The Children of Uganda 2012 Tour of Light performed at MPC on Jan 15th at 7 PM. Children of Uganda is an organization that cares for hundreds of orphans and vulnerable children in Uganda, and the performers were their ambassadors, a select group of talented dancers, singers, and drummers from 10 years old through college students. They performed traditional music and dance, and sang Ugandan songs with our choir. Videos have been posted to YouTube and photos to Flickr.

On Sunday, December 4, at 10AM, the Montclair Presbyterian Church Choir will present Christmas music from the English choral tradition. Featured works include Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Fantasia on Christmas Carols” and Gustav Holst’s “Christmas Day.” MPC’s adult and children’s choirs will be joined by a string ensemble and pipe organ. Come celebrate the season with majestic music written for Gothic cathedrals!

The congregation will gather next Sunday, 11/13, right after celebration, to take another step in engaging the Mission Study Process. The purpose is to ask, answer, and share about some questions regarding Montclair Presbyterian Church and our vision of the future. Everyone’s voice is important, whether you are an “old timer” or have just started attending MPC. These conversations will continue to inform decisions and direction for the church.
At the same time, and even if you cannot attend the meeting, we are asking all church members & friends to take a survey!

The Harvest Dinner is an annual event celebrated by the Faith Trio partners (Montclair Presbyterian Church, Kehilla Community Synagogue & the ICCNC) in turn at each congregation’s locale. MPC is the host this year for the seventh anniversary of this lively occasion, Saturday Nov. 5th.

The time has come for MPC women to retreat to the hills of the East Bay! This year our retreat falls on Halloween Weekend, and so our focus will be (aptly) The Masks Women Wear, led by Rev. Beth Buckingham-Brown. Our gathering begins Friday evening, October 28th for dinner and continues through breakfast and celebration Sunday, October 30th. This is a time out from the hurry of our lives, a time for reflection, singing, sharing, laughing and community.

On Sunday, October 9th, the MPC community and friends far and wide will gather for a celebration of the life of Virginia Hadsell, who died September 17th. She was an integral part of MPC, known for leading years of annual study tours, and a prominent leader in our Global Concerns committee. Please join us Sunday 10/9 at 2 PM.

Celebration on October 2nd is going to be one you won’t want to miss. A lot of fun things are happening, all at the same time!
First: in tune with the global church, we celebrate World Communion Sunday with breads of the world. If you want to bring traditional bread from your culture, contact Marilee Bailey. Or, dress in the traditional clothes of your country of origin (or a country near to your heart).

George Somers has generously offered to donate his artwork to raise money for MPC! The church will receive 100% of the proceeds. The art will be displayed in the Family Room on September 18 and 25. It will be sold by silent auction with the last bids taken at 11:45 a.m. on September 25. Bids start at $100 and can be increased in increments of $20. You don’t have to be present on September 25 to win the bid, but you do have to be the highest bidder.

Get ready for the Fall Kickoff Sunday – celebrating the start of a new school and church program year. The full choir is back, Godly Play classes will resume, the new Beacon program will be rolled out, and everyone gets a chance to enjoy food and fellowship with one another. This is a great time to visit, or to bring a friend who hasn’t been to church before. We’ll be in Hawaiian shirts, so no worries about formal dress!