The Evangelism and Fellowship committee is about communicating activities, events, and happenings in the church; shepherding visitors and new members; creating fellowship activities; and supporting the work of all the committees as it relates to these areas. ****************************************************************************************************************************** FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES CHOIR An important part of worship is the special music …
This page is dedicated to the youth of our Church to post their events, happenings, accomplishments, thoughts and aspirations, and more. We invite all teens and young people to participate.
The Building and Grounds Committee is responsible for the building and grounds of the Church. This would include everything from replacing light bulbs that burn out to taking care of the landscaping. Right now the Committee is working on enhancing and improving on the gardens around the Church building. ********************************************************************************************************************** …
Ricky & Amy Poupore been married for 13 years this May. They live in Satsuma with their two sons, Colby (age 10) and Hunter (age 9), one dog named Honey and a rescued stray named Kitty. Ricky works in the coal yard at Seminole Electric and Amy is a Project Coordinator for TurboCare. In their free time Ricky enjoys hunting and fishing and Amy enjoys photography.
The congregation of San Mateo Presbyterian Church wants to thank all of those members and guests who donated lilies for the Church Sanctuary Easter Sunday Services:
The children of our church performed their Bell Choir during Easter Sunday services to the delight of everyone in the congregation. ENJOY!
Palm Sunday Services at San Mateo Presbyterian Church in San Mateo, FL included the children participating in a Procession of Palms signifying the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and the people waved palm branches.
PLEASE VISIT OUR “PHOTO GALLERY” PAGE TO SEE ALL THE PHOTOS FROM THE EASTER EGG HUNT!
San Mateo Presbyterian Church welcomes Reverend Terry Wright as our new Pastor!
Rev. Wright has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Union University, masters Degree of Divinity from Mid-America University, and Doctoral Studies at New Orleans Baptist theological Seminary. Rev. Wright has been married to his wife Renee for 18 years and they have 3 children: Madison 14, Carson 12, and Parker 11.
Pastor Terry will have lots of new ideas for activities and fellowship, and the congregation looks forward to working with Pastor Terry to continue to build our church’s congregation through fellowship and the Spirit of the Lord.
San Mateo Presbyterian Church had an official “burning of the mortgage note” on January 13, 2013. The mortgage was actually paid off in November of 2012, but with the all holiday celebrations, we decided to hold the ceremony in January. Reverend Noel & Betty Jane White attended, and Rev. Noel gave the service that day as well. After the “burning” ceremony, Rev. Noel officially welcomed and “passed the torch” to our new Pastor, the Reverend Terry Wright. Weezie Smith lead the burning ceremony and dedicated The Potter’s House to the children of the church, for they are the church’s future!
A beautiful bronze plaque mounted on Florida limestone rock was put in place in the Butterfly Garden and dedicated to Rev. Noel and Betty Jane White. The Butterfly Garden was officially dedicated to Rev. Noel and Betty Jane in May of 2012 at their retirement service, but the plaque was not in place at that time.
Many thanks go out to Weezie and Tommy Smith who arranged with one of our local funeral directors, Mr. Charles Overturf, who graciously donated the bronze plaque. Then an appropriate sized and shaped stone that came from Weezie and Tommy’s farm that was used to build their home’s fireplace, was used for mounting the plaque. Then Weezie & Tommy, along with Bill Futch buried a large portion of the stone into the ground so that the stone is in place permanently.
Rev. Noel and Betty Jane were thrilled with their new plaque, and it will stand as a moment to two very special people for hundreds of years to come.
We had a beautiful and simply stunning Nativity Scene this year, made possible by the efforts of many of our church’s congregation. Members of our talented congregation donated and/or purchased the plywood, others purchased the patterns and supplies, others cut all the wood into life size figures, painted and primed it, and we had a local artist do the final detail painting of the completed pieces. Then our congregation members assembled them, erected them on the church’s front lawn, secured the pieces with stakes to keep the wind from blowing them over, and lighting was added to complement the whole scene. At night, our little church in the country looked like a Cathedral when all the lights were on and the Nativity Scene glowed towards the heavens. We hope you were able to drive by and see this magnificent site! And we whole heartedly thank all those who participated in this massive project so that we could bring Joy to the Community for Christmas! Well done everyone who participated! You can go to the Photo Gallery page for additional photos.
Please come and enjoy our Choir’s beautiful Christmas Cantata at our Church Sanctuary, December 16, 2012 beginning at 7 PM. There will be refreshments and finger-food served at The Potter’s House immediately following. This is a most wonderful tribute to our Lord Jesus Christ and a most joyous singing of praise to Him. Everyone is welcome, and bring a friend, relative, neighbor, and enjoy the Christmas Season!
San Mateo Presbyterian Church in San Mateo, FL has a wonderful choir led by Mrs. Lulu Gail Griffis. Tonight the choir gloriously performed a Cantata “Emmanuel, Celebrating Heaven’s Child”, created by Joel Lindsey, arranged and orchestrated by Russell Mauldin. This is a most wonderful tribute to our Lord Jesus Christ and a most joyous singing of praise to Him. Merry Christmas!
Everyone had a great time participating in the annual Welaka Christmas Parade held December 15, 2012. The float was decorated with wrapped presents and toy soldiers with the theme ”Let His Word Unwrap the Magic of Christmas”. Everyone wore their red San Mateo Presbyterian shirts! This is the first time that San Mateo Presbyterian Church has participated in the Welaka Parade, and we hope to continue the tradition for many years to come. Please go to our Photo Gallery page and see a lot more photos from the parade! Merry Christmas!
What a beautiful Christmas Pageant the children performed on Christmas Eve! The Glory of God was truly at San Mateo Presbyterian Church. Angie Martin-Willott, Andrea Wells, and all the other adult and young adult coordinators put on a wonderful play, joining the traditional with the not so traditional modern age twist, complete with Princess phones and teenage activities. Also included was a beautiful tribute to the Veterans of our congregation and their families. This was beautifully prepared by Angies’ husband Peter, and it brought many a tear to those in attendance. There was also a fun tribute to Christmases past, with photos brought in from our congregation family photos. And of course, Santa came to visit the children with special surprises on his way from the North Pole all around the world, with a stop at San Mateo. Please go to our Photo Gallery page for more beautiful photos! Merry Christmas!
The 5th Sunday of the Month is our church’s Day of Praise and Singing Hymn Fest, with most of the service comprised of songs and hymns from both our choir and our church’s congregation. San Mateo Presbyterian Church is proud and honored to have such talent in such a small rural church located inSan Mateo,FL, this small and wonderful “little church in the country.”
