King of Peace MCC Matters

October 2nd, 2024

Sunday, October 6th, 2024

10:30 am


Sermon:

"Check the Soil:

The Soil Is Still Speaking- Part 2"

(Sermon is in English only this Sunday)


Sacred Text:

Luke 8:4-8



Worship (in-person and online):

10:30 AM

A Word from Rev. Ray

This Sunday, we will wrap up our series, "Check the Soil." For this final installment, we’ll do a recap and pick up where we left off last Sunday, when we explored how “The Soil Still Speaks.”


In the first message, we focused on “Reaping What We Sow.” We reflected on how we sometimes desire certain outcomes but aren’t planting the right seeds. Remember, we can’t reap what we haven’t sown. Then, we discussed “What Happens When Seeds Fall on Hard Ground?” What happens when the conditions for sowing aren’t right for growth? We asked ourselves a crucial question: “Am I in the right place?"


Last week, in the first half of “The Soil Still Speaks,” we looked at how preparing the soil is hard work. It's a process that requires us to turn inward, identifying the areas in our lives that need to be tilled and churned. What needs to be uprooted in your life for true growth to happen?


Join us this Sunday as we conclude the "Check the Soil" series.


Come to church with expectation, and you will receive a blessing!


Looking forward to seeing you there.


~Rev. Ray

In worship over the next month, we are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15). We'll hear some songs, scripture, and maybe even some of the sermon in Spanish through the month. To find out more about the significance of Hispanic Heritage Month, click here.

Bowling for Jesus!

On Monday, September 23rd, Rev. Ray joined the King of Peace bowlers at 10 in Pasadena. If you like cheap bowling, join them every Monday at 11 am. From the scoreboard picture, it looks like Rev. Ray went in for the win!

King of Peace's 50th Anniversary

Mark your calendars now! On Friday, January 17th-Sunday, January 19th, 2025, King of Peace is celebrating our 50 years of ministry in Pinellas County!


On Friday evening, we will have a night of inspirational music with our special guests Jason and deMarco. (You can see what they are up to now here. You can listen to their music here.)


On Saturday evening, join us for the "Gold and White Gala", at M & N Event Hall, as we celebrate the 50 years of King of Peace MCC's impact on our community. It will be an unforgettable evening of dinner and music, with semi-formal attire encouraged- wear your best gold and white! To purchase tickets, click here. There are only 200 tickets, so don't wait!


Then on Sunday morning, we will join together for a very special time of worship, followed by a complimentary church picnic on the church grounds.


If you are interested or know someone who might be interested in purchasing a sponsorship in our anniversary program book, click here.


As we honor our past, celebrate our present, and embrace our future...let's remember that God continues to be faithful, preparing our future filled with hope!

Upcoming Activities

In honor of St. Francis and his love of animals, bring your furry, feathered, and finned pets to our annual Blessing of the Animals this Saturday, October 5th at 10 am. We'll have a special time of blessing them and thanking them for all the love they show us. Prizes awarded for Best Costume and Pet/Owner Look-a-Like!

If you are currently on the Tech Team or have any interest in helping out with our tech needs in worship, please meet with Tim Uber following worship on Sunday, Oct. 6th. This will be a really important meeting to attend, especially as we discuss some of the updates and improvements we are making to our tech booth.

Our next Social Justice Team meeting will take place on Sunday, October 6th after worship in the Social Hall.

Our very own Rosa Carlisle will be offering a class on the healing power of "Therapeutic Laughter". Through deep breathing and playful laughter exercises, a person feels energized as the body releases stress which causes so many illnesses. Therapeutic laughter is based on the science of research that shows laughter sends endorphins from the brain to the body...giving us a joyful high, a positive outlook and at the same time, it builds a stronger immune system, heart, and lungs. If you need to try something different to enrich your life, accept God’s gift of laughter. There will be two different offerings of this class: Mondays, Oct. 7th at 10 am and Oct. 21st at 6:30 pm. To RSVP, sign up in the foyer this Sunday or email melanie@churchstpetersburg.org.

Our church offices will be closed on Wednesday, October 9th for a Staff Planning Day off campus. If you leave a voicemail or email, we will do our best to respond as quickly as we can after the offices reopen Thursday, October 10th.

