PHOTO COURTESY FIRST PRES DELAND CAUGHT BEING KIND — As the 40 Days of Kindness 4Ever campaign continues at First Presbyterian Church of DeLand, members of the Litter Pickup Kindness Crew were caught picking up litter at the church. From left are Peter Bodger, Pastor Michael Bodger, Ollie Rives and Dawn LaPides.

At DeLand’s upcoming Fall Festival of the Arts Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 20-21, children of all ages will have the opportunity to learn the ancient art of origami, courtesy of the DeLand Quakers.

In the children’s area (located in the parking lot adjacent to The Table restaurant on Woodland Boulevard), kids will be taught how to make doves and cranes by folding paper. Adults will be on hand to help with instructions. Cranes and doves are international symbols of peace.

The children will hear the true story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. There will also be a pattern with which to make gratitude baskets. The children may write on pieces of paper what they are grateful for and fill their baskets with thankfulness.

The DeLand Quakers are members of the Religious Society of Friends, well-known for their peace testimony. Since Quakers believe there is a divine spark in every person, they devote themselves to working for true equality, peace and harmony among all people.

Family Movie Night

Church of the Holy Presence in DeLand invites everyone to Family Movie Night at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20. The church will be showing the 2019 remake of the Disney classic Lady and the Tramp. This free event includes free popcorn.

The church is at 355 N. Kepler Road in DeLand.

Huge Yard Sale Nov. 19 and 20

Bible Baptist Church, at 2578 N. Spring Garden Ave. in DeLand, is having a huge Yard Sale 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 19 and 20.

There will be kitchen items, books, Christmas items, camping gear, bookcases, furniture, lamps, clothing and tools, along with hot dogs for the hungry.

‘Christmas in the Country’

River of Life Church of Volusia, at 130 Garfield Road in Deltona, is hosting “Christmas in the Country” 6-8 p.m. every Friday and Saturday from Friday, Nov. 26, through Saturday, Dec. 18. This free outdoor festival celebrates everything that makes Christmas special.

Attendees can hop aboard a hayride through the Winter Wonderland, meet Santa, roast marshmallows, navigate the Mission Possible Camp maze, and enjoy the holiday light displays.

While the event is free, donations will be gladly accepted.

The gate closes at 8 p.m. or when the parking lot reaches maximum capacity. While the event is outdoors, its opening may be affected by inclement weather.

You can purchase pecans at Trinity United Methodist in DeLand

Trinity United Methodist Church, at 306 W. Wisconsin Ave. in DeLand, is selling pecans! A 16-ounce bag of pecan halves will cost $12. The proceeds help support local outreach ministries.

Call 386-734-4425, or come by the church office to purchase your pecans. The office is open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Friday. Supplies are limited!

Whatcha’ eating?

Ethical eating and the environmental impact of food will be discussed at the Sunday, Nov. 21, service at First Unitarian Universalist Church of West Volusia in DeLand. The program will be presented by members of the UU Environmental Justice Green Team Donna Pepin, Colleen Cunningham and Coleen Summey. Those participating will take a look at our food, what we eat, what we waste, and the challenges that face us when we try to get healthful food.

Ethical eating is personal in nature (involving our free choice of what we put in our own bodies) and global in reach (with implications for ecosystems, human hunger, social inequity, animal welfare and climate change).

Ethical eating recognizes the moral consequences of our food choices. The way societies raise, buy and consume food has direct effects on the Earth, plants and animals, and the humans who work to make our food available.

As part of our dedication to environmental justice, we can pay attention to the impact of our involvement in the food system.

Zoom services continue until further notice. The Zoom ID for Sunday services is the same every week: Zoom ID: 927 1881 9188.

Virtual services begin at 10:30 a.m. Sundays.

Regular group meetings continue on Zoom and in person.

The church may be contacted through www.uudeland.org to learn more.

1st Christian Church activities

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of DeLand welcomes all to the Table of the Lord each Sunday at 10:45 a.m.

Betty Davis greets all at the front door. Dr. Janet Raney and Olga Palmer are the elders offering prayers of blessings and serving the elements for Communion on the Table of the Lord. Each person comes forward or is served at their seat, receiving an individual chalice with a wafer and juice.

