The Good News Our Mission in making disciples for Jesus Christ to instruct Heads to know God s Word to nurture Hearts to grow in God s Love to offer Hands to show God s Grace in our community and church family. Lake Gibson United Methodist Church Steve Polk, Pastor 424 West Daughtery Road, Lakeland Florida 33809 Phone (863) 858-5431 From the Pastor s Desk December 2014 Christmas a time to spend with family and friends, a time to reflect on God and the things of His kingdom. At Christmas we often catch up with family and renew and deepen relationships. When long distance separates us we can use the computer and cell phones to reach out to one another but before we had those there were letters. What would a letter from God look like if it arrived in your mailbox this Christmas Season. Perhaps like this: Hello My Child, Oh how my heart aches for you. I long to hold you in my arms and wipe away all the tears, hurts and frustrations that you are experiencing. I long to have you accept my love. You know, that s the funny thing about love -- it must be accepted and returned to be of value. But then you know that, for you have experienced it in your life. You had that special love for the one that did not even acknowledge you as being alive. You also had a spouse spurn your love for someone else s and that one child that just refused to accept your efforts at showing them love. Then you ve also had the many friends and colleagues that have betrayed you during your life. Remember the hurt and anger, remember the nights of crying yourself to sleep and the despair you felt in the pit of your stomach each morning when you awoke and especially when you saw that person again. Well, I hurt even more than that for you -- for each one of you. My love, unlike human love, is unconditional. You don t have to nor can you earn it. It is given freely. I don t care what you ve done in the past I still love you. I don t hold my love back because of your actions or inaction. I love you now and have always loved you. You are the apple of my eye, your picture is on my refrigerator and in my wallet. You think you experience trials and tribulations because of my disfavor but I send those in order to make you grow. It is sort of like when a farmer disturbs the ground around a plant with a hoe to not only clean out the weeds but to drive the roots of that plant deeper so they can find more nutrients and moisture in the soil. I long to see you mature into firmly grounded saints. If you doubt my love for you look to the cross of Calvary. It was not cruel Roman spikes that held My Son, Jesus there -- it was love for you. The soldiers did not force his arms open in order to nail his hands -- NO, he threw his arms wide open so He could hold you in them -- so you could see His arms were wide open waiting for you to run into them. If you doubt my love, look to the Christmas story. Look as I step down from heaven and enter the world in a lowly stable. Look, as I the creator of the universe limit myself to the womb of a young virgin girl and why -- so I could be with you and so I could pay for your sins. Is that not love? If you know nothing else child -- know that I love you with everything I Am and I long to spend eternity with you -- if you will come to me. This letter is very emotional for me and yes those are tear drops staining the paper --- Continued on page 2 VOLUME 27 Number 12 December 2014 PAGE 1
Continued from page 1 tears for each and everyone of you -- especially those that reject my love. Tears of sorrow, not for me but for them, for they know not what they forfeit because of their choice nor the consequences of hell that they will experience for eternity, when all they had to do was accept my love. My child I AM LOVE. Come to me if you want to find true love. Come to me and let me fill you with my Love. All my Love, Dad Merry Christmas Pastor Steve and Mrs. Penny Don t miss another opportunity! If the below is not familiar, you must have missed the Polk State College Music Department s performance on November 23 rd. Don t miss another. Lake Gibson High School s Audio performs on December 7 th, 3 PM. They sing A Capella while in eighteenth century costumes. Not to be missed! Donation baskets will be at the rear of the sanctuary should you desire to support the high school s music endeavors. Refreshments will follow in the FLC. VOLUME 27 Number 12 December 2014 PAGE 2
