OCALA FIRST CONNECTION
Christmas 2021
Sunday, December 19th
We are excited to worship in our Grove on Sunday! A great day to bring your lawn chairs, your golf carts, your family members and friends, and enjoy worship under the trees as we celebrate the Fourth Sunday in Advent!

We are watching the forecast closely. If rain is likely, we'll head back inside the Family Life Center which is beautifully decorated for Christmas. Please join us!
This service of song is a joyous celebration of hope and peace for the Christmas season. Using carols, narration, congregational participation and original anthems, this cantata is filled with moments that will energize and inspire our faith!
Christmas Eve
Glory to the newborn King! Join us at Ocala First for a Traditional Christmas Eve Worship Service in our beautiful Sanctuary on December 24th at 4:00 PM! Music will be led by our choir and will feature Emily Heumann, soloist and Kaylee Ascencio, violinist. The service will close with a short Christmas Message, Holy Communion, and singing Silent Night by candlelight.
Celebrate Christmas with our Ocala First church family at our Contemporary Christmas Eve Service, featuring our Treehouse Kids Christmas Show! December 24th at 5:30 PM in the Family Life Center. Our worship band will lead us in our favorite carols and our Treehouse Kids will share the Christmas story in a creative way (seriously, you do not want to miss this one!). The service will close with a short Christmas Message, Holy Communion, and singing Silent Night by candlelight.
O come let us adore him! Join us at Ocala First for a special Candlelight and Carols service outside in our beautiful Courtyard at 7:00 PM on Christmas Eve! We will sing our favorite carols and hear the Christmas story from the gospels of Luke and Matthew. And all will be inspired by the musical gifts of our guest vocalist, Emily Heumann. The service will close with a short Christmas Message, Holy Communion, and singing Silent Night by candlelight.
Sunday, December 26th
All are welcome and invited to join us for Brunch Church on the Sunday, December 26, at 10 am in the Family Life Center. We will share food, fellowship and worship together as a church family. 

Please RVSP if you know you are coming so we can have an estimate for the amount of food to prepare.
(or by scanning the QR Code above)
Stewardship
Please keep First United Methodist Church in mind in your end-of year giving plans. Thank you for your consideration! 
 
All gifts must be received by the Church Office by 12/31/2021 to be reflected as 2021 charitable contributions. In-person contributions can be made through Sunday, December 26 during worship. Contributions by mail must be postmarked by December 31. Online giving is available at any time. 
Congregation Updates
Reading scripture together has been a central part of the Christian faith since the beginning (Acts 2:42). In 2022, we will spend the whole year reading through the Bible together.

How do I participate?

Commit to completing the daily readings:

  • The best way is to purchase The Bible Year devotional book which provides a reading plan, short reflections, and summaries of key themes to enrich your reading. You can purchase a hard copy or eBook from Cokesbury.com or Amazon.com or you can purchase one from the church office when they become available later this month.


  • Register for Amplifymedia.com (free account with our congregational access code) for short videos from Biblical scholars. See below for the steps to getting registered with Amplify Media!
Purchase the Devotional Guide
Join a small group

  • Pastor’s Bible Study on Wednesdays at 5:30 pm (Rm #31)

  • Friends Sunday School Class on Sundays at 9 am (Rm #31)

  • Do you have an existing small group that is interested to participating in the Bible Year? Or would you be interested in starting a new small group with your friends, co-workers, or family? Contact Pastor David (david@fumcocala.org) for a Leader’s Guide.

Worship with us each Sunday!

  • All sermons during 2022 will follow the reading plan, digging deeper into scripture and applying key Biblical themes to our daily life. 

  • We will also publish the weekly reading list every Sunday and offer encouragement to help keep you on track. 
CLICK ON THE GRAPHIC ABOVE TO REGISTER
(or scan the QR Code)
FIND US ONLINE!
Visit our webpage for updates, sermon videos and more!
[352.622.3244]  [info@fumcocala.org]  [www.fumcocala.org]