COMMEMORATION COMMITTEE

KEY COMMITTEE OBJECTIVES

● Celebrate Tuskawilla’s 30^th anniversary of worshipping the Lord in the Casselberry area

● Build the membership of TUMC

● Strategically position Tuskawilla and its ministries -- over the past 30 years – and recognize the Church’s significant contributions to the community

● Engage all TUMC members in the 30^th Anniversary commemoration

● As part of the church’s celebration, create a series of special worship services, commemorative events, community outreach activities and other image-building actions

● Develop a series of occasions throughout the year for TUMC members to rejoice and celebrate the Church’s wonderful history, such as a special anniversary dinner and a “community help day”

● Enhance the image of Tuskawilla as a religious leader in the general Casselberry area, who serves and cares about the community

● Seek to engage the medical community, business and industry,  the cultural arts community and other key groups in church activities which serve to enhance TUMC’s success and connectiveness

● Create a series of activities and events which reinforce and emphasize TUMC’s vision and which also broaden the general public’s knowledge and understanding of the church’s mission and ministries

● Develop relationships with a myriad of communications organizations and vehicles including the Orlando Sentinel, the Orlando Times, the Seminole Chronicle, La Prensa, El Sentinel, the Orlando Advocate, regional radio and television stations and other media groups

EVENT CALENDAR
including guest preachers

JANUARY

Dr. Wayne D. Wiatt grew up in rural north Florida where he was on the "cradle roll" at Cherry Lake UMC and was confirmed at First United Methodist Church of Madison under Dr. Tom Kelsey. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Sacred Music, and a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Emory University where his thesis, "Children in Worship: Participation Through Creative Dramatics," studied the many ways children can be included in leadership in a worship setting. During college he was employed as a summer youth intern at Trinity UMC, Tallahassee and answered his call to ministry under the mentoring of Rev. Phil Roughton and Dr. Gene Zimmerman. During seminary he served as youth director at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church on the Emory campus and worked closely with Dr. Carlton R. Young, editor of the United Methodist Hymnal.

After graduating from Emory, Wayne served under Dr. Thomas E. Farmer, Jr. as associate pastor at First United Methodist Church in Jacksonville from '84-'88 and was appointed as senior pastor of Palm Coast United Methodist Church in 1988. While at Palm Coast, he received the Harry Denman award for Evangelism. He was appointed to Southside United Methodist Church, Jacksonville in 1996 until he was appointed as Superintendent of the East Central District in June of 2006. His leadership and involvement beyond the local church includes membership in Rotary International for 18 years, Habitat for Humanity, past president of United Way of Flagler County, Healing Racial Division Project of Jacksonville, graduate of Leadership Jacksonville in 1998 and past president of United Community Outreach Ministries, Jacksonville. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Bethune Cookman College and The United Methodist Children’s Home.

Wayne is married to Ramona Folds, formerly of Titusville, and they have two children, a son, Matthew, who is married to Katie McEntire and a daughter, Taylor, who is married to Phillip Stokes.

Ramona has a degree in Telecommunication, a minor in Drama and is a certified KinderMusik teacher. She has worked in television, public relations and advertising and is a cast member at Walt Disney World.

Taylor is a graduate of UCF and majored in Sports Fitness and Communication. She is currently a Graduate Assistant at Rollins College and pursuing a Masters in Educational Leadership.

FEBRUARY

Rev. Albert Shuler is an Ordained Elder in the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church and is currently serving as the Senior Pastor at Camp Ground United Methodist Church in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Prior to this, he served as the District Superintendent for the Durham District (1990-1998) and the Elizabeth City District (2002-2006)

Rev. Shuler received his M. Div from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina and also earned degrees from Claflin University, South Carolina and the Interdenominational Theological Center of Atlanta, Georgia. He has served as a Delegate both at General and Jurisdictional Conferences between 1988 and 2008.

Serving on the General Board of Discipleship from 2002-2008 his in involvement was expansive as he served as chair on several committees to include the Curriculum & Youth Resources. In the Southeastern Jurisdiction, he is currently on the Nominating Committee, the Committee on Ministry and the Black Methodists for Church Renewal.

Within the North Carolina Conference, Rev. Shuler holds several appointments with Dean, Black Pastors School, Council of Finance & Administration, Bishops' Initiative on Children, Connectional Table, Conference Personnel Committee, to name a few. He also holds appointments in mainstream civic organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, Boys & Girls Club, Greenville Morning Rotary and Habitat for Humanity.

Rev. Shuler is a devoted husband and father to wife, Jimmie and daughter, Melissa.
 

The Community Help Day is an Outreach initiative to help people in the Casselberry/Winter Springs community by assisting them with a variety of home, yard and related chores and tasks. This outreach allows us to utilize the gifts and talents of our members to serve others in our community. We expect to provide assistance to at least 30 households and organizations throughout the community.
Volunteer today!
 

