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This week's eNews starts with a special "Dear Church" letter from Presbytery Coach and Coordinator Patrice Hatley with the other news following below.
December 17, 2020

Dear Church,

This is a love letter. I am in awe of the resilience and creativity so many of our church leaders have shown for a very, very long time in the face of unimaginable challenges to our mission and ministry. This 2020 season of Advent is perhaps the most amazing season of waiting, anticipation, hope, and expectation any of us have experienced in our lifetimes. Soon we will celebrate the arrival of the babe in the manger, God’s ultimate gift to the world. And yet we will still be in waiting mode well into 2021. Waiting to have our turn at the vaccine. Waiting for a reset of our social and family norms. Waiting for peace.

Like the congregations we serve, the Presbytery staff has adjusted to how we work and worship. We monitor the county statistics as I know you do, too. I also know you must be aware that the numbers of local Covid-19 cases and deaths are on the rise. To a good extent it seems to be a result of letting our guard down or maybe being too tired to care anymore. An article in Wednesday’s Tampa Bay Times reported that the latest estimates for our area shows a large surge peaking in late January through February, largely brought on by traveling families and other gatherings over the holidays. That is frightening and should give us all pause as we consider how to faithfully conduct ourselves over the next several months.

Sadly, I hear nearly every day in recent weeks about church pastors, staff, elders, and members that have tested positive with Covid-19. Most are taking the virus seriously and are continuing with responsible and careful and self-less approaches to worship and mission. They are being guided by their coronavirus task forces and the CDC scientists’ guidelines. If they are worshiping in person, it is limited to small numbers, and does not include singing, wind instruments, or passing offering plate, communion tray or blowing out candles. Facemasks are required to be worn and distancing in the norm.

Many of you with long-standing traditions of holding the most wonderful and inspiring Advent and Christmas concerts and nativity programs have either canceled them or put them entirely online or outdoors for the first time. Actions like that honor the safety and health of your neighbors. It is also wise and courageous and sets a good example. I pray none of our churches become spreader events like we hear about in the daily news. Especially when we know better.

The Presbytery of Tampa Bay continues to conduct all business via digital means. All meetings of standing commissions and committees are via Zoom video conference. The Presbytery office remains closed for public access. It is with love for all of you and your families that we are committed as a staff and as a leadership team to be responsible and cautious as we manage the day-to-day operations of the Presbytery of Tampa Bay.

The approach we are taking to our work will continue to evolve, but there will be no in-person gatherings for several months. We are happy to attend session meetings via Zoom, as well. I have directed staff to decline participation with in-person worship services since we could unknowingly transport illnesses between churches and into our own homes. Presbytery is operating with the assumption that this will go on at least into the late spring or longer. You might like to know we are even planning to conduct on-line services of worship for an ordination of a new minister and a pastor installation in late January! 

It will be glorious to finally be with each other someday. Laying on of hands will take on new meaning, won’t it? Until then, and whenever that is, let’s be vigilant. Let’s be available to the Holy Spirit’s disruption, to the unexpected. Have a Merry Christmas and a HEALTHY NEW YEAR!
Love,
Patrice Hatley
Coach and Coordinator
Presbytery of Tampa Bay
Mobile: (863) 206-1004
Office: (813) 868-4800, opt. 1
Christmas is coming, and a New Year, too!
And it's about time!
But, we still have a bit farther to travel before we can relax and find the next "new normal."

Patrice mentioned a story in the Tampa Bay Times; here's a little more detail and the source for her comment. In discussing Hillsborough County's tougher face mask rule going into effect this week, the Times reported that:

The votes [on the new rules] came after Dr. Douglas Holt, director of the state Health Department in Hillsborough County, repeated for commissioners the projections shared two weeks ago by Dr. Edwin Michael, a University of South Florida College of Public Health professor and an epidemiologist who studies the spread of global infectious diseases. Michael warned of a looming exponential climb in cases that could overwhelm Tampa Bay area hospitals with the surge expected to peak in late January through February.

That news earlier this week was followed by the update below from the CDC that came in Thursday's email while I was preparing to send this issue of the eNews. It has tips and guidance on safer celebrations, attending holiday celebrations, hosting holiday celebrations, considering other holiday activities, encouragement to volunteer to help others in need, and updates on COVID-19 numbers through December 16.

Like I said last time I wrote to you, it's a different kind of holiday season this year.

But God is with us in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Just as God was with our ancestors in earlier times of pandemic, plague, and other challenges.

However you celebrate and observe Christmas this year --- together, alone, on Zoom or however --- my holiday wish and prayer is that all will have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Blessings,

Bill

Rev. William A. Wildhack III
Stated Clerk and Manager of Communications
(813) 868-4800, opt. 2

P.S. to EVERYBODY: the offering collected during and after worship at our last Presbytery meeting totaled 1,389.32 for Feeding Tampa Bay. Thank you for your generosity!

P.S. to CLERKS OF SESSIONS (and those who assist them): watch for a separate email from me shortly answering (some of) your questions about the annual statistical report and session minutes reviews.

+ + +
My work---and this newsletter---is supported by per capita funds from congregations in the Presbytery of Tampa Bay, which also help unite all Presbyterians in sharing God’s love through mission and ministry. Thank you!
New from the Centers for Disease Control
Everyone Can Make Winter Holiday Celebrations Safer

Celebrating virtually or with the people you live with is the safest choice this winter. If you do gather with people who don’t live with you, gatherings and activities held outdoors are safer than indoor gatherings.

Read more
m.emailupdates.cdc.gov
Presbyterian Chaplain at Tampa General featured in WFLA story on COVID-19 vaccine rollout
With the heading "Massive effort underway at Tampa General Hospital to get frontline workers vaccinated for Covid-19," WFLA News Channel 8's story included a brief interview with Chaplain Jenny Sumner Carswell (not "Croswell" as it says on screen!). Chaplain Carswell is a member of the Presbytery of Tampa Bay serving in a validated ministry as a Clinical Pastoral Education Educator and chaplain at TGH.

As she posted on Facebook that day, "NewsChannel 8 arrived just as I was getting my vaccine, so here’s a quick clip sharing my experience. 💕"

Blessings on your ministry, Chaplain Carswell, and thanks for all you and your colleagues do!
Online Christmas Lessons and Carols with PC(USA) Leaders
2020 PCUSA Christmas Service
2020 PC(USA) Christmas Worship Service
Join Ruling Elder Elona Street-Stewart and The Rev. Gregory J. Bentley, Co-moderators of the 224th General Assembly (2020), join The Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson II, Stated Clerk of the PC(USA), The Rev. Dr. Diane Givens Moffett, President/Executive Director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, and members and friends of the national offices of the PC(USA) for an online Christmas Service as we celebrate the birth of the Christ Child.

Click here to find the full recording of the service, a link to download the full order of worship, and info there on how to download the video (from this link).

Please note: because this service is conducted in multiple languages, all viewers—including English speakers—should use the [CC] button to display captions.
More of the story on the background of this service

Public health officials urge people to wear masks. Workplaces and businesses adjust hours to prevent crowding. Several cities impose quarantines or ban public gatherings. This sounds like something people see and hear as they go online or watch the news every night, but this was December 1918 when the world struggled with the impact of a global flu pandemic.

The world of 1918 saw a lot of what people are seeing today: overwhelmed hospitals and morgues, countless deaths. But on Christmas Eve of that year, worshipers gathered at King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, England for the first Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.

* * *

“The model of the Lessons and Carols liturgy seemed like a fitting order of worship in the midst of our current pandemic. The heart of the service is simply the story of Christmas — God coming to us and dwelling among us in Jesus, a fragile human child in a world fraught with trouble,” [the Rev. Dr. David Gambrell, associate for Worship in the Office of Theology and Worship for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)] said. “At a time when beloved church and family traditions have been upended, it seems appropriate to focus on this familiar story at the center of our faith — a story of hope and joy for a time of grief and fear.”

More resources for celebrating Nativity of the Lord/Christmas at home
Nativity of the Lord/Christmas | The Christian Year |...

Since at least the fourth century in Rome, Christians have celebrated the incarnation and nativity of Jesus Christ on December 25. There is more than one theory about the origin of this festival day. Some have suggested that it was established to ...

Read more
www.presbyterianmission.org
Commission on Church Vitality closing the books on COVID-19 grants
Extended twice and increased once, emergency program supported more than 40 ministries and congregations in 2020
In response to uncertainty and unknown challenges presented in 2020, the Commission on Church Vitality began issuing grants to congregations and ministries in the Presbytery of Tampa Bay in April.

After extending the grant window twice and increasing the cap available to ministries in the presbytery, the CCV will not extend the Covid Grant Program into 2021.

Grants supporting congregational vitality remain available through the CCV. The CCV has been honored to support more than 40 ministries and congregations over the last nine months and looks forward to continuing its work with congregations in the future. 
Year of Leader Formation: Investing in Ruling Elders and Deacons
From the Ruling Elders webpage hosted by the Office of General Assembly Mid-Council Ministries:

As Christians, we are in a continuous process of growth in relationship with God, each other, and self. This is also true of those who have been called to serve in the ordered ministries of the church as ruling elders and deacons. Throughout 2021, resources specifically geared toward this ecclesial growth will be provided. Visit the Year of Leader Formation page and sign up to receive periodic updates of events and resources.

Read more about this in the story from The Presbyterian Outlook at the link below and by visiting the Ruling Elders webpage on the PC(USA) website.
OGA to provide new training and investment in ruling...

(OGA) The roles of deacons and ruling elders have long been an important part in the ministry of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) The parts they play in the life of the church may vary among congregations, but their significance cannot be overlooked.

Read more
pres-outlook.org
Upcoming Online Education Opportunities from Union Presbyterian Seminary
ONLINE EVENT: VIRTUAL CLERGY SELF-CARE RETREAT
JANUARY 30, 2021 @ 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

This virtual retreat geared towards clergy and ministry care-givers will offer self-care practices attendees can embody in their personal lives. Tips for self-care techniques will be modeled to assist participants with building their own care regimen. Time and space will also be provided to discover encouragement amongst peers as well as experience rejuvenation within a supportive community of care-givers and care-seekers. The two-hour virtual retreat will include various elements, including presentations from the leaders on spiritual practice, small group work and large group discussion and sharing, as well as grounding exercises incorporating basic yoga techniques and the arts.

