MADISON AVENUE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
921 Madison Ave.
(At E. 73rd St.)
NY, NY 10021
T: (212) 288 8920
F: (212) 249 1466
(At E. 73rd St.)
NY, NY 10021
T: (212) 288 8920
F: (212) 249 1466
From the Pastor:
It’s raining! Now, that is not particularly news, given the weather that we have had in these first few weeks of October. What makes this news is that it is raining in my study! As I write this, trash cans are appropriately placed on the floor in both my secretary’s office and in mine, collecting water that has seeped through the ceiling and is running down the wall that separates our offices.
At first, we thought it simply a flooded bathroom from a stopped up toilet on the 8th floor. But attempts to clear the waste line have not stopped the “raining.” Consequently, we fear it may be a fracture in the infrastructure of the building. We won’t know for several days; we may have to open walls on the eighth or ninth floor (in the Day School), to get to the actual source of the real problem. We suspect a fractured water pipe.
As disruptive as this is, it is really not a surprise. We have known that the plumbing and electrical systems in the Church House, now almost ninety years old, were near if not on their last legs. This has been the concern and subject of study by the Building Steering Committee for the last two years, and part of what lies behind their recommendations for the building renovations that the session approved at its meeting this last January.
That work is now underway full swing. January through May were spent in work with our architect Theo Prudon and his associates, as well as engineers and construction managers, making plans, getting financial assessments and construction bids as well as all of the necessary approvals from the City of New York—always a lengthy and mysterious process! In June, the defunct and obsolete swimming pool in the sub-basement was demolished, creating space for a mechanical room as well as secure storage room for trash (formerly stored in the alley-way between the Sanctuary and the Church House—a constant breeding ground for rodents!)
July saw the alley-way cleaned out and a construction equipment hoist installed, reaching to the tenth floor. This was essential to protect our new elevators, both from being tied up during peak operations times, like the beginning and end of the school days, and even more important, from potential damage to the elevators themselves transporting construction materials and debris. With the hoist in place, demolition began on the tenth floor, in preparation for the construction of three staff apartments. The remainder of the summer was given to that work.
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Tenth floor of the Church House looking west from the elevator bank... Photo courtesy of Prudon & Partners |
In September, construction on the tenth floor complex began. Formerly the tenth floor contained one large four-bedroom apartment served by the elevators, and a large one-bedroom apartment, accessible by elevator to the ninth floor or roof garden, requiring the occupants to either climb or descend a flight of stairs to gain access to their home. The new tenth floor design includes a three, a two, and a one-bedroom apartment, each of which has access to the elevators as well as two escape stairwells. These will house our Director of Music/Organist, our Director of Christian Education, and our Director of Outreach Ministry. Currently the Hendersons remain in their apartment in New Jersey and commute, the Finnertys have been moved to an apartment being leased by the church until the completion of construction, and Dawn Ravella remains in the third floor apartment in the Phillips Building. Construction is on schedule, and we hope to have everyone settled into their new homes by the summer of 2006.
The Building Steering Committee’s plans for this construction have included a staged replacement of the infrastructure in the remaining portion of the Church House. So the rain in my study is not as surprising as it might be. It only confirms the committee’s suspicions and makes even more clear the wisdom of their recommendation to begin that rehabilitation and renovation work now, rather than wait for further collapse of the systems.
In retrospect, the rain is not unlike that large piece of plaster that fell from the ceiling in the sanctuary in 1996, signaling the need for the renovation of that space and for the Fund for Renewal. The difference this time is that we have known the work needed to be done and have been working on plans for this renovation for better than two years. In addition, the session has begun plans for a capital campaign to help pay for all of this. You will be hearing more about that in the next issue of UPDATE.
Finally, a word of thanks to the Building Steering Committee, chaired by John Heilshorn and including Dick Iverson, Ann McChord, Richard Frey and Joe Guenther. You can find them every Tuesday morning at 7:45 in the Phillips Lounge working with architects, engineers, construction managers and contractors, studying plans and reviewing construction schedules, budgets and the like. They are wonderful people to have around on a rainy day—inside or out!
– Fred R. Anderson
Being described as “rich” is not a blessing in the New Testament—the rich are constantly unable to follow Jesus or actively oppose him. Yet wealthy disciples actually pop up throughout the gospel narratives and Acts. This class will examine the New Testament understanding of being “rich” and turn to the social and economic background of the first century, which will help us identify other characters with wealth who are viewed positively. In doing so, we will develop a theology of wealth that avoids both the heresy of the “prosperity Gospel” and the belief that being wealthy is incompatible with being faithful.
*** Coming in November ***
No, we’re not going to have a film discussion about this wildly popular 1998 comedy. As Protestants, we’re actually going to talk about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Ever since the Reformation, Protestants have been wary of Mary–even militant at times about not talking about her. In these two weeks, we will take a closer look at Mary and what we can learn from her story, the role God chose her to play, and what it means for us, as Protestants, to call her blessed. For additional information, please contact Sarah Lien Finnerty at 212-288-8920 or slf@mapc.com.
Please mark your calendar and plan to join us for the Inter-generational Advent Festival on Sunday, November 20 immediately following the 11:15 am service. Join us in the Parish Hall for coffee hour or brunch and then select Advent preparation activities to enrich your celebration of this important time in our church year. For additional information, please contact Sarah Lien Finnerty at 212-288-8920 or slf@mapc.com. We hope to see you there.
