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MEMORIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH “The Church with a Purpose”We appear to be continuing our purpose (purposes?). A new year has arrived, some say a new decade has begun (is it twenty-ten or two thousand ten?). We have elected and installed a full slate of church officers. We have approved a budget and held our annual meeting as called for in the Book of Order. Committee chairs have been appointed, the Deacons and DPW have solidified their leadership, and our committees, especially the Christian Education Committee, are working on exciting plans for this New Year. Our Mission Committee is reaching out to help more and more members of our community to cope with a troubled economy. Our Session is progressing toward the selection of an Interim Pastor, our pulpit is regularly filled with inspiring talent thanks to Elder Joe Pease and the Worship Committee, and Rev. Ron Kelley continues to supply our congregation with a high level of pastoral care. The Lord God is, without a doubt, taking care of this congregation, as he has for over 175 years. Allow me to remind you of some of the history of our church. At the Congregational Meeting held on March 2,1916, a motion was made to change the name of the Dayton Presbyterian Church to Memorial Presbyterian Church of Dayton, in honor of its founder and Pastor for 40 of its first 44 years, the Reverend James Aikman Carnahan. “Father” Carnahan, as he was called in later years, is memorialized in our sanctuary by an arched shaped stained glass window depicting the parable of the sower. In the early 1990s our congregation, as a symbol or logo for our church, selected a depiction of this “Sower” above the phrase “Sowing Seeds of Love.” It has appeared in many of our newspaper advertisements, brochures, and fliers. Sometime in the early 1900s the phrase “A Church With a Purpose” was added to the description of our church. Seven purposes were listed:
Apparently, in the last 110 years, much of our perceived purpose, or mission has remained the same. We remain our Father’s children. Pray for our church, for our mission, for our purpose, for your Session, and for the work ahead. Thanks for all your help, Mike Grimes, Clerk of Session THINKING AS STEWARDS As a committee that is responsible for the economic welfare of the Church, we have been wondering how we could bring you up-to-date on the capital improvement fund and the pledges that had been made towards it. For our newer members, the Church made major improvements to the building, most visible in the parlor area in 2007. The funds for those improvements came from monies that were the result of selling the old manse. These were designated New Covenant Funds and initially thought to be used for the housing allowance of the minister. Subsequently, housing for the pastor became a line item in our yearly budget and those monies were used to pay for the remodeling. The Session and Congregation decided to set up a 10-year plan to payback those funds. The congregation was given the opportunity to pledge to cover the capital improvements over that period of time. As funds come in on those pledges, the New Covenant Funds are replenished. If you are a new member and would like to pledge to support this project or if you pledged and would like a reminder, please contact Patty Hicks at 765-589-3927 or 8765 E. 100 N.; Lafayette, IN 47905-8742. We hope that this provides important information for the continued mission of this Church. Stewardship and Finance Committee Rick Ryan, Chairperson Click on the heading to read verses online and to be re-directed to their websites.
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