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Thursday, September 28, 2017

PCPC Christian Ed: About the Worship Packets






Each week, Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church offers children the opportunity to engage in worship with the Children’s Worship Bulletins found in both the traditional and the Connection services.

The Connection services offers a format for a slightly younger group of children. These bulletins include word puzzles and games to engage them.

In Traditional services, the Bulletins have been customized to include the weekly bulletins that adults are given. These bulletins have been tailored for children, complete with worship icons to follow along during the service and a chance for them to learn about the practices and rituals that are part of the Presbyterian Church.  The weekly hymns and Bible readings are also included, to give each child a helpful tool to guide them as they are learning how to engage in worship.

Each week, we will also include some of the articles and posts that are featured on the PC Website and on the Children’s Ministry Facebook pages. These will include thoughts and ideas about some Current Events as well as the ideas and events that are part of the PCPC Ministry.




Please check the packets to see What’s Coming! Contact marylee@palmaceia.org or Kelly McCord at CE@palmaceia.org if you have suggestions, questions or ideas.

Ways to Help: Immokalee Florida











One of the areas in our region hardest hit from Hurricane Irma was Immokalee, Florida. Thousands of migrant farmworkers live in Immokalee. Their already poor living conditions were damaged even further by the high winds and flooding that knocked out power and damaged homes.

The community was hit hard, but they are resilient. The people that work in the Peace River Presbytery operate a mission in the community. The Mission workers say that there are four areas of need for the community.

1)   Sustainable goods-Food, hygiene products and diapers
2)   Power! They are trying to obtain generators to run freezers and refrigerators
3)   The long-term goal is to develop a Community Garden. Behind the Mission, there is room to plant a garden. The workers here pick pounds of fresh vegetables, and know how to farm the land-but they didn’t’ have a plot to grow their own vegetables!
4)   The fourth need is for long-term housing. Many of the trailers were damaged in Hurricane Irma. Some families even share trailers, and they are charged rent on a weekly or a monthly basis.

One of the members of the Presbyterian Hunger Program who has worked with the people of Immokalee reports that despite their problems and needs both short and long term, there is patience and “gratefulness that people care.”

For more information about ways to help, please go to this link: PDA: Immokalee or contact us at Palma Ceia at marylee@palmaceia.org for more information.


Ways to help: Kits to make for those impacted by Hurricanes






The following list is comprised of some local food pantries in the Tampa Bay area. Here at Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church, we are also connected with the Faith Café, and ask for volunteers to help serve meals in partnership with other area churches. This Friday, September 29th, PCPC will be staffing the Faith Café.  Find out how you can help, by donating food or other supplies by contacting…. 

The phone numbers listed below will help you if your family would like to volunteer time or other items to these local pantries. And in this time of great need, there are kits that you can make up to send out to those who have suffered the loss of their homes in Hurricane Irma and Harvey. The Hygiene kit and the School supplies kit are two of the ways that you might help by assembling the items and mailing them to the address listed below. They are part of the PDA-Presbyterian Disaster Assistance that works to help those in hard hit regions where disaster has struck.


Feeding Hungry Pantry List:

METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES 2

2002 No FL Ave.
Tampa FL 33602

NEW BEGINNINGS OF TAMPA

1402 Chilkoot Ave. E.
Tampa FL 33612

SANTA MARIA MISSION 2

14004 North 15th St.
Tampa FL 33613

PENINSULAR CHRISTIAN CHURCH

3600 W Ballast Point Blvd.
Tampa FL 33611

TAMPA BAY COMMUNITY AND FAMILY

3101 North 34th St.
Tampa FL 33605

ST LUKE AME CHURCH 2

2709 North 25th St.
Tampa FL 33605

TRINITY CAFE 2

2801 N. Nebraska Ave.
Tampa FL 33602

HOLY TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN

350 S. Hyde Park Ave.
Tampa FL 33606

HOGAR RESTAURACION

109 April Ln.
Tampa FL 33613

MOST HOLY REDEEMER 2

10110 N. Central Ave.
Tampa FL 33612

SVDP WEST HILLS DISTRICT

12310 N. Nebraska Ave.
Tampa FL 33612

APOSTOLIC CHURCH OF JESUS

5100 N. Nebraska Ave.
Tampa, FL 33603

REVIVAL MINISTRIES

3738 River International Dr.
Tampa FL 33610

TAMPA JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES 2

13009 Community Campus Dr
Tampa FL 33625

NEW HOPE MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

3005 E. Ellicott St.
Tampa FL 33610

Gift of the Heart kits are an excellent hands-on project for youth groups, Presbyterian Women and others who want a tangible way to be involved. School Kits and Hygiene Kits are often the most in demand.
·         Cleanup bucket
·         Hygiene kit
·         School kit

A note from Church World Service regarding Baby Kits: Thank you for your support of the CWS Baby Care Kit program. After careful evaluation with CWS program partners and other agencies that had previously received the baby care kits, a decision was made to discontinue the use of baby care kits starting on January 1, 2016. Changes in program directions have helped to guide this change. We are thankful for your years of previous support of these programs. Your work has benefited many families around the world. 

