News Flash!Committee On Ministry Update and Prayer List Important Forms and End of Year Financial Information Each week your Presbytery Staff prays for our churches, their staff, our General Assembly, for those celebrating birthdays in the coming week, and anyone who has asked for prayer. Each month we will share with you the churches we are praying for and invite you to join this ministry of prayer for each other. During December we are praying for: First Presbyterian Church - Haines City
All mid high and senior high youth groups are invited to Mission: Encounter at Cedarkirk over MLK, Jr. Day weekend (January 16-18, 2010). This two-day retreat will be filled with worship, mission work and mission-oriented discussions, and some of your favorite Cedarkirk activities. You will be gleaning a field near Cedarkirk for donation to local food banks and exploring the ways the Bible calls you to minister to the hungry. For more information, contact Matt or Mark at (813) 685-4224 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
These retreats are intentionally designed for small groups. It is for this reason we are keeping an open calendar for individual youth or young adult groups to book a private retreat. Come join us for the sole purpose of devoting time to God in a way that is counter to today's fast-paced, highly-stimulated culture. Please call or e-mail to customize your event. Cost, lodging, and program will vary according to your needs. Confirmation Retreats - a great way to build relationships and connect with other youth in confirmation. March 5—7 or March 12—14, 2010. The registration information is now available. Click here to download. For the above listed events or any other questions, please don't hesitate to call 813.685.4224 or check our website at www.cedarkirk.org.
For registration information on any of these events, please contact Karin Dale at Cedarkirk - 813-685-4224 or by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Westminster Church in New Port Richey has 14 pews, in good condition, each of which seats 6 persons. They also have around 150 Presbyterian Hymnals, never been used. Also available are tables that can seat 6-8 people. For information, please contact the Rev. Paul Richards, 727-849-4905. Cost: your time and effort to come gather what you need! Beth-El Needs Donations! If you can help with any of these items, please contact Dave Moore at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Items on our Wish List Did you know Beth-El gives out food to needy people every week? They have helped an average of 635 families every week since early October. Thanks to all who volunteer their time to make a difference to God's children who would otherwise go hungry! Important Forms and Information: Has your church sent in your 2010 Mission Pledge to the Presbytery? These are due by January 29. The Pledge form is available here. Also download the Remittance Form to fill out when you send in your pledges so we can accurately record it. A tax and administrative checklist for church finance officers: TEN YEAR-END TASKS W-4 forms. December is a good time to check with all non-minister church employees to assure their 2010 tax withholding information is updated prior to the first payroll period of the New Year. Notice to donors. Donors should be advised in the church bulletin or newsletter, or in a letter from the church, not to file their federal income tax return before they receive their contribution summary from the church. Donors may not be able to deduct individual contributions of $250 or more if they file a tax return before receiving a contribution summary from their church. Christmas gifts. Be sure to handle correctly any Christmas gifts made by the church or congregation to a minister or lay staff member(s). In most cases these transfers represent taxable income and not a tax-free gift, and must be reported as income on the recipient’s W-2 form. Business expenses. If your church reimburses some or all of your employees’ business expenses, reimburse year-end business expenses, properly receipted, now. Reclassification of workers. Now is the time to decide if you want to reclassify any of your workers for tax reporting purposes. If you have a minister or lay worker who is treated as self-employed for federal income tax reporting purposes, and you would like to reclassify the person as an employee, the ideal time to make the change is on January 1 of the new year. Voluntary withholding. Minister’s wages are exempt from Social Security, Medicare and federal income tax withholding with respect to services performed in the exercise of their ministry. This means they use the quarterly estimated tax procedure ot repay their federal taxes. Ministers who report their income taxes as employees can enter into a voluntary withholding arrangement with their employing church by submitting a W-4 form to the church finance officer. Under such an arrangement, the employing church withholds income taxes as it would for any other employee, and also can withhold an additional amount of income taxes to cover the minister’s self-employment tax liability. The ideal time to start voluntary withholding is January 1. Order IRS tax forms and publications. Order your 2010 copy of the IRS publication 15, copies of Forms W-2, W-3, 1099 and 1096 for 2009 compensation reporting. IRS: 1-800-829-3676. And, you can download most forms from the website: www.irs.gov Order tax publications and renew subscriptions. 2010 edition of Richard Hammar’s Church and Clergy Tax Guide (print or CD); other audio tax recordings (CDs) are available for churches and clergy as well. 800-222-1840 or www.ChurchLawToday.com NOTE: Congress enacted major tax legislation in 2009 containing several provisions of direct relevance to churches and church staff. These developments will be included. Lake Seminole Presbyterian Church is hosting a FREE presentation by the America Living Will Registry, Saturday January 30, 2:00 p.m. The ALWR is an on-line registry for your living will and health care surrogate information. You will learn the importance of having a living will and health care surrogate and the Registry makes it easily accessible when needed. Call the church office, 727-391-5509 or visit www.alwr.com for more information. Those who attend and sign up will receive $10 off the registration fee. You might also win a free membership!
