Dearest Faith Community Near and Far-

I forgot to update this before sending! Sorry for that. Here is the corrected version-

Looking forward to folks joining us this weekend. Join us Friday night for family fun night when we will make vision boards. Food will be provided by the church. Just bring old magazines if you can join us!

Thanks for your prayers for our horse Finn. Finn came home on Wednesday night and is much happier now. And Emma said it was the best birthday present she could have asked for! 

I’m not sure if everyone has heard, but I picked two star words this year. Kinda accidentally! My two words are AWE and SHARE. When I saw the word “share” I was reminded that folks asked to see my reading list from Sabbatical and other things that were formative or insightful for me. So, I decided to put a “share” box at the bottom of this email. I’ll share different things I am learning, reading, listening to, or “awed” by. I hope you will enjoy these brief little musings.  

Dates to Remember

• Sunday morning schedule: 8:30- Sacred Space, 9:30- Fellowship, 10:00- Worship
• Family Fun Night- Friday, January 26- Come and make a vision board with us and for your families. We will begin creating a vision board for the congregation and you will be invited to make them for yourself or with your family. Join us at 5:30pm for this gathering.  

Making Headway

We’re making some headway on some more projects around the church. 

• Check out the flooring in the kitchen and the entryway to the church. It was done this past week and it looks great!
• We had two stumps that were ground this past week. And we have signed a contract to replace the fencing that was taken down by the hurricane around the AC’s in the front of the building. That should happen sometime over the next couple of weeks. 
• Mark your calendars:
  • Volunteer Appreciation Lunch- For everyone who has volunteered in our ministries this past year. Join on Saturday, February 24 from 12-2:30pm 
  • Rededication of the building- Join us on Sunday, March 10 at 4pm as we do a time to celebrate our renewed space after the hurricane. 

Happy New Year-
Pastor Devon

ps…Fridays and Saturdays are the two days I am taking off every week. This isn’t always working great, but I am really trying hard to take these days off each week. If I do not get back to you, please know I will on Mondays.

Worship with Wintergarden
Sunday, January 28, 2024
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Sacred Space Meditation Service @ 8:30 am
IN THE GARDEN BY THE FOUNTAIN 
(we are trying to get this live on Facebook, but it hasn’t worked yet. We will keep trying.)
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Fellowship (light continental breakfast) @ 9:30 am
Worship following about 10:00 am
In the Sanctuary and on Facebook Live
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How to access the bulletin:
Bulletin HERE
How to Access Services Online:
Join us on Facebook for Worship Services
https://www.facebook.com/wintergardenpres
Remember, you don’t need a Facebook Account
to join us for worship. 

You can also click HERE for the Facebook link.

SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE

Sunday, January 28, 2024
Fellowship @ 9:30 am
Relaxed Traditional Worship @ 10:00 am

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
Living Out Our Mission with Our Community
Scripture Lesson: Matthew 22: 34-40; James 1:19-27

Join us on Friday Night from 5:30-7:30 in the sanctuary for a time of food, fellowship, and visioning! Everyone is invited to create a vision board for their lives, with their families and share thoughts about vision for our faith community. Everyone is invited for this time together. If you have old magazines and are okay not getting them back, please bring them with you so we can cut them up for our boards. You can also bring things from home that will help you with this process too. See you Friday night!

Every Monday – Lectio Divina Every Tuesday & Friday – Wintergarden Bees Every Wednesday Food Truck Delivery Every Thursday Food Pantry 12-4pm FAMILY FUN NIGHT, FRIDAY 1/26 FROM 5:30-7:30. COME AND BUILD A VISION BOARD FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AS WELL AS OUR FAITH COMMUNITY

UPDATES AND MARK YOUR CALENDARS

In order for us to do Sacred Space, we need some folks to show up by 8:15 to help with set-up. If we don’t have help with set-up, we will not be able to continue Sacred Space. In addition, we have been trying to get it online, but have had issues. We will keep trying. Thanks for your help and understanding.

ONGOING SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES AND EVENTS

FOOD PANTRY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Please contact the church office at 941-743-5335 or email at foodpantry@wintergardenpres.org

With the pantry cover completed and the weather cooling down a little, we invite you to come volunteer with us on Thursdays. Bring a friend to help! 

Also, we are in need of translators. If you know anyone who speaks Spanish, Ukrainian, or Russian, we are in need of assistance.

Interested in joining our Garden? Garden of Eatin’ – Food Forest For more information click HERE.

At Wintergarden Presbyterian Church we’re eager to pray with you!   Please let us know how we can pray by submitting a Prayer Request online (link below). Prayer requests are emailed to Pastor Devon once submitted.

Prayer Request

Lectio Divina for January 29, 2024All are welcome to join us as we continue to engage in the spiritual practice of Lectio Divina together as a community. Maybe you can add Lectio to your New Year’s resolution list 😉 This Week’s Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Acts 16:11-15. We will gather via Zoom for an intentional time of listening, reflecting, responding, and resting in the Word of God. We will meet on Mondays from 8-9am.  Here are some details about Lectio Divina.  Lectio Divina, literally meaning “divine reading,” is an ancient practice of praying the Scriptures. During Lectio Divina, the person listens to the text of the Bible with the “ear of the heart,” as if he or she is in conversation with God, and God is suggesting the topics for discussion. There are four movements for Lectio Divina:  1. Lectio: (Listening to the Word of God or Reading God’s Word) 2. Meditation: (Reflecting on the Word of God) 3. Oratio: (Responding to the Word of God) 4. Contemplatio: (Resting in the Word of God) Here is the Zoom Link:  Join Zoom Meeting: Click HERE https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87832080869?pwd=TUxCRThUcEdRbTNTWmJ6emZRamUyZz09  Meeting ID: 878 3208 0869 Passcode: 396015 +16465588656,,87832080869#,,,,*396015# US (New York)