Staying Connected

September 27, 2023

Happy Fall, Y'all,

This season of change reminds us of the beauty in transition, and we invite you to join us in celebrating the warmth of community, the blessings of harvest and the enduring faith that sustains us through all seasons of life. In this edition of Staying Connected, you'll find information about our Fall Stated Meeting, information about the upcoming Youth Retreat and exciting activities that are taking place around the presbytery.

Fall Stated Presbytery Meeting

The Fall Stated Presbytery Meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 3, at St. Giles Presbyterian Church. The offering for this meeting is designated for the Presbytery Mental Health Fund.

About our Offering and the Mental Health Assistance Fund

The Presbytery of St. Augustine is proud to announce the establishment of a Mental Health Assistance Fund.

The purpose of this fund is:

To financially assist individuals in need of counseling.
To financially assist churches interested in hosting events relating to mental health.
To financially assist churches interested in establishing support groups and/or providing grief counselors for congregations after a major mental health crisis.
To financially assist congregations and/or organizations within our presbytery interested in providing support group training and education events.

The Presbytery of St. Augustine is committed to addressing the current mental health crisis in our country. If you or your church are currently providing or working to provide any kind of mental health services, and/or support groups, initiatives, please contact the presbytery — info@staugpres.org.

To register for the meeting, click here.

To register for lunch, click here.

To view meeting materials, click here.

See you in October!

Update on Designated Funds

The Coordinating Council has set a deadline for submitting a grant application for an award from Designated Funds. The application deadline is November 15, 2023. For more information, click here.

Property Updates

The Synod of South Atlantic has shared space with the Presbytery for many years. However, the Synod will be transitioning into a new facilities model and will no longer need the office space at the Presbytery Office. If anyone knows of a non-profit that would like to rent office space next to Lakewood Presbyterian Church, there are two offices available for rent. Please let the Presbytery Office know of any interest.

More News From Around the Presbytery

On the Way Youth Retreat

We invite youth group participants (middle and high school) and their adult leaders to join us at Montgomery Center October 6 through 8, for our Fall Retreat: On the Way. Join us for worship music, inspiring keynotes, recreation, small group time and lots more! The cost is $135 for youth and $85 for adults. There are scholarships available.

For more information, click here.

To register, click here.

Blessing of the Animals

The Blessing of the Animals service is not only a time to celebrate the beloved animals in your life, but also to see how it might be done in your church for church members, their pets and your community as a creative way of reaching out.

World Animal Day is celebrated each year on October 4. On this day, animal life in all its forms is celebrated, and special events are planned in locations all over the globe. October 4 was originally chosen for World Animal Day because it is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, a nature lover and patron saint of animals and the environment. Numerous churches throughout the world observe October 4 (or a Sunday close to it) with a Blessing of the Animals service.

We'd love to see photos from your Blessing of the Animals service! Send them to communications@staugpres.org. If you are looking to attend a service, check out the one at Lakewood Presbyterian on October 15, at 10:00 a.m.

Resources

2023-2024 Presbyterian Planning Calendars

It’s time to pre-order your 2023-2024 Presbyterian Planning Calendar through the presbytery office! The discounted rate is $12.00 each. Or only $10.00 each if you pick-up at the presbytery office. Click here to order your calendar(s).

Matthew 25 Church

PC(USA) has released a brand new video to help Matthew 25 congregations and communities with next steps. Learn more about next steps here.