ina Wilson

STAFF NEWS Thank You Thank you to everyone who sent a card, brought food and gifts, attended the memorial service, and remembered my family in your thoughts and prayers. We really appreciate all of it. Thank you so much. Ann Davis

Thank You Thank you to everyone for your warm and friendly welcome and all of your help these past few weeks. Your support and outgoing smiles have made this a mission that I look forward to each and every morning, and not something that I call work. Thanks again! Mandy Porter

ACOLYTES 01 Christina Kidd 08 Madison Lee 15 Isabel Junker 22 Katie Shingleton ALTAR GUILD 01 Sylvia Whaley 08 Florence Clay Bishop 15 Ginny Jarvis Lee and Kim Chen 18 Nancy Grand (Ash Wednesday) 22 James Durst Mary Sue Sanderlin BANNER BEARERS 01 Agatha Kidd 08 Agatha Kidd 15 Chris Junker 22 Ryland Bailey, Jr. COMMUNION STEWARDS 01 Goldie Craig Barbara Pierson Suzanne Ray 18 Suzanne Ray (Ash Wednesday) Barbara Pierson (Ash Wednesday) GREETERS 01 John and Bette Dillehay 08 Connie Bennington and Susan Thomas 15 Bob and Leah Hundley 22 Lee and Kim Chen HALL MONITORS 01 Robb Stottlemyer Sylvia Whaley* 08 Bob Hundley, Sr. Clinton Jones* 15 Alan Davis Phil Crick* 22 Steve Gregory R.B. Bennington* (* 2nd Floor)

FEBRUARY WORSHIP HELPERS

LAY READERS 01 Alan Davis 08 Susy Meyer 15 Phyllis Stump 18 Jim Hill (Ash Wednesday) 22 Ginny Jarvis TELLERS 02 Barbara Pierson Barrett Brown 09 Buck Haley Marjorie Landers 17 (Tuesday) Buck Haley Marjorie Landers 23 Ann Maust Ryland Bailey, Sr. USHERS Lorna Leake, Captain Dan Corcoran Les Dobbs Kim Chen Lee Chen REMINDER: IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO BE HERE ON YOUR SCHEDULED SUNDAY, PLEASE FIND A SUBSTITUTE AND NOTIFY THE CHURCH OFFICE OF THE CHANGE.

COORDINATORS Lay Readers: Phyllis Stump (330-2544) Greeters and Hall Monitors: Sylvia Whaley & Clint Jones (795-5492) Tellers: Suzanne Ray (262-4854) Ushers: Sylvia Whaley & Clint Jones (795-5492)

CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Worship………………………………………..8:40 a.m.

Sunday School………………………………..10:00 a.m.

Worship …………………………………...…11:00 a.m.

STAFF

Senior Minister………………...….….Matthew D. Bates

Minister to Senior Adults…….…..Cheryl Owen-Watson

Director of Music/Organist…………...Stanley M. Baker

Director of Membership Development…...….Ann Davis

Administrative Assistant………...……….Mandy Porter

Senior Accountant……………...…….…….John Lampe

Facilities Manager…………...…………..Al Richardson

Sexton…………………………...……………Saran Yin

Choir Section Leaders …………………..…Erika Straus

…………………………………….……Alexandra Goia

……………………………………...…….Todd Minnich

………………………………..…….………...Sam Cook

Early Service Musician………….………Lee Covington

Nursery Worker……………….…....…Melissa Martinez

Nursery Worker………………………...Shannon Hocutt

411 East Grace Street

Richmond, Virginia 23219

Phone: 648-8319

www.centumc.org

Matt – mbates3@verizon.net

Cheryl - owenwatson@comcast.net

Ann - cent.davis@verizon.net

Mandy – cent.umc@verizon.net

Stan – dirmusic@verizon.net

John - finsecretary3@verizon.net

Centenary United Methodist

Church is a Reconciling

Congregation, extending

hospitality and encouraging

full participation of all,

regardless of age, race,

national origin, gender,

gender identity, sexual

orientation, marital status,

educational or economic

background and physical or

mental ability.

CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

411 EAST GRACE STREET

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23219

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED