P2 Stephen Ministry Staff emails Friends for Fun

P3

Stewardship Ministry Opportunities

P4

Darrell’s Descant Worship Arts George Tifft concert

P8 Nancy’s Notes Heart to Heart Summit Meeting

P5

Scholarship Molly Dodd Bible in a Year New Bible Study: “What Love Is”

P9 New Study: “Experiencing God”

Birthdays Grace Notes

January 2016

P11 Core Values Boys Scouts Food Pantry Donation

P10 Missions Scholarship Prayers List Sympathy

P6 Pam’s Prescription

Tai Chi TGIW

P7 Calendar

13123 U.S. Highway 19, Hudson, FL 34667 727-868-6178 www.HudsonFirstUMC.org

Once again there seems to be a rush to put away Christmas. The stores marked down decorations before Christmas Eve. Many of us will have pulled down the tree a day or two after December 25th.

I remember a Christmas Eve service when we asked the audience to se-lect Christmas songs. We’d set aside 10 minutes for this community sing. It went smoothly - “Jingle Bells,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Then, a cute 8-year-old girl asked for “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

I did the math - those 12 days would take a crowd of that size 8 or 9 minutes to sing. I tried to negotiate: “How about 3 days?” “No. Twelve.” “How about 5 days?” “No. Twelve.” Then the audience got in on it: “12 days, 12 days, 12 days!”

Twelve days of Christmas?

So, we organized the house into 12 sections and we sang… and sang… and sang. With growing enthusiasm each section rose to their feet as the room filled with Lords-a-Leaping and Drummers-drumming and those “Five Golden Rings!”

The house roared with laughter and Christmas continued to come in round after round until all twelve days were honored.

Twelve days. Why twelve? Tradition and a desire to remember the most important birth in human history with more than a cup of egg nog and an annual party.

January 6th is the twelfth day of Christmas. We call that day “Epiphany” meaning “revelation.”

Traditionally many churches have three wise men wander into the ser-vice to remind us that two years after Jesus’ birth gentile astrologers also found what Bethlehem’s shep-herds discovered, Jesus.

January 6th - Epiphany marks the end of the 12 day Christmas season.

“But, wait! There’s more!” Sounds like a commercial for Ginsu knives…

January 6th begins the season of Epiphany - it’s not just a day. Epiph-any, like “The 12 Days of Christmas,” lasts a long time (until Lent).

It took 2 years for the eastern astrol-ogers to find the Christ. Patience and persistence in our faith journey is something we need to consider this year as a faith family.

The many changes in our lives and in our church this past year have brought us to a place where we can look at God, ourselves, and our mis-sion with a fresh perspective.

May God bless you in the continuing journey where Celebrating Immanuel (God with us) isn’t a day or even 12 days. Christmas-Epiphany-Lent-Easter… let’s stop negotiating a less-er deal and join God’s continuing celebration!

Acts 28:20

OUR STORY - MORE? VISIT Our Stories ON www.HudsonFirstUMC.org

New Generation PUTTering around Darrell Day in Concert Care Ministries appreciation luncheon at CARES Cafe

Hope Link by pastor Jerry

SUNDAY SCHEDULE: Worship 8:30 & 11:00am; Bible study (for all ages) 9:45; Nursery (0-4yo) 8:15 to 12:15

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CHURCH STAFF EMAILs

General Office ........................................... office@HudsonFirstUMC.org Kristie Freeze, church secretary .............. kristie@HudsonFirstUMC.org Darrell Day, worship director ................. darrell@HudsonFirstUMC.org Pam Healey, parish nurse ........................... pam@HudsonFirstUMC.org Barbara Mathias, financial secretary .... barbara@HudsonFirstUMC.org Nancy Hitt, church administrator ............ nancy@HudsonFirstUMC.org Martha Beneduci, facilities manager .... martha@HudsonFirstUMC.org Pastor Jerry Milner .................................... jerry@HudsonFirstUMC.org

Stephen Ministry by Tom Meier & Dave Viall

The staff wishes you and your family a very happy New Year. We look forward to 2016 being filled with “God moments” we discov-er in ministry together.

