Easter: Not Just Another Box To Check

With all the busyness of spring—sports, school, schedules—it’s easy to treat Easter like just another holiday on the calendar. But this year, I invite you to slow down and make Easter more than just a box to check. Let this be a season when your family truly reflects on Jesus—His love, His sacrifice, and the victory of His resurrection. We want to help you create meaningful moments together as a family that are centered around what Easter is all about.

We’re offering a special Easter Story Activity Kit for every family to make this season impactful for all ages. Inside each kit, you’ll find:

10-Day Family Devotional with Scripture

Walk through the story of Easter—Jesus’ plan, His life, His death, and His resurrection—in an engaging and age-appropriate way.

Mini Family Activities and a Special Three-Part Activity

These simple and fun activities are designed to fit into your family’s everyday routine, helping you connect spiritually and emotionally, no matter how full your calendar is. We’ve also included a larger family experience (with supplies provided!) to help create a lasting memory.

Discussion Questions for All Ages

From preschool to high school, these questions are crafted to spark honest, faith-centered conversations at the dinner table, in the car, or during bedtime.

Easter is an incredible opportunity to grow closer—not just to God, but to each other as a family. These kits are a great way to help you do both. You can pick them up in Hildreth Hall or the nursery before or after service.

We’d also love for your family to join us during Holy Week. Each gathering is designed to help us experience the story of Jesus in a powerful and memorable way.

Palm Sunday (April 13th)

-Egg Hunt at 9:30 AM during kid’s worship

-Palm Procession during the 11:00 AM service

Maundy Thursday (April 17)

-Foot Washing Service at 6:00 PM

This service is a beautiful reflection of Jesus’ humility and servant-hearted love.

Good Friday (April 18)

-Tenebrae Service at 6:00 PM

This service is a moving, candlelit service focused on the depth of Christ’s sacrifice.

Easter Sunday (April 20)

-Services at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 AM

Nursery available during all services

Kids Worship and Small Groups at 9:30 and 11

Whether it’s your first time joining us or your hundredth, there’s something special about coming together to remember and celebrate that Jesus is alive.

A Season to Reflect—and Invite

Easter is the foundation of our faith. It’s a reminder that death doesn’t have the final word and hope is alive. It’s also one of the best times to invite a friend, neighbor, or coworker to come and experience God’s love authentically. Easter is the perfect time to reach out. Who’s one person or family you can invite to join you this year? Whether it’s for the egg hunt, the Tenebrae service, or Easter morning worship—your invitation could change someone’s life.

Let’s not just go through Easter…

Let’s live it. Reflect on it. Share it.

Let’s make it about Jesus.

We hope to see you and your family this Easter season.

“He is not here; He has risen, just as He said.” – Matthew 28:6

Blessings,

Christine

Loaves and Fish

In chapel this past week, Christine shared the story of the feeding of the 5,000. For those that have been in church for any significant amount of time, you’ve probably heard this story a dozen times. It’s come to be so familiar to us that we have whittled away all the points of the story to focus on the main thing, Jesus preforming a miracle.

I’m not saying we’ve missed the point, but perhaps we’re just complacent with the rest that this story has to offer. When the disciples came to Jesus with a problem, lots of hungry people, Jesus didn’t immediately perform the miracle. He told the disciples, “You feed them.” It’s funny, this story is told in all four gospels, but only one of them mentions the little boy. In all of them though, the disciples reply back with we only have 5 loaves and two fish, so even in the retelling they take credit for this little boy being the only one smart enough to pack a lunch.

When there was a problem, before resorting to supernatural measures, Jesus told us that we are capable to solving the problem. I don’t think he was being flippant, I think he was just stating expectations. And the only person among the 5000 that took him seriously was a little boy with next to nothing to offer.

This past weekend, a small group of teenage boys put on a concert. Power Bomb raised almost $600 for the weekend food program. I’m reminded that in our community we have hundreds of kids, not including adults (a bit of a reversal from the biblical counting methods), that go hungry. Jesus’ reply to us would probably be the same, “you give them something to eat.” And just as it happened thousands of years ago, we just witnessed the youngest among us take the lead and do something to feed the masses.

How are the rest of us leaning in to Jesus’ command to feed the hungry? Luckily, there are two easy steps that you can take right now. The first is to join an amazing group of volunteers on Thursday nights as they pack food. The work isn’t difficult, it doesn’t a long time, and it is more fun than you would ever thing.

The second thing you can do is raise money for the program itself. You don’t have rot put on a full on rock concert to do that. Businesses often donate money to these programs for tax purposes, they just have to be asked. Shopping or volunteering at the thrift store provides funds that go to support this mission and the mission of the church.

As fun as it is would have been to be a witness to a kid’s lunch being multiplied into thousands of meals, I don’t think anyone that day was happier than the kid who offered up what he had and as a result a miracle occurred.

Valentine Origins

The True Origin of Valentine’s Day—And What It Means for Us

Every February 14th, the world celebrates Valentine’s Day with flowers, chocolates, and heart-shaped everything. Many believe the holiday originated from a tale of a kind-hearted priest, St. Valentine. Others think it’s purely commercial, designed by companies to sell greeting cards and candy. But what’s the real story?

The Truth Behind Valentine’s Day

Historically, Valentine’s Day has roots in both Christian and Roman traditions. The Catholic Church recognizes multiple saints named Valentine, but the most well-known was a third-century Roman priest. According to legend, he defied Emperor Claudius II’s decree against soldiers marrying, believing that love and commitment honored God more than the laws of man. For this, he was imprisoned and ultimately executed on February 14, around AD 269.

