Blog
Combined Service Sunday & Hurricane Relief
Dear Heritage Family and Friends,
This Sunday, October 13, 2024, we will have one combined service at 10a.m. in the sanctuary. This service will be a time for prayer, comfort, and rest. Please note that if you are unable to attend services in person, a pre-recorded service will be streamed at 9a.m. and 11a.m. HERE.
If you need assistance with hurricane relief such as repairs at your home, yard clean up, charging your devices, taking a shower, or a hot meal, please click HERE.
If you are able to assist with hurricane relief please click HERE.
Towards the end of service on Sunday, we will spend time together hearing from anyone that wants to share their story, anyone that needs assistance, and anyone that is able to provide assistance. Hopefully, we will be able to match up anyone with a need with someone that has the ability to meet that need!
It has been an incredibly stressful 2 weeks. Remember to be kind and gentle with those around you. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus wherever you are.
Serving with you,
Ashley Allen
Hurricane Milton - All Hands
Dear Heritage Family and Friends,
My family and I were extremely lucky in that we did not lose power or suffer any major damage to our home during Hurricane Milton. As my husband and I talked about survivor's guilt this afternoon, I was reminded what Katie Crum recently said in her video message to us after Hurricane Helene. She reminded us that we shouldn't have guilt because if everyone had suffered major damage to their homes, there wouldn't be anyone with the wherewithal to help those that needed help.
Tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. we will be at Heritage to help Logan start cleaning up the property. If you have the wherewithal, we would be so grateful for your help. Please wear closed toes shoes, work clothes, and you might want to have a pair of gloves. If you have rakes, shovels, blowers or any equipment of that nature, please bring it with you.
Blessings,
Ashley Allen
Director of Communication and Engagement
HURRICANE MILTON
Dear Heritage Members and Friends,
As we await the arrival of Hurricane Milton, please know that your staff is praying for you and your family. Please take this time to make the necessary preparations in advance of the arrival of Milton. Your safety is of utmost importance and we are praying for all of you to stay safe. Please review the below information:
Heritage United Methodist Church will be closed beginning at 3pm on Monday, October 7, 2024 through Friday, October 11, 2024. The facilities will be closed during this time and groups will not be permitted to meet on campus.
The Pumpkin Patch is currently closed and will remain closed through Friday, October 11, 2024. If you were scheduled to be a story reader, or to work a shift during this time, you do not need to report for that assigned duty. Stephanie Barr or Lauren Lopez will reach out to reschedule your volunteer time after the hurricane, if needed. If the closure date extends beyond Friday, October, 11, 2024, additional communication will be sent out.
If you are concerned about flooding and need to park your vehicle on higher ground, you may use the church parking lot at your own discretion. Heritage cannot ensure the safety of your vehicle, but you are welcome to use the lot if needed.
Pinellas County residents are encouraged to visit disaster.pinellascounty.gov for emergency management services and information.
Hillsborough County residents are encouraged to visit hcfl.gov/departments/emergency for emergency management services and information.
Updates regarding the status of Heritage will be provided via email, facebook, and/or the website heritageumc.com as information becomes available and we are able to provide updates.
Any decision regarding Sunday morning services, Student Ministry, and Pumpkin Palooza will be made after the storm passes and we are able to assess the campus for safety. If you are scheduled to volunteer in any capacity on Sunday, or work in Children's Ministry, you will be directly contacted by Lauren Lopez, Amanda Gantzert, or me regarding your scheduled assignment.
Please check in with us and each other before and after the storm. We want to help wherever we can, and we know that you do, too.
Blessings,
Ashley Allen
Director of Communication and Engagement
Confirmation Crosses
You may have noticed the wall of crosses in the narthex above the table where you get your coffee or hot tea on Sunday mornings. It’s easy to see them and think that they are just a design choice that someone made to fill up that wall. And while the crosses are beautiful, and certainly have begun to fill up that wall, you should know that each cross is unique in design and was selected with intention.