Please Note: The church office is closed December 31st and reopens January 2nd. Happy New Year!

We are a group of friends having fun. Currently 27 friends gather and the list is growing. Our group began when some us who’d lost our spouses wanted to get involved again and be social.

When others see us having so much fun enjoying ourselves, they want to join in! We attend church, enjoy theater, travel, and just plain have fun together. There is plenty of fun out there!

All single women – by choice or circumstance – are encouraged to dis-cover Friends for Fun. Contact Laura Arnold at 727-868-0176 or larnold32@tampabay.rr.com to join. Our December gathering was at Bob Heillman’s Beachcomber Restaurant on Clearwater Beach…

Friends for Fun by Laura Arnold

Worry is wasting today’s time to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s troubles!!

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthews 6:34

“Joy is gone from our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.”

Lamentations 5:15

Do you remember when you and she danced on your anniversary? The silver in her hair reminded you only of how beautiful she had become for you through the years. Now her pain fills the days. Now her illness is empty-ing your life. Will the two of you ever dance again? Through the waiting, it helps to talk. A Stephen Minister would like to listen.

Please remember to notify the church when-ever you or a loved one is hospitalized local-ly so visitation can be made by Pastor Jerry or a Stephen Minister.

To find out more about how you or someone you know could be matched with a Stephen Minister, talk with one of our leaders, Becky Bard, Tom Meier, or Dave Viall.

Tom Meier, Stephen Leader

Thank you for your 2016 commit-ments to prayers, presence, gifts, ser-vice, and witness.

Prayers: 150 households have com-mited to pray for the ministries and mission of our church.

Presence: 151 households have com-mited to regularly attend worship and small groups.

Gifts: $430,446 to the operating budget. $89,290 to mortgage reduction. $39,161 to repairs and maintenance. $45,469 to other (food pantry, etc.).

Service: 114 households pledged to serve the ministries and mission of our church.

Thank you for your faithfulness.

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Stewardship an update

Ministry Opportunities By Donna Martin

There are many places to plug in at Hudson First UMC. Here are some of my favorites!

ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES: Galileans - Room CE9 Living Love - Room CE10 Searching Christians - Howard Hall Getting a Grip (young adults) - Pastor’s Office

QUILTING Mondays 9:00am-11:30am, Children’s Worship Center We welcome new people who enjoy quilting to join. Finished quilts are displayed and sold to support ministry. After a morn-ing of quilting, we enjoy lunch each Monday at Wendy’s!

PRAYER TIME Tuesdays 9:15am-9:45am, CE10 Join us to pray over submitted prayer requests and share a song and short devotion. Praying out loud is optional .

STITCHES Tuesdays 10:00am-12:00pm, Children’s Worship Center You’re already thinking “I can’t sew.” There are others jobs in addition to sewing! We make lap robes and bags that can be used on walkers and small pillows that can be used on the arms of the wheel chairs. We take these to nursing homes twice a year. We enjoy lunching usually once a month.

THRIFT STORE Tuesday-Saturday, 10:30am-4:00pm The Thrift Store is a great place to volunteer. You will meet so many nice people. Volunteers work 2 days each month if possi-ble and we have two people working at a time. This is a great opportunity for a husband and wife to work together. We will provide training for Thrift Store operations.

Gift to Food Pantry Tatum’s Towing here in Hudson con-ducts an annual Food Drive to help Hudson FUMC’s God’s Food Pantry. This year’s donations were gratefully received by our “Santa,” Ron Haw-thorne. A big Christmas “thank you!” to our friends at Tatum’s Towing.

Darrell’s descant by Darrell Day, worship director

A New New...With New Opportuni-ties!

With a new year comes new possibili-ties! New frontiers! New adven-tures! Have you been thinking about new ways to get involved here at church? As you know, we have a va-riety of ministry areas that would allow you to use your gifts or “discover” NEW ones!