Families with Young Children will meet on Saturday morning, November 12, beginning at 10 am on the Roof Garden, weather permitting. If cold weather finally arrives, we’ll meet on the fifth floor. Families with children ages 5 and under are invited to join in this time of play, crafts, stories, and conversation. A light breakfast of bagels, fruit, snacks, coffee, tea, and juice will be available. This is a wonderful way to get to know other families in the church. RSVP to Margaret Williamson at the church, 212-288-8920 x271 or mew@mapc.com.
The 20s/30s group will meet for Bible Study on Sundays, November 6 and 13. Lunch will be available. Please meet downstairs in the Parish Hall during the Congregational Brunch/Coffee Hour after the 11:15 am worship service to get your lunch. The group will then move to the fifth floor for their meeting.
On Saturday evening, November 12, the 20s/30s will have a theater evening. Details will be available in late October. Please contact Margaret Williamson by November 1 if you’d like to join the 20s/30s at the theater, 212-288-8920 x 271 or mew@mapc.com.
The weekly Congregational Brunch/Coffee Hour is continuing through the fall, in the Parish Hall after the 11:15 am worship service. Whether you would like to enjoy a meal or simply have a cup of coffee and a cookie, please plan to come downstairs to the Parish Hall and join in a time of fellowship after the 11:15 am worship service. Brunch is available for $10 per person, $8 for seniors, and children under 12 eat free. The traditional coffee hour fare of coffee, tea, juice and cookies will be free.
J.C. Austin will be preaching at the November Healing and Wholeness Service. The Healing and Wholeness services are held on the first Wednesday of the month. The service includes prayers for healing, and anointing and laying on of hands for those who would like to come forward to receive prayers for themselves or on behalf of others.
The MAPC knitters will continue to meet on the third Tuesday morning of the month, 10:30 - noon, in the Hood Library. All knitters and crocheters are welcome, from novices to experts. Come work on a project of your own, scarves and hats for the Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter, or baby items for the residents of Inwood House. If you need help gathering supplies, call Margaret Williamson at the church, and she will put you in touch with the group facilitator.
Or More: More what? Books, a gold mine of books! At the Hood Library Committee’s book sale, Sunday, November 20. And they are like new, full of tales and stories, mysteries and adventure, best sellers, non-fiction, coffee-table books, and oh so discounted! You can expect to find one, two, three, four or more - - books to meet the tastes of friends or a family member, and just in time for Christmas.
Where? In the Church House lobby. There, rows and rows of books will be beckoning you to step up and choose. Buying a book will never be easier and at bargain prices. Buy three and get one free! Before heading downstairs to brunch, come enjoy a cup of coffee and browse the book tables. Proceeds will help the Hood Library to purchase new books.
Parish RegisterBaptismsElla Grace Schestag, daughter of *Shawn Schestag and Caroline Schestag William Robert Austin, son of J.C. Austin and Tammy Austin New Members Sarah Lien Finnerty Wedding John Albert Flandina, IV and
*Jennifer Liisa-Marie Kosovsky |
Are you interested in exploring the basics of the Christian faith? Have you been thinking about making MAPC your church home? These are good reasons for attending our next Inquirers Seminar on Saturday, November 5, when we will address those questions and more. We will begin gathering at 8:30 am for coffee and continental breakfast in the Phillips Lounge. The Seminar itself begins promptly at 9 am and concludes around 4 pm. Dress is casual, and lunch will be provided. Professional child care is available but needs to be arranged in advance by calling Bill Philip at the church office (212-288-8920, x241). If you have questions or concerns in general, please call the Rev. J.C. Austin at the church office (212-288-8920, 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.
This month offers MAPC members the opportunity to hear some great jazz and benefit our community at the same time. The Friends of Booker T. Washington Learning Center are presenting their 6th Annual Jazz Concert to benefit the Center. The Booker T. Washington Learning Center (a program of the East Harlem Urban Center) is the host of LEAP (the Learning Enrichment Activities Program), one of our favorite neighborhood ministries. Performing at the concert will be Melodee Savage, vocalist, accompanied by Musical Director Steve Salerno on guitar.
Melodee Savage has been critically acclaimed for her jazz interpretations with the American Jazz Orchestra, the Tulsa Philharmonic Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and with an All-Star Band at Carnegie Hall in a recent recreation of Duke Ellington’s 1943 premier concert there. Steve Salerno is the Founding Director of the Jazz Program at Stony Brook University. He has an extensive international touring history, being a member of the Ray Anderson Quartet, the Paul Smoker “4-Tet” and leading his own jazz trio, Exiles. He’ll be accompanying Melodee with classic archtop hollow-body and solid-body guitars. It will be a great show!
The benefit concert takes place at St. Bernard’s School, 4 East 98th Street, in Manhattan. A pre-show reception begins at 4 pm (catered by Norma Jean Darden’s Spoonbread!) with the concert commencing at 4:30 pm. Tickets are $60.
For reservations or additional information, contact Nancy Rodriguez at 212-831-5506 or nancy@eastharlemurbancenter.com. See you there!
Daylight Saving Time will end on Sunday, October 30 at 2 am. |
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