1Have you ever caught something contagious? (And I dont mean strep throat or the flu!) Rather, have you ever encountered a moment that made a positive life change in YOUR life?

It happened in the first century as Jesus went from town to town sharing a message of hope, peace and joy that the people had never experienced before. It also happened when Jesus walked the shore and found a few men tending nets. He simply said, FOLLOW ME. Shockingly, they did and the rest is history. It happened when Jesus came to the tax collector, Matthew, and asked him along for the journey. The bug caught, first a few and then the multi-tudes, and the name of Jesus became a household name in that region.

The contagious nature of Gods love in Jesus has been passed from generation to generation. What began with 12 disciples and a few friends has exploded into the Christian Church today! I can almost imagine what it must have been like to have Jesus come as close as he did to the woman at the well. Jesus knew her. He knew her sin and reputation and yet he called her to sin no more. While others treated her like dirt, Jesus wrapped the love of God around her and she was transformed! She was so overwhelmed by Jesus love that she im-mediately shared it with her town. Thats contagious love. Thats love worth spreading!

I dont know about you but thats how Gods love found me. Just a kid who couldnt do much right but could find trouble no matter where it was hiding. Yet one day I heard about Jesus love and knew that was the kind of life I want-ed to live. That contagious bug had me. Not perfect mind you, just forgiven.

I wonder, have you caught it? Do you know the awesome love of God that is yours in Jesus Christ? Its contagious! Its spreading! One by one people are coming to know Jesus as their Savior. If youve caught it, have you shared it? Its not a bug to own, rather it is something wonderful, powerful and trans-forming that is meant to share. Catch it today, then pass it around to your family and friends. Youll be glad you did!

2Summer Worship4Thank You & Goodbye to Rev. Mary Ward & Venda Horne6Childrens Ministry Up-dates7The Growing Place:Summer Camp8Youth: Summer Mission Trip9Windows to the World Recap10Be on the Lookout! Cam-pus Improvements11Womens OASIS 2015

Spring/Summer 2015Connections

2All four Sundays in July - one service at 10:30 a.m.in the Sanctuary

July 5- We will welcome our new Associate Pastor, Rev. Vidalis Lopez, and her family to FUMCCG. There will be a lunch in Founders Hall following worship.

July 12- We will celebrate the dedicated service of Venda Horne at FUMCCG. Venda is retiring as our Business Administrator. There will be a reception in the narthex following worship to say thank you to Venda.

July 19 - We will take a look at one of our missions: Bill Murff from Alfalit International will share about the recent trips he has taken and help us see ways we can deepen our connection with this wonderful mission that has brought literacy to over 7 million people around the world.

July 26- Becky Dotson, Florida United Methodist Childrens Home President, will be with us in worship to share the great work the home provides.

Friends, we are entering that time of the year when luggage is packed and people are off for vacation and visits to friends and family throughout the world.We relax, visit, spoil grandkids rotten, see sites and wonders that make us pause to thank God for His creation. What a blessing these recreation mo-ments are for our heart and soul.

The church is never on vacation. It is alive, active, living and breathing. Please remember to keep your financial support of this ministry healthy as you make your way to different destina-tions. In fact, if you can, why not make a special contribution to FUMCCG as we enter the summer months. Your special gifts at this time of the year will be greatly appreciated.

Have a great summer, keep the faith and share the love and joy of God wherever you are on Sunday mornings.

3It is hard to believe that in just a month, I will be saying goodbye to my ministry and starting a new journey. Over the past 36 years I served in three different United Methodist churches, but have always returned to First Church Coral Gables.

I came to Coral Gables as a young adult and was filled with excitement to reach out to college students and other young adults in the community. It was a gift to see young adults get connected and grow in their faith. In those early years here, I was supported by my mentor; The Rev. Jose Bove, Director of Christian Education and Senior pastor The Rev. David Scoates.