Over time, this act of faithfulness and sacrifice was woven into the holiday we now associate with romantic love. But at its core, the holiday was never about grand romantic gestures—it was about a commitment to love, even when it came at a cost.

The Greatest Love Story

While Valentine’s Day celebrates human love, it pales in comparison to the greatest love story ever told—the love of Jesus for us. Jesus demonstrated the ultimate act of love by laying down His life for us (John 15:13). His love isn’t based on fleeting emotions or romance, but on sacrifice, grace, and an unbreakable covenant.

In a world where love is often measured by gifts and feelings, Jesus calls us to a different kind of love—one that serves, forgives, and endures. Whether we’re single, dating, or married, the truest expression of love we can experience and share is the love of Christ.

A Valentine’s Challenge

This week, let’s go beyond candy and cards. Choose one intentional act of Christ-like love:

- Encourage someone who’s struggling—a text, call, or handwritten note can make all the difference in the world.

- Serve in love—buy a coffee for a coworker, help a neighbor, or volunteer with the NextGen team at church. (See what I did there?)

- Forgive—Search your feelings; is there someone you need to let go of bitterness toward? Love is patient, kind, and keeps no record of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:4-5).

Let this Valentine’s Day be more than a holiday. Let it be a reflection of the One who first loved us and calls us to love in return.

Where They Are

I love Sunday afternoons, there are so many activities to choose from after church. I can drive over to Navarre Beach and head west taking in the sand, the sun, and the view of the Gulf. There are football and other sports opportunities to watch on the television from my recliner. Meal prepping, a walk, and a nap are options as well. Twenty one persons from age 5 up from our church family chose a different scenario this past Sunday, February 2. They traveled to Pensacola to serve dinner to 62 persons at Bright Bridge Ministries at Richards Memorial UMC.

 Their mission and purpose states “We’re committed to being a bridge to brighter days for individuals who are experiencing homelessness, addiction, hunger and more. Anchored in Christian values, we provide essential programs and resources that offer community members an opportunity for hope, healing, and life renewal.”

Our participation in this ministry is not new, it has just been on pause since COVID. It is now no longer on pause. I was humbled to witness this group of people from different small groups and areas of our church come together to serve those who needed a hot meal and a kind word. Many hands prepared meat loaves, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls and homemade desserts. They then served, yes, actually served the food to those who were present to hear God’s word spoken and to partake in communion at 4 p.m. next door in the sanctuary. They served with joy, they served in a spirit of humbleness. They then rolled up their sleeves to clean.

It is easy to come to church on Sunday mornings, participate in worship and maybe attend a small group. I believe that there is more to Christianity than just that. I believe we need to meet people where they are. Navarre UMC supports many outreach and ministry opportunities through monetary means. I challenge you to go beyond that and serve. You can do that through our Thrift Store and We Care Program. We have a bed build with Sleep in Heavenly Peace on Saturday, March 22 and we will be back at Bright Bridge to serve dinner on April 6. Find a place to meet people where they are as we carry out the mission of Jesus, to make disciples.

Snow Days

Growing up in the woods of middle Tennessee after the holiday break and post celebration exhale of what was the most awesome frenetic two-week period of the year, the letdown of a looming long cold wet January was always the most miserable time of the year for me. As the daily slog back to the school routine set in and the monotony of each day was broken up by the excitement of an ear infection or the thrill of strep throat, these were days of great despair. There was of course one glimmer of hope that every child held deep in their heart of hearts; we might get a snow day.

The rumors of snowfall coming would fill the halls and every classroom days before it would potentially arrive. Staring up out the window at the desolate grey sky searching for a big fat cloud filled with snow ready to drop that could take us to a wonderland of big blankets, hot chocolate, and a vacation from school.  It could happen at any time, even the school board knew it and had allotted 7 Snow Days a year into the school calendar that we wouldn’t have to make up school for “just in case.” Long before social media would tell you the instant school was called off, you’d wake up early, turn on your tv, and watch the excruciatingly slow crawl at the bottom of the screen as the counties would roll by holding the fate of your day in its hand. As a child, living in Williamson County you were taught a few things: 1. Patience- we’re going to be at the end of the list so don’t get excited till Van Buren County shows up 2. Jealousy- White County gets out EVERYTIME a snowflake falls 3. Heartbreak- Wilson County will devastate you as you will hold on each letter as it emerges from the right corner of the screen like a childhood version of the Powerball; “W” (good start) “I” (now we’re talking) “L” (Oh baby, here it comes!) . .. . . . . .”S” (COME ON!! The Superintendent must hate us.! I can’t live this way! When I grow up, I’m moving to Florida and I never have to deal with this emotional snow-llercoaster AGAIN!)

That brings us to the present where a historical amount of snowfall has just befallen our coastal town. A paint stroke of white blankets every surface in uniformed beauty, my teenage sons have chased each other and wrestled in the snow like I haven’t seen since they were much smaller and are currently in the midst of an entire week home from school, (you always want more for your kids than you had…right?) meanwhile our whole area has had to hit pause while we thaw out. That last part is secretly my favorite; the pause. I find when everything stops, I am more reflective and contemplative. That seems to be the moments I am most thankful as well. Many of the daily blessings that sometimes drift by without much fanfare are suddenly brought to the forefront as the distractions of our responsibilities are sidelined and we can just be still and know. Instead of listing all of the many blessings I have, I think of the source and know we are not alone as all our blessings come from the Lord. In 2nd Chronicles 16:9, it is written, "For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him." A thankful heart and a joyful spirit in the great many blessings we receive daily and throughout our lives are where my thoughts are on these snowy days.