The History of Missions at First United Methodist Church
First United Methodist Church, then known as St. Petersburg Methodist Episcopal Church South, was founded in 1889 and early records are incomplete. They do show, however, that this church has long been active in missions and community outreach. There are records of a Women’s Missionary Society being organized in 1896, and a church conference book entry dated May 10, 1903, stated that “Poor are being looked after.”
An increasing number of individuals and families in our community are in need. There are facilities and organizations in St. Petersburg that are geared to help provide basic needs such as food, daily meals, clothing, shelter, assistance with utilities, rent and other specialized services.
Specialized help: Salvation Army One Stop Center, United Methodist Cooperative Ministries, Dream Center assistance
Our Church’s Mission Involvement
Our church supports most of the above agencies with funds supplied by designated donations and our Instant Care offerings.
How can I help?
Donate to our church’s Instant Care Fund which is a designated special offering on Communion Sunday, the first Sunday of each month. Many of the above non-profit organizations can use volunteer help
Street Ministry Evening Meals
Three times each month our Street Ministry teams prepare a mealand take it to St. Vincent DePaul Food Center. The group serves the meal and interacts with all people who come for the evening meal. Supplies are purchased by the group and meals are prepared in our church kitchen. Each delicious full course meal is served with a smile and encouraging words to homeless and working poor in our community.
Street Ministry Underwear & T-Shirt Drive
Many people are living on the street or in shelters (mostly men) who cannot afford to purchase clothes for themselves. They receive used clothing from shelters and churches but this does not include undergarments. Donations of new underwear and t-shirts are always needed and happily accepted.One month a year Street Ministry collects new underwear and t-shirts, preferably men's, to distribute to the homeless and working poor. The distribution is done during a meal served by our church, and it is wonderful to witness how receiving a small token such as a package of underclothing can bring so much sincere appreciation.
How Can I Help with the Street Ministry?
Volunteer to help with meal preparation or serving. Donate new men's underwear or t-shirts during the underwear drive. Make a designated offering to the Street Ministry. Click here if you would like to become a Street Ministry Team member or make a donation to their effort.
Salvation Army One-Stop Center
The center is a one-stop outreach and resource location where homeless and working poor people can receive a variety of services from established government and non-profit community service providers, all in one centralized location in the Salvation Army building. Some of the services provided are: basic needs, medical and mental health services, help with housing, transportation, case management, limited financial assistance, life skills, GED classes, employment help, vocational and rehabilitation training, mail boxes, valuables lockers, help with legal, ex-offender, veterans, and disabled issues.
Our Church’s Mission Involvement
Our church supervises mail boxes and valuables lockers for those who need them in order to attempt to find jobs and other services.
How can I help?
Volunteer to work at the One-Stop Center for 2 hours weekly or as often as you are able.
Teams of volunteers pick up and deliver prepared hot meals to homebound seniors and other disabled persons. Neighborly Care Network coordinates this effort in St. Petersburg.
Our Church’s Mission Involvement
First United Methodist Church provides delivery for route 7 out of the Sunshine Center in St. Petersburg. Teams of volunteers pick up packaged meals at the Sunshine Center and deliver them five days each week. Volunteer teams usually deliver one day each month for approximately two hours. Often these visits by volunteers are the only outside contact the shut-ins have each day, and these brief visits are enjoyed by the homebound and our volunteers.
How can I help with Meals on Wheels?
Volunteer to deliver meals once a month as a regular or substitute.
Offer to help with coordinating delivery schedules.
This group of health professionals from our church promotes healthy physical and emotional lifestyles for our congregation through education, blood pressure screenings and other health checks. They have been instrumental in having a defibrillator installed at FUMC for emergencies and working with the Red Cross to have the Bloodmobile visit our parking lot on a regular basis. They also initiate projects such as Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets to benefit shut-ins and others, and have plans to help visit shut-ins and others in our church family who might be in need of visits.
How can I help Parish Nurses?
Participate in screenings offered by Parish Nurses.
Help with Parish Nurse holiday projects.
If you are a nurse or other health professional, you are invited to join the group.
