Volume 9 • Issue No. 5 September/October 2011

(Listening Post #4)

And The Conversation Continues...

So whatever happened to the conversa-tion about the Community Center? I’m glad you asked! Remember when we first asked the ques-tion, “What if we opened the Church to the com-munity?” Well, God has led us through a discernment process to realize that though we initially thought we were talking about the building, we have been re-minded that biblically, the Church is the people – the community.

The question still stands – but we have turned a bit of a corner in our un-derstanding of what we mean by that. Yes, we still want to use the build-ing in whatever ways God wants us to, but we have realized that we want to start with the com-munity of people called St. Mark’s. When we had the Listening Post that invited the community to join us for dinner, jazz and a conversation, only 1 person showed up from the 600 invitations we handed out. (Another family came through per-sonal invitation). I think that indicates two things:

1. Relationship is important and must come first – before someone will respond to an invitation.

2. Society doesn’t anticipate much from the

Church – honestly, would they not have come if they really thought we would help them address some problems?

Listening Post 4 is actually going to be done differently than our first three. The first

three, we invited people to the church building. LP4 we are inviting the Church to go into the community! In other words, we are hoping to have Listening “Out”posts – by challenging each of us to start a “God hunt.” We challenge you to be on the lookout for God in your nor-mal sphere of influence – neighborhood, work, school, friends… We want to be on

the lookout for where God is at work in our world, but that begins with listening and paying atten-tion. It’s the act of hospitality! This is the first step in missional living (you’ll be hearing a lot about that in worship!)

Let’s continue the conversation, but let’s let others speak first – let’s be intentional about listening, and discerning God’s action in the world. This could be fun!

Are you in?

Together…

nate

By: Nate Steury

Our Vision/Mission StatementOur Vision/Mission StatementOur Vision/Mission StatementOur Vision/Mission Statement

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A community of LIFE! Groups living in and out God’s A community of LIFE! Groups living in and out God’s A community of LIFE! Groups living in and out God’s A community of LIFE! Groups living in and out God’s

revolutionary LOVE! where people are being transformed revolutionary LOVE! where people are being transformed revolutionary LOVE! where people are being transformed revolutionary LOVE! where people are being transformed

toward wholeness by…toward wholeness by…toward wholeness by…toward wholeness by…

savoring and sharing the Good News of God’s Reign, savoring and sharing the Good News of God’s Reign, savoring and sharing the Good News of God’s Reign, savoring and sharing the Good News of God’s Reign,

growing and guiding others in Jesus’ Way, growing and guiding others in Jesus’ Way, growing and guiding others in Jesus’ Way, growing and guiding others in Jesus’ Way,

accepting and offering service in the Holy Spirit’s Poweraccepting and offering service in the Holy Spirit’s Poweraccepting and offering service in the Holy Spirit’s Poweraccepting and offering service in the Holy Spirit’s Power

Is God Calling

You…

...to lead a Bible Study, Sunday

School class or LIFE Group?

If so, contact Pastor Nate at

nate@stmarksa1a.org

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CHRISTIAN BELIEVER STUDY GROUP The Christian Believer study group will begin Monday, September 12, 6:30 to 9:00 pm at the

home of Pastor Ernest, 429 St. Johns Drive, Satellite Beach, and continue for the next 32 Mon-

day evenings. We will be using the study manual, "Christian Believer: Knowing God With heart

and Mind" and a "Book of Readings." There will be daily biblical and inspirational readings in

addition to reading a short chapter in the manual. Each Monday evening we will focus on a spe-

cific Christian belief.

LIFE Groups! Get plugged in!

Discover LIFE! the way Jesus intended it to be

lived— in community. Contact Nate or any staff member for more information:

nate@stmarksa1a.org or 321.514.6550

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Leisure Ministry Luncheon

Wednesday, September 14th, Noon

St. Mark’s Fellowship Hall

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Leisure Ministry Events Leisure Ministry Events Leisure Ministry Events Leisure Ministry Events By Ernest BortnerBy Ernest BortnerBy Ernest BortnerBy Ernest Bortner

Wednesday, September 14, 2011, 12 noon, is the date for our Leisure Ministry Luncheon. Cost is $10. Jim Collins will be our speaker. Jim is an Account Executive with Home Health Care. More and more people are choosing to stay at home rather than going to an assisted living facility. Come with your questions. Jim is quite knowledgeable about the field of Home Health Care. Questions? Call Pastor Ernest at 777-0645.

