All are welcome to enjoy sweet treats and fellowship after the service. Brought to you by the Children and Family Committee.

Transcription

1 For all ages Join us in Fellowship Hall at 9:30 a.m. for registration, songs and games. Visit new classroom locations. Preview upcoming Adult classes. All are welcome to enjoy sweet treats and fellowship after the service. Brought to you by the Children and Family Committee.

2 Pastor s Pen Dear friends: It has been an active summer at Morrisville Presbyterian Church! The Joint Vacation Bible School with Morrisville United Methodist Church ministered to 50+ children of the two congregations and community -- teaching them about God's love and God's way to live. And on the heels of VBS came the Youth in Mission Trip to Pipestem, WV which enabled our teenagers to express their faith through hard work and service and have fun in the process. We have enjoyed the annual Church-wide Picnic and Bronze in the Breezeway both events taking place in our beautiful Memorial Garden. And the Children and Family trip to Howell Living History Farm was a big hit. Each Wednesday, the Food Center has continued its important work of sharing the love of Christ by sharing food with our neighbors. And the Mission Study Team has gotten up and running, meeting every two weeks to plan our upcoming mission study. During worship, we have been inspired by special music, we have celebrated baptisms, ordained and installed officers, commissioned members to mission, received the Sacrament of the Lord s Supper and welcomed visitors. Yes. It has been a full summer at Morrisville Presbyterian Church. And as a pastor, it is wonderful to be part of an active church. But as August gives way to September, our activity now must shift. It is time to focus less on "doing" and more on "being." It is time to shift out of our "Martha mode" and into a "Mary mode" -- sitting at Jesus' feet, listening, learning and growing. It is time for the various Christian Education programs to resume once more and time for all of us to take advantage of those programs. While Sunday school stops for the summer, it's now time for everyone, young and old alike, to get back in the Sunday school habit -- 9:30 every Sunday morning. Just as it's time for new programs to begin and established programs to resume. It's an opportunity for all MPC members and friends to "plug into" a class or a discussion group which can nurture our faith. The Brown Bag & Bible Lunchtime Gathering will resume on Wednesday, September 16, meeting at that time every Wednesday in the Conference Room. And you will discover additional opportunities for Christian education in this issue of Currents, in the Sunday worship bulletin or on the church website. Another primary way to nurture our faith is through worship. As we sing songs and hymns, as we offer our prayers and make our offerings, as we listen for God's word in the Scripture readings and in the sermons, we open our hearts to the Spirit's movement. It is in worship that significant spiritual growth can take place. As the Apostle Paul wrote, "... we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ..." And much of that growth begins in worship. If you have taken the summer off, if you have gotten out of the worship habit, September is a great time to begin that habit anew. Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. each Sunday. And the service is not complete unless you're here! I invite you to join us next Sunday. In the meantime... grace and peace, Remembering our Identity The wheat and grapes represent the bread and wine of the Lord s Supper. 2

3 OUR CHURCH FAMILY Sacrament of the Lord s Supper The Sacrament of the Lord s Supper will be celebrated on Sunday, September 6, 2015 at the 10:30 a.m. worship service. Sacrament of Baptism Adults wishing to be baptized or parents requesting baptism for their child are asked to call the church office at In Loving Memory Our sympathy goes out to the family of Marie Shipp, who passed away on July 6, Our sympathy goes out to the family of Natalie Patterson, who passed away on July 20, Pastoral Care Reminder Members of the staff truly want to be attentive when members or friends of MPC are experiencing health difficulties. If you (or a family member) have been admitted to a hospital, please let us know by contacting the church office, and one of the pastors will be pleased to visit. You may also reach the pastors on their mobile phones: Bruce Ballantine Debbie Heffernan Thank you for your assistance. WORSHIP & MUSIC Welcome to our new Interim Director of Music Tim Carpenter earned his Bachelor of Science degree at Allegheny College in western Pennsylvania. While at Allegheny he met his future wife, Carol, when both were involved in a student production of Henry Purcell s opera, Dido and Aeneas. After graduation, in addition to working as the inventory control person at a manufacturing company in the little town of Cochranton, PA, Tim took a part-time job as choir director at the local Presbyterian Church. While there, the pastor encouraged Tim to get his degree in church music from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. Tim was accepted as a transfer student to Westminster and Tim and Carol packed all worldly belongings into a U-Haul and drove it to their new apartment in Yardley. A little over two years later Tim and Carol became parents, joined the staff of Yardley United Methodist Church as Choir and Youth Leaders, and Tim graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music degree in Church Music. Tim was Super Dad during the day and mild-mannered church musician at night while Carol transformed into Super Mom at 4:00 pm after a hard day as a speech pathologist. Tim s job at YUMC gradually became full time with responsibilities for adult and youth choirs, adult and youth bell choirs, a concert series, confirmation retreats, small group ministries and a weekday after school program for 64 children in first through sixth grades. Many factors, including a desire to work with urban youth prompted Tim to take a sabbatical and earn his teaching certificate. He earned a Masters in Education from Temple University, became certified in teaching mathematics and music and now teaches both in a public school in old city Philadelphia. Tim has kept his music skills in practice conducting Mostly Motets, an a cappella singing ensemble based in Yardley and as cantor at St. Paul Episcopal Church in Levittown. Feel free to contact Tim at TimCarpenter@MPCusa.net 3

