What's Happening This Week - July 11

We have a lot of openings for Altar Flowers. Give us a call if you would like to honor someone on their special day!

Altar Flowers

We invite you to participate in our Altar Flowers program, a beautiful way to honor or remember someone dear to you. By signing up for a Sunday, you can place flowers on the altar in their name. It's a meaningful gesture that adds to the spiritual ambiance of our church.

To sign up, simply call the church office at 637-4181 and let us know which Sunday you prefer. Once you've confirmed your date, please place your order with Odham's Florist, who will then deliver them directly to the church.

Discipleship Ministries

Everyone has a place in music here at Centenary! For questions about our music ministry, contact Director of Music Ministries Paul Saik at paulsaik@centenarychurch.com or

252-637-4181 ext. 105.

Music Rehearsal Schedule

July 13 - 19

(Subject to change)

Please watch your email for updates if you are a

part of the choir or any music ensemble.

Wednesday

Sanctuary/Chapel Choirs

Choir Room - 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Children & Youth

CENTyouth Happenings

To stay in the loop on our youth program, please check out our latest CENTYouth Happenings Newsletter by following the link below:

YOUTH NEWSLETTER

Consider contributing financially to our youth-designated fund. You can give online using this link:

YOUTH FUND

TURN OFF THE LIGHTS AT NIGHT

In recent years there has been a significant decline in both insect and bird populations. The insect population has declined 75% in 30 years. (You may have noticed that there are not as many fireflies as there used to be and you don’t have as much bug splatter on your windshield.) North American bird populations have dropped nearly 30% since 1970.

Light pollution plays a huge role in insect and animal decline. Light attracts insects who become exhausted as they endlessly circle around a light source becoming prime targets for predators. Artificial light blinds insects causing them to collide with the light source which may then incinerate them and also interrupts their circadian rhythms.

Migratory birds use gravity and the light of the moon and the stars to navigate. Bright lights on buildings and skyglow from urban sprawl confuse birds causing glass strike and exhaustion.

What can we as individuals do to help? Here are a few simple ways:

1. Turn off the outside lights whenever and wherever possible.

2. Pull drapes and blinds to block light from your home and other buildings.

3. Change all outdoor lights to amber, yellow or red bulbs.

4. Where lighting is necessary, use the lowest level of brightness needed.

5. Choose lighting that has shields (or add shields) to direct light downward and to prevent light trespass.

6. Add motion sensors to all outdoor lights so that they shine only when being used.

Slots open for June/July/August Volunteers: Click Here to Sign Up

Summer Schedule: Come Again Thursdays will run through the summer except for June 26 and July 17.

After you sign up the first time, check your email for the Volunteer Training Handbook, Volunteer Information Sheet (with background check) and a big thank you! Do not worry if there's a week or a season of weeks that you can't come. We will be excited for you to join us when you can.

The evening before your Come Again Thursday, you'll get an email that has the schedule, roster and any important details about the day.

We will have in-service learnings during Thursday morning huddles and other optional trainings as we go. Email or call Lindsay Roberts with questions or if you have ideas for how you want to get involved (lindsayroberts@newbernrespite.org.).

Trinity UMC

2311 Elizabeth Ave

New Bern, NC 28562

Volunteer start time is 9:20 am

New Bern Community Respite Care was created in 2024 by and for the community in response to the need for more education, friendship and tools to support families living with dementia. Its first big endeavor is the intentional social club, Come Again, where people living with early to middle stages of dementia share the day with a community of volunteers in a judgement-free environment, creating a safe space for socialization and mental stimulation. It's a new way of honoring our loved ones living with dementia while providing care partners some time to themselves.

Centenary is a Stephen Ministry congregation.

If you're going through a tough time and find it difficult to cope with it alone, Centenary has a solution for you. As a Stephen Ministry congregation, we offer one-on-one, confidential support from our highly trained and compassionate Stephen Ministers. Whether you're dealing with a personal or family crisis, grief, illness, or any other challenge, our Stephen Ministers are here to help.

To learn more about this caring ministry and how it could benefit you, please reach out to Jan Hood, Sherry Parker, or Judy Tymes.

We are here to support you through difficult times.

Stephen Ministers are at the altar following each service for confidential discussion or questions.

