Bulletin & Happenings
You can access our weekly bulletin and happenings on our website beginning each Saturday.
 

 

It was such a joy to gather outdoors with church family to celebrate our Risen Savior!
Share your Easter photos with us on Facebook, Instagram, and now Twitter! #EasterSundayMVPChurch



The April Communion Offering is for the International Women’s House, a homeless shelter for refugee and immigrant women and their children who are the victims of domestic abuse. For more information on the shelter, please go online to: internationalwomenshouse.org.  
Most needed items include:
Paper towels, bathroom tissue, and Kleenex
Laundry and dish detergent
Non-perishable foods (especially cereal and oatmeal)
Child-friendly snacks (juice boxes, fruit cups, granola bars, etc.)
Diapers - all sizes
Women’s and children’s new underwear - all sizes
Donations may be brought to the in-person worship services in April or dropped off in the bin outside the entrance to the office at the church.  Thank you for your generosity.

 

Time to Sign-up for Small Groups!

Small groups begin Sunday, April 11^th for those groups that will meet on Sundays, and Monday the 12^th for the group meeting at Mount Vernon Towers. Sign-up by emailing David Hill at david.hill321@comcast.net. A brochure describing the variety of topics offered is available at the outdoor worship services and in the Thursday Happenings. The cost of study materials will vary by topic, ranging from no cost up to $15. Those unable to pay will be provided a book.

Some groups will meet using Zoom while others will meet outdoors on the church campus where participants will socially distance and wear masks. The Towers group will meet indoors at the Towers and will be open only to those who have been fully vaccinated. The Towers group will be limited to six participants.

Rev. Toney-Schmitt will be leading a small group for young adults using the book, I Said This, You Heard That, a wonderful study about how to improve the way we communicate with one another.

Small groups provide participants opportunities for fellowship as well as learning how to apply Biblical principles in today’s world. If you have a friend or neighbor who might be interested, small groups are a good way to introduce them to MVPC. Be sure to sign-up early since groups often fill up quickly. Those groups meeting outdoors on the campus are limited to 15 participants (including the group facilitator).

Below are the small group topics available this spring.

MVPC Small Group Studies for Spring 2021

Anxious to Talk About It: Helping White Christians Talk Faithfully about Racism, written by Austin Seminary professor Carolyn Helsel.

Group Facilitators: Gloria Gillespie & David Hill

The author draws on her experiences working with white congregations to offer tools that help us explore how churches can focus on the tough issue of racism. Christians have an important role in designing solutions to what Christ taught in Matthew 25: 31-46 where he addresses Christian responses to “the least of these.”

Six-week group meeting outdoors on the MVPC campus on Sundays at 5:00 beginning April 11th.
Book - $15
 

Always a Guest, Barbara Brown Taylor’s book, explores faith in all its beauty and complexity. Taylor addresses the state of the world as her sermons examine the human experience. The group will study selected sermons.

Group Facilitator: Pat Davis

Five-week group beginning April 12^th meeting on Monday’s at 2:00 in Pat’s condo at Mount Vernon Towers. The group is limited to six participants who have completed COVID-19 vaccinations by March 29. Masks required.
Book - $10
 

Tea Time with Psalms: A Study of Psalms through The Serendipity Bible. The Serendipity Bible allows groups to focus their study on particular topics or parts of the Bible. Guided questions will be used to focus conversation and discussion around selected psalms. This study requires no advance preparation other than reading the chapter in your own Bible.

Group Facilitator: Patricia Hibbard

Six-week group beginning April 11^th meeting on Sundays from 4:00-5:00. The group will use Zoom for meetings.

No cost.
 

Especially for Young Adults:

I Said This You Heard That by Kathleen Edelman and Northpoint Ministries addresses how we communicate. This is a wonderful study based on Ephesians 4:29 – how we communicate affects Christian relationships with others. The study uses video and a workbook to help participants examine their temperament type. Knowing ourselves can help Christians build up others.

Group Facilitator: Rev. Isaac Toney-Schmitt

Six-week group beginning April 11^th meeting on Zoom at 7:30 pm. Time to be announced.

