Up and Down the Coast

Sunday started with worship at Pine Island UMC near Fort Myers. The Rev. Sharon Jones recently began serving there as an interim pastor. It was a great worship service. 

Then I drove up to Bradenton for our first Mission Field Charge Conference of the season for the Manatee East group at Trinity UMC in Bradenton - 6 churches gathered together for worship, communion and approving the business for 2027. 

Monday I spent at First UMC Bradenton meeting with the West Manatee Mission Field pastors for clergy one-on-ones. They had this very interesting plaque in the hallway outside the parlor where we were meeting - dedicated to the young men of the congregation who fought in World War 1. 

Tuesday I Zoomed from home and Wednesday I spent at the office. Also on Wednesday I had a breakfast meeting downtown with Rev. Nick Lee dreaming about the future of new church starts in our district. 

 

Sarasota to Fort Myers and Back Again

Sunday I worshipped at Cypress Lake UMC in Fort Myers to welcome their new pastor, Rev. Andy Whitaker-Smith. The transition is going well and he is doing a great job. I stayed for their modern worship service and then their 11am traditional. 

This is me with Andy and the two associate pastors there - Kayln and Grady Wiley. 

Tuesday I worked from Sarasota and was on Zoom for 8 meetings! 

Then on Wednesday, Daryl and I went to Fort Myers to Faith UMC for our District Committee on Ordained Ministry. I got to welcome my friend the Rev. Morgan Whitaker-Smith as a new member of our team. 

And Nancy Metz our district lay leader was able to join in person for hospitality. She recently had hip replacement surgery and is doing great. 

Thursday I was back in the office to finish out the week...AND I finally finished answering all of my email from renewal leave (it took me three weeks to wade through the 2,000 messages I had. 

 

Week in Review

For my first Sunday back to work, I worshipped at Rogers Community UMC in Bradenton. They have a new pastor who just started in July, the Rev. Lavinia Marshall. She is doing a great job so far and there is a lot of joy present in the congregation. 

Sunday night I drive to Lakeland for several days of Cabinet meetings. This was the fitness haul I had to bring with me because the hotel didn't have a gym. 

Ready for meetings! 

Monday night I went for a walk around Lake Hollingsworth to get my steps in. 

Wednesday I walked the lake around the conference office in between meetings. 

Thursday I was back in the district office with Sandy. She did a great job holding down the fort over the summer and keeping things on track. 

 

The Week in Review

Sunday started on the island - Pine Island this time for worship. I attended the service there with our district lay leader Nancy Metz. 

Monday was spent in Lakeland for the ordination retreat at Success House. So excited to celebrate these 8 people at their ordination in two weeks. 

Success House is a venue where the conference stores a lot of our Disaster Recovery Ministry supplies. 

Tuesday included an Orientation Zoom for 11 summer pastoral interns and their supervisors from around the conference. We are so excited to have an intern from the district, who will be hosted at First UMC Sarasota. 

Thursday included a gathering of some of our Manatee County pastors with some leaders at Rogers Memorial UMC in Bradenton. 

 

All Around the Town

Sunday I preached for Mother's Day at Trinity UMC in Sarasota and then headed for a labyrinth walk in downtown Sarasota. 

I spent a couple of days working from Lakeland. This is my little cubby area in the conference office. 

We had several meetings gettin ready for annual conference in a few weeks, including a walk through at Branscomb Auditorium on Florida Southern College's campus. 

 

Here, There and Everywhere

This week I spent Monday in the office in Zoom meetings. Tuesday I was back at the Conference Office to work with the large church pastors who are moving this summer and teach about self-care in the midst of transition. The two pastors on the ends of this picture are leaving our district for other appointments and the pastor with the beard next to me is joining our district this summer. 

Wednesday involved a lot of Annual Conference planning meetings online and then Sandy and I set up two canvas labyrinths on the floor in the fellowship hall to take pictures. The district office bought these and is loaning them out to churches for special occasions. We needed the pictures to make up the fliers about them and type up the instructions. The large one was so big we could only assemble two of the sections. 

Thursday was out district clergy gathering, this time at Gulf Cove UMC in Port Charlotte. We had a great teaching time about the 6 Types of Working Genius. And their pastor made up some awesome AI graphics to welcome us and say goodbye. 

I finished the day up with a drive down to Pine Island for a meeting and then home again!