(listening post #4) and the conversation...
TRANSCRIPT
Volume 9 • Issue No. 5 September/October 2011
(Listening Post #4)
And The Conversation Continues...
So whatever happened to the conversa-tion about the Community Center? I’m glad you asked! Remember when we first asked the ques-tion, “What if we opened the Church to the com-munity?” Well, God has led us through a discernment process to realize that though we initially thought we were talking about the building, we have been re-minded that biblically, the Church is the people – the community.
The question still stands – but we have turned a bit of a corner in our un-derstanding of what we mean by that. Yes, we still want to use the build-ing in whatever ways God wants us to, but we have realized that we want to start with the com-munity of people called St. Mark’s. When we had the Listening Post that invited the community to join us for dinner, jazz and a conversation, only 1 person showed up from the 600 invitations we handed out. (Another family came through per-sonal invitation). I think that indicates two things:
1. Relationship is important and must come first – before someone will respond to an invitation.
2. Society doesn’t anticipate much from the
Church – honestly, would they not have come if they really thought we would help them address some problems?
Listening Post 4 is actually going to be done differently than our first three. The first
three, we invited people to the church building. LP4 we are inviting the Church to go into the community! In other words, we are hoping to have Listening “Out”posts – by challenging each of us to start a “God hunt.” We challenge you to be on the lookout for God in your nor-mal sphere of influence – neighborhood, work, school, friends… We want to be on
the lookout for where God is at work in our world, but that begins with listening and paying atten-tion. It’s the act of hospitality! This is the first step in missional living (you’ll be hearing a lot about that in worship!)
Let’s continue the conversation, but let’s let others speak first – let’s be intentional about listening, and discerning God’s action in the world. This could be fun!
Are you in?
Together…
nate
By: Nate Steury
Our Vision/Mission StatementOur Vision/Mission StatementOur Vision/Mission StatementOur Vision/Mission Statement
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A community of LIFE! Groups living in and out God’s A community of LIFE! Groups living in and out God’s A community of LIFE! Groups living in and out God’s A community of LIFE! Groups living in and out God’s
revolutionary LOVE! where people are being transformed revolutionary LOVE! where people are being transformed revolutionary LOVE! where people are being transformed revolutionary LOVE! where people are being transformed
toward wholeness by…toward wholeness by…toward wholeness by…toward wholeness by…
savoring and sharing the Good News of God’s Reign, savoring and sharing the Good News of God’s Reign, savoring and sharing the Good News of God’s Reign, savoring and sharing the Good News of God’s Reign,
growing and guiding others in Jesus’ Way, growing and guiding others in Jesus’ Way, growing and guiding others in Jesus’ Way, growing and guiding others in Jesus’ Way,
accepting and offering service in the Holy Spirit’s Poweraccepting and offering service in the Holy Spirit’s Poweraccepting and offering service in the Holy Spirit’s Poweraccepting and offering service in the Holy Spirit’s Power
Is God Calling
You…
...to lead a Bible Study, Sunday
School class or LIFE Group?
If so, contact Pastor Nate at
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CHRISTIAN BELIEVER STUDY GROUP The Christian Believer study group will begin Monday, September 12, 6:30 to 9:00 pm at the
home of Pastor Ernest, 429 St. Johns Drive, Satellite Beach, and continue for the next 32 Mon-
day evenings. We will be using the study manual, "Christian Believer: Knowing God With heart
and Mind" and a "Book of Readings." There will be daily biblical and inspirational readings in
addition to reading a short chapter in the manual. Each Monday evening we will focus on a spe-
cific Christian belief.
LIFE Groups! Get plugged in!
Discover LIFE! the way Jesus intended it to be
lived— in community. Contact Nate or any staff member for more information:
[email protected] or 321.514.6550
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Leisure Ministry Luncheon
Wednesday, September 14th, Noon
St. Mark’s Fellowship Hall
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Leisure Ministry Events Leisure Ministry Events Leisure Ministry Events Leisure Ministry Events By Ernest BortnerBy Ernest BortnerBy Ernest BortnerBy Ernest Bortner
Wednesday, September 14, 2011, 12 noon, is the date for our Leisure Ministry Luncheon. Cost is $10. Jim Collins will be our speaker. Jim is an Account Executive with Home Health Care. More and more people are choosing to stay at home rather than going to an assisted living facility. Come with your questions. Jim is quite knowledgeable about the field of Home Health Care. Questions? Call Pastor Ernest at 777-0645.