It is located in Country Oaks off Old Polk City Road. It is by the Crestview Baptist Church. The Lights will be on from 6:00 pm 9:00 pm. The Lights begin on December 1st, 2014 and run through December 27 th, 2014. The figurines were made by Mr. Penn. Is our church in your will? Many adults have wills, but others never take the time. We don t want to think about our own mortality, but stuff happens. Without a will, state law takes over. The legislature s thoughts might not match your own. If you have not updated your will in years, your thoughts today might not mirror your original concerns. As members of Lake Gibson United Methodist Church, should we not provide at least 10% of our estate to further the work of the church? But, within a will, should we give a lump sum to the church, or do we start a perpetual endowment which only permits the expenditure of earned interest? The needs of the church change over time. Ministry programs may have a finite lifespan. A large, one-time gift given in a specific year might discourage members from tithing to support the continued work of the church. Therefore, an endowment with designated funds for either new program starts or church maintenance and repair (an area generally underfunded) would not take away from the normal operations of Lake Gibson UMC from week to week. It might be sufficient to help get a new program started until that mission can stand on its own merits. It might also insure that certain maintenance items, not in that year s budget, could be accomplished. In either case, it continues to support the Kingdom forever. As the year winds down, and we start to make resolutions for 2015, this might be a perfect time for all of us to update our wills. Please, find some way in which you can return to God many of the benefits he has permitted us to enjoy all these years. If you don t know where to start, consider a computer program as a departure point. Quicken Willmaker Plus might help organize your basic thoughts. Then, with a rough idea in hand, an attorney can help you finalize a will which would be legal in your state of residence. Dwight Kitchens VOLUME 27 Number 12 December 2014 PAGE 3
Church Communications: Got a new photo? We re updating our records and attaching revised photos of individuals/ families. If the photo found in the 2013 Church Directory is out of date, why not drop a new one by the office? Or, if you have a digital copy, send it along to Dwight@DwightKitchens.com. He ll insure that it is recorded. New Software in Church Office The church s old Membership Plus software is now outdated. It s neither sold nor supported. And, it no longer permits us to provide many services. Therefore, the church is changing over in 2015 to Servant Keeper s software to provide improved services. One nice feature is that we can quickly deliver information by e-mail. We can now self-publish a current Church Directory on demand. With e-mail addresses, we can easily send you such items as a new Church Directory and quarterly pledge updates in electronic format on a repetitive basis. If you have a new e-mail address, or haven t shared your current one, please send an e-mail to office@lakegibsonumc.com, subject: E-mail update. We ll be sure to update our records. c. Got a message to get out? Need to send a reminder from time-to-time? We often use Phone-tree to send out recorded messages. Delivery is often completed on either Friday or Saturday. If you have a message which you need to get to all worshipers or a group within the church, please contact the Church Secretary to insure that your information is put into that week s calls. VOLUME 27 Number 12 December 2014 PAGE 4
Changes in the Church Hopefully, you ve paid attention this year to a number of changes. First, our Summer 2014 Audio- Visual campaign resulted in a new sound booth, mixing board, and monitors. We re constantly attempting to upgrade our worship presentation. Here, our dynamic duo of Debbie Moore and Linda Hudson work to keep our new announcements and worship support slides working. Don Heishman helped them learn how to run the equipment. We re seeking additional stand-ins who might learn the trade. Talk to Don Heishman (858-9631) if you want to really contribute more to our worship services. Additionally, you ll notice that a coffee service has been reinstituted prior to, between and after services. Of course, all are welcome to partake, but a few are asked to serve as well. If you can help, consider talking with Debbie Moore (361-746-2021). And don t forget out Bread Ministry whereby each Wednesday and Saturday night Publix donates aging baked goods for distribution to those in need. We offer these items as supplements within our Food Pantry on Thursdays and for you to give to deserving neighbors on Sunday. If you would like to participate in picking these baked goods up and delivering them to the church, please contact Eric Hines (859-9893). VOLUME 27 Number 12 December 2014 PAGE 5
