threads biweekly weavings of the community at Madison Park Church of God -August 22, 2016
Cleaning house...
by Melanie Denniston, Day Care Ministry Director Every May I go to the beach for a wonderful and most relaxing vacation by the ocean for two whole weeks. This is my happy place. Oh, yeah. The beach. Soft breezes blowing, the sound of the waves hitting the shore, conversation and laughter with good friends, and reading. Lots and lots of reading. Those are the things beach days are made of. Ahhh… Shortly before I left for the beach this year, Pastor Paul came to me about an offer on the Cross Street property that had been made that specifically involved North Kids. Could we make it work if we had to rent from the prospective buyers? What would that look like? That wouldn’t be too bad. So off I went with those thoughts in my mind. When I returned two weeks later, I knew I needed to see where we were at with this offer. Imagine my surprise when I was told that we had a new offer and that the day care would not be able to stay and rent space. Whoa. Wait a minute. That was a whole different matter. How? When? Where? Well, we all know the outcome. Cross Street
did sell and the day care needed to move. All within a span of 6 weeks. Are you crazy???? Move the day care and all the stuff that has collected in the past 22 years in just six short weeks? Parents had to be informed and invited to move south with us. Twenty people had to wait to see if they still had jobs. Classrooms and closets had to be cleaned and sorted into the moving pile, the trash pile, and the storage pile. So we all pitched in and started to go through the things to decide what to keep or throw. I told everyone on staff to be “ruthless” as we would be combining two day care programs into one space. We no longer had the luxury of storing things in an extra room. Space would be at a premium. Keep only what we needed. And the definition of “needed” vs “wanted” changed several times. I found myself re-examining things with a different perspective. What things did I truly need or what things did I just want to keep? What things would make a long term impact in building relationships with families? Did I really need to keep that stuffed Snoopy that sick kids loved to play with while waiting for parents? What about my Purdue blanket that I shared with children for snuggling? Snuggling continued on page 4
July-August-September Proceeds benefit Russia Make a purchase at Holy Grounds and a portion of the proceeds will benefit ministries in Russia. Come early or linger after the Sunday worship services to enjoy conversation and refreshments. Sundays, 8:30am-11:30am MasterCard, Visa and Discover accepted.
Worship Services SUNDAY
Retro “We Got The Beat” September 24, 2015—7:00 PM Tickets on Sale, August 28!! In the life of a local congregation there is a weave of ministries, groups, events, etc…that all work together for a holistic effort at being the best we can be as a community of faith. Each has its place and specific purpose in helping build relationships with the people around us…our Retro Concert is no different. This year’s Retro, “We Got the Beat,” will take place at 7:00 PM on Saturday, September 24. It will feature music from the 60’s to the 90’s…a veritable smorgasbord of songs. It features musicians, board members, pastors, and others from our congregation at Madison
Park un-like you will ever see them anyplace else as we recreate some classics from the music scene of days gone by! Peppered with some fun give-a-ways, the return of our Lip Sync Showdown, and other surprises, it will be a great night of fun, music, and energy you won’t want to miss! Some 23 years ago the Retro was hatched at the Cross Street gymnasium as a coffeehouse type event. Refreshments were served around tables by MPC youth and a temporary stage was set at one end of continued on page 4
9:00am - A blend of traditional and contemporary music, prayer, and teaching from God’s Word. 11:00am - Features a praise band with distinctively modern edge and teaching from God’s Word. Classes are offered for all ages at 9:00am and 10:45am. Visit Grand Central for a complete listing of all electives or visit the Ministries page at MadisonParkChurch.org.
Summer Teaching Series Pastor Paul Strozier Sundays at 9:00 and 11:00am BEST. SUMMER. EVER! If you want to experience the best summer of your life, don’t just work on your tan, work on your relationships. Join us at Madison Park as we spend the summer developing spiritual disciplines to help us connect and grow in relationships with God, with each other, and with the people God misses most. After all…tans fade, but love never fails! “…and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 August 28: Guest Speaker, Rolland Daniels
Begin • Belong • Become Belong Experience Wednesday, September 7 from 6:00-8:00am in Room 181 Includes: Free meal from Lighthouse Cafe. Childcare available starting at 5:45pm Belong is a one-time event that helps you make decisions on experiences you would like to have at Madison Park Church. Areas in which you want to grow and where you might connect. Pastor Paul shares. R.S.V.P. by calling (765) 642-2000 or contact Shelly Stottlemyer, Connections Pastor sstottlemyer@madisonparkchurch.org.