Let’s get ready for an-other day trip! This time we will be going to
M A R J O R I E K I N N A N RAWLINGS historic 130 year old Cross Creek farmhouse in Hawthorne, FL. on Friday,
October 14, 2011.
Arrangements have been made to have lunch at THE YEARLING, recently voted one of the best restaurants by Florida Trend Magazine. The choice of sandwiches will be: U.S.D.A Prime Rib; Grouper; or Chicken. Included is a salad
and beverage. Then off to the MICANOPY HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM in Micanopy, FL.
On the way home we will stop at a Cracker Barrel Res-taurant where you will be on your own. The all inclusive price (excluding Cracker Bar-rel) is $59 per person. Boarding will be at 7:30 am; leaving 7:45 am; and return-
ing to the church parking lot by 9:00 pm. In-vite your friends to join you.
Questions? Call Pastor Ernest at 777-0645.
Day Trip to Hawthorne
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On the first Saturday of each month, 8:30 to 9:30 am, men of the church meet for food, fellowship, devo-tional, and a presentation by someone who is making a difference in the life of our community. The next two speakers are:
Saturday, October 1: Dr. Robert (Bob) Keimer, Program Coordinator, Entrepre-neurial Training, F.I.T., will be the speaker. He is Executive Vice President, Business Development, for Airgonomix LLC, located at 325 Fifth Avenue,
Indialantic. Bob is making a difference in
the life of our com-munity. He is vitally interested in
helping young adults succeed in business. Learn how an idea evolved into a profit-able company.
Come, and invite others to come with you. Donations for breakfast are ap-preciated. E-mail reservations to: [email protected]. or call Pastor Ernest at 777-0645.
Men’s Fellowship Gathering
GET READY FOR THE ANTIQUE ROAD SHOW SPON-SORED BY THE CUBAN MISSION TEAM on Friday, No-vember 12, 2011, in our Fellow-ship Hall. It promises to be a lot of FUN. Professional appraisers
will be at the church between 3 and 6 pm to appraise your items. To have one item ap-praised costs $10; three items for $25. Most of us have items around the house from yester-year. Here's your chance to find out their value for your personal interest, not insurance purposes.
Come to church between 3 and 6 pm for the ap-praisals. This will be followed by a dinner and An-tique Road Show at 6:00 p.m. Selected participants
will tell their story about the antique they brought and it's appraised value. The whole afternoon and
evening should be a lot of fun. Bring your old treasures and have them appraised. Come to the meal and show. Cost is $15
per person.
Also, we need some sponsors. You may help sponsor the event for $100. For this you will receive two tickets to the meal and show plus one item free ap-
praisal. Invite your friends to enjoy the afternoon and evening with you. This event will help support the
connection we have with our sister church in Hol-guin, Cuba.
The Antique Road Show
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LEISURE MINISTRY RESERVATION FORM
____ Yes, I/we will go to Marjorie Rawlings Historic Farmhouse, the Yearling Res-taurant, and the Micanopy Museum on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2011. Boarding: 7:30 am; Leaving: 7:45 am; return home around 9:00 pm. Enclosed is $______________for ______ reservations at $59 per person. My/our preference for the lunch sandwich is:
_______ Prime Rib; ______Grouper; ______ Chicken.
____ Yes, I/we will come to the Leisure Ministry Luncheon on WEDNESDAY, SEP-TEMBER 14, 2011. Jim Collins of Home Health Care will speak and take questions. En-closed is $_________________ for ______ reservations at $10 per person.
____ Yes, count on me/us coming to the SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011 An-tique Road Show, a fund raiser to build relationships with our sister church in Holquin, Cuba. Enclosed is $____________ to cover the cost of _____ items to be appraised (1 for $10; 3 for $25). I/we will bring the items to be appraised around 3:00 3:15 3:30 3:45 4:00 4:15 4:30 4:45 5:00 5:15 5:30 (circle one).
