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Let’s Stay Connected

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The recent days behind us and the coming days before us are proving to be uncertain, fluid, and changing. We aim to keep our faith community up-to-date with information regarding FUMCWP as soon as we have those changes available. Please visit our webpage devoted to COVID-19 for all current information.

In the midst of the uncertainty around us, FUMCWP leadership and clergy want you to know that we are here for you and our local community. Here are just a few ways to stay connected with us:

  • Share your prayer requests and concerns with our congregational care team using our digital form or by calling the front office at 407-644-2906.
  • Our Pastoral Team is offering Virtual Sessions to support our church community. Whether you prefer a phone call, video conference, FaceTime, texting (you name it!) – our Pastoral Team is here to offer the care you need. To schedule, please contact the pastor directly:
  • Though we are experiencing many changes in our day-to-day life, know your faith community is here for you. Starting Monday, March 23, 2020 look for a Daily Devotional in your inbox. We encourage you to invite your friends and family to subscribe to our church-wide mailing list to receive this inspirational message as well.
  • Don’t forget about Realm, our online community! Our church has been using the platform for over a year now. Find ways to connect and build community with others using the groups and messaging features available.
  • If you haven’t already, create a free account to RightNow Media, a faith-based video resource, on our website. As we type, Pastor Rick is already working on ways to use this resource with our Families and Children.
  • And, don’t forget about the classic telephone. We encourage you to take the time to connect with each other and be sources of encouragement. Community is critical to our faith and we encourage you to actively seek ways to stay connected.
FUMCWP leaders are actively working, planning, and coordinating. Look for future communication from us regarding specific ways we are supporting those in need – our members, our community, and our staff in missional ways.

Two Things I Claim…

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Below is a recent post from Pastor David’s realm group, “Leadership Matters…”. To join this group, get connected at fumcwp.org/realm.

“If you are like me, you find yourself more and more checking the latest update on the web, watching the news and discussing COVID-19 with friends. I confess that I get this way every couple of years. Whenever a major hurricane seems likely to come through. Only this seems even more threatening. Because there is so much unknown. And because it has affected and yes – devastated so many.

And yet, in this season of anxiety, there are two things I find myself claiming. The first is community. In particular, my church family. My first reaction to every bit of news is to shut down, to back away, to withdraw. But deep inside I know that this cannot be sustained. There will be more distress ahead. There will be other things that bring anxiety. Life is constantly changing. And life contains threats. To navigate these changes and threats, I need others. I cannot imagine distancing myself from the strength, the encouragement, the care and the faith of my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Now, please hear me when I say that I absolutely understand and support everyone who feels they need to refrain from gathering with our church family in person. The “in person” part is key. Our love for each other dictates that we do not harm others. Furthermore, we are to be especially mindful of those parts of our church family that are more vulnerable. When it comes to gathering, we must be thinking of others and not just our own desires.

It’s important to remember that there are other ways we can participate in the body of Christ. We live in an era of wonderful technology that allows us to text, email, call, video conference, share pictures, meet on-line. The key will be to make an extra effort to remain connected. When this season passes and life in person resumes, we don’t want to feel like we went backward in our relationships. Or that we lost touch with those who share our lives. So, let’s commit to touching base with others in the family (electronically)! Your brothers and sisters need you to reach out to them so that they can experience your support, your strength, your encouragement in Christ.

The second thing that I claim is that faith is not a feeling. It can sound a bit cliché when we are uncertain and afraid. But then it is when we are uncertain and afraid that we need to trust in God’s promises over our feelings all the more. I was reading in my devotion guide the other day. And it said this, “Be sure to distinguish between the fact of God’s presence and the feeling of the fact.” It went on to say, “Trust God’s Word and His power more than you trust your own feelings and experiences.” That really hit home for me. Jesus said that he was with us ALWAYS. So, take care of yourself, your family and your neighbor. Be wise. Prepare. AND through it all trust that God is present. That God is at work. And that God knows what you need.

One last thought! Perhaps this is a time when our church can surprise the world! To live in such a way that our neighbors grow curious about our behavior. Maybe it’s a time all the more to show our love for each other and our neighbor. Could it be that our current season is a time to demonstrate faith? When so many in our families and community have anxiety, we can point the way to the love of Christ that drives out fear.

Praying for you and yours!”

~ Pastor David

The Vote at General Conference

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Below is a recent post from Pastor David’s realm group, “Leadership Matters…”. To join this group, get connected at fumcwp.org/realm.

March 4, 2020

“I have been encountering a lot of confusion about the upcoming vote at General Conference. There is a good reason for this. It’s confusing! Here are a couple of things (I believe) are relevant to the upcoming gathering of United Methodist representatives from around the world.

