September Pastoral Staff Letter
Dear Friends,
In our worship service this week, we will commemorate the tragedy of 9-11. It’s a day that none of us will ever forget, and for those of you that were then living in the city, that memory is particularly painful.
The terrorist attack that Tuesday morning not only claimed thousands of lives but it led to twenty years of war. It changed the way we travel (Do you remember when virtually anyone could wait at the gate of an airport?), and it exposed something unsettling about human existence, something that Jesus, himself, addressed in his ministry. What was Jesus talking about when he pointed to the stones of the temple wall? That will be the focus of this week’s sermon.
Enjoy photos from a recent gathering where youth wrote cards to members of the church.
Also, I hope you have marked Sunday, October 17 on your calendars. We are hosting a block party, and we are inviting friends and neighbors to join us in celebrating the beginning of a new program year!
Finally, over the summer the staff has been exploring how we might strengthen our communication within our congregation and with our community. We have made progress in two areas.
First, we have just launched an updated website. It is easier to navigate, and it captures the vitality and spirit of MAPC. The address is the same: www.mapc.com. This is a work in process, and we will be tweaking it and adding more information in the coming weeks and months.
Second, we have revised the format of our newsletter. It will continue, of course, to provide details about the Sunday worship service, but beginning next week it will be much shorter and more focused. Instead of a long list of announcements that often repeat themselves week after week, the newsletter will provide links to the appropriate page on the website. For example, it might say, “Click HERE for news about this week’s young adult gathering!” In this way, if you want to read about an upcoming young adult event, you will not need to read through many other notices to find it.
Again, this is a work in process. We are trying to connect you (and our guests!) as easily as possible to the particular activities and ministries that interest you and them.
Whether online or in person, I hope to see you soon!
Patrick
Worship This Sunday - Faure Requiem
Please join us for 10:30 AM Worship in the Sanctuary.
Rev. Dr. J. Patrick Vaughn will be preaching his sermon entitled
"When the Towers Fall" this Sunday, September 12.
Fauré Requiem on Sept. 12
The MAPC Choir will present excerpts of Fauré’s poignant Requiem as an offering in worship this Sunday morning and in remembrance of the 20th Anniversary of September 11, 2001. The Prelude will begin early this week for our 10:30 service, and movements will include the Kyrie, Pie Jesu, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, and In Paradisum.
We will live-stream the Sunday morning services at 10:30 am each week.
Instead of watching the Vimeo link, please visit the live-streaming page:
https://www.mapc.com/livestream.
If you miss a week, you can find recent worship services on youtube HERE:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfSyU1xkJVX-001IX21f-rw.
Save the Dates:
Oct. 17 - Block Party
Nov. 14 - Pledge Sunday
Mark your calendars and join us for a Block Party on Sunday, October 17 immediately after our 10:30 am worship service. We will provide lunch, fun activities and a chance to get to know more about the multiple ministries at MAPC. Invite your friends and join us for this intergenerational block party!
November 14 is Pledge Sunday. We will welcome guest preacher Kirianne E. Weaver and celebrate the Stewardship season during worship.
Mission Review Committee
The Mission Review Committee has held six zoom and in-person sessions with church members this summer. These one-hour sessions covered five questions pertaining to the future of our church. We will hold two more sessions on Sunday, September 12 at 4 pm and Wednesday, September 15 at 8 pm via Zoom. Emails with the zoom link have been sent. If you have not participated in any of these, please join the conversation to express your thoughts.
Thank you for your encouraging and thoughtful contributions.
In Christ,
Mission Review Committee
MAPC News from the Hood Library
The members of MAPC’s Library Fellowship are preparing for the re-opening of the Hood Library in September. We look forward to seeing you in church … and browsing in the Hood Library before and after the service.
With that in mind, the Fellowship is seeking book donations to the library. If you have books that are in good condition that you feel you can part with, please drop them off so we can add them to the collection.
Many thanks,
Curtis Field
Chair, MAPC Library Fellowship
Calling All Kids!
Our program year for kids K to 5th grade kicks off with a day of crazy, messy, silly fun! Join us Wednesday, September 22 at 6-7:30 pm at the church. Parents and siblings of all ages are welcome to join for Messy Game Day and dinner at 6 pm. Bring a towel, clothes that might get wrecked (seriously), and your mask. Families are welcome to join in the fun!
