the
ORDINARY TIME 2017
MESSENGER BRYN MAWR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
VOLUME 119 | ISSUE 4
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
A Labor of Love (page 3) New BMPC Logo (page 5) Caring Ministries (pages 6-7) Partnership with Broad Street Ministry (page 10) Community Forum (page 1 MESSENGER | Ordinary Time 201719)
Letter from the Pastor This summer I had the opportunity to preach in two very different contexts. It is good to get away and enjoy Christian worship beyond our own church’s immediate environs because new vistas offer a renewed perspective of the homefront! In mid-July I served as guest preacher at New York City’s famed Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, and the following weekend I was preaching for Bible and Music conferences at Massanetta Springs in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. In a week’s time I moved from the big sophisticated tallsteeple city church to a rural open-air auditorium. Two very different settings; one common denominator: hopeful love for the church of Jesus Christ. At Fifth Avenue I met members who originated from many diverse places – Korea, France, Cuba and India, as well as visitors from all over the country. A friend of David and Ruth Watermulder from Oak Park introduced himself to me, and one of my old college friends from Austin, in town for the weekend, saw my name on the church exterior sign and came to worship as a surprise. I was particularly impressed by the large number of young adults in worship that midsummer morning. In Massanetta Springs I enjoyed the company of folks from all kinds of Presbyterian churches, some large but mostly smaller congregations. People have made an annual pilgrimage to Massanetta Springs for years. One couple from the coast of North Carolina arrived after having taught the one church school class in their church of 60 members. A man who grew up going to Massanetta told me how his daughter chose to have her wedding in the open-air auditorium there, so important is the place to their family. A woman from southwest Virginia introduced herself to me as the granddaughter of one of my mother’s first cousins! A couple of youth from nearby rural churches asked me about my time in seminary and shared how they were beginning to think about ministry as a profession. Bryn Mawr is neither as urban as Fifth Avenue nor as "small town" as most of the folks who attend Massanetta, but I was struck by our shared love for the church. All of us long for worship that connects us more deeply to the living God. All of us care passionately about being faithful to Christ in an era when the culture is no longer so “churchy.” All of us cherish hope for the future of the church which means we try to attend to the best practices of being intergenerational communities of faith. In the coming program year you will see new signs of how BMPC is paying particular attention to being more intergenerational. We are inviting children and youth to be more deeply connected in worship and are trying to keep the whole congregation better informed about how we can serve together across generational lines. This is a value taking on greater emphasis in both big city and small town congregations across North American Christianity. I invite you to consider how you can be a church friend to another from a different generation so that together we can enact our high hopes for the future of the church of Christ. Grace and Peace,
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A Labor of Love
By Elena Perri, Communications Manager Faith, family and friendships have been fundamental elements of Donna Barrickman’s life and her career at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church. For the past 27 years, Donna has served as Membership Manager at BMPC, welcoming visitors and helping new members join our church and get involved in ministries here. With her background in media and communications, she also managed communications at BMPC for many years and helped create the content for our church’s current website. Donna and her husband Dave have been BMPC members since 1981. A Pottstown native, Donna met Dave while they were undergraduates at Penn State University’s main campus. Dave, who grew up in State College, Pa., works in sales for Worldwide Stereo and is an active member of the Rotary Club of Ardmore. Ordained as a deacon at BMPC, he has been an usher captain for more than 20 years. Early in their marriage, Dave and Donna lived in Kentucky, North Carolina and Chicago, Ill. While living in North Carolina, Donna was pregnant with their first child, Abbey, whom they wanted to have baptized. “I found a church and started going to a young women's Bible Study,” she said. “As a new young mom living away from family, I discovered what a sense of community a church could provide.” After Donna and Dave moved to Chicago, a priority for them was finding a new church home. “For me, that was a way to find meaningful activities and make friends,” she said. Joining a church was also “a way for me to serve and be involved.” When they moved to Bala Cynwyd in 1981 and had their second
child, "Bo," Donna naturally began searching for a church right away. College friends encouraged them to visit BMPC. Although they visited other churches, Donna said the breadth of activities at BMPC and availability of child care were among the reasons she and Dave became members. “The first program I came to was Y-Group -- before I even attended worship,” she noted. After joining BMPC, Donna became an active volunteer. “I taught Sunday School, helped coordinate children and family ministry programs, led Y-Group, organized Vacation Bible Camp for two years and was on the steering committee for Presbyterian Women,” she said. “I was here almost every day of the week.” Given Donna’s volunteer activities, the transition to working at BMPC was a natural one. Donna was hired by the Rev. Dr. Eugene C. Bay as a part-time membership coordinator on April 1, 1990. The opportunity to work here has been so meaningful
that she has kept a copy of her employment offer letter and job description tucked away in her desk. Another transition is happening in Donna’s life. She is retiring so she can spend time with friends and grandchildren and have more flexibility to travel. She also is looking forward to spending more time outdoors and working on her family history. “As much as I love this place, I’m ready for the next chapter,” Donna said. “This is a sentimental decision for me for many reasons. This church was the foundation of our lives as our family grew. The strong faith we’ve acquired through our affiliation is an immeasurable gift. I deeply appreciate the support we’ve received, the life lessons we’ve learned, and the opportunities and experiences we’ve had helping others.” A major highlight of her career has been New Member Sundays. “I think every new member (continued on next page)
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class has been a ‘high’ because I'm so happy they found this place,” Donna said. “I want them to be nurtured in their faith journey and in their relationship with God as I’ve been.” An aspect of her job she has enjoyed the most is taking photos and “capturing some of the moments that reflect the vitality of our congregation.” Donna intends to continue using her photography skills as one of our volunteer photographers. While her decision to retire is difficult, Donna said she is “grateful beyond words for this great church, the pastors and colleagues with whom I’ve served, and the many wonderful people I’ve met here. How fortunate I’ve been to have a career that I’ve not only loved, but that also brought me closer to God.” “Dave and I will continue to be members, so we won’t be strangers, after I take a respite this fall,” Donna added. “I look forward to taking part in the life of the church for many years to come.”
