2023-04-30 Beacon

WELCOME

Shalimar UMC

Lead Pastor

Dr. Philip McVay

Rev. David Garvin Youth Pastor

Rev. Matt Langford Associate Pastor

Gerald Batton Custodian

Chris Bennett Facility & Maintenance Manager

Pat Brantley Office Administrative Assistant

Abigail Denney Media & Communications

Joy Harris Financial Assistant

Denise Heath Finance

Sarah Hicks Children’s Director

Karen Jadin Preschool Director

Tony Mallini Interim Church Administrator

Heyward McKenzie Chef

Amanda Marshall Nursery Coordinator

Leigh J. Rice Respite Director

Dawn Rozofsky After School & Camp Director

Ben Savage Worship Arts

Jeremy Thiess Ministries Assistant

After Hours Emergency Pastoral Assistance

Dr. Philip McVay: (850) 607-1133

Dr. Brad Bradford: (850) 227-4328

Rev. David Garvin: (850) 319-0072

Rev. Matt Langford: (334) 437-3931

Dr. Brad Bradford Worship Pastor

Our Vision

Christ-centered, multi-generational, family & community relevant ministries through worship, discipleship, and mission.

Our Mission

We REACH out to our congregation, community, and the world.

We TEACH the word of God as provided in the Holy-Scripture.

We SEND our members and missionaries to be witnesses to God’s grace and His promise of eternal life.

8AM | 9:30 AM | 11AM

3 identical services combining traditions, connect, and freedom together.

11:45AM-2PM | RECEPTION IN FAMILY LIFE CENTER

Join us as we celebrate, honor, and remember all that Rev. Dr. Philip McVay has done here at Shalimar UMC.

Week of April 30, 2023

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

CHURCH LIFE

CHURCH LIFE

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO BE IN THE KNOW.

PHILIP’S RETIREMENT RECEPTION

Today is our lead pastor, Dr. Philip McVay’s last Sunday, before he retires! After our services today, we will have a reception in the Family Life Center from 11:45pm - 2pm.

MARRIAGE RETREAT

Calling all engaged and married couples! We want to invite you to our marriage retreat the weekend of May 19! There will be 3 sessions: May 19, May 20, and June 11.

To register scan the QR code down below!

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Rev. Matt Langford at (334) 437-3931

CHILDREN’S MUSICAL

Join us on May 7, in the Family Life Center at 6pm to watch our Children’s Choir perform their musical, God Squad.

READY, SET, VBS

Children ages 4 (as of September 1, 2022) – (Completed) 5th Grade are invited to Vacation Bible School 2023 – READY, SET, MOVE!

VBS DATES: June 5 - June 9 | 9am - 12pm

This week of hands-on activities in Bible, games, crafts, and missions will allow the kids to grow in their faith as they understand how they can follow Jesus here, there, and everywhere. Registration is open! Visit shalimar-umc.org/vbs23 to complete the registration form or contact our Children’s Director, Sarah Hicks at sarah@shalimar-umc.org

Philip’s Focus

The Final Shalom

This is my last week as your Lead Pastor at Shalimar United Methodist Church. As it so happens, this has been a nine-year tenure. In my earlier Associate Pastor tenure in the 1980’s, I was appointed for three years. This means I am concluding 12 years in my RELATIONSHIPS with the people of this congregation.

I’m grateful to God for two appointments to this great church. There have been other pastors more deserving of this appointment but none more thankful for having formed lifetime RELATIONSHIPS that have spanned 40 years.

When I was first appointed to Shalimar UMC in 1983, I had to get a map to determine where Shalimar, Florida, was located. As I arrived, I soon learned this was an amazing place to live by “the beautiful water.” And the Church I found was one of the most under the radar and vibrant churches in all of Methodism. My jaw dropped at the level of excitement, love, and joy evident in the church.

The lasting highlight of my first time here, I met my wife Karen in this sanctuary. We fell in love and were married six months later in the same sanctuary. When I say I have a long-time relationship with this congregation, it is so true, I married one of Shalimar UMC members! We will be forever grateful for your love and kindness as a newly married couple.

As I look back, we will be forever grateful for this church and people like Pate Johnson, Tom Goodwin, Bob O’Connor, Betty Doyle, Larry Parks, Roger Budd, Joe McLain, Norma Unruh, Ollie Fay Flynt, and so many others… who changed the trajectory of our lives. Shalimar UMC encouraged us to “shoot for the stars.” We were fueled by the positivity of this congregation.

