What’s Going On

On July 22, the Council of Bishops announced that as a result of the General Conference’s decision to reduce the number of active bishops from 39 to 32 in the United States, effective September 1, most US bishops will serve multiple annual conferences. (See the Council’s announcement here.)

The New England and New York conferences will remain separate conferences, but will be combined into a single episcopal area, led by Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton. Bishop Bickerton met with delegates from both conferences at the 2024 Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference which concluded on July 12. You can read a summary of that meeting here.

We welcome Bishop Bickerton and look forward to working with him in the years ahead.

“Recovery from the floods that hit in July 2023 was still underway when rainfall from Hurricane Beryl on July 10-11, 2024 — exactly a year later — brought additional devastation. Many Vermonters were impacted for a second time. The New England Conference was awarded a $399,450 grant from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) to support recovery work and provide direct assistance to survivors in the Northeast Kingdom.” Read more, here.

Join us this Saturday, June 8, for Winchester Porchfest!  Crawford Memorial UMC is happy to be one of many venues around town, hosting musical groups during this fun, family-friendly tradition in Winchester.  Our lineup includes:

1:30 pm – Randall Kromm

3:00 pm – Stroke of Luck

4:30 pm – Windshield Cowboys

In the case of inclement weather, check the Porchfest website. They will post a message at 9:00 am Saturday with further instructions.

Peace with Justice Sunday is one of our denomination’s six special Sunday’s. Peace with Justice Sunday encourages United Methodists to participate in transforming the world and challenging injustice by calling on our leaders and elected officials to prioritize policies that support communities and reflect God’s economy of abundance and grace.

If you’d like to contribute to this special offering, you can give by cash or check in the offering plate on Sunday morning. If you’re not able to join us on Sunday morning, you cangive online or set up monthly giving at UMC.org/SSGive.

Half of the gifts from the Peace with Justice Sunday special offering stay with local ministries in this conference, and half support the work of Church and Society globally. Learn more here.

The postponed 2020 General Conference of the United Methodist church was successfully held April 23-May 3, 2024,  in Raleigh, NC.  Pastor Anne Robertson summarized many of the decisions made there in a sermon she delivered on Sunday, May 5 (read her sermon here)  In addition, United Methodist Communications produced this video that includes brief interviews with conference delegates and information about the worship, work, and fellowship that happened at this year’s conference.

Dress for Success‘ mission is to “empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and development tools to help them thrive in work and in life.” This April we will collect gently used, nearly-new professional attire for their clients. Look for clothing racks outside of Gifford Hall, where you can hang your donations. (There will also be bins for shoes, handbags, etc.)  If you have any questions about the collection or what Dress for Success does, contact us in the church office or via our contact page.

Sunday, March 24: Join us as we kick off Holy Week with our 4th annual Palm Sunday Parade, led by the Occasional Brass and Strings. We will meet at 9:30 a.m. in front of the church, where everyone will be invited to pick up some palms and join us on a joyful stroll through the neighborhood. The parade will end back at the church in time for our worship service at 10:00 a.m. where we will celebrate Palm Sunday and welcome new members to our congregation.

Thursday, March 28, at 7:00 p.m.: We will gather for a more somber service of Holy Communion and Tenebrae. During this service, we remember Christ’s betrayal, trial, and crucifixion through a series of scripture readings and hymns, while slowly extinguishing the light in our sanctuary. All are welcome.

Then on Sunday, March 31: We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate the miracle of Easter!

• 6:30 a.m. Sunrise Service at Sandy’s Island, in Winchester’s Mill Pond. The closest parking is behind the Winchester Public Library at 80 Washington Street.
• 8:00 a.m. (approx.) Join us for our traditional light breakfast between services at Crawford
• 10:00 a.m. Service at Crawford with music provided by our Chancel Choir and the Occasional Brass Quintet
• 11:15 a.m. (approx.) Our annual egg hunt on the church lawn for kids of all ages

For the entire month of March, 2024, Crawford Memorial United Methodist Church has been selected by store leadership to benefit from the Stop & Shop’s Bloomin’ 4 Good Program, created to fight hunger across the communities served by Stop & Shop. During the month of March, the purchase of a $10.99 bouquet in the sleeve marked “Bloomin’ 4 Good” from the Winchester Stop & Shop will brighten a home or make someone’s day while also directing a $1 donation to Crawford’s mission to eradicate food insecurity. Crawford battles hunger by stocking a large micro pantry on our property at 34 Dix Street, Winchester, and by supporting like-minded organizations including Dwelling Place in Woburn, The Council for Social Concern, Winchester Got Lunch, and more.