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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 February 2013 From every nation, tribe, people and language After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar, Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb! And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. They sang: Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever! Amen. Then one of the twenty-four elders asked me, Who are these who are clothed in white? Where did they come from? And I said to him, Sir, you are the one who knows. Then he said to me, These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white. That is why they stand in front of God s throne and serve him day and night in his Temple. And he who sits on the throne will give them shelter. They will never again be hungry or thirsty; they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun. For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes. Revelation 7:9-17

2 Lent is a time of introspection, reflection and repentance from those things that are preventing us from being what Christ has called us to be, personally and collectively as the church. More than visibly marking our foreheads with ashes, Lent should be a time to spiritually bind our whole life to the Risen Christ, who by His power can transform and rebuild us giving us once again the breath of life that operated to raise our Lord from the ashes of death. It is also a time to pray for our faith communities that the power of God may blow upon us and transform who we have become, making us more passionate about the Kingdom and putting all of our energy in bringing people to Christ, discipling them to be Christ-like, connecting them to be part of fruitful ministries sharing Christ s love with the world and sending them to produce Kingdom impact in the communities where we have been called to serve. I wanted to start this reflection sharing a text that has been speaking to my heart in times of personal devotion and meditation. This is for me a vision of the desired outcome, a dream for our work in Christ and an expression of the hope we hold in a future reality which will be better that our current circumstances. Even in times of persecution and rejection, John is dreaming of a future in which oppression will be no more, hopelessness will be replaced with praise and laughing and joy will take the place of suffering and sadness. What a great thing to dream of the future as a vast crowd, not anymore as a handful of believers struggling to survive and to keep the institution alive! For us who have the tendency to regret current reality and find refuge in the nostalgia of a wonderful past history that will never come back again, the visionary John encourages us to have Holy Spirit-inspired visions of a future with hope and full realization of the Kingdom of God. What a joy to live with the joy of a future where we won t be spending anymore time debating our differences and figuring out how to apply Robert s Rules of Order for us to agree to disagree, using valuable time we should be investing in transforming lives and communities and raising up high the wonderful name of Jesus. Three years ago I invited a group of young Hispanic United Methodist leaders in Florida to participate in a survey about current reality/desired outcome for UM churches in our conference. Questions were divided into five general categories: Evangelism and Outreach, Leadership, Worship, Strategies and Youth Ministries. These were some of their answers: Evangelism and Outreach: We need to go back to the reason why we are the Church: to bring people to the knowledge of Christ, making them true disciples of Jesus The Church needs to be more outward oriented, to open our eyes to the needs in the communities and to design strategies to face the challenges Our people need to be more missionally oriented both inside and outside of the United States We have enough social clubs, so the Church shouldn t be just another one We shouldn t be a group of people driven by the nostalgia of past glories Churches need to look more like their communities: multinational, multicultural, multigenerational (funny how they said: not just Cubans or Puerto Ricans )

3 Leadership: The Church is lacking passionate leaders exuding love for Christ and world We develop great ideas and strategies in our churches, but there are very few people willing to invest time and energy in doing things differently Our people love staying within their comfort zone. They are not open to explore unchartered territories We (the youth) want an opportunity to be part of current leadership in our churches. They said: look at the age of our Conference/District/Local Church leaders Worship: There is a sense of churches worshiping tradition (traditionalism) instead of worshipping God in a form that is rooted in our Wesleyan tradition Traditionalism is preventing the Church from being more creative in designing worship and more appealing to first time visitors The key of the worship experience should be THE WORD. Preachers should be better prepared, more biblically rooted. After the preaching, people should feel challenged and motivated to make transformative decisions Strategies: We don t need to bring people to the Church, but bring Christ to the people outside Community meals, food banks, sport activities, prayer vigils in the community where something has disrupted the lives of people (shootings, violence, drug related crimes) Better use of social media and different platforms to convey our message Identification of needs in the community / Designing of programs and strategies People need to understand the implications of being a Methodist / need to know more about our heritage and history In-depth Bible studies to help us deal with current realities from a biblical perspective. We have too much theological garbage through so called Christian radio and TV. We need to be exposed to the biblical message Youth Ministries: Please, don t separate us from adult people. We need to interact with you all Think of us when you are designing worship or outreach programs. Let us be part of designing teams for those experiences Help us understand what is the essence of worship Design equipping processes for people our age: we want to be helpful, but don t know how Youth Ministry should help us grow in Christ and to hold us accountable when we are running from Christ because of peer pressure, immaturity, etc. More events to know and share with other youth that are facing the same challenges we are Support of their praise bands and other worship experiences Budget for Youth Ministers. This is an investment in your future Friends, during this Lent season let us deeply reflect on who we are in Christ, where we should be and what we were called to do for Christ. Let us also reflect in the effectiveness of our work as Churches. Let us meditate on how we are fulfilling the Great Commission. Let us repent for our lack of passion, enthusiasm and openness to the lead of the Holy Spirit. Let us hear God. Let us hear the cry of our youth. Let us dream of a better future where the Lamb s bride would be a vast crowd of people from every nation, and tribe, and

