The question for October 18

Where do we need to shine our light?

(Where do we need to grow, in what area should we be working more, what need is there that we could address better, what darkness needs the light of our attention?)

The lives that shine brightly at Maxwell Street

• Woody because he’s always in the mood to give someone a hug!
• Michelle Gardner because she’s amazing and I love her!
• Everyone in Youth Group!
• Everyone acting as a community.
• The variety of people creating diversity but unity.
• Kyle does a great job with the youth. He gets them involved and excited about coming to youth group and other activities at Maxwell Street.
• Mr. Eads for going on mission trips, being my Bible Buddy and fixing up our house.
• Kyle
• Isabel.
• Woody
• Ginny
• Martha.
• Edna Fisher – our church, generation after generation of kids, is better because of her work in the Crafts Class.
• Clif & Choir.
• All my amazing friends and family!
• Woody! Amen! and Aman!
• Hailey Smith
• Ms. Martha
• Eleanor
• Woody and his shining personality.
• Michele Gardner. I love her! She’s so cool!
• Mr. Kalika and Mr. Farrer
• Grace Northcutt
• Amy Thompson
• Pete Jones
• Chelsea Anderson-Cooper
• Grace Goulson
• Annie Bradford
• Will Eucker
• Jonah Andreatta
• Kristen Morrill
• Kyle Brown
• Joe Morgan
• Emily Farrer
• Taylor Alexander
• Maddee Farrer
• Emily Warren
• Brian Moore
• Garret Moore
• All those who clean and maintain our buildings
• Jody Lambert
• Pam Boldt
• Kate Copley
• Kate & Pam do their regular jobs and then make the best food.
• the prayer chain people who pray for everyone
• Kyle, Woody, and Youth Group Leaders
• William
• Pete
• Grace
• Caroline
• Ginny
• Annie
• Jonah
• Joe and the Sunday School leaders
• Marilyn Daniel
• Sue Senft
• Marilyn Daniel
• All the Maxwell Streeters who give their time, talent and financial support so unselfishly.
• Sue
• Kate
• Pam
• Babs Kleine for her work with refugees
• Mary Anna
• Jody, the brownie angel
• the office staff shines
• Jody Lambert – mission
• Ron Eads for teaching the Men’s Bible Class
• the entire congregation of MSPC is the life of the church. The diversity of people shines brightly in everything MSPC does. The willingness of every member to serve, in whatever way, lights up the community.
• Evelyn Christensen prays!
• Ginny
• Eleanor
• Jamie
• Woody because he’s always happy to see everyone and give them a hug!
• Michelle Gardner because she was my Bible Buddy and is like my auntie!
• Kyle is fun!!!
• The dedicated laity and staff that so capably mange the multitude of outreach programs and day to day operations of MSPC
• Babs Nelli in her kindness to others. Without ever expecting any recognition, Babs cares for – those unable to help themselves, for children’s singing on Sundays, for recognizing those children when she sees them in church, by being constant and dependable in anything she undertakes at church and always loving. These are the pinpoints of light in her character —and in so many in our congregation.
• Don and Wilma Lange – from the time I first visited the church, they have always been a warm and welcoming presence for me at MSPC. They give fully of themselves and that is why their light shines brightly at Maxwell Street.
• Susan Hensley.
• Carol Porter in her role as “Den Mother” for Room in the Inn.
• Annie Bradford, a true child of God, a shining example of all our beautiful children.
• Edna Fisher for years and years and years of crafts with children!
• Those who have sincerely reached out and touched – the Robert Marshall Family, Mary Scott Moore, Helen Ivey
• Martha Campbell!!
• Tom Dixon
• Abby
• Hanna
• Tori
• Kirsten
• Chris
• Gracie
• Catherine
• Amy
• people in youth group
• Clif -- great music leadership!
• Jody Lambert – Mission to the Max
