Midweek Moment

Right now we are in the midst of the study, Just Walk Across the Room. This study is meant to help us see ways we can each engage in evangelism. This study is designed to help take the mystery and fear out of this calling we each have, and replace it with strength and confidence.

Several weeks ago, a member of our study shared the following devotional with me:

“When I was a teen, I witnessed an auto accident. It was a shocking experience that was compounded by what followed. As the only witness to the incident, I spent the ensuing months telling a series of lawyers and insurance adjusters what I had seen. I was not expected to explain the physics of the wreck or the details of the medical trauma. I was asked to tell only what I had witnessed.

As followers of Christ, we are called to be witnesses of what Jesus has done in us and for us. To point people to Christ, we don't need to be able to explain every theological issue or answer every question. What we must do is explain what we have witnessed in our own lives through the cross and the resurrection of the Savior. Even better is that we don't have to rely on ourselves alone to do this. Jesus said, "but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).”

We have learned in this study that what Bill Crowder wrote above is true. We do not have to have all the answers or be able to explain every theological concept. We just have to be faithful. We have to be willing to trust God, place ourselves under the care and direction of the Holy Spirit and just walk across the room. We just have to be willing to share what God has done for us in our lives.

Folks, we are not called to be lone rangers saving the world by our own strength. However, we are called to be faithful disciples willing to empty ourselves of our own pride, ego, and fear, and allow God to fill us with God’s power, strength, and love. Next time you feel the prompting of the Holy Spirit to talk to someone about your faith, I want to encourage you to listen. The Holy Spirit is not always going to send you to a stranger, maybe it is a neighbor, co-worker, friend, or relative. It will probably be someone with whom you already have a relationship. I just want you to go, trusting in God and trusting the Holy Spirit. You may not bring that person to faith, but you will bring them one step closer.

Have a great week and I will see you Sunday!

The Incarnation: I AMExodus 2:23b - 25 and Exodus 3:1-15

Bible Challenge 10/27 - 11/02

Greetings All!

We are firmly into the New Testament again, which we will finish before the end of the year. This week we will finish the book of Matthew and get a halfway through the Gospel of Mark.

Mark is believed to have been the first Gospel written, about 50AD, as the other three Gospels all quote it, but Mark does not quote the others. The author is believed to be John Mark, the son of a Jerusalem widow whose home was a meeting place for early believers (Acts 12:12). Mark most likely recorded the event as he heard them firsthand from the disciple Peter. The book's non-Jewish flavor suggests it may be have been written to believers in Rome. At this time, Rome had begun persecuting Christians. This is book is clearly meant to encourage suffering believers. Mark shows Jesus as the suffering servant who came to die as the Savior for the world (including non-Jews). Over 40% of this short gospel focuses upon the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus' final week.

Here is the schedule:

27, Sunday: Matthew 9-12

28, Monday: Matthew 13-16

29, Tuesday: Matthew 17-20

30 - Matthew 21-24

31 - Matthew 25-28

01 - Mark 1-4

02 - Mark 5-8

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing, the understanding and most importantly the living out of His Holy Word. Amen.

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - This Sunday we are beginning a new preaching series centering on our understanding of the Incarnation of God. The Incarnation is so much more than an event or a definition. The Incarnation influences who we are, what we believe, and how we act. It helps us begin to understand the depth of God's love and the nature of God's character. It points towards a whole new life and set of goals and priorities. Over the next few weeks we will look at the Incarnation as we unpack what it means to us as Disciples of Jesus Christ. So invite a friend and come be a part of the celebration!





2. Pumpkin Patch - The Pumpkin Patch will end next week and we can still use your help. This is a very important event in the life of the church and I want to encourage you to continue volunteer this week. We need people to help sell in the patch and people to help with a few administrative duties. This is a great way to meet the community, help our church, and simply have a great time while doing it all. You can signup to help in the Patch at the Connection Station in the Narthex.





