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1 Rev. Dr. Rinaldo Hernandez, District Superintendent Julie Bullerdick, Business Administrator Sandy Voigt, Administrative Assistant Like us on FACEBOOK: SW District FL Conference UMC May 2014 Believe! John 20:19-29 Leading somebody to Christ that does not really want to believe seems to be like an impossible task. And yet, it is possible through a combination of the work of the Holy Spirit, our prayers and persistence in connecting them with the living Christ and a certain moment when the person s beliefs and convictions are challenged by an extremely difficult set of circumstances. Ernesto was born and raised at a home where both of his parents were professing atheists and high-ranking officials of the Cuban Communist Party. He was sent to study Nuclear Engineering in Hungary, Eastern Europe at the time when that country was still under Communist rule. Upon graduation, Ernesto came back to Cuba and started a relationship with a girl by the name of Irina, who was also an atheist. As you can probably imagine, there were not a lot of employment opportunities for Ernesto in Cuba, so he was very depressed and was in constant conflict with his girlfriend. A couple of Irina s friends from the University invited them to come and visit their newly founded church. They couldn t help but to share with Ernesto and Irina about the transformation they had experienced after surrendering their lives to Christ. They had a new sense of meaning and excitement, and joy for the future. And they wanted Ernesto and Irina to find the same by coming with them to church. At the beginning, Ernesto was very skeptical but Irina finally persuaded him to give it a try and they went to church and attended a Youth Service on a Saturday evening with 500 other youth and young adults were in the sanctuary praising God at the top of their lungs, yet nothing seemed to appeal to Ernesto s highly skeptical, scientifically-trained mind. At the end of the service Irina s friends asked Ernesto how was the service and how did he feel about it. Ernesto laughed and said: You are all a bunch of crazy people. After those words, he simply fell flat to the ground, without a prayer, or a pushing or a carefully crafted manipulation of his emotions. Ernesto stood up knowing that something beyond the realm of the natural had happened right there, before his own eyes. He asked for the Pastor, was brought to me and we had a two-hour conversation about the meaning of life, the value of faith and God s purpose for humankind. At the end of that time Ernesto asked me the question: What do I need to be a Christian? and I had the incredible privilege to guide him to Christ.

2 That night the power of the Living Christ overcame of all Ernesto s ideas, preconceptions and a well-founded atheistic education. Christ just showed up in his life in a way beyond human understanding, and offered him new life, meaning and purpose and he was transformed forever. Yes, it is hard to make people believe when they don t want to believe. But just don t give up on them. Keep praying, keep sharing, let God work through His Holy Spirit and something still might happen to reshape and transform the lives of others. Three elements of the human condition that reflect their need for the power and presence of the Risen Christ: FIRST, people without faith and without hope tend to live behind locked doors: The defeated apostles and disciples were afraid of the Jews and living behind locked doors. Faithless people live behind locked doors, gated communities, and spend millions of dollars in providing security to their loves ones and their possessions. They are insanely afraid of everyone and everything: afraid of the world, their neighbors, of strangers, afraid of people who are not like them (age, race, culture). FEAR holds them prisoners, isolating them from God, self and others, preventing them from relationships and life in community. SECOND, people are faithless because the poor testimony we offer with our lifeless religion and our passion-lacking following of the Risen Christ. The representatives of the Jewish religion, the scholars of the Mosaic Law and the priests of the Temple were the first ones to discourage faith in Christ. They were not moving people to devotion, commitment or passion in worshipping or serving the God of Israel. The mediocrity of our Christian witnessing, the lifeless expression of a