Your Pet Friendly Church!

This is going to be our newspaper ad on Saturday, 8/30.

Congratulations Mike!

Congratulations to Mike Dotson,
who was baptized last Sunday night
in the Gulf of Mexico at the
Celebration @ Sunset service.

Happy Birthday!

Notes from Pastor Gene

Hi everyone,

We have had several calls on how we weathered tropical storm Fay. Except for a few members who lost power, it seems that most of the church family got through it rather well. However, at our house, the storm did blow in a huge visitor from the everglades. This spider is in our front yard so, when you visit, remember your bug spray!

Bad Girl!

Each Wednesday, we are continuing our bible study on bad girls of the Bible and someone asked me who I thought was the wickedest woman in the Bible. There were several names that came to mind, including Jezebel, Herodias, and Potiphar's wife. But I guess my vote would have to go to Athaliah. Who? (see, you need to spend at least one hour a week studying the bible!)

What did she do? Well, besides being Ahab’s and Jezebel’s daughter…

What she did was to kill all her grandsons, when her son died, so that she could take the throne for herself. 2 Kings 11:1 describes this killing. One of her grandsons escaped, because his aunt Jehosheba hid six-year-old Joash from his grandmother. Eventually, Jehoiada, the High Priest, brought young Joash forward as king, and had the wicked Athaliah killed.

The story is also told in 2 Chronicles 22-23.

Destroying your own grandsons, to further your own ambition, strikes me as about as evil a thing as one can do. I can't imagine any grandmother I know doing that, and it's hard to imagine any grandmother I don't know doing it, either.

I don't know who the wickedest woman in the Bible was, but Athaliah is a candidate, I guess.

And who said Wednesday Bible study is boring?

Meet Our Featured Members!

JOHN AND ANNE RAKER

How long have you been going to Celebration?

Anne- 9 years
John- 8 years

How did you find Celebration?

Anne- A friend told me about it.
John- My wife led me there

What is your ministry?

Anne- Many areas. Helping Hands and Hospitality.
John- Outreach

What about you would surprise us?

Anne- I once aspired to be a professional ballet dancer.
John- I have a beautiful singing voice. (I think so anyway)

Do you have any pet peeves?

Anne- Folks who do not say what they mean.
John- Undependable people.

What are your hobbies?

Anne- Gardening and environmental concerns.
John- Helping others and keeping the yard.

Favorite type of music?

Anne- Jazz.
John- Old time gospel music.

Favorite food?

Anne- Fried chicken.
John- Anything sweet.

Favorite movie?

Anne- The last one I saw. This time “Mama Mia”.
John- Any John Wayne movie.

Favorite book?

Anne- Any mystery.
John- The Bible.

Favorite Bible verse?

Anne- We love because God loved us first.
John- The first one I ever learned, “Jesus wept”.

What would you like us to know about you?

Anne- Mostly that I want to reflect God's love to all I come in contact with.
John- That I care about you.

Be Prepared!

Get traffic conditions from the state of Florida on your cell phone.

http://fl511.com/

Sign up for breaking news via your cell phone.
http://www.nbc-2.com/BreakingNews/

Local hurricane information

http://www.colliergov.net/index.aspx?page=101

http://www.abc-7.com/Hurricane/

http://www.winknews.com/weather/hurricane

Additional Information

National Hurricane Center
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

http://www.hurricanetrack.com/

http://www.hurricanecity.com/

Preparedness

http://www.weather.gov/os/hurricane/pdfs/hurricane-safety_flyer.pdf

http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_587_,00.html

Happy Birthday & Anniversary

Here is the Japanese Lords Prayer that was a part of this Sunday's message...

A Japanese author wrote his version of Psalm 23

“The Lord is my pacesetter, I shall not rush. He makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals. He provides me with images of stillness, which restores my serenity. He leads me in the way of efficiency through calmness of mind. His guidance is peace. Even though I have a great many things to accomplish today, I will not fret. For His presence is here. His timelessness, His all importance will keep me in balance. He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity by anointing my mind with His oils of tranquility. My cup of joyous energy overflows. Surely harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruits of my hours for I shall walk in the pace of my Lord and dwell in His house forever.”

