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
Advent 4, December 19 (Christmas
Joy Offering)
9 and 11:15 am
Service of Word & Sacrament
“Advent Waiting
in Times of Crisis”
The Rev. Dr. Fred R. Anderson
10 am Christmas Pageant & Caroling
 Friday,
December 24 - Christmas Eve5:30 pm Family Carol Service (Children encouraged to participate) 11 pm - Candlelight Communion Service Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio with Strings and Harp 10:45 pm - Prelude Is. 9:2-7; Ps. 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-20 “The Power of Light” The Rev. Dr. Fred R. Anderson Saturday, December 25 Nativity of Jesus Christ (Christmas) 11:15 am Service of Lessons and Carols |
Christmas 1 (Sunday, December 26)
9 and 11:15 am Service of Word & Sacrament
The Rev. Beverly A. Bartlett preaching
New Year’s Eve (Friday, December 31)
6 pm Service of Word & Sacrament
The Rev. Beverly A. Bartlett preaching
This year we have moved the service a bit earlier to make life easier for families with young children. We will begin at 5:30 pm in the Sanctuary. We have also modified the service so that the story will be told in tableau, enabling the children to not only watch, but also participate. Your children are invited to come dressed as a favorite character from the story (lambs are highly encouraged, as well as shepherds!). We will ask the children to come forward during the carol that follows the scene in which their characters are mentioned. We need angels (who doesn’t!), shepherds, wise men (and women), lambs, donkeys, and a Mary and Joseph or two. Children who come without costumes will be invited to select a favorite character and join the tableau as well. Join us for this very special family Christmas Eve service.
Session has approved the resumption of Sunday evening worship services beginning January 2, 2005. The decision came as a recommendation from the Worship Committee after learning of the number of people who have expressed interest in such a service, given the fact that they are out of the city from Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon. A second consideration was the recognition of the way worship attendance has fallen at morning services since the activation of parking meters on Sunday. The meters cease to be active at 7 pm, making parking accessible and affordable for those who have been accustomed to driving to church. A third consideration was the discovery that a number of the women who participate in Women’s Bible Study Fellowship, which is held here on Wednesday mornings, are away weekends with their husbands and frequently are not able to attend worship but might be interested in attending services here later on Sunday evening. Finally, we learned that several other congregations in the city have begun to hold evening services at the later hour and experience good attendance. St. Ignatius Loyola parish reports that its 7:30 Mass on Sunday evening is the second most popular worship service of those it offers from Saturday evening through Sunday night. The service will be much like that offered at 9 am, including the same lessons, preacher, sermon and communion as in the morning services, but will not include a choir, children’s lesson, or anthems. The service will be approximately fifty minutes in length. We hope this will minister to those of our members who have been out of town for the weekend or who, because of work, transportation, or other obligations, have found it difficult to be in worship on Sunday mornings, as well as visitors looking for a place to worship on Sunday evenings.
On Sunday, December 19, the 20s/30s will go to lunch together at Serendipity and then go ice-skating at Wollman Rink in Central Park. They will meet at the coffee hour, after the 11:15 am service, and depart for lunch together at 1 pm. The cost is $8 for skating, $3.75 for skate rental, and the cost of lunch depends on how hungry you are! RSVP to Camille Cook at camille.cook@ptsem.edu.
If you have children ages five and under please join us for the January gathering of Families with Young Children on January 8. We’ll have a special craft activity, a light breakfast, and lots of play and conversation. Please let us know you are coming by calling or e-mailing Margaret Williamson: 212-288-8920, x271 or mew@mapc.com. Future Families gatherings will be on February 12, March 12, April 9, May 14, and June 11.
Please join us on Monday, January 10 at 3 pm for the monthly Seniors Unlimited gathering in the Parish Hall. Joy Carol will lead us in a discussion on coping with loss as we grow older. Many of you will remember that Joy was with us a couple of years ago and led a very engaging session on the healing power of stories. Joy is a spiritual director, counselor, teacher, and author, and leads workshops and retreats on healing, aging, prayer, and death and dying. RSVP to Margaret Williamson at 212-288-8920, x271 or mew@mapc.com.
