Dear Friends, Happy New Year! Hope you’re having a great 2013 so far. If you’re reading this then we know that all the speculation about the Mayan calendar was incorrect and the world (and life) goes on. What will this year be like— for us as individuals, our church, our community, our nation, the world? That is the great adventure of life— living it a day at a time. As I have often said, the Scripture promises us a lamp to our feet, not a headlight down the highway. God will help direct our next step if we will listen. And although we can greatly influence others, the reality is that the only one we can truly make changes in is ourselves. Our challenge in 2013, as it is every year, is to strengthen our covenant with God, to work toward being the person He has called us to be. John Wesley had a Covenant Renewal Service that he would do each new year. The prayer that opens the service is this: “O God, Searcher of our hearts, you have formed us as a people and claimed us for your own. As we come to acknowledge your sovereignty and grace, and to enter anew into covenant with you, reveal any reluctance or falsehood within us. Let your Spirit impress your truth on our inmost being, and receive us in mercy, for the sake of our Mediator, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen” May we as individuals, and as the Church of Jesus Christ, strive this year to serve God in our actions and in our words. Again I wish you Happy New Year! Yours in Christ, Pastor Jim Get Ready For The Guy Penrod Concert, which takes place on January 20, 2013. The tickets are $25.00 per person and are available in the Narthex and in the office during the week. The concert is at 3:00 on the 20th and the doors w i l l open at 2:00 pm. February 3rd Dueling Pianos with Jodie DeSalvo and Linda Matthews 3:00 concert—doors open at 2:00 March 17th Voices of Naples In concert at 3:00—doors open at 2:00 GUY PENROD MISSION OF THE MONTH Updates: Hey Church Family! This is Brandon Perez... I’m currently a junior at the University of Florida and it’s that time of year again! It’s time to talk to you all about the church Scholarships! On behalf of myself and all the other scholarship recipients, I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all the love and support you have shown all of us. You have no idea how helpful the money you provided, really is. Shown below is my financial breakdown for this 2012-2013 school year. ANNUAL COST OF EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA And he most certainly did. We offered many ways for each of you to help with this project. Some of you donated money to help buy gift cards to provide food for the families during the Christmas Holidays. Some of you chose a gift tag and bought a present for one of the 19 children and 5 adults who were part of these special families. Some of you provided gift tags and wrapping paper. Some of you prayed for these families and this project. We couldn’t have been so successful without your help. As the gifts were wrapped and sorted, we had exactly the number of gifts and gift cards that we needed. Each child received 3 gifts or gift cards. Each parent received a gift or two or a few gift cards. Each family received Walmart and Publix gift cards for Christmas meals. Thanks for all your prayers and donations. FL RESIDENT $190 PER CREDIT HOUR BOOKS AND SUPPLIES APARTMENT COSTS PERSONAL EXPENSES TRANSPORTATION TOTAL Shadowlawn Christmas Families: God Will Provide! $ 5,700 1,500 5,000 3,200 3,000 $18,400 However, many students pay more; which depends on whether you stay in state or go to a private college. Many college students have scholarships, grants, Florida prepaid, etc. which help with finances; but in reality, there is no “full ride” to college anymore. And any little bit helps. Speaking for all college students, money is the last thing we want to be thinking about with all the stresses of college. I am a full-time student; I am part of a research lab; I work part-time at a bookstore; I lead a weekly Men’s Bible Study and I attend weekly meetings at CRU, a Christian campus organization, on top of wanting to live the college student life with friends. Some of my fellow scholarship recipients have these activities, plus a sport that takes up even more time. You get the picture. College students are busy. But, because of your donations to the scholarship fund, I can happily say that when I graduate from Undergrad I will be debt free, which I would not have been able to say without this Church’s generosity. Your contributions to the Scholarship fund really do allow us to use the gifts that God has given us on all of our separate campuses. Scholarship is the Mission of the Month this January for our church. If you would like to help support college students in this way, please mark your donation envelope for Mission of the Month, and your money will go to the scholarship fund that is distributed to college students, like myself. Thank you and God Bless! Brandon Perez 2012 in Review Our generous donations to Missions this year resulted in over $53,000 being sent to wonderful people and projects around Naples and our world. Beyond our Mission of the Month projects we have also supported UMCOR and Global Missionaries, Homeless Orphan Outreach International, Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes, Habitat for Humanity, Sunlight Home, Florida United Methodist Children’s Home, Eric and Allison