Kids’ Ministry this Fall
Our new midweek program, SPROUT, will run twice a month on Wednesdays from 6 - 7:30pm for K-5th grade. Come learn about God, make crafts, play games, and make friends! Messy Game Day kicks off the fun on September 22. Friends are always welcome to join! Families and caregivers are invited for dinner on the Roof at 6 pm. There is no fee to participate and you can join at any time. Masks will be required until further notice.
This fall, we’ll go UP IN THE AIR and learn about Old Testament prophet Elisha, our big dreams, and counting on God’s promises.
Fall dates: September 22, October 6 & 20, November 10, December 1 & 15.
Interested in volunteering with kids’ ministry at MAPC?
Contact Chesna Hinkley (ceh@mapc.com) for an application form.
Day School Update
The Day School is very excited to begin another school year. Our first staffday together will be at the Bronx Botanical Gardens, with a guided tour of the Kusama Cosmic Nature exhibition. This resonates with our belief in connecting education with nature. We all have a new appreciation and understanding of the importance of being outdoors. We are excited to welcome three new teachers to our school. This summer the enrollment has grown 20% from our end cycle of admissions last spring. Although we will continue our safety and cleaning protocols, facial masks for children and adults, 100% of our teachers and staff are vaccinated.
Day School Teachers and Staff at the Bronx Botanical Gardens in late August 2021.
Outreach and Mission
How to Help Afghan Refugees
Click here for a list of ways to donate, volunteer, advocate, and pray.
How to Help victims of Hurricane Ida
Click here to donate to the Ida relief effort at Presbyterian Disaster Assistance: https://pma.pcusa.org/donate/make-a-gift/gift-info/DR000169/.
Samaritan’s Closet Needs Your Help!
Over the summer, Samaritan’s Closet has regularly served 30-40 clients per week. The Ministry Team is in urgent need of casual men’s clothing and shoes. The closet accepts gently used, practical clothing with no smell or stains (clothing that smells like mothballs will be discarded). You can drop off donations any time the church is open in the lobby coat room, or ship a high-demand item from our Amazon list here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/58XM539M0FXL?ref_=wl_share.
As always, if you are interested in volunteering, sign up at bit.ly/samaritanscloset and join us on Sunday at 11:45 am in the church basement. Contact Chesna (ceh@mapc.com) with questions.
Opportunities for Fellowship & Study
20s & 30s Group
We are planning an exciting year of monthly get-togethers. Please mark your calendars for another picnic in Central Park on Sunday, September 26 immediately after worship. We will provide food for you in the park and childcare/lunches for kids on the roof garden.
Spiritual Growth and Faith Sharing Group
1st and 3rd Thursdays at 1 pm
Come spend an hour reflecting on a passage of scripture and listening for the Holy Spirit. This group, facilitated by Rev. Bartlett, is comprised of MAPC members and James Lenox House (JLH) residents and meets at JLH, just around the corner from the church on 73rd St. Our time together includes some conversation, reading a passage of scripture, time for silent reflection, sharing how the passage for the day speaks to us, and prayer.
Masks and vaccination are required.
Upcoming dates: September 16, October 7 and 21.
Mystery Book Group!
Our next discussion will be Thursday, September 23 at 7 pm via Zoom, and we’ll be discussing Fred Vargas’, “The Chalk Circle Man.” Written in 1996, this is Vargas’ first in a series featuring Commissaire Jean-Baptist Adamsberg set in Paris. The Mystery Book Group will continue to meet by Zoom, and a link will be sent by email closer to the meeting date. All are welcome!
Fall Adult Education Offerings
Our fall adult education offerings offer a mix of Bible Studies and topics we are wrestling with as people of faith in today’s world.
Here is what we have planned:
Sunday Morning Adult Education, 9 -10 am, via Zoom
Beginning September 12th we will have a four-week series reading through Paul’s letters to four congregations, following up on our months of reading through the Gospels and Acts last winter and spring. Please read each letterahead of time and come prepared with a passage that particularly struck you or about which you have questions. Zoom link will be emailed early Sunday morning.
September 12, 1 Thessalonians, led by Dr. Vaughn
September 19, Phillipians, led by Rev. Bartlett
September 26, Galatians, led by Ms. Hinkley
October 3, Colossians, led by Mr. Rodriguez
October 10, In observance of Indigenous Peoples Day, we will welcome Anthony Trujillo by Zoom at 9 am. Mr. Trujillo is a Ph.D. candidate at Harvard University, and also a candidate for the Ministry of Word and Sacrament under care of the Presbytery of NYC. He has been active with the Native American Coordinating Council of the PCUSA for the last several years, involved with education and advocacy around Native issues within the PCUSA. At the heart of Anthony’s research is digging into the political, spiritual and territorial engagements between Native nations and colonial powers. In his October 10th presentation he will bring together themes from his research and his work with the PCUSA. We will welcome Anthony by Zoom, and depending on pandemic conditions will hold this class either entirely by Zoom or use a hybrid model (some participating in person and some online).
Monday Evening Bible Study
This group will resume Monday, September 20th at 7 pm. We will start off meeting by Zoom, and may meet in person later in the fall, pandemic conditions allowing. In September we will begin a study of women in the Bible. It’s a big topic, so might just take us through the program year! The Monday Evening Bible Study meets on the first and third Mondays of the month, so please mark your calendars and join us--it’s always a good discussion.
Anti-racism Discussion Group
The next Anti-racism group meeting will be Sunday, September 12 at 5 pm, by Zoom. For this meeting please read one (or more) of Kekla Magoon’s children’s or young adult novels. Kekla, who now lives in Vermont, is a member of MAPC and an award-winning author. She will be with us at MAPC as a special guest speaker the first weekend of March 2022 giving presentations to both youth and adults. Here is a list of her books to choose from:
If you have not read any of Kekla’s books yet, “The Rock and the River” is a good one to start with.
For the September 19th meeting, the group will read and discuss the NY Times 1619 Project, from August of 2019. This issue of the Times Magazine was instrumental in many of us beginning to take a closer, more accurate look at the history of race and racism in our country, and it has become a flashpoint for those arguing against the teaching of “critical race theory”.
With journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones’ tenure ordeal at UNC and acceptance of a position at Howard, it has once again garnered attention. The 1619 Project is coming out as a book in November, but until then you can read a PDF version on the Pulitzer Center website:
https://pulitzercenter.org/sites/default/files/full_issue_of_the_1619_project.pdf
This group will continue to meet by Zoom at 5 pm on Sundays. Zoom links are sent out on Sunday mornings.
Women’s Bible Study
The Women's Bible Study, which normally meets on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month, will remain on hiatus until it is safe for everyone to meet in person.
Youth and Children at MAPC
Youth (Ages 6th - 12th Grade)
CONFIRMATION:
We will celebrate our confirmands as a church community on Sunday, October 3, 2021.
YOUTH IN 2021:
Weekly youth group meetings will begin on Wednesday, September 22nd from 6-7:30 pm. We will begin with dinner together and then have time for fellowship, games, and study!
Contact April Matin (aem@mapc.com) for more information.
Children's Ministry
Questions about Children's Ministry at MAPC? Contact Chesna Hinkley (ceh@mapc.com) for more information or to be added to the mailing list.
PRESCHOOL MINISTRY
Kids (and their joyful noise to the Lord) are ALWAYS welcome in worship! If you prefer to make use of safe and loving childcare and PreK Sunday School, it is open on the Roof Garden for ages 0 to 5 from 9:15-11:45 am. You must fill out a Registration Form before your first time back, below.
ELEMENTARY KIDS
Sprout, our new midweek program for kids (Kindergarten to 5th grade), will kick off Wednesday, September 22 at 6-7:30 pm. Our fall session will run October 13 & 27, November 10, and December 1 & 15.
See the announcement above for more information.
Four Ways to Give to MAPC
We are grateful to all of you for your financial support of the church during this time. As you know, the church continues to be the church, with staff to pay, buildings to maintain, and ministries to carry out even though our buildings are closed. We understand that with job losses and furloughs, many people are not able to contribute financially. For those of you who are able to continue your financial pledges and offerings, click on the link below to see the four ways you can give:
Thank you for your faithful giving!
Links for MAPC Worship Services
Livestream Services
Watch our services live at 10:30 am on Sundays below.
Watch Worship Live on Sunday Here
Our services from the past year are still available
on the church's Vimeo page.
