Thursday Thoughts

1. Sunday Morning Worship - This week we will continue our preaching series on "Women of the Bible" as Pastor Daryl guides us through the story of Queen Esther, focusing on her "Perfect Timing" to help us find our courage in God and God's presence in our lives.

Invite a friend, or a even a neighbor, and we hope to see you all there at either 8am, 9:30am, or 11am!

Parking Reminder - We're encouraging our members to "park politely." That means for those who are physically able, please park at the Fruitland Park Elementary School lot (accessed from Fountain Street) or at the remote lot on the corner of Catawba/Rose Ave (we have golf cart shuttle from this lot). That makes room in the main lot for those who need access to the handicapped spaces and also for our first time visitors!!! Thanks for your help in this!!!


2. Grow Night Dinners and Classes - Our Wednesday Dinners and GROW Night programs are drawing to a close. Next week is the final night for classes and then our closing program will be held in the sanctuary on Wednesday May 10th at 6:15pm.

We've had a great semester of classes, growing in knowledge and love of God and in relationship with friends at CUMC. Keep your eyes open for news about our "Summer Gardens" small groups for over the summer months and how to sign up!!!


3. New Member Class - We will be hosting a New Member class after worship on Sunday May 7th in the Fellowship Hall. If you've been attending Community for a while and are ready to take the step of commitment to join the church, this class is for you.

Signup by contacting the church office today: (352) 787-1829 or lhaywood.cumc@gmail.com

4. We Need You! - We are in need of volunteers to help with a few areas of the church.

One is with the tech aspects of worship at our 8am and 11am worship services. We will provide all the training, but we need people to help with the PowerPoint and sound board operations during the services. These positions are very important to the flow and experience of worship and truly add to our time together.

The second is with ushers at our 11am service. And the third is helping to coordinate greeters for our 8am service.

If you are interested in helping with any of these opportunities, please contact the church office by clicking here or calling us at (352) 787-1829. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

5. Vacation Bible School - It's coming up sooner than you might think!!! Vacation Bible School is set for June 19-23 in the evenings. There are lots of ways that you can help with Vacation Bible School if you would like to volunteer! Painting week for our set decorations will be from May 29 through June 2. Contact Faye Umble if you would like to serve (fayeumble.cumc@gmail.com).

Also, you may signup your children or grandchildren for Vacation Bible School by clicking on the following link: https://vbspro.events/p/events/communityumc


Have a great weekend and we will see you Sunday!

Thursday Thoughts

1. Holy Week Remembrances - This year we will offer several occasions for you to experience and commemorate Holy Week.

• Maundy Thursday - TONIGHT!!!! We will hold a Maundy Thursday Service on Thursday, April 13th in our Sanctuary at 6:30pm. This will be a time to remember and reflect on Christ's last meal with his disciples. There will also be a time where the clergy in our congregation will be available to wash your feet, if you choose. We will also be celebrating the Sacrament of Holy Communion together. 
• Good Friday - There will be a Good Friday service at Noon, hosted by New Covenant UMC at their main campus in The Villages (3470 Woodridge Drive, 32162). All the clergy of the United Methodist Churches in the area are participating as well the combined choirs. 
• Sunrise Service - We will also host an Easter Sunrise Service in our parking lot at 6:45am on Easter Sunday morning, with music and Pastor Loida preaching. 

We pray you will take advantage of these many opportunities to remember our Christ and explore your faith. Invite a neighbor and we hope to see you there. All are invited, and all are welcome!


2. Easter Egg Hunt - This year we will host our annual Easter Egg Hunt and Family Picnic on Saturday, April 15th at 11am.

Games, crafts, and more will be happening before and after the hunt! After the Easter Egg Hunt we will have our Family Picnic! Hot dogs and drinks will be provided; we just ask that you bring a picnic side dish to share.

Bring your kids and grandkids, or even invite a neighbor to come and bring their kids! It will be a great time of fun and fellowship!





3. Sunday Morning Worship - This week we will conclude our Lenten series on the "I AM Sayings of Christ" as we celebrate EASTER. Pastor Debbie and Pastor Daryl will co-preach in the regular three services, focusing on Jesus' phrase from the Gospel of John: "I AM the Resurrection and the Life!"

