Y R the good news A U N M E M O R I A L PA R K C H U R C H JA 3 0 E U S IS 3 0 L O V

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1 V O L 0 3 I S S U E 0 3 J A N U A R Y the good news M E M O R I A L PA R K C H U R C H

2 what s inside TRU Kids Student IMPACT College & Young Adults Women s Ministries Men s Ministries Music & Arts LIFE Groups & Classes Membership Connections Missions & Outreach Financial Update

3 0 2 K I D S Kids & Family: Giving Back and Getting Together BY JESSICA PARKER The start of a new year is one of the best times to look back on the previous year and thank God for His goodness and faithfulness to us in ministry. We thank Him that 25 families got to participate in our Children s Ministries Advent event, Countdown to Christmas. Much fun and laughs were had while families prepared to bring in the holiday season by centering themselves on Christ, the true reason we celebrate. We also thank our Lord for how the TRU Kids program joyfully performed this year s pageant Christmas is Jesus, getting us ALL ready to rejoice in Christ s birth. We praise God for stirring in the hearts of children in TRU Kids as we recognize the amount of giving they did this past Christmas season. After collecting offerings for the whole year, they donated $100 to Prison Fellowship (providing Christmas gifts for 20 children), $250 worth of gift cards to the Giving Tree (meeting various needs in the community), and $500 to World Vision (supporting needs around the world). This past fall semester, TRU Story also successfully continued to support their EduNations sponsored child Adamsay. It s amazing how our kids give so generously to accomplish powerful kingdom work! In these first few months of the new year, families should get ready for a variety of spiritually-focused and family fun-filled events to enjoy! Save the dates for our Homecourt Advantage events like Created in Love, teaching on devotions with TRU Wonder parents, Infant Baptism Sunday on February 17, teaching on stewardship with TRU Story parents, and our My First Bible presentation to the 2- year-old class. In addition to that, Breakout will start up again for another 8- week session on January 8, and we ll have a family snow tubing event at Boyce Park on Saturday morning, February 2. Check out the images for more info. Lastly, we ask that you save the dates for the best weeks of the summer Summer Surge registration opens February 4! Summer Surge IMPACT: June Summer Surge Session 1: June Summer Surge Session 2: July See you there!

4 0 3 T E E N S Kicking off 2019 with a bang! BY JACOB SOTO & RYAN PIETRYGA MIDDLE SCHOOL The Middle School IMPACT team is excited for 2019! We are starting off big with our Lock-In event January 4-5 that is going to feature laser tag and an escape room; it is going to be a fantastic night of fun! Best of all: it is only $10! We are also looking forward to diving into more thought provoking topics on Wednesday nights. As always, we want to extend an invitation to any and all middle schoolers to join us on Wednesdays from 7:00-8:30 p.m. Whether you can come every week or only every so often, we want you there. Thank you to everyone who continually lifts up this ministry in prayer. HIGH SCHOOL We are grateful for how the LORD has blessed and been at work in Student IMPACT over the last few months. Our high school students celebrated the fall season with an IMPACT party at Steve and Tammy Hawbaker s house, where pumpkins were carved and too much candy was eaten! Our high school small groups gathered around different tables a few short weeks later to celebrate Friendsgiving in the homes of our leaders and students. Students ate turkey and enjoyed fellowship with one another. Not long after Friendsgiving, students headed up for yet another transformative weekend at Laurelville. What an awesome experience it was as we watched the Lord change the hearts of our students! We are so thankful for the Pittsburgh Kids Foundation and all that they do to prepare a great weekend for our students. Following Thanksgiving, our students showed up in a big way to serve the community around them. Over 25 students came out on Dec 9 to deliver gifts to senior residents at Kane Nursing Center for our annual Presents for Patients event. We are very appreciative of our partnership with the Giving Tree so that this event can happen. Students closed out the year on a high note with our annual Christmas party, which included fun holiday games, a White Elephant, and singing Christmas carols together. What a fantastic year it has been! HS Student IMPACT has MUCH to look forward to in 2019! On January 6, we are kicking off the year with a Laser Tag event happening in the Clayton Center! We will be renting laser tag equipment and transforming the gym into a laser tag arena! The following week, parents are invited to come to an informational meeting regarding this year s summer mission trip to North Carolina. In February, we will have a Student IMPACT Worship Night, as well as an opportunity to serve with the Pittsburgh Project. In March, we look forward to the annual Confirmation Retreat at Whitehall Camp and Conference Center in Emlenton, PA. We are anticipating a great and fun year, confident that the LORD will continue to move in the lives of students and leaders in 2019!

