Dear Members, Friends, and Guests:

Lely celebrated the baptism of Prisca Andre’ at the 9:00 am service last Sunday! A huge thanks to Alida Helmlinger for putting together the banner for Prisca and her family! There is always a well spring of joy when making a promise to raise a child with Christian values and support the parents in this sacred endeavor! Congratulations!!

The baptism of Prisca fit perfectly with the theme of heroes of faith and how to be the best grandparents ever! Prisca joined the lineage of the faithful handed down thru the ages!

The sermon series continues with scripture from II Timothy 1. Paul knows his protege Timothy and names his mother and grandmother in the letter! As we mature in the faith, we need to be spiritual leaders!

AND, the best news for Sunday……Bob and Glenn return to lead the music ministry! Remember, choir rehearsal begins Thursday, October 19 at 4:00 pm in the Choir Room!! Click Here to Let Bob and Glenn Know you Plan to Attend

Moorings Presbyterian Church will host a Ukrainian Concert on Sunday, October 15 at 4:00 pm and feature the KYIV Orchestra Concert and Choir. See more details below!

Blessing of the Animals will be held Saturday, November 4, at 10:00 am on the church campus. Such a joy to see the four legged members of the families turn out for a this special service! Click Here and Listen to a Personal Invite

November 5 is All Saints Sunday! During the 10:30 am worship service, Lely will remember members and friends who Joined the Church Triumphant during the previous year!

mber 11 at 9:00 am, Lely Presbyterian Church will honor Veterans during a special service! Please plan to attend this 30 minute service! Click Here to Send names of Veterans to be Included

Finally, the world is facing incredible challenges. A good friend of mine, Rabbi Larry Bazer, offered his perspective on what is happening between Israel and Hamas. Click Here to Watch the Interview

See you Sunday!

Welcome to Lely…..Welcome Home….You Belong Here!!

I remain a Servant of Christ….

Sincerely,

Pastor Ed

“How to be the Best Grandparents Ever” sermon series continues this Sunday. While some are not grandparents, each of us fills the role of adoptive grandparents as children and families worship with Lely!

People need heroes in today’s world and people need heroes of faith, as outlined by Hebrews 11. Nearly every verse begins with, “By faith….” and the work of the peson is reviewed and celebrated!

“By faith….” Lely Presbyterian Church continues outreach to youth and young families! “By faith….” Lely Presbyterian Church welcomes guests and friends to the work and ministry of changing and expanding congregation!

Faith is built upon the foundation of the redemptive love of Jesus Christ. And growing our faith and grasp of scripture is essential to knowing who we are as God’s people!

The women’s Bible Study on Tuesdays at 10:30 am is going great guns! If you are not part of a Bible Study, consider taking time to study and pray as part of your spiritual growth!

The men’s Bible Study is meeting on Tuesdays at 8:00 am in Kemp Hall. The study book is “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers. The group looks a readings from the previous week and provides a springboard for discussion!

Lely’s Music Team of Bob and Glenn returns for worship on Sunday, October 15 and Choir Rehearsal begins Thursday, October 19 at 4:00 pm!!! Get your voices ready!! (Bob and Glenn will send out a special letter later this week!)

Blessing of the Animals will now be held Saturday, November 4, at 10:00 am on the church campus. Such a joy to see the four legged members of the families turn out for a this special service!

November 5 is All Saints Sunday! During the 10:30 am worship service, Lely will remember members and friends who Joined the Church Triumphant during the previous year!

November 11 at 9:00 am, Lely Presbyterian Church will honor Veterans during a special service! Please plan to attend this 30 minute service!

See you Sunday!

Welcome to Lely…..Welcome Home….You Belong Here!!

I remain a Servant of Christ….

Sincerely,

Pastor Ed

Dear Members, Friends, and Guests:

Lely welcomed four new members to include; Treva Larson, Jackie Snyder, Dayle DeAngelo, and Aimee Trochessett.

Please take time to introduce yourself to Lely’s newest member and be sure to always sit with a person you need to know better during fellowship following worship!

During Sunday’s Minute for Mission Scott Anderson delivered a powerful and inspiring message regarding foster care for children! I was moved by his words as well as by him sharing the he and his wife adopted four children!! That is putting faith into action!!!

Melana Scruggs will fill the pulpit on Sunday, September 24. She will kick off the sermon series, “How to be the Best Grandparents Ever!” While the sermon series may appear to focus on biological grandparents, know that each of us play a surrogate role for developing children in the life of the church and the community!

Following the 9:00 and 10:30 am worship services, Bette Decoteau will lead a Town Hall Meeting in Kemp Hall! She will discuss the role of church membership and a glimpse into the growth taking place at Lely!!

This past year Bette Decoteau made an incredible trip to Europe and visited old haunts and made amazing new friends! In gratitude of her return, Bette is throwing an Oktoberfest in Kemp Hall on Saturday, September 30 beginning at 5:00 pm! There will be bratts…German Desserst, refreshments, and pics of her trip shifting in the background! To Help With Planning Click Here to Let Her Know You Plan to Attend

World Communion Sunday will be observed on Sunday, October 1 at the 9:00 and 10:30 am services of worship!

