Search Our Site:   

MAPC UPDATE

Vol. XXIX, No. 7

April 6, 2003

Palm Sunday - April 13, 2003
9 and 11:15 am Word and Sacrament
10 am Christian Education
Is. 50:4-9a; Ps. 118:1-2, 19-29;
Phil. 2:5-11; Mark 11:1-11
“What’s Not to Understand?”
The Rev. Dr. Fred R. Anderson
4 pm - St. Andrew Chorale Concert

Maundy Thursday - April 17
7 pm - Word and Sacrament
Ex. 12:1-14; Ps. 116; 1 Cor. 11:23-26;
John 13:1-17, 31b-35
“Called to Remember”
The Rev. Beverly Bartlett preaching

Good Friday - April 18
Noon to 3 pm - Devotions
The Passion according to Mark
The Pastoral Staff preaching
7 pm Service of Tenebrae

Easter Day - April 20
9 and 11:15 am Festival Services of Word and Sacrament
Is. 25:6-9; Ps. 118; 1 Cor. 15:1-11; Mark 16:1-8
Music by Bach, Handel,Vivaldi, Brahms, Weaver, Widor
“Gone But on the Loose” Dr. Anderson

One Great Hour of Sharing

The One Great Hour of Sharing Offering will be received at MAPC this year on Palm Sunday, April 13. A tradition of more than 50 years in our Church, the offering supports ministries of disaster response, refugee assistance and resettlement and community development. This year, consider making a generous response one of your Lenten practices and help to demonstrate the presence of a spirit of generous caring in our midst.

Back to Table of Contents

Submissions Wanted for Lenten Devotional Booklet

The Congregational Nurture and Media and Publications Committees are seeking your Lenten reflections for a Lenten Devotional Booklet to be made available to the congregation during Lent of 2004. As a part of your Lenten practice this year, please share with us a Lenten reflection in the form of poetry, prose, drawings, or photography on Lenten themes. You do not need to consider yourself an artist or writer–what is most important is your heartfelt, prayerful response to the Lenten themes of self-examination, repentance, self-sacrifice, transformation, and the journey to the cross. We encourage people of all ages to contribute to this project–children as well as adults. Please send your writing or artwork to Beverly Bartlett at the church address–or to bab@mapc.com.

Back to Table of Contents

Emergency Procedures and Contingencies

As the potential for war became ever more real, the staff began reviewing emergency procedures and contingencies for both Sunday mornings and the day-to-day operations in the Church House, Mondays through Fridays. Though we think the prospect of a bomb or other incident in our neighborhood highly unlikely, it has been necessary for us to make provisions for such emergencies. It has also been good for us to review our emergency procedures in case of a fire in some portion of one of our buildings. In making these plans we have been following the Federal Emergency Management Agency (F.E.M.A.) guidelines as well as the Orange Alert guidance issued by Deputy Commissioner James A. Kadamus, State Education Department, State of New York.

Emergency exit procedures have been developed and distributed to Church School teachers, and individual classes will review and be practicing those measures, in preparation for a church school-wide exit drill during the 10 o’clock hour one Sunday soon. The plan calls for the children, including those in the nursery, to be taken to the Parish Hall, via the stairwells, in case of a lock down (any incident in which it is not safe to go outside), or to the south side of 74th Street between Madison and Park Avenues, should the building need to be vacated for fire or other emergency.

In case of any alarm requiring people to vacate the Sanctuary and/or Church House, parents are to meet their children on the south side of 74th Street between Madison and Park Avenues. (The purpose of this site is to be able to move both children and adults away from the building and any fire fighting equipment without having to cross any streets). Do not attempt to reach your children via the stairwells or elevators.

With the outbreak of the war, and continuing concerns for the safety of people in the Church House Building–especially the children in the several schools that use the building Monday through Friday–we have begun the following security provisions:

• We will, until further notice, not be able to accept items for the Thrift Shop. As was the case following September 11, 2001, the drop slot will be closed.
• Receptionist will not be able to accept packages nor watch people’s luggage, backpacks, briefcases or other personal items. This includes boxes of books for the library and parcels intended for members of the staff. If you plan to leave such things for members of the staff, please bring them to the 7th floor and leave them with the staff member or a secretary. If you have books for the library or items for the thrift shop, please make prior arrangements for someone to receive your items.
• From 8 am until 4 pm, Monday through Friday, people wanting access to the Church House beyond the lobby will be asked to sign a register and receive a visitor’s pass to wear while in the building. The receptionists will continue their duties of answering the telephone, meeting visitors, giving directions and monitoring surveillance cameras in the sanctuary and other access points of the buildings. In addition there will be a new person seated at a desk on the east side of the Church House Lobby, adjacent to the elevators, with a registration book and visitors’ passes. Those needing access to the church beyond the Sanctuary or Church House lobby will simply sign the registration book and receive a visitor’s pass. When they leave the building, they will return their passes and sign out. We are asking everyone–staff, members, parents, care-givers and visitors–to comply with this provision. Its primary purpose is to give us a record of who is in the building at any given moment should we need to institute either a lock down or lock out procedure in accordance with state or FEMA instructions.

We are sorry for the inconvenience this causes and appreciate your cooperation as we take these precautions in an attempt to provide a secure and safe environment for the children and others in our buildings, especially during school hours.

