This Week at Myers Park United Methodist Church | April 19–April 25 | Shifting Connections

THIS WEEK A PR I L 1 9 | 2020

EASTER by Foster Bullock www.myersparkumc.org 1501 Queens Road Charlotte, NC 28207

704.376.8584 info@mpumc.org

LIVESTREAM WORSHIP TIMES 8:45 a.m. | 9:45 a.m. | 11:00 a.m.

WE LCO M E To O u r C h u rc h !

We are the body of Christ, growing in faith and serving others.

OUR DIGITAL CONNECTIONS SUNDAY WORSHIP There are multiple ways to remain together even if we’re not in the same room with one another! With multiple avenues of accessing our worship services, we can join together each Sunday online at 8:45, 9:45, and 11:00 a.m. Access our livestream at the link below or on Facebook. We look forward to continuing to worship with you on Sunday! www.myersparkumc.org/watch-live

WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY Wednesday’s live Bible study will be at 11:00 a.m. and led by one of our pastors.

They will share with us insights that they've learned from the Bible. The Study will gather virtually at livestream.com/mpumc Also, if you'd like to receive Dr. Howell's weekly emails, you can sign up here.

HEALING THROUGH MOVEMENT

W

e may be finding ourselves more sedentary as a natural side effect in this season and not one that should be matched with guilt or fear of physical decline.

What would it look like for you to add movement to your days? This can be as simple as a walk, chair yoga, or doing an in-home workout.

One of the ways you can join others in finding healthy movement opportunities is through our weekly Zoom Yoga classes taught by Meredith Starling. Meredith offers classes Mondays and Thursdays at noon and Thursday evenings at 8:00 p.m.

HERE ARE SOME GREAT REASONS WHY YOGA IS A GREAT WAY TO CARE FOR YOURSELF IN THIS SEASON: 1

Yoga is a tool in your toolbox for ways to help you connect with God and yourself.

2 Yoga helps teach you how to regulate your breathing so you can use your breath to calm yourself and others.

3 Yoga uses mediation and postures to help regulate your mind and body to relieve stress and anxiety.

4 We use postures to open the body and mind to create space for God. 5 Using yoga to stretch your muscles keeps fluidity in your muscles making them better ready for movement.

6 Yoga can help improve circulation and heart health.

7

Yoga improves respiration.

8 Helps decrease anxiety.

9 Improves sleep quality.

10 Helps fight depression.

VIRTUAL SMALL GROUPS VIA ZOOM As we journey together after Easter Sunday, in this COVID-19 season, we recognize the continuous need for support and community. We invite you to join one of our virtual small groups led by the pastors of Myers Park UMC. You need not be a member of our church or a member of the United Methodist Church to join. We welcome all of God’s people who desire prayer, care, and family. We need each other and we are better together. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Contact Rev. Uiyeon Kim at ukim@mpumc.org with any questions.

Click here to join the small group and access instructions for using Zoom.

11 Yoga stretches AND strengthens muscles.

12 We discuss scripture to form an idea for our practice and prayer to connect our awareness to God. 13 We practice together developing a community to maintain connections and provide support.

These classes are for all skill levels, if you are interested in joining please email Meredith.

If you have any questions about the ministry, please email Pastor Taylor Pryde Barefoot.

INCORPORATING MUSIC WHILE STAYING AT HOME

BY TRI N IT Y MARTI N

Director of Handbells, Youth & Children's Music

GIVING AT MYERS PARK Thank you for your support of the Operating Fund during this season of shifting connections. Your commitment has enabled MPUMC to continue serving the congregation and our most vulnerable neighbors near and far.

Make your gift today by clicking here or by mail to 1501 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC 28207, with Easter Offering in memo.

Questions? Contact Jamie Yearwood, Director of Development, at jyearwood@mpumc.org or 704-295-4808.

F

riends, we are 7 weeks into shelter in place creating new routines, taking on new responsibilities that we perhaps felt ill prepared to tackle, and perhaps reaching the end of our creative juices as we face another week home. While the following ideas might not seem profound, perhaps I have a few new ideas to liven up your time at home.

WAYS TO INCORPORATE MUSIC AND MOVEMENT INTO YOUR ROUTINE

1. FIRST AND FOREMOST, SING! One of the greatest things we can do musically is to sing, sing, sing. I firmly believe that everyone is musical and that we all are drawn to music and find deeper meaning in life when music is involved. Play your greatest hits that speak to your soul.

2. IF YOU HAVE TODDLERS AND PRESCHOOLERS AT HOME a. Get out your bowls and pots and pans with some wooden cooking utensils and let them get creative. You don’t need elaborate percussion instruments for kids to begin exploring rhythm. b. You can play or clap simple rhythms that your children can repeat back to you.

This is a great exercise in developing eye/hand coordination and building their rhythmic foundation. c. With slightly older children incorporate their whole body in repeating these rhythmic patterns, clapping, stomping and hopping.

3. GO OUTSIDE and get some fresh air and spin in circles with your arms stretched wide. Children of all ages can enjoy this movement!

