September 27

Last weekend’s “Back to Church” events were a true example of a community in action. It took “all hands on deck,” members and staff alike, to create the wonderful atmosphere of worship, fellowship, ministry opportunities, and community outreach that was enjoyed. Significantly, the “Concerts at Eastminster” series kicked off which will bring great choral and instrumental music to the community throughout the year. Dr. John Lowe was guest organist and led an organ recital and hymn sing that involved our choirs as part of a larger “Festival Chorus” that was a truly amazing concert of praise! Thanks Kyle Jones, Worship Committee, head usher Steve Adams and many willing hands for bringing this to be. The Concert Series continues this Sunday at 3 p.m. with “An Afternoon of Chamber Music” featuring a stellar cast from the Florida Metropolitan Orchestra. It’s a good reason to continue to invite friends “Back to Church.” It is featured in the “Best Events” in Wednesday’s Florida Today. The Saturday evening 6 p.m. EPiC service featured great contemporary music, interactive worship, and an Ice Cream Social at Sunset. Trevor Garvey, our new worship leader, has his “sea legs” and is establishing a great team to lead music. Elder Nancy Fowler and her team of helpers created a wonderful environment of hospitality as they do each week. Spread the word about this Saturday alternative and come check it out if you haven’t yet! Sunday’s worship featured wonderful music by Dr. Lowe and singing by our Chancel Choir. It was a moving service after which we received new members Grant and Laura Dearborn and Winnie Schuster. Look for their bios in the Eastminster Light newsletter which will be coming out next week and be sure to greet them. After worship over 240 people were served what a 40 year member termed “the best meal she’s ever eaten at church.” Kudos to Nancy Marshall, Susan Vallette, Pam Dunn and scores of helpers that spent three days cooking from scratch, decorating and enjoying each other’s company as they made our church a place of “heart and soul” as well as excellent food! They will be involved in a reception for new members on October 18, a “Trunk or Treat” on October 30 and our Stewardship “Celebration Luncheon” on November 15 if you want to join in or come for great food and fellowship… or both! It was the Outreach Committee, led by elder Bill McCaslin and supported by the Rev. Juliann Whipple, that made the whole weekend work. Bill and team arranged for publicity, motivated all ministry groups to prepare information for a Ministry Fair after church, booked a bluegrass band to entertain outside and a magician to perform inside, and most importantly, encouraged us to invite friends, relatives and acquaintances to come “back to church.” The Outreach Team has come alive this year, fueled by generous gifts in memory of Betty Coleman and anonymous donors, to provide contexts for us to invite others into the community even as we reach outward. My hope is that we continue to be an invitational church… a church of New Beginnings … a church that spreads God’s love and grace, even as we experience it. I hope that we continue to grow in our faith so that what we give others reflects God’s best. The Back to Church Weekend was a significant step in the journey. May we continue to follow God’s lead! Blessings,

September 20

Welcome to Back to Church Weekend! This is a time of rejoicing in the life of Eastminster. God has blessed us and it is great to come and return our praise and have fun in community. Welcome to all! My hope is that what you find here is connection with God. Life is busy, confusing and stressful. We need God to guide us. We need to lift up prayers and know they are heard and answered. We need others around us to support us. And we need to give of ourselves to a ministry greater than ourselves to be complete. So today is a day of new beginnings. The Bible says, “Great is God’s faithfulness, God’s mercies are new every morning.” We will talk about new beginnings today and live into new beginnings in the weeks ahead through worship, friendship, and service to others. Saturday after worship the congregation will celebrate with a good old fashioned ice cream social. I find it hard to find anything wrong with ice cream! Sunday after worship, we will enjoy the sounds of bluegrass during a Ministry Fair. Over twenty different ministries of the church will have information tables with members present to help us understand some of the avenues of enrichment and service that Eastminster offers. It is a great way to get a glance of many of the “parts of this body” that offer support, healing, enrichment and joy at Eastminster. Lunch will be served in Fellowship Hall, where there will also be a magic show. Later Sunday, at 3 p.m., there will be a Festival of Hymns which will be a highlight of the fall musical season. Hope to see you there! Finally, this is “Joining Weekend.” Those that desire to become a member of Eastminster may meet up front by the pulpit after the service to be received as members. To become a member of Eastminster one professes that Jesus is Lord and that you intend to live for in community with other believers. Whether you are here for the first time or have been here for a long time… My prayer is that you experience closeness to God and others here. Welcome! Let’s celebrate! Blessings, Tim