Miriam Project’s Annual 5K Walk/Run & 10K
Saturday, September 10 - 8:30am - Broadway Ministry Center Whether you are an avid runner or just want to take a stroll on the trail, all are welcome. Pre-registration is open until September 2. Pre-register or download a printable form at the discounted rate at miriamproject.org. You can also register on race day. Sponsorships are also needed for the race. If you own a business or think your employer might be interested in sponsoring the event, checkout the Sponsorship link at miriamproject.org, or call (765) 642 -1853.
Cry Out To The Lord
For repentance. For reconciliation. For renewal. On September 11, 2016, Church of God congregations will set aside a special day of prayer—prayers of humility, repentance, yielding, intercession, and recommitment to the Great Commission. As we bow before God, we’ll be joining multiple faith groups across the country and around the world as together we humble ourselves and confess our dependence on him.
RETRO: Live — “We Got The Beat” September 24 at 7:00pm
Enjoy classic hits at a live concert performed by Madison Park talent. Come early and enjoy ice cream, Otis Spunkmeyer cookies, Holy Grounds, vintage cars and fellowship. Tickets on sale in The Commons and the Church Office. $10 adults (guest ticket available with each full-price ticket, advanced sales only) $6 students.
-2-
News You Can Use Best. Summer. Ever! Brochure
This brochure offers tons of opportunities to engage in practical ways with our congregation and community. Each one is a chance to make a real difference in the lives of real people. Pick up a copy at Grand Central. Sermon Notes and More Sermon Notes are now available weekly at YouVersion Live/Events. Download the YouVersion APP on your Smart Phone and/or computer. YouVersion’s Live/Events features gives you a chance to interact with the Bible and the sermon custom content during the service and provides space for you to take your personal notes at the end of each Bible Reference. Launching the Bible app from your phone simply: Choose Live/Events • Search for the church (by name - Madison Park Church, or even zip code - 46013) • Choose the event by name (e.g. Sunday August 7)
Cycling Group Tuesdays at 6:00pm, weather permitting, at the MPC parking lot. Bicyclists of all ages are invited to meet each Tuesday through October and ride from 6:00pm until dark. All skill levels and paces are welcome; no bicyclist will be left behind. Contact: Bruce Jones at (765) 602-3424. J.O.Y. (Just Older Youth) Thursday, August 25 at Noon at the Scatterfield Ministry Center. All adults age 55 and older are invited to enjoy wonderful fellowship and delicious food. Guest speaker, Mark Adcock, will share about the joys, privileges, and responsibilities of grandparenting! Bring food to share on the buffet table. Beverages are provided. Contact: Jackie Corn, Administrative Assistant, at the Church Office. Blood Pressure Clinic Wednesday, September 7 from 5:30-6:30pm in The Commons. MPC Parish Nurses conduct a free blood pressure screening for MPC-goers and community friends.
A Christmas Carol Auditions Alzheimer’s Support Saturday October 8 - 9:00Group Tuesday, Noon in the Rehearsal August 30 at 6:30pm Room in Room 176 A variety of A caregiver speaking, singing, support and dancing parts group and are available. fellowship. Holy Opportunities for Personal Empowerment Come prepared Contact: (H.O.P.E.) - Open House to sing, Laura accompanist Chatham at Thursday, August 25 from 6:30-8:00pm in the Children’s available, read (260) 403Ministry TRAKs Center Rooms 191, 192, 193 from the script 4522. and perform H.O.P.E is an inclusive ministry title for these individual a few basic support groups: Divorce Care, Divorce Care for Kids, Special dance steps, and Single & Parenting. The Open House provides Mental and if auditioning opportunity to meet leaders, ask questions, look at Emotional for parts materials and learn if one of these groups is for you! Health requiring dance. Evening Performance dates Contact: Christi Maidlow, (765) 642-2000, Monday, are December 8-11 for more information. September at 7:00pm at Madison 26 at 6:30pm Park Church. Contact: in Crossroads Steve Williamson, Worship Auditorium Arts Pastor. Examining the Impact of Trauma Children’s Ministries With special guest speaker, • Elementary Children’s Baptism Class Brad Grammer, Case Manager/Resource Six-Weeks: August 28 - October 2 Coordinator with Outreach and contributing Sunday’s from 11:00 am - 12:15 pm author for three books. Everyone is invited Room 180 and urged to attend. Contact: Cindy Eggert at Teaching children to be OBEDIENT from (765) 274-3345. the heart... Contact Christi Maidlow, Children’s Ministries Pastor, to enroll in this class.
