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Our Mission:
To identify and strengthen leaders 
so that every congregation
makes new and mature disciples for Jesus Christ.
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!
Congregations, sessions, presbyteries, synods, and now even the General Assembly . . .
. . . have found ways to conduct business online when pandemic concerns prevent meeting in person in the same physical place.
Under our bylaws, commissions, committees, and task forces of the Presbytery of Tampa Bay have been meeting online for a while now, with the Coordinating Team starting to do so last year well before anyone had heard of COVID-19, and the rest doing so routinely since late March.

And now, the Presbytery of Tampa Bay itself will hold its next stated meeting online in August. Like the General Assembly, our current rules may make an online meeting of the presbytery "technically irregular" under Roberts Rules but, as a well-respected colleague who serves as both a synod and presbytery stated clerk suggested recently, we consider these to be "real meetings, with full force and effect, held under extraordinary and impossible to anticipate circumstances and faithful to the spirit of the bylaws that just didn't exactly name this circumstance," and the eventual, in-person ratification of actions taken in an online presbytery meeting will be done in an abundance of caution, but not to make them legitimate.

And, it is in that spirit that the Coordinating Team voted last month to hold the August 27 Stated Meeting of the Presbytery of Tampa Bay online using Zoom's online meeting service. First Presbyterian Church of Lakeland will remain our "host church" and most of the worship service will be led from there (but meeting participants are on their own to find restrooms and refreshments from wherever they are that day!).

This week, the Coordinating Team approved "Special Rules of Order and Standing Rules for Electronic Meetings of the Presbytery of Tampa Bay" to be recommended for adoption as the first item of business at our online meeting in August. We have worked hard to learn from the experiences of other presbyteries and the the General Assembly in making our plans and developing our rules, and we'll reevaluate all of them for any needed changes if we still need to meet online again in the future.

To maintain the integrity of the meeting while also conducting an open meeting, participation in the Zoom meeting environment will be limited primarily to those with privilege of the floor, while others may be offered the option to view a live stream of the meeting.

Minister members of the presbytery and clerks of sessions should look for a special email next week with more details, including technical requirements for participation and registration information to pass to your commissioner(s). Heads up: online registration in advance will be required. Watch your email!

There will be more information for everyone about the meeting -- including previews of highlights -- in the next eNews.

And now . . . on to the rest of the news! Keep scrolling!

Blessings,

Bill

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

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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!
General Assembly Update
"From lamentation to action — the 2020 General Assembly called the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to do the hard work of justice . . .
. . . working to respond to what some referred to as the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice."

You can find official wrap-up information from the General Assembly at https://ga-pcusa.org/, and find the latest news about the Assembly from Presbyterian News by clicking here, including this story about the tech aspects of the meeting: GA224 is a technological success, says Committee on the Office of the General Assembly.

For more background on the Assembly, The Presbyterian Outlook also offers ongoing coverage of the Assembly on its website, and a copy of the "From lament to action" wrap-up pictured here is available by sending a note requesting one to to info@pbty.com with "GA Insert" in the subject line

Note: our license from The Presbyterian Outlook for the "From lament to action" update insert pictured above permitted us to include it as a download in the eNews emailed out to our distribution list today, but not in this version on Facebook or the web. If your congregation would like to distribute this insert from the Presbyterian Outlook and/or the post-GA wrap up edition directly to your members, please send a note to info@pbty.com with "GA Insert" in the subject line and we'll get it to you.

If you'd like to get the eNews in your email instead of on Facebook or the web , please our presbytery's website and look for the "PRESBYTERY eNEWS - SIGN UP HERE" button in the upper right-hand corner of every page -- and please fill in your church or connection to the presbytery on the form! Thanks!
Ruling Elder Elona Street-Stewart, newly elected Co-Moderator of the 224th General Assembly, to speak at August 27 Presbytery Meeting
Tampa Bay will be one of the first presbyteries to be visited by one of the new co-moderators

As we reported last time, Elder Elona Street-Stewart and the Rev. Gregory Bentley were co-moderators of the 224th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). You can read about that by  clicking here .