  • General Conference will meet in Minneapolis, MN from May 3 to May 15th.
  • General Conference occurs every 4 years (unless a special session is called as in 2019).
  • At General Conference, elected representatives vote on the business of the denomination.
  • · This May, one of the items being presented for vote is called Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation.
  • The Protocol has been supported by many different groups in the United Methodist Church.
  • The Protocol lays out a template for conferences and churches that wish to separate from the UMC to follow.
  • You can read the Protocol through this link https://cdnsc.umc.org/-/media/umc-media/2020/01/03/15/48/Protocol-of-Reconciliation-and-Grace-through-Separation.
  • There is no guarantee that the Protocol will pass. Or that it won’t be amended.
  • There are multiple proposals that will be presented at General Conference.
  • We won’t know what will happen with the Protocol until May.
  • There will follow a period of months and years for implementation.

Based upon this, it is too early to be talking about any local church vote. We don’t know if there will be a vote. We don’t know what that vote will be about. We don’t know what the options will be for us to vote towards. We will have to address this post General Conference.

In the meantime, I want to focus on how we at FUMC Winter Park can have the one spirit Paul talks about in Philippians 2. What are some ways we as a church can respond to General Conference that build a united heart rather than create winners and losers?

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:1-4

Peace be with you!”

~Rev. David Miller, Senior Pastor

COVID-19 Information

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Updated 5/24/2021

This is an exciting time to share that while the pandemic is not over, we are at a place to start relaxing some of our safety protocols. With that said, we are aware that there are still new cases of Covid in our community and this will be with us for some time

While staff, members, and guests can volunteer their vaccination status with others, it is not permissible to question anyone’s vaccination status, or make assumptions/commentary to or about those wearing masks. With the new CDC and Florida United Methodist Conference mask guidelines, we want to clarify our mask policy:

Members, Guests, Staff:

  • Vaccinated Individuals – Masks Optional on campus
  • Unvaccinated Individuals – Masks Required on campus

Student, Children, Nursery Staff/Lay Volunteers working with those under 18:

  • Vaccinated Leaders – Masks Required indoors and optional outdoors
  • Unvaccinated Leaders – Masks Required on campus

Preschools:

  • Vaccinated Teachers – Masks Optional on campus
  • Unvaccinated Teachers – Masks Required indoors and optional outdoors

We are excited that life is in some ways returning to “normal” and we are thankful for the slightly lower COVID cases in our area. We give God thanks for all that we have learned in this strange season and how we have stretched, pivoted and worked creatively throughout this time. Thank you for being a part of our faith community as we aim to transform lives for the good of God’s Kingdom. 

Please contact Matt Kuzma, COO, at MattK@fumcwp.org. if you have any questions or concerns.

Safety Preparedness 

Like others in our community, we are monitoring the COVID-19 situation. As a church community, we offer a variety of ministries across all age groups and life stages. We continue to follow briefings provided by local, state, and national officials including Orange County, the City of Winter Park, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Public Health Departments.

We want to share with you some of the proactive measures we are taking at our Winter Park Campus (125 N Interlachen Ave Winter Park, FL 32789) and Reeves Center (110 N Fern Creek Ave, Orlando, FL 32803).

  • Providing disinfectant wipes in all the meeting rooms.
  • Providing additional trashcans around campus.
  • Distributing hand sanitizer across the campus.
  • Upgrading our sanitization program with the custodial crew.
  • Sharing educational resources through our communication channels.

Safety Precautions

We encourage everyone to follow advice from the CDC:

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

Stay Informed

  • Follow our Facebook page for up to date information and announcements as well.

Have Questions?

Marcy Trust Contributions 2020

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The Marcy Trust continues to believe in the mission and vision of our church; and, for that we are grateful. The contributions from the Marcy Trust allow our church to run special projects and initiatives that are outside the scope of the operations budget. The Marcy Trust just closed their fiscal year 2019/2020 and we are grateful for the $560,691 contribution they gifted our church during that time.

Our church family received gifting for the following 2019 initiatives:

  • Matching Grant for the 2020 Stewardship Campaign
  • New Stage for the Family Ministry
  • Festival Gloria 2019
  • Marcy Music Scholarships for UCF & Rollins Students

Our church family received gifting for these upcoming 2020 initiatives:

  • Clergy to attend the Preaching Training: For Such a Time as This
  • Wall’s Display Coming this Fall
  • Stephen Ministry Training
  • Landscaping at the Reeves Center
  • Matching Grant for the Counseling Ministry
  • Exploration of Live Streaming Services
  • Festival Gloria 2020
  • Leadership Council Project Fund

While the Marcy Trust’s primary beneficiary is FUMCWP, the trust has recently provided funds for projects at Duke University, the Candler School at Emory and the local district. Going forward, requests such as these are going to be submitted directly to the conference so they can help to prioritize them according to the goals and objectives of the conference.

Lent 2020

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Join our journey to discipleship this Lent! Our Lenten sermon series, “166 Hours”, will focus on Michael Frost’s book Surprise the World!, a study of five habits that offer simple ways to connect more intentionally with God and our neighbors.

Why 166 Hours?