Welcome to Our New Members
Clifford Cantrell Haverford
Jonathan & Christine Kuhn Bryn Mawr
Matthew & Verenice Peterson Wynnewood
Michael Luba & Maura Crossen-Luba Bryn Mawr
Ari Wijayanto Bryn Mawr
James McGrath & Daria Babushok Merion Station
Ralph & Jennifer Watts Haverford
Want to know more about BMPC? We invite you to get to know our community better by becoming a part of one of our Discover BMPC classes. Childcare is available for this opportunity to meet our pastors and learn about our denomination, our Reformed tradition, and our sense of Christian ministry. For more information, to register, or to inquire about joining our church on our next New Member Sunday, Oct. 8, contact JaneWilber@bmpc.org.
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Introducing Our New BMPC Logo This is an exciting time in the life of this church! We have new team of pastors, a growing program, a renewed emphasis on evangelism and member engagement, and a broadening intergenerational commitment for mission. We are updating our church logo as visual reminder that a new day is dawning for BMPC. In consultation with the BMPC communications committee and pastoral staff, the decision was made to have a more contemporary logo designed. In addition, each ministry area has a specific color scheme that will be incorporated into printed materials and e-newsletters. Inspired by our soaring and majestic gothic architecture, the three arches illustrate not only the physical features of our campus, but also point to the Triune God who
calls us to a life of worship and service. The new BMPC logo will “officially” be introduced during Rally Day, so make sure you’re there to receive a giveaway with the logo on it.
Gather Us In: 2018 Stewardship Campaign By Rev. Franklyn C. Pottorff
“Here in this place, the new light is streaming; now is the darkness vanished away; see in this space, our fears and our dreamings, brought here to you in the light of this day.” So begins a hymn from our hymnal. "Gather Us In" is an anthem about what happens here, in this particular place, under our slate roofs and gothic arches, illuminated by our stained glass, sheltered by our stone walls. One might think it strange that a hymn title serves as the theme for our 2018 Stewardship Campaign, but perhaps not. As we prepare for another year of faithful response to God, we ponder what it means to be called as God’s people Stewardship 2018 here in this beautiful setting. How do our gifts of time, talents, and treasure contribute to the needs of our physical space and programing, and also extend to the wider work of shared ministry in Jesus’ name? At some point in our lives, we decided to call BMPC “home.” This is our home church, our home congregation, the place we can come to find solace and strength, respite and courage. But it’s also the place where we are challenged to be better than we are, called into deeper
Gather Us In
discipleship, and invited into joyful community. We are quite literally gathered in this place, called by name, and formed as a people for a common purpose. The hymn declares it like this, “We are the young, our lives are a mystery, we are the old, who yearn for your face. We have been sung throughout all of history, called to be light to the whole human race.” Called to be light? To the whole human race? That’s a massive task if I’ve ever heard one! But that seems to be exactly what Jesus is calling us to be. When we give to the life and ministry of this particular place, we don’t just give to keep the physical lights on. We also give to keep our children’s ministry thriving. We give to offer our support to mission endeavors from West Philadelphia to Damascus. We give to honor the gifts of art and music that elevate our hearts and minds. We give so that voices might be called here to share the Good News with us. In short, we give so that the light of Christ can shine a little bit brighter. Our giving is a vital component of our discipleship, because to follow Jesus is in part to offer what we have so that it might be used in unimaginable ways to the glory of God. “Gather us in, and hold us forever; gather us in and make us your own; gather us in, all peoples together, fire of love in our flesh and our bone.” We hope that as we continue to be called by name, and gather in worship in this place, you’ll join us in this act of faithfulness in 2018. 5 MESSENGER | Ordinary Time 2017
Loving as Christ Loves:
Ministries of Care and Compassion By the Rev. Mary Steege
Ask about Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church and you’ll hear about compelling preaching, a fabulous fine arts program, a beautiful campus and a heartfelt commitment to mission. BMPC is home to all of this… and more! We have amazing ministries of care and compassion. These include the Middleton Center for Pastoral Care and Counseling, the parish nurse and social work ministries, the Main Line Adult Center and our deacons.
