Posts with the category “philips-focus”

As our church continues to move forward into 2022 with new energy, I am happy to announce some great news! We are joining with other United Methodist Churches in our area with a common goal to reach 5...  Read More

In case you have not heard the news, General Conference in the United Methodist Church is postponed until 2024. This means that there will not be a General Conference in 2022. The decision to postpone...  Read More

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, and we move now into the 40-day journey of Lent. Jesus said to His disciples, “Follow me.”  Likewise, this call to follow Jesus is for all of us today. In preparation for ...  Read More

This coming Wednesday, March 2, is our Ash Wednesday Service at 6pm. It is one of the most special times of the year. Why is Ash Wednesday so special? There are numerous reasons. Ash Wednesday marks t...  Read More

One of my main priorities this year is for our members to grow as disciples of Jesus. Let me explain what I mean through a story. Years ago, a couple visited the church I pastored every Sunday for at ...  Read More

Ash Wednesday is March 2. Ash Wednesday begins our 40-day Lent plan of FOLLOW ME. In this Beacon, I would like to inform you about this plan, invite you to participate, and challenge you to be present...  Read More

One of the four initiatives that the Lord placed on my heart at the beginning of the year is to be more positive in the local church. After all, the reason we exist is to bring the good news of Jesus ...  Read More

As I alluded to on Christmas Eve, with the help of my wife Karen, we are all wanting good news. In fact, there has been way too much bad news in the past year. People have “bad news fatigue.” So, in t...  Read More

Last week, I shared about four specific areas placed on my heart. I also wanted to put these on your hearts. These priorities I am nicknaming “post-Covid Church opportunities for a new era.”One is res...  Read More

Over the Christmas and New Year's Holidays, I was out of my routine and spent some significant quality time with the Lord. One day the Lord placed on my heart four specifics to place on the congregati...  Read More

As we begin 2022, I have three questions for us. First, are our best days behind us or in front of us? Second, what if we leveraged everything we had to be a positive influence for Jesus? Third, what ...  Read More

What NEW things might the Lord bring in our lives in the New Year? The word NEW is possible for all of us regardless of age or circumstances. What are some ways the Bible teaches us about God making u...  Read More

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and blessings to the new year!......  Read More

In nine days, we will gather for Christmas Eve for worship. As we move through these final days of Advent preparation, I would like to invite us to have a perfect Christmas. How in the world can imper...  Read More

Well, here we go! Already, we are approaching the third Sunday of Advent. Hard to believe there are only two Sundays left before Christmas! 2022 will begin in less than four weeks. As we continue the ...  Read More

Advent began last Sunday. This is a season to "pump the brakes," pay attention to our heart more and spend quiet time with God. The season of Advent is a time to prepare to experience the birth of Jes...  Read More

Last year, Thanksgiving plans were interrupted for many. For the first time in over 60 years, I know my family did not gather at my mother’s on McVay Hill, near Jackson, Alabama. However, we are resum...  Read More

“Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise Him, all creatures here below; praise him above, ye heavenly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  Amen.” Thomas Ken 1674 When we stand and sing ...  Read More

Next week, I get to write up my 100 blessings for the year, which is one of my most anticipated moments of the year. Decades ago, I began listing 100 reasons to be grateful each year just before Thank...  Read More

Ten years from now, we will likely reminisce about the years 2020-2021. We will possibly reflect on how quickly the normal we knew changed in the “blink of an eye.” The dramatic changes sparked isolat...  Read More

The Proverbs says, “A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired.” (Proverbs 17:22; The Message). We cannot always change our circumstances, but we can certainly...  Read More

This Sunday, October 17th, we will gather with eight other churches for a cluster Charge Conference. The Charge Conference will be hosted by First United Methodist Church of Fort Walton Beach and will...  Read More

What an exciting time of year! Football season is well into the second month, and big games are ahead in the coming weeks. Baseball season has moved into the playoffs and is moving toward the World Se...  Read More

Our power meters tell a story in our homes. In July, our story is likely to show that we ran our air-conditioners all the time, and our power bill will have an uptick. In the fall months, we would lik...  Read More

Rev. Faith Parry’s husband, AJ, has been presented and accepted a full-time position with the National Guard. His new position is quite an opportunity and begins immediately in October. As a result, t...  Read More

Shalimar United Methodist Church is a fairly large congregation. We have many wonderful people serving in many and various roles. Everyone who finds ways to use their gifts for the glory of God finds ...  Read More

Save the dates now! The season of Lent in 2022 begins on March 2. Lent will extend through Easter, April 17, 2022. Thus, in the coming six months, we will have an opportunity to prepare for an unprece...  Read More

Would you agree our mental health has been tested for the last eighteen months? The presence of stress, worry, and depression can come to even the strongest people. What can be done to take care of ou...  Read More

What makes my heart sink faster than any other news I hear? I can answer this question easily. When I receive news that someone is disappointed that the church has not responded in their time of need....  Read More

We have some updates about the free dinner plans on Monday, August 23rd, at 6pm. First of all, there is good news! There is still time for you to make your reservation for Monday Night's free steak di...  Read More

On August 23rd, I want to invite you to attend a free steak dinner in which I will share the current status of our church and some future discipleship plans. This event will be capped at 100 persons f...  Read More

The year 2022 will be here in about five months. On the horizon will be unprecedented new opportunities to grow as a disciple each week through Shalimar United Methodist Church! The goal is to live ou...  Read More

What would Shalimar United Methodist Church be capable of if everyone put their oar in the water and rowed in the same direction? Even better, what if we all rowed in the direction of living as a disc...  Read More

We are now at the beginning of the second half of 2021. Last week, I reflected on the first six months of the year. This week, I will shift toward hopes for the second half of the year.Before Labor Da...  Read More

Believe it or not, the calendar says we have begun the second half of 2021! What are some observations about the first six months? What are hopes for the rest of this year? Let me share with you some ...  Read More

Over the next six weeks, Dr. Brad Bradford will be on study leave from July 5-August 11. He is entitled to this leave and has been planning a productive project for many months. Brad has received all ...  Read More

Can you believe this week marks the mid-way point of 2021! As we continue to see some normal coming out of a long Covid Year, I would like to lift up some of the current opportunities to grow through ...  Read More

Type your new text here. Today is July 17, 2021, and it is a special day! Shalimar United Methodist is 70 years old on the day this article is published. I hope you will take some time reading this ar...  Read More

Congratulations to Keith Latimer! Keith is the winner of this year’s David Dale Hospitality Award. This choice came through nominations from our congregation, our Lead Team, and ratified by our Church...  Read More

In most of my Beacon articles, I title them “Philip’s Focus” as they have just a point or two. This article has too many subjects to have only one focus. I am naming this one “McVay’s Meandering.”As w...  Read More