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WE ARE SO EXCITED TO WELCOME THE CARLEO FAMILY TO LAKEWOOD PARK UMC
In the photos you will see my wife, Jessica, whom I have been married to for 13 years; my son, Dominic (age 12), who loves to play video games and hang out…like most other teens; my daughter Angelina (age 10), who loves to be sporty and play the piano; my daughter Sophia (age 6), who loves to sing and will have a conversation with you like she’s 21; and my daughter Isabella (age 4), who is fun-loving girl that loves to play, sing, and dance! I think the second photo speaks volumes to our willingness to have fun and not take ourselves too seriously. Everyone is excited to meet the new church family.
"I think the second photo speaks volumes to our willingness to have fun and not take ourselves too seriously."
A MESSAGE FROM PASTOR STEVE
Greetings Brothers and Sisters of Lakewood Park UMC! Ever since March, I have been joyfully anticipating my appointment at this wonderful church. Over the past couple of months, I have had the honor to meet several of you, but there are many that I have not had the pleasure of meeting. During my time with Pastor Kirk, I learned that you all have a wonderful heart for our Lord and the people of our community. Praise God for your faithfulness to Him and the people around you. Last weekend, I preached a message about this very notion - of Loving God and Loving People - through an exploration of the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37). Right before Jesus spoke this parable, a Pharisee (legal expert) was challenging Him regarding who his neighbor was. In his time, it was somewhat normal to love one’s neighbor and hate one’s enemy. Jesus quickly defused this idea by showing him that a Samaritan (someone of the people group that the Jews loathed), was an ideal example of being a neighbor. I challenged the people through Scripture to remember that LOVING GOD and LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR are not mutually exclusive. That is, we can’t do one without doing the other. As Methodists, we take this very seriously and strive to mobilize our faith into action to show our neighbors God loves them and desires a relationship with them. As you continue your week, seek ways to demonstrate God’s love to those around you - both those familiar to you and those that are not. A kind word and a listening ear go a long way in this culture of ours. Please be in prayer for Pastor Kirk and his family as they move to their new church in Rockledge and for my family and me as we move into the parsonage on July 2nd and transition into the life of the church. I plan on being in the office and making visits during my first week, but will have to travel to Atlanta between July 7th and July 13th for a class that I committed to earlier this year. I have asked Pastor Diego to be available for any pastoral care needs in my absence. Since I will not be able to be with you during the first Sunday of July, I decided to give you a sneak peak of my family. In the attached photos you will see my wife, Jessica, whom I have been married to for 13 years; my son, Dominic (age 12), who loves to play video games and hang out…like most other teens; my daughter Angelina (age 10), who loves to be sporty and play the piano; my daughter Sophia (age 6), who loves to sing and will have a conversation with you like she’s 21; and my daughter Isabella (age 4), who is fun-loving girl that loves to play, sing, and dance! I think the second photo speaks volumes to our willingness to have fun and not take ourselves too seriously. Everyone is excited to meet the new church family. Lastly, during my first couple of months at the church, I would love to set up small meetings of 5 - 10 people each where I can learn about you and learn about the history and vision of the church. If you are interested in attending and/or hosting a small group of people for this, please let Jeanne Raynor know. It will be an informal gathering where we can learn from each other and enjoy some light refreshments (e.g., coffee, cookies/pastries). I would like to hold these meetings on Tuesday or Thursday evenings at around 6PM. Let us know if you have a preference for either day. Sorry for the lengthy newsletter! Blessings, Pastor Steve Carleo