Over the years, God began to open my heart to the needs of the poor and I was influenced by the Rev. Dr. Walter Kalaf. Through our United Method-ist outreach ministry, I have tried to serve the needs of the poor but there is still so much more to do.

I have enjoyed getting people connected to our wonderful church and help-ing them find ways to serve. So many of you have served our Lord with love and a spirit of willingness. I thank you for the many ways you have blessed me and our Church. Hopefully, when you see my name on the caller ID in the future, you wont ask what does she want now?

Coral Gables has a wonderful staff who love and care for each other and I will miss you! I know those who will be filling my roll, Valoree McLean as director of children ministry and the Rev. Vidalis Lopez as associate min-ister, will bring a new and younger spirit to the ministry. I pray that all the staff with Pastor Durs leadership will move Coral Gables to flourish anew.

Many have asked me what I will be doing when I retire. Frankly, I am not sure. In June, Phil (my wonderful, supportive husband of nearly 40 years) and I will be vacationing in Maine. When I return, I want to spend some quality time in reflective prayer and see where God leads me.

I sincerely thank each of you for your love and support over these many years. I will cherish your friendship forever. Thank you also for celebrating my ministry and retirement.

Goodbye for now and a big hug to each of you!

4Rev. Mary Ward as a teen participated in a Methodist district youth rally at a church south of Miami where she accidentally went forth for an altar call for those committing their lives to full-time Christian service. Afterwards she told the minister that she meant to go forward with those simply dedicating their lives to Christ where he counseled her to fear not as God knew her hearts desire.

It seemed that God had a plan indeed as she came full circle back to FUMCCG. Mary first headed up to the mountains to earn a degree in speech and drama at East Tennessee State University. Along the way a sorority sister heard her sing and suggested she try out for a local beauty pageant. Then boom, boom, boom, she won the local pageant and soon became Miss Tennessee, which was really wonderful. She then worked as a cruise ship singer but after two years had enough of it. So she decided to try her hand at ministry in a position in college and young adult ministry at FUMCCG. When she came to the church only then did she realize that she was in the same church where she had first made her accidental altar call years earlier. And it was here that she found her over 40-year vocation to ministry. Im up in the balcony and looked down and I realized this was the very church I had walked to the altar for the call for full time Christian service, she said.

Mary will retire in June and eventually move to Idaho to be closer to her two daughters and grandson who live in the region. But shell continue to attend FUMCCG as her husband Philip works here another year and hopes to winter in Miami long term. And she knows that her ministry continuesnow just from the pews. I think its time to go. But there are so many people I love dearly, Ill really miss them. The time is right. They do need to get people with younger ideas, younger age. Some of the old things need to pass.

In her first round at FUMCCG Mary moved into adult ministry, serving until 1979. Then she returned in 1991 for a part-time position and before becoming the full time director of programs at Kendall Methodist, also earning a mas-ters degree in pastoral ministry in 1993 at St. Thomas University. With a passion for outreach, she had just started working for the Branches nonprofit when Rev. Thom Shafer invited her to return to FUMCCG in 2004. And in 2010 she stepped up to take on the additional responsibility of childrens ministry. She has watched Branches blossom and as a board member has worked to engage church members in its work and other opportunities to uplift poor families. Thats what I really feel like were called to do for the Gospel.

The congenial minister has also passionately worked to welcome newcomers and help people who maybe were on the outside of the community to get connected. And members found it hard to say no when this angelic master recruiter invited them to service opportunities. What has excited me most is either getting people connected to the church community, feel-ing a part of the church community, and helping them find a place to do ministry that excites them, she said. It is what has brought me true joy.

To nourish her own faith, she has tried to spend twenty minutes three times a week in centering prayer where she empties her mind and opens herself to God. And after reading Scripture she tries to listen as to what the words are saying to me and then asking God, What do you want me to do and how must I change to do what you want me to do?Exercise is also spiritually uplifting. On the first half of her morning runs she tries to breathe in the presence of God, notic-ing Gods beautiful world and spending some time in just being present with God. The second half is in praying for family, friends, church and global concerns.