4 language, holy people living like Jesus and being like yeast that permeates every part of the dough, Matthew 13:33. Truly yours in Christ s service, Rini Rev. Dr. Rinaldo (Rini) Hernandez CLERGY - IMPORTANT REMINDER! - CLERGY If you missed the Mandatory Inclusivity Training: Building the Beloved Community for all Full Time Clergy, the make-up session is February 25-27, 2013 at the LEC. (Click here) to register. A Great Big THANK YOU to everyone who helped make the SW District Leadership Training a wonderful success! St. John s UMC in Sarasota and North Naples UMC in Naples; all of the volunteers (you know we couldn t have done it without you!!!!) and to all of our presenters: Rick Bennett, Boca Grande Children s Ministry, Julie Bullerdick, Stephanie Campbell, Mont Duncan, Lois Durham, Marvin Hammontree, Stephen Hartsfield, Rinaldo Hernandez, Phil Maynard, Sondra McPhail, Helen Mitchell, Wes Olds, Ernie Ritta, Craig Smelser. Roy Terry, and Mark Thomas! It was a great time of learning, fellowship and (of course) food! To everyone who attended, we realize that your time is valuable and appreciate you all spending the day with us. We hope you learned a little, laughed a little and made connections with others serving in the local church.

5 Love your neighbor as yourself February 9, 2013 In these uncertain times when news accounts are full of one tragedy after another, and many people question faith, it is more important than ever for church members to reach beyond the church walls to help those in the community who are hurting and in need. Members of Cape Coral First United Methodist Church will get out of the pews and into the streets on Saturday, February 9, 2013, to reach people at their point of need. Three-hundred fifty church members are expected to make an impact on Lee County when they gather to participate in thirty different service projects throughout the area during the church s sixth Operation Love Your Neighbor event. The theme for this event is based on the words of Jesus when He said, Love your neighbor as yourself. Adults and children of all abilities will serve the community at non-profit agencies such as Habitat for Humanity and Cape Coral s Agency for Special Populations; serve retired and active military through a ministry that provides coupons to members of the armed forces; visiting elderly residents at multiple local nursing home/assisted living facilities; working for Lee County Parks and Recreation with an environmental project at Lakes Park; and hosting hundreds of low income and needy families from the Suncoast Estates area with a hot meal, non-perishable food and clothing distributions, just to name a few of the projects. Cape First members know they do not have to travel too far to find folks in need of God s unconditional love and grace. This year, the impact is being widened as every member is encouraged to Each one, bring one, inviting friends to serve alongside them. If interested in volunteering, or if your non-profit group has a service area or need, please contact the church office. Teams will celebrate God s goodness at a kickoff breakfast on Saturday morning, February 9, 2013, in Cape Coral First United Methodist Church s Social Hall at 4118 Coronado Parkway, Cape Coral, at 8:00am. At that time each team and the community will be prayed for, before heading out to work. During Sunday morning worship services at both 8:45 and 11:00am on February 10, 2013, church members will celebrate the tremendous work God is doing in the midst of darkness. All are welcome to come as you are, no experience required for the service projects on Saturday and celebration on Sunday. Cape First s challenge to its members is to Love your neighbor as yourself. For additional information or questions, please contact Senior Pastor, Jay Therrell or Associate Pastor, Nako Kellum at Cape Coral First United Methodist Church, 4118 Coronado Parkway, Cape Coral, Florida or (239) , or jtherrell@capecoralfirst.org, or nkellum@capecoralfirst.org FAITH UMC IN FT MYERS HOSTING PASTOR ISRAEL LEIVA ALVAREZ Pastor Israel Leiva Alvarez from Upper Room Methodist Church in Cuba will be hosted by Faith UMC Fort Myers Feb. 19 March 19. He will be available to speak on Sunday mornings and during the week to groups or mid-week worship services. Faith Church is also looking for additional translator assistance to supplement what they have already. If you d like Pastor Israel to speak at your church or if you have any translators available please contact David Stauffer at Faith UMC at dstauffer@faithum.com or at PRAYER ENCOUNTER - REV. TERRY TEYKL CHRIST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 1475 CENTER ROAD, VENICE, FLORIDA FEBRUARY 23, 2013 at 9 AM 2:30 PM CALL OR FOR MORE INFORMATION: nancy@cumc.info or

