Dear friends at Madison Park Church of God: Warm greetings from Indian Gospel League! As a result of your donation of a Life Center, a matching gift was given by the Patmos Foundation to build an additional Life Center for Pastor T.A. Paul. We thought you might enjoy the dedication report and pictures.
Pastor T. A. Paul shared the following during the dedication service: Today is one of the best days of my ministry. God heard our prayers and enabled us to see this day to glorify Him in this beautiful church. More.

MPC’s annual production of A Christmas Carol—with this year’s interpretation of the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future — still stirs the imagination and soul of each who attends. The Charles Dickins' classic tale of a bitter spirit transformed by love and redemption is a Christmas tradition worth celebrating and proclaiming. This year’s production was a blessing to many: More.

MPC reached beyond its walls with a wide range of opportunities to impact the community with the spirit of giving and love at Christmas. The events require hundreds of hours in planning and preparation by volunteers and staff. Holiday Giving Opportunities are offered by MPC beginning in October and the response and results are powerful! Although too many to list, check out some of the highlights: More.

by Jeanette MacMillan
In the fall of 2007, we sat riveted in our seats as Pastor Jim Lyon delivered a series of sermons entitled “Dreams Work.” Through this series, churchgoers were asked to prayerfully consider a financial gift; however, we were also asked to seek a dream through which our “unique gifts” could bless the ministries at Madison Park Church of God.
Later Pastor Lyon wrote in the “Dreams Work” brochure: “Sometimes dreams, though, are best described as words. Ideas, phrases, imprints of language seared into the soul, but remembered as text.” More.

An colorful assortment of 100 handmade hats helped fill the Christmas Shoe boxes with a personal touch. The Creative Christian Crafters (CCC) have found a way to “Do Something” for the community and the world through their talent and passion.
In 2003 Deloris Wolford prayed the prayer of Jabez, “enlarge my territory,” and found a world of opportunities for her passion of knitting. More.

When Rudy Brewbaker heard Wycliffe Bible Translator missionaries speak at church, she felt called to someday be involved as a volunteer. She assumed it would be state-side at JAARS, a support organization for Wycliffe, in North Carolina. Her second assumption was that this would happen upon retirement at age 65, but it was then she adopted Olga, a 12-year old orphan from Russia. Rudy was a stay-at-home mom until Olga moved into an apartment as a college freshman. That was when God tapped on her shoulder to remind her, “Don’t forget about JAARS.” More.

Ron Smith (photo, right) serves faithfully as MPC Head Usher, coordinating the varied responsibilities in the worship services each Sunday. In order to meet the ongoing responsibilities, Bob Graves (photo left) will join Ron to serve as Co-Head Usher. Bob has served on the ushering team helping receive the offerings, greeting worshipers and helping them locate seats and meet special needs, distribute communion and assist with the response stations at the close of worship. Their objective will be to seamlessly provide coordination of the ushering team and responsibilities. Become a part of the Ushering Team, contact Ron Smith at (765) 621-2464 or Bob Graves at (765) 649-8673.

Ways to get involved in Dove Harbor are as unique and varied as the people and organization that connect. From providing birthday parties and gifts, hosting a pool party, spending time playing with the children, and mentoring to providing skills, etiquette, or around the building maintenance and repairs, meals and monetary donations, Dove Harbor needs connect to individual’s talents, skills and circumstances. More.

Enthusiastic volunteers wearing bright yellow t-shirts can be seen all around Anderson as the second year of DO Something Anderson! is in full swing.

Hundreds of volunteers from MPC and the Anderson community are tackling work projects designated by the City of Anderson. Many of the projects have not been able to be done, due to a shortage of government funds. More.

by Linda Teeple, Missions Team Member
Remember when you were a kid, moping around because you had nothing to do, and your Mom said, “Go do SOMETHING!” Now days, you may think that there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish all that is on your “to do” list. Even so, it’s amazing what busy people can accomplish together with snatches of time and willing hearts. More.

Forrest Wallace has been a familiar face for years as folks enter the doors of Madison Park Church. Having served as the Front Door Coordinator since the new MPC facilities opened over four years ago, Forrest has coordinated the various aspects of making MPC a friendly, serving, welcoming church to enter.

"He has been invaluable - a behind-the-scenes guy who serves in so many ways and never wants acknowledged." shares Shelly Stottlemyer, MPC Director of Front Door Ministries. "He hasn’t just worked with Front Door Ministries but has touched every ministry at Madison Park with his knowledge and willingness to go the extra mile. I love forest and June Wallace, what they stand for: faith, integrity, community, reliability and a servant's heart."

On Sunday, Sept 11 Forest is passing the baton to Mickey Foley who will fill this vital ministry at MPC. Thank you, Forrest, for your endless hours of service!

by: Linda Teeple, Member of MPC Missions Team
Could we interest you in an exotic vacation? An ideal way to experience another country is by immersing yourself in the culture. MPC is sending a mission team to Honduras October 23-30 and you’re invited.
Your destination is a remarkable ministry, Heart to Honduras, located in Canchais, a village perched on the steep slopes of a mountain along the Canchias River. You will arrive after dark—and awaken to the awe-inspiring beauty of a tropical cloud forest. More.

If MPC students are faced with the “What did you do on summer break?” essay prompt this fall, several will have answers that will surprise their teachers. Students were offered more summer ministry experiences than ever, spanning the world from Indiana to Russia. They have served in ministry and mission, learning and growing, giving and receiving. Details and stories would fill pages and pages of a theme book; here are just a few highlights: More.

On August 16, 2009, Bruce and Karen Roberts pulled into the driveway of their new home. Two days later, their sixth grandchild was born. It was the beginning of a new era in their lives.
Nine years earlier Karen and Bruce, a retired chemist for Procter and Gamble had moved from Cincinnati, Ohio to Colorado where they enjoyed living out their retirement dream - hiking, biking, fishing, camping, skiing, snow shoeing, four-wheel driving, and enjoying endless days of sunshine and blue skies from their mountain home just north of Colorado Springs. More.

Parades, water fun, good food, a boat, exciting friends. . .sounds like a great place to be! And you can find it all and more at North Kids and the Learning Station, MPC’s two family oriented childcare facilities.
The MPC Learning Station opened early in the spring of 2011 and is growing both in numbers and facilities. The large hole in the back of the MPC campus has drawn both attention and questions. More.

by Eric Reeder, Senior High Student Ministries Pastor
On June 30, thirty-three students and leaders from Madison Park and East Side Church of God will be traveling together to Chelyabinsk, Russia for a life-changing mission trip experience! The group of thirty-three will be joined by seven more youth leaders from our National Youth Ministry Team and will visit Chelyabinsk to conduct an English camp, see the dedication of the youth center café, and continue to plant seeds of the gospel in this city. More.

Madison Park Church extends hearty congratulations to all our graduates. High School graduates will be recognized on Sunday, June 6 in both services in the Main Auditorium. Below are several MPC-goers who will be "turning the tassel" this summer. More: Graduates and Pictures.

For roughly 20 years, women have found refreshment through in-depth study of God’s word and connecting with other women at RefresHer. The weekly Tuesday morning group, which meets from September through April, has had as many as 200 women gathering to learn how to better apply scripture to their daily lives.
Becky Rosenberg has served as leader of the group for the past eight years. “I have really enjoyed working with many different women who have been so supportive and helpful,” Becky says. “They have truly been a blessing.” More.

The Commons was electrified as hundreds of local teenagers converged for the Silver Ring Thing Event at MPC on Wednesday night, March 16. Sponsored by the Madison County Youth Ministry Network, the high-tech, high-energy performance seeks to educate students and twenty-something’s about the benefits of remaining abstinent until marriage. More.

Each year during Holy Week, Madison Park observes Maundy Thursday, a special service to celebrate the Last Supper. This year, the service will be held on Thursday, April 21 at 6:30pm in The Commons and will consist of music, a message from Pastor Jim Lyon, and communion at the tables. After the gathering, participants will be dismissed with the option of staying for a footwashing service. “
But why wash feet? More.

The miles between Anderson and Florida virtually disappear as technology brings a small group together. The Monday AM Men’s Bible Study group meets every week at 6:00am at Panera Bread for fellowship, Bible study and prayer. It’s a commitment to exploring, growing, learning, friendships and blessings that Mike Flowers did not to miss while he was in Florida during the winter. More.

An update on the Church of God disaster relief plan for Japan gives opportunity for Madison Park Church to respond in prayer and monetary donations.
In anticipation of the urgent need for funding to assist in the relief and recovery effort in Japan following the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami, the Disaster Relief Committee of Church of God Ministries has established a disaster relief fund for Japan. Churches and individuals can now make donations in support of the relief effort that will help to alleviate the suffering and assist the Japanese people in recovering from this tragic event. More.

At a special baptismal service on Wednesday, February 23, Erin Smith was baptized by Mariah Linville, Erin’s Small Group leader and Gretchen Olson, Junior High Ministries Pastor, as a witness to her youth group peers. Erin, a seventh grader in MPC’s IMPACT Junior High youth ministry, shared this testimony.
“I have always gone to a Christian school and have gone to church for as long as I can remember. I always believed in God, I just never had a personal relationship with Him. More.

Greetings,
Our names are Casey and Sharon Bernhardt, and for the past twelve years we have been serving as Special Assignment Missionaries with the Church of God along with our three sons. We’ve been working in Indonesia, serving at Mountainview International Christian School. Because of the support we give at this school, many parents can do ministry throughout the country. More.

MPC-goer Rob Fox just returned from a mission trip to the earthquake torn country of Haiti, now ravished with the outbreak of Cholera. On January 12, the one year anniversary of the devastating earthquake, many people and families are still without homes, living in unsanitary conditions. Rob shares his passion and love for missions and Haiti. More.

A year long project will culminate in July when eleven MPC Senior High students and four leaders travel to Chelyabinsk, Russia, for the dedication of the Church of God Youth Center Café. The Chelyabinsk Church has a strong link with MPC as a direct recipient of MPC's Outreach and Missions support. Seven years ago an MPC mission team of youth and adults deepened relationships as they visited and worked with the church in Chelyabinsk. More.

Crossroads Worship, a Sunday service at MPC on Sundays at 10:45, was launched a little over a year ago and has emerged into a meaningful opportunity for worship. The service, open to people of all ages, offers a powerful worship experience in a more intimate setting in Crossroads Auditorium. Each worship is led by a worship band and multi-media with a distinctively modern edge. Pastor Jim Lyon brings a weekly message in the worship setting.
The worship experience and setting has become a meaning home to many people as they come into the MPC family. Lives are changed, baby’s dedicated and families restored.
John and Mimi Klotz, along with their daughters Kimmi, Kaitlin and Krissy, recently started attending MPC. Mimi shares a little of their journey and how their needs are being met at this time in their lives. More.

Christianity accepts the Bible as its central tenet of faith and life. While no one knows for sure, it is believed that between 1816 and 1992, about 6,000,000,000 Bibles in more than 2,000 languages and dialects have been printed. It can be claimed that the Bible is probably the most printed, distributed, and translated book of all time.

With the Bible central to Christian faith and so widely available it should be well understood by most people. The unfortunate reality is, however, that many believers do not engage the scripture regularly in personal study for faith development or spiritual growth.

The Wednesday evening program, Bible for Today, is designed to help believers engage the Bible at a level that not only helps them understand the context of scripture, but also consider how one might apply its teaching in his or her day to day experiences. More.

In the beckoning corner of The Commons, with the umbrella tables, high stools and bright sunlight streaming through the wall of windows, Holy Grounds offers more than a center of fellowship with a place to congregate, talk, write, read, entertain one another, whether individually or in small groups.
Over $10,000 of HG proceeds and tips in 2010 benefited mission projects at home and around the world. More.

A new voice will welcome you when you call Pastoral Care at the MPC offices. Shari Lawyer (left) is finding a new ministry as she assumes the Pastoral Care Administrative Assistant position. More.
Paula Spear, Children’s Ministries Pastor, introduces Jackie Brady (right), MPC’s new Elementary Ministries Director. More.

Loving others right here in Madison County, finding practical ways to share the message of hope found in Jesus Christ. That’s how the MPC Local Mission Ministry Team views their work. The Local Mission Ministry Team has teamed up with several local organization/ministries to give both financially and in service to meet specific needs in our community. More.

