community meal delivery continues through august 7th

We are living in historic times, facing a pandemic that has affected every aspect of our lives: our finances, social encounters, and the practice of our faith. As we look to the future, we know that many challenges remain. Methodists have historically thought about our faith and life using the “Wesleyan Quadrilateral,” which calls us to consider Scripture in light of our traditions, our mental reasoning and our experience of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit. We hear the words of Scripture, calling us to bold faith and action. But we temper that with the reason of scientists, doctors and experts, who recommend caution and care. Through the gi� of technology we are finding ways to keep the traditions of worship, and we find that though we are separated physically, the Holy Spirit still turns up among us. For this, we give thanks and praise.

The question many of you have been asking me is, “how will we move forward?” Many of you have shared with me, and I hope you will continue to do so. Some believe the virus is nothing to fear and want us to get back to normal as soon as possible. Others aren’t sure, preferring a “wait and see” approach. Many find themselves somewhere in the middle, wondering how we can go forward with a calm, calculated plan for getting our lives back to “normal.”

I love that ours is a church of active, curious faith that welcomes and accepts everyone. That means we are a church of many, varied opinions and ideas. Some of us would happily enter our sanctuary next Sunday and sing loudly, shoulder to shoulder without fear. Others would prefer to worship at home online, until there is some measure of certainty about the virus. Many find themselves somewhere in between. At every turn, I’m grateful for the grace and understanding you have shown. Truly, this is what it means to be the church together.

I am also deeply appreciative of the faith and trust you have placed in me as your Senior Pastor, in our staff, and in our church leadership. Thank you. We are planning now, tentatively, to experiment with outdoor worship beginning on June 7, weather permitting. Before our online worship offering at 10:00 a.m., we will gather that morning in the parking lot at 8:30 a.m. You’ll be asked to park in every other space, bring chairs, and remain socially distanced. If you join us, we will require you to wear a face mask, unless you are under the age of 2. The church building will remain closed, so no restrooms will be available that morning. Look for more details and information as the day approaches. Despite these restrictions, I trust that we will still be able to worship God faithfully together.

This, perhaps, is the most important truth to remember: wherever we are, however we gather, God is still God and God is good. I’ll be the first to admit, there is much that I do not know. But I do know that I love God, and that I love each of you dearly. I do not want, in any way, for our church to be a source of harm. Thus, we are proceeding with the greatest caution and care. For me, it’s the only way to move forward. We love and serve a God who calls us to care for one another. As we do, we trust that God’s grace will continue to guard and strengthen us to be more like Christ together. May we continue to place our faith and hope in Him.

In Christ,

George

Community Meal Delivery Continues through August 7thOur congregation will continue delivering meals to students in need throughout our community through August 7th. Gaston County schools have approved continuing the grab and go lunch program through the summer and asked us to continue serving the routes with which we have been coordinating since May. To sign up to deliver meals, visit: www.fumcbelmont.org/coronavirus or email Sharon Lochaby at [email protected].

Zoom at NoonChildren in fi�h grade and under are invited to join us for Zoom at Noon on Wednesdays. This light-hearted time together includes us having lunch over zoom and talking to allow our children an opportunity to stay in relationship with their church friends. Our time together will last 30 minutes. To help guide our conversation, check your email on Saturday for the week’s prompt of what your child should bring to share. Parents- if you are looking for an opportunity to connect with your church family, join HOPE Bible study while your child(ren) participate in Zoom at Noon. The link to join at noon can be found at www.fumcbelmont.org/coronavirus.

Children’s Ministry now has a Facebook Group!In an effort to enhance our efforts to reach families in new ways, we have created a facebook group for families active in children’s ministries. Search for FUMC-Belmont Children’s Ministry to join us. We are using this platform for sharing weekly Sunday school videos, information about upcoming offerings and as a place where parents can support one another.

Monday morning DevotionsPastor Kristen is leading a weekly time of devotion on Monday mornings at 6:00 a.m. via zoom. Our time together will include a brief piece of music, Scripture and questions to reflect upon. This is not a study but instead an opportunity for you to sit and be in the presence of God with a community. For the link to join, visit www.fumcbelmont.org/coronvirus.