We anticipate hiring a Parish Nurse by the end of summer. Starting in September, the Parish Nurse will be available after worship one Sunday each month, in addition to usual office and service hours.
The Middleton Counseling Center The Middleton Counseling Center welcomes anyone in need of help and, at one time or another, all of us need help. The center cares for the church community in addition to the community at large. Our pastoral counselors, licensed therapists and spiritual directors offer individual and relationship counseling, facilitate support groups, and offer a variety of programs and spiritual growth opportunities. The center helps people with specific issues, but we also support the lifelong process of personal development and spiritual growth. Many programs are offered free of charge; scholarships and a sliding fee scale make services accessible regardless of ability to pay. Kiki McKendrick, center administrator, is available to take your call, answer questions and connect you with services to meet your need. You may reach her at 610-525-0766.
Parish Nurse We’re also blessed to have the services of a Parish Nurse and a Parish Social Worker. These ministries are designed to help you navigate some of the trickier turns in life. Parish Nursing, also known as Faith Community Nursing, serves as a collaboration between health care systems and local congregations. Parish nurses foster awareness, promote health and address particular health concerns you might have, all in the context of our worshipping congregation. In addition, our nurse makes home visits, will go to appointments with you and can facilitate communication with your health care provider. Can our parish nurse be of help to you? Check out a more complete list of services on the BMPC website. To find this information, type Support and Enrichment in the search bar on the homepage.
Social Work Ministry At times our life situation calls for extra social support and community resources, but we have no idea what services are available or how to access them. We need someone with whom to talk things through. We need someone to sort through options and point us in the right direction, maybe even make that first phone call on our behalf. That’s when you call the church social worker! It’s unusual for a church to have a social worker on staff and for the past 14 years we’ve been blessed with Lorie Benovic. Lorie is retiring, and we celebrate her work among us. Lorie has made countless phone calls and counseled people in person. She has referred members to community social services, including continuing care facilities and in-home care for the ill or elderly. She has delivered prayer shawls, organized flower delivery and kept track of the pastoral care needs of many in our congregation. We give thanks for Lorie’s great heart and years of service and we hope to hire a new social worker to join our caring ministries team in September. Our social work minister will also be available after worship one Sunday a month, observe office and service hours, and is available for consultation by phone. (continued on next page)
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Deacons Along with elders, deacons are one of the two ordained offices in the Presbyterian Church. The role of deacon varies widely from congregation to congregation and may vary at times within a particular congregation, but deacons have always been charged to care for members of Christ’s church. Our deacons are currently refining and reorganizing their service to the congregation. They are members who care for members and their purpose is to convey the love of Christ. Deacons serve, but here’s what they often say about that service: “We get more out of it than we give.” Giving and receiving is a mutual benefit. It connects us with one another, and it builds up the body of Christ. The current moderator for our deacons is Jeff Swarr.
Main Line Adult Day Center BMPC sponsors another unique ministry: the Main Line Adult Day Center, which can be found in the Foerderer House on the Radnor Street side of our campus. The center is a partnership between BMPC and Main Line Health and provides a safe, interactive and supportive daytime environment for adults dealing with cognitive and physical limitations. It provides respite for those who are caring for loved ones at home. Members of our congregation serve on the board and provide volunteer services in addition to others who may benefit directly from services offered. You can learn more at www. bmpc.org or www.mainlineadultdaycenter.org. "Love one another, as I have loved you," Jesus says. It is a commandment, but it’s not the kind of law that restricts or binds us. It’s an approach to life that opens us up, softens the heart and strengthens the family of God. Service done in the name and spirit of Christ brings grace upon grace. Who doesn’t need that?! I’m grateful to be the clergy resource for these caring ministries, and I’m grateful for the varieties of care and compassion that members and friends of BMPC demonstrate on a daily basis.
