Arden United Methodist Church Page

Arden United Methodist Church Page And Sunday School at 10:30 am.

Arden United Methodist Church is a vibrant and growing faith community located five miles southwest of Martinsburg, WV
Please join us for worship
Sundays at 9:30 am.

09/06/2026

“13: Matthias, The Replacement” September 6, 2026

Friends,Welcome to September! I’m glad to see the new month arrive and with it all of the activities and changes that ma...
09/04/2026

Friends,

Welcome to September! I’m glad to see the new month arrive and with it all of the activities and changes that mark the change of seasons. In the church, we remain in the same season (Ordinary Time) through the end of November. If you haven’t heard that name “Ordinary Time” before, please know that it does not refer to the days being ordinary, average, or of no special significance. This use of ordinary means “ordinal,” as in numbering things in a sequence. The Church’s Ordinary Time begins right after Pentecost. It reminds us that we live in the days after the coming of the Holy Spirit, the event that marked the beginning of the Church, God’s Spirit is with us for all time.

When we stop to think about it, there is no such thing as an ordinary day. Each day is a gift that comes to us from God. We can recognize that in our prayers. Every day when I get up, I begin with a short prayer that just gives God thanks for the day that lies ahead of me. I pray that I can live in such a way this day that I will honor and give glory to God. And that’s it. Nothing fancy to start the day. Just a prayer of simple gratitude and hope for the day. If this is your prayer as you start your day, wonderful! Keep it up! If you don’t already have a similar way to start your day, give it a try. It helps to begin with a prayer to our gracious Creator God.

Here’s what’s coming up for Arden UMC:

- The Bible Reading Challenge ends this weekend. For those of you who finished reading the Gospel of Matthew, we have bookmarks for you to mark the occasion. Congratulations for completing the challenge!

- This Sunday we will serve Holy Communion. For those who cannot be there this week, Communion in a Bag is also available. Pick up a bag after the service and take to someone who is homebound and unable to come to worship. In this way, we share the Sacrament of Communion that feeds us, renews us, and strengthens us to be the body of Christ in the world.

- Practice for the adult choir begins next Tuesday, September 8, at 7 PM. If you would like to join the choir, please contact Leslie Stilwell, or just show up!

- Mission Giving for September will go to the Tri-County Pastoral Counseling Service. This group provides Christian-based counseling to individuals, couples, and families for help in their relationships. The offering for Tri-County will be received throughout the month.

Enjoy the rest of the week. If you are traveling this Labor Day weekend, be safe and know you are in our prayers.

Enjoy life! Remember often that God loves you and will be with you always.

“Be cheerful. Keep things in good repair. Keep your spirits up. Think in harmony. Be agreeable. Do all that, and the God of love and peace will be with you for sure …. The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.” (2 Corinthians 13:11-14, The Message)

Peace,

Pastor Bob

Friends,We’re on the back end of summer now, sliding into fall. For those who are gardeners, we’ve been cultivating the ...
08/27/2026

Friends,

We’re on the back end of summer now, sliding into fall. For those who are gardeners, we’ve been cultivating the plants in our care for several months now. Mine are in several plant boxes on the railing of my deck and in one garden bed where I planted some colorful flowers (the leftover plants from Mother’s Day). The boxed plants did well earlier in the season but now they are dying; the hot weather from June and July finally took its toll. The plants in the garden bed, however, are doing really well. They continue to bloom and to grow, both tall and wide.

“Bloom where you are planted” is a good saying for people as well as for plants. Plants bloom in their time and give us beautiful, many-colored displays that brighten our days for weeks. It all depends on the care they are given in the places they are planted.

People can bloom, too. Given enough love and encouragement, we can bloom and grow into loving, caring, kind, compassionate, and generous people. I pray we will all bloom and grow spiritually in the “Garden of Arden” as we allow God to feed us and nurture us into the people God wants us to become.

We are getting close to the end of our sermon series on the apostles. This week, I offer what could be termed an “Apostolic Doubleheader.” This week’s message will cover two of the apostles, Thaddeus and John. The first is one of the most obscure of the followers of Jesus, the second, one of the best known. We’ll learn a little more about both and how they contributed to the cause of sharing the good news about Jesus, in their time and place, and in ours. The message is called “13: Love & Thunder, Thaddeus and John.” I hope you will join us.

Here’s what’s going on at Arden UMC in the next couple of weeks:

- The annual Bible Reading Challenge is just about over. Remember to finish reading the Gospel of Matthew by the first Sunday in September to receive a special bookmark. It’s not too late. You can still do some catch up reading between now and Labor Day weekend.

