Important Note in regards to Hurricane Helene

Due to Hurricane Helene, the church offices will be closed on Thursday. The staff will be working from home for safety reasons. If you need to contact a member of the church staff you may email them at the addresses below. Our phone line will be transferred to Melanie’s personal phone should you need to speak to someone.

Rev. Lorraine Brock – revlorraine@churchstpetersburg.org

Jeremiah Cummings – jeremiah@churchstpetersburg.org

Rev. Ray Simms – revray@churchstpetersburg.org

Melanie Vannozzi – melanie@churchstpetersburg.org

The Good Samaritan Food Pantry will be closed on Thursday morning. Also, there will be no choir rehearsal on Thursday evening.

If you have any questions about Hurricane Preparedness, you can call the Pinellas County Information Center at 727.464.4333 or do a live online chat by clicking here.

Please take the necessary steps to remain safe during this hurricane. May you feel God’s presence with you during Hurricane Helene and know that your strength comes from God. May we all be in the safety and shelter of God’s hands as the storm passes by!

God’s Peace and Love,

Rev. Ray

Sunday, September 29th, 2024

10:30 am

Sermon:

"Check the Soil:

The Soil Is Still Speaking"

Sacred Text:

Mark 4:8-9



Worship (in-person and online):

10:30 AM

A Word from Rev. Ray

Over the past two weeks, as we've explored the theme "Check the Soil," it’s been exciting to hear how these sermons have resonated with so many people on different levels. This past Sunday, we sang:

“Ancient words ever true, changing me, and changing you.

We have come with open hearts, oh let the ancient words impart.”

That song captures my prayer each week—that the timeless words of Scripture would come alive in fresh and practical ways, transforming how we live daily.

This week, we’ll continue with "The Soil Still Speaks." Just as any garden requires prepared soil to thrive, the same is true for our spiritual growth. However, the hard part about faith is that we can't always predict where God sees "good ground" for us to flourish. Often, the places where we grow the most are the ones we least enjoy. If God gave us the things we most desire, would they land on fertile soil? Are we willing to do the hard work of tilling the most difficult areas of our lives so that the seeds of faith can truly flourish?

Join us this Sunday as we delve into how the soil still speaks. Come expecting a blessing, and you will receive a blessing!

~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.

Together We Rise!

On September 19-21, Church of the Trinity MCC in Sarasota hosted the MCC Florida USA Network Gathering, with all 12 churches in Florida represented. The theme for the gathering was "Together We Rise". Pictured above are all those from King of Peace that attended the Saturday session. To read more about the gathering and the sessions held, you can check out our Lay Delegates' Report here.

Upcoming Activities

It's time for our special 5th Sunday Benevolence Offering. This Sunday, September 29th, we will receive a 2nd offering to benefit our 50th Anniversary Fund. Please consider giving to help offset some of the cost of this momentous occasion.

As we prepare to begin offering a hybrid style of communion, we will host a training for our Ushers and Communion Servers after worship on Sunday, September 29th. If you are on either of those teams, please join Rev. Ray and Rev. Lorraine in the Sanctuary. If you have any questions, please email melanie@churchstpetersburg.org.

On Tuesday, Oct. 1st from 5-8:30 pm, the city of Pinellas Park will be hosting a community event called "National Night Out". We need some members of King of Peace to work our church booth, as well as set up and tear down. This will be a great opportunity to help get the message out that we are a great place to worship here in Pinellas Park! If you are able to help with this, please sign up in the foyer on Sunday or email melanie@churchstpetersburg.org.

Due to the impending hurricane, we have moved our Staff Planning Day to next week. Our church offices will now be closed on Wednesday, October 2nd 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 3rd.

In honor of St. Francis and his love of animals, bring your furry, feathered, and finned pets to our annual Blessing of the Animals on 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.

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! Ticket sales for the night will begin this Sunday.

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