DECEMBER 2019 Newsletter Oakhurst United …...2019/12/12  · DECEMBER 2019 Newsletter Oakhurst...

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DECEMBER 2019 Newsletter Oakhurst United Methodist Church PASTORS PEN DID YOU KNOW? “Timeless appeal.” Have you ever heard that phrase before? Timeless appeal, that to me describes the Christmas story. Everybody loves a rags to riches story, and how can you get a better rags to riches story than a guy born in a stable who goes on to become the King of kings and Lord of lords? Everybody loves a story about an underdog who overcomes amazing odds to succeed. How can you find a better story than that a man is brutally murdered yet miraculously brought back to life? Eve- ryone loves a mystery. How can you find a better mystery than that a man is able to walk on water, heal the blind and raise the dead? Combine all of those elements together in one story and no wonder the Bible is the best selling book of all times. All the elements of the amazing story of Jesus are present at his birth: he was conceived in a virgin by the power of God in the Holy Spirit; his birth was celebrated in the heavens with the presence of a special star, celebrated on earth by a multi- tude of angels, and by a visit from wise men bearing gifts. From there it only gets better, by words and actions he teaches us to know God as was never done before; through his miracles he demonstrates the reality of God and the love of God, and he proclaims to us that the love of God is offered to every single one of us. Then, inexplicably, religious leaders of God’s holy people, are blind to the presence of God in their midst. They take the amazing, beautiful Son of God, who teaches only love, and they subject him to almost unimaginable cruelty, and the most hor- rible of deaths. When I think about the suffering Jesus en- dured I can hardly take it in, hardly believe it – how could they do that to anyone, let alone him of all people?!! But God was willing to send him and he was willing to endure it all, because they love us so much they want us to know that an acceptable atonement for our sins has been made, and therefore all of our sins are forgiven. Thank the Lord God Almighty that He also raised His son back to life so that we can know that his promis- es to us that we too can rise to eternal are valid. All of these things and more are contained in the birth of Je- sus: the light of the world, the light of God coming into our world, and the darkness has not, can not, and never will over- come it. Through our faith as Christians we become a part of the body of Christ, a part of the Light of God in the World, be- cause he lives in us through the Holy Spirit. I still feel the power of the amazing miraculous story of the life of Jesus each year as I celebrate his birth in our Sunday Ad- vent services and in the candlelight worship services on Christ- mas Eve. Please join me and Pastor Nathan and our praise band, choir and worship leaders this Christmas season and Christmas Eve. Our Christmas Eve services will be: 5 p.m. Children’s & family candlelight worship service in the Sanctuary 6 p.m. Hors D’oeuvres & Dessert in the Foundry 6:30 p.m. Celebration cantata candlelight worship service in the Foundry 8:00 p.m. Traditional candlelight service with Holy Commun- ion in the Sanctuary I also want to invite you to join us in the honoring the main point of the celebration of Jesus’ birth - focusing our hearts and minds again on the magnitude of the gift that Jesus birth, life, teachings, atoning death and glorious resurrection, so that all the beauty and power of the season may wash over us. As we head into this New Year I have two prayer resolutions I want to ask you to join me in making: 1. I will pray every day this year to be filled with the Holy Spirit and His joy, light and peace. 2. I will pray that God will add 40 new members to our church in 2020 so we can continue to serve God effectively in this place. May the light of Christ burn brightly in your heart and in our church in 2020! In His Joy Tim

Transcript of DECEMBER 2019 Newsletter Oakhurst United …...2019/12/12  · DECEMBER 2019 Newsletter Oakhurst...

Page 1: DECEMBER 2019 Newsletter Oakhurst United …...2019/12/12  · DECEMBER 2019 Newsletter Oakhurst United Methodist Church PASTOR’S PEN DID YOU KNOW? “Timeless appeal.” Have you

DECEMBER 2019 Newsletter

Oakhurst United Methodist Church

PASTOR’S PEN

DID YOU KNOW?

“Timeless appeal.” Have you ever heard that phrase before?

Timeless appeal, that to me describes the Christmas story.

Everybody loves a rags to riches story, and how can you get a

better rags to riches story than a guy born in a stable who goes

on to become the King of kings and Lord of lords? Everybody

loves a story about an underdog who overcomes amazing odds

to succeed. How can you find a better story than that a man is

brutally murdered yet miraculously brought back to life? Eve-

ryone loves a mystery. How can you find a better mystery than

that a man is able to walk on water, heal the blind and raise

the dead?

Combine all of those elements together in one story and no

wonder the Bible is the best selling book of all times.