faith that is not contagious and lacks the joy of abundant living in Christ is preventing others from wanting what we have. Our lack of passion for the salvation of humankind, our interest more in the survival of an institution than in reaching out to those who have no faith, no Christ and no hope is often times a paradigm that does not appeal to the urgent spiritual needs of people this time. Disenchantment with institutionalized religion is being propelled by the moral failures of Christian leaders. Atheism is on the raise, often times not so much because people don t want to connect with the divine, but because people have grown disillusioned with our poor expression of Christianity. THIRD, people without faith and without hope don t want to believe, unless they can see and experience the life and joy the Risen Christ offers. Thomas refused to believe unless he was able to see proof of life and proof of the truth of Christ s teachings and promises. Nonetheless, when Thomas had the Living Christ in front of him, his need for proof gave way to a hopeful assurance that His Master and Lord was alive against all human probabilities. WE are called to offer them Christ, an expression of Christianity that is compelling, appealing, encouraging, transforming and redeeming. WE are called to offer them the Christ that is ALIVE and WELL in us. They should be able to see Christ through us: the joy, the hope, the meaning, the passion and the transformation. He has brought and continues to bring to each and every one of us personally. They won t believe in Christ that is dead within us. Three things the Risen Christ is willing to offer to faithless people in our times:

3 PEACE BE WITH YOU (v.19): The Risen Christ is willing to pass through the walls people have built. The Resurrected Jesus offers the peace of God that surpasses all human understanding. People who are not experiencing peace in their lives and relationships are the best candidates for the kind of peace Jesus has to offer. Jesus offers the PEACE that is the fruit of FAITH and TRUST in the Living Son of God who lives and offers life to all of those who would embrace Him. RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT (v. 22): Not just the peace of God, the presence of the Living Christ through the Holy Spirit is promised to all those who would be open to receive him. Jesus breathed on those discouraged, faithless and fearful disciples and offered them His permanent presence, His Eternal promises and His continual company through the difficulties of their life journey. DON T BE FAITHLESS ANY LONGER: BELIEVE! (v. 27): It is easier to BELIEVE that NOT TO BELIEVE: to believe based on our testimonies of life, transformation and salvation through God s grace in the power of the Holy Spirit. It s easier to believe when people are challenged to live a joyful, full of meaning life. It is easier to believe that there is a God who cares. There is a Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who was able to overcome the powers of death and life-destruction. There is a Holy Spirit who will never leave us alone, and will never quit on us. We are called in Christ to live this kind of faith and to be passionate about offering it to others who are faithless in this world. May we be empowered by God to present this Gospel and introduce others into a living relationship with our Risen Savior. In God s saving and transforming grace, Rini COMINGS AND GOINGS IN THE SOUTH WEST DISTRICT On Sunday, May 4, clergy appointment changes (beginning July1) were released. Here are the appointment changes for South West District. Carlos Cortes serving Iglesia Luz y Vida in Zolfo Springs (as of Feb 1) Lisa Degrenia will be serving Trinity UMC-Sarasota Melanie Fierbaugh will be serving First UMC-Ft Myers John Hicks will be serving First UMC Monticello Mike Hudson will be serving Christ UMC-Venice David Juliano will be serving First UMC-Sebring Chris McNeill will be serving Riverside Park Jerry Milner will be serving First UMC-Hudson Jeff Smith will be serving First UMC-Clewiston Rick Stackhouse will be serving First UMC-Avon Park Jerry Van Dyken will be retiring Bob Wall serving Hope UMC in Cape Coral (as of Apr 14) Larry White will be serving Community UMC in Marathon Congratulations to all on your new appointments. Also, thank you to those who have served in the South West District and are moving on to new churches or retirement. God bless you all.

