News 20191024

WHILE PASTOR BUCEY IS RECOVERING

Pastor Bucey is recovering at home after successful hip replacement surgery. If you would like to send him well wishes please contact the church. During his recovery a team of ordained pastors have stepped forward to respond to pastoral needs. Members and friends may call the church office Monday through Friday from 9 am to 4 pm at 239-482-3133. Outside those hours, the following schedule will be in place. Feel free to contact these capable people to assist you. Rev. Wesley Snedeker 239-297-1586 cell October 10 – 27; Rev. Dr. Roger Martin 315-529-2765 cell October 14 – 27; Rev. Dr. Sandra Boler 239-489-0730 home October 13 – 27; Rev. Nancy Rohde 239-994-1735 cell 239-437-6978 home October 13 – 27.

BOYCOTT WENDY’S – NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION!

Join Immokalee farmworkers, their families, SWFL allies and the young leaders of the Student/ Farmworker Alliance for a lively, energetic picket in solidarity with the national Wendy’s Boycott! This action is part of the 2019 SFA Encuentro, an annual convergence of dozens of young people from across the country organizing for farmworker justice. The action will take place on 10/28 @ 5-6pm at the Wendy’s at 9301 Daniels Pkwy, Ft. Myers 33912 #BOYCOTTWENDYS www.sfalliance.org

L.I.F.E. ANNUAL ASSEMBLY

The Lee Interfaith For Empowerment (L.I.F.E.) Annual Assembly is being held here at FMCUCC on Tuesday 10/29: Let Justice Roll (Amos 5:24). Do you want to make Lee County a better place for all who live here? What does God require of you? ( see Micah 6:8). Don’t be overcome by all the bad news. Join 200+ diverse people of faith from 15 area congregations at the Lee Interfaith For Empowerment (LIFE) Annual Assembly being held at our church on Tuesday night, October 29, from 7:00-8:45pm. Come see what LIFE is doing in these areas: Criminal Justice, Housing, and Children and Families. If you want more information and to get free tickets to the Assembly talk with one of our FMCUCC Team Leaders: Karen Kelley, Sue Randall, Kris Hurren, or Jim Boler. Tickets will also be available at the door. Because parking will be tight we encourage you, if you can, to carpool, arrive early to welcome people from the other churches, and park on the grass far away from the building.

UNICEF

Our Sunday School Children will be collecting for UNICEF for the next couple of weeks. Grab a UNICEF coin box today use it for collecting lose change from around the house, maybe empty out pants pockets in the laundry room or check the bottom of your purse, automobile seats have loose coins too (mixed in with stale French fries LOL!). Don’t have loose change… dollar bills and checks work well too. Please participate in our campaign which begins October 20 and ends November 3! Thank You!

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT

If you have walkers or bedside commodes you no longer need, please consider donating them to the church. We loan those items out to those in need and are currently out. If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Riehl in the church office, 239-482-3133

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ALL SAINTS DAY

We will celebrate All Saints’ Day on Sunday, Nov. 3rd during worship. We will read the names of all who have died since Nov. 1st of last year. It will be a time of commemoration and remembrance. We will toll the chimes for each name as we remember that person’s impact on our lives. How can you help? During the month of October, we will be gathering the names of the deceased. You may submit the names of Fort Myers Congregational members, family members, friends, co-workers or neighbors. We will print the names in the worship bulletin on Nov. 3rd as we remember those who have gone before us. At the conclusion of the service, we will sing one of the greatest hymns of the church, “For All the Saints”. Please plan to submit names and be in attendance for this most meaningful service. Call the church office 239-482-3133 or send an email ofcmgrfmcucc@gmail.com

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RAISING THE ROOF

Great progress! To date we have raised $39,487.00 in cash and pledges of our $100,000.00 goal. Thank you to everyone for your gifts and efforts! NOTE: During the construction on the roof, for safety reasons, please pay attention to the dumpsters and caution tape.

