Sunday, March 26th, 2023

5th Sunday of Lent

Sermon Title:

"Be Not Afraid"

Sacred Text:

Psalm 27:1-6

Worship (in-person and online):

11:15 AM

A Word from Ray

You can find any regular updates from our Pastoral Search Team by clicking here or our website here.

Here is the most recent update from the Team:

The Pastoral Search Team will continue to get their packet finished and ready to go. They also plan to schedule a meeting with their UFMCC liaison to review our packet and plan. They will not put out the call for a Senior Pastor Candidate until we have secured a new place to worship.

If you have any other questions for the Pastoral Search Team, you can email pastoralsearch@churchstpetersburg.org.

Take a few minutes each day this week to pray this prayer for our church, as we search for our next space:

God of Hope, we praise you for Your unfailing love and blessing over our lives and our church. Be our refuge and strength in this time of uncertainty. Guide us by Your Spirit to our next place of ministry, where we can have the most influence for You. We ask this prayer in the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen. 

Congregational Announcement

We sadly regret to inform you that on Sunday, a long-time friend and attendee of King of Peace, Bill Smith went home to be the Lord. Please pray for Carl Johnson, his partner of the last 17 years, and for all of his friends and family as they grieve this loss.

Upcoming Activities

When you come to church on Sunday, you are invited to grab a box to take home for your Lenten Offering. (see the picture above). This year, our Lenten Offering will go to support MCC's international global outreach. There are still many places around the world that need to hear the good news that MCC has to share, for God's love that is open to all people.

Bring your Lenten offerings to church on Easter Sunday morning, and be sure to write your name on it. This is a great way to show how generous of a church that King of Peace can be.

In light of recent events surrounding our lease with Lakewood Methodist Church, we will be holding a Special Congregational Meeting this Sunday, March 26th immediately after worship. There will only be one item on the agenda. Because of the demand for real estate in the St. Pete area we will be asking your permission to authorize the Board of Directors to act on the church’s behalf if we find a suitable property to purchase. It would take two weeks to hold a Congregational Meeting and by that time the property could be sold out from under us. 

Only members of King of Peace are eligible to vote, but everyone is welcome to attend.

If you cannot attend in person, join the meeting virtually by clicking on the link below.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84286373376?pwd=MlNaUHNVOXRoMTluRmZpTUVZQlI2dz09

Meeting ID: 842 8637 3376

Passcode: 292408

Do you want to know more about King of Peace and MCC worldwide? Do you want to know what it really means to be a member of King of Peace? Then make plans to attend our next Membership Class on Sunday, April 2nd, following worship. (Please note there has been a date change!) We will serve a light lunch. To RSVP to Membership Class, sign up in the foyer or email melanie@churchstpetersburg.org.

With Easter right around the corner, it's time to get your Lilies and help make our sanctuary look beautiful on Easter morning. For $15 per Lily, you can dedicate one in honor or in memory of your loved ones. Pick up a form in the foyer or click here. You must pay for your Lilies when you order them. Deadline is Sunday, April 2nd. If you have any questions, email melanie@churchstpetersburg.org or call the church office.

We hope you'll save the dates and come worship with us, as we follow Jesus all the way from hearing the crowds cry "Hosanna" to "Crucify" to Mary declaring "He is risen!"

We'll begin Holy Week with worship on Palm Sunday (April 2nd) at our regular time.

Then we'll gather on Maundy Thursday (April 6th) at 7 pm, as we celebrate the Last Supper that Jesus shared with his friends before he went to pray in the garden where he was betrayed by Judas.

Then we'll gather together again on Good Friday (April 7th) at 7 pm, and experience Jesus on the cross taking his final breath.

On Easter Sunday (April 9th) we gather together to celebrate our risen Savior! Death could not hold him. He is alive!

Lakewood UMC is having a joint worship service with St. Luke’s UMC here in the sanctuary on Easter. To accommodate this, they are holding their service at 10:00am instead of their normal 9:30 time. So, we will need to move our Easter Service to 11:45 am in order to have time to prepare. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope you will join us for a wonderful Easter Service.

We will not have a Sunrise Service this year due to the time between services.

We hope you won't miss any part of Holy Week. Experiencing every part of the story helps make the resurrection even more powerful.

**For those who would like to experience Stations of the Cross, we have been invited to attend St. Matthews Episcopal Church on Good Friday, starting at noon. St. Matthews is located at 738 Pinellas Point Dr. South.

Starting on Sunday, April 2nd, we will start selling tickets for the Tampa Bay Rays Pride Night game on Saturday, June 10th at 4:10 pm. Tickets are $32 (cash and check) and includes a free Rays coozie. Deadline to sign up for tickets is April 30th. If you have any questions or would like to pay by credit card, call the church office or email melanie@churchstpetersburg.org.

Become a Covenant Keeper

Covenant Keepers is our Stewardship program for 2023. Make a covenant with God through King of Peace MCC in six areas of your life: Presence, Spiritual Growth, Prayer, Financial Support, Witness, and Service. If you haven't yet filled one out, you can get your Covenant Keeper Commitment Card here. Email melanie@churchstpetersburg.org with any questions.

Join us in the Fellowship Hall each Sunday from 10:30-11 am for coffee and refreshments! If it's your week to bring something to share, our Hospitality Team would greatly appreciate it.

Do you know of anyone within our congregation who might need some congregational care or for us to offer their name in prayer during Sunday service? If so, please email revlorraine@churchstpetersburg.org.