COMMON GOALS — From left, Quakers Steve Tonjes and Elizabeth “Beeg” Camarota, Baha’i’s member Tom Radley, First UU members Nancy Jacobson and Patti Rausch, Quakers Bill Brennan and Joy Brennan, who is standing, Baha’i’s member Gail Radley and Mosaic member Holly Eicher gather for a day of camaraderie at DeLeon Springs State Park. Each congregation, First Unitarian Universalist Church of West Volusia, the DeLand Quakers, Mosaic Unitarian Universalist Congregation and the Baha’i’s of DeLand, supports social-justice education and events on issues pertaining to women, LGBTQ+, racial and cultural diversity and social-service agencies and nonprofits.
Kids Night Out on May 4
Trinity United Methodist Church Family Ministries will have a Kids Night Out 6-9 p.m. Saturday, May 4. This free event will have food, games, crafts and more, and is for children in VPK through fifth grade.
Space is limited, and registration is required! Call Tori Dugan at the church office at 386-734-4425, or email her at familymin@trinitydeland.org.
Tori is also taking registration for Vacation Bible School, June 10-14.
On Sunday, May 19, Trinity’s Music Makers Community Children’s Choir will perform their musical Fish Tales at the 9 a.m. worship service at Trinity and at the 10:45 a.m. service of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of DeLand. The churches share the same campus.
Free workshop on getting criminal record sealed or expunged
Have you been arrested? Can’t get a job? Can’t vote? Want to get that criminal record sealed or expunged? The Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce Volusia, along with the J. Hatchet Bar Association, is offering a free workshop to do just that, for Volusia County court cases only.
The event is 3-6 p.m. Monday, May 6, at the Divine Remnant of Truth church, at 1725 S. Volusia Ave. in Orange City. For information, contact Naomi Gayle at 386-320-9528 or caccvolusia@gmail.com.
Friends
This Sunday, May 5, at First Presbyterian Church of DeLand, Pastor Michael Bodger will read from John’s Gospel, John 15: 9-27. He will address how the world so loves to embrace hierarchy and self-importance, placing personal value above that of others.
Beyond those worship services and Sunday school for various ages, First Pres reaches out during weekdays: Wednesday, May 8, will be the Second Wednesday Cookout beginning at 5:30 p.m. Church volunteers will provide typical picnic fare, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, and sausages with trimmings, while attendees provide side and dessert dishes. However, this is not mandatory to attend.
Our Lord’s Ascension will be celebrated Thursday, May 9; God’s Bathhouse is Saturday, May 11; and a Mother’s Day Celebration with carnations is Sunday, May 12.
Plans are forming for First Pres’s popular and stimulating Vacation Bible School in July. It is “Scuba Diving Into Friendship With God.”
Extending the thoughtful study of Elizabeth Caldwell’s Pause during Lent, on Wednesday, June 12, a six-week study will begin from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Members of the congregation will guide the group to engage in various spiritual practices, first introduced in Pause.
What makes a holiday?
Jade Hoke-Smith, a retired biology teacher, part-time pianist, and a member of First Unitarian Universalist Church of West Volusia in DeLand, will speak to the congregation about holidays at the 10:30 a.m. service Sunday, May 5.
From Memorial Day to Speaking Like Yoda Day, find out how holidays are created on a federal and state level. Laugh along with some of the whimsical theme-based holidays and their histories.
LEARNING, SHARING AND FUN — Whether it’s at a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday march, a LGBTQ+ rally, a banned-books giveaway or a Right to Clean Water petitioning event, you are likely to find members of these inclusive faiths doing their part: First Unitarian Universalist Church of West Volusia, DeLand Quakers, Mosaic Unitarian Universalist Congregation, and the Baha’i’s of DeLand. In this photo, from left, are Quaker Jim Cain, Mosaic members Jane Bradford and Angy Pruett, Quaker Lynn Peterson, First UU member Mara Whitridge and Mosaic member Judy Raymond as they meet for a Spring Fling April 17.
First Christian Church activities
First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of DeLand will have Brenda Velázquez-Morales, chairman of the elders and a master’s of divinity student at Asbury Theological Seminary, fill the pulpit while the Rev. Carlos Perez is briefly away. She will lead the worship service through sermon, prayers and Communion at 10:45 a.m. Sunday, May 5.
Offerings can now be made on Zelle along with the on-site offering box.
Other activities and ministries for the week include prayers at 3 p.m. Monday, May 6; serving dinner at The Bridge, 421 S. Palmetto Ave., with assistance from AdventHealth Fish, at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 7; the Joy Club led by Marge Jones visiting The Bridge 2-3:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 8; and helping with showers at The Bridge at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 9. Anyone interested in assisting may contact the church office, giving name and contact number for the individual in charge of that ministry.
New times for Vacation Bible School at Faith Lutheran
The times for Vacation Bible School at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in DeLand have changed. It will start at 5:30 p.m, as previously noted, but only go to 8 p.m., so the little ones won’t be up so late. It still runs Monday-Friday, June 24-28.
Dinner will be served at Vacation Bible School. The week’s theme is a wonderful focus on inclusiveness and respect for one another’s uniqueness.
‘Lessons From the Labyrinth’
The congregation of Mosaic Unitarian Universalist meets online at 11 a.m. every Sunday. The May 5 service is titled “Lessons From the Labyrinth.”
The Rev. Dr. Tracie Barrett will explore how a walk in a labyrinth reminded her of the pluralism within the Unitarian Universalist faith, both collectively and individually, as well as the power of liminal spaces in our lives. Jane Bradford will be the service leader.
Piano concert at Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Ormond Beach
Vienna grand-prize winner of the Virtuoso International Music Competition pianist Dr. Alessandro Fonseca will present a concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 19, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, at 25 N. Halifax Drive in Ormond Beach. The event is open to the public.
A limited number of tickets costing $25 in advance will be available at www.tinyurl.com/UUPianoConcert. If seating remains, tickets at the door will cost $30.
Dr. Fonseca, who is on the faculty of Daytona State College, began his musical studies at the age of 10 in his hometown in Brazil. He has been the recipient of many prestigious international awards, and is recognized as one of the world’s premier pianists.
The solo concert will focus on the Romantic and Classical periods of the European tradition: a Beethoven sonata and a Chopin nocturne and waltz. Dr. Fonseca will also play two pieces by 20th-century Brazilian composers, “Rhapsody in Blue” by Gershwin, and “Islamey” by Russian composer Mily Balakirev, considered one of the most difficult of all piano pieces.
Faith
Spring has sprung at First Church DeLand! Children await the beginning of Vacation Bible School June 24-28. The theme is “Scuba Diving Into Friendship With God.”
On Sunday, May 5, Pastor Mark Bitner will continue with the sermon series “Resilient Faith: A Faith That Stands the Tests of Life.”
Faith is consistently spoken about in the Bible. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus.” Hebrews 12:1-2