And with Gods help shes even become a better preacher as well. Deacons, my order of ministry, are not always called to preach and this was VERY out of my comfort zone but it certainly has become easier for me-- and I almost enjoyed it the last couple of times!

Also quite the ecumenical minister, Marys husband Philip is Catholic and her daughters were raised in both churches. Now shell have a little more time to attend his church St. Augustines as well. So I may go with him a few times to the Catholic Church nowIm long overdue, she said with a laugh.

In looking back on her decades of ministry, shes grateful for her years at FUMCCG. Ive always enjoyed it. Theres never been a time I havent loved what I do.

5Business administrator Venda Horne reached new heights in her faith journey at FUMCCG, having scaled the rickety wooden ladder to the top of the bell tower and also climbed to the organ loft and rooftops to check conditions and ensure jobs got done right.

Venda knows every nook and cranny of the expansive church facility from the brides walk tunnel behind the sanctuary to the Sevogia building basement. Ive climbed all around the organ loft. Ive been on every roof except the sanctuary roof I dont think theres a closet or room in the entire church that I havent been into, she said with a smile, add-ing that shes spotted everything from rats to possums inside. Furthermore, this sanctuary has some of the prettiest stained glass Ive ever seen.

Venda, 65, moved to Miami for the position in 2005 after working 20 years at two other Methodist churches in Boise, Idaho. Shell retire in July to join her husband Gene three hours away in Lake Placid who has been caring for her 93-year-old mother living in an assisted living facility there.

Looking back, Venda especially enjoyed working with the board of trustees on issues related to building maintenance and beautification. My passion has always been buildings and keeping them up and especially churches. When I visit different places I visit the church buildings, she said. I love all those committees. The people are generous and

goodBeing on a committee is commitment and its pretty tough to do when everybody is working and has families.

And shes gladly participated in several upgrade projects: installing and repairing roofs, renovating the brides room, library, counseling center, church district offices and childrens room 202, painting the facility and improving security at the preschool. Currently the church is landscaping grounds and remodeling its Palermo rectory. Theres a lot to be proud of. Everybody has been a part of either donating money or helping on it and trustees making decisions to go ahead with projects. Theyve made a lot of wise choices.

She has also loved the HR side of the job in working with school and church staff and served as a sounding board for TGP director Corina Dekker on HR issues and in making school improvements. Shes a great advocate for the school in wanting to fix up the building and get things cleaned up and make sure people have the equipment and things they need so that they can just teach.

And she was happy to be the go-to person on money matters. Pastors and staff dont like to talk to people about what its going to cost them to rent the churchthat would be me, she said. And with staff I always say this is what

its going to cost us, this is what well need insurance wise and they all go boo! Miss negative! Thats how my mind works.Venda also valued FUMCCGs caring environment and always tried to offer a compassionate listening ear, whether with

a staff or church member in need or with a family making wedding or funeral arrangements. I always keep a box of Kleenex on my desk. You go from laughter to tears three to four times a day, she reflected. We have a really terrific staff. They work hard and know when to work hard. At the end of the day they seem to gravitate to my office and sit here.

She has striven to be a constant positive force and to empower people to get involved and to grow in their faith and to understand that this is their church and they have a voice, she said. At times I have had to be the voice of reason and see all sides of issues. Ive had to learn patience. Nothing is done quickly at this church. Ive hopefully tried to be faithful to the direction of the pastor and of leadership.

In retirement she looks forward to spending time with her mother and husband. Im sad. I like my job. I love doing what I do but its time to goI want to be with my husband and closer to my mom.

And with an artistic side, she also looks forward to more time and inspiration for painting landscapes, still life and other pictures and slowing down in the quiet town of Lake Placid overflowing with lakes, caladiums and colorful murals. And having left her husband in charge of their home management, she said with a laugh that she looks forward to beautify-ing and redecorating her own house there in retirement.