Let’s get ready for an-other day trip! This time we will be going to

M A R J O R I E K I N N A N RAWLINGS historic 130 year old Cross Creek farmhouse in Hawthorne, FL. on Friday,

October 14, 2011.

Arrangements have been made to have lunch at THE YEARLING, recently voted one of the best restaurants by Florida Trend Magazine. The choice of sandwiches will be: U.S.D.A Prime Rib; Grouper; or Chicken. Included is a salad

and beverage. Then off to the MICANOPY HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM in Micanopy, FL.

On the way home we will stop at a Cracker Barrel Res-taurant where you will be on your own. The all inclusive price (excluding Cracker Bar-rel) is $59 per person. Boarding will be at 7:30 am; leaving 7:45 am; and return-

ing to the church parking lot by 9:00 pm. In-vite your friends to join you.

Questions? Call Pastor Ernest at 777-0645.

Day Trip to Hawthorne

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On the first Saturday of each month, 8:30 to 9:30 am, men of the church meet for food, fellowship, devo-tional, and a presentation by someone who is making a difference in the life of our community. The next two speakers are:

Saturday, October 1: Dr. Robert (Bob) Keimer, Program Coordinator, Entrepre-neurial Training, F.I.T., will be the speaker. He is Executive Vice President, Business Development, for Airgonomix LLC, located at 325 Fifth Avenue,

Indialantic. Bob is making a difference in

the life of our com-munity. He is vitally interested in

helping young adults succeed in business. Learn how an idea evolved into a profit-able company.

Come, and invite others to come with you. Donations for breakfast are ap-preciated. E-mail reservations to: ernest@stmarksa1a.org. or call Pastor Ernest at 777-0645.

Men’s Fellowship Gathering

GET READY FOR THE ANTIQUE ROAD SHOW SPON-SORED BY THE CUBAN MISSION TEAM on Friday, No-vember 12, 2011, in our Fellow-ship Hall. It promises to be a lot of FUN. Professional appraisers

will be at the church between 3 and 6 pm to appraise your items. To have one item ap-praised costs $10; three items for $25. Most of us have items around the house from yester-year. Here's your chance to find out their value for your personal interest, not insurance purposes.

Come to church between 3 and 6 pm for the ap-praisals. This will be followed by a dinner and An-tique Road Show at 6:00 p.m. Selected participants

will tell their story about the antique they brought and it's appraised value. The whole afternoon and

evening should be a lot of fun. Bring your old treasures and have them appraised. Come to the meal and show. Cost is $15

per person.

Also, we need some sponsors. You may help sponsor the event for $100. For this you will receive two tickets to the meal and show plus one item free ap-

praisal. Invite your friends to enjoy the afternoon and evening with you. This event will help support the

connection we have with our sister church in Hol-guin, Cuba.

The Antique Road Show

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6

LEISURE MINISTRY RESERVATION FORM

____ Yes, I/we will go to Marjorie Rawlings Historic Farmhouse, the Yearling Res-taurant, and the Micanopy Museum on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2011. Boarding: 7:30 am; Leaving: 7:45 am; return home around 9:00 pm. Enclosed is $______________for ______ reservations at $59 per person. My/our preference for the lunch sandwich is:

_______ Prime Rib; ______Grouper; ______ Chicken.

____ Yes, I/we will come to the Leisure Ministry Luncheon on WEDNESDAY, SEP-TEMBER 14, 2011. Jim Collins of Home Health Care will speak and take questions. En-closed is $_________________ for ______ reservations at $10 per person.

____ Yes, count on me/us coming to the SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2011 An-tique Road Show, a fund raiser to build relationships with our sister church in Holquin, Cuba. Enclosed is $____________ to cover the cost of _____ items to be appraised (1 for $10; 3 for $25). I/we will bring the items to be appraised around 3:00 3:15 3:30 3:45 4:00 4:15 4:30 4:45 5:00 5:15 5:30 (circle one).

