MADISON AVENUE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
921 Madison Avenue
(at East 73rd Street)
New York, NY 10021
Tel: 212- 288-8920
Fax: 212-249-1466
(at East 73rd Street)
New York, NY 10021
Tel: 212- 288-8920
Fax: 212-249-1466
Jennifer Weetman, who in her award application noted that her “mature
faith journey began largely in adulthood” and that eventually “the
nudges and tugs towards ordained ministry became overwhelming” leading
her to enroll at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, OH, was chosen from
31 candidates nominated by 21 Protestant theological schools throughout
the U.S. and Canada to receive the 2004 David H. C. Read Preacher/Scholar
Award. She will preach at MAPC in the fall.
This $10,000 award is given annually by MAPC to a student in the final year
of a Master of Divinity degree program who excels in both preaching and
biblical scholarship and is committed to the parish pulpit. The intent is
to help the recipients to continue to enhance their strengths as preacher/scholars
after they leave seminary.
The other finalists, each of whom received a $500 award, were: Peter Hazelrigg
of Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ; Kent Landry of Austin
Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Austin, TX; and David Lewicki of Union
Theological Seminary, New York City.
“Jennifer Weetman evinces a confident faith and
a mature piety that inspires others to trust in the gospel of Christ that
informs her life,” The Rev. Dr. Mark Allan Powell, Professor of New
Testament at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, wrote in his letter of recommendation.
“She possesses undeniable gifts that will distinguish her as a Christian
minister,” he continued. “In particular, she is an excellent
preacher, able to craft and deliver theologically sound sermons that are
relevant, profound, dynamic and interesting.”
These qualities were also stressed by The Rev. Henry J. Landknecht, Assistant
Professor of Homiletics, who described her preaching as focused, accessible
and “real”, and noted “she has equal concern for theological
and biblical intelligence, care for souls and passion for the Church.”
Jennifer Weetman, 38, grew up in California, received a B.A. degree in English
from California State University in Sacramento in 1990 and worked primarily
as a swimming coach from then until 1999.
She describes her childhood as “a time of spiritual hibernation with
no external church life involvement, merely a simple, inner spiritual life”
and notes that her “mature faith journey began largely in adulthood”
after she got a new swimming coach job in Virginia. There, encouraged by
a friend, a Lutheran minister, she began reading the Bible, researching
Lutheran beliefs and attending a Lutheran church, and eventually “the
nudges and tugs towards ordained ministry became overwhelming.” She
entered Trinity Lutheran Seminary in 2000 and will receive her M.Div. degree
in June.
Each year the candidates nominated by their theological
schools for the David H. C. Read Preacher/Scholar Award are judged on the
basis of their seminary records, biographical statements, recommendations
by two professors, audio tapes of sermons on Old Testament and New Testament
texts preached before live audiences and brief, exegetical papers in support
of each sermon.
The materials submitted are first reviewed by a lay committee of MAPC members
that selects up to four finalists for evaluation by a panel of professional
preacher/scholars. The panel for the 2004 award consisted of The Rev. Dr.
Fred R. Anderson, Pastor of MAPC; The Rev. Dr. Amandus Derr, Senior Pastor,
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, NYC; The Rev. Dr. Brenda Husson, Rector,
St. James’ Episcopal Church, NYC; and Dr. George M. Landes, Professor
Emeritus of Hebrew and Cognate Languages, Union Theological Seminary, NYC.
The next Inquirers Seminar will meet on Saturday, June 26. The seminar is designed for anyone who is interested in learning more about membership at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, the nature of the Presbyterian Church, or the basics of the Christian faith. A continental breakfast is available from 8:30 - 9 am; the seminar begins promptly at 9 am and ends by 4 pm. Dress is casual, and lunch will be provided. If you are interested in attending, please contact Bill Philip at 212-288-8920 x241, or e-mail him at wbp@mapc.com. Professional childcare is available, but needs to be arranged in advance when you contact Bill. Hope to see you there!
Then you are a book lover. You won’t want to miss Wonderful
Wednesday Night! Circle the date, Wednesday, May 26 at
6 pm in MAPC’s Parish Hall. Dinner
reservations ($20) by May 19.
What will be served up? Intriguing stories, enticing food, and fellowship.
You see, Wonderful Wednesday Night is this year’s Evening of Readings
and Music, when our focus is our church’s Hood Library. The Library
is filled with a great variety of books. Some will “grow your faith”,
others will expand your horizons, entertain, and introduce you to new views,
customs, ideas, and even take you on a magic carpet.
The theme for the evening is Seeking Understanding. All
readings, about five minutes each, are taken from books in the Hood Library.
Some stories are real, while others are imagined. Some reflect American
life, while others reflect traditions in such lands as Persia and India.
Still others relate to happenings in our world.
Readers from our congregation will be John R. Cole, Karen W. Stockbridge,
Margaret J. Dawson, Margaret A. Mills, Nancy N. Ost, William C. Patterson
and Julian C. Schroeder. The Rev. Beverly A. Bartlett will serve as Master
of Ceremonies and The Rev. Dr. Fred R. Anderson will present a special final
reading.
What provocative thoughts may you expect to hear? Here are a few: “I
give up on this family. I took a bitter sip of coffee and felt like a toad.”
“I don’t mean to be pushy, but I sure would like you to live
with me - it would be great.” “There was enough tension that
a fight almost on any subject could have stopped us cold.” “You
what? Isn’t this my house, too? Don’t I get a say in who lives
in it?”
