This Week @ SSUMC

Week of May 25, 2025

 

WELCOME JOSE MACHODO

Jose is a Certified Candidate for Ministry in the Florida Conference and July 1st will begin serving as the pastor of Hillsborough UMC. We welcome him in worship leadership this morning. 

Thank you, Jose, for your servant’s heart! Our prayers go with you as you begin your pastoral ministry!

+ Pastor Sarah

 

PRAYER FOR MEMORIAL DAY

(from The United Methodist Book of Worship)

Almighty God, before whom stand the living and the dead, we your children, whose mortal life is but a hand’s breadth, give thanks to you:

For all those through whom you have blessed our pilgrimage, whose lives that have empowered us, whose influence is a healing grace, we lift up thankful hearts. 

For the dear friends and family members whose faces we see now more, but whose love is with us for ever, we lift up thankful hearts. 

For the teachers and companions of our childhood and youth, and for the members of our household of faith who worship you now in heaven, we lift up thankful hearts. 

For those who sacrificed themselves, our brothers, sisters, and siblings who have given their lives for the sake of others, we lift up thankful hearts. 

That we may hold them all in continual remembrance, and ever think of them as with you in that city whose gates are not shut by day and where there is no night, we lift up thankful hearts. 

That we may now be dedicated to working for a world where labor is rewarded, fear dispelled, and the nations made one, 

O Lord, save your people and bless your heritage. Day by day we magnify you, and worship your name, for ever and ever, Amen. 

 

‘CAFÉ FAITH’ IS ON SUMMER BREAK

Café Faith will begin our Fall 2025 study semester in September. Be on the lookout for registration details in August.

 

Join us for once-a-month Summer Book Club beginning in June. Thank you!!

 

NO SHORE YOUTH THIS EVENING

Join us next week for our Shore Family Launch!

​

​​​​SHORE FAMILY JUNE 1st KICK-OFF

Join us June 1st from 4pm-7pm for Slip-n-Slides and Sloppy Joes! Wear your swimmies and bring along

a towel, sunscreen, water bottle, outdoor chair, and

a snack to share. 

​

Students K-5th will patriciate in this event with their parents. Students 6th-12th may be dropped off.  

 

The calendar-of-events detailing opportunities for Shore Families – encompassing Shore Kids, Shore Youth, and Beyond! – to gather for faith and fellowship events during the summer months will be available beginning May 18th. 

 

SUMMER BOOK CLUB

Join Pastor Sarah and Friends on Second Wednesdays for Book Club during the Summer Months. 

We will gather at Noon in Rm 106. 

 

Gathering Dates and Texts:

June 11: The Five Marks of a Methodist 

by Steven Harper

July 9: When God Is Silent 

by Barbara Brown Taylor

August 13: You Are What You Love 

by James K.A. Smith

 

2025 ANNUAL CONFERENCE OFFERING

This year’s Annual Conference Offering will be collected during our June 1st worship service and will support two important ministries: Bethune-Cookman University and FLUMC Disaster Recovery Ministry.  

 

Bethune-Cookman University

This offering will enable Bethune-Cookman University to support student success, academic innovation, and spiritual enrichment. These funds will provide support that enables Bethune-Cookman to develop leaders dedicated to service and excellence. Funds will enhance scholarships and expand religious life programming, creating opportunities for students to grow both academically and spiritually. In doing so, this gift honors and advances Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune’s enduring legacy of faith, education, and empowerment.

 

Disaster Recovery Ministry

Increased hurricane volume and intensity mean that our efforts to help churches and communities prepare for and recover from disasters are more important than ever. Your offering will enable The Florida Conference to purchase rolling assets that can be easily moved and located in impacted areas. This equipment will provide electricity, showers, water, tools, and response vehicles to support disaster recovery efforts across the region. Because Florida experiences so many disasters, we have often relied on borrowed assets from other conferences. We not only want to begin having resources readily available, we also want to offer other conferences help when they have needs. Last year we discovered that shared resources are less available as hurricanes devastate multiple states and conferences. Strengthening our capacity in Florida will ensure we can continue to serve effectively, even when others are also in need.

 

Please be in prayer about supporting this additional offering to be received June 1st.

​

SSUMC CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED IN OBSERVANCE OF MEMORIAL DAY

Regular Church Office Hours resume Tuesday, May 27.

 

REMINDER: FIRST SUNDAY FOOD PANTRY NEXT SUNDAY

Please bring donations and place them in the shopping cart in the welcome center. 

Your donations support our partnership with Restore Food Pantry at Riverview First UMC and bring relief to hunger experienced by the most vulnerable in our community. 
 

SPECIAL REQUESTS FOR JUNE REPLENISH RESTORE

In honor of Father’s Day in June, our friends at Restore asked if we would include basic toiletry items in our monthly donations: men’s and women’s deodorant, body soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste. Restore Volunteers shared that these personal items often go unpurchased by persons that receive assistance from Restore because of their cost. It would be an incredible gift for SSUMC to stock Restore’s shelves with these items during the early Summer months. Please consider adding these items to your June donations.