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GRACE NOTES AUGUST, 2015

FORGIVENESS

The following quotes are taken from the

book, 'The Art of Forgiveness,

Lovingkindness, and Peace' by Jack

Kornfield, except, of course, the one you

will know came from our own Jesus.

'Forgive us our trespasses as we ( in the

same way) forgive those who trespass

against us.' We say this every Sunday

and, yet, what is TRUE forgiveness? Is it

'Well, I can forgive but I will NEVER

forget!'? Is that how we want our Father

to forgive us? 'Well, I'll forgive you but

I'll NEVER forget!' I sure don't want

God saying that to me and I don't think

you do either. There are some things,

STEPHEN MINISTRY

There are two freedoms...the false, where a man is

free to do what he likes;and the true, where a man

is free to do what he ought.

-Kingsley

Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your

paths; guide me in your truth...my hope is in you

all day long.

Psalms 25: 4&5 NIV

MINISTRY OF CARING

St. Matthew said that at the last judgment, Jesus

will say these words: For, I was hungry and you

gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you

gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and

you invited me in, I needed clothes and you

clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I

was in prison and you came to visit me (Matthew

25:35-36). One of the ways our congregation

cares for others is through our trained Stephen

Ministers, who go to those in need and care for

them. Continue sharing in this ministry by

praying for our Stephen Ministers and for

their care receivers.

To find out more about Stephen Ministry or

to receive a Stephen Minister's care, fill out

the pew card and place it in the offering

plate (remember to ask for permission

before reporting someone else's need).

Please remember to notify the church

whenever you or a loved one is hospitalized

locally so visitation can be made by Pastor

Jerry or a Stephen Minister.

Also this upcoming fall of 2015, the

Stephen Minister Leaders are considering

having another training class for anyone

interested in becoming involved in this

worthwhile ministry.

1ST PETER 4:10 “EACH ONE SHOULD

USE WHATEVER GIFT HE HAS

RECEIVED TO SERVE OTHERS,

FAITHFULLY ADMINISTERING GOD’S

GRACE IN ITS VARIOUS FORMS.”

Tom Meier & Dave Viall, Stephen Leaders

however, that are extremely difficult

to forgive. So what do we do?

Here is a Tibetan story. “Imagine

walking along a sidewalk with your

arms full of groceries, and someone

roughly bumps into you so that you

fall and your groceries are strewn

over the ground. As you rise up from

the puddle of broken eggs and

tomato juice, you are ready to shout

out, "You idiot! What's wrong with

you? Are you blind?" But just before

you can catch your breath to speak,

you see that the person who bumped

into you actually is blind. He, too, is

sprawled in the spilled groceries, and

your anger vanishes in an

instant, to be replaced by

sympathetic concern: "Are you hurt?

Can I help you up?" Our situation is

like that. When we clearly realize

that the source of disharmony and

misery in the world is ignorance, we

can open the door of wisdom and

compassion." I think this translates

to seeing things differently once we

know someone's circumstances.

But those extreme trespasses? "For

great injustice, coming to

forgiveness may include a long

process of grief, outrage, sadness,

loss and pain. True forgiveness does

not paper over what has happened

in a superficial way. It is not a

misguided effort to suppress or

ignore our pain. It cannot be

hurried. It is a deep process

repeated over and over in our heart

which honors the grief and betrayal,

and in its own time ripens into the

freedom to truly forgive."

May the Peace of Christ be with

you all.

Grace Chalela

First United Methodist of Hudson

13123 US Hwy 19

Hudson, Fl. 34667

727-868-6178

Office@fumchudson.com

www.hudsonfirstumc.com

August 2015/ First United Methodist Church/mlm@fumchudson.com/Mel Mouzon, Editor

Hope Link by Pastor Jerry

Acts 28:20

Come to the Summit…

"You see that mountain over there? Yeah, one of these days I'm gonna climb that mountain" – Alabama’s hit song “Mountain Music” captures a longing to look and learn from a vantage point with a view. That’s where Moses met God: “One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he went deep into

the wilderness near Sinai, the mountain of God. Suddenly, the angel of the LORD appeared to him as a blazing fire in a bush. Moses was amazed because the bush was engulfed in flames, but it didn't burn up” (Exodus 3:1-2, NLT).

You are invited and I hope you’ll come to the Summit here at Hudson FUMC. Saturday, August 29th from 9am to 3pm we will gather together to have a “burning bush” experience. A continental breakfast and a pizza lunch will be provided. We will ask God to reveal in and through our hearts who God is calling us to be in the next few years. Out of this summit I hope the leadership will step forward to follow God’s call to reach our community for Christ.

Christianity is alive and well – that’s an intriguing truth. Across America churches that are thriving focus on God. They gather together to see and hear God during special times apart. Often a new understanding emerges. For Moses that meant two tablets with Ten Commandments that help human hearts honor the Heart Maker. What will it mean for us to gather together as a church and ask God to lead us?

The pastor is the spiritual leader, a coach if you will, of a faith community. He or she listens for God’s voice and seeks those “burning bush” moments. But, a smart leader knows that God speaks to all of us; that the prayers of “righteous ones availeth much.” That’s why God asks his leaders to bring together all the leaders of the church – including you.

“Now go and call together all the leaders of Israel. Tell them, The LORD, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—appeared to me in a burning bush. He said, ‘You can be sure that I am watching over you and have seen what is happening to you in Egypt” (Exodus 3:16).

Christ is alive! Christ is alive here at Hudson FUMC. "You see that mountain over there? Yeah, one of these days I'm gonna climb that mountain" – today is the day – let’s play some mountain music… and dance with God.

Come to the summit Saturday, August 29th from 9am to 3pm. Sign-up in the church lobby or call the church office – 868-6178 – and register so we will know how much food and materials to have on hand. Your presence will make God’s Presence more powerful.

Dear VBS Volunteers,

Such wonderful participation came

from all of our VBS volunteers. VBS

was a great and wonderful success

because of all of you. A lot of energy

was put into making sure that the

children learned how to overcome

obstacle with Gods awesome power.

We cannot thank you enough for all

of your help and we hope that you are

with us again next year.

VBS Coordinator

Tammy Cooper

Heart 2 Heart Women’s Ministry

will be meeting on Saturday, August

15th

at 9am.

Come join us for a morning of

fellowship, prayer and event

planning for 2016. Our surprise

guest speaker is sure to enlighten us

all. Hope to see you there!!!!

We are still looking for someone

to manage our great kitchen at 1st

Church. When I took over the

kitchen 15 years ago (planning to

stay 2 and getting out of financial

difficulty) I found a fabulously

equipped kitchen with many other

volunteers. Over the years I have

had the greatest volunteer cooks,

servers, cleaners. A fun group!

Now it’s time for me to turn over

the reins to someone new.

If you are interested in being food

service Director please contact

me The Staff-Parish Relations

Committee through the church

office. I will be available to help

someone if necessary with menu

planning or ordering the food.

Also if you just want to help, we

need many new volunteers to

serve, clean up, shop, setup

tables, cook and bake. We need

you, please consider a fun

rewarding volunteer experience!

"America's Got Talent" Stars Coming to FUMC!

How many of you have ever seen the TV show "America's Got Talent"?! A few years ago, a band

called "Denver and the Mile High Orchestra", a modern Big Band sort of group, were Runners-Up

on the show. Denver has become a good friend of mine and has agreed to stop here on Saturday,

August 22nd, as part of their Florida tour. The concert will begin sharply at 7PM and end around

8:15 or so. They will be doing a wide variety of music for audiences of all ages! Their album from

last year (from which part of their concert will come) features many of our favorite hymns in a Big

Band style! This is a marvelous opportunity for us to invite our entire community for a "pre-Fall"

event and we are hoping you will want to bring several of your friends!

We will need some help with parking, hospitality, etc. and signups for those areas will happen soon.

In addition, we plan to do an "Indoor Picnic" that evening beginning at 5:30 - to help us get ready

for this special night of fun! Please visit their website at www.denvermho.com or visit their

YouTube channel to get a sense of the band and the fun and music you can expect. Most

importantly, please pray for this event that it is well attended and received AND that the Gospel can

be shared in a fun and musical way with our church family and those in our community. This is a

free concert where we'll have a love offering near the end of the evening. Finally, you will receive

tickets to give to your friends in the community - a way to invite others! You may call me at the

church office with any questions.

Have a great week!

Darrell Day

Director of Worship Arts

Here are some examples…

Any fund you would

like or…

Music Memorial

Fund

Food Scholarship Pantry Fund

FOOD PANTRY Jan Daley in honor of Nancy Hoger

Do you like to welcome folks to our church? Do you have a contagious smile,

a listening ear, a desire to reach out to the community in creative and non-

threatening ways? Would you like to volunteer your talents through a small

group to promote Hudson First to the community where you live, work, shop,

dine? Please join us at our next meeting which will be October 11th

following

the service in the lobby – Family Comfort Room. Also, we will have a

community event with games, cards, farkle and more!!! It’s going to be so

much fun. Please mark your calendars for this outreach to our community

event, on August 8th, from 3pm-6pm, in our Fellowship Center.

AUGUST 2015

THURSDAY, November 19th

from 9a.m. to l p.m. plan to come to our 6th

annual CARES HEALTH &

WELLNESS EXPO. Once again we will have many vendors from our community offering health

screenings, resource information, free drawings and much more. MARK YOUR CALENDAR and don’t

miss the fun.

Also……..

WEDNESDAY, October 14th

from 9am to 11am Walgreens Pharmacy will be at First UMC Hudson to

provide annual FLU SHOTS. Be sure to bring your insurance card and support this ministry.