I will be offering a few new things as we look at growing and serving in Worship Arts. In addition to the many choirs and instrumental groups we currently have and the two voice classes I teach on Tuesday and Thurs-

day, I will begin work with two new choirs and an additional class:

On Wednesdays at 6pm, I will offer a Men’s Chorus and a Women’s Chorus - alternating every other Wednesday. These groups will meet in the sanctu-ary for about 50 minutes and cover music written especially for their voices. This is a great opportunity to begin singing if you feel “under-qualified!” (Most people feel that way!) These rehearsals will begin with the Men’s group on Wednesday, January 13th. The Women’s Chorus will meet for the first time on Wednesday, January 20th.

On Wednesdays at 2pm, I will begin a series of classes/discussions on a va-riety of music topics (i.e. Reading Mu-sic, The History of Sacred Song, etc.) The members of this class will deter-

P4 / Around the Church

mine the direction we go with this but we’ll do this in 6 to 8 week inter-vals. This class, called Music Acade-my, will begin on Wednesday, Janu-ary 13th. This will meet in the Choir Room of the Worship Center.

These offerings are intended to be a new opportunity for those who wish to explore the Worship Arts and I am always available to answer questions you might have about them!

Finally, a BIG thank you to EVERYONE involved in making the Christmas Concerts go so well. Attendance was over 1000 people for the two nights - and we had many guests! Whether in Worship Arts or some other area, find a way to help us serve our communi-ty and make the world a better place - starting right here in Hudson!!

Happy New Year to Everyone from the Worship Arts Team! By Yvonne Noel-Chairperson, Worship Team

We have had a good 2015 with new staff coming on board and, in October, the largest membership class that we have had in a long time. We would like to thank all those that have been serving as Lay Assistants, Communion Assistants, Courtesy Cart Drivers, Ushers, Voice of Praise Choir, Bells, Brass, Recorders, Instrumental group, Children’s Choir, Wings of Spirit and Sound and Video.

The Worship Team is looking forward to an even better 2016 with more exciting and challenging things in worship and in all the programs of the church.

With all of the new members and snowbirds returning, the Worship Team would like everyone to think about what area of service you would be interested in getting involved with. This is your church and we need to involve everyone in some way, whether it is during service or in other programs during the week. We are in need of more Lay Assistants, Commun-ion Assistants, Courtesy Cart Drivers and Ushers, especially for the 11am service. For more information, contact Yvonne Noel, Worship Team Chairperson, at 727-863-5118.

Let’s make this a banner year in our service, prayer, attendance, giving, and witness. Most of all, thank God for all that we have and can do to tell others about His love and grace.

George Tifft Concert: Saturday, January 24 at 6pm, we will be hosting singer and

songwriter, George Tifft in concert. He and his wife travel the United States sharing their testi-mony in word and song. George is a country/gospel artist with an outstanding story of victory over great challenges - thanks to God’s merciful grace. We invite you to bring a friend and help us fill our sancturary on that evening! For more information, go to www.georgetifft.com.

Scholarship by Ruth Lott

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Many friends have said that they’ve always wanted to read through

the New Testament. As your spiritual coach let me say, “Let’s do it!”

Bible in a Year

JANUARY Matthew 1 Matthew 2 Matthew 3:1-4:11 Matthew 4:12-5:12 Matthew 5:13-37 Matthew 5:38-6:15 Matthew 6:16-7:6 Matthew 7:7-8:4 Matthew 8:5-8:27 Matthew 8:28-9:13 Matthew 9:14-34 Matthew 9:35-10:23 Matthew 10:24-11:6 Matthew 11:7-30 Matthew 12:1-21 Matthew 12:22-42 Matthew 12:43-13:17 Matthew 13:18-43 Matthew 13:44-14:12 Matthew 14:13-36 Matthew 15:1-28 Matthew 15:29-16:12 Matthew 16:13-17:8 Matthew 17:9-18:7 Matthew 18:8-35 Matthew 19:1-22 Matthew 19:23-20:16 Matthew 20:17-34 Matthew 21:1-22 Matthew 21:23-46 Matthew 22:1-22