As reported by the Office of the General Assembly, we'll be seeing and hearing a lot about the Sankofa bird standing in a stream of water pictured here. Elona and Greg chose this "image of the bird standing in the Mississippi River as a representation of both African American and Native American cultures." Read more about the Sankofa Bird and why they chose it by clicking here.
Advocating for Racial Justice is NOT a new cause for the PC(USA) . . .
. . . and figured prominently in this year's General Assembly
Reverend Gregory Bentley co-moderator of the 224th General Assembly conducts the closing prayer of the assembly Photo by Rick Jones

From the link: Commissioners and advisory delegates to the 224th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) say it’s time for the church to step up and act during these times of racial injustice and the COVID-19 pandemic. The assembly devoted nearly five hours on Friday debating the church’s response during these national and international crises.


From the link: After making dozens of motions and plenty of two-minute speeches, commissioners to the 224th General Assembly (2020) concluded their final online plenary with 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence.
The silent vigil, the amount of time a Minneapolis police officer put his knee to the neck of George Floyd, was held not only to honor Floyd, but to “remember and repent” for the sins of “ignoring and marginalizing” siblings and churches throughout the denomination, said Elona Street-Stewart, the assembly’s co-moderator together with the Rev. Gregory Bentley. “We will take this silence to be resolved to live out the justice of God’s kin-dom.”

Photo by Rick Jones

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Becoming a Matthew 25 Presbytery
Coordinating Team recommends taking the next step
In June, the Coordinating Team voted to recommend the following motion for approval by the Presbytery at our August meeting, quoting language from Matthew 25 in the PC(USA): A bold vision and invitation resources.

The Presbytery of Tampa Bay commits itself to being a Matthew 25 Presbytery, putting intentional effort into each of the three focuses of the Matthew 25 Invitation:
  • Building congregational vitality by challenging congregations and their members to deepen and energize their faith and grow as joyful leaders and disciples actively engaged with their community, seeing new disciples engaged in ministry and longstanding believers develop in faith as the gospel of Jesus Christ is shared in word and deed.
  • Dismantling structural racism by fearlessly applying our faith to advocate and break down the systems, practices and thinking that underlie discrimination, bias, prejudice and oppression of people of color.
  • Eradicating systemic poverty by acting on our beliefs and working to change laws, policies, plans and structures in our society that perpetuate economic exploitation of people who are poor.

Please note that the Commission on Church Vitality is making grants available for congregations to buy start-up resources as they consider becoming Matthew 25 congregations. Reach out to CCV Chair Andy Walton at andy.trinityclearwater@gmail.com or Assoc. Presbyter Libby Shannon at libby@pbty.com for more info.
From Ministry Connections Consultant John Reiter
Don't forget that John Reiter's new ministry is being a resource for you!
John writes:

The ongoing nature of the pandemic has challenged many of us to explore new ways of being the church: how we communicate, provide worship experiences, carry out pastoral care, offer virtual Bible studies and Christian education, and receive tithes and offerings. This is certainly a difficult time, but it is also a time filled with opportunities for the Holy Spirit to breathe life into ministry. With new tools and methods and even some good old-fashioned tools like the telephone, we can connect and communicate with our members and neighbors like never before.

In my role as Ministry Connections Consultant, I have had the joy of working with a number of churches to tackle technical challenges like improving streaming worship or reaching members without internet access, to explore ways to widen the scope of whom the church is reaching in worship and in its communications, and to consider the details of resuming in-person worship.

Please know that I am a resource for you and your ministry. I am available ( john@pbty.com) to help talk through technical possibilities (with all experience levels), assess your ministry connection needs, recommend and implement solutions, and explore opportunities for new ministry in the face of these unique obstacles. I look forward to serving you.
John
Additional resources for re-entry to church buildings and re-engaging in in-person worship
Presbytery Re-entry Forum
The Presbytery recently hosted on online forum on re-entry planning
Jody McEwen speaking
With almost 60 people participating and another dozen or so signed up to get the follow-up email, we confirmed that many of our churches and ministries:
  • have made and implemented plans for how they will decide it's time to meet in person, and/or
  • have already met in-person and continue to review and refine their plans, and
  • some are still making and reviewing their draft plans.