_____ I/we will be a Sponsor(s) for this fund raiser. Enclosed is $__________ at $100 per Sponsorship. You will receive 2 meal reservations and 1 appraisal for each $100 Spon-sorship.

_____ Enclosed is $____________ for _____ reservations at $15 per person for the sup-per at 6:00 pm.

NAME(S): ________________________________________

TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED $__________

ADDRESS(ES): _____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

E-MAIL ADDRESS(ES): __________________________________

TELEPHONE(S): ________________________

Make check payable to "St. Mark's United Methodist Church" and bring or send to:

LEISURE MINISTRIES, St. Mark's United Methodist Church, 2030 N. Hwy A1A

Indialantic, FL 32903

Join us for a great time of planning for the

Fall as we look forward to setting some goals

for St. Mark’s in the area of Radical Hospital-

ity during our September COM. We need

everyone’s input for this – especially if you’ve

never been to a COM meeting. So please

come join us as we seek God’s direction –

then we will celebrate and present them at

the Church Conference in October. Set aside

the 4th

Tuesday for the next two months to

join us in discerning where God is leading us!

Council On Ministries

&

Church Conference

7pm Tuesday, September 27 & October 25

If you are a LIFE! Group

leader or would like to be, you

are welcome to join us as we

come together to grow and

learn and support each other.

Don’t miss it!

TRAINING SUNDAYS IN OCTOBER

(no meeting in September)

12noon-2pm, Lunch included

7

Don’t forget that breakfast Don’t forget that breakfast is served from 8:30is served from 8:30--11 the 11 the 33rdrd Sunday of each month Sunday of each month for your convenience and for your convenience and

fellowship!fellowship!

Church Conference

7pm Tues. Oct. 25

Join us for an annual time of

celebration of what God is do-

ing and what we anticipate God

doing as we look forward to

this next year. Please invest

your time in this church com-

munity by joining us for our

Church Conference.

Breakfast on 3Breakfast on 3rdrd SundaysSundays

The V&B Ministry is designed to reach out to those who are experiencing a time in their life when a special touch of Chris-tian love and compassion is most wel-come and appreciated. It is less struc-tured than our Stephen Ministry program. Volunteers make periodic phone calls as a means of keeping in touch. Sometimes visits are made. The idea behind the min-istry is that the Vine represents Jesus and the Branches the people. We want to provide the necessary encouragement to help people stay connected to the Vine.

The next quarterly meeting of V&B will be Monday, September 26, 11:30 am at the home of Pastor Bortner. If you are interested in being involved or learn-ing more about this ministry, you are invited to this luncheon meeting. Sim-ply let Pastor Bortner know by e-mail: ernest@stmarksa1a.org or by calling 777-0645. It feels good to reach out and be of help and service to others whose days might not be as bright as yours.

Spotlight on VINE AND BRANCHES

By: Ernest Bortner

General Conference is the gath-

ering together of United Methodists

from around the world in one place to

worship together and convene in

what John Wesley called “Holy Confer-

encing.” It’s actually a great time and

while these meetings happen many

places around the country, this next

year it is coming to our state! April 24-

May 4, 2012 in Tampa Florida, thou-

sands of United Methodists will gather

as a church to talk about some critical

issues. And they need lots of prayer

and volunteers! So if you’re interested

in being on the prayer team or volun-

teering, please contact Pastor Nate at

Nate@StMarksA1A.org and let him

know how you want to help. We will

be praying together as a church as the

time approaches.

What’s General Conference? It sounds boring!

8

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Marielena Feliciano Tynan, a lawyer and member of First United Methodist Church who has offered some free legal counsel will be holding a short group session the second Sunday of every month following the 10:45 service in the library. Come join us and you can talk with Marielena fol-lowing that meeting if you would like to speak privately with her. For more info on her or her law firm go to jbclaw.com

Free Legal Counsel Second Sunday of Every Month

Under The Son Preschool Our first day of school was August 15th with 30 chil-dren enrolled with 6 teachers in 4 classrooms!

We have a dedi-cated staff that prayed, planned, and prepared the

classrooms for each child. The chil-dren’s hallway is a busy place Mon-day through Friday while our school is in session. We are very excited to have each family at our school. God has richly blessed us!

