May 17th
May 24th
May 31st
Children’s Sunday
Pentecost Sunday
Trinity Sunday
And a little child shall lead
them . . . Join us as our
young disciples lead us in
worship!
Cross Generational
Celebration
9:30 a.m. Fellowship Hall
Worship with a focus on
the mystery, power, and
beauty of the triune God.
Worship at 10:30 a.m.
Dear Friends:
Pastor’s Pen
As April turns to May and we prepare to celebrate another Mother’s Day, I would like to share with you a
few words about my mother.
Louise A. "Bobbi" Ballantine died at 4:30 p.m. Saturday,
September 4, 2010, in her home in Grove City, PA. She
died of colon cancer -- which, by the time it was diagnosed, had spread to her liver, lungs and brain.
Following a brief period of radiation and chemotherapy
treatment, which she underwent reluctantly, other complications made it clear that my mother did not have
long to live; and she entered hospice care while still in
the hospital on Saturday, August 28. She came home
from the hospital the next Tuesday and lived for four
more days.
A few observations: My mother had a deep faith in
God, which sustained her during her illness and gave
her a sense of peace about dying. Taking her cue from
Hebrews 13:5, she was confident that the Lord would
never leave her or forsake her. And trusting her life to
God's care, she did all that she could do to help her
family accept her death. A few weeks before she died, I
began to realize that the best thing I could do was spend
as much time as possible with my mother in the days we
had left; and I resolved to not start mourning her death
while she was still living.
I would often leave the church where I was serving in
Youngstown, OH, in the late afternoon or early evening
and drive to Grove City, spending an hour or so with
her, before going home. We had many good visits. For
instance, a week before she died she was sitting up in
her hospital bed telling stories. We laughed a lot and
some of us cried a little. What a gift that was! And two
days before she died, we held a communion service in
my parents' home. My mother was weak physically, but
in good spirits. In fact, she was quite witty that day.
The day before she died, she asked me to go get my father, who was in another room, so she could ask him to
“release” her. She did. And he did. We all cried -- except
my mother. A couple hours before she died, I asked her
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if she had any idea how much we loved her. She did not
open her eyes. She did not speak. But she nodded her
head yes. That was a precious moment for me.
Now that she's gone, I realize what I miss most about
my mom. And that is that she was my biggest fan. She
believed in me even when, at times, I had trouble believing in myself.
I've begun to realize that my mom and I were a lot alike
- probably because she instilled in me so many of her
values as I was growing up. She gave me a profound
sense of gratitude - which still forms the heart of my
spirituality. She gave me an optimistic outlook on life which has served me well and which has enabled me to
experience more happiness than sadness. She gave me a
solid work ethic -- which has helped me to succeed
more often than I've failed. She taught me to see the
good in others and to treat others with compassion.
When I was a child, she introduced me to Jesus -- for
which I will always be grateful. Later she helped me to
discern my call to ministry; and I cannot imagine doing
anything else at this point in my life.
I miss my mother. But so much of her lives on in my
mind and heart. And the best thing I can do to honor
her memory is to continue to live the kind of life she
taught me to live. I am sad about losing her, and at
times I have cried over her death. I miss hearing her
voice. But I know I was richly blessed to have her for
the first 53 years of my life.
I realize I am not the only person with a great appreciation for his mother. This Mother’s Day may each of us
remember and give thanks to God for the woman who
gave us life and who nurtured us and shaped us in our
early years. Finally, if you are fortunate enough that
your mother is still living, may you give her three gifts a
mother is always pleased to receive from a son or daughter. May you give her the gift of precious time together.
May you tell her how much you love her. And may you
offer her your gratitude.
Grace and peace,
OUR CHURCH FAMILY
POTLUCK & TABLE TALK
Sharing a Meal and the MPC Story
Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper will be celebrated
on Pentecost Sunday, May 24, 2015, at the 10:30 a.m.
worship service.
Sacrament of Baptism
The Sacrament of Baptism will be celebrated on Sunday,
May 10, 2015 at the 10:30 a.m. worship service. Adults
wishing to be baptized or parents requesting baptism for
their child are asked to call the church office at 215-2954191.