5 0 4 C O L L E G E & Y O U N G A D U L T S Living Faithfully: College & Young Adult Ministry BY SAM TAYLOR COLLEGE & YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY Fun was had by all in attendance at our Christmas Party on December 16! Attendees included college students from MPC returning home for break, international students from La Roche, and members of our Young Adult ministry. Our Young Adult gathering happens on Sunday Nights from 7-9 p.m. in the café area. The group consists of college students and twenty somethings, and is a great time of Bible study and games. Please join us! CCO JUBILEE CONFERENCE Every February, the CCO brings together thousands of college students to experience powerful worship, incredible speakers, amazing organizations and sponsors, and engaging workshops on the topics that impact their lives. It s an opportunity to discover what it means to live faithfully in every area of life. We ve already got a great group of La Roche College students signed up for Jubilee 2019, which will take place at the Convention Center downtown this February If you or someone you know is a college student who might be interested in attending, you can register at There are opportunities for non-college students as well! The Sunday morning session is free and open to the public. Jubilee Professional is a half -day conference on February 22 focused on learning how to apply biblical truth to your everyday professional life. If you are interested in any of these opportunities, or have questions, please contact Sam Taylor at staylor@mpcepc.org

6 0 5 W O M E N Listening In: Women s Ministries in 2019 BY MICHELE HOLMES I write this just a few days after we celebrated the Lord at the EduNations concert with Fernando Ortega. What fun we all had together that night the building bursting at its seams with people all gathered to enjoy each other and the coming of Christmas. The words of one of the hymns he sang are still ringing in my head Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand; ponder nothing earthly minded, for with blessing in his hand, Christ our God to earth descendeth, our full homage to demand. If I were to put that in conversational language, it would sound something like this: Keep quiet. Stand before Him in awe. Set your minds on things above because Christ came from heaven to bring blessing and to require respect and honor from us. I ve been drawn to the many times Scripture and hymns remind us to be silent. That is a hope for me this coming year that I will agree to keep silent before the Lord so that He shows us every detail of what we are to do each step of the months in this new year ahead and so that I will listen. Are you with me? I d love to dedicate the whole of 2019 to be a year of listening for the women of MPC! God has so much to say let s listen in! were able to send each family home with a Christmas meal as well as a sack of gifts for each child and a little gift for each mom/grandma caring for the children. Would you like to join us in whatever the Lord has in store in the new year? We ll start back with women s classes the week of January 7. Monday Moms will continue for moms of all ages, MOPS continues every/other Tuesday morning, and Women to Women and Mug & Muffin will be offering a host of new studies check out our web page at mpcepc.org to see what classes will be offered! We ll also plan a Girls Night Out for January 24 to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History mark your calendars for a fun time together! And on February 2, we have been invited to attend the next One Movement conference where our own Margy Delposen will serve as a break out speaker, along with Jamie Shaver, our speaker from last spring s retreat! Can t wait to have you join with us in the new year. We ll be leaning in to listen to what the Lord has to say and drawing closer to Him together. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you! One of the things He called us to do this season was throw a party for some families in Aliquippa at the Uncommon Grounds Café. Each of these families has experienced lost recently and are grieving that loss this Christmas. The point of our little party was to share the joy of Jesus and to love on those sweet families. The pictures here show these beautiful children, sharing some Christmas fun together. I m so grateful to our MPC family for all the generous donations that helped us pull this party together! We

