The Erev Yom Kippur and Kol Nidre service at Congregation Beth Shalom in Deltona will be at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, October 4, with the Yom Kippur service following at 9 am on Wednesday, October 5.
Yizkor will be at noon on October 5, and N’eila and Havdalah will be at 6:30 p.m. A “Breaking of the Fast” dairy product will follow.
No tickets required; donations will be gladly accepted.
Congregation Beth Shalom is located at 1308 E. Normandy Blvd. in Deltona.
Stetson history teacher will talk about the war in Ukraine
Dr. Martin Blackwell, visiting professor of history at Stetson University, will speak for the first time at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of West Volusia in DeLand on Sunday, October 2.
Blackwell has lived and worked in the Russian cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Volgograd, as well as Kyiv and Lviv in Ukraine. His important and timely presentation will give a very clear picture of the history, past conflicts and outcomes that have, in part, led to the attacks in Ukraine today.
In-person attendees are encouraged to arrive before 10:15 a.m. to be greeted before the 10:30 a.m. service begins. Masks are discretionary, but recommended at this time.
A reunion breakfast is planned for Oct. 2 before the 10:30 a.m. service for members and friends to celebrate their return to the reunion in the church social hall. On upcoming Sundays, First Unitarian Universalist will return for its regular hour of coffee, tea and conversation after church.
The services also have live zoom, and everyone is invited. This starts at 10:30am, but we encourage you to come early to say hello.
The Zoom Sunday Service ID is the same every week: https://zoom.us/i/92718819188. Feel free to contact the church for help connecting to www.uudeland.org.
Regular group meetings (discussion groups, book club, men’s group, and conversation groups) continue on Zoom and in person.
Special educational programs for children are available at the 10:30 a.m. service.
“You are welcome to the table”
“What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It’s the only thing there’s too little of.” – lyrics by Hal David; music by Burt Bacharach
This Sunday, October 2nd, the First United Methodist Church of DeLand will join churches around the world in celebrating “World Communion Sunday.” What a great opportunity to join hearts and faith with other believers as we all celebrate the Lord’s Supper together.
As the new sermon series “Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table” begins, the church will also celebrate the importance of uniting with the national community in Christ by celebrating at the Lord’s Table .
The October 2nd sermon is “Welcome to the Table.” The members and friends of First United Methodist hope you will consider joining them on this day of national unity to remember all that God has done through the gift of his son, Jesus Christ.
First United Methodist offers in-person traditional worship services at 8 and 11 a.m. in the sanctuary, and an in-person contemporary worship service at 9:30 a.m. in the Family Life Center. All three services are streamed live on Facebook at the First Church DeLand page, or can be accessed through the website at firstchurchdeland.org.
There are small group Bible studies at different times of the week: young adults meet on Sunday evenings, youth groups meet at different times of the week, and there is a men’s Bible study on Saturday mornings. To connect to a small group for sharing and sharing, please contact the church office for details.
The Pumpkin Patch opens this Sunday, October 2nd. Hours are noon to 7 p.m. on Sundays and 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The Pumpkin Patch, which is set up at the corner of East Howry and South Alabama avenues, will continue until Monday, October 31 or when all the pumpkins are gone, whichever comes first.
Save the date for Saturday, Oct. 22, when First United Methodist will host its Fall Festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This will be a great day of family fun, including games, a petting zoo, bounce houses, face painting, a train ride, food and more.
Admission to the Fall Festival is free, with activity tickets on sale in advance at the church office. Buy four tickets for $1 and get one free ticket. There will be a redemption center with prizes for tokens won by playing the various games. There will also be photo opportunities at the Pumpkin Patch.
The church office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 386-734-5113.
‘Rise like a Phoenix’
The Mosaic Unitarian Universalist Congregation, while not meeting face-to-face, meets online at 11am every Sunday. The Oct. 2 service is titled “Rise Like a Phoenix.”