FEBRUARY Matthew 22:23-22:46 Matthew 23:1-26 Matthew 23:27-24:14 Matthew 24:15-51 Matthew 25:1-30 Matthew 25:31-26:13 Matthew 26:14-35 Matthew 26:36-56 Matthew 26:57-75 Matthew 27:1-26 Matthew 27:27-56 Matthew 27:57-28:20 Acts 1:1-26 Acts 2:1-21 Acts 2:22-47 Acts 3:1-26 Acts 4:1-22 Acts 4:23-5:11 Acts 5:12-40 Acts 5:41-6:15 Acts 7:1-22 Acts 7:23-47 Acts 7:48-8:13 Acts 8:14-40 Acts 9:1-25 Acts 9:26-43 Acts 10:1-23 Acts 10:24-48

MARCH Acts 11:1-30 Acts 12:1-25 Acts 13:1-22 Acts 13:23-43 Acts 13:44-14:7 Acts 14:8-15:2 Acts 15:3-21 Acts 15:22-16:5 Acts 16:6-24 Acts 16:25-17:9 Acts 17:10-34 Acts 18:1-23 Acts 18:24-19:20 Acts 19:21-41 Acts 20:1-16 Acts 20: 17-38 Acts 21:1-21 Acts 21:22-40 Acts 22:1-23 Acts 22:24-23:11 Acts 23:12-35 Acts 24:1-23 Acts 24:24-25:12 Acts 25:13-27 Acts 26:1-23 Acts 26:24-27:12 Acts 27:13-38 Acts 27:39-28:10 Acts 28:11-31 Mark 1:1-20 Mark 1:21-45

Meet a Scholar! Molly Dodd attended Florida Southeastern University in Lakeland graduating in 2013 with a BS in Broadcasting and in Journalism/Public Relations. While Molly was just a teenager in our church youth group, both of her parents passed away. Many members rallied around her to provide comfort and support.

“Receiving scholarship assistance from Hud-son UMC meant that I reached my goal of obtaining enough scholarships to be able to graduate debt free. I was able to focus on my education and not on finances.” Molly stated.

During college, Molly was a dorm resident assistant and worked on the college newspa-per. Upon graduation, she qualified for a summer internship with Fox News in New York. She was thrilled to be able to work in her chosen field. After the summer intern-ship, Molly became employed full time with Fox News as a Digital Department Coordina-tor.

Molly wrote, “I am so grateful to the giving body of the church and for the prayers of those who believed in my success. I am do-ing very well despite the hardship of losing my parents. Your donations and prayers sin-gle-handedly got me where I am today.”

Those of us who knew Molly remember her sunny smile, cheerful personality, and helpful spirit. During one of our Arts & Crafts Fairs, Molly made wire angel pins to sell to help raise money for scholarships.

Your Support is Needed Your donations and support of the scholar-ship program of our church provide the means to help Molly and other students gain the skills they need to become responsible members of the community.

More importantly, your donations and sup-port demonstrate the love of Christ to our students as they “study to show themselves approved unto God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.

Join us beginning Thursday, January 21 at 10:00am for bible study and fellowship. “What Love Is” - a 7 session study of 1st, 2nd & 3rd John, encourages you to remain faithful to the truth. You will be chal-lenged to look at contrasting themes such as walking in the light instead of darkness, truth versus lies, loving God more than loving the world, and the meaning of true fellowship and community rather than shallowness. Call the office at 727-868-6178 to sign up.

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Thrift Store: new hours Through April 30th, the Thrift Store will have new hours: Monday-Saturday, 10:30am-4:00pm

All profits from the thrift store support the missions and ministries of our church. Be sure and do some of your Christmas shopping with us!

