September Newsletter

Director's Corner

Greetings Savannah Presbytery Siblings & Friends,

I hope the summer months provided opportunities for you to slow your pace, to connect with God’s creation and to recharge both your body and spirit for the fall season that is upon us. The work of the church is multifaceted, and I am thankful for the many individuals who share their time and talents with our presbytery through missions and programming created to engage, encourage and equip us to serve God’s kingdom.

As you plan for your personal and church’s faith formation and engagement, be intentional in connecting with the wider church through the offerings and resources shared in the following newsletter. I am highlighting four of my favorites:

Thursday, September 5th, 7-8 PM; Summer Camp 2025: Presentation with Q&A
Saturday, September 21st, Faithful Resilience; Coastal Green Team Summit by Georgia Interfaith Power & Light
Oct. 5-6th School of the Laity Choose from three courses and register by September 6th!
October Book Study: Poverty by America by Matthew Desmond. Thursdays 7-8:15 PM via Zoom.

Peace,

Marty Susie

Director of Mission & Programming Advancement

Summer Camp 2025

June 15 - 20, 2025

Camp Montgomery, Starke FL

Children & Youth ages 8-17 years

$585 per camper

Registration is open NOW

with an Early Bird Discount of $50 until November 30^th

to save your camper’s spot!

When registering be sure to:

Choose Session 1: June 15-20
Choose Discovery Camp (8-11 year-olds) or Challenge Camp (12-17)
Complete the HOME CHURCH form

Save YOUR camper's spot for Camp Montgomery at the button below

What’s NEW for 2025?

Campers will be from multiple PC(USA) churches & presbyteries!
We’ve added a day to the length of Camp Week! (now 5 nights/6 days)
Early Bird (until Nov. 30th) and Sibling Discounts are available!
Tiered Pricing format!
Registration is open NOW! **To guarantee a spot, campers need to register and pay a $50 deposit ASAP!
Summer Camp InformaZoom: September 5th, 7-8 PM

Download a Printable Summer Camp Flyer Here

Got questions? Come ask them!

Join Marty Susie, Director of Mission & Program Advancement for a

Summer Camp 2025 Zoom conversation

to discuss what you need to know

on Thursday, September 5th 7:00-8:00 PM.

This conversation is open to parents of campers, pastors, church staff- ANYONE who promotes or is involved with getting

children and youth to summer camp!

Coastal Green Team Summit

Our Mission Committee has sponsored a Savannah Presbytery table at the Coastal Green Team Summit being held at First Presbyterian Church (520 Washington Ave., Savannah, GA 31405) on September 21st from 9:30 am-2:30 pm.

School of the Laity

Promotional Poster for Churches

Promo Graphic for Social Media

Download Mail in Registration Here

Presbytery-wide Book Study!

Poverty by America Book Study

We are offering a presbytery-wide study on the book Poverty by America written by Matthew Desmond.

Desmond grew up poor in Winslow, Arizona. His father was a pastor, and the family struggled financially. Eventually the bank repossessed their home. “I think that experience of seeing my family pressed and stressed by the pressures of poverty led me to ask, ‘Why do we have so much poverty in America?’” Desmond said of the wealthiest nation on Earth, where 1 in 9 people live below the poverty line and tens of millions more people are just getting by just above the line.

Participants will be asked to read assigned chapters and have opportunity to gather on consecutive Thursday evenings from 7:00-8:15 PM for discussion via Zoom. In small groups, participants can expect to explore a handful of questions.

Our schedule will be:

October 3rd: Prologue, Chapters 1 & 2

October 10th: Chapters 3 & 4

October 17th: Chapters 5, 6 & 7

October 24th: Chapters 8, 9 & Epilogue

Click Here to Register

Justice for Ahmaud Arbery

After the murder of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, GA, Savannah Presbytery crafted a joint statement with Greater Atlanta Presbytery on May 28, 2020,highlighting the anti-racism statement of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and through which we pledged to walk alongside his family as they endured the journey of grief and the quest for justice.

On Thursday, October 24th, we can act on that pledge again by showing up to support the Arbery family as Ahmaud’s killers appeal their conviction at the Superior Court of Glynn County (701 H Street, Brunswick). Please join Reverends Deanie Strength, Cathy Belles, Honorably Retired Bob Morgan, Marty Susie, Director of Mission & Program Advancement and other Glynn County clergy at 8:30 am at the courthouse. If you are interested in carpooling or have any questions please contact Deanie (Deaniestrength@savannahpresbytery.org) or Marty (MSusie1@savannahpresbytery.org)

Savannah Presbytery Statement

Thanks from Georgia Poor People's Campaign!

The Georgia Poor People’s Campaign expressed deep thanks to the Savannah Presbytery for our support of the June 29th Moral March on Washington sharing they could not have sent two buses with 93 marchers to Washington without our support.

As part of their thanks, they shared the video below which seeks to capture the adventure, the meaning and the joy of this march as GAPPC sought to advocate for the 140 million poor and low wage workers across America and this national call for justice possible.

Faith Enrichment Conference

Quarterly Resources

Click Here for Quarterly Resources

Exciting Opportunity!

We at FPC Statesboro want to invite you and all SP congregations - especially our District 2 folks - to join us on Sunday, September 29 for a special morning with the Rev. CeCe Armstrong, Moderator of the 226th General Assembly as our preacher and Sunday School teacher.

We were hoping some churches could join us that morning and give both their pastor a Sunday off and be encouraged in our connectional church.

Details:

Childcare provided
There will be a meal so RSVP by September 15th to office@fpcstatesboro.org
Sunday School will be in the Sanctuary at 9:30am; Worship in the Sanctuary at 11am
Our choir director is happy to welcome any singers, too, and would love to put together a District 2 choir for the morning. Anthem would be sent well in advance for practice.

Our hope is to use this time to connect us with one another and with the greater denomination. What a gift that Cece will grace us with a lasting Word! Please feel free to ask me or the FPC Statesboro staff any questions and circulate this opportunity widely!

With gratitude,

TLGH

Synod SACK Lunch

58 Blue Presbyterian Hymnals Available

Brunswick Second Presbyterian Church would like to “rehome” its collection of the blue Presbyterian Hymnals which were published in 1990.

If your church is interested in them, please contact Clerk of Session Elaine Griffin.

SOAP Conference

Remembering the Saints

Pastors, Elders, and Deacons who have died in the past year.

Please submit, name, photo, and a brief biography to:

rdouylliez@savannahpresbytery.org and martistein@gmail.com

Comings and Goings

Rev. Dr. Taylor Lewis Guthrie Hartman, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Statesboro, has accepted a call to serve as Pastor of Second Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Virginia. Taylor’s final Sunday with the church will be on September 22. Taylor has contributed to the ministry of Savannah Presbytery as a member of the Committee on Ministry and the Permanent Judicial Commission and as a member and chair of the Racial Justice Ministry Team. We thank Taylor for her faithful service, thoughtful ministry, and big heart and wish her God speed!

St. Simons Presbyterian Church has called Rev. Rachel Rhodes as its next pastor. Rachel begins her work at the church on Monday, September 9. Get to know Rachel through this video link on the church’s website: Staff - ST. SIMONS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (sspres.org) A service of installation will be held on a later date.

Rev. Josh McKenna has begun his work as Stated Pastor of Flemington Presbyterian Church in Hinesville and was welcomed into his position by members of the Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry in an afternoon service in August. (I am going to email you a photo separately – here is the attribution) L to R: Rev. Ben Beasley, Allenhurst, Rev. Bert Cramer, Jekyll Rev. Deanie Strength, Stated Clerk/ DOA Savannah Presbytery; Rev. Josh McKenna, Flemington; Anastasia McKenna, Flemington; Elder Willie Washington, Midway First; Elder Jimmy Griffin, Commissioned Pastor, First Brunswick. (Not pictured: Elder Kelly Weber, Vidalia.