7 0 6 M E N Updates from the Joshua League BY DAVE DANIEL & CORKY SEMLER The beginning of a new year brings with it an exciting line up of activities in our Men s Ministry! Our Joshua League Saturday Morning Men s Breakfasts begin again this month with an engaging talk from Dan Dupee, Chairman of the Board at the Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO). This ministry to college-age students helps transform students to transform the world. Dan says, The college years are a crossroad for so many students. What happens during these years so often influences their lifestyle and faith. We have the privilege of helping college students incorporate their Christian faith into every avenue of life. Dan will share his experiences with us on January 19 when we meet in Westminster Hall for our first monthly breakfast of the year. At our February Saturday Morning Men s Breakfast on February 16, we welcome Dr. Steven Little. Dr. Little is an Elder at MPC, as well as a well-respected scientist in our community and beyond. Dr. Little is the William Kepler Whiteford Endowed Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Immunology, and Ophthalmology at The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. He received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2005, and studies under Professor Howard Green, the founding father of regenerative medicine. Dr. Little s thesis won the American Association for Advancement of Science's Excellence in Research Award, and his research has resulted in over 90 peer-reviewed scientific publications, three book chapters, over 30 patents and disclosures, and the founding of two startup companies. He stands as the youngest individual to be appointed as a Department Chair in his field's history. Dr. Little also serves as a Director for EduNations, serving over 2,500 children in Sierra Leone, Africa with a vision to stop the cycle of poverty by providing education that is free and accessible. Each of these men will share with us the wealth of their experience and show us how God can use people of all walks of life and any age group to contribute to the kingdom of God. The Joshua League Men s classes during Sunday morning Discipleship Hour kick off once again on January 6. The Session 3 class focuses on the Book of Mark and runs for 8 weeks. We will utilize our RightNow Media library to access materials from author and speaker Francis Chan as he invites us to walk with him along the ancient ways of the Master. Tracing the steps of Jesus and the Twelve through Israel, Francis explores the major themes of the Gospel of Mark, and asks: Are we willing to take this journey to embrace discipleship? Sign up on the Memorial Park website or stop by the Connections Corner to save your seat! RightNow Media is a fantastic way to supplement discussions in your classes, small groups, or Bible study on your own throughout the week. Signing up is easy! Simply visit mpcepc.org/rightnow-media, click the Sign Up Now button, and get started! You ll find thousands of video series, real life stories, studies, and more that can help you explore and grow in your faith. We hope you will join us as we kick off the new year! Get Involved in Men s Ministries Friday Morning Men s Breakfast Every Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. Westminster Hall These senior men meet every Friday morning in Fellowship Hall for a continental breakfast and Bible study (the study/ lecture begins at 8:00). The discussion is facilitated by a teaching team of pastors and laymen and usually pertains to a timely topic. Saturday Men s Breakfasts Third Saturday of Every Month at 8:00 a.m. Westminster Hall The main activity in our Training Camp Division is our monthly Saturday morning breakfasts from 8:00-10:00 a.m. in Westminster Hall. These are scheduled 8 times throughout year from September through November, and January through May, and include a full breakfast, fellowship, hymns, and a guest speaker. Men of all ages are welcome to join us.

8 0 7 M U S I C & A R T S Music & Arts Opportunities BY JIM LUEERS TROMBONE SUNDAY Join us for this biannual event! Area trombonists are invited to play with the trombone choir alongside the Pittsburgh Trombone Project. This choir combines professional, amateur, and high school musicians and is open to trombonists with a good high school level of playing. The repertoire ranges from great classics and hymns, to rousing spirituals and popular worship songs. The performance is arranged by our members. New players are welcome to join! Optional rehearsal will take place Tuesday, January 15 at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary the week before the Sunday performance on January 27. TWILIGHT NIGHT Join us for the third annual Twilight Night at Memorial Park Church! Last year s crowd was so large, we ve expanded to two evenings! High school musical cast soloists will present songs from their upcoming musicals and give an exciting sneak peek of their shows in the spring. Admission to the evening concert will be a givewhat-you-can donation to North Hills Community Outreach, which provides food and financial help to those most in need in northern Allegheny County communities. Business Ad Sponsorships for Twilight Night Twilight Night will bring in almost 1,000 people over two nights! Show off your business or products with a program ad! Contact Jlueers@mpcepc.org NEW TVS IN THE SANCTUARY You may have noticed we have installed some new TV monitors in the Sanctuary! They will be replacing the projectors and screens as they have been fading over the past few years. We are excited about updating the whole video system and look forward to unveiling them soon. If you d like to come to help with this project, the A/V Team invites you to come on Sunday, January 6 to help run cables, install equipment, and have some techie time with us! We will begin working on January 6 at 1:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Please contact jlueers@mpcepc.org for more information. DOWN BEAT 2019 A new year is a great time to begin using those musical skills again! Join a choir or worship team this year and let the music resound in your heart! Here are some pics from some of our fun events we did this fall! MEMORIAL PARK HAND BELLS CONTINUE CHRISTMAS AT KANE NURSING HOME The MPC Hand Bells will perform their Christmas music at Kane Nursing Home on Tuesday, January 8 at 7:00 p.m. MPC members are welcome to come and visit and help with the residents during the event!