3. Charge Conference - Monday, November 4th, from 6:30pm - 7:30pm you are invited to be part of our Cluster Charge Conference at First UMC, Ocala. We will gather in their Family Life Center for a time of Communion, worshipful work, and Spirit-filled music. I hope you will make plans to attend and come be a part of this time of fellowship and worship.





4. Nursery Help - We are looking for people to help us staff our nursery on Sunday mornings. The number of young people we have in the nursery is growing and needless to say, that is a good thing! If you are interested in helping Ms. Joy care for and teach our kids during worship, please let the church office know. You can email by clicking here, or call 629-5688. Thus far, we have had five people sign up and we are looking for at least eight. Remember the old adage, many hands make light work. I hope you will consider volunteering to help support this ministry.





5. Evangelism Study - We have started a new study entitled, Just Walk Across the Room. This study, written by Bill Hybels, helps shed light on the nature, purpose, and necessity of evangelism. You will be introduced to what evangelism really means, as well as ways all of us can engage in its practice. If evangelism terrifies you, this study is for you. It evangelism confuses you, this study is for you. If evangelism is right up your alley and you have that spiritual gift, this study is for you. So as you can see, this study is for you. We will meet for two more sessions, November 6th, and November 13th, all Wednesdays. The class will be offered twice a day at 11 A.M. and 7 P.M. For more information please visit our website by clicking here.





Advent Conspiracy Update - I have been incredibly moved at how this congregation has responded to support this challenge. Each week I will post an update of how much has been raised towards our goal. If you would like more information about this challenge and the charities that will be supported with the proceeds, please visit our website by clicking here.

Fundraising Thermometer by:
Provided by Easy Fundraising Ideas

Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

Last week I was in Leesburg for the first part of the week, leading a gathering for a Conference Board I serve. This group is called Shade and Fresh Water and we have been in existence for about 13 years seeking ways to strengthen the spiritual health of the clergy, their families, and the staff of the Florida Conference. One of the benefits of our group diversity is that we are so blessed to have several Spiritual Directors serve on this board.

This past week, one of these Spiritual Directors would take turns helping us begin our day together. Each day we would meet at 7:30 A.M. with a time of silent prayer and meditation in the small chapel at the Life Enrichment Center. We would enter in, take off our shoes, and sit quietly as we listened to chant music play in the background. It was a tremendous way to start our day, giving the Holy Spirit a place to commune with us, speak to us, and strengthen us.

I was so amazed at how this affected my day. I found myself feeling closer to God. I found my grace and patience towards others and stressful situations had increased. I felt myself operating from a deeper well of strength, a closer sense of being connected to God.

I tell you all of this to invite you to find a way, or renew a way, in which you can connect with God. Maybe you find that quiet time to just sit and listen. Maybe you find that place where you can volunteer and feel the presence of God in your midst. There is no way we can continue to be all God called us to be, if we do not take time to connect with God daily. So look at your routines, readjust if necessary, add new aspects if needed, but I encourage you to connect with God, not once a week, but daily. God is eager to connect with you, God just needs the opportunity.

Have a great week and I will see you Sunday!

Laity Sunday: The CallLuke 10:1-12 and John 21:15-19

This past Sunday was Laity Sunday. I love this time as we celebrate the wonderful gifts and diversity that make us the body of Christ. This past week we had our wonderful laity involved in all aspects of the service from Monica praying in Spanish, to Melva praying in Dutch, and Ed teaching us the difference between novice and professional.

This weeks message was brought to us by our new Music Ministry Director, Joan. I pray you will listen again and remember how God has called  and equipped each of us to answer the call.

A huge thank you to all of our laity for bringing Christ into the lives of so many people. You are a wonderful community giving a tremendous gift.

Bible Challenge 10/20 - 10/26

Greetings All!

This week we finish up the Old Testament with Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi and head into the first four chapters of the New Testament with the Gospel of Matthew.

Haggai was one of the prophets who ministered after the return of the people from exile to Jerusalem. Both chapters of this book urge the people to proceed with the rebuilding of the temple.