We pray our school is a ministry to families in our community as we work along side parents as they love and nurture their children. Our de-

sire is to provide care for any child who’s parents would like to enroll them in our school, however, at times tuition can be a hardship on families.

If you would like to obtain informa-tion as to how you can sponsor a child please call or email the school. We would appreciate any amount to go toward tuition for two of our stu-dents. We ask that our St. Mark’s Family continue to pray for us as we strive to share God’s love with each child at our school so they may know Him and begin a life long journey walking with HIM. In all we do and say…May God be glorified!

Beth Cagney, Director

beth@stmarksa1a.org

By: Pastor Ernest Bortner

"We hear a lot about LIFE! Groups.

What we need is a Grief Support Group!"

Those words rang a bell with me, because

the person was right. We need a Grief Sup-

port Group. Why? Because there is untold

grief when someone loses a job, or when

children spin out of control, or when one is

feeling sorry for oneself, or when a family

member dies. You may know people who

are experiencing grief and do not know

how to approach or deal with the subject.

The general consensus is that people who

experience grief prefer the

support they can get from

the church. They want to

be with people who tend

to understand and agree

on some things.

There is Good

News. We here at St.

Mark's have an opportu-

nity to explore the possi-

bility of a Grief Support

Group. The group would consist of people

who are experiencing grief and people who

would like to help others who, for one rea-

son or another, are grieving.

Here is the plan! There will be three

sessions on three consecutive Sunday after-

noons, 3:00 - 4:15 pm resourced by profes-

sionals who have experience in successful

grief groups. If, after these sessions there is

a group that would like to continue meet-

ing we will entertain that possibility. But for

now, the emphasis is on these three ses-

sions to be held at the church:

Sunday, September 25, 3-4:15 pm. Resource

Person: Bob Caldwell, Social Services and

Grief Specialist, Wuesthoff Hospice and Pal-

liative Care. Theme: "Opening The Door To

Grief Ministries."

Sunday, October 2, 3-4:15 pm. Chaplain Ken

Cocker, Wuesthoff Hospice and Palliative

Care. Theme: "Good Grief! Spiritually Speak-

ing..." Ken is the son-in-law

of Pastor Ed and Cathy

Griffith. He is quite enthu-

siastic over the possibility

of St. Mark's having such a

supportive group.

Sunday, October 9, 3-4:15

pm. Lisa Hodgins, Guard-

ian with Sentinel Care and

Chair of Grief Support

Groups at Calvary Chapel. Lisa will share her

experience and knowhow with the awe-

some program they have at Calvary.

I will facilitate the sessions. Let me

know at church, or by phone (777-0645), or

e-mail at ernest@stmarksa1a.org. that you

plan to attend. Bring your friends. Everyone

is welcome.

Grief Support Ministry

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On Saturday, September 17, at 6:30 PM St. Mark's will host the local Emmaus On Saturday, September 17, at 6:30 PM St. Mark's will host the local Emmaus On Saturday, September 17, at 6:30 PM St. Mark's will host the local Emmaus

Gathering.Gathering.Gathering. The gathering will include a pot Luck dinner, program, and wor-The gathering will include a pot Luck dinner, program, and wor-The gathering will include a pot Luck dinner, program, and wor-

ship.ship.ship.

Please mark you calendars for this special event.Please mark you calendars for this special event.Please mark you calendars for this special event. New leadershipNew leadershipNew leadership for the Em-for the Em-for the Em-

maus Community promises a rewarding evening ofmaus Community promises a rewarding evening ofmaus Community promises a rewarding evening of encouragement forencouragement forencouragement for Fourth Fourth Fourth

Day walks.Day walks.Day walks. Plans for the OctoberPlans for the OctoberPlans for the October sessions will also be discussed.sessions will also be discussed.sessions will also be discussed. Two mem-Two mem-Two mem-

bers of St. Mark's will participate in those walks. bers of St. Mark's will participate in those walks. bers of St. Mark's will participate in those walks.

