Service time change ahead
The first Sunday of September, the service will be at a NEW TIME. Services will begin at 10:30 a.m. Masks and distancing will remain in place.
The church will continue to offer the Facebook Live option on Sunday mornings with the bulletin posted on the website so that virtual participants can follow along.
Please do what feels safest and most comfortable for you. If the church can be of assistance, please contact the church office.
This Sunday
The service is at 9:30 in person, covid safe.
Childcare provided.
This is the last of Summer Sundays. With school starting, students attending college, teachers back in the classroom, and Covid worsening, these are trying times! The gospels offer a teaching associated with Jesus about worrying. The advice given is to consider the lilies and the birds. It’s a time to reflect on what nature teaches about abundant life. Take a look at Matthew 6:24-34.
The bulletin is available at the church website: https://lakewooducc.org/category/bulletins/
Watch the service on Facebook Live Sundays at 9:30. https://www.facebook.com/LakewoodUCC
Or on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LakewoodUCC/videos
Look for the bulletin posted on the church website on Friday.
Instructions for how to access Facebook Live will also be posted at the church website. For additional assistance, please contact the church office.
Tree Mapping – Tree Planting on the Church Grounds
THIS SUNDAY: August 29, 2021 at 10:30 a.m.
The Urban Forestry Committee of the City of St. Petersburg is sponsoring a tree mapping event on the church grounds on Sunday Aug. 29 at 10:30 following worship. This event will involve a process for mapping the trees currently on the church property and developing a plan to add more trees to the church grounds.
The all volunteer Urban Forestry Committee includes a landscape architect, a certified arborist, and state and county master naturalists.
Members and friends of the church are needed to help with the tree mapping. So, plan to stay after worship on Sunday Aug. 29 to be part of this exciting initiative to ‘green’ the church grounds. All are welcome!
Link: www.pg-cloud.com/stpetef
Guided Labyrinth Walks
The guided walk is held weekly on Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m. This provides an opportunity to be aware and deepen your spiritual journey. If it is raining, the walk is held on Thursday at 9:00 a.m.
Also, the readings and prayers used on Wednesdays at the guided walk are put in the mailbox by the labyrinth each week for use during the week.
The labyrinth is on the church grounds near the southwest corner of the church property. It is available for use at all times.
Being Covid Safe and In Person Worship
Please stay home if you are not feeling well.
Please wear a mask while in the church building. While most people have been vaccinated, this helps visitors to feel safe.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending double masking. Please consider wearing two masks to church. Additional masks will be available at church to use as needed.
Two hand sanitizing stations are available for use by worshippers.
There is well-ventilated, physically distanced indoor seating in the sanctuary.
Please know that your safety is of primary consideration!
Safe childcare is provided.
Immigration Action Item: THOUSANDS of Dreamers at risk of deportation!
Severe processing delays are keeping THOUSANDS of DACA immigrants at risk of deportation and unemployment! As of March 31, USCIS had a backlog of more than 55,000 pending first-time DACA applications, in addition to over 44,000 renewal requests. United We Dream – an organization led by Dreamers – is calling on President Biden to clear the backlog NOW.
Please sign the United We Dream’s petition calling on Biden and USCIS to clear the DACA backlog and process applications and renewals in a timely manner.
Click here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/end-the-daca-backlog/
Operation Attack Update
Many thanks to Ian Blair-Catala who has been connecting the church with Operation Attack for the last 4 years. Ian is now moving on to attend USF in Tampa. Ian’s brother, Owen, will be taking over as the church’s Operation Attack coordinator. Owen will be sharing what food items are needed as well as opportunities to volunteer. Operation Attack is an ecumenical food pantry that has been serving the area since the 1960’s. It is located at Lakeview Presbyterian Church in St. Petersburg. With gratitude to Ian, the church welcome’s Owen to this important role serving those in need in the community.
OA also still needs donations of cereal, peanut butter, canned meat, fruit, vegetables and soup, dried beans, and mac/cheese. Donations may be placed on the shelf in the hallway at church.
Spiritual Direction Offered by LUCC Clergy Member.
In these troubled times, it is important to find ways to tend to our spiritual lives. In the Christian tradition, Spiritual Direction is one of the ways of paying attention to the spirit in our lives. A Spiritual Director is someone to talk with about what is going on in our spiritual life and in our relationship with God however we may conceive of God.
Rev. Sally Purvis, Ph.D., a member of LUCC, is a retired clergy person with training and experience in Spiritual Direction. She is offering her services as a Spiritual Director to the community. The sessions would be held on Zoom and there is no fee to be paid. Church leaders are pleased to have the ministry of the church expand in this way.
Spiritual Direction with Sally is open to anyone, not just the congregation. And it is offered to everyone whatever their spiritual or religious background or affiliation or lack thereof. Sessions are generally held once every three weeks. Spiritual Direction is not a mode of therapy. It is a process for understanding and deepening your relationship with God/Spirit in ways that are authentic and life-giving.
Sally was trained by Henri Nouwen, a noted spiritual guide of the 20th century, and did Spiritual Direction as part of her professional ministry before retiring in 2015.
If you would like to explore Spiritual Direction with Sally, please contact her at
sallybpurvis@icloud.com or contact the church (867-7961 or lakewooducc@gmail.com ).
The church is very grateful to Sally for offering this avenue of support to the congregation and the community.
USEFUL LAKEWOOD LINKS:
- Sermon and Reflection Texts
- Music at Lakewood
- Lakewood UCC YouTube Channel
- Lakewood UCC on Twitter
- Lakewood on Facebook
- Lakewood on Instagram
For the above church website links, please note the “Older Posts” button near the bottom of each page.
August Birthdays: Barbara Donohue 8/4, Mardie Chapman 8/7, Claire Stiles 8/11, Kay Rencken 8/13, Vita Uth 8/14, Dana Cosper 8/22, James Waterman 8/23, and Joanne Reid 8/28. Someone missing? Contact the church office with birthday information.
Circle of Concern:
The family and loved ones of Christy Martin’s uncle, Kenneth Silas
Kyle Martin
Malcolm Wells
Dana Cosper and family
Dave Radens
William Owen-Cowan
Jen Degroot
Carolyn Moore
Ann Quinn
Maggie Brizendine
Janet Hall
All those suffering from COVID-19.
Students, families, teachers, and staff as school begins
Church Office Hours: Tuesday 9:30-noon Thursday-Friday 9:30-noon.
Recent Posts:
- See you in church! TD Fred has moved west. August 14, 2021
- Tropical Storm Watch August 13, 2021
- Bulletin 8.15.21 August 13, 2021
- Visit To LUCC Member Martha Lamar August 12, 2021
- Weekly Update 8/11 August 11, 2021
- Bulletin for 8.8.21 August 6, 2021
- Tree Planting on the Church Grounds August 6, 2021
Weekly Update: If you are involved with an activity or event that you would like to share with the LUCC family, please send the information to the Church Office by Tuesday since the Update usually is sent out on Wednesday.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lakewooduccstpete/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LakewoodUCC
Lakewood United Church of Christ 