1/14/24 Bulletin & Order of Service

Welcome to St Pete First United Methodist Church, the Heart of the City! All are welcome. All belong. Whether a first-time guest or a lifelong member, you are a part of our family. God has called you to worship here, and for that we are glad.

Click here to view a welcome message from our pastors.

Rev. Bob Martin, Senior Pastor

Rev. Margaret Rountree, Associate Pastor

Check-In: Please let us know you're worshipping with us! Click here to check-in.

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Second Sunday After the Epiphany

Traditional Worship—8 & 11 AM

January 14, 2024

*Please stand as you are able. Congregational responses are in bold.

(Click here to check-in)

PRELUDE

(8:00) Prelude

Gwenn Weston, Piano

(11:00) "Prière du Matin" by Joseph Jongen

Robert Todd, Guest Organist

(11:00) CHORAL INTROIT

"Praise the Lord in His Holy Temple" by Charles Yannerella

Chancel Choir

*CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader: The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,

People: My rock in whom I take refuge,

Leader: My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

People: We love you, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer.

*HYMN OF PRAISE

"Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" Number 139

*PASSING THE PEACE OF CHRIST

*CONGREGATIONAL SONG

“Blest Be the Tie That Binds” Number 557

Blest be the tie that binds

our hearts in Christian love;

the fellowship of kindred minds

is like to that above.

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH

“Affirmation of Faith from Romans 8:35, 37-39” Number 887

Leader: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution or famine, or nakedness or peril or sword?

People: No! In all things we are more than conquerors through the One who loved us.

We are sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,

will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thanks be to God! Amen.

PASTORAL PRAYER / LORD'S PRAYER

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

(11:00) CHORAL ANTHEM

"Lord, I Stretch My Hands to You" by Jay Althouse

Chancel Choir

WORSHIP WITH OUR TITHES AND OFFERINGS  (Click here to GIVE)

(8:00) Offertory

Gwenn Weston, Piano

(11:00) "Tierce en Taille" from Mass for the Convents by François Couperin

Robert Todd, Guest Organist

*DOXOLOGY Number 95

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise Him, all creatures here below; praise Him above, ye heavenly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

*HYMN OF PREPARATION

“I Surrender All” Number 354

SERMON

"Is the Bible the only truth?" Rev. Margaret Rountree

Text: 2 Peter 1:16-21 ESV

*HYMN OF DEDICATION

"His Name is Wonderful" Number 174

*BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE  

(8:00) Postlude

Gwenn Weston, Piano

(11:00) "Psalm XIX" by Benedetto Marcello

Robert Todd, Guest Organist

The flowers are given to the glory of God in love and honor of First Impressions, the new ministry that ensures that our Sunday morning guests are welcomed, cared for, and safe.

Thank you for joining us this morning!

Reminder: If you are not feeling well, please take advantage of our livestream worship.

Contemporary Worship - 9:30 AM

January 14, 2024

(Click here to check-in)

Praise & Worship

"Build My Life"

"No Longer Slaves"

Passing the Peace of Christ

Worship with Our Tithes and Offerings

(Click here to GIVE)

"Reason to Praise"

Sermon

"Is the Bible the only truth?" Rev. Margaret Rountree

Text: 2 Peter 1:16-21 ESV 

Worship Song

“Doxology (Amen)”

Benediction

The flowers are given to the glory of God in love and honor of First Impressions, the new ministry that ensures that our Sunday morning guests are welcomed, cared for, and safe.

Thank you for joining us this morning!

Reminder: If you are not feeling well, please take advantage of our livestream worship.

A NOTE FROM PASTOR MARGE    

None of us have all the answers to God figured out. If we did, we would quite literally be God Himself! God’s very nature is both knowable and incomprehensible. This is the mystery of God, who is far greater, bigger, powerful and awesome than anything or anyone we can imagine. While we have a true and personal knowledge of and relationship with God, this does not mean we can understand Him fully or comprehend His whole being. Not only is God’s whole being incomprehensible but each of His attributes, His goodness, faithfulness, patience, holiness, righteousness, kindness, wisdom, grace, and love, are well beyond our ability to fathom fully. While, as good Methodists, we continue down the path of sanctification and grow in Christ’s likeness, we can never know everything there is to know about God’s nature nor can we ever fully grasp even one of the aspects of His character or work. What’s required from us as Christians is not having all the answers to the tough questions about God and theology, but rather what’s required from us as Christians is our belief, trust, and following Christ with our whole being. It’s having faith in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit despite our questions we may never have answers to until the other side of heaven.

