This Week at St. Peter's

September 13, 2026 - September 19, 2026

The Week at a Glance

Click on a gathering to learn more! Special gatherings in bold.

Sunday, Sept. 13th

8:00am- Holy Eucharist (Spoken Mass)

9:15am- Faith Formation for All Ages

10:30am- Holy Eucharist (Sung Mass w/ Choir)

5:00pm- Second Sunday Youth Gathering


Monday, Sept. 14th

7:30am- Centering Prayer in the Church

8:00am- Mass for the Feast of the Holy Cross

10:00am- Buildings & Grounds Team Meeting

5:15pm- Evening Prayer in the Church (Vespers)

6:00pm- Finance Team Meeting


Tuesday, Sept. 15th

7:30am- Centering Prayer in the Church

8:00am- Morning Prayer in the Church (Matins)

5:15pm- Evening Prayer in the Church (Vespers)

6:30pm- Vestry Meeting


Wednesday, Sept. 16th

8:00am- Morning Prayer in the Church (Matins)

10:30am- Bible Study with the Rector

5:15pm- Evening Prayer in the Church (Vespers)

5:30pm- Engage Cafe- Celebrating Teachers

7:00pm- Choir Practice


Thursday, Sept. 17th

Diocesan Event: Cursillo

7:30am- Centering Prayer in the Church

8:00am- Morning Prayer in the Church (Matins)

1:00pm- Parishioner Engagement Team Meeting

5:15pm- Evening Prayer in the Church (Vespers)


Friday, Sept. 18th

Diocesan Event: Cursillo
7:30am- Centering Prayer in the Church

8:00am- Morning Prayer in the Church (Matins)

5:15pm- Evening Prayer in the Church (Vespers)


Saturday, Sept. 19th

Diocesan Event: Cursillo
Diocesan Event: Women's Spirituality Day

9:00am- Altar Guild Prepares Church

10:00am- Society of St. Francis Gathering


*Note that the church is open for private prayer on weekdays from 7:30am to 5:45pm.


Coming Up

Sunday, October 4, 2026 at 4:00pm-
Blessing of the Animals


September 25-27, 2026-
New Beginnings Middle School Retreat



October 9-10, 2026-
Diocesan Convention


Photos of the Week

Fr. Derek tells a story about peace blooming like flowers and growing like seeds at August's Family Mass. Family Mass takes place every last Sunday of the month at 10:30am.

The St. Peter's delegation met this week at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church in Sun City Center for the annual Convocation of churches in preparation for our Diocesan Convention.

St. Peter's parishioners posing with their food pantry donations for the annual Diocesan Food Drive supporting local Episcopal Food Pantries.

Submit your own St. Peter's Photos to share here!

Rector's Thoughts- July 10, 2026

By Derek Larson • September 8, 2026
This week I am thinking about the treasure trove that is The Book of Common Prayer and other authorized liturgies in the Episcopal tradition. Most of us have no idea just how many wonderful prayers and liturgies there are for all occasions of life. For obvious reasons, the one that is foremost on my mind is on page 439 in The Book of Common Prayer, Thanksgiving for the Birth or Adoption of a Child. This liturgy has quite a history, going back hundreds of years. It has its roots in the Jewish tradition of purification rites for women 40 days after childbirth, but equally emphasizes thanksgiving for the birth of a child. In centuries where mortality rates of women during the birth of a child were very high, it became particularly important to thank God for safety in coming through it. It also was often the first time much of the community would be introduced to the child, who may or may not have been baptized yet, and thus it became a presentation of the child to God and to the community of God.

Community Notes

Exciting News!

Did you hear the news about the possible expansion of our campus? Read all about it and learn how to participate here.

Happy Birthday!

Meredith Prokuski 09/13, LaineyGrace Nolin 09/14, Vicky Conner 09/15, Sandy Colein 09/15, Sandy Black 09/16, Terrence Miller 09/16, 

Happy Anniversary!

Sally & Linda Fuhrman 09/17

Please pray for:

Find our Parish Prayer List here.

