The 64 congregations and 4 church fellowships with 18,271 members comprise a presbytery extending from Key West in the south, to some 300 miles north, to the bottom of Lake Okeechobee. These churches are in the early stages of reviewing their staffing, task forces, and committees in order to assure that the goals of the presbytery's mission statement are met in a clear and efficient manner. During this time of transition, some fine work with children and youth is taking place. Hollywood First Presbyterian's the Rev. Diane Shoaf holds Thursday morning chapel for the church's preschool program.
Children come to the sanctuary for half an hour of Bible stories, prayer, and music.
Five young adult volunteers from Northern Ireland, England, and the United States served in 1999 as youth and outreach workers in multicultural congregations in northern Miami, providing youth programs, children's choirs, after-school tutoring, vacation Bible schools, children's sermons, and Sunday school teachers. They also accompanied 116 youth to a church camp experience during spring break. Also in Miami, Riviera Presbyterian Church provides a Christian music and art program for children twice a month at a long-term homeless shelter. Tony Galbicka, the church's educational ministries director, notes that 80 percent of these children come from outside the church. The programs are coordinated by Angie Buhrke, Palm City Church's children's ministry coordinator, and feature food, high-energy activities, and lively Bible songs and stories.