By the time you read this message, I will likely have retired from my position as Care Manager at BMPC. I leave this ministry after 14 years, with some sadness but take with me many fond memories of you, the members. Your friendliness, willingness to help, faithfulness, concern for others, and love of this church have so impressed me during my tenure here. I will miss seeing you, working side by side with you, and standing by you as you journey through life. It has been my honor to be included in your good times and challenging experiences, life changes and routines, sickness and health, celebrations of birthdays and anniversaries, and lives well lived. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers as I embark on my new life phase and wish you God’s blessings as you continue on yours. - Lorie Benovic 7 MESSENGER | Ordinary Time 2017
Richard Shaull Mission Award
Learn About the Mission and Ministry of the Farm Church By the Rev. Rebecca Kirkpatrick Each year the Worldwide Ministries Council has the opportunity to grant the Richard Shaull Mission Award to a partner organization (sometimes a longtime partner and sometimes a brand-new partner) who is embarking on a new mission venture that witnesses to the work of justice to which we have all been called and that represents the possibility of transformation in individuals, communities and the world. Named after former Parish Associate and renowned Missiologist Richard Shaull, this grant focuses almost entirely on new mission ventures. The 2017 Shaull Award recipient embodies all the above criteria. Farm Church, a new church development in conjunction with the PC(USA)’s 1001 Worshiping Communities movement, is located in Durham, NC. This church focuses solely on leveraging all the resources of a farm to address food insecurity. They began worshiping as a community on May 1, 2016. Here is how they describe their mission and their context: “In our previous congregations, we found that the ‘mission’ of those congregations had spread a mile wide and was only an inch deep. Our mission committees functioned largely as donor banks to so many different causes that we made no meaningful impact on any of them. Farm Church is committed to having one mission and one mission only. We address food insecurity. In Durham County, 18 percent of the population is food insecure, and 20.3 percent of children live in food-insecure homes. The obesity rate in our county is 19 percent. These are some of the factors that drew us to Durham. Through partnerships with non-profits like SEEDS, the Interfaith Food Shuttle, and the Durham Farm and Food Network, we see Farm Church playing a vital role in nurturing a more food-secure community. Additionally, we are able to frontload the values and purpose of Farm Church and attract those whose values our mission furthers. Farm Church will never spend months or years in strategic planning trying to figure out what God is calling us to do. That frees us to remain focused with clarity and creativity on our mission. Finally, Durham is a gritty, diverse, and complicated city. It has the sordid history 8 MESSENGER | Ordinary Time 2017
of being the hub of the tobacco industry in North America. It was also the home of ‘Black Wall Street,’ that is, the center of AfricanAmerican finance and banking a century ago. It is home to two universities (North Carolina Central and Duke); it is home to world-class medical resources (it calls itself the City of Medicine); it is located within the North Carolina Research Triangle, home to countless technology and scientific research companies. Therefore, with a diverse population grounded firmly in research, science, and industry, Durham is a fascinating and hopeful place to start a church, particularly a church that meets on a farm and addresses hunger.” The grant awarded to Farm Church will allow it to take the first steps of capacity-building by acquiring the needed tools and equipment to operate at three separate garden sites throughout the city. This will triple the food production in the next two growing seasons. It will also allow Farm Church to hire and train additional workers to support these new gardens. You are invited to join us on Sunday, Oct. 8 at 11:15 a.m. as we welcome the founding pastors of Farm Church, the Revs. Ben Johnston-Krase and Allen Brimer, when we will hear more about their mission and ministry.
BMPC Welcomes the Rev. Beth Hessel
as our 2017 The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. David B. Watermulder
Theologian-in-Residence
Each year, in honor of the leadership of Rev. Dr. and Mrs. David B. Watermulder, our Adult Education Committee invites a scholar of excellence to share his other work and passion with our greater community. This year, in honor of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, we sought a scholar who would help us understand the roots and values of our Reformed tradition and show us what it means to live and work as Presbyterians today. The Rev. Dr. Beth Hessel, executive director of the Presbyterian Historical Society for more than two years, has brought to that work a renewed vision and appreciation for our Presbyterian heritage in the United States as well as how that heritage can inform the future of the church. “Beth Hessel brings a wonderful combination of a historian and a theologian,” said the Rev. Gradye Parsons, former Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). “She has an engaging enthusiasm that helps people hear what God has done in our past and what God is calling us to do in our future.”
This year’s Theologian-in-Residence lectures will be held on two consecutive Sundays at the end of October in Congregational Hall after our 10:00 a.m. worship, in coinciding with Reformation Sunday at the end of the month. In her first lecture on Oct. 22, Dr. Hessel will share her research into the Presbyterian response to the Japanese Internment during World War II. Specifically, she will tell stories of Presbyterian missionaries who fought for justice for Japanese-Americans. In her second lecture on Oct. 29, she will help us make more historical connections between our theological traditions and the current events of the times in which our theology was shaped. Specifically, we will look together at the creation of the Westminster Confession of Faith, which stood as the sole confessional document for Presbyterians for generations, and then the Confession of 1967 which was shaped in response to the tumultuous events of the 1960s. 9 MESSENGER | Ordinary Time 2017
Day Immersion Program Begins at Broad Street Ministry By the Rev. Rebecca Kirkpatrick
BMPC has been a steady partner with Broad Street Ministry which was founded in 2005 in Center City Philadelphia. Originally conceived as a new church development reaching out to the arts community in Philadelphia, Broad Street shifted its focus over time to address the needs of the too many men and women in our area experiencing homelessness. BMPC continues to support the Broad Street Hospitality Collaborative with funding from both the Outreach Council and Hunger Committee. These contributions support the serving of seven meals a week, management of mail service for more than 3,000 people, a free clothing closet and access to a variety of social services. In 2008 and 2009, BMPC again partnered with Broad Street in creating the Youth Collaborative, a program that welcomes youth and young adults from around the country to give a week of service at Broad Street and other local partners while also learning more about the root causes of poverty and injustice in our communities. Six BMPC Middle School students spent a week there learning and serving together this summer. This year we are delighted to be able to partner again with Broad Street in an impressive way. Building off the success and experience of the Youth Initiative, Broad Street will be expanding their work in the area of public education to launch the Center for Social Engagement. The keystone of the Center will be the development of a Day Immersion program. Here is how they describe it: “The Day Immersion program will be open to groups of all types and ages – faith, secular, corporate, collegiate, youth, adults and intergenerational. These kinds of expanded programs will allow Broad Street to invite our neighbors from all corners of Philadelphia to participate in relational mission activities, to explore the intersectionality of systemic injustice, and to develop strategies for living as invested, civic-minded citizens and disciples.” This spring the BMPC Mission Council (comprised of members from our mission committees and other mission-minded councils) agreed to help us think about partnership in mission and with Broad Street Ministry in a new way. The Mission Council awarded a grant to Broad Street that will help the Center for Social Engagement launch this year, and Broad Street staff committed to 10 MESSENGER | Ordinary Time 2017
walking with and leading our mission committees and mission-minded members through a yearlong “service-based” conversation about how and why we do mission as a congregation. This will give all church members (not just those currently serving on mission committees) the opportunity to participate in a service learning day on site at Broad Street, where we will serve together, worship together and reflect together on what it means to be a church that values and does mission well. The service learning dates are Tuesday, Oct. 24, Saturday, Nov. 4, Saturday, Jan. 27, Saturday, Feb. 24 and Tuesday, March 13. For more information or to sign up for a service learning day at Broad Street, contact CarolSchmidt@bmpc.org.