Cleanup Bucket

Photo by Kathy Broyard, PDA NRT
1 — 5-gallon bucket with resealable lid*(Value $75)
5 — scouring pads
7 — sponges, assorted sizes
1 — scrub brush
1 — pkg. cleaning towels (18 reusable, like Easy Wipes®)
1 — 50 oz. or two 25 oz. bottle(s) of liquid laundry detergent
1 — liquid concentrated household cleaner (like Lysol®), 12 oz.
1 — bottle liquid disinfectant dish soap (like Dawn®), 24-28 oz.
1 — 1 pkg. clothespins, 48-50 Clothesline, two 50 ft. or one 100 ft.
5 — dust masks
2 pair — latex gloves (like Playtex®)
1 pair — work gloves
1 — 24 to 28 count roll heavy-duty trash bags (30-45 gallon, remove from carton)
1 — bottle insect repellant (pump, drops or lotion; not aerosol), 6-9 oz.

Please purchase all liquids in plastic bottles. Send only new, unopened materials. Put all items in the plastic bucket, packed securely to avoid damage during shipment, and seal lid with packing tape.

*Some local fast-food restaurants are willing to give pickle buckets (or other 5-gallon buckets with re-sealable lids) or offer them for a small fee. These can be washed out and used for the cleanup buckets.

Hygiene Kit

Photo by Paul Jeffrey, ACT
(Value $15)
1 — hand towel (approximately 16" x 28", no fingertip or bath towels)
1 — washcloth
1 — wide-tooth comb (remove from package)
1 — nail clipper (UPDATE: nail clippers with metal files or emery boards attached are now accepted; remove from package)
1 — bar of soap (bath size in wrapper)
1 — toothbrush (in original packaging)
10 — Band-Aids® or other adhesive bandage strips
Please do not add toothpaste to the Hygiene Kit. Toothpaste which has an extended expiration date will be added to international Hygiene Kit shipments just prior to shipment. Seal all items in a one-gallon plastic bag with a zipper closure.

School Kit

Photo by CWS
(Value $15)
1 — pair of blunt scissors (rounded tip)
3 — 70-count spiral notebooks or tape-bound pads of 8" x 10 1/2" ruled paper or pads with 200-210 sheets of ruled paper. Do not include filler paper.
1 — 30-centimeter ruler (12")
1 — hand-held pencil sharpener
6 — new pencils with erasers
1 — large eraser
1 — box of 24 crayons
1 — cloth bag, 12" x 14" to 14" x 17" finished size cotton cloth bag with cloth handles; pattern available.  (Please, do not use reusable shopping bags or backpacks.)
Pack all items in the cloth bag.  

Packing and Sending "Gift of the Heart" Kits

  • Complete Kits should be packed in boxes with only one type of Kit in each box. However, if you are shipping a small number of different kinds of Kits, they can be combined in one box.
  • Clearly mark the outside of the box with the contents.
  • Complete the mailing form and place it inside the top of your box before sealing it. This will provide the name and address of your group sending the kits for the CWS receiving site, and it gives information about how to share your story with PDA.
  • Secure the boxes with packing tape.
Ship all kits prepaid to one of the following:
Ferncliff Disaster Assistance Center
1720 Ferncliff Road
Little Rock, AR 72223
(501) 821-3063 or (866) 732-6121
OR

Church World Service
Brethren Service Center Annex
601 Main Street
New Windsor, MD 21776-0188
(410) 635-8794

PCPC Christian Ed: What is Deep Blue?







What is Deep Blue?

Deep Blue is the new Sunday School program at Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church where each week children will explore a new adventure as our team of caring and faithful adults will tell the stories of the Bible through science experiments, arts and crafts, animated videos and games designed to help kids learn and grow together in Christ.

The Deep Blue Adventures will begin for children in Pre K-3 & 4 and continue through the 5th Grade. Our Deep Blue Program will be held during Sunday School hours from 10:05 through 10:50 AM. Join us as we begin to explore and learn together!

Why Deep Blue? The Deep Blue program stands for

          B = BE with God
          L= LOVE God & Neighbor
          U=UNDERSTAND themselves as Children of God
          E= EXPLORE faith and the Bible

The Deep Blue program also encourages children to “Go Deep”…to dive deeper into the Bible and to explore their faith in fun and age-appropriate ways!




Tuesday, September 26, 2017

PCPC History Notes: The Light of the World

The Light of the World




About The Light of the World

The painting by Holman Hunt, was done in 1851. Called “The Light of the World”, Hunt painted a replica of the original and toured the world with it from 1900 to 1907. The original painting now hangs in St Paul’s Cathedral in London. The scripture is from Revelation 3:20: 

 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and  opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him and he with Me.

·    The painting we see every Sunday in the Sanctuary at Palma Ceia is of Christ standing outside the door of the human soul. The door is barred, bound by creeping vines of ivy, showing that it has never been opened. Jesus’ right hand is knocking on the door; His left hand carries a lantern of brilliant light. He approaches the door at right in His everlasting positions of Prophet, Priest and King. Wearing the robe representing the priestly investiture; his rayed crown of gold is interwoven with the crown of thorns, but bears soft leaves for the ‘healing of the nations.’ Christ carries with Him a twofold light: the light of conscience which displays past sins, and afterwards the light of peace, the hope of salvation.”