All the elements of the amazing story of Jesus are present at

his birth: he was conceived in a virgin by the power of God in

the Holy Spirit; his birth was celebrated in the heavens with

the presence of a special star, celebrated on earth by a multi-

tude of angels, and by a visit from wise men bearing gifts.

From there it only gets better, by words and actions he teaches

us to know God as was never done before; through his miracles

he demonstrates the reality of God and the love of God, and he

proclaims to us that the love of God is offered to every single

one of us.

Then, inexplicably, religious leaders of God’s holy people, are

blind to the presence of God in their midst. They take the

amazing, beautiful Son of God, who teaches only love, and they

subject him to almost unimaginable cruelty, and the most hor-

rible of deaths. When I think about the suffering Jesus en-

dured I can hardly take it in, hardly believe it – how could they

do that to anyone, let alone him of all people?!! But God was

willing to send him and he was willing to endure it all, because

they love us so much they want us to know that an acceptable

atonement for our sins has been made, and therefore all of our

sins are forgiven. Thank the Lord God Almighty that He also

raised His son back to life so that we can know that his promis-

es to us that we too can rise to eternal are valid.

All of these things and more are contained in the birth of Je-

sus: the light of the world, the light of God coming into our

world, and the darkness has not, can not, and never will over-

come it. Through our faith as Christians we become a part of

the body of Christ, a part of the Light of God in the World, be-

cause he lives in us through the Holy Spirit.

I still feel the power of the amazing miraculous story of the life

of Jesus each year as I celebrate his birth in our Sunday Ad-

vent services and in the candlelight worship services on Christ-

mas Eve. Please join me and Pastor Nathan and our praise

band, choir and worship leaders this Christmas season and

Christmas Eve. Our Christmas Eve services will be:

5 p.m. Children’s & family candlelight worship service in the

Sanctuary

6 p.m. Hors D’oeuvres & Dessert in the Foundry

6:30 p.m. Celebration cantata candlelight worship service in

the Foundry

8:00 p.m. Traditional candlelight service with Holy Commun-

ion in the Sanctuary

I also want to invite you to join us in the honoring the main

point of the celebration of Jesus’ birth - focusing our hearts

and minds again on the magnitude of the gift that Jesus birth,

life, teachings, atoning death and glorious resurrection, so that

all the beauty and power of the season may wash over us. As

we head into this New Year I have two prayer resolutions I

want to ask you to join me in making: 1. I will pray every day

this year to be filled with the Holy Spirit and His joy, light and

peace. 2. I will pray that God will add 40 new members to our

church in 2020 so we can continue to serve God effectively in

this place. May the light of Christ burn brightly in your heart

and in our church in 2020!

In His Joy Tim

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DECEMBER CALENDAR

December 1 (SUNDAY)

COMMUNION

8:15am Light Breakfast

8:45am Contemporary Worship

10:00am Adult SS

10:00am Children’s SS

10:00am Traditional Worship

11:00am Coffee Fellowship

11:30am Adult SS

December 2 (MONDAY)

9:30am Craft Group

5:00pm Tai Chi Class

6:00pm Girl Scouts 1298

7:15pm Boy Scouts

December 3 (TUESDAY)

6:30pm AA Big Book Study

7:00pm Civil Air Patrol

7:00pm Church Council

December 4 (WEDNESDAY)

10:00am Bell Practice

10:30am UMW Unit Meeting

1:00pm Wonderful Wednesdays

5:00pm Tai Chi Class

7:00pm Joy Band Practice

8:00pm AA, Alanon Meeting

December 5 (THURSDAY)

8:00am LIFT CHRISTMAS PLAY

8:00am Men’s Prayer Breakfast

3:00pm Each One Teach One

7:00pm Choir Practice

8:00pm Drug Addicts Anon.

December 6 (FRIDAY)

8:30am Suncoast Sandpipers

10:00am Thrift Store open

December 7 (SATURDAY)

8:00pm AA Big Book Study

December 8 (SUNDAY)

8:15am Light Breakfast

8:45am Contemporary Worship

10:00am Adult SS

10:00am Children’s SS

10:00am Traditional Worship

11:00am Coffee Fellowship

11:30am Adult SS

December 9 (MONDAY)

9:30am Craft Group

5:00pm Tai Chi Class

7:00pm Trustees Meeting

7:15pm Boy Scouts

December 10 (TUESDAY)

6:30pm AA Big Book Study

7:00pm Civil Air Patrol

7:00pm Missions Meeting

December 11 (WEDNESDAY)

10:00am Bell Practice

10:30am Mary/Martha

1:00pm Wonderful Wednesdays

5:00pm Tai Chi Class

6:15pm Girl Scouts 1246

7:00pm Finance Meeting

7:00pm Joy Band Practice

8:00pm AA, Alanon Meeting

December 12 (THURSDAY)

8:00am Men’s Prayer Breakfast

10:00am MEA-VITA Dr. Cate

3:00pm Each One Teach One

6:00pm Street Ministry

7:00pm Choir Practice

8:00pm Drug Addicts Anon.