Donate to our church while making online purchases. Most of us like credit card rebate. Now, you can get even more from many online purchases. First, register with www.umcmarket.org. Second, login to the site before you shop online. Choose the firm you want to view, make your purchase, and a percentage is remitted to Lake Gibson United Methodist Church. Even easier, a new, quicker means of contributing to LGUMC is available. A browser add-in permits you to click one button (it remembers your login information), choose the store, and start shopping. The button links your purchases to your LGUMC account, insuring that a percentage of the purchase comes back as a donation. Download your browser add-in from: https://www.umcmarket.org/plugin/downloadegb. I ve even encouraged my neighbors to register so that their purchases return a rebate to our church s general account. Every little bit helps, so Thank You in advance. Online Donations LGUMC now has the capability to accept online donations through our web-site. This service is offered as a convenience. Look for the Online Donation image in the masthead. You may make donations by direct withdrawal from either a checking or savings account. You may also make donations through the use of a credit card or debit card. You have the option of specifying where the funds are directed. In no circumstances do we encourage you to make donations which would require you to overextend your finances and incur interest payments. 1. Electronic transactions involving checking and savings accounts cost LGUMC $0.25 per transaction. 2. Those involving credit and debit cards cost LGUMC $0.45 per transaction plus 2.75%. 3. Your donations go further when you donate with deductions from your checking / savings account as the fees are less than on credit/debit cards. 4. Upon payment, you will be given an option to absorb the transaction fees, if you so desire. 5. Please note that your personal paper checks made out to "Lake Gibson UMC" incur no fees whatsoever. Just insure that you annotate the Memo Line with where you want your funds distributed (General, Any Apportionment, Love In Action, Children's Home, etc.) VOLUME 27 Number 12 December 2014 PAGE 6
MISSION MOMENTS You have heard about Black Friday and Cyber Monday; there are ads urging you to shop locally owned businesses. December 2 nd is National Day of Giving. Our church is calling it Giving Tuesday. Lake Gibson United Methodist Church is tying this day in with our commitment to Outreach/Missions. We ask you to prayerfully consider your support of our Mission Programs, for they are the foundation for spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. There are many ways you can participate in Giving Tuesday: pray, give of your time and service, inspire others and educate them about mission outreach. Through our church you can give to help pay our apportionments, give to UMVIM, VISTE, LVIM, Parker Street Ministries, Hope House, etc. You may have another favorite. Please tell us about your passion so we can better identify needs in our community, country and the world. December 2 nd Giving Tuesday. Prayerfully consider how you can participate in God s Mission through LGUMC. Linda Alvarez, LGUMC Mission Coordinator THE NEW INTERNATIONAL LESSON ANNUAL SECOND QUARTER DECEMBER 7, 2014 TO FEBRUARY 22, 2015 ACTS OF WORSHIP UNIT 1 DECEMBER 7, 2014 TO DECEMBER 28, 2014 IN AWE OF GOD 1. December 7, 2014 Worship Christ s Majesty A. Hebrews 1:1-2. December 14, 2014 Make a Joyful Noise A. Psalm 95:1-7a 3. December 21, 2014 Glory to God in the Highest A. Luke 2:8-20 4. December 28, 2014 In Awe of Christ s Power A. Matthew 14:22-36 SEEKERS SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS FLC ROOM 1 & 2 9:00AM TO 9:45AM ADULTS COME AND JOIN US VOLUME 27 Number 12 December 2014 PAGE 7
