Yadkin Valley District of The United Methodist Church

10/12/2026

We write about an event in one nation because it holds up a mirror to all of us. Every society, on every continent where our church lives, is tempted to answer violence with spectacle, to bless national power with the name of God, and to make a whole people pay for the crime of one. What is happenin...

10/07/2026

WNCC clergy and ministry professionals...

Day Crafting will help you organize your day, prioritize your commitments, and lean into your gifts. Led by Bruce Stanley in England, there are two sessions in the workshop – October 21 and November 4 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Once you register, the office of ministerial services will send you the books. A former WNC clergy participant commented that it “is a phenomenal way (to) take control of your calendar, reclaim your energy each day, assess why you do the things you do, and make small shifts in your daily life that bring forth healthy balanced living.”

Learn more and register:

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash Day Crafting is a method to build resilient, preventative wellbeing into the working day through practical, ...

10/02/2026

1 in 3 women in the US will experience sexual violence in her life. Jane Doe is not an anomaly on Cornell's campus. She's sitting in your church pews. To put it plainly: churches cannot be complicit in quietly condoning our culture of sexual violence. Every church needs to say something. Every church needs to do something. Now is the time for pastors and lay leaders everywhere to speak up.

Say something on Sunday. If you don’t know where to start, start here: https://gcsrw.org/staff-reflections/say-something-sunday-the-church-cornell/

09/29/2026

Applications are still open for the new UMC Solar and Battery Pilot Program! ☀️

Designed to help United Methodist churches serving vulnerable communities across the U.S. procure and install solar and/or battery systems, this Global Ministries and UMCOR program will build resilience, reduce emissions and energy costs, and keep the doors of these critical community service ministries open.

Wondering if your church is a good fit for this program? Tap the link in the comments to use our discernment tool before you apply!

09/29/2026

ICYMI (

09/11/2026

🕊️ Twenty-five years.

On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 lives were lost. A quarter century later, we still remember — the names, the empty chairs, the first responders who ran toward the danger, and the ordinary people who chose courage.

An entire generation has grown up in the shadow of that day. May they also grow up in the light of what followed it: neighbors caring for neighbors, strangers becoming family, communities refusing to let hate have the last word.

Today the Western North Carolina Conference joins in prayer for the families who still grieve, for those whose health was changed forever by their service, and for a world hungry for peace.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." — Matthew 5:9

However you mark this day — in silence, in service, in prayer — may you know God's presence in it. 🙏

08/29/2026

In response to the catastrophic flash flooding that occurred along the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, UMCOR is awarding a solidarity grant to support United Mission Nepal as they aid impacted communities in Dhading and Nuwakot districts with emergency food and non-food item (NFI) assistance. Alongside this grant, UMCOR is continuing to explore opportunities for further response through our partner networks and local assessments.

Please remain in prayer for these communities as the toll of this disaster continues to worsen. Authorities now report that at least 579 people have died and 1,924 people remain missing, with these numbers expected to grow as some areas remain inaccessible. Search and rescue teams are still working to reach communities cut off by the disaster, with damaged roads, landslides, and communications disruptions hindering relief operations and making it difficult to fully assess needs.

We lift up this call for prayer, presence, and continued accompaniment from the Rev. Jung Eun Grace Moon, general secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia, ecumenical partner of The United Methodist Church: “In this time of profound loss and suffering, may God’s comforting presence draw near to all those affected, embrace those who grieve, strengthen those who search and serve, shelter those who have lost their homes and kindle a light of hope amid the darkness.”

To support our response to this and other international disasters, give here: bit.ly/umcoridr

08/26/2026

Heaven gained a little more sparkle this week. ✨

Dolly Parton, daughter of the Southern Appalachians, born in a one-room cabin in the Smokies, has gone home at 80.

She was kin to these Blue Ridge Mountains so many of us love. And she was kin to us in spirit: a woman who loved boldly, served joyfully, and led courageously. She never hid her shine because she believed God could use a little girl from nothing to light up the whole world. And she did. She put millions of books into the hands of children. She brought hope to the hearts of strangers she'd never met. And her desire to share the Gospel message of God's vast & inclusive love was at the center of it all.

She once said, "I never had children of my own. God didn't let me have children so everybody's children could be mine." That was Dolly — love with no fences around it, wrapped in a whole lot of glitter.

Shine on, Dolly. Thank you for showing us what joyful, courageous love looks like. 💗✨

08/15/2026

United Methodists are a “singing people”…

United Methodists are a “singing people,” and each generation brings new United Methodist hymn writers who further renew worship. The Rev. Lovett Weems tells the story of Natalie Sleeth, whose “Hymn of Promise” has become a much beloved way to mark all sorts of beginnings. https://lovettweems.substack.com/p/draft-for-august-6-substack

08/13/2026

Learn Canva to make printed flyers & digital media:

https://nccumc.org/leadership/event/canva-training-canva-for-print/?fbclid=IwY2xjawTrM-xwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR7BJJ3MTFeVSEOV6tIgbdIgEFu8DTdy23czVUdTgxU2bUax-YFgNp6QdXDR2w_aem_l6BSoaLqMk-eNEi6QnQxwA

Many churches have discovered Canva for social media and online promotion, but fewer realize just how powerful it can be for creating high-quality printed materials. With Microsoft Publisher being retired, many congregations are searching for a new solution for newsletters, bulletins, brochures, and...