“Congratulations and Thank You” to Alex Grimberg on 20 years of ministry at
Morton Plant North Bay Hospital! As a volunteer chaplain, Alex has spent countless hours praying with patients, listening to their stories, and offering comfort through his presence. He has shared their pain and tears. He has been part of their recovery and celebrated their restored health. God bless you, Alex! May God continue to empower you and show you the way on your disciple journey.
The bible study group meets Wednesdays at 10 am. A big THANK YOU to Ray Calvert for leading the group over the last few months.
The current theme is the study of “Romans”. Materials are provided. All are welcome! 
The photo to the left shows the bible study group receiving a visit from Pastor Dave.
Evelyn Jean Sheppard, 91, of New Port Richey, FL., passed away peacefully on February 1, 2023, at Heather Hills Healthcare Center.
She was born in Winchester, Indiana, to George and Ruth Clayhunt. She was a member of the First Methodist Church in New Port Richey, as well as the Fenton Art Glass Club. Evelyn enjoyed music and dance. She was a very independent, resourceful, and loving person. Her beautiful smile and charming spirit will be remembered by all who 
knew her.
Evelyn is survived by her son, Daniel; her daughter, Susan; her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband, Richard.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to First Methodist Church in New Port Richey, FL.
HELP! We need your help with the upcoming rummage sale. Volunteers are needed for setup on 2/28 and 2/29 at 9 am. We even have sit-down jobs, so please join us. Afterward, we will have lunch.
Invite your neighbors and friends to check out our treasures at the rummage sale on March 3rd and 4th!
If you are baking for our awesome café, please bring your homemade goodies on Friday, March 3rd by 8 am.
All of the proceeds from our rummage sale will benefit local organizations.
If you are new to our church we invite you to our next meeting on 4/4 at 1 pm.
Cindy Lucas, President
The talented Women’s Chorus “Thursday Musicale” performed a free concert on February 16th. We are blessed to have such wonderful music at First United Methodist Church.
If you missed the performance, please make sure to attend the next concert on March 30th at 2 pm.
Thursday Musicale meets every Tuesday morning at FUMC for their weekly practice.
This month we took our knitted prayer shawls and crafted Valentine’s cards for the
residents of Heather Hill Healthcare Center in New Port Richey. During our visit, we were able to pray for several people.
One week, we made various greeting cards for ourselves. See how pretty they are. We had the pleasure of having an 11-year-old come join us since his school was out. He said he enjoyed coloring and will be back.
We are starting to make fleece blankets for the United Women in Faith to give out along with their ditty bags for the homeless
at Christmas time. It costs about $20 for the material to make one blanket. We are kindly asking for financial help with this project. Please consider donating $20 to the craft group to sponsor one blanket. The plan is to make 50 of them. I know I can count on your support.
Donna Hammel
The photo to the right shows a couple of the beautiful greeting cards the craft group recently made.
We are very proud of our choir, led by Ruthie Nelson, participated in the annual
Choir Festival on February 19th. Four area churches presented at the concert at Hudson First United Methodist Church. Each choir sang two songs; our FUMC choir chose “The Potters Hand” and “Blessed Assurance”. Then, the massed choir performed some songs together. It was an enjoyable afternoon with great Christian music and fellowship with other churches.
First United Methodist Church now has a room dedicated to Selma P. Marlowe!
During the Sunday worship service on January 29th, Rick Vaughn, Chair of Trustees, presented a plaque in honor of Selma to Rob Marlowe, Selma’s son. Rick announced that FUMC would like to dedicate a small portion of our facility to a wonderful 
person who had been part of our congregation for many years. In memory of Selma’s faith, talent, work, and gifts, Room 1 downstairs in the Education Building, commonly referred to as the Conference Room, will be named Selma P. Marlowe Room. The plaque will get mounted on the outside wall next to the entry door.
Rob Marlowe shared some memories about his mom Selma who passed in January 2020. She was married to Jim Marlowe. In January 1963, they moved to New Port
Richey. Rob remembers his Dad bundling up Selma, his two younger brothers, and himself in a station wagon and driving them
from New Jersey to Florida. Selma was eight months pregnant at the time and soon after their arrival, a fourth son was born.
The family joined First Methodist Church and attended services in the original little wooden church a block from here. Selma
remained active in the congregation for decades afterward. She was friendly and outgoing and enjoyed life. Among other things, Selma served for a number of years as the financial secretary for the church.
In the early ’90s, Jim and Selma downsized and moved to a farmhouse outside of Trenton, Florida. Selma became a member of the First United Methodist Church of Trenton. After Jim’s passing, Selma decided it was safer for her to be closer to her sons. She moved back to New Port Richey in 2007, rejoining the First United Methodist Church of New Port Richey. Selma was a regular attendee and was involved on many levels. She remained a member until her passing in 2020.
