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“You thrill to God’s word, you chew on Scripture day and night” Psalm 1:2

I was with my 9th grader, Sydney, in the grocery store and we were looking at cereal. I saw a box of Honey Smacks (the one with the Frog) and I told my kid that when I was a kid they were called Sugar Smacks. At some point, when health food fads started happening, the cereal companies realized parents were averse to buying food that was explicitly labeled as sugar. The solution was to change the recipe… NOO! They just changed the name of the cereals.

We love the idea of eating healthier, but we do not like the practice, so we readily buy into eating empty promises and lies. How often are we disappointed when we are told the best way to lose weight is to eat less and move more! Much like the rich young ruler whom Jesus told to sell his stuff, we walk away sad.

What through me, though, was when I started paying attention to what I was eating. 4 Oreos are equal to 1 Cheeseburger! That cookie may give you instant satisfaction, but provides no nutrients, is not filling, and is stored away in our body as fat. I look at food in relationship to my goals now. This doesn’t mean I neglect taste, but I am more judicious as it relates to the full picture of my life.

Our life is bombarded with the idea that consumption is what brings us joy. Our commercials are full of people using mundane products as if they’ve solved world hunger. A mop will not improve your dating status, Sunny Delight won’t suddenly make your teenager want to talk to you or even out loud. TV shows, Sports, etc, are simply distractions from problems, not solutions. Yet we spend so much time feeding on these empty calories.

But God has given us a different food. The Psalmist sings, “Taste and see that the Lord is good”. Jesus proclaims himself as a living water in which we will never thirst again. He says he is the bread of life. We long for substance, but rarely put the effort into trying it. Yet, it is there for the taking!

To feed on God’s word is to nourish the soul to experience, the ears to hear, and the eyes to see that we may live into our calling as humans to, as Thomas Merton writes, “know what God knows, will what God wills, and love what God loves”. We can only do this if we spend time listening to God through the many means of grace offered to us. One of those is through scripture.

The next few weeks we are looking at the practice of Lectio Divina and then we will follow this up with a deep dive into the Lord’s Prayer. Lectio Divina is a way of praying the scripture. There are four parts, Lectio, we read the text, Mediatio, we meditate on the text, Oratio, we pray the text, Contemplatio, we live the text.

Guiro the 2nd, a 12 century monk, said of Lectio Divina, “reading, puts the solid food into our mouths, mediation chews it and breaks it down, prayer obtains the flavor of it and contemplation is the very sweetness which makes us glad and refreshes us”

If we want to understand God’s call in our life, get to know God better, feed on the substance of life and not cheap high caloric imitations with no nutritional value, then we will put effort into listening to the word of God and embracing his work of transformation. I invite you to join us over the next few weeks to learn more as well as visit the link provided for your edification. Let us walk together and learn of his love and work that we may be a part of his love and work in this world.

• Eat This Book, Eugene Peterson
• Too Deep For Words, Thelma Hall
• Our Youtube Page on Spiritual Formation
• Renovare

Peace,

Pastor Cory                                                    

Our children and youth had a busy spring & summer filled with all sorts of activities from Vacation Bible School to Mission Trips. This summer brought a new wave a families and their children into our church. We have seen new faces on Sunday mornings and in our programs. 

As we enter fall, we will need more people to help lead, teach, sponsor and chaperone! We have a need in each area of our ministry: nursery, Sunday school, children’s choirs, Upward Basketball, youth group on Sunday evenings, small group leaders for youth and of course working in the pumpkin patch.

Please reach out to me, if you are interested in serving. Together we can figure out the perfect way for you to help grow our children into disciples!

To learn about our ongoing and upcoming programs and events, please visit our website.

JOIN OUR TEAM! Here's Why...