And there will be music! Margaret Mills, our musician for the evening, will
play two selections from Brahms. “Maggie,” an MAPC member, is
a versatile and super-fine pianist. Other music will include hymn singing
by one and all.
Remember: Wednesday, May 26. Call Margaret Williamson at 212-288-8920 to
make a reservation, and send your check for $20 by May 19. Would you like
to bring a friend? Reception at 6 pm, Dinner at 6:45 pm, program at 7:30
pm.
The Hood Library Committee happily reports a successful book sale on Sunday, May 2, 2004. Result? $341 now available to buy new books. Thanks to all who bought books.
Parish RegisterNew Members Sarah R. Beerbower DeathDeirdre M. Whiteside (MAPC Member) Weddings David Dennis Kim and Minjoo
Lee |
Congratulations to Josephine N. McFadden, our volunteer Membership Secretary.
Josie is being honored by the Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter with the
Celine Marcus Community Service Award in recognition of her years of faithful
service and leadership as an advocate for homeless people, her leadership
in helping establish NCS, and her many selfless years as a member and officer
of its board.
Josie was “born and bred” in New York City and has been a member
of MAPC since her baptism in 1940 (she was confirmed in 1954). Following
boarding school and college she returned to work for the church as Assistant
to the Business Administrator. She later worked for Standard Press in New
Brunswick, NJ, and in 1972 returned to the church as full time membership
secretary on a volunteer basis and continues to serve the church in that
office to this day.
Living in the neighborhood of the church, Josie began attending early morning
breakfast meetings at St. James’ Church with other church and community
leaders to discuss and implement ways of helping the homeless population
in our neighborhood. The city had established a men’s shelter at the
Seventh Regiment Armory, and the neighborhood group began investigating
ways to help the “bag ladies.” Lenox Hill Neighborhood House
offered the use of its auditorium starting at 9 pm. In order to bring the
homeless women in off the streets it was decided to provide dinner at a
different location in the neighborhood each night. The first dinner was
held at MAPC on New Year’s Eve 1982, with three volunteers and three
guests. Shortly thereafter NCS established its first shelter. Josie joined
the Board in 1984 and has served as its Secretary since the mid-90s. She
has been one of its strongest advocates since its inception.
The awards dinner is Monday, June 7, 2004, at the Central Park Boathouse.
Cocktails begin at 6:30 pm with dinner at 7:30 pm; dress is festive attire.
The church has reserved two tables of ten in order to be present to support
and celebrate this important event in Josie’s life. Dr. Anderson has
been asked to be one of the two presenters for the evening. Tickets are
$350 per person. If you would like to attend and be included at the church’s
tables, please send your check to the Church Office, attention Ana Polite.
The checks should be made payable to “Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter.”
From the earliest days of the church, Christians considered hospitality
to be an important way of sharing Christ’s love. Hospitality is often
the first response of someone who has just decided to follow Jesus in the
Gospels and in Acts. Paul lists it in his exhortations to the Romans (12:13),
and the writer of Hebrews does the same in the famous saying, “Do
not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have
entertained angels without knowing it” (13:2).
In striving to become an ever-more hospitable church, MAPC has instituted
a new ministry of hospitality in our worship services by removing our attendance
cards and switching to attendance pads. Doesn’t sound like a very
big deal, does it? And yet it is. A shared attendance pad, passed across
the pew and signed during the Concerns of the Church, then passed back across
the way it came, opens up almost limitless possibilities for us to offer
hospitality.
First of all, we believe that the “peer pressure” of everyone
signing the pad as it goes by will encourage more newcomers to sign it,
thus enabling us to reach out to them and find out what they might be looking
for in a church. This congregation has identified evangelism as its mission
priority for this decade, and being able to contact newcomers is crucial
to embracing that mission. Did you know that, on average, only three newcomers
a week signed the old pew cards? Yet, on any given Sunday, 25-30% of the
worshiping congregation (50-60 people) are not members! You can imagine
what a difference it could make if we are able to truly engage that larger
group, welcoming them and shepherding them personally into the life of the
church. Thus, it is crucial that every member (or family) signs the pad
every week; a big part of the success of this depends on your leadership!
Second, a pew pad better prepares you, as a member, to fulfill your calling
as a minister of hospitality. When the pad comes back that second time,
have a look at it! It will help you understand those unfamiliar faces that
are around you. Are they members that you don’t know? Are they visitors
from out-of-town, or are they newcomers to MAPC who live in the city? The
pew pad can help you remember those names of members that you know you’re
supposed to know, but have forgotten and are too embarrassed to ask for
again. That can be a big help in our efforts to be a warm and welcoming
congregation to each other.
But perhaps even more important is that the pew pad helps you to identify
newcomers so you can approach them after the service, introduce yourself,
and welcome them to MAPC. It does not have to be a long conversation, but
that simple act of hospitality is one of the definitive acts of ministry
that helps the church to grow. It is no coincidence that, as our members
have begun taking up this ministry, the number of new members has steadily
increased; people are interested in being part of a church that seems interested
in them!
So, when the pew pad comes your way, sign it! When it comes back to you,
open it, read it, and reach out to those around you after the service! Who
knows what angels are in our midst, waiting to be welcomed?
 Saint
Andrew Music SocietySunday, May 16, 2004 at 4 pm Wolfgang
Amadeus |
Summer Schedule beginsAlso, see: