In-Person and Livestreamed

Worship Service

First United Methodist Church of Naples

Sunday Service 10:15 am

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10th Sunday after Pentecost

August 14, 2022

From the Pastor

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

I pray that you have felt God close to you all week, always remembering how much God loves you and never leaves your side. I am excited about seeing you all again in worship tomorrow, either online or in-person.

I hope you enjoyed meeting Mary Lou Cottingham-Traylor and Bob Traylor last week during our New Member Sunday. We will do another one late this month if you are interested in formalizing your relationship with this faith community (scroll down for more info.) Thanks for making Mary Lou and Bob feel so welcome.

Our Methodist Day School, preschool and VPK, had a wonderful first week of school. Be sure to scroll down for some photos of the fun they had. Please continue to keep our MDS children, their families and our teachers in prayer!

Please continue to pray for those who need your prayers (scroll down to the bottom of this Eblast). Let me know if I, or the church, can be praying for YOU for anything specific. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, either in-person or online.

Love and Blessings,

Pastor Nancy

pastor@fumcnaples.org

IMPORTANT NOTICE! DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that you may not be getting a portion of your Eblast because Gmail and some other email programs are cutting off the bottom? You may be missing important articles, photos and our Prayer List! How to find out? If you get to the bottom and have not seen the Prayer List or our MDS Preschool photos, then you know there has been a cut-off. After you reach what looks like the end, you may see a little note down at the bottom that says something like: “Click here to view all” or “Click here to continue.” Press that and you will see what you are missing that has been cut-off!

 This Sunday's Online Worship Service

If you aren’t able to make it to in-person worship on Sundays, you can watch it online “live” at 10:15 am or you can watch the “recorded” version anytime that is convenient for you by clicking on the box below. We generally start showing announcement slides at 10:05 as people are coming into the sanctuary and then the actual worship service starts at 10:15. 

You can also find this link by going to our web page, our Facebook page, or directly to www.youtube.com In the Search box at the top of the YouTube page, type "First UMC Naples" and press enter. On the next screen go down until you see "First UMC Naples - Sunday Worship - Rev Nancy Mayeux - 08 14 2022". Click on that title, or the picture next to it, to see the “live” broadcast. 

Blessings as you watch and participate. Be sure to share the link for live or recorded versions of our service with your friends and family, so they can join you in worship!

Life & Faith Lesson

Rev Nancy Mayeux

What Kind of a Friend

Are You?

The Bible has some great stories about friendship and friends who risked their lives for one another or made great sacrifices for their friends whom they loved. For me, I have two favorites in the Old Testament. In the Book of Ruth, we learn of a special, self-sacrificing and loyal friendship. Ruth and Orpah married two Judean brothers and they settled in Moab due to a drought. Both of their husbands and their father-in-law died. Naomi, their mother-in-law, decided to go back to Bethlehem and suggested the two women return to their families. Orpah did just that, but Ruth said, “Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die—there will I be buried.” She accompanied Naomi and has always been a symbol of great loyalty and devotion. 

The other great friendship I like is that of Israel’s future King, David, and Prince Jonathan, the son of Saul who was jealous of David. Jonathan was a great warrior who was honest and willing to face death. After David killed Goliath, Jonathan became especially close with him and made a covenant with David stripping himself of his robe and armor (his privilege and position) and gave it all to David. The Bible tells us that he loved David “as himself”. The covenant was unilateral. He knew that David was God’s anointed one, he loved him, and he conferred his throne to his friend. This was self-sacrificing love. Read the story sometime in 1 Samuel. 

The Scripture reading for tomorrow includes Jesus’ words to his disciples, telling them that he is their friend, and he defines that friendship… a definition that applies to you and me today, as he counts each of us as his friend. Jesus said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” He did that for you!  Are you that kind of a friend for anyone? Are you Jesus’ friend? Come tomorrow to learn more about true friendship. See you at 10:15 either in-person or online through YouTube (scroll down for link).

Scripture: John 15: 12-17

Masks Are Optional but “Highly Recommended”

 

Because of the high number of COVID cases, including people from our own congregation, we are “highly recommending” masks be worn indoors at church, but not mandating it. If you still want to feel safer, please sit in our “Comfort Zone” where masks ARE required. Ask an usher to take you there (the back, East section of sanctuary seating). We will have extra masks at the door if you need one. Please try to social distance indoors in our sanctuary, and stagger your departure so everyone does not bunch up in the aisles as you are exiting. Let’s forgo indoor hugs and handshakes for now. Please try to save your congregating and chatting for outdoors, where it is safer for everyone. Let’s continue to show love to our neighbors.

Altar Flower Dedication

Our altar flowers this Sunday are given by the ladies of our United Women in Faith (United Methodist Women) and dedicated to Jackson Parry. We congratulate him and are all proud of him for his upcoming student exchange experience in Spain. We ask everyone to please keep him in prayer during this next year! 

Altar Flower Ministry

Every week, you have the opportunity to purchase Sunday worship altar flowers and dedicate them to the memory of someone who was special to you or to honor someone who presently needs to be recognized! The cost is $40. All future dates are presently open this summer. Purchase and dedication can be arranged by sending an email to Jaimie Dandridge at Admin@fumcnaples.org. Then you can either pick up your flowers after church or donate them for us to take to organizations in our community, bringing a ray of sunshine to workers and volunteers.

 Would You Like to Join Us at our

Next Membership Sunday?

If you attended worship last Sunday, you surely met Mary Lou Cottingham-Traylor and her husband Bob Traylor. Marylou joined our faith community as a Professing Member, transferring from her previous Methodist church in Pennsylvania. Bob joined us as a Friend of the Church, as he maintains his membership in his Catholic church. Thank you for making them feel so welcome!

