MINISTRIES

One guiding principle of the Reformed Tradition is the concept “Priesthood of All Believers.” Simply put, each of us is uniquely equipped and prepared for ministry and the path to discovering that unique ministry through fellowship in the church Christ leads.

At MSPC our core values and mission, coupled with the gift of faith and the grace of the Spirit, are to help each of us discover dignity, confidence, forgiveness, peace, and fulfillment as we Meet, Serve, and Praise Christ.

We believe a key ingredient of a person’s faith, and a congregation’s vitality, is a clear vision and an unrelenting commitment to pursue it. Our vision at MSPC is to live our lives as friends of Christ. This requires each of us to develop and nurture a personal relationship with Christ – as the sold foundation for our life and also for ministries in mission of our church.

Adult Christian Education

Parenting is tough so join us for an open forum for parents, grandparents, or any other type of parents to exchange their ideas, experiences, challenges, and triumphs related to the greatest (and most stressful) job of all. We meet in Room 237 and encourage you to drop off your child or grandchild in the Sunday school classes. We will focus on Positive Psychology Parenting techniques and Christ-inspired lessons to deal with any issue opened to the forum. We hope to see you there.

We are currently studying the book of James. James was the brother of Jesus. Initially he was not a believer, but ultimately became a great leader of the early church. James advises us that our works are evidence of our faith. Come and join us in this Class. Our aim is to grow in our relationship with Christ through the study of his Word. We meet in the Library on Sunday at 10:00 am.

Adult Fellowship

This fellowship group gets their name from their lunch bags and meets every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. in the Church Library.

Fifty Plus and Minus is a once monthly adult dinner program that has been an integral part of MSPC church life for more than 60 years. The group is open to all adults. Fifty Plus & Minus meets for fellowship over a shared dinner and educational or entertaining program every third Monday of the month, September through May, at 6 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Anyone is welcome to attend the dinner and presentations. There is a nominal fee to cover the expense for dinner. Program topics have included environmental subjects, political issues related to our community, historical interests, mission awareness, and international travel.

One goal of the Garden Ministry is to grow and provide organic vegetables to share some of our crops with Pass It On Ministries, a local food bank for those in need.

Growing season is October through to May.

This group includes all the women of the church whether they belong to an active Circle or not. These women support the mission of the church through service projects, including women’s circles, study groups, fellowship opportunities, social gatherings and fundraising projects. Circles meet for Bible study each month at the church or in members’ homes. Presbyterian Women sponsor the annual Christmas Dinner, Operation Christmas Child, and the Holiday Bazaar among other annual projects.

This group starts at 7:00 am and is led by Johan Smith and Ken Ramberan. It is for early risers and concludes in time for those who need to get to work. It is an informal gathering and all are welcome. We are all called to be friends of Christ, and there is no better way to do that than through the study of his word.

Children & Families

Miami Shores Presbyterian Church offers Vacation Bible School for a week every summer. Youth volunteers help adults with the activities of the day.

Children 0-3 years old are invited to join our trained nursery workers in the nursery every Sunday from 8:30 am to 12:15 pm.
Care is available during both worship services, and during Sunday School. The nursery is located on the first floor of the Elementary School, 2nd door on the right after entering.

Children in Pre K 4 through 6th Grade are invited to Children’s Sunday School. Classes are divided according to grades; Pre K/Kindergarten (Room 235), 1st Grade/2nd Grade (Room 236), 3rd Grade/4th Grade (Room 240) and 5th Grade/6th Grade (Room 223). Doors for each class are marked.

Music

These two choirs meet on Wednesday evenings. Training Choir (Pre-K – 2nd grade) meets at 6:15 pm and the Children’s choir (3rd – 5th grades) meet at 7:15 pm. These choirs perform regularly at the 11 am Sunday Sanctuary service.

The handbell choir is open to adults and youth and rehearses Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm. They perform monthly at the 11 am Sanctuary service.

Our talented musicians join in leading the contemporary praise songs at the 8:45 am Sunday service in the Chapel.

Local Mission & Partnerships

Gifting 100 backpacks filled with school supplies to children in need in the Miami Shores neighborhood at the beginning of their school year. The church collects donations of school supplies starting at Vacation Bible School and for the remaining summer months.

Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection

(D.O.O.R.) in Miami. The program is three-pronged: 1) Dwellers (year-long volunteers), 2) Discover (week-long experiential groups) 3) Discern (interns that serve as mentors and assist the Discover programs).

Volunteers meet every Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at MSPC’s Christian at the old warehouse beside the Pre-School to make wooden toys for underprivileged children. The toys are distributed at Christmas.

Every third Sunday, the members and friends of MSPC provide support and volunteers to serve dinner at Chapman Partnership located at 1550 North Miami Avenue in Miami. Chapman Partnership empowers homeless men, women and children to build a positive future by providing the resources and assistance critical to growth and stability. Chapman Partnership has helped reduce the number of homeless on our streets and served as a model for similar initiatives across the country. Contact the church office at 305-754-9541 for more information.

MSPC each year effects a mission challenge during Lent to do Christian outreach each week during the Lenten season. From organized visits to local nursing homes, to volunteering at local shelters, to a public works project in the Miami Shores Community, the goal is to have something anyone and everyone can do in Christ’s name. Projects are intentionally varied and scheduled at different times. Most of the projects are local. Approximately six projects are selected each year.

MSPC has staged and produced this signature event during the second week of December for more than sixty years. This event is currently held on two consecutive evenings; Friday and Saturday. Church members, friends, musicians, actors, props, and a varied selection of animals bring to life the events surrounding the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is MSPC’s gift to the community and it draws a few thousand people to the church each year.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse. At MSPC, it is a project spearheaded by our Deacons. The contents, given in love, will change the life of a child.

The more participants, the more shoe boxes, the more children are reached. We know it’s not about the numbers. It’s about changing the lives of children and the more we reach the better.

This organization, established over 35 years ago, is the only local all-volunteer food pantry in Miami-Dade county. Food is distributed on an emergency basis to those in need-many times while they await public assistance. Food stamps tomorrow will not feed a hungry child today.

Take a moment to thank God for your good fortune, then Pass It On!

Passitonministries.net

Shawl ministry makes prayer shawls for anyone in the congregation that is in need of some “TLC” that a shawl or lap robe could provide. We also receive requests for shawls from various sources. We make baby caps and booties for various groups and we are currently making crochet/knitted bags for ‘homeless women vets’ in the VA hospital in conjunction with another group. We knit baby blankets with crosses that are presented at ‘infant baptisms’, so we are reaching out in many ways and are always looking for other avenues of service. The group meets the first Mon. of each month @10:15 but members of shawl ministry also work at home knitting and crocheting. We occasionally receive items from people in other states who send us things they’ve made. This is a labor of love.

A fellowship of ladies that meet Wednesdays, from 9 a.m. to noon in Room 135 at church, making dolls and stuffed animals of all shapes and sizes. The dolls are distributed to needy persons in hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages, and at Christmas to families specified by Social Service Agencies. The soft dolls ministry produces almost 1000 dolls each year!

Miami Shores Presbyterian Church uses the Souper Bowl of Caring ministry to collect as much canned food and money as possible. We in turn donate the food and money to Pass It On ministries. The vision of Souper Bowl of Caring is using the energy of the Super Bowl to mobile children and youth in a united national effort to care for people in their local communities.

Urban Promise Miami’s mission is to equip children and youth of Miami in under-resourced communities with the skills necessary for academic achievement, life management, spiritual growth, and leadership. The mission is fulfilled through after-school programs, summer camps, experiential learning, job training, mentoring, counseling and a host of other programs that challenge youth to develop and realize their potential. We also do a Thanksgiving meal.

Operations

MSPC’s Celebration Team hosts events to celebrate major milestones that occur within our church. This can include hosting lunches after Easter worship service, to celebrate and welcome new members, to celebrate Confirmation of our Youth, and other major gatherings. Our Celebration Team has a natural gift for events– hospitality, celebratory decorations, and lite bites and drinks. These are events often filled with joy.

Our Budget and Finance team strives daily to fund and manage Christ-centered ministries without reliance on limited financial reserves or profit margins.

Print and electronic communications highlight what’s happened and what’s happening at MSPC. The Light is a quality print and electronic publication published monthly. MSPC has an active FACEBOOK and website based ministry.

