Save the date!

Music Makers Children’s Community Choir at Trinity United Methodist Church in DeLand will be having a kickoff at 2:45 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12. This is a faith-based children’s choir for children in second through fifth grade.

There will be singing, choreography, snacks, crafts, and a ton of fun! There will be a performance during the 9 a.m. worship service of Trinity United Methodist Church and during the 10:45 a.m. worship service of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of DeLand Sunday, May 19. Trinity shares the campus of First Christian.

Rehearsals are Monday afternoons, and Music Makers follow the Volusia County school calendar. For more information or to register, contact music director Conya Hartman at trinitymusic@trinitydeland.org or 386-734-4425.

Drop everything and go!

On Sunday, Jan. 21, First Presbyterian Church of DeLand will celebrate the third Sunday after Epiphany with the joyful reminder and recognition that the Lord Jesus Christ was born on Christmas. Now we must do something about that!

Mark 1:14-20 reveals the story of how Jesus, beginning to proclaim the good news of God, called the first disciples away from the Sea of Galilee to cease fishing for fish. “Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men!”

Without pause, Simon and his brother, Andrew, along with James and his brother, John, left their nets, boats and father to follow Christ’s call.

A beautiful faith — without a second’s thought — to answer God’s call and know without a doubt the right thing to do. Also, amazingly, these men knew to do nothing in preparation. Drop everything and go!

Associate Pastor Cassandra Riker will talk about this topic on Sunday at First Pres’s three services. She will ask us whether we boldly and bravely could drop everything and go when God calls.

With the congregants present and online, Pastor Casey will dive into this Scripture and challenge us to re-prioritize our lives so that we stand ready to go when God calls.

Activities in the First Pres community have returned fully after the Advent and Christmas seasons.

On Saturday, Jan. 20, at 9 a.m., Farm Share Food Distribution will welcome all comers to drive through the First Pres parking area to receive boxes of food that will feed a family of four for a week. Volunteers will guide your path after entering from Pennsylvania Avenue and load your car with free food in a combination of nonperishable and perishable items until the supply runs out.

Let’s get ready for ME STRONG, on Saturday, Feb. 3, when the First Pres Team will support, along with many DeLand organizations, the race for the Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation. Whether you participate or donate, go to mestrong.net to join in, and remember to register for the First Pres DeLand Team!

“She Is Called,” First Presbyterian DeLand’s 2024 women’s retreat, will begin Sunday, Feb. 18, and invites you to celebrate sisterhood with other women of Christ. With retreat leader Pastor Casey Riker, this spiritual event at San Pedro Retreat Center in Winter Park will take place on Presidents Day weekend, ending Tuesday, Feb. 20. For more details, contact Casey Riker at 386-734- 6212 or pastorcasey@fpcdstaff.org, or Cathy Campbell at 386-747-0022 or ccampbell@fpcdstaff.org. Register by Thursday, Feb. 1.

Do you have a curiosity about First Pres DeLand or thought about joining the church? Contact Barbara Hughes in the church office about Presbyterian Connection, our four-week informal discussion group to share our uniqueness and history and mission. The design will meet the needs of all people, both longtime and newly in the church! First Pres DeLand welcomes you to join the exciting journey!

‘The Greatest Catch’

“The Greatest Catch” is the sermon title Pastor Mark Bitner will deliver Sunday, Jan. 21, at First Church DeLand.

For a moment, imagine you were one of the fishermen whom Jesus asked to follow Him. What would your answer have been? Would you have followed Him or kept on fishing?

The disciples gave up a great deal when they followed Jesus, but they didn’t have regrets. Instead, the disciples became fishers of people. Join First Church this Sunday for a thought-provoking sermon.

An opportunity to enrich your marriage and enhance your relationship with your spouse is happening with the “Best Marriage Ever” workshop series. This is a free event open to the public. The dates are 6-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, with a meal provided; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, with a meal provided; and 4-6 p.m. Sunday, March 17. For more information and to register, go to www.bestmarriageever.org.

