I was relieved to hear that most of you made it out of the storm unscathed. I did hear that Charlotte Jardine had her car totaled due to a tree falling on it. Also, at the parsonage, my family had a tree fall in front of the garage. Many thanks to Tom Gay, Head Trustee, for quickly responding, and contacting our lawn service. It was God’s providence that the lawn guys came out before they had to go to many other jobs for tree removal. My wife Alesia was very relieved to have this tree cleared the day after since it was blocking the garage and driveway.
I know many others around our state were not so lucky with a lot of devastation due to surging waters and tornadoes. I likely would have been called up by the Florida National Guard for these last two weeks for State Active Duty for disaster response. One way to help our neighbors in Florida and around the Southeast in the wake of both Hurricanes Helene and Milton is to give to the United Methodist Committee of Relief (UMCOR). Thank you for your donations to UMCOR. I encourage you to keep those donations coming. You can give directly through the church’s online portal or by check. You can also give at
umcor.org I also want to take time to express appreciation for the Steward Team, especially those who hosted and attended the Leadership Summit Dinner on October 6, 2024. Rose Noakes led a hospitality team that provided a fantastic dinner. Thank you, Rose and team! Andy and Erin Reitmeyer also gave an engaging presentation on the progress we have made so far in implementing our Vision 2030 plan. Forty-six church leaders attended in all and considered their commitments to the missions and ministry of First United Methodist Church in 2025.
Our focus from our “Earn. Save. Give.” devotional guide this week is “Earn”. While we earn many things on this earth, nothing compares to the blessings that God bestows through God’s grace and mercy. Jesus reminds us to earn our treasures in heaven through the unseen things we do for the Lord (Matthew 6:19-21)
Speaking of “Earn”. Last week, I earned the Army Achievement Medal for my service in Texas. However, this does not compare to the hidden praise I have earned from serving the Lord. This week I received one of those “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23) acknowledgments. My religious affairs NCO, Sergeant Jeremy Colbert said to me and wanted me to share with you, “Chaplain Averill, your presence and working with you on this mission has beena Godsend.” I have always felt that my calling as a chaplain and pastor is to reach one person at a time. Each person is someone of sacred worth that God created. No one can take that status away from any of us. You are loved and special to God. God really wants you to know this. While we like to focus on what we can earn, there is nothing we can do to “earn” God’s love.
This unmerited favor is what God’s grace through God’s Son, Jesus Christ, means. As we sing in the revival hymn, “Jesus Paid It All”:
“Jesus paid it all! All to Him I owe! Sin hath left a crimson stain. He washed it bright as snow!”
However, what we do earn on this earth is really a gift from God.
As the Psalmist reminds us in Psalm 24:1:
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;”
Therefore, God has a claim upon what we do earn, and we honor God when we return a portion of what we do cheerfully to the work of the Lord through the church. Proverbs 3:9-10 reminds us of this concept of offering our first fruits to God:
“Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow”
May we rejoice in the unearned favor of God, and the blessings we receive from God through our earnings.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor David
Hurricanes Helene and Milton have devastated parts of the southeastern U.S., bringing catastrophic flooding and destruction. As the United Methodist Committee on Relief begins to assess the damage, we ask for continued prayers for first responders and all those affected. To support this and other U.S. disaster response efforts, you may give online or write UMCOR in the memo line of your check.
Stewardship Moments Greetings from the Stewardship Committee! Each year we come to you, the congregation, asking for your commitment to our church. Commitment at FUMC is defined as supporting our church through your service, prayers, and tithing. Our 2025 program theme is “Highway to Heaven: A Journey with Jesus” this year. We are focusing on a devotional by the acclaimed Methodist Pastor and author, the Reverend Dr. Jim Harnish. Dr. Harnish also serves as the Co-Facilitator of the Florida United Methodist Conference Institute of Preaching and speaks throughout the United States emphasizing the importance of understanding John Wesley’s simple rules for money. This devotional gift (one per family) and information packets are available at the 5th Avenue entrance of the church. Over the next four (4) weeks, your bulletin will include an activity, and we sincerely hope you and your family will participate in the reading of the devotional and activities. If you are unable to attend church and would like a packet mailed to you, please contact Meria at the church office by calling (352) 383-2005.