We are striving every day to more fully utilize the property and material resources we have been gifted for the missionary purpose of sharing the Good News of the Gospel. Utilizing God’s gifts to God’s glory is a vital part of renewing Light of World ministries in mission at MSPC. In addition to hosting church and church school functions, we also provide safe space for AA, NA, Via de Cristo, Miami Theatre Camp, concerts and other community events appropriate for our campus.

Now established as a committee and team unto itself; financial stewardship facilitates the annual pledge campaign in support of the general church budget, encourages planned estate giving, coordinates second-mile giving projects, assists with project grants and other fundraising activities throughout the year. All of these initiatives are aimed at supporting the ministries in mission of this church.

We have two sacred worship gatherings each Sunday morning; chapel worship at 8:45 and sanctuary worship at 11:00. Special worship services during Lent, Holy Week, and Advent, Baptisms, Commissioning officers, installing new members, weddings and remembrance of life celebrations are all Spirit-filled gatherings at MSPC. The Lord’s Supper is offered each week during chapel worship and the first Sunday of the month during sanctuary worship.

Pastoral Care

Each month ordained lay leaders take Holy Communion to MSPC members who can no longer, either temporarily or permanently, make it to church. The sharing of Holy Communion as an extension of the Communion Meal of the congregation is a tremendously meaningful connection to the church and church family.

Prayer is powerful and one weekly path to it is the prayer chain. Each week the office sends out an electronic list of prayer concerns to members of the MSPC prayer chain team. These are members of the church who pray in confidence for those who have specifically requested prayer for themselves or for someone they know.

Welcoming outreach to new worshipers at the welcome table.

This includes maintaining Bibles, materials and information about the church, and information gleaned from new worshipers. The Renew Discipleship Team is also involved in leading a Discipleship Essentials class for members and friends of the church.

Global Mission & Partnerships

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) continues the tradition of Christian support to PC(USA) mission personnel. The gospel is preached in more than 40 communities across four provinces in central Cuba. Congregations reach out to elderly persons and others particularly affected by the country’s economic problems. Through the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Matanzas students receive preparation for ministry. MSPC now supports mission co-pastors at Matanzas.

The House of Hope Haiti is a Christian ministry dedicated to spreading the love of Jesus by providing food, shelter, clothing, and both Christian and secular education to the children of Haiti.

House of Hope cares for nearly 70 orphaned or abandoned children, living in two childrens’ homes. It operates a K-13 grade school and helps to support three more schools.

We currently support Rev. Mark Adams and Frontera de Cristo, a Presbyterian USA/Mexico border ministry in Agua Prieta, Mexico and Douglas, Arizona. In an area where life and death are a daily reality, Frontera de Cristo provides church development, and health and family ministry through the New Hope Community Center, Mission Education and the Just Trade Center.

Café Justo is a coffee grower cooperative based in Salvador Urbina, Chiapas, Mexico – a ministry of Frontero de Cristo. They market a pure, organic coffee which is grown, harvested and marketed in the spirit of justice.

Their goal is to employ members of the community in the agricultural, production and management/administrative roles to create sustainable, local business. This provides incentives for people to remain in their family lands.

Café Justo’s mission is to deliver the highest quality, organic, environmentally conscious, fresh roasted coffee to customers at a price that is fair and just.

As the need arises, MSPC partners with Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to respond to crises around the world. This church wide witness to the healing love of Christ through caring for communities adversely affected by crises and catastrophic events is a unified and efficient response by the church.

Youth & Families

We’re open to all 6th-8th graders! It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what your religious background is, join us to learn more about your faith, eat too much pizza, and have lots of fun in the process. We meet every Friday night from 7-9 pm in the Youth Room. No need to let us know you’re coming–just show up!

All 9th-12th graders are welcome to attend our weekly meetings! We meet Wednesday’s from 7-8 pm. We know you’re super busy and have lots of homework so we pack a lot into one hour. We eat, play, read the Bible and plan our youth activities. Come and join us!

Our youth are active at MSPC! We support a number of local missions, contributing regularly. We also plan and take part in a one-week US-based mission trip to help those in need. Come join us to see where we go next!

All youth, 6-12th grade meet together on Sunday mornings from 10 – 10:45 am for fellowship and study. Join us as we read the Bible and grow in our faith!