  This Sunday Rev. Ann Wynne-Philllips will be preaching and Sally Purvis will be leading the service. Take a look atEcclesiastes 3:1-8, 15 The service is at 10:30 a.m. and Childcare is provided. Outreach We spoke about one of the organizations we help, Diapers for Dignity. If you would like to make a donation you can give online at https://www.agingcarefl.org/diapersfordignity.html or send a check to the Area Agency on Aging Pinellas-Pasco. We will be collecting period pads (AKA sanitary napkins) for the students at Lakewood High School who cannot afford to buy period hygiene products. Please place the packs of pads in the box in the sanctuary. The high school only accepts pads, so please do not bring any tampons, period underwear, or menstrual cups. The new school year starts August 11, so we will be collecting through July so that we can deliver to Lakewood High the first week of August. Voicing Their Values Jim Andrews, Janet Blair, and Lexi Green  Pride Events Thank you Lexi Green and Sharon Dunaway-Alt for representing Lakewood at the Pride events over the past weekend. Voicing Our ValuesMissio Dei, a local church and organization that feeds the unhoused community in Downtown St. Pete, will need volunteers for two upcoming Sundays (July 27 and August 3). They will need 3-5 people each Sunday to assist with setting up, serving, and cleaning up their evening meal from 3:30-7:00 PM at 161716th St. S. A sign-up sheet will be available at church on Sunday for shifts, feel free to sign up for one or more. Florida Conference Gathering Ahead The Florida UCC is doing things a little differently this year! In order to avoid hurricane season, they will be having the next Annual gathering in February 2026. So this year they are having three Geographical Area Gatherings. The closest one to St. Petersburg will be in Venice on August 9th from 10-3, Venice UCC, 620 Shamrock Blvd., Venice, FL 34293. There is no charge, lunch will be provided, but reservations are requested. Kim and Dyanne will be driving, and we would like to have a great showing from our church. The information is also outlined in the weekly Sunshine Connection. If you would like help in registering, please contact Dyanne Edds 321-890-7708. Survey for City of St. Pete The city is collecting information on the needs and opinions of the residents through a survey. If anyone at church is interested in filling it out, they can do so at https://polco.us/n/res/vote/st-petersburg-fl/the-city-of-st-petersburg-2025-community-survey-open-to-all-residents The survey closes after July 28 and can only be completed online. Garden update – OrchidsOn Saturday July 5th members of the Florida West Coast Orchid Society (FWCOS) hung orchids in trees on the church property. This is part of their mission to re-introduce orchids back into the “wild” by attaching them to trees in public spaces throughout Pinellas County. FWCOS provided the plants and materials to hang the orchids supplied by Accent Orchids of St Petersburg Florida. The church gardens now have 15 new orchids attached to various trees surrounding the labyrinth as well as on the tree between the sanctuary and hall. If all goes as planned, these plants will bond with their host trees over the next 1-2 years. These happy plants would then start producing blooms for all to enjoy. These plants need lots of water to get established. In fact the lead volunteer of this project told Sharon Dunaway-Alt that there is no way we can over water these plants at this time. Rain helps but with as hot as it is outside these plants have the best chance if they are watered as often as possible. Sharon plans to water on Sundays plus 1-2 other days as available If you are interested and able to volunteer to help with watering contact Sharon.    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. WEEKLY LABYRINTH UPDATE  The Labyrinth group will be taking a break for the month of July. Weekly guided walks resume Wednesday August 6 at 9:30.  Pastor Away For the first week, Kim will be attending the biennial General Synod of the United Church of Christ in Kansas City, MO with her daughter, Angela. This is a national gathering of the UCC with workshops and speakers, etc. Then there will be vacation time spent with family in the Red River Gorge of Kentucky. Rev. Wells will be away from Wednesday July 9 until Saturday Aug. 2. If pastoral care is needed, please contact Patti Cooksey at cooksepa@eckerd.edu. SPECIAL MUSIC IN THE SUMMER  After 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 Care Closet 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/.  July Birthdays!Are there any birthdays in July? Please let the church office know. Many thanks! Circle of ConcernSusan GilbertMarti HafnerJosette 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 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 !  New Office StaffHi! My name is Elizabeth (Liz) Edmonds and I’m delighted to be a part of LUCC office staff. I share a lot of the same passions for equality, diversity, and peace as the congregation here. Community building and mutual aid are big corner stones in my life and I couldn’t imagine a better place to work. If you need anything, or have any suggestions about the weekly update, please email me at lakewooducc@gmail.com. RECENT WEBSITE POSTS Sermon video 6.22.2025 “Dealing with Demons” June 22, 2025Sermon Text 6.15.25 “A Trinity for Father’s Day”June 15, 2025Sermon video for 6.15.25 “A Trinity for Father’s Day” June 15, 2025Come, 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, 2025 Credits: 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 Mexico Copyright (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 |
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Lakewood United Church of Christ 