11/24/24 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!

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A NOTE FROM PASTOR BOB    

Don't you just love Thanksgiving? It's one of my family's favorite holidays because it's all about... well... family.  It's also a season to start taking stock in all the ways we can be thankful. If you are like me, you may find yourself so busy that making time to thank God for the small things isn't even on your radar. But you know what? It should be. If you are having a tough time seeing how you can be thankful, take time at the end of the day and write down three things that brought you joy that day. Let those be the last things you see before you retire for the night. When you wake up, instead of watching the morning news, go back and revisit the three things that brought you joy the day before. I guarantee you, you will definitely begin the day with a new perspective. Friends, let's be thankful, even in the small things.

Happy Thanksgiving!

— Pastor Bob 

Thanksgiving Sunday

Traditional Worship—8 & 11 AM

November 24, 2024

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

(Click here to check-in)

PRELUDE

(8:00)   “We Gather Together” by Franklin Ritter

Rick Nay, Organ

(11:00) “How Firm a Foundation” arr. Jason Krug

Fellowship Ringers

*CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader: Come, let us celebrate the wondrous gifts that God has given us.

People: Throughout all our lives, God has blessed us with love and hope.

Leader: Praise be to God who provides for us.

People: May our hearts be truly grateful, and may we show our gratitude by the ways in which we live and care for others.

*HYMN OF PRAISE

“Come, Ye Thankful People, Come”     Hymn # 694

*PASSING THE PEACE OF CHRIST

*CONGREGATIONAL SONG

“Blest Be the Tie That Binds” Hymn # 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

“Modern Affirmation”     # 885

Pastor:

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is the one true church, apostolic and universal, whose holy faith let us now declare:

Pastor and People:

We believe in God the Father, infinite in wisdom, power, and love, whose mercy is over all his works, and whose will is ever directed to his children's good.

We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of man, the gift of the Father's unfailing grace, the ground of our hope, and the promise of our deliverance from sin and death.

We believe in the Holy Spirit as the divine presence in our lives, whereby we are kept in perpetual remembrance of the truth of Christ, and find strength and help in time of need.

We believe that this Faith should manifest itself in the service of love as set forth in the example of our blessed Lord, to the end that the kingdom of God may come upon the earth. Amen.

PASTORAL PRAYER/LORD’S PRAYER

(11:00) ANTHEM

“Sing to the Lord of Harvest” by Mark Edwards

Chancel Choir

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

“Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” arr. Craig Duncan

Kelly Bonyata, Flute

Rick Nay, Organ

*DOXOLOGY Hymn # 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

“For the Beauty of the Earth”     Hymn # 92

SERMON

“Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff”     Rev. Bob Martin

Text: Matthew 6:25-34 NLT

*HYMN OF DEDICATION

“Now Thank We All Our God”     Hymn # 102

*BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE  

“Now Thank We All Our God” by Johann Sebastian Bach, arr. Virgil Fox

Rick Nay, Organ

The flowers are given to the glory of God in loving memory of the birthday of Pauline Boggs from her daughters Marlene Gadigian & Fran McCanney.

Thank you for joining us today!

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

Thanksgiving Sunday

Contemporary Worship - 9:30 AM

November 24, 2024

(Click here to check-in)

Praise & Worship Praise Team

“This is Amazing Grace” 

“One Thing Remains” 

“When You Walk into the Room”

Passing the Peace of Christ

Worship with Our Tithes and Offerings

(Click here to GIVE)

Sermon

“Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff”     Rev. Bob Martin

Text: Matthew 6:25-34 NLT

Worship Song

“Heart Won’t Stop” 

Benediction

The flowers are given to the glory of God in loving memory of the birthday of Pauline Boggs from her daughters Marlene Gadigian & Fran McCanney.

Thank you for joining us today!

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

TAKE ACTION! Help us meet unmet needs and serve others.

Volunteer Help Needed

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. We need volunteers to assist with our Christmas Organ Concert on Monday, December 9. This is an outreach event for our community. We need volunteers to come at 1 pm to help welcome and assist our guests from nursing homes and assisted living facilities before the concert begins at 2 pm. We also need people to bring a baked (non-refrigerated) treat to share for the reception afterward. Contact Rick Nay for more information or Click here to go to our Serve form, then select the ministries you are interested in.

Wednesday Night Dinner Menu (Click here to see classes & activities)

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

No Wednesday Night Dinner this week! Join us on Thanksgiving Day 11/28 for dinner at 1 pm. 

Last Week's Attendance Numbers

Thank you for joining us for worship. We hope to see you again next week!

November 17 In Person 535 Online 315

Church Finances

October 2024 Year to Date

Income $168,777 $2,265,182

Expense $239,268 $2,585,812

UPCOMING EVENTS —Mark your calendar!

• TODAY Nov 24—Angel Tree: pick up an angel to gift a child in need; return gifts by 12/1

• TODAY Nov 24—Help us Decorate the Sanctuary at noon 

• Wed Nov 27—No Wednesday night dinner or events.

• Thurs Nov 28—Free Thanksgiving Dinner in the Fellowship Hall at 1 pm. No Thursday night events.

• Thurs Nov 28 & Fri Nov 29—The church office will be closed.

• Wed Dec 4—Family Craft Night on the 4th floor from 6-7:30 pm

• Mon Dec 9—Christmas Organ Concert in the Sanctuary at 2 pm

• Wed Dec 11—Christmas Sing-Along in the Fellowship Hall at 6 pm

• Fri Dec 13—Kids Night Out 6-10 pm

• Fri Dec 13—Christmas Caroling in Williams Park with other local churches (meet at 6:00 pm in the Chapel)

• Sun Dec 15—The Little Drummer Dude Kids Musical in the Fellowship Hall at 6 pm

• Sat Dec 21—The Longest Night: A Service of Hope and Healing through Music in the Sanctuary at 7 pm

• Tues Dec 24—Christmas Eve Candlelight Services: Family 4 pm - Contemporary 6 pm - Traditional 8 pm

• Sun Dec 29—No 8 am service; 9:30 and 11 am only.

• Jan 17-19—Women’s Retreat www.stpetefirst.org/womensretreat. Deadline 12/31.

• Fri Mar 14-—Organ Concert with Samuel Metzger at 7 pm

Angel Tree (Today Nov 24; 9-11am — Return gifts by Dec 1)

St. Pete First, in partnership with the Salvation Army, is sponsoring a Christmas Angel Tree to provide clothing & toys to local children in need. This Sunday is the last day to get an Angel from the Angel Tree in the Fellowship Hall from 9 AM till 11 AM. Unwrapped Angel gifts must be returned to a St. Pete First representative in the Fellowship Hall no later than Sunday, December 1st. Please prayerfully consider participating in this heartwarming ministry.

Christmas Decorating (Today 11/24 @noon)

We need your help decorating the sanctuary for Christmas on November 24 from noon-4pm. Snack/light lunch will be provided.

Thanksgiving Dinner (Thursday 11/28 @1pm; RSVP by Monday 11/25)

Todd Seales and family are cooking up another great Thanksgiving Day meal at St. Pete First at 1pm. Call the church office at 727-894-4661 or CLICK HERE to RSVP by noon on Monday 11/25 to reserve your spot. Invite friends and family! Reservations are limited; please RSVP as soon as possible. Dinner is free! Donations accepted and greatly appreciated. Click here to donate to this ministry.

Click here to check out all our upcoming Advent & Christmas events

Family Craft Night (Wednesday 12/4; 6-7:30 pm)

Families - join your kids on the 4th floor on Wednesday, December 4 from 6-7:30 pm for Christmas crafts, games, hot chocolate and cookies, and A Charlie Brown Christmas movie. All ages welcome (nursery will be open).

Christmas Organ Concert (Monday 12/9; 2 pm)

Bring your family and friends on Monday, December 9 at 2 pm to listen and sing along to Christmas favorites as organist Rick Nay (with guests) beautifully showcases our magnificent new organ amid our beautiful stained glass and Christmas decorations. This is an outreach event for our community. We NEED VOLUNTEERS to come at 1 pm to help welcome and assist our guests from nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Refreshments will be served after the concert. Please bring a baked (non-refrigerated) treat to share. For those unable to attend in-person, the concert will be livestreamed and recorded. Contact Rick Nay for more information.

Christmas Sing-Along (Wednesday 12/11; 6 pm)

The St Pete First Kids Music Ministry is excited to present our Christmas Sing-Along! Join us in the Fellowship Hall for Wednesday Night Dinner beforehand, then support the children and have some fun as we sing our favorite Christmas songs. Bring your friends and family!

Kids Night Out (Friday 12/13; 6-10 pm):

Our next Kids’ Night Out is Friday, December 13th from 6-10 pm. Reserve your spot here by Wednesday, December 11th. At this SPECIAL KNO, we will go caroling in Williams Park with several community churches. Parents are welcome to stay and carol with the group from 6:30-7pm!! Then we will have pizza and ice cream sundaes, play games, make crafts, have a devotion, and watch a movie while parents finish up that last minute shopping! Open to all children ages nursery - 5th grade. Dinner & snacks are provided. $20 first child, $15 second, $40 for a family of 3 or more. Questions? email Lora at lulrich@stpetefirst.org

Christmas Caroling (Friday 12/13; 6:00 pm) —with other local churches

Meet at 6 pm at St Pete First UMC in the Chapel (facing Williams Park) to get song sheets & warm up. We will walk over to the park for caroling around 6:30, and return to the church around 7 pm. After caroling, everyone is invited to join us for hot chocolate and fellowship. Questions? Contact Derek Weston at dweston@stpetefirst.org

Kid’s Musical: The Little Drummer Dude (Sunday 12/15 @ 6pm):

Come out and support our Children's Music Ministry as the kids present The Little Drummer Dude on Sunday, December 15 at 6 pm in the Fellowship Hall. If you can, please bring a non-refrigerated dessert to share.

The Longest Night: A Service of Hope and Healing (Saturday 12/21 @ 7pm)

Christmas brings joy, but for some it reminds us of great grief and longing. This musical service of healing is meant to worship while remembering our pain with honesty, seeking God’s beauty in our brokenness, and reclaiming the light only found in God’s grace.

Join us for Christmas Eve Worship!

Christmas Eve Candlelight Services Tuesday, December 24

4 pm Family — 6 pm Contemporary — 8 pm Traditional

Women's Retreat (New Date! Jan 17-19, 2025) < Sign Up NOW! Deadline is 12/31

Join us for St. Pete First's bedazzling Women’s Retreat the weekend of January 17-19 at Warren Willis United Methodist Camp & Conference Center in Fruitland Park, Florida. Click here for more information & to register online.

Cooking for the Homeless

Join the Street Ministry Cooking Team every 1st Tuesday of the month from 4 to 5 PM to prepare a meal in our church kitchen for the homeless. No experience is necessary. Visit stpetefirst.org/street-team for more info or contact Hal Heitler at 727-448-6291 or halheitler@gmail.com

Hurricane Relief Helpers

Thank you to all who have signed up to help with work to be done with people affected by the hurricanes. We appreciate your willingness to reach out with our church family and our community. We are finding most people in a holding pattern right now and remind ourselves this is a marathon not a sprint, and we are in this for the long haul. Please stay tuned for our next steps in how you can help. In the meantime, you can donate to St Pete First Local Hurricane Relief or if you would like to make a meal to show some love from our church, please email KayLee Bennett-McFall

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/Toddlers (Birth - 3 years) Preschool Hall

PRESCHOOL (Age 3 - K) Sunday School - Preschool Hall

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

KIDS MUSICAL PRACTICE Room 402

11:00 am

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

Nursery/Toddlers (Birth - 3 years) Preschool Hall

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 MUSIC (Age 4-8th 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) Preschool Hall

YOUTH

SUNDAYS

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

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

10:45 am CONFIRMATION WhereHouse

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

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 THE GAP -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   

5:30 pm DINNER -Fellowship Hall

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

6:30 pm PAUL BIBLE STUDY (Pastor Margaret) -Room 208

6:30 pm LEADERSHIP STUDY (Pastor Bob) -Chapel

6:30 pm THE BIBLE JESUS READ (Pat Mason) -Room 103

6:30 pm DEVOGA (Emily Strong) -Narthex/back of Sanctuary

THURSDAYS 

7:30 am THURSDAY MEN’S STUDY -Zoom

1:00 pm United Women in Faith Deborah Circle (4th Thursdays) -Rm 101                            

 MUSIC

SUNDAYS 

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

9:30 am KIDS MUSICAL PRACTICE -Room 402

10:15 am CHANCEL CHOIR -Room 312 

12:10 pm HANDBELLS -Room 310

TUESDAYS 

6:00 pm IGNITE WORSHIP TEAM -Sanctuary

WEDNESDAYS

5:00 pm KIDS MUSIC (Age 4-8th Grade) Chapel

7:30 pm CHANCEL CHOIR -Room 312   

 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  

THIRD TUESDAY OF THE MONTH

12:00 pm INVITE PILLAR  

THIRD THURSDAY OF THE MONTH

9:00 am NURTURE PILLAR