December 13 (FRIDAY)

10:00am Thrift Store Open

6:00pm Girl Scouts 1223

December 14 (SATURDAY

8:00pm AA Big Book Study

December 15 (SUNDAY)

9:30 am CANTATA

10:00am Adult SS

10:00am Children’s SS

10:30am Coffee Fellowship

11:00am CANTATA

11:30am Adult SS

December 16 (MONDAY)

9:30am Craft Group

5:00pm Tai Chi Class

6:00pm Girl Scouts 1298

7:15pm Boy Scouts

December 17 (TUESDAY)

6:30pm AA Big Book

7:00pm Civil Air Patrol

December 18 (WEDNESDAY)

LIFT CHRISTMAS BREAK

10:00am Bell Practice

1:00pm Wonderful Wednesdays

5:00pm Tai Chi Class

7:00pm Joy Band Practice

8:00pm AA, Alanon Meeting

December 19 (THURSDAY)

LIFT CHRISTMAS BREAK

8:00am Men’s Prayer Breakfast

3:00pm Each One Teach One

7:00pm Choir Practice

8:00pm Drug Addicts Anon.

December 20 (FRIDAY)

LIFT CHRISTMAS BREAK

10:00am Thrift Store Open

December 21 (SATURDAY)

LIFT CHRISTMAS BREAK

8:00pm AA Big Book Study

December 22 (SUNDAY)

LIFT CHRISTMAS BREAK

8:15am Light Breakfast

8:45am Contemporary Worship

10:00am Adult SS

10:00am Children’s SS

10:00am Traditional Worship

11:00am Coffee Fellowship

11:30am Adult SS

December 23 (MONDAY)

LIFT CHRISTMAS BREAK

9:30am Craft Group

7:15pm Boy Scouts

December 24 (TUESDAY)

LIFT CHRISTMAS BREAK

5:00pm Family Service

6:00pm Street Ministry

6:30pm Contemporary Service

6:30pm AA Big Book Study

7:00pm Civil Air Patrol

7:00pm Joy Circle

8:00pm Traditional Service

December 25 (WEDNESDAY)

CHRISTMAS DAY

OFFICE CLOSED

LIFT CHRISTMAS BREAK

December 26 (THURSDAY)

OFFICE CLOSED

LIFT CHRISTMAS BREAK

8:00am Men’s Prayer Breakfast

3:00pm Each One Teach One

8:00pm Drug Addicts Anon.

December 27 (FRIDAY)

LIFT CHRISTMAS BREAK

8:00pm Girl Scouts 1223

December 28 (SATURDAY)

LIFT CHRISTMAS BREAK

8:00pm AA Big Book Study

December 29 (SUNDAY)

LIFT CHRISTMAS BREAK

8:15am Light Breakfast

8:45am Contemporary Worship

10:00am Adult SS

10:00am Children’s SS

10:00am Traditional Worship

11:00am Coffee Fellowship

11:30am Adult SS

December 30 (MONDAY)

LIFT CHRISTMAS BREAK

9:30am Craft Group

7:15pm Boy Scouts

December 31 (TUESDAY)

Lift Christmas break

6:30pm AA Big Book Study

7:00pm Civil Air Patrol

DECEMBER

BIRTHDAYS

12/01 Ed Wirth

12/04 Carol Jones

Cindy Strobhar

12/05 Tammy Montchal

12/08 Lynda Campbell

Olivia Scodius

Patty Mallett

12/09 Joan Morewood

Sue Golub

12/10 June Roberts

12/11 Randy Lawson

Jacquelyn Rennie

12/12 Alexa Schmidt

Carolyn Miller

12/17 Nick Griffiths

12/18 George Francey

12/20 Troy Mashburn

12/21 Jack Tunstill

12/22 Reg Thayer

Scott Strobhar

Caitlin McKelvey

12/23 James Allen, Jr.