We had a wonderful turnout for the Apple Fest Sunday evening with over 100 folks attending: children & grandchildren, brothers & sisters, nieces & nephews, parents & grandparents, friends & relatives, and of course all the volunteers who organized the event. Special THANKS go out to Tracy & Dominic Picsitello, Lulu Gail & Casey Griffis, Sabrina Crosby, Tommy Stilwell, Weezie & Tommy Smith (Hayride Master), Sandy & Bill Futch, the couple who brought the beautiful horse for the children to ride, the Youth Education Committee, and many, many more that I don’t even everyone who helped out. All the folks who lovingly prepared, cooked, baked, and brought all the great food, deserts, and snacks for all to enjoy. All the craft projects for the children to take part in: there was finger painting, painting and decorating “apple flower pots”, sugar designs, guess the weight of a really big apple, apple bobbing; and there was sliced apples with melted caramel sauce, applesauce, apple cider, and the children made candied apples. There was hopscotch, football throwing, horse back riding, and a great hayride!
So as you can see, this is a really FUN church! For such a small country church, I think we do more here than any big church, city or country. Everyone enjoys great fellowship and the spirit of love is all around at our events. If you haven’t been to one of our events yet, be sure an mark your calendar to come to the next one!
Mary Baird of our congregation of San Mateo Presbyterian Church, in San Mateo, FL has a sweet and mellow voice as she sings a solo with her “down home” style. We love having members of our congregation perform special music during our services, and we have quite a talented group for such a “little church in the country”. Bravo, Mrs. Mary, for such a beautiful song.
After a very successful and totally AWESOME Vacation Bible School, the children, helpers, and teachers celebrated with a water play day after church services on Sunday, July 29, 2012. Dominic Piscitello grilled delicious hot dogs in the outside activity area while his lovely wife Tracy coordinated the side dishes inside Potter’s House, with a lot of help from the volunteers. A feast was prepared for the children and any one who wanted to join them.
The children played water sports, tug-of-war, cooled off in wading pools with sprayers, water balloons, and all sorts of other fun activitites to build up their appetities for the feast that the adults had prepared for them. And the adults got into the fun as well, many of them getting very wet! But on a hot day that it was, it really felt refreshing.
Tracy and Dom Piscitello are to be congratulated on gathering up such fine volunteers and for putting together many fun activities for the children of our church as well as the surrounding churches and the community!
On the 5th Sunday of the month, our congregation celebrates praise to the Lord by having praise song, both traditional and contemporary, performed by our church members and choir. Our featured singers, along with our great choir lead by our Choir Director Lulu Gail Griffis, are: Andrea Wells, Payton Stoudt, Sabrina & Paisley Crosby, Tommy Stilwell, and Chuck Register. The following videos show how wonderful our singers are in our little church in the country. ENJOY!
San Mateo Presbyterian Church Vacation Bible School (VBS) “Operation Overboard” with a nautical and beachside theme, held July 23-27, 2012 inSan Mateo, FL. Our congregation’s group of volunteers – women, men, young adults, and teenagers – work very hard to put on the best VacationBibleSchoolin the County, maybe even the State! The children come not only from our church, but from churches and the community around the area. Everyone has a wonderful and fun time, especially the children, all while learning new things, meeting new friends, seeing old friends, and praising the Lord. The age groups go from pre-K to 6th grade, and there are a lot of activities for the children to do each day. You can see from the videos that a lot of fun and entertaining activities were enjoyed by all. ENJOY!
PLEASE CHECK OUT THE PHOTO GALLERY PAGE AND CLICK ON THE LINK TO THE “VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL OPERATION OVERBOARD” TO SEE ALL THE PHOTOS TAKEN DURING THE VBS!
Our congregation was treated at today’s Sunday morning service at the San Mateo Presbyterian Church with a piano solo by Miss Emily Martin-Willott playing “God Made Me” and “Jesus Loves Me”. She is a very talented pianist, especially for her young age. She is assisted by Andrea Wells of our youth education program. Congratulations to Emily and her wonderful and joyous piano playing to give thanks to the Lord for all that he has given to us on this earth. Bravo, Emily!
Today is the day we honor all of our fathers for all the hard work they do, patience they have, and love for their children and family. Andrea Wells recited a couple of meaningful Father’s Day poems and the children handed out leather garden gloves to all of the men in the congregation, which also had a poem attached.
Our faithful and devoted church member Carrie Inaree Evans, also affectionately known as “Blondie”, 85, passed away Monday, June 4, 2012 around 1 PM at Shands at UF in Gainesville from complications of injuries received in an automobile accident on May 27th. Inaree has been a member of the San Mateo Presbyterian Church since she was a young child, and had taken care of the flowers for the church for well over 50 years. We will all miss her cheerful ways, all her dedication to the church, and the church will certainly feel empty without her sitting in that front pew of the section that her and her loving husband Hank would be at every Sunday morning. She is in God’s hands now and is without pain from her injuries suffered in the auto accident over Memorial Day Weekend. We will miss you Mrs. Inaree.
She was born in Yelvington and lived there and at her beach house at Crescent Beach her entire life. Inaree was a graduate of Hastings High School and years ago worked as a beautician. She had also worked with the family business, Evans Fernery.
Inaree was the longest standing member of the San Mateo Presbyterian Chuch. Over the years, she had served as an Elder, past president of the Women of the Church, Sunday School teacher, church historian, and was in charge of the floral decorations.
Inaree also served as secretary for the San Mateo Christian Union, aka, San Mateo Cemetery and was a former member of the San Mateo Woman’s Club. Inaree enjoyed fishing and gardening, especially growing her beautiful azaleas.
Inaree and Hank made sure that there were flowers in the church and for the functions held at The Potter’s House, usually fresh flowers cut from their own gardens. They would come every Saturday to decorate the Sanctuary to be sure that all was in order for Sunday service. When the monthly fellowship luncheons after Communion Sunday were held, again, Inaree and Hank came out on Saturday to decorate all the tables and serving tables with flower centerpieces, and again, mostly cut from their own personal gardens. They would also decorate the tables for the chicken and fish dinners, and any other special event that was being held in The Potter’s House.
Inaree and Hank’s family had a fernery years ago, and they had over 400 azalea shrub bushes and countless camellias that were taller than their home, as well as a large assortment of greenery and florals. Inaree was so creative in her designs of floral arrangements and centerpieces, each one more beautiful than the last. The variety of flowers and greenery was amazing. And Hank was always by her side assisting her.
Inaree brought me several photos of her magnificent yard full of azaleas so that they could be scanned and put on this website so that their beauty could be enjoyed by all. You can see the photos of her beautiful gardens on another page on this website.
Inaree was also very active and devoted to the Presbyterian Women’s Group, helping with the yard sales and any other fundraiser event or charitable cause that the group undertook. The Women’s Group made a lot of donations and contributions to our Church as well as other charities and missions around the world, and Inaree was always there to help accomplish their goals. The Presbyterian Women’s Group also puts together the monthly fellowship luncheons after Communion, and Inaree was an active participant in organizing, decorating, and just getting things done.
