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For Heather Bingham Smithson and her husband, Chris, stewardship is a foundational lens through which they view life together as a family. Living, giving, teaching their children and investing wisely are all part of it. Both are veterinary doctors in the Tampa Bay area and active at Hyde Park United Methodist Church. Everything about their lives, […]

Getting a grant from a COVID-19 emergency fund established by the Florida United Methodist Foundation and Florida Conference did more than ease the financial stress at cash-strapped churches. For many, it was a boost to their confidence that they could survive difficult times. “This was a God-sent gift,” said the Rev. Chris Tabone, pastor at First United Methodist

Like many college students, Grace Oldham feels the compounding effects of work demands, classes and campus life. Mindful of her own need for mental wellness, she took advantage of the free counseling services offered at her school, the University of Florida in Gainesville. Now, she wants to continue care for the long-term, but is facing

2022 will be a time of transition for the Florida United Methodist Foundation. This month, the foundation’s board of directors began its search for a new president. The Rev. Mark Becker, who joined the foundation’s board in 2009 and became its president in 2015, announced his plans to retire at the foundation’s fourth quarter board meeting

An African choir dances it way to the front of the church, leading song after song of praise. A succession of speakers then shares emotional testimonies and vivid remembrances, punctuated by more song, spontaneous dancing and heartfelt prayer. The service of memorial and thanksgiving lasts more than three hours. It is the fall of 2021,

In a pandemic year when many churches have been burdened by challenges and setbacks, First United Methodist Church in Auburndale has not one, but two reasons to celebrate and give thanks. The church observed its 100th anniversary Nov. 14, an already happy occasion made sweeter with a note-burning ceremony that marked paying off its loan from the Florida United

As president and CEO of an active global mission agency, the Rev. Max Wilkins is busy, engaged, stretched, excited, motivated and, if he’s not careful, close to being spent. He says his 40 years of ministry as a pastor in Florida and Hawaii and then leading TMS Global have been faithful, rewarding, demanding and exhausting. “Looking at

When the Rev. Rafe Vigil arrived at New Horizon United Methodist Church in Southwest Ranches in 2014 to become its new pastor, it felt like coming home. As a Dade County native and graduate of Miami Sunset High School, he knew the area well. He wasn’t quite as familiar with his new church family, and from his

Chris Carlson has a message for other college students: make careful plans. He’s not talking about what subject to major in, the kind of job to get or where to live. He means financial plans. “I’d say with every day passing, it’s kind of a missed opportunity,” he said. “Money doesn’t do anything just sitting

This reflection is in honor of Pastor Appreciation Month, celebrated during October. I learned many years ago that a pastor is not only the leader of the congregation but also a coach, counselor, therapist, teacher, visionary and banker. Of course, that only describes a few of the hats a minister wears during his lifetime in service