News & Announcements

June 19, 2020

This Sunday: There are very real things that make us afraid as Christians living in a sinful world. No one wants to experience rejection or ridicule. Jesus says it will happen to his followers. But perfect love – love for people’s souls – drives out fear. Worship with us this Sunday, June 21. Services will be held at 9:00 AM (face covering required) and 10:15 AM at the Trinity Meeting Center: 7813 Mitchell Blvd, New Port Richey, FL 34655.

Because we want to take care to protect those worshipping with us who might be in the high-risk demographic, we are asking that face coverings be worn at the 9:00 AM service.

We realize some may not be comfortable attending for a while. We want to continue taking precautions to make worship safe for all who are considering attending in the near future.

Our Current Guidelines for gathering are still in place:

Hand sanitizing stations will be provided
Masks are recommended during worship, required at the 9:00 AM service. At this time, we are not able to provide masks. Please bring your own. We have ordered masks, they are expected to arrive soon.
Our worship team will help to arrange seating to promote social distancing.
Communion and dismissal patterns will be modified to maintain physical distancing as much as possible.
By offering two services we have been able to maintain physical distancing.
We ask that those who are sick, high risk, or have been exposed to COVID-19 within the last 14 days not gather for worship at this time. Online services will continue to be made available.
Offering plates and guest registers will not be passed. You can place your offering in the basket provided on your way in or out of worship. We encourage setting up giving online or by text.

We will continue to record and offer online services that will be posted on Facebook and our website each weekend.

Bible Study and Children’s Sunday School:

We will take a break from Sunday Bible Study until July 12. Wednesday Bible Study will continue on June 24 and then break until July 15.
Children’s Sunday School lessons will continue to be provided for children and parents before and after services.

Building Project Update:

Work to finalize architectural and engineering plans has moved forward over the last few months, design engineering is now complete. The permitting process with Pasco County is now in the final phases. We received news of a set back with financing at the end of March. After reviewing two appraisals on our building and property, the WELS Church Extension Fund was not prepared to approve our loan for the amount needed. They encouraged us to look into cost savings with our contractor and the possibility of WELS Kingdom Workers assisting us with the project. With the completion of the engineering design and project manuals, they were submitted to our builder for final pricing. Favorable pricing has been received. Our leadership team has been looking into the possibility of other lenders, and also will be taking the new building cost back to CEF for reconsideration. We learned that Pasco county will not allow Kingdom Worker RVs to park on our property. This makes our project less appealing to Kingdom Workers. Pray with us that God provide a path to starting this building project. We should have news on financing by the middle of July.

Annual Voters Meeting: The Leadership team has scheduled the annual meeting on Sunday, July 19. We hope to know more about our building project and worship location at that time. The time and location of the meeting are yet to be determined.

Thank Offerings: Please continue your faithful support of proclaiming Him who is The Way, The Truth, The Life. Here are a couple of secure ways to give.

Set up a one-time gift or reoccurring gift at our website, click here
Donate via text, send the dollar amount you wish to give to 888-314-2975 (Example: $40)
Send an offering envelope/check via mail to: Peace Lutheran Church, 3030 Starkey Blvd (Suite 227), Trinity, FL 34655

Pray for: Hershel Blackard was hospitalized Friday morning after a stroke. As of Friday afternoon he was in emergency surgery to remove a large blood clot on his brain. We pray that the Lord spare Hershel’s life, guide the doctors and nurses caring for him and give Mara comfort and patience as she and Hershel await the outcome.

This Week’s Schedule:

Sunday, June 21, 9:00 AM – Worship @ Trinity Meeting Center and Online
Sunday, June 21, 10:15 AM – Worship @ Trinity Meeting Center and Online (https://peacelutherantrinity.com/sermons/ OR Facebook)
No Sunday Bible Study, will resume July 12
Wednesday, June 17, 1:30 PM – Bible Study Online
Wednesday, June 24, 7:00 PM – Bible Study Online
Sunday, June 28, 9:00 AM (masks required) & 10:15 AM – Worship Online at Trinity Mtg Center.

In Christ,

Pastor Schwartz

June 12, 2020

We want to continue taking precautions to make worship safe for all who are considering attending in the near future. One option we are considering is requiring masks for the 9:00 AM service. Please take this brief survey to help us plan.

Our Current Guidelines for gathering:

Hand sanitizing stations will be provided
Masks are recommended during worship, but not required. At this time, we are not able to provide masks. Please bring your own. We have ordered masks, they are expected to arrive in the middle of June.
Our worship team will help to arrange seating to promote social distancing.
Communion and dismissal patterns will be modified to maintain physical distancing as much as possible.
By offering two services we have been able to maintain physical distancing.
We ask that those who are sick, high risk, or have been exposed to COVID-19 within the last 14 days not gather for worship at this time. Online services will continue to be made available.
Offering plates and guest registers will not be passed. You can place your offering in the basket provided on your way in or out of worship. We encourage setting up giving online or by text.

We will continue to record and offer online services that will be posted on Facebook and our website each weekend.
Bible Study and Children’s Sunday School:

Adult Bible Study will be offered online and in-person after the second service at 11:15 AM on Sunday. If you are viewing Bible Study online, please know that we are working to remedy sound issues. We are trying a new microphone this weekend. Bible Study will continue to be offered online Wednesdays at 1:30 PM and 7:00 PM.
Children’s Sunday School lessons will be provided to parents in attendance.

Projects We Are Working On:

Building Project: Work to finalize architectural and engineering plans has moved forward over the last few months, design engineering is now complete. The permitting process with Pasco County is now in the final phases. We received news of a set back with financing at the end of March. After reviewing two appraisals on our building and property, the WELS Church Extension Fund was not prepared to approve our loan for the amount needed. They encouraged us to look into cost savings with our contractor and the possibility of WELS Kingdom Workers assisting us with the project. With the completion of the engineering design and project manuals, they were submitted to our builder for final pricing. Favorable pricing has been received. Our leadership team has been looking into the possibility of other lenders, and also will be taking the new building cost back to CEF for reconsideration. We learned that Pasco county will not allow Kingdom Worker RVs to park on our property. This makes our project less appealing to Kingdom Workers. Pray with us that God provide a path to starting this building project. We should have news on financing by the middle of July.
Worship Locations: The school district has informed us that we can rent Trinity Elementary School at the start of the 2020-21 school year. Of course, this could change quickly with any new mandates from district, state, or federal officials. Our leadership team is looking into other possible worship locations in the event the school is not an option for worship in August of 2020. We have been looking into the possibility of leasing space (within our current rental budget) to accommodate ministry. There would be a number of advantages to leasing our own space. Advantages might include: our worship location and schedule changing due to decisions made by the school district, we could sanitize to our own standards and control the flow of people in and out of the facility, we could have use of a leased facility for ministry 24/7, we wouldn’t have to set up and tear down on a weekly basis.
Online Services & Bible Studies: We are continually looking to improve our audio and video recordings for worship and Bible Study. We are thankful to Jim Moye and Jim Denny for taking the lead in preparing video and music over the last few months. We are also working to improve our sound so we can continue live-streaming Bible Studies after worship.
Community Service: Our leadership continues to keep an eye out for ways to serve others who are in need during this time. We received a $250 grant through Thrivent that was originally going to be used for Moonlight Egg Madness. After Moonlight Egg Madness was cancelled, Thrivent informed us we could redirect those funds toward another community project (with their approval). If you would like to propose a worthy project in the area where a group of Peace members could participate and show the love of Christ in our community, let us know. Send an email to staff@peacelutherantrinity.com.
The PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) The Small Business Administration (SBA) made loans available to small businesses, including nonprofits, through the Paycheck Protection Program. The synod encouraged churches to take a look at this program and the church council decided to pursue the loan not knowing what the ramifications of COVID-19 would be. A loan of $18,000 was received to be used toward qualifying expenses- such as payroll-related expenses, and portions of rent, interest, and other costs. By following the forgiveness guidelines, we expect this loan will be forgiven.

Annual Meeting: The Leadership team is proposing that we hold our annual meeting on Sunday, July 19. We hope to know more about our building project and worship location at that time. The time and location of the meeting are yet to be determined.

How is Peace doing Financially? Members of Peace continue to set aside their firstfruit offerings out of thankfulness to the Lord:

March 2020 – $13,910
April 2020 – $20,262
May 2020 – $15,820

March of 2020 ended with gifts given approximately equal to gifts given in March of 2019. Gifts increased during the Easter season. In April of 2020, gifts increased over April of 2019. In May of 2020, gifts were up over gifts given in May of 2019.

“Freely you have received, freely give,” Jesus said (Mt 10:8). We thank the Lord for your generosity in support of Kingdom Work through this challenging time. To date, our finances remain stable.

Thank Offerings: Please continue your faithful support of proclaiming Him who is The Way, The Truth, The Life. Here are a couple of secure ways to give.

