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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 11 AM, our Sunday School classes for children and adults at 9:30 AM, and we welcome you here as well.
Pastor Mark Greiner will be going on sabbatical this summer, from May 20 to August 25, 2013. The theme of the sabbatical will be "The Bread of Life", the aims of which include:
There is a special page on our website which gives more details on the sabbitical period, including a sabbatical calendar and links to a brochure and a sabbatical reading list.
Takoma Park's own TV show, "We Are Takoma", interviewed our pastor, the Rev. Mark Greiner, about our community kitchen. The segment is about 5 minutes long, and it starts at the 16:10 mark at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDJq5PCDAoo#t=16m10s.
The Session has initiated efforts to develop a new strategic plan for the church. This to guide future decisions about our congregational mission, ministry and staffing needs, stewardship of the church buildings, and overall financial well-being. Everyone's input is valued and will be sought as the plan is developed.
The exact timing and scheduling of events is still to be determined.
The joint Search Committee of Christ Congregational Church and TPPC has begun advertising for a new three-quarter time Youth Director.
We are seeking a creative and inspirational leader to help two thriving and progressive churches develop a combined youth ministry that brings our youth and supporting adults to the "next level" of inner faith development, community involvement, and spiritual activism. This is a unique opportunity for a person of faith to serve a new community that is growing out of already existing and vibrant teen groups at two distinct congregations in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.
The Director of Youth Ministry will develop and implement a cooperative youth ministry between Christ Congregational Church -- United Church of Christ, Silver Spring, MD (CCC) and Takoma Park Presbyterian Church, Takoma Park, MD (TPPC).
Ordained and lay persons will be considered for this "non-called" position.
At CCC and TPPC, we honor and celebrate people of all races, cultures, ages, abilities, sexual orientations and gender.
A full job description is available on the CCC website
Please keep the Search Committee in your prayers.
A trip to Jiñocuao by the youth and adults of TPPC is now planned for June 20-26. The trip is a priceless experience of staying with families and learning about life in rural Nicaragua, with a strong emphasis on faith, family and culture. Their community dreams of expanding their school and we are looking at ways to help them.
Here is a list of items needed for the school:
If you can buy any of these things, please email the committee at jinocuao@takomaparkpc.org and bring them to church on June 16.
More information is available on the Jiñocuao page.
Please join our church community for our annual camping trip, which will be Saturday, June 29 and Sunday, June 30. We will gather at Camp Schmitt in Slanesville, WV (about 2 ¼ hours from Takoma Park) June 29 about 1pm, and leave in the afternoon of Sunday, June 30. Camp Schmitt has a lovely lake with kayaks, canoes, rowboats, and a zipline. Other optional activities include archery, campfire s'mores, and a nature-based church service on Sunday morning.
We need gleaners to help on the second Tuesday of the month. Kids are especially welcome. We meet at 1:45 p.m, in front of the clock at the Takoma Park Farmers Market. Please bring along some garbage-size plastic bags and boxes.
We will ask vendors for any extra food they are able to donate to Shepherds Table. We generally fill the trunk of a station wagon with fruits, lots of vegetables and bread. We deliver the food to Shepherds Table kitchen. Their chef turns it into delicious meals for over 100 people.
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.
Pastor Mark Greiner recently shared a statement with the congregation reitterating the church's support for our Boy Scout troop and its inclusive policy. The statement appears on our news page, along with a letter approved by Session (PDF) sharing this policy with senior Boy Scout leaders.
A recent op-ed in the New York Times contains quotes from an elder of our church as well as Rev. Mark Greiner.
Pastor Greiner invites you to join him in weekly mediation. You are welcome to come for sitting and walking meditation for 45 minutes. Discussion follows on a book about meditation; currently we are reading Pema Chodron's Comfortable with Uncertainty. The group is lead by the Still Water Mindfulness Practice Center, whose mission is to nurture all who wish to practice Mindfulness. Thich Nhat Hanh, a widely-known Vietnamese Buddhist monk, author and activist, is the key inspiration for this group.
For more information see the website; http://www.stillwatermpc.org/ or call Pastor Greiner at 301-270-5550.
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
Fax : 301-270-8405
email : office@takomaparkpc.org
Rev. Mark Greiner, Pastor
Una Kettering, Office Administrator
Dr. James Bingham, Director of Music
Wilbert Glover, Building Manager.
Julie Rosenkrans, Children's Worship and Music Director
Webmaster : Brian C. Monsell