_____ I/we will be a Sponsor(s) for this fund raiser. Enclosed is $__________ at $100 per Sponsorship. You will receive 2 meal reservations and 1 appraisal for each $100 Spon-sorship.
_____ Enclosed is $____________ for _____ reservations at $15 per person for the sup-per at 6:00 pm.
NAME(S): ________________________________________
TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED $__________
ADDRESS(ES): _____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
E-MAIL ADDRESS(ES): __________________________________
TELEPHONE(S): ________________________
Make check payable to "St. Mark's United Methodist Church" and bring or send to:
LEISURE MINISTRIES, St. Mark's United Methodist Church, 2030 N. Hwy A1A
Indialantic, FL 32903
Join us for a great time of planning for the
Fall as we look forward to setting some goals
for St. Mark’s in the area of Radical Hospital-
ity during our September COM. We need
everyone’s input for this – especially if you’ve
never been to a COM meeting. So please
come join us as we seek God’s direction –
then we will celebrate and present them at
the Church Conference in October. Set aside
the 4th
Tuesday for the next two months to
join us in discerning where God is leading us!
Council On Ministries
&
Church Conference
7pm Tuesday, September 27 & October 25
If you are a LIFE! Group
leader or would like to be, you
are welcome to join us as we
come together to grow and
learn and support each other.
Don’t miss it!
TRAINING SUNDAYS IN OCTOBER
(no meeting in September)
12noon-2pm, Lunch included
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Don’t forget that breakfast Don’t forget that breakfast is served from 8:30is served from 8:30--11 the 11 the 33rdrd Sunday of each month Sunday of each month for your convenience and for your convenience and
fellowship!fellowship!
Church Conference
7pm Tues. Oct. 25
Join us for an annual time of
celebration of what God is do-
ing and what we anticipate God
doing as we look forward to
this next year. Please invest
your time in this church com-
munity by joining us for our
Church Conference.
Breakfast on 3Breakfast on 3rdrd SundaysSundays
The V&B Ministry is designed to reach out to those who are experiencing a time in their life when a special touch of Chris-tian love and compassion is most wel-come and appreciated. It is less struc-tured than our Stephen Ministry program. Volunteers make periodic phone calls as a means of keeping in touch. Sometimes visits are made. The idea behind the min-istry is that the Vine represents Jesus and the Branches the people. We want to provide the necessary encouragement to help people stay connected to the Vine.
The next quarterly meeting of V&B will be Monday, September 26, 11:30 am at the home of Pastor Bortner. If you are interested in being involved or learn-ing more about this ministry, you are invited to this luncheon meeting. Sim-ply let Pastor Bortner know by e-mail: [email protected] or by calling 777-0645. It feels good to reach out and be of help and service to others whose days might not be as bright as yours.
Spotlight on VINE AND BRANCHES
By: Ernest Bortner
General Conference is the gath-
ering together of United Methodists
from around the world in one place to
worship together and convene in
what John Wesley called “Holy Confer-
encing.” It’s actually a great time and
while these meetings happen many
places around the country, this next
year it is coming to our state! April 24-
May 4, 2012 in Tampa Florida, thou-
sands of United Methodists will gather
as a church to talk about some critical
issues. And they need lots of prayer
and volunteers! So if you’re interested
in being on the prayer team or volun-
teering, please contact Pastor Nate at
[email protected] and let him
know how you want to help. We will
be praying together as a church as the
time approaches.
What’s General Conference? It sounds boring!
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Marielena Feliciano Tynan, a lawyer and member of First United Methodist Church who has offered some free legal counsel will be holding a short group session the second Sunday of every month following the 10:45 service in the library. Come join us and you can talk with Marielena fol-lowing that meeting if you would like to speak privately with her. For more info on her or her law firm go to jbclaw.com
Free Legal Counsel Second Sunday of Every Month
Under The Son Preschool Our first day of school was August 15th with 30 chil-dren enrolled with 6 teachers in 4 classrooms!