Farm to Table:
Broad Street Ministry’s Garden Initiative Helps Feed Hungry Philadelphians By the Hunger Committee “God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.’” - Genesis 1:29 As stewards of God’s creation we have many ways to grow and share His bountiful gifts. In a unique collaboration, Broad Street Ministry (BSM), its partner churches including Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation, the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society, and the Presbytery of Philadelphia are working together on BSM’s Garden Initiative. Broad Street Pastor Sammie Evans explains that its mission is to enable BSM congregants to invest in their neighborhoods, to deepen their relationships with one another and with members of other churches, and to grow as disciples who care for the land and for Philadelphia’s most vulnerable people. This spring BSM’s Garden Initiative started a new urban farm at the Carousel House in West Fairmount Park (near the Mann Center and Please Touch Museum/Centennial Hall). The organic garden, which covers several acres in the park, is managed by full-time farmer Kim Cook. Volunteers from BSM, its partner churches, BSM’s summer Youth Initiative, and local youth groups plant, weed and harvest the bounty of the Carousel House Farm. Executive chef Steven Seibel works with BSM’s Garden Committee to plan crops and seasonal menus. Eighty percent of the projected 2,000 pounds of produce harvested is used for nutritious meals at Broad Street, where BSM’s Hospitality Collaborative serves seven meals each week. (More than 76,000 meals were served to nearly 8,000 unduplicated guests in 2016.) The remainder of the harvest is donated to organizations and neighbors in the Parkside section of Philadelphia. No matter your age or gardening experience, you and your family can help grow and harvest nutritious food to serve guests at Broad Street Ministry and for Philadelphians who may not have enough to eat. Beans, beets, carrots, cucumbers, potatoes, scallions, squash, tomatoes, all sorts of greens, apples, figs, peaches, basil and other herbs are just some of the crops grown at BSM’s Carousel House Farm. Gardening gloves and tools are provided. Parking is free and plentiful. Please roll up your sleeves and join us!
Volunteers meet Tuesdays from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Carousel House Farm, 4300 Avenue of the Republic at Belmont Avenue, West Fairmount Park, Philadelphia.
For more information and to volunteer, contact Pam Haynes Walsh, haynes-walsh@comcast.net; Carol Schmidt, CarolSchmidt@bmpc.org; or the Rev. Sammie Evans, Sammie@broadstreetministry.org. 11 MESSENGER | Ordinary Time 2017
Upcoming Events
Cathy Chang, Mission Co-Worker Visit
Sunday, Nov. 5, 11:15 a.m., Witherspoon Parlor The Rev. Cathy Chang is returning to BMPC this fall, discussing her work helping victims of human trafficking. She is currently serving as a Mission Co-worker in the Philippines alongside her husband, Juan Lopez, to address issues related to migration and human trafficking in that part of the world. Cathy and Juan were recipients of the Richard Shaull Award in 2016. Cathy also served as a Lilly Resident at BMPC from 2007 to 2008.