In Loving Memory
Our sympathy goes out to Bob Holloway and his family
upon the death of his mother, Barbara, on February 28,
2015.
Our sympathy goes out to Marylou Mayoros and her
family upon the death of her father, Sherman Britton,
Jr., March 19, 2015, father.
Our Sympathy goes out to the family of
James S. Gumbert upon the death of their father on
April 9, 2015.
Remembering our Identity
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Join your MPC friends from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 20, for a potluck dinner and conversation in Fellowship Hall. Simply bring a favorite dish and
some MPC stories to share.
When going through
an interim period, it
is important for
members of a congregation to review
their history so that
they can appreciate
their heritage and at
the same time be
aware of the issues
and concerns that
need to be resolved in order to move freely into the future.
Join us as we share our MPC stories, celebrate our rich
heritage, and review lessons from yesterday which can
guide us today and tomorrow. Conversations will be
facilitated by Pastors Heffernan and Ballantine and
members of the Session.
All are welcome! Please let us know you plan to attend
by signing up in the Communication Center, on the
Friendship Pad, or by emailing the church office at [email protected].
OUTREACH
CLOTHING CENTER UPDATE
An open book represents the scriptures of the Old and
New Testament.
The last day for Clothing Center donations will be May
31st. The Clothing Center’s last day of shopping will be
on June 16th. We will re-open on September 8th.
3
YOUTH NEWS
Youth Club Happenings
March was a fun month in Youth Club. We spent one
meeting in the MPC kitchen preparing soup and bread
for shut-ins. We had a guest speaker come in to share a
Seder Dinner with us. We then visited our friends at the
Presbyterian Towers to play several rounds of Bingo
and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Finally, we had a good
old fashion Easter Egg Hunt, which concluded with
twelve Resurrection Eggs that were used to describe the
events leading up to Easter. Only a month until Youth
Club graduation. Where has the year gone?
Youth in Mission will return to Appalachia for a week
beginning July 25th. Our spring fundraising efforts will
begin with a car wash and bake sale on May 17th. We
will begin to sell “stock” in the communications center
in May. Stock is an opportunity to invest in “our” youth
and in their spiritual journey as they prepare to reach out
to the community in Pipestem, WV to do God’s
work. Stock is an opportunity to support the kids by
making a donation in any amount you choose. In return
for your investment you will receive a stock certificate, a
postcard from West Virginia and will hear about out trip
upon our return.
CHILDREN and FAMILY
APRIL 24-25 YOUTH CLUB RETREAT
All youth in grades 7th – 12th are invited to attend the
Youth Club retreat, here at MPC. We will meet here at
7:00 pm on Friday, April 24 and spend the night at the
church. Saturday morning we will head over to the
Trenton Presbyterian Church to prepare and serve
breakfast for our hungry neighbors. Please RSVP to
Elizabeth Dugan or Lisa Zazzu
Contact:
Elizabeth Dugan—[email protected]
Lisa Zazzu—[email protected]
4
Save the date for VBS 2015. This year we will offer a
joint VBS with Morrisville United Methodist Church
from July 19 - 23, five evenings of fun, friendship and
spiritual growth. Watch our web site and Sunday
worship bulletin for registration information and more
details.
ADULT EDUCATION at MPC
SUNDAY MORNINGS
at 9:30 a.m. – Conference Room
April 12 through May 3
SENIOR HIGH/ADULT SEMINAR
GOD’S CREATION
With Wendy McCleskey and Elder Paul Clough
Come join our combined Senior High and Adult classes
as we welcome spring by celebrating God’s Creation
together in this study from We Believe. Adults and teens
enjoy these annual opportunities to share ideas across
generations. We will start in Room 220 for gathering
time and then move to the conference room. We’d love
to see you there.
May 10 through 24
PENTECOST
WITNESSING TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
With Elder Carol Carpenter
We will continue the Adult/Senior High format for two
weeks as we prepare to celebrate Pentecost, the day the
Christian Church was born through the fire of the Holy
Spirit. We will look at Luke’s account of that first day
and the community that was formed. Then we will examine what it means today to be a witness, enlightened
by the breath of God. On May 24, Pentecost Sunday,
we will join in Fellowship Hall with participants of all
ages for an intergenerational event marking the Church’s
birthday with creative activities.