The National Association of Church Business Administration (NACBA) is expanding its territory and accepting new members for 2010 -- and so is the local Sunshine Chapter. We are an organization that focuses on educating men and women in the administrative ministry of church life…folks like business administrators, business managers, controllers, bookkeepers; also, those doing facility oversight relative to any exterior needs or infrastructure (technology, etc). can sign up for our monthly e-news. They just need to send an email to
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requesting inclusion and we'll add them. Please also keep us up to date on your email address. If you change yours, please let us know so we can change our list also. For those who have members who do not have or want email access, we include a link for a printable pdf --please print and copy for them to read.
Newsletters Please. Presbyterians are connectional people and your presbytery wants to know what great things are happening in your congregation. Please be sure to add us to your newsletter mailing list. Our surface mail address is 4704 Kelly Road, Tampa, FL 33615. Email newsletters to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . We will include events of interest to all, if we get them well in advance. The newsletter deadline is the second Monday each month. January 11 is our next deadline. Articles can be sent in word or email format. Clip art is also welcome, please contact us - we have a large library already and may have what you want!
Save The Dates!
Coming to Cedarkirk: Challenge to Change - The perfect mission trip program for youth groups. - Year-round Late Winter Stated Meeting of Presbytery will be Saturday February 27 at St. Mark's Presbyterian Church in Hudson, FL Eckerd College is bringing reknowned author and lecturer Thomas Moore in February 2010. Be a Hero! Make a Difference! Volunteers are needed to help in the Resource Center. If you can give time for a great cause - an hour a week or a month, we can use your help! Our collection is growing as is our usage and having reliable volunteers is important. Even if you only have a few hours each month, we have simple jobs you can do. Being comfortable with simple computer tasks is important and we will train you. Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at the Resource Center for more information. Invite your Resource Center Director to visit your congregation. Have Leslee do a Minute for Mission in worship, or visit with your Session to promote the Resource Center, or come to your Christian Education committee meeting. Having a Mission Fair? Include your Resource Center and we'll bring a display. Need a Wednesday night program? Your Resource Center Director can bring fun and fellowship or do a Bible study for your group. Call or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ! Vacation Bible School Preveiw Party - Join us Saturday January 9 between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Cokesbury is hosting their annual event in
New! New! New! With Hearts & Hands Uplifted - This new devotional guide from Witherspoon Press invites us on an Advent journey through beloved hymns. 27 meditations based on familiar songs of the season. Good for individual or group reflection. Let Us Break Bread Together - A Passover Haggadah for Christians. Written by a Baptist pastor and a Rabbi, here is a senstive and respectful approach to involve Christians in understanding and participating in the Seder. This would be a good resource for a Lenten or Holy Week program for all ages. Comfort My People - A Policy Statement on Serious Mental Illness from the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy of the PCUSA. Includes a study guide to help us understand and reach out to those among us suffering from mental illness. The Discipleship Resource Center has partnered with the Synod of Florida/Bahamas to offer the best resources for all our churches. Now available is the complete DVD series of Questions of Faith. If you don't find what you need in our Webrary, contact Leslee and she'll see if our Lutheran partner has the resource. It's that time of year! Time to renew your annual membership in the Resource Center. We're holding our fees to current levels. Bonus - if you bring a non-Presbyterian educator to the center and she or he decides to become a member, you will save 10%! The Thoughtful Christian always has great new studies. www.thethoughtfulchristian.com. Spanish language Thoughtful Christian Studies—coming Summer 2010 Studies are available individually or through an annual subscription. Visit The Thoughtful Christian website to see the many wonderful studies they offer. Explore these and other resources on the web - www.presbyteryoftampabay.com. You can click on Webrary (Webrary is our on-line, searchable catalog!) on the right hand side. Do you need help with teacher training? Choosing curriculum? Need ideas for adult classes? We can help! Leslee Kirkconnell is a Certified Christian Educator and will lead workshops based on your need. She can also consult with your Education (or Stewardship or Worship or....) Committee as you plan and dream and hope. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it There's always more to our story than we can include here. Come visit the Resource Center and let us help you with your ministry. Remember our hours have changed. We're here to serve you Monday-Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. You can also call or email your questions/requests and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.You are the RIESEN we are here - Resourceful Ideas Enabling Service Education & Nurture! Contact Leslee Kirkconnell or Carol Walker at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 813-868-4800. Serving Together in MissionEcumenical Advocacy Conference Beth-El Names College Scholarship for a Faithful Servant.
