The reason for Concert in the Park…Next Week!!!

Hey everyone,

We here at Dunedin are taking what we do here on Sunday mornings and heading outside of these walls. And we’re traveling as far as right across the street to Pioneer Park! The night will be full of music and fun for our entire church as well as the community. We encourage you to come out from 7 to 9 PM and bring all of your family, friends, family friends, neighbors and what the heck…bring your enemies too!

The reason we are doing this:

We here at Dunedin think that what we have here is special and  has the capability of reaching our community in an effective way to help them reach their full potential in Jesus Christ. We have positioned our worship services to do that but we need to continually let people in on the experience of what goes on here every Sunday morning. Simply put…we aren’t willing to be labeled “The Best Kept Secret in Dunedin” anymore!

So, that is why we would love for you to a part of this first step into getting what we do out into the community! So, bring your lawn chairs, blankets and friends to join us for a wonderful evening under the stars for a Concert in the Park!

Mike Mage

Traditional Music is doing it’s blog thing

This is my first ever blog entry, so here goes.  First of all, who am I?  I am John Koch, Traditional Choir Director at First United Methodist Church in Dunedin, FL.  My posts will be dedicated to getting the word out about all of the powerful things God is doing through Music at FUMC Dunedin.

I am excited about the fact that the Chancel Choir is in full swing and that they are singing as well or better than ever.  God is really moving through them and I am so thankful to have such dedicated members.  We have lost a few voices due to “retirement,” but I am confident that God will speak to some new folks and nudge them to get involved and join us in praising God through music.  We are always looking for new singers.  I want to stress that the only qualification you need is that you like to sing and that you want to help lead God’s people in worship.  We meet every Thursday at 7:30pm in the Choir Room and would love to see everyone there!

The Bell Choir is back as well and we DEFINITELY need new members.  Please see me if you have any questions regarding the Bell Choir.  This is a great way to get involved in Music at FUMC Dunedin!  No singing needed in the Bell Choir, you just have to be able to count to 4.  If you can do that, we can teach you the rest and I am confident that you will have a fulfilling experience.  Please prayerfully consider joining one or both of these great opportunities!

-John Koch

Jesus Has Rhythm…But He Doesn’t Play Drums

So, this will be my inaugural post. Not even that it “will” be.

This is my inaugural post. And might I say, it feels good.

For those who are reading this and don’t know who I am let me give you the Top 5 facts about me:

1. My name is Mike Mage

2. I am the Contemporary Worship Leader here at FUMC Dunedin. Or Dunedin FUMC.

3. I have a wife, named Kristen, who briefly served as one of the Interim Children’s Ministry directors. And she nailed it.

4. I have a chocolate lab named Layla who frequently has hiccups and when she was a puppy it was the cutest thing ever.

5. Beyond my “immediate” (Kristen and Layla), the rest of my family is awesome. Some who read this will know them and can also testify to this fact.

There we go. Top 5.

Not that you all have this great, deep and thorough connection with me personally, I guess I’ll delve a little further.

For those of you that don’t me, or in fact, do know me, God has wired me for what I am doing at this exact moment in time. Outside of leading worship here in Dunedin, I am also traveling around the country with my sister and a few of my friends in a band called Bellarive. We lead worship at conferences, retreats, church services, bar mitzvahs (not really), and festivals. It all started two years ago in my friend Sean’s house when we started writing music as a response to what God was doing through us at the time. We were all worship leaders who were gifted with music so it came very natural for us to do this. A short time later we decided to record these songs. Recently, I just got back from leading at a church in Montana. Two years ago if you would have told me that that was going to be happening I would have told you “What?!?“. I would have also told that to you in the nicest way possible, because I’m that kind of guy. Even though it did happen, it is still “crazy” and unplanned. God is seriously moving in unexpected ways. Ways that we will continue to never see coming. Specific example:

Student Life is an organization that puts on youth conferences and camps all throughout the country during the summer time. The camps they put on are not just high quality in production value (lights, staging, and the always intriguing smoke machines) but also in who they get to come lead worship and give the messages. At one camp they have Chris Tomlin come lead, who is arguably one of the most influential worship leaders of my generation, and Louie Giglio speak. Louie Giglio started the Passion Movement about 15 years ago which has changed the way churches have worshiped…for the better. Having them though is a bit of an aberration because that is for the biggest camp they have measuring in at a soft 6000 people. But at all of the other camps, they have a band and a speaker. So, Bellarive, was called to come “audition” to be one of the bands that would lead worship at camps for 2012, and it would be one of the smaller camps, between 700 and 1000. After we lead worship, or “auditioned”, for the leaders at their training facility, we were able to hang out with the President of all things Student Life (not his official title…I think) . We were able to share our hearts and he fell in love with us. By the time we had gotten home (the next day) he had already scheduled us for three camps in 2012. Sidenote: this doesn’t happen. Four days later we get a call from him asking us if we were busy July 12th. He tells us to clear our schedule if we are because he wants us to play one night at they Daytona Beach camp. This is the same one that Chris Tomlin leads at, the same one where there are 6000 people. Another sidenote: Seriously, things like this  do not happen.

If I had the will, energy and a captive audience, I could write several thousand words about the amazing things God is doing through us. To see movement and progression not only in us as a band, but in people’s hearts as they worship along with us is something you cannot forget. And I will be the first and last person to always tell you, not a single thing is because of me. And to the outsider, all of these opportunities are mind blowing and some people might find what I’m about to say ridiculous. So because I’m a wild and crazy guy I’ll share it with you.

It is scary.

Shouldn’t I be ecstatic?

I am.

Shouldn’t I be overjoyed that God is working through us and what I’m doing is positively affecting the lives and hearts of thousands of people?

I couldn’t honestly ask for anything more.

Then why am I scared?

I can honestly say it’s because I have no idea what is the next step for me. I couldn’t tell you what is going to happen tomorrow with all of this stuff. I have such little control over what the actual effect is. In a way, it starts to affect my self confidence and perception of self actuality. Maybe it’s my affinity for self-deprecation or inherent brokeness, but I want to feel in control because I don’t feel good enough to be in this position I am in. If I fail or better yet yet, if I succeed, I want it to always be on my terms, even though the reach of what I would do would be far less eternal and would stop at the applause of men. I also question God’s motives, which is downright silly. Why should God choose me? I’m not qualified for this. It’s been a struggle and I think that this will continue to be a struggle for me not to wrestle out of God’s hands His glory and for me to try and stamp my name on it. I truly believe God is playfully stiff arming me away from it, because sometimes I don’t know any better. And the more I think about it…The more freeing it actually is.

In Matthew 11 Jesus says:

27 “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

In the Message version of the Bible, vs. 29 says: ‘…Feel the unforced rhythms of grace…’

The coolest thing to me is that God doesn’t want us to be burdened with thoughts of fear, regret, self-doubt and a loss self-worth. He doesn’t want us to control our lives with a tight, forceful grip because in the end, even the smartest, most well intentioned human being has no idea what tomorrow holds for them. So whether it’s me with Bellarive and then coming home to be a part of this wonderful community in Dunedin or you and your schooling or your job, God wants what is best for us. God wants us to body surf on his invitingly risky wave of provision. He wants us to bob our heads to His incredibly intentional and detailed melodies of wonder and rhythms of grace.

He’s telling us to just go with it.

Thanks for reading.

Mike Mage

Do Unto Others

As I write this I am in Chapel Hill, North Carolina awaiting the start of The Institute of Preaching. I am excited about what the week ahead will mean to me and my growth as a pastor. Unfortunately, it means that I will not be able to be at First United Methodist Church of Dunedin for worship tomorrow morning. Tomorrow is a very significant day in the life of The United States of America. Churches around the nation will remembering in the horrific events of 9/11/2001. We as a community of faith will be saying prayers concerning the tragic events of that day. Ten years later The United States is a changed community. We think differently about terrorism. We are more concerned about national safety and security. We are more aware of the immense divisions that can exist among people groups in the world. It is more evident than ever before that there are divergent beliefs, cultures, and desires which can motivate people to appreciate each other or despise each other. As I have been praying about the 10th Anniversary of the events of 9/11/2001 I am more confident than I ever have been in the truths of Scripture.