4. MUSICAL CLEAN UP With everyone home all the time your house is probably like mine and gets messy quickly. At my house we play, “musical cleanup”. It’s kind of like musical chairs except while the music is playing the children have to pick up and put away as many toys as they can before the music stops and they have to freeze. I love this game because it gets the house straightened up and my girls love this game because it gets the giggling started non-stop. That is music for the soul.

5. DANCE PARTIES My girls love to dance and they love to see me completely bust a move. While we are by no means the next contestants on “So You Think You Can Dance”, it is a huge stress reliever for everyone to let their hair down cutting a rug. We encourage all of you to put on your favorite music and enjoy some movement through dance!

6. GIVE EVERYONE GRACE - EVEN YOURSELF Last but definitely not least, give everyone grace starting with yourself. This is a very stressful time in unchartered waters; know you are doing the best with what you’ve got.

May the peace of Christ fill you daily.

PHOTOS FROM EASTER 2020 AT HOME:

CO N N E C T WITH US !

F o l l ow u s o n s o c ia l m e d ia @ my e r sp a r k u m c

V i s i t o u r we b s i te w w w. mye r s p a rk u m c .o r g to find small groups, ways to serve and engage, how to give, and plug in with other members of our church!

THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION

by Rev. Uiyeon Kim Pastor of Discipleship

Kavin Rowe, Professor of New Testament at Duke Divinity School, writes “We cannot have the gospel without the actual resurrection of Jesus.

Absent the resurrection, Jesus’ life ended in failure.” Without Easter, Jesus remains a rabbi who teaches us specific moral codes and shows us how to be nice and kind folks. But the resurrection of Jesus from the dead changed everything. Because of Easter, the finality of Jesus’ ministry restored, renewed, and redeemed our lives.

We continue to journey onward in these unprecedented times where we constantly find ourselves in uncharted water and landscape. How do we continue to respond? I want us to remember that we go forward TOGETHER. I cannot deal with the effects and consequences of COVID-19 on my own any more than I can deal with death on my own. I need you and we NEED EACH OTHER. Let us possess the courage to reach out to one another to receive support and to possess enough generosity to offer support. I cannot tell you if things will get better soon or if things will get worse before getting better. I can tell you that Easter is real. So we move forward as Easter people believing that nothing, not COVID-19 and not even death, can overcome God’s purpose in our lives and in our world.

OU R CLE RGY Dr. James C. Howell Senior Pastor Rev. Nathan Arledge Pastor of Missions & Community Engagement Rev. Taylor Barefoot Pastor for Emerging Ministries Rev. Jessica Dayson Pastor for Young Adults & Lay Involvement Rev. Uiyeon Kim Pastor of Discipleship Rev. Bill Roth Pastor of Congregational Care Rev. Nancy Watson Executive Pastor

TALK WITH A PASTOR A pastor on staff stands ready to respond to your question or concern. Those needing immediate pastoral help should call 704-376-8584 and follow the prompts to the pastor on call.

CONTEMPLATIVE POINTS FOR THIS WEEK: • What are my needs in this season?

• How can I bless others in this season?

• Where do I see God in this season?

BETTER TOGETHER

by Britt Yett Missions Program Director

During this time of social distancing, your continued gifts to Jubilee Plus, our Mission and Outreach Fund, has allowed us to continue to engage our local partners. Below are just a few highlights of how we as a church family are able to support our community during these unprecedented times. We are grateful for your gifts and look forward to continuing to share with you the ways in which they are impacting our city and beyond. If you'd like to make a gift today, click here.

• Loaves & Fishes - MPUMC provided funds to hire employees to help meet extra demand and make up for reduced volunteer numbers: "Thank you for all you do for so many agencies in our community. MPUMC stays on top of the issues agencies face and is always one of the first groups, not just congregations, to respond. We are grateful for your support, not just with COVID-19, but for all MPUMC has helped us with for years. Be safe and be well!" Shay Merritt, Loaves & Fishes • McCreesh Place - MPUMC is providing 90 boxed lunches and snacks twice a week for residents, courtesy of Manolo's Bakery: "...we are so very fortunate to have such lovely, caring people in our lives and in the lives of the residents we serve. Thank you so much for your big, caring hearts. We are so fortunate to have you and MPUMC as a mission partner. Much love and blessings." Linda Miller, McCreesh Place • Manolo's Bakery - Manolo's Bakery lost large lunch contracts with charter schools and MPUMC has partnered with them to supply meals to neighbors at Brookhill neighborhood and McCreesh place: "Thank you very much. Few weeks I could not sleep thinking about how I was going to survive this new challenge. And then you and Myers Parks Methodist Church come in to save all our lives. It is not my life, it is not my Business; it is all the families around Latin America who depends from this Bakery."

Manolo Betancur, Owner, Manolo's Bakery • Health Environmental Services Dept, Atrium Health - MPUMC is providing gift cards to over 800 employees of Atrium Health responsible for cleaning, sanitizing, and protecting patients and staff of the hospital: "I think your idea is marvelous. Hit it straight out the park. I spoke with the Director here Anthony Stewart and we think the gift cards from Panera Bread will work for all shifts. We cannot thank you enough for thinking of our teammates during this time!" Domitta (Dee) Burke, Health Environmental Services Department, Atrium Health