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November 1, 2026
All Saint's Sunday
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Living Life Together
Remembering Those Who Came Before
What a wonderful Sunday we had last week! Who knew Mr. Rogers would show up in worship, complete with his sweater and sneakers? But behind the fun was an important reminder: loving our neighbors means more than simply being friendly. It means intentionally building relationships and sharing life together.
And I want to remind you of my challenge: Start a group!
It doesn't have to be complicated. Gather some friends for dinner, coffee, cards, golf, or whatever brings you together. Include people from church, but also invite those outside our congregation. Remember, we're not building relationships just to bring people through our church doors. We're building relationships because that's how we share God's love.
And I really want to hear about your progress! Have you started a group? Invited someone? Come up with an idea? Please share it with me! I'm excited to see where this challenge takes us.
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Looking Ahead to Sunday
This Sunday, November 1, we celebrate All Saints Sunday and begin our new sermon series, Overflowing Gratitude.
I'm delighted to welcome Rev. Dr. Debbie Allen to our pulpit as she brings us the message Gratitude for the Saints.
During worship, we'll remember loved ones who have gone before us, celebrate the faith and love they shared, and gather at the Lord's Table for Holy Communion.
It's a beautiful opportunity to pause, remember, and give thanks for those whose lives have helped shape our own.
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I look forward to worshiping with you on Sunday—and hearing about those groups you're starting!
See you in church!
Pastor Scott
P.S. I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a conference Zoom meeting on Wednesday night that explored the vital importance of voting and what is on the ballot for this mid-term election. I am excited to share the "What is on the Ballot" presentation with you! This resource is designed to illuminate the various positions and measures that will be before us, providing clarity without telling you who to vote for. It empowers each of us to make informed decisions that reflect our values and priorities. Let's embrace this chance to deepen our understanding of civic engagement together!
| | As we commemorate All Saints’ Day, we will open our service with the familiar hymn For All the Saints. Written by William Walsham How, and set to Ralph Vaughan Williams’s 1906 tune, “Sine Nomine,” the hymn reminds us of the saints who have gone before us. In the spirit of Revelation 7:9–17 and Psalm 34:1–10, 22, we remember with gratitude, praise God for his faithfulness, and look forward with hope to the day when all God’s people gather in his presence. | |
Advent Bible Study — The Redemption of Scrooge
Begins December 2 | 10:30 am
Can Ebenezer Scrooge find redemption? Join us for a four-week Advent Bible study based on Matt Rawle's The Redemption of Scrooge. Through Charles Dickens' beloved A Christmas Carol, we'll explore Jesus' teachings, the power of second chances, and what it means to live with love and generosity.
Sign up at the Welcome Center!
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Our United Methodist Women will gather for their monthly meeting on November 3rd at 10:00 in the Parlor. All are invited to join for this time of gratitude and connection!
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Dedicate Sunday altar flowers to someone special! Sign up in the church lobby or email Karen in the church office. After worship, take your flowers home or donate them to a local organization to brighten someone's day. The cost is $40.
Last week, Ken delivered altar flowers to Habitat for Humanity of Collier County, an organization putting God's love into action by building homes, communities, and hope.
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Volunteers!
Be Part of Our Worship Team!
Help make Sunday worship special by greeting, reading Scripture, lighting candles, collecting offerings, or assisting with Communion and anointing.
Interested? Contact Pastor Scott or Judy Margrey to get involved.
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Meal Packing at Meals of Hope
Help Pack Meals of Hope!
Join us Tuesday, November 17, at 10:30 AM to help pack meals and make a difference in our community!
📍 Meals of Hope
4176 Mercantile Ave, Naples, FL 34104
Contact Wendy McKee for more information or to volunteer!
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First Church Financial Update
Welcome back to all who are returning from “up north” to enjoy the warm and sunny winter season here in Naples!
Here is a brief update on First Church’s finances for the first nine months of 2026. We now have a clearer picture of how the full year may shape up. As you may recall, we were essentially at break-even through the first six months of the year. However, during the third quarter we’ve taken a step backward.
Our operating deficit for the first nine months stands at $21,611, which is disappointing but is an improvement over the $26,449 deficit at this same time in 2025. This gives us an important opportunity to work together as a church family to close the gap before year-end.