Pastoral Care Reminder
Members of the staff truly want to be attentive when
members or friends of MPC are experiencing health
difficulties. If you (or a family member) have been admitted
to a hospital, please let us know by contacting the church
office, and one of the pastors will be pleased to visit. You
may also reach the pastors on their mobile phones:
Bruce Ballantine - 304-914-2108
Debbie Heffernan - 267-342-0089.
Thank you for your assistance.
ONGOING EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS
BROWN BAG BIBLE STUDY
led by Pastor Bruce, Wednesdays at noon in the Conference Room
Participants in the Brown Bag Bible study are currently
studying the Gospel of Mark assisted by the commentary of N.T. Wright in his book Mark for Everyone. Now
is a great time to join us! We meet Wednesdays at noon
in the conference room. Take a lunch break with Pastor
Bruce and members – learn to read between the lines of
the text! There’s a seat for you – and bring a friend!
WEEKLY PRAYER GROUP
All Welcome - Men, Women, and Children
Sundays from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. in the Conference Room
ALL ARE WELCOME! Each week, after offering our
prayers for those on the MPC Prayer list, we discuss the
Bible verses in the current week’s liturgy, how those
scriptures relate to our everyday lives, and try to
anticipate how our Pastor may interpret the same
passages during the sermon.
UPDATE ON BOOK DISCUSSION GROUPS
Currently we have two small Book Groups meeting to
discuss Robinson’s Gilead Trilogy and C. S. Lewis’ Narnia
Chronicles. Each group has five to six participants and
meets about once per month in the evening.
This spring in late April or early May a new book group
will be forming. This will be a daytime group, discussing
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. This book is
historical fiction based on the life and work of Sarah
Grimke, a South Carolinian daughter of a plantation
owner who, as an early (1792-1873) abolitionist and then
suffragist, disagreed with everything her family stood
for. The historical story is gripping. Those interested in
joining this daytime book group should contact Susan
Light at [email protected] or 215-369-1247. Also,
please let us know if you need transportation to a daytime or evening book group meeting. For further information on our book groups you may access the Adult
Education tab on the MPC website.
5
BOOMERS & BEYOND
(The following information is taken from the
www.consumer.ftc.gov)
THE BUREAU OF DEFAULTERS
The email says it’s a court notice from the Bureau of
Defaulters Agency-FTC with your arrest warrant record
attached. It says you’ve ignored their efforts to contact
you, so now your Social Security number is on hold by
the federal government, you’ll be prosecuted for fraud,
and you’ll owe all kinds of money when you are found
guilty. You have 24 hours to respond.
IT IS NOT TRUE!!
There is no Bureau of Defaulters, and the Federal Trade
Commission does not send out emails like this to people. If you get an email like this, delete it. Do not click
on any attachments of links. Scammers send convincing
looking emails with links and attachments they want you
to click. When you do, you could download malware
onto your computer. If you are not sure whether an
email is real, you can always look up a phone number
yourself and contact the court, company, or agency the
email claims to be from.
same time, or you can order your report from each of
the companies one at a time. You will need to provide
your name, address, Social Security number, and date of
birth. If you have moved in the last two years, you may
have to provide your previous address. To maintain the
security of your file, the company may ask you for some
additional information that only you would know.
Once you have your report make sure the information is
accurate, complete and up to date. If you find errors, tell
the company in writing, what information you think is
inaccurate. Credit companies must, by law , investigate.
When the investigation is complete, the credit company
must give you a copy of your report if the dispute results in a change. For more information on this and other consumer protection topics, please go to the website.
FROM THE LENTEN SUPPERS
FREE CREDIT REPORTS
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of
the nationwide credit reporting companies – Equifax,
Experian, and TransUnion- to provide you with a free
copy of your credit report, at your request, once every
12 months. The FCRA promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nation’s credit
reporting companies. The Federal Trade Commission,
the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the
FCRA.
A credit report includes information on where you live,
how you pay your bills, and whether you have been sued
or have filed bankruptcy. Nationwide credit companies
sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers,
employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate
your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or
renting a home.