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CHRISTMAS GET TOGETHER

Come join us with the holiday show, Sounds of Christmas, to get you in the happy feeling of the Christmas season. The show is Saturday matinee at Off Broadway Palm at the Broadway Palm Theater, Dec 7, at 11:30 AM for the buffet followed by the show at 1:00PM. The cost is $59.00 which covers the show and tip for the servers. This is a group rate so we need at least 20 people to participate. All tickets need to be paid for by Nov 21. If you have any questions, call Susan Hegner, Oct. 22 – Nov 9, call or 239-281-1601 and leaved a message. Otherwise call Susan on 239-482-0959. Here is a synopsis of the show: Sounds of Christmas is a joyous musical revue that is centered around a family celebrating the spirit of the season through many musical memories! Bring your family and friends as we celebrate the season with festive production numbers, beautiful dancing and dazzling costumes! You’ll hear holiday classics along with more contemporary songs you know and love including Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, Little Drummer Boy, All I Want For Christmas Is You, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Run Run Rudolph and more. And this holiday extravaganza wouldn’t be complete without a visit from the big guy himself…Santa Claus! This fun-filled production is perfect for everyone and will remind you why this is the most wonderful time of the year!

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GROW

GROW is an educational ministry of Fort Myers Congregational United Church of Christ. It draws upon the resources that make our church unique to foster an atmosphere of intellectual and social experimentation. GROW is a series of free classes, workshops, and social events led by staff members, retired clergypeople, and guest facilitators who seek to edify our community through the enlightenment and organization of its members. You are welcome to attend any course listed at any point in its progress. If you would like more information about GROW or any of its courses, please contact our Community Minister Wesley Snedeker at wesleysnedeker@gmail.com. Please click here for a detailed description of all classes offered.

NEW TESTAMENT STUDY

Beginning Nov 3, GROW’s New Testament Study will provide the opportunity to explore the Christian canon in a new way. Using Marcus Borg’s Evolution of the Word as its central text, the class will review the New Testament in depth, in the order the books were written (rather than the order they appear in the canon). This is for those who wish to expand their knowledge about the Bible & provide a glimpse into the development of early Christian thought. Sessions will be held at 9:00 am on Sunday mornings (before worship), and will cover the book(s) that participants would have been asked to read over the previous week. This learning opportunity will be facilitated through a collaborative effort by a number of GROW team members, which will offer participants a great diversity of perspective, experience, and insight into the Christian scriptures.

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FINE TUNINGS

The 2019 Fall Session of Fine Tunings has been scheduled to begin on Monday, November 11th. Fine Tunings is designed to help young people enhance their education by participating in three 30 minute break-out sessions during the evening – Tutoring, Music and Arts /Crafts. A light meal is also offered for any families and volunteers who desire. The success of our program depends on our talented and dedicated church family volunteers. Please consider helping us by either working with children on craft projects, helping with homework, or simple music (piano, vocal, guitar etc.) We also need people to help set-up for the meal and clean up after. This is a great opportunity for some new members, to get more involved in the work of our church. Past volunteers will tell you how rewarding it is to work with the children. If you would like your child to participate in the program, please return the registration ASAP since we offer this first to our church families. For additional information the 2019-2020 brochure is posted on the Church School bulletin board and copies are available at the welcome desk. Sandy Blackington or Susan Hegner can provide additional detail and answer questions or volunteer.

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BOARD OF FINANCE UPDATE

The good news is that we have raised over $39,000 toward our $100,000 goal in the Raise the Roof Campaign. The bad news is that contributions toward our operating expenses continue to fall short of what is needed. For the past 7 months, the operating income was $145,628, almost $11,000 lower than budgeted due primarily to lower non-pledge income. Operating expenses were $196,694, $5,500 over budget due primarily to unexpected electrical lighting work. Since operating expenses exceeded operating income, we had a deficit of $51,066. Even if income and expenses for the remainder of the year are on budget, that deficit will continue to grow. We have transferred MIF funds to cover the deficit but we have reached the limit on what we can transfer from the MIF for operating costs under the current Church By-Laws. When we presented the budget to the congregation we knew we had a significant challenge. We had faith that the congregation would meet the challenge that faced us for the current year. We continue to have faith that we can meet this challenge. As a reminder, we need weekly collections of $6,200 to cover our operating expenses. Submitted by Debbie Canyock, Board of Finance