Foster’s work with the Jesus Film Project. We sponsored a huge food drive in August that supported the food pantries at Helps Outreach, Grace Place and St. Matthew’s House. Our Relay for Life team walked, donated and honored those who have battled or continue to battle cancer. We continue to pass along soup labels, eye glasses, aluminum pulltabs, and print cartridges to support others. Many of you volunteer your time in support of local organizations and people who need to feel God’s love. As the Mission Chairperson, I would like to thank you for all you do to be God’s hands, feet and heart in our world. Kris Clemmensen For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” Martin Luther King, Jr “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” Isaiah 60:1-6 (NIV) In December, we spent our time preparing our hearts for the coming of the promised Messiah, Jesus the Christ, the King of Kings. We opened the season of Advent with the Hanging of the Greens service. We reflected on how Jesus could be the Son of God and the Son of Man. We reflected on something John Chrysostom preached in the fourth century: “What shall I say! And how shall I describe this Birth to you? For this wonder fills me with astonishment. The Ancient of days has become an infant. He Who sits upon the sublime and heavenly Throne, now lies in a manger. And He Who cannot be touched . . . now lies subject to the hands of men . . . God is now on earth, and man in heaven.” Then we celebrated with the beautiful music of A Chancel Christmas, honoring a beloved saint who left an indelible mark on the people of our church. We laughed through the children and youth telling us the Christmas Story in Camel Lot: Don’t Miss the Manger. We were reminded that it’s easy to just live our lives and miss the point of it all – that it’s easy to miss the manger. And finally on Christmas Eve we joyously welcomed Jesus - we made time to allow our hearts to open up and receive the greatest gift of all. James A. Harnish wrote an Advent study called When God Comes Down. In it he said, “The good news of great joy is proclaimed in a world where preschool children sometimes lose their fathers, where parents sometimes lose their jobs, and where families lose their homes. The angels sing of ‘peace on earth and goodwill to all’ in a world where Herod still reigns and where nations still believe the myth that peace can be purchased through war. God comes down in flesh into a world where love still gets nailed to a cross. The Savior is born in a world where every last one of us is like those lost, confused, disoriented shepherds who are in desperate need of a Savior.” We know we are lost and confused, disoriented and desperate. We know we are people of darkness and live in a world covered in thick darkness. In our day-to-day life, it is easy to sink into that darkness, to let life’s troubles and despair take over and rule us. But we are called to something else – something different. We are called to be people of the light. Arise! Shine! For our light has come! The glory of the Lord has risen upon us! In this new year, welcome the light into your life. Arise and let your light shine! Grace and peace, Jessica Crown Christian Education Calendar January 6, 2013 – Youth Group Meetings Begin January 14, 2013 – Christian Education Team Meeting, 6 PM, Elsey Hall January 16, 2013 – Wonderful Wednesdays Begin January 20, 2013 – Guy Penrod Concert, 3 PM, Sanctuary January 28, 2013 – Invitation to the New Testament Begins, 6 PM, Elsey Hall February 3, 2013 – Dueling Pianos Concert, 3 PM, Sanctuary February 7, 2013 – Christian Education Team Meeting, 6 PM, Elsey Hall February 9, 2013 – Mandatory Christian Education Volunteer Training, 9 AM – 2 PM, 2nd Floor Ed. Bldg. February 10, 2013 – Youth Bell/Choir Begins, 4:30 PM, Choir Room Christian Education Needs We are always in need of supplies! For the month of January, we are asking for donations of napkins and plastic-ware (forks and spoons especially)! On a Sunday morning or Wednesday evening, bring them upstairs and check out our programs, activities, and children/youth! We are grateful for your support and donations. Thank you! JANUARY 9:30 ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL BIBLE CLASS The general theme for the quarter is "Jesus is Lord". This month we consider "Exalting Christ" with Scriptures from Philippians. Bring your Bible, your enthusiasm to learn... and your questions. Pastor Bob “If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself.” Albert Einstein UNITED METHODIST WOMEN United Methodist Women will begin 2013 on Monday, January 14th @ 11 am in Fellowship Hall with a salad lunch. The program includes the Pledge service and Beryl Melucci will present her beautiful program on her life in England as a child during WWII. All persons are welcome to join us for the lunch and program. If you are new or a guest, you do not need to concern yourself with what food to bring. Just come. There is always enough to eat. Our February unit meeting will be on the evening of February 4th @ 7 pm in Fellowship Hall. Donna Fiala will be the guest speaker. Just cookies and coffee... and all are warmly welcomed to attend. Pat Poorman New Books on the UMW Reading Cart – Explore the 23 new books available to check out on the United Methodist Women’s Library Cart in the Workroom. These books are part of the UMW Reading Program but are a great resource for all who enjoy