4 YOUTH NEWS Youth Club Happenings Come be a part of this year's MPC Youth Club as we celebrate our 50th year! MPC Youth Club was created in 1966 for youth in 7th through 12th grade to come together in a safe, caring, Christian environment. Youth Club is a place for friends to have fun and build lasting relationships, to serve others, and to be reminded of our special identity as children of God. We continue to meet most Wednesday nights, beginning in October, from 6 to 7:30 for dinner and a program. Bring your parents and a friend and find out what's in store for the coming year! MPC Youth Club Registration Night Wednesday, September 16, :00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall MISSION STUDY TEAM Mission Study Team Begins Working In the Presbyterian Church (USA) it is standard practice to conduct a mission study prior to calling a new pastor. We are pleased that the MPC Mission Study Team is up and running. Members of the team are Suzanne Barletto, Emily Bausher, Elizabeth Dugan, J Ann Ellis, Lynn Evans, Bill Hughes, Ken Junkins and Travis Keys. Interim Pastors Bruce Ballantine and Debbie Heffernan are serving as resources to the team. In addition to providing valuable information for the Pastor Nominating Committee, the mission study process will help us to understand the congregation s history and how it affects current and future possibilities; to discover the congregation s core values and purpose; to identify the congregation s hopes and dreams for the future; and to formulate clear expressions of the congregation s mission and vision. Questions? Contact Elizabeth Dugan at rdugan01@comcast.net. Vacation Bible School Thank you to our many volunteers who helped to make our joint VBS with Morrisville United Methodist Church a huge success. We learned that in God we live, move and exist (Acts 17:28a). We all look forward to another joint VBS next summer. CHILDREN and FAMILY Please keep Mission Study Team members in your prayers as they begin this important endeavor. An extra special thank you to both Susan Light from MPC and Kim Jakimowicz from MUMC for their excellent team work as directors of VBS. 4

5 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Education for All begins with Rally Day ~ September 13 th 9:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall Join with Christians of all ages in Fellowship Hall for a light breakfast and songs as we kick off the Sunday School year. Children and youth will sit at tables with their teachers and classmates and spend some time getting acquainted. Later classes will visit their Sunday School rooms. Parents may accompany them to glimpse an overview of the year s curriculum. Adult Education participants will remain in Fellowship Hall to hear a preview of the classes to be offered this year. Come join us on Rally Day, September 13 at 9:30! Questions about Educational Ministry? Contact members of our Educational Ministry Committee: Karen Dupée Pre-K to 5th grade representative Caroline Thompson Youth Representative (6th 12th grade) Carol Carpenter, Susan Light Adult Ed Representatives Carol Carpenter Chair, Educational Ministry Debbie Heffernan Interim Associate Pastor Adult Education Opportunities SUNDAY MORNINGS 9:30 a.m. Conference Room God s Prophets Demand Justice Amos September 20-October 11 Our opening class this fall is a Bible study looking at the prophet Amos and his message to the perpetrators of injustice in his day. Can we identify with those whom Amos accuses of greed and selfishness, those who attempt to hide their participation in unjust practices? This four-week course is the first unit in a three-part study of Old Testament prophets we will be exploring this year. Come and hear what Amos is saying to you! Feed My Sheep With Elders Carol Carpenter and Travis Keys October 18-November 22 Senior High Seminar will join the Adult Education class for this exploration of the problem of hunger in the world and in our own country. What are the possible solutions to this chronic condition? What is the moral responsibility of affluent Christians? We will watch portions of the documentary A Place at the Table and wrestle with ideas put forth by numerous experts on hunger. As Jesus upended social structures to change the world, we are called to follow with courageous action. ONGOING EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS Brown Bag Bible Study led by Pastor Bruce Wednesdays at noon in the Conference Room Participants in the Brown Bag Bible study will resume our study of the Gospel of Mark assisted by the commentary of N.T. Wright in his book Mark for Everyone. Now is a great time to join us! We meet Wednesdays at noon in the conference room, beginning September 16th. Take a lunch break with Pastor Bruce and members learn to read between the lines of the text! There s a seat for you and bring a friend! Weekly Prayer Group Sundays from 8:30 am to 9:15 am in Room 200 ALL ARE WELCOME! Each week, after offering our prayers for those on the MPC Prayer list, we discuss the Bible verses in the current week s liturgy, how those scriptures relate to our everyday lives, and try to anticipate how our Pastor may interpret the same passages during the sermon. Book Discussion Groups Last year's three Book Groups will resume meeting in September and are determining which books to read. New readers are invited to join an existing Book Group or create a new one. For information, contact Susan Light at susanklight@verizon.net or