United Methodist Women
PURPOSE: The organized unit of United Methodist Women shall be a community of women whose purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative, supportive fellowship; and to expand the concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church. Women of the United Methodist Church have been advocates for freedom as individuals, for justice where injustice exists, and supportive of those who address poverty and who spread the Gospel and God's love and compassion to all corners of the world. UMW places special emphasis on helping women and children in need. Our Local Unit Six groups, with a seventh now being planned, comprise the local unit of United Methodist Women at First United Methodist Church.
Our Church’s Mission Involvement
Our church’s six groups (circles) of United Methodist Women have a variety of focuses: Bible study, Missions study, service projects, investment, and others, so there is a group to meet the needs of every woman. All the circles are very supportive of missions on the local, district, state, national, and international levels.
Women of our church participate in many United Methodist Cooperative Ministries projects including those for Children of the World Preschool. UMW members are a mainstay in such projects as ditty bags, including sewing, filling and organizing the bags. Other projects have benefited children of migrant workers, the local pregnancy center, and the homeless. Circles also have special projects that benefit shut-ins, nursing home residents, special needs persons and others. In addition to local projects, our church’s women give over $6000 annually to mission efforts on all levels through personal pledges and special projects. One such effort is an annual rummage sale with proceeds going to Global Ministries.
How can I help UMW?
Women of all ages are welcomed and encouraged to join one of our circles in United Methodist Women and help with all their efforts and enjoy fellowship.
Support United Methodist Women projects such as their rummage sale and various other projects requesting school supplies, clothing or other goods.
Designate financial contributions for UMW mission projects.
•Deborah Circle - Meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 12:15 P.M. This circle supports local, church and global mission projects. A program is planned for each meeting.
•Rebecca Circle - Meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 10:30 A.M. This circle has educational programs with missions emphasis locally and around the world.
•F.A.S.T. Crowd (Fellowship And Service Together) - Meets on the third Monday of the month. They support a variety of enjoyable, as well as charitable, projects including field trips.
•Lydia Circle - Meets the first and third Mondays at 7:00 P.M. in a member's home for Bible study. The fourth Monday is a social meeting and varies in location.
•Twenty Talents - Meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:00 P.M. This circle is an investment club of UMW members.
•Merry Marthas and Happy Harolds- This loosely-knit group of men and women is under the direction of our pastor of visitation. They offer support of various kinds to home-bound and disabled members of our church and community.
If you are a woman with a heart for mission and meaningful Christian fellowship, get involved in UMW.
Ditty Bag Ministry
This ministry is coordinated by UMCM.Each year our district’s United Methodist Women and others prepare 3000 ditty bags (draw-string bags) for homeless persons and for children of migrant workers.The ditty bags are filled with personal products and are distributed to homeless shelters, transitional living programs and drop-in centers.Children’s bags are filled with personal products and school supplies and are distributed to Farm Workers Self Help in Dade City for farm workers’ children.
Our church’s mission involvement
United Methodist Women and our church family donate personal products and school supplies, and sew and fill the ditty bags for distribution to homeless persons and to children of migrant workers.
How can I help with the Ditty Bag Project?
Donate requested items for the ditty bags or make a designated monetary contribution.
The Children of the World Preschool operates under the sponsorship of United Methodist Cooperative Ministries. The school was founded in 1987 as the South East Asian Preschool and one of the cofounders was Anne Burkholder, who grew up in our church. The school’s present location is in rented classroom space at the Hope Lutheran Church in St. Petersburg. Its new name, Children of the World Preschool, reflects the diversity of the immigrant and refugee students who currently attend. Three-, four-, and five-year olds from countries around the world are enrolled. The school’s goal is to help the preschoolers learn English, prepare for kindergarten in the American school system, and learn about American culture. Family literacy services, including English as a second language (ESOL) classes, are provided to parents and caregivers of the children who attend.
Our Church’s Mission Involvement
Our church has supported Children of the World Preschool since its beginning. A backpack drive is held in July or August to gather needed school supplies and monetary donations for the new school year. For several years, our Angel Tree gifts have been given to Children of the World students. Deborah UMW Circle provided a portion of needed snacks for students at the school for several years. Volunteers have helped with tutoring and literacy efforts.
How can I help Children of the World Preschool?
Donate requested school supplies during the annual School Supply drive.
Make a designated contribution for Children of the World Preschool projects.
Sponsor a child on the Angel Tree at Christmas time.
