1st United Methodist Church Weekly Update - April 22, 2022 |
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FOLLOW US & JOIN US THIS SUNDAY FOR WORSHIP LIVE AT 11 AM
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This Sunday: April 24, 2022 |
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Message: "A 'Move' of God"
Pastor Mike Loomis
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NOTE: The April 24th 8am Praise in the Park service will be held in the Sanctuary. |
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Town Hall Meeting - April 25 |
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We will hold a Town Hall Meeting on Monday, April 25 at 6pm in the Life Center to answer questions regarding the future of 1st Church. All are welcome and invited to attend. |
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The next meeting of the United Christian Women will be held on Monday, April 25th at 11am in Lenox Hall. (Please bring your lunch or a snack, if you would like.)
The program for this meeting will be speaker Laura Keim, from C.A.R.E. (Center for Abuse and Rape Emergencies.)
To help and show our gratitude, please bring a NEW pillow or NEW towels with you for the C.A.R.E. Center, they will be deeply appreciated.
Come listen and learn about this program and how important and special it is. All women of the church (or visiting) are invited.
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Men's Fellowship & Dessert - April 26 |
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The United Methodist Men will be meeting on Tuesday, April 26th at 7:00 pm in Lenox Hall. Bob Schoolcraft will be our speaker. He will be sharing his life and how God has been part of it. Bob served in the U.S. Air Force and occupations include sales, truck driver, and Clergy. He is currently a retired Pastor but serving part time at Friendship United Methodist Church. Dessert and beverages will be provided. This month we will have Ice Cream Sundaes! Cost is $5.00. Please make reservations by Monday, April 25th by responding to an email invitation, or contact Wayne Sharp at sharpww@me.com. |
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Holocaust Memorial Service |
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The North Port High School Concert Choir will feature music from the Holocaust and songs written in the death camps. All are invited. |
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We Need Sunday School Teachers! |
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Our Children's Ministry is in need of elementary Sunday School teachers. If you are willing to serve, please contact Becca: becca@whatis1st.com
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If you’ve walked into the church library recently, you might have noticed a few changes . Three new church library volunteers have been working on shifting books, reorganizing and getting acquainted with our library collection. As we work with our church collection, we are thankful for the library volunteers who came before us. A special Thank You to Gail LaGro... we appreciate you.
Our goal is to serve the congregation in our Church library by maintaining our core collection. We will do this by organizing, weeding, and adding to the collection. If there is a particular title you think might be current, classic or worthy of our library, please consider dropping off a note for our volunteers and place it in the church library return basket and/ or donate such book to our library.
Please stop in to find a book to borrow that will encourage your Christian faith journey.
We hope to have a church library open house sometime after Easter.
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Help Stock the Salvation Army Shelves |
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“A Mother’s Prayer of Hope”
Today a mother reaches into a cupboard and opens two cans of food. How can she feed her family? Rising prices of food, a lost job or low pay, children looking at her expectantly. She stops. She prays for a miracle. Deep inside, she trusts God to supply her needs.
A church prays “How can we help those less fortunate?” And God leads us- one can of food at a time. Or one bag of food. A box of food. We will stock the shelves of the Salvation Army food pantry. We can be an answer to prayer!
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How can our church help?
- Shop each week and bring items to collection boxes at church (April 18-May 8)
- Pray for the items as you place them in the boxes
- Give a cash donation. We’ll be glad to shop for you! Earmark donation “A Mother’s Prayer of Hope”
- Pray for the families that we will help.
- Volunteer to help collect boxes of food and move to storage area
- Call Chris Wilkens to volunteer! 941-276-4416
Sunday, May 8th, Mothers’ Day! This is the day that the Lord has made! We will rejoice and be glad in it! Everyone brings food for the collection boxes!
Monday, May 9: Deliver to the Salvation Army!
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Vacation Bible School, June 6-10 |
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Registration is now open for this summer's Vacation Bible School!
VBS is a wonderful way to introduce children to Jesus, and share 1st Church with new families in our area. Please share!
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If you are interested in serving on a VBS volunteer team, please email Becca: becca@whatis1st.com. |
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Crafter's Group - Come Join Us! |
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WE NEED: Anyone who can sew on a button, crochet, knit, draw, design, or has ANY creative talent! We work together while enjoying each other's company.
We have made the following items:
*Baby blankets for Careline Pregnancy Center
*Crocheted octopus for preemie babies
*Greeting cards for our own Care Ministry team
*Walker bags for the veteran's home
*Activity mats for those suffering with Dementia and Alzheimer's donated to nursing homes locally
We meet in Room 9 every Wednesday from 1-3:30 pm.
Contact:
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Camping with Church Friends
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For several years campers from our church have gathered each spring to meet new friends with common interest in camping. This year our group will meet at Hardee Lakes County Park which is about 50 miles from our church. Anyone who likes to camp in a tent, RV, or trailer is encouraged to join us. We will meet on the Monday afternoon after Easter, April 18 and return home on Friday. For more information call Peter Gillen, 941-661-8367, or Tom Little, 941-769-0002. |
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Volunteers needed for Crossroad Academy |
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Every 3rd Saturday of each month volunteers from 1st Church cook food and take it to Crossroads Hope Academy to bless the young men who are residents there. We desperately need more volunteers to either cook food and/or help deliver the meal to Crossroads. We meet in the Church parking lot every month at 11:30 and load the food and go together to Crossroads. This ministry truly is a blessing to those we serve. If interested, please call Gail LaGro at 941-613-1745. |
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Receive Texts from 1st Church |
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1st Church Family... We are trying to improve our communication within the congregation and also looking for a way to keep everyone seeking devotionals each day. If you would like to receive daily devotionals from 1st Church or receive important communications, please sign up by calling the church office 941-639-3842. This will allow us to text you these messages and make it easy for you to receive them. |
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Greetings Church family and friends,
What a week of blessings we recently completed! Holy Week seemed especially meaningful to me this year. Several Church members reached out to volunteer as ushers and greeters for Maundy Thursday and/or Easter Sunday services which is always a beautiful gift. I am humbled by each person's gift of service. Worship at the park was spectacular this year. The weather was perfect, even at 5:30 am!