Jesus makes this statement about himself in John 11 as he is comforting Mary and Martha after the death of their brother Lazarus. Jesus brings Lazarus back from the dead, foreshadowing his own resurrection, and the resurrection we can experience through Jesus.

Invite a friend, or a even a neighbor, and we hope to see you all there at either 8am, 9:30am, or 11am!
We encourage our members this week who are able to utilize the remote parking lots at the school and at the corner of Catawba/Rose to leave the lot closest to the church available for first time guests. The 11am service will also be simulcast to the Family Life Center as overflow seating.


4. Grow Night Dinners and Classes - Our Wednesday Dinners and GROW Night programs are doing great! We resume next Wednesday!!!! Below is a list of the current class offerings:

• Profiles in Courageous Faith - Pastor Debbie 
• Disciple Fast Track - Pastor Loida 
• Surprised by Hope - Pastor Daryl (Just began this study this week!) 
• Knowing, Loving and Serving God - Don and Pat Holmes 
• Workbook on Virtues and Fruit of the Spirit - Robbie Milam 
• What the Prayers of Jesus Tell Us About the Heart of God - Marty Walton 
• Young Adult Class - Kevin Milhorn 

We hope you will take advantage of these many varied and incredible options to grow your faith and deepen your relationships here at CUMC. See you there!

5. We Need You! - We are in need of volunteers to help with a few areas of the church.

One is with the tech aspects of worship at our 8am and 11am worship services. We will provide all the training, but we need people to help with the PowerPoint and sound board operations during the services. These positions are very important to the flow and experience of worship and truly add to our time together.

The second is with ushers at our 11am service. We have an immediate need for ushers, during the month of April.

The third is helping to coordinate greeters for our 8am service.

If you are interested in helping with any of these opportunities, please contact the church office by clicking here or calling us at (352) 787-1829. Thank you in advance for your consideration.


Have a great weekend and we will see you Sunday! We are so looking forward to celebrating Easter with you this weekend!!!!

Midweek Moment

This past Sunday was a tremendous day of celebration in the life of our congregation. First of all it was Palm Sunday and we celebrated that well in all of our services with music and with palms.

It was also Confirmation Sunday and it was a tremendous delight to welcome 14 teenagers who joined the church as full members. They attended all three services and read Scripture at each worship service. They joined at the service that they regularly attended: 12 at the 9:30am service and 2 at the 11am service.

   

Our wonderful youth leader Sharon Quackenbush introduced the youth and explained a bit about the confirmation process, and their confirmation leader, Rev. Melissa Cooper, asked them their membership vows. She expressed several times that the youth had studied these vows and knew exactly what they were promising as they joined the church. Daryl and I are tremendously excited for the future of the church knowing the character of these young people who joined on Sunday.

After all of the worship services were concluded, the United Methodist Women hosted a wonderful reception for the confirmands and their families in the Fellowship Hall. And because one of the shared values between the UMW and the youth group is creation care, they made sure to recycle all of the plates, cups and utensils. One of the parents commented that you couldn't have asked for a better expression of the church being the church together. 

This was a tremendous way to kick off the start of Holy Week in our church, with music and worship and the joining of new members into the life of our church. I hope you were blessed by the celebrations and reminded of the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. 

Blessings, 

Thursday Thoughts

1. Sunday Morning Worship - This week we are continuing our Lenten series on the "I AM Sayings of Christ" from the Gospel of John as Pastor Loida looks at the statement, "I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life."

Jesus makes this statement about himself in John 14:1-14 as a means to point us to the Father, through his life and teachings.

We will also have the opportunity to celebrate Confirmation Sunday, with fourteen of our youth joining the church!!! Invite a friend, or a even a neighbor, and we hope to see you all there at either 8am, 9:30am, or 11am!

2. Holy Week Remembrances - This year we will offer several occasions for you to experience and commemorate Holy Week.

• Palm Sunday  - Concert Series presents the Christian Chorus with Soli Deo Gloria at 6pm in the sanctuary 
• Maundy Thursday - We will hold a Maundy Thursday Service on Thursday, April 13th in our Sanctuary at 6:30pm. This will be a time to remember and reflect on Christ's last meal with his disciples. There will also be a time where the clergy in our congregation will be available to wash your feet.
• Good Friday - There will be a Good Friday service at Noon, hosted by New Covenant UMC, in The Villages. All the clergy of the United Methodist Churches in the area are participating as well the combined choirs. 
• Sunrise Service - We will also host an Easter Sunrise Service in our parking lot at 6:45am on Easter Sunday morning, with Pastor Loida preaching.

