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Our Mission:
To identify and strengthen leaders
so that every congregation
makes new and mature disciples for Jesus Christ.
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Last week, I sent a special email to ministers and clerks of sessions across the Presbytery . . .
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. . . and now it's time to update the rest of you (and pass along other news, too!)
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At 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 27, the Presbytery of Tampa Bay will be holding a meeting online using Zoom video conferencing. We usually start at 9:00 a.m. to give folks a chance to get there from wherever without having to get up
too early 😉, but this time everyone will be attending from much closer to home -- or from home!
This meeting will include:
- Two special guests: Elona Street-Stewart, Co-Moderator of the 224th General Assembly (2020) will bring us greetings from the Assembly and teach us about the indigenous people who once lived where we live -- and some still do, and Margaret Grun Kibben, PC(USA) minister and former Chief of Navy Chaplains who will preach in morning worship. (We hope to offer a separate Zoom opportunity to meet with them outside the meeting. (See brief bios below.)
- Rebecca Higman, a candidate for ministry of the Word and Sacrament under care of this presbytery, will preach briefly and be examined for ordination.
- The Coordinating Team will present a recommendation (see below) that we become a Matthew 25 Presbytery.
- Our General Assembly commissioners (and young adult advisory delegate, too!) will have a chance to report on their experience.
- The Commission on Preparation for Ministry will offer a recommendation that we approve an alternate means to conduct one of the ordination exams for one of our candidates for ministry.
- We'll also recognize a couple of upcoming retirements, and we'll hear updates on good things happening around the presbytery!
All of our ministers and clerks should now have seen an email for them on how to register themselves and/or elder commissioners from their churches.
If you are a minister member of this presbytery or a clerk of session and did NOT see that email, please get in touch with me ASAP.
And, if you're in one of the following categories and did NOT get that email (either directly from me or forwarded from someone else)
, please get in touch with me right away:
- Ruling Elder member of the Permanent Judicial Commission
- Ruling Elder former Moderator of the Presbytery of Tampa Bay
- Ruling Elder Commissioner to 224th GA (2020)
- Ruling Elder Certified Christian Educator
- Commissioned Pastor currently serving a church
- Non-Ruling Elder Certified Christian Educator in educational ministry
- Corresponding Member (generally a minister member of another presbytery)
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. We plan to publish a link to view a live stream of the meeting.
We will NOT have display tables or opportunities for outside organizations to speak at this meeting. We are able to share PDFs of materials that other organizations would have put out on display tables at an in-person meeting. If that applies to you, please contact me to discuss that.
- These rules reflect suggestions and lessons learned from other presbyteries around the country and the 224th General Assembly, and
- are designed to make participating in the meeting as good as we can using the technology we have.
Key dates:
- Thursday, August 13, is the regular, two-weeks-before-the-meeting deadline for sending reports to be included in the presbytery packet to me at statedclerk@pbty.com.
- Thursday, August 20, is when we'll distribute the Presbytery packet via email and on the website.
- Thursday, August 27, at 8:30 a.m. is when we'll call the August Stated Meeting to order. Be sure to login early so you have time to make sure Zoom is working before the meeting starts.
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
+ + +
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!
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Our August meeting features two special guests!
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Ruling Elder Elona Street-Stewart, newly elected Co-Moderator of the 224th General Assembly, will speak at August 27 Presbytery Meeting
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Tampa Bay will be one of the first presbyteries to be visited by one of the new co-moderators
As we reported earlier, Elder Elona Street-Stewart and the Rev. Gregory Bentley are the new co-moderators of the 224th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). You can read about their election by clicking here . Here's more about Elona from her profile on the Staff page for the Synod of Lakes and Prairies:
Ruling Elder Elona Street-Stewart is the first Native American to serve as a synod executive in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). A longtime staff member of the synod, Elona had served as the synod's associate for racial ethnic ministries and community empowerment since 1994. Prior to serving in that capacity she had been deployed staff for administration of Dakota Presbytery. Issues of diversity and the special needs and challenges in racial/ethnic ministry are her specialty.
