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
Day 1, a nationally broadcast radio program formerly known as “The Protestant Hour,” will be broadcasting two of Dr. Anderson’s sermons during this month, Sundays, November 18 and 25. This program, which has been broadcast every week for the last 62 years, regularly featured our former Pastor, Dr. David H.C. Read. Last spring, Dr. Anderson was invited to become a regular on the program. Day 1 is distributed to 150 radio stations across the U.S., as well as in Canada, the Caribbean, and Africa, and in rotation on the American Forces Radio Network. Although the program is not being broadcast in the New York City area, it is now available online by podcast and can be either downloaded, or listened to online on their website at http://www.day1.net.
Remember when we used “Master” to address young male children? How about “Miss?” For the most part, “Miss” has given way to “Ms.,” though some still prefer “Miss.” And what is the proper way to address a letter to a couple when they have different last names? Also, what if the wife has changed her last name to that of her husband? The days of a woman being “Mrs. Jerome Smith (we checked, we don’t have any in the congregation) are pretty much gone, unless, of course, Mr. Smith’s wife comes from that generation of women who looked upon being called “Mrs. Jerome Smith” as a great honor. Yes, we have several such women still in the church, and we want to honor their desires as much as the desires of the young married women who have retained their family name, so, what do we do today?
The staff has been looking at this and is settling on a default protocol that does the following:
We will stop routinely using “Mr.” “Miss” “Ms.” and “Mrs.” altogether, unless a person specifically requests its use. So too with “Dr.” “Prof.” “Capt.” “Rev.” and so on. Again, if someone prefers the title, all they need to do is ask and we will ensure that the computer uses it when addressing their mail. But short of that, mail will be addressed to “Sally Jones” or “Harry Black.”
When sending mail to a husband and wife of the same last name, the wife’s name will appear first, as in Susan and Bob Gingrich. When sending mail to a husband and wife of differing last names, it will be addressed to the wife first and then the husband, as in “Mary Smith and Craig Hoffstetter”
Now, if Susan prefers to be addressed as Mrs. Bob Gingrich, or wants mail to the both of them to be addressed to Bob first, fine. All she needs to do is let us know that. So too if Dr. Lamp-Smithe wants us to use his title.
In other words, we are doing our best to follow contemporary protocol, while trying to be sensitive to your own wishes. If your mail arrives addressed in a way that you would like to see changed, please notify the church office through Office Manager Arabel E. Bello at aeb@mapc.com. Otherwise, it will come in accordance with the above protocol.
The first of three Wednesday evening performances on the Saint Andrew Music Society Series will be performed by pianist (and MAPC member) Carol Kechulius and her husband Stephen Kechulius, baritone. They will offer some of the finest music from the Broadway stage, the world of opera, and the piano repertoire, as well as beloved spirituals. Stephen is renowned for his singing of the Italian Dramatic baritone repertoire including most of the great roles of Verdi and Puccini. His vocal and dramatic gifts have been appreciated on four continents and across the United States. Carol is a double graduate in piano performance from the Juilliard School, has performed many concertos with orchestra, and has given chamber music concerts at Alice Tully Hall and the Museum of Modern Art. Carol and Stephen have frequently shared the stage, having performed more than 350 concerts across the United States and Canada!
Admission is by suggested donation ($20; $15 Students/Seniors; Children 12 and under are admitted free).
Christmas Angel Ministry 2007 has begun! Please stop at the Christmas Angel Ministry table in the Church House Lobby following worship service to pick up your “angel” and instructions for purchasing gifts for children on behalf of an incarcerated parent. Your giving in this way will help heal challenging family relationships and bring joy, not only to a child, but also to someone in prison, for whom Christmas can be a very difficult time.
It is time for us to begin to compile the list of those you wish to memorialize with gifts to help provide Christmas poinsettias and other decorations for the Sanctuary and Church House. If you would like to make such a gift in memory of a loved one, please send your check to the church, attention Arabel Bello, and made payable to Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, marked “Christmas Decorations.” Please include the name(s) of the person you are memorializing, as you would like the name to appear in the Christmas bulletin. The deadline is Monday, December 10.
Wednesday, November 14, 8 - 8:30 am; Parents’ Prayer Group meets in the Phillips Lounge. Parents of teens and young adults are invited to attend this group that meets for a half hour every other Wednesday morning. Participants reflect together on a scripture passage, share prayer concerns and pray together. The group provides valuable support to one another as they parent their children through these challenging years.
Friday, November 16, 6:30 pm; Mid-Timers Museum Night: The Mid-Timers will have a guided tour of the exhibit Bridging East and West: The Chinese Diaspora and Lin Yutang at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Friday, November 16. The exhibition features gifts and promised gifts to the permanent collection from the family of Lin Yutang (1895–1976), one of the leading literary figures in China before the Second World War. Lin Yutang was a member of Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, joining MAPC in 1959. After listening to sermons by Dr. David H.C. Read, then pastor at MAPC, Lin wrote the book “From Pagan to Christian.” Lin is quoted in a 1959 New York Times article, “Now I have come to the realization that humanity is never sufficient unto itself. Man needs something greater outside himself, a sense of unity with God, the knowledge that he is part of a greater whole.” Please contact Arabel Bello at 212-288-8920 or via email to aeb@mapc.com if you are interested in attending this event. Meet at 6:30 pm in the Met lobby for the tour which will start promptly at 6:45 pm. The cost of the guided museum tour is $24 per person, and we will have dinner afterwards at a local restaurant.
Sunday, November 18, 10 am to 1 pm; Annual Hood Library Book Sale
Enjoy browsing the tables of books for sale during the fellowship hour after the service. You’ll find a wide variety of hard-cover and paperback, fiction and non-fiction, and perhaps even some Christmas gifts. Proceeds from the sale will be used to purchase new books for the library.
Sunday, November 18, 1 pm; the 20s/30s will meet for lunch, fellowship and discussion in Room 503. This month the group will begin using the NOOMA film series as a point of departure for their discussions. Each short film touches on a topic that is relevant to our lives as people of faith, such as: where and how do we find spiritual nurture? How does our faith inform and shape the way we interact with the world around us and the choices we make? Come join in fellowship and discussion facilitated by our seminarians Jessica Patchett Anderson and Doug Grace.
Tuesday, November 20, 10:30 am - noon; Morning Knitters Group meets in the Hood Library. This group is open to all knitters and crocheters whether you’re a novice or an expert. Come enjoy fellowship, bring a project you’re working on for yourself, or make baby items for the residents of Inwood House or scarves and hats for those who are homeless.
Wednesday, November 28, 8 - 8:30 am; Parents’ Prayer Group meets in the Phillips Lounge.
Sunday, December 2, 12:45 in the Parish Hall; Congregational Brunch and Advent Wreath Making: Come begin the season of Advent with a time of fellowship and an opportunity to make an Advent Wreath to take home with you. We’ll spend a few minutes talking about Advent and waiting, and we’ll sing a couple of Advent carols. If you can’t stay for lunch and the Advent event, please come downstairs after the 11:15 am worship service for conversation and a cup of hot cider, coffee or tea. The cost for the meal is $10, $8 for seniors, and children under 12 eat for free.
Sunday, December 2, 1 pm; 20s/30s meets in Room 503.
Saturday, December 8, 10 am - noon; Families with Young Children meets in the Parish Hall. Come enjoy our annual Families Christmas Party! We’ll have a special craft, treats, music and stories. Families with children ages 5 and under, and older siblings, are invited to this time of fellowship. Coffee, tea and a light breakfast will be available. Please let us know you’re coming so we can be sure to have enough food. RSVP to Arabel Bello at 212-288-8920 x245, or via email to aeb@mapc.com.
Monday, December 10, 1 - 3 pm; Seniors Unlimited Christmas luncheon in the Parish Hall. Join us for our annual Christmas luncheon. After lunch, we’ll hear a story for the season, and have a carol sing. The cost for the luncheon is $5. Please come and bring a guest. RSVP to Arabel Bello at 212-288-8920 x245, or via email to aeb@mapc.com.
Sunday, December 16, 1 pm; 20s/30s meets in Room 503.
The Hood Library is now open whenever you find yourself in the building! For a trial period, over the next few months, the library will operate on the honor system during the week. You’ll still find Library Committee members there on Sunday mornings to assist you, but if you are in the building at another time of the week—for a meeting, a program, or just passing by—you will now find the shelves open for you to browse and check out books. You’ll find instructions and a Check-Out notebook on the desk. The only shelves that will remain locked are the religion and spiritual life section—because many of these books are out-of-print, we ask that you continue to check them out on Sunday mornings, or leave a note in the Check-Out book letting us know which book(s) you’d like to borrow, and we’ll arrange for you to get them. The Library Committee works hard to keep the collection current–you’ll find a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction. Help us ensure that this new system will work by signing out the books and returning them when they are due! Come check it out!!!
Parish RegisterBaptism Pierre Antoine Joseph Nordenson, son of New MembersJeffrey Stuart Armstrong Death*Diane Hunter Weddings Charles F. Britton and Setareh Siadat |
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