Like Haggai, Zechariah ministered to the exiles after they returned to Jerusalem. His name means "Yahweh has remembered" and he was of the priestly line. The first six chapters deal mainly with the nation's past history told through a series of eight visions. Two years elapse between that and chapters 7-8 which deal with the question of whether the days of mourning for the destruction of the city should be kept any longer.

The last of the books of the Old Testament, Malachi is named for a prophet. And the name means "My messenger or God's messenger." There is virtually no biographical information concerning the author in this book and very little historical information for placing it as well. We can infer that Malachi was a prophet in Jerusalem at some point after the return of the exiles and probably before Nehemiah. He speaks out against lax religious and social behavior of the Israelites, in particular the priests.

Matthew is the first of the Gospels recorded in the New Testament and is also one of the three "synoptic Gospels" (meaning similar or together because they include some of the same stories in the same sequences and the same words - John is the exception). This Gospel is attributed to one of Jesus' disciples, Matthew the tax collector. And from the information and perspective he includes we can tell that he was writing to a primarily Jewish audience: he stresses Jewish law, he doesn't explain Jewish customs, and in the beginning of the Gospel he includes a genealogy which takes Jesus' ancestry all the way back to Father Abraham. There are seven main sections in this Gospel, with a prologue about Jesus' early life, five sections covering his ministry and the last section about his death and resurrection.

I hope you reading this week is full of new revelations. Here is the schedule:

20, Sunday: Zephaniah 3; Haggai 1-2; Zechariah 1

21, Monday: Zechariah 2-5

22, Tuesday: Zechariah 6-9

23, Wednesday: Zechariah 10-13

24, Thursday: Zechariah 14

25, Friday: Malachi 1-4

26, Saturday: Matthew 1-4

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing, the understanding and most importantly the living out of His Holy Word. Amen.

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - This Sunday, October 20th, we are going to celebrate the laity of our church. It is the people of the church that make up the body. It is not one person, but a community of believers, gathered together that can help others feel the grace and love of Jesus Christ.

I invite you to come join us as the laity lead us in worship and share their diverse gifts with us. So invite a friend and come be a part of the celebration!





2. Pumpkin Patch - The Pumpkin Patch is in full swing! And we can always use your help. This is a very important event in the life of the church and I want to encourage you to volunteer as often as you can. We need people to help sell in the patch, people to help read to the field trip groups we will host, and people to help with a few administrative duties. As you can see there is a little bit of something for everybody. This is a great way to meet the community, help our church, and simply have a great time while doing it all. You can signup to help in the Patch at the Connection Station in the Narthex and you can call the church office, 629-5688, to volunteer to read stories.





3. Charge Conference - Monday, November 4th, from 6:30pm - 7:30pm you are invited to be part of our Cluster Charge Conference at First UMC, Ocala. We will gather in their Family Life Center for a time of Communion, worshipful work, and Spirit-filled music. I hope you will make plans to attend and come be a part of this time of fellowship and worship.





4. Nursery Help - We are looking for people to help us staff our nursery on Sunday mornings. The number of young people we have in the nursery is growing and needless to say, that is a good thing! If you are interested in helping Ms. Joy care for and teach our kids during worship, please let the church office know. You can email by clicking here, or call 629-5688. Thus far, we have had five people sign up and we are looking for at least eight. Remember the old adage, many hands make light work. I hope you will consider volunteering to help support this ministry.





5. Evangelism Study - We have started a new study entitled, Just Walk Across the Room. This study, written by Bill  Hybels, helps shed light on the nature, purpose, and necessity of evangelism. You will be introduced to what evangelism really means, as well as ways all of us can engage in its practice. If evangelism terrifies you, this study is for you. It evangelism confuses you, this study is for you. If evangelism is right up your ally and you have that spiritual gift, this study is for you. So as you can see, this study is for you. We will meet for three more sessions, October 23rd, November 6th, and November 13th, all Wednesdays. The class will be offered twice a day at 11 A.M. and 7 P.M. For more information please visit our website by clicking here.





