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July 1, 2024 - July 7 ,2024

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Dear Congregation,

I am honored to introduce myself as your new senior pastor.

My first few days in the office have been eventful as I acquainted myself with the church's schedule, staff, and surroundings. I've already experienced a few humorous moments; one in particular was getting rid of my first greeter, a lizard crawling around on the floor in my office. As big and tall as I am—and you’ll see me in person soon—I am terrified of lizards. My wife, Kadine, was with me, so of course, I had to put on a brave face and take the guest out.

I am delighted to be here. My heart is full of joy and anticipation for the journey ahead. I am looking forward to seeing each and every one of you in worship on Sunday. I’ll be preaching from the Gospel of Mark. In this passage, Jesus returns to His hometown, where He is met not with the welcome and honor due to Him, but with skepticism and rejection. The townspeople, familiar with His humble origins as a carpenter, question His authority and divine wisdom. Despite their lack of faith, Jesus continues His ministry, teaching and performing miracles.

What stands out in this narrative is Jesus' response to rejection. Rather than allowing it to deter Him, He acknowledges it as a reality but remains steadfast in His mission. He even empowers His disciples, sending them out two by two, instructing them to preach, heal, and cast out demons, despite the possibility of facing similar rejection.

There may be moments when we feel unappreciated or misunderstood. There may even be moments when we face personal struggles that cripple us and leave us questioning our faith and our calling. This passage reminds us that our struggles or the rejections we face are not a reflection of our worth or the validity of our mission. Instead, it is an opportunity to deepen our reliance on God and reaffirm our commitment to His calling.

I look forward to growing with you in faith and witnessing the incredible things God will do through us here at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church.
As we approach the 4th of July, I wish you all a very happy and safe holiday. Let's celebrate our freedom and the blessings we have as a community.

In Christ's love,
Rev. Ontonio Christie
Please join us for Friday NIght & Prayer this Friday, July from 7-8pm. We will be praying for our new pastor, Rev. Ontonio, and a new chapter in the life of Wesley as well as our community and our nation. Personal prayers for the congregation are offered towards the end of the meeting. All are welcome! Let's be a church that prays together!
The office is closed today. Have a fun and save July 4th weekend!
Please join us after the Sunday service this week in the sanctuary overflow to give Rev. Ontonio and his family a big Wesley Welcome! Cake and punch will be served.

(Picture above, left to right, Kadine (wife), Markolee, Zahara, Zuri, Rev. Ontonio)

Friday, August 16, 2024
Wesley FLC

For more info and to schedule your appointment, click button below.
Ministry Highlights

TESTIMONIAL SUNDAY

What a great Testimonial Sunday we had! Last Sunday, Christine Johnson, our SPR chair, monitored a interview style testimony with some of our members. Thank You to Arnel Sensen, Charles Idahosa, Jaheim Nibbs, Christian Rivera, and Courtney Rivera for sharing a snippet of their faith journey. As a Christian, it is always important to stand ready to share your faith with others!
Left to right: Arnel Sensen, Charles Idahosa, Jaheim Nibbs, Christian Rivera, Kristine Johnson. Front: Courtney Rivera

PLEASE NOTE SUMMER SCHEDULES BELOW!

Ruth Circle will not meet in July and will resume August 1.
Naomi- Rebecca Circle will not meet in July and will resume Aug. 6.
Needle Crafters are off July 4 and will resume July 11.
Hand Bells are off through the summer and will resume Sept. 30.
Daily Christian Living Bible Study is off for the summer and will resume Aug. 21
Wednesday NIght Live is off for the summer and will resume Aug. 21.
You can see special children events for the summer Here!
The Ruth Circle is collecting diapers, wipes, toiletries and educational supplies for their ministry to Children's Home Network. If you are able to help, please leave your donation in a marked container in the copy room. The Ruth Circle belongs to the United Women of Faith and meets the first Thursday of each month at 10am in the Sewing Room.

Click here to learn more about the Children's Home Network.
Wesley, you are such a faithful church! We thank you for your generous and giving hearts! You can Text To Tithe your offerings for Wesley Memorial UMC at this contact number - 813-699-4304. Within a few minutes, you’ll be sent a text with a link to register. Click on the link and enter your cardholder name and credit or debit information. Once your registration is complete, you will receive a text verification and a receipt of your donation via email. You can even text “repeat” to make it a recurring donation. Give + Text is one of the fastest and easiest ways to give.

You can also electronically give by visiting our website at: https://wesleymemorial.net/give/

Or by standard mail by sending cash or check to
6100 Memorial Hwy, Tampa FL 33615
Office hours are Monday - Thursday 9am-3pm.
We are here to help you with any of your needs.
Church Contact Information:
email: [email protected]
phone: 813-769-9157
prayer-wall
Post your prayers and praise requests here and pray and comment for others!

Please make visiting the prayer wall a daily practice!

A Prayer for Patience

Faithful Father, who offers stable love and a grounding presence, help us navigate change. In the midst of uncertainty, we ask for Your Grace and help as we pursue these endings and these beginnings together with patience, perseverance and trust in what you have planned for us. May we be ever aware of abiding in Your Presence. In the midst of uncertainty, keep us from making drastic decisions that may derail what you have planned for us. And, help me trust You no matter what. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.


Watch Recent Sermon Here
Please note: The Wesley livestream will be temporarily paused while we work on improving the quality of the recording. This Sunday, we do plan to do a video only of the sermon that will be available later in the week for viewing. Please allow us grace and patience as we resolve the ongoing issue of the quality of the livestream. Please pray for God's blessing and provision to have it up and running soon! We hope those that have been watching online, who are able, will make every effort to be at Wesley for Rev. Ontonio's first Sunday.

Sunday, July 7, 2024
"Overcoming"

Old Testament Lesson Ezekiel 2:1-5
New Testament Lesson Mark 6:1-13

10:00 AM Sunday Worship Service

Please note: There have been significant changes to the order of worship and bulletin. You can preview the Order of Worship for this Sunday here. The Order of Worship will continue to be available online by the end of Thursday for the following Sunday if anyone wishes to preview the service. We have a newly designed bulletin we hope you will take home and refer to during the week.

Moving forward we will be encouraging attenders to check in via the QR code instead of the standard Connect Card we have been using. Please note that you are only required to input your cell phone and/or email to register. If you are a regular attender that we already have address information on, you do not need to enter address in order to submit. Physical connect cards will still be available on the back of the pews for those unable or uncomfortable signing in online.

Until such time as we return to two services, Rev. Ontonio would like to experiment with the following Sunday format. The first Sunday of the month will be strictly traditional. The second and third Sunday will be a blended service, and the last Sunday will be strictly contemporary. Let's all be patient and be open to trying something different.

If you would like to contact Rev. Ontonio, his new email is [email protected]

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