Lent 2024 Newsletter

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

-Psalm 51:2

PCPC LIFE palma ceia P r e s b y t e r i a n C h u r c h 3501 San Jose • Tampa, Florida 33629 • 813.253.6047 • www.palmaceia.org

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which falls on February 14th this year.

We will have services at PCPC at 12pm and 6:30pm, both of which will include the imposition of ashes.

We will also have an Interactive Prayer Garden February 14th, appropriate for all ages, open from 4:45-6pm in the Courtyard.

Holy Week Services at PCPC March 28: Maundy Thursday Maundy Thursday is a service observed by Christians around the world.

The name is drawn from the “new commandment” that Jesus gives His disciples at the institution of the Last Supper. The new commandment is that they love one another as He has loved them. The central point of the 12:00 and 6:30 services is the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

12:00 pm: Midday Maundy Thursday Service in the Chapel 5:15 pm: Congregation-wide Maundy Thursday dinner in Fellowship Hall (Pasta Fagioli Soup & Olive Garden Salad) 6:30 pm: Maundy Thursday Service in the Sanctuary with PCPC Chancel Choir 9:00 pm: Fire Pit Denial Service in the Courtyard. This final service of Maundy Thursday recalls the scriptural story of the arrest and interrogation of Jesus before the religious council and the High Priest, and Peter’s denial of Jesus three times as Peter sat by the fire in the courtyard of the council. This service lasts about 20 minute and includes time for personal prayer and contemplation of Christ’s passion.

March 29: Good Friday Classic, solemn services observed by Christians around the world remembering Jesus’ crucifixion and the scriptural reflections around it.

12:00 pm: Midday Good Friday Service in the Sanctuary with Chancel Choir Ensemble 6:30 pm: Good Friday Service in the Sanctuary with acoustic guitar music

Easter is March 31!

Easter services will be held at 8:30am, 9am, 11am, and 6pm. We hope you and your family will plan to attend! Details to follow in our March Easter Newsletter.

Lent 2024

ELDERS ORDINATION

UPCOMING NEW MEMBERS CLASSES Upcoming New Members Classes, all from 10-11am on Sunday.

February 18, March 17, April 21 & May 19 PCPC’s New Members Class is for anyone who has an interest in learning more about Palma Ceia Presbyterian, its ministries, and membership. Some people who attend a session have a desire to become members of PCPC and decide to join at the end of the class. Others attend the class simply as part of their exploration toward learning more about the ministries that PCPC has to offer individuals and families.

On January 28, a new class of elders was ordained and installed: Kim Carswell, Elizabeth Cutler, Christina Hill, Tom McKeon, Michael Poland, Mindy Powell, Ashley Reiss, Joe Taggart, Jodi Traster, and Bo Young. Additionally, David Pead an ordained elder in the PC(USA) was installed to serve in this class.

Not pictured: Jeff Jinks Thank you to the following outgoing elders for their three years of faithful service: Shelley Barger, Barbara Casey, Lauren Dicks, Rich Gilbert, Nelson Guagliardo, Mary Beth Hunt, Sara Mickelson, Donald Pierson, Thomas Rydberg, Charlene Tobie, and Thom VanderKlipp.

The classes are held in the Hospitality Room (next to the chapel, facing the courtyard). Email susanfrost@ palmaceia.org if you have any questions or to let us know you plan to attend.

WOMEN’S RETREAT PCPC Women’s Retreat, August 7-14: Escape to Montreat, NC to connect with old and new friends, to care for yourself; and to make space for some Sabbath.

As a part of PCPC’s week-long retreat we will be participating in the Women’s Connection Conference at Montreat Conference Center (Aug 9-11), where we will join other women for powerful and authentic worship led by women, space for honest and faithful conversation, and allowing time for discernment and renewing rest.

WEDNESDAY DINNERS The meal is served every Wednesday in the Fellowship Hall between 5:00 and 6:15. All are welcome, and no reservations are needed. The cost is $5/adult, $3/child, or $15/family.

Feb. 14: Greek Roasted Lemon Pork Feb. 21: Tuscan Chicken with Spinach Feb. 28: Shredded BBQ Pork March 6: Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes March 13: Corned Beef & Cabbage March 20: Yellow Rice & Chicken March 28: Pasta Fagioli

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Contact Pastor Nicole (nicole@palmaceia.org) if you are interested in attending. $100 deposit reserves your spot to attend, the total estimated cost is $250 plus transportation (unless you join the van ride for the full week). If you are unable to attend the entire weeklong retreat but are interested in attending the conference, please let Nicole know.