The 20s/30s group will go to the Museum of Modern Art on January 21 at 6 pm to enjoy their Target Free Friday Nights, then have dinner together. Watch for details in a 20s/30s e-mail, or the pastors’ e-mails in January.
All-Church
Dinner and Cabaret
Friday, January 28, 2005, 6:30 pm
Make your reservations now for the annual all-church cabaret sponsored by the Congregational Nurture Committee. This year the committee presents “Café des Presbytériens,” an evening of dining and entertainment at a French bistro (otherwise known as the Parish Hall). Entertainment will be provided by Joe Kerr and Midge Woolsey.
 |
 |
| Midge Woolsey is a singer and host on both 96.3 FM WQXR and Channel 13/WNET. |
Joe Kerr is a pianist
and songwriter who has written songs for BBC radio, National Lampoon
and Sesame Street. |
The evening will begin at 6:30 pm with appetizers in the Church House Lobby,
then we will move downstairs for dinner and the evening’s entertainment.
The cost for the evening is a mere $25. Reservations can be made through
Margaret Williamson at 212-288-8920, x271 or mew@mapc.com,
or watch for reservation tables at coffee hour in the Church House Lobby
in January. The deadline for reservations is Monday, January 24.
Please indicate when making reservations if you need child care for the
evening.
The Budget Committee of Session has completed its work on the 2005 budget.
Work began in mid-October as the chairpersons of Session’s program
committees and staff met to consider assumptions for the following year
(draw from endowment, payroll assumptions, increases in fixed costs like
insurance, utilities and maintenance, etc.). The committee was reminded
of the impact of the age of the Church House building and the cost of unexpected
repairs as well as the ever increasing cost of things like medical and building
insurance, and the increase in the apportionment assessment we pay to the
denomination, especially the Presbytery of New York City. Consistent with
trustee counsel, the budget must not only include $150,000 for capital expenditures,
but also a larger repair line than was initially established in the 2004
budget. Committee chairs were sent back to their committees and asked that,
as far as possible, program costs be held near if not below 2004 levels.
Still, when the committee came together in mid-November, the first draft
was approximately $143,000 out of balance, based on an assumption of $1.1
million in pledge income for 2005.
At the December Budget Committee meeting, elders wrestled with priorities
knowing that serious cuts would have to be made. Session, at its November
meeting, had approved the recommendation of the Stewardship and Outreach
Grants committees that allocation for outreach ministries be increased annually
by 1% of the operating budget until we reach the goal of 10%, making us
a tithing congregation. As each cost center was evaluated, it became plain
that the place in which savings could be realized, without having a serious
impact on staff design and mission goals, was the weekly radio broadcast
on 96.3 FM WQXR, an expenditure of $87,750.
Cutting the radio program was anything but easy. The broadcast has become
extremely popular with members of the congregation as well as other Christian
listeners throughout the area. Dr. Anderson has regularly heard from members
and pastors of other churches in the city who said they listen in as they
prepare to lead or attend their own worship services. WQXR studies indicate
that on a Sunday morning some 38,000 people across the tri-state area were
listening. On the other hand, the listening public has not been financially
supportive beyond an occasional, very modest check, accompanied by a note
of thanks for the program. When considering the cost, and realizing that
this was equal to the cost of a professional staff member or our Local Outreach
Ministries Grants budget, it became clear that our priority for growth in
membership and outreach required the hard decision to discontinue the program
effective the end of this year.
The budget now goes to the Board of Trustees for its review and recommendations
and will finally be discussed at the joint Session-Trustee meeting in January
prior to Session’s approval. That approved budget will be reported
in detail to the congregation at the annual meeting, January 30, 2005, in
the sanctuary, following the 11:15 am worship service.
