Pastor’s Walk
In almost every major professional sport,
there is what is often referred to as “the silly
season.” “The silly season” usually begins in
the months and weeks right after the
previous season has ended. In NASCAR, “the
silly season” begins right after the final lap of
the final race is run…usually even before the
Champion Cup is awarded. In Football, “the
silly season” begins pretty much as soon as
the play-off teams are announced and then
it ramps up a bit more when the Super bowl
teams are set but it goes into overdrive right
after the Super bowl and before the NFL
draft. The same is true for basketball,
baseball, soccer and, well…every major
professional sport. So, what exactly is “the
silly season?”
Glad you asked…
“The silly season” is when the owners and
team execs and coaches and players are all
trying to put together a next season that will
give them…make them part of… get more
money by being a part of… a winning team.
“The silly season” is about speculation and
movement and wondering and asking…”Now
where is my favorite player going to be
playing…Will our team finally become a
winning team…Are we going to finally get a
coach who knows how to win?” “The silly
season” is confusing and unnerving and full
of speculation….it is just Silly!
We in the Methodist Church also have what I
call our own “Silly Season.” In February, the
District Superintendents contact each of the
pastors and their SPRC’s and ask the
question: “Is it time to make a move…Is it
time to change out pastors?” The powers
that be then meet with the answers to those
questions and the requests of pastors
wanting a change in hand and they start the
process of moving pieces all over the board
that is our WNCUMC Conference. They pray
and they discuss and discern…they try this
person here and that person there and in the
end they emerge after what I am sure feels
like an eternity with a plan for the coming
year. The letters go out and we pastors then
discover if we will be staying put or moving
on to another appointment and the
Methodist “silly season” has begun.
By the way…in case any of you haven’t
already heard…I am staying put here at
Commonwealth for another year but that is
not the case for some of the pastors right
here in our immediate area. Those pastors
are, right now, busy making plans to
move…checking
out
their
new
appointments…saying good-bye to folks they
have come to know and love in the churches
they have served for the past year or two or
twenty. Did I tell you it was a “silly season?”
Silly not because we are all vying for better
gigs…silly in that there is so much left to do
and so little time to do it all…so much
speculation and uncertainty. So much, it is
enough to drive you silly!
Now in addition to all this upheaval and
change, at the end of this week, our
conference will have their Annual
Conference. We will gather on the shores of
Lake Junaluska and once again engage in
Christian conferencing as we decide together
the directions our big “C” church will take in
the coming years. There is usually a lot of
work to be done and very little time to do it
all. There are reports to read…decisions to
make…votes to cast…opinions to listen
to…and compromises to be made. It is all
very busy and somewhat confusing but, in
the end, it all works out…hopefully. Can you
imagine having to deal with Annual
Conference and preparing to move yourself
and your family to another part of the
conference to begin with a new church
family? This is why I call it the “Silly Season”
it is much, much more than enough to drive
you silly.
So, be in prayer for those pastors making a
transition this year. Be also in prayer for
those representatives our churches will send
to Annual Conference this year to make all
those decisions and listen to all those
reports. Be in prayer for our Bishop and our
District Superintendents…for the staff of our
conference and for all who make our Annual
Conference happen. Most of all pray for our
United Methodist Church. There are forces
that are trying to tear us apart. This is
nothing new for our church and I am sure we
will come out of all of this a stronger and
more cohesive body of Christ just as we have
done in the past…but it will take a lot of
prayer and compromise on all of our parts.
So, pray and pray some more…
By the way, they tell me that the way we do
things today is a lot better now than in the
past. An old time pastor told me that in the
past families would come to Annual
Conference with their belongings already
packed for it was on the last day of the
conference they would find out if they had
to move or not. If they were one of the
pastors called to move, they then had to
start that next Sunday which is why they prepacked. If they were one of the pastors who
did not have to move that year they would
go back home for at least one more year to
unpack….talk about silly!
Worship Schedule
Please Note
June 25th 3rd Sunday after Pentecost
Scripture: Romans 6: 1b-11
Sermon: “United”
Pastor Steve will be taking a very looong
walk:
July 2nd 4th Sunday after Pentecost
Guest Preacher - Eric Lanier
Pastor Steve, Becca and Robert will be
hiking out in the New Mexico wilderness as
they tackle the Rockies at Philmont Scout
Ranch for 11 days. Because of this trip,
Pastor Steve will be unavailable and out of
cell phone contact from June 26th until July
10th. Pastor Patience will be available for
any pastoral emergencies and Sandy will be
staying here in town to hold down the fort
with our pet sitting business. Please keep us
and our entire crew in your prayers.
July 9th 5th Sunday after Pentecost
Patience Brumley preaching
July 16th 6th Sunday after Pentecost
Scripture: Mathew 13: 1-9, 18-23
Sermon: “Taking Time to Grow”
Grace,
Rev. Steve Kurt
Grace,
Rev. Steve Kurt
Smile,
God loves you!
Thought for the Day
No matter the storm,
When you are with God,
There’s always a rainbow.
