
Jesus and John
On Sunday, July 14, First Presbyterian Church of DeLand will welcome the Rev. Dr. R. Michael Foley, a retired pastor and pastor emeritus of Ormond Beach Presbyterian Church, as its guest pastor.
Using Mark 6:14-29, Pastor Foley will teach the sermon “Jesus and John.”
Mark tells about the onset of Jesus’ active ministry at the execution of John the Baptist by King Herod. The clear link between John and Jesus becomes apparent with the continuum of the same message, ”Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand!” John’s ministry of repentance prepares Christ-Followers to say, “NO!” to sin so that they can say, “Yes!” to Jesus the Savior.
Pastor Foley will challenge listeners to now say, “Yes!” and join the Kingdom God has prepared for us.
This Saturday, July 13, the twice-monthly God’s Bathhouse welcomes those in need of hygiene support at 9 a.m. in the church courtyard. Kind volunteers will help with private showers, clean towels, clothing items, hygiene kits, manna bags and fellowship until noon.
First Pres invites everyone to fellowship and have fun at the “POP-UPS” around town in DeLand this summer. There will be a POP-UP at the 600 N. Woodland Blvd. location of the Museum of Art – DeLand at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 16. Free or at a minimum cost (sometimes), friends can share some enjoyable times in the company of friendly neighbors. Find additional details at 386-734-6212.
With a focus on prayer, the six-part series on connecting with God and others will end at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 17.
Civility in a polarized time
All are invited to Unitarian Universalists of DeLand’s 10:30 a.m. service Sunday, July 14, for Sandra Parks’ talk that draws heavily from the book Civility: Manners, Morals, and the Etiquette of Democracy by Yale Law professor Stephen L. Carter. Parks will delve into principles to understand how we can counteract the growing polarization in public and private conversation. She relates those principles to her own experiences as a civil rights activist and elected official.
Parks is the founder and director of the Stetson Kennedy Foundation and has been a curriculum consultant to 40 states on critical-thinking instruction.
Unitarian Universalists are an inclusive, freethinking, faith community, where all are welcome, as everyone learns and searches together for truth.
1st Christian Church activities
The Rev. Carlos Perez invites anyone without a church home to attend First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of DeLand’s 10:45 a.m. Sunday, July 14, service.
The Disciple Men are sponsoring a catered delicious barbecue dinner with all the trimmings for members and guests at 4 p.m. Saturday, July 20. Reservations must be made by Sunday, July 14. Community members wanting to attend may pay $15 with reservations by July 14. Entertainment and fellowship are included.
The Temple Learning Center Camp and BreakSpot Food Program for Children continue until Friday, Aug. 9. Voloria Manning directs the camp. Stephanie Wilson manages the 8:15-9 a.m. breakfast, and Mandy Manske, Emma Hille, Jane Price and Edna Cortes are in charge of the noon-1 p.m. lunch.
Doing the best job we can
“The Psalms of Summer” is the continuing series at First Church DeLand. On Sunday, July 14, Pastor Mark Bitner’s sermon title will be “What You Put In, Is What You Get Out.”
In our lives, we learn quickly that a half-hearted effort produces a less than acceptable end result. If we are asked to bake a cake for a picnic but don’t follow the recipe as carefully as we should, we could end up with a poorly tasting cake, and suffer embarrassment among friends. The friend who bakes the brownies, however, puts extra effort into her task, and the end product is delicious.
Let us be dedicated to do our best job and represent God well.
Remembering those we have lost
The congregation of Mosaic Unitarian Universalist will continue the Summer Sharing Series of roundtable-style services online at 11 a.m. Sunday, July 14. Those participating will talk about those they have lost.
The following are some questions to ponder before we gather: Who is no longer in your life, but your memory of them continues to deeply impact you? How can you honor a lost loved one through your actions?
Facilitator Teresa Leary will guide everyone through the discussion. Please consult the Religion Directory to learn how to join in. All are welcome.