They will provide free shots for those without insurance at our food pantry.

CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUP: We meet on

the 3rd

Tuesday monthly at 10:30 AM so mark your

calendar and join us in Room 10 for some fun and

sharing with others who are dealing with many of

the challenges you do. Call Pam Healey 727-845-

0392 or Laura Arnold at 727-863-0176 about

joining the group.

EXERCISE WITH FRAN

CERTIFIED FITNESS TRAINER

Join one of the following opportunities & make a

difference in your life.

WARM UP, FLEXIBILITY & BALANCE CLASS

9:30 AM Monday

COST OF CLASS……

Make a donation to our Food Pantry

"BACK TO SCHOOL" days are here already. The stores are beginning to offer sales on school supplies

and clothes. Keep your eyes open and pick up some of those bargains. The mission project designated for

August is collecting school supplies and money for our closest elementary school, Hudson Elementary.

This school has received support from our church for many years, and the staff and students there are

always very appreciative of anything we do. Pencils, paper, 3 - pronged folders, journals, crayons, markers,

glue, scissors, etc. The list is long and very discouraging for stressed parents whose resources are already

stretched. Let's put a few extra items in our shopping cart and help out! Please bring supplies to the collection

table in the main lobby.

GOOD NEWS! Our "Imagine No More Malaria" campaign is making sure and steady progress. Only $700 more to go to reach the $2500 goal for this year. This fundraising effort was undertaken at the request of

the larger governing body of the Methodist church nationally, and we're proud to see First Church pressing

toward our goal and doing our share. Our contributions purchase nets, education, and clinics. We can finish

well!

Over the summer, mission giving supported Good Samaritan Mission in Wimauma and Holy Ground

Mission right here in Hudson. Holy Ground, located north on the east side of Hwy. 19, provides shelter and

food for homeless adults, families, and children. They have a chapel right there on the grounds where services

and Bible studies are held. Lisa Henry, the director, seeks to introduce all her residents to Jesus, on whom her

ministry depends. First Church supports Holy Ground monthly.

To give money to missions...

Please include your monetary mission giving with your regular church giving by writing only one check. Just

write "Missions" on the line marked "Other" followed by the amount on the giving envelope or memo line on

the check. Money intended for a certain mission project should be so labeled. Mission money not designated

for a specific project will be assigned by the committee to the approved projects according to need. Thank you

for keeping Missions close to your heart!

Thursday Morning Fall Women's Bible Study

Hebrews: The Nearness of Jesus

Join Lisa Harper as she journeys through this bridge between the Old and New Testaments to get to the heart

of the matter: Jesus is our accessible King. He is not a faraway God, but an up-close Redeemer who draws

near to us. Hebrews helps women make the connection between God the Father and God the Son and

reminds us that Jesus is supreme, but He is also compassionate, empathetic, and loving to no end. Lisa

Harper makes digging into Hebrews fun and doable, as only she can, without losing an ounce of depth.

Sign up and dates will be available in September.

252 Children's ministry for August is:

Dig Deep - Wisdom The principle is simply this, when a child realizes how

much Jesus really loves them, what He did so they

could have a relationship with God—and when that

child makes a relationship with God and His words a

priority in his or her life— then they will have the

power and wisdom they need to live out a bigger and

better story.

As kids search for wisdom throughout August, we’ll

encourage them to memorize Proverbs 8:10-11,

“Choose my teaching instead of silver. Choose

knowledge rather than fine gold. Wisdom is worth more

than rubies. Nothing you want can compare with her.”

Wisdom is valuable. We’re hoping to help kids dig deep

into the Bible and discover some of God’s wisdom

along the way that will help them in the years to come.

After all, finding wisdom isn’t that difficult—all you

have to do is look.

Cheryle Yates, Children’s Ministry Leader

The Scholarship Committee will be hosting its

annual Arts, Craft and Gift Fair on Saturday,

November 14, 2015, from 9 am to 3 pm. We

feature only handmade articles.

If you desire information or are interested in

having a table to sell your items, please contact

Shirley Schafer @ (727)809-0454 or Jean

Alderman @ (727)233-2475.

Inside tables are $40 and outside tables are $30.

Please feel free to contact your family and friends

who may be interested in participating and having

a table.

A NEW GENERATION

Our mission is to encourage and

enrich the lives of young adults

between the ages of 18 & 27 years old.

Hello all,

So far we have met twice and it is going

well. If you or someone you know is

interested in joining us please join us Aug.

1st

at the Oasis Coffee Spot, 9215 Little Rd,

Port Richey, FL 34668, at 7:30. Hope to see

you guys there!!!

Thank you,

Lexy Vicari

JOIN THIS EXCITING

OUTREACH TODAY!

Email: office@fumchudson.com

First United Methodist Church of Hudson

Call Fran Scerbo for more info: 727-597-3727