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Many thanks to First Presbyterian Douglas for hosting our Spring Stated Meeting! We had a wonderful time of worship together led by our Mission Committee liturgists and Rev. Rebecca Barnes, Coordinator of the Presbyterian Hunger Program, sharing a word from Ezekiel and Matthew. We welcomed three leaders into our presbytery to pastor the congregations at Midway First, Brunswick Second and Flemington churches and we celebrated the upcoming retirement and 30-year ministry of Rev. Dr. Stephen Williams, with First Presbyterian, Savannah. Lastly, we commissioned the Rev. Deanie Strength, Stated Clerk/Director of Administration, and Elder Odet Douglass, Brunswick Second, be the Teaching Elder and Ruling Elder Commissioners from Savannah Presbytery at the upcoming General Assembly.
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Future Meeting Dates:
- Fall 2024 – Tuesday, October 15
Meeting to follow 11 am lunch
Henry Memorial Presbyterian Church, Dublin
- Winter 2025 – Friday, February 21
Meeting to follow Noon lunch
Jekyll Community Presbyterian Church, Jekyll Island
- Spring 2025 – Tuesday, May 20
Meeting to follow 11 am lunch
Location TBD
- Fall 2025 – Date and time TBD
Wilmington Island Presbyterian Church, Savannah
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Jean Breitenhirt Scholarship Awards for 2024 | |
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Jean directed our summer camps for years with special care and love. This fund was created in her memory as a tangible way for folks to financially help children and youth afford programs like Summer Camp and Youth Conferences such as Montreat and the Triennium. This year the Education & Training Team approved 13 Summer Camp scholarships at $150 each and one Montreat Youth Conference scholarship at $200 for a grand total of $ 2,150.00!
How is this made possible each year?
By the generous donations of congregations and individuals each year. Please consider donating to this fund on our secure portal (see QR code above) or make checks payable to Savannah Presbytery, writing “Breitenhirt Fund” on the memo line and mailing to Savannah Presbytery, 450 N. Cromwell Road, Savannah GA, 31410, c/o Marty Susie, Director of Mission & Program Advancement.
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There is still space for registrations for Summer Camp but DON'T WAIT!
Who: Ages 8 through 17-year-olds
Where: Montgomery Conference Center, Starke FL
Cost: $410 per camper
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Summer Camp is a terrific way for children and youth to unplug from hectic schedules, to embrace God’s good creation in nature and to participate in experiences designed to enhance relationships with God, peers, and other Christian adults.
Savannah Presbytery will help facilitate transportation if needed.
During the registration process, families will be required to pay a $100 non- refundable deposit. The remaining monies due will be paid to Savannah Presbytery through your home churches before the June 23rd registration deadline. Canteen monies can be sent with transportation drivers/campers to place on their accounts upon arrival.
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Please pray for and send words of encouragement to our Savannah Presbytery Commissioners to the General Assembly, taking place June 25th-July 4th in Salt Lake City, UT. They are currently deep into their preparations.
Rev. Deanie Strength, Savannah Presbytery Stated Clerk and Director of Administration at deaniestrength@savannahpresbytery.org
Odet Douglass, Ruling Elder, Brunswick Second PC, at o.l.douglass@gmail.com
Learn more about the General Assembly here: PC(USA) OGA (pcusa.org)
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The Racial Justice Ministry Team invites you to join them in their support of the Georgia chapter of the Poor People's Campaign. Depending on the registrations by area, the bus may be rerouted to accommodate picking up riders or carpools may be arranged to meet the bus. Register by Friday June 21st. Questions? Contact Rev. Bob Morgan or Marty Susie
Let's get on the bus!
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Regarding Ruling Elders
A Monthly Series for Serving Faithfully
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Monthly Regarding Ruling Elders articles alternate between a deep dive into the ways ruling elders discern and measure the life of a congregation through the ministry of members (G-1.0304) AND stories about how ruling elders are using their call and gifts as they move within and beyond the walls of the congregation.
Subscribe to receive notifications of monthly Regarding Ruling Elders articles. Visit the PC(USA) Leader Formation website for more resources for ruling elders and deacons. For more information, email Martha Miller, editor of Regarding Ruling Elders.
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The Wonder of Worship Grants | |
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The Wonder of Worship program at Columbia Theological Seminary is offering a second round of grants of $1,000 to congregations nationally looking to enhance the engagement of children in their corporate workspaces.
Wonder of Worship is funded through Lilly Endowment’s Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative. The aim of the national initiative is to support faith-based organizations as they help children grow in faith and deepen their relationships with God.
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What is Christian Education? | |
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Christian educators are persons called by God to a ministry of education who demonstrate their faith in and love for Jesus Christ, are dedicated to the life of faith and are serious in purpose, honest in character and joyful in service.
There are many folks in our churches within Savannah Presbytery who help with and have a passion for Christian Education, and if they would like to go deeper, there is a pathway that provides an in-depth training that leads to Certification, where compensation is commensurate with that of clergy. This process is an affirmation of the importance of education to the total ministry of the Church. Christian educators seeking to be credentialed have two paths which vary based on education, training, and evaluation requirements. CCEs are also voting members of their presbytery.
The CCE/CACC certification standards may be found at the button below.
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If you would like to learn more, reach out to Marty Susie, Director of Mission & Program Advancement at MSusie1@savannahpresbytery.org. | |
Upcoming Juneteenth Celebrations | |
On June 19, 1865, nearly two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed ending chattel slavery in America, Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas with the news of freedom. More than 250,000 African Americans embraced freedom by executive decree in what became known as Juneteenth or Freedom Day. Juneteenth became a national holiday in 2021. You can learn more here: https://nmaahc.si.edu/juneteenth | |
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Help us choose our March Elective Course!
March 8-9th 2025, we will welcome back Dr. Christine Roy Yoder, Senior Vice President and Dean of Faculty and J. McDowell Richards Professor of Biblical Interpretation from Columbia Theological Seminary.
Read the following two course options and choose the one you would prefer we offer in March:
The Tree of Life: An Introduction to the Wisdom Literature of Ancient Israel
This course is an introduction to the wisdom literature of ancient Israel, especially the books of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes. Our goals are to consider the definition and key characteristics of wisdom; to develop a familiarity with the background, forms, content, theologies, and interpretive issues of the wisdom texts; and to reflect on the place of wisdom in the Christian Scriptures. Furthermore, we will explore the relevance of wisdom’s perspectives for contemporary preaching, teaching, and theological reflection in Christian communities.
In the Beginning: A Study of Genesis
This course is designed as a study of the book of Genesis, particularly Genesis 1-22. Our aims are to gain a critical familiarity with the contents and interpretive issues of the book, to develop further competence in interpretive skills (e.g., strategies for reading, methods, resources); and to consider Genesis as a theological resource for Christian communities.
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Presbyterian Youth Triennium | |
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Self Development of People (SDOP)
Faith in Action Opportunity Article
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Self Development of People (SDOP) puts faith in action to live out the ancient Chinese proverb, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." The Savannah Presbytery wants to constitute a Presbytery wide SDOP Committee to shepherd the [process of awarding grants for people in need who desire to help themselves. Please, look for a letter detailing the history and work of SDOP; the letter invites you and your church to volunteer to do the work of SDOP within your Presbytery district. We look forward to working with you to make the KIngdom and love of God known. Feel free to contact Jamil el-Shair by phone at 912.248.2904 or by email at altamapresbyterianchurch@apcbrunswick.org. | |
Job Openings in Savannah Presbytery | |
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On our website under “Ministries of Savannah Presbytery”, there is now a section for “Job Openings” within our churches and the Presbytery.
Church leaders should email job descriptions to
jbeeler@savannahpresbytery.org and these will be placed on the website. Openings for pastors, church educators, and staff positions for programming, office support, and finance are all welcome. Please contact Jaclyn when positions are filled.
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How can you help your congregations
stay informed on Savannah Presbytery happenings?
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Share our newsletter with your members by…
- Sharing this link in your emails to members:
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