She is survived by her loving husband of 65 years, Belford F. “Hank” Evans, a son, Belford F. Evans Jr. and wife Robin of Yelvington; two brothers, Thomas Cain of Palatka and Russell Cane and wife Terri of Crescent Beach; a brother-in-law, John Norris of Branchville, SC; two grandchildren, Christopher Evans and Dorothy Inaree Jensen and husband Joshua; five great-grandchildren, Wyatt, Isaiah, Isabella, Weston and Paisley; and numerous nieces and nephews.
We will have more information about her life posted here soon, as well as information about services honoring Mrs. Inaree. If you have any remembrances and memories about Inaree, we would be glad to share them with the congregation. You can leave your comments on this post.
UPDATE INFORMATION ON THE FUNERAL SERVICES FOR INAREE:
Visitation for Carrie Inaree Evans will be held for family and friends on Thursday, June 7, from 5 pm to 7 pm at the Johnson-Overturf Funeral Home located at 307 South Palm Avenue in Palatka, FL (386) 325-4521. Memories and condolences may be left for the family at www.johnsonoverturffunerals.com. Arrangements are under the direction of Johnson-Overturf Funeral Home in Palatka.
Funeral services will be held Friday, June 8, 2012 at the Johnson-Overturf Funeral Home at 10 AM with the Reverend Chuck DeVane officiating. Burial will follow at the San Mateo Cemetery located on San Mateo Cemetery Road just off of SR 100. A luncheon will be served immediately after the graveside services, approximately 11:30 AM, at the San Mateo Presbyterian Church fellowship hall The Potter’s House located at 201 Currie Road and SR 100 in San Mateo. Flowers are gratefully accepted or you can make a memorial donation to the San Mateo Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 57, San Mateo, FL 32187 in Inaree’s memory.
We welcome Pastor Yvan Kelly to the pulpit June 3, August 5, and September 9, 2012.
Pastor Kelly comes to us from St. Augustine where he is an Elder at Memorial Presbyterian Church. Yvan is also a Certified Lay Pastor in our Presbytery and serves on Presbytery committees. He is the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Flagler College where he also teaches courses in economics.
On his visit of June 3rd, Pastor Kelly also brought with him his lovely wife Chris and charming mother-in-law Sally. A tour of our campus and all the ongoing projects was given to the Kelly’s by several of the church members.
Welcome Pastor Kelly, we hoped you enjoyed meeting all the fine people here at San Mateo Presbyterian Church, and we enjoyed meeting you and having you here to preside over our Sunday service.
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We welcome Dr. Jim Archibald to the pulpit June 10, July 8, & July 15, 2012.
Jim is the chaplain at the Penney Retirement Community in Penney Farms, Florida. He is a retired United Methodist minister having served over a 46 year span in Maryland and Washington, D.C. We always learn from Jim’s lessons and look forward to his words. Thank you for being with us today.
Dr. Archibald is very active in the P.E.T. project – the Personal Energy Transport unit. These units have been hand built by volunteers in the Penney Retirement Center and other such communities. Each unit costs $250 which includes the unit, a tool kit and parts for repairs, and shipping. The P.E.T. units have been shipped to 87 different countries to those people who have lost their legs to land mines, war injuries, birth defects, and other such disabling issues. The P.E.T. is powered by hand, yes that is right, by a hand crank that moves the wheels. The wheels are strong wheel barrow wheels, and the unit is made mostly of wood.
This is a very worth while project that Dr. Archibald is involved in, and if you wish to donate to the cause, please contact Dr. Archibald at Penney Farms Retirement Community located just west of Green Cove Springs, FL.
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We welcome Pastor Dan Graham to the pulpit June 17, July 1, August 26, September 2, and October 7, 2012
Dan Graham was born in Jacksonville,Florida. He graduated from Englewood High School; Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee; Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida; and Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. Before going to seminary, Dan taught and coached and later worked in the insurance industry.
While a student and in full time parish ministry, Dan has served churches in Kingston, Jamaica; Jefferson, Georgia; Lincoln, England; Lexington, South Carolina; West Point, Georgia; and Columbus, Georgia. Dan was also a part time assistant prison chaplain while in Columbus. Since retirement, he has been a campus minister with the Westminster Fellowship of Columbus State University and has done some supply preaching in Georgia and Florida, including several months of supply preaching at First Presbyterian Church of Crescent City, Florida. He has been interim pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Palm Coast, at St. Johns Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, and First Presbyterian Church of Starke. He is now coordinating the Matthew 13 Boat Ministry sponsored by Memorial Presbyterian Church of St. Augustine.
Dan is married to the former Judith Ann Wells of Norton,Virginia. They met at Carson-Newman where Judith Ann studied music and home economics. Judith Ann has taught school and has worked in the insurance industry. She is currently serving as a substitute teacher for the St. Johns County School system.
Judith Ann and Dan have been married for 38 years and have two daughters, Rebekah and Ann. Rebekah is the Program Associate in the Dean’s Office for the Reich College of Education at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. Rebekah and Wesley Saylors were married in October 2008. Wes teaches rhetoric at Lees-McRae College (PCUSA) in nearby Banner Elk. Ann teaches Latin at Herndon High School in Herndon,Virginia. Judith Ann and Dan now make their home in St. Augustine,Florida.
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We welcome the Reverend Dr. Mike Williams back to the pulpit today, June 24, 2012.
The Reverend Williams is retired from being the Associate Executive of the Presbytery of St. Augustine. Rev. Williams was joined by his lovely wife Sharon for the service that Sunday. Rev. Williams and his wife are both on the Board of Directors for the Presbyterian Thornwell Children’s Home located in Clinton, South Carolina They invite all those who are traveling through that area of South Carolina to please stop and visit the Chilren’s Home. The Presbytery College is also located nearby.
Rev. Williams and his wife do a lot of volunteer work during their retirement, and are planning a 3 month long trip around the country. We wish you safe travels and lots of exciting adventures.
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We welcome the Reverend Dr. Glen Dickson to the pulpit July 22, August 12, and September 23, 2012.
Dr. Glen Dickson retired from Westminster Presbyterian in Gainesville, FL. He currently serves ad the chair for Mutual Mission Committee for Presbytery and is Minister to Death Row inmates.
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We welcome Reverend Charles (Charlie) Landreth to the pulpit today, September 16 and October 14, 2012.
Rev. Charlie was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. He is a graduate of Southwestern (now named Rhodes College) and Columbia Theological Seminary. He was ordained in 1966 and has served pastorates in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina.
From 1971-1991 he held several positions in Florida’s public mental health system. He then retired in 2005 and has served in four interim pastorates. Rev. Charlie has two sons and two grandchildren.