Advent Conspiracy Update - I have been incredibly moved at how this congregation has responded to support this challenge. Each week I will post an update of how much has been raised towards our goal. If you would like more information about this challenge and the charities that will be supported with the proceeds, please visit our website by clicking here.

Fundraising Thermometer by:
Provided by Easy Fundraising Ideas

Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

This morning we started a new study entitled, Just Walk Across the Room. It is written by Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in Illinois. They are a non-denominational church and one of the largest churches in the country.

This entire study is about helping us garner the strength and encouragement to speak to others about our faith. It is geared to help us place one foot in from of the other as we walk across the room to reach out to another person.

I love this idea. I think this is probably one of the hardest things to do when we entertain the idea of talking about our faith with others. The words we would use or the technique we would employ, mean nothing if we first do not walk across the room. That first step in moving toward another can, at times, seem like the biggest hurdle.

Now as I prepared for this study, something occurred to me. This study can give you incredible tools, this study can inspire you in tremendous ways, this study can give you courage to share your faith, but it may all mean nothing, if you are not totally committed to your faith.

Now I am not speaking about doubting the existence of God, the sacrifice of Jesus, or the power of the Holy Spirit. I am referring to being totally committed to your faith and making that the foundation upon which you base your life. I am talking about being all in, by turning your entire life over to God.

That total giving of yourself means you give of your time to God, by reading Scripture, spending time in quiet prayer and meditation, or volunteering at church or heading up a program. It can be any opportunity where you use your time to draw closer to God. It also means you give of your talents. Let those gifts God has blessed you with come forth as you work to build God’s Kingdom on earth by getting active in missions and ministries that share God’s love and grace with others. It is also means you give of your gifts, your treasure, your finances. This means that if you are not tithing, giving 10% of your income to God, that you are working you way up to tithing. This is where most people struggle. When you can turn this part of your life over to God, then you are opening yourself up to the blessings that God does have in store for you. Finally, it means you give of your witness; telling people how much God has done for you in your life.

None of this is an “or” proposition. If you are all in, then you are giving of your time, your talents, your gifts, and your witness. We cannot pick and choose and be all in. We cannot hold something back and be all in.

Folks, I want you to be all in. I want you to give all you have and all you are over to God and allow those blessings to pour over you. I want you to be drenched in the providence and blessing of God. I want you to feel God’s grace dripping off of you as your cup overflows. To be an effective witness, we have to be all in. When we open every part of ourselves to God and allow the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, then we will feel that presence with us as we walk across the room.

I invite you to spend time in prayer this week and ask God to help you be all in. Ask God how you can turn every facet of your life over to God’s influence, so that each and every one of you can walk across the room.

Have a great week and I will see you Sunday!

The Church: Community or Country ClubJohn 17:20-23 and Ephesians 4:1-5

Bible Challenge: 10/13 - 10/19

Greetings All!

This week's reading has us finishing up the book of Amos and working through Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and most of Zephaniah. By the end of next week we will be done with the Old Testament. To help you with your reading here is a bit of background information for you to keep in mind as you read.

Obadiah is said to have been a convert to Judaism, as originally he was from Edom (those descended from Esau). This makes him the perfect person to go back and prophesy against Edom for their arrogance and wickedness.

Jonah and the whale right? But the best part of this story is that this prophet really understands the heart of God and wrestles with that. For he is reluctant to pronounce judgment because he knows God's heart of mercy and love and he doesn't want to see the Ninevites forgiven.

The name, Micah, means "Who is like Yahweh?" and he hails from the southern kingdom of Judah. This book has three major divisions (1-2, 3-5, 6-7) and each alternates announcements of doom with expressions of hope. He reproaches unjust leaders, defends the rights of the poor against the rich and the powerful, and preaches social justice while looking forward to the time of the Messiah (the world of peace under a new king from the line of David).

Nahum means "comforter" and yet his book is not about comfort. This prophet followed Jonah in prophesying to Ninevah around the time of the invasion of Jerusalem by the Assyrians. Ninevah was the capital city of the Assyrian empire and this book deals with prophecies regarding its complete and final destruction.