9 0 8 A D U L T C L A S S E S & L I F E G R O U P S Adult Discipleship is going strong! Come join us! BY PASTOR BESTY RUMER Session 3 Adult Classes Since we began our new Discipleship Hour in September, we have completed the first two eight-week Sessions of classes on Sunday morning and Session Three is upon us. But let s just stop for a moment and celebrate what we ve witnessed over these last four months because there s a buzz in this place on Sunday morning that is fresh and new and exciting. We ve seen almost 300 folks register for Session One classes and over 210 folks for Session two. That s a whole lot of coffee being served and a whole lot of learning going on! I ve had a number of people share with me that they are growing in their faith more now than they have in years...and for some they are growing more than they ever have! And all that growing is bearing fruit. People are making friends, enjoying the comradery, changing in their attitudes as they grow, reaching out to serve others and feeling a part of the family at MPC. The benefits of participating in the Discipleship hour cannot be underestimated. If you are feeling like MPC is a big church and don t know how to get connected join a class! We long to be with you to walk alongside of you and together to see what the Lord would do. I can t wait to see what Session Three brings you don t want to miss it! Going Deeper through Sermon Study: Isaiah Instructor: Dr. Steven Little This 8-week class is designed for those who long to go deeper in their understanding of the Bible. Utilizing the sermon of the week, this class will undertake a more detailed exposition of the scripture text. Drawing Closer to God Instructor: Terry McKaveney This class encourages you to go deeper in your relationship with God through spiritual practices. You will learn simple, yet powerful exercises to help you to connect with God through Scripture and prayer. Come with a heart that wants to draw closer to God. 1 Thessalonians 2: Effective Discipleship While Persevering in Faith Instructor: Elder Pete Pugliese This class will be a Bible Study format that focuses in on the powerful verses found in Chapter 2 of 1 Thessalonians. Men s Class: The Book of Mark Instructor: Elder Corky Semler Author and speaker Francis Chan invites us to walk with him along the ancient ways of the Master. Tracing the steps of Jesus and the Twelve through Israel, Francis explores the major themes of the Gospel of Mark, and asks: Are we willing to take this journey to embrace discipleship? The Gospel of John Instructor: Rhea Christopher Inductive Bible Study of the Gospel of John. Financial Peace University Instructor: Jay Blum, co-facilitator John O Master This class teaches God's way of handling money through class discussion and interactive small group activities. Participants will watch a video curriculum taught by Dave Ramsey at home and meet on Sunday mornings for discussion, follow-up, and exercises. LIFE Group Luncheon Coming This Spring! Memorial Park Church is a growing family and connecting in Christian community on a consistent life-on-life basis is vital to help us keep growing in Christ. Acts Chapter 2 is our earliest example of how the first Century church helped each other grow in their faith. They met regularly in homes and devoted themselves to biblical teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. In other words, they met together to grow in Christ and connect in community. This coming March, I invite you to grow deeper in your walk with Christ and relationships with others as we launch our next LIFE Group communities. Stay tuned for further details at or visit our table in the Connections Corner. Looking forward to seeing you there!

