MISSION

We believe each of us is uniquely called, equipped, and prepared for Christ’s mission in God’s world.

Children’s Christian Education

Children in PreK 4 through 6th Grade are invited to the library after the children during the 11 am worship. We use this time to explore a Bible story and to enjoy each other’s company. This class is led by our Christian Educator and volunteers.

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

Children up to 3 years old are invited to join our trained nursery workers in the nursery every Sunday from 9:30 am to 12:30 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.

Youth Christian Education

Youth Group is a space of welcome and love. We always start our time with pizza and conversation. We meet in the Youth Room on the second floor. All are welcome!

Middle School Youth Group is for students in 6th-8th grade. We meet on Fridays, 6:30-8:30 pm.

Youth Group is a space of welcome and love. We always start our time with pizza and conversation. We meet in the Youth Room on the second floor. All are welcome!

High School Youth Group is for students in 9th-12th grade. We meet on Wednesdays from 7-8:30 pm.

We use the PC(USA)’s curriculum, Big God Big Questions: Confirmation for a Growing Faith. It is focused on preparing youth to authentically answer the traditional membership questions:

   – Trusting in the gracious mercy of God, do you turn from the ways of sin and renounce evil and its power in the world?
   – Who is your Lord and Savior?
   – Will you be Christ’s faithful disciple obeying his word and showing his love?
   – Will you devote yourself to the church’s teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers?

Big God Big Questions equips students to employ the study of Scripture, tradition, and church, and to tell their own story as Christian believers in the context of their local congregational experiences.

We also focus on writing a Statement of Faith, which is a requirement for our youth to join MSPC as members.

Confirmands can be any youth, 8th through 12th grades, children of members or non-members.

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!

Adult Christian Education

Are you ready to read and share thoughts and feelings and learn to be a better Christian all at the same time? Starting over the two-week period of September 19th to October 2nd, we will begin our small group sessions on the book of kindness! These groups will meet two times a month, for approximately one hour, to cover one chapter in the book and build relationships with each other. You can pick which day of the week and time will work for you, we tried to set up a variety. Choice of groups are as follows:

Sunday Noon after church
Wednesday evening 7:30 pm

The meetings will be held on Zoom if COVID Act Now for Miami-Dade County is still magenta, but when it becomes red, or better, the MSPC campus will open up if the group wants to gather at the church, stay on zoom, or wherever the group decides to meet. We hope these groups will encourage building relationships, having some fun, and learning new ways of kindness to show our love in Christ.

You can also email Marcia Cannata at mcanna1870@aol.com or text or call to 305 733-5844. Leave a message if no answer for a callback.

Our Sunday 10 am Bible Study class will begin its journey through the Bible at a particular place. A town called Bethlehem. A place called home by many of the Bible’s most important people. And a place that formed the characters of the leaders we so admire. So to begin this journey, this walk through the Bible, the class will begin with the Book of Ruth. Then when Advent starts in 4 weeks, yes the Christmas season is only weeks away, the class will begin the Gospel of Luke with its story of the nativity of Jesus just as we all begin to prepare ourselves for our upcoming season of joy. Feel free to join this class at any time. The class is held in the church library.

This class, facilitated by Rev. Diane Shoaf, will begin after Labor Day and end before Thanksgiving. Participants will use a process based on listening to one’s heart while reading and a listening circle for processing what we’ve read as a group. The club will meet on Saturdays 9:00-10:30 am. Our selection is Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. Email Diane Shoaf at: shoaf456@bellsouth.net to register and to receive the class link.

When you subscribe to The Wired Word, every Thursday you’ll receive a weekly adult Bible study lessons delivered right to your email inbox.

Lessons are organized into seven sections:

A Teacher Introduction to the lesson
In the News summary of a current event
Big Questions for consideration or discussion about the topic
Scripture references to help confront the news with hope
Additional group Discussion Questions
Suggestions for Responding to the News
A Closing Prayer

If you would like to receive weekly emails, contact us at mspc@mspc.net.

Local Mission & Partnerships

Chapman Partnership provides comprehensive programs and services in collaboration with others that empower our residents with dignity and respect to covercome homelessness, and achieve and maintain longterm self-sufficiency.

Our church financially supports one meal a month for its residents. We also serve the meal that we provide.

For the past several years, MSPC has partnered with:

Miami Shores Elementary
Phyllis Ruth Miller Elementary
Hubert O. Sibley K-8 Academy

to provide support to the schools and families.

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.

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.

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.

MSPC actively supports Pass It On Ministries during these challenging times, collecting essential food items for the community.

Please take any, or all of the following to Mari Mejia @ 575 NE 105th Street, Miami Shores

(1) Vienna sausages with a pop-top

(2) Peanut butter

(3) Tuna

(4) Masks and hand sanitizer

(5) Trail mix

(6) Pork & Beans with a pop-top

(7) Plastic spoons and Forks

(8) Soup with a pop-top

Pass It On was 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.

Global Mission & Partnerships

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.

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.

Prayer partners are available after worship for individual prayer needs.

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.