Not much is known about Habakkuk. Because the final chapter of his book is a song or psalm, many scholars believe that he was from the tribe of Levi which served as musicians in Solomon's Temple. One of the interesting features of this book is the conversation between God and Habakkuk.

The great-grandson of one of Judah's kings (Hezekiah), Zephaniah prophesied during the days of King Josiah in Judah and was one of Jeremiah's contemporaries. His book contains many warning about the "day of the Lord," a judgment that will extend beyond Judah to other nations including Assyria. And Assyria did collapse in 625 BC when Ninevah burned to the ground.

Here is the schedule:

13, Sunday: Amos 2-5

14, Monday: Amos 6-9

15, Tuesday: Obadiah 1 - Jonah 3

16, Wednesday: Jonah 4 - Micah 3

17, Thursday: Micah 4-7

18, Friday: Nahum 1 - Habakkuk 1

19, Saturday: Habakkuk 2 - Zephaniah 2

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing, the understanding and most importantly the living out of His holy word. Amen.

 

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - This Sunday we will look to the nature and mission of the church as we investigate the question, The Church: Community of Country Club. It can be so easy at times to turn inward and find a sense of purpose and comfort from a safe, predictable environment. But is that what we are called to do as the church? Is that what Christ modeled for us as He walked the earth? Come and join us this Sunday as we look to our calling as Christ's body of believers and what that can look like in our section of Ocala. I encourage you to invite a friend and come be a part of the celebration!





2. Pumpkin Patch - The Pumpkin Patch is in full swing! And we can always use your help. This is a very important event in the life of the church and I want to encourage you to volunteer as often as you can. We need people to help sell in the patch, people to help read to the field trip groups we will host, and people to help with a few administrative duties. As you can see there is a little bit of something for everybody. This is a great way to meet the community, help our church, and simply have a great time while doing it all. You can signup to help in the Patch at the Connection Station in the Narthex and you can call the church office, 629-5688, to volunteer to read stories.

3. Operation S.A.F.E. - I want to pass along an invitation for a seminar being held here in town. Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater invites you to participate in Operation S.A.F.E. (Stop Adult Financial Exploitation), Be Scam Smart, a free workshop for seniors, their families, and caregivers. It’s taking place 10:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday,October 16, 2013, in the Multi-Purpose Room at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, 3300 NW 10th Street, Ocala, FL 34475, with registration beginning at 9:00 a.m.





4. Nursery Help - We are looking for people to help us staff our nursery on Sunday mornings. The number of young people we have in the nursery is growing and needless to say, that is a good thing! If you are interested in helping Ms. Joy care for and teach our kids during worship, please let the church office know. You can email by clicking here, or call 629-5688. Thus far, we have had five people sign up and we are looking for at least eight. Remember the old adage, many hands make light work. I hope you will consider volunteering to help support this ministry.





5. October Newsletter Articles - If you have information that you would like to include in October's edition of the Sunshine Herald, please have those submitted to the office by next Sunday, October 20th. You may legibly hand write them, type them, or email them. Thank you for your help in making sure we are all informed.


Advent Conspiracy Update - I have been incredibly moved at how this congregation has responded to support this challenge. Each week I will post an update of how much has been raised towards our goal. If you would like more information about this challenge and the charities that will be supported with the proceeds, please visit our website by clicking here.

Fundraising Thermometer by:
Provided by Easy Fundraising Ideas

Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

I love this church!

I love the people. I love the atmosphere of hospitality. I love how people will step forward and help out in various and wonderful ways. I love that we serve with different agencies here in Ocala, like InterFaith and Sisterhood/Brotherhood among others, to reach out to those that need assistance. As believers, as disciples of Christ, we are called to be in mission to this community, finding ways to reach out and bring the hope and grace of Christ to everyone.

Over the last several weeks in worship, we have looked at the life of the Apostle Paul. We talked about how God’s grace redeems, we talked about how Paul mentored a young man named Timothy, and we talked about how Paul adopted for himself a servant mindset as a new way of life. Paul did all of this to be more like Christ. Paul did all of these things to draw himself closer to God.