We have a dedi-cated staff that prayed, planned, and prepared the
classrooms for each child. The chil-dren’s hallway is a busy place Mon-day through Friday while our school is in session. We are very excited to have each family at our school. God has richly blessed us!
We pray our school is a ministry to families in our community as we work along side parents as they love and nurture their children. Our de-
sire is to provide care for any child who’s parents would like to enroll them in our school, however, at times tuition can be a hardship on families.
If you would like to obtain informa-tion as to how you can sponsor a child please call or email the school. We would appreciate any amount to go toward tuition for two of our stu-dents. We ask that our St. Mark’s Family continue to pray for us as we strive to share God’s love with each child at our school so they may know Him and begin a life long journey walking with HIM. In all we do and say…May God be glorified!
Beth Cagney, Director
By: Pastor Ernest Bortner
"We hear a lot about LIFE! Groups.
What we need is a Grief Support Group!"
Those words rang a bell with me, because
the person was right. We need a Grief Sup-
port Group. Why? Because there is untold
grief when someone loses a job, or when
children spin out of control, or when one is
feeling sorry for oneself, or when a family
member dies. You may know people who
are experiencing grief and do not know
how to approach or deal with the subject.
The general consensus is that people who
experience grief prefer the
support they can get from
the church. They want to
be with people who tend
to understand and agree
on some things.
There is Good
News. We here at St.
Mark's have an opportu-
nity to explore the possi-
bility of a Grief Support
Group. The group would consist of people
who are experiencing grief and people who
would like to help others who, for one rea-
son or another, are grieving.
Here is the plan! There will be three
sessions on three consecutive Sunday after-
noons, 3:00 - 4:15 pm resourced by profes-
sionals who have experience in successful
grief groups. If, after these sessions there is
a group that would like to continue meet-
ing we will entertain that possibility. But for
now, the emphasis is on these three ses-
sions to be held at the church:
Sunday, September 25, 3-4:15 pm. Resource
Person: Bob Caldwell, Social Services and
Grief Specialist, Wuesthoff Hospice and Pal-
liative Care. Theme: "Opening The Door To
Grief Ministries."
Sunday, October 2, 3-4:15 pm. Chaplain Ken
Cocker, Wuesthoff Hospice and Palliative
Care. Theme: "Good Grief! Spiritually Speak-
ing..." Ken is the son-in-law
of Pastor Ed and Cathy
Griffith. He is quite enthu-
siastic over the possibility
of St. Mark's having such a
supportive group.
Sunday, October 9, 3-4:15
pm. Lisa Hodgins, Guard-
ian with Sentinel Care and
Chair of Grief Support
Groups at Calvary Chapel. Lisa will share her
experience and knowhow with the awe-
some program they have at Calvary.
I will facilitate the sessions. Let me
know at church, or by phone (777-0645), or
e-mail at [email protected]. that you
plan to attend. Bring your friends. Everyone
is welcome.
Grief Support Ministry
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On Saturday, September 17, at 6:30 PM St. Mark's will host the local Emmaus On Saturday, September 17, at 6:30 PM St. Mark's will host the local Emmaus On Saturday, September 17, at 6:30 PM St. Mark's will host the local Emmaus
Gathering.Gathering.Gathering. The gathering will include a pot Luck dinner, program, and wor-The gathering will include a pot Luck dinner, program, and wor-The gathering will include a pot Luck dinner, program, and wor-
ship.ship.ship.
Please mark you calendars for this special event.Please mark you calendars for this special event.Please mark you calendars for this special event. New leadershipNew leadershipNew leadership for the Em-for the Em-for the Em-
maus Community promises a rewarding evening ofmaus Community promises a rewarding evening ofmaus Community promises a rewarding evening of encouragement forencouragement forencouragement for Fourth Fourth Fourth
Day walks.Day walks.Day walks. Plans for the OctoberPlans for the OctoberPlans for the October sessions will also be discussed.sessions will also be discussed.sessions will also be discussed. Two mem-Two mem-Two mem-
bers of St. Mark's will participate in those walks. bers of St. Mark's will participate in those walks. bers of St. Mark's will participate in those walks.
