the Messenger

Madison Square
Presbyterian Church

In This Issue

 Nomination for Elders and Deacon

Roley Lectures

Pre-Crossan Event

Post-Crossan Event

Roley Invites New Members

Vacation Bible School

Presbyterian Cluster Habitat for Humanity Spring 2007 House Build

Adult Education

Childrens News

Youth News

Child Development Center

on Stage at Madison Square

MSQPC Book Group

Conference on Restorative Justice

May Birthdays

Important Dates

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

5:30 p.m. Bible Study
6:00 Dinner
6:30 Bell Choir Practice
7:00 MSPC Writers Group
7:15 p.m. Choir Practice

SUNDAY, May 6, 2007

Sunday School, 9:30 a.m.
Worship 10:50 a.m.
Deacons Meeting – after worship

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

 Dorcas Sewing Circle 9 a.m.
Art Series 12:05 a.m.
Rebecca/Sarah Circle 1 p.m.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007
5:30 p.m. Bible Study
6:30 Dinner
6:30 Bell Choir Practice
7:00 p.m. Pre-Crossan Event- call the church office for reservations
7:15 p.m. Choir Practice

Friday, May 11, 2007

ROLEY LECTURE SERIES
7:30 p.m. St. Marks Episcopal Church – free and open to the public

Saturday, May 12, 2007

ROLEY LECTURE SERIES
8:00 a.m. –3:30 p.m. at Madison Square – call the office to register

SUNDAY, May 13, 2007

Sunday School, 9:30 a.m.
Worship 10:50 a.m.
Youth Meet After Church – 12-3 p.m.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

5:30 p.m. Bible Study
6:30 Dinner
6:30 Bell Choir Practice
7:00 p.m. Post-Crossan Event- call the church office for reservations
CHOIR PARTY – No Practice at the Church

SUNDAY, May 20, 2007

Sunday School, 9:30 a.m.
Worship 10:50 a.m.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

6:30- 10:00 p.m. - Kids Night Out!
 

SUNDAY, May 27, 2007
PENTECOST
Sunday School, 9:30 a.m.
Worship 10:50 a.m.
Church Lunch and Auction – A Youth Mission Trip Fundraiser

Monday, May 28, 2007

Memorial Day – office closed.

the Messenger is the monthly newsletter of Madison Square Presbyterian Church.  Please email your announcements to be published, questions, and comments to: church@msqpc.org

Deadline for publication in the newsletter is the 25th of each month.

Nominations for Elder and Deacon

The Nominating Committee of MSPC is looking for grace-filled members to serve as Elders or Deacons. To find out more about the work of our Elders and Deacons go to our website and click on Who Are We and then on Leadership, or click here click here to go to the site.

Your help is needed. Who do you feel would a make a good Elder or Deacon? Please let us know whom you would like to se in this position and a little about why, 226.6254 or church@msqpc.org.

Roley Lectures - Register Now

John Dominic Crossan
“GOD AND EMPIRE: JESUS AGAINST ROME, THEN AND NOW”
MAY 11 - 12, 2007
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
Register now on line at www.faithandreason.org
or
call 210-226-6254

FRIDAY MAY 11 – Free and Open to Public
(St. Marks Episcopal Church; 315 East Pecan St.; San Antonio):
7:00 pm - “Civilization & Violence”

SATURDAY MAY 12 - $35 per person Registration Required
(Madison Square Presbyterian Church; 319 Camden St.; San Antonio)
9:00 am - 10:30 am – “Bible & Violence”
11:00 am – 12:30 pm – “Jesus & Violence”
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm – “Apocalypse & Violence”

Scholarships Available – call 210-226-6254 for more information

Lunch Available for additional $7 – call 210-226-6254

Register now on line at www.faithandreason.org
or call 210-226-6254
or email church@msqpc.org
A FAITHandREASON® Seminar
presented by
THE D. L. DYKES, JR. FOUNDATION
and
THE ROLEY LECTURE SERIES
MADISON SQUARE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
San Antonio, Texas

BOOK SALES
Crossan's new book God and Empire will be available for purchase on May 11 and 12. You can reserve a copy by phoning the Madison Square church office (210-226-6254). Selected titles of Crossan's other works will also be available on Saturday. All proceeds from the sale of the books will benefit the Roley Lecture Endowment.

