harvest

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TIMES HARVEST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 14305 Covenant Way, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 941-907-7333 | DECEMBER 2017

This Advent season the people of Harvest have created a devotional guide to accompany us on our journey to Christmas, as a reminder that God is now here among us. If you’d like to join us on our journey, you can sign up for the daily devotions (by opting in to receive emails from Harvest) here: https://goo.gl/NHGQDQ. On behalf of the pastoral team, we wish you an advent season filled with the hope, peace, love, and joy of Jesus Christ. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. - Isaiah 9:6-7

Advent is a time of both/and. I feel the darkness of the world and the light of the Gospel. We see the materialism of the season and the simplicity of a child born in a stable to peasant parents. Both joy and exhaustion are ever present. But ultimately, Advent is the season in which God declares: you my people are both broken and redeemed. It’s into this both/and reality that Jesus steps. Jesus is right here with us in the midst of all the chaos, the joy, the sorrow, the celebration; offering us peace. Jesus’ proffered peace doesn’t make the chaos disappear any more than it makes the joy disappear. But the peace changes us: it allows us to see through the storm to the safe harbor of God’s shore. But this peace that Jesus offers is not just for our sake. It’s meant to be shared with the world. If all we do with the peace of Jesus is make ourselves feel better, we’ve missed the hope and joy and love of Jesus. During the season of Advent, we talk about preparing our hearts for the coming of the Christ child. And it is in preparing our hearts that we begin to experience God’s redemption. But God’s redemption comes in the way we interact with God’s world – by sharing the story of the Gospel, the peace and hope and love and joy of Jesus. What if the promise of Advent is both the work of preparing ourselves, and the work of preparing the world? What if we look for ways to offer peace to our neighbors? What if we look for ways to offer peace to strangers? What if we extend peace to our enemies? Perhaps it starts with small acts like offering “peace be with you” as greetings to store clerks or to the neighbors we see as we take our trash cans to the curb. Maybe you begin to pray for peace for the drivers you pass on the roads, the people who crowd the hallways in the mall, the neighbor whose Christmas lights drive you crazy. And then as you pray for these people – stranger and neighbor alike – perhaps you find ways to extend peace in tangible ways; through cookies brought to neighbors’ doors, through purchasing fewer presents so there is extra to give to the mission of God’s church, through picking up the phone to seek reconciliation in a broken relationship. Jesus offers us his peace; and we are called to offer it to the world that the world might be made ready for the Christ child. May peace begin with us. Gracious God, transform my heart that I might experience your peace, and in so doing help me to share that peace with neighbor and stranger alike. Make me more like you this Advent season. Amen.

WORSHIP AT

HARVEST 14305 Covenant Way Lakewood Ranch Sunday 9 AM Traditional Worship Sunday 10:30 AM Contemporary Worship Sunday 5 PM Harvest Youth Group We are called by Christ to offer hope by graciously welcoming people, intentionally growing disciples, and generously serving others locally, regionally, and around the globe.

WANT MORE? facebook.com/harvestumc harvestumc harvestumc welcometoharvest.org

Pastor Jennifer

[email protected]

HARVEST TEAM Rev. Michael Pestel Lead Pastor Rev. Katie Pestel Pastor Rev. Jennifer Potter Buff Pastor Jillanne Conelias Sprouts CDC Associate Director Reed Conley Director of Worship Arts Terry Cox Executive Assistant to the Pastors Carin Doddroe Facilities and Guest Readiness Director Dan Funk Comptroller Alan Hensley Custodial Manager Mike Kennedy Director of Discipleship Molly Lawson Director of Community Engagement Dave Lewis Choral Music Director Logan Lundstrom Accompanist Steve Maldanado Tech Booth Coordinator Bonnie McElravy Children’s Minister Ginny Scott Youth Minister Cindee Shevlin Sprouts CDC Director Paul Tassler Communications Director Dan Whissell Associate Worship Leader

Staff can be reached via email at [email protected] (example: [email protected]) Harvest Times | Harvest United Methodist Church | 2

HARVEST YOUTH CHRISTMAS PARTY Sunday, December 17

All youth in grades 6-12 are invited to our Christmas Party! It will be our last youth group of 2017. Christmas sweaters and outfits are encouraged. We will have dinner, worship, games, and small groups. We invite you to join us!