Rev. Charlie came early today to visit our Sunday School classes. He was impressed with the number of both children and adults attending the classes, as well as the high caliber of the teacher presiding over the classes. Thank you Rev. Charlie for taking such an interest in our Sunday School as well as our church’s congregation!
Tommy Clay played a wonderful medley of patriotic songs, going back as far as the Civil War tunes that he dedicated to our congregation members Hank & Inaree Evans. Sadly though, unknown to the congregation at the time, Hank and Inaree were involved in a serious traffic accident on their way to the church and were at the hospital at the time of Tommy Clay’s piano medley. We all pray for Hank and Inaree, especially for Inaree who was critically injured, and wish them a speedy recovery with the grace of God. So now you can see and hear Tommy Clay’s medley he so wonderfully played that Sunday.
Welcome to San Mateo Presbyterian Church in San Mateo, Florida! Pastor Noel White and Sabrina Crosby from our church choir perform a medley of Praise Hymns. Pastor Noel is retiring and this was his second to last service before retirement. Sabrina and Pastor Noel only practiced this medley in the morning right before the service! Betty Jane, Pastor Noel’s lovely wife of 51 years, is accompanying them on the piano. What a great performance at the San Mateo Presbyterian Church in San Mateo, Florida! This church was founded in 1882 and is still going strong. We would love for you to visit us!
At Pastor Noel’s retirement farewell service on May 27, 2012 the congregation of San Mateo Presbyterian Church dedicated the Butterfly Garden located between the Church Sanctuary and the Anderson Hall to Pastor Noel and Betty Jane for their dedication and devotion to the congregation of San Mateo Presbyterian and to the community as well. Agnes McElroy read a plaque dedicating the garden that many of the congregation take part in creating as well as maintaining. Also presented to Pastor Noel and Betty Jane were “flower-fly” butterfly metal sculptures that are duplicates of those that are on the trellis that is now being covered with a beautiful Passion Flower Vine.
This garden dedication was fitting as, unknown to many, a butterfly to Pastor Noel symbolized his parents after they had both passed away, whenever he sees a butterfly he salutes it in honor of his parents. This made the garden have an even more special meaning. So you can be sure that when we are tending to the garden and we see a butterfly or a hummingbird, that we will always have Pastor Noel and Betty Jane in our hearts and on our minds. We salute you Pastor Noel and Betty Jane!
Pastor Noel White and Betty Jane are officially retired! Yes, they have tried many times before, but they keep coming back for more. Perhaps this time they can make it through and take time to enjoy their lives with travel, family, friends, and just plain relaxing. However, I don’t know if relaxation is in their vocabulary.
All of us here at San Mateo Presbyterian Church wish Pastor Noel and Betty Jane a long, happy, adventurous, healthy, safe, and thoroughly enjoyable retirement! We will all miss you dearly, be we also know that you have worked long and hard and deserve this special time in your lives to start another new chapter that may lead to many more enjoyable experiences.
CONGRATULATIONS PASTOR NOEL & BETTY JANE!
Sunday May 27, 2012 Pastor Noel recognized the 4 members of our congregation who have graduated this year and spoke about all their accomplishments, which were absolutely stunning to say the least:
Sally Stillwell from Palatka High School with a High School Diploma and plans to attend college to become a pharmacist.
Payton Stoudt from Palatka High School with a High School Diploma and plans to attend college/seminary to follow in Pastor Noel’s footsteps to be in the ministry. Here are just some of Payton’s major accomplishments for which he should be congratulated:
Payton has been in JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps) for four years. In these four years he has been a Squad leader, Platoon leader, Company commander, and Senior Cadet Advisor. Payton was in charge of 75 cadets at PHS. When he was at cadet leadership challenge course at camp Shands last year, he was Alpha Company Commander. Payton was in charge of 148 cadets. At camp Shands there were 497 cadets, each cadet present was the best cadets at their school. There were 15 from each high school in the state of Florida. Out of the 479 cadets Payton was in the top 10, out of the top 10 he was #4.
Payton was the most decorated cadet in JROTC and has 26 ribbons and awards. Payton was awarded the First Militia Chapter of Leadership and Academic Achievement Award and the Association of The United States Army award sent all the way from our Head Quarters in West Virginia. He also received the highest medal you can get in JROTC, The Superior Cadet Award. Then the mayor awarded Payton the Good Citizenship award. He was Drill Team Commander and lead their team to get the first Platoon drill trophy in the history of Palatka High School.
Dominic Piscitello Jr. from University of Central Florida with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science.
Dominic Piscitello Sr. from St. Leo University with a Master’s Degree in Criminology with an emphasis on Forensic Science.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR GRADUATES – A WELL DESERVED ACCOMPLISHEMENT IN YOUR EDUCATION!
(More info will be forthcoming on the graduates accomplishments.)
Another great success for the fundraiser fish fry dinner to help pay off the mortgage on The Potter’s House. We served a record 285 meals, and we didn’t run out! A great time, and a great meal was has by all.
Thank you to all the volunteers who came out to set up, prepare, cook, serve, clean up, and do anything that needed to be done – Congratulations on a job well done!
This was also the inauguration of the new outside activity area. It was great weather that evening, and the covered patio area was a great place to congregate. A great big THANK YOU goes out to the volunteer crew that got the patio area ready just in time for the monthly fund raiser!
You have probably noticed by now that the old, worn out, broken down, rotting out, covered with a black plastic tarp activity area between Anderson Hall & The Potter’s House is no longer there. It has been demolished and replaced with a new aluminum covered patio and shed area that will be far more functional for our outdoor activities for both young and old. The concrete pad was extended, and a new sidewalk was added to connect Anderson Hall and The Potter’s House.
One day soon that sidewalk will be a covered walkway, so on rainy Sunday mornings, the choir can go from The Potter’s House, down the covered sidewalk, into Anderson Hall, and across the covered walkway connecting the Church to Anderson Hall and they will be able to stay nice and dry upon entering the sanctuary to sing their praises to the Lord!
A lot of hard work, effort, donations, sweat, sore muscles, aching joints, and time went into getting the project off the ground, the old crumbling structure demolished, dirt fill brought in to level the area, and concrete forms built, concrete laid, the covered patio roof and shed brought in, then it was all hands on deck for the installation and construction of the covered activity area! And hard work it was, but everyone worked as a team, like a well oiled machine, and got the job done in a record 2 weeks time.
So many people donated their time, hard work, money, donations, and encouragement to making this project a reality. I would like to recognize many of those who participated, and I know I would probably be leaving out many others, but there are just so many to mention and I just don’t know everyone’s name. Members of our church participated, as well as their friends, neighbors, relatives, and some of the community workers joined in too.
