We recently welcomed our newest ordained deacon to the church family! After extensive training and evaluations, Michele Walker Van Son received the Bishop’s commissioning as a Deacon of the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church in June. Our Church Conference then unanimously voted to have her serve here. She feels called to welcome, educate and connect people of every area into the community of the church. Michele was raised in this church family, and has chosen to raise her family here. She is the mother of Josh, Nick and Lily, and daughter of Bill and Robbi Walker.
Category: Stories
CONGRATULATIONS, REV. VAN SON!
Covenant Bible Experience
This Covenant Experience is an opportunity for the whole church to experience reading the Bible together over an eight week period. Everyone is invited to join a Covenant group which will meet weekly to learn and talk about what they have read. There is even a Covenant group for our students on Sunday morning at 11am. This experience of reading the Bible will focus on the biblical concept of covenant as a unifying pattern as we read passages from both the Old and New Testaments. The concept of covenant reminds us of the unique relationship that God chooses to have with us as God’s people. This relationship is grounded in the faithfulness of God’s love and on our ongoing commitment to stay in love with God while we share signs of that love with others.
Opportunities for Men:
- Tuesday Mornings: Sept. 15-Nov. 3, 7-8am, the Fellowship Hall, facilitated by Rev. Gary Rideout
- Thursday Mornings: September 17-November 5, 7-8am, the Resource Center, facilitated by Rob Neil, Ben Howell, and Skip Matthias
- Wednesday Lunch: September 16-Nov. 4, 12-1pm, Room 319 MFLC, facilitated by Vince Furey (registration for lunch TBA)
Opportunities for Women:
- Thursday Mornings: Sept 17-Nov. 5, 9:30-11:00am (316, 321, 320, 319 MFLC) yes childcare, facilitator: Amy Richardson
- Mondays lunch: September 14-Nov. 2, 11:30-1pm (The Parlor) bring your own lunch ,
facilitator: Laura -Grace Anderson - Thursday morning: Sept. 17-Nov.5, 7-8am. ( # 236 Wesleyan building)
facilitator: Jayne Rideout
Opportunities for Everyone:
- Sunday Mornings: Sept. 13-Nov.1
8:30-9:45am room # 319, 320 MFLC yes childcare
9:45-11:00am room # 321, 320 MFLC Sunday school available for all ages (Cornerstone Class)
11-12:15pm room # 313 MFLC yes childcare - Wednesday Evenings: Sept. 16-Nov. 4, 6:30-7:45pm room # 316 MFLC (Yes Childcare Register Here)
Opportunities for Students and Young Adults:
- Sunday Mornings: Sept. 13-Nov.1
Students: 11-12:15pm Resource Center
Young Adults: 11-12:15pm Location TBD
Great Expectations
Brought to you by the Beyond 50 Ministries Task Force of the Florida Annual Conference in partnership with First United Methodist Church Winter Park, Great Expectations for Boomers & Beyond is a conference designed to address the needs of the growing population of those over 50. This unique event will encourage and engage participants with passion and creativity. It also will provide countless ideas and opportunities for growth, as well as pave the way for tapping into the spiritual gifts and talents of older adults as vital disciples of Jesus Christ.
This statewide conference is especially for:
• People 50 years of age and beyond.
• Members of the clergy interested in starting or improving their 50+ programs.
• Laity involved in leading ministries for those beyond 50.
• Anyone who wants to learn more about addressing the needs of this rapidly expanding population.
In addition to outstanding keynote speakers, the conference will have more than 30 fun and informative breakouts, including sessions led by Will Randolph, Director of Aging and Older Adult Ministries at Discipleship Ministries. Although all breakout sessions are open to all participants, some are uniquely designed to help leaders who are engaged in developing programs for older adults. The entire event will focus on what’s next for those in the second half of life and how laity leaders and clergy can best address their needs.
Visit the Great Expectations website for more info and to register.
Panua is a Big Hit at UMC National Youth Conference
What an awesome reception we experienced for Panua at the Go-On Youth 2015 Conference in Orlando last week. God was touching the hearts of youth from all over the country at this UMC conference. It was a great platform for us to spread the word about Panua, Partners in Hope – the ministry partnership between our church and Trinity UMC in Naivasha, Kenya.
Panua’s three-year program transforms the lives of youth-led families through a unique blend of education, emotional/spiritual mentoring and business/vocational training.
More than 500 students and adults participated in workshops presented by Mickey Linn and Michael LeBlanc. More than 2,000 people visited our walk-through Panua Experience. Big thanks go to Bungalow Scenic Studios, Colin Murphy and his crew for making it all possible.
Many thanks to all the volunteers who spent their time helping us share this great ministry with students and adults from across the U.S. God is at work and it is truly a privilege to be part of this church which supports such a special ministry.
Members Connect!
We serve an awesome God and now you are about to be a bigger part of an awesome church!
There are two ways to get connected:
SERVE
Be the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus to others. THIS is how to be “on the move to make a difference through Jesus Christ.”
CONNECT
Join a group, learn something new, find people to share some fun! THIS is how to grow your faith by expanding and deepening your community, working together to follow Jesus.
Please take a look at our Members Connect page for various opportunities.
Worship in May and June
Inspiring worship will continue as we move through the transition of our senior pastor! We are so blessed to have a wealth of great preachers share the Word through May and June before our new Senior Pastor begins on July 5. Rev. Jayne Rideout, Rev. Gary Rideout, Rev. Jim Berlau, Jon Tschanz and Merrill Frailey will be preaching during this period.
May 3 Stewardship Commitment Sunday
May 10 Mother’s Day
May 17 Commissioning Sunday
May 24 Pentecost /Memorial Day Weekend
May 31 Senior Sunday
June Sermon Series: Road Trip
Part 1: Don’t Make Me Pull This Car Over!
Part 2: Did We Close the Garage Door?
Part 3: Are We There Yet?
Part 4: What’s Your Destination? (Dr. Jim Harnish)
Mission Sign-ups
It’s not too late to sign up for a mission trip!
Logon to the Missions page and see what is available.
Weekly Gatherings
Join Us!
Throughout the week there are opportunities to connect. The times wont change (unless noted) so you can plan on attending weekly! There are gatherings for any and everyone!
Senior Sunday
FUMCWP 2014 graduating seniors are leading Sunday morning worship services on May 18. At 6:00pm on Sunday evening, please join us in the sanctuary for Baccalaureate, as we celebrate the accomplishments of graduating seniors throughout our community. Reception to follow in Fellowship Hall. Please RSVP if you plan to attend!
ELEVATE Senior Sunday
Hey high school seniors, let us know what your future plans are!
Continue reading “ELEVATE Senior Sunday”