ATTENTION! ALL BIBLE STUDIES, REHEARSALS, GROUPS, AND MEETINGS HAVE BEEN CANCELED FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, AND THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10 DUE TO HURRICANE MILTON!
If you need help after the storm, please call the church office or Pastor Donna.
I want to offer this prayer with Hurricane Milton approaching.
God, we need You every hour, and especially as our fear, uncertainty, and anxiety stir within us like the storm off the Florida coast. We need You every hour as we prepare, knowing that we don’t know what this week will bring. We pray for everyone across the State of Florida today. We pray for those who will once again be evacuated, leaving behind their homes and not knowing what will happen. We pray for those in our church whose homes have already been damaged. We pray for all government officials. We pray for first responders, frontline workers, and for those who will work through and after the storm. We pray for each other, O God. In moments when our fears come out as anger, help us breathe. In moments when our uncertainty causes our minds to swirl endlessly, calm and center us. In moments when life is too much, hold us with a love we need now more than ever. Be with us, O God with a strength we need this day and for this week to come. Amen.
Please stay safe with Hurricane Milton approaching. I pray whether you evacuate or are hunkering down for God’s presence to be with you. Please stay in touch with each other.
Please know that as of right now all on-campus gatherings for the week are canceled.
We will be in touch after the storm, as we are able, when we will know more about the coming days and weeks.
My heartfelt prayers and God’s love to you all in these days. If you need anything, please contact me or Pastor Donna.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor David
Dear Church Members and Friends
In the rapidly changing milieu for ministry in which all congregations are working today, many have decided to evaluate their staff design. For decades, congregations have been using the same models for staffing their ministry: Senior pastor, Associate pastor, Director of Christian Education, Director of Music, Administrative Assistant, and Maintenance Person are among the core positions traditionally. When a person in one of these positions left a congregation, a committee was formed to find a replacement.
Few congregations stopped to ask, “Do we still need an Associate Pastor or Director of Christian Education or whatever?” However, today, it can be argued that an essential staff position is someone managing communications (to the congregation and community) or that some positions are best served with part-time rather than formerly full-time employees. Congregations that don’t offer some hybrid flexibility (some work at church, some work from home) are finding their pool of applicants seriously limited. Some congregations are outsourcing certain types of work (from payroll to landscaping services).
With all of this in mind and given First UMC of Mt. Dora’s recent adoption of a new strategic plan, the Staff-Parish Relations Committee has decided to hire a consultant for a quick but thorough review of our staffing plan.
The review will consider questions such as: Do the current positions align with what is needed to implement the plan? Do we need to add skill sets in areas such as communications and marketing? Where do we need to increase our staff, given the priorities of the strategic plan?
The consultant will interview all of our staff members to
1) ascertain what they currently do and 2) get their opinion of how the current staff design should be changed. With those interviews complete, the consultant will hold meetings with the Staff-Parish Relations Committee to discuss what was heard in the interviews. The consultant will also advise the SPRC as to best practices at healthy congregations around the country. The SPRC will then bring to the Council whatever recommendations for a staff design here at First UMC that it deems best.
The consultant will finish this process before Thanksgiving. We ask for your prayers as this process moves forward.
Blessings,
Matt Hill, SPRC Chairperson
Vision 2030 Update
The Rebranding team presented designs for a new church logo to the Church Council at the September meeting. A vote will be held in October and then shared with all church members. Additionally, a new Barefoot logo was chosen by the students during Wonderful Wednesday on October 2nd. A big thank you to all the Barefoot students who helped design and make this part of the strategy come to life! The Parent and Barefoot student focus groups were held on October 2nd. Thank you to everyone who participated and to those who completed the online and paper surveys. We are currently creating a report that will be shared with the Council and staff members. Feedback will be used in the upcoming Vision 2030 strategies. The Vision 2030 team is currently planning for future strategies which will begin in January 2025. Please look for announcements in Tuesday Tidings, the bulletin, and around the church campus as we will be asking for volunteers in the coming months to assist with these important endeavors. If you have questions about Vision 2030 or are interested in volunteering, please contact Andy Reitmeyer (
New Day and Time for FUMC Book Club: 3rd Tuesday of the month at 2 p.m. Next Meeting: Tuesday, October 15th Sanctuary Hall (October and November only) The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by: Marianne Cronin
Our Lake Cares food distribution is Friday, October 18 at the King Center, 803 Florida Avenue. Volunteers of all ages are needed from 7:30 to 9:30 am.
Starting Point meets on Sunday, October 20 from 3:00 to 4:30 pm in the chapel. If you want to know more about what it means to be a Christian, a United Methodist, or a member of this congregation, contact the church office to reserve your place. Childcare is available with a reservation.
Three opportunities to be Living Love:
Saturday, October 19 from 9:00 to 11:30 am at Trout Lake Nature, 520 E County Road 44 in Eustis. Wear closed shoes and bring gloves, bug spray, and sunscreen. Volunteers of all ages are welcome.
Saturday, October 26, and Sunday, October 27 – Volunteers are needed for our craft fair outreach in the sanctuary and in the welcome tent. Contact Janet@mtdorafumc.org to sign up for a time slot.
Wednesday, October 30 from 7:00-8:00 pm – Truck or Treat in the Grandview parking lot. Decorate your vehicle and pass out candy or donate snack-size, nut-free candy. Contact the church office to reserve your parking space.
Bake Sale – Saturday, October 26 – volunteers are needed from 8 AM until baked yummies are sold out. Are you a great baker? WE NEED YOU! Place your delectable cookies, biscuits, crackers, biscotti, brownies, confections, doggy biscuits and/or sweets two per labeled bag (cookie type, nuts?) Dog biscuits will also be sold. Deliver baked goods to the Chapel on Friday, October 25 from 10 AM until noon.
Do you love to travel?
*Wonders of Egypt trip from February 24-March 7. 2025? Contact Paul Lane at 407-325-3017 for more information. *Biblical Backgrounds in Italy trip with Pastor David Averil in November 2025? Contact the church office for more information.
Collection baskets are in the Fifth Avenue entrance for:
Non-perishable food for Lake Cares
Toiletry items for the homeless and the battered women’s shelter
The prayer group meets on Wednesdays at 3:00 pm. Contact the church office for the off-campus location.
Exercise class meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 9:00 am in Friendship Hall. The class does not include any floorwork.
Do you want to be the face of our congregation? We need volunteers to serve as greeters from 9:00 to 9:30 am and 10:30 to 11:00 am on Sunday mornings.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WEEDING! I know it has been too hot, but the weeds seem to like the hot! Please get in touch with the office if you want to sign up to be a weeder, or if you are a weeder and cannot weed any longer.
