From the Pastor
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
Tomorrow is the first Sunday of Lent – a 40-day time of reflection on our faith and our lives, lots of prayer, and repentance, as we prepare for Easter. Lent began with Ash Wednesday on the 17th, and because we did this service online, we had more participation in this year’s service than at any other time. People received their kits during worship for ash imposition at home, with ashes and liturgy. Others drove up in their cars Tuesday and Wednesday to pick them up. It was a meaningful service for all and a special way to begin our Lenten journey this year! Scroll down to our Sermon intro and the section on Lent, to learn more about what we’ll be doing in our Lenten journey this year.
To help in your personal reflection, don’t forget that there are three Bible studies to help you grow in your faith and reflect on who you are, and who you can be, as you travel on this Lenten journey. Just scroll down to learn how you can sign up, online or in-person.
Last week we were blessed with an impactful sermon by Vanessa Fletcher, music from our bell ringers, and the presence of Boy Scouts and Scout leaders from our Troop 165, for Scouting Sunday. The Scouts also jumped in for our meal-packing on Tuesday, and packed over 5,000 meals for our ministry with Meals of Hope.
You should have also received a mailing this week with a “Giving Goal” card. We hope that you will pray about it, set a goal for yourself and send it back in. Rather than asking for pledge cards, we are asking you to set a goal for yourself on what you think you can do for your church this year in sharing of your financial gifts and resources. If you don’t set a goal, you won’t have anything to shoot for and it is hard to achieve much. Let us know what that goal is, as it will help greatly in our planning, especially on re-filling positions that are presently vacant (Administrative Assistant and Organist). Let us know if you did not receive the mailing.
There are so many needs to be praying about right now, so please be sure to go through our prayer list at the bottom of the Eblast and spend some time with God in prayer this week. I am so much looking forward to seeing you tomorrow – both in-person and online!
Love and Blessings,
Pastor Nancy
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Sunday's Online Worship Service
Every week you will receive a newsy Eblast on Saturdays. This is our electronic newsletter and you are reading it now! It will always contain a link for you to press that will cover you for both the “live” version and “recorded” version of our worship service on YouTube. You can also find our recorded service through our web page or Facebook. So, join us in-person Sunday mornings, online “live”, or at your convenience, through our recorded service. We start showing announcement slides at 10:05 (or earlier) as people are coming into the sanctuary and then the actual worship service starts at 10:15.
If all else fails, just go to www.youtube.com and in the Search box at the top of the page, type "First UMC Naples" and press enter. On the next screen go down about 4 or 5 topics and you will see "First UMC Naples - Sunday Worship - 02 21 2021 - Rev Nancy Mayeux". 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.
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Life & Faith Lesson
Rev Nancy Mayeux
Who Are You and What Are You Doing Here?
Earlier in my life, I once handled international sales of high security combination locks for safes. I have a vivid memory of visiting a safe manufacturer in a somewhat dangerous country in Latin America, where I had waited for over an hour to be seen by the VP. The secretary finally felt sorry for me, gave me a hardhat and directed me where to find him inside the plant. As I walked in to look for the VP, I was immediately confronted by security at gunpoint, asking me in Spanish, “Who are you and what are you doing here?” I stammered and wondered what do I tell him? I struggled to spit out my name, my company and what country I was from. I forgot to tell him who I was looking for! That delayed the gun being removed from my forehead until the VP rescued me!
What if I asked you today (no gunpoint), “Who are you and what are you doing here?” What would you respond? What defines you and what is most important for others to know? Your name? Your profession? That you are a parent? That you have been blessed with talents, skills, achievements and amazing experiences that have shaped who you are? Would you mention your faith and “who” you are looking for in all that you do, say and think? Would Jesus come into the picture or would you just forget to mention that?
