Announcements

Praise Rocks practice will resume on Wednesday, September 8, Children in kindergarten through fifth grade are invited. This group meets at 5:30 p.m. in the Choir Room.

UNITED METHODIST WOMEN - Spiritual Enrichment Retreat is September 10 -12 at the Life Enrichment Center in Fruitland Park. The theme is Faith ◦ Hope ◦ Love in Action. The speaker will be Rev. June Pinner Edwards, currently serving her third year as Executive Pastor at First United Methodist Church in Lakeland. The cost is $130.00 per person for room and meals. Come and be inspired, refreshed, and renewed in Christ. The registration deadline is August 24. Registration forms are available on the UMW bulletin board below the narthex.

The Freethinkers Sunday School Class began a new study series on Sept. 5th based in a video course created by Bart Ehrman. He is the James A. Gray, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a prolific author and has written two excellent New Testament textbooks for college classes in biblical studies. He has won several teaching awards at UNC. The video course is simply titled, The New Testament. Ehrman writes in the course introduction, "The New Testament is undoubtedly the single most important book in the history of Western civilization, whether seen as a religious book of faith or as a cultural artifact. It is probably also the most widely disputed and misunderstood." We will be using as a companion book, A Brief Introduction to the New Testament, by Dr. Ehrman. This book is also used within the department of religion at Florida Southern College. So, come join us in 30 minute video presentations by Dr. Ehrman and lively discussion as we seek an understanding of this fascinating book, the New Testament. We meet in the Conference Room at 9:15 a.m. each Sunday.

The Wednesday Night Dinners and Programs are an opportunity to share in food, fellowship, and enrichment. Dinner is at 5:45 in the Fellowship Hall. Announcements are at 6:20. The program begins at 6:30 and concludes by 7:25. Note new times. Reservations are necessary. Make yours on today’s attendance pad or call the church office by Tuesday. For a permanent reservation, indicating your presence each week, please write “permanent,” or place the letter “P” by your name. The permanent reservation list from last year does not carry over. Notify the church office if you need to change your reservation. Prices remain the same: Adult - $7; Youth - $5 (6 - 12 grades); Child - $3 (K - 5^th grade); and Family - $18 (two adults, maximum, with children K - 12^th grade). This week’s menu is spaghetti with meat sauce, mixed vegetables, garlic bread, tossed salad, beverages, and a variety of cookies or sugar-free dessert. For our program, Robert Vanderslice, video engineer, and Renee Vanderslice return to give information and insights about Religious Art in Worship completing the liturgical year. Vegetarian selection available upon request with reservation.

It’s Bunko time again! Come join the Outreach group at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 18, in Success House. Bring a snack to share and one wrapped gag gift per participant. This is a great way to get to know people and renew old friendships…and it’s a lot of fun! Oh, yes; the theme this year is…PETS!

“Carpe Manana"- that’s the title of a book I found on a friend’s bookshelf. It’s a play on words, of course. The Latin phrase Carpe diem urges us to seize the day. Carpe Manana calls for something else altogether. It could well sum up for many of us the challenge we face in our quest for spiritual nurture and discipline. We know we should read scripture and pray daily. We know this because it keeps us centered and whole. Most of all, we know that prayer is important because we hunger for God’s company. We procrastinate all the same. We want to seize (and be seized by) our relationship with God - but sometimes those intentions end up on our ‘tomorrow’ list.” (Portions of the Foreword by Helen Neinast.) The Upper Room Disciplines offers a way for you to do today, rather than putting off until tomorrow, daily devotional time with God. Some contributors next year are Martin Marty, Harriet Jane Olson, M. Garlinda Burton, and Paul Escamilla. The 2011 edition may be ordered now. The price is still $11.00 each, including shipping and handling. Please contact Jean Vanderslice at 644-3244 or JAJV6@aol.com to place your order by September 26.

The Mission Ministry Team is sponsoring food collection for Talbot House. There is a basket in the narthex for deposit of staple food items, and you may bring items at any time. A volunteer will deliver collected items on a monthly basis. Please help us support Talbot House in this manner all year.

Another way to help United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR): Did you know that UMCOR provides birthing kits to pregnant women in locations where medical assistance at childbirth may not be available? These kits include the basic needs for a clean, safe birth (such as soap, string, a razor, latex gloves, and plastic sheeting) and flannel receiving blankets for the newborns. Inspired by the success of our effort to provide Health Kits for those in emergency situations (those who have left their homes due to conflict or natural disaster), the Christian Family Life Class has undertaken to spearhead this new mission. We are going to try to put together as many Birthing Kits as we can to send to UMCOR, and since we can't include any notes or other personalized items for the recipients of these kits, we'll include our prayers for each child these kits might help bring into the world. Most of the items needed for these kits can be bought in bulk, but we welcome your donations of money for this cause. It's exciting to know the efforts of College Heights UMC are helping people in moments of stress all around the world! - - Denie Garrett