ADULT FAITH FORMATION OPPORTUNITIES SPRING 2024

GETTING YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER

Sunday Mornings – 10:00am - 10:50am Feb. 18 - March 24: “How We Got Here: Early Christian Heresies that Led to Core Christian Beliefs and Creeds” – Join Marsha Rydberg as we explore several heresies of the early church and how they shaped our essential creeds and contemporary beliefs.

Join us on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 12:15pm in Fellowship Hall for this special event. Rev. Mike Peacock will lead an informative presentation on preparing to leave our earthly home and getting our final wishes inscribed for our loved ones. Attendees will receive a packet to complete at their leisure that includes your wishes for your Celebration of Life, scriptures, hymns, etc. Join us for lunch and Rev. Peacock’s guidance. The presentation will conclude by 1:30pm. Please RSVP to susanfrost@palmaceia.org so we can plan our lunch order.

March 31: Easter Celebration – Let us join together with the PCPC church family as we celebrate Easter through various intergenerational Faith Formation opportunities in the Courtyard.

April 7 - May 5: “Faith and Government” – Our faith and the influence of the government do not exist independent of one another. Rev. Bill Hull will guide us as we explore the relationship between faith and governing authorities as seen in scripture, our history, and our present.

Wednesday Evenings - 6:15-7:15pm February 21 - March 20: “Spiritual Practices for Lent” - As a season marked by introspection, Lent provides us with opportunities to explore ways to grow closer to God. Each week, Rev. John Reiter will lead us through a variety of spiritual practices designed for our Lenten journey to Easter.

HOPE INFORMATIONAL MEETING March 20 at 6:00pm at PCPC Palma Ceia Presbyterian is a member congregation of HOPE, Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality. HOPE is engaged in creating justice in the areas of Criminal Justice, Housing, Mental Health, and the Environment. We need more members willing to join us as we answer God’s call to “Do Justice”.

On March 20, 2024, from 6-6:30pm, there will be an information session for anyone interested in finding out more about HOPE and the church’s membership in it.

We hope you’ll join us!

Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.

THE TAMPA ORATORIO SINGERS Present Mozart’s

Requiem With Orchestra & Soloists Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church Sanctuary Sunday, March 24 at 7:00pm Legends swirl around the creation of Mozart’s Requiem, written on his deathbed and left unfinished: What parts of the work were truly his own? Was Mozart composing his own funeral mass?

Mozart died midway through his composition of the Requiem, with some movements of the Requiem complete, some in sketch form, and some untouched.

Generations of musicians have been inspired by the Requiem, a masterpiece of classical music. The composer takes the audience on a moving and emotional journey, using this composition to explore themes of redemption and hope.

Conducted by Nancy Callahan, this concert features professional soloists and orchestra and will be performed at PCPC on Sunday, March 24 at 7:00pm. Tickets may be purchased online at tostampa.org, at the door, or free tickets are available ahead of time to members of Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church. Email Susan Frost for details: susanfrost@palmaceia.org.

Save the Date: Florida Wind Band Concert The Music of John Williams April 7, 2024 at 6:00pm

-Psalm 25:4 PCPC Holy Week 2024 | 3

LIFE OF THE CHURCH August1, 2023 - January 31, 2024

WEDDINGS: 9/30/23 Lexi Gaertner & Hunter Grant 9/30/23 Price McKeon & Robert Gries, Jr. offsite 10/28/23 Katie Williams & Kyle Gosiewski offsite 11/18/23 Grace Morrison & Jose Camargo 12/16/23 Regan Dabbs & Robert Albers 12/30/23 Kathryn Bonti & Phillip Fellows 1/20/24 Alison Mangan & Samuel Powers BIRTHS: 8/31/23 Clark Jordan Smith, son of Jordan & Lauren Smith 9/4/23 Poppy Avery Mitchell, daughter of Jack & Annie Mitchell 10/18/23 Olivia Elliott Paré, daughter of Tyler & MaCay Paré 10/25/23 Ellie Louise Carlson, daughter of Tyler & Mary Carlson 12/2/23 Nicole Christine Callahan, daughter of Robert & Sarah Callahan 12/4/23 Sean Thomas Craparo, son of Tommy & Rachel Craparo 1/2/24 Bradley Von Stephan, son of Bradley & Lindsay Stephan BAPTISMS: 8/6/23 Farrah Grace Felman, daughter of Matthew & Katie Felman 8/13/23 Richard Riley James, son of Ryan & Davis Winter-James 8/13/23 Margaret (Molly) Linley Graham, daughter of Rob & Ellen Graham 8/20/23 William Martin Weisman, son of Gary Weisman & Sasha Lohn 8/27/23 Beck Hensley Grove, son of Delaney Fewox & Dustin Grove 9/3/23 Maxwell Towey Rhinehart, son of Andrew & Natalie Rhinehart 9/16/23 Graham David Hill, son of Daniel & Lauren Hill 9/17/23 Elizabeth (Libby) Maria Cardinal Ballantyne, daughter of Jonathon & Mary Virginia Ballantyne 10/8/23 Eli Timothy Jobe, son of Tim & Kristine Jobe 10/22/23 Hudson James Taddei Leigh, son of Denise Taddei & Trenton Leigh

