4th Sunday of Advent

Sunday, December 22nd, 2024

10:30 am

Sermon:

"Let Heaven and Nature Sing:

Mary, Did You Know?"

Sacred Text:

Luke 1:46-55



Worship (in-person and online):

10:30 AM

A Word from Rev Lorraine

One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Mary, Did You Know”. Mary was very young when she became pregnant and no one really knows if Mary fully understood the message that the angel had delivered. In Luke 2: 8-11, she rejoices with her cousin Elizabeth that she has been chosen by God to have this child. But what does Mary really know of this child growing inside her.

What did Mary know? Did she grow in her knowledge of Jesus? Did she see signs of what was to come when He was little? 

I believe that she never fully realized that when she gave birth to Jesus, that she was giving birth to the great “I AM.”

Join us this Sunday as we continue our Sermon Series "Let Heaven and Nature Sing" and take a look at this newer Christmas classic.

~Rev. Lorraine

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 (but not required)- 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. Our guest preacher on Sunday morning will be Rev. Terri Steed-Pierce. She is the Senior Pastor of Joy MCC in Orlando.

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!

Thank You!

Upcoming Activities

If you want your chance to win our Gift Card Bouquet, come to church early this Sunday. If will be the last opportunity to buy your tickets! The 3 winners will be chosen at the end of service. First place winner also receives a ticket to our 50th Anniversary Gala. All money raised through this fundraiser will go to our Future Fund.

Mark your calendars! Join us for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service on December 24th at 8 pm! Joy to the world, the Lord has come!

In observance of the Christmas holiday, our offices will close at noon on Tuesday, Dec. 24th and reopen on Monday, Dec. 30th.

In observance of the New Year's holiday, our offices will close at noon on Tuesday, Dec. 31st and will reopen on Thursday, Jan. 2nd.

If there is an emergency, please feel free to call the church office. We will be checking our voicemails throughout the week.

Have a very merry Christmas and a blessed and prosperous New Year!

If you would like to give an extra Christmas Offering towards the KOP ministry teams, we would like to invite you to pick up a stocking in the foyer. Place your gift into the stocking & place it into the offering plate. We will hang the stocking on the mantle to represent each Christmas gift we receive.

If you would like to be on the team to help organize our next Soul Food Dinner, please stick around after Worship on Sunday, Dec. 29th. We'll meet in Rev. Ray's office!

Our next Membership Class will take place after worship on Sunday, January 5th following worship. If you'd like to know more about our church or what is expected of our members, this is for you! A light lunch will be provided. Please RSVP by signing up in the foyer or send an email to melanie@churchstpetersburg.org.

If you like to play games, join us for a night of competitive fun. Bring your favorite board games or card games, and let's see who wins! Also, bring your favorite chips and dips to share with everyone! If you have any questions, email jeremiah@churchstpetersburg.org. Sign up in the foyer or email to RSVP!

Grief comes in many shapes and sizes and for many different reasons. Whether it's from the loss of a loved one or a pet, or due to the damage from the hurricanes, or anything else that might be causing grief, consider joining Rev. Lorraine and our very own Sara Ritter for our Grief Share Group. We will meet on the Tuesdays between Jan. 14th and Feb. 4th at 7 pm. RSVP in the foyer or email revlorraine@churchstpetersburg.org if you have any questions.

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.

This month, the Good Samaritan Food Pantry is in need of donations of Cereal and Crackers. 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.

As the weather gets colder, the Good Samaritan Food Pantry is asking for donations of blankets, throws, and fleece jackets. Rev. Lorraine will also use these to give to the unhoused who need them. If you are able to donate, you can bring them with you on Sunday or drop them off during the week during our office hours.

Learn more about General Conference and Register to Attend Here!