Set up a one-time gift or reoccurring gift at our website, click here

Donate via text, send the dollar amount you wish to give to 888-314-2975 (Example: $40)
Send an offering envelope/check via mail to: Peace Lutheran Church, 3030 Starkey Blvd (Suite 227), Trinity, FL 34655

Winter Visitors, Members Transferring & New Members: Most all of our Winter Visitors have returned to their homes up north. A few are still with us. Rita Kruschwitz and Ron and Mary Van Dam are still with us in Florida. Steve and Barb Kulow are transferring their membership back to Jefferson, WI. They have decided to move back closer to family activities in the Midwest. Richard and Dianna Bublitz have transferred to Peace from our sister church in Tampa. We look forward to welcoming them to our Peace family, hopefully soon.

This Week’s Schedule:

Sunday, June 14, 9:00 AM – Worship @ Trinity Meeting Center and Online
Sunday, June 14, 10:15 AM – Worship @ Trinity Meeting Center and Online (https://peacelutherantrinity.com/sermons/ OR Facebook)
Sunday, June 14, 11:15 AM – Bible Study at Trinity Meeting Center & Streamed Online, June 14, 11:15 AM, click link to the online meeting
Wednesday, June 17, 1:30 PM – Bible Study Online
Wednesday, June 17, 7:00 PM – Bible Study Online
Sunday, June 21, 9:00 AM (masks required) & 10:15 AM – Worship Online at Trinity Mtg Center.

We are thankful for your support and love and patience during this unusual time.

June 5, 2020

Worship with us this Sunday, June 7. Receive Holy Communion this weekend. Services will be held at 9:00 AM and 10:15 AM at the Trinity Meeting Center: 7813 Mitchell Blvd, New Port Richey, FL 34655. Help balance out our service attendance. Consider attending the 9 AM service this weekend.

We recognize that some may not be ready to return to public worship at this time. We understand. We want our members to know there is no obligation to attend worship. We will continue to record and offer online services that will be posted on Facebook and our website each weekend.

Guidelines for gathering:

Hand sanitizing stations will be provided
Masks are recommended during worship, but not required. At this time, we are not able to provide masks. Please bring your own. We have ordered masks, they are expected to arrive in the middle of June.
Our worship team will help to arrange seating to promote social distancing.
Communion and dismissal patterns will be modified to maintain physical distancing as much as possible.
By offering two services we have been able to maintain physical distancing.
We ask that those who are sick, high risk, or have been exposed to COVID-19 within the last 14 days not gather for worship at this time. Online services will continue to be made available.
Offering plates and guest registers will not be passed. You can place your offering in the basket provided on your way in or out of worship. We encourage setting up giving online or by text.

Bible Study and Children’s Sunday School:

Adult Bible Study will be offered online and in-person after the second service at 11:15 AM on Sunday. It will be live-streamed via Zoom. We hope to have a remedy for our audio difficulties last weekend. Bible Study will continue to be offered online Wednesdays at 1:30 PM and 7:00 PM.
Children’s Sunday School lessons will be provided to parents.

I am looking forward to spending time with our church family.

A Prayer for Our Communities and All Civil Authorities:
Lord God, you have graciously given us the companionship of friends and neighbors by placing us in communities where we may live in harmony and work together for the good of society. Keep us free from injustice, indifference, and prejudice. Lead us to seek the welfare of others, and make us willing to contribute to the improvement of our neighborhoods, towns and cities so that people of diverse cultures and differing talents may enjoy peace, justice and good order.

Bless our president, the members of Congress, and all officials who serve us in state, county and local governments. Impress on all in authority the sacredness of the responsibility you have placed on them. Give them gifts required for leadership, wisdom to make laws that will bring order and justice to our society, and compassion for the downtrodden. Purge our land from dishonesty and corruption in government. Teach us to honor all civil authorities as your representatives. Through stable government provide throughout our land an atmosphere where your church can do its work in peace. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Women of Peace Meeting Online, June 9, 7:00 PM: The Women of Peace will meet for Bible Study and a brief business meeting online this Tuesday evening. Look for the link to the meeting which will go out via email and be posted on our church Facebook page.

This Week’s Schedule:

Sunday, June 7, 9:00 AM – Worship @ Trinity Meeting Center and Online
Sunday, June 7, 10:15 AM – Worship @ Trinity Meeting Center and Online (https://peacelutherantrinity.com/sermons/ OR Facebook)
Sunday, June 7, 11:15 AM – Bible Study at Trinity Meeting Center & Streamed Online, June 7, 11:15 AM, click link to the online meeting
Sunday, June 7, 7:30 PM – Church Council Meeting
Tuesday, June 9, 7:00 PM – Women of Peace Meeting, Follow this link to join the online meeting
Wednesday, June 10, 1:30 PM – Bible Study Online
Wednesday, June 10, 7:00 PM – Bible Study Online
Sunday, June 14, 9:00 AM & 10:15 AM – Worship Online at Trinity Mtg Center.

