Ocala First Connection

It took courage for Joseph to make a home with Mary and Jesus. His rather straight-forward plan to settle into life together with Mary is seriously disrupted when he finds out she’s pregnant.  And not only pregnant, but seemingly miraculously pregnant.  If Joseph had a dozen fearful questions, he likely had a hundred.  His conviction about Mary wobbled and collapsed. His plan derailed. Joseph decides to back out.  He’s a kindhearted man, so he’ll break off his relationship without embarrassing or endangering Mary.  At least this is what he thinks he’ll do when he goes to bed that night. He has a dream.  An angel shows up.  “Don’t be afraid to take Mary home as your wife,” the angels says.  “I know that all that the prophet said about this wasn’t part of your plan. But go ahead—make God’s plan your plan.  You, Mary, and Jesus—together make a home.”  The angel didn’t have to say anything more. Joseph got up the next morning with c...

A preview of what is coming up this Sunday, plus all the announcements and the calendar of events. Make sure you note our Christmas eve service times and our Christmas Day and New Year's Day combined services. 

THIS SUNDAY – December 18th Worship - Join us at 9:00 am or 11:00 am for worship on the Fourth Sunday of Advent! Rwth will be preaching from Matthew 1:18-25:  “Together a Home” Women's Advent Retreat  - The Women's Advent Retreat will be at 6:00 pm in the Family Life Center. What do you need to bring? Nothing! Just bring yourself and spend some time with God and preparing our hearts for the coming of Christ! Koinonia Student Ministries – ALL YOUTH (6 th – 12 th Grade) are invited to the “All Youth Christmas Party” beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the Backyard (Youth Center).  CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES - Saturday, December 24th -           4:00 p.m. - Traditional Service in the Sanctuary -           5:30 p.m. - Family/Contemporary Service in the Family Life Center -           7:00 p.m. - Traditional Service in the Sanctuary...

Our theme this Advent season is  "Come Home"  - We hope you will accept the invitation:  Come home to the God who has made a home among us! (John 1:14)   During the First Week of Advent we looked at the longing for home that lies deep within us and the joy that comes at being at home with God.  We pray this Advent that you will return to place of your most intimate encounters with God. We pray that you will remember the home from which you came with joy and thanksgiving. We pray that through our worship together you will get a glimpse of the home for which we all yearn - a home promised by God of hope, love, joy and peace.  And we pray that you will be renewed and strengthened as we continue our journey of faith together as we prepare for the coming of Christ. During the S econd Week of Advent we reflected on the experience of exile, both physical exile and the exile we experience due to the loss of loved ones, of jobs, of homes, o...

Our theme this Advent season is "Come Home" - We hope you will accept the invitation: Come home to the God who has made a home among us! (John 1:14) As we began our Advent journey last week we looked at the longing for home that lies deep within us and the joy that comes at being at home with God.   This past Sunday we looked at Isaiah 35 as we continued our Advent journey. Rwth reminds us that the words of the prophet came to those who were in exile. To be an exile means you’re displaced.  And displacement literally means not-placed. To be an exile is to experience a radical loss of belonging.  When you’re displaced, you lose your roots, your ground of identity and meaning.  You lose the familiar landmarks that exist not only in geography, but in seasons, culture, and daily life rhythms.  You feel fragmented, as if some invisible yet indispensable glue that held you together has evaporated and left you in pieces, without wholeness, without coherence....

Project Giving Tree This year Ocala First is adopting families from Wyomina Park Elementary School who are in need of a little Christmas help.   We are asking church members to adopt a family and provide three gifts for each child.  Contact Shannon ( shannon.vianello@gmail.com ) or Austin ( austin@fumcocala.org ) for more information on how you can serve!  Christmas Concert On Sunday, December 11 at 6:30 pm our wonderful Praise Band will present the concert “Emmanuel: An Evening of Contemporary Christian Christmas Music” in the Family Life Center. The free concert will feature traditional and new Christmas favorites. Infant and Pre-K childcare is provided and an offering will be taken to support our Ocala First homeless ministries. This concert is a great opportunity to invite family, friends and neighbors to join you for an open and enjoyable event for all ages! Wednesday Evening Prayer Group All are invited and welcome to join our Wednesday Evening P...

Our theme this Advent season is "Come Home" - We hope you will accept the invitation:  Come home to the God who has made a home among us! (John 1:14) This past Sunday we looked at Psalm 122 as we began our Advent journey. Psalm 122 was sung with joy by pilgrims going up to Jerusalem to worship -  " I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let’s go to the Lord’s house!”   They were returning to the place which represented the most intimate encounter between God and God’s people. But they were not merely looking back to what God had done for them in the past. In returning to their spiritual homes they were renewing their expectations for the hopeful and hoped-for future promised by God.  We pray this Advent that you will return to place of your most intimate encounters with God. We pray that you will remember the home from which you came with joy and thanksgiving. We pray that through our worship together you will get a glimpse of the home for which we all ...