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10/29/23 Beau Arthur John, son of Jennifer Simmons & Thomas John 10/29/23 Thomas (Tommy) Crawford John, son of Jennifer Simmons & Thomas John 11/12/23 Samantha Aleen Milanoski 11/12/23 George Thomas Milanoski, son of Andrew & Samantha Milanoski 11/12/23 Molly Josephine Milanoski, daughter of Andrew & Samantha Milanoski 11/19/23 Sophia Victoria Stephan, daughter of Bradley & Lindsay Stephan 11/19/23 Charlotte Mae Galbraith, daughter of Daniel & Elizabeth Galbraith 11/19/23 William James Galbraith, son of Daniel & Elizabeth Galbraith 11/19/23 Landon Frances Bladen, daughter of Jared & Kristen Brantley Bladen 11/19/23 Jared W. Bladen 11/26/23 Olivia (Livy) Jane Younger, daughter of Patrick & Kristin Younger 11/26/23 Luke Michael Younger, son of Patrick & Kristin Younger 12/10/23 Oscar Lee Ferriero, son of Zach & Katie Ferreiro 12/10/23 Sawyer Reese Pavlinec, daughter of Jonathan & Allison Pavlinec 1/21/24 David Joseph Gutman, son of Arthur Gutman & Valerie McClain-Gutman 1/21/24 Angelina Eliana Gutman, daughter of Arthur Gutman & Valerie McClain-Gutman 1/21/24 Valerie McClain-Gutman

NEW MEMBERS: 8/6/23 Luis Torres de la Tejera 8/6/23 Janet Wing 8/6/23 Patrick & Kristin Younger 9/10/23 Judy Cavenaugh 9/10/23 Charles & Anne-Marie Hallett 9/10/23 Trenton Leigh & Denise Taddei 9/10/23 Susan Nevers 9/10/23 Jonathan & Allison Pavlinec 9/10/23 Resa Rucker 9/10/23 Lindsay Stephan 10/1/23 Ted & Carol Conner 10/22/23 Austin & Antoinette Ashmore 10/22/23 Andrew & Samantha Milanoski

LIFE OF THE CHURCH

Jesus Our Mirror A Lenten Devotional Prayer

by Bill Wallof

August1, 2023 - January 31, 2024 continued 10/22/23 Stephanie Rumbley 11/26/23 Tim & Sarah Ross 12/10/23 Robert & Carol Lockey 12/17/23 Raymond Bonti 12/17/23 Matt & Julie Anne James 12/27/23 Robert & Sarah Callahan 1/7/24 Jim & Mary Hite 1/7/24 Andrew & Lauren Kuykendall 1/21/24 Jeanne Maze 1/21/24 Caroline Ogle 1/21/24 Ruth Schlotzhauer 1/21/24 Paulette Vander Wel

DEATHS: 10/2/23 Sue Mansker 10/7/23 Diana Lupton 10/25/23 Carol Watkins 11/11/23 Georgia Danahy 12/24/23 Ellen McLean 1/12/24 Carlton Calfee 1/13/24 Robert Stringer 1/22/24 Haynes Carswell

Father God, we praise you for your son Jesus Christ.

-We thank you for the kindness and wisdom we see in his life as he dwelt amongst us.

-We thank you for his humility and how he did not play to the favor of the crowd or appeal to the use of the spectacular.

-For his willingness to drink from the cup of the suffering servant.

-For his courage and fortitude to face physical pain, humiliation and loneliness.

In this Lenten season, hold him up as a mirror for us that we might see how far away we are from him.

Today we pray for our nation and the world. Help us as a church and a people to win the hard peace for a world so torn by hatred and revenge. Forgive your children’s warring madness.

We pray for our leaders, our president, and his advisors.

Give them wisdom and humility as they face decisions of complexity that impact everyone. Deliver us as a nation from arrogance that can come with power. Make us your servants that we may find solutions for the suffering of poverty and cruelty of oppression. Teach us how to defend this nation without resorting to the same evil we so detest in others.