CHILDCARE
Childcare will be available during the seminars on Saturday, May 12, at Madison Square. Please notify the church office (210-226-6254) if you plan to use this service.

Pre-Crossan Event

Wednesday, May 9, at 7:30 p.m.
Pre-lecture gathering at Madison Square Presbyterian Church, 319 Camden, with Jane Patterson and John Lewis, co-directors of The Work+Shop.

Patterson and Lewis write, "In his new book and lectures, John Dominic Crossan addresses Jesus and the early Christian movement within the historical matrix of first century Judaism and the Roman Empire. He emphasizes that Jesus sets the Kingdom of God and its ways of persuasion and attraction (i.e., non-violence) over against “this world” as manifest most fully in the “Kingdom of Rome” that is built and maintained through the use of violence. He argues that Rome was the expression, no more and no less, of the “normalcy of civilization’s violence” that actually builds empires. Crossan then challenges contemporary Christians in America to consider whether the Christian Bible ambiguously depicts divine power as both violent and nonviolent at various times and whether this ambiguity contributes to whether “Bible-fed Christian violence [is] supporting or even instigating our imperial violence as the New Roman Empire.”

In this gathering Jane and John will prepare those attending the Crossan lectures by providing an overview of Crossan’s scholarship in this are and suggesting things to listen for during the course of his talks.

Light supper is available before the gathering at 6:30 p.m. ($4/adults; $3/children).

Childcare is available.
Please notify the church office at 210-226-6254 if you plan to use either of these options.

Post-Crossan Event

In a post-lecture gathering at Madison Square Presbyterian Church at 7:30 p.m. on May 16, Patterson and Lewis will review the substance of Crossan’s presentations and seek to discern with those attending how we might individually and collectively respond to the challenges Crossan places before our Christian discipleship. Again, supper and childcare are available. Please phone for reservations.

ROLEY COMMITTEE INVITES NEW MEMBERS

Have you been enthusiastic about the Roley Lectureships and pleased about the opportunity to hear nationally recognized speakers as well as providing this opportunity to the greater San Antonio community? Would you like to participate in the work of the Roley Committee?

The committee meets irregularly. Major tasks include (1) decision making with regard to use of funds and to invitations to speakers, and (2)logistics related to the actual events--registration, hospitality, ushering, transportation for speaker. We're in the process of getting ready for another collaboration with the Dykes Foundation, bringing John Dominic Crossan to San Antonio May 11-12.

Youth Fundraiser Lunch and Auction

Sunday, May 27 – after Worship
The Youth of Madison Square are raising money so that they can go to Costa Rica on a mission trip.
Stay after worship for a fun afternoon of food, music and auction.

Vacation Bible School

Presbyterian Cluster Habitat for Humanity Spring 2007 House Build

Habitat Build Shifts:
8am-1pm
12 Noon - 4pm
8am - 4pm

MSqPC BUILD DATES
May 12 – Saturday

If you are interested in signing up to work on the house, please email Suzy Gray at SportyKid0728@yahoo.com

NOTES:
•Volunteers are expected to work the entire shift they commit to working.
•All tools are provided. Lunch and beverages are provided to volunteers on any of the shifts who are on site when it is served...around 11:45am usually.
•Wear comfortable clothes, no open toe shoes.
•If the weather is bad, assume we ARE working. Call the Habitat Weather line to verify: 223-5203, Ext. 184…on the morning you are scheduled to volunteer.
Directions to the site and the Release Form will be provided to those who sign up.