We also had some key takeaways from the discussion:
  • Make a plan and follow a plan -- and doing so well requires careful research, prayer, and study. Most of the links to resources that were mentioned in the meeting have been in the eNews before -- and are here again after some other news.
  • It's okay to continue to keep worshiping online and not move more quickly than other churches. As one pastor commented in the chat, "as Presbyterians we are people of the middle way; we won't open too soon or too late but when it is just right and a time when the risk is less."
  • Many churches aren't merely recommending but requiring cloth face coverings (masks) as recommended by the CDC and Florida Department of Health. As one church put it, "Wearing masks is an act of care for one another."

Several churches noted that they are tracking public health data for their communities daily or weekly, and were encouraged by one pastor to look at the rate of positive test results as a better indicator for risk in a community than raw number of new cases. Florida Department of Health websites show 0-10% as the target range.

You can view a recording of Tuesday evening's discussion by clicking here . Because information related to COVID-19 can change rapidly, I've set this link to be good only for a few weeks. If you come back and want to watch it again later, send me a note and I can make it available to you.
  • Please note that this video is intended for viewing by members of the Presbytery of Tampa Bay and its congregations and ministries only and should not be viewed elsewhere. 
As of June 26, 2020 (the latest data presented on the "Health Metrics" tab of Florida's COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard,) the trend in all of our Presbytery's seven counties is in the wrong direction. You can find links to the Dashboard and more up-to-date statistics on the Florida Department of Health's " What you need to know now about COVID-19 in Florida" webpage, including a PDF updated daily with county-by-county information.

We also post updates from time to time on our Facebook page -- and you don't even need a Facebook account to view it.

Whether your church has already returned to in-person worship or is still drafting plans, there's help for you out there. Look for some updated links below in the section on "Additional resources for re-entry to church buildings and re-engaging in in-person worship," including links to earlier issues of the eNews.

When your church or ministry changes --- or If it has already changed --- your in-person and online worship and other plans, please send a note to info@pbty.com so we can update our list of online worship opportunities on the Presbytery's webpage and on Facebook .
Remember: your browser may not automatically show you the whole newsletter.  
As you scroll down, watch for something on your screen right after it seems the eNews ends awkwardly that looks like:
[Message clipped]   View entire message
If you see that, please click that link to see the rest of the eNews --  or  on a mobile device scroll back to the top and click "View this email as a webpage" for easier reading!
For those who are still moving towards making plans for re-entry into sanctuaries and fellowship halls, these two resources from PCUSA are excellent starting points:

These two documents from PC(USA) remain great starting points:
One of the best summaries of good biblical, theological, and public health guidance out there has been put together by the Humanitarian Disaster Institute (HDI) at Wheaton College --- and in Tuesday evening's online forum, we saw that at least one of our churches has used it in their planning and commended it to others!

Although we continue to believe the church never closed, it just continued in a new way, their Reopening the Church website offers at least the following resources along with links to additional articles and information to consider:
  1. Decide When and How You Should Return to Church in Person: A Practical Guide for Church Members
  2. Reopening Our Church for In-Person Services (a decision tree)
  3. Should I Be Attending Worship Services at My Church? (a decision tree)
  4. Checklist for Church Members Returning to In-Person Services
  5. Church Reopening Checklist
  6. Guide to Reopening Church Services: A Step-by-Step, Biblically-Based and Research-Based Approach to Resuming In-Person Ministries

Visit the website for more information and links to other resources.
Please share your plans for us -- and your struggles, too!
We've heard from several churches about their plans for re-entry to buildings and re-engaging in in-person worship while seeking to mitigate and minimize the risk to participants from COVID-19. But, we'd like to hear from more of you!

Please share copies of your plans with us to help us answer questions from churches in the presbytery about what other churches around the presbytery are doing. When you do so, let us know if your session is willing to let us share your plan directly with other churches or just refer to "one church we've heard from has decided to . . . ."

Stated Clerk Bill Wildhack will be gathering them for use among our staff in responding to questions as they arise in conversations with other churches as they continue to work on their plans.

You can send copies of (or web links to) your plans, congregational surveys, and other tools you've used in explaining your plans to your congregations to info@pbty.com; please include the term "RE-ENTRY" at the start of the subject line so we don't miss it. Thank you!