Gracie Beaver’s Mission Trip
June 16 – 22 in Mount Hope, WV
Our Prayer List
Annual Conference Lake Junaluska
June 23rd to June 25th
Please remember them in prayer
Pat Inman (sister of Jackie Samuels), Martha
Lee, Dennis Maliar (nephew-in-law of Ruby
Agnew), Donna Pruitt, Charles Stephenson,
Carl and Frances Stinson
Outreach Opportunities
Nursing/Assisted Living Care
Maxine Kincaid, Hazel Lands, Anne Lever,
Sarah Lever, Ec Little, Jean Stoneman
Prayer Group
Wednesday’s at 6pm
Mary Pearre’s home
Prayer box located in the Narthex
We are continuing to collect canned food
throughout the month of June.
Food
pantries often get low during the summer
months. Families need help to feed their
kids since they are no longer getting free
school breakfasts and lunches. Canned
meats, peanut butter, canned fruits and
vegetables are always in high demand. Just
no glass jars please.
Pastor Sam Om is a United Methodist pastor
from our district that has become a
missionary in Cambodia. He has recently
come back to Charlotte on break and would
love to take back over the counter medicines
to Cambodia. The most needed medicines
are children’s liquid Tylenol, Ibuprophen and
Pepto-Bismol. Please bring any donations to
the church now through July 16th.
Eric Lanier Preaching
Sunday, July 2nd
Covered Dish Luncheon
12pm in the Fellowship Hall
Happy 4th of July
Feel like cooling off with a yummy Rita’s
Italian Ice? We are working with Rita’s to
come up with a date to raise money for
“Imagine No Malaria”. We will keep you
posted about this delicious fund raiser!
T’ai Chi Chih Classes
Monday’s at 10:30am
Fellowship Hall
As always, thank you for your generous
hearts and love for all of God’s children!
Sandy Painter-Kurt
Outreach Chair
The Church Office will be CLOSED
Tuesday, July 4th.
Have a blessed and safe holiday.
Congratulations to our 2017 Graduate
Rebecca (Becca) Kurt
July Birthdays
3
4
4
9
11
13
20
21
22
26
27
28
29
29
Billie Gardner
Steve Myers
Alma Horne
Virginia Odom
Larry Laye
Heather Cribb
Mildred Wong
Kristin Jordan
Perry Beaver
David Haigler
Frances Lynch
Ann Hodge
Bill Teague
Ec Little
Administrative Council Meeting
No June Meeting
Next meeting: Sunday, July 16
Following worship
Fellowship Hall
Becca graduated from Holt Academy
(homeschool) and will be attending The
University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
She is enrolled in the International Honors
College at UNCG and plans to study social
work and global studies. Becca would like to
do humanitarian aide work in Latin/South
America or work with immigrants and
refugees.
Butterfly Garden
We have placed the Memorial Rock
in Memory of Jack Rose in our Butterfly
Garden. Come by and take a look at it and
check out our beautiful butterfly garden.
On Sunday, May 21st, Steve dedicated
the butterfly garden.
You can see the
pictures on our website.
Honorarium Gifts
Budget
In Honor of: Mary Pearre’s 100th Birthday
By: Ruby Agnew
By: Land Family
By: John Beaver and Family
By: Kay H. Little
By: Family Member
Wesleyan Circle
We will not meet during the summer
months. See you in September.
Memorial Gifts
Budget
In Memory of: Irma Fields
By: Lee and Charles Stephenson
Please Note
We just received word from Serena (Ray)
Pearce that a former member, Blanche Ray
died June 18, 2016.
Mission/Outreach
In August we will be collecting School
Supplies for Billingsville Elementary.
Our Vision
Our Stewardship
With God’s help and guidance, we are a
prayerful and welcoming United Methodist
church community.
A community dedicated to making of
disciples for Christ – one that is flexible,
intentional, inviting to others, and a safe
place to explore and grow spiritually.
We will be all those things in Christ by taking
small prayerful steps, keeping in mind that,
although we may be limited in our abilities,
the Spirit of God knows no such bounds and
will work within and through us to
accomplish wondrous and great things!
May 21, 2017
Sunday School - 11
Church Attendance - 27
Offering - $600.00
May 28, 2017
Sunday School - 12
Church Attendance - 27
Offering - $1,833.96
Commonwealth
United Methodist Church
2434 Commonwealth Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28205-5132
704-376-4924
June 4, 2017
Sunday School - 13
Church Attendance - 24
Offering - $4,202.81
June 11, 2017
Sunday School - 13
Church Attendance - 34
Offering - $1,243.00
June 18, 2017
Sunday School - 9
Church Attendance - 34
Offering - $1,240.00
June 20, 2017
Flowers on the Altar
Thank you in advance for adding a
“special touch” to our worship service. If
you would like to put a small vase of flowers
on the altar “in memory of” or “in honor of”
please fill out the sign-up sheet located in
the Narthex. Dates are still available.
Steve Kurt – Pastor
Patience Brumley – Pastoral Care
Sunday School – 10:00am
Worship Service - 11:00am
Office Hours
Mon. – Thurs. 9am to 1pm