What about the second part of my question? “What are you doing here?” My hope and prayer is that you could answer that you are following the Great Commandments of Jesus: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” and also “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love, of course, is not selfish and involves totally giving of oneself. Are you looking at all those blessing you’ve received in life (talents, skills, experiences, resources, people, and knowledge) and are you sharing with God and others? “Who are you and what are you doing here?” This is a good question to be reflecting on, during this first Sunday of Lent! Come join us for worship this Sunday, online or in-person, at 10:15 or whenever you are able to tune into our recorded service.
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Offerings and Tithes
Thank you for continuing to support this church and its ministries through congregational giving. Your gifts allow us to continue helping people to know Jesus, to grow in their faith and to serve Him as we help those in need. Please remember that your giving is a form of worship. We pray that you will continue your regular offerings, consider working toward a 10% tithe, and also consider including the church in your will as you review your estate planning. During this pandemic, our ministry and our needs continue. Donations can be mailed to: First United Methodist Church of Naples, 388 First Avenue S, Naples, FL 34102. OR you can click on the box below to make an online donation.
This week, if you are a regular giver, you should have received a “Giving Goal” card in the mail. Please take the time to fill it out and give us an estimate of what you think you can do to financially support your church this year. It is not a pledge - simply a goal that you will shoot for. It will help us greatly with our planning as to ministries we can keep and jobs that we can fill again. If you are an online viewer or in-person attender who did not receive this mailing, and would like one, please send an email to [email protected] (Treasurer). We will send one to you.
Thank you.
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Altar Flower Dedication
This Sunday’s altar flowers are placed by
Barbara and Jerry Skiba
in memory of their friend,
Don Keiser
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The White Rose on the Altar
The white rose on our altar is in memory of Ivan Moyer who passed away on February 17th. Please keep his wife, Wendy, and all of his family in prayer.
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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 "A Clear Outlook" which was preached by Vanessa Fletcher and based on Matthew 25:31-46
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WHAT IS LENT?
This is the first Sunday of Lent. What is it? Lent is the 40 days before the glorious celebration of Easter. Traditionally it is a time of preparation when we practice things like prayer, repentance and self-denial. It helps us remember the 40 days Jesus spent fasting and praying in the desert, as he endured temptations before beginning his ministry. Many Christians use it as a time of reflection and “taking stock” of our lives, looking at where we are spiritually and examining the sum total of all our possessions, relationships, accomplishments and goals to the present time. In this Christian tradition, many people fast or give up something they love for lent, such as television, a favorite food or activity. This year, let’s focus this time of reflection on two things: the blessings that we have received from God and others; and how might we return or share those blessings with others? We can take a good look at our "people blessings" as we appreciate and honor all those friends and relationships that God has put in our path. Are we truly loving God and others as Jesus has asked us to? How are we showing that love? Let’s give some thought to the people in our lives that we need to forgive and find ways to forgive ourselves, so we can move forward to wholeness in life. Let’s examine our priorities, the strength of our faith and how we live out that faith. This is truly a time for reflection.
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Three New Bible Studies for Lent!
In-person and Online
Six-Week Studies start this week
It's not too late to sign up!
Lent is a time for reflecting on your faith and your life, and hopefully deepening your faith in a special way. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, Feb 17, and continues on through Holy Week. What better time than Lent for taking a Bible study that will begin right after Ash Wednesday for six weeks. You will have three options to choose from! This is a great opportunity for learning, reflecting and getting to know others.
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In-Person THURSDAY Morning Class: Thursday mornings in Barton Hall at 10:30am (socially distanced with masks on) facilitated by Vanessa Fletcher. Starting February 25th. Room for 4 more participants.
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Online WEDNESDAY Evening Class: Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm. We will help you learn how to use Zoom if you are a first-timer. Several Openings. Great for our friends who are still up north or those just not ready to attend in-person activities yet. Led by Pam Kennedy and Thelma Johnson and starting February 24th.
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In-Person WEDNESDAY Morning Class: Wednesday mornings in Barton Hall at 10:30am (socially distanced with masks on) facilitated by Wendy McKee. Class is FULL unless there are cancellations.