Our next monthly Breakfast Club at Parkside Cafe is Thursday, October 10th at 9 am. Everyone is welcome to join us! It's a great way to fellowship with others from King of Peace.

During worship next Sunday, Oct. 13th, we will receive a special Benevolence Offering for those in our congregation who were impacted directly by Hurricane Helene.

Save the Date! Join us on Saturday, October 19th for a fun afternoon of fellowship at War Memorial Park (next to Bay Pines Medical Center). We'll be gathering from 11 am-1 pm for a church picnic. Feel free to bring your family and friends! If you plan to come, please sign up in the foyer or email melanie@churchstpetersburg.org and let us know what food you plan to share.

This LGBTQ History Month, join Rev Ray to take a look at what the Bible does and does not say about being LGBTQ+. Sign up in the foyer or email melanie@churchstpetersburg.org to reserve your spot!

Mark your calendars now for a fun-filled event you won't want to miss: Drag Bingo at King of Peace! On Wednesday, Oct. 23rd at 7 pm, Veronica Foxx will host 10 games of Drag Bingo. All funds raised that evening, including the 50/50 raffle and concession sales, will help support our upcoming 50th Anniversary Celebration! Tickets are now on sale. You can contact the church office or buy them at the door.


1 Set of Bingo Cards- $15

2 Sets of Bingo Cards- $25

3 Sets of Bingo Cards- $30


We are still in need of 4 prizes for this event. If you are able to donated a gift card or a gift basket (either of these valued at $25), please contact the church office or email melanie@churchstpetersburg.org.