Attention Emmaus PilgrimsAttention Emmaus PilgrimsAttention Emmaus Pilgrims
September 11
Noon
Getting Connected Starts Here
Starting Point
Whether you’ve just started worshipping with us
or you’ve enjoyed St. Mark’s for a while, Starting
Point is your opportunity to discover more about
St. Mark’s and membership. Hosted by Pastor Nate
and/or Pastor Ernest, this casual and informative
discussion is held during lunch in the Community
Room. Please RSVP (for planning purposes) con-
tacting the church office at 773.0721. Childcare
can be provided.
Children’s Ministries Needs You!
Previous Experience Not Necessary.
Contact Angelyn Walling for ways you can help!
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This Month in
Son Island Children’s Ministry... Fall is a time of change and with that
change often comes uncertainty. We all face
uncertainty every day. It's what we do with
that uncertainty, where we look for help,
that either creates worry or it doesn't. The
truth is, "I can do all things through Christ."
Philippians 4:13. ALL things. That's what
we're teaching our pre-
schoolers in Septem-
ber. God can help me
do ANYTHING!
God did some amazing
things in this month's
Bible stories. He
helped David save his
sheep from a lion and
a bear, and He helped
him win battle after
battle. God helped
Samuel find the new
king, and God helped
Moses free His people
from Pharaoh. He
helped each of these historical figures to do
amazing things, things that they would
never have been able to do alone. The same
is true for us and for our preschoolers. When
we truly believe that God can help us do
anything, He will.
Stepping into October, it's time to meet
Professor Fantastic, this month's Host! He
introduces the children to fantastic things
that happen in our world and to fantastic
things God made our bodies to do. We want
our preschoolers to know without a doubt
that their heavenly Father made them and
adores them, and that he made them won-
derfully. He loves EVERYTHING about them.
Everything - even that one hair on their
head that sticks up in the wrong direction.
He made them with a
plan and a purpose. He
made them to praise
Him. We want our pre-
schoolers to know that
they are unique and
special creations and
that God loves them so
much.
For our older kids in
LIFE Lagoon, our topic
for September is knowledge, and be-
cause God is the ulti-
mate source of knowl-
edge and no one knew
God better than His son —we’re headed to
the Gospel of Luke to learn from Jesus as He
grew up. Did you know that the Bible only
gives us one story and one comment on the
life of Jesus from the time He was a preteen
until He’s a thirty-something starting His
ministry? It’s our memory verse for the
month (Luke 2:52) and it tells us that Jesus
spent time studying God’s Word, and that
(Continued on page 13) 12
He grew in His relationship with God, in His
ability to make wise choices and in His abil-
ity to love others. So as we move through
the weeks of September, here are the con-
cepts we’ll examine:
- Since God knows everything, I should dis-
cover what God says.
- When I discover what God says, it helps me
trust Him more.
- When I discover what God says, I can make
wiser choices.
- When I discover what God says, I know
how I should treat others.
This month, as we talk about knowl-
edge, we aren’t
just talking about
learning more. It’s
not how much
you know, it’s
what you know
(and who you
know) that really
matters!
Switching things
up in October, we
journey to discover where true creativity
comes from. We’re going back to the begin-
ning to explore the original Creator (Genesis
1:1-2:1). In Genesis’ description of the Crea-
tion process, the Bible says specifically that
we are created in God’s image. We were
made out of God’s imagination. So here
are the points we’re exploring this month:
“You were created so you can be creative.”
“Use your imagination to think BIG.” We’ll
discover noteworthy examples in Miriam
and her mother as they work together to
save baby Moses (Exodus 1:22-2:10) for the
future God intended.
“Use your imagination to make your mark.”
David certainly made a mark, not only with
his natural creative gifts, but with his
learned skills and other life experiences that
led others to God’s goodness.
“Use your imagination to do more good.”
God created us to reflect Him and be the
type of light that helps others see Him more
clearly. We can do
that when we
learn more about
what Jesus shared
in His Sermon on
the Mount about
Salt and Light.
(Matthew 5:14-16)
“Imagine what
could happen if
everyone used
their gifts to-
gether.” It’s such a
timely faith skill to focus on - what worship-
ping with your life looks like - praising God
and giving generously every day with other
believers.