6 YOUTH IN MISSION Reflection on Youth in Mission Trip by Anna Flook West Virginia is a beautiful place with rolling hills, wide mountain ranges, thick forests, open fields, small ponds and long twisting rivers. But this stunning scenery was just a backdrop to a run-down, tiny house that needed a lot of work. And in that house lived a 5-year-old girl named Brooklynn. We drove 8 hours to help this girl, but with three words, she unknowingly changed my view on life. I can help. It wasn t just Brooke that opened my eyes. Everyone that went on the mission trip truly helped me experience the Kingdom. I went in knowing roughly three people and came out with more friends than I can count on my fingers. All of the adults there also helped me to become closer to God. And then there was the feeling of putting aside major plans to go and help out random people in need of support. I would never have thought that an extra coat of paint, or an extended deck, or even sweeping up leaves and a quick dusting here and there, could have such a big impact on someone else s life. It really makes you realize how diverse the world can be. But it was in simple moments when I was sitting around the campfire or refilling my bucket of paint that made me think that maybe the Kingdom that we are praying for is also the Kingdom that we have been asked to bring to others. We were able to paint the house, add to the porch and paint the living room. Little Brooklynn stole our hearts. Out of all the things we did in those 7 days, this simple statement from a simple child was my glimpse of the Kingdom of God. It was another day on the worksite and I was painting her living room. She came up to me and said she could help. She didn t ask because she knew that she would get the answer no. Unfortunately her mom took her outside before we could respond to her. But it gave me time to think. This little girl was nowhere near as privileged as we are. But yet the entire time we were there, she was always light-spirited. It reminded me of a line in the song With Every Act of Love. The line goes, God put a million, million doors in the world for his love to walk through/and one of those doors is you. Brooke really showed me how simple it was to bring the Kingdom of God to other people. 6 The homeowner is in bad health and so we helped clean up the basement, the yard, cleaned the deck and painted inside. The neighborhood kids came out to help.

7 VISITATION MINISTRY Visitation Ministry Seeking Volunteers You may remember Parish Callers in the past (Coats Callers from as many as 20 years ago!). The Deacons are now sponsoring a revival of the program open to all members of the congregation. We seek to bring MPC-style fellowship and compassion to the senior and other homebound members of our church family. We seek volunteer visitors this summer to get the program up and running. The commitment of your time is small about 2 hours per month and flexible. We will provide support, encouragement and a partner to join you for the visit. We will offer visitor support meetings on the last Sunday of each month. Our next meeting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Sunday, August 30th, in the Conference Room. Prayerfully consider your participation in this ministry visiting or being visited. Let us know of your interest by contacting the church office or Deacon coordinators Ann Clements (aclements3@versizonn.com; ) o r S h e l l i e S t o d d a r d (stoddardjacobsen@gmail.com; ). We will be glad to answer any questions you may have. PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN All women of MPC are invited and encouraged to join us for another inspiring year of Presbyterian Women on Monday, September 14 th. Both Deborah and Rebecca Circles meet in the Lounge (Deborah at noon and Rebecca at 7:00 p.m..) Enjoy refreshments, get reacquainted with other women of faith and learn from interesting, informative programs and service projects throughout the year. Come join us September 14 th -- we look forward to being together! Mark Your Calendar for the CRAFT FAIR SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 Join us for a fun-filled day of shopping, seeing old friends, and meeting new people. Support the mission work of MPC's Presbyterian Women! More information in October. Thank you, Steve McBride, for your faithful, loving, and dedicated service to MPC as Director of Music. We wish you all of the best as you begin the next phase in your ministry and life, and will enjoy your continuing to serve as Communications Coordinator here at MPC. 7

8 MORRISVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 771 N. Pennsylvania Ave. Morrisville, PA Phone: web: Staff MPC Currents (USPS# ), is published monthly. Periodical mail postage paid at Levittown, PA POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Morrisville Presbyterian Church, 771 N. Pennsylvania Ave. Morrisville, PA The Evangelism & Communications Committee is committed to keeping church news up to date. It is our goal to print and distribute Currents by the 3 rd Sunday of the Month. Therefore we ask that you please submit articles for the October 2015 Currents by September1 st. Currents@MPCusa.net AUGUST 23 10:30 a.m. Worship 30 10:30 a.m. Worship SEPTEMBER C OMING EVENTS 6 10:30 a.m. Worship & The Sacrament of the Lord s Supper 13 9:30 a.m. Sunday School Kick-Off 10:30 a.m. Rally Day Worship 11:30 a.m. Ice Cream Social 20 10:30 a.m. Worship 11:30 a.m. Antless Picnic & Congregational Meeting 27 10:30 a.m. Worship September 13th 4:00 p.m. Apple Picking Y OUTH IN MISSION O UR TEAM