Love First Coast Gatherings

• April 7 – Worship Gathering (6:45pm @ Faith Community Church 3450 CR210, 32259)
• April 19 – Good Friday Sunrise at Mickler’s Landing (6:55AM)
• April 21 – Easter Worship Gatherings (We are hosting one at 10:00 at 320 S. Buck Board Dr., 32259)
• May 5 – Worship Gathering (6:45pm @ Faith Community Church 3450 CR210, 32259)
• May 19 – Up-In-Out Gathering (6:00pm.  Place TBD)

Nearly everyone at LoveFirst Coast has a sense a personal call to live life intentionally on mission.  That said, we also worship through giving.  More than half of what we received in 2018 we had the privilege of giving away.  (We hope to do so again in 2019)  Much of it was given to organizations advancing God’s Kingdom in our area, some of whom we’ve partnered with.  Some was given when our hearts were broken by the devastation that occurred when Hurricane Michael impacted Panama City.   The report below, Love First Coast Serving Others, was compiled by Kent Wehmeier and presented at our annual meeting to share how we gave away funds entrusted to us in 2018.   We serve a generous God and it was a privilege to be generous.

LOVE FIRST COAST SERVING OTHERS

As Stewards  Andrew, Nicholl and I are tasked with over-seeing the distribution of the financial blessing  you have entrusted to Love First Coast.   I admit trying to decide who to support with so many places is really difficult.  All of us saw that the accumulating growth of the funds was not what we were called to do.  In my reflection some of these verses came to mind.

Romans 8 15   ¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption.^[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[g] Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

That God first loved us He adopted us as sons and daughters.

Deutoeronomy 19 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. ¹⁸ He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. ¹⁹ And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. ²⁰ Fear the Lord your God and serve him.

Jesus pronounces in Johns Gospel John 10:18  I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Here is where our hearts felt compelled to give and serve those both here in Northeast Florida and in the broader world.

1. Young Life and Young Life Nicaragua earning the right to be heard.
2. Young Lives More than 20 years ago modeling unconditional love and mentoring young women
3. Rose Shabaya, beginning a new ministry with women in our city.
4. Clearer Vision Ministries, which, since 1979 has served the blind and visually impaired, originally formed to serve blind Bible college students.
5. Pie in the Sky St. Johns County which builds wheelchair ramps, buys bus tickets, provides young mothers with baby food, and repairs home to serve those in need – since 2010
6. J1:9 Ministries: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid do not be discouraged for the Lord you God will be with you wherever you go.” Working with children, especially orphans in Costa Rica, hosting mission trips, and proclaiming the gospel.
7. Hiland Park First Baptist Church (Panama City) Hurricane Michael relief.
8. North Star Church Panama City Hurricane Michael relief.
9. DOTZ Direct Occupational Training Zone, providing blind and visually impaired individuals with the opportunity to obtain job skills since 2014
10. Through our website on the internet
    1. Offerering prayer for those that requested it.
    2. Making available instruction for using discipleship tools.
    3. 11,445 total views on the web site in 2018 – up 55% from the previous year
    4. 2,861 views were from countries other than the US.  Top 7: UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, India, and South Africa.
    5. 7,070 total visitors – up 56% from the previous year
    6. Top 3 pages at LoveFirstCoast.org visited in 2018
       1. Discipling Lifestyle – Up-In-Out – 1,222 views, Learning Circle – 1,211 views.
       2. Discipleship Square – 1,143 views.
    7. Over the history of the site, the Learning Circle has been viewed over 4,000 times.
11. We are honored to serve LoveFirst Coast and to bless others through the financial commitments all of you have made. Thank you.