Starting May 31 – Free Meditations Available Online:
If you enjoy reading the daily Meditations devotional, there is good news. You can download a free digital copy that can be viewed on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Click on this link to download your complimentary copy of Meditations Daily Devotional from Northwestern Publishing House.

May 29, 2020

Worship with us this Sunday, May 31. Services will be held at 9:00 AM and 10:15 AM at the Trinity Meeting Center: 7813 Mitchell Blvd, New Port Richey, FL 34655. Help balance out our service attendance; consider attending the 9 AM service this weekend.

We recognize that some may not be ready to return to public worship at this time. We understand. We want our members to know there is no obligation to attend worship. We will continue to record and offer online services that will be posted on Facebook and our website each weekend.
Guidelines for gathering:

Hand sanitizing stations will be provided
Masks are recommended during worship, but not required. At this time, we are not able to provide masks. Please bring your own. We have ordered masks, they are expected to arrive in June.
Our worship team will help to arrange seating to promote social distancing.
Communion and dismissal patterns will be modified to maintain physical distancing as much as possible.
With offering two services we expect to be able to maintain physical distancing.
We ask that those who are sick, high risk, or have been exposed to COVID-19 within the last 14 days not gather for worship at this time. Online services will continue to be made available.
Offering plates and guest registers will not be passed. You can place your offering in the basket provided on your way in or out of worship. We encourage setting up giving online or by text.

Camp South Cancelled & New Camp South Dates:
From the Camp South Director: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) Our planning team met to make a final decision on this year’s camp. After reviewing Governor Kemp’s most recent executive order for Georgia overnight camps and factoring in our attendance projections, we made the difficult decision to cancel Camp South 2020. We are disappointed we won’t see you this summer and that we will miss out on one of the best weeks of the year, but we remain joyful in Jesus and his love. If you have any questions or would like to know more about the reasons for the decision, don’t hesitate to reach out.

In the meantime, stay on the lookout for some encouraging devotions, music, and a Bible study we will provide the week Camp South was scheduled (July 20-24). Also, tentatively save the dates of July 19-23, 2021 – next year’s Camp South.

The Lord bless and keep you!

Joel Russow
Camp South Director

May 21, 2020

We plan to offer in-person worship this Sunday, May 24. Services will be held at 9:00 AM and 10:15 AM at the Trinity Meeting Center: 7813 Mitchell Blvd, New Port Richey, FL 34655. Please check your email or click here to complete a short survey to help us plan appropriately for worship.

Guidelines for gathering:

Hand sanitizing stations will be provided
Masks are recommended during worship, but not required. At this time, we are not able to provide masks. Please bring your own. We have ordered masks, they are expected to arrive in June.
Our worship team will help to arrange seating to promote social distancing.
Communion and dismissal patterns will be modified to maintain physical distancing as much as possible.
With offering two services and a survey that will gauge potential attendance at each service; we expect to be able to maintain physical distancing.
We ask that those who are sick, high risk, or have been exposed to COVID-19 within the last 14 days not gather for worship at this time. Online services will continue to be made available.
Offering plates and guest registers will not be passed. You can place your offering in the basket provided on your way in or out of worship. We encourage setting up giving online or by text.

Bible Study and Children’s Sunday School:

A 20-minute Children’s Sunday School lesson will be offered during the sermon at the 10:15 AM service by our Sunday School teachers in a meeting room next to the worship space.
Adult Bible Study will be offered online and in-person after the second service at 11:15 AM on Sunday. It will be live streamed via Zoom similar to the way we have been over the last several weeks. Bible Study will continue to be offered online Wednesdays at 1:30 PM and 7:00 PM.

I am looking forward to spending time with our church family, as I am sure you are as well.

This Week’s Schedule:

Sunday, May 24, 9:00 AM – Worship @ Trinity Meeting Center and Online
Sunday, May 24, 10:15 AM – Worship @ Trinity Meeting Center and Online (https://peacelutherantrinity.com/sermons/ OR Facebook)
Sunday, May 24, 11:15 AM – Bible Study at Trinity Meeting Center & Streamed Online, May 24, 11:15 AM, click link to the online meeting
Wednesday, May 27, 1:30 PM – Bible Study Online
Wednesday, May 27, 7:00 PM – Bible Study Online
Sunday, May 31, Worship