Stay informed of the ways our church family is hard at work and faithful in fellowship.
Current Events:
Faithful Fridays
Children ages 2-12 are invited to come & participate in singing, bible stories, arts and crafts, & fun outside (or inside) from 5:30 to 6:30pm in Memorial Hall.
"Faithful Fridays" happen every second and fourth Friday of each month.
Parents can drop off their children from 5:15 to 5:30pm in Memorial Hall.
Food will be provided & pick up will be at 6:30pm.
Backpack Ministry serving AT-RISK CHILDREN
The Backpack Ministry has resumed packing food bags every other Wednesday. See the church calendar for the next packing date. All are welcome to help pack!
Join us every other Wednesday at 4:30 PM in Memorial Hall to pack backpacks. Help is also needed in delivering food weekly to elementary schools. Contact Roxanne Hall cs176@bellsouth.net for more information.
The Backpack Ministry also needs monetary support to continue this important ministry. Checks can be made out to Broad Street UMC with the notation of "for Backpack Ministries" on the memo line or you can use an envelope in Sunday offerings and mark it for Backpack.
Huddle Summary from Session Week 5: October 22
Worship and Music
The common themes were worship elements that brought connection to God and one another and how grace emerged from unexpected places and people.
Of particular focus was the role of music in worship, and at Broad Street we noted our wonderful organ, and how that was one important musical element.
We discussed the challenge in finding a qualified organist and the financial costs associated with it. We discussed that it may take more financial resources to find the quality of musician we need.
Of other discussion was the opportunity to take worship outside and off campus.
Some noted that Saturday night’s Community Children’s Movie Night in Memorial Hall, was “worship.” Though community families were invited inside from the Children’s Playground to enjoy pizza, popcorn, and a viewing of, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!”, they were also invited to participate in packing canned goods for 180 at-risk kids in the community who would otherwise have nothing to eat across the weekend. The chance to enjoy the movie music, to speak of families in need, to pray for those children and our own, and the chance to make a difference together was (mentioned by numerous families) as a beautiful worship experience. We asked the question, "How can we continue to expand the boundaries of ‘worship’ into the community to foster a deeper connection to the Divine?"
Huddle Summary from Session Week 4: October 15
How to live out our faith in the midst of increasing polarization in society
In our discussion, we worked on what might be seen as rules of engagement for conversations and interactions with folks we might disagree with. This is a basic guide that might be helpful in how we communicate with our families, co-workers, and our church family.
DO:
Be Kind.
Know your lines (where something has wiggle room, & something else doesn't).
Be OK with disagreement.
Be open to being wrong (this one is tough).
Be respectful.
Be caring.
Be OK with choosing to lose (some relationships are more important than opinions).
DONT:
Define people by single opinions (no one is as bad or good as the worst or best thing they’ve ever done).
Decide what God thinks.
Force people to agree to be heard.
Huddle Summary from Session Week 3: October 8
How to infuse and extend “church” out into our community
A Small-Town Feel in Statesville: Fostering personal connections. With the thousands of homes being built around us, extra intentionality to extend those connections will be needed by our churches.
"Caught Doing Good" in Our Community: Strive to be "caught doing good” -- being deliberate in caring, compassionate, difference-making acts when & where it matters most. (We hope people think of kindness, generosity, & love in action when they think of BSUMC.)
The Word in Everything We Do: Sharing “the Word” is not limited to our Sunday services but can be each of us -- as a representative of Broad Street – deliberately extending welcome, making sure everyone feels seen, & letting people know that they are welcome to join in with us.
Making Broad Street Their Church: We have a deep-seated desire to help our community think of Broad Street as their church. This means offering a variety of options, including virtual ones & small gatherings. We want folks to know that we are here for them, in whatever way suits them best.
Huddle Summary from Session Week 2: October 1
How all churches are in decline, and how we might be different
1. Embracing Inclusivity: To make our church truly welcoming, we talked about reaching out to specific groups within our community, ensuring that everyone knows they have a place here.
2. Celebrating Our Preschool: Our preschool program is a beacon, drawing families to our church. It can serve as a gateway for families to explore the broader church community.
3. Consistent Mission Projects: Consistent mission projects allow us to live out our faith through service and are important as they also provide opportunities for us to connect with our community and make a meaningful impact.
4. Exploring Different Church Service Models: We're open to exploring different models of church services. This flexibility can help us meet the spiritual needs of a diverse congregation.
5. Offering Community Support: As we brainstormed ways to be a support system for our community, ideas like offering tutoring services or creating safe spaces for various needs came up. We want our church to be a refuge and a source of help for those around us.
6. Being Church for Each Other: We also discussed the importance of being there for one another within our church family. Whether it's through prayer, lending a hand, or simply being a listening ear, we can strengthen our bonds by being "church" for each other.
Huddle Summary from Session Week 1: September 24
Children's & Youth Ministries
1. An Interest in the Well: It could be a way to engage new members & reach more young families.
2. Civic Engagement & Inter-generational Mentoring: The idea of creating professional groups for intergenerational mentoring. A commitment to bridging generational gaps & building connections that strengthen our church family, as well as being more involved in the core of our community.
3. Building a Strong Foundation in Jesus: Providing our children & youth with a solid foundation anchored in the teachings of Jesus.
4. Going "All In" as a Church Community: True growth & transformation require the active involvement of each member, not just in one aspect but also through their prayers, time, & financial support.
5. A Vision: "The Children's Church" in Statesville: We dreamt of becoming "The Children's Church" in Statesville - making a lasting impact on the lives of the young people in our community.
combined worSHip services
After a joyful advent season was spent worshipping together in the sanctuary, we decided to continue offering a single, combined worship service. Join us on Sundays at 11 AM - there’s a seat for you on the pew.
We will announce additions to the worship lineup as they are added. Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss an update!
CHILDREN’S EVENTS AND PROGRAMS
We would like to inform everyone of the great programs that will serve the sweet children of Broad Street as they learn, play and grow closer together:
Sunday Programs:
Sunday School: Children of all ages are invited to participate upstairs in the Education Wing at 10 AM.
Nursery is being provided for young children ages 0-4 years old. Big kids are invited to remain in the sanctuary and complete their children’s bulletin in the pew. Nursery is being held downstairs in the Preschool wing and follows Safe Sanctuary guidelines.
Spread the word and let young families know there is a special place for little ones at Broad Street!
All gatherings comply with our Safe Sanctuary Policy. Read it here.
Ministry OPPORTUNITIES
Explore areas in the church where you feel called to serve and grow.
TOWER REPAIR PROJECT
G.L. Wilson Building Company has been repairing Broad Street’s trademark towers to return them to their architectural glory. Tom Wilson, church member and President of G.L. Wilson, has led the charge and is pleased with the progress. Read his updates below:
August 16, 2020
The project is going very well. The center steeple symbol was removed and restored (as much as possible) and returned to its place. The brick pointing is underway and brick cleaning is ongoing. The roofing was delayed by the recent rain. The tower windows have been removed – and it was a good thing. We found the window frames and sills were on their last leg!
September 3, 2020
We will start Monday putting things back together. The Gothic windows will be first and painting from the top down. The brick is finished and ready to be sealed. Roofing work is under control. The difference is amazing to us that are working on it. I hope it will be appreciated by all. This is truly a work for the generations too come.
September 20, 2020
We installed new amber glass in the towers. What beautiful improvement!
To celebrate all the beautiful work, we held a Dedication of the Tower Renovation on All Saints Day, November 1, 2020 at 4:00 PM on the green space.