This fall promises to be an exciting time on
Son Island for all ages. Join us!
(Continued from page 12)
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A conversation on parenting
Wednesdays from 4:30-5:30 (Starting Sept.14)
Join Pastor Nate for a conver-sation on parenting while your kids are in Livin’ the LIFE! No subject is off limits if it has to do with parenting. Let’s listen. Let’s talk. Let’s pray for our kids. Don’t miss this chance to connect with other parents and with God.
Woven Woven Woven
Livin' The LIFE, a lifegroup for children in grades K-3rd, will officially start on Wednesday, September 14th. It will be every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30. This time includes 20 minutes of worship, 20 minutes of Bi-ble lesson, and 20 minutes of "how-to" sessions. If you have ideas for how-to, and/or would like to help with this lifegroup, please contact James Boone or Angelyn Walling.
14
“...from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” -Eph. 4:16 NKJV
Boys and Girls Small Groups
Wednesdays, 4:30, Grades 4th-6th
Students in grades 4th-6th and their par-ents are invited to attend an in-f o r m a t i o n a l gathering on Wednesday, Sep-tember 14th to discuss small
groups for boys and girls. Come and par-ticipate! For more information, contact An-gelyn at [email protected].
Join us for family dinners (everyone is family) on Wednesdays starting September 14 from 5:30-6:30pm. It’s a great time to chat over dinner and there will be opportunities for the young kids before (Livin’ the LIFE!) and some small groups for youth and adults, too. Stay tuned for more details! We will be trying this for a month to see how it
goes then we’ll go from there!
Join others in preparing a meal to
be shared together for
Wednesday nights. Meet at
4:30 for an hour of kitchen
conversation and food mak-
ing. We will provide the meat;
bring your own ingredients
and share recipes, and we will
prepare some food to be
shared by our church family together.
Dinners on WednesdayDinners on Wednesday
Like to Cook or Grill?Like to Cook or Grill?
Free Dinner Free Dinner Donations AcceptedDonations Accepted
WednesdaysWednesdaysWednesdays
Starting Path:
A Back-to-the-basics LIFE! Group
6:30pm, Wednesdays, 6:30pm, Wednesdays,
Starting September 14Starting September 14
Join us on Wednesdays for 6 weeks Join us on Wednesdays for 6 weeks
from 6:30from 6:30--7:45pm as we explore some of 7:45pm as we explore some of
the basics of the faith and what it means to the basics of the faith and what it means to
be “scattering seeds, sinking roots, bearing be “scattering seeds, sinking roots, bearing
fruit.” You won’t want to miss this experi-fruit.” You won’t want to miss this experi-
ment of faith and the journey deeper into ment of faith and the journey deeper into
God. Pastor Nate will be leading. Please eGod. Pastor Nate will be leading. Please e--
mail or call if you’re interested: mail or call if you’re interested:
[email protected]@stmarksa1a.org or 321or 321--514514--6550.6550.