I hope to publish a list of all the contributors soon, but a special THANK YOU and CONGRATULATIONS goes out to all the men and women who worked at getting this project organized, funded, gathered workers, and for all the workers who labored out in the hot sun and humidity without a complaint, just knowing they are doing a project to praise the Lord, and a job WELL DONE it was!
If you missed any of the action, go to the Photo Gallery page on this website and click on the link for the New Outdoor Activity Center to see about 200 photos from start to finish.
Mother’s Day 2012 was a beautiful celebration of Mother’s and Women all over the world. The church sanctuary was standing room only with lots of Mothers and Grandmothers and Great-Grandmothers visiting their children. Many wore corsages given to them by their children. The Children’s Sunday School Group played their colorful bell choir accompanied a song. Andrea Wells spoke of how all women are mothers to their children, church, community, and the world. Presentation plaques with the poem “Footprints” were given out to the attending mothers:
Youngest Mother at 20 – Jenifer Murwin
Mother with the Newest Baby – Jenifer Murwin
Oldest Mother at 93 (I’m sorry that I did not get the lady’s name)
Mother with Most Children – Mary Baird with 8
Mother with the Most Family in Attendance – Sandy Futch
The Presbyterian Women of San Mateo Presbyterian Church held their Annual Yard Sale May 9th to May 12th. A lot of work, time and effort went into putting this together and working the sale. Thank you to all the women (and men) of the church that volunteered their time and worked the sale so that it was such a great success. I could try to name everyone that helped, but I am sure I would forget someone. The church is so fortunate to have so many members that step up to the plate and get things done around the church for the good of the church and the good of the community.
The funds they raise go right back into the church and helping the surrounding community. One purchase that was made thanks to the proceeds of the Yard Sale was a bistro table and chairs to be used in the snack room of the new Youth Center in Anderson Hall. The Youth Center and Christian Education Committees thank the Presbyterian Women for their generous donation.
THE YARD SALE WAS A GREAT SUCCESS AS THEY RAISED OVER $1,200! YAHOO AND CONGRATULATIONS!
We had another beautiful 1st Sunday of the month Communion Service followed by our monthly fellowship luncheon. There was a great variety of delicious foods and desserts (as always) and everyone enjoyed visiting with their old friends and new friends alike. This is a good time for visitors to meet with our church congregation and find out about all the activities that our “little” church is involved in and the wonderful fellowship.
Our member Tommy Clay’s father and mother were recently honored by the Rodeheaver Boys Ranch for their 60 years of service to the organization and the community. Featured on the front page of the Palatka Daily News and later commented on by the columnist Jody Delzell. Mr. & Mrs. Clay have been long time supporters of the Ranch as well as many other community projects in and around Putnam County. Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Tommy Clay!
CAN YOU SPOT THE BLACK AND BLUE BUTTERFLY IN THESE PHOTOS OF THE BOTTLE BRUSH TREE?
Spring is in the air, and if have taken a walk around the church, you will see the gardens in new bloom for the spring: Yellow Daisies, Passion Flower Vine, Purple Heather, Blue Daze, Irises, Red Bottle Brush Tree, Azaleas, Boston Ferns, Cape Honeysuckle, and more! We will soon be adding 2 new Camellias in the front of the church to replace the ones that have gone to “Flower Heaven” and adding dwarf Gardenias around their bases. This will finish out all the gardens around the Church Sanctuary building, and we will be adding to and enhancing the other gardens around the property as time goes on. We thank everyone who has donated extra funds to cover the costs of the new plants, and you will be seeing them soon! Enjoy!
It’s that time of year again…the Annual Women of the Church Yard Sale is just around the corner. Look through your closets, cabinets, sheds, attics, garages, and anywhere you might have “stuff” for cast offs that you could donate. You know what they say about junk…it’s always another man’s treasure! And also, the trend today is to go “thrifting”. The sale will be held on May 10-12. More details will be announced as we get closer to the Sale date. Please bring your donations to the church and/or The Potter’s House before the sale date so that we can price and organize your “treasures”. Every little bit helps. And if you would like to volunteer, please see Gloria Bailey for all the details. We look forward to seeing everyone at the Sale, you never know what “treasure” you might find to take home and make it your own! SEE YOU THERE!
San Mateo Presbyterian Church is blessed to have a wonderful choir lead by Choir Director Lulu Gail Griffis. Along with our regular choir, the children of the congregation are directed by Lulu Gail and Andrea Wells. It is always a pleasure to hear the young angelic voices of the children. Some of the children, as you can see in these photos, really put their heart and soul into their singing for the Lord and can really belt it out. Is that American Idol calling?
From time to time a guest soloist visits, and this was the case at Sunday Service April 22, 2010 with a special solo preformed by Ms. Dale Evans. The song Dale performed was “He Wants It All” and she certainly filled the sanctuarey with her beautiful voice. Dale is a friend and co-worker of Lisa Siprell’s, and she is a member of the church she attends in Palm Coast. Thank you so much, Dale, for traveling from Palm Coast and for sharing your talents with us at our Sunday Service and please join us for worship again.
Here the children sing a special song later in the service. It’s simply amazing how well they sing the song facing the congregation, and the words to the song are on the wall behind them! They have really learned their hymns well. I know I need to always read along with the words on the wall. Great singing, children!
Thank you Lulu Gail and Andrea for all the work you do coordinating the choir, the children’s songs, guest soloists, and the special music and hymns that we are so fortunate to enjoy at Sunday Services!
Another great success with our monthly fundraiser dinners at The Potter’s House. We sold 275 chicken dinners and sold out of every last piece of chicken, beans, rolls, desserts, everything. This meant that we were able to lower the mortgage principal another $1,600.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU GOES OUT TO MARY BAIRD WHO PERSONALLY CUT UP, CLEANED, WASHED, AND PREPARED 80 CHICKENS. YES THAT’S RIGHT – 80 CHICKENS!!!! I have never seen anyone cut up a chicken faster, more expertly, and more efficient than Mary Baird. Many of you are unaware that Mary and Charlie Baird do so much of the prep and cooking of these monthly dinners, and we send out our THANKS and APPRECIATION for all their help and hard work to make these monthly dinners a success!
GREAT JOB TO ALL THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PREPARING, COOKING, SERVING, CLEAN UP, AND ANY OTHER WAY THAT THE VOLUNTEERS PARTICIPATED! A JOB WELL DONE!!!
Easter Sunday services were a beautiful expression of the Love that God has for his children, for all people on Earth. The Sanctuary was filled with beautiful Easter Lilies donated by members of the congreation in honor or in memory of a loved one. The children sang wonderfully in the spirit of Love. Pastor Noel gave a wonderful service and sermon and the whole congregation sang several Praise Hymns. HAPPY EASTER!
