Being Church Together

My 12^th wedding anniversary was at the beginning of the year and, it’s got me thinking about how we celebrate our relationships and ministries together as a Church.

Ordinations and Installations of a Minister of the Word and Sacrament are required to take place outside of Sunday morning, at a time that enables substantial participation of the presbytery. The reason for that is community. We celebrate in community. We can’t be present for our community outside of our own congregation if the service takes place at 10 am on Sunday morning. So we make the effort to show up. Whether that pastor is new to the presbytery or not, people show up to support one another and demonstrate their ordination vow to “be a friend among your colleagues in ministry.”

Covid was hard AND, leading a congregation today is only getting harder it seems.  We need each other now more than ever.

I hope that we are all taking advantage of any opportunity to celebrate being together, being a Church, and being in true relationship with one another. For our own sake but also for the sake of those watching. As Presbyterians, we do more than business together, we stand for each other and for all of God’s children.

By the way, today is Melissa Clapp’s 1^st anniversary of service to the Synod of South Atlantic as administrative assistant. Won’t you help celebrate her and her ministry by sending her a quick “Thank You”?

One piece of Melissa’s job is to scan presbytery newsletters looking for congregations celebrating anniversaries. We want to celebrate with you and we do our best to send a certificate of appreciation for those anniversaries so, if your church is celebrating soon, please let us know.

I plan to make it to all 16 presbyteries this year so, I hope to see and celebrate with you soon!

Peace

Valerie Young

Here’s where I’ll be in the next month or so:

January

20^th             Central Florida Presbytery Search Committee via zoom

                  New Synod Commissioner Orientation via zoom

21^st              Synod Executive Forum via zoom

                  New Synod Commissioner Orientation via zoom

22^nd             Staff Budget meeting

24^th             Equipped to Serve, Presbytery of St. Augustine, Camp Montgomery

26^th             Task force for COM listening via zoom

28^th–30^th       Presbytery Leaders gathering, Marietta, GA

31^st              Presbytery of St. Augustine Presbyterian Women, Camp Montgomery

February

2^nd              Synod Coordinating Committee via zoom

4^th               1^st Wednesday SACK Lunch via zoom

7^th               Cherokee Presbytery meeting, Cartersville, GA

9^th               Cultivate Committee via zoom

10^th              Insurance Task Force via zoom

12^th              Presbytery of Tampa Bay meeting, St. Petersburg, FL

                  Embody Committee via zoom

14^th              Charleston-Atlantic Presbytery, Summerville, SC

15^th-17^th         PC(USA) Partners Gathering, Columbia Seminary, GA

18^th              Synod Executive Forum via zoom

20^th             Savannah Presbytery meeting, St. Simons Island, GA

20^th–21^st        Georgia Presbyteries Gathering, St. Simons Island, GA

24^th             Presbytery of Florida, Wewahitchka, FL