Mass for the
Feast of the Holy Cross

   Monday, September 14, 2026 at 8:00am

   In the Corpus Christi Chapel

Holy Cross Day, observed on September 14, recalls the dedication in 335 of the great church complex built at the site of Jesus’ death and resurrection in Jerusalem. According to the historian Eusebius, Emperor Constantine ordered this magnificent shrine to honor Christ’s resurrection, entrusting its construction to his mother, the empress Helena. During the excavations, Helena is said to have discovered a relic believed to be the true cross. The complex included a basilica for the Liturgy of the Word and a circular church, called The Resurrection, with its altar set over the tomb. Between them lay an open courtyard where the exposed rock of Calvary stood, becoming the focal point for the veneration of the cross on Good Friday and for daily prayers. The chosen date of September 14 for the dedication echoed the biblical account of Solomon’s temple being dedicated in the same month, making Holy Cross Day a lasting commemoration of both the cross and the resurrection. #Episcopal

Blessing of the Animals

   Sunday, October 4, 2026 at 4:00pm

   In the St. Peter's Courtyard

Every year around the Feast Day of St. Francis we offer a special outdoor liturgy for

the blessing of animals. Bring your pets or farm animals for this short liturgy as we

give thanks for their presence in our lives. Please keep animals on leashes or

containted. You may also bring donations for our pet supply pantry.

Second Sunday
Youth Gathering

   Sunday, September 13, 2026
   from 5:00pm-7:00pm

   In Bender Hall

Every second Sunday, students in middle and high school gather in Bender Hall for food, friendship, games, and worship. Some who gather are members of St. Peter’s and some who gather are from other communities. All are welcome!

Diocesan Event:
Cursillo

   September 17, 2026 - September 20, 2026

   DaySpring Camp and Conference Center-       
   Parrish, FL

Cursillo is a three-day weekend for adults to join others throughout the diocese for prayer, Christian formation, and community with a special focus on growing in our knowledge and love of God and following Christ’s calling. Speak to Fr. Derek or Karen Price to learn more. Click here to register.

Diocesan Event:
Women's Spirituality Day

   September 19, 2026

   DaySpring Camp and Conference Center-
   Parrish, FL

Join other women from Episcopal Churches throughout Florida for a day of prayer and reflection at DaySpring Episcopal Conference Center about an hour south of St. Peter’s. More information can be found at episcopalswfl.org or from Fr. Derek. Click here to register.

Diocesan Event:
New Beginnings Middle School Retreat

   September 25, 2026 - September 27, 2026

   DaySpring Camp and Conference Center-
   Parrish, FL

A fun middle school weekend retreat put on by the Diocese of Southwest FL, New Beginnings is located about an hour south of us at DaySpring Camp and Conference Center. Middle schoolers from Episcopal Churches in the area join together for music, games, activities, reflection, food, and fun. It’s sort of a minisummer camp for September! For more information reach out to Fr. Derek. Registration is due by September 18th. Click here to register.

Join the Guild of Church Stewards

   Ongoing

   In St. Peter's Church

Every church needs people who love it enough to care for it. We are forming a new ministry at St. Peter’s: The Guild of Church Stewards, a group of six individuals, families, or small teams entrusted with the care of different parts of our church. Stewards will regularly tend one of six areas—the North Transept, South Transept, Nave, Narthex, the Choir Loft, or Chapel & Chancel—through simple acts of service such as sweeping, dusting, cleaning baseboards, straightening pews, organizing hymnals and prayer books, and keeping the space beautiful and orderly. But this is more than cleaning. Caring for the church is a sacred work. There is something wonderfully peaceful about spending time alone in the quiet of the church, and the ordinary work of our hands can become an opportunity for prayer: praying for the people who sit in the pews, the children who are baptized, the couples who are married, the people who come carrying grief, and all who enter through our doors. You don't need special skills—only a willingness to serve and a desire to help care for God's house. Learn more about the Guild of Church Stewards and sign up to serve by clicking here.

Diocesan Event:
Diocesan Convention

   October 9, 2026 - October 10, 2026

   Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference
    Center- Punta Gorda, FL

Every year representatives from each parish in the diocese gather for the annual convention, an event for both the business of the church and for faith and community formation. Our clergy and delegates are required to attend this event, though all are invited. More information, including workshop and worship details can be found at https://www.conventionswfl.org/.