Be sure and see more photos of the beautiful Church Sanctury adorned with Easter lilies and some of the members in their Easter Sunday outfits on the PHOTO GALLERY PAGE.
The Annual Easter Egg Hunt and Picnic was held at The Potter’s House April 7th this year, and it was a great success! A big THANK YOU to all those who worked so hard to making this such a fun day for the children (and the adults as well). One of the most popular attractions was Mary Baird’s snow cone booth. Children and adults alike lined up to get one of Miss Mary’s famous snow cones with a choice of flavors, even rainbow flavored cones.
There was a bounce house, bean bag toss (Pastor Noel and Weezie competed against each other on this one), crafts to make your own basket, egg coloring, egg toss, hot dogs with a full buffet of side dishes and desserts, and of course, the Easter egg hunt! The children were divided by age group, and each group had an adult moderator. Prizes were given for the child that got the most eggs in their group, the least amount of eggs, and the golden egg. There were several sets of sisters that came dressed in identical dresses and outfits, and every one had their Easter basket to collect all those eggs in. There was quite a variety of different types and styles of baskets this year, which made for an interesting hunt.
We are still not sure who had the most fun, the children or the adults, but there was lots of fun and fellowship had by all.
Be sure and see all the activities and fun with lots more photos on the PHOTO GALLERY PAGE.
Good Friday services were held at the Church Sanctuary at 7 PM. The church was dimly lit, and the cross was hung with a black drape. All flowers and greenery were removed to symbolize the sorrow of Christ dying on the Cross for us. An emotional service was held with the Stations of the Cross read and demonstrated by slides of what it would have looked like at the time of the Crucifixion. Pastor Noel, Janie Register, and Payton Stoudt read from the Bible and messages from the standpoint of what a bystander or soldier may have thinking or feeling at the time, and realizing what a terrible happening this was. After each Station was read the congregation sang a hymn verse.
Holy Communion was served with those attending the service coming up in groups of 12 and standing around the long white table with a single candle lit, just as the Apostles did that night of the Last Supper, to receive Holy Communion.
A video presentation was shown by the pilot that was scheduled to be the pilot on American Airlines Flight 11 on that fateful day of September 11, 2001. But at the last minute, another pilot took his place, sat in the pilot’s seat that he had been scheduled in, and of course, lost his life along with so many other innocent souls that day. He compared it to the fact that two (2) times someone has died for him. Christ died on the Cross for him, and the other pilot died so that he might live to do good in this world along with God’s help.
There was no benediction pronounced at the end of the service. Our Lord is dead, and we go out from this place in sadness and despair. The main lights were diminished in the Sanctuary, and those attending left in total silence. May God’s presence be our comfort and strength as we mourn the loss of our Savior.
Palm Sunday was a beautiful celebration of Christ arriving with a parade of palms and joyous cheers. The children of the church paraded around the pews waving beautiful palms furnished by Inaree and Hank Evans. ALLELUIA!
Be sure and see the Children’s Parade with the Palms at the PHOTO GALLERY PAGE.
Our members Janie Register and Charlie Baird were recently honored by their respective organizations and were featured in the Palatka Daily News Applause section of the newspaper. Our congratulations go out to both Janie and Charlie for their long time commitment to our community and the Armed Forces. CONGRATULATIONS JANIE & CHARLIE!!!
Our own Tanner Smith made the front page news of the Palatka Daily News on March 20, 2012! He is shown with Kyndal Sweat carrying their rabbit to the exhibit area at the Putnam County Fair on Saturday. Tanner’s proud dad is T. J. Smith and his also proud grandparents are Weezie and Tommy Smith, who are very active on the Fair organizing committee.
CONGRATULATIONS TO TANNER AND ALL THE YOUNG PERSONS
WHO EXHIBITED THEIR BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS AT THE FAIR!
Some unscrupulous thief or thieves stole the copper from the air conditioning unit behind The Potter’s House kitchen area. The theft was discovered Tuesday afternoon, the Sheriff’s office was contacted, and 2 deputies came out to meet with Tommy Smith, Chairman of the Building & Grounds Committee, to access the situation and to report the theft. Apparently, the theft happened sometime between Friday morning, after Tommy Smith patrolled the property after taking the trash out from the fish fry dinner the night before and Tuesday afternoon when Dave Lenker and Agnes McElroy were discussing a gardening project. We can only assume that this happened sometime late at night, as there are usually members tending to Church duties and meetings at all different times of the day and early evening.
If anyone happened to see any suspicious activity or person(s) around the church from Friday morning, March 16 to Tuesday afternoon March 20, please contact the Sheriff’s office. Their non-emergency phone number is 386-329-0800.
Several of our members make a regular habit of driving or walking around the Church grounds to see that all is in order and secure. The Sheriff’s office also makes frequent rounds around the Church and the surrounding area. However, when unfortunate things happen late, late at night or in the wee hours of the early morning, we may not be able to patrol the premises as well as we would all like to see. But we must all be vigilant to the thieves and criminals out there wanting to do harm to innocent people or places, and report to the Sheriff’s office if suspicious activity is seen.
We hope that this thief or thieves are caught and brought to justice. And that they see the error of their ways, repent to the Lord, and turn their lives around to be good outstanding citizens. To steal from anyone is a terrible thing, but to steal from the House of the Lord is just unspeakable.
UPDATE: Apparently there were 2 young men involved in this thievery, and they have both been caught by the authorities. Apparently, they also stole from several other area churches as well as businesses.
The San Mateo Presbyterian children sang at the Putnam County Fair at 2 PM on March 18, 2012 to roaring applause. The program first started with a stirring English and Italian duet of “The Prayer” sung by our own father and daughter team of Chuck Register and Sabrina Crosby. They brought the house down (or fair tent, as it were) to a standing ovation. Beautifully sung, Sabrina and Chuck! Bravissimo!
Then the children performed with the musical bells to 2 instrumental tunes, lead by Andrea Wells. The children were just wonderful, and even gave us a few moments of chuckles as they got into place. The audience loved their enthusiasm as they played their bells to the Lord’s hymns. Well done children! You gave a bright spot to the fair that we all enjoyed!
If you weren’t able to attend the fair this time, be sure and mark your calendars to attend next spring as there is something there for all everyone of all ages. Check out the PHOTO GALLERY on this site for a lot of photos of all the action and exhibits, just a small sampling of what you can see and enjoy at the fair!
WOW, we had another successful fish fry fundraiser dinner this month. With the County Fair, the Bassmaster Elite Bass Tournament, and Biker Week all going on at the same time in Palatka, we had standing room only, a parking lot over flowing, and we ran out of fish, and had to turn away a few unhappy souls. We thank you all for coming to our fundraiser dinner from far and wide and close to home, and we appreciate all your support! This fundraiser is so important to the church, as it helps to pay off the mortgage on The Potter’s House Community Fellowship Hall. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO WORKED SO HARD TO PUT THIS TOGETHER AND TO ALL THOSE THAT CAME TO SUPPORT IT BY HAVING A D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S FISH FRY DINNER!!!