We pray you will take advantage of these many opportunities to remember our Christ and explore your faith. Invite a neighbor and we hope to see you there. All are invited, and all are welcome!



3. Easter Egg Hunt - This year we will host our annual Easter Egg Hunt and Family Picnic on Saturday, April 15th at 11am.

Games, crafts, and more will be happening before and after the hunt! After the Easter Egg Hunt we will have our Family Picnic! Hot dogs and drinks will be provided; we just ask that you bring a picnic side dish to share.

Bring your kids and grandkids, or even invite a neighbor to come and bring their kids! It will be a great time of fun and fellowship!



4. Grow Night Dinners and Classes - Our Wednesday Dinners and GROW Night programs are doing great! We will NOT meet for Dinner or Classes during Holy Week, but will resume on Wednesday April 19th! Below is a list of the current class offerings:

• Profiles in Courageous Faith - Pastor Debbie 
• Disciple Fast Track - Pastor Loida 
• Surprised by Hope - Pastor Daryl (Just began this study this week!) 
• Knowing, Loving and Serving God - Don and Pat Holmes 
• Workbook on Virtues and Fruit of the Spirit - Robbie Milam 
• What the Prayers of Jesus Tell Us About the Heart of God - Marty Walton 
• Young Adult Class - Kevin Milhorn 
• First Place 4 Health - Kim Reed

We hope you will take advantage of these many varied and incredible options to grow your faith and deepen your relationships here at CUMC. See you there!

5. We Need You! - We are in need of volunteers to help with a few areas of the church.

One is with the tech aspects of worship at our 8am and 11am worship services. We will provide all the training, but we need people to help with the PowerPoint and sound board operations during the services. These positions are very important to the flow and experience of worship and truly add to our time together.

The second is with ushers at our 11am service. We have an immediate need for ushers, during the month of April.

The third is helping to coordinate greeters for our 8am service.

If you are interested in helping with any of these opportunities, please contact the church office by clicking here or calling us at (352) 787-1829. Thank you in advance for your consideration.


Have a great weekend and we will see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

This is a song that we have sung in the 9:30 worship service in the last few week, "Resurrecting." You can listen to the song from Elevation Worship by clicking on the link here. The words are below for you to reflect upon.........

The head that once was crowned with thorns

Is crowned with glory now

The Savior knelt to wash our feet

Now at his feet we bow

The one who wore our sin and shame

Now robed in majesty

The radiance of perfect love

Now shines for all to see

Your name, Your name, Is victory

All praise, Will rise, To Christ our king

The fear that held us now gives way

To him who is our peace

His final breath upon the cross

Is now alive in me

Your name, Your name, Is victory

All praise, Will rise, To Christ our king

By Your spirit I will rise, From the ashes of defeat

The resurrected king, Is resurrecting me

In Your name I come alive, To declare your victory

The resurrected king, Is resurrecting me

The tomb where soldiers watched in vain

Was borrowed for three days

His body there would not remain

Our God has robbed the grave

Our God has robbed the grave

Your name, Your name, Is victory

All praise, Will rise, To Christ our king

By Your spirit I will rise, From the ashes of defeat

The resurrected king, Is resurrecting me

In Your name I come alive, To declare your victory

The resurrected king, Is resurrecting me

The cross and the tomb mean that we have the power over sin and death; that we can have a relationship with God now and in the future someday in heaven. But we also have to remember that God's resurrection power has already broken into this world. What we celebrate in Easter is that the resurrected king, is resurrecting you and me. Now. Today. In our pain. In our sorrow and grief. In our broken places - the ones we've created for ourselves and the ones that we've experienced at the hands of others. The resurrection brings hope. That the circumstances of the world do not get the last word. That we can be resurrected and recreated out of the shame and brokenness and pain and grief we experience here.

This next week I encourage you to come out and participate in the Holy Week worship experiences that we will have. Ponder what God has done on our behalf and how we can look for signs of the resurrection in our lives even now. We serve a Risen, Resurrected Savior!

Blessings,