Memorial United Methodist Church of Charlotte, Inc.

08/27/2026

Heaven gained a little more sparkle this week. ✨

Dolly Parton, daughter of the Southern Appalachians, born in a one-room cabin in the Smokies, has gone home at 80.

She was kin to these Blue Ridge Mountains so many of us love. And she was kin to us in spirit: a woman who loved boldly, served joyfully, and led courageously. She never hid her shine because she believed God could use a little girl from nothing to light up the whole world. And she did. She put millions of books into the hands of children. She brought hope to the hearts of strangers she'd never met. And her desire to share the Gospel message of God's vast & inclusive love was at the center of it all.

She once said, "I never had children of my own. God didn't let me have children so everybody's children could be mine." That was Dolly — love with no fences around it, wrapped in a whole lot of glitter.

Shine on, Dolly. Thank you for showing us what joyful, courageous love looks like. 💗✨

08/20/2026

We have an opening for a part time lead teacher position at our Memorial United Methodist Church preschool for the 2026-2027 school year!
Please call 704-537-4611 if interested!

08/19/2026

🚨 WE NEED EXTRA HANDS ON DECK! 🚨

Our Partner & Volunteer Appreciation Cookout is almost here, and we need a few more amazing volunteers to help us make the day special! 💙

📅 Thursday, August 20
⏰ 10:30 AM–4:00 PM

We're looking for volunteers to help with:

🍔 Serving food
🚿 Shower operations
🎉 Games & activities
🤝 Welcoming and engaging with our neighbors
🧹 Setup & cleanup
📸 Helping capture the fun!

You don't have to stay all day, even a few hours can make a BIG difference!

Can you lend a hand? Sign up to volunteer at: https://forms.gle/TzMAbjnc18RijYMd7

Appreciate you in advance! 💙

08/19/2026

Is your local UMC looking for a way to "welcome the stranger" in your community? 🤝

Encourage your church to apply for a Mustard Seed Migration Grant and receive support for a ministry or project that cares for migrants and refugees in your midst!

Tap the link in the comments to learn more and apply.

08/19/2026

08/19/2026

📍 Big news from our neighbors to the south: The Southeastern Jurisdiction has given final approval to unite the North Georgia and South Georgia conferences into one.

The vote was unanimous (291-0!), and the new Georgia Conference — more than 215,000 members strong — begins operations in January 2027. Both conferences see it as a chance to strengthen their shared witness across the state and reach the millions of Georgians not yet part of a faith community.

Read the full story from United Methodist News 👇
https://www.umnews.org/en/news/georgia-unification-gains-final-approval

08/19/2026

United Methodists are a “singing people,” and each generation brings new United Methodist hymn writers who further renew worship. The Rev. Lovett Weems tells the story of Natalie Sleeth, whose “Hymn of Promise” has become a much beloved way to mark all sorts of beginnings. https://lovettweems.substack.com/p/draft-for-august-6-substack

08/19/2026

Joy isn't just something we feel; it can shape the way we serve. 💙

In this week's Weekly Reflection, Bishop Carter explores the second part of The United Methodist Church's vision statement: Serve Joyfully. He reminds us that ministry is not simply about duty or obligation, but about serving with love, freedom, and the joy that comes from the Spirit.

More about love than law. More about joy than duty.

08/16/2026

There appears to be a growing number of churches working to recover the practice—never entirely lost, but not as popular as it used to be—of singing from books.

Hymnals offer perceived permanence and stability in a musical landscape that changes quickly and often. The decision to reintroduce congregations to hymnals is often an ideological one, especially for churches that made the transition away from them in recent decades.

But a notable number of churches are making that choice, choosing the printed page over lyrics projected onto a screen.

Dan Kreider, a composer, arranger, and music minister who designed the Sing! Hymnal said hymnals aren’t going to replace projection or any of the tech tools that undergird contemporary worship music. But they offer something valuable and different.

“If you’re in a church that just goes with the most popular songs, where is your sense of permanence? Think of the kids growing up in your church. Where is their sense of permanence? What songs are they going to remember and sing as they age? The hymnal slows us down,” Kreider said.

From the CT archive: