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Greetings Presbytery Family!
Warm greetings to all members of our presbytery! We are excited to share this week’s updates with you. In this edition of Staying Connected, you can discover the latest updates from the 226th General Assembly, new training opportunities and upcoming events in our presbytery.
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Happy Retirement
We give thanks to God for the gifts of Joe Rigsby. Joe has served faithfully and well in a variety of ways throughout the presbytery. Recently, Joe notified us of his decision to retire as Area Relationship Coordinator (ARC). Joe has been an ARC since the positions were conceived. Joe is loved and admired throughout the presbytery becuase of his thoughtful pastoral care, excellent preaching and the depth of his wisdom. Thanks Joe for all you have done.
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The 226th General Assembly came to an end, in Salt Lake City on July 4. Read this reflection on the General Assembly, by Rev. Craig S. Davies here.
Additional Updates
Click here to view worship and plenary videos from the General Assembly.
Click here to read the daily News Brief from each day of the 226th General Assembly.
The next General Assembly will take place in Milwaukee, June 28 through July 2, 2026.
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News From Around the Presbytery | |
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St. Augustine Presbytery Disaster Assistance Commission
Hurricane season is here!
SAPDAC is hard at work this hurricane season. Someone from the Commission or an Area Relationship Coordinator will be calling each church to check in and tell you about various hurricane resources. Many of those resources for congregations are on various websites including these:
Please take a look and get your church ready. Each church needs a plan in case disaster strikes.
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Training Thursdays: Matthew 25 Churches
This month's Training Thursdays webinar will be Matthew 25 Churches on July 25. Learn more about Matthew 25 Churches and hear from leaders of churches, in our presbytery, who will discuss how they implement Matthew 25. Training Thursdays is a new training series brought to you by the Training Team. Click here to register.
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Board of Trustees: Opportunity to Serve
The board of trustees carries out an important function: To care for all the properties held in trust by the congregations of the presbytery. What does this mean? It means they review requests for loans to congregations and all requests to sell or lease real properties held in trust by the congregation. The Board of Trustees meets once a month on the fourth Tuesday of the month via Zoom. Meeting materials are sent out ahead of time to help keep meetings to an hour.
There are two vacancies for the class of 2025, three vacancies for the class of 2026 and two vacancies for the class of 2027, leaving the Board short of members. This is an invitation for you to prayerfully consider serving as a trustee for the 2025, 2026 and/or 2027 class. This is serving God’s people in another way. If you have any questions and are interested in serving, please contact Ana Lugo, president and chair.
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Immersion Trip to the Border
Memorial PC will be leading an Immersion Trip to the Border October 15 through 22. Those who go on the trip will have the opportunity to witness the work of Frontera de Cristo and its ministry partners, learn about the root causes of migration and go on a desert hike with Agua Para la Vida. The trip is $700 and includes lodging and meals (airfare not included).
The registration deadline is August 1 and the final balance will be due September 1. For more information, click here or email Julie Reffel.
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Clergy Gatherings
Our most recent cluster gatherings have been a huge success. Save the dates, below, for the next round of gatherings. More information about locations are coming soon. If you are planning to come, please let David Rollins, Lead Presbyter, know.
- Gainesville Area -- August 12, 12:00 p.m. at Metro Diner (2130 SW 34th St.)
- St. Augustine Area -- August 21, 1:00 p.m. at Memorial PC
- Jacksonville -- Area August 22, 12:00 p.m. at Scramblers (1500 University Blvd.)
- Ocala area -- August 28, 11:30 a.m. at Cheddar's (4065 SW College Rd.)
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Youth Participation Survey
Last fall the Youth Ministry Team was able to gift $100,000 to six churches through the generosity of an anonymous donor. These gifts were made possible by participation in the annual youth ministry survey per the donor’s wishes. This year we will, again, be sharing the donor’s gifts with six churches. To be eligible, your church must complete the survey! If you have even one youth in your church, your congregation is eligible. We look forward to hearing about the participation of young people in your congregation.
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VBS
Vacation Bible School season is here! We'd love to hear about your themes and exciting activities. Send photos and information to communications@staugpres.org.
Palms PC created a world of oceanic fun with their SCUBA theme this year.
