Save the date; rent a space
The annual Strawberry Festival at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Orange City will be 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, March 18.
Part of the festivities includes spaces for vendors to sell their merchandise or advertise their businesses. Tables are not furnished by the church, and no food is to be sold at vendor areas unless packaged for home use. Each space is approximately 10 feet by 10 feet. A donation for each space is $35. Visit the church’s website at www.stjudescentralflorida.org, under Strawberry Festival, to register.
For more information about the event, call the church at 386-775-6200, or email to Admin@stjudescentralflorida.org.
The church is at 815 E. Graves Ave. in Orange City.
‘Giving Up Control’
One of the biggest challenges many face in our world today is the struggle for power and control. Whether it’s social, political or personal control, the internal need to be in control of what is happening around us or to us is a real challenge that we all face.
For Christians, this struggle is even more intense, as we believe we need to surrender control to God. Andy Mineo stated it this way: “Here is the paradox of Christian living. We must give up control of self to gain self control.”
As Lenten season begins at First United Methodist Church of DeLand, the new sermon series “Giving It Up” begins. This week, Sunday, Feb. 26, the focus will be on “Giving Up Control.”
American actress Jen Lilley said, “When we give of ourselves, our time, and our money, we’re also giving up control. As a control freak myself, I know that sounds scary, but I’ve learned that the momentary lack of control forces me to look at what I do have and truly count my blessings.”
When someone gives up control to God, they are truly blessed. As the topic “Giving It Up” is explored, join a service to gain some insight in how to better achieve this difficult challenge.
In-person traditional worship is at 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. in the sanctuary. An in-person contemporary service is at 9:30 a.m. in the Life Enrichment Center. Services are streamed live on Facebook on the First Church DeLand page, or they can be accessed through the church website at Firstchurchdeland.org.
Coming up on Saturday, March 4, the Youth Group will have its annual Rummage Sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Life Enrichment Center, Building 4. This is a great opportunity to find amazing bargains and help support the youth, as they are raising funds for their summer missions programs.
To reach the church, call 386-734-5113.
The love of Christ
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Romans 8:35)
What is the correlation among the love of Christ, the baptism of Jesus Christ in the New Testament Book of Matthew, and Jesus bringing the daughter of Jairus back to life in the Book of Mark? The Bible sermon at First Christian Church, Scientist, DeLand, at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 26, will explore the connection among these passages in the Bible, and will be amplified through the book Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.
Sunday school and child care are available Sundays at the same time. Testimony meetings are at 5 p.m. Wednesdays.
The Christian Science Reading Room, where literature is sold, is open 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at the church location, 111 E. New York Ave. in Downtown DeLand.
For more information, call 386-734-6547. All are welcome.
Installation of the Rev. Carlos Perez
The installation of the Rev. Carlos Perez at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of DeLand is at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, in the sanctuary. A meal will follow in the fellowship hall.
The Rev. Sandy Messick, Florida Disciples of Christ regional minister, will conduct the installation. The DeLand community is invited to attend the service and the meal.
Sunday, Feb. 26, the Rev. Perez continues his series on the “Beatitudes” with the sermon topic “Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness” at the 10:45 a.m. service.
The Lord’s Table is open to all believers for Communion during the service, with elders the Rev. Fernando Morales and Dr. Janet Raney.
A Week of Compassion offering is being collected for present needs of partners in Turkey for relief efforts. The Week of Compassion serves the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) with ecumenical and organizational partners around the world, to bring relief in times of humanitarian crisis and need. As a caring community, we can respond, together, in the coming weeks and months. Prayer is welcomed for the relief efforts, the suffering people of Turkey and Syria, the first responders, and for all to make wise decisions in the distribution of assets.
Monetary contributions make a tremendous impact; financial gifts are the fastest and easiest way to get support directly where it is needed. Designated gifts are used 100 percent in support of the response.
Family Movie Night at Lake Helen UMC
Lake Helen United Methodist Church is hosting a Family Movie Night at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25. The movie is Camp Cool Kids. The movie is a faith-friendly story about two brothers who go off to camp and learn some valuable lessons: to have faith not only in God but in themselves; to make the right choices; it is OK to be different; and forgiveness. Bring blankets or chairs. Free popcorn! Call Donna Rotondo at 407-451-4593 for more information.
An evening of praise and worship will begin at 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26. Vickie Truett will lead an evening of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs of encouragement and Scripture in the sanctuary.
Call the church office at 386-228-2345 for more information. The church is at 111 W. Delaware Ave. in Lake Helen.
The history of Mardi Gras
The congregation of Mosaic Unitarian Universalist will meet online at 11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 26. The service is titled “From Bourbon Street to the World.”
Minister Teresa Leary will guide attendees through the history of Mardi Gras through the eyes of a born and raised New Orleanian. Follow along as she also explores the rich global traditions of Carnival.
Judy Raymond will lead the service. Everyone is welcome!
For information on Mosaic, see the website at https://mosaicuuc.org. For instructions on how to join the virtual service, email to mosaicuuc@gmail.com.
Reordering
On Sunday, Feb. 26, First Presbyterian Church of DeLand will have entered into the “Forty Days of Lent.” This year, the congregation will experience an intentional devotion by sharing Walter Brueggemann’s book A Way Other Than Our Own, individually as well as collectively, through the weekly services at 8 a.m., 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., with open Communion.
This first Lenten Sunday, Pastor Michael Bodger will lead listeners through an opportunity to reflect not only upon ourselves but also upon our life in community by reordering our lives.
In Isaiah 6:1-8, the prophet Isaiah responds to a vision of God in the temple to say, “Woe is me! I am a man of unclean lips.” After a seraph touches Isaiah’s lips to cleanse him, Isaiah accepts God’s query, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” This call to Isaiah presents us with questions. Do we see and hear God in the midst of life? How do we see ourselves in relation to God? As we engage with these, do they appear enough for us to reorder our lives? Do we, as did Isaiah, respond with, “Here am I. Send me!”? (Isaiah 6:8)
Following First Presbyterian Church’s vision to reach in, up and out, this Saturday, Feb. 25, the drive-thru free Farm Share Distribution to needy neighbors begins at 9 a.m. Enter the church parking lot from Pennsylvania Avenue, and follow the traffic conductors, remain in cars, and allow volunteers to load boxes. (Due to this event, God’s Bathhouse will not meet that day.)
First Pres inaugurates its Community Outdoor Movie Night at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, in the church pavilion. This new event comes with an invitation to all to enjoy the Disney family film WALL-E and popcorn!
First Pres volunteers cook meals on the first Thursday of the month for The Bridge. The eat-in or takeout meal is served 5-7 p.m. at 434 S. Woodland Blvd. in DeLand. On Thursday, March 2, the menu will include chicken casserole and green beans, serving 80-100 people.
The church’s Cuban mission trip to Taguasco First Presbyterian Church will take place Wednesday, March 15, through Tuesday, March 21. There is still a need for medical supplies. Donate pain relievers, antihistamines, digestives and vitamins through the collection baskets in the church’s welcome areas as well as in the church office, which is open Monday-Thursday.