Several churches across the presbytery have posted their plans online
Please feel free to contact those churches for more on how they got to where they are; please do not just copy-and-paste their plan onto your church or ministry without some more careful attention.

One church, First, Brandon, posted a link to an online survey as part of its decision-making and planning. You can view a PDF of it by clicking here (but please don't go to their website and fill out their survey -- unless you attend worship there!)

Here are links to updates and plans on a few church websites across the Presbytery (and we welcome links to more; please see below!):
Links to recent issues of the eNews with other COVID-19 related information are here
. . . including letters from Patrice (4/29) and Bill (5/13) and links to resources for leadership and congregational use in starting, continuing, and revisiting conversations about how to begin and carry out plans for re-entry to in-person worship.

We've worked hard to gather resources, guidance, and real-world experiences to help inform your discussions with congregational leaders, members, and others you encounter in your ministry in whatever your setting for ministry may be. Click below for more:


If you haven't already reviewed them, this would be a good time to do so -- or even to take another look!
Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control
Of course, it's still Hurricane Season, too
Hurricane Preparedness During a Pandemic
From the link: Preparing for a hurricane can be a stressful time in any year. But add to that the pandemic environment we are currently in and stress can go through the roof! As we try to keep our roofs intact (both literally and figuratively) let’s look at some of the ways the pandemic will make this hurricane season more challenging and what we can do now to prepare.

Online Worship Opportunities continue around the Presbytery of Tampa Bay
Many churches in the Presbytery of Tampa Bay are offering worship experiences — in a variety of formats — online both on Sunday and on other days of the week
Easter at Safety Harbor
Our listing of online worship opportunities has outgrown the eNews!

In the interest of keeping the eNews a little shorter and easier to read, we'll be updating the list on the Presbytery website and on Facebook from now on. Here's where you can find it:


If you’re at one of the churches in this Presbytery offering online worship and don’t see your service listed at the links — or see an error — please send an email to info@pbty.com for adding to later updates.

IMPORTANT: When your church changes --- or If it has already changed --- in-person and online plans, please send a note to info@pbty.com so we can update our list of online worship opportunities on the Presbytery's webpage and on Facebook .
Updates from Presbyterian Women
The monthly Newsletter for Presbyterian Women in the Presbytery of Tampa Bay is here
A prayer from Glad Tidings this month:

Creator God, help me to be still and see the
wonders you have worked in my life. God,
let my seeing and hearing, my words and
my actions be rooted like a strong tree in a
silent certainty of your presence. Amen.

Be sure to click here (or on the image) to read the rest of the news!

Updates from Covenant and Mission Partners
Back-to-School: Preparing for the New Normal
We do not know what the fall will look like for our children and youth. Whatever may come, whether it is distance learning or traditional classroom work, we want to prepare our children and youth for a successful academic year. You can make a difference by providing the tools and supplies they need to start their school year with optimism and hope!
Because we are working this year with limited workforce, you can help us to meet the goal of having 75% of the backpacks and supplies by: Monday, July 6th, 2020 and 100% of the backpacks and supplies by: Monday, July 20th, 2020.

We encourage individuals to use Amazon Smile: we get both the supplies directly to our front door and a portion of your purchase as a donation. Win, Win!

After July 20th, you can send your monetary donations designated to Back-to-School via PayPal at paypal.me/bethelfarmworker or by sending your check to Beth-El Farmworker Ministry 18240 Hwy 301 S Wimauma, FL 33598.

To see the full School Supplies Needs List, just click here or on the image!
And here's a story that's not from Beth-el, but a story about a creative idea that raised over $1600 for Beth-El
Clink, clank, chang, chang, chang, chang, chang, “wow, do you have more?” Clink, Stomp, Stomp…

The first Sunday of the month was always a bright spot at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in New Tampa. Our children went to each and every person, sometimes two or three times, carrying a shiny, blue metal bucket. Their shining smiles may have been outshined by more than a few people they met. Ask any one of them and they knew they did this important job to help support our neighbors at Beth-El Farmworker Ministry, Inc. Our neighbors have needs and even the smallest of us can make a difference.