Blessing of the Animals will be held later that day, and it’s always a joy to welcome the four legged members of the families to Lely’s campus for this special service!

Lely’s Music Team returns for worship on Sunday, October 15 and Choir Rehearsal begins Thursday, October 19 at 4:00 pm!!! Get your voices ready!!

As an additional note, the Session has called for a Special Congregational Meeting on Sunday, November 12 at 10:00 a.m. for the purpose of electing church officers.

Click Here to send your suggested names to the Nominating Committee.

See you Sunday!

Welcome to Lely…..Welcome Home….You Belong Here!!

I remain a Servant of Christ….

Sincerely,

Pastor Ed

Elders for Lely Presbyterian Church Click Here to Contact an Elder

 

Class of 2023 Class of 2024 Class of 2025 Cyndi Hauck Worship & Education Cherie Millsom Worship & Education Bonnie Hartley Mission & Outreach Bette Decoteau Personnel Jeff Witte Finance & Stewardship Jackee Krauss Buildings & Tech Epi DeLaPaz Buildings & Tech Eleanor Fiermonti Fellowship Alida Helminger Clerk of Session

 

Board of Deacons Lely Presbyterian Church Click Here to Contact a Deacon

 

Class of 2023 Class of 2024 Class 2025 Dinah Bampoe Paula DeLuca Helen Johnson Cindy Kelley Jaye DeLaPaz Val Hoffman Brenda Orozco Jennifer Kissell Sharon Berke

 

The links above will send a note to the church office and your message will be forwarded to the Elder or Deacon listed!   In addition, Lely Pres is blessed to have Mary Lloyd as Treasurer and Kerry Stallard as Controller.

As Penned by Donna Fiala

See the article on Coastal Breeze by clicking here

So many of us are fortunate (lucky) to have supportive friends and family. I am extremely blessed to have both, and I treasure them! Without them, life would be different, and in my opinion, very empty. But sometimes that emptiness of family can’t be avoided, so we can go out and fill that emptiness with friends who are also loving and caring it fills that empty spot in our hearts and lives.

This past year I don’t know what I would have managed without my supportive family! And I never forget to thank God for his blessings! But if you have no family here in town or close by, you can try to fill that empty spot with friends who are loving and want to be a part of a “unit” of caring and fun and happiness. I already had my family, but along the way I found wonderful people I call friends, and I feel blessed whenever we spend time together!

Though my wonderful friends can never take the place of family, they sure can fill my life with laughter and fun and be there when I need advice or another opinion, or someone to go to lunch or dinner with. What would we do without friends???? Life would be very different.

At church this week, I had church friends spread their happiness amongst all of us! People looking after others, and with doing that, you become family. Vern & Sharon swoop right in with a protective feeling to those in the church, so do Bonnie and Bonnie and Pastor Ed – oh gosh, I’d better not name people because I don’t have enough room to name all the loving caring people that are amongst us, and then we gather after the service and have coffee and treats that give the congregation a feeling of togetherness and family.

Even the little children are a part of things.

Yes, I’m talking about Lely Presbyterian Church. It’s like a welcoming home to all of us! Our minister had just retired from the Military, and this church needed a minister, so he chose us. It was a very small congregation. He was there just about two weeks when I read about the church with a retired military officer taking over, and as most of you know, I’ll always support Veterans, so I decided to drop in. I had, over the years, gone to the church, but moved on.

When I got to the church that first morning a little over a year ago, I walked into a very empty church in about April of 2021. I’m guessing about 15 people were there. All older folks. No choir. No children or young adults. But those that were there were friendly, and the Minister’s message was powerful!

As a Veteran, he knew what he was talking about! I decided to go back the next week because I was intrigued with his message and the gentle, friendly people in the congregation. Well, that next week there must have been at least 25 people. The following week it was about 50 people. The following week even more people came, but now they had formed a little choir! Wow! That happened quickly!

Within a few weeks, younger people started to attend, then later, younger people with babies showed up. It was amazing watching the success each week! The choir grew larger, and the church had to offer two services with choir music on Sundays! It was like watching poetry in motion!

Then the Men’s bible study started, the Women’s bible study started, the once a month the ladies’ luncheons at a restaurant in the area and men’s luncheon at another restaurant. You really get to know each other as friends because you can’t talk as much on Sunday’s but at luncheons you can. With that we started reaching out to other parts of the community to see if help was needed in some areas. There’s a lot going on at that church and help that comes from the people in the church for others.

Well, here it comes! “Season” is about to begin, the holiday’s will be celebrated, many people have moved to our area over the last year. As our Winter residents return, their neighborhoods will have changed a little, with new people, others in charge, new buildings and housing, new businesses. Our world is changing as we know it.

