Sunshine Herald

A Monthly Publication of Druid Hills United Methodist Church Serving Christ by Learning, Leading and Loving

Druid Hills United Methodist Church

From the Pastor:

Rev. Daryl W. Allen

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

From the Pastor Financial Report Caring and Sharing Calendar Activities Easter Tableau

1, 3 2, 7 2 4 3, 5, 6, 7 3

This month we will embark on what many consider to be the highest of holy seasons, Lent. From the earliest of times, Lent was a time intended to prepare newcomers for adoption into the Christian lifestyle as candidates were identified and prepared to be baptized at Easter. For those that were already believers, this time was used to help them recommit to their baptismal covenant and discern ways where they could deepen their commitment to their faith. Over the years, we have all been introduced to ways in which our preparation can take place. One of the most common methods employed is the giving up of some item, hobby, or obligation for the 40 days of Lent. The purpose is that for items given up for Lent, you are aligning yourself with the suffering of Christ; and the time you save from giving up hobbies or obligations you would spend that time with God. The caveat in this practice is that Sundays are not part of those 40 days and are considered little Easters. Thereby making Sundays a time of celebration and lifting your commitment to the discipline you have undertaken for Lent. Others have adopted the understanding that Lent is to be a time of mourning and great sadness in anticipation of Good Friday, the Friday before Easter. You are to live with a constant reminder of Christs death as you walk the journey of Lent. So, as you can see, all of these methods and understandings are intended to help you deepen your faith. But; as I have thought about these methods and common practices, while they each have their own merit and usefulness, used independently they seem inward focused. One of the greatest joys of the Christian faith is living life together. So, this year, I want to offer a few suggestions for ways you can prepare yourself during Lent that involve quiet time, as well as time with others. For those quiet times here are some ways and methods you can find closeness to God: Spend time in solitude each day Make a list of people with whom Read a book for inner growth you need to be reconciled. Pray Read through the Gospels for them and let Jesus guide you Keep a journal of prayers, questions in your thinking and feeling and readings toward them. Focus on thanksgiving in your prayers Take one hour to inventory your Give yourself the gift of three hours to priorities and reorder them do something you have not always had Give up a grudge or a rehearsal the time to do of a past event Forgive someone who has hurt you Attend our quiet time of prayer Dance your prayers to a favorite song on Ash Wednesday afternoon; March 5th, 12-1 pm
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03/02 03/03 03/06 03/07 03/15 03/16 03/22 03/23 03/24 03/25 03/26 03/28 03/29 03/30

Marie Decker Joyce Fraser Susan Leighton Brenda Shinn Charles Reid Donna Reynolds Jack Burnette Karen Palmer Eunice Charles Rachel Boddy Hilda Bolomey Carole Newlin Parker Allen Wilhelmina Rogers

03/05 Debbie & Ed Ford 03/20 Joan & Ray Foren

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Prayer serves as the backbone of the church. It is what supports all our efforts of ministry. In that spirit, you are invited to hold these persons in your prayers and thoughts. Just as the Spirit needs healing, so does the body. The two, it seems, go together in Gods plan. Please remember these people in prayer: Luann Bainbridge, Marianne Bingham, Rose Carroll, Eunice Charles, Fred Coder, Tiffany Critchfield, Alan Crouch, Barry & Marie Decker, Cynthia DeKersky, Raymond & Violet Dyer, Betty Erickson, Judy Fitch, Chris Garris, Marge & Jack Grieves, Ruth Griffith, Dan Grishkin, Carolina Hadley, Joe Hager, Tola & Emil Hass, George Hettel, Robert Hildenbrandt, Jean Hoesman, Ellen Keller, Tom Klotz, Bonnie & Jim Knepp, Joanne Knepp, Alene Krouse, Flo LaVine, Joey Liu, Michael MacPherson, Carolyn McCarthy, Lillie McCarty, John Martin, Sandi Moore, Sue & Karen Murray, Angela & John OBrien, Pat Painter, Landon Parish, Jenny Piner, Doris Pitts, Jan & Don Ridley, P. R. Rion, James Rittmayer, Wilhelmina Rogers, Ric Roos, Joe Scott, Joe Scott, Jr, Amy Smith, Floy Smith, Jane Stahurski, Dorothy Stein, Mickey Stevens, Frank & Joyce Thompson, Shelley Tracy, Norma Jean Uher, Elaine Vicente, Eileen Zimmerman, Suzi Zoll

The Sunshine Herald is the monthly publication of Druid Hills United Methodist Church. Editor: Carole Newlin Pastor: Rev. Daryl W. Allen Pastors Blog: www.pastordaryl.blogspot.com Director of Worship Arts: Joan Foren

Email: [email protected] Phone: 352-629-5688 Mail: 1712 S. E. Lake Weir Rd. Ocala, FL 34471

Hours: 9:00 a.m. to Noon Monday through Friday Website: www.druidhillsocala.org

OUR STEWARDSHIP AND ATTENDANCE

Offering: $14,253.00 Offering last yr. +/- $2,278.00 Childrens Home: Parking Income: $205.04 $750.00

Average Attendance Worship .........125 Sunday School Adult Focus..........8 Nursery....0 Childrens Church......8 Bible Study....0

PRAYER CHAIN REQUESTS When you send a prayer chain request directly to Jenny Hosey, please use one of the following email addresses. [email protected] or [email protected] Jenny no longer uses the embarqmail address. Thank you!