a great book. Some of the new books this year include: Alone and Invisible No More, How Coffee Saved My Life, Make Poverty Personal, and One Simple Act – Discovering the Power of Generosity. We hope that you will check out a book and enjoy a new read! Kris Clemmensen RACHEL CIRCLE On Wednesday, January 16th at 10 am in Elsey Hall, the Rachel Circle will be starting a new study entitled: Immigration in the Bible. We meet for one hour, and the next three d at es af t er J an u ary are: February 13, March 6, and April 10. Contact Pat Poorman, 775-7257. LEADERSHIP TRAINING The South West District will be providing Local Church Leadership Training in 2 locations in the district. If you have been serving on a local church leadership team (SPR, Finance, Trustees, etc.), been newly elected to a committee at your last Charge Conference or just interested in learning more. please join us either Saturday, January 26, 2013 (St. John’s UMC in Sarasota) or Saturday, February 2, 2013 (North Naples UMC). Call Pastor Jim for more information (774-4696). THE EVANGELISM COMMITTEE INVITES YOU to participate in an all church community outreach on Saturday, January 26th. Door-to-door visitation and prayer support. For information, contact Pastor Gene @ 774-4696. Endowment Team Meeting Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at 11:00am in Elsey Hall BARGAIN NOOK NEWS Little Store = Big Impact Wow! $30,000 later, the Bargain Nook reflects on quite a year in 2012. Hats off and a HUGE THANKS to Carol McElroy (for her nine months) and Bud & Elaine Kaiser (for their three months) in leading the team of volunteers. We are so thankful for the opportunity to reach out in our community and also bring revenue for the church operating fund. This is truly a win-win partnership and such a blessing. God is Good! LEARNING CENTER NEWS! The Learning Center staff, children and fami lies love the new rubber mulch playground that was provided for with a bequest from Veora Habig. If you have not seen the new ad dition to the playground, please feel free to do so. The Learning Center is excited to an nounce that in the new 2013/2014 school year they will be offering a new FREE afternoon VPK program. We ask that you please be in prayer for this as well as for our staff, children, and the families. We would like to thank you for your continued support, prayers and referrals. The Learning Center Staff pray that the New Year brings you much joy, good health and wonderful memories. In Christ... The Learning Center Board and Director SNOWBIRDS Please remember to call the office to change to your local address (774-4696). Mc Curdy, Dorothy Pogel, Amanda White, Janet Peavey, Robert Arnold, Penny Crouse, Daniel Gonzalez, Estrella Suarez, Ana Boydston, Susan Clark, Dylan Leach, Frances Wright, Christopher Mediavilla, Sheree 1/2 1/4 1/4 1/5 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/7 1/8 1/8 1/9 1/10 Mellon, Doris 1/10 Perez, Armando George, Helen Hammond, Mike Fraser, Eleanor Hall, Harold Atwell, Laura Cooling, Ruth Wright, Paul Anderson, Allison Mc Donald, Robert Carlson, Samantha Griffin, Katie Hoyle, Laberta Melucci, Beryl Burgham, Donald Levitt, Zachary Good, Tammy Pearson, Clint Philogene, Sandra 1/10 1/11 1/11 1/12 1/12 1/13 1/13 1/13 1/15 1/15 1/16 1/16 1/16 1/16 1/17 1/17 1/18 1/18 1/18 Richardson, Debbie Straub, Nicholas Cicchetti, Christopher Jones, Margaret Mitchell, Ann Pogany, Susan Regula, Jason Shaw, Brenda Willis, Geraldine Bedell, Brenda Keltner, Jane Mc Cutcheon, Marie Vogel, Trent Garcia, Mariano Dossinger, Sue Biddle, Corwin Daudert, James Shoemaker, Allison Craig, George Hayes, Mike Sulouff, Diane Murphy, Donald Murphy, Joyetta Orozco, Sergio Ahlquist, Haley Bain, Charles Fetters, James Rush, Maxine Long, Arthur Jordan, Lois Kokkinos, Becky O’Neil, Susan Straub, Brian 1/18 1/18 1/19 1/19 1/19 1/19 1/19 1/19 1/19 1/20 1/20 1/20 1/20 1/21 1/23 1/24 1/24 1/24 1/25 1/25 1/25 1/26 1/26 1/26 1/27 1/28 1/28 1/28 1/29 1/30 1/30 1/30 1/31 Thank you for the cards, gifts and kindly expressions given to me in this season in which we celebrate Christ's birth. Bob Hinklin Joseph Williams November 27, 2012 Helen Chandler December 2, 2012 Carl Johnson December 10, 2012 FELLOWSHIP DINNERS will resume January 16th. A reservation form will be in the bulletin as a tear off, which you may put in the offering; call the office (7744696) or e-mail [email protected] by Mondays @ noon. Dinner, $10 each. Pay at the door the night of the dinner but, don’t forget to make your reservations! The various committees and chairpersons of ENUMC for 2013 Chair V-Chair Secretary Lay Leader Lay Member of AC Scholarship Finance Chair Financial Secretary Trustees Representive Staff-Parish Evangelism Missions Christian Education Worship Learning Center Board Nominations Stephen Ministry UMYF Rep UM Men UM Women Membership Care Scouting Coordinator Disaster Coordinator Hispanic Ministry John Jordan TBD Sandy Ahlquist Paul Clemmensen Romelle Lemley Danielle Poff Gary Davis Phyllis McGraw TBD Nancy Lange Doris Mellon Kris Clemmensen Beth Milliren Maxine Kilburg Shirley Ludwig Paul Clemmensen Sue Dossinger Jenilyn Tea James Bingham Pat Poorman Shirley Swan Dwight McGraw Walt Whitten Udene Torres NON-PROFIT US POSTAGE PAID NAPLES, FL PERMIT # 34 EAST NAPLES UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 2701 AIRPORT ROAD SOUTH NAPLES FL 34112 (239) 774-4696 CURRENT RESIDENT OR MAILED December 31, 2012 · · ��