Pamunkey United Methodist Church

12/25/2020

Merry Christmas! 🎄

"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'” - Luke 2:10-12 NIV

07/23/2020

Information for our Youth!

Dear members of the York River District:

I'm writing to be sure you've heard about three online opportunities for your high school youth led by Randolph-Macon College.

(1) College Admissions 101: Randolph-Macon College invites high school students and their parents (from the York River and Elizabeth River Districts) to join in a one hour session (followed by 30 minutes of open Questions & Answers) to learn more about how the College Admissions Process works. Join Erin Slater, (Director of Admissions) and Kendra Grimes (Chaplain and Director of Church Relations) at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia online via Zoom on Monday, August 10 beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The event content is designed to be helpful whether you are considering in state or out of state schools, public or private institutions, etc. Take this opportunity to ask an expert the unique questions that you have regarding college admissions. Register each family member who plans to join using the following link:
https://rmc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_d2IqAaShQLCAN8ngzZl48A

(2) Valuing the Voices in our Church- Randolph-Macon College's 2020-21 VALUING THE VOICES IN OUR CHURCH experience for 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students is now open for registration. This program is designed to help youth
Discern God's Call
Value Their Own Voice
Value the Voice of Others
Valuing the Voices in Our Church is an opportunity for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors to explore their own gifts and graces for leadership, to consider what vocation God is calling them to, and to hear and grow in appreciation of a diverse chorus of voices who are leading in the church today. Randolph-Macon faculty, staff, alumni and friends will be guest speakers throughout the year, sharing new ideas, sparking your imagination, and helping you sense God's call in a deeper way.
From August 2020 through April 2021, Randolph-Macon College will host bi-weekly online video conferences via Zoom. In May (if health & safety policies allow), eligible participants will be invited to campus for a Certificate Ceremony. In order to achieve a certificate for the program, you must attend the first meeting and at least three additional sessions of each unit: Leadership, Diversity, and Call.

Expect to learn about yourself in an environment that encourages you to cultivate new and lasting friendships with other high school students who are committed to faith and leadership. The cost for this yearlong program is $20. To apply or to nominate a youth, please visit our website at https://www.rmc.edu/offices/chaplain/valuing-the-voices. Please register by August 5th.

(3) July 27-30 Virtual Week of Service: Join other youth groups (middle and high school students welcome) and the Randolph-Macon College Chaplain online each morning July 27-30 from 10:00-10:30 a.m. for a devotional time and a mission challenge that each youth can complete from their home (it may involve writing a letter, creating a craft to share, a yard project, creating a short video, etc.) Supplies needed will be minimal and youth leaders will have a detailed outline of topics/projects... youth will be provided a theme for the day ahead of time but not the full details so that each day is a bit of a surprise. We will break from 10:30-2:00 for teens to take care of other daily tasks and have plenty of time to complete the daily mission challenge, then we will gather again from 2-2:30 p.m. to share what we each created/completed. We will celebrate the difference we are all making, but we'll also have a friendly competition and t-shirt awarded to one outstanding participant each day (it will be mailed to them) to add to the fun. Youth groups/leaders are asked to commit to the full event even if some youth attendees cannot be present all four days. Any youth group desiring "break out room time" for just their group could do this at 10:30 or at 2:30 each day. Register your group at Virtual Week of Service at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1q7UluG7LJIJjGmqK_gBUciRGKDof_kHGrA4OhP4jd5Q/edit

If you have questions about any of these events, please contact Kendra Grimes ([email protected]) or Jamie Grant ([email protected]).

Virginia Beach UMC Event

06/24/2020

06/22/2020

Important Announcement! We hope to see you Sunday, June 28th! 🙂

06/21/2020

"Prey Animals"

06/21/2020

1 Peter 5:6-11

06/21/2020

Psalm 68:1-10

05/31/2020

Dear Virginia Annual Conference:

On Memorial Day, when the world was honoring and remembering all military men and women for their sacrifice to this country, Mr. George Floyd, another African-American man, while handcuffed and in police custody, was pleading for his life. His dying statement, “I can’t breathe,” rings again in my ears just as it did in 2014 when Eric Garner used those same words as he was dying from being held in a chokehold by a New York Police Department officer.

As I have reflected since Monday, I find my emotions range from sadness to anger to disbelief. I ask myself the simple questions – “How long, Lord? How long, Lord?”

Isn’t it enough that we are fighting a pandemic and at the same time fighting life’s other challenges? Isn’t it enough that we witnessed the senseless death of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, the disturbing exchange between Christian Cooper and Amy Cooper in Central Park, and the barely-mentioned Breonna Taylor, who was killed by Louisville Metro Police Department officers executing a warrant at the wrong house in March?

When do we as children of God decide that God is calling us into action? When do we decide that mere words or social media interactions for a few days are just not enough?

When do we as children of God decide that the systemic racism in our society, whether manifested overtly or covertly, is a sin that hinders our relationship with Jesus Christ and is antithetical to the gospel?

When do we as children of God in the second largest annual conference in The United Methodist connection decide to have the crucial conversations and examine our own experiential and inherited stories of race and racism? I believe that everything in life begins and ends with the story you have accepted as truth about yourself and others. These stories shape our thinking, actions and assumptions about different races.

The lesson from these senseless deaths is that the fight to eradicate racism is not another person’s problem but humanity’s problem, and I believe that I’m not the only voice in the Virginia Annual Conference that wants to see real change and work toward the complete eradication of racism.

As the Resident Bishop of the Virginia Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, I am requesting that leaders of the Virginia faith community join in a conversation about policing with Governor Ralph Northam. The requested conversation will focus on statewide community relationships and policing training and practices.
In addition, I would like to invite the people of the Virginia Annual Conference to join me in these call to action steps:
We need informed clergy and laity to have authentic conversations about race and reconciliation in houses of worship, communities, and workplaces in which we acknowledge racism as a sin and actively pursue whatever is necessary to dismantle the injustices. One resource for starting that conversation is the Racial Justice Conversations Guide produced by the General Commission on Religion and Race;
Community policing emphasizes working with neighborhood residents as partners in creating public safety. We can offer our support and involvement with law enforcement agencies that want to work with community residents to identify problems and collaborate on implementing solutions that produce meaningful results for the community; and
We can encourage civilian participation in oversight of law enforcement in order to strengthen trust with the community. Every community should define the appropriate form and structure of civilian oversight to meet the needs of that community.
Continue to pray for the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. Let us hold close the words of the Apostle Paul, who reminds us in Romans 12:21; “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (NKJV)

Peace and Blessings,
Bishop Sharma D. Lewis

05/24/2020

Sunday Sermon "Now you see 'em, Now you don't." (5-24-20 video 3 of 3)

05/22/2020

"The Door" by Pastor Tim

05/10/2020