See you Sunday! 

Pastor Bob

Pastor Bob's sermon title this week is "The Fear Factor." In order to take the Great Commandment seriously, we must be open to those who God has placed around us. It has become our default to be suspicious or fearful of those we don’t know, but Jesus has called us to engage in relationships. Relationships can be messy, but the gifts we receive from being in relationships are immeasurable.

The text for this week is Luke 7:37-50 NLT.



This is the last week of our sermon series, The Art of Neighboring. In the Great Commandment, Jesus calls us to "love our neighbors as ourselves." What could happen if we took that literally? What could happen if everyone in our church made an attempt to build relationships with the people who live closest to them? When we live in to the Great Commandment by literally loving our immediate neighbors, we can become neighborhood catalysts that move from strangers to acquaintances, and acquaintances to relationship. This way, we can truly Love St. Pete. Some of the barriers to loving our neighbors come from not seeing the value in loving our neighbors, a lack of time, and a lack of trust. Together we'll dispell the myths that keep us apart from one another, and be a church that starts a ripple effect of love in our city.

If you or someone close to you has surgery coming up... has a new baby... is sick or recovering... is in the hospital... ❤️ Please let us know. We care. Call the church office (727-894-4661) or email church@stpetefirst.org. You don’t have to go through it alone...

Heads up for driving to church this Sunday: the St. Anthony's Triathalon will close a number of roads (particularly for those coming from the southside or Snell Isle area) from 5 am until 1 pm. Click here for details.

Want to see recaps and excerpts from previous messages? —click here to watch.

Did you miss last Sunday's sermon? Click here to watch or listen to previous sermons.

Reminder: If you are traveling, not feeling well, or if you are otherwise unable to be with us in person, please take advantage of our livestream worship.

TAKE ACTION! Help us meet unmet needs and serve others.

Be Part of Something Meaningful

A little time out of your week can make such a difference! Join us as we strive to be the hands and feet of Jesus as we serve and Love. St. Pete.

Common Grounds

Our Common Grounds outreach ministry needs your help one Sunday a month for one hour! Go to our Common Grounds page [www.stpetefirst.org/commongrounds] for details or contact Chad Simonds: call, text, email, flag him down, or trip him in the hallway… whatever it takes. 727-667-7169 / csimonds@stpetefirst.org

Church Office Helper Needed (Wednesday afternoons 1-5 pm)

We’re looking for a friendly face to serve as our Office Volunteer on Wednesdays from 1-5 pm. Duties include answering door and phones, light filing, and assisting staff with simple tasks. If you’re available and willing to help, please contact the church: church@stpetefirst.org or 727-894-4661. 

Click here to visit our Volunteer Page & connect with other opportunities that interest you



Upcoming Events—Mark your calendar! (check out the full list here)

APRIL 2026

Apr 29—Last Wednesday Night Dinner until Fall—returns September 9

MAY 2026

May 2—Building Hope-Free Speakers & Workshops; 10 am-1 pm

May 3— Graduation Sunday

May 7—National Day of Prayer

May 10—Mother’s Day

May 11—Allocations/Permanent Fund Requests due 5/11

May 17——Club 56 Move-Up Sunday

————Discover First (10:45 am; www.stpetefirst.org/discoverfirst)

————Club 56/Youth Roller Skating (5:45-7:30 pm) Sign up here

May 25—Church office closed - Memorial Day

May 30-June 6—Youth Mission Trip

JUNE 2026

May 30-June 6—Youth Mission Trip (Full/Waitlist) More info

June 2-Aug 4—Art Journaling Workshop (Tuesdays 6-8 pm) Sign up here

June 4-6—Annual Conference (more here)

June 8-12—VBS Setup Week

June 15-19—VBS (Full/Waitlist)

June 21—Father’s Day

————Children & Youth Sunday

JULY 2026 (camp registration is open)

July 13-17—Preschool Camp Friendship Week 1

——————Elementary Creator’s Workshop: Experiences in Music, Theatre & Dance

July 20-24—Preschool Camp Friendship Week 2

——————Elementary Art Camp (Full/Waitlist)

Building Hope on Purpose - Free Event! (May 2; 10 am-1 pm)

Free speakers, workshops, and community resources. Hope is often treated like a feeling we either have or don’t—but real hope is something we do. At this event, we will explore practical ways to change how we speak to ourselves, how to travel through a season of grief and move forward with intention, how to be at peace when others judge, reject or criticize us, and how to master our thoughts and emotions and create for ourselves the stories that will move us forward.



• “Making Hope Practical: The Stories that Move Us Forward” — Adam S. Peters
• “Self-Conscious to Self-Confident: Stop Fearing Judgement & Start Owning Your Voice” — Adency Selena
• “The Grief Relief Process: A Faith-Based & Neuroscience-Informed Path to Healing” — Kelli Nielsen
• “Emotional Eating: From Trigger to Empowered Choice” — Jo Miller
• “Putting Hope in Action: Practical Skills for Anxiety Relief” — Ashley Leary

Click here to preregister

Click here to donate to the Counseling Center Scholarship Fund

Graduation Sunday on May 3 (we need your RSVP now!)

