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#WeChooseWelcome
Dear friends,
The story of our faith is the story of a migrant people. Abraham and Sarah followed the call of God to an unknown land. Jacob and his sons fled their country in a time of famine. The Israelites were led by God out slavery in Egypt into the promised land. In Leviticus, God commands the people of Israel to care for the immigrants among them precisely because they had once been strangers in a strange land themselves:
When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:33-34)
In the New Testament, we learn that Joseph was warned in a dream to flee to Egypt with Mary and the infant Jesus in order to escape King Herod’s plot to murder male children under the age of two (Matthew 2:13-23). They were a refugee family. During his ministry, Jesus taught that when we care for the most vulnerable among us, we care for Jesus himself:
I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me. . . I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me. (Matthew 25:35-36, 40)
The call to care for immigrants and refugees is repeated over and over again in both the Old and New Testaments. That’s why the Presbyterian Church (USA) has long advocated on behalf of welcoming refugees here in the United States.
Last week, the President signed an executive order that halts refugee resettlement by suspending the US Refugee Admissions Program for 120 days for all populations and indefinitely bars refugees from Syria from resettlement in the U.S. In response, the Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Rev. J. Herbert Nelson, reminded us of our long-standing commitment to refugees. He wrote:
Presbyterians chose welcome after World War II when we, as a denomination, demanded that the U.S. allow more refugees to enter then. We chose welcome when our very congregations served as the host sites to refugees in the years before resettlement agencies. And, Presbyterians choose welcome now as we co-sponsor families resettling to the U.S. from Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Iraq, Burma, Bhutan, and other countries.
Today the world faces the most critical refugee crisis since the end of World War II, with more than sixty million displaced people, over half of them children. Our call to care for the vulnerable stranger remains unchanged. How can we respond?
Read the full statement of our Stated Clerk.
Watch “A Tradition of Welcome,” a brief video by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
Act -- Learn how you can join other Presbyterians in service, advocacy and prayer.
May we choose welcome.
Grace and peace,
Leanne
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Get involved this spring at MPC!
Wondering how you might get involved at MPC this spring? Check out upcoming opportunities for worship, learning, and service here.
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Glorify God
Welcome, Matt Suddarth!
MPC warmly welcomes Matt Suddarth to our staff as Music Director. Matt is a music education major in his final semester at the University of Montevallo. Matt is already a familiar face, since he has been one of our student singers and sometimes plays guitar or saxophone in worship. We are delighted that he will be serving in this new role.
Montevallo Community Communion Service, February 12
Montevallo’s next community communion service will be held on Sunday, February 12 at 6pm at Montevallo High School. Our host church, Life Changing Christian Center, worships at the high school each Sunday morning. MPC’s pastor Leanne Pearce Reed will be preaching. These quarterly services provide an opportunity to build relationships and celebrate both our unity and our diversity in the Montevallo community. Please join us!
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Grow as Disciples
--LEARNING--
Main Event, February 24-25
The Main Event will be held February 24-25 at Independent Presbyterian Church in Birmingham. This annual leadership training event offers workshops on a wide range of topics -- check out the schedule and descriptions here. The Rev. Dr. Tom Long of Emory University will preach on Friday evening and offer the keynote presentation on Saturday. Dr. Long is an acclaimed preacher and author -- you will not want to miss the chance to hear him in person. Sign up at the church by February 12 for discounted registration rates. For more information, contact Leanne at leanne.mpc@gmail.com.
Adaptive Change Transformation (ACT) Team
This year, MPC has the exciting opportunity to join with seven other churches in our Presbytery to work on issues of adaptive change facing our congregations. The program will be led by Presbyterian pastors Jim Kitchens and Deborah Wright, who have worked with churches across the country through their consulting firm Pneumatrix. The program will kick off on February 16 with a gathering of teams from all eight churches. Over the coming months, MPC’s team will engage in assessment of our congregation’s context, exploration of the challenges facing us, and discernment of options and actions for the future. We are grateful to the following MPC members who have agreed to serve on the ACT team: Erin Chandler, Jim Chomicz, Dorothy Grimes, Vicky Hager and Tonia Mayton.
Adult Sunday School: We Make The Road By Walking
In February Brian McLaren leads us as we continue our journey through Jesus’ life. We’ve had some interesting and lively conversations along the way. Come alive with us as We Make The Road By Walking. Books are available.
Children's Sunday School
Children from 4K through elementary school are welcome in Sunday School at 10am, while our nursery provides childcare for infants through 2nd grade every Sunday from 9:45am until following worship.
Covenant Bible Study
This month, we continue the second part of the Covenant Bible study. The Covenant Bible study includes weekly videos featuring a variety of Biblical scholars as well as discussions designed to deepen our understanding of God’s covenant with us. This 8-session series called “Living” explores how the community lives out the covenant in faithful love -- and how it’s applied to actual relationships in everyday life. Please contact Leanne at leanne.mpc@gmail.com if you are interested in joining.
--FELLOWSHIP--
Soup & Gumbo Luncheon, February 19
Join us for our annual Gumbo & Soup lunch after worship on Sunday, February 19 at the Forbes House. There will be options for everyone, so come enjoy some good food and fellowship. Can you help with the gumbo prep on February 18? Contact Casey Pilgrim at casey.pilgrim@gmail.com.
Women's Fellowship Dinner, February 8
Come enjoy good food and good conversation at our women's fellowship dinner! We'll gather at El Agave on Main Street in Montevallo at 7pm on Wednesday, February 8. Bring a friend!