The San Mateo Presbyterian Church LUNCH BUNCH had another great outing to Corky Bell’s in East Palatka on Wednesday. Although we had a smaller than usual group (12) we still had a lot of fun and a great time. The weather was perfect, and we spent time out on Corky Bell’s dock watching the Bass Anglers zip by in their fancy boats looking for that big mouth bass for the tournament. The sun reflected beautifully on the river, the humidity was low, the breeze was refreshing, the food and service was great as always, and it just doesn’t get any better than this! Here are a few photos of the Lunch Bunch group enjoying themselves.
We welcome Ron & Charlotte Hornback into the membership of San Mateo Presbyterian Church Sunday, March 11, 2012. Their church partners are Gene & Kathy Gstohl. After becoming new members, the whole congregation came up to welcome Ron & Charlotte to wish them well and welcome them into San Mateo Presbyterian Church Family. Then Charlotte and Andrea Wells joined together in a beautiful duet of songs of praise “My Life Is In You, Lord” and ” Lord, I lift You Name On High”. The congregation joined in as well. WELCOME RON AND CHARLOTTE!!
Dear Congregation,
Happy Spring! We hope you are enjoying this beautiful weather we are having.
As you have noticed around the grounds of the Church, the Building and Grounds Committee is busy improving and enhancing the landscaping at the church:
1) The sprinklers have been repaired & replaced and new valves put into place, and are doing a fine job keeping the new plantings watered, thanks to Ron Gilmer’s hard work and expertise on that project.
2) New plants & mulch have been added.
3) Weeding, mulching, ant control, leaf blowing, yard debris pick up, etc.
Thanks to all the Building & Grounds Committee members as well as additional members of the congregation that volunteered their time, labor, expertise, tools & equipment, and purchase of materials and plants to include: Ron Gilmer, Mary & Charlie Baird, Barbara Pellicer, Betty Jane White, Bob & Agnes McElroy, Tommy & Weezie Smith.
All this hard work has definitely made a difference in the appearance of the church grounds, but there is so much more work to be done:
1) The front of the church garden is our next landscaping project with additional camellias planned to be added. We are looking for large plants to match the current ones. Additional border plants will be added as well.
2) The gardens in front of The Potter’s House need mulch, a couple of new plants to replace 2 that have died, and maybe some additional plantings and edging bricks.
3) Checking of the sprinkler system around The Potter’s House.
4) Additional gutter drain maintenance to keep the run off water puddling in the front.
5) Additional mulch around theMemorialGardenand Anderson House.
6) Ongoing throughout the year: work on ant & weed control, weed and feed for the grass, fertilizer for the plants, grass seed to replant areas that have gone bare, sprinkler maintenance, mulch replacement, etc.
7) Painting the bolts on the trusses at Potter’s House with Rust-Oleum to stabilize their structure as well as a base coat on the air conditioning units to keep them from rusting.
8) Painting & repairing of Anderson House windows to protect the wood from rotting.
9) A new outdoor barbeque & cooking facility thanks to a memorial gift.
10) Long term goal, build raised flower beds on the east side of The Potter’s House, as the current soil there consists of the fill from the construction of the building which is hard and not conducive to planting, but must remain in place for the stability of the foundation. Then we can plant an assortment of plants and trellises to soften the large white expanse of metal on the side of the building.
So as you can see, there is a lot to accomplish yet. And we are asking the congregation for help. You can help by volunteering your time in any of these projects, help by purchasing some of the supplies needed, or help by simply donating money to the cause.
As this is a small church, there really isn’t any money in the budget for all these projects, so we will all need to chip in and help to cover the costs with our member’s help & donations.
We will need approximately another 50 to 75 bags of mulch to put around The Potter’s House, Anderson House and the Memorial Garden. If you can donate 1 bag of mulch (or more) please bring it to the church and place it behind the lattice fence enclosure by the barbecue pit between Anderson House and The Potter’s House. Just remember, 1 bag at a time will add up as more people get involved.
The type of mulch we have been using is the Cypress or Cypress Blend. This is the least expensive type of mulch. You can get these bags for under $2, usually $1.86 to $1.89, and even less if they are on sale. They can be purchased at Ace Hardware in East Palatka, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Walmart, or any other nursery supply. Ace Hardware (please pay for yourself and don’t put on church account), Home Depot, and Lowe’s have our church’s Tax ID number, so at Ace, just tell them it is for San Mateo Church, and at Home Depot and Lowe’s you have to give them the church’s phone number of 386-325-4854. You will be able to save on the sale tax that way.
If you would like to make a monetary donation, please give whatever amount you can afford to either Tommy or Weezie Smith, as Tommy is the Building and Grounds Chairman. The funds will be used to purchase the supplies we need throughout the year.
CALLING ALL ARTISTS! We would like to have one or more artists in our congregation to volunteer their time and expertise to painting the 2 air conditioning units in the rear of the church, as well as the well pump cover in the parking area. We would like to have some floral and greenery designs painted on these units so that they will blend into the landscape better. This would be so beautiful and a true enhancement for the church grounds.
We really appreciate your continued support of San Mateo Presbyterian Church! Together we will continue to make this a beautiful and wonderful place to come to worship the Lord.
And be sure and check out our website www.SanMateoPresbyterianChurch.com. There are always new happenings, events and articles appearing weekly, and sometimes, almost daily. The amount of information on the site is tremendous, and you will be able to track our progress of the landscaping projects, as well as other projects and activities going on here at San Mateo Presbyterian Church!
Sincerely,
Agnes McElroy
for the Building and Grounds Committee
Spring is in the air, and it’s azalea time in the San Mateo and Palatka areas. The azaleas are particularly beautiful this year and we had a mild winter, and the warm weather came early. If you have not had the chance to stroll around the church grounds, please do so, as we have a collection of mature azaleas that have been here for many years, and we boast 7 different colors. I would have to say, they are more beautiful than Ravine Gardens, but I might be a bit biased. Stroll around the grounds and see what you think!
Our church member, Bill Futch, who recently had emergency surgery on a burst appendix, sends his thanks to all his family, friends, and those at the Putnam County Medical Center who helped him survive this ordeal and come home safely for his recovery. Below is a letter published in the Palatka Daily News Public Forum Saturday March 3, 2012 that expresses his thanks.