6 Terry Teykl's warm humorous style makes him one of the most sought after speakers and seminar leaders in the country. He was a pastor for 28 years and has been full time in the prayer ministry since Terry has authored many books on prayer including: Divine Strongholds, Making Room to Pray, Pray the Price, Your Pastor Preyed On or Prayed For, How to Pray After You've Kicked the Dog, Acts 29, Blueprint for the House of Prayer, Outside the Camp, Praying Grace, and the Presence Based Church. Terry Teykl has spent his life encouraging and teaching the local church how to develop a passionate and meaningful relationship with the Father.. Terry has authored an entire line of prayer resources that make it possible for leaders at the local level to build prayer into the everyday life their congregations. The hallmark of a Teykl presentation is a deep abiding love and passion for those who are yet to know Jesus. Terry resides in Houston with his wife Kay, close to his children and grandchildren and not to forget his beloved Labrador Retrievers. SARASOTA BAY CROP HUNGER WALK 2013 Hunger and poverty are rampant in our world, and escalating in the current economic conditions. Something can and must be done about them. Our local CROP Hunger Walk is a great place to start. For a few hours and a few miles, friends and neighbors will be coming together to, in the words of I John 3:18, "...love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action." On Sunday, March 3, 2013 at 2:00 pm in the afternoon, at Saint James United Methodist Church located at 2049 N Honore Ave., Sarasota, the Host site, the Sarasota Bay CROP Hunger Walk will be held to show our love and active concern for neighbors in need near and far. The participants, ranging from newborns to nonagenarians, will be raising awareness and funds to change the world in real and measurable ways -- digging wells that will bring clean water to villages; providing seeds and tools so that people can grow their own food; helping communities and families rebuild after disaster. Whether it's responding to flood and tornado damage in parts of the U.S., or helping to rebuild earthquake-damaged homes in Haiti, CROP Hunger Walks are making a difference. CROP Hunger Walk funds will benefit the overall work and ministry of Church World Service -- working around the world to help those in need help themselves through refugee assistance, self-help development programs, advocacy, and disaster relief. And, it s important to note that 25 percent of what we raise will help All Faiths Food Bank in their important work here in the Sarasota Bay area. So please mark your calendars and join us, whether as a walker or sponsor. Together -- with your family, group, or congregation -- we can change the world, one step at a time. You can register online today and begin gathering sponsors at For additional information or to volunteer, please contact your local church or St. James UMC, 2049 N Honore Ave., Sarasota, BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL CELEBRATING A CENTURY FOR CHRIST! Grace United Methodist Church, Olga Ft Myers Shores campus, is celebrating 100 years of Methodist ministry in their community with a bluegrass festival on Saturday, March 16 th from 3-8pm on the church grounds! There will be food available for purchase, and there is no charge for admission to the festival. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and join us for the celebration! Sunday, March 17 th, the festivities continue as our District Superintendent, Rev. Rini Hernandez preaches at our Sunday morning services at 10 and 11:30. A potluck dinner will follow, with games and much more! Everyone is invited to join us! Grace Church is located at 14036