Back to Table of Contents

Wonderful News on Opportunity Inventory

Many thanks to the more than 90 members who have already sent in their completed Lay Ministry Opportunity Inventory. We are happy to see that over 20 % of you who responded are already involved and are happy with what you are doing. But we are truly excited about all the “new blood” which the other 80% of you will bring into various MAPC ministries. Thank You!

Those of you who asked to be contacted about at least one ministry opportunity will be contacted soon by the coordinator of your “top priority” choice. If you have not heard from someone in two weeks, please e-mail or call Mary Walling at the church (212-288-8920, ext. 241; e-mail: mlw@mapc.com).

Those of you who have not sent in your surveys: it is not too late to pick up a new Lenten discipline of active ministry and service. This is a time in the church year to take on something to renew and bear witness to your faith. Don’t just talk the talk and pray the prayers - though these are very important -- walk the walk, too!

You can fill out the inventory and return it online at http://www.mapc.com/stewardship/outreachform.asp), you can pick up a paper copy at the church, or you can ask Mary to mail one to you.

So, find an appealing opportunity and answer the call.
Join us; it could change...everything!

Back to Table of Contents

Families with Young Children

Special Guest, Joyce Evans
Saturday, April 12 10 am - 2 pm

Please join us for a special Families with Young Children gathering on Saturday April 12th. We will have our usual breakfast and playtime beginning at 10 am. At noon we will have lunch together, then at 12:30 Joyce Evans will talk with us about “Raising Children in New York City.” Joyce, who is retiring in June as the head of the Town School, is a leader in children's education and child development, is a member of MAPC, and also happens to be married to John Evans, former Interim Associate Pastor at MAPC. Childcare will be available in the nursery beginning at 12:15 pm so that parents can devote their attention to the presentation and discussion. We will end at 2 pm.

RSVP to Margaret Williamson at (212) 288-8920, ext. 271, so we will know how many to expect for breakfast and lunch. If you can only attend for part of the time, please come anyway—just let Margaret know whether you'll be here for breakfast or lunch.

Back to Table of Contents

Seniors' Ministries | Gifts from a Thin Place

April 14, 2003 3 - 4:30 pm in the Parish Hall

George MacLeod, founder of the Iona Community, referred to the Isle of Iona in Scotland as “a very thin place. Only a tissue paper separates earth from heaven.” Beverly Bartlett, Associate Pastor for Congregational Life, lived on Iona for a year, working for the Iona Community. At our April 14 meeting, Beverly will share some of her experiences with us, and we’ll look at some of the prayers from the Celtic tradition and worship resources and songs from the Iona Community. Please call Margaret Williamson at (212) 288-8920, ext. 271 to let us know if you and a guest will be attending.

Back to Table of Contents

Small Groups are Coming!

We will be launching the small groups ministry in May. If you would like to be a part of a small group that meets regularly for spiritual formation: Bible Study, prayer, and discussion, please contact Beverly Bartlett, Associate Pastor for Congregational Life by April 21. You can call Beverly at the church, (212) 288-8920, or send an e-mail: bab@mapc.com

Back to Table of Contents

Easter Decorations/Flowers

If you would like to contribute to the Easter decorations, please send your names for the memorial list and your check, payable to MAPC, before Palm Sunday, April 13, to the chair of the Chancel Committee, Mrs. Allen T. Hazen. See her at the coffee hour, or contact her through the church office. The memorials will be listed in the Bulletin on Easter Day, April 20, 2003.

Back to Table of Contents

Parish Register

New Members

• Nii Saka Addo
• Tim Tindall and Erica Harper
• Giselle Hopewell
• Nick and Jennifer Tucker
• Beth Wallace

Infant Baptism

• Grace Olivia Borgeson daughter of John Arthur Borgeson and *Lisa McClelland Borgeson

Adult Baptism

• Giselle F. Hopewell

Deaths

• Anne Davis Wichern*
• Emily Deeter

Wedding

• George Angelo Vamvoukakis and Tanya Lynne Crist

*MAPC Member

Back to Table of Contents

Two-Part Inquirers Seminar

Sundays, April 6 & 13

Interested in learning more about the Christian faith in general, the Presbyterian Church, or MAPC in particular? Have you been thinking about making MAPC your church home?

We will address all these questions and more at the next Inquirers Seminar, so plan on joining in! It will meet over these two Sundays in the Phillips Lounge, starting around 1 pm (after the 11:15 am worship service), and concluding around 4:30 pm both weeks. Lunch will be provided. It is a unified seminar broken out over two weeks, so plan to attend both sessions. Child care is available, but needs to be arranged in advance by calling Mary Walling at the church office (288-8920, x241).

If you have questions or concerns in general, please call J.C. Austin at the church office (288-8920, x242). He will be pleased to speak with you about the seminars or other questions you might have about membership or the church. (e-mail: jca@mapc.com)

Back to Table of Contents

Daylight Saving Time will resume on Sunday, April 6.
Spring forward at 2 am Sunday.

Additional Information

Also, see:

• MAPC Home Page
• Worship Services
• Christian Education Programs
• MAPC Calendar
• St. Andrew Music Society Concerts

 

 

 

 

Back to Top