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"One Member’s Viewpoint"When I heard that Mendon Church might be developing a Web page, all of a sudden my head was filled with ideas . . . What would a visitor who was looking for a "church home" on the Web be interested in? And what could I tell people about my experiences with MPC over the last two years that might make them want to "come check us out"? First of all, there’s really a sense of family at the MPC (That’s our short hand for "Mendon Presbyterian Church", by the way). From my first visit on, I was made to feel welcome by a number of people. Two years later, I feel that I have several "big sisters", I know which kids belong to which parents, and I’ve made a number of friends. It’s pleasant to be part of a smaller church were members of the congregation can really get to know one another! In my opinion, it’s a genuinely friendly place. Pastor David Smith’s preaching style makes the Bible really come alive for me. He makes God’s Word truly relevant to life in the ‘90’s, and he does this with insight, humor, and caring. The pastor’s sermons start with the basics but branch off into interesting tangents. I always get lots to think about and try to apply to my "faith journey" as a Christian who’s trying to grow spiritually. Music has always been an important part of church for me. The music at MPC is an intriguing blend of old favorites and more modern music, with a gorgeous old pipe organ now complemented by a new electronic gizmo [ed.: electronic organ]. The choir isn’t large, but it’s really good, and there are man talented soloists who share their gifts. The special time for sharing prayer concerns was new to me, especially hearing how readily others shared family problems, or discussed personal losses or joys. During the past year it became one of my favorite parts of the worship service. Not only did I come to feel safe to give voice to my concerns, I felt that sharing them in church out loud was really "being gathered in His Name." Now I have a sense of somehow multiplying the "power of prayer" by sharing prayer concerns aloud. This prayer time, too, is a way to get to know others in the church, by supporting them in prayer, and being supported in turn. I decided early on to join a committee to get more involved in the work of the church. I found it to be a very diverse and stimulating group in which we provide service to the church, and have fun at the same time! Children are an important part of Mendon Church. Before I even visited MPC I found out through phone conversation with the pastor that there was a summer program in place for the kids called "Sunday FunDay" (another church I went to had no summer program for the kids). In addition to a well-organized and interesting Sunday School program, my two children and I have been involved in MPC’s "Sunday FunDay", and two Vacation Bible Schools. The first "VBS" was called "Under the Storytelling Tree", and was about Jesus’ Parables. Last summer’s was inspired by "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and a Christian musical called "The Dreamer." Both were lively one-week programs, including storytelling, music, dance, and crafts in addition to Bible study. From my observations, the adult volunteers may have enjoyed VBS just as much as the kids . . . it was sort of like being back at summer camp! The interplay between the pastor, the music staff, the choir, and the congregation is informal, and fun! I mentioned once to a friend that I’ve never been in a church where there was so much laughter. In my opinion, that’s one of Mendon Presbyterian’s strong points!
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