Attention Emmaus PilgrimsAttention Emmaus PilgrimsAttention Emmaus Pilgrims

September 11

Noon

Getting Connected Starts Here

Starting Point

Whether you’ve just started worshipping with us

or you’ve enjoyed St. Mark’s for a while, Starting

Point is your opportunity to discover more about

St. Mark’s and membership. Hosted by Pastor Nate

and/or Pastor Ernest, this casual and informative

discussion is held during lunch in the Community

Room. Please RSVP (for planning purposes) con-

tacting the church office at 773.0721. Childcare

can be provided.

Children’s Ministries Needs You!

Previous Experience Not Necessary.

Contact Angelyn Walling for ways you can help!

Angelyn@stmarksa1a.org

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This Month in

Son Island Children’s Ministry... Fall is a time of change and with that

change often comes uncertainty. We all face

uncertainty every day. It's what we do with

that uncertainty, where we look for help,

that either creates worry or it doesn't. The

truth is, "I can do all things through Christ."

Philippians 4:13. ALL things. That's what

we're teaching our pre-

schoolers in Septem-

ber. God can help me

do ANYTHING!

God did some amazing

things in this month's

Bible stories. He

helped David save his

sheep from a lion and

a bear, and He helped

him win battle after

battle. God helped

Samuel find the new

king, and God helped

Moses free His people

from Pharaoh. He

helped each of these historical figures to do

amazing things, things that they would

never have been able to do alone. The same

is true for us and for our preschoolers. When

we truly believe that God can help us do

anything, He will.

Stepping into October, it's time to meet

Professor Fantastic, this month's Host! He

introduces the children to fantastic things

that happen in our world and to fantastic

things God made our bodies to do. We want

our preschoolers to know without a doubt

that their heavenly Father made them and

adores them, and that he made them won-

derfully. He loves EVERYTHING about them.

Everything - even that one hair on their

head that sticks up in the wrong direction.

He made them with a

plan and a purpose. He

made them to praise

Him. We want our pre-

schoolers to know that

they are unique and

special creations and

that God loves them so

much.

For our older kids in

LIFE Lagoon, our topic

for September is knowledge, and be-

cause God is the ulti-

mate source of knowl-

edge and no one knew

God better than His son —we’re headed to

the Gospel of Luke to learn from Jesus as He

grew up. Did you know that the Bible only

gives us one story and one comment on the

life of Jesus from the time He was a preteen

until He’s a thirty-something starting His

ministry? It’s our memory verse for the

month (Luke 2:52) and it tells us that Jesus

spent time studying God’s Word, and that

(Continued on page 13) 12

He grew in His relationship with God, in His

ability to make wise choices and in His abil-

ity to love others. So as we move through

the weeks of September, here are the con-

cepts we’ll examine:

- Since God knows everything, I should dis-

cover what God says.

- When I discover what God says, it helps me

trust Him more.

- When I discover what God says, I can make

wiser choices.

- When I discover what God says, I know

how I should treat others.

This month, as we talk about knowl-

edge, we aren’t

just talking about

learning more. It’s

not how much

you know, it’s

what you know

(and who you

know) that really

matters!

Switching things

up in October, we

journey to discover where true creativity

comes from. We’re going back to the begin-

ning to explore the original Creator (Genesis

1:1-2:1). In Genesis’ description of the Crea-

tion process, the Bible says specifically that

we are created in God’s image. We were

made out of God’s imagination. So here

are the points we’re exploring this month:

“You were created so you can be creative.”

“Use your imagination to think BIG.” We’ll

discover noteworthy examples in Miriam

and her mother as they work together to

save baby Moses (Exodus 1:22-2:10) for the

future God intended.

“Use your imagination to make your mark.”

David certainly made a mark, not only with

his natural creative gifts, but with his

learned skills and other life experiences that

led others to God’s goodness.

“Use your imagination to do more good.”

God created us to reflect Him and be the

type of light that helps others see Him more

clearly. We can do

that when we

learn more about

what Jesus shared

in His Sermon on

the Mount about

Salt and Light.

(Matthew 5:14-16)

“Imagine what

could happen if

everyone used

their gifts to-

gether.” It’s such a

timely faith skill to focus on - what worship-

ping with your life looks like - praising God

and giving generously every day with other

believers.

This fall promises to be an exciting time on

Son Island for all ages. Join us!