There are 168 hours in a week. If you are an American Christian, the likeliness of your Christian life taking much more than two of those hours is minimal. Most Christians go to church on Sunday morning for an hour and then they might make a small group or dinner to tack on an extra hour. What do we do with the other 166 hours of our week? Are they not part of our spiritual life, too? When we read about Jesus’ way of life we see him living a full 168-hour life. If we are to follow Jesus we should be following his lifestyle. We must live out the other 166 hours!

The Lenten workbook is about practices that help us live into those other 166 hours. These are practices to use in your life to live a different rhythm – a rhythm that will guide you to love God and love neighbor because this truly is the greatest commandment. Some of the practices might seem familiar like prayer or studying scripture. Others might seem unusual, like blessing someone or eating with them. But, all-in-all, they all help point you to a fuller life, a 168-hour life – one of seeing things anew, one of seeing human-flourishing taking form in the kingdom of God, one full of love, hope, joy and peace.  We hope you will consider joining us on this journey for the season of Lent.

Download Workbook Here

Surprise the World!

To join us on this Lenten Journey, you will need to purchase Surprise the World! by Michael Frost and grab a copy of the supplemental booklet that will guide you on what to read and practice each week of Lent. Our goal is to journey together as a family through sermons, reading, and the practice of new spiritual disciplines. Surprise the World! can be purchased in the Courtyard on Mar. 1 & 8, as well as the front office during the week.

Gracious Host Update

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January and February have been fun and fulfilling months for the Gracious Hosts pillar. We began the New Year with Wesley Fest, a celebration of our rich Wesleyan heritage. On January 26, our traditional Sunday worship service was filled with glorious orchestral and choral music directed by Michael Roberts. We were honored to have Bishop Ken Carter as our guest preacher. He reminded us that we are called to follow Jesus and challenged us to learn the wisdom of the “next faithful step.” Highlights of our afternoon and evening festivities include a visit by UCF quarterback, Darriel Mack Jr., during which Darrel shared the importance of his faith. Ten chili cook-off chefs shared their favorite recipes amid a spirit of fun and fellowship. Thank you to the hospitality team and other pillar members for all your hard work on this event!

In February, we were treated to the delightful music of Sit Andrew Lloyd Webber ad we enjoyed a delicious meal and scrumptious desserts at Broadway Bound, a fun-filled show featuring talented members of our church. This is always a “hit” in our Winter Park community! Thank you to Michael Roberts, Director of Music Ministry, and team!

We also celebrated our Scouting Ministry last month. Boy and Girl Scouts and their families enjoyed a delicious Refuel Wednesday spaghetti supper and an evening of games, fellowship, and fun! The following Sunday, Scouts were recognized as they participated in our church services.

On Feb. 12, families enjoyed a delightful time in fellowship and fun during a Valentine-themed Refuel Wednesday. Everyone loved the delicious tacos prepared by Randy Parsons, Director of Hospitality, and team. Thank you!

Confirmation is well underway as youth in our church explore what it means to be a Christ-follower.

As Spring approaches, we are excited about coming events in our Pillar:

  • On Good Friday, our Music Ministry will present the sacred work, “The Seven Last Words of Christ,” accompanied by a full orchestra.
  • Many of our students will also participate in Encounter, an exciting weekend at Warren Willis Camp, sponsored by Family Ministry.

Join us as we grow in community together!

Blessings,
Arnetta Rodgers, Gracious Hosts Pillar Leader

Mission Minute – Agua Viva Serves

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On February 9, Richard Brelsford spoke to us in worship about his experience with Agua Viva Serves. View the video below to hear his story.

 

   

Scouts Sunday 2020

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The Scouting Ministry is thriving here at FUMCWP. This past week, the Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts hosted Refuel Wednesday. On February 9th, we celebrated Scout Sunday and recognized the Cub Scouts, Brownies, & Girl Scout Jrs for their contributions and service to the Scouting Ministry. Both boys and girls received their Faith/Religious award.

“I enjoyed attending the Boy and Girl Scout dinner last night! It was fun seeing the scouts have fun! Thank you (to leaders) for all that you are doing to contribute to the character development of children in our church.” ~Arnetta Rodgers, Gracious Host Pillar Leader

 

Center for Creative Discipleship

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Join our church family’s journey to discipleship this Lent! Our sermon series will focus on Michael Frost’s practical book Surprise the World, a study of five habits for living a “questionable life” — a life that makes others want to know more about Jesus. The habits (Bless, Eat, Listen, Learn and Sent) offer simple ways to connect more intentionally with God and our neighbors. Each week we will learn one of the habits and practice it together. Copies of Surprise the World will be available for personal study.

To continue your discipleship journey beyond Lent, join the first pilgrimage of the Center for Creative Discipleship starting in Holy Week! This new ministry of FUMCWP will offer 8-week discipleship groups led by a member of your church family. These groups will focus on one habit from Surprise the World and connect it to other rich practices and reflections. Space is limited; registration opens Feb. 23. We believe our church is strongest when we all get involved and we look forward to this journey together!

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Winter Park 125 N. Interlachen Ave Winter Park, FL 32789

407-644-2906

Reeves Center 1100 N. Fern Creek Ave. Orlando, FL 32803

407-894-2237

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