Weekly Update 6.22.25

View this email in your browser
This Sunday- 
We will also be hearing from Joe Pondolfino about the mission of Pinellas Hope. This is one of the projects that receives monthly financial support from the church. 
Summer Sundays Services are more relaxed. Hymn requests are sung each week. You are invited to suggest a sermon topic. Use a form at church or email Rev. Wells. You may also suggest something you would like sing. Summer Sundays is a beautiful time to worship  and build community!
The service is at 10:30 a.m. and Childcare is provided. Outreach- Blessing Bags
We will be gathering on June 22 after services to put together blessing bags for the unhoused in our community. 20 handmade drawstring bags have been provided by Nancy Schrepf’s sister and will need to be filled. You may opt to donate needed items, put together bags, distribute bags, or any combination of the three. In the coming weeks we will need to collect the following items listed below. Travel size is preferred. You may place items into the Celebrate Outreach bin, any items not used for the bags will be donated to that organization.Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, FlossSoap (bars or small bottles)Shampoo and ConditionerRazorsTissuesDeodorant Wet Wipes LotionHand sanitizer Combs SunscreenBandaids Sanitary napkins, tamponsReusable water bottlesShelf stable snacks (dried fruit, granola bars, nuts, cracker packs, etc.)Socks Gum and mints 

Seed LibraryInterested in having some indoor or outdoor plants? The West St. Pete Community Library, located at 6700 8th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33710, has free packets of seeds! Members of the library can get packets of fruit, flower, vegetable, and herb seeds every week. You are also welcome to donate seed packs or suggest plants not already offered.
Help Save Job Corps! 
40 letters were sent to Florida senators pleasing for funding for Job Corps. Hopefully this incredibly needed program will be spared. To send an email in support of Job Corps, click herehttps://www.votervoice.net/NJCA/Campaigns/126781/Respond?vvsn=BsGAGBrWBC98eAKAYzf7BAA 
 Outreach Committee Highlights and Action Items for the Congregation
The residents of Apollo and Balanced Healthcare love to receive scented items as bingo prizes. We will be collecting these items in the care closet, all need to be brand new and unopened, for all genders. Items may be full or travel sized: body spray/perfume/cologne, lotion, air freshener, shampoo/conditioner, hand sanitizer, etc.
The UCC has a page dedicated to email writing campaigns to elected officials. If you would like to reach out to your elected officials about an issue such as Gaza,the federal budget, or other political items, there are email templates ready. Go to https://www.votervoice.net/JAWM/Home to find a campaign that speaks to you and your values. 

PFLAG FundraiserThere was a fundraiser for PFLAG (formerly, Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) at the shuffleboard courts in St. Petersburg on Friday June 6, 2025.  Those pictured, left to right:  Sharon Dunaway-Alt,  Danielle Hintz, Janet Blair, and Paula Pelletier.  There was a tremendous turnout and the LUCC volunteers had a wonderful time! 
https://lakewooducc.org/2025/06/12/pflag-fundraiser/
Pentecost!



https://lakewooducc.org/2025/06/12/pentecost/ NEW TIME FOR WEEKLY LABYRINTH WALKFor the month of June, the weekly guided labyrinth walks will be held on Friday mornings at 9:00 a.m. on the church grounds near the bike rack.  All are welcome.  Bring a chair if you can.  Pride Events!Other Pride events people may wish to attend in June:
Lexi Green and Sharon Dunaway-Alt will be representing Lakewood in the St. Pete Pride parade as part of the coalition of 30 open and affirming churches on June 28 2:00-10:00 PM, parade kickoff 6:00 PM. There is a festival in North and South Straub Park. June 29 there will be a large open street market along Central Ave 12:00-5:00 PMhttps://www.stpetepride.org/

