We are looking forward to seeing you all at Kickoff Sunday! This is such a great MPC tradition and I do believe everyone will enjoy the fun program we have planned. See below for details and reminders of what to bring.
Kickoff Sunday is a good excuse to get together and be merry, but it also marks important beginnings for the year. For example, we are adding a new Godly Play classroom, and so that program begins on Sunday. Children will be directed to the “orange” classroom (room 1) or the “green” classroom (room 4). On Kickoff Sunday we also begin Adult Education signups, and I am looking forward to enrolling in our Spanish class. And then, there is that mysterious new thing everyone’s been talking about… “Family Life Small Groups.” What are those, anyway?
When I arrived a year ago, I began meeting with Gretchen Garlinghouse to wrap our heads around one particular MPC issue. The Mission Study Report shared some interesting facts: in a church with 7 generations represented, many are only friends with those of their generation, and 22% of MPCers, according to our surveys, have no close friends at church. For many new people it feels hard to “break in” and to truly feel a part of the MPC community. So we want to provide ways to build intergenerational friendships. Thus, Family Life Small Groups have emerged through a year’s work of visioning, brainstorming, and organizing with a great group of people. You can sign up this week and next. If you missed the brochure that was handed out last Sunday in the bulletin, it is also available on our website. http://www.mpcfamily.org/events/family-life-small-groups.
These groups are intended to be short-term gatherings of the same people (i.e. not drop-in events) so that over the course of a few weeks or months you can get to know people in a deeper way. Each group has a theme, whether that is baking bread or cleaning up streams, and we ask you to commit to attending every time. And each group is limited in size, so…. hurry to sign up on Sunday! Call me at the office if you can’t make it then and need to register.
I thank God for the bursting energy, vision, and creativity we are enjoying at MPC!
Blessings,
Talitha