God's family got a little larger this year during the annual Tampa Bay Family Weekend, held June 4 and 5, 2005. Charlene Langner, of the St. Petersburg, Florida, congregation, was baptized in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico during the annual beach party on Sunday at Fort DeSoto Beach—currently the number one rated beach in the United States.

Local and visiting ministers laid hands on Charlene asking for God's Holy Spirit for her prior to asking a blessing on the cookout meal. Charlene learned about the United Church of God about a year ago while searching the Internet for churches. After finding the UCG Web site and reading about our doctrines, she asked if she could attend services. Since that time she has been at nearly every service and now she has become a member. Welcome to the family, Charlene!

The day before, about 200 brethren met at the Largo Cultural Center for a combined Sabbath service with the St. Petersburg and Tampa congregations plus visitors. Larry Greider, a regional pastor and chairman of the UCG Youth Education Team, was the guest speaker. Since this Sabbath was also the date of a Churchwide fast, the potluck meal provided afterward by the local brethren was unofficially deemed one of the best potlucks in Church history!

After the potluck, members from as far away as California participated in an interactive seminar on teaching, presented by Larry Greider. Then brethren danced the night away under palm fronds at a safari-themed family dance.