4 CLERGY - MARK YOUR CALENDARS & REGISTER NOW!!!!! CLERGY TEAM & CLERGY SPOUSE GATHERING May 27, 2014 Cleveland UMC, Cleveland Avenue, Punta Gorda, FL :30am 1pm (Gathering with refreshments starts at 9am) CLICK HERE to register You must register to let us know if you will or will not be attending. Thank you to the following people who have already registered: David Ames, Bruce Antle, Neal Avirett, Glenda Brayman, Tim Carson, Cherie Chapman, Patrick Elmore, Sandra Elmore, Tom Fuller, Kevin Griffin, Victoria Guthrie, Tim Haas, John Hicks, Christy Holden, James Holden, Arlene Jackson, Nako Kellum, Shari Lacey, Mike Loomis, Art McClellan, Nancy Metz, Jim Mitchell, Wes Olds, Vince Price, Dan Prine, Shani Prine, Orlando Ramirez, Clarice Setser, Brian Smith, Marion Sortore, David Stauffer, Thom Street, Jay Therrell, Jim Thomas, Carol Van Dyken, Jerry Van Dyken, Jim Wade, Rocky Walker, Clyde Weaver, Jewell Weaver Clergy Team Meetings are mandatory for all full-time clergy. Part-time clergy are encouraged to attend Annual Conference June The Lakeland Center Wednesday, June 11 through Saturday, June 14 at The Lakeland Center, 701 West Lime Street, Lakeland, FL Registration opens Wednesday, June 11 at 8:00 a.m. The Clergy and Laity Sessions will begin Wednesday, June 11th at 1:30 p.m. with the Opening Plenary Session at 3:30 p.m. Click here for the complete AC2014 tentative schedule Click here for the Pre-Conference Brochure Printed workbooks must be ordered by April 1 st. Click here This year there will be Pre-Conference Orientation videos featuring key information related to Annual Conference available on-line in early May. The East Central District will not host District Pre-Conference Orientation gatherings as in previous years Name Badges for Lay & Clergy Members to Annual Conference will NOT be mailed this year. In keeping with the Church's aim to care for creation and be good stewards of resources, name badges will be distributed at Annual Conference this year. Plan to pick up your name badge when you arrive at registration check-in. Registration check-in will be located in Jenkins Arena and opens at 8:00am Wednesday. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED.Annual Conference is only a few short weeks away and we are once again seeking your help to fill our volunteer slots. Would you please help the recruitment process by spreading the word among your church? Our needs are the following: Greeters- To provide information about the facility, while offering a warm, friendly welcome to members, participants and visitors.

5 Guest Services To answer questions and provide information to guests and members. Plenary Ushers- To assist in seating delegates and visitors, distribute materials, take attendance and counting votes, as needed. Worship Ushers To assist in seating the attendees for worship services, as well as provide support for communion and ordination worship services. Banner Carriers Baptism Renewal Volunteers Communion Servers- For the service on Wednesday, June 11 th. Memorial Service Volunteer Choir - Lay and clergy are encouraged to join in a Memorial Service Volunteer Choir under the direction of Dr. Beth Gibbs for the Memorial Service on Friday morning at 10:30 am. Practice will be Thursday at 5:00 directly after the afternoon session at the stage. Volunteers can enroll, or schedule their own times, by visiting the Conference website at beginning May 1 or by contacting Heidi Leab at Ext. 192 ( ). SOUTH WEST DISTRICT ICE CREAM SOCIAL We look forward to seeing our members to Annual Conference on Thursday, June 12th at Florida Southern (same place as last year)!!!! Make your own ICE CREAM SUNDAE! Stop by anytime between 8:30pm-10pm. Directions will be at registration Jewelry Re-Sale for Missions at Annual Conference 2014 Wednesday & Thursday, June 11 th & 12 th, Hours 8am to 7pm - Friday, June 13 th, Hours 8am to 12 Noon Located in Jenkins Arena While traveling throughout the Conference I have met so many wonderful young adults. They are committed Christians who truly and earnestly desire to make a difference in this world. What is often holding them back from participating in our global missions opportunities is a lack of financial means to pay for the costs that are associated with such travel. With your help, we can change that. This year we