MSqPC Food Service Date: May 12 – Saturday
We are looking for volunteers to help supply lunch on May 12th for the Habitat House workers. A list of the items we need is provided below, please note that the Health Department requires that all food items be individually wrapped to comply with the city health code. Also, we need a couple of people to help gather and deliver the lunch. Our contact numbers are provided below. Please contact one of us if you are interested in helping.

Susan Scales
sail@grandecom.net
210. 691-2184

Patti Trevino
ptrevino@swisd.net
210.683.5580

Paula Bondurant
ebondurant@sbcglobal.net
736-6632

Items Needed:
· Sandwiches or sandwich fixings
· Fruit (Apples, Oranges, Bananas)
· Individually wrapped snacks (chips, energy bars, brownies, cookies etc.)
· Plates
· Napkins
· Plastic wrap
· Sandwich bags
· Water
· Gatorade
· Soft drinks
· Ice
· Ice chest
· Money (so we can purchase the items we need)

Adult Education at Madison Square

DVD Series: Bill Moyers on Faith and Reason
Are fear and violence the inevitable consequence of clashing beliefs, or is a more tolerant world possible? Bill Moyers on Faith and Reason explores this question with leading thinkers on the relationships between religious fundamentalism and democracy, equality, and human rights. Bill Moyers talked with writers from around the world about Faith & Reason. His guests include Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood, Martin Amis, Colin McGinn, and more.

Children's News

Kid’s Night Out
Saturday, May 26
6:30 – 10:00 p.m.

Take the night off on us! Children are invited to join us at the church for a fun night of play. Dinner is included.

Youth News

Youth Group Meeting
Sunday, May 13 – after Church till 3p.m.
We will work on our fundraiser set for the end of the month. Call Pastor Kenny, 378-6042, or email – kennyd@msqpc.org

Sunday, May 27 - Youth Fundraiser Lunch and Auction
Calling all youth and parents to join us to prepare lunch, entertainment and auction items.

on stage at Madison Square

Tuesday, May 8, 2007
12:05 p.m.

Madison Square Presbyterian Church
319 Camden, San Antonio TX 78215
(210) 226-6254 or www.msqpc.org

Lunch will be available after the performance—$5 per person

Upcoming Events:
June 12: Dr. Edwin Rieke—organist, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church

ON STAGE AT MADISON SQUARE is supported in part by a grant from the Music Performance Fund.

Greetings from Madison Square Child Development Center

Finally it’s spring!! The birds and butterflies are on the move. The days grow longer and there’s more time for outdoor play. The children center continues to grow. With a full center and a waitlist for all age groups we are on the go.
Activities we participated in April:

National Crime Victim’s Right Week – celebrated Friday 13th at San Pedro Park and
Week of the Young Child- April 23-27 – had fun activities all week.

We want to congratulate Cynthia Flores, lead teacher in the young two’s classroom for completing her 20th year working at the children’s center. She is a wonderful dedicated teacher with lots of patience and love for the children. Once she enters her classroom the children draw to her like a magnet. They greet her with hugs and kisses, calling out her name “Indy”, their version of Cynthia. She is just one of our many special teachers here at our children’s center. Thank you for your continued support and prayers. God Bless from all of us at the children’s center.
Olga

MSPC Book Group

Book Group Reading List for 2007
May 4: Intuition, Allegra Goodman
Hosting: Jerry Correu

June 1: Pretty Birds: A Novel, Scott Simon
Hosting: Jo McIver

Sept. 7: Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, D. K. Goodwin
Hosting: Richard McLean

Oct. 5: My Name Is Red, Orhan Pamuk
Hosting: Thelma Nungesser

Nov. 2: Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides
Hosting: Katsy Murphy

Dec. 7: A Spot of Bother, Mark Haddon
Hosting: Betty Lynn Allen

National Conference on Restorative Justice
Schreiner University, Kerrville, Texas
June 24-27, 2007

 http://www.restorativejusticenow.org/

You are invited to be part of a groundbreaking national conference on restorative justice to convene on Sunday June 24, 2007, and to conclude by noon on Wednesday June 27, 2007.