By Priscilla Greear

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New Name for The Childrens Wing Second Floor of the Hanger Building

Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to

such belongs the kingdom of God. Mark 10:14

The childrens space is getting a new theme this summer and you are invited to come and help transform the hall leading to room 202 and the back hall into the Kids Dive Zone. We will be painting underwater murals with sea creatures, fish and lots of coral! Wear your paint clothes and bring brushes and rollers if you have them. There is no need to RSVP, just come ready to paint. Our goal is to paint through the summer and have a big reveal in the fall. Swim by and help paint every Wednesday beginning June 17 from 1 to 5 PM and every Sunday beginning June 28th from 1 to 5 PM.

for the Kids

All school age kids are invited to join us this summer! We will be learning the Lords Prayer and

what it means. Most of the kids can al-ready say the prayer but not many know what it means and why Jesus used it as an example for us to follow. It will be a fun time of road rallies and racing as we make our way through the Lords Prayer. All parents are invit-ed to take a session or assist in the classroom. Summers are the time when all our regular teachers take off. There is a sign-up sheet in the class-room. Its going to be fun, join us!! The preschoolers are going to learn the 10 Commandments this summer and why its still important to know them today. They will learn an easy way to remember them and we will spend time talking about what it means to follow these commandments in our everyday lives. There are also sign up sheets so parents or others can sign up to fill in. Its going to be fun so join us!!!!

7Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?I See Lots of Children Enjoying Summer Fun at TGP!

SESSION 1 JUNE 22- JULY 10 (camp will be closed on Friday, July 3rd)Week 1 - Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? / Zoo Animals Week 2 - Draw Me a Star / Celebrating Americas BirthdayWeek 3 - The Tiny Seed / Plant Science

SESSION 2 JULY 13-31Week 4 - The Very Hungry Caterpillar / Animal Science Week 5 - A Home for Hermit Crab / Life Under the SeaWeek 6 - The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse / Creativity/Art

What fun things will we be doing at camp?Water Play; Messy Play; Art and Crafts; Cooking; Wacky Science; Music and Movement; Kidokinetics; Gymnastics; Library/Story Time; Special Visitors; and Activities Related To Our Weekly Themes.

For pricing and more info on camp registration, please contact The Growing Place office at (305) 446-0846.

Corina Dekker, Directorcdekker@fumccg.orgwww.fumccg.org/tgp

8This June, the youth ministry will be going to Enter-prise, Florida to work with the Florida United Meth-odist Childrens Home. Our church has supported this amazing institution for many decades. If you check their website you will read that The Florida United Methodist Childrens Home was established in 1908 to provide a home for orphans and other children that had nowhere else to live. Members of First UMC Coral Gables have worked at the Chil-drens Home, volunteered there, and sponsored ac-tivities and buildings on the campus.

The youth are very excited about this mission trip. I made a preliminary trip to the Childrens Home in April to check everything out. According to Lynn Bel-lamy, the volunteer coordinator, we will be working in three different areas. First, we will be working at their resale shop called Heart & Home. Donated items are sold there to raise money. We will be orga-nizing their store room and the new donations that come in each week. Some of the youth may get to work the retail floor as well. Second, we will be or-ganizing the kitchen pantry at the Childrens Home. They receive donated items each week which need to be sorted and stored. Third, we will work on the grounds of the Childrens Home doing maintenance items or landscaping work. The youth are also hop-ing to interact with the youth who live there as well. We have to respect that this is their home and we

are the visitors. We have had several discussions about privacy, respect and service and I think the group is prepared to do great things.

The campus of the Childrens Home is beautiful. They have separate bunk houses for girls and boys. We will have our own kitchen and bathroom facilities as well. Our group will divide into four dinner crews each responsible for a breakfast and dinner during our stay. Each youth will have their own mess kit with plastic plate, bowl and silverware set and water bottle. This way we use less paper goods, are per-sonally responsible for our own clean-up and work together as a group at mealtime.