Book - $15
 

Love Is the Way: Holding onto Hope in Troubling Times, by Bishop Michael Curry. The way of love is essential for addressing the seemingly insurmountable challenges facing the world today: poverty, racism, selfishness, deep ideological divisions, competing claims to speak for God.  Walk the path of love with one of the warmest, most beloved spiritual leaders of our time, and learn how to put faith into action.

Group Facilitators: Carrie & Tim Southard

Five-week study beginning April 11^th Zoom meetings from 5:00-6:00 on Sundays.

Book $15


April 14, 2021
7:30 pm
Signup here! 



Sandwiches for the Homeless: Volunteers are needed to make sandwiches for sack lunches for Clifton Homeless Shelter on the 3rd Sunday of every month.  If you can assist by preparing and dropping off a dozen sandwiches at the church on April 18, please contact Carol Beckman for more information. 


A Memorial Service for longtime member Gloria Bennett will be held in the sanctuary on Saturday, April 17th at 1 pm. A maximum of 30 people will be allowed in the sanctuary so please call the church to inquire about reservations. The service will be live-streamed on our website: mvpchurch.org





 Free virtual event for everyone who registers and attends!
There are also ways to donate and to take part in bidding on items in the auction. 
Registration NOW open 
2021 Meals with Meaning Virtual Event!
Free Admission https://mwm2021.givesmart.com/
April 29th, 6:00 PM

It would be great if everyone could register! There is no cost and Family Promise gets a donation for every registration. 

Our Families will be moving to another congregation for the month of April and are all doing well. All the parents are employed and are working toward getting back into a home with the support of Family Promise. 
We continue to support others in our community and have good news about Ms.Peggy.

For those of you keeping up with our Ms. Peggy story…. one of her pups Sugarfoot passed, we know this pup had the best life and more love than he could have ever had with Ms. Peggy as his human. She has been living in and out of her car and hotel rooms unwilling to go into a shelter or stay with friends who will not allow the pups. I think Wanda was all she had left, as she continued to provide gift card assistance for her so she could eat and feed her dogs. We are thrilled to tell you that Ms. Peggy will be getting housing through Senior Services by mid-April!  Thank you Wanda for not giving up on her and seeing her through this very tough time!



Covid-19 Fund Update - Zambia

Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of its congregation, Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church continues to provide life-sustaining assistance to our ministry partners as they deal with issues of food scarcity and homelessness in the greater Atlanta area and across the world in Zambia.

We received this message and photos from our sister congregation, Garden Presbyterian Church in Lusaka, Zambia in response to $1,000 sent recently to buy food for the most vulnerable members of the congregation.

Many thanks to Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church for the wonderful love and support that you have kept showing our congregation. We are where we are today because of your generosity.

The Stewardship Board at Garden Presbyterian Church is so grateful to you our brothers and sisters. 

Our thoughts and prayers are with you.  May the good Lord keep blessing you.

Shown in the photos below:

Several church members at the food distribution event with Pastor Jane Nyirongo (wearing the white blouse and brown skirt).

Thank You For Your Generous Donations

Donations to Date = $80,635

Disbursements as of April 9 = $77,471

Balance as of April 9 = $3,164

The Covid-19 Fund is still active and taking donations.

Easter Covid Fund Donations received:
Malinda Holmes in memory of Dr. Robert Holmes
Pat Davis in memory of Allen & Mary Elizabeth Summerville

Contact Debbie@mvpchurch.org if you would like a copy of the Annual Report.

Please beware of predatory emails/calls related to COVID or church solicitation. We will never request funds personally.

Join us on Tuesdays at 2 pm.
 

In-Reach Funds

During this time of angst and uncertainty, your church has been a beacon of outreach for people near and far. However, I want to briefly share with you that MVPC is also committed to in-reach. What is “in-reach,” you ask? In-reach is a commitment by your church to serve those of you who have fallen on hard times during this pandemic and resulting economic upheaval. We have a fund that I, as your pastor, personally oversee. This fund is set up in that manner to ensure discretion for what can be a vulnerable time for anyone. Thus, if you are a church member or if you know of a church member or family that is wading through a difficult stretch, please reach out. We want to support you and do what we can to lessen the burden you are under. You are loved by your church family.

Grace and peace to all of you and thanks be to God for your compassion and empathy for your neighbors.

Barrett

 

 

 

You can access our April Good News here!