 The conference will feature workshops and panel discussions led by social service providers, researchers and educators, political leaders, judges, faith community organizers, correctional system officials, as well as first-person accounts from the victims of crime and rehabilitated former offenders.

Each day major keynote addresses will provide energy and vision to all participants. 

Keynote speakers will include some of the foremost names in the restorative justice community, people with both national and international followings.  Howard Zehr, Elaine Enns, Ched Myers, Mark Umbreit, Gordon Bazemore, Kay Pranis, Leigh Garrett, Mike Dooley, Justice Janine Geske and other presenters will join together to call for community action and renewal.

The host site for the conference is Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas, about 80 minutes from the San Antonio International Airport in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, a location which provides for on-site lodging, meals, convocation and meeting space, and amenities for recreation and relaxation.  A free shuttle service to and from the San Antonio International Airport will be provided; simply notify us of your travel itinerary and we'll get you to and from the conference.

Registration Options

Participants may register for single events, day and half-day passes, an all access pass designed for commuting to and from the conference, or an all conference pass which includes all meals and housing on the Schreiner University campus.  On-site housing is limited to the first 150 registrants.  There are two beds to a room; a private bathroom is shared between two rooms.

Early-bird conference rates may be obtained through February 15, 2007.

David Bailey in Concert

Sunday, May 20
Oak Hills Presbyterian Church
6739 Callaghan Road
7 p.m. Concert
5:30 p.m. Dinner

The son of Presbyterian missionaries, David spent his childhood in Beirut, Lebanon.  He learned his first chords in 7th grade, went on to study classical guitar then started writing his own songs. The Lebanese civil war forced him to complete his secondary education at a boarding school in Germany where he spent weekends as a street musician and also formed a small ensemble that toured throughout Central Europe.  In college, he played extensively in an original acoustic duo, but then put his guitar away and entered corporate America. 

Ten years later, doctors told David he had a malignant brain tumor and would be dead in a few months. David left his corporate job and returned to his first love of songwriting and performing.  Since then, he has shared his hope and music with thousands of listeners: Ten years, 14 albums, & 43 states later, David and his music are alive and well---challenging all of us to live passionately and treasure the beauty of each new day.

David’s story has been featured on CBS News/48 Hours, 60 Minutes, Fox/Health, Family Health channel, and NPR; articles about him have appeared in newspapers and magazines across the country. While spending most of his time in his own niche of church and medical venues, he does step out into more traditional music venues:  In May 2003, he won the prestigious Kerrville New Folk songwriting competition and has shared the stage with many others. Alone with his audiences is where David finds his greatest joy: from Beirut to Budapest, from Pittsburgh to Portland, and on countless  stages in between, he has inspired and entertained thousands of listeners.

Tickets $5 in advance and $7 at the door;
Dinner tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Advance tickets are required for dinner.

May Birthdays at Madison Square

1
2
3 – Chris Steven Wisecup
4 – Rebekah Frank
5
6 – Jeff Schroeder
       Chris Hammet
       Roger Morales
7
8
9 – Margaret Erickson
       Lea Anne Wendtlandt
10 – Jae Lytle
        Jeanne Townsend
11
12
13 – Diep Lytle
         Kelsey Robinson
14 – Lucy Coffey
         Karen Urban
15 – Ruby Williamson
16 – Austin Robinson
17
18
19 – Veronica Hernandez
20 – Debbie Horn
21 – Julia Wilson
22
23 – Shelby Hilliard
24 – Betty Lynn Allen
25 – Kathy Jamison
26 – Andrew Hilliard
27 – Susie White
        Joan Mitchell
28 – Cameron Daake
29
30 – Verde Martin