For people in the LGBTQIA+ community, Pride celebrations, which are held in many communities in September and October, are about coming out, taking the bold step of living openly and publicly who you are . For many people, life after the pandemic is learning to emerge in the same way.
We encourage you to join Matt Pargeter-Villarreal for a sermon that discusses these two types of emergents and how they can help us imagine what the future might look like. Everyone is welcome!
For information about Mosaic, see the website at https://mosaicuuc.org. For instructions on joining the virtual service, please email mosaicuuc@gmail.com.
‘The fan on fire!’
On Sunday, Oct. 2, Pastor Michael Bodger of the First Presbyterian Church of DeLand will expand his series on the “Pastoral Letters,” primarily from Paul to Timothy, who leads the struggling church in Ephesus.
In 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Paul continues to encourage Timothy to grow the church, which is experiencing difficulties, both morally and spiritually. Knowing that he faces imminent execution in a cold prison cell, Paul writes his last letter to Timothy to encourage him and instruct him to face the overwhelming opposition, not only to his message but also to its leadership.
Paul reminds Timothy that he must “kindle the gift of God, which is in you by the laying on of my hands (v. 6)”. Paul advises Timothy that “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, love and self-discipline (v. 7).”
Followers of Christ, in the midst of modern lives, often face the threat that the God-given flame may cool due to overwhelming circumstances and challenges. Thus, Paul’s message tells Christians not to let their gifts grow dormant. They must not live as “shrinking violets” or “tepid” in their faith. They are encouraged to be bold and passionate about what the Lord has put in their hearts!
First Presbyterian DeLand’s vision is reaching out, reaching out and reaching out to all members of the community to join the church’s journey of worship.
Men’s Bible Fellowship meets weekly at 6:30pm on Mondays in the main sanctuary; the large group of about 100 men then splits into smaller study groups across campus.
First Pres welcomes new people to the church’s many opportunities for Bible study and fellowship for all ages and interests.
The Chancel Choir’s “The Sacred Music of Franz Schubert” concert, originally announced for Sunday, September 25, has been rescheduled for Sunday, October 2. Admission to the concert is free and open to all at 1:30pm in the church sanctuary.
First Pres has an energetic and fun family bingo night on the first Friday of every month, and it’s free to the public and church members. The next bingo night will be Friday October 7th from 7pm to 10pm in the fellowship hall.
On Saturday, October 8 and almost every second and fourth Saturday of each month, First Pres invites community members to benefit from God’s baths in the church hall. Volunteers provide free showers, fresh clothes, hygiene kits and stipends from 9am to 11am.
Starting this Sunday, October 2, for First Pres members or visitors, the church is having a “First Connections Class.” The four-week meeting series will introduce the Presbyterian Church in general, along with its core principles—and First Pres in DeLand in particular—through group discussions led by the Rev. Donna McClellan and Elder Lynelle Tucker. Call the church office at 386-734-6212 for information on attending this class, which will be from 10:10 to 10:50 a.m. in the Eastminster Room.
Pumpkin Patch at Lake Helen United Methodist
This year, Lake Helen United Methodist Church will have a Pumpkin Patch starting Saturday, October 1st, right after the pumpkins are unloaded at the church at approximately 3:00 p.m. Church members welcome everyone to help download them and make it a family day! Wagons and carts are welcome.
The Pumpkin Patch will be open during the month of October and the hours will be on Sundays from noon to 7:00 p.m., from Monday to Friday from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Prices vary by size. There will be several sizes available and some unique pumpkins.
There will also be a bubble machine, free drawings, a photo booth and a picnic area. Carving kits will be available for a small donation.
Lake Helen United Methodist Church is located at 121 W. Delaware Ave.
Cornerstone Pumpkin Patch
Cornerstone Church is hosting a Pumpkin Patch, which will be open from 11 am to 7 pm daily October 2-31 at 2813 Howland Blvd. in Deltona. Call 386-532-5100.
