A Church Built on Real People, Not Perfect Ones

The United Methodist Church of Sun City Center sits along Haverford Avenue in Sun City Center, in southern Hillsborough County. The congregation describes itself as a church of "Real People" where there are "no expectations of Perfect People." It is a multi-generational and multi-cultural Christian family, and in 2019 it was recognized as the fifth fastest-growing large United Methodist Church in America. The growth tracks with the scope of what happens here on any given week: three Sunday services, an adult education program with roots going back to 1976, a weekday memory-care ministry, and a $2.3 million charitable trust that quietly helps neighbors pay for food and medication.

The church's mission is to extend God's Light so that all may know the love of Jesus and generously share it with the world. Its vision calls the congregation to shine hope, peace and purpose across every generation by deepening connections with Jesus and one another.

Three Sunday Services, Two Styles

The most visible expression of that calling is Sunday morning, when three services rotate between the Sanctuary and the Life Enrichment Center (LEC).

• 8:30 AM Traditional - held in the Sanctuary, with classic hymns and a more formal liturgy.
• 9:45 AM Contemporary - held in the LEC, with a contemporary worship band, modern music and a more casual atmosphere.
• 11:00 AM Traditional - returns to the Sanctuary for a second classic-hymns liturgy.

Anyone who cannot be in the room can watch every service live on the church's YouTube channel, and recordings remain available afterward. Visitors who want to follow the same service the rest of the congregation is hearing can pick up a printed bulletin each week.

What a First-Time Visit Looks Like

First-time guests are met by a volunteer parking team on arrival, an Ask Me team out front to answer questions, and ushers at the doors eager to help with seating. The congregation invites newcomers to come as they are, in whatever clothes feel right. Dress ranges from casual to Sunday best. Giving is never expected as a condition of attending; envelopes are available for those who wish to give, but they are entirely optional for visitors.

Children are welcome in worship, and nursery care is offered from 9:30 AM to noon on Sundays in the church nursery. Elementary Sunday School and UTC Youth Sunday School both meet during the 11 AM hour, and the broader Next Gen program for kids and students continues through the week.

Music That Spans Organ, Choir, Handbells and Praise Band

Music is central to the identity of the church. The Minister of Music, Jeff Jordan, oversees a team that includes the Chancel Choir, handbell and handchime ensembles, solo and ensemble instrumentalists, and the Contemporary Praise Team that leads the 9:45 AM service. Teodora Mitze-Circiumaru serves as Traditional Worship Coordinator and Organist, and the sanctuary's Rodgers Infiniti 484 organ is a point of pride for the congregation - it leads worship, provides preludes and postludes, and is featured in solo recitals that draw critical acclaim from other organists and musicians.

Solos, ensembles and the choir also take their music beyond the walls of the church into the broader community. A separate media team - the Audio, Visual, Lights & Camera crew, led by Bill Turner - runs the cameras, lights, screens and sound that make the livestreams possible.

Breakaway Respite: A Place for Caregivers to Breathe

One of the most distinctive ministries on campus is Breakaway Respite, a weekday program for adults experiencing memory loss due to Alzheimer's, dementia, Parkinson's or stroke. Trained professionals and volunteers lead activities, provide supervision, and serve a nutritious lunch in Creason Hall. The program runs Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM and gives caregivers a few hours of relief while their loved ones enjoy fellowship and stimulation in a safe setting. The tagline - "Love Never Forgets" - captures the heart of the program.

The Mary Petro Foundation: A $2.3 Million Trust for Neighbors

The Mary Petro Foundation is one of the largest and best-kept secrets of the surrounding community. Mary Petro was a Sun City Center resident who passed away in 2009, leaving a $2.3 million trust earmarked specifically for residents with limited income who struggle to pay for food or medication. Qualifying residents can receive up to $100 a month for groceries and up to $1,500 a year for medications. The Mary Petro office is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 AM to 2 PM, and the foundation is administered in partnership with the Community Foundation Tampa Bay.

Center 4 Life Learning: Adult Education Since 1976

Down the hall from worship sits Center 4 Life Learning, an adult education outreach program that was established in 1976 as the Community Church College. In 2019 the school relocated to the United Methodist Church of Sun City Center and adopted its current name; in 2021 it became a ministry of the church. Its purpose is to inform, entertain and inspire through non-credit courses taught by qualified instructors from the South Shore region.

The school runs two semesters a year, with most courses running six 90-minute sessions at a tuition of $50. Subjects vary widely - the current catalog includes Beginner Conversational Spanish (three levels), Sign Language, Plant-Powered Living, Paper Quilling, End-of-Life Care Planning, Financial Planning for Life-Changing Events, Therapeutic Writing, Cold War reconnaissance history, Hand-Crafting, Chautauqua lectures, Improv, Modern Dot Art, and classes on streaming media and smartphone photography. Some classes are "walk-ins friendly" at $14 per visit.

Alongside classes, the school organizes day trips and tours on motor coaches departing from the LEC's main entrance. Recent itineraries have included theatre outings to the Manatee Performing Arts Center and Suncoast Broadway Dinner Theater, a StarLite dining cruise, visits to Mount Dora and Tarpon Springs, and a Columbia Restaurant lunch paired with a Ybor City bus tour. Scholarships funded by the Community Foundation Tampa Bay are available.