Begin • Belong • Become Begin Gathering: Your information gathering point. The gathering is held on the first Sunday of each month. A time of discovering aspects of our church and the next steps to connectedness. Sunday, September 4 from 10:15-10:45 a.m in Room 181 Belong Experience : Your starting point. A one-time event that helps you make decisions on experiences you would like to have at Madison Park Church. Ministry areas in which you want to grow and where you might connect. Pastor Paul shares. Wednesday, September 7 from 6:00-8:00am in Room 181 Become Group: Your growing point. A nine-week group that helps you grow into a disciple for Jesus, using the nine steps of the Discipleship Pathway Grid. Nine-week Group held on Wednesdays, September 14 - November 9 from 6:30-8:00 in Room 181
-3-
• August 24: Beef and Noodles // Kids Option: Beef and Noodles • August 31: Oriental Chicken Salad // Kids Option: Chicken Strips & Fries • QUEST - Relationships! Wednesdays from 6:30-7:45pm in the Children’s TRAKs Wing. September 7 - October 5 QUEST is a five-week journey inviting preschool and elementary age kids to uncover and discover a powerful principle and truth from the Bible. A thematic approach, with multi-disciplinary teaching, will actively engage and excite participants. Each five-week QUEST will culminate with a fun review and celebration.
Student Ministries
Children’s Ministry Assistant PLUS Training - for Junior and Senior Youth Sunday, August 28 at 9:00am in Room 191 Junior and Senior high youth are invited to serve as Children’s Ministry Assistants (CMA) in one of the Children’s TRAKs Sunday morning classrooms. CMA+ is a special training for you seeking to serve at either the 9:00am or 11:00am worship services. To R.S.V.P. and for more information contact, Christi Maidlow, Children’s Ministries Pastor (765) 642-2000. Sundays in August: • Senior High Class will connect in August at 9:00am in The Commons. • ALL Student Donut and Connect time: Sundays from 10:15-10:45am in Crossroads • Junior High IMPACT at 11:00am in Crossroads. BIG EVENT COLOR WARS: Wednesday, August 31 from 6:00-8:00Ppm. For ALL students! Food•Games•Inside and outside ending with a HUGE Color War! continued on page 4
Contact Us MAILING ADDRESS PO Box 2479 • Anderson, IN 46018 MADISON PARK WORSHIP SITE AND CHURCH OFFICES 6607 Providence Dr. • Anderson, IN 46013 24-hour line: (765) 642-2000 • Fax: (765) 643-0976 Hours: M - F / 8:30am to 4:30pm
www.MadisonParkChurch.org
Cleaning house...continued from page 1
is important, isn’t it? What about cots and cubbies? Kids needed places to put their things and to rest, didn’t they? The list went on and on. Many things that ended up in the throw pile were good, but their days of usefulness were gone and there was just no space to store them. Sigh… Well, we got everything moved. It was exhausting but it got done. No more 14 hour days trying to get everything done. Finally I had some time to rest and start looking toward the future. And I had time to read again. I picked up a new book that I didn’t really know anything about but it had looked intriguing so I bought it. In the book, the main character is very successful in life and has all he could ever want or need. Unexpectedly, he inherits a huge
house on the beach that is perfect for rest and relaxation. When he gets there, it is beautiful and better than he ever imagined. Except it has extra rooms that appear from time to time that weren’t there the day before. What??? Each room is different and has a specific purpose as God brings to light things that are hidden in the man’s life that need to be cleaned and thrown out. Hmmm… Is my life a house like that? Do I keep things in “hidden” rooms in my heart? What is hidden in there that Jesus wants me to throw out? Or perhaps more often some rooms used to be clean and picked up, but clutter is starting to appear. I think I will get to it later, but I don’t. The clutter grows and the next thing I know, it’s no longer clutter but rather a big mess and now needs a thorough cleaning. How did that happen? Or maybe, I have the rooms in my heart all cleaned out except for one tiny, little corner. Just a small
space. That’s not a problem, is it? Ummmm… Maybe I need to go back and look for hidden places in my heart. Trust Jesus to show me what’s hiding there that shouldn’t be and get rid of it. What if I let Jesus choose what stays and what goes? What if I trust enough to let go and not hold so tightly to “stuff”? Matthew 6:21 tells us that “where our treasures are, there the desires of our heart will be”. I don’t know about you, but I want my treasures to be good things; ones that God wants me to keep and use, not just a lot of useless clutter. I want to be more loving, more sharing, more caring. But I can’t do that if I can’t see past all the clutter in my heart. Sigh… I’ve got to go. Jesus and I have some cleaning to do!! Share your thoughts on this article; visit the blog and leave a comment at
Continued from page 3
Retro ...continued from page 1
Honduras Mission Trip Supply Collection: Supplies are being collected for the MPC mission’s trip to Honduras in October. Items needed include: NEW -washable paints, crayons, water soluble markers, flip flops, nonprescription reading glasses, sunglasses, and sidewalk chalk. Drop off items at the Missions Corner in The Commons. Contact: Ali Robinson, Missions Coordinator.