TGIW has been a great success so far! Everyone has loved Chef Jack’s cooking and the fellowship has been sweet!

If this wonderful ministry is to contin-ue, we will need more volunteers. There are several different time oppor-tunities on Wednesday to assist. You can sign up in the church lobby or call the church office.

Of course we will continue to offer great food and a warm welcome to our neighbors. But, we hope to get to know them even better and offer more than a meal through TGIW. Try us out and bring a friend!

Happiness is Healthy!

Hints for Home Bound Ministry

People generally live longer when they’re happy and engaged with life. That’s why it is a matter of concern when our elderly parents or loved ones are not happy. We know, instinctively, that unhappiness is not good for them. So, what to do? No single idea will turn the tide or elevate the spirit by itself; but some of these ideas used together will help make a difference in someone’s life….

Be empathetic…demonstrate you understand and offer comfort.

Visit…be upbeat not downbeat.

Get out…encourage getting out to socialize will help everyone.

Work…make yourself useful when you visit.

Play…enjoy a game that stimulates thinking and fun.

Pray…make this a practice….offer at each visit.

Talk…try a list of topics that might spark their interest.

Give thanks...for the many blessings we have each day. Make a list.

Take care…make sure to take care of yourself. Your health is important.

Keep current…if you need help, ask about resources, there are many.

Pam’s Resource Corner:

CARES Adult Day Care is available in several locations and one is near you. Did you know you could arrange to drop off your care receiver at CARES Claude Pepper Senior Center for a few hours and take a break or go shopping. All you need to do is contact the staff and register. This can be a blessing for both you and your care receiver. There are activities, health care and food available at the center all you need to do is register. If you would like more information about their services call 727-844-3077 and ask for Trina.

Pam’s Prescription by Pam Healey, parish nurse

Burial Lots Available - donation

Board of Trustees

Several years ago our church was gifted with three burial plots locat-ed in the Garden of Peace Memori-al Gardens located on Highway 19 north of the church.

Two of the plots are together, lo-cated in section 38-B, lots #1 and 2. The remaining single plot is located in section 57-C, lot #12. If you would be interested in purchasing any of these for a donation to the church, please contact Pastor Jerry at 727-868-6178.

REMINDER

TAI CHI STARTING SOON!

For those that are registered, class will be in the

church lobby starting January 5 at 9:30am

Tuesdays and Thursdays for 12 weeks

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P8 / Around the Church

Nancy’s Notes By Nancy Hitt, Church Administrator

This is the time of year to think about income taxes. Hudson First UMC is a qualified organization for charitable purposes. That means that contributions are deductible if you itemize deductions on your tax return. There are a few things to keep in mind if you are deducting taxes on your return.

All gifts of money or property must be supported by a bank record or written receipt to be deductible on your taxes.

For any contribution of $250 or more, you must have a receipt from the recipient organization before you file your tax return. I plan to have re-ceipts done by the end of January. If you will be deducting the contribu-tions, you should wait until you get your contribution record before filing your tax return.

The receipt from the recipient organization must have specific information on it. I will be sure that your receipt from HFUMC has all the required in-formation.

If you receive a benefit from the contribution, you can only deduct the amount in excess of the benefit. For example, if give $50 to a charitable organization but receive a book worth $20, you can only deduct $30.

A donation must be received by the charitable organization by the end of the year to be deductible in that year, or postmarked by the end of the year if it’s mailed. According to IRS regulations, the organization must go by the received or mailed date, not the date on the check.

Be sure to check with your tax professional about the specifics of charitable deductions on your tax return. If you have questions on your contribution statement when you receive it, I can be reached at the church office.

Save the Date!

Our Next meeting will be Saturday, January 16 at 9:00am. Please bring your updates on ticket sales and a small notebook for the ditty bag pro-ject.

Lunch & Fashion Show Ladies please set aside February 6th at 11:00am for a wonderful event here at our church. The Heart to Heart Woman’s Ministry will be hosting a fashion show and luncheon. Tickets are now on sale for $15 and are will be available from our mem-bers, at the church lobby kiosk and in the church office.