If you would like to have communion delivered to you at home by a Stephen Minister on first Sundays, please contact the church office at (252)637-4181.

GriefShare Summer Meetings

Mondays 10am–12pm in Rm 210

GriefShare will continue during the summer every other Monday from 10-11am in Room 210 on June 16, 30, July 21, 28, August 11. It will be a time to gather casually, for check in, to share what’s going well, and not so well. It is open to current participants and people joining for the first time: members and people from the community. All are welcome. We hope to see you there.

GriefShare is a support group for people who have lost a loved one: spouse, family member, relative or friend. It is open not only to Centenary United Methodist Church members, but our entire community as well. ALL ARE WELCOME!

Participants can join us at any time. If you know of someone who is hurting, please invite them. For more information, please visit griefshare.org.

Contact Marion Bunn 252-670-2590 for more information.

For the in-person group: griefshare.org/groups/172353

Missions

There are many opportunities to get involved at Centenary! If you want to help us make a difference, please Click to see our Mission Brochure

RCS OPERATION OUTPOST

On the second Wednesday of the month, Centenarians participate in Operation Outpost at the Harlowe location. Do you want to sign up and participate?

What is Operation Outpost?

Operation Outpost is an initiative of Religious Community Services (RCS) where a team of dedicated volunteers deliver boxes of food, clothing, and hygiene items to more rural populations in our area. RCS has four designated and convenient locations that serve as drive-through pickup locations for boxes filled with these essentials for daily living. Clients can also select clothing items and other essentials. Generally, 60 to 80 boxes are delivered each month at the Harlowe Community Center (125 Godette School Rd.)!

What Would I Do?

Volunteers arrive at 5:00 to:

Set up the drive-through
Unload the RCS truck with food, clothing, and other items
Position the clothing racks
Build boxes of food—perishable and non-perishable

At 5:30, clients begin the drive-through, and volunteers are assigned to tasks:

Check in the client and determine amount of boxes
Load the vehicle with the food
Keep the food boxes delivery area “stocked”
At 7:00, reload the truck

There are six slots available each month!

Dates are February 12 and March 12—always the second Wednesday of the month.

Use the link to sign up and help: OPERATION OUTPOST SIGN UP

For questions, please contact Patti Peebles at ppeebles2393@gmail.com or call 252-571-2421.

By donating to RCS, you can help ensure that individuals and families who are struggling have access to nutritious meals and essential resources. Your generous contributions will go a long way in making a positive impact on the lives of those who need it most. Together, we can make a difference and help build a stronger, healthier community.

Thank you for your support! Please see the list below.

Place your gifts in the RCS box in the hallway leading to the Sanctuary

Beans (Canned & Dry)

Bottled Water

Canned fruit

Canned meat

Canned soup

Hamburger, Tuna, Chicken Helper (most pressing need)

Jelly

Pasta

Pasta sauce

Peanut butter

Hamburger, Tuna, Chicken Helper (Most Pressing Need)

Ramens’

Rice (1-2 lb bags)

Spaghetti-O’s (Canned Pasta)

Thank you for your donations to this important ministry!

Martha Hall Jenkins Art Scholarship benefit concert, Saturday, July 12, 2025 presented by Craven Arts Council & Gallery and Bank of the Arts. Meet and Greet from 6 to 7pm at the Harrison Center, 311 Middle Street in New Bern. Stephen Jenkins with Spare Kings Trio and Patrick Bliss in concert to follow at Bank of the Arts, 317 Middle Street. Tickets are available for $30 for members of Craven Arts and $40 for nonmembers and are available in-person at Bank of the Arts, over the phone at 252-638-2577, and at cravenarts.org.

Summer Blessings

July 21, 22, 23 Garber Church, Morris Hall

Hey friends! Hope you are all having a wonderful summer! It is time once again to gather and be the hands and feet of Christ as we provide supplemental food boxes for over 240 families in our area who struggle with food insecurity in the summers. We are blessed to be a blessing! And what an honor and privilege to be involved in doing God's work in this very tangible and real way.

We certainly could not do it without ALL of the churches pitching in to help! We had so much fun in June packing food for our Backpack Blessings families, let's do it again in July!! Please come for the blessing!

Here is the link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090D4BA9AB2AA0FD0-57451499-summer