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Rev. Dr. Margaret Grun Kibben, 26th Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Navy, will preach in morning worship
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The summary of Margaret's bio (in a book she contributed to recently) says:
Dr. Margaret Grun Kibben is an independent consultant providing executive-level ethical, moral, and spiritual advisement. Serving as a Navy Chaplain for over 30 years, she culminated her career as Chief of Navy Chaplains, retiring from the Navy in 2018. During her tenure as Chief, she led more than 2,500 Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard religious ministry professionals. She served as a trusted advisor to senior military officers providing insight regarding resiliency, ethics, and moral character. She previously served as Command Chaplain for the Combined Forces Command in Afghanistan, advising both Afghan and US leaders.
Margaret is on the boards of Princeton Theological Seminary, the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence, and the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.
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Becoming a Matthew 25 Presbytery
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Coordinating Team recommends taking the next step
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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.
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Tips from Ministry Connections Consultant John Reiter
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Your church website may be more important than ever
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John writes:
Your church's website serves as a vital tool to communicate with your congregation and wider community, especially in this time of quarantine and social distancing. The following are a few tips for improving your church website.
Four Things to Check on Your Church Website
- Easy to Find Worship: Check to make sure the link to your online worship service is easy to find. From the front page of your site, a visitor should be able to view your worship service within two clicks, whether that is a link to another page or to another site like Facebook or YouTube.
- Easy Money: Check to make sure that it is easy for members and visitors to make a gift, fulfill their pledge, and update their giving information. There are a variety of resources and tools to facilitate online giving. Please let me know if you need help.
- Is it Up To Date?: In light of all the changes the church has faced over the past 4 months, take a look throughout your site and make sure it is up to date. Does the site reflect your worship schedule, virtual Christian Education offerings, and your church's current calendar?
- Ask an Outsider: Invite someone from outside of the church to look at the website. Sometimes, a set of eyes that are not familiar with the church's lingo and life can provide insights into what the website is conveying or not saying.
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, evaluate your website and social media presence, recommend and implement solutions, and explore opportunities for new ministry in the face of these unique obstacles. I look forward to serving you.
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Update from Commission on Church Vitality
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CCV has been busy supporting ministries across the Presbytery
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In the earliest days of the pandemic the Commission on Church Vitality made the decision to generously and freely support the ministries and missions of the Presbytery of Tampa Bay as the world stopped and turned in a different direction through pre-approved grants.
Since early April these Covid Relief Grants have
supported 40 different congregations and ministries of the Presbytery. Congregations have supported their pastors and other staff; they have not fallen behind on their expenses; expanded their food pantries; increased their support of outreach to homeless folks; upgraded their technology to better enable virtual community; purchased supplies for sanitizing the church; supported a tutoring program geared toward refugee children; and shown the love of God across Tampa Bay.
The CCV has been honored to walk alongside ministries and congregations from every corner of the Presbytery and to that end has extended this season of Covid relief grants till the end of September and increased the amount each ministry is eligible to receive up to $30,000 in monthly increments of up to $5,000 --- and must be reapplied for monthly.
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Additional resources for re-entry to church buildings and re-engaging in in-person worship
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The Presbytery recently hosted on online forum on re-entry planning
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ICYMI, here's another chance to view the video of our online forum on re-entry plans.
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 more 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.
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We also post updates from time to time on our
Facebook page --
and you don't even need a Facebook account to view it.
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
.
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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:
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The Presbyterian Outlook recently shared this new resource on Facebook
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From the link:
The “What Now?” tool will guide you and your leadership team through an engaging, efficient, and interactive process for making decisions about how to fulfill your mission in the current environment.
Designed with flexibility, What Now? can be used online, in person or via phone. It will generate creativity, foster consensus ,and enable you to chart a path through the stormy-seas of this present moment. It is designed to improve the quality of your planning process in a quick and engaging manner, all in the context of potential restrictions on the ability of your team to gather in person.
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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 some great resources.
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Please share your plans for us -- and your struggles, too!
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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!
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Several churches across the presbytery have posted their plans online
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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!):
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Links to recent issues of the eNews with other COVID-19 related information are here
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. . . 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!
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Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control
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- CDC recommends that people wear cloth face coverings in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
- Cloth face coverings may help prevent people who have COVID-19 from spreading the virus to others.
- Cloth face coverings are most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when they are widely used by people in public settings.
- Cloth face coverings should NOT be worn by children under the age of 2 or anyone who has trouble breathing, is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
The CDC's website changes from time to time, so check for updates at both of these links from time to time:.
