News
News
Candlelight Ceremony
These brief, ten-minute candle-lighting ceremonies will take place around the courtyard fountain (Hyde Park) and the Homeless Jesus sculpture (The Portico) and will feature scripture, prayer, and the exchange of candle light during “Silent Night” and “Joy to the...
Help Create Our Drive-Through Nativity
This year, Hyde Park will host a new kind of outreach event - a Drive-Through Nativity showcase held in the Magnolia (main) parking lot. Visitors will view nine different scenes alternating between the classic story of the birth of Christ and stories from modern day...
Merge Christmas Party
Come to Our Merge Christmas Party! Middle School and High School students: Join us under the white tent at Hyde Park from 4-5:30 p.m. this Sunday, Dec. 6 to celebrate Christmas with your small group and friends! Bring a wrapped $5 gift to exchange and wear your...
Christmas Eve Services
This year, our Christmas Eve worship services will take on an unexpected aspect. Due to current case loads in Hillsborough County, the leadership of the church has made the difficulty decision to present worship services exclusively online. While we will still...
Lessons and Carols
The Service of Lessons and Carols is a service form that includes the reading of scripture and the singing of Carols that trace the covenant of God with God’s people. It is a particularly fitting way to celebrate Christmas this year, as we end our Bible Project 2020....
Midweek Message: A Song for Thanksgiving
Dear Hyde Park Family, In this week of giving thanks to God, I offer you the lyrics of a new song by one of my favorite artists. It is titled “The Thanksgiving Song,” by Ben Rector. If you’d like to listen to the song and watch the clever music video, you can see it...
Communion Sunday Dec. 6
Join us as we share the sacrament of Holy Communion on Sunday, Dec. 6. We will be offering a drive-up communion service. Our pastors will share the communion liturgy in our online setting, including consecrating the elements. For those of you who live out of the area,...
Placemats Make Your Meal More Festive … and Fun!
No matter what your Thanking looks like this year, we want you to help you be intentional about making sure fun, connection, and giving thanks are part of your meal as well — for the youngest to the oldest. Make sure to put some colored pencils, pens or crayons on the...
Lift Every Voice: Stories of Injustice and Learned Racism
The holidays are here – a season of love. But how can we love our neighbors when the city is so divided? The summer of 2020 ushered in a new era of truth and advocacy that confronts our country’s history of racial discrimination and injustice. Beginning with the...
Carols in the City
The beautiful Portico Community Hall and our fantastic musicians have created an experience that brings the message of Christmas to life in a way we haven’t seen before. Join us each week in Advent to experience a most joyful Christmas in song!
Creating an Advent Wreath
Whether you're familiar with the Advent Wreath or it's a new concept for you, Hyde Park is taking a new approach to an favorite tradition this year. It's likely that the use of Advent Wreath in the Christian tradition began in the home as a focal point of devotion. It...
Spread Christmas Cheer With Poinsettias
We continue the tradition of decorating our worship spaces with red poinsettias in honor or memory of friends and loved ones. This year, because of the nature of our online services, we will be using the poinsettias for recordings early in December, and a majority of...
Midweek Message: A New View
Dear Hyde Park Family, For today’s Midweek Message, I’m delighted to hand the message over to our Executive Director Peggy Hisey, who has an exciting report to share with us. Peggy came to us at the beginning of the year, with none of us knowing then what kind of year...
Christmas at Hyde Park
Advent and Christmas 2020There's no doubt that this year is unlike any other in recent memory. So many expected things didn't happen and so many unexpected things have happened. The first Christmas was like this. Despite being foretold by prophets for centuries, the...
Midweek Message: What is Still True … Again
Dear Hyde Park family, “We are now in the wake of one of the most captivating, bewildering presidential elections of our lifetime.” That was the opening sentence of my Midweek Message from Nov. 10, 2016, following the election of President Donald Trump four years ago....
Pathway to Generosity
It is our deepest pleasure to walk with you through the Step Into This Story journey. We hope you have been blessed by the inspirational messages shared in our worship services, including personal giving stories from Jeanette Hordge-Smith and Karen Crawford. ...
News from Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary
Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary (BMTS), our mission partner, is the largest United Methodist seminary in Europe, and serves students from eight countries who study in three languages: Estonian, Russian and English. Their newsletter is titled Prayerchain and the...
Merge in Person this Sunday
Join us at 4 p.m. this Sunday in the Magnolia parking lot for Water Balloon Volley Ball. We’ll then head to the tent for our message and worship and then go into small groups. Pick up will be at the tent at 5:30 p.m. Wear your masks and bring your own water bottle and...
Help Your Family be Grateful
2020. What a year. But before we get to 2021, help your family this November do something that may seem a little odd after all we’ve been through—help them be grateful. Use the Gratitude Prompts to help them express gratitude. Pray for each other, that God will help...
Midweek Message: “As the Votes are Being Counted”
Dear Hyde Park Family, At the time of this writing, we are still waiting for vote tallies from the general election. As your thoughts race and your emotions run high, I offer you some pastoral words of guidance and comfort. Remember that the first thing God did to...