Bring all your friends for this great night of fun, while helping support a great cause! Let's fill up the church!


~~~~~~~~~~~



Who is our hostess for the evening?


Veronica Foxx is a vivacious Drag Queen who has quickly made a splash in the Tampa Entertainment community. She is the current reigning Miss Rose Dynasty 2024. With this title, she has headlined the Sevierville Queer Variety Show, which took place in Tennessee in August, and in December will be headed to Austin Texas to headline the International Drag Festival! She’s also known for her philanthropy work with the Fitzlane Project, Spread Spencer’s Sparkle, and the Rose Dynasty Foundation. Between the three charities over $50,000 has been raised so far during her title reign. 

 

Using her strong two degrees in Musical Theatre Performance, she is known for her high-energy dance numbers, and for tugging at your heart strings through her power ballads. Through drag, she hopes to inspire others to do what brings them joy. Nothing less, nothing more. 

 

Follow her on Facebook and Instagram (@MissVeronicaFoxx) to keep up with her performance endeavors, benefit shows, and more!

On Saturday, October 26th from 6-8 pm, we are planning to host a Trunk or Treat, but we need your help! With our connection to Pinellas Central Elementary and such close proximity to the Boys and Girls Club, we want to offer this alternative for trick-or-treating...however we need to make sure that we will have enough volunteers to make this event successful. If you are interested, there is a sign up sheet in the foyer or you can email melanie@churchstpetersburg.org and let us know you'll decorate your trunk and help pass out candy.

With our 50th Anniversary approaching, we are thrilled to share a special initiative that will celebrate this milestone in a unique way. Greg Alderson, a talented member of our community, has generously offered his time and skills to create a 50th Anniversary quilt. This quilt will not only be a beautiful piece of art but also a cherished memento representing our journey together over the past five decades. You can purchase a 6x6 square on the quilt for $25.00 with a 3-line maximum message and feel free to buy as many squares as you wish! Order forms are now available in the foyer or you can click here. All proceeds from this quilt project will go directly to help support our 50th Anniversary celebration. Size and time limited, so get your order in today! You can return your order form and arrange payment by contacting melanie@churchstpetersburg.org.

As we begin gearing up for all we have lined up for the fall, save the dates for all of our upcoming activities. Keep paying attention for more details to come soon!


Thanksgiving Eve Service and Potluck Dinner-

Wednesday, Nov. 27th at 6:30 pm


Decorating the Church for Christmas-

Saturday, Nov. 30th


"Let Heaven and Nature Sing"-

our Annual Combined Christmas Concert with Church of the Trinity MCC (Sarasota)

Saturday, Dec. 14th at 6 pm at King of Peace

Sunday, Dec. 15th at 6 pm at Church of the Trinity


Christmas Eve Service-

Tuesday, Dec. 24th at 8 pm


Help us get the word out! Children's Church is back at King of Peace. Every Sunday, we will have Children's Church for children ages 4-10. During worship, we will dismiss the children to go to Room 4 with the teachers. If you have any questions, see Dwayne Shepherd.

Calling all Carpenters, Painters, and Handy People, we need your help. We are preparing to reassemble our Columbarium. We need some help preparing the space and then putting the Columbarium in place. If this is something that you can help with in any way, or have questions, please call the church office or email melanie@churchstpetersburg.org.

Want to schedule a meeting with Rev. Ray? Click here, and you can easily select a date and time that Rev. Ray has available. After you submit your scheduling, you'll receive a confirmation email.

Board of Directors

Do you know who is on the Board of Directors of King of Peace? You can feel free to reach out to them if you have any questions or concerns.


Our next monthly virtual Board Meeting is Tuesday, 10/15 at 6:30 pm. You can attend virtually by accessing the Zoom link below. Everyone is welcome to attend.


To login to the Zoom meeting, click on the link below!


https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82174106018?pwd=fCmJOnlJA4BLS9TfOc7i8TwWBYvGUi.1


Meeting ID: 821 7410 6018

Passcode: 652393


This month, the Good Samaritan Food Pantry is in need of donations of soup and canned pasta (such as spaghettios, ravioli, beefaroni, etc.). If you are able to donate these items, please bring them to church with you on Sunday or you can drop them off at the church office Monday through Thursday from 9 am-5 pm. There will be a shopping cart in the foyer, just inside the front door, where you can please them.

Community Activities

U-haul is offering free storage to all the areas that were impacted by Hurricane Helene. To find out more about this offer, click here!

Join the Gay Men's Chorus of Tampa Bay for our Cabaret entitled "The Good, The Bad and The Gay". 


This event will take place on Friday October 25 at 8pm at Ruth Eckerd Hall in the Margarete Heye Great Room.


Our Cabaret is our (almost) anything goes, alcohol served show, this year featuring both Spotlights and our full group celebrating the Good, the Bad and most definitely the Gay! Our Cabaret is historically a sold-out event. Get your tickets early! You can purchase tickets here!


Ticket sales and concession proceeds benefit the Gay Men’s Chorus of Tampa Bay!


Total Monthly Budget for 2024: $24,956

Total Income for August 2024: $23,888.69


Total Weekly Budget for 2024: $5,759

Total Income for week of 9/22-9/28: $3,375.25


In-Person attendance for 9/22: 133

Facebook Live attendance for 9/22: 17

Online Views: 606


Class/Event Attendance: 0


Donate to King of Peace here

Remote Giving Options

with VANCO Mobile


In our continual effort to make giving easy for you, we are offering VANCO Mobile. This mobile app is accessible on your phone or tablet anywhere you are! Best yet, it is easy to use! Or you can access their website at Vancopayments.com. For instructions on how to do this, click here.


If you have any questions about this or need some help, call the church office and ask for Melanie or send her an email at melanie@churchstpetersburg.org.


Here are a few other ways to give your tithes/offerings to King of Peace:


  • Call in your contribution to VANCO Client Services 800.675.7430



  • Text the dollar amount you'd like to contribute to 844.698.3523 and follow the instructions. (For example to donate $25, text 25.)


  • Mail your contribution to King of Peace MCC (6085 Park Blvd, Pinellas Park, FL 33781) or you may drop it by the church office Monday - Thursday 9:30 AM - 4PM.

Here's what's happening around

Metropolitan Community Churches worldwide:

(Click on the link to find out more information)



Donate Now- MCC's Disaster Relief Fund


Connect with MCC- October 1st


2025 MCC Moderator Nominating Committee

(There is a link to a Survey at the bottom of this link.

MCC Leadership would like to hear from you.)


2025 MCC Governing Board Nominating Committee

(There is a link to a Survey at the bottom of this link.

MCC Leadership would like to hear from you.)


Reflection on Statement of Faith by Elder Velma Garcia


In Memoriam: Rev. Katie Houts


Governing Board Narrative: September 2024


If you'd like to receive the MCC Florida USA Network newsletter, email floridausanetwork@mccchurch.net, and ask to be put on the list.


[727-323-5857]

[info@churchstpetersburg.org]  

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