This week's note from Rev. Bill

TASTES A BIT LIKE…PORK?

               A few weeks ago one of our new people at the church invited me to go out fishing. As you know, this is a burden that I am willing to bear as a pastor – it’s tough, but my love for you keeps me going in situations like this!

               We got up EARLY in the morning and headed out on his boat to the Gulf. It was a beautiful morning – warm breezes, glowing skyline, the birds just starting to wake up. We stopped on the inlet and caught a dozen or so ladyfish to use as bait, and then headed out to the main fishing grounds. 

 He said that this was a good place to catch sharks, so we baited up the hooks, and waited. 

               And waited.

               And waited. 

               And evidently nobody had informed the sharks. So we pulled up and went to another area, to see if there were any there. 

               There weren’t. It appeared that all of the sharks (and the other fish, other than the ladyfish) had been invited away to someplace else and had not bothered to inform us. 

               So we slowly headed back to our original spot, where he swore that he always caught stuff. 

               Now, I had no reason to disbelieve him. I have done a bit of fishing myself, and I know that sometimes the fish just don’t want to bite. It never crossed my mind that he would be trying to deliberately deceive me, taking me out to a place where he knew we would have zero chance of success that day. 

               I trusted him. So we stayed. We re-baited the hooks, set everything up, and waited. 

               And then one of the poles doubled over – we had a shark! A good, 3-foot hammerhead!

And then another one – a sand shark this time!

And finally, we hooked onto a blacktip – which evidently are very good eating! We released the others but kept that one, and I cooked it up. It tastes, amazingly enough, like pork! (Not what I was expecting – usually everyone says something “tastes like chicken”. Not shark! And yes, we only ate 6 ounces and froze the rest, to be safe about mercury levels!)

              Sometimes ministry to me is like catching sharks - I have never doubted that God has sent me some place for a reason. There are times when it appears that nothing is happening, but I trust that God is not trying to waste my time. God wants for me to succeed, because I want to lead people to Jesus!

               So I faithfully do what I am told to do. I set things up. I prepare. And I wait. 

               Sometimes fishing is good, and there is immediate gratification. Last week I went out and caught 15 fish in one evening – 2 on my first 3 casts! Other times I wait for hours and wonder if anything’s happening. 

               But God is a good guide. God wants for me to succeed. And God wants for you to succeed, too. 

               When you feel as if nothing is happening, that’s okay. Enjoy the sunrise. Feel the breeze. Take time to breathe and relax, and know that God has a plan. 

               It may not be in your timing, but it will happen. And when it does, hold on! Because sharks can PULL!!!

• Rev. Bill

Service for May 12, 2024

"Living Among the Unclean"

Isaiah 6:1-8

On Wednesday Rev. Bill

will be

at the church office to guide our scripture study that we use to get a

"sneak peek" at the

sermon message for Sunday!



Ezekiel 37:1-14

The Staff Parish Relations (SPR) team is the human resources arm of the local church. Our SPR team is helping with the pastoral transition that is upcoming July 1, 2024. The first step in this process is grieving for the loss of Rev. Bill and Kim. United Women in Faith will be hosting a farewell reception after Sunday morning services on June 16. There will be a basket to collect any cards or notes you wish to share with Rev. Bill and Kim. This is a celebration of their ministry with us.

If you wish, you may mail your card to FUMC Bonita office at 27690 Shriver Ave. Bonita Springs, FL. 34135.



SPR Team

Susan Atkinson, Russ Baird, Leroy Jones, Julie Kampmann, Jann Mier, Kathy Schmitt and Marianne Simons

SPR announced on April 14, 2024, that FUMC Bonita will have a change in pastoral appointment on July 1, 2024. Rev. Ben Richards will be our new pastor in July. Rev. Ben Richards is currently serving San Marco church in Jacksonville, Florida. He visited our campus on May 2, 2024, and met the staff, SPR, and a few others. This is a video he prepared to

introduce himself.

Calling for Volunteers

The First Bonita Church family needs YOU.  There are always opportunities to serve, but sometimes those needs are even greater when many of our church family head to their northern homes or our year-rounders take vacations.

One need has been raised by the Staff Parish Relations Committee (SRC).  This team works as the human resources department for the church dealing with staff.  In the past, we have investigated hiring childcare workers for worship services.  You might be saying to yourselves, “But we don’t have a bunch of children in our church.”  On occasion we have had children – maybe grandchildren of our members or others.  We hope that we will attract more families with children.  So, until we have enough kids to justify hiring a childcare worker, we need to establish a list of volunteers who would be able to jump into action when children are present.  We do have a room that is ready and able to support this program.  Any volunteers would need to be trained and have approved background checks. If you are interested in being on an on-call list, contact Kathy Schmitt, SPRC chair, or call the church office.