Please invite your friends and neigh-bors. All proceeds help us to contin-ue to help women and children in our community and missions in our church.

Our next Church Summit is Saturday, January 30th, 9am to 1pm. Help us "set the course" as we clarify our mis-sion and vision, and establish our "core values" - the DNA that will de-fine our church in the coming decade.

A continental breakfast is provided and we will have a pizza & salad lunch. All council and committee members should attend but EVERY-ONE is welcome. You're experience and expectations are IMPORTANT.

New Generation: Encouraging and enrich-

ing the lives of young

adults 18-25 and having

a lot of fun!

Next meeting:

Saturday, Jan. 16th,

6:30pm at the Oasis

Coffee Spot.

Contact Lexi:

727-868-6178.

P9 / Around the Church

1/1 Paula Reiss

1/4 Fernando Hornedo

1/4 Jon Shykove

1/5 Peter Karkheck

1/7 B. J. Knehans

1/8 Peter Rando

1/8 Kimberlee Van Meter

1/8 Joyce Wennerlof

1/10 Jake Engle

1/10 Richard Harford

1/11 Herbert Shivers

1/11 Martha Beneduci-Hall

1/12 Barbara Robinson

1/13 Ruth Hopper

1/13 Marilyn Skirtich

1/14 Bobby Henson

1/14 Jack Bryan

1/14 Judy Kreiler

1/14 Richard Couillard

1/15 Beatrice Reimsnider

1/16 Marie Kinden

1/17 Eddie Valie

1/18 Susan Staley-Barrett

1/18 Barb Van Patten

1/18 Lucy Bliven

1/19 Glenna Merritt

1/19 Rudy Schnoor

1/19 Dean Dubbs

1/20 Betty Dean

1/20 Marion Schnoor

1/21 Jerry Papin

1/24 Cora Williams

1/24 Ray Durbin

1/25 Dan Tacker

1/25 Juanita Plyler

1/26 Doris Hepp

1/26 George Bellows

1/26 Dorothy Pritchard

1/26 Albert Oxtal

1/27 Carol Mitchell

1/27 Carol Jackson

1/27 Dorothy Pelzek

1/27 Eugenia Field

1/28 Helen Greenup

1/28 Joyce Smith

1/30 Sally Givens

1/31 Wendy Butrick

Corrections: 868-6178

GRACE NOTES by Grace Chalela

HERE WE GO AGAIN

Okay, so it's January and time for the good ol' New Year's Resolutions. I could drag mine out from 10 or even 20 years ago and they would be the same, even though I nev-er completed them way back then. So why don't we try a new kind of New Year's Resolution? This one we could work on and actually get a few done during the year.

First and foremost, always, always, try to be more like Je-sus. WWJD?

1. If you open it.........close it.

2. If you turn it on.....turn it off.

3. If you unlock it.....lock it up.

4. If you can't fix it....call in someone who can.

5. If you break it.....admit it.

6. If you borrow it......return it.

7. If you value it....take care of it.

8. If you make a mess.....clean it up.

9. If you move it.....put it back.

10. If it belongs to someone else and you want to use it......ask for permission.

11. If you don't know how to operate it......leave it alone.

12. If it's none of your business......don't ask questions.

13. If it isn't broken.....don't fix it.

14. If it will brighten someone's day......say it.

15. If it isn't nice.....don't say it.

These should not be too hard to keep. Following them would make life easier for everyone around you.

Good luck!

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Missions News by Shirley Schafer

As we bid adieu to Old Year 2015 and greet Baby New Year 2016, the Missions Committee would like to thank you for

your generous contributions and effort. Last year Hudson First gave close to $13,000 to 25 different mission projects! Our lobby was often cluttered with baby clothes, school supplies, Veterans' gifts; and, lately, Christmas presents on their way to meet local needs.