Pastor’s Book Group Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson Wednesday, Nov. 8, 7:00 p.m. Join the Rev. Rebecca Kirkpatrick in a conversation based on this bestselling book that is part memoir and part analysis of a broken criminal justice system. Books are available in the BMPC Book Center for $8. “Bryan Stevenson is one of my personal heroes, perhaps the most inspiring and influential crusader for justice alive today, and Just Mercy is extraordinary. The stories told within these pages hold the potential to transform what we think we mean when we talk about justice.” — Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow
Framing Blitz with Habitat for Humanity Saturday, September 30
8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., BMPC Front Lawn Two-hour shifts available. CarolSchmidt@bmpc.org
Save the date
For 25 years, our Advent Gift Market has provided opportunities to give alternative gifts to help others. Mark your calendars for the kickoff on Sunday, Nov. 19. 12 MESSENGER | Ordinary Time 2017
What a Difference 15 Minutes Makes By the Rev. Rachel Pedersen
Beginning on Rally Day, Sunday School and Youth Gathering will end 15 minutes later, at 11:15 am. Every week teachers and students work hard digging deep into scripture, nurturing faith, and building a strong and caring community. Too often, time constraints mean that we have to favor one aspect of faith formation over another. Do we give time to prayer? Time for students to connect and build community? Do we focus on understanding a Bible passage, or do we focus on what that passage might mean in the 21st century? Our new schedule is one step to ease some of the constraints. What do we see happening in those 15 minutes? Our youth will have time to support both a vibrant worship service and meaningful class discussions. Students will be able to connect with one another as well as having enough time for prayer with and for one another. Parents will have space to leave worship and greet others without rushing to class pickup. Opportunities for music and worship education will be more easily incorporated into the Sunday School curriculum. What will 15 minutes bring to the morning? We can’t wait to see!
Worshipping Together On the first Sunday of every month, our church community has the opportunity to Worship Together with younger members of the congregation. Rather than dividing for Youth Gathering and Sunday School, everyone in fourth grade and up is invited to worship together. This year we will also be inviting our fourth through 12th graders to help with leading worship. While the service itself will not change, we are excited to welcome
youth liturgists and ushers who will assist in worship. During the offering, you will notice fourth and fifth-grade students bringing forward the Sunday School offering each month. Since our confirmation students learn the Apostle’s Creed, students from that class will help lead the Creed on Worship Together Sundays. We look forward to worshipping together and giving our youth more opportunities to assist with leading worship.
Backpack Collection a Success Thanks to the generosity of BMPC members, we collected 70 backpacks for theVillage in Rosemont, along with a large amount of school supplies for the children this organization serves. Programs and services provided by theVillage include child welfare, residential programs, mental health, and prevention services to children and families in Philadelphia and neighboring counties. Summer Sunday School students helped sort the supplies and prepare them for delivery to theVillage. This collection of backpacks and school supplies has been an annual tradition at BMPC for many years, and it is just one example of how our members show their support for children in need. 13 MESSENGER | Ordinary Time 2017
Urban Plunge by Torie Miele
In July, our middle school students took the Urban Plunge into the Youth Initiative program at Broad Street Ministry. We took part in new and different worship services, reflective discussions and experienced many different work sites. We scraped paint from chairs, weeded gardens, picked up trash and sorted food. A highlight of our time was Breaking Bread, the meal served to those in need at Broad Street. We had the opportunity to serve the meal and sit in communion with the guests there. Our teens really enjoyed the stories of the guests and learned to not take their own blessings for granted. Our time at Broad Street was eye-opening and exhausting, but we left with a new fire to make a change in the world and to treat all people equally, just as they are in the eyes of God.
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Mission Trip to New Mexico:
Serving Others with a Spirit of Openness and Joy By David B. Smith, Interim Director of Youth Ministry The 23 members of this year’s high school mission team arrived in Crownpoint, NM, ready for a week of service, worship and fun. We were excited to partner with the staff of Next Step Ministries, an organization that has spent years cultivating a mutually enriching relationship with the Navajo population of the town. Each morning, our team divided into three different work groups and traveled to various locations on the reservation. We worked directly with the people in the community, serving in their homes, celebrating their traditions and building relationships with one another. One crew built a deck; another installed flooring. The third crew finalized a long-term renovation project by sanding and painting the walls of a local family’s home. One of our adult leaders even presented a daylong seminar for healthcare providers which could have a lasting impact on health and human service delivery in the community. It was a joy to worship each night with people from various Christian faith traditions. By opening ourselves to new expressions of faith, we were encouraged to ask honest questions, learn from others, and appreciate anew our unique witness as Presbyterians. From visiting a church built in the shape of a hogan—a traditional dwelling of the Navajo people—to climbing a mountain, daily evening activities always brought a healthy dose of levity to our time together. We ended our week with a day of fun and exploration. After worship on Friday, we headed to Window Rock, Ariz., where we hiked, visited the Navajo Cultural Center, and trekked through a zoo.
It is safe to say our team was simultaneously exhausted and exhilarated when we boarded the plane to begin our journey home. The young people and adult leaders of our church gave us a lot to be proud of as a community of faith. They served with dignity, respect and humility. They approached each challenge with a spirit of openness and joy. They taught me a lot about what it means to follow Jesus out into the world with the kind of vigor and commitment that characterizes lives full of possibility.