The San Mateo Presbyterian Church 1st Sunday Communion and Fellowship Luncheon was a great and wonderful experience, welcoming many new visitors and guests. The food was wonderful, as always, with a great assortment of meats, vegetables, side dishes and desserts homemade by our church membership. The Ladies of the Church did a fantastic job of decorating, preparing, serving, and clean up afterward. Great fellowship was had by all, and a special surprise was lovely songs sang by a new visitor and guest of Marie and Chuck Register who sang a beautiful melody of hymns and traditional songs a cappella to the enjoyment of everyone.
Of course, this all followed a wonderful 1st Sunday Communion Service which had some special moments. Chuck Register and his daughter Sabrina Crosby sang a most beautiful song “The Prayer” which was sung in both English and Italian. It filled the church with such joy and wonderment, that just about everyone was teary eyed afterwards.
The children where in top form today, sitting in their new location in the choir area, now that the choir will be sitting in the pews earlier than before. This way, the congregation can better see the children as they interact with Pastor Noel. And today we had 15 children that listened and answered Pastor Noel’s questions with enthusiasm. What a joy to see our children take part in the Love of God at church service.
Be sure and plan to join us for our special 1st Sunday Communion and Fellowship Luncheons at San Mateo Presbyterian Church.
One of our Church members has recently been given the “Outstanding Citizenship Award” presented by Sheriff Jeff Hardy for helping to save a man’s life. Here is the article from The Courier Journal newspaper, and it appeared in the “Applause” section of the Palatka Daily News as well. CONGRATULATIONS T.J.!
The children of the Church and Sunday School are in top form practicing their hymns and bell ringing. Andrea Wells works with the children as they practice for a forthcoming service. When the children sing and ring their bells, they fill the church with such a glorious and joyous sound, as the innocence of God’s children ring out.
A new feature we are adding to the site will be letting you get to know our members a little bit better. Each month we will plan to feature one or more of our members and what they symbolize to our “little” church.
This month we are featuring Inaree & Belford “Hank” Evans who have been members a very long, long time. Hank just turned 97 on January 29 and there was a cake celebration in The Potter’s House during the monthly fellowship luncheon. Inaree has done the church flowers for over 52 years, and we hear that she has never missed a Sunday. The responsibility being handed over to her from her aunt who took care of the church flowers before her. The beautiful flowers she places in lovely arrangements both in the church, at the altar and the entrances, as well as flower arrangements in The Potter’s House whenever we have an event, have come from her vast collection of plants in their yard located in East Palatka. The Evans have over 400 azalea bushes, and countless camellias as tall as a house, dogwoods, ferns, and many other species of plants and fauna that become beautiful flower arrangements in the church to honor the Lord. Both Inaree and Hank place the flowers on Saturday so that everything will be in place come Sunday morning service.
Inaree has recently “retired” from the church flower lady and has handed the reins over to Mary Baird who will work with the other ladies of the church to try and fill Inaree’s “shoes” and continue to put flowers in the church and The Potter’s House in honor of the Lord.
Below are a few photos that were taken at Inaree’s and Hank’s beautiful yard a few years ago so that you can see what an inspirational and park-like setting their home is in, a true blessing from the Lord.
Another wonderful fried chicken fundraiser dinner was held at The Potter’s House on Thursday Feb. 16. Over 200 people joined the fellowship and great Southern food prepared by Mary & Charlie Baird and their team of dedicated volunteers. Many folks took part in the take-out version, bringing home a wonderful dinner to their family after a hard day’s work. What a hard working bunch they are! Working to help pay off the mortgage on The Potter’s House. If you missed it, be sure and mark your calendars for the 3rd Thursday of the month when we feature either a delicious fried chicken or delectable fried fish dinner!
Another great luncheon was held at the Blue Water Bay restaurant in Melrose. 22 of our church members and friends enjoyed great fellowship, food, and fun was had by all.
Located just 20 miles east of Gainesville, Blue Water Bay brings ‘Fine Dining’ to the quiet town of Melrose, serving folks from Jacksonville, Ocala, Gainesville and surrounding communities. Blue Water Bay supports local growers and uses fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables when available.
Blue Water Bay offers a casual yet elegant atmosphere, whether in the main Dining Room or in the Lounge. Rich wood paneling reflects a warmth throughout and is complimented by artwork and stained glass from local artists, as well as a variety of interesting fishing artifacts.
Here are some of the folks enjoying an afternoon lunch. Be sure and watch your calendar for next month’s Lunch Bunch and come join us!
A great and delicious feast was had by all who attended the 3rd Thursday of the Month Fundraiser Dinner. This month’s dinner was a delicious Fish Fry, orchestrated and prepared by Mary and Charlie Baird and her team of faithful, dedicated, and hard working volunteers. There are so many people involved in getting this dinner prepared, put together and served, I don’t know if I can name them all in the space we have!
The menu included a wonderful light white fish fried to perfection, home made cole slaw, cheese grits, hush puppies, dessert, and iced tea, all for the amazing low price of $7, the absolute best deal in town, and the most scrumptious! Meals were eaten there at The Potter’s House or available for take-out. Many people stopped by on the way home for work to pick up the take-out to bring home to their families. Other chose to stay there to eat, visit and have a great fellowship with their friends, newcomers, visitors, and all who joined us.
Here is just a sampling of what goes on behind the scenes to bring you this delicious meal that benefits paying off the mortgage on The Potter’s House. Each monthly dinner brings us closer to paying off the mortgage! We thank all who helped and volunteered their time and hard work, and we thank all of those who came to the dinner to support the cause.
BE SURE AND CHECK THE PHOTO GALLERY PAGE FOR A LOT MORE PHOTOS!
A great & fun time for all 52 guests that attended the Soup Over the Bonfire event Saturday evening, January 14, 2012. Organized by Tracy & Dominic Piscitello there was a great attendance by children and adults alike. Everyone brought a can of vegetables to add to the soup pot that was simmering over an open bonfire, put together by Dominic, Dave, Ron Gilmer, John and other helpers (I don’t know all the names). Tommy & Weezie Smith brought the hayride which was enjoyed by all. Mr. Tommy was our hayride driver, and he did a great job going down the dirt road over to the ball field and back. Later there was marshmallows toated on the bonfire, sing-a-longs, and games for the children. A big applause goes out to Tracy & Dominic for putting this all together and all their helpers Judy, Lisa, Weezie, Tommy, Ron, Dave, John, and all the others that I don’ have all the names for. A job well done! If you missed the bonfire, be sure and look for the one next year and mark you calendar to attend!
BE SURE AND CHECK THE PHOTO GALLERY PAGE FOR A LOT MORE PHOTOS!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 was the start of another great year of monthly lunch bunches. This time the group met at Bradley’s in Palatka and had a wonderful time of fellowship along with great food. Here are a few photos for you to enjoy. See you next month!
Shepherd Dog in Manger
ST. JOHNS RIVER NEAR THE SAN MATEO PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
