Congratulations to

Bethel Presbyterian Church, Northport on their 123rd Anniversary

this past Sunday, May 19, 2024

Small churches can make a big difference!

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Electric Chapel Organ for the taking



Kirkwood by the River, a ministry of Independent Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, will give its organ to a good home. The organ is approximately 40 years old. It is an Allen, two rank model. It needs repair. Please contact Chaplain Cary Speaker (205-956-2184) if you are interested. This is a limited time offer. Don’t put off making the call. 

The ladies of Second Presbyterian have 40 blue Hymnals they would love to give away. Please call 205-871-4302 if you are interested in these Hymnals.

The Impact of Churches’

Hunger Action Programs in this Presbytery

We are compiling a list of this Presbytery’s churches’ activities in combating hunger. We are wondering what your church is doing to combat hunger, such as: donating to food pantries, operating food pantries, rescuing edible foods, giving food from members’ gardens, participating in the Cents-Ability and Pentecost Can-paign programs, volunteering at food banks, etc.

Our churches are acting to help the hungry and food insecure. Let’s see what everyone is doing. Perhaps we can get ideas from each other on combating hunger.

Please send your church’s information to Ralls Coston, Mission Coordinator, rcoston@pslpcusa.org., phone 205-617-0216. Thank you for all you are doing.

GBM Food Drive

During the summer, many low-income families struggle with food insecurity for their school-aged children. That is why we are launching a food drive from May 20-24. You can drop off food items that are kid-friendly and easy to open between 9 am - 12 noon. If you have any questions, contact Michelle.

Save the Date - June 13

GBM will celebrate 55 years of ministry with an Open House on Thursday, June 13th from 4-7 pm. Watch for more details soon.

Registration is now open for Living River Summer Camp

and for scholarship application.

First Presbyterian Church - Alexander City is seeking pulpit supply until they can fill their pastoral vacancy. Their worship services are on Sundays at 11:00 for one hour. If you are interested, please call the church office at (256) 329-0524.

Hearts and Minds Prepared for Worship

You are invited to this leadership event being sponsored by The Center for Excellence in Christian Education, Union Presbyterian Seminary, and the Presbytery of Charlotte. This fully online event is designed for folks who are involved in worship leadership whether that be clergy, worship committees, or educators.

I'm sure many of you remember Sarah Dianne Jones who grew up in Sheppards and Lapsley--she is now the Program Associate for the Center and would love to have some PSL folks join this event!

The website for the event is here: https://na.eventscloud.com/website/71005/.

Registration is now open.

GA226 for Observers

A great deal of information is available for the training and preparation of commissioners and advisory delegates to the 226th General Assembly (2024). In an effort to engage other Presbyterians and friends who may or may not be attending the meeting in person, a new web page has been launched in order to provide education and information. Resources curated from PC(USA) podcasts, webinars, and documents on being Presbyterian, how the Assembly works, and equity and inclusion are available. Please share this link widely as we live into our call as the connectional church.

Click the photo for more information.

On Tuesday, September 24, Stewardship Kaleidoscope participants will hear from Grace Pomroy, Director of the Stewardship Leaders Program at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN and co-owner of Embracing Stewardship, LLC. Grace is a financial educator, speaker, and blogger. She helps couples transform their relationship and deepen their intimacy by having open and honest conversation about money. She empowers them to connect their money and their values so they can create a more fulfilling life together. In 2017, she became a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI). She lives with her husband in Gig Harbor, WA. When she's not talking about money, you'll find her exploring new cities, hiking trails, or in her kitchen perfecting her sourdough recipe. 

In addition to leading a plenary session, Grace will be presenting a workshop that will dig deeper into the themes of her plenary session.

We hope to see you in Portland or online! To register, click here.

Register by June 30 to take advantage of our in-person Early Bird Registration rate!

A limited number of scholarships are still available for ELCA Registrants attending the conference in-person. For more information about the ELCA Scholarship, please email tim.brown@elca.org.

