Current Articles | Categories | Search | Syndication

Thursday, January 03, 2013 Thoughts from your Transitional Executive Presbyter By Admin_1_4191 @ 9:45 AM :: 302 Views :: 4 Comments   Dear new friends in the community of the Presbytery of St. Augustine, Greetings to you all in the name of the one for whom we have been waiting and has now arrived, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is good to finally be able to greet you from the office of the Presbytery of St. Augustine where I am beginning to settle in. I have a key to the building now so it is official, we work together now and I am excited about that and all of the possibility it brings to us in 2013. Your staff and I met yesterday to begin the process of determining how we will best work together doing God’s work on your behalf and alongside you. We are very clear here that this is your presbytery and it will be what you make of it. As your servants, our goal is to ensure that the work you have called us all to not only glorifies God but also honors the commitment we have all made to be in communion and community with each other. I am working on getting acclimated to the work you have called me to, with 14 meetings in the first eight work days, and my head is spinning. I have scheduled meetings in the study of four of our pastors already and look forward to making those same appointments with the rest of you. It is my hope to be able to visit every church building as well as every pastor in my first six months on the job because my experience has been that the Holy Spirit dwells in our places of worship, and that is an amazing feeling to have as I travel around. I will be in worship this Sunday with my friend and General Assembly Council mentor Joe Rigsby, and will move my membership to the Woodlawn church so that I may be able to serve this presbytery as a Ruling Elder EP. I am looking forward to meeting the folks at Woodlawn. I have been asked to preach at the presbytery meeting in February and am humbled and energized by that request. I believe strongly that all of our elders ought to seize the opportunity to preach God’s word. The thrust of the work of the Presbytery of St. Augustine for 2013 revolves around the theme that “We are one body” and I look forward to exploring that with you in February and beyond. The very best part of this job is being with the saints on Sunday morning as we worship the God who created, redeemed and sustains us. I covet your invitation to participate with you as we serve our God. Peace and grace, Steve Benz, Transitional Presbytery Executive Presbytery of St. Augustine (904) 733-8277 x. 25 or (800) 440-9477 x. 25 steve@staugpres.org

Comments By Presby-Tex @ Thursday, January 03, 2013 4:58 PM Steve, Glad you are on board and that you are going to be a member of the Woodlawn Church and have Joe as your pastor. It is a wonderful congregation. Looking forward to meeting you at the next Presbytery Meeting if not sooner. Grace and peace, Don McGarity By lyndacedwards @ Friday, January 04, 2013 7:36 AM Welcome Steve, I know the Presbytery found you in the voice of God and wish you well in your new place. You will find the people of Jacksonville to be friendly and the people in the Presbytery helpful. You will be in my thoughts and prayer as you settle in here and we begin the process of finding an installed Executive Presbyter. Peace, Lynda Edwards St. Andrews Presbyterian Church By Dawnconti@bellsouth.net @ Friday, January 04, 2013 1:43 PM Welcome, Steve, and thank you for your message. Grace and peace to you as you begin this new leg of the journey. Dawn Conti Teaching Elder Kanapaha Church, Gainesville By larryh123 @ Tuesday, January 08, 2013 1:02 PM Steve: It is great to have you aboard officially!!! We are looking forward to meeting you and working with you. Peace Larry Hadrava Ruling Elder Kirkwood Presbyterian Church You must be logged in to post a comment. You can login here