(Continued from page 12)

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A conversation on parenting

Wednesdays from 4:30-5:30 (Starting Sept.14)

Join Pastor Nate for a conver-sation on parenting while your kids are in Livin’ the LIFE! No subject is off limits if it has to do with parenting. Let’s listen. Let’s talk. Let’s pray for our kids. Don’t miss this chance to connect with other parents and with God.

Woven Woven Woven

Livin' The LIFE, a lifegroup for children in grades K-3rd, will officially start on Wednesday, September 14th. It will be every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30. This time includes 20 minutes of worship, 20 minutes of Bi-ble lesson, and 20 minutes of "how-to" sessions. If you have ideas for how-to, and/or would like to help with this lifegroup, please contact James Boone or Angelyn Walling.

14

“...from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” -Eph. 4:16 NKJV

Boys and Girls Small Groups

Wednesdays, 4:30, Grades 4th-6th

Students in grades 4th-6th and their par-ents are invited to attend an in-f o r m a t i o n a l gathering on Wednesday, Sep-tember 14th to discuss small

groups for boys and girls. Come and par-ticipate! For more information, contact An-gelyn at Angelyn@stmarksa1a.org.

Join us for family dinners (everyone is family) on Wednesdays starting September 14 from 5:30-6:30pm. It’s a great time to chat over dinner and there will be opportunities for the young kids before (Livin’ the LIFE!) and some small groups for youth and adults, too. Stay tuned for more details! We will be trying this for a month to see how it

goes then we’ll go from there!

Join others in preparing a meal to

be shared together for

Wednesday nights. Meet at

4:30 for an hour of kitchen

conversation and food mak-

ing. We will provide the meat;

bring your own ingredients

and share recipes, and we will

prepare some food to be

shared by our church family together.

Dinners on WednesdayDinners on Wednesday

Like to Cook or Grill?Like to Cook or Grill?

Free Dinner Free Dinner Donations AcceptedDonations Accepted

WednesdaysWednesdaysWednesdays

Starting Path:

A Back-to-the-basics LIFE! Group

6:30pm, Wednesdays, 6:30pm, Wednesdays,

Starting September 14Starting September 14

Join us on Wednesdays for 6 weeks Join us on Wednesdays for 6 weeks

from 6:30from 6:30--7:45pm as we explore some of 7:45pm as we explore some of

the basics of the faith and what it means to the basics of the faith and what it means to

be “scattering seeds, sinking roots, bearing be “scattering seeds, sinking roots, bearing

fruit.” You won’t want to miss this experi-fruit.” You won’t want to miss this experi-

ment of faith and the journey deeper into ment of faith and the journey deeper into

God. Pastor Nate will be leading. Please eGod. Pastor Nate will be leading. Please e--

mail or call if you’re interested: mail or call if you’re interested:

nate@stmarksa1a.orgnate@stmarksa1a.org or 321or 321--514514--6550.6550.

Christian Meditation

Wednesdays starting October 26

It is the lost art of Christianity – but

we are hoping to find it again. Learn to

pray the contemplative way – through the

ancient art of meditation. Join us for 4

weeks of Wednesdays. Time: TBD

15

On a fruit farm in Ben-ton Harbor, Michigan, Milly was born to Chet and Phyllis Schaus. Her father was raised in the Evangelical church and her mother was Methodist. God has always been a part of Milly’s life since she at-t e n de d S u n da y School where she accepted the Lord. As a Senior in high school, she started a Sunday School pro-gram which was so loved that the children wanted to go every day. Later, she started the Youth Group Byron in Cen-ter. Milly gradu-ated from nursing in Kalamazoo Methodist Hospital in 1952. She married Redmond Tickfer in June 1953 in an EUB church in Michigan. From her first marriage, Milly birthed three children: Susan, who currently lives in Boonville, Kentucky, with her Methodist Minister husband; Larry, who resides in Michigan and fathered their grandchild Nathan; and Elizabeth Ann (Bif), who owns and operates Backwater Café in Michigan and is the mother of her only Granddaughter Alison. At Mariners Cove in Fort Myers she first met Ken. He had 10 children from his two prior marriages. His second wife died in July of 1997 and Milly’s husband died in January of 1998. Ken called Milly with condolences. As time passed, Ken and Milly decided to meet out of town on a first date. Built on the Rock, their relationship flourished! They fell in love and married in June of 1998 at Dayton United Methodist Church in Indiana. After the wedding, they moved to our area because Ken already owned a storage facility in Indian Harbor Beach. They tried sev-

