Thursday Thoughts

1. Sunday Morning Worship - This week we will continue our series Ashes to Fire as we place our focus on the praise of Easter and move towards the power of Pentecost. This Sunday, Pastor Loida will be preaching on "The New Commandment" from John 13:31-35, as we look to command Christ gave us to love all people so that by this we would be known as his disciples.

Invite a friend and a neighbor and we hope to see you at 8am, 9:30am, or 11am! All are welcome, all are invited.





2. Vacation Bible School - Mark these dates on your calendar, June 18-22. That's when we will be celebrating Shipwrecked VBS at Community!!!! Beginning in May, Faye will be at the VBS table after each service to sign up children, volunteers, and answer questions. If you would like to register your children or grandchildren, or if you would like to signup to volunteer, you can do so online by clicking here or by stopping at the church office to pick up a form. In the bulletin this week will also be a list of supplies and decorations that are still needed. If you are able to donate, or let us borrow, we would be grateful. This is an exciting time and a great opportunity for us to love on this community and the families that call it home!





3. Free Concert - On Sunday, April 29th, at 6pm, our Music Ministry will host Lindsey Huggins for a free concert. She is described as one of Nashville's brightest new stars.

The doors will open at 5:30pm, with a love offering being collected to benefit Lindsey Huggins Ministries. Everyone is invited.





4. New Member Class - Our next New Member Class is coming up next month on Sunday, May 6th, beginning at 12:30pm, in the Fellowship Hall. We will serve lunch and childcare will be provided. If you have been attending CUMC for a while and want to take the step of commitment in joining the church, we welcome and invite you to attend. Please contact the church office at 787-1829 or email the office by clicking here to RSVP. We hope to see you there!

5. New Church Directory - Our new church directory is now live! For information about how to login you can visit our website by clicking here. You can view our directory from a computer or you can download an app for your smartphone or tablet and view from there as well. This is a great tool for us because it can be updated frequently and we can print directories as needed. We are asking everyone to go ahead and login and check their information to make sure it is correct. If you have any questions or need to make changes, please email our directory team by clicking here.

6. We Need You! - We are in need of a few people to help 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. If you are interested, please contact the church office by clicking here or calling us at (352) 787-1829. Thank you in advance for your consideration.





7. Be In the Know! - One of the great things about Community is all the options and choices you have to help make disciples and build the Kingdom. And we want you to know about as many of them as possible. The best way to do that is for you to sign up for any of the various ways we have set up to communicate with you. Here is a list of them and how you can sign up or follow them:

• Churchwide Email System - just call the church office to sign up or email us by clicking here. 

• Pastor's Blog - you can find the blog by clicking here. Once you are there, bookmark it and you can even subscribe to have email updates of new posts sent to you automatically. The subscribe box is on the side underneath Pastor Debbie's Photo and Bio. Once you subscribe, don't forget to confirm that subscription by responding to the email you will receive, so the emails will start being delivered to you. 

• Our Church Website - you can find our church website by clicking here. Don't forget to bookmark it once you are there. 

• Our Church Facebook Page - there are many updates, photos, and even Facebook Live Videos we post on this page, a great resource! You can find that page by clicking here. 

• Our Church Instagram Page - where we host many pictures of church events showing how we are living out our faith in Fruitland Park and beyond. You can find that page by clicking here. 

• Our Church Text Messaging Feature - get updates about the church sent to you via text message (text message and data rates may apply). You can sign up for that by sending the text message @cumcfp to the number 81010. 

• Our Church Publications - and as always you can find great information in our weekly bulletin and monthly newsletter. 

I hope you will take advantage of as many of these avenues for communication as possible. There is a lot happening at Community and we do not want you to miss a thing!


Have a great weekend!

Midweek Moment

For the past five months, seven gentlemen from this church have been joining me over at Fruitland Park Elementary every Tuesday for a program called FOCUS. It is designed to give third, fourth, and fifth grade boys the chance to have some one-on-one time with adults to talk about life. Joining us each week are several Fruitland Park Police Officers and few other gentlemen from the area. We spend 30-40 minutes talking about ideals like honesty, respect, citizenship, fairness, helpfulness, and justice.

