at_wesley

March 11,2024 - March 17,2024

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a note from Pastor Ernie
Hello Wesley,
We are learning in church how Jesus self-identifies so that we can have a clear picture of what we are to become. We were made in the image of God and the writer to the Hebrews calls Jesus “the exact image of God.” That should be our target, to look like Jesus and reflect the glory of the image into which we were created. To those who confess they are sinners in need of help, like the woman at the well, Jesus
introduces himself as her Messiah and she immediately rejoices. To the Pharisees and Sadducees, who believe they fulfill the law and live without sin, he introduces himself as almighty God and challenges their self-view and their view of him.

Then he begins talking about why he came, his mission. He is the “bread of Life,” the “light of the world.” Jesus is the one who provides our soul with the only thing that can actually satisfy us. He offers us comfort and direction as a light in the darkness. Only he can show our soul how to get home.

One of the great challenges for us as Christians is to reflect that truth to those who struggle to understand or listen. Oftentimes, our response to Jesus saying He is the bread of life is to feed the homeless and offer them bread. While that is something we do, it is not THE thing we do. We offer true bread, a relationship with Jesus. We do not simply turn on a light switch in a dark room; we bring the light. We are the torch bearers. We need to bring Jesus into the room.

We need to be available to those we meet to have a conversation, a real conversation about Jesus. Sunday, I challenged us to remember our own children and grandchildren who just will not listen about Jesus. Every person we meet is someone’s child and we may be the only Jesus they ever see. Seize the moment.
I love being your pastor,
Ernie
Join the Ruah Youth Group every Sunday at 5:30pm to 8:00pm
for dinner, Bible Study, fun and games!
Ages 6th-12th grade.

Join us this Friday, March 15th!

We will continue to pray for renewal here at Wesley, for Pastor Ernie, our church leadership, our ministries, as well as our new pastor and new leadership at the church.
Personal prayers are shared towards the end of the meeting.
ALL ARE WELCOME!

See you this Saturday!

ST. PATRICKS DAY PARTY IN PROMISELAND
Sunday, March 17 at 10am

Ages 4 years - 5th grade
Come ready for a Party in Promiseland - everything will be green!
Prizes for: Most Green ~ Most Creative~ Most Shamrocks
There will be two shows , presented both by Charlie Dittmar and Pastor Ernie, scheduled for 6:30pm and 7:15pm. There is a limit of 46 seats for each show. Right now we have 66 people who have signed up. If you signed up just recently this week, please plan to attend the second show at 7:15pm. There are many exhibits to enjoy before and after scheduled shows. The entire facility has been reserved for our group that night so we will have the run of the place. Food availability is limited within the facility (cold sandwiches, etc.) but there are lots of restaurants in the near vicinity you may want to consider dinner before or after the event. The event will be fluid so you may come and go as you wish but try not to be later than 6:30pm. We have more spots available for the second show, so feel free to bring family and friends.

Donations to defray cost are welcomed! You can put in marked envelope and
put in Sunday offering plate or bring by office Mon. - Thurs from 9am - 3pm
Join us for an exciting night this coming Monday with other members across Hillsborough County and get ready for our Nehemiah Action,
our most important event of the year!
We will carpool from the Wesley parking lot at 6pm.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW!
Nehemiah Action
Tuesday, April 16
Bible-Based Fellowship

Wesley Family, we need your help to get as many people as possible to the Nehemiah Action! This is when we rally to have issues addressed in Hillsborough county with government officials and numbers are important. Even if you do not want to commit as a regular Hope member, your presence at this meeting is very important!
Wesley has a goal of getting 40 of our members to this event. Please help us out!