7 Matanzas Blvd, Ft. Myers, Florida Questions? Contact the church office at or See you there! UNITED METHODIST MEN: 2013 Men s Boot Camp Men mark your calendar for you will not want to miss this gathering of men ages 18 and up together as the Body of Christ. You will receive GREAT TEACHINGS, GREAT SPEAKERS, GREAT FELLOWSHIP & GREAT FOOD! When and Where Check-in Thursday April 11, 2013 at 3pm Conclusion Sunday April 14, 2013 early afternoon Where: Riverside Retreat, 7305 County Road 78, LaBelle, Fl Cost $ per person. Register and make payment at Follow Retreat instructions on website. We need payment by March 1, 2013 Contact Steve Kennedy skennedy@surecretedesign.com or with questions. Come and share this experience with Christian men along the banks of the Caloosahatchee River at this beautiful Riverside Retreat. The teachings will be based on the message of Wild at Heart by John Eldridge. Sign up now to reserve your place. Space is limited to forty-eight. Two ways to share the exciting events at your church! Have an exciting event going on in your church that you want everyone to know about? You can now advertise your local church events on the FLUMC website. Click here for steps to access and post local church events. "What Are Umc Doing?" What Are Umc Doing? is the local church video community created by the FLUMC for churches to learn how other local churches are impacting their communities and to share what you are doing in yours. To submit a video, go to YOU CAN VIEW ALL LOCAL CHURCH EVENTS ON THE CONFERENCE WEBSITE SELECT LOCAL CHURCH EVENTS UNDER THE QUICK LINKS SECTION From the Desk of Gene Louise Fisher (South West District Director of Lay Servant Ministries) Two Lay Servant Classes set for February Faith United Methodist Church in Fort Myers Friday February 15 from 6:00pm - 9:00pm and Saturday February 16 from 9:00am- 5:00 pm. You must attend both days. Cost of Course is $35.00 this includes your lunch. We will have a Basic Course (gives you the background for all other courses) and our Advanced Course will be Praying Grace (must have taken basic course). Please make check to Gene Louise Fisher and mail to 7872 Barrancas Ave., Bokeelia, Fl Questions please call Please respond by February 11, 2013.

8 First United Methodist Church of Frostproof Friday February 22 from 6:00pm - 9:00pm and Saturday February 23 from 9:00am- 5:00 pm. You must attend both days. Cost of Course is $35.00 this includes your lunch We will have a Basic Course (gives you the background for all other courses) and our Advanced Course will be Praying Grace (must have taken basic course). Please make check to Gene Louise Fisher and mail to 7872 Barrancas Ave., Bokeelia, FL Questions please call Please respond by February 15, 2013 Contact Info: Gene Louise Fisher, piumchurch@comcast.net or phone: Report from Mike Edwards, SW District Youth Coordinator In January, the district youth leaders met at First UMC, Immokalee. We were given info on the upcoming district mission trip to Cuba, a mission trip to the FLUM Children s Home, info on several programs underway at Riverside Retreat including a mission trip to Key West. Thanks to Vicky at First UMC, Immokalee for hosting us. Our next meeting is at Jason s Deli in Port Charlotte, noon, on February 11. Pastor Christie from the FGCU Wesley Foundation will have info available for your students. Please RSVP to me at medwards@faithum.com by February 8. Good News! The conference has appointed Joel Pancoast as the Conference Youth Coordinator. In addition to his duties at Warren Willis camp, Joel will be helping us stay informed on conference level youth matters, new training opportunities, and fielding any questions we might have regarding our area of ministry. He has also expressed a desire to meet with us, so watch for that. Your servant in Christ, Mike Contact info: Mike Edwards, FLUM SW District Youth Coordinator Youth Director, Faith UMC, McGregor Blvd., Ft. Myers FL medwards@faithum.com. CLERGY - MARK YOUR CALENDARS & REGISTER NOW FOR THIS ALL DAY EVENT!!!!! CLERGY TEAM RETREAT & CLERGY SPOUSE GATHERING APRIL 16, 2013 This meeting will be from 9:30am until 3:30pm Guest Speaker: Bishop Dick Wills Retreat Location: Boca Grande UMC (You will need $6 cash for toll bridge) CLICK HERE to register

9 Clergy Team Meetings are mandatory for all full-time clergy. Part-time clergy are encouraged to attend. Official Notice from the Department of State, Division of Corporations The 2013 Annual Report is now due. To file your Annual Report, simply go to the Division of Corporations' website, and file online. Please note; if you file after May 1st, you will incur a $400 late fee that cannot be waived. All Corporations, Limited Liability Companies and Limited Partnerships must file an Annual Report to maintain "active" status and avoid administrative dissolution or revocation. Instructions are available on the website, and you may pay by credit card, check, or through a sunbiz account. Do not be misled by similar websites. Go to and you will see a banner at the top of the screen stating 'Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations.' HELP WANTED & CLASSIFIEDS. EXPERIENCING GOD BOOKS WANTED: Gulf Cove UMC (Port Charlotte) is looking for books/videos of Henry Blackaby s Experiencing God. If your church has extra copies that are available, please either Gulf Cove at gulfcoveumc@centurylink.net or call them at Thank you! Part-Time Director of Member Care Needed: Faith UMC of Fort Myers is hiring a part-time (20 hours) Director of Member Care. Job includes assisting the senior pastor with hospital visitation, visiting members in rehab and long-term care centers, and routine home visits. In addition, the staff member will supervise volunteer members of the member care team who assist with visitation. Staff person will also create opportunities for those in our target group (primarily senior adults) to fellowship. We also want to include events and other opportunities that fit under the area of member care. Our longterm hope is that this position will become three-quarter time and possibly full-time. Interested