First Church Academy is opening in the fall of 2024 for the 2024-25 school year. This will be a hybrid blend of both in-school and at-home instruction. Join for an informational meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 22, in the Life Enrichment Center.

Tom Neilson to perform in concert at 1st UU in DeLand

Tom Neilson, singer/songwriter/satirist, is coming to DeLand for one performance at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, at First Unitarian Universalist Church of West Volusia in DeLand. The concert is also hosted by the DeLand Quakers.

Neilson is winner of the Just Plain Folks International Award for Best Social Commentary Album, and was a 2015 nominee for the U.N. Nelson Mandela Award for Lifetime Achievement in Peace and Justice.

“Be prepared for belly laughs, heart sobs and a renewal of hope,” says Kathy Hersh, a DeLand Quaker and one of the organizers of the concert.

Admission costs $15-$20 at the door. There are no advance sales. Since seating is limited, the public is advised to come early. Handicapped parking is available, with wheelchair access on the side of the church off the parking lot.

Also at the church, the biopic movie Miss Lillian: More Than a President’s Mother will be shown at 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19. The movie tells the inspiring, funny and honest story of President Jimmy Carter’s mother. Portrayed by DeLand actor Carol Swarbrick Dries, Miss Lillian’s stories are shared by Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, journalist Sam Donaldson, Dodgers baseball manager Tommy Lasorda, among others. There is no charge to attend.

Also, the topic of the Sunday, Jan. 21, service is “The Nature of Reality and Quantum Computing,” presented by David P. Gluch, Ph.D. Quantum computing is an emerging computational form. An unusual characteristic of this form is that it is inherently probabilistic, which is a fundamental characteristic of existence in the quantum world of the micro-miniature.

In contrast, established digital computation and all of the devices that rely on it (e.g., computers, cellphones, smart TVs) are deterministic. Beyond quantum probabilities, quantum computers also rely on other weird aspects of the quantum world for computation.

Is there some hidden truth or meaning to be found in quantum computing that reveals a deeper reality of existence? This presentation offers some perspectives in support of the free and responsible search for truth and meaning.

‘One Day Pause!’ at 1st Christian Church

The Rev. Carlos Perez and Regional Minister Sandy Messick are leading a “One Day Pause!” at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of DeLand 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, Jan. 20, to build spirituality and a relationship with God.

On Sunday, Jan. 21, Trinity United Methodist musician Andrew Glesson will begin providing music for First Christian’s worship until May. Donna Mozley continues as the song leader. Brenda Velázquez-Morales directs the open Communion for all believers.

Other activities include a worship service provided by Pastor Perez at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, at the Villa Health and Rehab Center.

The Disciple Women are working at the church 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays to mark, sort and receive donations for the Trash and Treasures Sale Friday and Saturday, Feb. 2 and 3. Proceeds provide camp scholarships.

The Prayer Group meets every Monday at 3 p.m. in the library. The next bingo games are at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26, with these proceeds benefiting local charities.

Special request: Anyone who would be interested in participating in or attending a roundtable discussion on “What is the effect of AI on the church and faith?” please leave your name and contact information at 386- 734-6078 or tgartside@cfl.rr.com. The potential dates are Saturday afternoons, March 2 and 23.

‘Legacies and Futures’

The congregation of Mosaic Unitarian Universalist meets online every Sunday. The Jan. 21 service is titled “Legacies and Futures.”

As we look toward the start of a new year, we are undoubtedly looking further ahead to what the future may have in store. But, we cannot forget that what we cultivate in the here-and-now, from the legacies that we build, has much to say about the future that we leave for ourselves and others to come.

Join the Rev. Matt Pargeter-Villarreal for a discussion about the legacies that we create, and how we can use them as a springboard to a better and brighter future.

Jan Holloway will facilitate the group. Everyone is welcome!

— For church locations, worship times, group meetings and contact information, check out the Religion Directory on Page 2B. Send weekly church news and sermon information to margie@beacononlinenews.com.