► Tomorrow, September 9, is the deadline for registering forDisciplefest 2022, to be held at Dogwood Acres Saturday, September 17. "Rooted and built up in him" (Colossians 2:6-7) will be the theme.
► Event schedule:
9 am CT/10 am ET – Check-in/Refreshments
9:30 am CT/10:30 am ET – Morning Worship, led by Gulf Breeze Presbyerian Pastor Rev. Bill Lamont
10:00 am CT/11:00 am ET – Workshop Session A
12 pm CT/1 pm ET – Lunch
1 pm CT/2 pm ET – Workshop Session B
2:30 pm CT/3:30 pm ET – Closing Celebration
► Overnight lodging in DWA's climate-controlled cabins is available before and after the event. Contact Dogwood Acres Program Director Eric Hearn for information and reservations (eric@dogwoodacres.org or (770) 378-7289).
► Once you've registered, please be sure to:
● Dress casually with comfortable walking shoes when you attend
● Arrive promptly for check-in at 9 a.m. CDT/10 a.m. EDT
● Stay to share in the Closing Celebration
● Give your feedback after the event
Other opportunities
► The Presbytery's Committee on Congregational Revitalization (CCR) will present "Eclesia Reformata, Semper Reformanda: The Church Reformed, Always Reforming", a one-day seminar for ministers, commissioned ruling elders (CREs), interims, visioning team leaders and others seeking ways to do ministry in our changing culture. The event, to be held Wednesday, October 5, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. CDT in Dogwood Acres' Koinonia Building, will be led by Rev. Mark Tidsworth, a PC(USA) pastor and director of Pinnacle Leadership Associates, and is designed to give insights and tools on how to move forward serving our Lord in this day and time. $10 registration fee includes the seminar, lunch, and snacks.Click here for an event flier. Click here for registration. Registration deadline: Tuesday, September 27.
►Spiritfestmiddle-schoolers' weekend retreat is returning to Dogwood Acres October 14 – 16 with the theme "Live Life Loud".It's a time to relax, recharge, and reconnect, featuring keynotes, worship, small groups, recreation, workshops, and lots of fellowship, all in the beauty of God’s creation at Dogwood Acres. This retreat specifically for middle school students only (grades 6-8) is led by high school students from across the Presbytery of Florida. Lodging is in the Dogwood Acres cabins, and meals are provided in the dining hall. Contact Program Director Eric for more information or registration: eric@dogwoodacres.org.
► Northminster Presbyterian Church, Pensacola, is sponsoring a trip to the Holy Land Israel with an optional extension to Egypt next year from May 29 – June 6, 2023, led by Dr. Greg Seltzer and Reverend Shuford White. For an informative trip brochure, please contact pastorgregnpcpensacola@gmail.com.
► From Presbytery Committee on Mission and Outreach (CMO) Florida Presbyterian Disaster Preparedness Network Liaison Tim Crawford: Thank you to the congregation of First, Lynn Haven for sending $3700 in Walmart gift cards to help with recovery efforts in Kentucky impacted by the devastating floods this past July. Are you looking for a way to make an impact, but not sure how to get the support where it is needed? Areas in great need of support can be found by contacting Presbyterian Disaster Assistance; go to their website, https://pda.pcusa.org/. These pages provide many opportunities for you and your congregation to easily help those the areas flooded in July and other areas affected and working to recover from both manmade and natural disasters in the US and internationally.
► From FLAPDAN: September is National Preparedness Month, and the tropics are getting busy. Take this opportunity to review your family and church disaster plans, update contact information, restock your disaster kits, and plan for your pets, too! Visit https://www.ready.gov/september. If you need a church disaster plan, you can download a templatehere.
► Application forms for persons who wish to be considered for appointment by General Assembly Co-Moderators the Rev. Ruth Faith Santana-Grace and the Rev. Shavon Starling-Louis, to the following special entities – special committees, commission, task force, development team, and implementation team – created by the Assembly this summer are now available at the GA nominations portal.
2020 Guiding Statement Implementation Team (2022)
Commission to Unify the Office of the General Assembly and the Presbyterian Mission Agency (2022) (225th GA Commissioners and Young Adult Advisory Delegates (YAADs) encouraged to apply; must be ruling elder or teaching elder)
Funding Model Development Team (2022) - (225th GA Commissioners, TSADs, YAADs encouraged to apply)
Special Committee on the PCUSA and Race (2022)
Special Committee to Revise the Standing Rules (2022) - (224th GA and 225th GA Commissioners and 225th GA TSADs and YAADs encouraged to apply)
Special Committee to Write a New Confession - (2022) - (must be ruling elder or teaching elder)
Task Force to Explore the Theology and Practice of Ordination - (2022)
Only those who have completed and submitted an application form and for whom reference forms have been received can be considered for appointment by the co-moderators. The deadline for submission of applications for special entities is October 14.
Pray for one another
- September 11 – Red Bay Presbyterian Church
- September 18 – Woodland Presbyterian Church, Sawdust
- The Presbytery's Committee on Representation (CR), meeting September 10, Committee on Ministry (COM), meeting September 13, and Committee on Presbytery Administration (CPA), meeting September 14.
- Dogwood Acres Director Ben Powell, his wife, Kathy, and their family as Ben undergoes chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer. After undergoing his second of eight rounds of treatment this week, he reported, "Feeling much better than I did at the end of cycle one. Prayers answered."