So, to those who are moving back, or coming back from their summer vacations, it’s good to have you back. Hopefully you’ll see some new businesses that we’ve needed. I’m waiting for the Dairy Queen to come. Some new restaurants have begun, but then things have changed also because of the hurricanes we’ve had. The poor folks in Ft. Myer’s have really taken a hit, so some will have a lot of repairs and replacing to take care of. But we can handle it! We still live in a paradise, no matter what you say!

Dear Members, Friends, and Guests:

Last Sunday’s sermon focused on hypocrisy. Truth be told, we are all hypocrites….saying one thing and doing another. Hypocrite could easily be a perennial diagnosis for the health of churches around the world. People struggle with forgiveness, redemption, letting go and moving forward. I have those same struggles with relationships, organizations, and all of life! Trying to embrace the tenets of the Christian faith and connect faith to living is a daily challenge. Hypocrisy made Jesus Mad.

Tradition made Jesus mad. The upcoming sermon will look at how traditions can get in the way of a closer walk with Jesus. Engaging in centuries old practices can be good and bad. Some traditions keep alive stories that need to be told. Other traditions are practiced for the sake of….well….tradition….the proverbial, “We’ve always done it that way!”

Jesus calls each of us to a new of living. That lifestyle rids the debris on the pathways to spiritual grow. Sunday’s sermon will look at traditions that get in the way of knowing Jesus. And guess what…..we are all guilty of keeping alive dead traditions!

Bob and Glenn arrive for October 15 services and choir begins rehearsal on October 19 at 4:00 pm. Until that time music in worship will be provided by a combination of purchased pre-recorded music and recorded music from Bob and Glenn. I fully acknowledge that a new song with a different presentation may make some squirm a little…..but hey….the bounds of tradition are being pushed! Only six more weeks until Bob and Glenn return!!! Be patient!

Following worship this Sunday at 9:00 and 10:30 am Jeff Witte will host a Town Hall in Kemp Hall. He will provide an update on the financials for Lely Pres and I will give a preview of coming attractions as well as field questions all might have!! This is a chance to “stump the Pastor!!!”

There are several upcoming studies and events you are encouraged to attend!

Thursday, September 7

Pastor Ed begins an 11-week study on the Book of John! Did you know there is a connection to Genesis? Are you familiar with the “I am” passages and there connection to Exodus? The study will be held in Kemp Hall and begin at 10:00 am! Study books are $20 and are available in the office!

The same study will be offered by Kathy Sell beginning on Monday, September 10 at 6:00 pm in Kemp Hall!

Click Here to Say “I’m in” for the Study!“I want to learn more about John!!!”

Thursday, September 7

Pizza Thursday followed by

Youth Group Kick Off @ 4 pm

Friday, September 8

Community Open House at 5:30 and a chance to meet the Staff

Sunday, September 10

Following the 10:30 am service, join Gail Minard to look at the various ways to Connect, Engage, and Integrate with Lely Pres! Click Here to Let Gail Minard Know You Plan to Attend

Tuesday, September 12

Men’s Bible Study Kicks Off Tuesday, September 12 @ 8:00 am in Kemp Hall

Sunday, September 24

Pastor Ed begins a Sermon Series entitled, “How To Be the Best Grandparents!” on Sunday, September 24 and concluding on October 22!

September 24 – Biblical Grandparents

October 1 – Faithful & Fruitful

October 8 – Can’t Live Without Them!

October 15 – Spiritual Family Leaders

October 22 – The Grandparents of Jesus

Sunday, October 1

Blessing of the Animals at 4:00 pm on the Church Campus

Thursday, October 19

Get voices ready!!!! Choir Rehearsal begins at 4:00 pm!

Wednesday, November 15

Stop by the church campus for “Coffee with Pastor Ed” from 9:00 – 10:00 am.

Finally, as Presbyterian Primer…..Lely Presbyterian Church is governed by Elders elected by the Congregation! My apologies for not putting this information out on a more regular basis! See the chart below!! This list will also include Deacons.

Welcome to Lely…..Welcome Home….You Belong Here!!

See you Sunday!

I remain a Servant of Christ….

Sincerely,

Pastor Ed

 

Elders for Lely Presbyterian Church Click Here to Contact an Elder

 

Class of 2023 Class of 2024 Class of 2025 Cyndi Hauck Worship & Education Cherie Millsom Worship & Education Bonnie Hartley Mission & Outreach Bette Decoteau Personnel Jeff Witte Finance & Stewardship Jackee Krauss Buildings & Tech Epi DeLaPaz Buildings & Tech Eleanor Fiermonti Fellowship Alida Helminger Clerk of Session

 

Board of Deacons Lely Presbyterian Church Click Here to Contact a Deacon

 

Class of 2023 Class of 2024 Class 2025 Dinah Bampoe Paula DeLuc Helen Johnson Cindy Kelley Jaye DeLaPaz Brenda Orozco Jennifer Kissell Sharon Berke

 

The links above will send a note to the church office and your message will be forwarded to the Elder or Deacon listed!   In addition, Lely Pres is blessed to have Mary Lloyd as Treasurer and Kerry Stallard as Comptroller.