Next Generation: Kids Club, UTC Youth and Sunday School

The Next Gen Ministry focuses on reaching children, youth, young adults and young families in the community. On Sunday mornings, nursery care runs from 9:30 AM to noon. Elementary Sunday School and UTC Youth Sunday School (grades 6-12) both meet from 11:00 AM to noon. UTC Youth, nicknamed "Under the Cross," gathers for a more substantial session on Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 7:00 PM - with a weekly dinner included - and the broader program includes Kids Club, fellowship, worship, music and games. The guiding verse for the children's work comes directly from Jesus: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind... Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-39).

Discipleship and Bible Study Throughout the Week

Bible study is woven into nearly every day at the church. Sunday morning study options run at 9:45 AM (facilitated by Doug and Elaine Moore) and 11:00 AM (facilitated by Guy and Kathy Bailey). On Monday mornings, the Mary Maude interdenominational women's Bible study meets in the LEC from 9:30 to 11:00 AM. Wednesday afternoons bring two men's study groups in Room 30 - one from 3:00 to 4:00 PM led by Pastor Travis Taylor, and another Thursday evening option led by Jeff Jordan. Wednesdays also feature two Wesley Class meetings, the small-group accountability system that traces back to John Wesley in the 18th century.

Recovery, Grief and Support Groups

The church hosts recovery meetings throughout the week. Alcoholics Anonymous meets Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 10 AM, and again on Sundays at 4 PM. Al-Anon, for loved ones of those struggling with addiction, meets Wednesday evenings at 7 PM and Friday mornings at 10 AM, both in Room 11. GriefShare runs as a 13-week program each season, with new sessions scheduled several times a year.

Missions: From SeaPort Manatee to the World

Missions are described at the church as touching "almost everything we do." Locally, the church has partnered with the Anchor House maritime ministry inside SeaPort Manatee, which serves more than 10,000 international seafarers from more than 70 nations each year, along with local dockworkers and port staff, through hospitality, transportation, free Wi-Fi, worship services and one-on-one care. Other local mission partners include the Fight Against Human Trafficking, the Good Samaritan Mission and the UMC Children's Home. Globally, the congregation has organized trips to Africa, Peru and Cuba, among other places.

Community Connection and the Volunteer Response Team

The Community Connections team hosts a calendar of neighborhood-wide events: Friday Night at the Movies, Ice Cream Socials, FALLtoberfest, a Community Back to School Fair, a Blessing of the Animals (with a cookout, dog portraits and doggie goodie bags), a walk through the "Promise Garden" in support of the fight against Alzheimer's, and both a Blue Christmas service and a Sights & Sounds of Christmas celebration.

A separate Volunteer Response Team is on call for hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and other disasters, responding both locally and beyond the immediate area.

Congregational Care, Fellowship and Pages of Life Bookstore

Rev. Debbie Marion serves as Minister of Congregational Care, and a team of lay volunteers keeps in touch with members and friends who are shut-ins, grieving or in need of prayer. Fellowship opportunities include a Men's Breakfast on the third Thursday of every month at 8 AM and a Ladies' Brunch held quarterly on the fourth Wednesday at 10 AM.

The Pages of Life Bookstore, located in the LEC lobby, stocks new merchandise arriving daily. Store hours are Sundays from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM and Mondays through Thursdays from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM; the bookstore is closed Fridays and Saturdays.

Concerts and Special Events

The church auditorium plays host to a steady stream of community concerts each year. Recent and upcoming ticketed performances have included Beatles and Glen Campbell tribute shows, a Romantic-music trio recital, a Motown revue called The Sounds of Soul, and a benefit concert for Alzheimer's featuring an Elvis tribute artist. Free family events, such as Family Slime Night, are organized for parents and children.

Beliefs

The church's statement of beliefs centers on five anchors: One God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, of one substance and equal in power and glory; the Bible as the Word of God and the final authority in matters of faith, practice and lifestyle; the resurrection of Christ on the third day; the Church as the body of Christ and an extension of his ministry in the world; and the conviction that the best way to grow in Christ is alongside a community of believers.

Becoming a Member

Anyone interested in joining the church is invited to a New Members Class taught by the pastors. Across several sessions the group covers the church's history, beliefs and mission, then gathers for an informal "Coffee with Pastors" Q&A where prospective members meet staff and hear their stories. Inquirers and members alike are encouraged to remain connected between Sundays through the church's Realm communication app and a weekly e-newsletter.

Giving and Stewardship

Members and supporters can give in several ways: online through the church's Realm portal, by mail, by texting SCCUMC to 73256, or by placing cash or checks into the Sunday offertory envelopes available at each service. Stewardship is built around the theme "The Light of the World," and the church is in the middle of a Debt-Free Church campaign aimed at moving from paying interest on the building loan to growing ministries and reserves. A 2026-2027 pledge card allows households to commit weekly, monthly or annual gifts.

The Pastoral Team

Dr. Cynthia Weems became Senior Pastor on July 1, 2024 after 25 years of ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church - including service as District Superintendent of the South East District, pastor of First United Methodist Church of Miami, and a fellowship at Yale Divinity School. Rev. Travis Taylor joined as Associate Pastor; he previously served as Campus Pastor at Mt. Auburn UMC in Indiana and brings experience in student ministry, family consulting and short-term missions work. Rev. Debbie Marion, the Minister of Congregational Care, is a retired Virginia Conference elder who moved to Riverview in 2019 and has served at the church ever since.