are sponsoring a Jewelry Re-Sale for Missions. This is a different kind of jewelry sale because we are asking all of you to contribute items from your jewelry collections that you are no longer using, both real and costume jewelry, and we will sell these items at Annual Conference. Even your damaged jewelry is welcome. We will take it all and try to make the best profits possible to reach our goal. It is a resale, for a remarkable goal the goal of making mission participation a reality for the next generation. The money we make will help to fund two young adult trips to our covenant partners in Cuba and Haiti in the coming conference year. So how can you participate? Check your jewelry box for items you are willing to donate (rings, bracelets, necklaces, pins, earrings) Send items to your District Office (1 item per zip lock bag or jewelry sets in one bag) Purchase items at the Jewelry Re-Sale for Missions while at Annual Conference We ask that you send your donated items to your District Office no later than June 1 st. That will give us plenty of time to organize the inventory and get ready for the big resale for remarkable mission opportunities. The jewelry sale will be open on Wednesday and Thursday of Annual Conference. So stop by the sale, find a treasure and make a difference in the life of a young person. Here s hoping our forgotten gems will be the means to making new mission opportunities a reality for many, many young adults. Pam Carter

6 Gulf Coast Wesley Good Friday by Amy Clark, Gulf Coast Wesley Student On April 18, 2014, Gulf Coast Wesley held their first roadside Good Friday service. Gulf Coast Wesley is finishing up their second year as a United Methodist foundation on Florida Gulf Coast University s (FGCU) campus, in Ft, Myers, FL. When Gulf Coast Wesley was planning their Good Friday service, they wanted to change things up a bit. That created the idea of holding the Gulf Coast Wesley Good Friday service on a piece of land owned by the South West District of the United Methodist Church just minutes down the road from campus. At 2 p.m., the crowd starting parking on the median of one the most popular roads in the area. They gathered on the side of the road with a Gulf Coast Wesley Good Friday service sign and waited for guests to arrive. At 2:20, 17 members stood in a circle in that overgrown, grass lot singing The Wonderful Cross and Nothing but the Blood. The music was led by Chris Mosteiro with an acoustic guitar. After singing, John 19 was read to the crowd. Christy Holden, an FGCU campus minister and the leader of Gulf Coast Wesley, followed the reading with a Good Friday inspired message. Holden finished service of with a benediction and prayer. She then spoke to the crowd about why this lot is special. As land owned by the Church, this land has the potential to be great. All the land needs is someone to utilize it for the good of the Lord and the community. Gulf Coast Wesley will always be in Ft. Myers to share the word of God and help the community grow as friends and family in Christ. Gulf Coast Wesley is young, but passionate. With an eagerness to grow and reach as many people as possible, the Good Friday service on April 18, 2014 is just the beginning of a long process of growth. Gulf Coast Wesley Celebrates Second Annual International Mission Trip by Christy Holden, Pastor Please join me in praying for Gulf Coast Wesley student missionaries as we travel to Cat Island, Bahamas May A team of 20 will be traveling to serve children at the Old Bight Mission. We will also be doing construction, setting up a computer lab for the children, and helping the home connect with its neighbors through servant evangelism. You can follow along by reading our blog at: trips.gulfcoastwesley.org Does your church have a prayer shawl ministry? For over 5 years the Bishop and leadership of the Florida Conference have come to the South West District for their Christmas Retreat. This year the South West District would like to present every member (and their spouse) with a shawl that has been knitted or crocheted and prayed over by people in our district. We will need approximately 40 shawls by the first week of December. If your ministry would like to contribute, please contact Sandy at the District Office. Sandy can be reached at or at flumc-sw@flumc.org.

