Dear MAPC members and friends, 

I am very excited to announce that we have hired Maddie Samuelian to join us in ministry at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church as our new Director for Children’s and Youth Ministry! As both a pastor and parent, I am very excited for what Maddie will be bringing to our church. Maddie has a deep faith in Jesus Christ and a passion for guiding children and youth in discovering and learning more about their faith. I am excited to work alongside Maddie in developing a children’s and youth ministry that not only teaches our younger members about the love of Christ, but helps them experience it, and claim it as their own. 

Maddie has most recently served as the Children’s Ministry Director of Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, where she gained experience working with a large church staff in an active congregation and helped run a thriving children’s ministry program (this past summer, Maddie led Vacation Bible School for over 100 children). Maddie has a degree from UCLA and has also worked as a counselor for suicide prevention. Her personal faith and life experiences have shaped her calling to the church, and I am thankful to say to Madison Avenue. 

Maddie will move to NYC at the end of October, and her first day as Director of Children’s and Youth Ministry will be November 1. On November 10, after worship, we will have a festive coffee hour to welcome her to her new church home. I am very thankful to Mary Huff and Deborah de Farias, who have taken on increased leadership roles with our children’s ministry during this time. I believe we have an excellent team coming together to help MAPC encourage another generation of believers in their walks of faith.

In Christ

Dr. Aaron Janklow