Our Apportionments Are Coming Due: Thanks be to God that we are able to worship in comfort in our church home. We don t have financial obligations of either renting space or paying a mortgage. We ve been able to raise funds to enhance our audio and video equipment within the sanctuary. We have many things for which we can be thankful. As United Methodists, we also have obligations as part of our connectional church. One of these obligations is that we have apportionments which are due at the end of each calendar year. As of the 23 November, we have been able to pay only $19,021 of our $25,098 due, leaving a balance of $6,077 remaining. As we each look at our personal end-of-year finances, let us consider how we might pay the outstanding amount and clean our slate for the New Year. Lake Gibson UMC Cookbook You ve asked for it, and it s finally ready. A collection of some favorite recipes served at pot lucks and treasured secrets being revealed for your use. While a paper copy is offered, you might want to consider the digital version. Why? Well, Rhodes Bread is offering an additional 500+ recipes within a free version of Cook n Recipe Management Software. This $80 program (which you get for free) permits you to read and print all our recipes, plus those from Rhodes Bread. But more importantly, it permits you to add new ones: scan in recipes, grab them from the Internet, or copy ones from your computer s clipboard. These make inexpensive Christmas gifts and are a great way to share your love of cooking. If desired, we ll even hold a training session on how to use everything. If once you try it out you want some assistance, contact Dwight Kitchens (863-984-4564) and we ll get something scheduled around using the program. Get your CD/DVD copy now from Ann Fox ($15 each with profits going to the LGUMC Food Pantry). If you want a paper copy, call Ann to place an order. Just remember that it is much easier to add items to your personalize cookbook when you use the CD/DVD copy. VOLUME 27 Number 12 December 2014 PAGE 8
Quote: Notes From Marina Be the change that you wish to see in the world. Mahatma Gandhi FOOD PANTRY A Great big THANK YOU to all of you for supporting our Food Pantry. As of 11/20/14 we have helped/assisted 40 Families. This means we have given out 40 bags of food. A Great big THANK YOU to Publix for continuing to assist with the baked goods. This additional support has help to assist not only the 40 families that we have helped but also it has helped an additional 4 families & additional families outside our area. A Great big THANK YOU to all the volunteers for their time and dedication to helping us with this great cause. Calendar of Events 12/1 Heart to Heart @ 11:00 am Lunch at Mary Beth Kuhlman s 12/1 Trustees Meeting @ 7:00 pm 12/2 UMW Board Meeting @ 9:00 am FLC 12/7 Blood Mobile 12/7 Lake Gibson High School Audio @ 3:00 pm 12/8 Staff Parish Meeting @ 7:00 pm 12/10 Ruth Circle of Love @ 10:30 am FLC 12/13 Cantata Practice @ 10:00 am 12/14 Sound of Christmas @ 4:00 pm 12/15 Finance Meeting @ 7:00 pm 12/20 Cantata Practice @ 10:00 am 12/21 One Service Christmas Cantata @ 10:00 am 12/21 Spud Lunch after Church Service 12/22 Worship Committee Meeting @ 7:00 pm 12/24 Office Closed 12/24 Candle Light Service Christmas Cantata @ 6:00 pm 12/25 Merry Christmas Office Closed 12/28 One Service @ 10:00 am 12/31 New Year s Eve Happy New Year 01/01/2015 Office Will Be Closed VOLUME 27 Number 12 December 2014 PAGE 9
12/4 John & Gail Travis 12/10 Dwight & Phyllis Kitchens 12/19 Ray & Jean Welch 12/22 Steve & Tammie Schertzer 12/15 Wayne & Jean Wesley Birthdays 12/2 Wayne Davis 12/2 Angela Fields 12/3 Sue Shelton 12/5 Kristopher Welch 12/9 Janice Booker 12/11 Henry Zona 12/13 Bob Gilmore 12/14 Robert Baily 12/14 Linda Smucker 12/15 Marian Schroeder 12/17 Beverly Hines 12/19 Don Heishman 12/20 William McKinney 12/22 Ginger Fredrickson 12/23 Betty Tomlinson 12/26 Margaret Kneeland 12/26 Rick Mueller 12/27 Kevin Patterson 12/28 Glenda Hess 12/29 Phyllis Kitchens 12/29 Roy Bodemer 12/29 Bob Gunter 12/29 Judy VanZile 12/30 Dorothy Gabor 12/30 Justin Oliva 12/30 Matthew Rogers 12/31 Marion Cope The Good News The Good News is a monthly church newsletter bringing the Good News to members and friends of Lake Gibson United Methodist Church. We welcome your suggestions and comments. Please send to: Lake Gibson United Methodist Church 424 West Daughtery Road Lakeland, FL 33809 Lake Gibson United Methodist Church shares and supports the love of Jesus Christ. Steve Polk, Pastor Phone: 863-858-5431 FAX: 863-853-1625 Email: office@lakegibsonumc.com Web Page: www.lakegibsonumc.com Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (Monday thru Friday) Marina Garcia Administrative Secretary Lee Mueller Youth Director Sue Heishman Bookkeeper Glenda Grant Director of Music/Organist Custodian Jose Cardona A Little Bit of Heaven Child Enrichment Center Mrs. Lisa Bacon--Director 863-858-8400 Cell: 863-255-8619 E-mail: alboh@lakegibsonumc.com VOLUME 27 Number 12 December 2014 PAGE 10