7 The Basic Course in Lay Servant Ministries will be offered June 6-7, 2014 at Trinity United Methodist Church 304 W Oak St, Arcadia, FL (863) This course is the beginning or gateway course for all aspects of Lay Servant Ministries. It will be taught on Friday night, from 6:00 9:00 p.m. and all day on Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You must be present for all sessions to receive credit for completion. Your course instructor will be Rod Groom, Associate Florida Conference Director for Lay Servant Ministries (LSM). This course has been approved by Gene Louise Fisher, SW District Director for LSM. Please register with Rod at rod.groom@gmail.com, no later than Wednesday, May 27 th. Your text will be Lay Servant Ministries, Basic Course Participant s Book, written by Sandy Jackson and Brian Jackson. In this text, we are encouraged to recognize and employ our personal spiritual gifts for the Church, to consider the importance of exercising servant leadership, develop as future leaders, remain rooted in consistent spiritual practices, and be part of a group that holds members accountable in discipleship. It offers guidelines for best practices as a church leader and outlines a number of ministries in which lay servants may assume roles. The basics of giving a sermon or presenting a devotional will also be an emphasis. Students will prepare and give a 3-5 minute message or devotional as part of this course. Books will be distributed on Friday night. Please bring a Bible and a notebook for this class. COST: Please bring $35.00 in cash or a check made out to Trinity UMC. LOCATION: Trinity UMC is located at 304 W Oak St, Arcadia, FL The telephone number is (863) DIRECTIONS: From Hwy 17 - turn west on Oak Street for approximately 1/2 mile and you will see our building to your right. From 70 East - turn Left on Orange, go one block and you will see church on the northwest corner. From 70 West - Turn Left on Orange and you will see the church on the northwest corner of Oak and Orange.. QUESTIONS? Contact Rod Groom at rod.groom@gmail.com, or at Report from Mike Edwards, SW District Youth Coordinator Next year s SW District youth retreat, Stoked, is tentatively scheduled for March 6-8, 2015 to be held at the FLUM campground, Riverside Retreat. Mark your calendars now. Rooted, the FLUMC training event for new and experienced youth leaders and volunteers is set for September 15 and 16, 2014 at Warren W. Willis campground near Leesburg. This 2 day training is conducted through the Annual Conference s Youth Ministry Table. There will be speakers and open table discussions on a variety of topics related to youth ministry. More on cost and how to register next month. I will also be sending out an blast with the info after the first week of May. I will also be sending out info on the youth activities at Annual Conference.

8 At our lunch meeting on April 14 in Charlotte County, we heard from our district Cuban Mission Coordinator. The SW District summer mission trip to Cuba is all set. SW District volunteers, youth, and youth leaders will be going to work, fellowship, and minister to young people in Cuba. Please keep them in your prayers. We discussed the next Stoked retreat, bounced a few ideas around, and prayed for our ministries and our youth. For those who are new to the district, our youth leaders meet monthly for support, prayers, and to bounce ideas. Our next SW District youth leader s lunch meeting is on May 5, noon, at East Naples UMC, we will meet, greet, and eat. Jessica Crown, at ENUMC, will be feeding us. We welcome any SW District United Methodist youth leader to this and all our gatherings. If you are interested in hosting us for a lunch meeting, please let me know. We will not meet in June or July due to the busy summer season. If your youth group is having an outing, lock-in, or other event that you would like to invite other FLUM-SW District youth groups to join, please me at medwards@faithum.com and I will forward the info. If you are a SW District youth leader and do NOT receive my blasts, me to get on the contact list. Contact info: Mike Edwards, FLUM SW District Youth Coordinator Youth Director, Faith UMC, McGregor Blvd., Ft. Myers FL medwards@faithum.com. By Dan Christopherson, South West District Cuba Coordinator Waiting For a Sister Church I was sitting in a humble house church in Cuba and across from me were Pastor Alexander and his wife that had no idea what was about to happen. Just as I was about to tell them why I was there out of the corner of my eye I could see two beautiful little brown eyes peeking around the corner looking at this tall white haired man. What could possibility be running through his mind? I would guess he was about four or five years old, I winked at him and he smiled and ducked behind the cloth curtain between the two rooms. I glanced down to see bare feet on a dirt floor. I can guarantee you a lump the size of Texas developed in my throat. I had to start my chain of thought all over again. I looked at the pastor and his wife and said, I am here to tell you I have found a church in the United States that wants you as a sister church. There was a hesitation before the storm; the pastor placed his head in his hands and weep uncontrollably. I held his wife in my arms as she weep with joy. Pastor Alexander told me he had been praying for ten years for this moment and did not know if it would ever happen. This is just one of many stories I can tell you about a sister church announcement. The blessings it brings to the Cuban church are many but I can tell you the biggest change in this relationship is not in the Cuban church it s the church in the United States. All of sudden your church has mission projects happening; fundraisers and gifts are being given that never happened before. Trust me that this is just the start of a wonderful journey. I can give you dozen names of churches in the South West District that will agree with what I am saying. Our sister district in Cuba is Holguin Norte with Mayari being the district church location. Interesting enough our District Superintendent Rini Hernandez was DS and pastor in this church when he lived in Cuba. We have 34 churches in the Holguin Norte District and 28 of the churches have a sister church in the South West District. I have six churches in Cuba praying for a sister church connection. Four of these churches: Nicaro, Guamuta, Biran, and Antilla have been praying for eight to ten years for that prayer to be answered. The other two churches Frank Pais and Pontezuelo are brand new churches in the district and have just started their quest to have their prayers answered.