eral churches but none seemed like a fit for their family until they came to St. Mark’s. Our members were friendly, especially Martha

and Joe Bellasomo. They adored Pastor Wooten and became fast friends. When

Ken was in the hospi-tal, Pastor Wooten waited outside the surgery room with Milly until Ken was out of surgery. Pastor Wooten even made sure Milly got home okay. They knew then that they found a new church family in St. Mark’s which would be there for them in times of trial and hap-piness. At St. Mark’s,

Milly’s small group started the 40 Days of Pur-pose study. The group loved learning about Ne-hemiah, the wall builder. Their group was truly inspired by Nehemiah to be an action group, not just a study group. They agreed to pray about what their purpose should be. In the fall of 2006, Milly & Ken with a few others incorporated New Beginnings Ministry of Brevard Inc. With Ken’s son John’s help, the couple opened a thrift store and found a house. Since June 2007, the ministry has opened their doors to 83 women who were re-leased from prison. Many of their graduates are successfully integrated back into society. They live without drugs or alcohol and have learned how to become self-sufficient. They find jobs and rebuild relationships with their family. Actually, New Beginnings Ministry has a 30% success rate which is higher than the national average of only 17% for women returning to a life without crime or

(Continued on page 17)

By Michele W. Campanelli

Milly Childress

onononon

16

drugs. About a year ago Donna Riley became the Co-Director of the Ministry. It has been a spe-cial blessing to Milly and everyone to have Donna on the leadership team of New Beginnings. When Milly isn’t helping manage New Begin-nings, she loves to write. She has written three books, Healing the Hurt, Esmerelda the Silly Goose and her autobiography about her hus-band’s death and meeting Ken, The Year of the Locust. Milly has also written some poetry. Her most re-cent poem is Communion. Communion I find the wine too sweet, The bread too soft and yielding Both too pleasant in my mouth To represent the pain of stripes, The agony of nails, The utter loneliness of being Forsaken by God. His love for me is too big To be completely comprehended By my small mind.

St. Mark’s has not only given Milly a church home but has welcomed the women of their Ministry with open arms. The Childress fam-ily believes Pastor Nate has truly been a moral support for New Beginnings and never lost faith that these women can make better lives for them-selves. “God knew and led us to St. Mark’s. He keeps providing ways for the ministry to help women,” Milly asserts. “Just when we think we might have to close their doors, we always get a grant or money comes in. Because of the Lord, I have never seen the bottom of the flour barrel.” God truly has blessed Milly! With endless love and our close church family, the future looks bright for New Beginnings Ministry of Brevard, a place where women just released from prison learn of Jesus’ great ability to allow U-turns. With His love and with a helping hand from Milly & Donna, women can find their New Beginning and a way out of a life of crime. For more information about New Begin-nings of Brevard Ministry visit their website at www.newbeginningministry.us

(Continued from page 16)

You need a night out. Parents’ Night Out

(A Shekinah Fundraiser)

October 7th 6-10pm

$30 for first child, $5 each ad-ditional child

Preschool-6th graders welcome (limited preschooler openings)

Movies & Games

Pizza, snacks & dessert

Happy Birthday!!

