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Community Thanksgiving Dinner at First Presbyterian Church Lake CityBy Terri Millikin, Event Organizer In 2000, a Thanksgiving meal was started as a Mission outreach for the homeless in the Lake City area.  The meaning of Thanksgiving changed that day for our church and community.  Nineteen years and 20 meals later, we are still going strong. A traditional meal of smoked turkey, cornbread dressing, gravy, sweet potatoes, and green beans is prepared. Tables are set with linens and our guests are greeted at the door, seated and served their meal.  Homemade desserts are the finishing touch.  Everything is done by volunteers from the church and community.Read More →

Bread of Life Community Ministry in Palatka By Page Walwik – Seminary Intern at FPC, Palatka Along the banks of the St. John’s River flows a community of people that have all found themselves at the same bend. Beneath the currents of life, Putnam County has been touched with a timeless opportunity in which God’s love can flood the souls of people through the ministry of Bread of Life (BOL). First Presbyterian Church (FPC) of Palatka, FL, became the vessel to steer the ship under the leadership of Transitional Pastor Cliff Lyda. Having sailed this route before, Lyda knew the river flowed fast; therefore, heRead More →

Grace Presbyterian Church and Korean Worshiping CommunitySubmitted by Charles Freeman, Pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church For about a year, the sanctuary of Grace Presbyterian Church in Gainesville has also been the worshiping home of a growing congregation of Korean residents of that area. In late 2017, Rev. John and Sara Kim first visited GPC and soon became welcome members of the community. The next year, Rev. Kim shared his desire to begin a worshiping community to reach out to the Korean community, and the GPC session was quick to endorse and support the new venture. As with many new worshiping communities, things started slowly. ByRead More →

Archie Jenkins, South Jacksonville Presbyterian Church Member, Recognized as a Founding Member of UCOM Archie Jenkins, a life-long member of South Jacksonville Presbyterian Church, was among those recently recognized as founders of United Community Outreach Ministry (UCOM) at the organization’s 40th Anniversary Gala. UCOM’s websote describes the beginning of the organization in this way: The seeds for UCOM started in 1978 when Laura Gordon, former Associate Executive Presbyter for our presbytery, met with five Southside Jacksonville Churches: All Saints Episcopal, Lakewood Presbyterian, Mt. Oliver Baptist, Mt. Zion AME, and South Jacksonville Presbyterian.  They discussed the possibility of expanding the city’s federally funded Meals-on-Wheels program to PineRead More →

Advent Reflectionby: Sandra HedrickPresbytery Stated ClerkPastor of Kirkwood (Jacksonville) “Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it.” (Psalm 96:11) As I left the beach for church Sunday morning, some pelicans were flying south over the ocean. As usual, they were flying in single file. I wondered where they had come from and where they were going. I wondered where they would celebrate Christmas, when “heaven and nature sing!” Have you noticed how much movement there is in the stories of Advent and Christmas? Mary hurried to the hill country to share her joy with Elizabeth.Read More →

The Annual Gathering of the Presbyterian Women will be Saturday, January 25, 2020 at Montgomery Presbyterian Conference Center! For detailed information about the gathering, including workshop descriptions and the registration form, please click on the registration packet below. Please note the registration deadline is January 10. Please share this information with your congregations and friends who support the Presbyterian Women. If you have any questions about the Annual Gathering, please contact Kathy VanderVliet at kathyvan@comcast.net. Thank you! Registration Packet Schedule for the Gathering Registration & Refreshments 9:00 – 9:30 a.m. Worship 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. (Offering collected for Mission Haven) Business Meeting 10:45 a.m.Read More →

Workshop for Session Clerks Still Has Space   Session clerks, assistant clerks, moderators, and session members are invited to attend the Session Clerk’s Workshop on Saturday morning, November 16. First Starke will host the training, which will be presented by Sandra Hedrick, Stated Clerk, and Ed Kelly, Assistant Stated Clerk. Cost is $15 per person, which includes lunch and workshop materials. Currently there are 27 registrants for the Session Clerk’s Workshop, and there is room for more! Click here for the workshop flyer with complete details.Read More →