THIS WEEK AT ..................

St. Pete First UMC

Greetings!

Everything we do as a church is centered around our calling to Love St. Pete and to become the heart of our city. It’s a beautiful vision—and this Sunday, we’ll explore how that calling begins much closer to home than we might expect.

In John 17, Jesus’ final prayer is for unity among believers. And from that unity flows a powerful witness to the world. But in a culture that often feels anything but unified, we’re invited to ask a simple, honest question: What would it look like if the people of our city could clearly see the love of Christ in us?

Jesus gives us a clear starting point—love God and love your neighbor. Not in theory, not in abstraction, but in real, tangible ways. The truth is, it’s possible to care about the world and still overlook the people right outside our front doors.

This week, we’ll return to the familiar story in The Good Samaritan and rediscover what it means to truly be a neighbor. Together, we’ll consider a simple but transformative first step: learning the names and stories of the people God has already placed around us.

If we want to love our city, it begins by knowing our neighbors.

I’m looking forward to worshiping with you as we take this next step together.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Carey

Pastor Carey's sermon title this week is "Taking the Great Commandment Literally." The power and genius of the Great Commandment is that it’s so simple and yet extremely powerful when acted on. The smartest thing that we can do collectively to impact our city and “Love St. Pete” is to actually live out Jesus’ command to love our neighbors.

The text for this week is Luke 10:25-37; Acts 17:26-27 NIV.

This is the first 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...

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.

Click for 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.

Computer Center Ministry

Looking for a meaningful way to serve in our community? We’d love for you to be part of our Computer Center Ministry! Join us Monday through Thursday from 9:30–11:30 a.m. at the Job Center at the Salvation Army on 4th Street South, where we come alongside those in need—helping with things like applying for food assistance, creating resumes, and searching for jobs online. It’s a simple way to make a real difference in someone’s life. Whether you can volunteer one day a week or several, your time and presence matter. No experience is needed—full training is provided, and we’ll support you every step of the way. Come be part of something that changes lives—both theirs and yours. Call the church office, email church@stpetefirst.org or visit www.stpetefirst.org/volunteer for more info.

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 12—Blood Pressure Clinic 9-11:30 am; 1st Floor Nurse's Area

Apr 29—Last Wednesday Night Dinner until Fall—returns September 2

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 17—Club 56 Move-Up Sunday

————Discover First (www.stpetefirst.org/discoverfirst)

May 25—Church office closed - Memorial Day

SUMMER (registration is open)

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)

Neighboring Workshop (Wednesdays; 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. Begins Wednesday, April 8.

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.

Support our United Women in Faith at the Cornerstone Wonder Walk

The United Women in Faith are walking in Cornerstone Ministry's 46th Annual Wonder Walk/ Run on April 25, 2026. This walk raises money for scholarships for inner-city children, giving them a safe place to learn, grow and thrive. Donate via check/cash or click here to donate (our team name is St. Pete First UMC) -deadline is April 24. Contact Marilyn Cutting for more info: mfroglady@gmail.com

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.

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.