9 Antilla: Is the oldest church in the district. It sets on top of a hill overlooking part of the city and right out to the Bay. I have worshiped here with the front door open and the sea breezes gently coming through the door. It is a beautiful place to worship. Antilla has about 206 members, so it is one of the larger churches in the district. Pastor Maikel and his wife, Yunetsy, have no children but are praying for that blessing. With the size of this church the demands and needs are larger. We need a larger church with the capacity to handle their needs. Or we need a couple of churches to combine their effort to bless Antilla with the sister church relationship they are praying for. Nicaro: Is a house church near the closed down nickel factory. Pastor Reinaldo has twenty-three members in the church. I have prayed with Pastor Reinaldo and his wife, Eglis Victoria, many times and asked for their patience. They just say, I know God will provide. Guamuta: To say humble does not paint the true picture, to say the least. Pastor Luis and his wife, Lindmila, have a beautiful six year old daughter, Linda, with brown eyes the size of the full moon but much brighter. Their house church has 30 members. They too are praying. Biran: Twenty-seven members fill this church every Sunday morning. No musical instruments but they sing the praises of our Lord. Pastor Elollis and his wife, Yenia, have two daughters, Jessica, and Erika that lead the praise team that fill the front of the church. They too are praying. I ask for each and every one of you to pray for these churches. I pray that there is a church in the South West District that will hear their prayers and answer their plea. Cuban Churches SW District Churches Cuban Churches SW District Churches Alcala Englewood Guayabo Edgewater-Port Charlotte Antilla *** Herrera Grace-Venice Arroyo Blanco Cornerstone-Naples Juan Viciente Loma First Sarasota Baguanos El Buen Pastor North Naples La Criolla Faith-Fort Myers Baguanos Juan Wesley Grace Cape Coral La Levisa Estero Biran *** La Trocha North Naples Camilo Vamo-Sarasota Las Cuevas Trinity North Port Canamazo East Naples Los Pinos Camino de Fe-Sarasota Castillito Alva Mayari Boca Grande Cueto Edgewater-Port Charlotte Moa Cypress Lake-Ft. Myers El Cocal Christ Venice Monte Verde Old Miakka Entronque De Ocujal First Frostproof Nicaro *** Entronque Rey Englewood Pontezuelo *** Felton Fort Mead Preston Boca Grande Frank Pais *** Ramon Fort Ogden Guamuta *** Sagua Carlson Memorial-LaBelle Guaro Punta Gorda Tacajo Tice-Fort Myers ***No Sister Church Support If your church is interested in making Cuba one of your mission projects please contact me for further information. Dan Christopherson, South West District Cuba Coordinator at dancc@comcast.net or LOCAL CHURCH ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS & BUSINESS MANAGERS PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO UPDATE YOUR LOCAL CHURCH LEADERSHIP ONLINE. Call the District Office with any questions. We are happy to help!

