Our First Fifteen is journeying through the Bible in a year! Over the next twelve months—starting with Genesis in September 2023 and ending with Revelation in August 2024—we will read the entire Old and New Testaments using a reading plan developed by the Bible Project (bibleproject.com). Each day will offer a psalm upon which to prayerfully meditate and a couple of chapters of Scripture to read. To help with understanding and applying our reading, we invite you to consider 8 questions developed by New Testament Professor Matthew Harmon. If you would like to incorporate prayer into your First Fifteen, we have also included a monthly prayer focus.  

Bookmarks that contain the daily Scripture readings for the month, the 8 reflection questions, and the monthly prayer focus are also available throughout the Centenary campus.

Download the Reading Plan

• Vacation Bible School: July 29-August 1 (4 year olds – rising 6th graders)

July 29-August 1 • 9 am - Noon

Adventure awaits us from July 29 – August 1, 9 am – noon, as we dive into friendship with God in our SCUBA Vacation Bible School! We hope all 4-year-olds through rising 6th graders will join us! Register using the QR code or through the Events and Links page of the church website. For more information or if you want to volunteer, contact Kate May (kmay@centenary-ws.org/ext. 1331).

Register

This summer we will be taking our kids on a Super Cool Underwater Bible Adventure for Vacation Bible School where we hope that they will be immersed in the knowledge that God loves them and so do we! In order for that to happen we need your gifts and talent and time! There is a place for everyone at Vacation Bible School whether you want to help with crafts, or snacks or you want to be a small group shepherd or a crossing guard. Perhaps you can’t be with us in person but you’d be able to help with prep work, no matter what your gifts and talents and time commitment are you can use them at vacation Bible School! Contact Kate May (336.724.6311 ext. 1331) and let her know you want to be a part of the VBS team!

This summer our Sunday school forces will combine for a delicious cooking and learning experience for kindergarteners through fifth graders. Throughout the summer our kids will gather in the Community Room at 10 am and then head into the East Building kitchen to experience a Bible story through food! Rev. Kate May will be leading our lessons but each week we will have a grown up helper to make sure we all have a yummy time! Want to join us? Reach out to Kate May.

This team is made up of amazing folks just like you who commit for one school year to serve as a smallgroup or large group leader. Using provided lesson plans large group leaders share a Bible story in an engaging and hands on way with a mixed group of kids ages 1st-5th grade. Small group leaders build relationships with one age group of kids while facilitating activities that build on the large group learning. If you are interested or have questions, reach out to Kate May (336.724.6311 ext. 1331).

CareNotes are concise booklets that provide uplifting guidance to those who are hurting. They address topics that include grief, aging, healthcare, mental wellness, family care, spiritual support, and more. Our collection of CareNotes is located on the 3rd floor near the Resource Room.

The Food Bank Garden is looking for volunteers! The garden is a great outdoor mission opportunity for groups, individuals, families, children, and youth. The garden is open every Saturday from 10 am - Noon and every Wednesday from 5:30 - 7:30 pm. You need to pre-register via their website. The garden is located at Crossnore Communities for Children at 1001 Reynolda Road (formerly The Children’s Home). Visit their website at https://www.foodbankgarden.org for schedule, directions, signup, photos, and other pertinent information.

Loaves & Fishes is once again collecting items for Summer Stock! Anytime this summer, you can take a brown paper bag located in the Narthex or at the 4 ½ street entrance to fill with needed items. This year we are collecting the following foods: canned vegetables, canned fruit, ravioli, SpaghettiOs, spam, vienna sausages, rice (1lb. bags). Please make sure the canned items are regular sized cans. You can drop your donations off at the 4 ½ street entrance or in the Narthex to the Sanctuary. If you have any questions, contact Rev. Meg Peters ( ).

Check out Centenary’s monthly Music & Arts magazine! Find the latest edition on the Music & Arts page, subscribe by clicking here, or pick up a printed copy from the Music Suite.

Love to sing but can’t attend weekly rehearsals? Participate in Summer Choir! Each Sunday from June 9 – August 11, come to the choir room at 9:30 am to grab a robe, participate in a short rehearsal and sing for the 11:00 worship. Please contact Director of Music Ministries, Jonathan Emmons ( ), if you have any questions. See you there!

Centenary United Methodist United Women in Faith (UWF) are offering a limited-edition Centenary Sanctuary ornament. The ornaments are hand-painted and made of blown glass. They include a historically accurate depiction of Centenary’s Sanctuary stained-glass windows. The measurements are 5 ¾” (length) x 3” (width) x 3 ¼” (height).

The ornaments are scheduled to arrive in August and you will have opportunities to pick up pre-ordered ornaments once they arrive.

Cost: $40 per ornament. Cash or check accepted. Must pay at the time of order. Please contact Susan Grubbs ( ) or Heather Bumgarner ( ) to order or for more information.

You may download our order form, print it out, complete it, and return it to the reception desk along with your payment.

Order Form

Throughout Confirmation you are challenged to read the Gospel of Luke so that you might have a bigger perspective of Jesus’ life, who he is, and the example he offers us as ‘Christ-followers’. This summer, for our summer youth Bible study, we are going to dive deeper into what Luke has to teach us about the Lord. Join us as we feast on the Word and some good food. Afterall, this is one of the things Jesus does, he eats with people & talks with people about the Kingdom of Heaven. Beginning June 9 at 5:00 pm we will gather at various restaurants in Winston to feast together on food and word. Watch our weekly announcements for details about where we will meet each week. (cost $10-$20 depending on what you order to eat!)

Join us every Sunday at 10:00 am on the fourth floor (@Youth Commons) for ALL youth Sunday School. As always there are breakfast snacks, coffee & drinks, and friends & fellowship before the lesson every week!

“What’s Faith Got to Do With It?” - as teenagers, we have all kinds of thoughts about what we might be or do when we grow up. The possibilities are endless and so very exciting! Come listen to different ‘grown-ups’ from our church family share what it is that they do (their work), how they decided what they wanted to do with their life, how they got there, and what their faith has to do with it. Such a great opportunity to hear from and be inspired by some very exceptional people.