10 persons should contact David Stauffer at or A background in member care of some is a plus. We are willing to have a person who is in Florida at least 8 months. CHURCH SECRETARY POSITION - St. Johns United Methodist Church is seeking a part-time church secretary (25 hours per week/regular office hours will be 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday). The ideal candidate must be a Christian with strong computer skills in software such as Publisher, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, excellent organizational and communication skills and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment. Previous experience as a church secretary, executive assistant, or office manager required. All interested applicants must complete an Application for Employment. You can download one from our website or pick one up at the church office. All applications must be received at 6611 Proctor Road, Sarasota, FL by 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 14, Please direct all inquiries to Dick Mac Millan, Staff Pastor Relations Committee Chairperson. If you would like to receive a detailed job description, please visit our website at and click on the Job Opportunity link on the Welcome Page. 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: Feb 28 SW District NCD Meeting at Cleveland UMC (9:30am-12noon) Mar 21 dcom. Location: First-Punta Gorda Mar 29 Conference & District Office Closed in observance of Good Friday Apr 16 - ALL DAY Clergy Team Meeting. Location: Boca Grande UMC (9:30am-3:30pm) May 23 dcom. Location: First-Punta Gorda 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. THE CLERGY KIDS AND FAMILY RETREAT IS AROUND THE CORNER Attention all clergy with children from infancy to 12 th grade.don't forget to register your children or your whole family if you would like to attend this year's event. We have a great lineup of events planned for this year. Visit the website or visit our Clergy Kids Facebook group for more information, or to register for this event. BISHOP KEN CARTER TO HEADLINE 2013 STEWARDSHIP SUMMIT ON MARCH 9 Florida Conference Bishop Ken Carter will headline the list of speakers and presenters at the Florida United Methodist Foundation s annual Stewardship Summit, Saturday March 9, from approximately 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church of Orlando. According to Foundation President Wee-Li Tan, the Stewardship Summit open to all laity and clergy conference wide provides a unique opportunity for the Bishop to share his vision of stewardship and the role it plays in the life of the local church and Annual Conference.

11 According to Tan, Bishop Carter has demonstrated a passion for stewardship throughout his ministry. Bishop Carter has been a frequent speaker on the topic of stewardship at denominational meetings during his career. Now that he is the spiritual leader of the Florida Annual Conference, we have asked him to share his vision for how we should practice and promote stewardship in our local churches. This will be a wonderful opportunity for all of us to come together to learn and share with one another effective stewardship ideas and practices that can be incorporated into our ministry plans for the coming year, Tan said. Bishop Carter, who was elected to the episcopacy in July, is a native of Georgia and a member of the Western North Carolina Conference. He is a graduate of Columbus College (B.S.), Duke University Divinity School (M.Div.), the University of Virginia (M.A.) and Princeton Theological Seminary (D. Min.). He was awarded an honorary D.D. from the United Methodist University of Liberia. He has served small and large congregations throughout Western North Carolina, including Providence United Methodist Church in Charlotte, which was featured in historian Dianna Butler Bass book, Christianity for the Rest of Us. Immediately prior to his election as bishop, he was the superintendent of the Smoky Mountain District of the Western North Carolina Conference, which includes 69 churches in the seven westernmost counties of the state, all within the region of Appalachia. Bishop Carter is the author of eight books, most recently Pray for Me: The Power in Praying for Others (Upper Room 2012). His books reflect on topics related to practical ministry such as stewardship, spiritual gifts, baptism and the Wesleyan means of grace and intercession. The theme for the 2013 Stewardship Summit is Foundation of Discipleship: Responding to God s Grace. In addition to Bishop Carter s keynote address, attendees will have an opportunity to participate in morning and afternoon workshop sessions on such topics as: Integrating Spirituality and Stewardship Donor-Driven Stewardship in a Competitive Market: A Challenge for the Institutional Church Telling Your Stewardship Story Through Traditional and Emerging Media Capital Campaigns What, when, how and why? Microcredit: A Step Beyond Building Teams and Construction Conversation with Conference Leaders: How We Creatively Respond to Property Changes Over the Next Ten Years Information and online registration for the Stewardship Summit will be available on the Foundation website, or, you may contact the Foundation toll free at (866) or by at foundation@fumf.org.