18

September

October

Asher McVicker Sept 1

Deborah Smith Sept 1

Ryan Kelley Sept 1

Ethan Condry Sept 2

Leyla Cummins Sept 2

Mick Rineer Sept 2

Phyllis Marks Sept 2

Jennifer Meggs Sept 4

Emma Hilton Sept 7

Sara Walding Sept 7

Susan Thorne Sept 7

Traci Jenkins Sept 8

Lauren Sienkiewicz Sept 9

Renee Logue Sept 9

Elizabeth Bowman Sept 11

Virginia Eastland Sept 13

Cecelia Ortiz Sept 14

Lynn Benade Sept 15

Christa Nakhla Sept 16

Olga Peraza Sept 16

Gloria Grant Sept 17

Joey Meggs Sept 17

Mary Street Sept 17

Sebastian Darnall Sept 18

Alexis Carson Sept 19

Tammy Caruso Sept 19

Charlie Skibinski Sept 20

Kendall Boliver Sept 21

Ryan Kreer Sept 21

David Pusatere Sept 22

Kellie Rice Sept 22

Marsha Pitman Sept 23

Victoria Bock Sept 23

Caiden Freimann Sept 26

Lois Brown Sept 26

Susan Schuble Sept 26

Louis Campanelli Sept 27

Chris Vescelus Sept 28

Tom Vill Sept 29

Ken O'Leary Sept 30

Carla Gladfelter Oct 1

Connie Howard Oct 4

Kayla Wildenthaler Cot 4

Matt Wade Oct 4

Becky Haworth Oct 5

Danielle Wagner Oct 5

Kellie Dean Oct 5

Mike Fesler Oct 5

Scott Pitman Oct 5

Taylor Whiteman Oct 5

Barry Hoover Oct 6

Emory Street Oct 6

Glenn Klugel Oct 7

John Osborne Oct 7

Robin Niles Oct 8

Jean Coffey Oct 9

Kim Krupinsky Oct 9

Rocky Schneider Oct 9

JoAnn Pitman Oct 10

Joe Pavlock Oct 10

Dot Duncan Oct 11

Cyndy Legg Oct 12

Abigail White Oct 12

Mel George Oct 14

Kim Dean Oct 15

Kaitlynn Sorensen Oct 16

Tod Murto Oct 16

Wendall Watts Oct 17

Alex Schuster Oct 18

Bill Jackson Oct 18

Matthew Snodgrass Oct 18

Nickolas Schuster Oct 18

Paul DeStefano Oct 18

Reece Stelfox Oct 18

Marilu Maupin Oct 19

Sarah Kett Oct 20

Brent O'Leary Oct 22

Ruth Johnson Oct 22

Sabrina Douglass Oct 23

Tonyah Everett Oct 23

Michele Campanelli Oct 24

Edward Dudek Oct 25

Gerry Allen Oct 26

Katelyn Smith Oct 26

Angelyn Walling Oct 27

Casey Spahr Oct 27

Crystal Maldonado Oct 29

Sherri Knight Oct 30

Happy Anniversary!!!

Mary/Martha Circle

Mary Martha Circle will meet at the home of

Martha Bellasalmo on Tuesday September

13th. Our guest speaker will be Norma Quinn.

Norma will be helping us with our gift bags

for the children at the Hope Orphanage for

Infants & Children in Port au Prince, Haiti.

We invite all the Women of the church to join

us . For more info call Martha at 728-3810.

Ken & Robin O’Leary

September 4

Bill & Kendall Boliver

September 6

Harry & Mary B Brown

September 7

John & Connie Baxter

September 9

Bob & Helen Condry

September 12

Tom & Kathy Vill

September 13

Glenn & Susan Stocks

September 15

Brian & Kellie Rice

September 20

Rudy & Olga Blass

September 22

Bill & Joyce

Scattergood

September 23

Joe & Margaret

Stubenvoll

October 1

Sam & Shari White

October 7

Rob & Laurie Jeffrey

October 8

Matt & Blair Wade

October 10

Arden & Shirley

Crowder

October 19

Dan & Gail Carson

October 21

Shawn & Becky

Haworth

October 22

Joe & Alice Pavlock

October 26

Lydia Circle

UMW Lydia Circle will meet at the church

Thurs. Sept. 8th at 10 a.m. for GADGETS

GALORE.

Bring you favorite household gadgets from

sewing box, kitchen, or garage to "show and

tell."

Come and join us for fun, fellowship, good-

ies, and some great Christmas ideas.

The Pumpkins are Coming!The Pumpkins are Coming!The Pumpkins are Coming! Saturday, October 15Saturday, October 15Saturday, October 15

Save the Date!Save the Date!Save the Date! 19

NON-PROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPAIDPAIDPAID MELBOURNE, FL

2030 N. Highway A1A

Indialantic, FL 32903

The Messenger is also available online at:

www.stmarksa1a.org