From Pastor Sara

New Mini Sermon Series —A Matter of Life and Death

This coming Sunday, February 16, 2025, Scott will be kicking off our new mini sermon series entitled A Matter of Life and Death. He will be preaching Part I of the series from I Corinthians 15:12-20 and I will be preaching Part II from I Corinthians 15:35-50 on February 23, 2025. This series looks at the centrality of the resurrection and what type of bodies we might have in the resurrection. 

Can you believe that we’re almost at the beginning of Lent?!!

My, oh my, how the time is flying by!

On Wednesday, March 5, 2025, we will be offering the imposition of ashes from 12:00pm - 12:30pm for anyone who would like to stop by the sanctuary. This is also open to the community. That evening at 5:30pm we will have an Ash Wednesday service in the sanctuary where we also offer the imposition of ashes. Pastor Sara will be preaching from Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 on the theme of A Call to Repentance. We do hope you will come and join us on Wednesday evening, to begin the season of Lent as we prepare for Holy Week which culminates on Easter Sunday on April 20, 2025.

Also don’t forget to sign up for our Lenten Bible series based on the characters of Les Miserables, beginning on Ash Wednesday! See details in the eblast. 

The Florida Conference of

The United Methodist Church

As we celebrate Black History Month, we are reminded that hope is a powerful force that fuels courage and change. In this segment of Bishop Tom Berlin's book, Courage, we explore the life of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune—a woman whose unwavering hope empowered her to break barriers, uplift communities, and shape history.

We invite you to watch this video featuring Bishop Berlin and the inspiring story of Dr. Bethune: https://tinyurl.com/5a86b8cf

This 7-minute video is worth watching to hear our Bishop speak about hope and courage evident in the life and work of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. In celebrating Black History Month, I encourage you to take a moment to learn about this important Florida history of an amazing woman who has impacted our nation. I was recently in Washington DC and had an opportunity to see Dr. McLeod Bethune’s statue in the capital rotunda.



Please Welcome Our Newest Member of First Church

— Diane Woodruff!



As you can see from the picture below, Diane has already committed to serving in our choir and has been worshiping with us for a little more than a year. We are thrilled that she has made this important commitment to reaffirm her faith in Jesus Christ and to join in membership with our church family! Thanks to Pam and John O’Brien who invited Diane to worship with us and to join in membership. We love to see this type of relational evangelism! Way to go, Pam and John!

If there is anyone else who would like to join in membership with our church, please talk to Pastor Scott or myself! We will be happy to receive you into membership!

 Damage from Hurricane Irma in 2017

has been Repaired!

You may not have been able to see the damage behind the altar which was caused by a leak in the beautiful, circular stain glass window above the altar, but believe me it was a mess!! Several months ago we had the window resealed and then waited to see if there was any further water intrusion. There was not! So this past week we had the damage to the walls and window sill repaired and the back wall of the sanctuary repainted. This was important work for us to undertake, for even though it could not been seen from the pews, it was significant damage to our sacred space. We do need to arrange for the window above the stained glass window to be cleaned which I’m sure our wonderful team of Trustees, so ably led by Wendy McKee, will see is done!

We are thrilled to share that the First Church Ringers will be making their highly anticipated return this Sunday! Join us as we celebrate the revival of this wonderful music ministry!

Get ready to tickle your taste buds and mingle with the best at our Brunch Bunch on February 16th, right after worship at the fabulous Ridgway Bar and Grill! It's the perfect opportunity to feast on delicious food while basking in the glow of wonderful fellowship. So, don’t just sit there like a pancake on a plate—hurry on over to the Welcome Center and sign up! Let’s ketchup and relish in a delightful gathering that’s sure to be eggs-traordinary!

Get ready for an exciting and creative experience as we come together for a delightful time of fellowship and crafting! Join us on February 28 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the lovely home of Gwen Pleban, where we'll be making beautiful handmade cards that are sure to brighten anyone's day. Don't worry if you've never crafted before—this event is all about having fun, learning new skills, and sharing wonderful moments with fellow enthusiasts! If you're interested or have any questions, feel free to reach out to Gwen at 706-587-2814, whether by phone call or text or simply email below. We can't wait to see you there and create some amazing memories together!

SAVE THE DATE

The Southwest District Office of the Florida United Methodist Conference is going to have this amazing training again this year. Pastor Scott is attending and would love to have a team join him for this training. Please email or sign up at the Welcome Center or you can register below.



Lenten Bible Study

Beginning March 5th - April 9th

Every Wednesday at 10:30am.



In the six-week study The Grace of Les Misérables, author and pastor Matt Rawle dives into six ideals found in the story—grace, justice, poverty, revolution, love, and hope—each represented by a character in Hugo’s story. As these imperfect and relatable characters interact, we can see how these ideals work together (perhaps even in spite of each other) out in the world. All are welcome. Sign up at the Welcome Center.

UPDATE FROM MDS

This month is Dental Month all month all the classrooms have been learning how to keep their teeth healthy. This week on Tuesday we had a visit to the Pediatric Dentistry of Southwest Florida and talked to all the children about how to keep their teeth healthy.