Each cross represents a student that has gone through the confirmation process. In 2022, our current Student Ministry Director, Peggy Ingram, began this new tradition. She, along with one or two staff members, use their knowledge about the confirmation students and select a cross that they believe the student would like, but that also represents that student’s personality.
But let’s back up just a minute. Peggy and those staff members also reach out to various small groups, teams, or individuals, to ask if they would agree to pray over each confirmation student as they go through the process of confirmation. Each student is assigned an individual or couple within the church that dedicates their time to pray for the student. Those prayer partners receive the cross that is selected for the student and they pray over that cross. They pray for that student’s wisdom, family, grades, and anything else that the student might need prayer for. It is a worthy and humble calling.
On Confirmation Sunday, these crosses are presented to the students. However, the students do not take the crosses home. The crosses are hung on the cross wall in the narthex as a visual reminder to us that these students are the next generation of the church, to continue to pray for them as they prepare to transform the world. When these students graduate from high school, they will be given their individual cross to take with them wherever they go next with the knowledge that this congregation has faithfully and ceaselessly prayed for them. And when these students look at their cross, they will know that they always have a home at Heritage.
So, the next time you walk by that wall, pause for a moment and look at those crosses. Really see them. They aren’t just decor. They are students that we are raising up to transform the world with the love of Jesus.
Foster Family Fun Day
In August, Stacy Guerin, our Foster Care Ministry Lay Leader, began work on putting together a Foster Family Fun Day for foster families in our community. The goal was to provide a day of fun for children in foster care and support the families doing the hard work of fostering these children. She relentlessly called and emailed vendors to support this event. She rallied volunteers. She made posters and signs. She led an incredible team of people to provide a memorable experience for foster care families in and extremely short period of time. We are thankful for and amazed at her dedication, time, and heart to put this event together.
On October 8th Heritage hosted Foster Family Fun Day. We had bounce houses, ax throwing, train rides, games, skateboarding and more! This event saw 97 children and 52 adults in attendance. We also had 71 Heritage UMC volunteers (plus many more that showed up ready to help), 15 women from the GFWC North Pinellas Women’s Club, 15 volunteers from Boards for Bros, 3 Ballroom Dancing Instructors, and 5 members of the 501st Star Wars Militia.
The GFWC North Pinellas Women’s Club brought in Harbor Dish to provide a free meal to these families. Three Brothers Pizza also provided pizza for the families.
Boards for Bros gave away a skateboard to every child that wanted one and gave skateboard lessons in the parking lot. There was even a station to decorate your skateboard!
Check out some pics from the day!
Half a million children are in foster care in the United States. Statistics show that on average 1,600 children are in foster care in Pinellas County each day. Heritage is able to provide support to the foster care community in large part to the financial giving of the congregation. I am honored to be part of a church that prioritizes care for those that are most vulnerable among us.
Special thanks to our sponsors:
Dr. Maggie Davis Pediatric Dentist
drmaggiedavis.com
3840 Tampa Rd, Palm Harbor, FL 34684 ·
(727) 786-7551
Harbor Dish
harbordish.org
3380 SR-580 E, Safety Harbor, FL 34695 ·
(727) 796-8286
Seminole Subs
2298 Main Street, Dunedin, Florida 34698
Three Brothers Pizza
3436 Tampa Rd., The Village at Lake St. George, Palm Harbor, FL 34684
(727) 474-3797 -Takeout / Delivery
Star Wars 501st Legion
501st Legion - Vader's Fist
B2B Digital Marketing Agency
Theb2bmix.com
GFWC North Pinellas Women’s Club
Clearwater, FL 33766
727-238-5702
Amazon Smile
As we approach the busy shopping season, please remember that you can help Heritage receive funds by signing up for Amazon Smile. What is Amazon Smile? It’s a way to shop through Amazon that allows you to select an organization of your choice for giving. Once you are signed up and have selected Heritage as your organization, Amazon will donates funds when you make a purchase simply by shopping through the Amazon Smile link. Follow the instructions below to sign up via your desktop or mobile device!