ONLINE WORKSHOP: SOCIAL MEDIA DEEP DIVE FOR CHURCHES
Thursdays, January 21, 28, February 4, & 11 , 10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. EST

This 4-part workshop is designed for anyone who communicates—or wants to communicate—on behalf of a church via social media. It will demystify social media platforms and teach you how to use them most effectively in connecting with your congregation.

Covering a range of topics to equip participants with practical resources and confidence to move forward, this course includes the four live lessons (along with their recordings and slides), a take-home tool sheet, and weekly office hours with workshop leader, Christen Kinard, for specific questions and concerns related to your own ministry context. Each live, online session will be 75 minutes in duration with a Q&A.

Recent Job Postings
We're happy to share openings among our member churches and ministries (and occasionally beyond). Send information about openings to info@pbty.com with "eNews - employment opportunity" in the subject line --- and be sure to let us know if/when you fill the position!
PALM HARBOR

Palm Harbor Presbyterian Church needs a new Part-Time Administrative Assistant

The Presbyterian Church of Palm Harbor is interviewing for a part-time Administrative Assist to join our team. This position will require 20 hours per week, Monday – Thursday ($13.00 per hour). If interested, please contact personnel@pcph.org.

The Administrative Assistant (AA) will serve to support the ministries and the membership of the Presbyterian Church of Palm Harbor through clear, creative, consistent, and authentic communications. The assistant will develop and manage the delivery of content relating to the events and programs of PCPH. Working closely with the Senior Pastor (SP) and the Pastoral Associate (PA), the Administrative Assistant (AA) will utilize a variety of channels targeted to our internal audience (congregation) as well as externally to the community. These channels include telephones, email, and printed collateral. This role reports directly to the Head of Staff (Senior Pastor).
CLEARWATER

Northwood Presbyterian Church is searching for a Director of Schools

Northwood is looking for the right person to provide Christian Leadership, direction and daily support to the teaching staff, aides, children and parents involved in our fully NAEYC accredited and Pinellas County licensed preschool, VPK program and before/after school program serving children enrolled at Leila Davis Elementary School.

For more on the school, the position, and the requirements, click here.
Give last minute gifts that provide real and positive impact around the world . . .
. . . including aid for refugees, access to clean water and helping to end hunger.
Visit the Presbyterian Online Giving Catalog at the link below for more on how this works and how you can help make a difference by providing help, hope and relief to people, families, and communities in need all around the world.
Presbyterian Online Giving Catalog

Your gift provides help, hope and relief to people, families and communities in need. For orders totaling $150 or more, you are eligible to receive a beautiful fair trade artisan handmade ornament, which is a symbol of skillful craft and your...

Read more
presbyteriangifts.pcusa.org
Please don't fall for this scam! (but it keeps coming up again and again!)
Worshipers targeted by gift card scam

We're seeing a new spin on gift card scams. This time, scammers are pretending to be a pastor, rabbi, priest, imam, or bishop. They're asking worshipers for gift card contributions for a worthy cause. Appeals are often made by email, but we've...

Read more
www.consumer.ftc.gov
By the way, because of increasing attempts to use the names and contact information of trusted ministers across the presbytery to scam others, our Pulpit Supply List webpage no longer displays the list, but includes information on how to contact the office for a copy.
Your minister isn't emailing you to ask for gift cards -- and neither is Presbytery Coach and Coordinator Patrice Hatley!
Your minister, youth minister, former minister, presbytery staff -- or pretty much anyone else you know -- will NEVER send you a cryptic message asking you to "help me purchase this gift cards at the nearest store around you and I will be pay you back as soon I’m back to my house today in cash or check" or anything else like that. (That's a quote from a recent scam email that wasn't really from who it said it was from!)

Never. Never ever.

Nor will they tell you to buy gift cards for any worthy cause while explaining why you have to do so NOW without calling and speaking to them personally first.

Please don't fall for it.

Click on the "Worshipers targeted by gift card scam" story for more, and please be especially attentive to any email that doesn’t look right to you or sound like the person it says it’s from. Please use contact information you already have to contact directly anyone who sends you an unusual request for help -- and NEVER click on “reply” in an unusual email!
Have you found, "liked," and "followed" the Presbytery of Tampa Bay on Facebook yet? We post informational, inspirational, and sometimes thought-provoking items there fairly often --- and offer a Small Church Network Facebook Group linked from that page. Click the button below to visit our Facebook page and be sure to click on "like" or "follow" to be notified of updates!
Remember, there's always something new to see on our Facebook page and more at the Presbytery of Tampa Bay website. Click the buttons below to start exploring!
Our next regular -- and the first for 2021 -- issue of the eNews will come out in early January. Please send input and ideas to me soon after the first of the year!
Thanks for reading all the way to the end! -- Bill