Week 1 Activity Please bring your completed acrostic poem to church and pin it to one of the poem boards located at the Sanctuary entrances. If you mail your poem, we will happily post it for you!
Our Bible Verse: Week 1 2 Corinthians 9: 7,8,9 NIV 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.”[a]
Christian Pilgrimage to Italy in November 2025
Greetings from Texas. I am looking forward to returning to Mt. Dora in less than a month. Due to encouragement from several of you, I wanted to offer a follow-up experience to the pilgrimage. This one will focus on ancient Rome in the time of the early church, and it will illuminate your understanding of the Gospels, the Epistles, the Acts of the Apostles, and Revelation in the New Testament.
As I did for Greece and Turkey, I am again teaming up with Pastor Jonathan of Sanlando UMC to provide First UMC of Mt. Dora members and other friends the opportunity to journey into the context of the New Testament and of the early Christian Church. This Italian journey is scheduled to depart on November 1, 2025, from Orlando. The standard part of the journey returns on November 11, but there is an optional extension that will return on November 14.
The trip has been planned by and will be facilitated by Pastor Jonathan’s friend, The Rev. Peter Miano, of The Society for Biblical Studies. Peter led Sanlando’s 2019 pilgrimage to the Holy Land. You can read about his authentic approach to touring and teaching in Italy here: https://sbsbibletours.org/italy/
The following link contains the tabs for the official trip information and registration forms. The eleven-day journey, including airfare from Orlando, will cost $4,911.
An informational meeting via Zoom has been planned for this Thursday, October 17th at 7 PM. The Rev. Peter Miano of The Society for Biblical Studies will join us for that meeting in order to share about the journey and answer any questions. Here is the link to join the meeting this Thursday: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87047698016?pwd=bA813pQ1CUdhDXZfnbMtb0BwF5Z1sr.1
Let’s go to Italy!
Blessings, David
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.
THIS 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.
Starting Point meets this 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, please attend. Childcare is available with advance notice.
Dress A Girl Around the World returns on Tuesday, October 22 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm in Friendship Hall. The team meets to create dresses for girls in developing countries on the second and fourth Tuesdays. A well-dressed girl is less likely to be a victim of human sex trafficking.
United Women of Faith meets on Tuesday, October 22 at 1:00 pm in Friendship Hall. Women of all ages are welcome!
The widowed support group meets on Thursday, October 24 at 9:30 am in the chapel. Anyone who has lost a spouse is welcome.
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.
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.
CHILDREN ON SUNDAY MORNINGS
Childcare – Available from 9:15 am to 12:15 pm
Kids’ Church – Children begin in worship at 9:30 and then depart for Kids’ Church
Bible Fun – Available during the 11:00 traditional service
Wonderful Wednesdays for kindergarten through fifth grade meet from 6:00 to 8:00 pm each week. Worship Arts begins at 6:00 pm followed by Bible study, crafts, and games.
Bible Studies:
Sundays at 9:30 am in the Chapel
Sundays at 9:30 am in the CEC Classroom
Sundays at 9:30 am in the Choir Room
Sundays at 11:00 am in Friendship Hall
Tuesdays at 2:00 pm in the chapel– Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition (starting October 22)
Wednesdays at 9:30 am in the Chapel – Sitting at the feet of Rabbi Jesus
Wednesdays at 6:30 PM in the Chapel – Being United Methodist Christians(and on Zoom)
Thursdays at 6:30 pm in the Chapel – Book of Ezekiel (and on Zoom)
Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has delivered shoebox gifts to over 160 countries including more than 50 hard-to-reach countries. Last year, our congregation filled 157 shoeboxes for low-income children around the world. You can help by filling any plastic shoebox with toys and gifts, labeling it with a suggested age and gender, and returning it to the Fifth Avenue entrance by November 17. If you would prefer to use an Operation Christmas Child shoebox, they are available in the church office or the Fifth Avenue entrance.
Do you love to travel? Here are two opportunities:
*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.
TIP #5 – For recording purposes, we document cash and checks separately.
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.
If you would like to provide flowers for the worship services, sign up on the flower calendar in the back of the sanctuary or contact the church office.