As believers in Jesus Christ, made in the image of God, we become transformed. We have our values reworked, our priorities reorganized, our perspectives shifted. What was once of paramount importance, may no longer hold truth for us. We take all that we are and we willingly turn it over to God. We also join communities of faith to help us in this new life and to give us strength on this new journey. In fact, when you join the United Methodist Church you take a vow to support this church with your time, your talent, your gifts, your service, and your witness. That means we give of ourselves, we give of our time, and we give of our finances to support our church. We hold nothing back, opening the door for God to hold nothing back from us. We give of our time, talents, and finances, not out of a pursuit for reciprocation, but as a response to our faith. We give all of this as an outward response to the inward grace we receive when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord.

As this community of faith, as Druid Hills United Methodist Church, we give of ourselves and talents in extraordinary ways. The lives we touch as we serve dinners, the souls we help as we donate out of our material abundance, is wonderful to witness and moving to see. But we have decreased in our financial giving this year. It has been a decrease that has grown over the last several weeks and a decrease that will not allow us to do everything we want or used to do in the life of this church. Right now, I believe that we can get back on track with a group effort to increase our giving. There will be a few changes we have to make, but nothing permanent or drastic. However, this will not hold true if we continue down our current path.

As a family, I want all of you to know that things are tight financially. The Finance Committee is in the process of setting up several fundraising dinners and we are always looking at our expenses. But we need you. Please be in prayer about this so we can all work together and get our finances back on track.

I always reserve this space each week for the thoughts that pop into my mind; reflections on what is going on in my life. This topic has been weighing heavy on my heart. Our finances are not separate from our faith, they are part of it. This church, this congregation is too important to me, to you, and too many others for us to lessen our ministry and outreach over finances. Thank you for listening and thank you in advance for your consideration.

Have a great week and I will see you Sunday!

Bible Challenge 10/06 - 10/12

Greetings All!

This week's reading has us finishing up the book of Daniel (the last of the major prophets) and reading in three of the minor prophets (Hosea, Joel and Amos). Remember though the designation about major and minor has nothing to do with the substance of their message - and everything to do with the actual size of the book of the Bible.

Here is a bit of background information that I hope will help you in your reading. First with Daniel. The second section to this book (2:4-7:28) deals with the court tales of Daniel and his friends living among the Babylonians and the final section (8:1-12:13) contains Daniel's prophetic visions about Israel's future.

Next we have Hosea. Hosea was a prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel before its fall. His ministry as a prophet is talked about in the context of his marriage to an unfaithful wife - a way of demonstrating the nation of Israel's unfaithfulness in their commitment to God.

We then move on to Joel. Joel was a prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah. This book deals with a lament over problems of plague and drought, the promise of future blessings and also a reminder of coming judgment. Part of the book of Joel is quoted by Peter in his sermon in Acts 2.

We wrap us this week with Amos. This prophet was from the southern kingdom but his message was for the northern kingdom of Israel before their exile. The basic message of this book is that God puts his people on the same level as other nations - he expects purity of them all. Israel and Judah will not be exempt from judgment over their sins.

Here is the schedule:

06, Sunday: Daniel 3-6

07, Monday: Daniel 7-10

08, Tuesday: Daniel 11 - Hosea 2

09, Wednesday: Hosea 3-6

10, Thursday: Hosea 7-10

11, Friday: Hosea 11-14

12, Saturday: Joel 1 - Amos 1

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing, the understanding and most importantly the living out of His holy word. Amen.

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - This Sunday we will conclude our preaching series focusing on the life of the Apostle Paul. It’s very difficult to think of the New Testament without thinking about Paul, because so much of his influence and thought is found in the letters and epistles of the New Testament writings. His transformation from a man named Saul, who persecuted Christians, to a man named Paul, who became the great theologian of the early church, is perhaps one of the best-known stories in all of Scripture. Apart from Jesus, no single person influenced the history of the Christian community more than Paul did. This week we will look at the importance of servanthood and how this life is not always about us. I encourage you to invite a friend and come be a part of the celebration!





