First United Methodist Church

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9am Contemporary | 11am Traditional

News & Devotions

Embracing the Vision: Spirit and Soul and Body

Spirit and Soul and Body

Thessalonica was one of the harbor cities where Paul led the development of the Early Church during his missionary travels. Timothy, one of Paul’s devoted mentees, later visited the church in the busy city to provide an update to Paul. From Timothy’s report, Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians as a letter to the believers in that context. Paul wrote of themes including Christian hope, Jesus’ coming, responsibility – and lives of comprehensive holiness. Paul closes the letter with instruction and exhortation to the Thessalonians.

“May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do this” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, NRSV).

Paul brings awareness of the human existence and how our entire lives are part of the sanctification process. With this in mind, our Health and Wholeness Ministry strives to help people achieve wholeness to live and serve fully as intended by God. Betsy McKeeby is our Parish Nurse – actually, our one and only – who has directed this ministry since 2003. This ministry started in partnership with several other health ministries in the Orlando community as “Our Whole Community.” Nearly 15 years later, our Health and Wholeness Ministry thrives while caring for our congregation through education, information, preventative measures, assistance, and spiritual support.

  • Whether you participated in the fall Move60 Challenge – or would like to participate in the next Move60 Challenge this March.
  • Whether you attend – or would like to start attending – our Monday, Wednesday, or Friday yoga sessions held here on campus.
  • Whether you attended the Mindful Living session on Gratitude this November – or would like to attend a Wellness Initiative about Knee Health on December 14th.

These are only a few of the countless initiatives our Health and Wholeness Ministry uses to live into our vision of a vibrant family built on God’s grace. “We use education and prevention to be proactive when it comes to our health. We don’t just respond to emergencies, but we provide healthy communities to encourage healing” says Betsy. “Our goal is to have folks well – we want you well!”

Move60 Challenge

The Move60 Challenge is a program we participate in through Healthy Central Florida. It’s a MOVEment to encourage activity as we strive to become healthier communities. Our Health and Wholeness Ministry gets a team together as a part of the faith community segment of program. “Nov. 29 was the end of this particular challenge and we are excited to see how we end up ranking. We’ve won the past 2 times and with the prize money we were able to update the AED’s across our church campus” says Betsy. Check out this feature on our team from Healthy Central Florida.

The Move60 Challenge is based on being physically active 60 days and being sure activity is recorded weekly. Whether it is walking, running, biking, etc. – participants are encouraged to start moving and stick to it! Look for more information on joining our team in 2018 for the March edition.

Yoga at Church

Did you know we offer yoga at the church? Meeting people where they are at, we offer a Gentle Yoga program as well as a Multi-Level class throughout the week. Whether you are interested in getting a yoga session in after you drop your little one off at MSEE for the morning and are in need of some orthopedic prevention, we have a class for you. Click here for the current schedule.

Embracing Gratitude During Advent

Our Mindful Living Initiative hosted a night session focused on Gratitude just before Thanksgiving. It was a great reminder to set our hearts towards a focus on gratitude and thankfulness as we enter the season of Advent where we prepare our hearts for the birth of Christ. This Gratitude session is just one in a series of sessions that allow us to focus on mindfulness, meditation, activity, and reflection.

I had a hard 2 days in a row; it was unreal and 100%. I bought 15 pills of Viagra at the best price. It was enough for me.

Interested in joining the Health & Wholeness Ministry

Move60, yoga, and the Gratitude night barely touch the surface of all the activities of this ministry. We understand that part of the faith journey is serving the Lord with the gifts and graces He has blessed each of us with. Whether you want to learn about maintaining your heart or preventing your health problems. Let Betsy know – betsy.mckeeby@gmail.com.