May 20 Presbytery meeting recap

● Approximately 60 ministers, ruling elders, Christian educators, visitors and volunteers attended last Saturday's meeting at Dogwood Acres. 
● The presbyters warmly welcomed two new member ministers – Rev. Cathy Mooney, returning to her childhood church home at First Presbyterian of DeFuniak Springs to be installed as their pastor, and Rev. James Krapf, honorably retired, now serving on the Presbytery’s Self Development of People Committee and available for West District pulpit supply. Rev. Mooney also preached a sermon for the morning worship.
● Stated Clerk Jeannie Dixon presented revised Presbytery Bylaws and Manual of Operations documents. These were approved and are now available on the Presbyery's website.
● The Committee on Congregational Discernment, formerly the Committee on Congregational Revitalization, requested and received approval for a new CCD Handbook.
● The presbytery approved the following nominations:
Ed Nickinson (Elder, Trinity - Pensacola) Committee on Ministry, Class of 2024
Rev. Anne Apple (Minister, 1st-Tallahassee) Committee on Mission and Outreach, Class of 2026
Tim Crawford (Elder, 1st-Crestview) Committee on Mission and Outreach Vice Chair
Rev. Jim Rollins (Minister-HR) Committee on New Congregational Development Vice Chair
● The presbytery agreed with the Bills and Overtures Committee's recommendation for approval of proposed Book of Order amendment 22-GG, replacing the entire section entitled "Rules of Discipline" with a new section entitled "Church Discipline".
● Committee on Mission and Outreach Chair Rev. Dr. Hugh Hamilton reported on CMO's first-ever Community Action Grant, given to 1st-Tallahassee and their partner churches engaged in developing a “Guns2Gardens” initiative.  The $5000 grant will kickstart this ministry that safely and legally dismantles and destroys unwanted firearms. Click here for details on the grant guidelines and application form.
● The meeting's educational segment offered attendees in small, rotating groups, opportunities to visit various stations for information about UKirk Tallahassee collegiate college ministry, with Campus Minister Matt Frease; Dogwood Acres, with DWA Interim Director Christy Williams; Florida Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Network (FLAPDAN), with Presbytery FLAPDAN liaison Tim Crawford; and DWA's new meditation trail, with Committee on Dogwood Acres member Kay Lachat. As several attendees requested materials referenced in Tim's FLAPDAN presentation, they are available here. Look for photos and additional information about these presentations in the Presbytery's June Panhandle Presbyterian next week.
● Tremendous thanks to Dogwood Acres staff and volunteers for their hospitality; to all the committee chairs who provided reports; the previously-named educational segment presenters; and worship leader James Gaylor (Elder, 1st-Crestview) and music leader Brad Thorson (Music Director, 1st-Lynn Haven).  
● Next stated presbytery meeting: Tuesday, August 22, at Trinity Presbyterian, Pensacola   

Our presbytery family

►The Presbytery office will be closed Monday, May 29, in observance of Memorial Day.

►The Presbytery's Strategic Planning Task Force invite all presbytery members to attend a presentation via Zoom on findings from the Presbytery's Holy Cow! Landscape Assessment, provided by Holy Cow! Consultant Susan Czolgosz Wednesday, June 14, at 6:30 p.m. CDT/7:30 p.m. EDT. Click here to register to receive the Zoom link for joining.

►The Presbytery of Florida will elect one teaching elder and one ruling elder commissioner and one alternate for each, and one Young Adult Advisory Delegate (YAAD) to the 226th General Assembly, to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, June 25 - July 4, 2024. All teaching elders, ruling elders, and young adults in our presbytery (at least 18 but not more than 23 years old at the time of GA) may apply to serve. The GA is full of activities: business sessions, committee meetings, daily worship services, and mission tours. The GA and the presbytery pay or reimburse nearly all of the expenses of GA service. Click here to download the application form. Please share it within your congregation! Application deadline: June 30, 2023.

►General Presbyter Roy Martin and wife, Lisa, are enjoying an extended vacation in Great Britain through July 3. If you need immediate Presbytery assistance during this time, please contact Stated Clerk Jeannie Dixon at statedclerk@presbyteryofflorida.com or 850-591-6284 or Administrator Melissa Willis at mwillis@presbyteryofflorida.com or (850)535-2335.

►Please keep in mind that – even while Rev. Dr. Martin is abroad – at no time under any circumstances will any presbytery staff member ever solicit financial assistance, request gift cards, or issue other pleas for help via email, even if the sender email address appears authentic. If uncertain, please contact the presbytery office for verification.

►First Presbyterian of DeFuniak Springs joyfully installed Rev. Catherine 'Cathy" Mooney as their new pastor Sunday, May 21. View photos on the church's Facebook page.

►Christ Presbyterian, Tallahassee, welcomes Isabella Giles, who will will begin working with their youth group this fall as Youth Ministry Assistant. 

► 1st Presbyterian of Tallahassee welcomes Rev. Greta Reed (HR) as their Parish Associate and Fran Owens as part-time Financial Administrator. The congregation also will commission Ethan Murphy as Choir Director, moving from an interim position, on Pentecost Sunday.

► Trinity Presbyterian, Pensacola, recently recognized former Presbyterian Women of the Presbytery Moderator Kelly Slorahn for receiving the 2023 Presbyterian Women Honorary Life Member Award. The presentation was given by 2022 PW Life Membership Award recipient and Trinity Pastor Rev. Dr. Hugh Hamilton.

► Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church will host their annual Arts & Heritage Festival Saturday, June 3, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. CDT, with free admission, featuring artists, crafters and cottage-industry food makers. For details, contact Brian Hughes at 850-603-2584 (Please text, as unidentified callers will be blocked) or email brian_abroad@yahoo.com. Click here for an event flier.

More news you can use

► The Board of Pensions recently met with more than 300 mid council, congregational, agency and pastoral leaders in Denver and Atlanta to hear their thoughts on redesigning the Benefits Plan to give churches greater flexibility and choice. Click here for their report.

► Pre-Order 2023-24 Presbyterian Planning Calendars now. Order through the Presbytery office as part of a discounted bulk order or order directly from the PC(USA) Store. Regular price: $16.95 each + S&H. Presbytery bulk rate: $12 per calendar without shipping, or $14 per calendar with shipping from the Presbytery office to your address. Bulk order deadline: July 7, 2023. To order through the Presbytery office, email office@presbyteryofflorida.com or call 850-535-2335. The 19-month calendar (starting with June  2023 and ending with December 2024), which contains many planning aids for pastors and other church leaders, will be published July 20.

►Austin College, a private liberal arts college in Sherman, TX, announces the largest single gift in the College’s history, which will fully fund the Westminster Scholarship Program for Presbyterian students to attend Austin College beginning in the 2024-2025 academic year. With this gift, the Westminster Scholarship Program will now cover full tuition for any student on the membership roll of a Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation. The fund will additionally cover room and board for children of PC(USA) clergy and staff. Learn more at Austincollege.edu/scholarships or contact the Office of Adminissions.

►Alabama/Mississippi Presbyterian Women invite all women in our Presbytery to a conference, with the theme “Sacred Encounters, The Power and Presence of Jesus Christ in Luke-Acts", to be held at Spring Hill Presbyterian Church in Mobile, Al, June 13 – 15. Dr. Olive Mahabir, writer of the Horizons Bible Study for next year, will be the keynote speaker. Click here for the registration form. Click here for Dr. Mahabir's and the workshop leaders' bios.

Pray for one another
- May 28 – Navarre Presbyterian Church 
- June 4 – Dogwood Acres

Click here for the complete 2023 Presbytery Prayer Calendar, or view the calendar's prayer requests in the Presbytery's Calendar of Events at http://www.presbyteryofflorida.net/events-calendars/.