Adult Discipleship
Doing Life Together
Adult Groups are an essential part of our church, as they provide a place where deeper fellowship and better support for one another can take place. Considering that the early church worshiped in large settings in the synagogues as well as in homes, we unite together similarly in order to be in deeper fellowship with God and one-another. God has reconciled us not only to Himself but also to each other. This "each other" is called His Church. Thus, we intentionally strive toward community through men's/women's groups, home gatherings, and other personal settings.
Join an Adult Group Groups come in all shapes and sizes — married couples, singles, men, women, kids, no kids, workplace, under 20, over 40 — the list goes on. No matter where you are in life, there’s a group for you. Ready to dive in? Find a group that fits you or start one of your own.
TUESDAY MEN'S BREAKFAST
Interested in spending some quality time with the guys? Throw in some food during a brief devotional and you have Christ UMC's Men's Friendly Faith Breakfast. Held at Perkin's restaurant every Tuesday at 7:30 AM, feel free to Join Mike Mortimer and the other guys for a relaxed faith based gathering aimed at making connections with others while deepening ones faith. We look forward to seeing you there!
Children & Youth Discipleship
Christ UMC feels called to help parents and guardians do the most important job they will ever have… raising a child to love and follow Jesus Christ.
Our Role as Parents/Guardians Always remember these commands I give you today. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and walk along the road. Talk about them when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:6-7
Discipleship Hour
A time to:
Ask questions,
Learn about the Love, Hope, Calling and Community of God,
and to become a disciple who makes disciples.
8:45 AM - 9:45 AM
Nursery (Birth - 3 yrs)
Beginner (Pre-K - Kindergarten)
Primary (1st- 3rd Grade)
Junior (4th - 7th Grade)
Youth (8th- 12th Grade)
How should I prepare my kids?
Each Sunday, you will need to check your child into our Children's Ministry. Prior to class, parents will be asked to accompany their child into their respective classrooms where they can be signed in. Upon the completion of Discipleship hour, children will be signed back out. It is that simple! We ask that any allergies or special needs be brought to the attention of the class instructor at sign in, as well as siblings refrain from signing students out. Thank you so much for helping us as we strive to make our Children's Ministry a safe environment for your kids to learn about God.
High School
The High School Ministry provides a place for students to dig deeper into a relationship with Jesus, through which they will discover everything God made them to be. Our students range from eighth grade though graduation and they learn to live the best kind of life by caring about the things God cares about - justice, mercy, humility and love.
Youth Group
Youth group is for teens from seventh grade through twelfth and is an environment to grow in your relationship with God and with others through weekly gatherings, friendships and events throughout the year. We believe that community is essential to spiritual growth and vitality. You're welcome to join our gatherings on Sunday evenings at 6pm.
Praise Band @ Christ UMC
Community Outreach
Outreach Is A Response To God's Love
Receive~Transformed~Respond
We make a living by what we do, we make a life by what we give.
~Winston Churchill
Olean Food Pantry
Our congregation collects one food item each month to donate to the Olean Food Pantry, as well as Birthday Bags filled with cake items, candles and special napkins. Every Thanksgiving we provide funds to give 100 people a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Additionally, many of our members volunteer at the food pantry from once a month to once a week. Volunteers stock shelves, greet visitors and help “guest” shop for their 4 days of groceries.
The Warming House
The Warming House provides a hot meal for about 40 guests per day to anyone who needs a meal or needs the “warmth” of companionship. Our youth group meets at the Warming House once a month to prepare the meal and visit with guests. Additionally, we bring boxes of cereal donated by the congregation to use as prizes in games we play. Every Easter and Christmas we host a festive party, complete with decorations, holiday foods and a collection of items for the guest to choose from as a gift. Our congregation has also funded special needs for the Warming House, such as a new freezer and dishwasher. Anyone interested in helping to prepare and serve meals when the St. Bonaventure students are on break would be welcomed.
Interfaith Caregivers
Our congregation supports this ministry both financially and physically. Members of our congregation volunteer to drive elderly or disabled people to medical appointments. More drivers are always needed.
Rebuilding Together
Christ United provides financial help to the yearly ministry of painting/repairing homes of disabled or elderly families in our community. Typically, Christ United organizes a team to work on one specific house. This is usually the last Saturday of July. Volunteers ALWAYS welcomed.
Backpack Giveaway
Christ United organizes the give away of 100 backpacks and kits to the nurse’s office of our local school. Funds from our Outreach budget are joined with community member donations to supply of these needs. Head Start identifies families in greatest need. Additionally, ten backpacks are given to each of our area schools and to the Genesis House to giveaway at their discretion. Families of students receiving back packs are invited to a breakfast party on the day they pickup their school supplies.
GED Classes
GED Classes run Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9am till 12pm.
AA Meetings
AA meetings every Tuesday at 7pm.
Missions
Christ United Missions
Each year Christ United offers either a domestic or an international mission trip. Most trips are a week in length but, may vary. Our domestic trips tend to be focused on areas that are recovering from natural disasters while the international trip is to Harmons Jamaica. In 2018, Christ United members participated in a United Methodist Volunteers in Mission trip to Lumberton, North Carolina for storm recovery/home repairs work while in 2017 the trip was located in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Volunteers in Mission
Volunteers In Mission work teams are a group of people who desire to serve our neighbors by helping to repair, rebuild or support people who have been through some traumatic weather related loss or damage to their homes. We are the “Body of Christ Loving God’s People.” The call for help usually follows natural occurrences like hurricanes, flooding and tornadoes. The VIM program is under the work of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Local conference Disaster Response Teams determine needs within their conference and volunteers respond. At Christ UMC we send out groups on a one week Domestic Mission trip approximately every other year. Recently we have had teams in Baton Rouge, La., Lumberton, NC, and Mission Central in Mechanicsburg, PA.
UNY Mission Central HUB
The Upper New York Conference's Mission Central HUB is a place for local churches to actively engage in outreach and disaster response ministries. From training the conferences Volunteer in Missions and Disaster Response teams to collecting and assembling flood buckets, health kits and more, the UNY Mission Central HUB is the perfect answer for our church and other local churches who feel called to expand their local outreach ministries.