In the Presbytery of St. Augustine Our mission is " to support our faith community, so that together we are a greater witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ!"
| | News From Around the Presbytery | | |
Regional Gatherings
Summer is here, July will certainly give us some hot days, but it also gives us our next opportunity to gather in clusters to share a meal, enjoy fellowship, and offer mutual support. Please note of the dates and places we will be gathering in July.
- July 22, 2025, Sonny’s BBQ 2700 NE Waldo Rd, Gainesville, FL 12:00 p.m.
- July 23, 2025, Silver Spring Shores Presbyterian Church, Ocala, FL 1:00 p.m.
- July 29, 2025, Traylor Park 158 Marketside Avenue, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 12:00 p.m.
- July 30, 2025, Scramblers 1500 University Blvd W Jacksonville, FL 12:00 p.m.
RSVP by July 17th via email to our David Rollins our Lead Presbyter so he can know who to expect. david@staugpres.org
| | |
Be on the lookout for a brief survey from The Presbytery of St. Augustine. We would like it to be completed by ministers, certified ruling elders, directors of Christian Education, and anyone that has been involved in the work of the presbytery.
Your feedback will help guide us as we continue to move forward in mission and ministry. The survey will be distributed in the coming weeks via email.
| | Please share- we have office space available: | | |
Attention all church offices!
If you are paying more than $99 per year for QuickBooks or any other bookkeeping program- that's too much! With a free TechSoup subscription you can save a lot of money for your church. There are also savings with Microsoft Office and Adobe.
Contact Lisa for more information! lisa@staugpres.org (904) 733-8277
| | |
Free Resources
Palms Presbyterian is seeking a new home for some older study resources. We have The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible in 5 volumes (Abington Press, 1962) and The Interpreter’s Bible commentary set in 12 volumes (Abington Press, 1954). These are offered free to anyone who can come pick them up. If you are interested, please contact Bill Wildey (bill.wildey@palmschurch.org).
| | |
Presbytery of St. Augustine Youth Engagement initiative & 2025 Grants – Update
Read on for an exciting update to the grant award program! Even churches with few youth attending can be eligible.
The Presbytery of St. Augustine has been blessed with a very generous anonymous donor, who desires to support and encourage our congregations to actively engage young people. Over the past two years, twelve churches have received financial gifts for their work in this area.
Now, we are preparing to gift six more churches with similar awards, thanks to the donor’s continued generosity.
In consultation with the donor, the youth team has expanded the definition of ‘youth engagement” to include interactions your congregation has with students both within your own congregation and in your local community. These students do not have to be members of your church, or even attend worship or other church programs.
Some examples:
· If your congregation offers or participates in a mentoring or tutoring program for youth in your area, that counts!
· If your congregation actively supports a local youth organization
(Scouting, 4-H, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, music programs, Riverkeepers, Habitat for Humanity or other similar organizations, etc.), that counts!
· If youth participate in the life of your congregation is formal or informal ways, that counts!
· If students attend “traditional” church/youth programming, that counts! The process remains the same – follow the link HERE or in the email sent to your church to complete the survey to be eligible for consideration for a grant this year.
· The deadline for submitting the survey is July 31, 2025 to be considered for this year's grant.
| | |
Dear Presbytery of St. Augustine family,
I hope you are doing well. I’d like to personally invite you to consider applying for The Playground, a continuing education project I’m honored to be part of that’s designed to support and pour into ministry leaders like you.
This is a heavily subsidized, year-long cohort journey focused on exploring ancient Christian practices like Sabbath, Play, and A Rule of Life through unique theological lenses. Throughout 2026, participants will engage in in-person gatherings, online connection, and a class pilgrimage, all of which are designed to offer you rest, restoration, and vision for your ministry.
I believe you would be a wonderful fit for this 2026 cohort, and I would love for you to consider joining us for one of our three classes. Information about classes and dates as well as the application form can all be found here: www.flagler.edu/playground
I’ve looped in the Assoc. Director of The Playground, Kristen Maiocco (theplayground@flagler.edu). If you have any questions or would like to talk further, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Be well!
Justin
| | Please join the Presbyterian Women on Saturday August 23rd. Click here for all the information and registration link. Click here for the payment link. | |  | You are invited to attend an exciting Presbyterian Women Synod Gathering October 17-19, 2025 at Epworth by the Sea Conference center. Click here for all the details. t | | | |
Registration is now open for Stewardship Kaleidoscope 2025–
Stewardship: The Art of Resiliency
| | |
Stewardship Kaleidoscope, an ecumenical conference planned by volunteers from the PCUSA and ELCA, is designed for pastors and lay leaders to provide practical tools to strengthen your congregation's stewardship and generosity programs. This year’s conference will be in New Orleans, Louisiana, September 22-24, with an online virtual registration option as well. In-person attendees will be able to choose from dozens of workshops in addition to attending diverse plenary sessions and worship experiences. Virtual attendees will be able to join us for live-streamed and recorded plenaries and worship, and will also have access to 8 workshops, 4 of which will be available via be livestream.
Registration rates as are follows:
Early Bird In-Person Registration (through June 30): $360
First Call Pastor or Seminary Student In-Person Registration: $200
Virtual Attendee Registration: $150
After June 30, regular In-Person Registration increases to $385.
Rooms at our event hotel, the Sheraton New Orleans Canal Street, are offered at the discounted rate of $179/night if you book by August 29.
Grants are available through the Presbyterian Foundation to assist pastors and New Worshiping Community leaders to attend the conference. For more information, visit https://www.presbyterianfoundation.org/resources/church-financial-literacy-and-leadership-program/grant/ or contact your Ministry Relations Officer, Rev. Dana Waters at dana.waters@presbyterianfoundation.org.
| | |
Ongoing Prayers for Charlie Evans our Stated Clerk as he proceeds through cancer treatment.