The 2005 Winter/Spring Program Brochure will arrive in your mailbox soon. Programs will begin on Sunday, January 9. Here is just a sample of the course offerings: "Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Tunes?" led by Dr. John Weaver and the Rev. J.C. Austin; "Making a Home for Faith" led by the Rev. Anne Conroy, and “Honoring the Body” led by the Rev. Beverly Bartlett, just to name a few.
Children’s Worship for 2-4 Year Olds: We now have a Children’s Worship program for children ages 2 to 4 in the Youth Library. Children will begin in worship with their parents in the Sanctuary. Following the children’s lesson, the leaders will take these youngest children to the Youth Library adjacent to the Church House Lobby. Parents should pick up their children at the Youth Library following the worship service. This new program will be available during both the 9 and 11:15 am services. If you have questions, please contact Sarah Lien Finnerty at 212-288-9020 x235. We need you to volunteer to help! We need one adult per service to assist with this program. Please call Elaine Cook at 212-706-1926 or Carolyn Hoogkamp at 212-879-7174 to schedule a time for you to volunteer.
Kids’ Club for Young Children: Beginning Wednesday, January 5, we will begin our new Kids’ Club program for younger children in preschool, age 3-5, which will include singing, Bible stories and playtime from 4-6 pm. The younger children will then join the older children for dinner from 6-6:30 pm. Each family should send a parent or caregiver with the child, as this will be a playgroup format. Registration forms have gone out in the mail and will also be available in the church house lobby. If you would like to help make this program a success, please contact Kimberly Thurston at 212-861-7476, and we’ll find a job for you!
This 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 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.
The MAPC Outreach Committee is pleased and excited to announce
that, beginning January 5, 2005, the Overnight Shelter expands to five nights
a week! This major increase in ministry to the homeless was brought about,
and will be sustained, through a cooperative effort between MAPC and St.
James’ Church, arranged by the Rev. Dr. Fred Anderson and the Rev.
Steven Smith, newly appointed Associate Rector of St. James’ Church.
This change brings about a major increase in our capacity to help the homeless.
The Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter (NCS), the organization that screens
and forwards guests to our shelter, is beyond full capacity. Additionally,
operational procedures at our Shelter will be streamlined to make hosting
easier and more convenient for volunteers. Volunteer duties will be simpler
and sleeping arrangements more private.
To make all this work, however, we need more volunteers. We have defined
how we will challenge ourselves; now, it is up to us to fulfill that challenge
in our ministry. Please help by becoming a Shelter Volunteer. Our guests
are not strangers, but pre-screened and grateful for a bit of peace, quiet,
safety and food. Many will be there throughout the week. Please consider
giving your time once or even twice a month. You can prepare snacks or just
stay overnight or supervise an entire stay-over. You can join with a friend
and become a regular stay-over team. You can “stake a claim”
to a particular night every month, or let the night be flexible.
An Informational Luncheon and Training Session is scheduled at MAPC for
Sunday, January 9, 2005, at 1 pm. After that, if you wish, you may tour
the NCS facilities on 77th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues). Please
come and learn about what is involved. You will find that a small investment
of time can greatly help the life of another and yield a lot of satisfaction!
RSVP to Joan Dietrich at 212-876-9142, tonkin84@aol.com,
or Dawn Ravella, 212-288-8920 x240, dmr@mapc.com,
or Bill Philip, 212-288-8920 x240, wbp@mapc.com.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
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. Offering envelopes are available at the Narthex during Worship Services.
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, 2004 or earlier will be credited as a contribution in 2004.
Hand-delivered checks, after January 1, 2005, will be credited as Year 2005
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 from 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, so the
transfer of shares can be made electronically.
Please note that the Church offices will be closing at 1 pm on Friday, December
31, 2004.
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 2004 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, 2005.
Year 2005 Offering Envelopes will be available in the Church House Lobby
by Sunday, December 26, 2004.
Also, see: