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Deltona United Church of Christ is hosting a Fall Festival 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24. For the kids, there will be a lollipop tree, pumpkins and masks to decorate, coloring, and a scavenger hunt.

For adults, there will be a silent auction with gift baskets, Granny’s attic for shopping, and homemade crafts.

There will also be a food court and the Pumpkinfest Cafe. The church is at 1649 Providence Blvd.

‘Building Future Community’

Those who wish to see a live Sunday-morning service at First United Methodist Church of DeLand may now view it on the internet. The in-person 9:30 a.m. contemporary service in the Life Enrichment Center and the 11 a.m. traditional service in the sanctuary are being livestreamed. Those who wish to view online should go to the church website at Firstchurchdeland.org. Once there, click on sermon/media during the time of the service. The services may also be viewed anytime after the hours they are premiered.

The early service will be a drive-in service at 8 a.m. in the parking lot of Building 6 at 111 S. Alabama Ave. All protocols for in-person worship will be followed: required masks; temperature checks; and social distancing. Hand sanitizers will also be used.

On Sunday, Oct. 18, Pastor Owen Stricklin continues the sermon series “CommUNITY.” The focus that morning will be on “Building Future Community,” based on Matthew 9:14-17. In this passage, Jesus tells the people, “And who would patch an old garment with unshrunk cloth? For the patch shrinks and pulls away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger hole than before. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. The old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins. That way, both the wine and the wineskins are preserved.”

The annual “Halloween Trunk or Treat” will be in the LEC parking lot at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28. The church will supply all the “treats” for the trunks. Monetary donations will be accepted to help purchase the treats. Special prizes will be awarded for the best-decorated trunks. Due to social distancing, there will be no costume contest this year. Those wishing to provide a van or car trunk should contact Barbara Stricklin.

The United Methodist Men are having their Bible study at 7:30 a.m. Saturdays. It will be in-person in the LEC or via Zoom. Contact the church office for information.

On Sunday, Oct. 25, the church family will be celebrating with a picnic on the grounds of Building 6. Pulled pork and chicken or hot dogs will be provided, along with baked beans, coleslaw, and mac and cheese. The Kona Ice truck will be present for those who would like to purchase their dessert. Bring a chair, wear comfortable clothes, and prepare to maintain social distancing. Reservations will be required.

The church office is open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday. For more information or to make reservations for an event, call 386-734-5113.

Friends of Deltona Library to sponsor Mitten Tree

The Friends of Deltona Library are sponsoring the eighth annual Mitten Tree to provide help for our neighbors who might need a little extra warmth this winter. The tree will be in the lobby of the Deltona Regional Library for the entire month of November, and they invite your donations of new socks, hats, scarves, mittens and blankets. Toiletries and personal-care items are also appreciated.

The items will be distributed to those in need by Deltona Presbyterian Church in conjunction with their food-pantry program.

You may drop off your donations at the library at 2150 Eustace Ave., at the circulation desk.

For more information, call Claudia Hutchins at 386-479-3976.

Water blessings with Johnny Dame

On Sunday, Oct. 18, Johnny Dame, a seventh-generation Floridian, artist, naturalist and earth-life instructor, will present a program at First Unitarian Universalist Church of West Volusia in DeLand about the geological history of Florida, explaining the various watersheds and ecoregions in our areas. Dame includes a water blessing/prayer for these at-risk parts of our environment.

He has a large body of artwork represented in collections all over the world. You may see his art on Instagram under the name “Cypresseagle,” and on his website johnnydame.com.

First UU is continuing to host virtual services at 10:30 a.m. Sundays. Those wishing to attend are encouraged to join over Zoom from 10:15 to 10:25 a.m. for greetings before the service begins. Unitarians are an open-minded, open-hearted spiritual community where all are welcomed to learn together.

Regular group meetings continue on Zoom: The Book and Poetry clubs each meet monthly; the Covenant Group meets every two weeks; and the Men’s Group meets weekly. To learn more, contact the church through its website at www.uudeland.org.

The Zoom ID for Sunday services will be the same every week: Zoom ID: 927 1881 9188.

‘Do You Believe in Magic?’

Mosaic Unitarian Universalist Congregation, while not meeting face to face, is meeting online every Sunday morning at 11 a.m. On Sunday, Oct. 18, the service is titled “Do You Believe in Magic?” Join Matthew Pargeter-Villarreal for a sermon about … yes … unicorns!

Come along on a journey on the history and mythology of these mythical creatures and how they not only are popular for parties and as cake-toppers, but they have much to show us about appreciating and recognizing the existence of the Divine in our everyday world.

Worship leader Judy Raymond will guide everyone through the service.

For instructions on how to join the virtual service, email to mosaicuuc@gmail.com.

Free tutoring

Dr. Janet Raney, youth leader at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of DeLand, is offering free tutoring starting at the end of October.

The Rev. Elizabeth Carrasquillo is serving in the office on Tuesday mornings for questions or concerns about the church. Call for an appointment.

The weekly worship services can be watched live on the church’s Facebook page — First Christian Church – DeLand Disciples. It can be watched later by clicking on the “video” tab or by looking at the news feed.

During the month of October, which is Pastor Appreciation Month, First Christian recognizes their pastors: the Rev. Elizabeth Carrasquillo, the Rev. Dr. David Cortes, the Rev. Dr. Fernando Morales and the Rev. Dr. Joe Risse.

Call the church office at 386-734-0677 to register or receive more information.

News from First Pres DeLand

This Sunday, Oct. 18, First Presbyterian Church of DeLand will gather in three possible locations and times for worship and Holy Communion: 9 a.m. in the fellowship hall for contemporary worship; 11 a.m. in the sanctuary for traditional worship; and at any time by video on fpcdeland.org and the church’s Facebook page. For on-site services (as well as any other events), the church observes strict COVID-19 protocols clearly posted for everyone’s safety.

Pastor Michael Bodger will continue the study of Matthew’s Gospel. Having explored Chapters 21 and 22 over the past two weeks, the pastor will concentrate on Matthew 22: 15-22 in his sermon, “The Balancing Act.” Previously, the Jewish leaders of that day have challenged Jesus’ authority, only to come up short as Jesus condemns them for failing to lead the people in God’s ways.

Now, the Pharisees and Herodians instead try to trap Jesus so they can contrive grounds for his arrest. They ask, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not?” Jesus’ response moves that question onto a “much bigger playing field,” far beyond the government’s coinage to which the leaders refer.

Jesus answers, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s and to God, the things that are God’s.”

Some 2,000 years later, we people must discern and determine what such a balance looks like as we go about living today.

Other First Pres activities take place both online and in person on campus. Multiple Bible studies meet throughout the week under various leaders.

One new opportunity happens at 3 p.m. Wednesdays on the basketball court, which, of course, helps safe distancing and allows safe masked conversation.

“Sit and Talk Awhile” affords a pleasant environment in these times of separation to meet, greet, chat, catch up on each other’s lives, and particularly talk about the previous Sunday’s sermon. Also, with the same purpose in mind, there is now a Zoom gathering online at 2 p.m. Thursdays. Just please let the church office know you’d like an invitation to this Zoom.

Although Sunday school for children cannot meet on campus, Cathy Campbell, director of Christian education and spiritual formation, has developed and offers to families some imaginative resources. These include “Take Home Worship Bags” for Sunday a.m. pickup, with new faith-related activities each week for both younger and older children.

Also, First Pres offers, for children ages 5 to 10, the book Growing in God’s Love, A Story Bible, to enhance faith by intergenerational activities. For October, the lesson targets “Abraham and Sarah’s Big Family from Genesis 12.” If interested, email Cathy Campbell for the complete plan, including the book and recordings, at ccampbell@fpcdstaff.org.

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