Thrive

During my sophomore year at NC State, the Wolfpack pulled off one of the greatest Cinderella stories of all time. Led by Jim Valvano, they won the 1983 NCAA tournament on a last second shot. Describing their run through March Madness, Valvano said that their goal was to just “survive and advance.”

I don’t know about you, but there have been challenging seasons in my life when I simply made it my goal to survive and advance. In many ways I believe our congregation is now emerging from a season of challenges that forced us to hunker down and survive and advance. Fortunately, I feel like we are on the other side of this with the disruption of COVID and the pain of the splintering of our denomination behind us.

Over the last few months, I have felt a new spirit of enthusiasm and excitement at Jamestown UMC. I believe that we have made the turn from this recent season of “survive and advance” to one that is now about thriving as a church family. Think about all of our thriving ministries: Rock@5, Young@Heart, JYM, children, adult and handbell choirs, and our relationship with Jamestown Elementary School.

I have never been prouder of the members and the staff of Jamestown UMC than over the past year. Three words come to mind when I consider all the ways in which we are thriving:

Resilience – We have faced the challenges coming at us with a deep level of faith and guidance from God.

Creativity - We have adapted and embraced new ways of doing ministry to meet the needs of our congregation and to connect with persons in our community who have yet to experience the love of Jesus Christ.

Generosity – Our congregation has continued to be faithful in providing the resources to undertake what God has called us to do.

My hope and prayer for Jamestown UMC is that we will continue to thrive in 2024. Hence, the theme of our stewardship campaign this year is Thrive. Our calling is not simply to survive and advance, but to thrive. Your gifts and support make all the difference in ensuring that we continue to thrive going forward.

Dr. David Greene

Dr. David Greene

Senior Pastor

As 2023 winds down to an end, Jamestown United Methodist Church is gearing up for 2024. One of the most critical components of our planning is anticipated giving for the new year. Please complete the estimate of giving card on the back side of this flap and bring it to church on October 22nd for Commitment Sunday. We ask that you please take a few moments to prayerfully consider your giving for 2024. 

Thank you so much for your ongoing support of JUMC!

If you would like to make your 2024 Annual Pledge, click the image below to access the pledge form for 2024.