These students are facing various struggles at home and at school and have been identified as boys that would benefit from this program. Once admitted to the program, FOCUS is then used as an incentive for the boys to behave in class, have regular attendance at school, and generally follow all school rules.

Having spent the last five months involved with this program, I can see its benefits. I am seeing boys sharing more freely in our discussions. I am hearing that they are coming to school on a more regular basis. But one of the greatest aspects of our time together, is how their view of the world is changing. They talk more about listening and helping other people, they talk more about recycling and taking care of their neighborhood, and they are discovering more ways that they can do all of these things in their own spheres of life.

These are a few of the benefits of sharing life with others. We get to hear the viewpoints of others, share with them from our experience, and at the end of the day help one another grow and expand. I have had heard from many of the adults how much they have learned from their time with the students. I have also seen the impact this program has made in that ideas for speakers and other resources are being shared as other avenues to help these students. I have seen the importance these adults have placed to make sure they are there consistently for the students in their group. And as a result, I can see the excitement on most of the faces as they enter the cafeteria for our weekly time together.

I am proud that the bulk of the men in this program are from Community. I am humbled to watch these relationships between student and mentor grow. I am excited to see how this investment is paying off in the lives of all involved. I would ask that you pray first and foremost for these young boys. Pray for safety, for health, and for continued positive influences in their lives. I would also ask that you pray for the staff, administrators, and teachers at Fruitland Park Elementary. They are the first points of contact and influence for these young people and have an incredible task before them.

It so wonderful to see how the Holy Spirit works in those moments where people come together to share life and love with those around them!

Have a great week!

Thursday Thoughts

1. Sunday Morning Worship - This week we will continue our series Ashes to Fire as we place our focus on the praise of Easter and move towards the power of Pentecost. This Sunday, Pastor Daryl will be preaching on "Tell us Plainly" from John 10:22-30 as we look to not only who Christ is but how we can share that Good News with others.


Invite a friend and a neighbor and we hope to see you at 8am, 9:30am, or 11am! All are welcome, all are invited.



2. Save the Date! - On Tuesday, April 24th, our Youth will host a Drive-thru pulled pork dinner to help raise funds for this summer's mission trip to New Orleans. Tickets are $7.50 each and will be sold after church this Sunday.

This is a great way to support our youth as they practice their faith and grow in their walk.





3. Free Concert - On Sunday, April 29th, at 6pm, our Music Ministry will host Lindsey Huggins for a free concert. She is described as one of Nashville's brightest new stars.

The doors will open at 5:30pm, with a love offering being collected to benefit Lindsey Huggins Ministries. Everyone is invited.

4. New Member Class - Our next New Member Class is coming up next month on Sunday, May 6th, beginning at 12:30pm, in the Fellowship Hall. We will serve lunch and childcare will be provided. If you have been attending CUMC for a while and want to take the step of commitment in joining the church, we welcome and invite you to attend. Please contact the church office at 787-1829 or email the office by clicking here to RSVP. We hope to see you there!





5. Be In the Know! - One of the great things about Community is all the options and choices you have to help make disciples and build the Kingdom. And we want you to know about as many of them as possible. The best way to do that is for you to sign up for any of the various ways we have set up to communicate with you. Here is a list of them and how you can sign up or follow them:

• Churchwide Email System - just call the church office to sign up or email us by clicking here. 
• Pastor's Blog - you can find the blog by clicking here. Once you are there, bookmark it and you can even subscribe to have email updates of new posts sent to you automatically. The subscribe box is on the side underneath Pastor Debbie's Photo and Bio. Once you subscribe, don't forget to confirm that subscription by responding to the email you will receive, so the emails will start being delivered to you. 
• Our Church Website - you can find our church website by clicking here. Don't forget to bookmark it once you are there. 
• Our Church Facebook Page - there are many updates, photos, and even Facebook Live Videos we post on this page, a great resource! You can find that page by clicking here. 
• Our Church Instagram Page - where we host many pictures of church events showing how we are living out our faith in Fruitland Park and beyond. You can find that page by clicking here. 
• Our Church Text Messaging Feature - get updates about the church sent to you via text message (text message and data rates may apply). You can sign up for that by sending the text message @cumcfp to the number 81010. 
• Our Church Publications - and as always you can find great information in our weekly bulletin and monthly newsletter. 

