General Superintendent
Max Edwards
February 11, 2025
Last week, I noted that from time to time, I would devote a Tuesday Brief to highlight the activity, vision, and ministry of one of our local churches. My hope and intention for these church spotlights is not to just give a pat on the back, though my heart is full of thanks for our faithful servants in the pulpit, in associate roles, and in the pews. No, my intention is more toward inspiration than exclamation. During my 20+ years as a local church pastor, one of my favorite things to do was to visit other churches. I loved observing everything: their facility arrangements, their signage, their visitor packets, their welcome centers, and their visual announcements. I was inspired over and again to adopt better ways of serving, welcoming, reaching, and hosting. So, my primary hope is to take you all on a VERY brief whistle-stop tour of some of our churches around the EMC to see what they do, which just might inspire fresh ideas for you to adopt in your context.
Elizabeth City EMC has a great staff of dedicated and delightful people. Lead Pastor, Sean Scribner, sets the example for his team by his own commitment, hard work, and proper handling of his ministry and family priorities.
Their website describes who they are (in part) this way: “At EMC, we believe that what makes us who we are is a hunger for the things of God and a desire to have hearts "curved out" in service to others. Present in all our worship services, Bible studies, Life Groups, and Sunday School classes is an intense desire to allow the truth of God's Word to transform all of our lives. We are a church that acknowledges our total need for the revelation of God and we yearn for it to give shape and definition to all our relationships.”
An abbreviated list of church ministries and activities includes such things as:
1. “Young at Heart” – A monthly gathering of retirees and senior adults. Their meetings always involve some food, some fun, and an informative speaker or program.
2. “Life Groups” – Small, in-home meetings designed for connection, discipleship, and service. Having groups of believers meet in small bands has been an aspect of Methodist disciple-making for 100’s of years.
3. “Parent’s Night Out” – An occasional event organized by their childen’s department designed to strengthen families by allowing couples to have a date-night while their kids are in free, high-quality child care.
4. “Morning Light” & “Night Light” – Weekly Women’s Bible studies, offered both during the day for ladies with somewhat flexible schedules, and in the evenings for vocational women and hard-working stay-at-home moms.
5. “Hands of Hope” – A ministry involving sewing, embroidery, knitting, and the like. The hands of hope folks make warm and beneficial things to give to people in disaster situations and all sorts of personal and economic need.
6. Men – Several ways to connect and inspire men , including a Tuesday a.m. Bible study and prayer time, as well as some fellowship based activities such as a Saturday men’s breakfast and corn-hole tournament, and a weekly gathering built around games that is about building basic spiritual disciplines of prayer and accountability.
7. “Operation Christmas Child” has been a fixture at ECity EMC for many, many years. Thousands and thousands of boxes have been prepared and gathered, and the church has served as a regional drop-off site for individuals and churches.