I am excited to say we have 20 youth going on this years mission trip. We also have some great parents joining us as chaperones including Carrie Bodin, Meg Wright, Jeff Wright and, possibly, Axle Font. The group will have some fun, too. We are planning on visiting at least two state parks to swim, ride in-ner tubes and explore. At one of the parks, we will make our own pancakes at the sugar mill restaurant that dates back to 1830!

Please keep the youth ministry in your prayers all summer and especially June 15-19. We look for-ward to sharing our experience with everyone at church when we return. Love wins!

By Robert Gray

9By Kay Murff

Windows to the World, an adult ministry that reaches out beyond our church for discovery and discipleship, has wrapped up its second season with an original drama written and produced by Ed Baker. Entitled Suzanna Wesley at Epworth, this theatrical presentation was humorous, educational, spiritual, and musical. The cast was led by Sally Matson as Suzanna Wesley, the mother of the founder of Methodism (John Wesley) in England in the mid 1700s. The setting was historically accurate as represented inside the parish rectory. Suzanna demonstrated that family mat-ters are universal and are relevant today, even across the ages. She courageously and devoutly led those gathered in her home for a representation of an early Methodist worship service. Applause goes to the others in the cast: Nancy Gray, Jonathan Miles, Robert Gray, Kiera Rios, Erick Firestone, Anjane Girwarr, Franco Urra-Morffiz, and Darrell Miles. And our sincere thanks extend to Ed Baker for bringing this experience to our church that was both entertaining and educational.

In March, Charles W. Mark, PhD, an associate professor of history of religions and Christianity and an ordained Meth-odist minister, expanded our world-view with his interpretation of the dynamics of todays spiritual culture that is challenged by the present digital technological revolution. Our brains now have so much to digest with instant access to vast global information. Fresh understanding and adaptability is required to live in this new global village we call earth. Dr. Marks topic, Spirituality and the Human Brain in the Digital Age, opened our perspective on the future of churches as we are moving away from community-nurtured spirituality. Fascinating stuff!

The February audience was delighted with the performance of the Chamber Singers from Florida Southern College. Twenty-five young adults brought a unique program of new music to our ears. Under the direction of Mary Eliza-beth Beth Gibbs, we heard a variety of choral styles from classical to New Age with fresh and oftentimes intricate rhythms and tone. We were privileged to catch them on their swing through South Florida and hope they will return again next season.

A view into the glory days of Stiltsville delighted the January attendees pf Windows to the World. Original film and in-terviews were depicted on a classic video about the authentic and colorful history on this offshore bay community of the 1960s. Don and Marilyn Hicks were some of the home-owners whose kids thought growing up in Miami included weekends on the bay in these private homes perched on stiltsjust minutes from Miami. Hurricanes have destroyed most of the structures and the lifestyle has gone by the way now. It was fun to reminisce and talk about what once was a thriving community. Today the area is a national park and the exposed buildings are in peril of destruction by future storms.

We look forward to the coming series of speakers and entertainment that encourages us to look beyond our bound-aries. These presentations are free and open to the public. We hope to attract new people to our church. Please invite your friends. If you have thoughts for future presentations, please contact Kay Murff with your ideas (kmurff@fumccg.org or (305) 445-2578 ext. 113).

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On Easter weekend of 2014, the church sustained considerable damage from a lightening strike. Our pipe organ suffered signifi-cantly from this lightning strike. The control system for the organ was left inoperable. The organ can be played, and it sounds pret-ty much the same as before the lightening strike; however, with the control system disabled, the music that can be played on the instrument is very limited. Its a little bit like driving a car without a steering wheel. The car will run, but its really hard to get it to go where you want it to go. That is what it has been like for organists playing our instrument for the past year.

Work has finally begun to make necessary repairs to the organ. Additionally, the 20-year-old control system will be upgraded to current technology. The old copper wiring running from the organ console to the pipe chambers both in the front and rear of the sanctuary will be replaced with fiber optic ca-ble. All electronic components inside the organ console will also be replaced. The new equipment has been

built in the manufacturing facility of Integrated Organ Technologies, Inc. in Atlanta, Ga. The system is being programmed to properly control our pipe organ. Work on site in our sanctuary will begin on June 8 and will take approximately two weeks to complete.

There will be no noticeable change in the sound of the organ as we are not doing any work to the pipes. This work is simply repairing what was damaged by the lightening strike and up-

dating to current technology. The new system will mean that the instrument will be more responsive to the organist, and it will have some new features that were not previously available. The most notable new feature will be record/playback capability. You might see the organist get off the bench and walk away while the organ continues to play. Look for signs of our newly improved pipe organ towards the end of June.

The next organ concert will be July 2 due to repairs during the month of June.

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You may have noticed a few recent changes to our campus, primar-ily in the south parking lot. This summer we are working on updat-ing our campus a little bit, so be on the lookout for the following changes! (Some have already happened)

Retaining Wall and New Landscaping on South Entrance Resurfacing of South Parking Lot

New Landscaping around Perimeter of South Parking Lot Removable Gate Along Biltmore Way to control traffic flow on campus Lighting of the Bell Tower Improved Lighting Along Coral Way

Of Water and Spirit Jan L Richardson. janrichardson.com

Womens Retreats in the Head CenterJuly 8, 15, 22

Dinner ($10) at 5:45 p.m. Program at 6:45 p.m.

This years topics invite you to examine the relevance of be-ing a Christian in todays world. With nightly speakers and scripturally-based table discussion, we will discover that we cannot be holy alonewe must build bridges across commu-nities.

Weekly topics are stand alone, so come to one session or come to all. Baby Sitters for children up to 5 years will be avail-able with an RSVP. July 8 Immigration: Hospitality and Hope July 15 Human Trafficking: A Voice for the Voiceless July 22 Interfaith Dialogue: One River, Many Wells Islam

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536 Coral Way, Coral Gables, FL 33134(305) 445-2578www.fumccg.org

/FUMCCG

Stay connected to your church!

Pastoral Staff SeniorPastor,Rev.DurwoodFoshee-ext.101;dfoshee@fumccg.org AssociatePastor,Rev.RobertoPerez-robertopperez@bellsouth.net AssociateMinister,Rev.MarySusanWard-ext.103;mward@fumccg.org

Church Staff BusinessAdministrator,VendaHorne-ext.102;vhorne@fumccg.org CommunicationsCoordinator,JenniferFlynt-ext.106;jflynt@fumccg.org AdministrativeAssistant,VanessaRodriguez-ext.100;vrodriguez@fumccg.org Bookkeeper,MarioPerez-ext.104;mperez@fumccg.org

The Growing Place Preschool CorinaDekker-(305)446-0846;cdekker@fumccg.org;cdekker@fumccg.org

Connectional Ministries YouthDirector,RobertGray-ext.107;rgray@fumccg.org Children'sDirector,ValoreeMcLean-ext.108;vmclean@fumccg.org AdultDiscipleship&SmallGroupsDirector,KayMurff-ext.113;kmurff@fumccg.org Baptisms(churchoffice) Weddings,RobertaWeller-ext.119;rweller@fumccg.org

Music Ministries DirectorofMusic,Organist,JayBrooks-ext.124;jbrooks@fumccg.org ChoralDirector,Dr.BobGower-rgower@miami.edu ContemporaryDirector,RichardAspinwall-(305)801-6768;raspinwall@fumccg.org ChildrensMusicDirector,RebeccaGonzalez-(305)613-0021;rebeccagonzalez@me.com