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Thus begins the current mission statement of Takoma Park Presbyterian Church (TPPC). We are a small, but active church in Takoma Park, Maryland working for social justice from Silver Spring to Jinocuao, Nicaragua.
Our church is known as "a church for all people" because our congregation is made up of people of many races, cultures, occupations, ages, and sexual orientations.
A summary of what we learned from our listening campaign appears below:
We as a church community yearn to:
Be shaped and changed by God
Engage our children and youth in church life
Address inequalities in our local and global
communities
Care for our environment
Deepen our connections to each other
We welcome all to join our worship on Sunday at at 11 AM, and we welcome you here as well.
Rev. Jim Reisner joined Takoma Park Presbyterian Church as our new interim pastor on October 2, 2017.
Rev. Reisner hails from Westminster Presbyterian Church in Albany, New York, where he was pastor for 15 years.
During his time there, the church opened its doors to immigrant neighbors from West Africa and
eventually created partnerships with congregations in Tema, Ghana.
More information on Rev. Reisner is available on this website.
Rev. Reisner joined us for worship on October 1, and his first Sunday as interim pastor was Oct. 8.
For a preview of this week's service, access TPPC's Worship page.
The Christian Education Committee proposes to re-vitalize the adult Sunday School hour (~9:30-10:45 AM Sunday, in the Parlor; 4th Sunday 12:30 PM in Sanctuary).
This new Adult Sunday School will start next Sunday, March 4th with an hour devoted to getting to know each other better (Relationships).
For more information and details on the themes for the new Adult Education classes, access the Adult Education article on the TPPC Christian Education page.
TPPC has a history of participating in Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD2018). This year's theme is A World Uprooted: Responding to Migrants, Refugees and Displaced People.
Ecumenical Advocacy Days 2018 will focus on the uprootedness of our world, an will analyze current policy and envision ways to more fully and justly respond to the global and local needs of displaced communities. Through prayer, worship, advocacy training, and networking, EAD2018 seeks policy changes that advance hope and overcome the devastating impacts of conflict, climate change and corruption on God’s people.
Registration (via EventBrite) is available now. For more information, access the EAD2018 website; a conference brochure is also available.
Throughout the interim process, it is important that we, as the TPPC community,
take time to connect with one another so that we might discern together what God is calling us to.
Therefore,
you are invited to dinner!
Dine with Nine is a meal-table program and all members of the congregation are invited. From the youngest among us to the oldest, from the best cook to the best eater, you are invited to attend a meal with nine or so other TPPCer's to break bread and share your reflections on our life together as a church.
Over the course of the interim process, there will be 3 formal opportunities to Dine with Nine –
the first round of meals taking place here at the outset.
By August (or September at the latest),
it is hoped that all of you will have attended at least 1 Dine with Nine event.
Rev. JC will be at all of them - she hopes you're all good cooks!. Additionally, at least 1 or 2 active session members will also attend to take notes/capture your reflections so that your voice will be heard and considered as we move through the transitional process.
If you're interested in attending, or for more information, please email JC at revjc@takomaparkpc.org.
What: Church's ministry of gleaning at the Takoma Park Farmer's Market: Leviticus 23:22 "When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the LORD your God."
Who: Volunteers from TPPC gather on the second Sunday of each month, year-round. We need volunteers! This is a family-friendly activity that takes less than two hours. At least two adults with two cars are needed each time we glean. More is great! Children are most welcome to assist; the farmers love them.
Why: To assist Shepherd's Table, a local non-profit, whose mission is to "provide help to people who are homeless or in need by providing basic services, including meals, social services, medical support, clothing, and other assistance in an effective and compassionate manner." (See http://shepherdstable.org/)
Where: We meet at the Clock Tower in Takoma Park at the intersection of Carroll and Laurel Avenues at the Farmer's Market. Bring new paper yard waste bags and boxes (Costco is a great source - and you don't have to be a member).
When: Approximately 1:40 pm to start offering boxes and bags to farmers; we go back and collect them just before and after 2:00 pm when the market officially closes. Some farmers will give early, whereas others will wait until after 2:00 pm. All are expecting you. Folks from different churches volunteer every Sunday. Our dates are: June 14, July 12, Aug 9, Sept 13, Oct 11, Nov 8, and Dec 13 for 2015.
Then what? After we gather all the food by 2:15 or so, we load it into two cars (suggest volunteers park at either end of the market) and take to Shepherd's Table. There, Scotty, their cook, warmly accepts it and will be happy to give you a tour of the kitchen where he turns out meals for up to 150 people a week. You're usually finished by 3:15 pm at the latest.
P.S. Attention high school youth: You can get two hours of volunteer service for each time you participate. Scotty will sign your form.
Jashemski Scholarships provide financial assistance for students of outstanding intellectual ability as evidenced by prior academic performance, and significant religious commitment as evidenced by formal membership in a religious body, regular participation in its worship life, and active involvement in its service ministry.
Recipients will be students (17-25 years of age) who:
More information can be found on the Jashemski Memorial Scholarship Fund page. Applications are due February 15 each year.
TPPC has a virtual bookstore, hosted by Cokesbury.com for TPPC.
You can access the virtual bookstore by clicking on the
"Virtual Bookstore" graphic to the right of this text.
Vistors to our virtual bookstore will be able to order books from Cokesbury.com at a discount, with a percentage of qualifying sales going to support TPPC.
Takoma Park Presbyterian Church
310 Tulip Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912
Phone : 301-270-5550
email : office@takomaparkpc.org
. The Rev. Jim Reisner,
Interim Pastor
Una Kettering,
Office Administrator
Dr. James Bingham, Director of Music
Gary Cardillo, Building Manager