No Youth Group December 24 & 31

H O P E SHEALING worship gathering Wednesday, December 13 // 6–6:45 PM The Harvest Centre We are offering a special mid-week worship gathering for anyone seeking comfort, love, understanding, and encouragement during what may be a difficult season in life. Through music, scripture, prayer, preaching, and communion we will be reminded that Jesus is always with us, even in our darkest moments. We invite you, your family, and your friends to worship with us.

Sunday, December 10 // 2:30–4:30 PM

HARVEST KIDS December BIG IDEA

The Big Give at Harvest Kids! Our Harvest Kids will be learning about generosity and how we can make someone’s day by giving something away. We’ll practice by giving like God gave and searching for creative ways to give. God gave us a special example of generosity when God gave us Jesus. 1 Timothy 6:18 says, “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share.”

Christmas Craft Day // December 17 // 11:30 AM–3 PM

We will celebrate The Big Give by making Christmas crafts to give away! $15 per child, lunch will be provided. Kids will make special Christmas crafts to give as gifts! Register at welcometoharvest.org/harvestkids by December 13. Contact our Children’s minister, Bonnie McElravy at [email protected] with any questions.

HARVESTERS Thursday, January 18 In January the Harvesters will visit Cortez Village — one of the last remaining historic fishing villages on Florida’s Gulf Coast, for docent-led tours of the Florida Maritime Museum and the Cortez Cultural Center. Cost for the day is just $10/person. Lunch arrangements have been made for 1 p.m at The Seafood Shack. The cost of lunch will be on your own. For more information and to register go to welcometoharvests.org/ harvesters. Contact Bob and Mary Stark at 231-564-0677 with any questions. • Share the joy of Christmas with the families of Falkner Farm • Volunteer as gift wrappers, shopping escorts, crafters, card makers, game facilitators, and food servers • Angel Trees are in the lobby with tags on them listing the gifts to buy for Falkner familes • You can also donate funds to help support the meal and activities for the party • Go to welcometoharvest.org/give to give online • Sign Up to serve or donate at Hospitality Hub 1—through December 3 More information is at welcometoharvest.org/falknerfarm. If you have questions or want to share an idea on how to enhance the party, contact Missions Team leader Diane McCoy at [email protected] or 941-504-4875. Harvest Times | Harvest United Methodist Church | 3

Immanuel

christmas through the eyes of Isaiah ADVENT MESSAGE SERIES November 26–December 17

3 PM F a m i ly S e r v i c e 5 PM C o nt e m p o r a ry S e rv i c e 7 PM C o nt e m p o r a ry S e rv i c e 9 PM T r a d i t i o n a l S e rv i c e We w i l l n o t h a v e S u n d a y A M Wo r s h i p o n C h r i s t m a s E v e

Community ENGAGEMENT Community Engagement is about being the church outside of the church. Our goals are to love one another, share our faith through words and actions, and provide pathways to demonstrate God’s love to those around us. In recent months we’ve had the privilege of spreading kindness in our community and witnessing the happy confusion that comes when someone experiences a random act of kindness. Recently Harvest has been in collaboration with the LWR YMCA. Our goal is to work with them to create innovative programming that will benefit our community. Harvest has been well received and we are excited to be moving forward with that partnership. Keep a look out for the Lakewood Ranch Kindness Project posts on Facebook. On November 26, after both worship gatherings we painted rocks (with inspirational words and images) to be used in creative ways at our local YMCA. We will be Rocking the Y with these well-placed painted rocks, and hope to track them on Facebook with #loveyourneighbor. To learn more about Community Engagement, contact our Director of Community Engagement, Molly Lawson, at 941-907-7333, x1015, or [email protected].

VIT L SIGNS

The people of Harvest are sowing seeds of faith, growing together in Christ

< Harvest Youth raised $635 at the November Connnect Retreat < An average of 640 per week worshiped at Harvest in November < 240 people participated in our Hanging of the Greens worship gathering < 51 households filled out a commitment card who had not filled one out last year < 30 households identified that their giving this year represented a new step in faith People are giving generously! You can see our financial picture at welcometoharvest.org. For a full report of our Missional Vital Signs, go to tools.flumc.org/yearly.asp.