For those who have been following our eNews and
Facebook posts, there should be few surprises here.
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Of course, it's still Hurricane Season, too
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Hurricane Preparedness During a Pandemic
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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.
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Updates from Presbyterian Women
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The monthly Newsletter for Presbyterian Women in the Presbytery of Tampa Bay is here
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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!
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Updates from Covenant and Mission Partners
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Back-to-School: Preparing for the New Normal
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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!
To see the full School Supplies Needs List, just
click here
or on the image!
You can drop off school supplies --- or order from Amazon and have your donation delivered directly to Beth-El by
clicking here
!
From the link:
"Help Beth-El Farmworker Ministry collect school supplies! It's as simple as clicking and purchasing - AMAZON will ship your items directly to the mission (select Beth-El/Teresita in Wimauma). Consider the gift of at least one backpack (sturdy and good quality please) and a few school supplies to fill it. This is an easy way for the congregations of Peace River Presbytery to help support Beth-El... from a distance!"
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ICYMI: here's a story that's not
from Beth-el, but a story about a creative idea that raised over $1600
for Beth-El
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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/
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We are re-imagining what a week of camp looks like this summer by providing our new
CEDARKIRK AT HOME program!
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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!
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Please contact Cedarkirk with any questions.
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Thank you for your support of the ministry at Cedarkirk!
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Online education opportunities
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Stony Point Center and Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary, at the request of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, are teaming up to develop online and eventually in-person curriculum to support the Matthew 25 vision.
THE FIRST COURSE KICKS OFF ON AUGUST 10! CLICK BELOW FOR MORE!
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.
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New partnership offers online Matthew 25 curriculum
by Melody K. Smith | Presbyterian News Service LOUISVILLE - Stony Point Center and Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary, at the request of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, are teaming up to develop online and eventually in-person curriculum to...
Read more
www.presbyterianmission.org
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Presbyterian Association of Musicians 2020 Worship & Music Conference is still available online!
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Did you miss PAM’s Worship and Music Conference?
Now for the first time you can register and experience the conference after it has ended! You can view all 96 recordings of the conference content whenever you like – including Worship, Routley Lectures, Art Workshop, Concerts, Choral & Handbell Masterclasses, Programs for Children/Youth, and much more!
These recordings demonstrate what physically distant worship can look like and can help supplement your church’s programming for the fall, especially during the current situation in our country.
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Lombard Mennonite Peace Center courses online
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Registration is now open for both sessions of
Mediation Skills Training Institute
scheduled for this fall: October 5-9 and November 16-20, 2020.
This event is designed for clergy and other church leaders seeking to learn skills that will help them deal more effectively with interpersonal, congregational, and other forms of group conflict. Registrants will attend remotely, and will need a device with both a camera and microphone in order to participate fully.
In addition to this 5-day event, the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center is offering a variety of 90-minute webinars designed to help people cope with the unique challenges that arise from the current pandemic.
Discounts of up to $200 are available! For more information, please consult this
MSTI Brochure or this
LMPC Events Calendar.
Learn more about the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center and all their programs on their
website.
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Other events and resources
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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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Presbyterian Planning Calendar
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Click below for details on the 2020-2021 Presbyterian Planning Calendar. As before, we encourage smaller churches to consider working with neighboring churches to consolidate orders and delivery (discounts start at 10 calendars). Regrettably, we do not have the resources ---
especially while working from home --- for the Presbytery office to coordinate orders and delivery for a Presbytery-wide bulk order.
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Have you been trying to figure out how to do faith formation during this pandemic? The folks at the PC(USA) Store have been too! They are working on guides and special adaptations to make it easier for you to do faith formation during this unprecedented time.
Click through below for information on a webinar with detailed information about each resource and keep reading to learn about what they're doing for specific curriculum brands for youth and children.
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Pandemic Faith Formation
Have you been trying to figure out how to do faith formation during this pandemic? We have too! We are working on guides and special adaptations to make it easier for you to do faith formation during this unprecedented time. We have also put...
Read more
us1.campaign-archive.com
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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!
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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!
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Our next regular issue of the eNews should come out during the first week of August, so please send input and ideas to me before then!
Thanks for reading all the way to the end! -- Bill
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