Page 2 - 2018 Annual Report

This report is a snapshot of the year for First United Methodist Church of Cary. 2018 has been the “year of the fence!” There’s been that fence on Waldo Street, marking of the area for the sidewalk work as a part of the Building to Serve project. And, of course, there’s been the fence around the construction site itself for the Youth and Community Center.2018 has been the “year of the fence” in other ways as well – the fences that we have worked to take down and remove. We have taken down fences that have kept people imprisoned by their griefs and addictions as we have supported Grief Share and the Addiction Recovery Movement. We have taken down fences around conversations that seemed “of limits” as we have engaged in discussions about race and the future of the church with persons of diferent orientations. We have taken down fences that have limited our ability to care for one another as we have begun new ministries with Congregational Care Ministers. We have taken down fences that have limited our vision of ministry to only this place as we have released servants into missional service in the world and the community. We have begun dismantling fences that separate us from our brothers and sisters in the Hispanic community as we continue to expand our ministries with them. In many ways this year, the people of God at FUMC have been about fence removal in 2018. Fences have gone up and fences have come down. 2018 has been the year of the fence. As you read this annual report, I pray that it will inspire and encourage you to continue to join in the fence removal business in 2019 as we “share the heart of Christ from the heart of Cary.” — Carl Frazier, Lead Pastor