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Dec.25,2023 - Dec.31,2023
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Hello Wesley,
Happy New Year everyone!
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We often begin the New Year with hope and aspiration toward a fresh start for something. Gyms are filled, salads at Publix are scarce, and Dunkin Donuts has absolutely no donuts! Because they are cutting back. This might be a great time to make a commitment to a steady reading of God’s word. We live in a society that increasingly believes that truth is what they decide for themselves. Fewer and fewer people believe God establishes what is absolute truth. Christians believe God sets the standard and we should trust in Him. We need to be diligent in learning from His words and much of what we believe is true comes from the teaching of Jesus and Paul.
I have a few things to offer that I have been working on these last few years:
1. Listen to the Bible when you are driving. I use the Bible app on my phone and was able to listen through the entire Bible three times in 2022. Set a goal to listen through one time.
2. We are recreating the 27/90 series from several years ago. If you have completed this before, commit with someone to do it together. If you have not done the series, we read through the entire New Testament in 90 days. All of the teaching is recorded so you can actually go at your own pace. There is a short devotional learning for each day and two more thorough teachings each week. We begin January 9. Set a goal to complete the series this year.
3. Take notes!!!! Writing something down increases the chances of it doing you some good tenfold. Get yourself a gift for the New Year, a notebook for spiritual lessons and key verses. Keep it at your bedside table, bring it to church, set it on your desk at work.
4. We are planning three series this year in church:
A. Lessons from the Garden part two. These are lessons Jesus teaches using illustrations from nature.
B. Messianic Prophecies fulfilled. These are Old Testament prophesies Jesus fulfills.
C. People Jesus changed: Gospel characters whose lives were changed by meeting Jesus.
5. One of the disciplines I will be introducing this year will be witnessing to our faith. Begin to think through how Jesus has changed your life. Take a few notes.
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I am looking forward to an exciting year in ministry with you. We press on toward the goal. Our mission is to make disciples who live and love like Jesus.
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I love being your pastor,
Ernie
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The Prayer Gathering will pause for the last Friday in December.
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We will restart in the New Year on Friday, Jan. 5th, 2024.
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Please join us for the prayer gathering to lift up the church,
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the community and the nation in prayer
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Volunteers needed! If you are able to assist this Saturday, please respond to this email
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All are welcome to join us for an organizational meeting for our HOPE ministry at Wesley. We will focus on building relationships and preparing for our Spring events.
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HABANA HEALTH CARE MINISTRY
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Christmas goodie bags were delivered to Habana Health Care. We also gave the staff a bag of mints as well as the "Holy Moments" book. Thank You to the Silver Saints and others in the congregation for supplying all the goodies to fill the bags!
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If you did not receive a "Holy Moments" book on Christmas Eve, there are still plenty available at the information desk at the back of the sanctuary. Also, if you did receive one , please feel free to take more to share with family, friends, and neighbors. This is a book meant to be shared.
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We are working on our Lenten devotional and could use your help. Our devotional is themed “I See You” and is centered on the times in our lives when we see God the clearest. We would like to receive a photo from you that help you know God is close.
There are several ideas circulating: a sunrise or sunset, flowers, nature, a family get together, people helping one another, opening a gift, they joy of being together. We want to encourage you to get your camera, take a photo and send it to [email protected] so we can put a story together, a whole church story, that we can share this Lenten season. Give your kids the camera, let them take a photo, have some fun. The photos have to be in to Terri no later than January 15. Lent begins February 14 and it takes about three
weeks to publish.
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Hello all! Things are moving along with Pack a Sack this school year. We’re packed through the end of the year, and each child will receive a small wrapped gift from Wesley UMC. As you know, our ministry has grown to 190 children PER WEEK. With the large number, our monthly expenses have grown and we find that we are in need of finding another Corporate Sponsor for the remaining school year, so January-
May – 5 months. If this is something you feel you might be able to help with, or know someone that might be interested, feel free to be in touch to further discuss. Also, any one time donations are of course accepted and so appreciated!
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Another way to help is food drives. If you work in an office or own a business, you could ask participants to bring in juice boxes and peanut crackers, or other PAS type food items and we can put that in our inventory, which helps our bottom-line monthly expenses tremendously. Another idea, if you’re having a holiday get together, ask your guests to bring juice boxes! Most often people love to help, especially with
a cause like Pack a Sack.
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Please be in prayer for all the Pack a Sack children and in prayer for our current needs.
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We sincerely appreciate all of you and your love & support!
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NURSERY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
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We need four volunteers, each available one Sunday a month during the worship service, to provide back up when the nursery has both infants and toddlers. Contact the church office if you are able to help. [email protected]
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We had two wonderful Christmas Eve services!
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Click button below for some more special moments!
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You can access individual photos in our Facebook album here!
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Every Christmas Day the members, friends and family of Congregation Schaarai Zedek in South Tampa host a free community meal in the Wesley Fellowship Hall. This year a group of Wesley friends celebrated on Christmas Day by coming together for a Christmas meal.
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Two of Betty Black's kids received a very special gift this Christmas. Betty lovingly made quilts out of her late husband Sam's T-shirts! Such a thoughtful gift!
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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.
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Or by standard mail by sending cash or check to
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6100 Memorial Hwy, Tampa FL 33615
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Office hours are Monday - Thursday 9am-3pm.
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We are here to help you with any of your needs.
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Church Contact Information:
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This week Pastor Ernie talked about how Christmastime and New Years is a good time to think about how we can do better. You can listen to Coffee with Ernie every Tuesday morning on Facebook at 7:30am or you can watch later.
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Click link below for the most recent episode.
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Post your prayers and praise requests here and pray and comment for others!
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Please make visiting the prayer wall a daily practice!
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A Prayer for the New Year
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God of all time, help us enter the New Year quietly, thoughtful of who we are to ourselves and to others, mindful that our steps make an impact and our words carry power.
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May we speak only after we have listened well.
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Creator of all life, help us enter the New Year reverently, aware that you have endowed every creature and plant, every person and habitat with beauty and purpose.
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May we regard the world with tenderness.
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May we honor rather than destroy.
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Lover of all souls, help us enter the New Year joyfully, willing to laugh and dance and dream, remembering our many gifts with thanks and looking forward to blessings yet to come.
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May we welcome your lavish love. In this new year, may the grace and peace of Christ bless us now and in the days ahead.
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In Jesus name we pray, Amen
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Be sure to subscribe to our You Tube channel!
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Dec. 31,2023
10:00 am Worship Service
"Fulfillment"
Luke 2:21-40; Matthew 2:1-12; Matthew 2:13-23
Pastor Ernie Post
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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.
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*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.
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FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
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