Learn more about HOPE's mission here!
Wesley will have the above Easter ad in the Beacon Easter Faith Page
that comes out March 27th and goes out to Citrus Park, Westchase and Carrollwood!
This event is open to the community! Invite friends and family!
All women are invited whether or not you have a daughter or mother with you!
Ministry Highlights

EASTER LILIES

Orders for Easter Lilies for the sanctuary In Memory of / In Honor of are due no later than Tues., March 26. Cost is $10 each. Order Forms were included in last week's bulletin. Extra copies are available on the information desk. Please submit monies with form in a marked envelope in the Sunday offering or bring by the office Monday - Thursday from 9am to 3pm.
Pack a Snack 4 Kids logo
Pack a Sack Update...
We are moving right along with this school year and stay busy keeping shelves stocked and bags ready for delivery. We are up to 209 children per week which is amazing that we’ve been able to grow the ministry in such a wonderful way. Ernie stopped by the other day to pack a few bags with us so it was nice for him to see how the ministry has grown and changed. We were able to reminisce about how Pack a sack got started.
Right now, we have a few immediate needs if you’d like to help:
● Juice boxes or pouches
● Small boxes of raisins
● Applesauce
And of course, monetary donations are always welcome. If you have any questions about donations, or getting involved feel free to call Jamie at 813–967-3800
or email at [email protected]
We sincerely appreciate your continued support and prayers!
If you would like to schedule a group packing party,
contact Jamie at 813–967-3800
or email at [email protected].
This is a great group building and community service project
for Scouts, Sunday School classes, ministry groups
as well as local schools, business and hobby groups.

CRAFTY LADIES

Following the Spring Craft Fair, the Wesley Crafty Ladies don't miss a beat. They are now working on projects for the Fall and Christmas show coming in October!

Be sure to visit the Craft Shop after Sunday Service for Easter items still available!

FUM CHILDREN'S HOME

Thank You Wesley for supporting the FUM Children's Home! Church donations are their primary means of financial support. Next week we will be accepting donations for 2024 as part of our Lenten commitment.
The Ruth Circle is now 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.

CUBA MINISTRY

ALTAR FLOWERS

Flowers, on or by the Altar for our Sunday worship services, would be a
wonderful addition. Simply call or email the church office and let Terri Davis know the date and any particular colors wanted. We have a florist that gives us special pricing and they do a beautiful job. Flowers don’t always have to be in memory of a loved one. Think about celebrating an anniversary, someone’s birthday, graduation or best of all, given to the Glory of God.
The office number is 813.469.9157 and the email [email protected]
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
Coffee with Ernie
This week Ernie talked about what it truly means to surrender. It is ok to plan and prepare but the critical step is to surrender the final outcome to God. Being obedient without understanding is very similar to surrendering the outcome to God. You can listen to Coffee with Ernie every Tuesday morning on Facebook at 7:30am (give or take) or you can watch later.
Click link below for the most recent episode.
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 to Trust God

Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will, they existed and were created.
Revelation 4:11

God, take my heart, my desires, my life and transform them to make me a stronger follower of Yours. I want to grow in my relationship with You, but I need to trust You more for that to happen. So help me on my journey, help me to connect to You more. I need you God, oh how I need You.

Oh Lord, open my ears so I hear your direction and empower me to be obedient to Your leading. Help me to be obedient even when I don't understand what you are telling me to do. Help me to trust You when I don't understand what is going on around me and the world. Help me to surrender to whatever the final outcome is and trust that You have a plan. Oh Lord, I desire to be part of Your plan.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Watch Recent Sermon Here
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March 17, 2024

"I am the Gate"
John 1:7

10:00 am Sunday Worship Service
Pastor Ernie Post

Please help the church save money on paper and printing by checking in virtually on Sunday Service and receiving a bulletin. The QR code will be posted on the outside and inside of sanctuary entries, in the pews, and at the coffee station. Give it a try and see if it works for you. Paper bulletins will still be available if preferred.

*Please note: When registering for check in, it is only required to input one contact - cell phone OR email (although both are preferred.) All other requests are optional and can be bypassed by simply pressing the done button.

Additional Note: The bulletin can also be found on the Church website (https://wesleymemorial.net/bulletin/) in the CONNECT drop down menu . It is updated every week by the end of Thursday for the following Sunday.

If your phone is not pulling up current bulletin via the QR code on Sunday, it is likely you need to clear your cache (search history). To do this, open your search app, tap the three dot bar at bottom, tap history, then clear browsing data. Make sure cookies and site data has a check to the right as well as cached images and files. Then at bottom click "clear browsing data". Refer to google as some phones may differ. It is a good idea to clear the cache on your phone occasionally to keep your phone operating at its best.

*******Even if you prefer a paper bulletin, you can still sign in online in lieu of using a connect card. That still helps the church with printing costs.*********

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