Centenary United Methodist Church

09/07/2026

Senior Stretch Class
September 7, 2026

09/06/2026

A United Methodist Prayer for Labor Day:

Dear God,

On this Labor Day, we ask you to help us live lives of meaning;

We want to do work that gives honor to you and brings dignity to us and our fellow humans;

May our jobs be ones where we treat each other and your world with kindness and respect;

May we build relationships with one another that aren’t riddled with problems of caste, class, or envy.

Help us to see the inequalities that trouble you, the injustices that systems hold in place, and the violence that undermines the love you labor so to bring into our world.

Send us out each day with your blessing and help us remember that you walk with us in our daily work and want the best for ourselves, our families, and all your people wherever they may live.

And may our labor be a blessing to you and to others, and may we be thankful for all people, gifts, and opportunities that bless and challenge us.

In your gracious name, we pray. Amen.

-- By Susan Montgomery, chair of the Holston Conference Outreach/Advocacy Team

09/06/2026

Good morning! Welcome to Sunday worship! We will begin at 9:30. Please have a bit of bread or juice ready for Communion.

09/03/2026

Community Dinner starts on Wednesday, September 9. Takeout is from 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm and the dinner will be served from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The menu for September 9 is Church Lady Chicken Salad, Homemade Blueberry Muffin, Watermelon Cup, Corn Chowder, and delicious donated desserts.

09/03/2026

Senior Stretch Class
September 3, 2026

09/03/2026

"To live peacefully with our neighbors. The language of neighbor reminds me of the recent work of Gil Rendle, a perceptive analyst of church life. In his book, “Countercultural,” Rendle offers what he considers crucial foundations for the ministry of the church in the twenty-first century. “The need is greater than ever for the church to be a neighbor, a good neighbor — and speak clearly about what it sees, what it knows, and what it believes. The church must speak publicly in its own neighborhoods with a conviction that what it says is important” (xiii). “The story that the congregation holds is its true treasure, primarily because it describes a world of love and interdependence” (67). Rendle argues that we need to tell our story with beautiful simplicity, “the simplicity on the other side of complexity” (77). We don’t deny the complexity of the world we live in, but we need to tell a beautifully simple story that makes some sense of the complexity. Here are the crucial elements of the church’s simple story, the beautiful simplicity of the Christian story, according to Rendle (85): love God, that is, trust in the God who loves you and the world wildly; love your neighbor; include everyone."

09/01/2026

An excellent word about human worth from one of our former pastors: "There is a wave of positive energy throughout United Methodism in this season. Instead of fending off decline, we have an opportunity to define our core principles going forward. Let’s not miss this opening. Secular “wisdom” only values that which can be measured, typecast and leveraged for power. Now is our time to shine with the unique principle that values people — each person and all people — regardless of performance, worldly success and celebrity. I consider it a delicious irony that this unconditional regard for others can lead to true revival and an abundance of authentic growth. I see a genuine revival on the horizon."

https://www.umnews.org/en/news/on-human-dignity-people-are-ends-in-themselves?utm_id=97758_v0_s00_e0_tv4_a1dennhaw0iq8a&fbclid=IwY2xjawUD3yhwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMVh5Z2pFUEtsWHZRQ0pNcENzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeupOySWga8Zjqz4oUENv1-6HLyBtGdG-Lrvq_j3lRWGocQ2TUTIwfgPvaLNA_aem_Un3T3McSS7OUzwkfY9Nrxg

The teaching in Pope Leo XIV’s recent encyclical has strong similarities with the ideas that drove the abolitionist movement in America.

09/01/2026

Attached is a letter from the United Methodist missionaries we supported for years who just retired from their work in Nepal about the impacts of flooding:

Dear Friends and Family,
So many of you have reached out to check on us and to ask about the situation in Nepal following the devastating flash floods which tore through the valleys north of Kathmandu. Thank you! We have appreciated your concern and your prayers! We are happy that the United Mission to Nepal hospitals (Tansen hospital where we were and Okhaldhunga Community Hospital) were not near the destruction and are operating normally.

However – there are SO many needs in the aftermath of this disaster. One of our friends (a Nepali doctor) just returned from some of the affected areas and especially asked for prayers for the survivors who have not only lost everything, but many have also lost family and friends. In one area, a school was located higher up the valley, so the children survived, but their parents did not. Many people are still waiting for news of their loved ones. As of this morning in Nepal, 903 bodies have been recovered, and 4,247 individuals are unaccounted for. (Source: National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority in Nepal)

The government has made the decision that all help from outside the country has to be channeled through one “door”. If you are wanting to give help, please do so through organizations like United Mission to Nepal who are already in the country and have a working relationship with the government. UMN is “on the ground” in some of the flood-stricken areas and are working to help provide the initial needs of people. You can give through this link: https://www.umn.org.np/nepalflood26/

More than anything, please do remember Nepal in your prayers. So many of you have prayed and supported God’s work there for many years and we thank you. God’s people in Nepal also need prayer support. There were at least 11 churches destroyed or damaged in the disaster – one of which lost all its members and only the pastor survived. Others have lost many members, or are waiting as members are still missing.

We thank God for the thousands who have been rescued, and for the search and rescue teams who are working tirelessly. Please pray that they will be protected against more flooding during their work.

Please feel free to contact us if you have more questions or concerns. You can follow updates on the UMN website https://www.umn.org.np/ or page https://www.facebook.com/umnnepal

Our hearts are broken, but we continue to trust in Jesus.

Les & Debbie

08/31/2026

Senior Stretch Class
August 31, 2026

08/30/2026

Sunday Service August 30, 2026 The Why of Wisdom in a Foolish World