STAYING CONNECTED

2 Kings 5Amos 7:10-17Amos 5:21-24Hosea 1-32 Kings 17Isaiah 6Isaiah 2-3Isaiah 36

Micah 6:6-82 Kings 22Jeremiah 1:4-10Jeremiah 4:11-28Jeremiah 7Jeremiah 12, 15, 18Habakkuk 2:1-4

As we continue our Year Through the Bible, we want to encourage you to continue reading regularly at home. Below is a reading guide for our next section

in the Bible, the prophets.

2 Kings 25Ezekiel 18:1-4Ezekiel 37:1-14Daniel 3Isaiah 40Haggai 1:1-10Jonah 1

Austin Kent Andrews

Graduate ofSouth Point High School

AttendingAppalachian State University

Blaine Sherrill Featherston


AttendingThe University of North Carolina,

Chapel HillWith a double Major in

Special Education and Developmental Psychology

Bailey Ann Hanafin


AttendingAppalachian State University

Majoring in Elementary Educationand Minoring in

Communication Sciences

Grayson Lock Hansen


AttendingNorth Carolina State University

Majoring in Electrical Engineering

Catherine Rachel Kalmbach

Graduate ofStuart Cramer High School

AttendingMississippi State University

Majoring in Animal Scienceswith a pre-veterinary concentration

Kendall Dixon Karr



Chapel HillMajoring in Sports Administration

Joshua Kingsley Millspaw



Chapel HillMajoring in Political Science

with intentions to serve in theUS Army

and pursue Law School

Congratulations!2020�Graduates

Emmily Mae Mobley

Graduate ofNorth Carolina School of Science

and Mathematics Attending

The University of Alabamaas a McCoulough Scholar

and participating as a student in the Randell Research Program

Bianca Li Hanafin

Graduate ofThe University of North Carolina,

Greensborowith a Bachelor of Science

Degree in NursingBianca will work at Novant Health

as a Critical Care Nurse and as a Nurse at Holy Angels

Rachel Moore

Graduate ofClemson University

with a degree inWildlife and Fisheries BiologyIn August Rachel will begin

Graduate School at Auburn University

Craig Nance

Graduate ofNorth Carolina State

with a Bachelor of Science Degreein Business Administration

and a concentration in Operationsand Supply Chain Management

Craig is working with Werner Enterprises

in their Management Trainee Program

Mary Nance

Graduate ofNorth Carolina State

with a Masters in TeachingMary will begin her career

in the northern Virginia area this fall

Kaleb Matthew Setzer

Graduate ofAppalachian State University

with a Bachelor of Science Degreein Exercise Science

Kaleb will be interning at Haywood Street Ministriesin Asheville, North Carolina

He then plans to attend Seminary in the fall of 2021

Bennett James Washam

Graduating fromAppalachian State University

a�er completion of an internshipwith the Cramerton

Recreation DepartmentBennett majored in

Recreation Management

Congratulations!2020�Graduates

FROM OUR ZOE COMMUNITY

The graduation ceremony for the Abishyizehamwe “Together” Giti Empowerment Group was a joyous celebration of the amazing accomplishments of the young family leaders and their siblings. Their special day was filled with prayer, speeches, testimonies, thanksgiving, and much dancing. Community leaders were present to provide words of encouragement and receive gi�s from the graduates. It is a tradition for Zoe Rwanda groups to make a donation to members of the community who are poor and vulnerable. However, they usually do not give food or clothes because they believe this lowers dignity and is not appropriate. Instead, the gi� is likely to be livestock, seeds, or a grant of money. It is powerful to see these once vulnerable children not only thriving but now bringing hope and opportunity to others in their community!

All members who began with the group in 2017 were still active at the time of graduation. This is a testament to how the children helped each other face the difficult task of overcoming their many challenges. It was their goal that no one should be le� behind. One group member, Izabayo, adopted 12-year-old Aimee into her family.

Congratulations on graduation Abishyizehamwe!!!

A message from your group:

We, Abishyizehamwe Group, made an unusual accomplishment and we thank Belmont for your support that has been important in different ways.