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known

We pray for the welfare of your church in this time. Use her to boldly proclaim the truth we find about life in Jesus Christ.

Give her effective words to proclaim the gospel of life to peoples trapped by the darkness of death. Forgive her with the preoccupation with the trivial and for any smallness of vision given the task at hand.

In a world of economic complexity, we pray for those who are unemployed by no choice of their own or those whose identity is closely tied to work lost; whose plans and dreams have been sidetracked if not crushed by their lack of financial resources.

Finally we pray for those who face illness of mind and body.

Use us to be agents of your healing and your peace in our lives. Sustain us all with the presence of your Spirit.

And may the Good News that Easter brings never be trivialized by our failure to be struck by awe in what you have done for this world in the resurrection. Enable the peoples of the earth to choose the abundant life you intended for your creation.

We make our prayer in the name of Jesus who taught us how to approach you saying... Our Father....

I Corinthians 13:12 PCPC Holy Week 2024 | 5

CHILDREN & FAMILIES Children, youth, and adults can look for a new Lenten Devotional at the beginning of Lent called A Guide Through the Wilderness: A Guidebook for a 40-Day Lent Expedition.

Light the Fire!

With the help of Lu the Lightning Bug and the Camp Counselors, our Campers will explore timeless Bible stories that show how Old and New Testament Campers trusted God in the face of their own fears, and went on to do Great things in God’s name. In addition, it will teach us to trust that God will go with us, lead the way, share wisdom, give us peace, and spark joy as we celebrate the good news of Jesus in our own lives in the lives of others.

Whether they are preschool or elementary aged, kids will Trust God to Go with Us. With this engaging, hands-on Vacation Bible School program all ages will follow the Bible content, music, and activities.

The Justice Seekers of PCPC Go to the Interfaith Refugee MLK Celebration The Justice Seekers attended the Interfaith Refugee MLK Celebration at Temple Terrace United Methodist Church on January 21. A variety of faith communities, including those from Palma Ceia Presbyterian, joined to welcome families as neighbors. Welcoming messages were delivered in native languages such as Ukrainian and Arabic.

A meal was shared, resources were provided, and lawn games and art supplies were available for children. The Justice Seekers invited children to play tag, to make paper airplanes, and to help create messages of love with chalk. Older children helped a few little ones with a ring toss.

When one of the Justice Seekers asked one 5th grader where he was from, he replied he did not know. We talked about what it might be like to be afraid to share your country of origin and wondering if you will be safe in this one. As we were participating in a photo booth, one young boy jumped into the picture and showed us that everyone desires to belong.

This past fall, the Justice Seekers participated in projects that drove home the message of Matthew 25 (welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, providing drink to the thirsty, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and visiting the imprisoned). This spring, they will continue to consider what Jesus is calling us to do in Matthew 25.

- Entering PreK-4 can attend VBS, on a modified rotation schedule, if they have a parent or grandparent volunteering for the program.

- There is a nursery option for younger children of volunteers below PreK-3, but no charge for those ages.

Contacts: 1. Registration - Dianna Williams, Faith Formation Admin Assistant, diannawilliams@palmaceia.org 2. Allison Kelly, Director of Children & Families, allison@palmaceia.org 3. Alexa Koulouris Parker, VBS Leader, alexank@mac.com

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Photo: Campbell Futch, Carter Rising, Anderson Earhart, Ty Parker, Emery DeBevoise, Emma Bartos, Anna Shuford, Allison Kelly, Isabel Reiter

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.

-John 13:34

YOUTH Summer Trips Signup: palmaceia.org/youth Summer trip signups are open! We are so excited not only for this summer, but also for online registration for the first time. Please contact Youth Director Kate Donaldson if you have any questions about the trips or trouble with the signups. www.palmaceia.org/youth Note: If you are signing up multiple children in the same household you must sign them up with separate parent emails (sorry for the inconvenience, we are trying to troubleshoot this)!

Save the Date: Youth Sunday is May 5th!

PCPC Holy Week 2024 | 7

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Scan me!

On January 14, Children & Families held a “Service Hour Sunday” to pack more than 300 packets of hot chocolate, cookies, and notes of love for End 68 Hours of Hunger.

A Look Ahead….

March 24: Palm Sunday

march 28: Maundy Thursday march 29: Good Friday march 31: Easter Sunday (Celebrate with a picture by the Flower Cross)

May 5: Youth Sunday May 12: Mother’s Day May 19: Pentecost Sunday

PCPC High Schoolers Rocked the Universe at Universal Studios January 26!