WHAT IS GOING ON AT CHURCH –
This Sunday
The church will be open from 10:30 to 11:30. The peace candle will be lit. It will be a time of prayer and reflection as a witness that the church is still open and ministry continues even though we are not able to gather in person for worship.
Look for a Corona Sabbath post on Friday. Check for it at the website – lakewooducc.org Also, please subscribe to the website so that you receive regular updates about church life.
Money Matters
The church is working on instituting additional ways to receive financial support. There is a PayPal donate button on the website. There is an exploration of receiving donations through FaceBook and YouTube.
In addition, you can arrange for your financial institution to manage your donations to the church on a regular basis. A number of people from the church family have their monthly tithes and offerings sent directly to the church through the bill pay services of their credit union or bank.
The church has applied for funds through the small business/payroll protection loan fund offered by the government. No action has been taken on the application and no funds received to date.
Please know that your financial support of the church is critical in this time as we seek to be a witnessing community while physically distancing. Many thanks to all who have been able to contribute to the church financially. Your generosity is making a difference! It is important for the voice of the church to be heard as society transitions to a new normal that is hopefully more compassionate and just for everyone in the community.
One last note: Deposits at church are being made once or twice a month, not weekly, so there may be a delay in the depositing of checks. This is to reduce risk for those who are involved in doing the banking.
LUCC’s Jim Andrews Featured in Article about Area Chaplains
Jim Andrews, director of Spiritual Care for Suncoast Hospice, was quoted in an article about the challenges facing chaplains as they seek to provide spiritual support in the context of COVID-19. Here’s the link to the article: https://www.tampabay.com/news/community-news/2020/04/27/always-on-the-front-lines-tampa-bay-chaplains-find-new-ways-to-connect/
Help Florida Farmworkers
The Pinellas Coalition for Immigration Justice, of which Lakewood UCC is a member, is asking all participating organizations to make direct appeals to Gov. DeSantis to better protect farmworkers in Immokalee during the COVID-19 pandemic. The United Church of Christ has already signed a national petition requesting Florida’s aid for the Immokalee farmworkers. However, little has been done. The Governor has sent some tests to the area but much more is needed to protect the workers and to provide health care, especially at this time.
Just as LUCC has written many post cards and letters to ask our legislators for humane immigration laws and treatment, we are being asked now to take action to support the migrant farmworkers in any or all of 3 ways. Click here for details: https://lakewooducc.org/2020/05/12/help-florida-farmworkers-fight-covid-19/ And, LUCC, thank you and be well! Blessings,Sue Sherwood
Father Adrian
During our Christmas celebrations 30 years ago, LUCC had a special guest in our midst from St. Petersburg, Russia. Father Adrian was the main priest from the Russian Orthodox Church of St. Job, a church that was paired with LUCC in a program that was promoting peace and friendship. He stayed with members of the church, participated in church activities, became acquainted with life in America, and was interviewed by the local newspapers and TV stations. He also welcomed groups from St. Petersburg (an Eckerd College student group in 1989; a visit by our pastor, Phil Smith, in 1990; a city delegation in 1991; and a UCC delegation in 1993 headed by Kim Wells) to his Church of St. Job in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was a man of faith, compassion, and humor, and an excellent example of a cultural ambassador for the Russian Orthodox Church.
It is with sadness that I report that Father Adrian passed away on October 8, 2019, at the age of 82. Kay and I had visited with him in 2016 in St. Petersburg, Russia, and he was already semi-retired because of poor health. He remembered well his trip to Florida, and recalled meeting many of our LUCC people, both in Florida and in Russia. Вечная Память! Eternal Memory!
Bill Parsons
The (NEW IMPROVED) LIST OF FABULOUS LINKS:
Sermon videos: https://lakewooducc.org/category/online-devotional/
Sermon texts: https://lakewooducc.org/category/posts/sermon-texts/
Posts containing music: https://lakewooducc.org/category/posts/music/
For all links, please note “Older Posts” button near bottom of page.
Corona Sabbath Posts
Each Friday, the church will post a devotional with readings, video from Kim, and music from
Hilton. You are invited to access these at the website and observe the sabbath according to
your schedule over the weekend. There will be a new one posted each week.
Please use the link below to view last week’s Corona Sabbath Post –
https://lakewooducc.org/2020/05/07/corona-sabbath-8-mothers-day/
This post includes the Mother’s Day music video featuring the pictures of mothers sent in by the church family.
In addition to the weekly Corona Sabbath devotions on the website every Friday, Hilton is also posting music, mainly hymns, on the website daily. These are also posted on the church’s Twitter and Facebook accounts. You may find links to all the music posts on the website at https://lakewooducc.org/category/posts/music/ — note the “Older Posts” button down the page.
Daily Corona Prayer
https://lakewooducc.org/2020/03/20/lucc-corona-daily-prayer/
Labyrinth Walks
Labyrinth Walks are being held as scheduled on Wednesday mornings at 9:00. We feel given current information and restrictions that it is safe to hold this activity. It involves less than 10 people, it is outside, and the people can be at least 6 feet apart. Bring your own chair and wear a mask if you wish.
Assistance Available
If you need help of any kind – something from the store, someone to talk with, support managing during shelter-in-place, parenting concerns – please know that the church is ready and willing to help in any way needed. This situation is trying for everyone. You are not alone. We’ll make it through together. Please contact the church office (lakewooducc@gmail.com or 867-7961 or Rev. Kim Wells at wells.kim.p@gmail.com).
Miss someone from church? Give them a call or send a note. Personal contact is so important when physical contact is limited.
Music Ministry
About Hilton’s music. . . If you would enjoy hearing Hilton play more Irish folk songs, you can
listen for free at either https://hiltonjones.bandcamp.com/album/irish-
tunes or https://soundcloud.com/hilton-kean-jones/sets/irish-tunes .
May Birthdays: Mark Gibson 5/2, Angela Wells-Bean 5/7, Emily Gibson 5/8, Julian Micheal Ricciardi 5/9, Colleen Coughenour 5/11, Jen DeGroot 5/12, Christy Martin 5/15, Bill Parsons 5/16, Danielle Hintz 5/25, Someone missing? Contact the church office with birthday information.
Circle of Concern: JoAnn Reid, William Owen, Wilbur Reid, Martha Lamar, Jen Degroot, Carolyn Moore, Ann Quinn, Maggie Brizendine, and Ann Rogers. All healthcare workers and essential workers. All those suffering from COVID-19.
Please keep LUCC member, Olivia Gibson, in your prayers. She is a nurse on a COVID-19 unit in a local hospital. We are grateful for her ministry!
Recent Posts:
- Help Florida Farmworkers Fight COVID-19 May 12, 2020
- test post May 8, 2020
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.
These weeks when we cannot gather in person for Sunday worship, Lakewood United Church of Christ is providing brief weekly sabbath programs for you to listen to on your own or with those you live with. They will be posted on Friday so that you can schedule your sabbath time to suit your schedule and your spiritual inclinations. We hope these programs are of spiritual support to you in these difficult times.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 