In the Sermon on the Mount in The Gospel of Matthew Jesus teaches his disciples a very profound truth. This truth is just as important, relevant, and profound as it was the moment it came from Jesus’ lips. In fact, when Jesus said the words there were people of different cultures, beliefs, religions and regions who were after each other. As we remember the events of 9/11 we are in need of heeding the truth of Jesus’ teaching. Matthew 7:12 records the words of Jesus as he teaches the disciples this truth, “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and prophets.” Jesus instructs his disciples to treat other people the way they would like to be treated. It may seem simplistic, but if you would like people to treat you well treat them well. To put it another way… if you don’t want people to be ugly to you do not be ugly to them. If I do not want someone to be rude to me I should not be rude to them. At first glance it is a simple rule to comprehend. However, in practice it is one of the toughest teachings ever delivered.

How many of us have had people who have been ugly to us and we return the favor without even batting an eye? It is so much easier to respond in kind when someone mistreats us. In fact, it is human nature to do the opposite of Jesus’ teaching. If we had been teaching we might have said, “Do to others whatever they have done to you.” That is exactly why the teaching of Jesus is so difficult. It is counter intuitive and not what our human nature leads us to want. As I have been reading through the Sermon on the Mount I have been thinking about how it relates to the tragic and horrific events of a decade ago. When the terrorists flew loaded planes into two occupied buildings and ended the life of nearly 3,000 people our nation was stunned. We did not know what to think at first. We were numb. In the days to follow our response demonstrated the human nature at work. We expected the leadership of our nation to go after the people responsible. This is what happened and is, in many ways, still happening.

Jesus teaches us to “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.” In light of the events of ten years ago this is an even more difficult teaching. Yet, the mark of a Christian is their ability to love. Make no mistake about what Jesus is saying in this teaching… Jesus is telling us to love the people around us. Jesus expects us to love our God, our family, our friends, our fellow Christians AND our enemies. I believe one of the greatest dangers of 9/11 for Christians is the temptation to not love our enemies. This does not mean that we should like anything about what terrorists stand for or believe. This does not mean that we should lose sight of how evil the acts of ten years ago were. This means that we must make the difficult choice to love our enemies and pray for their salvation. This means that we must treat other people the way we would like for them to treat us. This means that we must believe that God, in His providence, will serve ultimate justice in His way. Following the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 7:12 is more about trusting God than it is about how we treat people. If we trust God to carry out ultimate justice in each and every situation it is easier for us to love others; that includes our enemies.

I will be praying on 9/11/11 for Christians around The United States of America to have a renewed love for everyone and a renewed trust in God’s providence. We must remember and honor those who lost their life. We must honor and remember those families who are still grieving the loss of someone they love. We must also trust that God is the God of justice, grace, mercy, and peace and God knows what is best. As Christians we must also pray for our leaders to seek God’s will for their leadership. Only when we turn to God for wisdom, courage, and strength can we choose to make the difficult choice to “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

Reaching our Potential together,

Pastor Tim

A New Way to Communicate

Welcome to the official blog of First United Methodist Church of Dunedin. We hope that the posts on this blog will keep you informed on all that is happening in the life of this community of faith. It is an exciting time to be a part of this community of faith.

We have two vibrant worship services each Sunday where we experience the power and presence of the living God. We experience community together and just enjoy being together and giving our praise to God. In October we will be launching our IMPACT initiative where will be engaging in serving others in our community of faith and our community we live in. We are excited about the opportunities IMPACT will present to partner with some amazing organizations to serve. Be on the lookout for more information about the IMPACT program. In October we are partnering with Clothes to Kids through their Drop Off Your Drawers clothing drive. We will aim to collect over 1,000 pairs of brand new underwear to help this great organization. Clothes to Kids estimates that in the 2011/2012 school year they will give out approximately 75,000 pairs of underwear. We can play our part and make a difference for some kids in need.

Keep checking back for more posts from our other ministries. We look forward to keeping you even more informed through our brand new blog.