We had large crowds of people sharing in a meaningful Easter message and even a group of dolphins were swimming and playing up close to the shore to our delight. God's natural sanctuary was a perfect setting for great music, communion, and a message to carry us through the weeks ahead. Several folks walking and biking past stopped and asked about our church services. We are planting seeds out there! A huge thank you to everyone who helped both at the park and at the beautiful 11 o'clock service in the Life Center.
Easter Sunday also concluded our 24/7 formal prayer vigil. Thank you everyone who helped fill all those one hour prayer slots.This doesn't mean that we should quit signing up for prayer time! Let's keep the prayer room busy! We have much to continue praying to the Holy Spirit for. It is easy to get "stuck" in our prayer life at times. Sometimes we don't know how to start, what to say, or we just feel lost. I have discovered this is normal and actually is part of getting to know Christ on a deeper level through prayer. In 1 Thessalonians, we are called to "rejoice always, pray constantly, and give thanks in everything, because it is God's will for us." That's pretty straightforward; To honor the Lord, we must pray. In addition to our special Prayer room, I believe we should continue our daily Lord's Prayer at noon. Let's share and invite our friends and family to join us. Our world needs our prayer efforts.
Finally, we need prayer for our church. First pray. Watch and listen for information regarding the upcoming very important vote for members of 1st Church. Please plan on attending the Town Hall meeting on Monday 4/25 @ 6pm. The date for the vote to disaffiliate is Sunday, 5/1/22 @ 4pm. You can register to vote from 3:15pm until 4pm. All members will need a photo ID to register. A 2/3 Yes vote is needed by those members present in order to pass. Please show your support for the future of our church by voting on 5/1!
Let us pray!
I'm praying for you!
Rosie Young
Worship Coordinator
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The Eighth Note – Music Ministry in a Minute! |
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Greetings Everyone,
Are you musical? Consider joining one of our groups. This is a great way to serve the church, learn about music and get to know folks.
The Handbell Choir rehearses on Wednesdays at 6:30PM in the Life Center and plays on Sundays at the 11:00AM Service. Ability to ready music is necessary.
The Chancel Choir rehearses on Thursdays at 6:30PM in the Historic Sanctuary and sings Sundays at the 11:00AM Service.
Please contact David Bellows for more information or questions.
Soli Deo Gloria!
David Bellows
Director of Music Ministries
This Sunday's Music - April 24, 2022 - 11:00 AM Service
Prelude: A Festive Trumpet Tune – D. Wagner
Opening Hymn: 310 He Lives
Offertory Solo: Alleluia, Christ Is Risen! – J. Kirkby
Debbie Loomis, Soloist
Closing Hymn: 303 The Day Of Resurrection
Postlude: Rigaudon – A. Campra
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Discipleship Opportunities |
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View a complete list of groups at 1st Church HERE
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New Study - Just for Moms! |
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Want to be set free from the pressures of being "MOM?" Join us for the Mom Set Free Bible Study! The study will begin April 13th and meet for 8 weeks in Room 13, 12:30 - 2pm.
The cost of the book is $15. If you are in need of child care, please register your children, with their ages HERE! |
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A gathering of men who seek a more complete Christian understanding of the teaching of Jesus. Men of Faith meet in Lenox Hall on Thursdays from 9-10:30am under the leadership of Pastor Bill Grant. The group uses the daily study guide, My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, as a start for each weeks' discussion. The daily study guide is available free at the gathering. Many of the group come from other churches, so invite your friends. |
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2022 Bible Reading Schedules |
We want to encourage you to join us as we once again read through the Bible. Start your new year off right by committing to read God's Word!
Download the 2022 reading guide HERE.
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Worship Service Information |
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If you are planning on attending our services please remember the following:
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Masks are now optional for those that are fully vaccinated.
- Social distancing is still encouraged. Families may sit together, but please leave three seats between you and others not in your family.
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If you are feverish or not feeling well, we ask that you stay home and join us online on our Facebook and YouTube channels.
At this time, you may only enter the Life Center through the main entrance facing the Fellowship Hall courtyard. All other exterior doors will be locked. We'll see you Sunday!
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NOTE: The April 24th 8am Praise in the Park service will be held in the Sanctuary. |
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Join us this Sunday at 8 am for Praise in the Park! Open to everyone, this is your opportunity to join us for "in-person" worship as we enjoy God's scenery from the lawn of the beautiful Gilchrist Park Pavilion, weather permitting of course. If it is or has been raining (or is too cold), Praise in the Park will relocate to our historic Sanctuary. Time may not always be sufficient to get the word out, so in case of inclement weather, please proceed to the Sanctuary.
Please plan to bring your lawn chairs and/or blankets, and, yes, we will be asking you to practice social distancing. Don't forget to join our "Praise in the Park" group on our Church App! As a reminder, our outside services are always subject to change due to the weather. Please make sure you are connected with us through the app, our email list, or social media to receive our updates concerning schedule changes. See you Sunday for Praise in the Park!
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FOLLOW US & JOIN US THIS SUNDAY FOR WORSHIP LIVE AT 11 AM
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Office Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9am - 4pm
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