Christian Meditation
Wednesdays starting October 26
It is the lost art of Christianity – but
we are hoping to find it again. Learn to
pray the contemplative way – through the
ancient art of meditation. Join us for 4
weeks of Wednesdays. Time: TBD
15
On a fruit farm in Ben-ton Harbor, Michigan, Milly was born to Chet and Phyllis Schaus. Her father was raised in the Evangelical church and her mother was Methodist. God has always been a part of Milly’s life since she at-t e n de d S u n da y School where she accepted the Lord. As a Senior in high school, she started a Sunday School pro-gram which was so loved that the children wanted to go every day. Later, she started the Youth Group Byron in Cen-ter. Milly gradu-ated from nursing in Kalamazoo Methodist Hospital in 1952. She married Redmond Tickfer in June 1953 in an EUB church in Michigan. From her first marriage, Milly birthed three children: Susan, who currently lives in Boonville, Kentucky, with her Methodist Minister husband; Larry, who resides in Michigan and fathered their grandchild Nathan; and Elizabeth Ann (Bif), who owns and operates Backwater Café in Michigan and is the mother of her only Granddaughter Alison. At Mariners Cove in Fort Myers she first met Ken. He had 10 children from his two prior marriages. His second wife died in July of 1997 and Milly’s husband died in January of 1998. Ken called Milly with condolences. As time passed, Ken and Milly decided to meet out of town on a first date. Built on the Rock, their relationship flourished! They fell in love and married in June of 1998 at Dayton United Methodist Church in Indiana. After the wedding, they moved to our area because Ken already owned a storage facility in Indian Harbor Beach. They tried sev-
eral churches but none seemed like a fit for their family until they came to St. Mark’s. Our members were friendly, especially Martha
and Joe Bellasomo. They adored Pastor Wooten and became fast friends. When
Ken was in the hospi-tal, Pastor Wooten waited outside the surgery room with Milly until Ken was out of surgery. Pastor Wooten even made sure Milly got home okay. They knew then that they found a new church family in St. Mark’s which would be there for them in times of trial and hap-piness. At St. Mark’s,
Milly’s small group started the 40 Days of Pur-pose study. The group loved learning about Ne-hemiah, the wall builder. Their group was truly inspired by Nehemiah to be an action group, not just a study group. They agreed to pray about what their purpose should be. In the fall of 2006, Milly & Ken with a few others incorporated New Beginnings Ministry of Brevard Inc. With Ken’s son John’s help, the couple opened a thrift store and found a house. Since June 2007, the ministry has opened their doors to 83 women who were re-leased from prison. Many of their graduates are successfully integrated back into society. They live without drugs or alcohol and have learned how to become self-sufficient. They find jobs and rebuild relationships with their family. Actually, New Beginnings Ministry has a 30% success rate which is higher than the national average of only 17% for women returning to a life without crime or
(Continued on page 17)
By Michele W. Campanelli
Milly Childress
onononon
16
drugs. About a year ago Donna Riley became the Co-Director of the Ministry. It has been a spe-cial blessing to Milly and everyone to have Donna on the leadership team of New Beginnings. When Milly isn’t helping manage New Begin-nings, she loves to write. She has written three books, Healing the Hurt, Esmerelda the Silly Goose and her autobiography about her hus-band’s death and meeting Ken, The Year of the Locust. Milly has also written some poetry. Her most re-cent poem is Communion. Communion I find the wine too sweet, The bread too soft and yielding Both too pleasant in my mouth To represent the pain of stripes, The agony of nails, The utter loneliness of being Forsaken by God. His love for me is too big To be completely comprehended By my small mind.
St. Mark’s has not only given Milly a church home but has welcomed the women of their Ministry with open arms. The Childress fam-ily believes Pastor Nate has truly been a moral support for New Beginnings and never lost faith that these women can make better lives for them-selves. “God knew and led us to St. Mark’s. He keeps providing ways for the ministry to help women,” Milly asserts. “Just when we think we might have to close their doors, we always get a grant or money comes in. Because of the Lord, I have never seen the bottom of the flour barrel.” God truly has blessed Milly! With endless love and our close church family, the future looks bright for New Beginnings Ministry of Brevard, a place where women just released from prison learn of Jesus’ great ability to allow U-turns. With His love and with a helping hand from Milly & Donna, women can find their New Beginning and a way out of a life of crime. For more information about New Begin-nings of Brevard Ministry visit their website at www.newbeginningministry.us
(Continued from page 16)
You need a night out. Parents’ Night Out
(A Shekinah Fundraiser)
October 7th 6-10pm
$30 for first child, $5 each ad-ditional child
Preschool-6th graders welcome (limited preschooler openings)
Movies & Games
Pizza, snacks & dessert
Happy Birthday!!