Please pray for the Lord to guide the following church this week:
Kanapaha Presbyterian Church
Rev. Michaele Wood, Pastor
Janet Phipps, Clerk of Session
| |
Church Spotlight
Kanapaha Presbyterian Church
| Kanapaha Presbyterian Church in Gainesville, FL is considered the "mother church" of all the Presbyterian churches in the area. Today, we still operate and maintain the historic Kanapaha Church Cemetery, which surrounded the original church built in 1859 (no longer standing). We still worship today in the 1886 sanctuary, located further to the west. | |
From the official state marker:
In 1857, a group of Sea Island cotton planters from South Carolina who settled near here called an organizational meeting to establish Kanapaha Presbyterian Church.
The Reverend William J. McCormick (1821-1883) was recruited from South Carolina to be its first pastor. The first sanctuary was erected in 1859 on land donated by Moses Ramsey on the old military road now known as S.W. 63rd Boulevard. In April 1859, McCormick conducted the first services and the church was formally organized. During the Civil War, Kanapaha Church fell into disrepair. A new sanctuary designed in the Gothic Revival style was built in 1886 near the train depot in South Arredondo, later called Kanapaha.
Beginning in 1961, services were held in a building closer to Gainesville, but the congregation returned to the church here in 1970, after restoration was completed. Kanapaha Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest churches in Alachua County, and still retains its original pews, kerosene chandelier, stained glass windows, and bell. The church’s original steeple, badly damaged by hurricanes in the 1940s, was restored in 2001.
| | |
Equipped to Serve Registration is now open for the presbytery's 2026 enrichment and training event. We are delighted to partner in ministry for this important training in the life of the church.
Summer Information - News and Updates!
Summer 2025's theme is Created to Care: Finding our Place in God's Creation. I am excited to be writing this curriculum, with a passion for God's gift to us in creation, and how we may care for our precious world and one another as Christ followers. I am grateful for the ministry partners who have encouraged me in this endeavor, and who will be reviewing and offering edits prior to sharing it with our campers.
This year marks the beginning of our new 3-year Leadership Development Program. This is a progressive program designed to equip our youth to be strong leaders at camp, in our churches, and in the world. While the main component of this program is during the summer in LIT1 & 2 and CIT camps, LDP participants will also have opportunities to gather throughout the year for service, fellowship, and learning. We will explore leadership styles, communication skills, and conflict resolution, while also learning camp programming, obtaining certifications, and developing connections with youth around the presbytery.
With the rise in labor and food costs, and a sobering cost-analysis for our programs, you may have noticed the substantial increase in camp registration fees. This puts our costs more in line with camps locally and around the nation. While costs have risen, our families' need for financial support has not wavered. We aim to increase our scholarship fund to help every camper have an opportunity to attend camp. Would you continue to support this vital ministry through our scholarship fund?
I'd also like to encourage your sessions to discuss your camp sponsorship programs and share that decision with your families. Some churches sponsor member children at 100%, and community children not affiliated with the church at 50%. Oftentimes families ask us at Montgomery what the church is sponsoring, and we cannot make that decision for you, as each church has its own budget restraints to work with. Please email rebekah@montgomerycenter.org with your intended sponsorship plans for summer 2025 so that we may best serve our camp families together.
Finally, we are in the busy season of hiring our summer staff! We have several counselors returning, but we are looking for more 18+ overnight counselors to serve our growing program. Applicants must love kids, love Jesus, and have a desire to make a difference in children's lives. This year's commitment to serve is only 5 weeks, training included. We are committed to being a Presbyterian camp, but we need your help to refer youth group graduates and students in your college ministries to serve this summer. More information about what it takes to be a counselor can be found at https://www.montgomerycenter.org/summer-staff.
Summer Camp 2025
Registration for Camp Montgomery Summer Camp 2025 is now live! Click here to view the schedule and learn more about the various camps. Register today with a special early bird discount.
Rebekah Rodgers
Executive Director | Montgomery Center
88 SE 75th St, Starke, FL 32091
352-473-4516 | 352-514-5124
www.montgomerycenter.org
Faithful in hope. Patient in affliction. Steadfast in prayer.
| | |
Call to Serve
Are you called to serve God at the presbytery level? Several of our committees have positions that we need to fill to carry out our mission. We are looking for ruling elders and teaching elders that have time and energy to serve Christ beyond the local church.
For more information, please contact Beth Touchton, Volunteer Management Committee Chair, or David Rollins, Lead Presbyter.
| | | | | |
Resources: Jerie Lukefahr attended a workshop at APCE facilitated by a pastor in NE who has put together podcasts for Bible study use - for free. "Abundant Harvest: Midwest Ministry Hub" (FPC Hastings NE) Thought this might be worth sharing with the presbytery. https://midwestministryhub.org/
Congregations around the country that are on the front lines of welcoming all and providing sanctuary are beginning to deal with the reality that the landscape has shifted. If you are part of one of those congregations this may be useful https://pcusa.org/how-we-serve/global-engagement/immigration
Many years ago, I learned a wise approach to sharing resources and educational opportunities. I provide what I am able noting the resources are available to all but not required by any. It is reflected in the statement, all may, some will, none must. Use whatever is helpful in your particular ministry context and we will continually look for ways to resource our congregations.
| | |
Positions Available In Our Presbytery
Check out the many ministry opportunities throughout our presbytery here.
| | |
Blessings,
Cliff Lyda, Moderator of the Presbytery
Charlie Evans, Stated Clerk
David Rollins, Lead Presbyter
| |
Previous Staying Connected emails are available on our website.
| | | | |