To order your free report, visit annualcreditreport.com
or call 1-877-322-8228. You may order your reports
from each of the three nationwide companies at the
Hungry and excited to be part of our first Lenten Supper Series
6
Helping Others : A Reflection on the
Youth In Mission Trip
by Troy Becker
(Troy is the son of Beth and Eric Becker. He is currently a student at McDaniel College.)
In many aspects of life today we often weigh the pros
and cons of every situation in order to help us make
decisions. Examining the positives and negatives helps
us to arrive at a final decision, and this final decision is
often at the forefront of our minds. What is best for
me? Will I like it? Will it help me? While this is a common way to go about decision-making, what if we
flipped those questions to benefit others. Instead of
ourselves being the focal point, what if we made others
the topic to ask about. Will this help them? Will they
like it? Is this the best for them? As a culture, we often
focus on what is best for us instead of what is best for
others. Some people never experience the opposite end
of the spectrum, however for most of us that have done
mission work here at MPC, we have experienced first
hand what it is like to have the tables turned and put
others at the forefront of our minds.
For four years I participated on the weeklong Youth
Mission Trip where we constantly placed the interests of
others ahead of our own. The whole retreat focused on
putting time and effort into something that was greater
than you. By working 35 hours a week we as a group
were able to accomplish more than just building or fixing up a house. We built bonds with the homeowners
and people who worked at the Folk Life center. We
swapped stories and shared experiences and became
friends with people that we had never even known a
few days prior. They were so grateful for our help and it
showed in the way they welcomed us into their homes
and let us work. We could see how much joy we
brought to their lives and how much our presence
helped them get through their day. That alone made the
trip worthwhile for me. Seeing the impact that we made
on others by simply asking them about their day and
listening to their stories really made a deep impact on
me and everyone else on the trip.
Seeing first hand how great of an impact we made on
the homeowners during the trip made it absolutely
priceless. It showed me how you don’t need fancy
clothes or cars or other material things in order to enjoy
life. I saw people that were thrilled to be living in the
run down, disheveled house they had and wouldn’t trade
it for anything in the world. In our society, especially my
generation, we are so consumed by how others think of
us. We judge others based on these preexisting ideas of
who we are and what we believe is right. The mission
trip showed me that everyone is different and everyone
values different things. It taught me many different life
lessons that I may not have experienced otherwise. If it
were not for the support of the congregation, learning
these life lessons would not have been possible. In the
end, I realized that by helping others you can learn a
thing or two about yourself along the way.
Thank You
Breakfast
On May 31st at 9:30
a. m. we will say “Thank
you” to Sunday School
Teacher and Nursery
Helpers during a special
Breakfast in Fellowship
Hall. All are welcome.
Reserve a spot by signing
up on the Friendship Pad
or phone the church
office.
7
M ORRISVILLE P RESBYTERIAN C HURCH
771 N. Pennsylvania Ave. | Morrisville, PA 19067
Phone: 215-295-4191 | web: www.MPCusa.net
Staff E-mail
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
MPC Currents (USPS#204-040), is published monthly.
Periodical mail postage paid at Levittown, PA 19055.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
Morrisville Presbyterian Church,
771 N. Pennsylvania Ave.
Morrisville, PA 19067.
The Evangelism & Communications Committee is committed to keeping
church news up to date. It is our goal to print and distribute “Currents” by
the 3rd Sunday of the Month.
Therefore we ask that you please submit articles for the
June 2015 “Currents” by May 1st.
[email protected]
COMING E VENTS
APRIL
19
26
10:30 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
Worship
Be Informed Series - Identity Theft
Worship
Be Informed Series - What Is New in Cardiac Treatment?
10:30 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
11:45 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
Worship
Be Informed Series - Making Sense of Final Arrangements
Worship
Worship - Children’s Sunday
Youth in Mission Car Wash & Bake Sale
Cross Generational Celebration of Pentecost
Worship - Pentecost Sunday
Sunday School & Nursery Helpers Appreciation Breakfast
Worship - Trinity Sunday
MAY
3
3
10
17
24
31