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Weekly E-News November 13, 2013

PASTOR'S CORNER

Columbia Theological Seminary has adopted a new focus on "imaginative and resilient leadership" in the church. I think that anybody who has been at Memorial Drive Presbyterian over the last three years could probably teach a class on what this looks like in the church.

Imagination, when I think of imagination:

Seeing beyond what is right in front of us;
Opening our hearts and minds to new ways of doing things;
Partnering with people of like hearts and minds to accomplish even more than we can on our own.

Resilience is about finding adaptive solutions to adaptive problems. "Who is going to paint the hall? What color will they paint it?" These are technical questions that require technical answers. Adaptive problems are, "Where is God calling us as a church? How will we live into this calling?" Technical questions are easy to answer and we don't need to spend a lot of time on them. Adaptive questions require us to come together as the body of Christ and to discern God's movement among us. Let us all make a commitment to serve with "imagination and resilience" and lead Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church into the future that God has prepared for us.

Amen,

George

READINGS

lectionary Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Sunday, November 17, 2013, the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Please see the link to the calendar:

MDPC Calendar

Pledge Envelopes

Please bring in your 2014 pledge cards and time and talent sheets if you have not already done so. Thank you.

JOINT ELDER TRAINING

Please reserve Saturday November 16th from 8:30 am until 12 noon for a joint Elder Training.

North Decatur Presbyterian will host Elders from Memorial Drive, NDPC, Church of the New Covenant, Columbia Presbyterian and Emory Presbyterian. We will cover broadly our roles as Elders in leading the church in this time of transition.

Breakfast and lunch are included.

IRC THANKSGIVING FEAST

Celebrate with us on Saturday, November 16, 2013 from 3 pm to 5 pm at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, located at 5140 Memorial Drive in Stone Mountain. The Thanksgiving Feast will be full of food, music, performances, children's activities, and lots of fun. Come meet new people, cultivate new friendships within the community, and help the IRC in Atlanta give refugees a warm welcome to the United States.

If you would like to RSVP, or for more information on Thanksgiving Feast, please contact Jessica Seales at Jessica.Seales@Rescue.org or call 678-636-8928.

I hope that you will make a special effort to come and enjoy the day with IRC, refugees, and people who are passionate about serving others in our community. The food and entertainment are provided, so we need to show up and provide some Memorial Drive hospitality!

P.W. THANK OFFERING - NOVEMBER 17, 2013

Special P.W. Thank Offering - Presbyterian Women, in March of 2013, approved grants totaling $705,544 from the 2012 Thank Offering of P.W. Thirty six projects were chosen - 27 national and 9 international. Thank Offering Gifts help find real solutions for projects related to health, education, economic development, and needs of women and children.

Ecumenical

Annual Thanksgiving Worship and Potluck with St. Timothy and Rock of Ages

Saturday, November 23rd, 2013 from 5pm to 7pm

Last year we moved our joint worship into the Fellowship Hall of Rock of Ages and celebrated Thanksgiving with a pot luck and live music. It was such a success that Ellynda, Randy, and I agreed that we should continue this outwardly focused service.

Randy has volunteered Rock of Ages to provide a cooked meat for the main course. Each of us needs to bring a covered dish, salad, or dessert that will serve at least 12 people and join with us as we worship and fellowship with each other and the community.

If you have a favorite dish please feel free to bring it. If you don't have a favorite dish then bring a dish according to the first letter of your last name:

A-J Bring a soup or salad (vegetable, fruit, jello).

K-R Bring a cooked vegetable or casserole dish

S-Z Bring a dessert

This event gives us an opportunity to share our faith and gifts with our partnership churches and people in the community who are un-churched.

Please contact Dil and let her know that you are coming.

MDPCCP THANKSGIVING PROGRAM

The annual MDPCCP Thanksgiving program will take place on November 22 at 11:00am in the church Sanctuary. Following the program you are invited to a Thanksgiving luncheon. Reservations for the luncheon can be made through the school office 404-296-1783.

SOUL JOURNERS STUDIO

Soul Journers Studio is offering a new group/class Art for Insight. Please come and join us as we explore a new way to hear and honor our wisdom. Call Sandra Tate at 404 455 8530 for more information.