2. Pumpkin Patch - Signups have begun and our first delivery will be this week, Wednesday at 4 P.M. This is a very important event in the life of the church and I want to encourage you to volunteer as often as you can. We will need people to help sell in the patch, people to help read to the field trip groups we will host, and people to help with a few administrative duties. As you can see there is a little bit of something for everybody. This is a great way to meet the community, help our church, and simply have a great time while doing it all. You can signup to help in the Patch at the Connection Station in the Narthex and you can call the church office, 629-5688, to volunteer to read stories.

3. Operation S.A.F.E. - I want to pass along an invitation for a seminar being held here in town. Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater invites you to participate in Operation S.A.F.E. (Stop Adult Financial Exploitation), Be Scam Smart, a free workshop for seniors, their families, and caregivers. It’s taking place 10:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday,October 16, 2013, in the Multi-Purpose Room at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, 3300 NW 10th Street, Ocala, FL 34475, with registration beginning at 9:00 a.m.





4. Nursery Help - We are looking for people to help us staff our nursery on Sunday mornings. The number of young people we have in the nursery is growing and needless to say, that is a good thing! If you are interested in helping Ms. Joy care for and teach our kids during worship, please let the church office know. You can email by clicking here, or call 629-5688. Thus far, we have had five people sign up and we are looking for at least eight. Remember the old adage, many hands make light work. I hope you will consider volunteering to help support this ministry.

5. World Communion Sunday - This Sunday we will celebrate World Communion Sunday as we remember and honor our brothers and sisters around the world. This Sunday as we celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion, as one global body, we will remember our connection and the way God can move through us. We will focus on how we are not separate individuals but that we are all one in Christ Jesus. We will celebrate all that God has done through us as we continue to build God's Kingdom together. I hope to see you all there!


Advent Conspiracy Update - I have been incredibly moved at how this congregation has responded to support this challenge. Each week I will post an update of how much has been raised towards our goal. If you would like more information about this challenge and the charities that will be supported with the proceeds, please visit our website by clicking here.

Fundraising Thermometer by:
Provided by Easy Fundraising Ideas

Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

Several weeks ago we were in the midst of a sermon series on the Methodist Way. We took each practice, week by week, and we reminded ourselves of how we are called to live each of these out in our daily lives. We also took a moment to reflect on how those practices had been lived out over the last four years in our family. On September 8th we wrapped up the series by looking at Salty Service.

Bishop Richard Schnase describes Salty Service as “…the projects, efforts, and work people do to make a positive difference in the lives of others for the purposes of Christ, whether or not they will ever become part of the community of faith. [Salty Service] pushes us out of our comfort zone, stretching us beyond service to people we already know, exposing us to people, situations, and needs that we would never ordinarily encounter apart from our deliberate intention to serve Christ. Congregations who practice [Salty] Service offer endless opportunities for people to make a difference in lives of others through service projects, volunteer opportunities, and mission initiatives.”

I looked among you and asked that we be more faithful in turning in our Salty Service cards. Not as a means of bragging, but to help create the culture of reminding ourselves that we are called to be in mission with those around us. If we keep this reminder, this card, in front of us it can act as a tool of encouragement for us to constantly look for ways we can reach out to the people of our community.

I wanted to give you an update on how we are doing in this area. We had been averaging about 20 cards a week this year and in years past. That Sunday 45 cards were turned in. For the next three Sundays our numbers were 42, 42, and 20 respectively.

Folks we are to be about the business of our Lord and that means we are to reach out to others. We are to find ways to bring the love and grace of Christ into this world. The love that the people of Druid Hills exhibit is too good of a thing to keep secret. I want to encourage you to keep creating that culture of service here. I want you to keep showing up and building God’s Kingdom here on Earth. I want to invite you to continue to look for ways to make a difference in the lives of all people.

God loves you and so do I,