12/24 Gene Jackson

12/26 Keith Jenneke

Keith Kirkwood

Nathaniel Johnson

12/30 Robert Dubois

12/31 Milton O’Neal

BOOK NEWS

New Releases Available Outside the Fellowship Hall

BUILDING YOUR SPIRITUAL PALACE by Pastor Tim .

HISTORICAL FRAGMENTS by Dr. Leeds’

The proceeds of both books go to Missions.

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Congregational Care Ministries Thanksgiving has past and Christmas is almost here. With the

season of Joy, Peace, Hope, and Love almost upon us, let us

remember that not all people experience these manifold

expressions of God. This provides an opportunity (and a caution)

for those of us who do experience such expressions of God’s love

and presence during this time to share them with others. I

encourage you to reach out to someone if you need a listening

ear or a companion during this season. If you have been blessed

with love overflowing, reach out, gently, to your neighbor to

share God’s love and support them in their struggles during this

time of year.

I have included below an article on prayer written by a seminary

colleague of mine who lost a child to suicide near the holiday

season. She reflects on this epidemic that continues to grip our

country – especially veterans and young people. While this seems

a sad and sobering topic, the holiday season marks an especially

dark time of year for many and this may just provide the timely

word you need to pray with others considering suicide or who

lose a loved one to this event.

May peace be with you during this season and always.

In Christ,

Pastor Nathan, Associate Pastor

SUICIDE

The Rev. Mary Robin Craig ’10, Pastor, Spiritual Director, and Suicide Prevention/Mental Health Advocate

I am counted among those who go down to the Pit; I am like those who have no help, like those forsaken among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand (Ps 88:4-5).

These poignant verses express some of the pathos both of persons contemplating suicide and people who have lost a loved one to suicide. It is important to recognize that praying with people contemplating suicide is a dis-tinct topic from praying with people grieving loss from suicide. In the former situation, it is essential that the individual involved find help from a qualified and experi-enced counseling professional, as well as receive spiritu-al guidance and support. Since most of us are unquali-fied to assess whether someone is suicidal, it is crucial to learn what questions to ask and what to do if you are at all concerned about someone’s safety and need to guide him or her to appropriate assistance. (For help in doing so, see the organizations listed below.)

Individuals grieving the loss of a loved one from suicide often need help from a qualified and experienced coun-seling professional, too. And they also need spiritual guidance and support. But the call to pray with someone

who has suffered such a loss can be terrifying. What does it mean that a beloved friend or family member has seemingly made a choice against life, has taken ac-tion in a way that violates the basic human instinct in favor of self-preservation? A parent has died, rather than persevere to care for a child; a child has ended a life that his or her parents and grandparents cherish far more than their own; a sibling has communicated to brothers and sisters that their shared life experience is not worth sustaining. Those who die by suicide do terri-ble violence to their bodies; they often die alone and in deep psychic pain. The horror of the event is indescriba-ble. The anguish and guilt experienced by those left be-hind render them inconsolable. How in the world can you pray with someone who feels, every day, that she has been rejected and forsaken by a loved one and, quite possibly, by God as well, or that he has been flung into the endless depths of a dark well of despair?

It can help to learn something about suicide loss before trying to pray with someone who has experienced it firsthand. It can help to know that experts estimate that 90 percent of deaths by suicide are a consequence of undiagnosed and/or untreated mental illness. Excepting those making considered decisions in response to life-diminishing illnesses, people do not “choose” to die, nor do they choose to hurt or damage those they love. They have not “committed” a crime. People who die by sui-cide are trying to end intolerable pain.

It can help to know that their loved ones, in addition to being left with the word “Why?” echoing throughout the remainder of their lives, will usually be devastated and immobilized by guilt and shame. They often wonder either why they didn’t do more to help the person they have lost, or how it can be that they didn’t even know the depth of their loved one’s pain, and they are horri-fied to realize that their loved one, the beneficiary of love and support from others, has “thrown it all away.”

It can help to realize that survivors will bump into the stigma of suicide where they least expect it—a refusal to conduct a funeral, avoidance by acquaintances in the street, intimations that they are to blame. It can help to know they are often angered and hurt by the responses of others.

Praying with someone about loss from suicide is not the time for casual platitudes about God’s plan or God’s supposed need for another angel in heaven. It is most especially not a time to try to tell a survivor—someone who has lived through a loved one’s death by suicide—those often misquoted words, “God never gives us more than we can handle” (erroneously based on 1 Corinthi-ans 10:13, which specifically addresses temptation to sin, not endurance of grief). To say in these circumstanc-es that God is implicated in some sort of test of continued over

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Congregational Care Ministries Continued

one’s capacity for managing traumatic experiences may result in the suicide survivor’s further dismay and alienation from God. Neither is it the time to say, “I know how you feel,” since (unless you yourself are a survivor) you do not know, nor to say, “I can’t imag-ine.” The latter comment establishes a barrier be-tween you and someone who already feels isolated from others, and it conveys a sense that what has happened is so awful that you cannot bear to enter into the experience even as a companion.

