Clergy Renewal Leave Update
Join us on Sunday, May 17 for one worship service at 10 AM as we pray for and bless Pastor Matt as he begins his renewal leave. Castleton UMC is a recipient of the 2026 Lilly Clergy Renewal Grant Program, which will provide Pastor Matt and his family the opportunity to rest, renew, and enjoy time together this summer “catching joy.”
He will be on renewal leave from May 17 through the end of August. We will also welcome and bless Pastor Cindy Renolyds as she will serve as our Interim Senior Pastor during Pastor Matt’s leave.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Matt at mattl@castletonumc.org.
Charge Conference
Tuesday, April 21 | 6 PM
As we continue to discern our way forward on reducing our debt and the future of the Ministries Center Building, church leadership is calling a Charge Conference on Tuesday, April 21st at 6 PM. Our District Superintendent, Rev. Dr. In Suk Peebles, will facilitate the meeting. At this meeting, we will vote on hiring a realtor to help us answer questions that we have for the path forward.
Senior Expo
Tomorrow, April 16 | 10:00 AM – 1:30 PM | Castleton UMC Campus
Join Still Waters Adult Day Center for Senior Expo 2026, a free community event that brings together resources, services, and support for seniors and families. Enjoy local vendors, helpful information, and a day focused on connection and aging well.
Ways to Help Family Promise of Greater Indianapolis
Family Promise is one of our mission partners that serves families who are homeless. There are several ways you can help the families directly.
- Donate to the Night Without a Bed Fundraiser
- You can help by donating to the Night Without A Bed fundraiser for their apartment shelter program.
- CLICK HERE to donate online to the Castleton UMC team
- The culminating activity will take place on April 30, all day, at BuffaLouie’s (Carmel, 43 W. Main Street). They will donate 20% of all food orders to Family Promise. Simply mention Family Promise when dining.
- Meal in a Bag Program
- Castleton will again participate by supplying the apartment shelter parents with shelf-stable food for a whole meal. Contact Mary Ann Schubert for details.
- Donate Housewares to the Apartment Shelter Program
- Throughout April and May, we will also be collecting items needed for the apartments: towels and washcloths, toilet paper, cleaning products for bathrooms and kitchens, bath mats, shower curtains/liners and hooks, kitchen trash cans, and kitchen garbage bags.
Thank you for your generosity through the years. If you have any questions, contact the church office.
Catching Joy: Indianapolis Indians Game
Sunday, April 26 | First Pitch at 1:35 PM | Victory Field
Join Pastor Matt as we catch joy together at an Indianapolis Indians ballgame on Sunday, April 26 for a 1:35pm first pitch! There’s nothing better than a Sunday afternoon ballgame and time together as a church family.
Tickets are only $5 per ticket (the cost is subsidized thanks to the Lilly Clergy Renewal Grant). All children 14 and under receive a free hot dog, bag of chips, and a milk with the price of admission. Please reserve your tickets by contacting the church office. The Deadline has been extended to April 19.
Catching Joy: A Study of Philippians
Current Worship Series
Do you find it hard to be joyful these days? As you look around at the state of affairs locally and globally, is joy what you experience? Probably not. With our theme for the year being Joy & Justice, it seems only fitting that we spend some time in the book widely considered the most joy-filled book of the New Testament…the letter to the Philippians.
Ironically, this letter, written by the apostle Paul, was penned while in prison. Is it possible that we might discover a way to be filled with joy despite the challenges we face, the circumstances that surround us, and the news that bombards us? Could an ancient saint, missionary, and preacher of the gospel have some wisdom and guidance to share with us? Join us for Catching Joy, a six-week series during Sunday worship services and table groups, and let’s find out together.
Trusted Mentors Chili Cook Off
Sunday, April 19 | 12:00-2:00 PM | CUMC Fellowship Hall
Trusted Mentors is excited to invite you to a fun and flavorful community event that brings people together for a great cause. Enjoy an afternoon filled with unlimited chili samples, friendly competition, and the chance to vote for your favorite in the People’s Choice Award. Admission is $5, and every ticket helps support mentoring relationships that empower adults to build stability after homelessness, incarceration, or aging out of foster care.
Interested in competing? Chili registration is $25 per entry, and individuals or teams are welcome. Compete for both Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice while sharing your best recipe with the community.
VBS
June 15-18 | 6:00-8:00 PM
A fun week of games, crafts, worship and exploring the Bible returns in just a few months. Cooking is more than just mixing stuff together—it takes time, creativity, care, and knowing what each ingredient brings to the table. The same is true when it comes to growing our faith! At What’s Cookin’? VBS, kids will discover how to practice spiritual habits that bring them closer to God.
Registration is open now for both participants (potty-trained 3-year-olds through incoming 5th graders), youth volunteers (incoming 6th-12th graders), and adult volunteers. Please use the button below to learn more and sign up.
Fish Fry Volunteers
Our 45th annual Fish Fry is scheduled for July 16-18, 2026. The Fish Fry is one of our biggest events each year and requires lots of volunteers to make it happen. Like we did last year, to ensure we can successfully host this event, we’re asking for volunteers to sign up early. We specifically need to know we will have enough volunteers for set-up (Mon-Wed evenings), cashiers, fryers, drive-thru, and kitchen. Please use the button below to sign up, or look for sign-up tables in the Narthex in April.
Save the Date & Special Announcements
- Township Trustee Candidates Forum | Wednesday, April 15 | 6 PM | Hosted in the CUMC Sanctuary | EVENT DETAILS
- Donation Drop-off Update | Due to some issues, we won’t be accepting donations at the office door #12 outside of business hours. Donations will be accepted in the church office lobby Mondays through Thursdays, 9 AM – 4 PM, or at church on Sundays.