Chardon United Methodist Church

Dear Friends of Jesus,
As we enter the summer of 2010 we have much to celebrate and give thanks for. On Pentecost Sunday, May 23rd we confirmed 12 youth of our church and received 7 new adult members. We also celebrated that since last Pentecost we have received 46 new members of our congregation. Our church is growing numerically and that is a good thing. I believe that we can also proclaim that our church is also growing spiritually as we are striving in many ways to fulfill our mission: “To make and mature disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

On Pentecost we also celebrated the Birthday of the Church of Jesus Christ as based upon second chapter of Acts. So how old is the Church anyway?

• Following logic and history, Jesus was born in what became year zero AD, (Anno Domino or “the year of the Lord”.) Jesus lived 33 years on earth and was crucified at age 33. So the church was born 2010 minus 33 or 1,977 years ago.
• May 24, 1738 was known as the day of John Wesley’s Aldersgate experience, which really began the Wesleyan movement. So the Wesleyan movement is 272 years old.
• The Methodist Church was established as a separate church at the Christmas Conference 1784, thus the Methodist Church is 226 years old. 
• Our history shows the Chardon Methodist Church was formed in 1818, thus our church is 192 years old.
• The Chardon Methodist Church moved from our building on the town Square to our current site at 515 North Street in 1960 or 50 years ago. This fall we will hold a 50th Anniversary celebration of that dramatic move to this location.
• The United Methodist Church as a denomination is 42 years old. We were formed of the merger of the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church at the General Conference in Dallas in 1968. (Dr. John Knecht, Matt’s dad, was the official representative of the EUB church at that signing ceremony.)

We have a rich past, but we have a great future to live into. God is still calling us to reach others, to mature in our faith journey, and to translate our faith into life transforming work in the world.

Catch the Spirit of God’s work among us!

Pastor Dan