Prayer with a person experiencing loss from suicide is a time to listen, to sit still, and to be present. It is a time to make space for expressions of rage, of agony, of aston-ishment, and of rejection of faith. It is a time to make it possible for stories to be told about loved ones now gone. “Tell me what your mother is like.” “What is one of your favorite memories?” You might ask someone how he or she imagines the moments after the loved one’s death. You do not have to find those ideas com-patible with your own or give a lecture about Christian doctrine—your call is to offer the survivor the gift of attentive listening. It can be difficult to remember that companionship and prayer in silence can be much more effective than words, no matter how eloquent, when the unthinkable has happened. A willingness to stay with someone through the wilderness is of far more sig-nificance than the most profound speech made in an attempt to lead someone prematurely into a space of healing.

I have asked a number of suicide survivors what they have found most helpful in prayer. Many of them men-tion the Psalms, as well as fiction and poetry in which sorrow is articulated and assurances of God’s boundless love are found. For survivors who are tormented by questions of life after death, books containing reassur-ing depictions of heaven can be helpful. Psalm 88, the only one of the psalms of lament in which there is no articulation of a turning point toward gratitude and hope, can be deeply meaningful to people who wonder whether any passages in the Bible bear witness to their feelings. (It might be noted that, despite conveying des-pair, Psalm 88 is addressed to God and reflects a dark confidence that God will hear the psalmist’s angry and even sarcastic entreaties.)

Suicide survivors are living the consequences of a loved one’s having reached a point beyond what was tolera-ble, but the loved one’s arrival at that destination was not the work of God. The scriptural path for survivors of

suicide leads, I think, toward Romans 8:38-39 and Reve-lation 21:4—passages well worth sharing with someone who has known this loss, though even these passages may be too much for a survivor to bear at first. When the immediate experience of catastrophe passes, those left behind encounter the crushing realization that their loved one died with a wearying and excruciating sense of emptiness and separation from God, from love—from however their loved one might have characterized the Holy in his or her life. Our hope can be that, someday, the survivor(s) of suicide with whom you are praying will gain confidence in the assurance that, appearances to the contrary, there can be no separation from the love of God—that there will, indeed, be a New Creation in which God will wipe away every tear, and “mourning and crying and pain will be no more.” We cannot force fractured spirits into such a conviction, but we can be present to them in the knowledge that our simple avail-ability will be a prayer in itself.

A possible prayer using words might be as follows: O God, from whom nothing can ever separate us, my dear-est (name of suicide survivor) is in your hands. Surround him/her with the light of your love and with assurances of love and safety. Help him/her to find a way to live again and to know that, even in the most desperate of situations and most disastrous of events, you are there—unseen and unheard, perhaps, but nevertheless present and active in our broken and hurting lives. These requests I make in the name of the One who came that we might live anew. Amen.

Poetry resources for prayer:

» Mary Oliver, “Love Sorrow” (in Red Bird [Boston: Beacon, 2009]), and “Heavy” (in Thirst [Boston: Beacon, 2007])

» Billy Collins, “The Wires of the Night” (in Ques-tions about Angels [Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1999])

» Emily Dickinson, “After great pain, a formal feel-ing comes—” (in The Poems of Emily Dickinson: Reading Edition, ed. Ralph W. Franklin, Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1998, 1999)

Organizations with help for those who are suicidal and for those who have experienced suicide loss include:

» The American Foundation for Suicide Preven-tion, www.afsp.org

» Alliance of Hope for Suicide Survivors, www.allianceofhope.org

» Soul Shop: Ministering to Suicidal Desperation, www.soulshopmovement.org

» Action Alliance, http://actionallianceforsuicideprevention. org/faith-communities-task-force

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Good sleep is absolutely essential for good health. We used to

think of sleep as a passive activity, but it’s not. Sleep allows

our brain to recharge, and is essential for metabolism, mood,

and memory. REM sleep, where dreams occur, is the most

restorative portion of the cycle.

Many studies have supported the association between normal

glucose insulin metabolism and getting adequate sleep. We

know that patients who do not sleep well are at a higher risk

for diabetes, obesity, and even cardiovascular disease. Poor

sleep also contributes to an increased risk of depression,

anxiety, and other mood disorders.

Stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline are regulated down during sleep, which helps us

feel less moody, more rested, and better able to cope with life’s daily demands. In addition,

research has shown that people with lower stress hormone levels have better memory function

than people with high stress hormone levels. Many of the endocrine system hormones, like those

that regulate ovulation and pituitary function, are released during sleep.

Good sleep hygiene helps us sleep to our maximum potential. An environment conducive to

restful, uninterrupted sleep includes a dark, quiet, cool room with no electronic devices at the

bedside. Avoid watching television or using your tablet or smartphone for at least 30 minutes

before going to sleep. If falling or staying asleep is a challenge, minimize your intake of caffeine

and/or alcohol. Seven hours of sleep for most people is an ideal amount, but there are individual

variations; you may need less or more than seven hours to feel fully rested, alert, and clear-

headed.

Bottom line: Pay attention to your sleep pattern, and work to make it a contributor to your overall

good health. If efforts to improve sleep duration or quality are unsuccessful, speak to your doctor

about possible causes and be evaluated by a sleep specialist if necessary—there simply is no

substitute for getting enough sleep.

This time of year brings many activities, parties, company, etc. If you have increased stress during

the holidays, it can definitely affect your sleep. Make sure you eat right and exercise to decrease

stress. You will enjoy the holidays more if you have a good night’s sleep.

Written by Orli R. Etingin, MD

Editor-in-Chief, Women’s Health Advisor

The Center for Women’s Healthcare

Weill Medical College of Cornell University

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Youth Group Happenings Our youth group continues to meet twice a

month. We have a fantastic group of dedicated youth in

this congregation. Though you don’t see them in front of

the church often, behind the scenes many of them

volunteer throughout the year to help with feeding

ministry, VBS, and other activities at the church. I

encourage you to stop and talk with them if you see

them around, and continue to encourage any youth you

know to contact me so that we can get them involved.

If you would like to volunteer to work with the youth of

our congregation, please contact me at [email protected] or call the church office at

727-391-4769. If you know of a youth who would benefit from this sort of gathering, please

direct them to get in touch with me for up to date meeting times and locations through

contacting me at the same information as previously mentioned.

In Christ,

Pastor Nathan, Youth Pastor and Assistant Pastor

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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Apportionments

Apportionment Categories and Current 2019/2020 Status

The current actual dollar amount of apportionments paid through October = $35,165.53 Cur-

rent % of apportionments paid through October, 2019 = 56.29% of $62,477.00

Current deficit for 2019 as of the end of October = $27,311.47

As of October 30th, there were (5 of 13) apportionment categories paid at 100%:

The Categories of the General Church Apportionments funds:

World Service Fund – Paid 100%

Episcopal Fund – Paid 100%

Interdenominational Coop Fund - Paid 100%

General Administration Fund – OWE $1,185.00

Ministerial Education Fund – Owe $3,370.00

Black College Fund - OWE $1344.00

Africa University Fund –OWE $301.00

Jurisdictional Administration Fund – OWE $202.00

The Categories of the Florida Conference and Gulf Central District Apportionments

funds:

Clergy Support – Paid 100%

Conf Services and Admin Fund - Paid 100%

GC District Work Fund – Owe $4,884.72

Conference Benevolences – OWE $12,790.75

Equitable Compensation/Mission Support – OWE $3,234.

GOOD News! The Stewardship Campaign for 2020 has identified (30) pledges for apportion-

ment giving that totals $19,951. Compared to 2019, (10) pledges for $8,470, the 2020 pledge

amount is a significant increase in commitments to individual giving!

Praise God for this improved level of apportionment giving in 2020. There are many minis-

tries and programs of the United Methodist Church that are being benefited by our financial

support. The goal is 100% paid in 2020! Rick Jacobson, Interpreter of Connectional Giving

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TRUSTEES _________________________________________________________________________________

MR. CAR WASH coupons are back! Unfortunately the prices have gone up: Express Wash is now $7.00

and Full Service is $14.00. Trustees will be selling these during Coffee Fellowship after the 10 a.m.

service in front of Fellowship Hall. These prices are the same as you would pay at the actual Mr. Car

Wash locations, but we receive 50% of the profits on each coupon sold. These are good at any Mr. Car

Wash nationally located. The closest to the church is at 10471 Park Blvd, Seminole, across from Home

Depot and next to Culver’s. These make great Christmas, birthday, thank you gifts, stocking stuffers,

etc. Keep a couple in your glove compartment! Any questions, call Emma Dobies, Trustees Chair, 727-

391-2264.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A Qualified Charitable Distributions - Potential Tax Savings:

With the higher standard deductions that were put in place in

2018, many individuals can no longer use charitable distribu-

tions as a tax deduction. However, individuals over age 70 ½

may still have the opportunity to reduce their tax liability by

taking a “qualified charitable distribution” or QCD, from their

IRA. A QCD can be a tax efficient way to make a contribution

to Oakhurst UMC as it is not subject to ordinary federal income taxes – the amount is simply excluded

from income.