When we left here in 1986, Karen and I moved to Pensacola and would lead one of the fastest-growing new UMC churches in Methodism in the 1980’s. Saint Luke United Methodist Church grew from 57 to 575 members in our six years. Karen, believe it or not, led the music ministry at Saint Luke! A few years later, I earned a Doctor of Ministry degree at Wesley Theological Seminary, largely due to lay people at Shalimar UMC who encouraged me to shoot for the stars.

In 1992, Karen and I moved to Montgomery to Whitfield United Methodist and were part of a dramatic turnaround for a church in serious decline. Karen was instrumental in building and leading a robust children’s program in those years. The church went from life support to a vibrant and growing church again. We even successfully merged the Normandale UMC into Whitfield UMC during our tenure there.

In 2000, we moved back to Pensacola to pastor Cokesbury UMC. God led us to incredible growth years and even a second merger. Karen formed a women’s ministry and I had to slow her down as she was filling the parking lot more than me!

In 2009, we moved back to Montgomery, and I was appointed as the District Superintendent of the Montgomery Prattville District. These years involved appointment-making and being the presiding elder for over 100 UMC churches and 70 pastors.

All in all, Karen and I have served in Pensacola twice, Montgomery twice, and Shalimar twice. We call it the Noah plan 2x2.

In our life together in ministry, God has blessed the churches I pastored with incredible growth in baptisms, people, membership, record increases of giving, and worship attendance.

The Shalimar years since 2014 have included growth in people as new members, discipleship, and giving to the Lord. We have often focused on the teachings of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount. If you recall, the Sermon on the Mount concludes with the wise builder building on the rock and the foolish builder on the sand. The building on the rock represents the teachings of Jesus. The foundation of Shalimar is stronger for proclaiming Jesus through the three storms we have faced. The teachings of Jesus are always rock solid! The stronger the adversity, the more Jesus we need!

In the last nine years, we have been through so much together…

We had to calm the storm from the Master Plan fallout, we then, abruptly were greeted with an unprecedented pandemic (with no playbook) which would lead to no in-person worship for an extended time. Covid was likely the greatest challenge in the history of Shalimar UMC. WE MADE IT THROUGH!

Finally, we have had denominational issues challenging us and reaching a “fever pitch” in the last year. As your Lead Pastor, I have worked tirelessly to offer leadership that we focus on the hope and positivity of Jesus Christ. I have sought to lead keeping our attention on Jesus and offer a non-anxious presence in very anxious times.

In these extenuating conditions, our staff and laity have relentlessly worked to keep the focus on the mission and ministry of the church. They have done incredible work in these most unusual times! Please know the debt of commitment our staff has demonstrated in going through at least three different storms in the last four years.

It has been said that the senior pastor is the keeper of the “cooperate soul” of the church. A Lead Pastor, in good times and bad, must focus on the “collective soul of the congregation.” In these periods of turmoil, God is getting us through and even redeeming our congregation in the fierce winds of adversity. Please remember God REDEEMS the worst and works all for His greater good.

(Certainly, my belief in Roman’s 8:28 is as strong as ever).

As I look back over my tenure as the young associate who could hardly contain the joy in my soul in my first three blissful years here. Later as Lead Pastor, I have been amazed

at how God helps us through the most difficult of times. This is stated in Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” The LORD GOT US THROUGH!

Again, I am most blessed these nine years by those who have worked with me and have made so much possible our prayers together. The book, Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson, and the sermon series on prayer would be one of my highlights with you. We had everyone praying and God moved in great ways! The Presbyterian Church became available and acquired was one way. We worshipped mightily together for 21 straight days at 6AM for several years and 12x12 and 144 discipleship groups were other results of the prayers.

Speaking of the power of prayer…I thank God for our prayer ministry led by Jim Brantley which has led us to live into the possibilities of Ephesians 3:20 possible. “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works within us.”

Again, let me praise our pastors! Brad, Matt, David

Let me praise our staff! Tony, Pat, Denise, Ben, Abbey, Sarah, Karen, Dawn, Leigh, Tracy, Jeremy, Amanda, Chris, Deb, Gerald. This is the best staff of people since I have been here.