- This is the last Sunday for the August mission offering, which is for Community Networks, Inc. This local charity provides temporary shelter for homeless women and children through the HOPE Living Center and Bethany House. Please consider giving to support their important work in the community.

- The Rebecca Circle has been receiving donations for West Virgina flooding victims all this month. We have raised a good amount of money for this cause—thanks to everyone who has given. If you would like to contribute to the flood relief effort, please do so this Sunday. Checks should be made out to the Rebecca Circle with a notation the funds are for West Virginia flood relief.

Grow in love and faith and humility as you serve the Lord your God this day.

Agape,
Pastor Bob

08/23/2026

“13: Judas, the Value of a Dollar” August 23, 2026

Hey, everyone, don't forget tomorrow is Positive T-Shirt Sunday. Wear a Tee with a positive message that uplifts, inspir...
08/22/2026

Hey, everyone, don't forget tomorrow is Positive T-Shirt Sunday. Wear a Tee with a positive message that uplifts, inspires, and encourages whoever reads your shirt.

Friends in Christ,An encouraging word came to mind this morning. It was the phrase “take heart.” I did a quick search fo...
08/22/2026

Friends in Christ,

An encouraging word came to mind this morning. It was the phrase “take heart.” I did a quick search for these words on a Bible website and found several occurrences of “take heart” in both the Old and New Testaments. The most familiar passage where we find this is in Matthew 14 where Jesus walks on the water. The disciples, scared out of their wits in their storm-tossed boat, see him and think Jesus is a ghost. They cry out in fear. And that’s when Jesus speaks to them, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27).

The storms of life come in many shapes and sizes. When we encounter them, we do well to remember the words of Jesus, “Take heart, it is I!” Jesus will be with us in the storm, and through the storm, and out the other end of the storm. No matter what may come our way, we have Jesus with us. And that makes a world of difference…a kingdom difference…in how we face up to the challenges of daily living.

This week we continue the sermon series on the 13 Apostles with the man most people love to hate—Judas Iscariot. Judas has become the epitome of betrayal. Calling someone a “Judas” is an insult of high order. Judas made the worst possible choice of perhaps any person in all human history. But he didn’t start out that way. What brought Judas to the point of betraying Jesus? And how does his life concern us today? Let’s talk about it in my message “13: Judas, The Value of a Dollar.”

Here’s what’s going on at Arden UMC in the next couple of weeks:

- This Sunday is Positive T-shirt Sunday! Wear a T-shirt that has a positive, uplifting message you want to share.

- United Methodist Men meet Friday at 5:30 PM at the Martinsburg Family Diner.

- The annual Bible Reading Challenge is nearing a close. If you’ve been reading along, you should be up to about chapter 20 today. Complete the reading by the first Sunday in September and receive a special bookmark. There’s still time! Read God’s word. It’s good for the soul.

- We are receiving a mission offering for Community Networks, Inc. this month. This local charity provides temporary shelter for homeless women and children through the HOPE Living Center and Bethany House. Please consider giving to this worthwhile cause.

Let me encourage you with the words of Jesus once more, this time with a story from the Gospel of Mark. A blind man was sitting by the side of the road and heard that Jesus was passing by. He cried out to Jesus, asking for mercy. Some people in the crowd tried to silence him, but the man cried all the louder. Jesus heard him and said, “Call him here.” At which point some other people in the crowd spoke to the blind man, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” And he did, and Jesus gave him his sight because the main had faith.

These words are fit for us, too. “Take heart,” beloved. Jesus is calling you. “Get up,” and go to him. Take him your troubles; take him your joys; take to Jesus whatever you can’t handle on your own. For by faith Jesus heals us and sends us out to share the good news the world so longs to hear.

May the love and grace of Jesus be yours in abundant measure this week, beloved.

Agape,
Pastor Bob

08/16/2026

“Things Aren’t Always as They Seem” Dr. Damien Unger August 16, 2026

08/09/2026

Sunday Worship 8/9/26

08/02/2026

“13: Thomas, 21st Century Man” August 2, 2026

Thursday was such a beautiful day I had to take some pictures of the church. For the beauty of the earth and to the glor...
07/31/2026

Thursday was such a beautiful day I had to take some pictures of the church. For the beauty of the earth and to the glory of God. Enjoy!
Pastor Bob

Address

4464 Arden Nollville Road
Martinsburg, WV
25403

Opening Hours

9am - 12pm

Telephone

(304) 267-6165

Website

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