Sunday, August 26, 2012

F.I.S.H. Fresh Ideas Start Here

On Saturday, Wekiva Presbyterian Church served as the host location for FISH, the Central Florida Presbytery annual workshops for church leaders.  We had a great group of participants and wonderful leaders.  Above you see the program for the Morning Prayers, which I designed based on my book on the Beatitudes.  Paul Anderson and Gary Galloway shared in leading this opening worship.  Below is a photo of the bookshop area, which was staffed by church volunteer Kathy, and presented by Candace Hill from PC(USA) headquarters in Louisville.  Candace and I are old friends, having worked together at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, PA.

Above is a photo of Cheryl Carson, who heads the Resource Center at Central Florida Presbytery and who planned the entire FISH event.  She is standing before a display of items she created to feature what churches can borrow from the Resource Center.  Below is a display about the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators, a national organization which will be here in Orlando for their 2013 annual meeting this coming February.

We could not have done the FISH event without the help of many people both volunteers and church staff members.  Above Donna shows her Wekiva spirit by displaying the Wekiva tee shirt, and the fact that she is ready to pour the orange juice serves to remind us that we are in Central Florida, for sure!  Martha and Ted smile for the camera, below...

Above and below we see Mark Pinsky as he delivers the plenary session.  Mark is a noted author of a fine group of books about church and society.  His most recent book, from the Alban Institute and commissioned by one of the true heros of our age, the former first lady of Pennsylvania Ginny Thornburgh, is about how persons with disabilities enrich the lives of congregations.  A wonderful book.
If you missed FISH, you missed one of the best catches of the year!

1 comment:

Cheryl Carson said...

John...thanks so much to you and your church family for hosting FISH and being so wonderfully hospitable. I want to especially thank Laurie Farquharson for her amazing work in getting everything organized for us on your end and for leading two great workshops. Also, cudos to Bob Samson for his service on the Leadership Development Committee, his assistance with AV matters for FISH, and for leading a well-received workshop on Social Media and teens. Last, but not least, thanks to you and Paul for providing a thoughtful and worshipful beginning to our day of learning.

Blessings,
Cheryl Carson