Timothy W. Whitaker was born in Vicksburg, Miss., on Oct. 5, 1948. He is married to Melba J. Jarvis of Brandon, Miss. They have two sons, Scott and Eric. Scott is married to Michele Wrobleski of Buffalo, NY.

Bishop Whitaker attended public school in Warren County, Miss., and he is a graduate of Warren Central High School in Vicksburg. He received an Associate of Arts degree from Hinds Jr. College, and he was graduated summa cum laude from Millsaps College in 1970. He was graduated summa cum laude from Candler School of Theology, Emory University, in 1973. He has been awarded numerous academic honors including being admitted into Phi Alpha Theta, a history honorary society, and Theta Phi, a theology society. He received the Award for Academic Excellence from Candler School of Theology in 1973. He was awarded honorary doctorates from Bethune-Cookman University in 2001 and Florida Southern College in 2002.

The bishop was ordained deacon in the Mississippi Conference in 1971 and elder in the Mississippi Conference in 1974. He transferred to the Virginia Conference in 1975. In the Virginia Conference, he served as pastor of rural, small town, suburban and center city churches. He was the Superintendent of the Norfolk District when he was elected to the episcopacy on Feb. 27, 2001 and assigned to the Florida Conference. He was appointed a third, four-year term in the Florida Conference during the Southeast Jurisdictional Conference on July 18, 2008.

As an elder in the Virginia Conference, Bishop Whitaker served on many conference committees. He was President of the Board of Discipleship, Vice President of the Board of Global Ministries, and Chair of the Division of Elders of the Board of Ordained Ministry.

During his ministry, Bishop Whitaker was involved in a number of community service agencies, including Hospice, sheltered workshops, a soup kitchen and tutoring inner-city children.

Occasionally, he has published articles in magazines and newspapers, including The Christian Century, Circuit Rider, Lectionary Homiletics, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

A student of patristics and the history of the early church, Bishop Whitaker is interested in recovering the living tradition of the Christian church for equipping the contemporary church to fulfill its mission in a pluralistic and secularized society.

Personal interests include reading modern American poetry and cycling.
 

The reception for the Bishop is open to all Tuskawilla family and friends. Please come out to meet and greet the Bishop. Small sandwiches, beverages and mini-desserts will be provided at the reception.
 

Vance Rains is the pastor of the Florida State University Wesley Foundation: United Methodist Campus Ministry and is the Executive Director of Higher Education and Campus Ministry for the Florida Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.  His passion is ministry with young people, and his vision is to see today’s college students become the leaders of widespread renewal in the United Methodist Church and beyond.

Vance majored in Public Speaking and Communication at the University of Central Florida, a Masters of Divinity at Duke Divinity School, and Doctor of Ministry in Preaching and Church Leadership at Asbury Theological Seminary.  His doctoral dissertation focused on creating culturally indigenous worship for Generation X.

Vance was ordained by the Florida Annual Conference as a Deacon in 1993 and an Elder in 1996.

Following seminary, Vance became the Minister of Program and Administration at the First United Methodist Church of Winter Park.  Following a year of Doctoral studies at Asbury Theological Seminary, Vance started a new church in Port St. Lucie, FL to serve a primary unchurched community.  During his time in Port St. Lucie, Vance was also a “Faith and Life” columnist for the Port St. Lucie/Stuart News.

In 2003, Vance and his family moved to Tallahassee, FL to begin his work at the FSU Wesley Foundation.  In 2008, his responsibilities were expanded to include oversight of the nine United Methodist campus ministries across the Florida Annual Conference.

Vance’s wife, Kelly, is the Youth Director at Trinity UMC in Tallahassee.  They have two children – Malinda (15) and John (14) – who are both sophomores at Leon High School.
 

The Taste of Tuskawilla is the church's first festival featuring delicious food from Casselberry-area restaurants. The 2010 event will be combined with the church's Spring Fling this year, which features a variety of activities for children and adults. Admission is free, but restaurants are charged a nominal fee for participation in the Taste. Among the restaurants slated to participate are Tijuana Flats, Lil Anthony's and Casey's Grill. In addition, TUMC will have a food booth at the event.

We thank this year's sponsors:

Little Anthony's	Tijuana Flats	Firehouse Subs	TJ's Seafood Shack
Casey's Grill	Super Suppers	Barnie's Coffee	Smoothie King

Andy Lowry is the Executive Director of the Central Florida Wesley Foundation in Orlando, Florida which reaches out to the University of Central Florida and surrounding college campuses. He and his wife, Tara, have 3 kids (Luke, Seth, and Lydia). Originally a native of the Georgia, Andy and Tara met at UGA Wesley and then landed at Asbury Seminary for the MDIV program.  His passion is to equip, empower, and release this generation into God's ministry and calling.
 

This will be a family-themed event, with activities for people of all ages. The Pavilion area at Red Bug Lake Park, as well as the softball field, has been reserved for the event. Families are encouraged to bring their own food.