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Mutual Mission
Mutual Mission is planning a trip to Cuba in the fall of 2025. In February 2024, POSA churches were paired with churches in Cuba to set up a relationship. Mutual Mission would like to know if there are other congregations that are interested in beginning a partnership. If your church is interested, please contact Pat Crews.
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Prayer Corner
Please pray for the Lord to guide the following church (its staff and session) this week:
Mayport Presbyterian Church
Leadership
Jim Black
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Annual Summer Gathering & Bible Study Kick-Off
Registration
Save the date for the 2024 Annual Summer Gathering and 2024-2025 Bible Study Kick-Off! This year's Summer Gathering will take place on Saturday, August 24, at Montgomery Center. The event will feature updates from the Churchwide Gathering in St. Louis, worship, officer training, team building fun and an overview of the new study by Rev. Amy Camp (Memorial PC).
The cost, for the Gathering, is $30. The deadline for early registration is August 9. Registrations submitted or postmarked after August 9 will be $35. Click here to register online or download the flyer to mail in your registration. Don't forget to share this information with your PW members.
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Bible Study
The 2024-2025 Bible Study is, Let Justice Roll Down: God's Call to Care for Neighbors and All Creation, by Patricia K. Tull.
This PW/Horizons Bible study is an invitation to explore and to act, with all hearts, in responding to an issue that impacts all life on God’s earth. Readers will learn about ecological systems, the challenges we face in this time of accelerated climate change and the possibilities available to address or counter the impact of human-made stress on our environment. Further, readers will explore theological questions that point them to act and engage, in large and small ways.
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Gift Card Collection
Presbyterian Women will be receiving a gift card offering at the Gathering in St. Louis. If you would like to contribute to this offering, please mail Lowe's, Target, Walmart or Amazon gift cards, with at least $10 or more on each card, to Nancy Carlton, PW Moderator. The gift cards will be given to Bethel Hills and Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services.
Nancy Carlton
2511 Sam Rd.
Jacksonville, FL 32216
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Justice and Peace Calendar
Click here to view the 2024 PW Justice and Peace Calendar.
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News From Montgomery Center | |
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Summer Camp
The summer camp season is halfway over at Montgomery. They have already had about 70 overnight campers and 40 day campers.
Montgomery hosted a group from a sister site, Cedarkirk, recently. They enjoyed fun activities such as behind-the-boat and a trip to the springs.
This week is Leaders-in-Training Camp and Wilderness Camp will begin on July 14.
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Cruising with Montgomery
Do you love Montgomery? Do you enjoy cruising? You can now combine those passions on an Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Caribbean Princess. This cruise departs from Port Canaveral on January 6, 2025, with ports of call Nassau, San Juan and Grand Turk, returning to Port Canaveral on January 12. Staterooms start at $494 and are filling fast! A portion of your cruise fare will be given back to support the vision and mission of Montgomery Center. Don't wait to book. Come vacation with us!
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Southeast Region National Black Presbyterian Caucus Conference
Save the date for the Southeast Region National Black Presbyterian Caucus Conference that will take place July 19 through 20, in Jacksonville.
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Sabbath by the Pool
The 2024 Sabbath by the Pool: A Continuing Education Event for Women will take place on August 5, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The event includes yoga, spiritual direction, good food and good conversations. Priority registration for women in the Synod of South Atlantic is now through June 30. Click here to learn more. Click here to register!
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Training Thursdays
Save the date for a new training series brought to you by the Training Team. The second webinar session will be Matthew 25 Churches on July 25. Click here to register. Sessions will be recorded and available to view at later times.
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Season of Rebuilding Zoom Meetings
Join Clark Simmons, Senior Church Consultant, for a Zoom meeting on the 2025 Dues Packages. Click the time slot of your preference to register.
July 30: 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m.
July 31: 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m.
August 1: 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m.
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Women's Connection Conference
The Montreat Women's Connection Conference will take place August 9 through 11. Women's Connection 2024 will be a time for women to connect with old and new friends, a time to care for yourself; a time for space and Sabbath. Click here to learn more and to register.
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Positions Available In Our Presbytery
Check out the many ministry opportunities throughout our presbytery here.
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Blessings,
Steve Crowley, Moderator of the Presbytery
Charlie Evans, Stated Clerk
David Rollins, Lead Presbyter
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Previous Staying Connected emails are available on our website.
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