1. Kids are a Priority to God- Jesus said "let the little children come to me."
2. Generations are Impacted- Influencing todays kids with biblical truth is multiplied when they become parents and continue the cycle of love.
3. Valuable Lessons are Learned- not just by the kids!
4. Kids Need at least 5 Meaningful Relationships at Church-A huge factor in ids continuing church engagement as an adult is how many adults were in their lives expressing care for them in their church community.
5. Teaching is a Great Way to Build Your Biblical Knowledge
6. You Get to Know Some Really Great Kids!

If you love God and love his children, there may be a place for you in Children or Youth Ministry.

For information on ways you can serve, contact Shelly Albright at salbright@stpeters-umc.org

The Lord's Prayer Study

Pumpkins are Coming Soon!

We will be having sign ups for shifts posted online soon. We will also have in person sign up sheets outside the sanctuary on Sunday mornings. 

We need bread bakers too!

SPECIAL GUESTS

It was so nice to host Pastor Cory's home church while they did a 

summer concert tour in Florida!

CHILDREN'S CHOIR

Click on the calendar link to see

rehearsal/performance schedules 

CHILDREN'S CHOIR CALENDAR AUG - DEC 2022

Click the link to watch videos of the

Children's Choir performances.

CHILDREN'S CHOIR YOUTUBE PLAYLIST

CONGRATULATIONS!

TO OUR 2021-2022 CHILDREN'S CHOIR AWARD WINNERS

YOUTH BAND

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERS

The following persons have joined St. Peter's since the last issue of The Rock:

Emily and James Basey, Ella and Cara

Sara and John Dyben, Holden and Lillie

Darlene and Bob Kumler

Kim and Scott Smith

Carlene Brown

Jen and Reid Lentz, Elijah and Noah

Nancy Martz

Melodee Yoder

NEW SERMON SERIES AND CHURCH-WIDE STUDY 

Begin September 11

Join a Small Group!



The new sermon series and church-wide study will be based on the book, THE LORD'S PRAYER: The Meaning and Power of the Prayer Jesus Taught. All adults are encouraged to participate in a small group as we study the book as a church family. Email Rachel Lever if you would like to lead a group, rlever@stpeters-umc.org. Watch for a listing of small groups. The cost of the book is $12.00.

NEXT STEPS

Are you interested in exploring the next step in your faith? If so, join Rev. Cory Britt on Sunday, September 11, 12:30 PM. This will also serve as Session 1 for New Member Orientation.

NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION

Are you ready to consider membership at St. Peter's? If so, please mark your calendar with the following dates:

Sunday, September 11, 12:30 PM ~ Next Steps 

Sunday, September 18, 12:30 PM ~ Session 2

Sunday, September 25, 12:30 PM ~ Session 3 

To participate in Next Steps or Next Steps and New Member Orientation, email Rachel Lever, rlever@stpeters-umc.org. Childcare is available upon request.

BUILDING BETTER MOMS

Registration Deadline

Monday, September 12

Building Better Moms meets at St. Peter's during the school year. The group gathers on Thursdays, 9:15-11:15 AM. During BBM meetings, the moms enjoy refreshments, fellowship, speakers and group discussion. The BBM mission is Ella's Closet in Belle Glade. 

BBM meeting dates for 2022-2023 are:

2022: September 22, October 13, October 27, November 10, December 8

2023: January 12, February 9, February 23, March 9, April 13, April 27, May 11

Registration: The registration fee is $35.00. After September 12, the fee is $40.00. Childcare will be available on a first come, first paid basis. Space is limited. The childcare fee is $20.00 for the first child; $15.00 for the second.

Email Rachel Lever, rlever@stpeters-umc.org, to request an information flyer and a registration form.



WOMEN OF ST. PETER'S

invite you to a fun and active evening

Monday, September 12, 7:00 PM

Creating Charcuterie Boards

Join us for coffee and charcuterie boards.   

There is no cost, but a love offering basket will be available.

     Reservations are requested!

 Email Rachel Lever, rlever@stpeters-umc.org, if you plan to attend.

MILESTONE!

The St. Peter's UMC Prayer Shawl Ministry passed another big milestone - Shawl # 1800. It is such a joy for us to know that these tangible reminders of God's love have been sent out all over South Florida (including to the VA Hospital and the Cancer Institute). Thanks to the members of St. Peter's, we have gotten reports that shawls have gone to people all over the United States and into Cuba, Canada, South America, Africa, and Europe. What a wide reaching ministry.

There is a large assortment of shawls in all shapes, colors and sizes (including for families with new babies) available in the narthex of the sanctuary and in Room 107. Please take them to share with friends and family, and remember, while people tend to think of shawls for people with health issues, they are for good times as well as bad.

And do you personally have a prayer shawl? Many of us enjoy putting our shawls around us as we spend time with God for our morning devotions.

--The women of the St. Peter's UMC Prayer Shawl Ministry

P.S. Please remove the little tag at the bottom of the card. Place it in the pouch on the ladder in the narthex. We will continue to pray for the person who receives each shawl.  

THANK YOU ...

... to the following persons who have led short-term small group studies since the last issue of The Rock. I am so grateful for your willingness to serve in this way.

Loving God (Wednesday pm) - Cory Britt

A Jesus Shaped Life (Sunday, 8:45 am) - Sara and John Dyben

A Jesus Shaped Life (Sunday, 9:30 am) - Carol Curtis

A Jesus Shaped Life (Sunday, 11:00 am) - Melanie and Mark Hooks

A Jesus Shaped Life (Tuesday pm) - Linda and Chuck Hardy

A Jesus Shaped Life (Wednesday am) - Carol Curtis and Rachel Lever

A Jesus Shaped Life (Thursday pm) - Ken Treadwell

Death and Resurrection of the Messiah (Sunday am) - Rosanne Brandt

Death and Resurrection of the Messiah (Tuesday pm) - Rosanne Brandt

Unusual Questions ~ from John (Wednesday am) - Rachel Lever

Dealing with Doubt (Tuesday pm) - Debbie Louda

Proverbs: Pathways to Wisdom (Tuesday pm) - Neil Spielholz

Who is Jesus? (Wednesday am) - Susan Castillo and Rachel Lever

MANY THANKS ...

... to the following for helping with Dinner and A Movie. It was a fun event with cute decorations, great food and an inspirational movie!

Registration - Desiree Berrios

Table decorations - Carolyn Hmara

Cooks - Jerry and Debbie Tuliano, Mike and Marsha Mitchell, Tom Petri

Clean-up crew - Mark and Marianne Forrest, Jack and Melody Kazee, Bob and Darlene Kumler

Movie - Joey and Angie Sigley 

_____________________________________________________________________________

GROUPS FOR ADULTS

++ Denotes groups meeting by way of Zoom

** Denotes short term small groups

SUNDAY

AM - Fellowship Class++  The Lord's Prayer - Begins September 11 

AM - Small Group for Parents of Children and Youth

PM - Next Steps - September 11

PM - New Member Orientation - September 18 and September 25

PM - Abundance of Joy Reunion Group++

PM - Salty Sisters Reunion Group++

PM - Men's Book Study++

MONDAY

AM - Beyond the Sermon++

PM - Men's Reunion Group++

PM - Zoom Prayer Gathering++ 

PM - Women of St. Peter's (2nd Monday) - September 12

PM - United Methodist Men (3rd Monday) - September 19

TUESDAY

PM - Women's Small Group++

PM - Women's Reunion Group++

PM - The Lord's Prayer - Begins September 13

WEDNESDAY 

AM - Women's Breakfast Reunion Group++

AM - Wednesday Small Group  

PM - Prayer Shawl Ministry 

THURSDAY

AM - Men's Breakfast Group++

AM - Building Better Moms - Begins September 22 

FRIDAY

PM - Women's Lunch Reunion Group++

SATURDAY

AM - Men's Breakfast Reunion Group++

**Contact Rachel, rlever@stpeters-umc.org, for more information about these groups.

Marianne and Mark Forrest deliver the food that is donated each week by our congregation.  It is taken to the CROS Ministries warehouse.  The following numbers reflect the generosity of our church family.

January - 269.4 pounds

February - 824.1 pounds

(636 pounds were canned soup from the Souper Bowl Challenge)

March - 131.8 pounds

April - 308.7 pounds

May - 217.4 pounds

June - 362 pounds

July - 249.2 pounds

August - 401.6 pounds

Child Enrichment Center

Lori Maxwell

Director of CEC

Traditional Music

Jim Sheldrake

Director of Traditional Music

Meetings, meetings, meetings. Ugh! Business meetings, staff meetings, social meetings, ZOOM meetings. We are “meeting-ed to death!” Some meetings are mandatory, attendance is required and non-negotiable. These gatherings tend to have a heavy agenda with a serious atmosphere. Some meetings are social; more lighthearted, fun, enjoyable. I find the best meetings to be inclusive of both…serious as well as lighthearted. My level of engagement and my takeaways are much higher in these well prepared and well-crafted settings. And that includes “Sunday-Go-To-Meeting.”

From the earliest times Christians have met together on Sunday to worship God. Sunday is the first day of the week and the day of the Resurrection. We gather, we meet “To worship God” – Worship: the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration to God. How is that done? How do YOU express your reverence and adoration to God on Sunday mornings? Some will say they sit quietly and listen. While there are moments in our services where that is appropriate and meaningful, I suggest that approach for 60 minutes on Sunday morning does not fulfill our purpose for worship.

Interestingly, there is no audience at a service of worship, instead there is a congregation. A congregation being a group that has gathered for a formal purpose; that formal purpose being to worship God. We are not members of an audience who has paid (or will pay when the plate is passed) our ticket and applaud the performance on stage. I suggest that the development of the theater atmosphere in newer churches has contributed to that audience mentality. Sitting back and enjoying the lighting, the sound, the music, the videos can easily distract a worshipper from purpose. Don’t be distracted, but rather, be a worshipper.

While God sees the heart of the worshipper, I believe each one of us is a contributor to the corporate worship service…the power of corporate prayer, the reverberation of joyful voices in narration and song, the affirmation extended to one another before, during, and after the service.

Soon it will be Sunday again. I encourage you to be there…with your family, with your fellow Christians…to worship God…as a congregation. As you enter the sanctuary…

Quiet Your Mind – leave the distractions of the world at the door before you enter; God wants you focused on Him for this hour. The Prelude (Music for Gathering) is designed for you to center yourself and prepare for worship. Remember, he delights in spending time with you.

Pray in Humility - We can’t just simply enter our own prayer closet and meet with Jesus. We need to prepare ourselves. It is important to come to Him in a spirit of humility, remembering that He is Lord, not our “BFF.” Humility is the heart of worship.

Praise Him - Praise him for his mighty acts…We need to admit that we’d be nowhere without Jesus. We should never take His gift of salvation for granted because we can never get it “right” by ourselves. By taking time to honestly reflect on who He is and what He’s done in our lives we become more compassionate and forgiving. Once we have a clean heart we’re ready to enter into the heart of worship.

Be Still - Spending quiet moments with God reassures us that’s He’s in control regardless of what storms we’re facing. Genuinely resting on this promise allows us to confidently enter into the heart of worship. Only then can we be prepared to hear, accept, and trust His Word.

Sing to the Lord - Sing to praise Him; sing to honor Him; sing to submit to Him; sing to pray to Him. Your heart wants to sing, and He wants to hear your voice.

See you Sunday!

HANDBELLS?

We are looking to resume the St. Peter’s Handbell Choir. If you are interested or want to give it a try, please contact Jim Sheldrake (jsheldrake@stpeters-umc.org).

The group is open to all ages, however, the ability to read music is a must. 

