In This Issue

Early Morning Service
– 8:30 am 

Adult Sunday School Class 

Wednesday Nights

MSPC Book Club

Children’s Education Changes 

October  Birthdays

Important Dates

Wednesday, October 2
10:00 am MSPC Writer’s Group
5:30 pm, Bible Study
6:00 PM, Dinner
6:15 pm, Bell Choir
7:15 pm, Choir Rehearsal

Sunday, October 5
8:30 am  Worship/Communion
9:30 am   Sunday School
Worship/World Communion  10:50 am 

Wednesday, October 8
5:30 pm Bible Study
6:00 pm Dinner
Choir Party

  Sunday, October 12
Worship, 8:30 am
Sunday School  9:30 am
Children Church at the Botanical Gardens 9 a.m.
Worship  10:50 am

 Wednesday, October 15
5:30 pm Bible Study
6:00 pm Dinner
 6:15 pm, Bell Choir
7:15 pm, Choir Rehearsal

Sunday, October 19
Worship/Communion, 8:30 am
Sunday School  9:30 am
Worship 10:50 am
Dignity Potluck Dinner  7:00 pm

 Wednesday, October 22
5:30 pm Bible Study
6:00 pm Dinner
6:15 pm, Bell Choir
7:15 pm, Choir Rehearsal

 Sunday, October 26
Worship/Communion, 8:30 am
Sunday School, 9:30 am
Worship 10:50 am

 Thursday, October 23
Conflict Workshop
6:00 pm Dinner
6:45 pm Meeting

Friday, October 24
Mission Presbytery Meeting – FPC, San Antonio

 Saturday, October 25
Mission Presbytery Meeting, FPC, San Antonio, TX

 Tuesday, October 28
7:00 pm, Session Meeting

 Wednesday, October 29
5:30 pm Bible Study
6:00 pm Dinner
6:15 pm, Bell Choir
7:15 pm, Choir Rehearsal

the Messenger is the monthly newsletter of Madison Square Presbyterian Church.  Please email your announcements to be published, questions, and comments to: church@msqpc.org

Deadline for publication in the newsletter is the 25th of each month.

Adult Sunday School
Christianity for the Rest of Us
How the Neighborhood Church is
Transforming the Faith
by: Diana Butler Bass
Class led by: Rev. Ilene Dunn

Most pundits will tell you that the mainline churches—Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Congregationalists and Disciples of Christ—are in decline: it is now commonplace to assume that liberal churches are doomed and only evangelical churches are growing. Think again, says Butler Bass (The Practicing Congregation) in this challenging and hopeful book, which summarizes the findings of a three-year study funded by the Lilly Endowment. Yes, many mainline churches are struggling, but not because liberal Christianity is a contradiction in terms.
Rather, the old neighborhood Protestant church has fallen on hard times because the old neighborhood has been replaced by a strip mall. And many mainline churches are thriving. Butler Bass showcases 10 of them, including Redeemer UCC in New Haven, Conn., and Saint Mark (Lutheran) in Yorktown, Va. She then examines 10 practices, from hospitality to worship to vigorous theological discussion, and posits that these practices are the heartbeat of vital mainline churches. Her provocative conclusions include the observation that today's mainliners have redefined politics by favoring bottom-up acts of service over structural change.
Books can be purchased for $13 before class or during the week in the church office.

Wednesday Nights
The Wednesday Night Bible Study reflects on the scripture that will be preached on the following Sunday. A diverse group gathers to share insights, ask questions and pray together.
The group moves from the Parlor to the fellowship hall for a prepared dinner. All are invited!
Many other activities happen on Wednesday nights.
Bible Study 5:30-6:30 pm
Dinner 6:30-7:00 pm
Bell Choir 6:15-7:15 pm
Choir Practice 7:15-8:00 pm

MSPC Book Club
October 3: Three Cups of Tea: One man's mission to fight terrorism and build nations -- one school at a time 
by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
    host:Dorothy Williams

November 7: A Noble Radiance by Donna Leon
    host: Richard McLean

December 5: Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario
    host: Doerte Weber-Seale

Children's Education Changes
Sunday Morning Schedule
9:15 a.m     Eddie’s Taco House
Come by the kitchen and grab a taco and some orange juice.
9:30 to 10 :15 a.m.     Children’s Choir
Meet in the sanctuary and we will work on music for special worship services like World Communion Sunday and the “Come As You Are Christmas Pageant.”
10:15-10:40 a.m.     Sunday School
Once choir is over join Linda and Erin in the 3rd floor children’s room. If you are hoping to light candles or ring the bell during worship this is the place to be.
10:50 a.m. Worship
At 10:40 the children will move to the 1st pew in the sanctuary. Children are invited to sit with our staff or with parents/guardians.
Worship
10:50-12 noon
Children begin worship in the sanctuary and then move to an experiential worship experience.
Godly Play (approximate ages 3 years to 8 years)
Godly Play is a methodology that uses a storyteller telling a holy story with moveable pieces, wondering about that story, and then using creative stations to help us interpret our feelings, our wonderings, our questions about the stories and how they lead us to God.
This is our third year to use Godly play with the kids & we have found that they are growing exponentially every year we use it. The wondering that they do at the end of a story is so amazingly complex and insightful that it often takes our breath away. What amazing kids we have!
Diving into Discussion (approximate ages 9 years to middle school)
This group will read the same scripture that is being read in the sanctuary. With the help of Pastor Kenny they will discuss what the scripture means in their lives.
After the sermon, the middle school aged kids will go back into church with Pastor Kenny and the elementary aged children will join Linda in the children’s room.

Special Days:
While every day is a special one at Madison Square, here are some important dates for the children of the church.

Sunday, Oct. 12—Church at the Botanical Gardens
Sunday, Oct. 19—Blessing of the Animals
Sunday, Nov. 2—Dia de los Muertos Alter
Sunday, Dec. 14—Santa comes to Ilene’s Christmas Open House
Saturday, Dec. 20—Tamalada
Sunday, Dec. 21—Come As You Are Christmas Pageant


 October Birthdays
 1 – Kyle Wilson
2 – Stacy Malone
3 –  Karyn Matson
4 – Matthew Stroud
5 – Beth Shaw- Meadow
6 – Sydney Hillegas
      Cheryl Carney
10 – Garrick Herbert
         Mary Kling
13 – Emile Singh
14 – Rosemary Tatum
        David Savage
        Larry Stallings
15 – Pat Wall
18 – Angela Papehmis
19 – Susan Scales
20 – Bob Allen
         Andon Duran
         Tom Killion
21 – Jane Breland
         Brenda Chacon
24 –  Marlena Pape
         Mary Royalty
25 – Marilyn Goodwin
26 – Ryan Turner
         Korey Hendrix
         Christa Berger
27 – Susannah Nicholson
28 – Nancy Kent
29 – Robert Green
31 – Nathan Shaw-Meadow
        Leonard Juarez