Posts
Sanctuary Closed for Ceiling Repairs
Our White Plains UMC Sanctuary is closed and off-limits while ceiling repairs are underway. For further details, please read this congregational letter from the Trustees and Pastor Kelly Lyn
Now Hiring: Contemporary Worship Leader
We are seeking a passionate and dedicated Contemporary Worship Leader to guide our congregation in worship and spiritual growth. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills and a deep understanding of music as a form of worship. This role involves leading musical worship on Sundays and educating and mentoring team members to foster a vibrant worship culture within our community. Read the full job description here.
Hurricane Relief
United in Support: How You Can Help After Hurricane Helene Our hearts and prayers are with the people of Western North Carolina and across the Southeast in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s devastating flooding and severe weather. NC Conference Disaster Ministries has been in touch with the Western NC Conference of The United Methodist Church to discuss how we can assist with their disaster relief efforts. They are currently evaluating the storm damage and will let us know when they…
How can prayer help the ministries of our church?
Prayer is the firm foundation for everything we do at White Plains UMC. Prayer is a constant in our everyday lives and is what helps guide our path. There can never be such a thing as too much prayer, which is a good thing because prayer is a way that everyone can participate in the ministry of the church. You can always pray. God hears us anywhere and everywhere. How can prayer help the ministries of our church? One area of…
Making an Impact through the Food Pantry Ministry
The purpose of the White Plains UMC Food Pantry is to share God’s love, without discrimination, in a visible and tangible way. We treat those who come for food as true guests. This ministry exists to serve Cary, NC, and the surrounding community by providing food, and so much more to anyone in need. The Food Pantry Ministry brings together volunteers of all ages, and backgrounds to help make God’s love real to our community. This December the Food Pantry increased their…
What is Lent and How to Honor God this Lenten Season
So, what is Lent? By definition, it’s the forty days before Easter, excluding Sundays. Basically, it’s a tithe of the year, if you round up a little bit. A tithe of time–we’re supposed to tithe at least 10% of our money, our food, our resources, our time to God, and it’s supposed to be the best 10%, off the top, not the 10% of what’s left over after we do everything else. Have you ever thought of Lent like that…
It’s A New Year
It’s a new year. What are you going to do with it? Lots of people, myself included, make resolutions to become a better version of themselves, especially during this season. For example, some people vow to be healthier and join a gym. Memberships are up in January. Attendance drops in March. People make plans to clean out the clutter and end up moving the piles around without actually getting rid of anything. Making resolutions seems to be easier than keeping…
The Spiritual Discipline of Holy Play
When you think of spiritual disciplines what pops into your mind? Tithing? Fasting? Study? Ever think of play being a spiritual discipline? No. Me neither. But according to Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, “Play is the exuberant expression of our being. It is at the heart of our creativity… It helps us live with absurdity, paradox, and mystery. It feeds our joy and wonder.” “Exuberant expression of our being”, huh? What does exuberant mean? According to Merriman-Webster, exuberant means “joyously…
Surviving Isolation
In the 4th century, desert mothers and fathers chose to live in isolation, away from the busyness of the world in order to focus on God. They moved into caves in the middle of the desert. Today, people choose to join a cloistered monastery and live a life separated from the busyness of the world. A dis-ease (not disease) could strike them if they were not careful and we, too, can succumb to this as we are forced into isolation.…
Taking the Next Step – Robin on Extravagant Generosity
Recently Robin shared her personal Discipleship journey from duty to generosity. This was part of our Taking the Next Step generosity initiative but it is relevant to our overall vision to be a Disciple-making church on mission for Christ. Take a look!
A response from Pastor Ray to recent news stories about the United Methodist Church
Friends, you may have read or seen recent news reports concerning our denomination. Let me just help clarify what this does and doesn’t mean. First, keep in mind that not all news sources have full knowledge of the details surrounding these events. A great and trustworthy site for further information is umnews.org If you ever have questions, you can always reach out to the WPUMC staff or a pastor for guidance. The “agreement” mentioned in news reports is between 16…
Poverty: How Little We Know! (SJ #3)
Poverty, slavery, slavery to poverty — still all too real in the twenty-first century. We are moved to action to the extent that we feel the pain. But we know so little!
When Trouble Strikes
Trouble strikes all of us. Rich, poor, young, old, black, brown, white, gay, straight — we all experience trouble at one time or another. Catastrophic trouble hits less often, yet it, too, strikes across all barriers. (Post by Stephanie Downey, guest reviewer)
15 Ways to Pray for Our Pastors
Did you know that October is Pastor Appreciation Month? One way that we can show our appreciation for our pastors is by praying for them. Everyone benefits from prayer! Can you imagine the joy it would bring to those who are used to praying for us would feel knowing we are praying for them? Prayer can benefit them by providing strength, guidance and adds Holy Spirit power to their actions. Not to mention, we benefit from being the pray-ers as well! Here is…
That They May Be One (SJ #2)
United Methodists have struggled with internal controversy for centuries, and today we face yet another test of our resolve to follow Jesus as one. The following books contribute to a fuller understanding of issues regarding our ministries to and with LGBGQ persons.
Are you paying attention?
This past Sunday I participated in worship in a completely different way and from a different point of view than I ever have before. Our faithful servant John, who runs the visuals on the screens at the 8:30am Traditions service, was away on vacation and I offered to run the slides for him. I often serve as the Liturgist or worship leader at that service and occasionally preach at it as well as singing in the choir almost every week.…
Racism, Immigration, and Social Justice (SJ #1)
Having read several social justice books in rapid succession this spring, I am reminded that even Jesus’s simple command to love one another often leaves us to ponder what the loving course of action really is in a given situation. How do compassion and justice relate? How do they play out when Christians disagree?
Drawing Closer to God
Our patron Pat Kay checked out 52 books from our library in the past 15 months. Wow! I couldn’t resist asking what kept her coming back. Her response: “My relationship with Christ, to draw near to him.” Pat was my inspiration for this post.
Full Circle at the Drive-In
This year was the 25th anniversary of the Oldies Drive-in. It’s a fairly simple idea that takes well over 100 volunteers to pull off. We turn the parking lot of the church into a 50s style drive-in restaurant. Youth dressed in 50s attire take orders from folks in their cars and bring out hamburgers, hot dogs, milkshakes and fries. We even have RC cola and moon pies. We always have some beautiful classic cars on display and live music. Twenty-five…
Author Spotlight: Rachel Held Evans
A voice that spoke of hope and redemption for all people, especially the hurting, the marginalized, the questioners, went silent this week with the passing of beloved Christian author Rachel Held Evans at the age of 37.