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Pastor's Note
Dear friends,
Who isn’t here yet? Lately, we’ve been thinking a lot about that question. MPC’s leaders realize that the church doesn’t just exist for those of us who are already here. It also exists for those who aren’t here yet. . .We know that in our neighborhoods there are people looking for a community where. . .
- all are welcome, just as they are;
- questions, doubt and difference are honored;
- faith doesn’t mean leaving your intellect at the door;
- worship connects you to something bigger than yourself.
In other words, there are people out there looking for a place like MPC! So how do we reach those who aren’t here yet? Word of mouth remains a vital way that people get connected to a faith community — but it’s not the only way.
These days, most people who look for a church begin their search online. Our webpage is the new front door of the church — people will visit our website, sometimes multiple times, before they ever visit on a Sunday morning.
That’s why this spring, the Session approved a three-month digital advertising campaign with the goal of increasing awareness and “findabilty” of the church. Session member Casey Pilgrim volunteered to design and implement this pilot project for us. Our hope was that the targeting capabilities of online media platforms could help us reach a very specific audience most likely to be seeking a church like ours. The campaign included ads on both Facebook and Google. You may have seen one of them!
Here’s what we learned from the campaign:
- MPC received nearly two hundred visitors to our website through Google search engine and banner ads.
- Facebook advertising reached 15,000 people in our geographic area, leading to an additional 765 visits to our website, as well as more than 200 likes and shares that helped our campaign reach even more people.
- During the time of the campaign, MPC saw an increase in visitors in worship, including some who specifically mentioned seeing our ads.
- Since the campaign finished, visits to our website have plummeted, affirming how important the ads were for bringing visitors to our website and ultimately to our church.
Who isn’t here yet? This campaign has shown us some great strategies for reaching them.
Grace and peace,
Leanne
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Glorifying God
Sermon Series: The Lord's Prayer
Beginning August 7, we begin a five-week sermon series on the Lord's Prayer. Taught by Jesus, this prayer is prayed by Christians all over the world every week – including us! You may know the words of this prayer by heart, but what do they mean? Scholar John Dominic Crossan has called this prayer a "revolutionary manifesto and a hymn of hope." Join us to discover more!
Summer worship schedule
Our regular worship schedule continues during the summer months: Join us for coffee and fellowship at 10:30am and worship at 11am each Sunday morning.
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Growing as Disciples
Session Update
Here are some highlights from the June Session meeting:
- The Session met on June 7, 2016. Moderator Leanne Pearce Reed led the group in a time of reflection on scripture followed by prayer. Present were Elders Don Blakeley, Jane Clayton, Dorothy Grimes, Michele Pawlik, Casey Pilgrim, and Carla Everett-Smith.
- Leanne expressed thanks to the congregation for generous giving in the spring to Shelby Emergency Assistance, the Pentecost offering, and the One Great Hour of Sharing offering.
- The Session discussed ways to improve communication within the church to ensure that MPC members and friends are kept aware of events in the church.
- Casey Pilgrim presented an update on the success of MPC’s online ad campaign. Results have been encouraging with the church’s name and message reaching many people.
- The Session voted without objection to endorse the mission of More Light Presbyterians and the Call to Covenant Community of the Covenant Network. These networks promote the welcome and inclusion of all people the Presbyterian Church (USA).
- The Personnel Committee Chair, Dorothy Grimes, reported that an annual review had been held with office administrator David Haws. The Session approved without objection the proposal of the Personnel Committee to change his position to hourly rather than salary remuneration.
- Financial reports for January to May 2016 were received.
No stated Session meeting was held in July. The next Session meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 23 at 6:00 PM at the Forbes House.
Finance Update
Mid-year Financial Update: January – June 2016.
Budget. Please note that MPC's 2016 budget shows a $27,000 deficit between expected income and expenses. If we continue on the current track, we project expenses at 100% of budget and income at 105% of budget, which would have us finish the year closer to a $20,000 deficit. The Session has cut expenses as much as possible without significant negative impact on our ministries and mission. Increased giving is the best option to reduce the budget deficit.
Mission giving. Our budget includes annual financial gifts to our partners such as First Light and Living River. The majority of these gifts will be given in the second half of the year. Our budget does not include designated contributions, such as special offerings and memorial gifts.
Giving statements. MPC Treasurer Don Blakeley mailed second quarter giving statements in July. If you did not receive your statement or noticed an error, please contact Don at deblakeley@charter.net.
Online giving. MPC offers an easy option for making your contribution to the church even when you are out of town: secure online giving through our website. If you would like to make a one-time or recurring online gift to MPC, please visit the giving page of our website.
Many thanks for your continued generous giving to support the ministry and mission of MPC!
MPC Directory
To help you keep in touch, we are updating a directory list with the contact information for MPC's members and regular attenders. You should receive this in the mail by August 6. If you discover that your contact information is not correct, please contact office administrator David Haws at david@montevallopcusa.org so that our records can be updated.
Adult Sunday School
We will resume Adult Sunday School on September 11 at 9:30 a.m. Under the leadership of Don and Mary Blakeley, the group will focus on our faith journey, as individuals and as a community, using Brian McLauren’s 2014 book, We Make the Road by Walking, as our guide. The author describes the book as “a quest for spiritual formation, reorientation, and activation.” It gives an overview of the biblical story and a fresh introduction or re-orientation to Christian faith. Each chapter is written to be read aloud in ten to twelve minutes. Copies of the book will be made available to those in the class. We hope you’ll consider taking this journey with us!
Montevallo Grief Support Group
A grief support group will be held at University Baptist Church beginning Sunday, September 11 at 4:00 pm. Meetings will last one and one half hours and will continue for eleven weeks. The group facilitator will be the Reverend John S. Harris, who for two and one half years was intentional interim minister at University Baptist Church, Montevallo. John has done grief group facilitation in the Birmingham area for ten years with Community Grief Support Services of Birmingham.
A grief support group is an experience where a person who has suffered loss by death can talk about that loss in a group with others who have had a similar loss. There are two objectives in such a group. The first is to learn some general things about the grief process, just so the grieving person will not be blind sided by unusual thoughts and feelings. The second objective is to give persons an opportunity to tell their story of loss in a safe place where confidences will be kept and mutual support provided.
If you wish to know more about the Montevallo Grief Support Group, you may call John at 205-266- 5552.
Men's Fellowship Breakfast, August 13
Grab a cup of coffee and a bite to eat at the men's fellowship breakfast on Saturday, August 13 at 8 AM at the Eclipse on Main Street in Montevallo.
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Caring for People and Creation
Green Church Grounds Planning
MPC's Property Team invites you to participate in developing a green and sustainable maintenance plan for our grounds and landscaping. Please join us on Tuesday, August 16 at 6pm at the Forbes House. For more information, contact Property Team chair Don Clayton at dclayton@charter.net.
Dinner at First Light
On Saturday, August 6, MPC will be providing dinner for approximately 60 women and children of First Light. This month, our menu will be barbecue pork and chicken, baked beans, slaw, potato salad, pickles, rolls, and watermelon slices for dessert. What a delicious summer feast! If you would like to contribute food or volunteer to serve, please sign up at the church or contact Carla Everett-Smith at 205-447-7843.
SEA Back to School
Each summer, Shelby Emergency Assistance collects school supplies to help local families get all they need for the start of school. This year, SEA had donations throughout the year that provided many of the needed items. If you can contribute any of the items that are still needed, please bring them to church on August 7:
- Backpacks (especialy clear)
- Hand sanitizer
- Quart zip loc bags
- Gallon zip loc bags
- Gift cards for clothing
- Donations for school fees
Special Offering Updates
This spring, MPC participated in two special offerings for the Presbyterian Church (USA):
- In March, we gave $320 for the One Great Hour of Sharing offering, which supports the Presbyterian Hunger Program, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and Self-Development of People.
- In May, we gave $403 for the Pentecost Offering, which supports ministries for children, youth and young adults.
Many thanks for your generous gifts!
Thank you for sharing in the Fifth Sunday Food Offering!
Many thanks to those who have contributed to July's Fifth Sunday Food Offering. The food you share goes to the Shelby Emergency Assistance food pantry to provide meals for local families in times of crisis. Summer is an especially hard time for many low-income families, so your gifts made a real difference!
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