If you’re thinking about formalizing your relationship with this congregation, we will have another “New Member Sunday” in a few weeks.    If you are interested in knowing more about what it means to be a member here and to be a United Methodist, just send me an email at: pastor@fumcnaples.org . I will get in touch with you, and we can meet and explore this together. After we meet, if you think you’d like to join, we will make this happen at one of our upcoming Membership Sundays. If nothing else, our meeting will help us to get to know each other better! Keep in mind, that you can still keep your regular membership at your United Methodist Church up north (or even another denomination) and join us here in Naples as an Affiliate or Associate member.

From Our Bishop, Ken Carter

Seven Reasons Why I Love

the United Methodist Church

Any of you who know me, or have listened to my preaching, know that I love being a United Methodist. I love so many things about this denomination and am grateful that this is where God led me when I was called into ministry. Last week I included something from our Florida Bishop, Ken Carter, about the denomination. I’d like to include something this week as well. He posted this back in late April, but of course, it is still valid today. I have to say that this sums up many of the reasons I am glad to be here! I thought you might enjoy reading this, especially if you are new and thinking about joining us. Just press on the link below for his comments. 

Pastor Nancy

How Can You Support the Financial Ministries

of This Church?

Thank you once again for your faithful financial support of your church. Please remember that your giving is a form of worship. Your gifts allow us to help people to know Jesus, to grow in their faith and to serve Him as we help those in need.

Donations may be brought to worship on Sunday, dropped off during the week or mailed to: 

First United Methodist Church of Naples

388 First Avenue South

Naples, FL 34102

OR you can click on the box below to make an online donation. If you have any questions regarding the finances of this church, please send an email to our Treasurer, Jeffrey Currier: jeffreylcurrier@gmail.com

Last Sunday's Service

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 Do You Wrestle? which was preached by Rev Nancy Mayeux and based on Genesis 32:22-31

We’ve Packed 245,000 Meals!

Help Feed Hungry People in our Community

Thank you for helping to feed hungry families. Food insecurity has been a major challenge for families throughout the pandemic, and especially now, with food prices soaring. During the last 18 months, we have packed 245,000 meals for families in need! Help us be Jesus’ hands and feet in the world and show the love of Christ to others by participating:

1. Bring in food or financial contributions earmarked for “Food Ministry” and we will deliver to either Grace Place or St. Matthew’s House for their food pantries.
2. Volunteer to come help pack food for 1.5 hours on an upcoming packing day. To sign up, contact Wendy McKee, our food-packing coordinator, at WendyMckee3@gmail.com. She will schedule you. It’s lots of fun!

Need to Reach Us? Here’s How!



We are available to you! Our church office is open Monday-Thursday, 9:00am to 2:00pm.  Food can be dropped off during office hours or on Sundays when you come to worship. The church phone will be answered during office hours. For pastoral emergencies, when the office is closed, just call the office and you will hear the Pastor’s personal cell number listed on the message you hear. The pastor is off on Mondays, as her Sabbath day, but will respond to pastoral emergencies. 

Call the church office: (239) 262-1033

Email us: admin@fumcnaples.org  or

Mail contributions to:

First United Methodist Church, 388 First Ave S, Naples FL 34102

Make online donations by clicking the link below:

Please Pray!

Please continue to pray for the urgent prayer needs of everyone in our faith family below. Praise God for answered prayers! We have been able to take a few names off our prayer list. Most especially notable are two babies that are out of the hospital and home now! Please don’t forget to thank God for all your blessings while you are sharing your personal prayer petitions with God this week!

Got a prayer request of your own? You can email it to me directly by responding to this Eblast (just press “reply” and it comes to me). You can also fill out a blue prayer card from the pews on Sunday. Just let me know if you want it public (person’s name and no other details) or if you would like private prayer from me.  

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 COVID-19, recovering from surgery, receiving radiation or chemotherapy for cancer, recent deaths, 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 privately: pastor@fumcnaples.org.

• John (Ivan) Woronchuk and family (Brother of Walter Jaworsky)

• Baby Abby Joy and parents (Family of Lisa Passeri)
• Sue ReBell (Sister in law of Marie and Dick Evans)
• Beth Tatman (friend of the Mayeux family)
• Norman Lambert (Requested by Judy Margrey and Leo Poisson)
• Lynn Bullock (Daughter of Shirley Maas)
• Chris Grimshaw (Member and husband of Christine Grimshaw)
• David Adkins (Brother of Karen Parry)
• Wendy Moyer (Member)
• Tom Headley (Nephew of Pat Schanke)
• Stephen MacTurk (Son of Mary Lou Riccio)
• Diane Langley (Friend of Norine Tempelman)

• Family of Valya Staruchin, Januk, Orysia and family, Irina and family (Three families of the Jaworsky's in Ukraine)
•  Gary and Glenn (Friends of the Emory’s)
• Sam (brother-in-law of Karen Bach)
• Ann Boren (Member)
• Joseph Halizak (Friend of Marie and Dick Evans)
• Karen Kirk (Cousin of Marie Evans)
• Rosa Fogle (Family of Thelma and Al Johnson)
• All the many unspoken requests and needs of our congregation and their loved ones.

 Special Prayer List 

(Updated July 24) 

 Wondering what else to pray for each day? Here are some suggestions!

Our Methodist Day School Had a

Great First Day of School!

We had a great first day of school at our Methodist Day School, preschool and VPK, this past week! Our two-year-old’s are adjusting to being away from home for the first time and getting to try new things, and our 3’s and VPK children are excited to be back! Please always keep our preschoolers and their families, as well as our teachers, in your prayers!  

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS

Church Office is open Monday – Thursday, 9:00am – 2:00pm. Outside of office hours, please call the church office and leave a message. For pastoral emergencies, you will be given a number, in the message, on how to reach the pastor.