About the Study: We will be using Adam Hamilton’s book, The Walk. It focuses on five practices for a Christian life - Worship and Prayer, Listening, Serving, Giving, Sharing. Each session will include a video by Adam Hamilton, renowned speaker, author and pastor of the UM Church of the Resurrection. Here is the published summary of his book:
“How do we walk with Christ—daily follow him, grow in him, and faithfully serve him? In the Gospels, Jesus modeled for us the Christian spiritual life. The apostles taught it in their writings. And the Church has, through the last 2,000 years, sought to pursue this Christian spiritual life.
In The Walk, Adam Hamilton focuses on five essential spiritual practices that are rooted in Jesus’ own walk with God and taught throughout the New Testament. Each of these practices is intended as part of our daily walk with Christ while also being an essential part of growing together in the church.
In each chapter, Hamilton explores one of these practices, its New Testament foundation, and what it looks like to pursue this practice daily in our personal life and together in the life of the church. Deepen your walk with Christ as we explore the five essential practices of worship, study, serving, giving, and bearing witness to our faith.”
How to Sign up: Email Vanessa Fletcher, our Director of Discipleship, with your name and whether you are interested in an in-person or online class. She will call you to discuss the options available and sign you up! You can leave a message at the church office at: 239-262-1033 or Email: [email protected]
For more info on the study or ordering the book:
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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 $30 and can be arranged by writing the pastor at [email protected] . 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. All dates are open from March 21 on forward.
Our altar flowers, from last Sunday’s service, were delivered to the COVID floor of Physician’s Regional Medical Center – Pine Ridge. The flowers sit on the counter at the nurses’ station where all of the nurses, doctors, techs and other staff were encouraged by the ray of sunshine provided by the flowers. Working on this floor, in particular, is extremely stressful, as these front-line teams work tirelessly to save the lives of those who are recovering from COVID. Their work is extra risky and we need to keep all of them in prayer as they selflessly serve our community. They were very appreciative of the flowers and our appreciation of them.
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“Fill the Table” Food Ministries Partnering
with St. Matthew’s House & Grace Place
Please continue to make a difference through food and financial donations to Grace Place and St. Matthew’s House Food Pantries. Hunger continues to be a significant issue for families in our community. St. Matthew’s House is serving over 15,000 families monthly and Grace Place is serving up to 350 people per week at their pantries! Every dollar and food item makes a difference to feed the hungry in the Naples area. Every 1.2 pounds of food and $2 donation counts as a meal for our reporting to the Florida conference’s “Fill the Table” program. Our state-wide goal is to provide 3 million meals through September, 2021. Food can be brought in on Sundays, for those who are worshipping in-person, and also on Tuesdays from 12-2 and Thursdays from 4-6. Monetary donations can be made any time online, or by mail.
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Meal Packing Ministry with Meals of Hope
Can you believe we have packed over 50,000 meals over the last 10 weeks at our church! We have been packing food for hungry people in our community that was purchased through a grant from our Endowment. Our volunteers have met in groups of 9-10 people and had a great time packing food brought to us by our partner in this food ministry – Meals of Hope. We purchase and pack the non-perishables, they supplement it with chicken and fresh produce, and deliver to one of their 16 food pantries. Each bag contains a note of love and prayer from our church. This week the Boy Scouts from Troop 165 came to help pack!
Everything we do in this ministry contributes to the “Fill the Table” initiative of the Florida Conference! It is not too late to volunteer with us! We will be packing food bags weekly through the end of March. If you would like to join us for two hours of packing food, one week, in this very important outreach of true Christian love, please call the church office and leave a message or email Vanessa at [email protected]
Over the past 10 weeks we've had many helping hands to pack the meals. Below are some of the packers who enjoyed packing food for the hungry.
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Need to Reach Us? Here’s Ho w !
