MPC Teens “Spread The Word”
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From the streets of Anderson to the rubble in Haiti, MPC youth have been the hands and feet of Jesus, reaching out beyond the walls of Madison Park Church to touch the world.
Months of planning and fundraising culminated in 14 days of ministry and mission for 37 Senior High teens and leaders. Groups split up and served different areas, both local and long-distance.
A local team worked for the Christian Center in Anderson, cleaning, landscape and helping the organization to reach some long-range goals. A different team of 30 traveled to Florida and worked in an outreach project in Titusville. They painted, cleaned and landscaped – and even washed a dog – for two needy families. The group also witnessed on the beach then later helped the New Venture Community Church throw a block party to create a warm (100 degree) welcome for more than 900 neighbors. MPC youth joined the other 5,000 youth and leaders in Project Orlando and packaged 60,000 Baggie meals to be shipped to Haiti.
One MPC student reflected, “The New Venture youth group displayed a raw enthusiasm for God that was contagious. We learned from each other, and became one undivided team. Five different church youth groups came together in one common vision and purpose. That experience reached into the deep crevices of our lives and has caused a change we bring back home to MPC.”
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Eric Reeder, MPC Senior High Ministries Pastor, shared, “It’s impossible to put into words ‘life change’. God has been at work through the STW (Spread The Word) project and the International Youth Convention (IYC) theme of Love: God, Yourself, Others, the World to make a life-changing impact on our students.”
Another MPC teen said, “I have been waiting for a confirmation of my call to ministry I felt over a year ago. It came during one of the moving services at IYC.”
Still another explained, “It is such a blessing to be able to serve together – even traveling for 20 straight hours coming home was a blessing.”
A High School football athlete testified, “I committed to living 24-7 so that everyone I am around can see my life is set apart for Jesus. I am going to be baptized here at MPC along with 5 or 6 other students as a statement of my commitment.”
Pastor Eric concluded, “What really matters is the future. Specific ministry, specific vision for the future of what God is calling MPC Youth Ministry to do in our community. When we live daily for God, receiving God’s love and loving him back – then we can love ourselves, others and the world.”
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.
Outreach and Mission at MPC
Relationships are the key to resources and work
For over thirty years MPC’s strong missions emphasis has engaged individuals to support financially and relationally with needs in Anderson and around the globe. Recently, at the home of Pastor Lyon, a group of people who have been engaged in MPC’s outreach and mission program met to celebrate all the good that’s happened in the past and strategize about how to best maximize our congregation’s impact for the good beyond our front doors in 2010 and beyond.
The church’s intentional decision to focus on specific areas of outreach that build relationships and transcend personalities has been the catalyst in projects around the globe. In the 1990’s the church body voted to focus on three areas of outreach; India, Russia and Haiti. Funds provided a fifty bed hospital in India, purchased the first Church of God property in Russia, and a medical facility in Haiti. People give monetarily because of relationships. Even when money is tight MPC is still committed to relationships.
MPC’s local outreach through Dove Harbor and Miriam Project provides programs and relationships not otherwise available in Madison County. MPC provides the building and maintenance as well as operating funds provided through the church budget.
MPC was one of the founding churches for Operation Love, a relief agency that provides for people in need in our local community. MPC-goers have the opportunity to provide canned goods and food throughout the year and many work as volunteers and build relationships at Operation Love.
Pastor Lyon shares, “There is much to celebrate; God has done so much good through the people of MPC. There’s much to which we can also look forward; the doors are open wide with exciting new opportunities.”
Many MPC-goers have answered a call to specific ministries and are giving their life in helping and building relationships in areas such as New York City, Native American ministries in Wounded Knee, Honduras, Africa and Indonesia. MPC-goers are building relationships with these ministries through work camps and individual financial support.
Pastor Lyon emphasizes that, “Each one of us is important. Relationships matter–and they are the key to resources and everything else. Your relationship in the mission reach of Madison Park Church is highly valued. Know that you are respected, needed, and treasured. We are unwavering in the focus to maintain and expand our commitments in Outreach and Mission.”
If you are interested in becoming personally involved with an Embassy team (Local, India, Russia, Haiti) email Pastor Jim Lyon or Jackie Corn, Administrative Assistant, Outreach and Missions). Let us know where you see yourself fitting into the Outreach and Missions at MPC.
