Gary's Tidbits For Thursday, August 26, 2010

Dear Friends,

The third floor of our new building is almost poured, which means that they will be putting on the roof in the near future. Our building is taking shape.

I’m looking forward to moving into the new building and using it for our mission to Release hope and healing in Jesus’ name, and I hope you are continuing to pray for our mission here in downtown Orlando.

This coming Sunday, I’m going to announce a special opportunity for all of us to help with the new building, so I encourage you to be in church.

Also, I hope that you will put on your calendar the September 12 church-wide Kick-Off Celebration, beginning at 5 p.m. in the Asbury/Ledbetter parking area. It will be a special time for us to gather as a congregation for fellowship and learning. ,

In Christ,
Gary
Senior Pastor
First United Methodist Church
142 E. Jackson Street
Orlando, Florida 32801
407.849.6080
Gary@fumc-orl.org

HAPPENINGS AND OUTREACH AT FIRST CHURCH

Young Adult Ministry is planning a social gathering tomorrow, August 27. Please contact Britt for more information. 407.849.6080 or Britt@FUMC-Orl.org.

Sager-Brown Mission Team – Back to school sales are still giving great prices for items needed to fill school bags distributed by Sager-Brown in Louisiana. Our district will have a truck at Trinity Methodist Church Saturday, August 28, for an ingathering of donated items. Sager-Brown.org has a listing of kit contents being sought. Also, there are four spots remaining for the Team’s annual journey to UMCOR in Louisiana to pack school bags to be shipped to children in impoverished countries. Contact Gloria Lobnitz for information at gslobnitz@gmail.com.

October Rummage Sale Drop Off Dates – The first ingathering for our October Rummage Sale will be the mornings of Friday and Saturday, August 27 and 28. Bring items to the alley entrance of the Wesley Building. Contact is Sue Cepull at sue@cepull.org or cepulldsl@bellsouth.net.

Children’s Church has resumed! After the 11 a.m. service, pick up your children from the new room for Children’s Church across the street in the Wesley Building. Signs in the lobby point the way to the new room. To volunteer to serve on a rotation schedule as a helper with Carol Schneeberger, please send an email to Linda Diamond at Linda@FUMC-Orl.org.

United Methodist Women – Our UMW Mission Team will meet on Monday, August 30, at noon; The Circle of Sarah will meet at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, September 1. Our General Meeting will be at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, September 22, 3rd floor Wesley, when The Rev. Margaret Kartwe-Bradley, a native of Liberia, now serving as pastor of Village UMC in North Lauderdale, will talk about the crisis in Darfur and southern Sudan and ways we as Christians can respond. This program is for the entire church.

Karate classes resume at the church this week. Classes are on Wednesdays from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the common area on the second floor of the Wesley Building and on Sundays from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the third floor common area of the Wesley Building. First Church offers these classes at no charge. Wednesday classes will begin on September 1. Sunday classes will begin on September 12. Traditional karate involves training the mind, body and spirit to act in harmony as one. A famous karate master once said, "To pursue karate means to master one’s self." You are welcome to come and give karate a try to determine whether you like it. Loose clothing is recommended. Classes are taught with a view toward Christian values and ideals. For more information, contact John Darin 407.451.3150.

"I Was Sick, and You Came to Visit." Chaplain Wanda Davis of Florida Hospital East will lead a discussion on the ways to make a visit to an ill friend most meaningful. Come discover the many spiritual blessings to both the person who is ill and to the one who visits. This program is open to our entire congregation, presented by Stephen Ministry. Please join us in room 307 of the Wesley Building from 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. on September 2. Come as you are. No RSVP is necessary.

All men are welcome and encouraged to attend our First Men meetings on Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. First Men’s goal is to help ourselves and other men to become better men, husbands, fathers and sons, and to strive to be better disciples of Christ. All are welcome.Contact us at FirstMen@FUMC-Orl.org.

A dumpster for recycling paper is now located in the southeast corner of the Wesley Building parking lot. Please bring all your unneeded paper to this location. The paper will be recycled into newspaper. Our chapter of Mothers of Preschoolers will receive the proceeds from this venture. A per-pound rate will be paid to MOPS for all paper in the dumpster.

The United Methodist Women continually collects gently-used clothing and books for local children who are less fortunate. We also collect coupons and Box Tops for Education for the Russell Home. Donation bins are located throughout our church campus.

The Women’s Bible Study begins on Thursday, September 9, at 9:30 a.m. in room 307. All women are welcome to join. Contact Charles Stopford at CStopford@cfl.rr.com for details.

Join the Children’s Choir! Under the direction of Mary Jane Nunley, our regular weekly rehearsal schedule will begin on Wednesday, September 1, from 5:30 – 6:15 p.m. for K thru 1st grade Carol Choir, and from 6:15 – 7:15 p.m. for the 2nd through 5th grades Alleluia Choir. We sing about once a month in worship, and also participate in larger musical productions. We develop voices, play instruments and learn musical skills. Most importantly, we provide children with a way to express their faith and contribute to the worship life of the church in a fun and meaningful way. Please contact Mary Jane Nunley at 407.273.4004 or email at rbn_mjn@msn.com.

