More About
PALM HARBOR UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Lead Pastor:
Keith Harcombe
About Keith:
Keith is originally from Liverpool, England. He moved to Florida in 2003 and attended this church. Whilst here he received his call to ministry. He received his Masters of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary in 2014, and his Bachelors in Humanities from Eckerd College of St. Petersburg in 2011.
He is married to his wife Julianne and they have four children together, Jordan, Jack, Max, and David. Both he and his wife are more than excited to be back at the church where they felt welcomed back in 2003!
Keith is a dynamic speaker (with an awesome British accent) and his passion for kids and students is extremely evident in both his teaching style and his everyday approach to ministry.
PHUMC Mission
Leading people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.
Our Values
At PHUMC we believe anyone can experience the Kingdom of God. We have five core statements that we value:
Open-Hearted Generosity
We are people who give; sharing our resources wisely and connecting them with people.
Excellence in Christian Development
We relentlessly do our very best to honor God by teaching people the love of Jesus Christ.
Continuous Focus on the Future
We make investments in the next generation, raising children and youth to recognize their calling.
Commitment to Missions
We care for our community through mission and service, pushing through obstacles to connect people to a relationship with Jesus.
Passionate Participation
We are passionate about being involved, using all that we have to inspire people.
Over 120 years ago Palm Harbor United Methodist Church began……
Its roots go back to Florida Southern College, a Methodist College in Leesburg governed by the Florida Conference. In 1902 the college made a decision to move from Leesburg to Sutherland, Florida (the community of Sutherland was renamed Palm Harbor in 1925).
For 19 years church services were held at the school. In 1921 a fire destroyed most of the facilities of the college and Florida Southern College relocated to Lakeland. With a vision of wanting to continue meeting as a church, members met in the school’s undamaged gymnasium. They organized the construction of a new sanctuary. Hand cleaned bricks from the fire-damaged building were used as part of the structure that would become known as “The White Chapel.” Services began in “The White Chapel” in 1925.
In 1965 members recognized the need for a larger sanctuary. A building fund was started, land was donated, and building began. On November 14, 1971 the first service was held in the new sanctuary at the Michigan Avenue site.
At this downtown site the ministries of The Robin’s Nest (our Preschool Ministry) began in 1983. In 1987 our before and after school ministry, Stars & Comets began... and of course Camp CUBBER began in 1992.
In 1985 the congregation agreed to purchase 7.25 acres of property on 21st street near Westlake Blvd. Purchase price of the property was $342,000. They had dreams of a new church costing $2 million. In 1995 worship began at the site on which we currently sit. For over 10 years the church worship was held in what is now our Multi-Purpose Room / Gymnasium.
An Education wing was added and Westlake Christian School began in 1995 (now Kindergarten through 8th grade).
In September 2003 the first worship service was held in our current sanctuary, with a seating capacity of over 1700.
What started as “Yesterday's Vision” became “Today's Reality.” And with Today’s Reality we now focus on our future and God’s vision for ministry and mission.
Experience Our Sunday Worship
Live in person and streaming online on Facebook and at www.phumc.net
9:00 a.m. - Blended
11:00 a.m. - Modern
