Student athletes can lead busy lives. From keeping up with homework to attending practice to their home life, the responsibilities they have can be quite demanding. For some athletes at local high schools, they have found an outlet through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).

It’s impossible to discuss Milton’s history without mentioning – often – Mt. Pilgrim African Baptist Church. Its congregation traces its history to antebellum times, when Blacks – many likely enslaved people working on a nearby plantation – and whites worshipped together at First Baptist Church (founded in 1845).

Frank Lay and his daughter, Kace Browning, started L.E.A.D. Academy Classical School in 2013 with 25 students in a rented building on Berryhill Road. This year, the school serves 565 students on its own 30-acre campus in Pace.

St. Mary’s Shoppe, 6849 Oak St. in Milton, now offers weekly specials. The Shoppe has new and vintage one-of-a-kind treasures, offering something for everyone. The Shoppe is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, along with a food ministry on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you’re looking for fantastic deals, please stop by.

Once a month, members of First Presbyterian Church of Milton gather in the Drowsy Poet coffee shop on Woodbine Road in Pace to knit, crochet, and have fellowship. These members are part of the church’s Knotty Prayers ministry.

Sunday may be the most important day for churches but at First Baptist Church of Milton, they think the other days of the week are just as important when it comes to connecting with God. The church has made the middle of the week a major focus of its ministerial work.

Rev. Desi Lee remembers growing up in the 1960s well. It was a time of strife for the United States, even within his hometown of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Every January, people make new year’s resolutions. For some, it’s exercising more. For others, it’s focusing on their mental health. And for members of local churches, like East Bay Church and Momentum Church, it’s about getting reacquainted in their relationship with Jesus Christ.

Even after five years as Bishop with the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Bishop William “Bill” Wack said he is just getting started. Over the past few years, Wack (pronounced wok) and the Diocese have had to deal with several issues which have taken away the church’s ability to map out the future.

Immanuel Baptist Church in Pace served 148 families, including 417 children, at Mission Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 3.