One of these tough questions is this: “Is the Bible the only truth?” As Christians, we believe that the Bible is God’s written revelation of who He is and what He has done in redemptive history. We believe that the Bible is “God-breathed” and gets its true, authoritative, powerful, holy character from God Himself, who inspired human authors through the power of the Holy Spirit to write exactly what He wanted them to write. We believe that God did not simply just dictate words to the Biblical authors but rather He worked through the Biblical authors’ unique personalities and circumstances. Therefore, Scripture is both fully human and fully divine. It is both the testimony of men and women to God’s revelation, and it is also God’s divine revelation itself. In addition, the Bible is historically true, it is eternally trustworthy, and it is indeed good for preaching. We believe the Bible is good for reproof and correction. We believe it is good and the final authority in regards to all things pertaining to life. We believe the Bible is living and active, which means that it is very applicable to each one of our lives today in 2024. All-in-all, as Christians, we believe the Bible. We stand on it. We believe what the Bible says about itself is true. It is the primary source where we go to learn about God.

In this life, there are a million questions that we are going to answer. We must make decisions every day and the questions that we ask and answer in our lives are not equally weighted. Answering the questions, "What am I going to eat for lunch" and "Whom am I going to marry,” carry a different amount of weight, and they have a different amount of impact on the trajectory of our lives. Of all the questions that we will ask and answer in our lives, there's one question that weighs more than any other question. There's one question that has more significance and more impact on the trajectory of our lives than any other question that we will ever ask and answer. For most of us, the question is not, “Is the Bible historically true?” The world acknowledges that Christ did indeed live on and walked this earth. That is not really what we have to wrestle with. For most of us, the question that we have to wrestle with is this: “Who is Jesus Christ of Nazareth?” The Bible makes it very clear who Jesus was and is. The Bible, the Word of God, tells us this: Jesus Christ of Nazareth was God in flesh and stepped down from His Heavenly throne to rescue the world. Jesus Christ of Nazareth, because He is God, lived a perfect life, died the death humanity deserved, and conquered sin and death through His resurrection so that we could be forgiven and by grace through faith live forever with God. That’s what the Bible tells us.

Who do you say that He is?

— Pastor Marge  

Wednesday Night Dinner Menu

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

To-Go available - just walk in and ask for a to-go plate!

Adults: Chicken Pot Pie, Salad, Bread Pudding

Kids: Hotdog & Chips, Carrots & Celery, Cookie

Click here for Wednesday Night Live information

Last Week's Attendance Numbers

Thank you for joining us for worship! These are our attendance numbers for worship from last week. We hope to see you again next week!

January 7: In Person 476 // Online 351

Church Finances

November Year to Date

Income $313,645 $2,497,634

Expense $221,665 $2,600,826

Church Office Closed on Monday (1/15/24):

The church office will be closed on Monday, January 15 in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We will be open regular hours the rest of the week.

Altar Flower dates available for 2024:

The Altar Guild is accepting requests for placing flowers on the altar for a future Sunday. If you would like to reserve a date for an arrangement in honor or memory of a loved one, please contact the church office @ 727.894.4661. The cost is $50.00.

30yr Anniversary Celebration for Rick Nay (1/28/24):

Please join us on Sunday, January 28, 2024 as we recognize Rick Nay’s 30th Anniversary at St Pete First! Rick is a devoted and accomplished organist and accompanist whose ministry of music continues to touch many lives. A luncheon in his honor will be served in the Fellowship Hall immediately following the 11:00 AM service on January 28th. Please come and be part of Rick’s special day!

Seder Meal (2/4/24):

The WhereHouse Youth Confirmation Ministry invites you participate in a traditional Seder meal on Sunday, February 4th at 6 pm in the Fellowship Hall, presented by Jews for Jesus. Cost is $5, and a love offering for Jews for Jesus will be taken. EVERYONE is invited to participate (not just youth). Join us as we sit down to experience a symbolic traditional Seder meal. Explore the meaning of the meal as we become closer with Christ in the Passover. This is an experience, not a full meal; please plan to eat dinner before or after. Click here to RSVP.

New Wednesday Classes & Groups begin THIS WEEK 1/10:

We have a new Wednesday Morning Women's Bible Study starting ("Questions God Asks" with Sue Allen), plus SHAPE (explore your spiritual gifts and find your place in the life of the church, with LeighAnne Cheeseman), Band of Brothers men's group, and a Beatitudes Bible study with Pastor Bob. Pastor Margaret's Lenten Bible Study (The Third Day: Living the Resurrection) begins in February.

CLICK HERE to find out more and to sign up for classes.

2024 Giving Envelopes:

If you requested giving envelopes for 2024, they are available outside the Library (2nd floor hallway). Envelope packets are arranged alphabetically by last name.

To see our full list of job openings, visit our Job Center: https://www.stpetefirst.org/job-center.