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Generation Next:
An Organ Recital Mini-Series This fall, BMPC will welcome two of the greatest rising stars of the organ world to our Sanctuary. On Sunday, Oct. 8 at 2:00 p.m., join us to hear Joshua Stafford, winner of the 2016 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition. At the 2015 Association of Anglican Musicians’ national conference, Stafford’s playing was acclaimed as “technically flawless yet exceptionally nuanced and spontaneous.” You won’t want to miss seeing this talented musician play our magnificent Rieger organ. Then on Sunday, Oct. 15 at 2:00 p.m., we will feature a recital by Dexter Kennedy, winner of the prestigious Grand Prix de Chartres d’Interprétation, 2014. The American Organist praised Kennedy for his “prestigious technique and grand style musicality” and The Iceland Monitor described him as “one of the greatest organists of our times.” Please join us in welcoming these two world-class musicians to Bryn Mawr. A suggested offering of $10 will be received for each performance.
Dexter Kennedy
Joshua Stafford
All Saints’ Sunday
Each year, BMPC observes All Saints’ Sunday by presenting a musical offering of a Requiem during the 10:00 a.m. worship service. A Requiem is mass for the dead, and thus is a fitting worship structure for All Saints’ Sunday, a day on which we honor and give thanks for the members of our community and those in our lives who have passed. On Sunday, Nov. 5, we will continue this tradition with a presentation of Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem sung by the Bryn Mawr Chamber Singers and conducted by Jeffrey Brillhart. The composer himself said the following about his work: “It has been said that my Requiem does not express the fear of death and someone has called it a lullaby of death. But it is thus that I see death: as a happy deliverance, an aspiration towards happiness above, rather than as a painful experience.” We invite you to observe this day with us, in music and in word, with thoughtful reflection and remembrance.
BMPC Staff Singers Recital
A new addition to our concert series this year is the opportunity to hear the staff singers from our Sanctuary Choir featured in their own recital. Accompanied by Jeffrey Brillhart, our singers will be sure to please with a program entitled, “The Art of the Song.” Join us on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2:00 p.m. for the chance to hear how fortunate we are to have them in our midst. Suggested offering: $10.
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Fall Visual Exhibits Showcase 2017 Mission Trips, World War I Songs and Longwood Garden Photos By Bonnie Atwood and Jean Wolf
2017 BMPC Mission Trips September 10 to October 4 In 1888, Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church decided to fund missionary work outside the United States, successfully sending a preacher to Japan and a medical doctor to India. At that time, BMPC became the first Presbyterian church in America to independently fund foreign missions. Since then mission work has been fulfilled both abroad and at home and more recently has involved youth as well as adults. Vibrant photos document the 2017 trips. In February, the Rev. Rebecca Kirkpatrick took six church members to the Middle East to meet with partners and congregations of the National Evangelical Synod of Lebanon and Syria. In each country they reviewed work for refugee education programs accomplished with a BMPC grant. In July, middle schoolers participated in service projects at Philadelphia’s Broad Street Ministry with Torie Miele, Morning Out and Sunday School assistant, and David Smith, Interim Director of youth ministry, traveled with a high school group to the Navajo Reservation in Crownpoint, NM, where they worked on home improvement projects for Native Americans living on the reservation.
Visuals of World War I Songs and Longwood Gardens Photos October 8 to November 5 America’s commitment to World War I in 1917 had multiple influences on American life through the development of the military and ammunition, the loss of loved ones, and nationalistic songs of the jazz age that helped rally the people and troops. Featured will be reprints of selected sheet music from the Library of Congress and recent photographs of Longwood Gardens, the estate developed by ammunition industrialist Pierre S. DuPont from 1915 to 1950. Learn also about Longwood’s newly restored fountain gardens and its Aeolian organ used for an annual International Longwood Garden Organ Competition. Joshua Stafford, competition winner in 2016, opens this exhibit with an organ recital at BMPC on Sunday, Oct. 8 at 2:00 p.m. A reception follows in the Ministries Center, where the public may view the exhibit. 17 MESSENGER | Ordinary Time 2017
BMPC Foundation Investments Support Mission-Related Projects By James Crutchfield and Elena Perri
The Social Impact Center at Roxbury Presbyterian Church in Boston, Mass., serves at-risk youth by providing tutoring and support programs to address post-traumatic stress disorder in urban neighborhoods and to help teens who have lost peers to violence. The opportunity to make a significant impact in the lives of young people may not have been possible without a low-cost loan from the Presbyterian Church Investment and Loan Program (PILP). This program was created by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 1995 to provide low-cost loans to churches within the denomination for capital projects and outreach in its communities. The BMPC Foundation has had a role in this loan project as well. In addition to supporting Roxbury Presbyterian, BMPC Foundation investments have helped the Presbyterian Church of Saint Albans in Saint Albans, N.Y., with their renovation projects. “When we fund a church loan, it's really our investors who are providing the funds for these capital projects that are supporting the growth of mission and ministry of the churches,” said Clare Lewis, vice president of sales and marketing at PILP. “There are no other fees associated with the loan, so it enables the churches to put as much of their money back into ministry and mission rather than spending it on debt financing.”