We Want Your Opinion!

This was our Saturday ad.

Do you agree or disagree?

Happy Birthday & Anniversary

Mindless Rants

I received a very good book called “The Blogging Church; Sharing The Story Of Your Church Through Blogs.” The book included contributions from five of the most popular bloggers in the world. And it seems that one of the main reasons for a blog is that you have another avenue to share and for me to share right back with you. In other words, I am supposed to just go with the gut and rant on whatever is on my mind (and yours). So, 12 mindless rants (not hard for me) about Gene Scott of Celebration Community Beach Church.

1. I consider my self a servant, nothing more or less. What I want people to know about me is that I am willing to pour my life into others. My #1 goal is to show you how to get from here to there.


2. I am a Florida native (although thank goodness I have no accent). I grew up in the small gulf coastal town of Perry (famous for its pine trees and Stuckey signs)


3. Except for attending seminary in New Orleans and Atlanta, I have lived my entire life in Florida. I mean, when you are already in Florida, why go any place else! I first came to Naples as a pastor of East Naples United Methodist Church.


4. When I met Annie I knew that I had found my ideal woman. However, it took a while for Annie to say yes because she was waiting for her ideal man.


5. Some people will say (my parents) that I became a minister so that I could talk in church and get away with it. But when it came to being called by God, I knew that it was the only thing that I must do in my life. There was no option. This is my S.H.A.P.E. I accepted the call for ministry at a church youth camp one summer. I worked my way as a youth minister through college (Florida A & M and Florida State University) and served as a student pastor while earning my Master of Divinity degree from Emory University. I also have a doctorate in Ministry (but don't tell anyone, I don't want to have to wear long pants!). I was a United Methodist Pastor for a lot of years.


6. Three great sources for jokes; the Internet, your family, and the bathroom mirror. The sermon ideas come from you. I like to preach what I call ‘Readers Digest' sermons. That is why many of the sermon titles start out with ‘How to… beat worry, handle stress, etc.' The world does its best to beat you down each week. My goal is to fill you up so that you can make it through a few more days. That is why you will never hear a negative or judgmental message at Celebration church.


7. I have three great sons who are also 3 great guys. Chad, Brian, and Curt. I also have two dogs..Sheemee the Princess & Shakh the mutt.


8. I have been known to play golf once a year and enjoy saltwater fishing. My motto is, “If you will invite me to do it with you and pay for it,” that's my hobby.


9. My mother taught me to love the Bible. My father taught me to love the church. Pastor Felix Parker taught me to love the ministry and Pastor Lareby Alligood taught me to love people. Annie (my wife) has taught me to love myself. There is not a day that goes by that someone does not influence me in some positive way.


10. Other than marriage and the birth of my children, one of my great life changes was a seminar (remember I am always preaching against trying to change your life through a seminar). I drove to Atlanta Georgia to hear Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Valley Community Church. And there, for the first time, I think I truly understood what the purpose of the church was really for. I went back home, threw out every sermon I had ever preached, and began to learn the ministry once more from the ground up. Celebration Church is a result of that Purpose Driven seminar so many years ago.


11. By far, my greatest satisfaction as Pastor is to bring new people into the Kingdom of God through Salvation. I will talk 24-7 about Salvation anytime, anywhere. My next greatest satisfaction is helping people journey from ‘never be' to ‘could be' to should be' and finally ‘must be.'


12. Where I would like to see our church 5 years from now, does not involve a number. In 5 years I would like to see every member of Celebration Community Church serving as a minister…fulfilling the S.H.A.P.E. that God has given them and, in doing so, discovering real happiness, purpose, and significance in their life!
    

Join Us for Fellowship!

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

So, after listening to today's message, you want to find out if you are smarter than a 5th grader? here are two different websites that offer tests that will grade you. Good luck (you will need it!).
Here they are..

http://www.gotoquiz.com/are_you_smarter_than_a_fifth_grader

or

Click here for 2nd Quiz

Congratulations Pat!

Congratulations to Pat Titmas who was baptized in the Gulf of Mexico at the Celebration @ Sunset service last Sunday night!

Happy Birthday & Anniversary!