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Capital Campaign
Children & Youth
Mission Study
COMMITTEE & GROUP REGISTRY FORM
MPC Committees & Coordinators list by area of interest |
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Montclair Presbyterian Church is blessed with strong and vital lay leadership. We come from many walks of life and with different educations, talents, and abilities. Our committee structure is broad and reflects the diverse interests and commitments this church family has both for its own well-being and our concern for and responsibility to our local community and world. Please read and learn more about us and see if there is a place you might like to participate or form a new group to fulfill needs unmet. Come and visit, come and share in our spirited life together.
ADULT EDUCATION We offer classes to the church family covering such topics as the Bible and theology, spiritual and personal growth, cultural and social concerns. We also offer classes just for fun, ranging from ballroom dancing and dream interpretation to yoga and a trip to the zoo. Sloan White, Chairperson
CAPITAL FUNDS GIVING PROGRAM COMMITTEE
When the Capital Funds drive for the retrofitted sanctuary started, our congregation decided to hold 10% of the funds raised, as a tithe, to be given away to help others. This tithe was approved by
Session, and became a part of the information in the capital funds drive literature. Decisions about how to give and where to give have been deferred until now! In keeping with church by-laws and
covenants, an ad-hoc committee on Giving has been created to guide the MPC family in how to give this tithe. This committee will be working with MPC social justice committees and with the congregation
develop a program for giving.
CELEBRATION COMMITTEE The Celebration Committee works with the minister and music staff to help plan our Sunday morning service, and special Lenten and Advent activities. We arrange for baptisms, monthly communion services, and invite lay leadership participation. We encourage the use of visual and performing arts to enhance the worship experience at MPC. Shelley Kelly, Chairperson
The Drama Committee We select plays and drama pieces for performance at our church and assist in creating special dramatic presentations for Sunday celebrations and festivals. Volunteers are always welcome. Don Poulton, Chairperson
ECO-STEWARDSThis is our deciding time. As a community, we are called to live and act on our faith as never before. Eco-Stewards provide information on and creative responses to a variety of critical local and global environmental concerns. We cooperate with other committees to strengthen the church's impact. We look for opportunities to bond with other ecological and religious groups. We seek to broaden our understanding of the complexity of our relationship with our planet. We seek to grow our understanding of our world. We believe that by doing this, we will build ways to prosper and live peaceably on this Earth. David Blake, Chairperson
EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN & YOUTH We coordinate ongoing and special programs for children and youth including Sunday morning classes (Godly Play) for preschool through grade 6, nursery for infants and toddlers, and Sunday evening junior/senior high youth group. We offer Godly Play training for our teachers and welcome adults and teens from throughout the church to teach and assist on Sunday mornings. We collaborate with other committees to include children in music and drama, to integrate children and adults in a variety of activities, to offer support/education regarding parenting concerns, and to make sure that child care is available for all meetings and events. We work to welcome and integrate new families into the life of the church. The committee meets approximately six times a year and is a particularly good place for new church members with children to connect with the church. Cindy Gullikson, Chairperson
FAMILY LIFE COMMITTEE Family
Life seeks to build the community of MPC, both in times of joy and
times of sadness. While many committees help move us toward this
purpose, Family Life seeks specifically to support and build our church
family through programs such as Companions, Helping Hands, Extended
Families and Family Hour, and various events and celebrations. In
the upcoming church year, we will focus specifically on ways to expand
the sense of community both within and between the generations. Carrie McKiernan, Chairperson
PEACEMAKERS Our work is to empower the church family to grapple with basic issues of peace, justice and security. To that end, we create special educational events for deeper reflection on such issues and work on behalf of viable alternatives. For example, we have focused on such issues as the Palestinian-Israeli crisis when we sold Palestinian olive oil to help the people economically and to educate about the reality there. Our Adult Education course on the teachings of non-violent masters such a Jesus, Gandhi and Martin Luther King led us to want to learn to apply these principles in our own lives as well as to contribute to a shift in consciousness on the planet. Hence our training in the ENGAGE Program with Pace e Bene, a Franciscan group of dedicated, spiritually oriented leaders who themselves manifest the non-violent approach to living. As we deepen our understanding and our skills in the area of peacemaking, we advocate non-violent action relevant to our concerns. We also network and cooperate with other denominational and peacemaking groups such as the SF Presbytery Peacemaking Taskforce, the American Friends Service Committee and the Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center, of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Walnut Creek. Mary Smith and Jean Mudge, Co-Chairpersons
Poets and Storytellers In 1997, a "Writing Your Life Story" Adult Education class evoked strong interest and subsequent classes involving nearly 100 participants. A committee was formed in October, 1998, to initiate and expand other writing activities. The intention is to provide opportunities for all members. Our objective is to facilitate a variety of writing activities with continuity and focus. We encourage the sharing of experiences through the Life Story classes, Open Mike nights, and the Monday writing group. We also present an annual Works in Progress program and publish an anthology of collected original writings by members and friends. Sharon Noteboom, Chairperson
THE RECONCILIATION COMMITTEE In March 2007 Session appointed a Reconciliation Committee to look for ways to address the unresolved feelings and issues that arose within our church family over the previous year as a result of staffing changes and the building renovation. A copy of the committee's April report to Session that describes the team's work and summarizes recommendations from a consultant, Kristen Gardner, hired this year to help us move forward, is available for download here (80K PDF). A letter from Kristen to the church family is included.
Dot Cudaback
THE FINANCE COMMITTEE The Finance Committee prepares and presents the annual budget to Session and reports quarterly on the financial condition of the Church. Committee members share in doing financial and accounting tasks throughout the year. Al Peters, Interim Chairperson
SPIRITUAL ACTIVISTS We are an outgrowth of the 2005 Conference of the Network of Spiritual Progressives and we support this national interfaith organization's vision for a new society. Our central goal is to change our culture of materialism and violence to one of generosity, compassion and cooperation. We sponsor events and classes and promote political advocacy to bring about public policy changes. We believe that to heal and transform our world, we must work from a larger framework of meaning and purpose, with spiritual consciousness undergirding our efforts. Barbara Peters, Chairperson
STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE This small committee oversees the annual pledging of financial support by members and friends of the church. Jeanne Dunn and Barbara Vaughn, Co-Chairpersons
The Art Gang The Art Gang has three goals: to do art, to teach and learn, and to evaluate/ consult/ resource the church on visual arts concerns. Add to these, nurturing the artist in all of us, supporting church family endeavors, and addressing a need for play, re-creation, relaxation, insight and community. Gregg Schwinn and Jan VanderVeer, Co-Chairpersons
The Community Action Committee We support local organizations that make a difference in our community, provide impartial election/voting information to the congregation, and sponsor speakers. TBA, Chairperson
The GLOBAL CONCERNS COMMITTEEWe work to support local, church sponsored efforts in Asia, Africa, and Art Paull, Chairperson
THE MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE We create programs to welcome newcomers to our church family and supervise programs to prepare those interested in exploring formal membership. We help facilitate involvement within the church family for new members and provide a welcoming, inviting presence at Sunday celebrations and events. Cynthia Blumgart and Bill Neely, Co-Chairpersons
THE MPC CHOIR The choir with music is to enhance the musical life of the congregation. Together, we make friends and we make wonderful music. Our repertoire is diverse, from classical to contemporary, as well as music from other cultures. We are people of varying musical abilities who love to sing and be part of the worship experience of MPC. Together we learn and grow and let our spirits soar. There are no auditions for our choir, just invitations and lots of fun and support. We welcome you and are waiting for you to join us. Brandon Adams, Choir Director and Marcia Roy, Associate in Music and Organist
MORE LIGHT COMMITTEE More Light Presbyterians is a national movement, working to make the Presbyterian Church more inclusive, affirming and welcoming to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons. MPC declared itself a More Light church in 1987, and the More Light Committee was established in 1997 to promote these goals. We schedule speakers, organize events, offer educational programs and attend national conferences. MPC proudly flies the rainbow flag as a symbol of our welcome. Lori Kendall, Chairperson
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