HIGHLANDS UNITED FEBRUARY Pastor Katie METHODIST CHURCH

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1 HIGHLANDS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH FEBRUARY 2017 SUNDAY SCHEDULE Communion & Devotion 8:30am Sunday School 8:45am Coffee Fellowship 9:30am Worship Service 10:00am Choir Rehearsal 11:30am Iglesia Senda de Libertad 2:00pm Youth Group 4:00pm Young Adults 6:30pm From The Pastor s Desk Lessons In Love Dear Highlands, In honor of Valentine s Day we re going to be talking about love this month, but not the kind of love you might be thinking. While Valentine s Day is all about romantic love, couples getting flowers, chocolates, and cards we ll be talking about a different kind of love, the love of God. The Greeks had different words for different kinds of love, but the love that they used when talking about Christ s love for us is Agape. Agape is unconditional love. This kind of love is not based on circumstances. There s nothing we can do to deserve this kind of love. This kind of love is based on who God is. Agape is what we re talking about when we say the word grace. Grace is the undeserved love of God. In a way we could say grace is agape. I hope that this month instead of getting caught up in the Hallmark Holiday of Valentine s Day you find yourself getting caught up in the love of God. I hope that you would know how much you are loved by God not based on anything you have done to deserve his love, but simply based on who He is. So first we must recognize that God loves us unconditionally, but then we are called to love him unconditionally in return. Do we find ourselves loving God only for the things he can do for us? Do we love him even when conditions aren t good? Do we love God even when he hasn t given us the things we ve asked for? Or do we simply love him for who he is -The God of the universe, the creator, redeemer, and sustainer of our faith all wrapped up in one? And then once we find ourselves loving God unconditionally, we must love others unconditionally as well. We must show others the same type of love that has been shown by God to us. How are you loving others this February? How are you loving people not based on things they can do for you but simply because they are a person made in the image of God? How are you loving even your enemy? I encourage you to love like God, to love unconditionally, without expecting something in return. I encourage you to love a different kind of love this February. I encourage you to experience Agape love. Let us rejoice in the unconditional love that God has for us. Let us love him unconditionally in return. And let us love others, even our enemies with the same unconditional love that God has shown us. Let us experience Agape this February and show Agape, or unconditional love to all we may encounter. With much Agape, Pastor Katie 1 FEBRUARY EVENTS 2/1 Community 7pm 2/4 IJER Prayer 6:00am 2/5 First Sunday, First Fruits 2/6 Friendship 6:00pm 2/7 2:00pm 2/7 Finance 5:30pm 2/8 Community 7pm 2/11 Youth Bible 5pm 2/12 Men s 7:30am 2/12 Leadership Team Retreat Follow-Up Meeting after Worship 2/13 Mission 10am 2/14 Leadership 5:30pm 2/15 WCDC Advisory 6pm 2/15 Community 7pm 2/22 Feed My Sheep Community Meal 5 7pm 2/25 Spanish Church Anniversary 6:30pm 2/27 Mission 10am 2/28 Prime 10am 1

2 Save the Date Creating a VIBRANT Connection All 74 North East District faith communities will gather for this super charges event. We will have several inspirational speakers as well as worship, celebration connection and the business of the charge conference. Saturday November 11, 2017 Our new District Superintendent, Jay Therrell, would like to meet you and have an opportunity to answer your questions. Join him and our district lay leaders for two Town Hall Meetings. They will also share briefly about our district s vision, mission and values. Tuesday, March 7 th from 7-9pm at New Life Community UMC or Thursday, March 9 th from 7 9pm at Keystone UMC, Keystone Heights 9:00a.m. 12:00p.m. Crossroad Church United Methodist Church Holy Conferencing in a Brand new way! Join us as we Create a VIBRANT Connection 2 All weekly Wesley Fellowship Groups will be studying John: The Gospel of Light and Life by Adam Hamilton during Lent. Classes will begin the week after Ash Wednesday and run through Holy Week. Pastor Katie Harrington will be leading the Bible Study. Everyone is invited to join a group during the six-weeks of Lent. Wesley Fellowship Groups meet on Wednesday at 10 AM, Wednesday at 2 PM, and Thursday at 6 PM. In addition, Young Adults meet on Sunday evenings at 6 PM. If you would like to attend a study, please let Kathy Walther know to assure that books are available. If none of these days/times fit your schedule and you are interested in this study, please speak with Kathy. I hope many of you will join this short term Bible study during Lent. 2