18
September
October
Asher McVicker Sept 1
Deborah Smith Sept 1
Ryan Kelley Sept 1
Ethan Condry Sept 2
Leyla Cummins Sept 2
Mick Rineer Sept 2
Phyllis Marks Sept 2
Jennifer Meggs Sept 4
Emma Hilton Sept 7
Sara Walding Sept 7
Susan Thorne Sept 7
Traci Jenkins Sept 8
Lauren Sienkiewicz Sept 9
Renee Logue Sept 9
Elizabeth Bowman Sept 11
Virginia Eastland Sept 13
Cecelia Ortiz Sept 14
Lynn Benade Sept 15
Christa Nakhla Sept 16
Olga Peraza Sept 16
Gloria Grant Sept 17
Joey Meggs Sept 17
Mary Street Sept 17
Sebastian Darnall Sept 18
Alexis Carson Sept 19
Tammy Caruso Sept 19
Charlie Skibinski Sept 20
Kendall Boliver Sept 21
Ryan Kreer Sept 21
David Pusatere Sept 22
Kellie Rice Sept 22
Marsha Pitman Sept 23
Victoria Bock Sept 23
Caiden Freimann Sept 26
Lois Brown Sept 26
Susan Schuble Sept 26
Louis Campanelli Sept 27
Chris Vescelus Sept 28
Tom Vill Sept 29
Ken O'Leary Sept 30
Carla Gladfelter Oct 1
Connie Howard Oct 4
Kayla Wildenthaler Cot 4
Matt Wade Oct 4
Becky Haworth Oct 5
Danielle Wagner Oct 5
Kellie Dean Oct 5
Mike Fesler Oct 5
Scott Pitman Oct 5
Taylor Whiteman Oct 5
Barry Hoover Oct 6
Emory Street Oct 6
Glenn Klugel Oct 7
John Osborne Oct 7
Robin Niles Oct 8
Jean Coffey Oct 9
Kim Krupinsky Oct 9
Rocky Schneider Oct 9
JoAnn Pitman Oct 10
Joe Pavlock Oct 10
Dot Duncan Oct 11
Cyndy Legg Oct 12
Abigail White Oct 12
Mel George Oct 14
Kim Dean Oct 15
Kaitlynn Sorensen Oct 16
Tod Murto Oct 16
Wendall Watts Oct 17
Alex Schuster Oct 18
Bill Jackson Oct 18
Matthew Snodgrass Oct 18
Nickolas Schuster Oct 18
Paul DeStefano Oct 18
Reece Stelfox Oct 18
Marilu Maupin Oct 19
Sarah Kett Oct 20
Brent O'Leary Oct 22
Ruth Johnson Oct 22
Sabrina Douglass Oct 23
Tonyah Everett Oct 23
Michele Campanelli Oct 24
Edward Dudek Oct 25
Gerry Allen Oct 26
Katelyn Smith Oct 26
Angelyn Walling Oct 27
Casey Spahr Oct 27
Crystal Maldonado Oct 29
Sherri Knight Oct 30
Happy Anniversary!!!
Mary/Martha Circle
Mary Martha Circle will meet at the home of
Martha Bellasalmo on Tuesday September
13th. Our guest speaker will be Norma Quinn.
Norma will be helping us with our gift bags
for the children at the Hope Orphanage for
Infants & Children in Port au Prince, Haiti.
We invite all the Women of the church to join
us . For more info call Martha at 728-3810.
Ken & Robin O’Leary
September 4
Bill & Kendall Boliver
September 6
Harry & Mary B Brown
September 7
John & Connie Baxter
September 9
Bob & Helen Condry
September 12
Tom & Kathy Vill
September 13
Glenn & Susan Stocks
September 15
Brian & Kellie Rice
September 20
Rudy & Olga Blass
September 22
Bill & Joyce
Scattergood
September 23
Joe & Margaret
Stubenvoll
October 1
Sam & Shari White
October 7
Rob & Laurie Jeffrey
October 8
Matt & Blair Wade
October 10
Arden & Shirley
Crowder
October 19
Dan & Gail Carson
October 21
Shawn & Becky
Haworth
October 22
Joe & Alice Pavlock
October 26
Lydia Circle
UMW Lydia Circle will meet at the church
Thurs. Sept. 8th at 10 a.m. for GADGETS
GALORE.
Bring you favorite household gadgets from
sewing box, kitchen, or garage to "show and
tell."
Come and join us for fun, fellowship, good-
ies, and some great Christmas ideas.
The Pumpkins are Coming!The Pumpkins are Coming!The Pumpkins are Coming! Saturday, October 15Saturday, October 15Saturday, October 15
Save the Date!Save the Date!Save the Date! 19
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