Volunteer for tutoring and other literacy efforts.
Christmas Angel Tree
Each year at Christmas time, an Angel Tree in the church vestibule contains names of children who would not receive very many gifts without our help. Church members choose a child and purchase toys and clothing for their “angel”. We also try to include a book or pamphlet that tells about the real purpose and meaning of Christmas. The gifts are then distributed to the children. Many times the children are students at Children of the World Preschool and their families.
How can I help with the Christmas Angel Tree?
Adopt an “Angel” from the Angel Tree and have fun purchasing gifts. This is a meaningful family project. Place your gifts under the big tree in the Sanctuary on the designated day
In 1908, with two orphans and a strong commitment to the needs of children, the Florida Methodist Orphanage was started at Enterprise, Florida. In 1939, the name was changed to the Florida Methodist Children’s Home, as increasing numbers of abused and neglected children needed care. In 1968 it became the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home. The 100-acre campus is located on the shores of Lake Monroe, thirty miles north of Orlando. Over the years, thousands of children have benefited from the love and care provided there, and are today some of our finest citizens. With the expansion of facilities and the increasing number of children served, the need is greater than ever.
Our Church’s Mission Involvement
Our church regularly supports the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home with offerings, with fifth Sunday offerings being designated for that purpose. There are also designated donations and memorial donations given by members. Planned trips to the Children’s Home are enjoyed by members also.
How can I help the Children’s Home?
Give generously to fifth Sunday offerings, as well as other donations and memorials.
Visit the Children’s Home when a visit is sponsored by the church.
Pray for the children and those who work to help them have a better life.
For more information, visit the Children’s Home website.
Salvation Army Bell Ringers
During the Christmas season the Salvation Army raises funds for their Christmas projects and other needs by having groups and organizations “ring the bell’ at the entrances of local businesses. This is a longtime tradition that brings in needed funds for their many worthwhile projects.
Our Church’s Mission Involvement
Church members ring the bell on a scheduled day before Christmas at the Northeast Plaza Publix. This is a fun and meaningful Christmas project for the whole family.
If you usually give a donation to the Salvation Army at Christmas time, take it to Publix the day our church is ringing the bell.
United Methodist Cooperative Ministries
United Methodist Cooperative Ministries/Suncoast (UMCM) is a social outreach ministry of the Gulf Central District of the United Methodist Church. Incorporated in 1975 as a not-for-profit, faith-based corporation, UMCM provides to persons with special needs. Some services provided are: meals for the homeless, emergency food pantry, bus passes, health programs, and migrant worker services. UMCM also has Literacy programs which include after-school tutoring, computer learning labs, family literacy, GED preparation, ESL classes, and Children of the World Preschool.
UMCM receives funding from several sources and works in partnership with many other agencies. Executive Director of UMCM is missionary Donna Ratzlatf. Our church supports UMCM in many ways.
The Florida Conference of United Methodists and the Methodist Church in Cuba have a partnership called the Cuba/Florida Covenant. It is a reaffirmation of a relationship that began with the founding of Methodist Christianity in Cuba in 1883. Districts and local congregations partner with each other in Florida and Cuba, exchanging prayer, worship, visits, and mutual support for the promotion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our church is partnered with Central Methodist Church in Matanzas, Cuba.
Our Church’s Mission Involvement
Church members have made more than a dozen visits (caravans) to our sister church in recent years. In addition to meeting the Cuban people and participating in worship services and daily activities, they have been able to take medical and other supplies for the use of people who need them.
We always have our sister church on our prayer list.
Members of First Church who have visited Cuba have developed caring relationships over the years. We enjoy visits in our church from our Cuban partners also.
How can I help?
Designate financial contributions for our sister church in Cuba.
Support the flower sales for Cuba during the year.
Support the team members who journey to Cuba.
Consider becoming a team member and experience a trip to Cuba.
Pray for our sister church in Matanzas.
COPA: Community Partners in Dominican Republic
COPA, an acronym for Community Partners, means “cup” in Spanish, and we have an opportunity to be cupbearers of needed services to the children of Dominican Republic through support of this organization. COPA is an Advance Special of the United Methodist Church Board of Global Missions. COPA transforms lives of children and their families by teaching skills that will help them live self-sufficient lives. To help with this, COPA has built schools and clinics in La Hoya and Bombita, where our missionary, Rev. Connie DiLeo, serves as chaplain and oversees the projects. There are 800 children from these poverty-stricken villages and surrounding areas receiving a strong Christian education, medical care and a meal each day. Through them, their families are also helped.
