February is Going to be a Busy Month!

Wow, I look at the calendar and January is almost gone. The New Year has started fast and furious and does not look like it will slow down anytime soon. I hope you are settling into the New Year and that you had a great holiday season. In addition, I hope you are excited for all this year has in store for us.
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I will be heading to Birmingham, AL next week for the Annual Association of Partners in Christian Education (APCE). APCE gives you access to a number of resources from online training to bi-annual cohorts; I highly recommend this organization for professional development in Christian Education. There are several from the Central Florida Presbytery attending the conference. Many shared that the days will be long and I will be happy to fall asleep each night. I wanted to highlight a few upcoming dates.

First, the Montreat Meet and Greets There will be two opportunities to meet with Susie: The first on Monday, February 13th at First Presbyterian Church of Eustis and the second on Tuesday, February 14th at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church. Both sessions will be from 12pm to 2pm. Pastors, Youth Leaders and Youth Ministry Volunteers are all welcome. Since we will be serving light refreshments, we are asking that all attendees register. Please visit and complete the registration form.

​Susie has agreed to meet with us to discuss Montreat, its programs and possible financial assistance. There will be a short presentation and time for questions/answers. The presentation will be informal to allow for more dialogue. In addition to sharing information about Montreat, Susie would also like to hear how about how Montreat could help support our local ministry needs as well as how we may be able to partner together.

Second, we will have a youth volunteer event at the Sharing Center in Longwood on Saturday, February 18. We will meet at the Sharing Center at 8:45am to check in. We will be volunteering in the retail department sorting through incoming donations. The Sharing Center is located at 600 N US HWY 1792 Suite 130, Longwood, FL 32750.

The Sharing Center offers four Key Programs:

1. Families In Crisis - offers financial assistance, tax preparation, rental assistance, and vouchers for clothing and shoes.
2. The Pantry - offers one of the largest free food assistance resources in Seminole County to help alleviate hunger.
3. The Oasis - provides showers, laundry service, housing guidance, internet access, mail service, and haircut services. In fact, the Sharing Center is the only place in Seminole County where an unhoused person can get a hot shower.
4. ProjectRISE - a workforce development program serves the under- and unemployed with the skills necessary to reach financial mobility, self-sufficiency, and employment.

​This is an amazing mission to our community and a great opportunity to give back to our community. Please consider joining the PYC in volunteering for this great organization. Please register for this event here.

Last, I am excited to announce our April 22nd youth event will be at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR). We will have a Ranger led program about manatees and have an opportunity to watch the manatees from an observation deck. Later we will participate in a cleanup project at the Haulover Canal followed by a brown bag lunch and devotional. We will be able to do one/both of the wildlife drives on our way out of the refuge. This promises to be a great day. Look for more information on the Youth Ministries webpage, social media pages and in your inbox.

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Kenne Sparks