Men's Fellowship Breakfast, February 11
MPC men gather for coffee and fellowship on the second Saturday of the month. Join us this month on Saturday, February 11, at 8am at the Eclipse on Main Street in Montevallo.
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Care for People and Creation
Open Table, February 2
On Thursday, February 2, MPC will host Open Table, our weekly lunch for University of Montevallo students served every Thursday 11:30am-1pm. This month, we’ll serve up chili and grilled cheese sandwiches. Go ahead and mark your calendar for our next Open Table dates: March 2 and April 6.
First Light, February 4
We’ll be serving up a barbecue feast for the women and children of First Light on Saturday, February 4. Many thanks to Don and Mary Blakeley for donating the barbecue for the meal, and to all those who are contributing food or serving this month. Our next meal at First Light will be on May 6.
Fifth Sunday Food Offering
We received the Fifth Sunday Food Offering for Shelby Emergency Assistance on January 29, but it’s not too late to contribute! If you’d still like to bring some non-perishable items for the food pantry, please bring them to the church by February 12.
Green Team Meeting
Would you like to get involved with MPC’s care of creation efforts? Stay for a meeting of our Green Team on Sunday, February 12 following worship.
Living River welcomes new Executive Director
With great joy, the Board of Directors of Living River: A Retreat on the Cahaba announced that the Rev. Betty Angelini has been named as Executive Director. She will begin her service at Living River on February 24.
Betty has served for twelve years as Executive Director of Crestfield Camp and Conference Center, which is affiliated with Pittsburgh Presbytery. Betty is a minister of the Word and Sacrament in the PC(USA), who received her M.Div from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and is in the final stages of completing her D.Min. in Christian spirituality from Columbia Seminary. Betty began her career in nursing, and she maintains her licensure as a registered nurse.
The Living River Board was impressed and inspired by Betty’s strong record of leadership in her prior work. Under Betty’s leadership, Crestfield has an active retreat program, an ACA accredited summer camp that serves 600 children and youth each summer, and a strong ministry offering day camps in partnership with local congregations. Crestfield developed an internship program called Confluence that provides intentional Christian community for young adults, who work with retreats at Crestfield as well as in churches in the presbytery. Betty also led Crestfield through a $1.8M capital campaign and subsequent renovation and new construction projects. These experiences will be an asset as Betty leads Living River to sustain and develop its own unique ministries in collaboration with the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley.
You will have a chance to meet and welcome Betty at the February 24 Presbytery meeting and at the Main Event February 24-25.
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Reports
Congregational Meeting Report, January 29
On Sunday, January 29, MPC held a congregational meeting following worship. Those gathered heard a brief report about MPC’s mission and ministries in 2016, received the 2017 budget, and approved the pastor’s terms of call for 2017.
Session Report
- The Session met January 24, 2017, at 6:00 P.M. at the church.
- December 2016 minutes were approved as read. The next presbytery meeting will be February 24 at Independent Presbyterian Church in conjunction with the Main Event. Jane Clayton will serve as commissioner.
- Leanne discussed the PneuMatrix team and the work they will be doing. Erin Chandler, Jim Chomicz, Vicky Hagar, and Tonia Mayton will serve on this team along with an apprentice, Daniel Killilea, who will lead them through a process of adaptive change. This opportunity comes at no cost to the church.
- The annual congregation meeting will be January 29, at which time the 2017 budget will be presented, the terms of the pastor’s call will be reviewed and voted on, and highlights of 2016 will be shared
- Session authorized three baptisms for February 12: Patrick Mayton, Adrian Mayton, and Gabriel Mayton.
- Session authorized the use of the church on June 3, 2017, for the wedding of Justin Johnston and Jessica Thomas officiated by the Reverend Gerald Stephens.
- Session authorized the celebration of the Lord’s Supper for 2017: each Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Christmas Eve.
- Session approved the 2017 budget.
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2017 Ministry Teams
Much of our ministry at MPC takes place through ministry teams, which report to our Session. To learn more about a ministry team, please contact the chair.
- Green Team. The Green Team leads MPC’s efforts to care for creation through our worship, education, facilities and advocacy. Chair: Flo Peters, florencepeters42@outlook.com
- Worship Team. Worship is at the heart of our life together at MPC. The Worship Team meets several times a year to plan for worship, including music, liturgy, communion and visual arts. Chair: Michele Pawlik, michele.pawlik@gmail.com
- Mission & Stewardship Team. The Mission & Stewardship Team coordinates MPC’s mission giving and hands-on service, helping connect us with local and global partners such as First Light, the Presbyterian Home for Children, and Presbyterian mission workers. This team also promotes special offerings and plans our annual stewardship campaign. Chair: Mary Blakeley, MBlakele@its.jnj.com
- Finance Team. The Finance Team provides oversight for MPC’s annual budget, meeting regularly to review revenue and spending and address business and administrative matters for the church. In the fall, the Finance Team prepares the budget for the coming year in consultation with the staff and other ministry teams. Chair: Casey Pilgrim, casey.pilgrim@gmail.com
- Property Team. MPC’s ministries take place in two historic buildings: our church building at 510 Shelby Streeet and the Forbes House Presbyterian Student Center at 820 Vine Street. The Property Team ensures thoughtful stewardship of these valuable resources through maintenance and improvements. Chair: Don Clayton, dclayton@charter.net
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