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
Worship
Services
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Christmas Day
(Thursday) December 28
- First Sunday after Christmas December 31
- (Wednesday) |
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) rejoices in the birth of Jesus Christ in many ways. One way for the church to celebrate this great Joy to the World is by supporting the causes funded by the Christmas Joy Offering. Our gifts to the offering help those who have served the church and now need financial assistance through the programs of the Board of Pensions. Our gifts also support, through the National Ministries Division, the eight Presbyterian-related racial ethnic schools and colleges, where students are developing their own unique skills and talents.
You will find an envelope attached to this issue for contributions to the Christmas Joy Gift Offering that will be received in services Sunday, December 21, 2003.
If you wish to contribute to the
Christmas decorations, please make your check payable to MAPC and send it,
with the memorial, to the Chairman of the Chancel Committee, Mrs. Allen
T. Hazen, 460 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10027; or telephone her at 212/666-0563.
The deadline for listing the memorials in the Service bulletins is Sunday,
December 14.
Our popular Tai Chi class will continue in January, and we will be offering
an additional class for those who are new to Tai Chi. Since Tai Chi is a
progressive practice, where each class builds on the previous classes, you
must have attended the fall classes to attend the ongoing Wednesday class.
The first Wednesday class after the holidays will be held on January 7,
2004 from 11 am till 12:15 pm.
The participants in the fall Tai Chi class have found it so valuable that
we are offering a second class for those who were not able to join the fall
class and would like to begin learning Tai Chi. This second class will be
held on Tuesday mornings from 10 till 11:15 am in the Parish Hall, beginning
January 6, 2004. The minimum donation for each class is $5 for seniors and
those on limited or fixed incomes. Non-seniors are welcome to join this
new class as well, but since this is a subsidized class, we ask non-seniors
to contribute the full cost of $15 per class.
Please call Margaret Williamson at the church office at 212/288-8920 x271
if you would like to join the new Tuesday class.
This text is from a Word in Action
delivered by Kekla Magoon during worship
services on November 16, 2003.
Every night, 39,000 people sleep in New York City’s
homeless shelters. It can be difficult to imagine that number, so let me
tell you that, with the city’s homeless population, you could fill
every seat in Madison Square Garden, twice.
This knowledge still astounds me, and makes me wonder: How did that happen?
And, what can I do to help?
There are many causes of homelessness, some of which are obvious, but others,
we often forget. We are quick to dismiss the problem, lumping the homeless
together as mentally ill, dangerous, or lazy—but there are many other
faces on those streets, in those shelters: children, mothers, grandparents,
job-seekers, and people who just don’t make enough to pay rent, because
in New York, you have to make four times the minimum wage to afford a decent
apartment. And the housing crisis is only getting worse.
So, what can we do? In recent months, faith leaders and concerned citizens
from over 30 congregations have formed an interfaith coalition called East
Side Congregations for Housing Justice. The coalition’s mission is
to “increase awareness in our community and build support for just
and forward-thinking housing policies with the long-term goal of ending
homelessness.” The group encourages everyone to learn more about housing
issues, and to consider ways in which we can use our energy and our faith
to benefit people in need.
In Matthew 25, Christ teaches us that by reaching out to those most in need,
we are also reaching out to Him. In many ways we already do this: our shelter
dinner, overnight shelter, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and so
on.
But through East Side Congregations, we are able to look beyond the immediate
housing crisis and take action that will push us toward long-term solutions.
On Tuesday, November 18, MAPC hosted a general meeting for East Side Congregations
for Housing Justice. I encourage you to learn as much as you can about housing
issues—and to share the information with others. As members of a Christian
community, it is our responsibility to speak out for those whose voices
are not heard. We have that power—to help change their lives for the
better—we have that power—we just have to choose to use it.
This is my annual reminder of the IRS rules concerning year-end contributions
of cash and securities. In general, the delivery date determines the year
in which a contribution can be claimed as a deduction. If gifts by means
of checks are mailed, the date of mailing is the delivery date. If gifts
are delivered by any other means, the date the gifts are received by the
charity is the delivery date. More specifically, checks mailed with a postmark
of December 31, 2003 or earlier will be credited as a contribution in 2003.
Hand-delivered checks, subsequent to January 1, 2004, will be credited as
Year 2004 contributions.
For gifts of securities, the date of mailing is the delivery date; if hand
delivered, the date of receipt by the charity is the delivery date. When
securities are delivered to a donor’s bank or broker, the delivery
date is the date the securities are transferred to the charity.
The Church Business Office can assist you in making year-end gifts of securities
by using its account with Merrill Lynch. If you call me, I will give you
the Merrill Lynch DTC number and the Church’s account number. The
transfer of shares can then be made electronically.
Please note that the Church offices will be closing at 1 pm on Wednesday,
December 31, 2003.
Note: The above is not meant to be tax advice. It is presented so that you
can complete your gift and receive a tax deduction in the year that you
want it. If you have any questions about year-end gifting of securities,
please consult your accountant or tax advisor.
– J. Richard Frey, MAPC Business Manager
Important Notice
To ensure the deductibility of your church contributions,
please do not file your 2003 income tax return until you have received a
written acknowledgment of your contributions from the church. Under IRS
rules currently in effect, you may lose a deduction for some contributions
if you file your return without the church’s written contribution
acknowledgment. We will make every effort to provide you with documentation
by January 31, 2004.
Year 2004 Offering Envelopes will be available in the Church House Lobby
by Sunday, December 21, 2003.
Also, see:
Christmas Eve
(Wednesday)