2/11/24 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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Transfiguration Sunday

Traditional Worship—8 & 11 AM

February 11, 2024

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

(Click here to check-in)

PRELUDE

"Prelude On 'Slane'" by Gordon Young

Rick Nay, Organ

(11:00) CHORAL INTROIT

"We Have Come to Worship the Lord" by Charles Yannerella

Chancel Choir

*CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader: The Lord has called you here this day.

People: Lord, reveal to us Your purposes for us.

Leader: Open your hearts to receive God’s good news.

People: Lord, make us ready to serve You.

Leader: Come, let us worship God!

People: Let us sing our praises to the Almighty One.

*HYMN OF PRAISE

"To God Be the Glory" Number 98

*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” 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

"Give Me Jesus" arr. Douglas Wagner

Chancel Choir

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

"Children Of The Heavenly Father" Robert J. Hughes

Rick Nay, Organ

*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

"Close to Thee" Number 407

SERMON

"Once Saved, Always Saved?" Rev. Margaret Rountree

Text: 2 Samuel 11:1-15, 26-27 (ESV)

*HYMN OF DEDICATION

"Victory in Jesus" Number 370

*BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE  

"Trumpet Air" by Henry Purcell

Rick Nay, Organ

The flowers are given to the glory of God in loving memory of the wedding anniversary of Brent’s parents, Ginny & Tom McLean, from Brent and Susan McLean.

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

February 11, 2024

(Click here to check-in)

Praise & Worship Praise Team

"You Keep on Getting Better"

"Jesus We Love You "

Passing the Peace of Christ

Worship with Our Tithes and Offerings

(Click here to GIVE)

"Heart Won't Stop"

Sermon

"Once Saved, Always Saved?" Rev. Margaret Rountree

Text: 2 Samuel 11:1-15, 26-27 (ESV)

Worship Song

“Graves Into Gardens”

Benediction

The flowers are given to the glory of God in loving memory of the wedding anniversary of Brent’s parents, Ginny & Tom McLean, from Brent and Susan McLean.

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    

A phrase that is not found in Scripture is "once saved, always saved." It has been thrown around quite a lot in various religious communities and societies over the years. Really, the phrase is asking the question, "Can a Christian cease to be or stop being a Christian?" or as it might otherwise be stated, "Can a person who has been saved ever be lost?" The academic, theological debate which has been going on for centuries asks the question, who is right? Is it John Calvin and the Presbyterians/Baptists, who hold to the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, which argues that you cannot lose your salvation? Or is it Jacobus Arminius and the Methodists, who hold to the doctrine of conditional salvation, which argues that Christians can backslide and walk away from their salvation if they actively reject the Holy Spirit's influence in their lives? Trying to argue who is right and who is wrong will not do any of us much good. Rather, there are two super important questions that should be addressed. These are the two underlying questions when it comes to the tough question of, "once saved, always saved?" The first question is what do we do when we sin? Question number two is how to we discern genuine, authentic faith?

What do you do when you sin? Every single one of us, even those of us who have confessed and professed that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, has the ability to train wreck our lives, our families, our work, and our witness. Why? God has given us free will. He has given us the ability to choose Him every day, to choose the path that leads to abundant life, or to choose the ways of this world, the path that leads to death and destruction. So, when you choose the path that leads to destruction, in other words when you sin, what do you do? Do you get defensive? Do you get angry? Do you come up with a million excuses of why you are right and the Holy Spirit is wrong? Do you continue down the path that leads to destruction or do you confess and repent? Confess simply means to admit where you did wrong and repent simply means "to turn from." Repentance is where you have been going one direction, you have been going step by step, choice by choice, decision by decision, walking away from God, and you change course. You turn completely the other way, and you head towards Jesus, towards abundant life. You get on the path that leads to abundance. The book of Romans tells us that it is the loving kindness and grace of God that leads us to repentance. It is Christ’s love and grace for you when Jesus tells you, “That thing that you are doing, that thing that is causing you to walk step-by-step further away from God, is not what I redeemed you for.” The Bible does not teach that we need to be perfect people. It teaches, however, that we cannot receive God's gift of salvation and simultaneously live in rebellion against His commands. In other words, you cannot worship God with your lips and worship something else with your heart. Either you are struggling against sin, fighting side-by-side with Jesus, or you are no longer struggling because you have just decided to engage sin, to engage with the thing that will destroy you. It is God's loving kindness that cuts out cancerous sin in our lives when we repent.

The second question is how to we discern genuine, authentic faith? God’s forgiveness of our sins is unfathomable grace, but we cannot stop there. Our faith does not end with justification, it ends with sanctification, becoming more and more like Christ every single day. It results in a transformed heart and life. This is not works-based righteousness (that we earn our salvation). This is just evidence of the goodness of God transforming your life. If you have ever been run over by the grace train of Jesus Christ, it changes everything about your life. You cannot encounter the infinitely greater power of the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, be run over by it, and then nothing changes whatsoever. It is impossible. Therefore, we need not only forgiveness of our sins, but our lives also need to be different. Our lives should be transformed. We should be displaying the symptoms of a Gospel-infected heart: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are the signs and symptoms of a transformed life in Christ and a genuine, authentic faith.

St. Petersburg First United Methodist Church, what are you choosing to do? Are you choosing to walk further and further away from God or are you choosing to go home, into the arms of your Heavenly Father? Are you living a life that will lead to death and destruction or are you turning away from sin and turning towards God, putting your trust and genuine faith in Him, and living a radically transformed life because you have been run over by the freight train that is the grace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? The good news for you is that you are never too far gone for the grace of Jesus. That you can turn and change course and God will welcome you with open arms. As we get ready as a church to embark on this Lenten journey, the forty days leading up to the greatest miracle of all time, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, you are invited every day and specifically, this upcoming Wednesday on Ash Wednesday, to confess, repent, and change direction. Then, brothers and sisters, you are invited to live a radically transformed life by the power of God's sanctifying grace, the grace that makes possible a transformed life. You are invited to make the choice to walk away from the mess that is your life, and instead, walk towards the empty tomb.

— Pastor Marge   

Volunteer Help Needed

Street Ministry is seeking 6 volunteers to serve meals to the homeless population in St. Petersburg on the 1st Monday and 1st Tuesday of every month. Volunteers serve food at the St. Vincent de Paul Homeless Shelter from 6:30 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. Hal Heitler is the Coordinator for this Ministry and to obtain more information contact him at 727-448-6291 or by email at heitlerh@tampabay.rr.com. No prior experience in serving food is needed.

We also need 18 volunteers to help with the St. Pete First booth at Localtopia on Saturday, February 24. Click here for more information and to sign up.

Not sure about your best fit for volunteering? Check out our SHAPE class, beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 6:30pm, where you will explore your talents, spiritual gifts, personality, experience, and interests to determine what types of volunteer positions you will find most rewarding. Click here to sign up.

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: Rose-Stuffed Pork Loin, Jasmine Rice, Italian Green Beans, Dinner Roll, Cupcakes

Kids: Pizza, Carrots & Celery, Apple Sauce, 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!

February 4: In Person 443 // Online 494

Church Finances

December Year End 2023

Income $311,383 $2,809,017

Expense $205,271 $2,806,097

Have you been thinking about becoming a member at St. Pete First?

Our Discover First New Member Informational Meeting is TODAY 2/11, from 10:45 am-1 pm in the Chapel.

Ash Wednesday (THIS WEDNESDAY 2/14):

Ash Wednesday is on Wednesday February 14th. We will offer drive-through Ashes-to-Go in our parking lot at lunchtime on Ash Wednesday from 12-2 pm. In addition, don't miss our Ash Wednesday Worship service that evening at 6:30 pm in the Sanctuary. If you can, please join us before the service at 5:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall for our regular Wednesday Night Dinner. Click for more information.

Lenten Devotionals:

During this Lenten season (beginning on 2/14/24), we will email a daily devotional each day, written by either a staff member or member of the congregation. Click here to get on the email list. We need devotional writers! Anyone can write a devotional. If you're interested, please email Pastor Margaret at mrountree@fumcsp.org

Localtopia (2/24):

Join us from 10am-5pm at Williams Park and surrounding streets as we join with the community to celebrate all things local! We will have a booth near the front steps of the church so we can spread our message to LOVE.ST.PETE. We need volunteers to help out!  CLICK HERE to volunteer.