Originally installed in the Palma Ceia Presbyterian Sanctuary in 1950, the painting was a contribution of the Joseph A O’Berry family. Reverend Kadel chose the piece as the focal point of the sanctuary, saying he thought that if a member of the congregation wasn’t interested in his sermon, they could still get a meaningful message when looking at the picture!

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

About the Lord's Prayer



The Lord’s Prayer is sometimes called the “Our Father”. The words to the Lord's Prayer can be found in Matthew 6:9-13. The prayer is an important one, as it comes directly from Jesus, when he teaches his disciples how to pray. The original verse was written in Greek. The prayer has been interpreted several different ways, as is the case with many parts of our Bible, which has been translated from different languages.

The original Greek used the word “Debt” in the passage: "Forgive us our debts". One of the early translations used the word debt, but in the 1500’s, the translator used the word, ‘tresspasses”.

One of the widely used volumes for Christians, “The Book of Common Prayer”, uses the word trespasses. But the popular and much loved version, called the King James Bible, used debtors.


Catholics still say “trespasses”when reciting the Lord's Prayer, but Presbyterians say debts. There is no right or wrong, but a slightly different meaning comes out of each translation. 

Jesus first instructs his disciples: When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then in this way:


Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil,
For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory Forever

Jesus goes on to instruct his disciples on many other things, such as fasting, material possessions, compassion for others, and in one of his most enduring lessons, he instructs them about what has become known as “The Golden Rule”. In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you, for this is the law and the prophets.



Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Remembering Hurricane Katrina and the Aftermath of Disaster



            Do you remember Hurricane Katrina? What was it? 

In 2005, one of the largest hurricanes ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico was slated to hit New Orleans. But after it came ashore, at first, the news reports were that the area had not been hit as hard as they had feared. Then after 24 hours, there was a devastating development. 

The dams and levies that were supposed to protect the city of New Orleans and the surrounding parishes broke down and water poured into people’s homes and flooded the streets of the city. For days, there were heartbreaking scenes of people stranded on rooftops, and finally the National Guard was called in to organize a relief effort for those who had lost their homes.

After that, much has been done to help the people of the besieged region. Lessons were learned to help people during disasters and floods. 

How are they doing after Hurricane Katrina? Go online and look up Presbytery of South Louisiana. Find out what people did to help their neighbors. Like a Phoenix rising out of the ashes, some of the work that has been done in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina shows the power of prayer, the power of people and the resilience of a community coming together and working to heal and to rebuild.

What are some of the lessons learned from disasters such as Hurricane Katrina?

There is strength in unity. The power of people and the power of love in community and working together to heal have made all the difference for the hard hit areas of Hurricane Katrina.

 Do you know of a recent disaster such as a flood or other natural occurrence where you or your family have seen pictures of people  struggling to cope with problems such as loss of their home or injuries when a bad storm or tornado has occurred? 

What do you think you might be able to do to help? As an individual or as a family? Or perhaps through your church or school? 

Have you ever helped to organize an effort to help those in need?

What is Shrove Tuesday?



Here's a definition for Shrove Tuesday: It's a day in February that precedes Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Some countries serve pancakes, and others will have a carnival day. Mardi Gras is one of the most famous of these celebrations, also known as “Fat Tuesday”, which represents a day of feasting and eating that precedes the fasting period of Lent. Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday”.

The word “Shrove” comes from “Shrive” or absolve.  It is often presented as a special time to examine wrongs, a need to repent, and to make amends or reflect on some areas that might need self-examination or spiritual growth. 

Can you think of something you need to do to make amends on Shrove Tuesday?

What is Ash Wednesday?






What is Ash Wednesday? It is the day Christians mark as the beginning of the Lenten Season. Lent is a time for reflection as it leads to Holy Week and Easter Sunday. Our Pastor will have ashes-made from burned palm fronds that we used last year on Palm Sunday. The Pastor takes the ashes and makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of the people in the congregation. The text from Genesis 3:19 reminds us: “From dust you are and to dust you shall return.”

What do we do to observe Lent? Some people still fast. Fasting is simply drinking water and eating only after sundown during the season of Lent. Many people will observe Lent by making other sacrifices, such as not eating meat or sweets, or making a vow to abstain or stop a bad habit they have formed. Lent is a season that we, as Christians, observe as a time to reflect on Jesus and the sacrifices he made for us.

Can you reflect on a time that you made a sacrifice for someone you loved?

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

A Verse from Matthew


As I was going through the Liturgical Calendar, the passage from Matthew had resonance for me. There are times we all need a boost. Or perhaps a Reminder that our lives matter to God. That in God's eyes, you are the Salt of the Earth and the light of the world. 

We all need reminders from time to time that our lives matter. And in the scheme of things, we can make a difference to many lives. It's a good mantra to recite this week. Each day-when you wake up and look at yourself in the mirror, keep this reminder in mind: YOU are the Salt of the Earth. And YOU are the Light of the world. In God's eyes, you are everything.