We are available to you! Our church office is open by appointment. Just call us and let us know you would like to meet with one of us and we will arrange it. Food can be dropped off on Sundays when you come to worship, Tuesdays from 12-2 and Thursdays from 4-6. Vanessa Fletcher is there on Tuesdays and Crystal Gibbs on Thursdays. Vanessa and your pastor are mostly working from home during the week and the church presently does not have an admin. When you call the church office, the call goes right to the pastor’s computer and will be checked and responded to regularly. Pastor’s personal cell number is listed on that message you hear, if you have a pastoral emergency. The pastor is off on Mondays, as her Sabbath day, but will respond to pastoral emergencies.
Call the church office: (239) 262-1033
Mail contributions to:
First United Methodist Church, 388 First Ave S, Naples FL 34102
Make online donations by clicking the link below:
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PLEASE PRAY!
Lots to pray for these days! Foremost in the minds of many I have spoken to this week, is getting one of those coveted COVID-19 vaccination appointments as well as NOT getting COVID-19! Let’s be sure to pray for that and for enough vaccine for everyone who wants one to get one.
Let’s all stay close to God as we live through this pandemic journey and as we begin our walk through Lent which started this week with Ash Wednesday. Remember that God is always by your side, but you can feel closest to Him and experience His presence by praying, reading your Bible, attending a Bible study and serving God by helping others. Don’t forget that God is always listening to your prayers!
If you are wondering what to pray for, here are some suggestions!
- Praise and THANKS to God for all the good things that are going on in our lives, especially when we put them in perspective with everything else that is happening
- Everyone on our “church family” prayer list (scroll further down)
- Each of the families in need who received our lovingly packed bag of food this week
- Our healthcare workers on the front lines who risk their lives daily (2,900 died of COVID last year)
- First responders and other essential workers
- Everyone impacted in some way by COVID-19: sickness, death, loss of jobs and business, evictions, mental health, addictions and hungry families
- All those struggling and overwhelmed throughout these difficult times - for courage, strength, and peace, as they maneuver through the challenges (Some are on the prayer list and some are not)
- Our leaders – that they will make good decisions
- Those impacted daily by racism
- The many people who are isolated in long-term living facilities
- Our sister church in Cuba
- All the Scouts and Scout leaders of Boy Scout Troop 165
- Those who have experienced and are still recovering from natural disasters
- Our military and their families, who all make a great sacrifices for this nation
We pray for our divided nation and that people can learn to set aside their political differences, words of hate and even violence, and love one another as people who are all made in the image of God and loved by God.
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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, 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: [email protected].
Please pray for these people (some are fighting COVID-19, while others are fighting cancer or other serious conditions):
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Wendy Moyer (Wife of Ivan Moyer who just passed away)
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Ruby Hart (Family of Thelma Johnson)
- Steve MacTurk (Son of MaryLou Riccio)
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Arnaud Pinchot (Friend of Cynthia Kneidinger)
- Brent Johnson (Son of Thelma and Al Johnson)
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Robert and Sherrill Boyle (Friends of Bill Parry)
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Rosa Fogle (Family of Thelma and Al Johnson)
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James Delaine (Family of Thelma and Al Johnson)
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Suzanne Brzoznowski (Family of Susanne Edson)
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Tom Queen (Crystal Gibb's stepfather)
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Bob Willard (Brother of Betty Jaekle)
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Sheila Strenkert (Karen Carr’s cousin)
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All the many unspoken requests and needs of our congregation and their loved ones.
Also, Please Pray for…
Our pastor, our church, our Bishop, our District Superintendent, the community, our country and its leaders, the sick, our homebound, our MDS preschool children, teachers and parents, our church's children, youth and college students.
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Our MDS Preschool Photo Gallery
This is our weekly peek into the classrooms of our Methodist Day School, our church’s preschool and VPK. They are doing lots of learning while they have fun. This week they celebrated 100 Days of School. Please keep these wonderful children, their teachers and their parents in your prayers.
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OFFICE HOURS
Office open by appointment only. Please call to schedule an appointment or let us know if you need us. We will be checking messages regularly.
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First United Methodist Church of Naples
388 1st Ave S.
Naples, FL 34102
(239) 262-1033
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