3 2016 APPORTIONMENTS Happy Anniversary Doug & Gloria Sell February 12 th Happy Birthday 2/1 Rachel Powell 2/8 Luke Lambert 2/15 Gloria Sell 2/16 Billy Drew 2/26 John Foster Food Pantry Update January Referrals from Highlands Adults 271 Children 278 Disabled 32 Total Individuals 581 Total Referrals 230 Remember that the first Sunday of every month we collect a love offering and non-perishable food items for the food pantry. 3 3

4 PLWM PRISON LETTER WRITING MINISTRY During February, our partners in the Prison Letter Writing Ministries (PLWM) will be receiving a Valentines card with individual messages hand written from the Mission Monday Ministry members and Pastor Katie. (Each card had seven or eight individual messages.) It was our way of sharing what could be a very lonely day in prison, letting them know that someone cares and God loves them!! The responses have continued to come back from the Christmas project and ministries and one particular prisoner asked us to share this message with the church: Dear Highlands United Methodist Church, I would like to thank all of those who participated in sponsoring the Prison Letter Writing Ministry. We loved the cards and want to thank those who are taking the time to write individually to us. Thanks for having an altruistic and philanthropic heart and mind set. Thanks for not viewing us incarcerated people as animals as many in society have. For we are humans. American Citizens. Parents. Grandparents. Sons and daughters. Brothers and Sisters. Nephews and Nieces. Sometimes I ask myself, Does the American Government believe in God? So I want to thank you all, greatly, for not only showing us Human Love, but also God s Love. Thanks. You all are the best. Sweet Blessings. Another prisoner wrote: I truly value your ministry. You are too kind and really Living the Word. I appreciate all of you and your time. God, bless you all!! NEEDED: We need one more correspondent for the PLWM at this time. If you d like to volunteer please contact Kathy Walther or Lori Ann Prange. Finally, for those who agreed to write to a prisoner recently, if you have not written that introductory letter, please do so. Someone asked Kathy Walther what to say when you first write to a prisoner and she outlined it beautifully: - Say hello and let the inmate know you want to write to them. - Tell them your favorite verse or Bible Story - Let them know that God Loves Them and that they are not alone. - Ask them to write back. It is a simple and yet, elegant way to set the stage for a good Christian friendship. Focus on the Lord and He will help you write to your PLWM partner. God bless all of you who are writing and bringing light to these unfortunate souls in prison. Thank you!! MISSION MONDAY Bag leaves for El Guatao, Cuba We wanted to let everyone know that our second bag of clothing and other goodies will be packed to head to Cuba on February 6 th at a special Mission Monday Meeting at 10am in the Fellowship Hall. If you d like to help or have something special for that bag, please come or contact Lori Ann Prange. This bag will be delivered to our District Contact and will be headed to Cuba in late February or early March, depending on which team has capacity to carry our bag!! Our last bag was so well received at our Sister Church, El Guatao!! Attached is a picture we received of the people who received our clothes and the medical supplies.. You can support our ministry by sewing clothes, donating cotton children s fabrics, buying children s underwear or financially supporting the cause by designating a monetary gift to Mission Monday. We appreciate everyone s work and assistance as we attempt to serve God by serving others!! 4 4

5 Campfire LOVEFEAST Join us on Wednesday th 2017 February 15 for a special Campfire Love Feast. We will begin at 6:30p.m. with a meal and then a time for music, fellowship, sharing testimony and communion around the fire. Feed My Sheep We invite everyone to join us for this month s Community Meal Wednesday February 22 nd, :00-6:30p.m. Contemporary Worship Service begins a 6:00p.m. Menu: Lasagna with meat sauce, peas, tossed salad, dinner rolls and assorted desserts. Thank You Thank you for the Teacher and Classroom school supplies you brought during January. The items were taken to Highlands Elementary School on Tuesday, January 31. They were grateful for the supplies. I am grateful for you. Kathy Walther Thank You Mary Ann Gay would like to thank everyone for your prayers, calls, cards and thoughts from her Highlands church family. If you wish to write to her or send a note of encouragement her address is: Mary Ann Gay Lakeside Nursing & Rehab Center Armsdale Rd. #610-B Jacksonville, Florida Ann Hoffman An update on Ann. She is home for the time being and appreciates all of the cards, calls, prayers, visits and food. The Friendship Sisters are coordinating meals. If anyone is interested in sending her something yummy.. reach out to Nancy Foster. 5 5

6 Around Around Highlands Highlands Highlands United Methodist Church 1955 Broward Rd. Jacksonville, Florida (904) Making Disciples through the Transforming Love of Jesus Christ 6 6