What is a QCD? In general, a QCD is a taxable distribution from your IRA, commonly referred to as a

Required Minimum Distribution or RMD, that is sent directly from your IRA custodian to the charitable

organization, such as Oakhurst. You must be age 70 ½ or older at the time of the distribution. And alt-

hough QCDs are counted towards your IRA RMD for the year, the amount of a QCD is not restricted to

the amount of your RMD, as a QCD can be an amount of up to $100,000 a year, per individual.

If you are interested in making a QCD, you should contact your financial advisor or tax professional to

see if a QCD might be a good tax savings strategy for you and to find out what procedures your IRA

custodian has in place for making a QCD. You can contact Tammy Pluskat at Oakhurst for information

on where to send the QCD. You can also leave a message at the church office for Bob Blain to contact

you if you want more information about QCDs. The phone number for Tammy or Bob is 727-391-4769.

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OUR MISSIONS ANGEL TREE

Bright smiles and sparkling eyes will be abundant when the gift-filled church van pulls up to Walsingham Elementary. Be an Angel for the little angels by providing toys, clothes, and books to the children of Walsingham Elementary and Lift Academy. The schools have identified children who are most vulnerable We will be supporting 60 from Walsingham and 12 from Lift. The trees will be placed in the narthex and the foundry with the tags on November 23rd. Please take a tag and sign the sheet with your name and

contact information. The wrapped gifts must be at the church by December 15th for distribution on December 16th. If you would like to help but cannot shop please make a donation to "angel tree". The schools and parents are most appreciative of our generosity. For information contact Jean Campbell at 727-871-0325

BLANKET SUNDAY December 8th is blanket Sunday. As the weather is cooling off, we are beginning to distribute blankets through the street ministry, tent city, and other local programs. We will be taking a special collection on Dec 8th for Church Worlds Service Blanket Program. This organization provides disaster relief efforts throughout the world. They can purchase and distribute blankets the for $10-mark your donations "Blankets" on your envelope or in the Oakhurst APP. We are now collecting blankets in the Blue Box outside Fellowship Hall.

BLUE BOX COLLECTIONS We are now collecting , blankets, jackets and warm weather gear in the Blue box. We will distribute these items locally. When serving at the street ministry, it is a special treat to be able to hand someone a hat or some gloves on a cold night. We are in particular need of menswear: shoes, jeans and shorts that suitable for manual work. Gently used children's clothing and shoes are also needed. Thanks for helping our local community.

SHOES FOR KIDS Oakhurst missions is again collecting money for children's shoes. We are hoping to distribute shoes to our "Angel Tree" children, and local school children though social workers or "Clothes to Kids". Many of you have commented that we no longer have the Payless gift card program . We are working on trying to negotiate deals with affordable shoe-stores. Shoes are approx. $25 per pair. If anyone has ideas for more obtaining affordable shoes, contact Dawn 727-392-8276

FOOD PANTRY The Interfaith Food Pantry is getting Bare. Non perishable food items are desperately needed at the local food pantry. Consider bringing in a box of cereal pasta and sauce, peanut butter and jelly or rice. The collection box is outside Fellowship Hall. Thanks for helping our community.

CUBA TRIP! We are now accepting applications for the February trip to our sister church in Colon Cuba. Pick up an application in the Church office- missions box. The deadline for turning in applications is December 15. For information contact Gary at [email protected]

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SIERRA LEONE MISSION UPDATE

Unpacking the Ministry of Nick & Heidi Griffiths

Serving in Sierra Leone beginning in 2021

When God Speaks

When people find out that we are missionaries, they’re often intrigued that someone would sell all of their belongings,

relocate their family across the globe and serve with people they don’t even know. It’s an odd thing for someone to do!

But for us, it’s what happens when God speaks…….You know that feeling you get in the depth of your heart when God

speaks to you? It’s quiet, but it’s like a fog horn to your soul. You know what God is asking you to do, you know it’s big-

ger than what you feel equipped for, and you can fight it, but our Creator remains steadfast in perusing us into His

mission.

