FUMC Chili/Soup Cook-Off set for Feb. 12 in DeLand

PHOTO COURTESY MARILYN SMOAK
Great turnout — Becky Davis tabulates more than 50 bags of food collected Sunday, Feb. 5, at the First Baptist Church of DeLand “Souper Bowl” celebration. Church members brought homemade soups and chili for lunch, and food for distribution to the needy. The event preceded the Super Bowl football championship game later that evening.

By Margie Dykes
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted Feb 11, 2012 - 7:43:58am

Chili/Soup Cook-Off

Savory and enticing aromas will fill the air of the Life Enrichment Center of First United Methodist Church of DeLand at the church’s “Chili/Soup Cook-Off” at 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12. The competition is fierce.

The “Golden Ladle” will be awarded to the overall “Best Chili,” and there will be awards in other categories. A variety of soups will also compete for the Best Soup.

The LEC hall will be lined with the chefs and their pots of soup or chili, and those attending will have small bowls to sample any and all. The cost is $5 per person, and tickets may be purchased at the door.

For more information, call the church office at 386-734-5113.

Monday Munchers

Seniors are invited to a Monday Munchers potluck luncheon at noon Monday, Feb. 13, at Community United Methodist Church in DeBary.

Jarod Race will share his experiences as a missionary in South America.

To reserve a spot, call 386-775-2766.

Preparing for Easter

Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fat Tuesday, will be celebrated 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, at Church of the Holy Presence in DeLand. A pancake dinner will be cooked and served by church members.

The Rev. Dawn McDonald will officiate at an Ash Wednesday Service at 6 p.m. Feb. 22.

Also, a Lenten Study Series, Bob Mumford’s Agape Road, will begin 6:15-7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 29.

For more information about the church or its activities, call 386-734-5228 or visit the website www.holypresencedeland.com.

‘Exploring Valentine’s Day’

Dr. Robert P. Tucker will present “Exploring Valentine’s Day” at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 12, service at First Unitarian Universalist Church of West Volusia in DeLand.

In his talk, he chronicles the origin and history of Valentine’s Day, and explores what it might mean for UUs.

Dr. Tucker is a minister emeritus of the UU Congregation of Lakeland, and is a former professor of religion, philosophy and ethics.

Religious education for children of all ages is provided. For more information, visit www.uudeland.org or call 386-734-6499.

Celebrating women’s roles

To recognize women’s leadership in all parts of church life, the women of First Congregational United Church of Christ of Orange City will celebrate Women’s Sunday Feb. 12.

The women will lead the 10:30 a.m. worship service, and will present a skit titled “Women of the Bible,” during which congregants will meet four Old Testament and four New Testament women.

Women’s Week began in February 1986, as a time to give thanks for what God has accomplished through the ministries of women in the United Church of Christ.

Call 386-775-2462.

Call to vendors

St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Orange City is planning for its annual Strawberry Festival, which will be 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, March 17.

Part of the festivities includes space for vendors to sell their merchandise or advertise their business. Each space is around 10 feet by 10 feet, and costs $25. Vendors will have to supply their own table, and no food is to be sold unless it is prepackaged for home use.

To receive an application, either call the church at 386-775-6200, e-mail the church at stjudeschurch@

embarqmail.com, visit the church’s website www.stjudescentralflorida.org, or mail a request to Strawberry Fest Administrator, 815 E. Graves Ave., Orange City, FL 32763.

Remembering the Holocaust

A Bernard Weiner Holocaust Memorial lecture titled “Will not the Judge of all the Earth Do Justice?” will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22, in H. Douglas Lee Chapel inside Elizabeth Hall at Stetson University.

This lecture by Clifford Orwin is sponsored by Hillel, Stetson University’s Jewish Student Organization, Phi Beta Kappa and Stetson’s Honors Program. It is open to the public free of charge.

Orwin is a professor of Jewish studies, political science and classics at the University of Toronto. He is the founding co-director of the Graduate Summer Seminar of the Tikvah Project in Jewish Thought at Princeton University. This program recruits top graduate students in Jewish studies and related fields, in an effort to revitalize Jewish studies in North America, Great Britain and Israel.

The Bernard Weiner Lecture Series at Stetson University was established by Dr. Sy Weiner of DeLand to honor the life and work of his brother, the late Bernard Weiner. Bernard Weiner was a leader in the development of Holocaust curricula for New York state schools, and was one of the founders of the Rockland Center for Holocaust Studies, now the Holocaust Museum and Study Center in Spring Valley, N.Y.

For more information, call Dr. Michael Denner, director of Stetson University’s Honors Program, at 386-822-7265.

Lenten series begins

On Sunday, Feb. 12, at Glenwood Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Dr. Austin Brinkerhoff will start a Lenten Sermon Series on the seven last sayings of Jesus.

Lent is a solemn time that includes prayer, repentance, fasting and personal introspection. Lent is primarily a time of preparation to celebrate Easter.

Each Sunday through March 25, Dr. Brinkerhoff will preach on one of Jesus’ utterances, in order to help the congregation more deeply appreciate Jesus’ sacrifice.

The first message will be taken from Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

On Feb. 19, the message will also be from Luke 23, this time Verse 43, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

The words for Feb. 26 are taken from the Gospel of John, Chapter 19, Verses 25-27, “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother. ... When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Dear woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’”

On March 4, the message will be from Matthew 27:46, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

The next Sunday, March 11, will again come from the Gospel of John — Chapter 19, Verse 28, “I am thirsty.”

March 18 will be from John 19 —“It is finished,” and, finally, on March 25, it will be Luke 23, Verse 46, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

Everyone is invited to come hear these messages at either the 8:30 a.m. contemporary service or at the 11 a.m. traditional worship time.

For more information, call 386-734-8617 or visit www.glenwoodpc.org.

Valentine’s Day party for all

The youth of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of DeLand will sponsor a Valentine’s Day Party for the congregation 7-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, to show appreciation to the congregation for providing youth-program activities and fundraising for camp and conference. Paul and Dorothy Ashton, with assistance from their daughters, Rebecca and Robin, will be in charge of the social event.

The Disciple Men will meet for lunch and a program at 11 a.m. Saturday in the fellowship hall.

Dr. David Felty’s sermon topic for Sunday, Feb. 12, is “Gospel Gossiping?” based on 2 Kings 5:1-14 and Mark 1:40-45.

Each Monday at 10:30 a.m., Dr. Felty provides a Bible study related to the sermon topic for the next week.

Food will be collected for The Neighborhood Center at both Sunday services Feb. 12.

Christian concert

Self Empowerment Services Inc. is hosting an afternoon of inspirational Christian music at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, at Forest Lake Academy, Schmidt Auditorium, 500 Education Loop in Apopka.

Performers include Michael W. Griffiths and Family, Samuel Johnson on saxophone, Joshua and Jonathan on saxophone, Stephanie Pemberton, Stars for Jesus children’s choir, Sandra Baldwin, the Forest Lake Academy Brass Ensemble, Zakai A. Oquendo, and more.

Admission is free, and a love offering will be taken for the fight against childhood obesity. For more information, call 386-279-6145 or 407-416-2824.

— We value your religious group’s news items. Please submit information one week before the publication date by fax at 386-734-4641 or by e-mail at margie@beacononlinenews.com.

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