There will be organized games, bounce houses for toddlers and young children, equipment for games will be provided by the youth, and families will be invited to bring softball equipment if they wish to participate in the activity.

In addition, there will be a clown who will do face painting and balloon art. There will also be snow cones for everyone.

We are encouraging families who are able to donate a minimum of $10 to help defray the costs of the event.

Dr. Steve Harper serves as Professor of Spiritual Formation and Wesley Studies at the Florida-Dunnam campus of Asbury Theological Seminary in Orlando.  He has been married to Jeannie since 1970.  They are the parents of two adult children and two grandchildren.  He has authored 12 books and co-authored 9 others, as well as numerous articles and reviews.  He is a frequent speaker in local churches, conferences, and retreats.  He is an Elder in The Florida Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.
 

Come join us for a church and community-wide display of talents to raise funds for youth missions. Admission is expected to be $5.00.

The Reverend Terri Hill is one of our Co-Senior Pastors.  Terri was born in Charleston, West Virginia, but moved with her parents when she was a year old to Central Florida. Terri is the oldest of four in a close-knit family.  Her parents were her early role models, not only in her family life, but also in Christian discipleship.  They were leaders in church and served as Sunday school teachers.  Terri graduated from Winter Park High School in 1976. In high school she was an officer in the National Honor Society, President of the youth group at her church and a member of the Girl’s Basketball Team. Always a fan of outdoor activities and athletics, Terri most enjoys being out of doors especially time spent at the beach, although gardening is surely a close second.  An ardent scuba diver she and husband, Reverend John Hill seek vacation activities centered on this important activity.

It was as a 16-year-old student that Terri really became a disciple of Jesus.  Her family moved to Orlando and began attending a new church.  She became involved in Bible Study and it was here that she actually debated the pros and cons of becoming a disciple.  It was this experience that moved her to kneel down and pledge her life to Jesus Christ.  She became involved in the youth group, where she served as its President.   At one of her Dad’s softball games, her Pastor asked her if she had ever considered becoming a pastor herself.  Her thought was, “Can girls do that?”  It was about this time that the first woman had been ordained a pastor in the United Methodist Church in Florida, and Hugh Lake, her Senior Pastor, encouraged her to make the effort.  Terri prayed for guidance, and when she received tuition assistance to attend Florida Southern College, she knew her prayers were answered.  She became a candidate for ordained ministry in her first year of college.

Terri completed her Masters Degree at Emory University in May of 1981, after being ordained a minister of the United Methodist Church Annual Conference in Florida in May 1980.  At that time, there were probably fewer than a dozen women pastors in the United Methodist Church in Florida.  Today women pastors are very well represented.

After graduation from seminary Terri served as Pastor of Faith United Methodist in Gainesville, Florida, Associate Pastor of First UMC in Orlando, Pastor of Grace UMC in Wabasso, and Pastor of Roseland UMC. In 1996 she was asked by the Bishop to serve as District Superintendent of the Jacksonville District. Following that appointment she served with John as Co-Pastor of Isle of Faith UMC. In June of 2003 she was appointed to serve here at Suntree.

Terri sees her spiritual gifts as faith, leadership, evangelism and teaching.  Her passion is to channel her gifts and energy by leading the church to effectively accomplish its vision.  Her desire is to see to it that Suntree UMC is a welcoming church to all who seek us out, but also, to go out and seek those who are lost or searching.  Her joy in watching people grow in Jesus Christ never ends.

Terri loves time with her family. She and John have three children, Amy Stephanie and Baxter.  Baxter is attending college, while Amy and Stephanie are now married – Amy to CJ and Stephanie to Ben Delaney.  They have two grandsons and two granddaughters.  Terri also enjoys golf and reading.  An avid reader, Terri reads an average of two books a month; one in five will be a novel. She is extremely grateful to God for calling her into ministry and blessing her life in so many ways.

Harold D. Lewis is a native of Greenwood, Mississippi born to Ms. Katie M. Jones as the third child of six children.
He holds the Bachelor of Arts Degree from Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Ms, the Master's of Divinity from Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta, GA and an Honorary Doctorate of Sacred Theology from the Reformed Methodist Church in Toledo, OH.
He was ordained in the Mississippi Annual Conference where he served for five years at the Wesley United Methodist Church before being called and appointed as the senior Pastor of the Lincoln Park United Methodist Church in Washington, DC. for the past ten years.
He is married and he and his wife, Janet, have seven children.
His personal coined philosophy on life is "Never let anyone else's negative opinions of you become your reality."
 

Candace is an Ordained Elder from the Florida Annual Conference. Upon graduation from Gammon Theological Seminary, she was appointed to plant a new church.  Candace and a team of committed laity have spent the last 12 years successfully planting the New Life Community UMC, a new African American congregation in Jacksonville, Florida. Their book, A New Day: A New Way - Planting, Starting & Revitalizing Ministries (2009), will be available through Discipleship Resources soon. Candace is a sought after preacher, leader, coach, consultant and passionate servant of the church.