Another volunteer need that becomes greater during “non-season” is for people to provide  refreshments during coffee time after worship.  It’s not difficult; instructions are clearly posted in the kitchen. Making coffee, providing cookies, cupcakes, fruit, or whatever sounds good to you are the primary jobs.  You can buy or bring homemade items. Volunteers should arrive in the church kitchen between 9-9:30 to have time to set up before worship service at 10 a.m. The United Women in Faith coordinate coffee time.  Unfortunately, during a recent Sunday, we had no one signed up…and that meant no coffee or fellowship time!   The sign-up sheet is on the board inside the kitchen.  Couples, men, and women are encouraged to sign up.  Like the need for childcare workers, the search for volunteers for coffee time is challenged by fewer regulars here during the summer. See Susan Atkinson, UWF president,  if you need more information.  

SIGNUP SHEETS AVAILABLE FOR 5K RUN!!!

               There are signup sheets in the rear of the sanctuary and over in the church office if you would like to sponsor Rev. Bill for the Annual Conference 5K run in June. And if you want to show up and walk/run it yourself, you are welcome! The online registration can be found at https://www.flumc.org/2024-5k

NEW MEMBER GROUP STARTING!

               Many of you have said that you would like to become members of our church here in Bonita, so we will be holding a New Member Orientation on Sunday, May 19, at 11am for those who are interested. This will give us a chance to get to know you better and to help you to find your place of joy and service here. Please call the church office (239.992.1312) so that we have your information ready!

Hablas Espanol?

Classes are on Tuesdays at 10:00 am in the

CHURCH OFFICE and on ZOOM!

United Women in Faith

Eleven women gathered at 3 p.m. for the April 15 meeting of the United Women in Faith in Fellowship Hall. We were delighted to have several new women join us.  The group’s monthly business meetings on the third Monday of each month focus on mission outreach and fellowship.

Our mission outreach at this time is gathering new shoes for the children at Bonita Springs Elementary School.  The request is for children’s  small sizes:  10-13 and 1-3. We invite the congregation to join us in purchasing a pair or two of shoes.  Please bring them to church by the end of April.  They will be sorted and displayed at church before being delivered to the school.  The Saturday before this meeting six members gathered for a morning of cleaning and organizing in the church kitchen.  

UWF members will also play a role in celebrating the ministry of Rev. Bill and Kim.  A special coffee hour event on June 16 will celebrate our love for them as we wish them only the best as they travel to Rev. Bill’s new church assignment.  In addition to lots of tasty food (all donations welcome), a basket for cards/gifts for the Fisackerlys will be available .

In addition to saying goodbye to our current pastoral team, the UWF has traditionally provided some basic food/household items for each new pastor.  After the busy moving process on June 25, most are not excited for a grocery store run.  We will confer with the new pastor in case there are any specific food preferences/concerns.  

The next meeting will be May 20 at 3 p.m. in Fellowship Hall.  The group holds regular business meetings September-May.  During the summer months, the group enjoys a monthly luncheon at a local restaurant.  In May after we select the dates and locations of our summer lunches, we will publish them in the newsletter.  All women of our church family are invited.

Book Club Selection for June

Eight members of the First UMC Book Club had a great conversation as they met Wednesday, May 1, at the Royal Scoop to discuss the book Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. We are delighted that more bibliophiles are joining us for our monthly discussions.

Please note that we will have a slight change in plans for the June meeting.   We will meet on Tuesday, June 4, at our regular 1 p.m. time (instead of on the first Wednesday for this month).  Our book for that session will be The Submission by Amy Waldman.  This book is described as “a wrenching panoramic novel about the politics of grief in the wake of 9/11.”  Others have said the author “has the emotional smarts to write a story about Islam in America”.  A major reviewer says the author “…brilliantly delineates the legacy of 9/11.” 

This is another book kit from the Bonita Springs Public Library.  The best part of any book club is good discussion.  While book club members don’t have to love all the same genres of literature (mystery, historical fiction, romance, etc.), it is always interesting to discuss what you have read with other careful readers.



The books will be available before and after church starting May 5.  See Susan Atkinson to get your copy or text her at 239-405-9078 with questions.  Remember that the books must be turned in by the meeting date (June 4) before another set of books may be checked out.

"TOM AND PRINCESS' CORNER!"

The places we go and the things we see!

Good meow-ing, church family! Yesterday, I couldn't find Tom, I thought

purr-haps he was in fellowship hall! No Tom, but I loved the shoes for the paws!

I checked out back and the litter box was full, its litter-ally full. No, Tom! I did make a new fur-end! I was ready to put out a ALL PAWS bulletin and guess who showed up! I told him how much I knead him and we hissed and made up!

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PRAYER & CARE

All information and last names will be kept confidential. Our list is updated weekly. If you need us to keep someone on the list, please send their name to prayer@fumcbonita.org.

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Altar Flowers



If you would like to honor family, friends, or loved ones for an anniversary, birthday, or memorial, contact the church office for details.