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.
Community Dinner
Wednesday, April 29 | 5:30-6:30 PM | Fellowship Hall
The next free Community Dinner is next week, April 29. Join us to meet others in the community and enjoy a delicious meal prepared by our United Women in Faith.
Big Family Dinner
Sunday, May 3 | 5:00-7:00 PM | Fellowship Hall
Our next Big Family Dinner is on May 3, and we hope you’ll join us! These monthly gatherings have become a wonderful way for our church family to share a meal, connect with one another, and take part in meaningful conversations. Please use the button below to let us know you plan to attend.
Serve at Soup’s On at Roberts Park
Sunday, May 17
Can you help us provide a meal for hungry neighbors? We are serving at the Soup’s On Ministry at Roberts Park UMC on Sunday, May 17. Fruits, veggies, homemade desserts, and volunteers are needed. Please use the button below to sign up.
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.
Gleaners Mobile Food Pantry
Select Tuesdays Beginning June 9
Buy food or pay rent? No one should be forced to choose. We are excited to announce that we are partnering again this summer with Gleaners to bring the CARE Mobile Food Pantry to our campus on the following Tuesdays this summer:
- June 9 & 23
- July 7, 21 & 28
- August 11 & 25
Please use the link below for details about volunteering and to sign up.
Mission Guatemala Trip
June 5-12, 2027 | Deposit Due May 27, 2026
CUMC is going on a mission trip to Mission Guatemala June 5 – 12, 2027. A deposit of $200 per team member is required by May 27, 2026 to reserve a spot for the trip. We have room for 15 – 18 team members on this trip. Whether you pay by check or electronically, make sure to add the memo “MG Mission Trip 2027.”
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
- Indians Baseball Game | Sunday, April 26 | Victory Field
- Catching Joy: A Study of Philippians | Current Worship Series | Find info and study guides at https://castletonumc.org/catching-joy/
- Summer Worship Schedule | One service at 10:00 AM | May 17 – July 26