Ministry Groups of CUMC

United Methodist Youth (UMYF)

United Methodist Women (UMW)

The organized unit of United Methodist Women shall be a community of women whose purpose is to know GOD and to experience freedom as whole persons through JESUS CHRIST, to develop a creative, supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church.

There are three Circles – Martha, Rachel, & Sarah. Each Circle has their own projects such as supporting Room in the Inn, Food Pantry, College & Service Personnel Ministry, Bethlehem Center, Shelter for Battered Women, and the Florence Crittenton Home.

All Circles contribute to different missions each year such as: A Child’s Place, Loaves & Fishes, Habitat for Humanity, Crisis Assistance, & Carolina Cross Connection. The biggest fund raiser is the Annual Attic Sale.

United Methodist Men (UMM)

An organization of the church for the church. We strive to support the missions of the church with our abilities, assets, & aptitudes. We reach out to one another for support, strength & friendship. And we do all of this under the patient hand of our Lord, his son, Jesus Christ, & the Holy Spirit. The men meet the 4th Thursday of the month except July and December - 6:15 p.m. dinner; 7:00 business meeting and program

Prime Timers

Prime Timers, a group of senior adults, meets the fourth Thursday of each month at 10:30 am in the Fellowship Hall.  The meeting includes a variety of programs and entertainment, plus a delicious lunch (only $6.00) catered by our members.  We support Cokesbury’s missions, plus Second Harvest Food Bank, Adult Care and Share, Haiti relief (Health kits) and Alzheimer’s disease research.  Each month we deliver meals and visit with our homebound church members.

Prime Timer’s - mission and ministry is to provide programs and fellowship for seniors for the purpose of reaching out, teaching and serving in the name of Christ.
Contact: Dot Hailey (704-537-7423) or Kay Dumas (704-814-4567).

Cub & Boy Scouts

Cub Scout Pack 147 meets every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. – Tiger Cubs (1st grade), Wolf Den (2nd grade), Bear’s Den (3rd grade), Webelos Den (4th & 5th grade).

Boy Scout Troop 147 meets every Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.

Boy Scout Hispanic Troop and Pack 847 meet every Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

Missions

Members of Cokesbury UMC participate in and support many local, national and international missions.  The following are a few of those:

• Room in the Inn Ministry
  Cokesbury participates in the Room in the Inn program coordinated by Urban Ministries from December through March. We open our Fellowship Hall and kitchen to 12 people who have no place to stay on Saturday night. We have provided shelter for approximately 224 men, women, & children per year. This program uses volunteers from all church organizations & provides church members the opportunity to participate in hands-on mission work. Perhaps most importantly, it provides church members a chance to glimpse at the spirituality of the homeless & the way in which God works in their lives.
  
  
• Habitat for Humanity
  

  Habitat for Humanity is built on the Biblical principles of obeying God, loving one another and caring for the poor.  Cokesbury has responded by being involved since 1994, when we built our first Habitat home in the Lakewood community for a single mother and her two sons.  It was an exciting time for the entire church and almost everyone responded in some way. 

  In 1998 we were very fortunate to be invited to be a part of the Building On Faith blitz, when we partnered with two other groups to build a home for a mother and her two daughters.  This was done as a part of our of 40^th anniversary celebration.

  Since participating in building our first two homes, we have partnered with a group of ten churches on three occasions to provide volunteers and financial support to build three more homes.

  Cokesbury is truly dedicated to Habitat.  Habitat has provided us a wonderful opportunity to put our faith into action. Every time we have been involved the response has been outstanding
  
  
• Loaves & Fishes
  

  Did you know that 1 in 10 households in the United States experience hunger or the risk of hunger? (USDA)

  Did you know that 1 in 3 people seeking emergency food assistance have to choose between paying their rent and buying food? (America’s Second Harvest Food Bank)

  This past year the Cokesbury congregation donated over 500 pounds of food to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina.  Second Harvest is a regional food distribution center serving 510 agencies in 16 counties.  After Hurricane Katrina a great deal of the food went to Louisiana and Mississippi.

  One of the local agencies of the Second Harvest Food Bank is Loaves and Fishes.  It was founded and operated by local religious congregations. The nondenominational Loaves and Fishes organization has five food pantries in Charlotte.  These pantries are responding to a growing hunger problem. Staff members from churches, fire and police departments, and the Department of Social Services make referrals for families who need food. 

  Can you help by sharing food, giving a financial donation or volunteering your time?  For the next several months, you may leave your food at Cokesbury United Methodist Church and it will be delivered to a Fishes and Loaves pantry.   For other information, call (704) 523-4333.
  
  

• Adult Care & Share
  (Day care for older adults)
  

  Adult Care and Share Center, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides high-quality daily care for older and disabled adults who are unable to remain at home alone while their caregivers are working or need periodic respite from caregiving. Our Center is licensed by the State of North Carolina and can assist up to 36 individuals on a daily basis. We serve participants who live in Mecklenburg and surrounding counties, and the Center is centrally located on the grounds of Cokesbury United Methodist Church.

  Adult Care and Share Center provides services Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. With on-site nursing care and nutritional services, the Center is able to handle difficult medical issues that require expert care including medication administration, dietary management and specialized care for conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, stroke and others. We also provide activities that make attending the Center stimulating and fun. We offer supervised exercise classes, discussion groups, arts and crafts, intergenerational programs, games, music, gardening and other activities.

  Our private pay rates are based on the amount of care required by the participant. We offer three levels of care, and charge $50.00, $55.00 or $60.00 per day based upon an assessment completed by the nurse and the executive director, who is also a licensed social worker. For members of Cokesbury United Methodist Church, we offer a discount of $10.00 per day.

  For those who are unable to pay privately for our services, there is funding available through the Department of Social Services, The Community Alternatives Program, the Area Mental Health Authority, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

  In addition to caring for our participants, we have a special desire to support and nurture the families of our participants, particularly the primary caregivers. We are always available to listen to the special concerns of caregivers and, when possible, connect caregivers to resources in the community that can provide additional support and services for them.

  Please call 704-567-2700 for more information or to arrange a visit of the Center.
  
  

Cokesbury’s Work Team was organized in 2003. Membership includes 27 men and women. The purpose is to provide a service to people that need our help in our church and also to do mission work as a group, going on disaster relief work teams. We have been on seven trips over the last few years doing God’s work either out of town or out of North Carolina. We do small jobs locally such as rake leaves, clean gutters, paint, carpentry, plumbing and electrical work. We hope to grow in number and service.  If you feel God calling you to serve in this way, please join us.