High Sp r ings . . . High L i f e i n Ch r i s t
F i r s t U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h o f H i g h S p r i n g s
July/August 2019 Volume 29, Issues 7 & 8
PO Box 911
17405 NW US Highway 441
High Springs, FL 32655
Phone: 386-454-1255
Email: [email protected]
www.fumchighsprings.com
FB.Com/HighSpringsFUMC
First United Methodist Church
Rev. Nelson Cowan
Office Hours:
Mon-Thurs 10am-3pm
Dear FUMC High Springs Family—
My name is Nelson Cowan and as [hopefully] you’ve heard by now, I have been appointed as your new pastor.
I’ve had the joy of meeting some of you already (either in person, virtually, or over the phone), and I look forward to
getting to know everyone even more. I want to pause and give thanks to God for the most recent ministry of Pastor Sam
Maihack, who has served this congregation with excellence and will be sorely missed. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting
with Sam a couple of times now, who has had nothing but generous things to say about this congregation.
Since I haven’t met everyone, I want to share a bit about myself. I was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida
to a mostly “churchy” family. I was active in my youth group, and served as a worship leader for many years in local
churches across the eastern seaboard. I met my wife, Samantha, while we were both in college (myself at the University
of North Florida and Samantha at Florida Southern College) through a mutual friend. Both of us were called to pastoral
ministry and went to seminary (myself at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC, and Samantha at Candler
School of Theology in Atlanta, GA), during which we dated long distance—thank God for technology! We married in
2014, then promptly moved to Boston where I started a PhD in Liturgical Studies (a.k.a. “Worship”) at Boston
University and Samantha began work with FriendshipWorks, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to reducing social
isolation among elders in Boston. We moved to North Andover, Massachusetts in 2016 when I was appointed to First
UMC of North Andover. Having served in New England for three years and having completed my Ph.D., I am excited
to be returning home to Florida to serve alongside each of you in High Springs. My wife, Rev. Samantha Cowan, is
also looking forward to meeting you (as is our 3 year old dog Auggie). Samantha will likely be hanging out with our
congregation on occasion, but as a Deacon (an ordained clergyperson) in the UMC, she will be appointed to another
congregation in the Gainesville area.
Though pastoring a congregation usually gets spoken of in terms of preaching, worship, pastoral care, I really
see my vocation as one of partnership. As a congregation, we partner together to advance God’s Kingdom on earth as
in heaven. We partner together to reach our local community, especially including those on the margins of society. We
partner together to care for each other, to grow deep in our faith, and to practice excellence in our communal worship.
We partner together because we fundamentally believe in a God who binds us as one by the power of the Holy Spirit. I
look forward to our time of partnership at First UMC High Springs, hoping and trusting in a God who is faithful till the
end.
See you in July!
-Pastor Nelson
BIRTHDAYS
MILESTONES | USHERS | FLOWERS | LOCK-UP
USHERS
July - Volunteers Needed August - Volunteers Needed FLOWERS July 7th — Darrell and Louise Krause 14th — Chester and Margaret Patterson 21st — Available 28th — Available August 4th — Dennis and Margaret Hogue 11th — Available 18th — Available 25th — Angie Hargrove
CHURCH LOCK-UP
July 7th — Dennis Hogue
14th — J.W. Woodard
21st — Walt Timberman
28th — TBD
August 4th — Dennis Hogue
11th — Walt Timberman
21st — April Woodard
25th — Walt Timberman
July/August Events Sundays
(June 2—Aug 25)
9:30 am Sunday School
10:30 am Combined Worship
5 pm — 7 pm Youth
Tuesday
2:00 pm Tuesday’s Angels
(Aug—May)
Wednesday
6:15 pm Church Dinner (Aug-June)
7:00 pm Victory Voices
H i g h S p r i n g s . . . H i g h L i f e i n C h r i s t J u l y / A u g 2 0 1 9
July
Sue and Don Douglas — 2nd Louise and Darrell Krause — 3rd Margaret and Chester Patterson — 9th Alice and John Martin — 9th Kim and Ben Johnson — 10th Leigh and Leslie Odom — 12th Laura and Ronnie Wisener — 16th Beverly and Richard Felmey — 29th
July
Carole Fernandez — 7th Macy Ring — 8th Dann Lynn — 11th Julie Macklin — 11th Dolores Barnett — 12th Stuart Hill — 12th Jim Collar — 13th Lilia Salg — 14th Wayne Crawley — 17th Dustin O’Neal — 20th Nadine Pasquot — 23rd Marie Harper — 26th Dee Dee Ritch — 29th Judy Futch — 29th Sharon Fielding — 30th Kip Haddix — 31st
August
Morgan DaRoza — 1st Jeff Buffington — 3rd Starla Williams — 6th Margot Alexander — 7th Ernie Pasquot — 7th Andrew Daugherty — 8th Jim Lewis — 8th Rhonda Rogers — 10th Eric Macklin — 17th David Pinner — 18th Jan Wilson — 20th Orrin Woodard — 23rd Donnie Rou — 27th Doug Fleming — 29th Clara Bembry —- 31st
1st—6th Youth Mission Trip 4th — Independence Day - Church office closed 10th — Wonderful Wednesdays 9 am - 5pm 17th — Wonderful Wednesdays 9 am - 5pm 24th — Wonderful Wednesdays 9 am - 5pm
August 7th — Columbia County Back to School 12th — Alachua County Back to School 20th — Tuesday’s Angels Resumes 21st — Wednesday Night Dinners Resume 25th — Last Sunday of Blended Worship
August
Nancy and Greg Gillman — 3rd Sharon and Joe Fielding — 9th Joan and Marvin Hinson — 12th Becky and Gerry Hoover — 16th Ernie and Sue Schuenaman — 22nd Helen and Larry Hepp — 22nd Connie and Mike Casey—24th
Anniversaries
J u l y / A u g 2 0 1 9 H i g h S p r i n g s . . . H i g h L i f e i n C h r i s t
Online Giving: hsfumc.breezechms.com/give/online Text “give” to (386) 333-6681
H i g h S p r i n g s . . . H i g h L i f e i n C h r i s t J u l y / A u g 2 0 1 9
Annual Fam
ily W
orship
and Pic
nic
at Po
e
Sprin
gs Park
This year’s picnic included a farewell to friends, prayers for the Youth Mission Trip,
an update from the Felmeys, delicious food, and great memories!