Let me also thank so many of you in the congregation that has offered your love, support, prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. You have made an eternal difference navigating through our short-term adversity! You have made Shalimar UMC stronger and as vibrant as ever!

Your faithfulness is evident when I walk around here on any day and there are abundant cars in the parking lot and the campus is alive! The sights and sounds of children, adults, students, senior adults, hands, and hearts touching people from our community who come to us for help are amazing! We are still under the radar! Yet the Kingdom is impacted by the REACH, TEACH, and SEND that is going forth exponentially through this church.

Let me share that my wife, Karen THE FIRST LADY, has been most significant in these nine years. Our years have not been easy. There was a very low time in 2019 when the church was in chaos, people were railing against my leadership, and she was battling cancer. Karen has been a rock; she has kept me going. Other than God, Karen has been the most influential person in my life. Shalimar UMC introduced her to me, and I am forever thankful.

In sports, there is an expression of playing hard every game and leaving it all on the field. Friends I have done this for the last nine years and I have done it with all I have to

offer the Lord in body, soul, and spirit since deciding my retirement back in September. My love for this church has motivated me to pour myself into this ministry field of the Kingdom of God! These years have produced fruit in the “cooperate soul” of the congregation. There is some fruit evident, and some to be revealed in time, and best of all more fruit is coming!

Please give Dr. Alan McBride and Rev. John Kelsoe your complete support to move this church into the best era yet! Please keep focusing on the ministry and mission. Keep focusing on Jesus!

Stay in the teachings of Jesus these are our foundation through the storms!

I am now moving into a season of retirement. 47 years both are like a blink of an eye and lifetimes ago. After unplugging for six months, I will listen to the leading of the Lord on what might be next. I love Jesus more than ever and will follow Him in new ways to make a difference for the Kingdom!

Karen and I ask God’s blessings to be upon you all and bid to each of you the most heartfelt SHALOM!

Philip Lead Pastor

Dr. Philip McVay

announcements & articles

MISSIONS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Did You Know?

Sharing and Caring: Did You Know?

Serves food and personal care items to over 30 families (Monday-Friday) per week. Provides non-addictive prescriptions to needy families up to $200 per month.

Our all-volunteer team has served food for the needy for 38 years. Will expand our facility (40%) by June/July.

Location: 126 Beal Parkway SW, Fort Walton Beach

Hours of Operation: 9:00-12:00am, Monday - Friday

Telephone: 850-244-0778

ATTENDANCE FOR APRIL 23 , 2023

WEEKLY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE OPERATING FUND

A WORD FROM OUR SPR CHAIR, DAVE MOORE.

With all of the staff related changes taking place, the SPRC is pausing our search to fill the Church Administrator position. Mr. Tony Mallini has graciously agreed to continue in this role until the end of the year, which will aid in the transition of the new Ministerial staff, allowing them time to acclimate to their new surroundings, and providing continuity for the church.

If you have any recommendations or questions, please feel free to contact Dave Moore. email: david.moore_1@yahoo.com

JOYFUL PLACE

Our friends and volunteers had a wonderful day creating a flower bed at the Cross Corner Cross located at the intersection of Meigs and Second Street.

Pastor Philip had a wish for this to be completed before his retirement, so we decided to roll up our sleeves, get out our gardening gloves and make it happen.

Come by Joyful Place for a visit with us and to see the new landscaping.

Be JOYFUL ALWAYS, Leigh

The Bread House

OPEN

Monday | Wednesday | Friday 9am-12pm

FOOD DISTRIBUTION NUMBERS

Bags Collected: 330

Bags Given Out: 282 Members Served: 305

TOTAL

Bags Collected: 52,157

Bags Given Out: 42,201

Members Served: 40,236

A special thanks to all the Sunday School classes who have been contributing items for the Bread House! We appreciate you ALL! Thanks!!

SUPPLIES NEEDED

Peanut Butter & Jelly

Paper Towels | Toilet Paper

Canned Vegetables: Corn, Green Beans, & Mixed Canned Meat: Tuna, Chicken, & Spam

Dried Goods | Beans & Rice

Fruit, Potatoes, & Onions

These supplies are needed for each week. If you wish to donate money instead, send a check to SUMC. Make the memo line out to “Bread House”

POC: Pete Peters

(703) 395-2437

fpeters1@cox.net

Week 156