10 0 9 M E M B E R S H I P Why should I become a member? BY JASON SCOTT Often I am asked this very question, Why should I become a member? Telling people it gives them voting rights in the decisions of the church isn t quite compelling enough for them to take that next step. The church in the early centuries had much to say on the matter. In this brief article, let s examine what God s Word has to say as we look at Ephesians 4. Here we find 3 good reasons why we should become members of the local church. Reason #1:... because you are uniquely gifted for the church (Ephesians 4:7-11) Each person who has placed his faith in Jesus Christ is endowed with a spiritual gift. A spiritual gift is a God-given ability for service. Scripture lists some of these gifts, such as showing mercy, exhortation, administration, giving, evangelism, pastoring, helping, and teaching to name a few. 1 Cor 12 and Romans 12 further extends the imagery to each person being a member of one body (the church), each possessing different gifts. Not all parts are the same. God knows what the body needs to grow. Reason #2... because you are designed to grow in the church (Ephesians 4:12, 16) We grow and mature in our faith. The purpose of the gifts is to build and grow the body of Christ, His church. The gifts listed in verse 11 were to be used to equip the church to serve and to help others use their gifts to the fullest then the church is built up and grows. Every believer is gifted and is to use those gifts to serve. As each person serves the church with their gifts, the church grows and matures in their faith. Maturing in our faith takes place as we mutually share our gifts with one another. As the individual grows, the body grows, and so does its unity and maturity. If he/she does not share their gifts with the church body, then the body remains immature, and fails to reflect, fails to represent, Jesus Christ. Reason #3... because you are designed to reflect Christ as a church (Ephesians 4:13, 15) Jesus Christ is our source for growth, and He is our goal. As we share our gifts in community, we mature, and we reflect the character of Christ. The body of Christ reflects the love of Christ to the world as we live in the bond of peace, bearing with one another in love. As a church, we are called to be united. Each member is given a gift to build up the body of Christ. And as the church matures, we are more united. But what does a church look like when each is not exercising their gift? A deficient, unhealthy body, deteriorating into division. This is why participation in the local body is so important: each individual s spiritual health and the health of the larger church body depends on us serving one another. As the church grows, so does love, and the reflection of Christ. Our goal is to fully reflect the perfection of Christ, as well as we can. Ready for that next step? Are you curious about Memorial Park Church, but not quite ready to commit as a member? Are you considering church membership? The Spring Membership Inquirers Class is a great opportunity to ask questions, learn more about Memorial Park Church, and to find out if we are the church for you! Attendance is not a commitment to join. We will gather together for 4 weeks starting Sunday, February 3, during the Discipleship Hour from 10:10 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the Orange Room. Please RSVP to Jason Scott at jscott@mpcepc.org or call x110. The next class after this will not be offered until the Fall of 2019.

11 1 0 C O N N E C T I O N S More Than a Card, Making Connections BY JASON SCOTT When I first began my role as the Connections Coordinator at Memorial Park Church almost one year ago, it was my responsibility to contact our guests who visited the church on the weekend. In the best-case scenarios, I would carry on a brief phone conversation with an individual, develop a semblance of a relationship, and hope that my suggestions to get involved in the church would meet a felt need. And to do so in a matter of minutes. In a not-so-ideal scenario, I would leave a general message or . This begged the question, how can we as a church be more effective in connecting with our guests? How can we be more effective in meeting the needs of our own members? The Connections Card The Connections Card is an invitation to deeper engagement into the life of the church. The information in these cards are two-fold. They not only provide rich information about the church, but also some insight about our guests/members/ attendees. This has led to more meaningful conversations, because it was relevant to their requests indicated on the Connections Cards. If it is not relevant, then it is not very meaningful. The Connections Card also serves as a no pressure invitation to get involved in the church based on their terms. At times our guests/members/attendees will check the same box several times. Situations and schedules change. The additional follow-ups are just another opportunity to touch base with them. And that s alright, because I am getting to know them over time. And you know what? Relationships take time. 5 Reasons Why We Like The Connections Card It helps fulfill the mission of the church. The mission of MPC is to invite people into a life-changing and ever-growing relationship with Jesus Christ. This mission permeates the ministries of our church. The Connections Card is an intentional effort to connect people into the mission of MPC! It is a step of faith. If we truly believe that God determines the places and times we exist in hopes that people would find him (Acts 17:27), that we make plans, but God establishes the course of our lives (Prov 16:9), if we believe in the mission of the church, and that God is drawing people to Jesus through MPC (John 6:44), this card helps people take that next step in their walk of faith. It is a catalyst for growth. It s not just a card, it is a catalyst for growth. When I look at the GPS on my phone, I don t just want to know where I am at. I use my GPS to help me get to where I need to go. My GPS will even give me points of interest worth visiting that I may not have even considered. The Connections Card also provides points of interest about MPC we may have never considered. It is an invitation to participation in the life of the church. No one person has all the answers. With the abundance of ministries at the church, who can be an expert in all of them? I don t have all the answers, but I can give people an easy, yet tangible next step to where they can find the information they are looking. The Connections Card will put them directly in touch with a ministry leader who can answer their questions. Because. You. Matter. "As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has or ever will have something inside that is unique to all time. It s our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression." -Fred Rogers Each person who walks through the doors of our church possesses inherent value based on the simple fact that they are made in the image of God (Gen 1:27; 9:6). And each one of us is uniquely fashioned by our Creator for a purpose (Ps 139). The meaning to our life s story can only be found in the context of the Divine narrative found in the Bible. It is communal. It is personal. St. Augustine wrote in his Confessions, Our heart is unquiet [restless], till it finds its rest in Thee. We are helping people connect to our Lord through His church, some for the first time. That is why I entitled this article More Than a Card, Making Connections. It is a tool that helps us connect with God, and with one another, and as we do, we reflect the love of Christ. It s not just information, but an invitation towards deeper engagement with our Lord.