PC(USA) Pastors - Learn about the Church Financial Leadership Grant Program through the Presbyterian Foundation here." "complimentary," or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take action, so consider inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"

Presbytery Tech Person Needed

The Presbytery is looking for a Tech person to help with our quarterly Presbytery meetings. (This includes four eight hour meetings per year plus be available for four 2 hour planning meetings quarterly) Must have knowledge of Zoom, including issues with sound and video. Must be available to set up equipment to start each meeting and monitor Zoom participants. Compensation is negotiable. If you or someone you know may be interested please contact Tammy Strickland at tstrickland@pslpcusa.org.

In Our Prayers

Please keep CRE and COM Moderator Carl Martin and family in your prayers. Carl's Mother, Martha Ann Morton Martin passed away on April 24, 2024.

"If we were united together in a death like Christ's, we will also be united together in a resurrection like his."

LOCATION CHANGE

Due to unforeseen circumstances, POAMN has had to change the venue for its 2024 National Conference. The event will now be at Solana Beach Presbyterian Church, NOT Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church. The new location is 20 miles north of the previous facility. All other arrangements (dates, times, program schedule) remain the same, including hotels.

New Location

Solana Beach Presbyterian Church

120 Stevens Avenue

Solana Beach, CA 92075

While we understand the logistic complications of holding the event 20 miles from the two hotels we selected, there is a benefit to keeping lodging at these hotels. There are free shuttle buses to and from San Diego airport, which would not be the case if we used hotels nearer Solana Beach. POAMN will organize transport from the hotels to and from Solana Beach for each day of the conference.

Dallas County Long Term Recovery Group

This Presbytery has been involved with the Dallas County LTRG (Long Term Recovery Group) for the past year. The LTRG is working on Selma’s recovery from the January 2023 tornado which destroyed or damaged so much of Selma and Dallas County. So far, the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley has distributed over $31,000 to six cases in Selma. This money has been used to replace beds, tables, washing machines, dryers and roofing for the six different families impacted by the tornado. The funds for these cases came from contributions from the Presbyterian Disaster Fund, Independent Presbyterian Church, Southminster Presbyterian Church, First Presbyterian-Wetumpka and Oakmont Chapel Presbyterian Church. Thank you to all the donors.

There is still plenty to do in Dallas County/Selma’s recovery. Other organizations, such as United Way, Mennonite Disaster Services, Lutheran Disaster Services, Gospel Tabernacle Church, Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, and the Edmundite Missions of the Catholic Church are some of the workers/contributors to Selma’s recovery.

 This Presbytery can continue to help by providing funds to the Presbytery’s Perry/Dallas County Fund. Both churches and individuals may contribute to this fund. And, as the United Methodist case managers provide the cases, we can continue to help.

Pro Ecclesia 2024 Conference

https://www.pro-ecclesia.org/

Click on the registration link below for all the conference details

We are excited to announce the details of our next annual conference, “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic? Championing the Marks of the Church in an Age of Polarization and Ecclesial Confusion,” to be held here in Birmingham, June 10-12, 2024. We hope you will join us!

Please register and book a room by clicking on the button below and following the instructions we have laid out for you. We look forward to welcoming you. We promise you will you have a good time of learning and fellowship in service of the church.

Rev. Ed Hurley will be leading the final prayer at the end of the conference.

The New Wilmington Missionary Conference

July 19-24, 2024 / Westminister College, New Wilmington, PA

The New Wilmington Missionary Conference is one of the oldest continuous Presbyterian Missionary Conferences the church offers. It is a great opportunity to discover how God is active in other parts of the globe. Here is the link to the conference this year. https://www.nwmcmission.org/promo-resources For more information contact Cody Watson.

Please be sure to check out the job openings around our Presbytery at the bottom of this page.

Newsletters, Bulletins, News

• The Virtual Voice - Synod of Living Waters Summer Issue
• Presbyterians Today - Mountains and Valleys
• Presbyterian Outlook - Trinity Sunday
• Coming to GA: Israel/Palestine & climate justice
• Pastoring in a secular age
• May at Montreat Conference Center
• What happened at Discovering Renewal last month?

PRESBYTERY OPERATING FINANCES March 2024 YTD