I hope you will take advantage of as many of these avenues for communication as possible. There is a lot happening at Community and we do not want you to miss a thing!


Have a great weekend and we will see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

In worship on Sunday it was announced at all services by our Staff Parish Chair Sandi Moore that Community's Pastoral Team would be returning for another year. You were so kind and gracious in offering your congratulations about this news. Daryl, Loida and I are all excited to return for another year serving alongside the people of Community in Fruitland Park and beyond. Daryl and I have said from the start that our desire is to be at Community for years to come and raise our family here.

Part of our United Methodist connection and polity (government) though means that we serve as your pastors at the will of the Bishop and the appointive Cabinet. While the trend in the Florida conference has been to leave pastors in churches for longer tenures to build deeper relationships with churches and communities, pastors are appointed on a year to year basis (July 1-June 30). Bishop Carter and the appointive Cabinet have worked hard to develop a set of values and guidelines that they use in appointing pastors to churches which you can read here. We appreciate very much their missional focus. We ask you to uphold churches and pastors in prayer who will be experiencing a move this year.

This next year will be the 18th year of my pastoral ministry and the 4th among you all. I have to say that Community is quite unique out of the churches that I have served throughout the years. You truly do live into the name - making this a welcoming place where folks can feel at home. You have a tremendous heart for mission, both locally and globally. There is real passion in your worship. There is a deep desire to GROW and stretch in your relationship with God. And you have an incredibly generous spirit, which shows in giving of your time, talents and particularly your financial resources. I'm thankful for each and every person who makes up the Community family and for the witness and impact we make together in the world around us. I'm looking forward with great anticipation to all that God will continue to do in us together as we work together.

Blessings!

Thursday Thoughts

1. Sunday Morning Worship - This week we will continue our series Ashes to Fire as we place our focus on the praise of Easter and move towards the power of Pentecost. This Sunday, Pastor Loida will be preaching on "Hook or Crook?" from John 21:15-17 as Jesus asks Peter to feed his sheep.

Invite a friend and a neighbor and we hope to see you at 8am, 9:30am, or 11am! All are welcome, all are invited.



2. Save the Date! - On Tuesday, April 24th, our Youth will host a Drive-thru pulled pork dinner to help raise funds for this summer's mission trip to New Orleans. Tickets are $7.50 each and will be sold after church on April 15th and 22nd, as well as Wednesday April 18th.

This is a great way to support our youth as they practice their faith and grow in their walk.





3. Free Concert - On Sunday, April 29th, at 6pm, our Music Ministry will host Lindsey Huggins for a free concert. She is described as one of Nashville's brightest new stars.

The doors will open at 5:30pm, with a love offering being collected to benefit Lindsey Huggins Ministries. Everyone is invited.

4. New Member Class - Our next New Member Class is coming up next month on Sunday, May 6th, beginning at 12:30pm, in the Fellowship Hall. We will serve lunch and childcare will be provided. If you have been attending CUMC for a while and want to take the step of commitment in joining the church, we welcome and invite you to attend. Please contact the church office at 787-1829 or email the office by clicking here to RSVP. We hope to see you there!





5. Be In the Know! - One of the great things about Community is all the options and choices you have to help make disciples and build the Kingdom. And we want you to know about as many of them as possible. The best way to do that is for you to sign up for any of the various ways we have set up to communicate with you. Here is a list of them and how you can sign up or follow them:

• Churchwide Email System - just call the church office to sign up or email us by clicking here. 
• Pastor's Blog - you can find the blog by clicking here. Once you are there, bookmark it and you can even subscribe to have email updates of new posts sent to you automatically. The subscribe box is on the side underneath Pastor Debbie's Photo and Bio. Once you subscribe, don't forget to confirm that subscription by responding to the email you will receive, so the emails will start being delivered to you. 
• Our Church Website - you can find our church website by clicking here. Don't forget to bookmark it once you are there. 
• Our Church Facebook Page - there are many updates, photos, and even Facebook Live Videos we post on this page, a great resource! You can find that page by clicking here. 
• Our Church Instagram Page - where we host many pictures of church events showing how we are living out our faith in Fruitland Park and beyond. You can find that page by clicking here. 
• Our Church Text Messaging Feature - get updates about the church sent to you via text message (text message and data rates may apply). You can sign up for that by sending the text message @cumcfp to the number 81010. 
• Our Church Publications - and as always you can find great information in our weekly bulletin and monthly newsletter. 

I hope you will take advantage of as many of these avenues for communication as possible. There is a lot happening at Community and we do not want you to miss a thing!


Have a great weekend and we will see you Sunday!

Thursday Thoughts

1. Sunday Morning Worship - This week we will continue our series Ashes to Fire as we place our focus on the praise of Easter and move towards the power of Pentecost. This Sunday, Pastor Debbie will look at the some of life's locked door seasons and how we can face those - based on John 20:19-31.

Invite a friend and a neighbor and we hope to see you at 8am, 9:30am, or 11am! All are welcome, all are invited.





2. Save the Date! - On Tuesday, April 24th, our Youth will host a Drive-thru dinner to help raise funds for this summer's mission trip to New Orleans. Tickets will be sold after church on April 15th and 22nd.

This is a great way to support our youth as they practice their faith and grow in their walk.





3. Free Concert - On Sunday, April 29th, at 6pm, our Music Ministry will host Lindsey Huggins for a free concert. She is described as one of Nashville's brightest new stars.

The doors will open at 5:30pm, with a love offering being collected to benefit Lindsey Huggins Ministries. Everyone is invited.

4. Blood Drive - Wednesday, April 11th, from 2-7pm, the Big Red Bus will be on campus for a blood drive. All donors will receive a OneBlood T-shirt and a wellness checkup including blood pressure, temperature, iron count, pulse, and cholesterol screening. There is more information in this week's bulletin. This is a great way to share the gift of life with another person! Hope to see you there!

5. New Member Class - Our next New Member Class is coming up next month on Sunday, May 6th, beginning at 12:30pm, in the Fellowship Hall. We will serve lunch and childcare will be provided. If you have been attending CUMC for a while and want to take the step of commitment in joining the church, we welcome and invite you to attend. Please contact the church office at 787-1829 or email the office by clicking here to RSVP. We hope to see you there!





6. Be In the Know! - One of the great things about Community is all the options and choices you have to help make disciples and build the Kingdom. And we want you to know about as many of them as possible. The best way to do that is for you to sign up for any of the various ways we have set up to communicate with you. Here is a list of them and how you can sign up or follow them:

• Churchwide Email System - just call the church office to sign up or email us by clicking here. 
• Pastor's Blog - you can find the blog by clicking here. Once you are there, bookmark it and you can even subscribe to have email updates of new posts sent to you automatically. The subscribe box is on the side underneath Pastor Debbie's Photo and Bio. Once you subscribe, don't forget to confirm that subscription by responding to the email you will receive, so the emails will start being delivered to you. 
• Our Church Website - you can find our church website by clicking here. Don't forget to bookmark it once you are there. 
• Our Church Facebook Page - there are many updates, photos, and even Facebook Live Videos we post on this page, a great resource! You can find that page by clicking here. 
• Our Church Instagram Page - where we host many pictures of church events showing how we are living out our faith in Fruitland Park and beyond. You can find that page by clicking here. 
• Our Church Text Messaging Feature - get updates about the church sent to you via text message (text message and data rates may apply). You can sign up for that by sending the text message @cumcfp to the number 81010. 
• Our Church Publications - and as always you can find great information in our weekly bulletin and monthly newsletter. 

I hope you will take advantage of as many of these avenues for communication as possible. There is a lot happening at Community and we do not want you to miss a thing!


Have a great weekend and we will see you Sunday!