12 1 1 M I S S I O N S & O U T R E A C H Gracious Giving! BY PAUL HOUSMAN Happy New Year! I want to personally thank you with a heart that overflows with gratitude for your generosity in giving to the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday Mission Offering this year. You are doing the Lords work as you help those in need to spread the love of Jesus to unreached people in India through the ministries of Hindustan Institute of Missions. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am pleased to let you know that you gave a total of $12,656. Add the matching gift and we have provided $25,312! Let the construction continue FROM THIS We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. (Read 2 Corinthians 5) In addition, I want to thank the men of the Friday Men s Breakfast and the Joshua League Saturday Morning Breakfast men for providing the funds to purchase a motorcycle for Pastor Matthew Kamara in Mayatta. Matthew and the saints in Mayatta are so thankful and full of joy! Praise God, from whom all blessings flow! Praise Him, all creatures here below! Praise Him above, ye heavenly host! Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! OUTREACH PARTNER SPOTLIGHT North Hills Community Outreach (NHCO) is a long-time partner of MPC, and their mission is to address the needs of people living in crisis, hardship, and poverty. Their service area spans from Millvale and Etna up to Hampton, and they accomplish their mission through a myriad of efforts including their food pantry, transportation assistance, employment services, and education assistance. We have two upcoming opportunities to support NHCO! First, we ll be participating in NHCO s annual Citrus Sale. The last two Sundays of January (January 20 and 27), we ll be taking orders in the Welcome Center for boxes of delicious citrus fruit, and the proceeds will directly support NHCO. Second, Food Bank Sunday is coming up on February 3! This will be an opportunity to donate non-perishable food items to help our neighbors in need by supporting NHCO s food bank. Bags will be passed out after services on January 26 & 27, and returned filled on February 3. TO THIS!

13 1 2 F I N A N C I A L U P D A T E Halftime Update BY CATHERINE PAVLOCK As this edition of the Good News goes to print, we have completed the first six months of our fiscal year (June-November). We can celebrate that for the first time in several years, Tithes & Offerings are ahead of budget year-to-date by over $28,000 and Total Income is ahead by more than $43,000. This is very good news indeed! Our pastors offered a wonderful series on generosity in the spring the EPIC series: Everything Belongs to God Principles to Live By Incredible Journey Called to the Mountaintop If you missed any of these, they are available on our website under News & Media or on our Facebook page. It will be well work your time. We also offered two Financial Peace University classes in 2018 and started the EPIC Workshop which offers monthly classes on managing your finances in a way that honors God and leads you towards living an epic life. The next FPU class will be offered on Sunday mornings starting January 6, and the EPIC Workshop meets the 2 nd Saturday of the month. We hope you ll consider taking advantage of one or both opportunities. We believe that these messages and classes are helping us move towards a culture of generosity at Memorial Park, and we are starting to see the results. Meeting our budget is not about balancing numbers (although that s a nice side benefit!); it s about having the resources to do the work that God is calling us to do as his people at MPC. Your generosity allows us to respond in ministry and mission to those that God has placed in our paths, and for that we are most grateful! Operating Fund As of 11/30/2018 Actual Budget Difference YTD Revenues $ 1,118,584 $ 1,075,050 $ 43,534 favorable to budget YTD Expenses $ 1,192,450 $ 1,225,427 $ 32,977 favorable to budget YTD Net Total $ (73,866) $ (150,377) $ 76,511 favorable to budget Next Steps Debt Reduction As of 11/30/2018 Actual Loan Balance as of 10/1/2015 $ 1,421,148 Paid off through Next Steps Campaign $ 1,007,172 Loan Balance $ 413,976 Breaking News! Tithes & Offerings (Preliminary as of 01/02/2019) December Budget: $455,000 December Actual: $387,196

14 V O L 0 3 I S S U E 0 3 J A N U A R Y Memorial Park Church 8800 Peebles Road, Allison Park, PA (412) mpcepc.org Find us on Facebook!