Contemporary Music

Jenn Morgan

Coordinator of Fine Arts & Multi-Media

CHAMBER SINGERS

Getting to Know Us

Over the next few ROCK editions we will be learning a little about the members

of the St. Peter's Chamber Singers and where in ministry God has called them.

PRAISE AND WORSHIP BAND

One For Israel-Eitan Bar

For people growing up in Israel, Jesus and His word were never part of the conversation, not in the synagogues, not in the school system, and not in the media. They do not get access to the New Testament. Jesus has been forced out of their lives. Rabbis did everything in their power to conceal the message of Jesus. But today, after almost 2000 years later, One For Israel reaches Jewish and Arab Israelis on their smartphones, tablets and computers. Their videos on social media were viewed 55,000,000 times in the last 4 years. But outreach is only the beginning, discipleship of new seekers is one of their most crucial steps. Please continue to pray for this ministry.

Zambia- Kafakumba- Nate and Elinda Steury

Ann Lewis & Chris Gayle traveled to Zambia, Africa to visit with our missionaries at Kafakumba Transformational Ministries. Their Christian school is full with 90 at risk students who are provided with two meals a day, free health care, uniforms and a quality education. They have lost several teachers to a government program so pray they can replace them. The Clinic is getting

busy and just hired their first full time doctor who starts on Sept 1^st. Pray for funding for her $25,000 yearly salary. God’s Kids ministry goes out six days a week to villages bringing the word of God to at risk village children. Pray that they reach more and more children each week. Pray for our missionaries Nate & Elinda Steury who are very busy with the day to day operations of all these wonderful ministries out in the African bush. 

Liberia- Johannes and Lena Ebner

It’s hard to imagine, even with the difficulties we have with gas prices, empty grocery shelves and Covid that there are countries that have unimaginable problems. Only two schools in the region, too far for the little ones to reach. There is no support, no books, no materials, and no pay for the teachers. The teachers have been trained by the Ebners and are now volunteering in the local schools. Food, shelter, and medicine issues complicate the lives of the people. Yet despite everything, they have been discipling individuals who are now in turn ready to disciple others, to carry their vision, to reach the lost for Jesus Christ.

Cuba- Puerta de Golpe Eduardo Murga and Alonso de Rojas- Arturo Manuel Silot Labaceno

 Where do I begin? Between Covid and the Cuban government, life has been unbearable. There are no meds, not even in the hospitals. Electricity is turned off most of the day. No toothpaste, soap or shampoo have been available. Sending anything to Cuba costs as high as 40%; therefore, we sent the money promised to our sister churches via Methodist United in Prayer’s district office. US dollars are not usable in Cuba anymore. Therefore, the money was sent to a bank in Canada to be exchanged to Canadian money. The charge is only 5%. However, it can take as long as 2 months to arrive in Cuba to the bishop’s office. One secretary is responsible to disseminate the funds to all the various churches in Cuba. As of this writing, the money has arrived In Cuba but not to the individual churches. Please pray for our Cuban brothers and sisters in Christ.

In His service,

Carol Walters Curtis and Ann Lewis

WEBSITE:

stpeters-umc.org

Phone: 561-793-5712

Fax: 561-793-5848

Senior Pastor:

Rev. Cory Britt

Ext. 11

cbritt@stpeters-umc.org

Assistant to the Pastor:

Rev. Rachel Lever

Ext. 21

rlever@stpeters-umc.org

Financial Secretary:

Debbie Ferrugio

Ext.13

dferrugio@stpeters-umc.org

Dir. of Children & Youth Ministries:

Shelly Albright

Ext. 32

salbright@stpeters-umc.org

Dir. of Child Enrichment

Center:

Lori Maxwell

lmaxwell@stpeters-umc.org

Coordinator of Fine Arts & Multimedia:

Jenn Morgan

Ext. 27

jmorgan@stpeters-umc.org

Traditional Worship Dir.:

Jim Sheldrake

Ext 30

jsheldrake@stpeters-umc.org

Praise & Worship Dir.:

Copeland Davis

copeland.davis@gmail.com