the gym. Through the years the event has moved around to the State Theatre, Reardon Auditorium, Byrum Hall, and now for several years it has landed at MPC. While the show has a great tradition…and some traditions are very healthy and good…this night exists for a much more important end. In short, the Retro Concert is a relational event offering you an opportunity to introduce people with whom you have or are building a relationship to a positive, fun, non-threatening, activity in a Christian setting.
News Missions and Outreach Family Birth Congratulations:
Upcoming Mission Trips: An opportunity to witness firsthand what God is doing in areas where Madison Park Church is invested with her finances and her friends on the field. • Heart to Honduras in October 2016 • Haiti in 2017 For more information contact: Doug Linville, Missions Pastor.
Opportunity To Serve Celebrate Recovery - Child Care Volunteer Needed Fridays at 6:45pm at the Scatterfield Ministry Center Volunteers are needed to help with child care for the Celebrate Recovery group. Contact: Doug Linville, Missions Pastor. Dove Harbor/Miriam Project Volunteer Training Session Tuesday, September 6 from 6:00-7:00pm at the Broadway Ministry Center - 1400 Broadway Street in Anderson. Information and training for volunteers at Dove Harbor and Miriam Project Adoption Services. Anyone interested in volunteering in these ministries is invited to attend and learn more information. The class is scheduled for the first Tuesday of every month. Contact: Meg Scaggs at (765) 642-1853.
Brent and Kendra Crabtree welcomed baby boy, Brantley Reid Crabtree, 8lbs 10oz. – 20.5 inches on August 9 at 7:27 am. Sympathy with: • Phil Rector on the passing of his mother, Jane Rector, on July 22. • The family of Jean Hope who passed away unexpectedly on July 30. • Maurine Conrad on the loss of her sister, Jean Cartin, on August 3. • The family of Aaron Cook who passed away on August 4. • Kim Berggran on the passing of her father, Tommy, (New Orleans). • Dave and Becky Keller on the passing of their son, Scott Condon, on August 2. • Judy McWilliams and Susan Stevens on the passing of their brother, Thomas Brewster on August 1. • Naomi McCurdy and Darlene Garner on the passing of their sister, Carol Hobbs, on August 9.
Employment Opportunities at MPC • Part-time child care for various ministry groups at MPC:Tuesdays mornings and/or evenings; Wednesday evenings; Thursday evenings; Friday mornings and/or evenings. Contact: Christi Maidlow at (765) 642-2000.
Community and Ministry Partners
CONCERTS: Main Street Church of God 4211 Main Street in Anderson • Soul’d Out Quartet: Saturday, September 17 - 6:00pm • Common Bond Quartet: Saturday, October 29 - 6:00pm Free Admission. Freewill offering available. Contact: Carl Stagner at (765) 635-6142
—4—
As you know, a church building can sometimes seem less than inviting...a formidable place where many folks have not had positive experiences. Yet sooner or later, no matter how people initially come to engage the Christian community, they will most likely find their way to a meeting place as they grow and develop as people of faith themselves for a lifetime. We are very intentional at our meeting place at MPC to be, physically and relationally one of those places. At this year’s Retro Concert some retro cars will be around, ice cream will be on hand, Otis Spunkmeyer cookies baking as people arrive, and the Holy Grounds staff will be serving up things as they do so well!! All this to create a fun, safe, place to be with our church family, but most importantly with our guests who might not have a church home. So…..HERE IS A SPECIFIC REQUEST OF YOU TODAY…Get a ticket, starting August 28, and be thinking about who you can bring with you that night…Saturday, September 24!! With each $10 advanced purchase ticket, you will also receive one free ticket to give to a person who doesn’t have a church home… your friend, family member, neighbor, or co-worker. There are people we all know who need to know MPC is a safe place to be…that we are safe people to be around…that FUN is a part of the Christian walk…and that they are loved—no matter what!! Mark your calendars now…buy a ticket or two…and bring someone with you because “We Got the Beat!!”