Filed under: -- Athletics
Zumba – to move fast and have fun – and that’s exactly what happens when women gather in Crossroads Auditorium to enjoy fitness and fellowship.
Zumba has created not only excitement about achieving long term physical benefits but an opportunity to invite family and friends into the facilities of MPC and open the door into children, youth and worship involvement.
Instructors, Natalie Farmer and Hillary Novak, sisters by birth and friends by choice, say they are, “passionate about women helping women,” and have created an atmosphere of caring about one another. Free child care is provided. The 20-30 children enjoy the facilities of MPC and the fun with each other.
From the very first week about 70-80 women per class have attended, ranging in age from 10 to 80. Crossroads Auditorium is filled with high energy as they move to a combination of fast and slow rhythms that tone and strengthen the body through aerobic fitness routines, creating an exciting workout that is great for the mind, body and soul!
MPC-goers have used this as an opportunity to invite family and friends to attend. Johnna Barnard, Director of Resource Development at Dove Harbor, has invited several women and comments, “It is an easy, fun, and excellent exercise and a less intimidating way to bring friends into the atmosphere of the church.” She shares, “One family came to church the next Sunday and has not missed a Sunday since and the kids have become involved in the children and youth ministries.” Several other families have visited MPC worship as a direct result of being introduced through this unique health and fitness program.
The class is offered Tuesday and Thursdays at 5:30pm and Saturdays at 9:00am. Each one hour class burns between 700-900 calories. Ten percent of the $5.00 fee benefits various causes, such as Haiti relief and Komen Race for the Cure.
Natalie and Hillary deeply feel that, “It’s an opportunity for women to achieve health and fitness, an open door for women to feel comfortable and loved and families to feel welcome and involved at MPC.” One MPC fitness seeker said, “I’ve been here from the beginning and didn’t want to miss a minute – it’s overrun with fun.”
Filed under: -- Outreach and Missions
Above and Beyond Expectations
MPC’s annual Missions/Faith Promise Celebration engages individuals in a venture of faith, promising to God what we cannot see in order to support missions locally and around the world. Faith Promise funds support missions outreach in our local Anderson area, throughout the United States to Native American outreach and in the world with special projects targeted in India, Russia, Haiti and Africa.
Even when looking for God to work the results often come as a great surprise. Sue Ellis visited MPC, with relatives Carolyn Speedy and Chris Schnaitteron, on 2009 Faith Promise Sunday. Living on a fixed income with limited resources she still felt compelled to make a pledge. When she returned home to Oklahoma there was a letter in the mail informing her of an increase in her widow’s pension. Totally unexpected, the year’s increase equaled what she had pledged—in faith. She sent her check to MPC in support of missions around the world.
Faith Promise money comes in a variety of unexpected and unique ways as people begin looking at income through God’s vision of possibilities. Debbi and Dan Schoger bought a headboard, dresser and chest at a second hand store. As they were cleaning the dresser, they found an envelope on the bottom of a drawer. Opening it, they found a large sum of money. Debbi said “In astonishment we looked at each other and exclaimed together, ‘The exact amount of our Faith Promise pledge!’” After checking with the place of purchase, who declared the money theirs, they made the check out and gave it to missions. Later they were cleaning out the chest and found another envelope under some paper. In astonishment, they counted out the amount of money they had paid for the bedroom set. They testify, “God provides—above and beyond our expectations.”
The annual missions celebration shares the big picture of what God is doing around the globe and a glimpse of how God wants His people to engage with the world for the sake of those who don’t yet know him. Anticipate what God could do throughout the year by exercising your love and faith in Him.
For more information on outreach and mission, contact Jeff Matas, Senior Associate Pastor.
A Forever Home
by Doug Linville, Director, The Miriam Project
November is National Adoption Awareness month and we, at the Miriam Project, would like to share a little of our history and ministry focus with you.
Madison Park Church of God established The Miriam Project in response to the need for adoptive services in Madison and surrounding Counties. Remarkably, after the church’s senior pastor, Jim Lyon, publicly shared his story of adoption, many people, inspired by his experience began to explore the possibility of participating in an adoption. The Miriam Project was licensed by the state of Indiana in 1999.
The Miriam Project is named after the sister of Moses who looked after him while he was placed in a basket on the Nile River. (Exodus 2:1-10) We know that God’s divine intervention lead to Moses being placed in Pharaoh’s home. It was from this home that Moses received the necessary world view, training, education, political and social connections to understand and complete the purpose placed on his life from heaven.
If you think about, is that not true for you as well? That God desires to use your life experiences so that you will understand your purpose and then take action for the expansion and glory of God’s kingdom.
We pray that God will intervene in the adoption process and guide the process so that the child is placed in the right home. We pray this for every child and parent that we work with, that a specific child is called by God to be placed in a specific home based on the purpose given by God on that child’s life. I share the story of Miriam and Moses to every family that we meet and relate God’s divine protection and call to action as it relates to their situation.
Since the inception of the Miriam Project in 1999 we have worked with over 120 families by completing home studies and reports for the court. We have helped more than 45 birth families by providing emotional, financial and spiritual support. We have had the privilege of placing 80 children in faith based homes from both domestic and international adoptions. The Miriam Project is a member of the Indiana Adoption Agencies United group. IAAU membership is by invitation only and it speaks to our commitment to all three parts of the adoption process; child, birth family and the adoptive family. Adoption is not for the faint of heart. It is not easy for a family to decide that it is best for the child to be placed with another family. The truth is that this mom, dad, grandparent loves the child and they will always love the child. Some people say that they could never “give up a child”. That is not what we do in adoption. No child is “given up” or “given away” or “adopted out”. The child is never unloved or deserted. The birth family is placing their precious child into the arms of a family that they trust. They are creating a life plan that the waiting family has prepared to take on.
Adoption is not for the faint of heart for the waiting families either. It is a vulnerable position to put yourself into when you decide to adopt a child. In domestic adoptions, the birth family often selects the family. To put your heart, your hopes and your dreams in the hands of another is more than a little scary.
Currently in Indiana there are hundreds of children that need a forever home. Currently in Madison and surrounding counties there are women who are pregnant and not sure what to do. It is not easy to step out and take the risk. What can you do? If you know of anyone in this situation, please have them contact us at the Miriam Project by email or phone 765 640-1580. Be supportive in the language that you use. Pray for protection of the unborn children. Pray that the birth families will seek out safe people to talk to. Pray for the waiting families that their hearts will be protected as they go through the process. Pray for the staff of the Miriam Project as we seek to guide children and families together.
As we go out into the community and share our ministry, please know that we are ambassadors of and for Madison Park Church of God. It is a privilege to represent Jesus Christ through the body of the Madison Park Church. I pray that you will understand the significant impact you are providing for this community by your continued support of the Miriam Project. We thank you and families thank you as well.