• Diane Baldwin
• Kyle Brown
• Debra! who spends each week teaching the pre-school Sunday School class!
• Mary McClellen for the sincere concern she has for the elderly in our community, and for her continuous loving care for them, for her alertness to their needs and creativeness in finding a solution for them. We are blessed in having an enthusiastic worker who loves her job. Thank you, Mary.
• Woody’s light and the youth group leaders’ light shines brightly at Maxwell Street. So do the lights of all the elders and deacons and the people who have been here a while and are really nice. The light of all the youth shines brightly here, too.
• Bell Choirs
• Edna, for her decades of creativity and commitment to children and crafts
• Pastor Diane with her enthusiasm, energy, encouragement, for using of gifts and work of the gospel.
• Sunday School teachers
• Annie & Caroline
• Clif and the Chancel Choir
• Garland Sims for her years of leading the Adventure Group
• Woody lights up our lives and our souls.
• Kyle is so very important to our youth (among others)
• Hanka
• Rich & Kate Copley – Sandwich Ministry
• Carol Rawls moved us to act for social justice by writing letters
• Shelli for her 10 years of faithful service to needy folks in our midst
• Jim Gardner and his continuous work with the Endowment Committee
• the sweet little acolytes!
• Woody who embodies in his person and sermons God’s warm welcome home and the spirit of Maxwell
• Tim Costich who serves so quietly and faithfully in so many ways. An unsung hero.
• Needles & Angels
• Sandwich Ministry and Thursday Dinner
• Talented church musicians
• the youth leaders who take our youth on mission trips
• Elizabeth Mahan’s warm smile and kind spirit still shines.
• the graciousness and generosity of Ralph and Cindy and the Thursday night Neighborhood Dinner ministry team.
• Edna Fischer whose weekly devotion to the children’s craft program for 34 years is a beacon to all of us.
• Jody Lambert’s daily devotion to “the least of these” is a strong light shining in our mission programs.
• Elizabeth Ayscue & Doug Gertz
• Dorothy Tice’s volunteer work in the office is an example to all of us.
• Woody is the unwarvering beacon in Maxwell’s lighthouse. His loving, caring spirit is a guide for all of us. For several years the people of Maxwell were like the children of Israel, wandering in the wilderness. Who knew a Moses would come from Texas! With Woody’s arrival our programs, missions, and numbers were reignited and began to grow and flourish. However, it is our pastor’s loving spirit that lights the way for all of us.
• The Berrys, Diane, Kyle, the Casons, the Tices, the Copleys, the Gardners, Pam, Shelli, Amy, Brian, the Senfts, the Bollingers, the Huffmans, Camilla, Allison, Mary Anna, and many more!
• Woody & Jan!
• Tom Dixon – he is here every week, and is the model of the gift of hospitality. But serving with him on a PNC really taught me a lot about wisdom with humor!
• All the Youth – seeing our youth week in and out reminds me we are a community of joy and curiosity, Plus, they are entertaining to us in the balcony.
• Jody – “The Brownie Angel”
• Harry Johnson – for his work with homeless immigrant Gerard Tobias. He has spent countless hours trying to renew his VISA so he can return to Lexington.
• Marilyn Daniels for all her good work in the immigrant legal clinic including sleeping over at church after long nights at the clinic.
• I think our own “Trinity” of pastoral staff: Woody, Diane & Kyle shine for all to see. They complement each other and are able to touch our community in their own ways.
• Tom White is one of my favorite people in this church. He is very pleasant when he asks for people to serve, and he serves diligently ever week. His light shines to the “balcony folk!”