Alex Velez provides music for the service. During the worship service, the Thanksgiving Offering is received to help the 15 Disciple colleges and universities and the seven seminaries and theological centers.

Due to the holidays, there will be no tutoring or youth-group meeting this week.

The Disciple Women met in November to make individual Christmas cards for the homebound. They will have a cookie exchange at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 19.

Preparations have started for the annual Trash and Treasures Sale Saturday, Feb. 5, that benefits children’s camp scholarships, The Bridge emergency homeless shelter, and Grace House. The DeLand Rotaract Club is assisting the Disciple Women with setup and cleanup. Donations are being received at the church 8 a.m.- noon.

How do we feel about those who are different?

Mosaic Unitarian Universalist Congregation, while not meeting face-to-face, is meeting online at 11 a.m. every Sunday.

The title of the Nov. 21 service is “The Others.” How do we as a society feel about those who are different from the norm? The others are often misunderstood, ignored and mistreated.

Belle Mendoza will guide the congregation regarding this topic. Together, those taking part in the online service will explore who the “others” are, the problems they face and why, and what we can do to help the “others” in our community. All are welcome.

For more information about Mosaic, see the website at mosaicuuc.org. For instructions on how to join the virtual service, email to mosaicuuc@gmail.com.

‘Here We Go Again!’

First Presbyterian Church of DeLand will conclude its eight-week study of the Book of Nehemiah with Pastor Michael Bodger’s ironically titled sermon “Here We Go Again!” on Sunday, Nov. 21. Pastor Bodger will reveal the harsh reality of human behavior … again and again.

Nehemiah himself authored the account of the end of the Babylonian exile and the journey by the remnant and returning Hebrews to rebuild Jerusalem and reform the hearts of its people. After a quick return to visit King Artaxerxes of Babylon, Nehemiah receives leave to return to Jerusalem.

Harsh reality meets him, however, when he finds the inhabitants of Jerusalem going down the wrong path. It has not taken the citizenry long to revert to its destructive ways. It seems as though the reforming of the hearts of the people has never happened. Nehemiah must have thought, “Here we go again!”

Pastor Bodger will urge listeners to realize how easily we fall away, get right with God, and then let it slip. Today what can believers do to prevent the exclamation “Here we go again”?

This time of year, during Thanksgiving and Advent, there is a plentiful array of events to celebrate blessings as well as the birth of Jesus.

This weekend’s events include a Drive-By Food Distribution 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, and the twice-monthly Saturday Praise Worship 4-6 p.m. Nov. 20 outdoors. (Bring chairs, please!)

On Sunday, Nov. 21, the Worship Committee calls all to help with the “Hanging of the Greens” after each service, to bring the spirit to the entire church.

Next Wednesday, Nov. 24, First Pres invites members and visitors to its new Giving Thanks Service at 6:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall. With COVID protection available, attendees will gather in a comfortable atmosphere to celebrate the many blessings of this past year. Participants can sing, pray, talk, read Scripture, reflect, share and fellowship as individuals and as a group of worshippers.

‘Renewing of Your Mind’

Thanksgiving week is finally here, and many will be gathering with family and friends to share good food, good times, and a lot of love and laughter. As the preparations progress for the big day and the day-after marathon shopping, may we all pause from time to time to count our many blessings and give a little prayer of thanksgiving to the One who has blessed us so bountifully.

First United Methodist Church of DeLand will be continuing the sermon series “Thank Full.” This week, the topic will be “Renewing of Your Mind.”

We are reminded not to worry about today and the things we will need, because God already knows what we will have need of, and we are then admonished to renew our mind by thinking about His grace, His blessings and His provision.

As you celebrate this week, you and your family are encouraged to take a little time out to join with First United Methodist, either in person or online to celebrate Thanksgiving.

In-person worship is at 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. in the sanctuary (these are traditional services), and a contemporary service is at 9:30 a.m. in the Family Life Center. All three services are streamed live on Facebook on the First Church DeLand page, or they can be accessed through the website at Firstchurchdeland.org.

There are small-group Bible studies at various times during the week: Young adults meet on Sunday evening, youth groups meet at different times during the week, and there is a Saturday-morning men’s Bible study. If you’d like to get connected to a small group for fellowship and sharing, contact the church office for more details.

First Church offices are open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday- Friday. Contact the office for additional information at 386-734-5113.

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