During this service of story and song, a narrator reads the story of Christ’s birth and fifth graders create a living nativity tableau. The service, which was pre-recorded in the Hopedale parking lot this year, also features music by soloists and the Junior Bells and Tinkerbells. Stay tuned for a direct link to the service.

Goodness Gracious! Gifts is opening for socially distanced Christmas shopping appointments on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. We are setting 30-minute appointments, one shopper at a time, with intervals between each shopper in order to maintain proper safety and sanitation during this time of COVID-19. Sign up here.

YouthTUBE Episode 2: Check out Youth Ministries’ Christmas YouTube, featuring Christmas tree sale highlights, youth artwork, Minister Minutes, and a special guest. Watch here.

Register for a time slot to attend our first-ever Christmas Crawl on December 19. Carol with a small group, led by song leaders from our choir, through our church neighborhood, enjoy special Christmas lights and handbell music, and pick up an ornament kit from Children’s Ministries and a surprise gift from Missions. You will also be able to pick up Love Feast elements from the Youth. Register here. You will receive detailed instructions via email closer to the event date. The time slots will be 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

This year’s Christmas Eve Offering is for our ministry partners at Marie G. Davis and Zoe Empowers. Your faithful offering will support generational transformation for our neighbors locally and globally. To make your gift, visit www.myersparkumc.org/give and select Holy Days from the gift form or note Holy Days Offering on your check mailed to our business office at 1501 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC 28207.

We hope you’ll join us via Livestream for Youth Ministries’ annual Love Feast on December 20 at 6:15 p.m. We’re excited to offer Love Feast kits for your family to use during the service. Each kit includes fresh Moravian buns, spice tea mix, napkins and love feast candles. Kits will be available for pickup on Friday, December 18 or Saturday, December 19. Please order only one kit for your family. Sign up here while supplies last.

There will be no online Sunday School lessons for children on December 20 and December 27. Families are encouraged to worship together during one of our Livestream worship services. Questions? Email Amy Jo Alspaugh at amyjo@mpumc.org.

Offered by Rev. Bill Roth and Parish Nurse Lauren Smith. Learn to embody the present moment with compassionate awareness. Open to first-timers or those who wish to renew their mindful practice. Register in Realm or with Carmen Rivera at crivera@mpumc.org.

Tune in every Thursday in December for our special Advent Edition of the Beyond Baptism podcast. Director of Children’s Ministries Amy Jo Alspaugh, Director of Youth Ministries Jason Rhymer and other guests discuss all things Advent, including how to celebrate the season with your family. Start with The Season of Advent (released December 3) and check back each Thursday through December 24 for a new release in the series.

We invite you to come tie a ribbon (provided) to our outdoor prayer wall by the sanctuary. Even though we cannot worship together, we can lift up our prayers together in this season.

Join us live and in-person for brief services of scripture, music and prayer during this holy season. All COVID-19 precautions will be observed at all times, including proper distancing and mask wearing. Please use the main sanctuary entrance at the corner of Providence and Queens Roads. (This is the only entrance and exit.) Child care will not be available for these services.

The Prison Fellowship Ministry Angel Tree™ program returns this year in a virtual format. The program will provide a gift card to a child who has an incarcerated parent or caregiver. To see a list of children to support, visit the Angel Tree site and enter this access code: T7I5J. After entering the code, you will see virtual tags with the names of children assigned to your church. Browse through the tags, select the child(ren) you want to sponsor, and click Checkout. If you have any questions, email Doug Caldwell at dougcaldwell@bellsouth.net.

The Alternative Gift Market is back this year with a different format but the same intent: honoring friends and families with gifts that support our community partners and neighbors around the world. This year, we have provided direct links to our partners to allow for the most efficient processing of your Christmas donations. The gift market runs now through December 25. A printable gift card is also available. Click here to shop!

Celebrate Epiphany Sunday with an Epiphany Party Pack, which will include crafts, games, activities, and a sweet treat. A limited number of packs is available. Sign up here while supplies last. There is no cost for the kit, but please consider making a donation to Baby Bundles on their website. Drive-thru pickup will be offered Wednesday, December 30 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. or Sunday, January 3 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please select your pickup date at check out. Questions? Email Leslie Lowery at llowery@mpumc.org.

We are excited to publish our ninth annual Advent and Christmas Devotional booklet, The Mystery of the Season. We hope you will enjoy the digital edition on our website.

Faith Girls, God’s Guys, and Forward Return: We’re excited to announce the return of Faith Girls and God’s Guys, eight-week Bible studies for 5th grade girls and boys that meet Sundays 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. beginning January 10, and Forward, a precursor to youth group for 4th and 5th graders that meets the first Sunday of the month beginning January 3. Due to the pandemic, the following COVID-19 protocols set forth by the MPUMC health advisory team will be followed: only a limited number of registered participants may attend, only parents who are on the leadership team may enter the building, and everyone must wear a mask and maintain proper social distancing. Space is limited in each group. Click here to learn more about and to register for Faith Girls. Click here to learn more about and to register for God's Guys. Click here to learn more about and to register for Forward.

In celebration of the 15th Annual Women’s Retreat, the planning committee has decided to shift gears and will be having a virtual kick off event on February 13 at 10:00 a.m. Save the date to join us for an inspiring time to reflect on how God is moving in our midst. This will then launch a season of online small groups with a special created curriclum open to the whole church! We hope you will plan to attend. More information coming in January when registration begins.

Middle school virtual game nights! Please have a computer or your phone to play. Zoom links are at www.mpumcyouth.org.

Giving at Myers Park

Because of You...

Because of your generosity to Jubilee Plus!, our church's Mission & Outreach Fund, we granted $275,000 to our local mission partners earlier this month! These grants continue to bring generational impact to our most vulnerable neighbors here in Charlotte and are very much appreciated by our deserving mission partners. A very special THANK YOU to our members who generously give their time and energy to the Local Outreach Committee: Jonathan Ferry, Dennis Heydanek, Kathryn Melton, LouAnn Vaughn, Christa Valentine, Simpson Schmitt, Justin Lenarcic, and Chuck Wright!

Our local partners who received grants:

End of Year Giving Reminder: Financial contributions to our church received or postmarked by December 31, 2020 will receive 2020 tax credit. Checks can be mailed to 1501 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC 28207. To make your offering online visit www.mypersparkumc/give. To make a stock or charitable fund contribution or with questions about your gift or pledge contribution, contact Linda Edwardsen at lindae@mpumc.org or 704-295-4842.