Hyde Park Member Completes Service with Hurricane Irma Recovery Project
#FloridaRestores is a ministry focused on Disaster Recovery of the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. The October, 2020 newsletter shared updates on their Hurricane Irma Recovery Project. Hyde Park's own Amy Greene served as the Recovery Chaplain for...
Praise for Abe Brown Ministries
Abe Brown Ministries’ works to break cycles of incarceration by helping renew the minds of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated citizens, motivating them to change their behaviors and achieve purposeful lives as a compassionate demonstration of the Love of Jesus...
Onsite Worship
We resumee an onsite worship experience at our Hyde Park location in late November. The service follows a brief and simple format, with prayer, Scripture, a sermon and music offered by an instrumentalist or soloist. Worship will be held at 9:30 a.m. under the tent...
Onsite Prayers
Beginning Monday, Nov. 9, we will open the Sanctuary at our Hyde Park location and the Community Hall at The Portico for a time of silent prayer. Days and times are: Sundays at our Hyde Park location – 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays – 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Hyde...
Midweek Message: “To Those Who Have Come Before”
Dear Hyde Park Family, I have been listening to Bruce Springsteen’s latest album Letters to You since its release last Friday. It was recorded live with his legendary E-Street Band in less than a week, in what Springsteen has called “one of the greatest recording...
Midweek Message: Our Amazing Ancestors
Two years ago, geneticist Yaniv Erlich announced a major breakthrough in genomic studies. His team at Columbia University set a record for the largest family tree ever created, made up of 13 million people, spanning 11 generations, going back 600 years. Using...
Buy or Make Manna Bags
We have some Manna Bags that are for sale if any family would like to pick some up. Please contact Emily, email, if you’d like to purchase and pick them up for $5 each. If you would like to make your own Manna Bags at home, these are the items that we use to make...
Hyde Park Member Publishes Book
Hyde Park member, Shannon Hitchcock, has published a new book Flying Over Water, co-written with N.H. Senzai. Join a discussion group including Pastor Vicki Walker and consider the current social and political environment, the Syrian refugee crisis, and community...
News from Shining The Light Ministries
Shining the Light Ministries, our mission partner in Nicaragua, provides agriculture training and support to low income families in the area around Leon. Here’s an excerpt from their recent newsletter. It is a blessing to know that in the midst of all the situation...
Three Simple Rules for Voting
Dear Hyde Park Family, We are now nineteen days from the general election, and along with encouraging you to practice your civic duty to vote, I offer you some words of wisdom from John Wesley. In October 1774, John Wesley was preaching in some small English towns...
The Great Pumpkin Chase
4:30-6:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25 Parents: Bring a car full of kids and let's do a scavenger/treasure hunt with our other Merge families! We’ll all meet at the Magnolia Parking lot at 4:30 p.m. to get instructions and everyone will head out at the same time. Prizes and...
Merge Returns to Hyde Park Sunday!
This Sunday, our Merge Youth Ministry returns to the real world, leaving the virtual one behind! Youth will meeting under the big white tent between the Ministry Offices and Knox Hall. Middle School students will gather from 3-4:30 p.m. and High School students from...
Join Our Drive-Through Nativity Construction Team
Are you good with construction, painting or decorating? We could use your help as we create nine scenes for our Drive Through Nativity we are planning to do in December for our congregation. Construction crews will meet on Saturday mornings in October, November, and...
Serve at Dunbar’s Great American Teach-In Nov. 19
The Great American "Virtual" Teach-In is Thursday, Nov. 19. If you are interested in speaking to a class (or multiple classes) about your career, hobby or interest via Zoom, please sign up here. Our lead teacher will contact you to coordinate details, provide Zoom...
Midweek Message: What Do You Believe?
Dear Hyde Park Family, “I believe, therefore I am.” - Eberhard Jungel, German theologian Not long ago I found an online message board in which people were asked to complete the sentence, “I believe...” Many of the responses were profound. Some were pretty hilarious. I...
Mission Moments
Our mission partners and outreach programs are making a difference in our community and around the world! Listen to the stories and testimonies of how God is working in the lives of those touched by these programs. Love INC of Metro Tampa Love INC mobilizes churches...
Online Gatherings
Here's a listing of weekly gatherings and live worship streaming. Just click on the linked text and your browser will take you to that page or application. Sunday 9:30 a.m. Live-streamed Worship (Website) 10:15 a.m. Children's Ministries – Virtual Sunday Morning Live...
News from The Judeo Christian Health Clinic
The Judeo Christian Health Clinic is one of Hyde Park's mission partners. Below is an excerpt from their latest newsletter. Today was cool enough to almost have Autumn expectations. In another month or so, we can look forward to cooler days with less humidity and less...
News from Dunbar Elementary School
Hyde Park United Methodist has joined an initiative of the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church for every United Methodist Church to partner with a local Title I school and provide support and encouragement to students and staff. This initiative follows...
News from Missionaries Dave and Julie Eberhard
Dave and Julie Eberhard serve as missionaries with Wycliffe Bible Translators. In their most recent newsletter, they share the impact the pandemic is having on them, as well as the creative way they celebrated their son's wedding. Here's an excerpt: Dear family and...