We started out with "Imagine No Malaria" last January. The progress thermome-ter for the malaria project crept slowing upward throughout the year and finally peaked at $2700 in September. I can just hear the buzzing of angry mosquitoes frustrated by the sleeping nets covering their meals just inches away.

Operation Christmas Child was a new mission opportunity for us. We shopped for and packed just over 100 shoeboxes. Colorful red and green cardboard boxes along with durable plastic containers adorned the platform November 15th for a prayer of dedication before they were sent on the long journey to a needy child abroad. They bore a message of joy and hope in Christ's name followed in many cases by a children's Bible study course. Please let the committee know where your box was delivered if you chose to track its progress.

On January 5th at 10:00 am in Room 10, Karen Laukat, the district Cuban minister will speak to the Missions Committee about the possibility of adopting a sister church in Cuba. The door is open and the need is great. Even a little money and effort has a huge impact in this field "white unto harvest." We welcome anyone to attend, ask questions, and get involved.

Welcome Baby New Year 2016! Let's give ourselves a small pat on the back for a job well done, take a deep breath, and begin again. Our mission is ongoing. By God's grace we will tell it on the mountain, starting in Hudson and reaching afar.

Scholarship News by Shirley Schafer

The much anticipated Christmas holidays have come and gone. Our scholars have returned to school and studies, some locally at PHSC, and Hannah Hall in New York City. Torrey Martinez will be hard at work on her computer with on-line courses. This semester, Hudson First is supporting 8 students through interest off the endowment fund, gifts from the congregation, and fundraising events.

By the way, please mark your calendar for the next fundraising effort, our Spring Mad Hatter's Tea, March 19th, 2 - 4pm. This event will have an Alice in Wonder-land theme, and we all will wear hats! Any kind of hat will do: fancy, sun, funny, or even a baseball cap. There have been many requests over the years to wear hats. Gloves are optional. Not sure of the menu yet, but we'll keep you posted.

Giving to the church scholarship fund is a way to have a lasting impact on stu-dents' lives by helping to provide educational opportunities related to career goals. These scholarships are provided to participating members of Hudson First regardless of age. We believe that education provides mandatory skills needed for success in today's world. What a privilege it is to be able to help our candi-dates learn and grow as they as they fulfill God's purpose for their lives!

Donations to...

Scholarship Fund:

In memory of Charles Lott Jean Bennett Larry & Susan Hall Anonymous

Ruth Lott in honor and apprecia-tion of Pastor Jerry Milner

Stephen Ministries: From Ruth Lott in memory of Charles Lott From Ruth Lott honor and appre-ciation of Pastor Jerry Milner

Food Pantry: Doris Hepp in honor of Worship Arts, Christmas Program

General Offering: David Nichols in memory of Frances Clowes

Additions/Corrections: 868-6178

Praises: Archie, Hopper baby, Doris Young

Concerns: Estelle Austin’s son, Matthew, Janet Grant, Pete, Terry and Lee Benton, Dolly Freddie, Joni Peters, Barbara Cain, Scott and Elisa Glanzman, Lloyd, Elaine Eastman, Mattie and Henry, Ann and Flor-ence, Barbara Brose, Cory Gal-braith, Judy Lowenberg.

We extend our hearts and prayers to the families of:

Charles Lott who passed 12/3

Dottie Bartz who passed on 12/7

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Leadership expert John Maxwell has said: “Show me your checkbook and calendar and I can tell you your core values.” Core Values are the fundamental beliefs of a person or organization. They are the guiding principles dictating what we do and don’t do, what we invest in or refuse to fund. We all have Core Values.

If I believe myself to value health but look at my check-book and calendar at the end of the year and find little time or money was spent on my health, my health is not a Core Value. I have a desire to be healthy but it isn’t important enough for me to start and stop doing other things, start and stop funding other things. In fact those “other things” are more important to me whether I ad-mit it or not.

What are the Core Values of this church? They dictate what we do and where we spend our limited resources of time, talent, and treasure. They are what allow us to make decisions that further our mission and clarify our vision.