Chili Cook-Off (2/25):

It's that time again! Start practicing your best recipes and get ready to cook on Feb. 25th. Click here for more info (and to sign your entries up).

Save the Date—VBS & Summer Camps:

VBS - June 17-21

Camp Friendship WK1 - July 8-12

Camp Friendship WK2 - July 15-19

Elementary Art/Adventure Camp - July 8-12

Elementary Half-Day Camp (TBD) - July 15-19

Registrations open on website in March.

Save the Date—Holy Week Events:

Church Picnic (at the church this year!) - Sat. Mar. 23 (4-6 pm)

Palm Sunday - Sun. Mar. 24 (8/9:30/11 am)

Maundy Thursday Communion Service - Thurs. Mar. 28 (7 pm)

Good Friday Service - Shadow of the Cross - Fri. Mar. 29 (7 pm)

Easter Sunday Sunrise Service - Williams Park - Sun. Mar. 31 (7:30 am)

Easter Sunday Worship - Sun. Mar. 31 (9:30/11 am)

Click for more information.

Join a Street Ministry Team:

Street Ministry is seeking 6 volunteers to serve meals to the homeless population in St. Petersburg on the 1st Monday and 1st Tuesday of every month. Volunteers serve food at the St. Vincent de Paul Homeless Shelter from 6:30 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. Hal Heitler is the Coordinator for this Ministry and to obtain more information contact him at 727-448-6291 or by email at heitlerh@tampabay.rr.com. No prior experience in serving food is needed.

Calling all Kids! We're planning a Spring Musical:

Does your child (age 4-6th grade) have an interest in music, acting, or just plain fun? Join us each SUNDAY at 9:30 on the 4th floor as we start rehearsing our Spring Musical. So that more kids have the opportunity to participate, we will be having our main rehearsals on Sunday mornings during the 9:30-10:30 am hour, with optional rehearsals during Kids Praise Team rehearsals on Wednesdays at 5 pm in the Chapel. Rehearsals begin on Sunday, February 4th, with a dress rehearsal on Sunday, April 21st & performance on Sunday evening, April 28th at 6 pm. Come have fun with us! For more information, contact Kelly Bonyata (kbonyata@fumcsp.org) or Lora Ulrich (lulrich@fumcsp.org).

Calling All Students! Scholarships (apply Feb 1-Apr 2):

Are you currently attending or bound for college or vocational school? Applications for St. Pete First Scholarships will be accepted beginning February 1st. Completed applications, along with supporting documents, must be delivered to the church office no later than the close of business on Tuesday, April 2. All continuing students must re-apply. Click here for more info & application form.

Wednesday Classes & Groups:

We have a new Wednesday Morning Women's Bible Study ("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, a Beatitudes Bible study with Pastor Bob, and Pastor Margaret's Lenten Bible Study (The Third Day: Living the Resurrection).

CLICK HERE to find out more.

SHAPE (returns 2/21):

SHAPE is back this spring for a new semester! Whether you are a long-time member, a new member, or a church visitor, you are invited to join SHAPE. Over 8 weeks you will explore your talents, spiritual gifts, personality, experience, and interests, helping to find your best ministry, small group, or class fit at St. Pete First UMC!  Click here to sign up.

2024 Giving Envelopes:

If you requested giving envelopes for 2024, the Giving Envelopes that have not yet been picked up have been relocated to the Administrative Office. Please contact or drop by the church office to pick them up.

Mural Paintings:

Over the next few weeks, a mural artist will be painting on our campus. Please watch for roped-off areas to avoid paint and equipment.

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

KIDS SPRING MUSICAL REHEARSAL (Age 4-6th Gr) -Room 402

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 4-6th 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 (returns 2/21)

6:30 pm PASTOR MARGE'S LENTEN BIBLE STUDY -Room 208

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

9:30 am KIDS SPRING MUSICAL REHEARSAL (Age 4-6th Gr) -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 PRAISE TEAM (Age 4-6th 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

6:00 pm INVITE PILLAR

THIRD THURSDAY OF THE MONTH

2:00 pm NURTURE PILLAR