• There are so many lights burning at Maxwell Street that I am positive the glow reaches all the way to Heaven.

The question for October 11:

Whose life shines brightly at Maxwell Street?

(Who has made a difference for you or for the life of our church?)

The Lights That Shine at Maxwell Street...

...our mission of helping those who have no voice, no power, and few options
...being a welcoming church
...an attitude of thankfulness to God -- a sense of "it's about God" -- not Maxwell
...the prayer needs of members that Kate sends, shines brightly for those we pray for and those who pray
...love prevails throughout
...Children's sermon -- it demonstrates such a clear commitment to the young members of our church family
...Early Child Care -- all all of the above!
...ECC
...the candle. It shines bright with the warmth of God.
...Clif
...Youth Group! Youth Group! Youth Group!
...my favorite thing about Maxwell is how dedicated we are to caring for our community -- our sense of mission
...I think that the sandwich ministry and the homeless dinners make Maxwell Street shine
...Enter to pray -- leave to serve. We do both. That's it!
...Christmas morning breakfast!!!
...Our Youth!!!
...I'm here because you let women speak and you let women lead and you recognize and honor us for who we are.
..so many things, but one that stands out is "inclusivity." As a member of the GLBT community, I've always felt welcomed at this church.
...Laughter!
...I think the flowers that are always beautiful and arranged perfectly at the front of the church makes Maxwell bright and really lightens my day.
...MSPC's acceptance of every individual who walks through the doors and the service to the community
...the wonderful music
...the work with those less fortunate
...Men's Bible Study singing
...Presbyterian Women
...Thursday night meal
...the music programs!
...thank you for fun friends
...Children's Sing Time after Sunday School
...continuous missions; rehab; sandwiches; youth, etc.
...Our ministerial and office staff!
...Our diversity, inclusiveness, and outreach!
...all of our music programs!
...This is a place where others really expect me to grow and expect to grow themselves. We recognize that people are on a journey and we respect their places on the journey and we encourage one another to keep on going.
...the colorful bulletin boards that provide information to all members made by LouAnna Red Corn
...Love is the light that shines brightly
...I like all of the Punch! I like Children's Time!
...Youth -- Sunday School, Youth Group, Youth Choir, Youth Bells
...all my friends. My best friend is Hailey Smith.
...that we feed the homeless people so they can stay healthy
...it's hard to choose, but I think mission in many forms brings much light into the community and to other countries. Music is a close second led by Clif, supported by a committed and talented staff and participants.
...We love kids! Little kids. Big kids. Students from campus.
...The Youth & Kids. This church is alive!!!
...Youth programs.
...Welcoming to youth and children. They are truly part of the church.
...Doughnuts on Sunday morning! And Sunday School teachers!
...all of our selfless, humble "house repairers." The folks who give up weekends to work 10 hard hours helping make a house a home! Thank you!
...the faces of our children and youth!
...mission work in our community
...Sunday Morning Sandwich Ministry
...our commitment to the community: sandwich ministry, Thursday night meals, Room in the Inn, Faith Pharmacy, etc.
...We love and we are loved.
...our bright point is the focus and emphasis on missions. For this size church, we do an incredible amount and variety of social justice outreach.
...Sunday School
...Sunday School
...what shines my light at Maxwell Street is crafts and all the people and love here.
...diversity and inclusiveness, racially, by ages, by income levels, by occupations, by partnerships, by families
...we disagree with each other--and it's OK. There's not one line we all have to believe, that we all have to say, that we all have to mimic for one another.
...Yo! The Kids!
...I can see God in Maxwell Street.
...They are almost too numerous to mention, but I will try: always the sermons, the music, the choir, the old hymns that we sing at my church are still dear to me. I enjoy the songs the children sing, and last of all the fellowship with others friends that I have known so long.
...our senior pastor and his friendly wife, plus our other two pastors. I don't think we have ever had such a strong and cohesive staff -- and that also goes for all the office staff as well. Without a strong pastoral staff all of our social outreach programs start to decline as we have witnessed in the past.
...East 7th Street and Sandwich Ministry are important programs and we value cooperation and help.
...open minds and open hearts. listening to one another. learning from one another.
...everyone knows you at Maxwell Street; we're all a family.
...our music program makes Maxwell Street shine.
...The adopt-a-family Christmas shopping.
...Youth speaking their own voices.
...Follow-through is great. Someone mentions the banners and they appear. Someone would like communion served and it happens. The little things are important, too. Thank you.
...Ministry, Music, Mission, and Meals (four m's)
...Missions. Music.

The question for October 4:

What light shines brightly at Maxwell Street?

(What program, event, quality, or value do you think makes Maxwell Street shine?)