Interfaith Tampa Bay Pride ServiceSunday June 29 at 3:00 p..m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg, 100 Mirror Lake Dr. N., St. Petersburg. SPECIAL MUSIC IN THE SUMMERAfter Pentecost, the choir goes on hiatus over the summer and resumes rehearsals and singing in service the Sunday after Labor Day. In place of their anthems, it’d be great of there were solo or duets or even small groups during the summer months.
Vocals are, of course, okay, but they don’t need to be a vocals. instrumentalists are very welcome: guitar, balalaika, flute, cello, ocarina, harmonica, tuba?
It doesn’t need to be anything fancy: it can be just a hymn or a simple song and it doesn’t even need to be particularly “religious.” Many secular/pop songs from any decade have positive messages that align with the values of Lakewood.
You definitely don’t need to be perfect. Just be you. Any age, too: kids, young adults, old folks, middle aged.
If you’d like to perform something during the summer, please let me know. I’d truly love for that to happen! If you have a selection you’d like to do, great; if not, I can help you find one. — Hilton LUCC Participates in No Kings Day DemonstrationMichelle Cloutier and Danielle Hintz pictured below.Property Projects You have probably noticed the new planting around the sign, the painting of the sign, the installation of the Trinity symbol near the mailbox, & the makeover of the bed next to the Sanctuary door on the north side.
The advisors are tackling three more property projects in the weeks ahead: drainage concerns, the Memorial Garden, and the damaged built in cabinets in the Sanctuary. The drainage and the cabinets are hurricane mitigation projects. The goal: safe & dry! 
Needed for Refugee and Migrant Women’s Initiative, Inc.
This is a local group that assists migrants and refugees.  The following brand new items are needed: full-sized hygiene items, soap (laundry, dishes, hand), bedding, utensils (cups, plates, baking and cooking supplies), trash cans, laundry baskets, cleaning products, towels, toys, babycare items, school supplies for K-12.
Good Samaritan Food Pantry
The food pantry has requested pet food and breakfast cereal.  Donations may be placed in The Caring Closet here at the church.
Plastic Bags for Missio Dei
Missio Dei is in need of plastic grocery bags for the homeless and needy. Please place bags in The Caring Closet at church.
Operation Attack in Need of Volunteers
O.A. is an ecumenical food pantry at Lakeview Presbyterian Church. LUCC was a founding partner in this ministry in the 1960’s. Volunteers are needed and nonperishable food is always in demand. Contributions can go in The Caring Closet at church.

Toiletries for Celebrate Outreach
Celebrate Outreach is a local ministry with people who are living without shelter in St. Petersburg.  An average of 135 people are served each week.  Here is a list of donations needed: towlettes travel size, socks and underwear.  Please leave your donation in The Caring Closet at church.
Clothes for Those Released from Jail
Along with Pilgrim UCC, we are collecting clothing for Pinellas County jail inmates to wear upon release from the jail. T-shirts, shorts, sweat pants, socks & underwear M/F. Please no suits, dresses, or dressy clothes. Just comfortable used clean clothing placed in The Caring Closet at church.USEFUL LAKEWOOD LINKSLakewood UCC YouTube ChannelLakewood UCC Bluesky accountYou can listen to Hilton’s music and videos for free at https://hiltonkeanjones.com/.June Birthdays!6/4  Sharon Dunaway-Alt6/10 Genie Terrell6/19 Ron Shutt6/21 Marty Seyler and Robbie Ogdie6/24 Jacquie Lewis
Are any church family birthdays missing? Please contact the Church Office!Circle of Concern
Josette GreenJason RiddellCathy GieseyVictoria LongMichelle Cloutier
Ann Cloutier, Michelle’s mother
JoAnne Reid
Shelly Wilson
Rick Carr
Paula and Tony Pelletier
Deb Kenneda
Barbara Walburn
Yvonne Riesen
Leslee and Holly Van Ranst Sorenson
Denise Williams
Vita Uth
Dot Thrush
Chip and Dana Cosper
Cate Colgan & Marty Seyler’s dog, Trinity
Jackie Shewmaker
All school students, families & staff
Caregivers
The 280 women and men on Florida’s Death Row
“Thank you Kim and Lakewood for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. We are happy to share after five and a half months, we have returned home! We were able to celebrate Ian and Owen’s graduations from college and high school with family in our own home, which was a joyful time! 
Jena Blair and Marty Catala”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 Wednesday. Please provide the information in paragraph form with pertinent details and links. THANK YOU!RECENT WEBSITE POSTS
Come, O Spirit, with Your Sound (for organ with no pedals) June 3, 2025Sermon video 6.1.25 “Oh, Freedom!”June 3, 2025Sermon video 5.25.25 “The Power of the Past”May 27, 2025Sermon text 5.18.25 “Arise”May 22, 2025Sermon video 5.18.25 “New Life”May 22, 2025Sermon video 5.4.25 “Do You Love Me?”May 5, 2025The new ‘temporary’ signApril 19, 2025Credits: Images of birthday cake and books from Freepik.comOur mailing address is:Lakewood United Church of Christ2601 54th Ave S St Petersburg, FL 33712-4709On land originally inhabited by the Tocabaga on the Gulf of MexicoCopyright (C) 2025 Lakewood United Church of Christ. All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

One thought on “Weekly Update 6.22.25”

Leave a reply to Sally Purvis Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.