Women's Summer Soul TendingWednesdays in July, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
700-B Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park (behind Ace Hardware)
From Exile to Belonging: Join with other women to honestly explore the challenges we have in belonging and being known, and believing that we are truly God's. Evenings will include dessert, teaching, small groups, prayer practices and friendship. Childcare is available with advanced registration ($5/child). More information and a link to registration at mppc.org. For more information, contact Marcia Davis-Cannon, Marcia@CultivatingPurpose.com. For help with registration, contact Stacie Glaspey, sglaspey@mppc.org.
On Sunday, June 12, our services featured songs by Matt Redman. One of Matt's most poignant songs, "The Heart of Worship," was born from a period of apathy within Matt’s home church, in Watford, England, as the congregation was wrestling with the meaning of "worship".
“There was a dynamic missing, so the pastor did a pretty brave thing,” he recalls. “He decided to get rid of the sound system and band for a season, and we gathered together with just our voices. His point was that we’d lost our way in worship, and the way to get back to the heart would be to strip everything away.” During this time the pastor asked the congregation to consider the question, “When you come through the doors on a Sunday, what are you bringing as your offering to God?”
Matt says the question initially led to some embarrassing silence, but eventually people broke into a cappella songs and heartfelt prayers, encountering God in a fresh way. “Before long, we reintroduced the musicians and sound system, as we’d gained a new perspective that worship is all about Jesus, and He commands a response in the depths of our souls no matter what the circumstance and setting. 'The Heart of Worship' simply describes what occurred.”
May each of our hearts ever increasingly embrace what Matt's congregation re-discovered as described in the song: "I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about You, Jesus."
Story adapted from an article at crosswalk.com. Learn more and listen to samples of Matt Redman's music at mattredman.com.
Watch this space for our next artist highlight, as we spend some time on Sunday, June 26, looking behind the music of Chris Tomlin.
This Week:
Headed home on Friday, June 17
Our short term mission team from Open Door Church Mountain View is finishing up a week of ministry! Please continue to pray for them and ask God for a His protection and safe travel as they make their way home to be re-united with us!
For more information about the place the team has been ministering, check out the Agua Viva Ministries website.
School Shoes for Kids in Addis AbabaIn order for children in Ethiopia to be able to go to school they must have a pair of shoes. Unfortunately this is an expense that most families in the community of Addis Ababa, where MPPC has sent several short term mission teams, cannot afford. The good news is that we can do something about that!
This Sunday is the last week of collection, so be sure to bring any shoes you wish to contribute to church this Sunday! Contact Nancy Rosa, nkrosa@comcast.net.
Check out the the informational video on YouTube to see photos of the Addis Ababa community and the faces of some of the children who will be impacted by this project!
This Month:
Vantage Point: Unrest in the Middle East
Sunday, June 26, 12:15 p.m.
Menlo Park: 950 Santa Cruz Avenue, Garden Court
Four MPPC Members in Mission will share their first hand experiences living in strategic locations in the Middle East. Light lunch is included ($5 donation).
Future topics: Human Trafficking; Update from Haiti; and The Education Situation on the Peninsula.
Contact Bennie Ingraham, 650.323.8619, bingraham@mppc.org.
Coming Soon:
Vacation Bible School - REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! Program: Monday-Friday, July 25-29, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
* Must be 3 years old by Monday, July 25 and fully potty trained.
**Entering 5th grade in the fall. Those entering 6th grade in the fall are encouraged to volunteer.Register your child online - and consider inviting a friend! Contact Angelyn Knab, aknab@mppc.org.
Help Make Vacation Bible School a Reality!
If you'd like an opportunity to build into our kids as well as reaching out to kids in our community, we're excited to invite you to join the VBS volunteer crew! Whether you can join us for the whole week, part of the week — or would prefer to help behind the scenes in your spare time, we’ve got a place for you!
Your involvement can be as simple as baking cookies for the volunteer break room, or as central as leading a crew of kids throughout the week. More information about volunteer opportunities is available via our online VBS Volunteer Form. A paper version of this form is also available at church on Sundays. Contact Angelyn Knab, aknab@mppc.org.
Signs of Hope Camp - Register to Volunteer!
Camp Dates: August 14-19
Redwood Camp, Mount Hermon
Camp Dates: August 14-19
Redwood Camp, Mount Hermon
Our local Service Outreach Team would like to invite you to prayerfully consider making a difference in the life of a foster child. Help One Child's "Signs of Hope Camp" (at Mount Hermon, August 14-19) would not be possible without the generous support of the MPPC Mission Department and you! Counselors, Carnival Volunteers and Day Helpers are needed. Help One Child can provide you with several different opportunities to minister to the 1,100 foster children in our region and to the families who have devoted their lives to helping them heal. Contact Jill Sandy at 650.917.1210, jill@helponechild.org.
For more information about the organization sponsoring this ministry opportunity, check out the Help One Child video on YouTube! (Watch for the faces of a few of our own Open Door Church Mountain View community!)
Crown Financial Bible Study
Wednesdays in July and August, 6:45-8:30 p.m.
At a private home in Redwood City
Spend a part of your summer discovering how to manage your personal finances in a God-honoring way. The study group will meet in a Redwood City home on Wednesday evenings in July and August, from 6:45 pm – 8:30 p.m. For details contact Bill Teter, 408.245.7447, teterfam@comcast.net.
For one-on-one free and confidential Crown budget coaching, attend the class or contact Larry Higbey, 650.799.2725, lhigbey@sbcglobal.net.
Ongoing:
Open Door Church Mountain View Fan Page
Stephen MinistryAre you feeling down? If you are overwhelmed by the pain of a broken relationship, loss of a loved one, negative medical news, or any other crisis or difficult situation in your life, Stephen Ministry can help! Request a Stephen Minister today. Confidential hotline: 650.330.7516, stephenministry@mppc.org.
Support Japan Relief Efforts
As you know, an 8.9 magnitude earthquake on Friday, March 11, caused severe damage in Japan and triggered a powerful tsunami as well as nuclear hazards.Please join us in praying for the people affected by this disaster and for their safety and recovery efforts.
We have learned that MPPC's Members in Mission who were in Sendai, Japan, are safe. We are in touch with our mission and ministry contacts in Japan and we are looking into how we can help.
To contribute to this effort, you can send a check to MPPC with "Japan" on the memo line. Watch mppc.org/japan for updates.