MISSION - Jesus gave us this in the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spir-it. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Our mission is to make disciples. It’s not up for a vote.

VISION - what is the preferred future God wants us to help Him create here in West Pasco? Micah 6:8, “The LORD has already told you what is good, and this is what he requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” We envision a West Pasco and world that is just and merciful, and humbly walking with God. What we do and don’t do should help that

Core Values by pastor Jerry

vision become reality.

CORE VALUES - a ministry or church based on clearly articu-lated core values says to all: “this is who we are, this is what we stand for, this is what we can and will do.” Core values clearly and succinctly communicate what is most important in a church. They are the non-negotiable boundaries within which all ministries and activities operate. For example, a ministry or leader espousing non-Trinitarian beliefs, or a belief that Jesus is not God, is “out of bounds.”

Core Values should be few, based on Scripture, and inspire action instead of prohibit behavior. People want to invest in something that aligns with their basic and central beliefs. The core values of a church shape the ministries, determine staffing, and drive budgets. Core values bring alignment and help ensure we stay “on mission” - doing the main thing and not letting the “good” keep us from God’s “great.”

Most growing and effective churches have agreed upon Core Values that ensure the mission of making disciples is actually done. Like these in the panel to the right from Sad-dleback Church...

CORE VALUES - why we exist... - Worship: celebrate God’s Presence - Community (membership) - Maturity: deepen faith - Ministry: change the world - Mission: professions of faith

Please, give some thought to the values that drive us now (like music, compassion, and Biblical preaching) and what may be missing that is holding us back from God’s full bless-ing. Email me at: jerry@HudsonFirstUMC.org

See you at the next Church Summit, January 30, 9am.

$2,000 gift for God’s Food Pantry

Thank you to Bill Spicuglia, owner of Hudson Vacuum. Bill heard of the compassionate outreach we do through our Food Pantry and wanted to help.

Bill is also active in the Hudson Rotary and has been instrumental in helping other initiatives to relieve hunger in our community including the Rotary Blue Bags which are filled with groceries and sent home on the weekends with needy children at Hudson Elementary and Middle Schools.

Bill’s gift to Hudson FUMC will help us meet the ever growing needs of the many food insecure families in the neighborhoods we’ve been called to serve.

Boy Scouts Troop 86

THANK YOU! The Scouts would like to thank the church members for the success of the Spaghetti Dinner and all the people that attended or made donations. Your participation in these events

allow the boys to take part in scouts and the troop to exist.

PANCAKES! PANCAKES! PANCAKES! The Boy Scouts Troop 86 will again be holding their annual all-you-can-eat Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, February 14th, 8:30am-12:00pm. Tickets will be on sale Sunday, February 7th.

Connections - Faith, Friends, Fun, & Fitness

Heart-to-Heart Women 9-11a 3rd Saturday every month Contact Ann Bromwell: 868-6178 Open to all women , faith and friendship blend together in a time of Christian fellowship.

252 Children’s Ministry 9:45 Sundays, Children’s Worship Contact Cheryle: 868-6178 K-5th grade—January’s theme is: Self Control.

Refuge Youth Ministry 9:45 Sundays, Discipleship 6p Sundays, Activity & Devotion 6p Wednesday, Small Group Where teens encounter Christ in themselves and their world.

Care Givers Support Group 10:30a 3rd Tues of month in CE10 Contact Laura: 863-0176 Care for caregivers—a place to laugh, learn, share and care.

Exercise with Fran 9:30a Mondays—Flex and Balance 9:30a Fridays—Circuit Training Contact Office: 868-6178 Cost? Bring a canned good for the Food Pantry!

New Generation 6:30p 3rd Sat of month at Oasis Coffee Spot Contact Lexi: 868-6178 Encouraging and enriching the lives of young adults 18-25.

Sunday Schedule:

8:30 & 11:00am—Worship

9:45am—Bible Study for all ages

8:15 to 12:15—nursery (0 to 4yo)