PILP is just one of the organizations the BMPC Foundation has been investing in since 2001. At that time, Session approved the allocation of 10 percent of “unrestricted” Foundation funds to be invested in mission-related vehicles “that serve the ends of justice and peace.” These committed investments total more than $750,000 in four organizations, including PILP, Oikocredit, the Reinvestment Fund and Community First Fund. For information about these organizations, see box at bottom of the page. Supporting mission and outreach has been central to the life and faith of Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church from the time our congregation was organized in 1873. In 1888, BMPC became the first church in the denomination to solely support the work of foreign missionaries. Special funds were raised in 1892 to send Dr. Wanless to establish the Miraj Medical Center in India which still serves people in that country. This is just one example of how BMPC has expressed its faith throughout the world for more than 140 years. This important work is accomplished through our annual stewardship campaign and the BMPC Foundation. The Foundation has 12 individual funds supporting mission activities, with a total investment of $5 million. Our church is truly blessed by the many individuals who have made the Foundation mission support possible.
The BMPC Foundation has committed investments of more than $750,000 in four organizations. Below is information about the work these organizations do locally and around the world. Oikocredit provides credit/microloans to low-income individuals and communities across the world. The lending network provides a social and financial return while fighting poverty and promoting fair trade. Oikocredit has more than $1 billion invested mostly in Latin America, Asia and Africa. The Reinvestment Fund is a Philadelphia-based national leader in financing low-income neighborhood revitalization in the Mid-Atlantic region. TRF provided loans and professional planning support over totaling $300 million in 2016. Revitalization projects included affordable housing and providing accessible fresh food, Pre-K opportunity, charter school support and community health.
The Presbyterian Church Investment and Loan Program was created by The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to offer low-cost loans to churches within the denomination for capital projects. The fund currently has provided over $80 million in loans to churches across the United States. Community First Fund is a private, independent non-profit Community Development Financial Institution in Pennsylvania whose mission is to help low wealth communities and individuals, especially people of color and women, by financing projects that benefit low to moderate income communities. They seek to create positive change in a community by providing entrepreneurs with access to business development loans for projects that generate jobs, create affordable housing and help to revitalize communities.
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Community Forum: Hagerty Presents Life Reimagined Barbara Bradley Hagerty will discuss her latest work, Life Reimagined, at BMPC on Mon., Oct. 16 at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. In this Community Forumsponsored event, she will provide a frank and informed discussion of life and the science of thriving in the second half of life, geared for people of all ages as well as those approaching their 40s, 50s and beyond. Her presentation is a dynamic and inspiring exploration of the new science that is redrawing the future for the better — and for good! In Life Reimagined, she advocates taking time to renegotiate one’s purpose, refocus relationships, and transform the way one thinks about self and the world. Drawing from emerging information in neurology, psychology, biology, genetics, and sociology — as well as her own story of transformation — Hagerty redraws the map people have been following and plots a new course forward in understanding our health, our relationships, even our futures. There’s no such thing as an inevitable midlife crisis, Hagerty writes in this provocative, hopeful book; it’s a myth, an illusion. New scientific research explodes the fable that it is a time when things start to go downhill for everybody. In fact, midlife can be a great new adventure when you can embrace fresh possibilities, purposes, and pleasures. Following her first job at The Christian Science Monitor and a one-year Knight Fellowship at Yale Law School, Hagerty switched focus toward the religion beat at National Public Radio (NPR) and reported on the intersection of faith and politics, law, science, and
culture. In 2005, a Templeton-Cambridge Fellowship experience, questioning world-class scientists and theologians at Cambridge Universit, is summarized in her work, Fingerprints of God, which delves into the emerging science of spirituality. A book signing in the Ministries Center will follow Hagerty's presentation.
Wednesday Night Dinners Resume on Sept. 13 Join us for fellowship and freshingredient meals catered by Chef Ruth on Wednesdays from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in Congregational Hall (food served until 6:45 p.m.) Reservations aren’t needed. Cost is $8 for adults and $5 for children/ students. Menus are available via a link on our www.bmpc.org homepage under “Announcements.”
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The Messenger Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church 625 Montgomery Avenue Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 610-525-2821 The Messenger (USPS #341840) Volume #119, Issue #4, is published quarterly by the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church. Periodical postage paid at Southeastern, Pennsylvania and additional offices. Postmaster: Send Address Changes To The Messenger Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church 625 Montgomery Avenue Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
Save the Dates
• Sept. 10: Sunday School begins; Rally Day Festivities • Sept. 13: Wednesday Dinners Resume, 5:30-7:00 p.m. Children and Youth Choir Rehearsals begin • Sept. 17: Installation Service for the Rev. Mary Steege and the Rev. Franklyn C. Pottorff, 4:00 p.m. • Sept. 30: Day of Service: Habitat for Humanity Framing Blitz • Oct. 1: Blessing of the Animals, 4:00 p.m. • Oct. 16: Community Forum – Barbara Bradley Hagerty, 7:00 p.m.
Rally Day Sunday, September 10, 11:00 a.m., Front Lawn (rain location: Ministries Center)
Join us as we kick off a new season in ministry! Our celebration will include picnic food, entertainment, face painting, fall program information from our ministry areas, and fellowship for all ages. All welcome; bring a friend!
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