Upcoming Virtual Worship Service
First United Methodist Church of Naples
Sunday Service 10:15 am (Online)
~
Ascension Sunday
May 24, 2020
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From the Pastor
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
If you watched the news today, you may be wondering what our plans are for worship this Sunday. The answer is that we will
not yet
hold in-person worship. A great deal of planning and careful thought has been taking place, among all of the churches in our Florida Conference, to discern when and how is the best way to open up for in-person worship. The plan is still to follow the Florida Conference’s
Guidelines
, to wait until at least after June 15
th
, to
safely
begin these services.
I realize that the opening up and easing of restrictions for restaurants and other establishments may make it seem logical that we would also open up our sanctuary, but we are a very different situation. Please know that our primary desire continues to be for the safety of our very vulnerable population at FUMC. We want to love our neighbors by not harming them. When we do begin in-person services, things will be very different than when you last worshiped in the sanctuary. We want you to understand the “what” and “why”, so that is why I connected you to some articles last week that will help you know what to expect. This week, I’d like for you to read an excellent article by Rev. Alex Shanks, Assistant to Bishop Carter, here in Florida. (See link below). Many of the points I wanted to make in this personal note from me, are already covered very nicely in Alex’s article. Rather than duplicate, I’m asking you to please take a few minutes to read his article. I’ve also included a list of FAQ’s put out by our Florida Conference today that should answer many of your questions. Please write me with any additional questions at
Pastor@fumcnaples.org
.
Please keep up your prayers and the time you spend with God, as we continue to navigate through this pandemic. It’s not over. Please do not be discouraged and remember that God is bigger than all of this. Remember that God walks with you! See you “online” Sunday morning! Look for your link to Sunday’s service in a separate Eblast on Saturday night.
Blessings,
Pastor Nancy
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Article by Rev Alex Shanks:
Why Reopening a Church is Different
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Frequently Asked Questions for Churches During
Covid-19: Reopening Church Buildings
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Monday is Memorial Day, when we will especially remember all those service men and women who gave their lives for freedom and democracy. Every one of them had loved ones who were devastated by their loss. Let’s remember and honor these brave individuals who made it possible for us to have the freedom under which we live today, and let’s be in prayer for families and loved ones who may still be living and mourning on this day.
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Life & Faith Lesson
Rev. Nancy Mayeux
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Upside Down and Backwards
Our worship service will be recorded and available to you online by Sunday morning at our regular worship time of 10:15 am, so you'll be able to worship online together with others, or you can click and watch on your own time. Every Saturday night, you will receive an eBlast with the link for Sunday's worship service, or you can go to our web page at:
fumcnaples.org
and click on the link there for Sunday's service.
As Jesus sat down on a hill alongside the Sea of Galilee, to deliver his
Sermon on the Mount
to disciples, he began with a “prescription for happiness” ---- what we commonly call today,
The Beatitudes.
Wow! A prescription for happiness! We all want to be happy. I am sure his listeners began listening with great anticipation until Jesus began to outline the details of this prescription: Blessed (or happy) are the meek, or the persecuted or those who are mourning. Really? Happy? That does not seem to make much sense. In fact, it sounds upside down and backwards. But that is if you are looking at things from our worldly perspective, where the values that influence us are the ones that are actually upside down and backwards. Jesus teaches us about God’s “Rightside-Up World” as seen through a spiritual lens. If you look at the world through any other lens, none of that will make any sense.
Our lives seem to have turned upside down during this pandemic, in ways we could not have imagined 3 months ago. But perhaps some of what has happened recently, will help us to see things better through Jesus’ spiritual glasses. Let’s explore this on Sunday. See you online at 10:15 (or whenever you are able to tune into our service).
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Tithes and Offerings
Please remember that your tithes and offerings are a form of worship, and that your church really needs you during this time, to continue paying our bills and keeping our faithful staff on the payroll. We pray you will donate at least what you would have given, had you been sitting in the sanctuary as the offering plate was passed. Donations can be mailed to:
First United Methodist Church of Naples, 388 First Avenue S, Naples, FL 34102
. OR you can click on the box below to make an online donation. If you’ve never done this before, when you click on the box for the first time, you will be asked to create your online profile before you can donate.
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Last Week’s Sermon & Music
Did you miss worship last week? Click on the link below to view the video of last week's complete online service, with a sermon entitled
Food for the Journey
based on
John 3:1-17.
Also enjoy the solo by Lynda Hurd singing
Shelter Me
.
Just click on the box below.
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PLEASE PRAY!
Are you praying? God is listening. Prayer is powerful! Please be in prayer this week for our church family and their loved ones (names listed below). Pray also for all those impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic and those impacted by fires and tornadoes.
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Urgent Prayer Requests
From our FUMC Church Family
We want to remind you that
this section is for “urgent” prayer concerns only
: (in the hospital, on Hospice, recovering from a surgery, receiving radiation or chemotherapy, etc.) If you have a private prayer that you do not want published below, just email me and I will pray for that person and that need:
pastor@fumcnaples.org.
Please pray for the family of Ren Sheibley, Edie Sheibley's husband, who passed away on May 20.
- Bill Hellegas (Member - No phone calls please)
- Pam Little (Member)
- Joanne Richards (Member)
- Margaret Lofgren (Member)
- Tim Vincent (Member)
- Sheila Strenkert (Karen Carr’s cousin)
- Jess Rynders (Ashley Garner’s friend)
- Sean Black (Pat Schanke’s friend)
- Heather Pratt Mohler (Bea Mohler's daughter-in-law)
- Brad Monson (Pastor and John's nephew)
- Bill Burkett (Pat Schanke's family)
- FUMC Families and friends who recently lost loved ones
- All the unspoken requests and needs of our congregation and their loved ones
Also, Please Pray for…
Our pastor, our church, our bishop, our district superintendent, the community, our country and its leaders; first responders, the sick, our homebound, our sister church in Cuba, our MDS preschool children, teachers and parents, Wesley Kids & Youth, and those in military service.
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MDS Graduation and Good-byes
Normally, at the end of the school year, we have a cap & gown VPK graduation that is a really big deal for the children moving on to Kindergarten. This year, all the children in VPK and our 2 & 3 year classes, went home for Spring break the first week of March, expecting to come back in a week, only to have schools close for the rest of the year. They have missed their friends and teachers. We did a drive-by graduation and good-bye this week, so children could receive gifts and say good-bye to their teachers safely from their cars. It was a joyful day!
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David Lawrence Center in Naples Offers Help and Hope
Anxiety, stress, depression and substance abuse are at an all-time high due to the Coronavirus lock-down, lost jobs, and life turned upside down. The David Lawrence Center remains committed to serving our community, including “Telehealth services.” If you need help, please call them at: 239-304-3055.
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Domestic Violence & Abuse 911 Calls
(Increased by 30% during the pandemic)
People are stressed and confined in tight quarters for long periods of time. This results in explosive situations. Please let anyone you know, who may be in this situation, that the Shelter for Abused Women and Children has space for women, children and pets, and is consistently open. They should call the hotline: 239-775-1109
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OFFICE HOURS
The church office is closed until further notice. The staff is working from home. Please call and leave a message. We are checking voice mail regularly. Your call will be returned.
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First United Methodist Church of Naples
388 1st Ave S.
Naples, FL 34102
(239) 262-1033
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