You gave us grants for running small businesses, livestock, and some of us were supported with vocational training. We are happy that we found time to thank you because of everything good and the love you have shown us.

May God bless you. We wish you a happy new year of 2020

How Your Partnership Changed Lives Forever

• Agricultural inputs: all 30 households received seeds and hoes for planting vegetable gardens and crops • Livestock: goats given to 12 households; pigs were given to 18 households (at the preference of each family) • School materials, fees, and uniforms: given to 31 primary-aged children and 15 secondary-aged youth • Medical insurance expenses initially paid for all 31 families • Grants to begin income projects given to 31 heads of households • Funds to create a group project • Materials for house and latrine repair/construction Special Accomplishments:

• In their second year, Abishyizehamwe Group built a latrine for an elderly person in their village. • The group helped with crops, planted kitchen gardens, and repaired houses for five community members. • Businesses started by group members provide jobs for sixteen local people. • All school-aged children in the group are now enrolled in school and attend regularly.

Since beginning our commitment with Abishyizehamwe, FUMC-Belmont has committed our support to two other communities (and an additional community was started as a match to our third community- Malawi community). The Imena community, formed in 2019 has been fully funded. Our commitment to our newest community- Ikirenga, continues to need our support financially. To contribute, visit https://donate.zoeempowers.org/fundraiser/1059795.

REFLECTIONSWhere have you seen God?

From Katie Fangman During this pandemic I have seen God in numerous ways. Being apart from everyone we used to see every day is not the easiest thing. I have found myself becoming more appreciative of all of the gi�s that God has given me, especially those that I am seeing during this pandemic. One such gi� is the church. The Sunday services provide a time to connect with God and see some people each week. As a youth, the times that we meet over zoom have also made an impact. Even if we can’t physically meet, we really enjoy the time that we spend on that call talking, playing games, and learning about God. God has also blessed me with this time to spend with my family. Just because I am a student, doesn’t mean that usually my schedule is free. With the constant sports practices, club meetings, a�er school activities, etc. it has been nice to slow down and just be with my family. As far as activities during the quarantine, the ability to go outside and spend time in nature has also been a gi�. We enjoy a lot of time on the lake. Whether we are trying to get our dogs to come on the paddle boards with us, breaking out the kayaks we haven’t used in years, or just going on a leisurely boat ride, it is so fun and makes the days go by faster.

From Josh Millspaw Over the last couple weeks I have seen God in nature. As a highschool senior it’s been difficult to see events I’ve looked forward to like prom, track season, the last day of school and graduation get canceled. But I am almost grateful for the cancellation of these events because I have had time to slow down and enjoy God’s creation with close friends and family. I have spent hours reading on the patio, boating and fishing on the lake, hiking, and sitting around campfires. I particularly enjoy sitting around campfires with friends (6� apart of course) we sit and talk around the fire from dusk into the late night. We enjoy this so much it has almost become a daily routine. I love these times we share because everyone is in the moment and we laugh together and reflect on the time we spent growing up together in Belmont. Prior to the age of COVID-19 I don’t think with our busy lives and short attention spans we would have any desire to sit around a campfire for 4 hours but personally quarantine has helped me become a more patient and thoughtful individual and I feel as if my friends would say the same of themselves. This is an example of how God takes setbacks and transforms them into opportunities vastly more meaningful than we could have imagined. This is not the way I expected to end my highschool years but I would not wish to have it any different.

REFLECTIONSWhere have you seen God?

From Rose Spinks Every day, Monday thru Friday at noon, I join your lovely welcoming church for HOPE Bible Study. It’s a very simple study which involves reading a short Bible passage several times, followed by a brief moment of quiet. We pick a few words that speak to us and share if we want with the group. Applying the scripture to our daily life and a one sentence prayer finishes our time. I feel blessed to get to know both your Pastors and y’all in a small group setting, it is a refreshing time focused on God, and has become one of the high points of my day.