Toddler Classroom: This week was all about love. Ms. Evie’s Toddlers had fun painting their feet for a special Valentine’s Day project they did for their families. They loved exploring all about music this week in circle time with different musical instruments.    

Two Year Classroom: Ms. Margie’s class theme this week was Valetine’s Day. Everyone had fun working on their fine motor skills and being creative to make heart suncatchers. On Friday, the class had a fun card exchange with their friends and decorated cookies.

Three Year Classroom: In Mrs. Ledbetter’s class this week the letter of the week was letter Rr. The class has been working on matching and did a fun learning activity matching cutting and pasting hearts. They had a fun party to celebrate Valetine’s Day with their friends and a card exchange.

VPK Classroom: In Ms. Angela and Ms. Audrey’s classroom the children have been working on asking questions about the story and retelling the story. During music, this week the class had fun learning new songs and finger plays. In math the children had fun measuring and weighing different objects in the classroom. A fun rhyming activity everyone enjoyed was, “There was A Crooked Man.” The VPK children worked a lot on identifying beginning, middle, and ending sounds. For art they had fun decorating Valetine’s Day gift bags that they used for their class card exchange on Friday.

It has been a fun week learning with our friends at MDS!

Update on Cuba

This week I heard from Pastor Dunia, wife of Pastor Vincente of our sister church in Cuba. They are so grateful for our prayers and for all our help with constructing their sanctuary, which they call a temple. Pastor Vincente is away for a 15-day seminar in Havana. When he returns, they plan on beginning construction of their temple with the funds that Pastor Scott was able to take to them on his recent trip to Bíran. These funds were donated by our wonderful United Methodist Women! Pastor Dunia writes in all caps: GRACIAS FOR YOUR HELP AND EFFORT!

ROOF UPDATE!

Construction work on the roof is currently underway, with an anticipated completion date set for February 21st. We have engaged the services of Kelly Roofing to implement a comprehensive multigenerational solution aimed at addressing the persistent roofing issues that have resulted in numerous leaks throughout the office and parlor areas. Furthermore, the air conditioning units have been upgraded to meet current codes, featuring new stanchions for enhanced stability and efficiency. The scope of the replacement project encompasses an impressive total area exceeding 8,300 square feet, effectively covering the entire office, library, parlor, and the Barton Hall area, thereby ensuring a significant improvement in the overall functionality and comfort of these spaces.

Are you interested in traveling to Rwanda or Kenya to visit a Zoe Empowerment Group?

In the past, First Church has helped support the SW District sponsor a Zoe group. This is an amazing ministry that empowers orphans and young people to lift themselves out of poverty and gain valuable life skills and start entrepreneurial businesses in a community setting. 

Every week, you can donate altar flowers for our Sunday worship 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. Purchase and dedication can be arranged by signing up in the church lobby or 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.

Interested in taking a Lay Servant Ministry Course?

Please click the link below for information on upcoming courses. Certified Lay Servant and Certified Lay Speaker Advanced Courses are beginning soon.

Please be sure to let us know if you or a loved one are in the hospital so Pastors Sara or Scott can come 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.

Prayer Requests

From our FUMC Church Family



Intercessory prayer is a blessing that God has given us to pray on behalf of 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, just email us and we will pray for that person and that need privately: pastor@fumcnaples.org

• Family of Helen vonSvoboda (Bereavement, Alex vonSvoboda's Mother)
• Sandy Barrett (sister of Pam O'Brien)
• Thelma Johnson (member)
• Christiane Adkins (mother of Karen Parry)
• Julia Wayne (daughter of Lawrence & Jane Crouch)
• Family of Dick Evans (bereavement)
• Family of Jeff Currier (bereavement)
• Julianna Thomas (Gail Jaworsky Granddaughter)
• Danielle (friend of MDS)
• Theresa Shaw (friend of Al & Thelma Johnson)
• Ted and Ann Baker (attenders)
• Jean Humphries (member)
• John Schloendorn (Church electrician and friend)
• Michael DiGaetono (friend of John Riccio)
• Ina Gassett (friend of Norine Tempelman)
• Joan & Dick White (friends of Judy Margrey)
• Jen Wolf
• Gary Matter
• Marcia Bowser (neighbor of the Parry's)
• Chris Grimshaw (member and husband of Christine Grimshaw)
• Evelyn Johnson (sister-in-law of Al Johnson)
• Rev. Flo Scott (attender)
• LeeAnne Merrifield (daughter of Jim Merrifield)
• Larry Croy (friend of Bill Parry)
• Baby Abby Joy and parents (family of Lisa Passeri)
• Family of Valya Staruchin, Januk, Orysia and family, Irina and family (three families of the Jaworsky's in Ukraine)
• Rosa Fogle (family of Thelma and Al Johnson)
• All the many unspoken requests and needs of our congregation and their loved ones.

Need to Reach Us? Here’s How!



We are available to you! Our church office is open Tuesday-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

Email us: admin@fumcnaples.org  or

Mail contributions to:

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