The Friday Five from Milford First 10.09.26

1. Fuel For Flight is Nation Kitchen’s BIT Burger of the Month!

According to the Nation Kitchen, the name “BIT” is inspired by the sharpest part of an ax, representing the part that makes an impact. Throughout October, that idea of making an impact comes back to the community, with $1 from every BIT Burger donated directly to Fuel for Flight.

This month’s burger is the Memphis BBQ, featuring two beef patties, cheddar cheese, apple slaw, thick-cut bacon and Memphis BBQ sauce on a brioche bun.

Go to the Nation Kitchen and Bar and order the BIT Burger!

There’s another opportunity to support Fuel for Flight on October 17 at Milford High School, where the girls volleyball program will host Volley for a Cause. The event will include a volleyball tournament, bake sale and raffle baskets. Anyone can purchase a raffle basket and you do not need to be present to win! Of course, all proceeds will benefit Fuel for Flight! Read more here.

Two easy ways to support Fuel for Flight this October!

Jason Luttmann

Director of Media

2. Learning To Notice: Recognizing Anxiety in the People We Love- PART II

I spend my days in the homes of our neighbors, helping people stay safe, cared for, and as independent as possible as they age or manage illness. If there's one thing that work has taught me, it's that the hardest struggles are usually the quietest ones. People rarely announce that they're lonely, anxious, afraid, or depressed. More often, they adjust. They cover. They say "I'm fine" one more time.

As a church family, we're often the first to notice when something has shifted in someone we love, a parent, a spouse, a friend from the pew behind us, a neighbor who used to wave from the porch. This article is meant to help you trust what you're noticing, understand what it might mean, and know what to do next.

The signs are often quiet. Before getting into each specific struggle, it helps to know the general pattern: loneliness, anxiety, depression, and fear rarely announce themselves. They show up as change. A shift from how someone normally is. Watch for withdrawal from things they used to enjoy; a letting-go of routines like meals, sleep, or appearance; a different tone in conversation, more irritable, more fearful, or oddly quick to minimize ("it's nothing," "don't worry about me"); physical complaints with no clear cause; or a throwaway comment that isn't really a throwaway ("I don't matter much anymore," "what's the point"). Noticing isn't the same as diagnosing, but a real change from someone's baseline is always worth gentle attention.

Anxiety shows up as worry that has outgrown the situation and shows itself as restlessness, a racing mind, trouble sleeping, a shorter fuse, or a body reacting before the mind catches up (a pounding heart, a tight chest, an upset stomach). Watch for someone quietly avoiding things they used to do without a second thought, like driving after dark, a doctor's visit, a crowded room, even the phone ringing. Older adults especially may ask the same worried question again and again, seeking reassurance that never quite lands.

What you can do:

• Normalize professional support. A visit to their primary care doctor is a good, low-pressure first step. Physical and emotional health are deeply connected, and a doctor can screen for both and refer to a counselor if needed. Frame it as strength, not failure.

• Ask directly, then listen more than you talk. "How are you doing, really?" Let the question have room to breathe. Resist reassuring too quickly or jumping to solutions. Just being heard is often the first real relief.

Scripture doesn't promise us an absence of anxiety. It promises we don't have to carry it alone. That's the heart of a church family. Showing up for one another in the ordinary, unglamorous, faithful way, week after week. Sometimes the most sacred thing we do is simply notice, and then stay.

If you're ever unsure whether to reach out to someone, reach out anyway. The cost of a caring question is small. The cost of silence can be much greater.

Christian Adams

Seniors Helping Seniors

3. The Importance of Medical Alert Systems

The Bible emphasizes the importance of taking care of our physical bodies, often referring them to temples of the Holy Spirit. Sudden illnesses and accidents are a part of life in a fallen world. Illness nor accidents were a part of God’s original design for humankind. When God created our sphere and humankind, it was a perfect paradise without pain or disease. But in the fallen

world, we should not ignore the possibility of a sudden unexpected crisis, especially among those aged 60 and over.

I strongly urge all over 60 to seriously consider a medical alert system. Medical alerts promote independent living with 24/7 monitoring and assistance. They are safe, light, discreet, and fit every budget. They give you peace of mind and keep you safe.

Recently, a member of our congregation spent two days on the floor before they were discovered and taken to ER. A handicapped woman who lived in the condo adjacent to my condo fell in the shower and cold water sprayed down on her for three days before she was discovered. After a fall, my mother-in-law spent two days on the kitchen floor before one of the grandchildren checked on her and made the discovery. All three of these person’s were Christians, but unintentionally negligent in providing for crisis response.

All that I have belongs to God, including my body, and I have the responsibility to be a good steward of it. If I were to suddenly find myself living alone again, it would only be a

matter of days before I had a medical alert device. You owe it to God and your family to be ready for the unexpected.

Rev. Bill Tice

Congregational Care Pastor

4. Come Celebrate with Calvary UMC!

One week from today on Friday, October 16th, Calvary UMC will be hosting their Homecoming Kickoff Concert!

From Calvary:

Get ready to experience the move of the spirit through song. Please share and invite your friends, family , cousins, aunties , grandparents, grandchildren, husband, wife, everybody! Calvary’s own C- Praise are ready to give God praise and uplift His people. Our guest emcee LaTascha Hankerson will be in the building. Come get lifted!

The concert kicks off a special weekend celebrating Calvary UMC’s 164th anniversary on Sunday, October 18th. Join them that morning and again in the afternoon for celebratory worship gatherings as they mark this special milestone in the life of their church.

5. Indigenous Peoples' Day

Indigenous peoples go by many names. Indigenous peoples. Native peoples. First Nations. Aboriginal peoples. Autochthonous peoples. Tribal peoples. Some names are chosen, others imposed.

In the United States, native peoples include American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians. A large population of Sami lives in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula in Russia. Many terms are used in Africa including tribal peoples. In Latin America, the term used is pueblos indigenas, while in the Philippines, they are called katutubong mamamayan or in southern Philippines, Lumad.

There are more than 350 million indigenous peoples in at least 70 countries around the world. There are 565 federally-recognized tribes in the U.S. and dozens seeking recognition. Indigenous people bear the image of God, like all human beings. They possess inherent human dignity as all other people do. But a history of colonialism and oppression has denied this reality.

Learn more about the importance of this day of remembrance and see what vital facts you might need to communicate with your congregation--including what The United Methodist Church says about preserving cultures, languages, and traditions.