That was all before COVID-19 changed the way we worship. I admit I shed tears over those memories when I realized I would probably not see my children run down the aisles giggling and collecting change again. My kids missed those days, too. As important as those moments were to all of us, our God is bigger! He has bigger plans for our children than the activities we meticulously plan and long to return to.

New ideas sprung from their hearts filled with His love. “What if I sold my art?” “What if we all sold our art?” Just like that, the Kids heart Farmworkers art auction was born. Children from St. Andrew sent in 28 unique works of art to auction in a live Zoom auction after our church service. As each item was presented, the artist had time to talk to the audience about their work. Some giggled, some shied away, some gave full dissertations. All of our hearts were filled with joy. Participants bid on each item in the chat feature, which allowed for easy recording of the bids and prevented hurt feelings over differential value of the art. Overall, our children raised over $1600 for Beth-El Farmworkers Ministry.

We are grateful for the dedication of the church to our children in and out of the building. They have developed meaningful relationships that sustain them even when they are distanced. We are grateful that our children continue to grow a love of serving others and learn that they are capable of making big changes in our world.

-- submitted by Stacey Quick
For more information about the "Kids heART Farmworkers" children's art auction, reach out to the church at http://standrewnewtampa.org/contact/
We are re-imagining what a week of camp looks like this summer by providing our new
CEDARKIRK AT HOME program!

Matt Shick, Interim Executive Director, writes:

Cedarkirk at Home Brings Summer Camp to Your Living Room

Even though we can’t be together physically this summer, we are sending fun and faith-forming camp experiences to our campers! Cedarkirk at Home combines a box full of camp goodies, curriculum, activity supplies, and surprises, with virtual small group Bible studies and activity sessions led by Cedarkirk counselors. In this way, we can still build our unique camp community, deepen personal connections to God, learn from one another, and have all sorts of silly camp fun even though we can’t be together at camp.

If your church is struggling with what kind of summer program or VBS to provide your young people, this could be a unique opportunity for you! Your children and youth could sign up for the same week, participate in the program with one another, and make some new friends, too!

Our theme, LET’S TALK, will explore all the ways we can connect to God through prayer, and discover what communication with God has to do with renewal, guidance, and change!

For Cedarkirk at Home information and online registration, check out our website: www.cedarkirk.org/cedarkirk-at-home.
Please contact Cedarkirk with any questions. 
camps@cedarkirk.org ; 813.685.4224 x2
Thank you for your support of the ministry at Cedarkirk!
Online education opportunity
Audire: The Central Florida Foundation for Spiritual Direction, Inc.
Rev. Deb Belusa sends:

Orientation Day for the Audire program is scheduled for Saturday, July 18. 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. via Zoom due to the pandemic and our desire to be sure that everyone remains safe.

Audire is a 3 year formation program that trains people for the ministry of spiritual direction and provides listening and companioning skills which are beneficial to many ministries. Orientation Day is designed for those interested in Audire to provide information and answer questions about the program. A new term begins in September.

More information about Audire can be obtained at
www.audirespiritualdirection.org. Registration for the Orientation Day can be done through the web site at www.audirespiritualdirection.org or by contacting Diane Francisco at 321-254-1876 or DRFran09@aol.com. Once registration is received, the registrant will be contacted and also issued an invitation to the Zoom session.

NOTE: The flyer refers to a pre-Covid plan for in-person orientation, but the other information is still relevant.
Other events and resources
Stewardship Kaleidoscope - Real Tools for Real Ministry

Stewardship Kaleidoscope is an annual conference offering excellent plenary speakers, informative workshop leaders, provocative worship experiences, and incredible networking opportunities for all who are passionate about stewardship and...

Read more
stewardshipkaleidoscope.org
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These resources intentionally focus on nurturing the spirit, engaging multiple age ranges and types of groups, and providing educational value no matter where or how your group is able to meet. Click through below to read some suggestions to find which books will work best for the groups and individual members in your congregation.
Family and Study Group Resources

Getting It Together: Spiritual Practices for Faith, Family, and Work. Author Carol Wehrheim, an award-winning Christian educator in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.),shows how a Christian foundation of faith can provide a sense of balance amidst...

Read more
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Our next regular issue should come out the week of July 20, so send ideas to me before then, please!
Thanks for reading all the way to the end! -- Bill