"Koph und Herz, Hand in Hand" (Head and Heart, Hand in Hand) describes the theme and the intent of the conference for Church of God delegates from ten European countries who gathered at the Church of God Bible College in Fritzlar, Germany the third week of September.
Pastor Jim Lyon was invited to address the Theological Conference of the Church of God in Europe which takes place only in even-numbered years, biennially. More

Diligent. Credible. Sound. And now, thanks to the United Way, certified.
It’s a descriptor that Dove Harbor director Doug Linville has sought for quite some time.
“We met with the United Way three years ago to discuss the possibility of applying for certification,” he explains. A rigorous process that is only made available periodically, United Way certification involves submitting a 10-page application, compiling supporting documents, and participating in an interview with the United Way leadership. In the end, the Madison County United Way enthusiastically gave its certification to Dove Harbor. href="http://threads.madisonparkchurch.org/2010/09/13/2nd-story-5/?preview=true&preview_id=4412&preview_nonce=4cdc437403 title="rel="external"> More

Living at 11,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains with groups of students studying altitude physiology. Leading canoe and backpacking trips in the Canadian wilderness. Climbing 14,000 foot peaks in Colorado. Sound exciting and adventurous? More

"It literally saved our marriage.” John Armington is not shy about what Financial Peace University did for him and his wife, Julie.

“One week before we decided to join the class, we were talking about divorce,” he explains. After three years in marriage counseling, a 6-month separation, and years of fighting about finances, the couple had decided to call it quits. More.

By Christa Sterken
Volunteer, Women’s Leadership Team and RefresHer Small Group Leader

The line at the BMV was long and full of unhappy faces, mine was no exception. My husband and I and our two children had relocated to Anderson from across the country, struggling to trust in God’s plan to bring us here. This was day two and nothing was going right.

After a few minutes in line, I noticed how the woman in front of me was greeting everyone around her, smiling. It was salve to my spirit. She and I began a conversation and she invited me to her weekly Bible study. More.

From the streets of Anderson to the rubble in Haiti, MPC youth have been the hands and feet of Jesus, reaching out beyond the walls of Madison Park Church to touch the world.
Months of planning and fundraising culminated in 14 days of ministry and mission for 37 Senior High teens and leaders. Groups split up and served different areas, both local and long-distance. More.

“It arrived at just a time I needed encouragement and connection with home… It gets so lonely here and sometimes we wonder if anyone at home cares." These words, recently written in a thank you note from a soldier, are echoed time and time again from those who have received care boxes from Madison Park Church. More.

A worldwide audience, filled with individual impact. That’s the target of Christians Broadcasting Hope (CBH). “The dream of CBH is to reach as many people as possible with the hope of Christ,” shares Andrew Lyon, MPC-goer and CBH Constituent and Support Development Specialist.

CBH, an initiative of the Church of God, is heard each week around the globe in 8 different languages on 5 continents. ViewPoint, the weekly English broadcast hosted by Pastor Jim Lyon, faces the real experiences of everyday living through inspiring and informative interviews, biblical insights, personal stories, fresh music and innovative methods of bringing the message of Jesus to a hurting world. More.

The women at Dove Harbor need many things. But their most pressing need isn’t for groceries, transportation, jobs or money— it’s for healthy relationships with other women. “So much of their lives are marked with unhealthy relationships, co-dependency, manipulation, giving out of obligation, being taken advantage of, the extremes of emotional or physical abuse,” comments Cherilyn Horning, Program Manager at Dove Harbor. “They often don’t even know where to start in connecting to someone in a healthy way.” More.

by Gretchen Olson, Junior High Ministries Pastor and Eric Reeder, Senior High Ministries Pastor Springtime sunshine is creating a summer fever in Student Ministries! We are looking forward to a busy and exciting summer ministry experience as Senior High and Junior High students add to their regular weekly programs special events, including a Spread The Word Mission trip in Florida, a Chicago mission trip, International Youth Convention in Orlando, Florida, a Junior High camping trip, Senior High sports ministry and guys/girls groups, Junior High fast food Fridays, theme nights and service projects. But one of the best additions to our summer ministry plans are the Student Ministry Summer Interns!
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