Looking at expenses and contributions:
1 Our normal operating expenses are below budget by $24,000, largely due to conference insurance and apportionments that will be paid in November. Almost all expense line items are at/below budget.
2 Congregational giving is down approximately 3% year-to-date, and is running about $35,0000 below proportional budget projections for this point in the year, noting that December is traditionally our strongest month for congregational giving.
We would love to close out the year at break-even. With your continued generosity and support, we believe we can finish 2026 on solid financial footing. In the meantime, we will continue to manage expenses carefully while ensuring that our facilities remain safe, comfortable, and welcoming for all who gather here.
I invite you to prayerfully and thoughtfully consider how you can continue to support the ministries and mission of our church—Loving People, Loving God—through the remainder of 2026. As you reflect on your year-end giving, please take a moment to review the “Giving Goal” you may have set earlier in the year and consider how you might support First Church. Thank you.
Tom Bach, Finance Chair
| | Fall Fun with Ms. Angela & Ms. Audrey | | This week was filled with pumpkins, Halloween fun, and lots of learning in our VPK classroom! The children enjoyed designing friendly spiders, creating Halloween friends, and enjoying jack-o’-lantern activities. Feeding the scarecrow was a favorite hands-on activity! Our little learners practiced identifying syllables by clapping and counting, explored positional words, learned all about the number 8, and discovered the shape of the week: the hexagon. They enjoyed reading fun fall stories, including We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger. It was a wonderful week full of creativity, discovery, and fall learning fun! | | | A Wonderful Week of Learning in Mrs. Ledbetter’s Class! | | |
| This week was all about pumpkins! The children had a wonderful time carving their very own pumpkins and exploring the inside, discovering seeds and learning about the different parts of a pumpkin. We also enjoyed reading a fun pumpkin story, such as The Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Steven Kroll. Our little learners practiced rhyming words and enjoyed nursery rhymes while building their early literacy skills. The letter of the week was G, and the children had fun identifying its sound and finding words that begin with G. It was a fun-filled week of pumpkin exploration, learning, and discovery in Mrs. Ledbetter’s class! | | This Week in Ms. Margie’s Two-Year-Old Class! | | This week, our little learners explored creativity and learning through Halloween-themed activities! They made paper-bag scarecrows, toilet-paper-roll crafts, spooky paper-cup ghosts, and black-cat paper plates. Through pumpkin counting, stories like Room on the Broom, music, and movement, the children practiced early math, language, fine-motor, and social skills. It was a spooktacular week of learning and fun! | | | This Week in Ms. Evie’s Toddler Classroom! | | |
| This week in Ms. Evie’s class, it was all about Halloween fun! The children enjoyed creating black cat art and silly eye monster art that everyone loved. They explored their creativity with black and orange finger painting while strengthening their fine motor skills. Our little learners enjoyed sensory activities, counting books, and Halloween stories, including Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson! During circle time, they sang some cute and spooky Halloween songs and had so much fun learning through music and movement. It was a spooktacular week full of creativity, exploration, and toddler fun! | | This Week in Ms. Miha's Toddler Classroom! | | This week in Ms. Miha’s Toddler Class, we enjoyed lots of Halloween fun! The children created black cat art and silly-eyed monster art, which everyone loved. They explored their creativity through black and orange finger painting while strengthening their fine motor skills. Our little learners also enjoyed sensory activities, counting books, and Halloween stories, including The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams! | | | |
Soccer Shots with Coach Brandon & Coach Austin!
Our little soccer stars had a blast this Thursday with a fun space-themed soccer adventure! The character word of the week was CONFIDENCE, and the children practiced their soccer skills with scissors while taking on the exciting Planet Escape game. It was a fantastic day of teamwork, learning, and soccer fun!
Way to go, little all-stars!
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Please continue to keep our brothers and sisters in Cuba in your prayers. The difficult situation in the country has forced us to pause our travel to Cuba for the time being, but our relationship and commitment to our ministry partners there remain strong.
These are incredibly challenging days for the people of Cuba, with shortages and hardships affecting everyday life. We currently have funds designated to support our ministry partners, and we are hopeful those funds will be safely delivered soon.