Disciple III, taught by Charles Stopford, will begin Wednesday, September 8, from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m., meeting in Wesley Building, Room 316. Disciple III is a 32-week study which concentrates on the writings of the Old Testament prophets and the letters of Paul. No prerequisites are required for this program. Study materials are available at the church office for $25. (Please see Joyce Bowden.) Couples are encouraged to purchase individual manuals. Limited space available. Register now at: CStopford@cfl.rr.com.

Historical Jesus – Mark your calendars for Wednesday, September 8, from 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., when John Richard’s Historical Jesus classes will begin, meeting in Room 307 of the Wesley Building. For information or to register, please contact John Richard at suricht@aol.com.

The Blood Mobile will be outside our sanctuary on Sunday, September 12. Please prayerfully consider donating blood that may save the life of a family member, a friend or a neighbor.

Adults and Kids! Mark this date on your calendars – Sunday, September 12. Everyone is invited to our Fall Kick-Off Celebration. Wear your favorite team’s colors. It could be a high school, college, or professional team. It doesn’t matter. We just want everyone to get in the spirit of the celebration. Kick-Off is 5:00 p.m., with the last play ending at 7 p.m. There’ll be food, fellowship and fun! Dinner will be catered by Four Rivers BBQ. There will be a requested donation of $8 for adults, $5 for senior adults over 65 and youth from ages 11-17, and $3 for children ages 3-10. We’ll enjoy music, and activities for the kids - including a bouncy house - and stimulating conversation. Also, after dinner our own Dr. David Bloodgood, mental health counselor, will speak in the sanctuary on healthy relationships, to highlight a fall sermon series and small groups study on Relationships. So plan on ‘tailgating’ your way on over to the Asbury/Ledbetter Building for an evening of fun.

A joint meeting of our Ministries Council and Finance Committee will be held on Tuesday, September 14. Watch your email for details if you are a member of one of these groups.

The Cancer Support Group will meet at the home of Skip and Betty Wagner (4284 Middlebrook Lane, Orlando) on Tuesday, September 14, at 7:30 p.m. This support group is open to all who are touched by cancer through personal experience or as a caregiver. For more information, please contact the Wagners at 407.859.3663.

The 4th Annual Stewardship Summit, with Reverend Jim Wallis, theologian and author as our Keynote Speaker, will take place on Friday, September 17, 8:30 a.m. – 2: 30 p.m., at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church. He will speak about his new book Rediscovering Values on Wall Street, Main Street and Your Street—A Moral Compass for the New Economy, how the current economic crisis is changing us as Christians, and practical ways to implement Christian values into our personal stewardship lives. Workshops will be led by Jim Harnish, Richard Evans and Troy Holloway.Cost of $50 for individuals or $30 per person for groups of five or more includes breakfast, lunch, and all materials. Register online at www.fumf.org or call 866.363.9673.

Lay Servant Ministries – The September Weekend of Learning will take place at Tuskawilla United Methodist Church in Casselberry on Friday, September 17, 5 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., including dinner, and Saturday, September 18, including a light breakfast and lunch. For registration information: www.ecdistrictumc.org. For information, please contact Lynn Campbell at office@tumcfl.org.

Beginning the week of September 19, we will offer short-term small groups that move through a study on healthy relationships. How does God call us to relate to our family members, friends, neighbors, and those at our workplace? How do we deal with conflict and communication when things are difficult? We are presently searching for those who would be willing to help host or facilitate one of these small groups. If you are interested, please contact Marsee Perkins at MarseePerkins@bellsouth.net.

New Member Orientation Classes – For those of you who want to become a part of the First Church Family, we offer New Member Orientation Classes throughout the year. Our next session will begin Sunday, September 26, and run three consecutive Sundays, through October 10. All classes will be taught by one of our pastors. To register, or if you have questions, please contact Ava Newsome at Ava@FUMC-Orl.org or 407.849.6080 x 157.

Four of our youth have been performing the bulk of the Valet Service since the ministry’s inception on Easter 2009. As parking options continue to narrow, we would like to expand our service. To do this we need more eligible drivers. If you are an adult with a clean driving record and a desire to serve once or twice per month, please e-mail Steve Schneeberger at Steve@FUMC-Orl.org.

Calling all Bakers! Would you like to make newcomers as well as church members feel welcomed in a more personal way? If so, we need your help. A gift of a baked good is given to visitors to First Church when they stop by the Welcome Booth on Sundays. Also, every second Sunday, we serve baked goods in the portico after the worship services. Please help with this loving touch! Contact Ava at Ava@FUMC-Orl.org or Georgia Williams at GaWms5884@aol.com.

The August Newsletter is on our church website. www.FirstChurchOrlando.com

page updated August 27, 2010
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