The Rev. Connie DiLeo, an ordained deacon in the Florida Conference, was commissioned in 2001 and assigned as missionary to the Dominican Republic. She serves as Project Director and Chaplain of Community Partners (COPA) in Barahona. Before beginning her work with COPA, Connie served as associate pastor at Aldersgate United Methodist in Seminole. She may be contacted by clicking here.
Our Church’s Mission Involvement
Our church has a covenant agreement with Connie DiLeo and COPA, which means that we supply $2500 annually for support of this mission. We usually contribute more than the promised amount and also send needed clothing and supplies and Christmas gifts for the children each year. Connie DiLeo and her ministry are continually on our church’s prayer list.
How can I help Connie DiLeo and COPA?
Designate money for support of COPA and Connie DiLeo. Support projects to provide special gifts for the children. Sponsor a child’s education at one of the COPA schools for as little as $10/ month.
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is the not-for-profit humanitarian agency of the United Methodist Church. Since 1940, UMCOR’s mission—providing relief in disaster areas, aiding refugees and confronting the challenge of world hunger and poverty—has helped to heal the hurts of humanity in nearly 100 countries.
UMCOR maintains a corps of trained disaster response specialists for quick reinforcement of national efforts and keeps a supply of relief materials in warehouses for dispatch when and where required. It also trains disaster response specialists in their own countries as part of a global ministry by a global church and works in partnership with other international agencies.
United Methodists have established UMCOR as a channel for sharing the compassion of our Lord wherever God’s people are in need.
In response to the devastation brought by the 2004 hurricanes, the Florida Conference of United Methodists mobilized its own response in the form of Florida Storm Recovery, a statewide effort in cooperation with UMCOR.
Our Church’s Mission Involvement
Our church supports UMCOR and Florida Storm Recovery efforts in hurricane and other disaster relief. We served as the district collection location for relief supplies. We provided health kits, flood buckets and other supplies for 2004 and 2005 hurricane victims in addition to financial donations. We sent supplies to hurricane Katrina victims in Mississippi and some church members went to the area to help in relief efforts. We also sent volunteers to areas in Florida affected by storms. We donated money to help with relief efforts for tsunami victims.
How can I help?
Respond to special disaster appeals for supplies or donations.
Support UMCOR with designated financial donations.
Volunteer to go on trips to help disaster victims.
Watch for announcements about special needs. You may also visit UMCOR’s website.
United Methodist Volunteers in Mission
The aim of United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM), Southeastern Jurisdiction, is to promote, encourage, and enable Christians to exemplify “Christian Love in Action” through providing short-term mission opportunities.
Anyone in good standing with one’s local church may apply for participation in UMVIM projects, either with the local church or with others in the district or conference. Applicants are encouraged to indicate the type of special skills which they may have, and the type of project they desire. Applicants are expected to sign a commitment form indicating their willingness to follow certain guidelines during their participation in the project. Local, state, national and international volunteer opportunities are available.
Our Church’s Mission Involvement
Under the direction of the UMVIM guidelines, our church participates in occasional local, state, national or international trips. Church members have traveled to areas affected by hurricanes or other disasters and have been on more extensive trips to visit our sister church in Cuba, to Dominican Republic or to other countries. Our youth have traveled to the Caribbean in the past for mission work, and a series of trips to the Bahamas by youth and adults for a church-sponsored mission project has just been completed. At present, Jim Gee, an FUMC member, is the district representative who helps coordinate UMVIM trips in our district.
How can I participate in UMVIM?
Volunteer to go on some of the planned trips, either local or more distant ones.
Support with your prayers those who go on mission trips .
Support fundraising efforts that help to make these trips possible.
For more information please visit the UMVIM website
Salvation Army One-Stop Center 
Parish Nurses 
Children of the World Preschool 
Salvation Army Bell Ringers 
United Methodist Cooperative Ministries 
COPA: 
United Methodist Committee on Relief
United Methodist Volunteers in Mission 