10 CHILDREN S SUMMER LUNCH PROGRAM Port Charlotte UMC We need your help! Port Charlotte United Methodist Church, along with other local churches, groups, and individuals will continue to provide lunches for children in need on Fridays during summer vacation so they will have food for the weekend. Our name has changed (from Feed the Children due to copyright restrictions) but our purpose has remained the same to serve children in need. In March the Charlotte School system reported over 450 homeless children in school. It is assumed that this number is probably higher since many parents do not report their circumstances to the schools. The program endeavors to meet the current voids that exist in our in our community: 1. The lunches will fill the void on weekends when Charlotte County schools are closed and lunches are not available 2. The lunches are taken to the Charlotte County Homeless Coalition and given to children during the week 3. The lunches are given to homeless children and other children in need that come to Trinity United Methodist Church s food pantry on Fridays The cost to provide these lunches each week is over $ Any financial assistance will be welcomed. All donations are tax deductible. Donations may be sent to: Port Charlotte United Methodist Church, Attention: Children s Summer Lunch Program. One of our community partners is Wendy s restaurant. Between now and the end of 2014, most Wendy s in Southwest Florida will contribute 15% of an order toward the Children s Summer Lunch Program for our church. Please use the coupon attached to this newsletter. Photo copies will be accepted by Wendy s. If you have questions, please call Linda Bailey at or Chris Burr at We look forward to a successful and blessed summer for our children. Port Charlotte United Methodist Church, Quesada Avenue, Port Charlotte, FL YOU CAN VIEW ALL LOCAL CHURCH EVENTS ON THE CONFERENCE WEBSITE SELECT LOCAL CHURCH EVENTS UNDER THE QUICK LINKS SECTION If you need help to submit an event, call Sandy in the District Office. HELP WANTED & CLASSIFIEDS. CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP LEADER WANTED: Wesley United Methodist Church of Marco Island, FL is seeking a full time year round Contemporary Worship Leader to direct and grow the Contemporary Service to help fulfill Wesley s Mission to make more and stronger disciples for Jesus Christ. This person will lead services, prayer and programs according to the Discipline of the United Methodist Church. Degree preferred in music with sound theology and practical ministry knowledge, but will consider experience and/or proven ability. This person must have the ability to communicate the Gospel and inspire the congregation in the context of worship and music and engage people in discipleship. Salary commensurate with experience. Send resumes to Pastor Kirk Dreiser. URL: wumcmarco@comcast.net Address: 350 South Barfield Drive, Marco Island, FL Tel: FREE: The First United Methodist Church of Frostproof has four sets of Adult Sunday School Literature that they would like to give to a church that could use it. We have two sets of the Higley KJV International Sunday School Lesson from , The books each last a year and although the dates would not be right you

11 could still use the lessons. We also have two sets of the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary that are a years worth from , These books are all in good shape. There are in each set. If interested please frostproof-umc@verizon.net Don t forget to check the Conference website ( to find job postings, items for sale, donations, etc. Just select Classifieds on the left side of the homepage. CALENDAR NOTES: May 4 ANNOUNCEMENT SUNDAY May 8 Right Start Program in Lakeland for Pastors who will be moving (required) May 26 Memorial Day Conference & District Offices Closed May 27 NOTE DATE CHANGE - Clergy Team Meeting, Cleveland UMC NOTE DATE CHANGE May Right Start Program for New Clergy in the FL Conference Jun 5 Congregational Vitality Committee Meeting (9am-5pm) Jun Annual Conference (information in this newsletter) Jun 12 - Annual Conference SW DISTRICT ICE CREAM SOCIAL Jun 19 dcom, Location: First UMC, Punta Gorda Jun 26 Congreational Vitality Committee Meeting (aam-5pm) Jul 1 Moving Day (for clergy who are moving to new appointments) Jul 1 Aug 15 DS on renewal leave This newsletter gives an overview of some of the activities of the South West District and the Conference. Please make a note of these events and encourage your lay ministers and church members to participate.