Nick and I are ordinary people, there’s nothing special about us. We have normal jobs, our son is in high school, we

shop at Publix, nothing special. So when God spoke to our hearts many years ago about serving as full time

missionaries with a tribe, in the bush, in Africa, frankly, we were really scared! We didn’t speak the same language, eat

the same food or even go to the bathroom the same way. There was such a culture gap between us and our tribe that

only Christ Himself was grand enough to fill-in the gaps between us. And He truly did.

When our ministry came to a close in Kenya, we were fluent in 2 African languages, we provided sustainable clean

water where there was none, we shared the gospel with a tribe that only knew Jesus as “a man in some book”, a

church was built within our village which is still growing today and tribesmen and women were baptized in the name of

our Savior! Christ’s plan to grow His Kingdom within our tribe was magnificent and we were merely the vessels for His

good works.

So, as we listen to Christ’s calling on our hearts to return to the mission field in Africa, we are confident in His plan. Our

American culture is vastly different from that of the people of Sherbro Island in Sierra Leone, but it’s comforting to

know that God is already preparing the way for us to be received by them.

We want to tell you a little about Sierra Leone and the people of Sherbro Island so you can get to know them better

and learn to love them as we do…..

The official languages of Sierra Leone are Krio & English. In Krio, the friendly greeting of, “Ow di bɔdi?” means “How’s

your body?” and is used throughout Sierra Leone to say hello.

August is mudslide season caused by intense rains. The temperatures in March & April can reach 104 degrees and by

December, the city is caked in sand that the winds bring in from the Sahara.

Sherbro Island (AKA Bonthe Island) is the birthplace of the United Methodist Church in Sierra Leone. The first

missionaries of the UMC landed on Sherbro Island in the 1800s.

Fish is the main source of food on Sherbro Island. Fishing villages are sprinkled throughout the island and families use

hand-carved, wooden boats and casting nets to hunt the water for food.

We pray that you would consider supporting us as we commit to serve in

Sierra Leone for 5 years beginning in 2021

www.TMS-Global.org/GIVE Acct#3019

All 4 Him,

Nick & Heidi Griffiths

404-323-3161

www.griffithsonmission.blogspot.org

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UMW - DECEMBER 2019

UMW CRAFT BAZAAR FOLLOW-UP Many thanks for making our Fall and Christmas Craft Bazaar a success! Wreaths and Florals are still available for sale in the UMW curio cabinet.

UMW UNIT FELLOWSHIP The UMW Unit Fellowship will be on Wednesday, December 4, 2019. Mission updates on Kenya and Cuba will be discussed. Learn more about the Water Walk in 2020. We meet at 10:30 am in the Fellowship Hall. Come learn about the various missions and come vote for 2020 Leadership Team Members. Potluck lunch to follow the program.

CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON Tuesday, December 10, 2010. All are welcome for our annual luncheon at Seabreeze Island Grill Restaurant, 17855 Gulf Blvd., Redington Shores, FL 33708.

2020 ANNUAL UMW THRIFT SALE - In the Foundry Now is the time to clean out your clutter and make room for the NEW! UMW is planning and organizing for it’s 2020 Thrift Sale. This is a BIG event for our community. Start bringing your gently used items to the church. We will store them for you then sell it all.

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PRAYER

CONCERNS

Our congregants have requested that these people be lifted up in prayer,

so please add them to your prayer list.

Colette Box

Dr. Mac McGlanery

Binet Stiles

Richard Hult (Reta Kocse’s nephew)

Rene Francey (George’s daughter)

Doris Branch

Page 12: DECEMBER 2019 Newsletter Oakhurst United …...2019/12/12  · DECEMBER 2019 Newsletter Oakhurst United Methodist Church PASTOR’S PEN DID YOU KNOW? “Timeless appeal.” Have you

MeaVitaTM

MEA VITA - LIVING

ARTFULLY WITH

DEMENTIA

Join Dr. Cate

Dementia Coach

for a unique solution-based dual support group

for both you and your loved one at Oakhurst United Methodist.

SECOND THURSDAYS

DECEMBER 12, JANUARY 9

10-11:30 AM

Each caregiver session will include research-supported strategies; artistic

application and a personalized plan. Meanwhile the care recipients will be

creating and reminiscing with Memory Engagement.

Dr. Cate author, trainer, coach is hosting MEA VITATM with her unique focus on

instrumental support and memory engagement. Sponsored by Arden Courts

And Fusion Health Care, Memory Engagement Association — a grass-roots movement to

thrive with dementia as a community of caregivers.