Even when we cannot be physically present, we can continue to stand alongside our Cuban brothers and sisters through prayer, encouragement, and faithful support. Please pray for strength, provision, and hope for the churches, pastors, families, and communities we have come to know and love.
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Please let us know if you or a loved one is in the hospital so Pastor Scott can visit and pray with you and your family.
We are always in prayer for our church family, those around the world living in poverty, our leaders, and our country. Please join us in prayer.
Intercessory prayer is a blessing God has given us to pray for others. If you have a prayer request for someone that we can pray for specifically, or even if you have a private prayer that you do not want published below, email us and we will pray for that person and that need privately: pastor@fumcnaples.org
- Charlotte Schrand (MDS 2 year class member)
- Charles Atwood (member)
- Paul Breelke (brother of Lynda Hurd)
- Mark Humphries (son of Jean Humphries)
- Paul Peterson (friend of Tom Bach)
- Ingo Zacher (cousin of Wendy McKee)
- Mark A. Frederick (Barrie Conley's son)
- Devyn Morones (daughter of Amy and Pastor Scott)
- Sharon Caliguri (friend of Amy and Pastor Scott)
- Emma Wolf (friend of Amy and Pastor Scott)
- Mary Lou Riccio (member)
- Claire Mac Turk (daughter in law of John & Mary Lou Riccio)
- George Japak (Mark Japak's brother)
- Gene Eenigenburg (friend of Norine Tempelman)
- Gail Svensson (friend of Norine Tempelman)
- Jean Miller (daughter of David and Dottie Brennan)
- Joseph Courtez (father of Courtney Williams)
- Jill Stephen (mother of Brooke Stephen)
- Jean Smith (friend of Marie Evans)
- Ron ReBell (brother of Marie Evans)
- Elena Lerdon
- Maria Cedillo Toma
- Will Carpenter (brother-in-law of Al Johnson)
- Evelyn Johnson (sister-in-law of Al Johnson)
- Rosa Fogle (family of Thelma and Al Johnson)
- Cathy (friend of Gina Holsinger)
- Chiharu Grossman (daughter-in-law of Debbie Grossman)
- Peace in our country
- Jake Powell
- John Mayeux (former member)
- Christy Gifford (niece of Judy Margrey)
- Marilyn Kaye
- Teresa Toma Manoquin
- Nicole McNamara
- Susan Tarantino (friend of Pam Kennedy)
- Slavka Pehar (friend of Pat Hamann)
- Jessica Rich (friend of Pat Hamann)
- Ross (cancer)
- Julia Barnard
- Paul Burfoot (son-in-law of Lee Kraus)
- Emily Cundra (granddaughter of Gail Jaworsky)
- Jane Briscoe (daughter of Betsy Ard)
- Chris and Christine Grimshaw (members)
- LeeAnne Merrifield (daughter of Jim Merrifield)
- Family of Valya Staruchin, Januk, Orysia, and family, Irina and family (three families of the Jaworsky's in Ukraine)
- All the many unspoken requests and needs of our congregation and their loved ones.
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Stay in the Know — Explore What’s Happening!
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| | Your Giving Is a Form of Worship | | | |
For your information:
If you are paying through your bank’s online bill pay, your bank writes the checks, which are then mailed to us. If you can make an online contribution directly from your checking or savings account through our website giving link, we can receive the money more quickly than the US mail can deliver it. Also, if you can pay directly from your checking or savings account rather than a credit card, it can help us avoid credit card fees. Between January and December of 2025, the church has had to pay close to $2000 in credit card fees ($1,998.73). We would far rather use this money for ministry than give it to Mastercard or Visa.
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Need to Reach Us? Here’s How!
We are available to you! Our church office is open Monday-Friday, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. After hours, for pastoral emergencies, call the office, and you will hear how to contact Pastor Scott, who will respond to all pastoral emergencies.
Call the church office: (239) 262-1033
Please email us: admin@fumcnaples.org or
Mail contributions to:
First United Methodist Church, 388 First Ave S, Naples, FL 34102
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First United Methodist Church of Naples
388 1st Ave S
Naples, FL 34102
(239) 262-1033
www.fumcnaples.org
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