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE The Newsletter deadline each month is the 3rd Sunday. If you have information you want published, you can write it up on the proper submission form and submit it to the church office prior to the deadline or email to [email protected]. Please remember when writing articles for publication to include all the basics of the information you want communicated: who, what, when, where, why, and how. Articles may be edited as necessary.

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For those public times, here are some ways and methods you can find closeness to God: Write a letter of affirmation once a week to Go to coffee or dinner with someone you want someone for whom you are grateful to know better Find a way to live out the baptismal promise Attend our weekly Lenten Study series on to resist evil, injustice and oppression Thursdays Attend our Ash Wednesday service at 6 pm Give the gift of time by visiting or calling one on March 5th of our homebound friends Attend all worship services during the season Volunteer to serve in one of our many outreach of Lent ministries Volunteer to work during our Easter Tableau These are just a few suggestions that you can use to help you as you walk through your Lenten journey of preparation. Once you have discerned the ways, private and public, that you will seek to draw closer to God, then find an accountability partner to help you. Share your plan with another person, someone you trust, that can check with you weekly and see how you are doing. I cannot express to you enough the importance of this aspect to help you stay connected and on track. Lent is a very important time in the life of a believer. It can be a time of transformation, of growth and, a deepening of your faith. This Lenten season my prayer for each of you is that you find a connection with God deeper than you have ever experienced and that you feel the closeness of the Holy Spirit guiding you each and every day. Blessings,

EASTER TABLEAU Its time to start thinking about the Easter Tableau, which will be held Thursday, April 17 and Friday, April 18. There will be sign-up sheets on the Connection Station. Your help will be needed in the scenes and also making refreshments to help defray the kitchen costs. Each scene needs to have a coordinator, so if you would like to volunteer to be a coordinator for one of the scenes, please let one of us know. If you would like to assist in any of the various areas; such as scene set-up, costumes, make-up, sound, lighting, etc., please let one of us know. Please be in prayer for a successful 2014 Easter Tableau. Thank you! If you have any questions, please contact Terri Silvola-Finch at 369-0614 or Linda Hughes at 732-8280. MODELs MODELs (Mostly Older Debutantes Eating Lunch) will meet at 12:30 pm on March 20th at The Crazy Cucumber, 816 S. Magnolia Ave. This is strictly a social activity for all the women of our Church. We meet at various restaurants in the area & have a fun time! If you plan to attend, please email your reservation to [email protected] or call the office by March 18th. Each month we collect a dollar, from each person attending, which is donated to a charity at the end of the year. FROM THE HEART - UNITED METHODIST WOMEN The next meeting of the UMW is Tuesday, March 18th at 10 am in Fellowship Hall. UMW meetings are open to all ladies of the Church.

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APRIL 2007

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri
1

Sat

2 9 am - Adult Focus Group 10:30 am - Worship

3 11 am - Moving Forward

4 8:15 am - ROMEOs

5 12-1 pm - Imposition of Ashes 6 pm - Ash Wednesday service 6 pm - Jr. Girl Scouts 12 10 am - Worship Cmte

6 10 am - Bible Study 6 pm - Girl Scouts 7 pm - Bible Study 13 10 am - Bible Study

7 pm - Choir White Sunday 9 9 am - Adult Focus Group 10:30 am - Worship 6:30 pm - Cub Scouts 10 7 pm - Boy Scouts 11 8:15 am - ROMEOs 9 am - DCOM 7 pm - Choir Canned Food Sun 16 9 am - Adult Focus Group 10:30 am - Worship 12:30 pm - S.O.S. 2 pm - Ocala Health & Rehab Sisterhood/ Brotherhood Sunday 23 9 am - Adult Focus Group 10:30 am - Worship Personal Care Sun. 31 7 pm - Choir 6:30 pm - Cub Scouts 7 pm - Boy Scouts 6:30 pm - Cub Scouts 24 7 pm - Choir 7 pm - Boy Scouts 25 8:15 am - ROMEOs 6:30 pm - Cub Scouts 17 7 pm - Boy Scouts 18 8:15 am - ROMEOs 10 am - UMW

6 pm - Kids Central 14 15 Annual Day on Campus at Florida U M Childrens Home 7 pm - S.O.S. Talent Show & Dessert Bar

5:30 pm - UMM 6 pm - Jr. Girl Scouts 19 10 am - Prayer Shawl 5 pm - Trustees 6 pm - Jr. Girl Scouts 6:15 pm - Finance Cmte 7 pm - Church 26

6 pm - Girl Scouts 7 pm - Bible Study 20 21

22

12:30 pm MODELs

6 pm - Girl Scouts 27 28

30 9 am - Adult Focus Group 10:30 am - Worship 5th Sunday offering

6 pm - Jr. Girl Scouts

6 pm - Girl Scouts

March 2014

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CHLDRENS MINISTRY On Palm Sunday, April 13 , we would like the children to participate in the Worship Service by carrying palms into the sanctuary. Please see Debby Baugher if your child(ren) can participate & approximately how many will be participating. The Annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held Sunday, April 20th. All children are invited to come & enjoy the fun collecting the eggs in the Pumpkin Patch area. After Fellowship time, meet with Ms. Debby Baugher & Ms. Nancy Johnson before going to the Pumpkin Patch. Dont forget to bring your Easter basket with you that morning! ADULTS: we would like donations of colorful plastic eggs & wrapped candy to fit inside the eggs. PLEASE NO CHOCOLATE! Deadline for the eggs & candy is Friday, April 11th. UMW will fill the eggs during their regular meeting, Tuesday, April 15th. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Libby.

