Dear Presbytery Family,

We hope you enjoy this week's Staying Connected Stories edition. This week's edition, which highlights local food ministries in our presbytery. We also have updates about the 225th General Assembly of the PC(USA) which starts on Saturday, January 18.
Churches in our presbytery are strong supporters of local food ministries. Whether it is collecting food for local food banks, hosting a food pantry, providing volunteers for programs such as Meals on Wheels, filling backpacks with child-friendly food to send home with food insecure students, or other hunger ministries, our congregations are generous! We are living out our Matthew 25 commitment to actively engage in ministry which addresses systemic poverty.

Three of our church's food ministries are featured on the website, but there are so many more ministries that we hope to profile in future stories. Click on the button below to read brief descriptions of many of the local ministries and access the three feature stories. We know we probably left out some local programs (there are so many good ones!), but if you contact Marigrace Doran at marigrace@staugpres.org with details she will add them to the website or they might become a future website story!
Click on the links below for the following stories:
General Assembly Updates

General Assembly Begins This Saturday 
Opening worship for the 225th General Assembly begins at 11:00 a.m. this Saturday, June 18, via streaming on the assembly’s official website. The first plenary session will begin at 1:00 p.m., and the portion of the meeting dedicated to the election of the moderator(s) will begin at 8:00 p.m. Junteenth Worship begins the next morning at 11:00 a.m. 
 
Committee Meetings
Beginning Monday, June 20, the GA committees will begin to meet in Louisville. These in person meetings will be “staggered” so that four committees meet in Louisville at the same time. The last set of committees will finish its meetings on Saturday, July 2. Committee meetings can also be viewed via the GA streaming service.
 
Plenary Sessions Continue 
Plenary sessions continue on July 5 at 11:00 a.m., with the last session beginning on Saturday, July 9, at 11:00 a.m. 

What Can You Do? 
Become familiar with the issues, and participate via streaming. Pray for the Presbytery of St. Augustine commissioners: Steve Crowley (First Palatka), John Diller (Orange Park), Jennifer Hallberg (First Jasper), and Connie Smith (South Jacksonville), giving gratitude for their service and ask that the Holy Spirit guide their discernment. Pray that all of the GA’s business is done in order and in accordance with the will of Christ and the leading of the Spirit. Share the highlights with your congregations and ministries, and find ways to have fruitful conversation about them.
 
General Assembly Resources
PC-Biz (business, resources, committee/plenary votes in real time)
Blessings,

Jerie Lukefahr, Moderator of the Presbytery
Holly Dillon Inglis, Ministry and Mission Coordinator
Sandra Hedrick, Stated Clerk
On Behalf of the Coordinating Council
Previous Staying Connected emails are available on our website.