September 13

Today we conclude our series on the Book of Hebrews, entitled “Following Jesus No Matter What.” As I reflect upon where our study has led, I get a picture of a God that loves and redeems us, desiring that we be “at one” with God and others. The writer says that Jesus was “at one” with us, facing temptation and adversity in a world similar to ours. Jesus’ love led him to the cross to begin a work of reconciliation that continues even today. The final chapter of Hebrews, chapter 13, begins with the command, “Let mutual love continue.” What might that mean? The writer explains as follows: • Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers. • Remember those who are in prison. • Let marriage be held in honor by all. • Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have. • Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you. • Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. • Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have. • Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account. “Let mutual love continue.” That is a relational command, a vision of God’s desires for this community. In a week which we remember the tragedy of 9/11, continue to experience the horrors of people being displaced from their homes (over four million in Syria alone!), and know that kids in our community are going to school hungry, there remains a great need for “letting mutual love continue.” In a time when mental illness forces many into the streets, prisons are full, law enforcement under attack, and marriages challenged, there remains a great need for “letting mutual love continue.” In a time when loneliness is rampant, materialism is manifest, and public discourse is often uncivil, there remains a great need for “letting mutual love continue.” The Good News is that as Christians and as worshippers at Eastminster we have a rich tradition of love and generosity to draw upon. We have the model of Jesus to follow. We have a community of faith to encourage us and to lift us up when we are low. We follow a God who takes the “fish and loaves” of our hospitality and blesses in abundance. In a world of adversity and temptation, sometimes it is best to keep it simple. Follow Jesus no matter what. Let mutual love continue. I look forward to sharing that love today … and next week with those who are invited to “Back to Church Sunday.” Blessings,

September 6

We express deep appreciation to the congregation for hosting the September 1, 2015 quarterly meeting of the Central Florida Presbytery. Central Florida Presbytery is composed of over 18,000 Presbyterians from about 80 churches in a 10 county region. Each church sends delegates to a quarterly meeting. We hosted about 200 of those delegates this past Tuesday at the meeting. The delegates were highly complimentary of the way they were greeted at Eastminster by elder Steve Adams and his able crew of parking attendants. They entered grounds made beautiful by many members, including several ladies that adopted a bed near our Christian Ministry Center and made it spotless. The registration process ran smoothly as coordinated by elder Nancy Sorensen and a host of volunteers. Members of the Finance Committee turned out and were more than happy to take donations for lunch. The Congregational Care Committee, led by Nancy Marshall recruited 30 volunteers who set up and decorated our fellowship hall and prepared a continental breakfast, a snack and a superb lunch for the delegates. Special thanks go out to Chef Anthony and Susan Vallette who were central to the food preparation. One of the many touches that made the meeting special were the unique floral arrangements prepared every table by a host of volunteers led by Midge Dunn. Not everything runs like it is supposed to, and that's when leadership really kicks in. A video from Colorado that was to be shown as a centerpiece of the meeting was not in a good compatibility format. Given mere minutes to work with it, our own "Geek Squad" led by Don Dawson was able to save the day and show the major part of the video. This was a key "save" as the producers of the film, Thom and Joan Schultz, were present. Great Job! Others who did a wonderful job include our church staff, elder Nancy Fowler who was in charge of displays, Steve Adams who arranged for ushers, and the Children, Youth and Family Ministry team that provided an excellent nursery that was much appreciated by parents. In a word, the Presbytery was inspired! Many people commented on the exceptional spirit, teamwork, beauty of the facilities and the hospitality they received. God is doing some amazing things here through competent, growing Christians. This meeting is one marker of how we are moving along exceptionally well. Let's enjoy it, even as we still have a long journey ahead!