On Saturday, March 15th, our District has been invited to the Annual Day on Campus at the Florida United Methodist Children's Home. This is our opportunity to tour the campus, speak to the volunteers, and see how our financial and prayerful support is being utilized. The day will begin at 9am and will conclude with lunch on the campus at noon. I highly encourage anyone who is interested to attend. If you would like to carpool, please contact the church office and let us know so we can coordinate it.

THE SCOUTING SIDE TROOP 425 We would like to thank Druid Hills UMC for hosting our yard/bake/craft sale on Feb. 8 th. Despite the rainy weather we were able to earn enough to send another scout to Georgia. We were also able to donate half a truck full of leftover donations to the Human Society for use in their thrift store. Even a few leftover cupcakes made the Human Societys workers day a little brighter! Jen Althiser MARK YOUR CALENDARS May 5 11 am - Moving Forward 10 noon - Jr. Girl Scouts (Ed Bldg & FH) 13 10 am - Worship Committee 14 5:30 pm - UMM 15 12:30 pm - MODELs 18 12:30 pm - S.O.S. 2 pm - Ocala Health & Rehab 20 10 - UMW 21 10 am - Prayer Shawl 5 pm - Trustees 6:15 pm - Finance Committee 7 pm - Church Council 26 Memorial Day - office closed

April 1 3 7 8 9 10 12 15 17 18 20

26

5:30 pm - SPRC 10 am & 7 pm - Bible Study 11 am - Moving Forward 10 am - Worship Committee 5:30 pm - UMM 10 am & 7 pm - Bible Study 11 am - Eagle Scout Ceremony 10 am - UMW EASTER TABLEAU 12:30 pm - MODELs EASTER TABLEAU Easter May Newsletter articles are due 12:30 pm - S.O.S. 2 pm - Ocala Health & Rehab 10 am - Stop Hunger Now meal packaging event

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Advent Conspiracy Update Last year, we gave ourselves a goal to raise $5,000 to donate between Heifer International and Stop Hunger Now. Through your generosity and with the blessing of God, we met our goal! The portion for Heifer International has been donated and we received a wonderful thank you note and a phone call thanking us for our gift. Stop Hunger Now - I have contacted Stop Hunger Now and we are scheduled for April 26th, from 10 A.M. 12 P.M. to package the 13,876 meals we purchased. Forty people have already volunteered, so now we need another 10-35 people who are willing to volunteer about two hours of their time on April 26th to pull this off. If you would like to package food for this ministry, please contact the church office to sign up, or you can sign up on the website. Debbie, the boys and I were able to be part of the Annual Conference Event last year that packaged food and it was a great time! I hope you will make plans to be part of this very special and important ministry event. If you have any questions, let us know. MOVING FORWARD Moving Forward (Widows Ministry) will meet March 3rd in the Church parking lot at 8:30 am to carpool to the Rialto to see the movie, Son of God. WERE LAUNCHING AN ELECTRONIC GIVING OPTION AT DRUID HILLS UMC! After prayer, careful study and research, we are pleased to announce the introduction of a highly secure electronic giving (e-giving) option for making regular offerings as another part of our giving program. Contributions can soon be debited automatically from your checking or savings account or processed online using your debit card. Our new electronic giving program offers secure convenience for those who prefer this method and provides much-needed donation consistency for our congregation. Our visitors and friends will also find our electronic giving option a convenient and easy way to support our ministries, even with one-time gifts. If you are currently giving on a weekly basis, you will soon have the option to no longer write 52 checks a year or prepare 52 envelopes. Plus, when travel, illness or other circumstances prevents you from attending services, this program will allow your weekly offerings to continue on an uninterrupted basis. You can certainly continue giving in the traditional way but may decide to do so electronically, much like many of us do for our other recurring expenditures each month. Additional information, announcements and educational materials are being made available for everyone in the coming days. Please stay tuned!!! Christ's Blessings,

Dave
David B. Palmer Finance Chair

LAY SERVANT MINISTRIES TRAINING Saturday, April 5 and Saturday, April 12 (both days required) 9 am to 4 pm Lady Lake UMC 109 West McClendon St. Lady Lake, FL 32159 For additional information, contact Sherri Woodstuff, District Lay Servant Ministry, 352 -465-7204.

Druid Hills United Methodist Church

Sunshine Herald
1712 S. E. Lake Weir Rd. Ocala, FL 34471