Are you graduating? It would be our honor to show some love from your church family for all the hard work that you have done, by recognizing you on Sunday, May 3 at the 9:30am and 11am services. All high school or college graduates please RSVP ASAP to KayLee: kbennett@stpetefirst.org. Include one toddler photo and one graduation photo.



Discover First (Sunday, May 17; 10:45am-12:15pm)

Learn about our church and its mission, vision, and ministries, talk with our pastors, and find out how to become a member! A snack & childcare will be provided. So that we can order food, please register by the Tuesday prior to the class. Click here to sign up & for more info

Club 56 Roller Skating Celebration with Youth (Sunday May 17; 5:45-7:30 pm)

Our 5th graders are moving up to 6th grade and our 6th graders are joining YOUTH! We want to CELEBRATE! We will be having a combined YOUTH/CLUB 56 party at Astro Skate at 5:45. Pizza and drinks are included. Everything is FREE but you need to register - click here to join the fun

VBS Adopt-A-Prop

Do you like simple crafts? Glue and scissors? Then you can help us out with VBS prep! See Lora at the table on the first floor and we have something for you to take home and work on then return to church in a couple of weeks!



Allocations/Permanent Fund Request (deadline: May 11)

The Allocations/Memorials Committee is accepting applications for charitable funding from the Church’s Permanent Fund. Visit www.stpetefirst.org/forms for the application form “Permanent Fund Request,” request it from the administrative staff of St Pete First United Methodist Church, or contact Mark McKeage: mark.mckeage@gmail.com.



Youth Mission Trip (May 30 - June 6; $500) Full/Waitlist (Need to pay? Click here)

Our Mission Trip is open to rising 6th–12th graders and is both meaningful and memorable. This is a serious opportunity to serve, grow, and step outside your comfort zone—while still having a lot of fun along the way. Students will spend time helping people in need by working on homes and practical projects in Knoxville, TN, as well as leading a small VBS experience in an assisted living community. We’ll have a fun day on June 5 before we return home. It’s a chance to make a real impact, build friendships, and live out your faith in a hands-on way.

Bible Art Journaling: FREE Summer Workshop 
(Tuesdays June 2-Aug 4; 3rd Floor)

For 4th grade through adult (parents, come with your kids!). Deepen your walk with Christ through scripture, reflection, and creativity. Whether you're new to journaling or a seasoned creative—you belong here! Easy techniques, meaningful ideas, and space to explore your faith. Led by LeighAnne Cheeseman. Sign up here.

The WhereHouse is Moving!

After many years, The WhereHouse is moving to the 3rd floor of the church, and we are so excited! So much progress has already been made—the floor has been cleared of all stuff, new lights have been installed, the ceiling is going up, walls have been removed and fresh paint is going up. Now we need your help putting the finishing touches on the space.

HELP FURNISH THE 3RD FLOOR

Everyone can be a part of helping furnish the new WhereHouse space. We’ve created an Amazon registry with items needed for the 3rd floor. CLICK HERE to visit the registry, choose an item, and it will be shipped directly to the church.

Thank you so much for your support as we create a welcoming space for students. To help offset costs, the youth will also host a garage sale featuring items from The WhereHouse and other nooks and crannies.

Click here to register for Vacation Bible School or summer camp.

June 15-19—VBS (Full/Waitlist)

July 13-17—Preschool Camp Friendship Week 1

——————Elementary Creator’s Workshop: Experiences in Music, Theatre & Dance

July 20-24—Preschool Camp Friendship Week 2

——————Elementary Art Camp (Full/Waitlist)

Sunday School - Book of Job Study (Sundays @ 11 am; Room 212)

Starting this Sunday (April 12), the Promised Land class will spend six weeks exploring the book of Job. All are welcome.



Wednesday Night Dinner Menu (Last Wednesday Night Dinner until Sept 9)

(Click here to see classes & activities)

$5 kids, $8 adults, $30 family meal

Adults: Chicken Pot Pie, Salad, Bread Pudding

Kids: Mac n’ Cheese, Celery & Carrots, Apple Sauce, Ice Cream Sandwich

Neighboring Workshop (Wednesdays, April 8-29; 7 pm; Room 208)

Join a four-week workshop with Pastor Carey focused on what it really means to love our neighbors the way Jesus calls us to. Together we’ll explore the practical and spiritual barriers that keep us from building relationships with the people who live around us—like busyness, fear, and distraction—and we’ll learn simple, practical ways to become more present, more available, and more intentional in our neighborhoods. This workshop isn’t about adding more to your schedule, but about rethinking how we live our everyday lives so that loving our neighbors becomes part of our normal rhythms. Through this experience, we will grow not only as individuals, but as a church that genuinely cares for and connects with the people God has placed right around us.

Job Openings at St. Pete First