KIDS

SUNDAYS

8:00 am

Infant Lounge/Cry Room Room 204 (Livestreaming available during all services)

9:30 am

Infant Lounge/Cry Room Room 204 (Livestreaming available during all services)

Nursery (Birth - 2 years) Room 105

2’s TODDLER Room 104

PRESCHOOL (Age 3 - K) Sunday School Preschool Hall

ELEMENTARY (1st - 5th Gr) Kids Church 4th Floor

11:00 am

Infant Lounge/Cry Room Room 204 (Livestreaming available during all services)

Nursery (Birth - 2 years) Room 105

2’s TODDLER Room 104

PRESCHOOL (Age 3 - K) Kids Church Preschool Hall

ELEMENTARY (1st - 5th Gr) Sunday School 4th Floor

CLUB 56 (5th & 6th Grades) Room 404

WEDNESDAYS

5:00 pm KIDS PRAISE TEAM (Age 4-5th Grade) Chapel

5:30 pm DINNER Fellowship Hall

6-7 pm WEDNESDAY NIGHT LIVE (Preschool & Elementary) Preschool/4th Floor

6:30-7:30 pm NURSERY (Birth - 3 years) Room 105

YOUTH

SUNDAYS

9:30 am WORSHIP (Look for the youth up front) Sanctuary

10:45 am CONFIRMATION WhereHouse

11:00 am CLUB 56 (5th & 6th Grades) 4th Floor, Room 404

10:45 am YOUTH (7th – 12th GRADES) WhereHouse

6:00 pm YOUTH (7th – 12th GRADES) WhereHouse

WEDNESDAYS

5:30 pm DINNER Fellowship Hall

6-7:30 pm Youth Group WhereHouse

SUNDAY WORSHIP

8:00 am Traditional Service -Sanctuary

9:30 am Contemporary Service -Sanctuary

11:00 am Traditional Service -Sanctuary

FELLOWSHIP TIME (BETWEEN SERVICES)

9-11:30 am Common Grounds (Coffee, Food & Fellowship) -Fellowship Hall

9-11:30 am (2nd Sundays) Blood Pressure Clinic -1st Floor Nurse's Area

ADULTS

SUNDAYS

9:30 am QUEST -Zoom & Room 208

10:45 am PROMISED LAND -Zoom & Room 301

10:45 am YOUNGISH ADULTS -Room 101

11:00 am BECOMERS -Zoom & Room 103

11:00 am DISCIPLE MAKERS -Library-Room 212

11:00 am SOJOURNERS -Room 208

MONDAYS

11:30 am United Women in Faith FAST Crowd (3rd Mondays) -Location varies

WEDNESDAYS

9:30 am WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY -Room 208 

5:30 pm DINNER Fellowship Hall

6:30 pm BAND OF BROTHERS -Parlor-Rm 214 

6:30 pm PASTOR BOB'S BEATITUDES BIBLE STUDY -Room 308 

6:30 pm DISCOVER SHAPE -Chapel

6:30 pm PASTOR MARGE'S LENTEN BIBLE STUDY -Room 208 (begins 2/7)

THURSDAYS

7:30 am THURSDAY MEN’S STUDY -Zoom

1:00 pm United Women in Faith Abigail/Deborah Circle (3rd Thursdays) -Room 101

MUSIC

SUNDAYS

8:30 am IGNITE WORSHIP TEAM -Room 214-Parlor & Sanctuary

10:15 am CHANCEL CHOIR -Room 312

12:10 pm HANDBELLS -Room 310 returns 1/21

TUESDAYS

6:00 pm IGNITE WORSHIP TEAM -Sanctuary

WEDNESDAYS

5:00 pm KIDS PRAISE TEAM (Age 4-5th Grade) Chapel

7:30 pm CHANCEL CHOIR -Room 312 returns 1/17

CARE & SUPPORT

WEDNESDAYS

12:00 Noon CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP -Zoom

THURSDAYS

6:30 pm WOMEN'S JOURNEY -Chapel

7:30 pm AL-ANON Parlor -Room 214

LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETINGS

FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH

5:30 pm BOARD OF TRUSTEES -Admin Conference Room

SECOND TUESDAY OF THE MONTH

6:00 pm STAFF PARISH -Closed Meeting

THIRD TUESDAY OF THE MONTH

6:00 pm FINANCE TEAM -Admin Conference Room

FOURTH TUESDAY OF THE MONTH

6:00 pm CHURCH COUNCIL -Fellowship Hall & Zoom

FIRST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH

12:00 pm LEARN PILLAR

SECOND THURSDAY OF THE MONTH

6:00 pm SERVE PILLAR

6:00 pm INVITE PILLAR

THIRD THURSDAY OF THE MONTH

2:00 pm NURTURE PILLAR