The Face of God by Bruce Snyder Little Fern Marie Snyder comes to our house everyday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, and at age 70 I have had the joy and the challenge of relating to a three year old little girl, my granddaughter. I have had to play countless games of hide and seek, eat invisible food at impromptu picnics, play hours of “pirate”, discuss the Disney princesses, and do innumerable little art projects involving glue sticks, shapes cut from index cards and washable markers. I know the characters and all the plots of Peppa Pig, Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom, and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. We've picked wild flowers for Grandma and for bridal bouquets for three weddings where I have been respectively the preacher, the groom and the father of the bride. I grew up in the 1950’s in front of a ten inch by ten inch Zenith television set in a dresser drawer-sized cabinet. At midnight the broadcasting companies would sign off for the day with a poem by John Gillespie Magee Jr., an American pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force in the Second World War, entitled High Flight: Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager cra� through footless halls of air . . . Up, up the long, delirious burning blue I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or ever eagle flew — And, while with silent, li�ing mind I’ve trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God. When I look into Fern's face I have the same feeling Pilot Officer Magee had in High Flight. I see in her face all the people I love. I see the hope of things unseen. I see faith and love and charity. I see the face of God.

From Thomas Taylor Once the stay at home order was put in place I looked to develop new routines. I now walk our dogs with my son every morning in the time that use to be my morning commute. My ‘office’ has become the back deck and provides me plenty of vitamin D and my lunch time starts with a 30 minute, daily zoom Bible study with strangers from our own church. I say strangers because the faces look familiar, however I’ve never taken time to get to know most of the folks that join me during the week at high noon to study God’s word. These strangers are strangers no longer. They have become good friends and faces I look forward to seeing every day. They provided me with various perspective on the scripture and have helped strengthen my faith during these crazy times. I’m truly grateful for this scheduled time with others of curious faith. It’s a habit, like dog walks with my son, I plan to continue long a�er this virus is behind us. I’d encourage others to check it out and you too might make friends of some strangers in our church family.

From Martha TaylorEvery time I look, when I stop what I am doing long enough to see and maybe to listen, I have found love. You see, most of the time I really like being in charge. But these past few weeks have given me the opportunity to look back and remember what it meant to be a seeker. Years ago I learned the hard way that without God’s help and my willingness to receive it I can never be the loving and kind person God and I want me to be. Also, God is waiting to give to others when I learn how to be silent and still. God had worked through me when I was young and always in a hurry. Now, I guess slowing down is a part of becoming old. Still, there is a blessing when we take time to see and to listen. Love to you all.

Our Staff

George Ragsdale - Senior PastorKristen Surratt - Minister of DiscipleshipMargie Ligon - Director of Youth MinistryEllen Robison - Minister of Worship and the ArtsLinda Smith - CDC DirectorJanice Pennington - Business ManagerAmanda Sloan - Child Care CoordinatorCarole Bertino - Administrative Assistant

CORRESPONDENCE

Dear FUMC Church family,

I hope this note of thanks reaches you well. In these strange and o�en sad days, know that I am praying for you and your families: your physical health, your emotional well-being, and your spiritual hope.

As we celebrate Mental Health Month in May, I want to reach out to express my continued gratitude for the generosity you show each year, particularly in the current circumstances, to our clientele at Sanctuary Counseling Group through your donations to the Client Assistance Fund. The people we serve come from varying economic back-grounds, but it is your kindness that allows us never to turn away a client without resources who comes seeking health and hope in our offices. The demand on our services (by video) is particularly high during these anxiety-filled days and your support has been critical. Thank you so very much for being great supporters of those in need by answering the Lord's call upon us to help the poor. Blessings,Shelton DavisShelton D. Davis, M.Div., M.A., LCMHC, NCCClinical Director & Pastoral PsychotherapistSanctuary Counseling Groupwww.sanctuarycounselinggroup.org

Dear FUMC Belmont,

I am very thankful to have received the L. Carpenter Scholarship. The scholarship will be a big help in achieving my dream of graduating as a Tar Heel from UNC - Chapel Hill. My church has been an important part of my childhood and I am grateful that my church family has been supportive as I take the next step in my life and leave for college.

Thank you,Joshua Millspaw

Dear FUMC Belmont, Thank you very much for this honor. I am extremely grateful for this scholarship. I will have the relevant information to you as soon as possible. All the best, Kevin Li

community meal delivery continues through august 7th

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