The Society of St. Andrew has begun the gleaning season. If your group is interested in helping glean produce that is given to food pantries and other need organizations, email Barbara Sayles at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Even one afternoon can have a huge impact! Save the date - Saturday January 9 is Presbyterian Day in the Grove at Umatilla, FL (near Ocala). Read their newsletter here. Visit www.endhunger.org to learn more about the important mission and ministry of the Society of St. Andrew. Souper Bowl '10 is Sunday February 7. This is a wonderful way to share God's love with hungry people in our community and an excellent and easy mission project for youth groups (although any group in the church can do it!). Simply ask your congregation to donate at least $1 per person as they leave worship that day. Collect canned goods also and donate it all to a local mission that provides food/nutrition support to needy folks in the community. To measure our collective impact, register your intent with the Souper Bowl organizers and report your totals to them. www.souperbowl.org has wealth of information and free resources to help you understand and promote this offering. A fun and tasty way to support this is to have church members make pots of their favorite soup and bring to church for a soup lunch. Everyone can try different soups (use a coffee mug!) and then donates the cost of the meal toward the offering. The best thing about this offering is 100% of the money raised goes directly to the people in need. If you plan to participate in this worthy event, please let your newsletter editor know how much your raise - let's celebrate together the impact we have! Email
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with your totals. Save the Date - Ecumenical Advocacy Days Conference The 2010 Advocacy Days conference will be held at the Doubletree Hotel in Crystal City, VA, just outside of Washington, DC. The theme is, "A Place to Call Home: Immigrants, Refugees, and Displaced Peoples." Visit the conference website to learn more and to register.
We are the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.Presbyterian Outlook Webinar - Multichannel Church New PCUSA Website Just for Kids Great Continuing Education Opportunities Permanent lodging The Presbyterian Outlook is sponsoring webinars. The first is Thursday January 7 at 2:00 p.m. and will be on the "MultiChannel Church." Mainline churches have suffered a long and relentless slide. But it can be turned around and OUTLOOK columnist, Tom Ehrich, is eager to show you how. Check out the new website just for Presbyterian Kids! www.presbykids4kids.org is designed for children ages 8-11 to learn about children around the world and to find out how they can advocate and act on behalf of other children. There are sections for parents and teachers, with suggestions for mission involvement and practical tools to help children learn skills for life. Be sure to check it out and visit it with the children in your life. Did you know? The Office of Financial Aid for Studies of the PCUSA has funds for education for both undergraduate and graduate student. Grants, loans and scholarships are all available. Visit their website and explore the different options and deadlines.All of us need time away to relax, refresh, learn, worship and recreate. Here are opportunities available for Clergy, educators and more:
Presbyterian Peace Fellowship is planning their first ever convocation for the Stony Point Center, Stony Point, NY, April 15-17, 2010. Visit their website for networking and conference information - www.presbypeacefellowship.org. Local Church History Seminar April 22-25, 2010 at Stony Point Center in New York. Great for local church historians, Presbyterian Women and more who want to learn more about Presbyterian history, managing and preserving local congregation's history, oral history, disaster preparedness and more. Visit www.history.pcusa.org/cong/lchs/index.html for information. Scholarships are available for churches at least 50 years old, with fewer than 250 members and who have financial need. Deadline is February 18. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for details. Unity & Reformed Heritage Seminar - Geneva, Switzerland April 5-12, 2010. Continue your celebration of Calvin's Quincentennial. Visit www.pcusa.org/dear/unity-seminar.htm for registration information. This tour will feature visits to the Ecumenical Centre; worship at the Auditory, where John Calvin taught and John Knox preached, dialogue with leaders of the World Council of Churches and more. Sponsored by the Office of the General Assembly and coordinated through the office of Ecumenical Relations. Columbia Theological Seminary: Save the Date: January 26-28 Emergence NOW (January Seminars 2010) featuring speakers and workshop leaders Bruce Reyes-Chow, Philip Clayton, Phyllis Tickle, Tony Jones; Barbara Brown Taylor will preach two services. Registration is open NOW! Limited housing is also available on campus – must register separately. A complete listing of courses and events may be found at http://www.ctsnet.edu/LL/Events.aspx. Two Seminaries Offer Special Training For Youth Ministry Leadership Pittsburgh Theological Seminary announces a Doctor of Ministry program that will meet at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg. Parish Focus, Pastor/Theologian for the 21st Century will bridge the Word with the world. Brochures are available from the Resource Center. For admission or other information, contact The Rev. Susan Kendall who directs the program for the seminary. Call 412-441-3304 x2112 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Montreat Conference Center has wonderful opportunities year 'round. Visit www.montreat.org for information or to register. Early registration is discounted on many conferences. New this coming year is the ability to register youth individually for Weeks I or IV of the annual youth conferences. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit Montreat's website for specific information. College Conference Jan. 2-5 2010 - God Without Borders; and The Blaze - January 6-9, A Formative Event for Leaders of Youth. Visit their website or call 1-800-572-2257 for more information.
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