The Rev. J.C. Steele will bring a Father’s Day message to First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of DeLand at 10:45 a.m. Sunday, June 19. The Rev. Steele served Deltona Christian Church for 28 years, starting in 1984. Previously, he was a teacher and served in the military.
Since his retirement from Deltona Christian Church, the Rev. Steele has served as a guest minister on Sundays and as an interim minister to a Christian Church in Florida.
Nancy Jones and Olga Palmer serve as elders during the worship service, with Jones also greeting attendees before the service begins.
First Christian practices Open Communion at all worship services for those believing in Jesus Christ.
Disciple Women will provide a special treat for all the fathers present.
The 8:15 a.m. “Coffee With God” continues, and includes Scripture, prayer and Communion.
Temple Learning Center Summer Camp and the Volusia County BreakSpot breakfast and lunch program are operating in the church fellowship hall Monday-Friday, through Aug. 5. Breakfast is at 8:30 a.m. and lunch is at noon, for all children/youth through the age of 18.
Bingo is open to the public in the fellowship hall at 7 p.m. Friday, June 24, with Essie Miller as the caller. Child care is provided by Robin Ashton. Proceeds (after prize money) from bingo are designated to a different charity each month. June’s designation is Temple Learning Center Summer Camp.
Disciple Women are meeting at 1 p.m. each Monday during the summer to organize and clean. Prayer follows at 3 p.m. in the church library.
Vacation Bible School at St. Jude’s Episcopal
St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Orange City is hosting a free Vacation Bible School 5-8 p.m. Monday, June 27, through Thursday, June 30.
The theme is “God’s Great Rescue Mission,” and there will be lessons, crafts, music, skits and more.
While there is no cost, donations are gladly accepted.
Registration forms are available on the church’s website at www.stjudescentralflorida.org on the “Upcoming Events” page.
St. Jude’s is at 815 E. Graves Ave. in Orange City.
For more information, call 386-775-6200 or email to admin@stjudescentralflorida.org.
Godfathers: The Not-So-Nice Big Daddies in the Sky
On Sunday, June 19, at First Unitarian Universalist Church of West Volusia in DeLand, Rick de Yampert will talk about fathers for Father’s Day. This will be a different look at the Big Daddies in the Sky presentation.
A musician, author, artist and pagan, de Yampert will return with a likely irreverent look at the gods we know and those we don’t know. Always a lively speaker, he will entertain responses and questions. Often, the best part of a speaker’s presentation is the answers given at the end of the talk.
You can join a Zoom meeting for a repeat of the June 12 program, where Suzanne, religious-education director, spoke of Unitarian Universalists’ exploration of the facets of love and justice.
The June 19 service will also be at 10:30 a.m., with an invitation to join between 10:15 and 10:30 a.m. This second-chance meeting for Sunday service is the same every week: 927 1881 9188. The ID is https://zoom.us/i/92718819188.
Unitarian Universalists are an open-minded, freethinking, openhearted, spiritual community, where all are welcomed as everyone learns together. Discussion may be included after every presentation. Regular group meetings continue on Zoom and in person. Special educational programs for children are available.
The church may be contacted through www.uudeland.org.
Church Moving Sale at Trinity United Methodist
Trinity United Methodist Church in DeLand will have another Church Moving Sale 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, June 25, at 306 W. Wisconsin Ave. Trinity is preparing to move worship locations.
Items for sale will include furniture, music, books, jewelry, artwork and so much more.
Experiencing a life-changing encounter with Jesus
“The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks and then wasting no time starting on the first one.” — Mark Twain
Do you ever feel inadequate or not suited to a task? Whether you feel unqualified, not physically suited to the task, or you feel the circumstances and situations in your life are so overwhelming that embracing a new challenge seems impossible, you are not alone. Most all of us have been at that same place at some point in our lives.
On Sunday, June 19, in the sermon series “Encounter: Jesus Makes All Things New” at First United Methodist Church of DeLand, church members and friends will be looking at a man named Zacchaeus, who faced many challenges to have an encounter with Jesus.
Zacchaeus did not let his limitations or his past mistakes prevent him from experiencing a one-on-one with Jesus. Zacchaeus was short and had to climb a sycamore tree to even be able to see Jesus, and then he had some issues in his past that made him unworthy of an encounter with the Son of God, but none of that prevented the experience he had that day.
Sometimes we need to be bold and determined, just like Zacchaeus, so that we too can experience our life-changing encounter with Jesus. If you need some encouragement or could use a little guidance, consider visiting First United Methodist this Sunday for one of the services.
In-person traditional worship is at 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. in the sanctuary, 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.
Vacation Bible School begins 9 a.m.-noon Monday, June 20, and runs through Friday, June 24. Call the church office at 386-734-5113 for registration information.
Activities at First Pres
“Those who had seen it [the demon-freed man] told the people … the man had been cured. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear.” (Luke 8:26-39)
The paradox here, that of becoming afraid because that which the Gerasenes had feared has been resolved at the order of Jesus, raises the question “How do we confront our fears?”
This Sunday, June 19, at the 8 a.m., 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services at First Presbyterian Church of DeLand, Pastor Michael Bodger will address this problem we face even today.
Listeners can join the worship services in person, or by livestreaming and recordings.
From Luke, Pastor Bodger will revisit the people of the Gerasenes, who had grown accustomed to fearing the man with a “legion of demons,” leaving him alone to live in the caves because their efforts to control him had failed. They could not deal with Jesus’ control of the source of their initial fear. They urged Jesus to leave rather than embracing the freedom He offered.
What do we do with our fears? Do we, too, sideline them, push them away, learn to live with them? Or do we confront them? Can we, like the healed man, want to stay with Jesus? He heard and obeyed when Jesus told him, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” Do we broadcast this Word?
You’re encouraged to come join First Pres Church at 5:30 p.m. this Wednesday, June 22, in the pavilion for the monthly Cookout Conversations. Everyone will gather to enjoy hot dogs, burgers, chips, fixin’s and water. You’re invited to bring a dish to share (or not and just share the church’s) and enjoy fellowship, and maybe even some line dancing.
Throughout the summer, the church offers Bible studies, children’s church, missions, music and youth groups. Check out the information in The Beacon’s Religion Directory on Page 2B of this edition.
