Our Vision
The Core Values of our congregation are Spiritual Growth, Forgiveness, Integrity, Friendship, Family and Tolerance. This means extending ourselves beyond ourselves in practical ways, both to each other and to the larger community through the Holy Spirit's power. Our family value is centered in treating everyone as members of the family of God. We also believe that this takes forgiveness, integrity, friendship and tolerance.
Our Vision is that Mendocino Presbyterian Church will be a church that strengthens and develops growth opportunities in all areas of outreach, with an emphasis on children, youth and families; develops serving and caring people and programs; becomes more devoted to our Christian walk, our corporate worship and our Christian witness; provides spiritual training and learning opportunities; and promotes wise resource and facility utilization. We acknowledge that accomplishing this vision will require habitual and fervent prayer, the use and development of spiritual gifts, financial support and strong Godly leadership.
The Mendocino Presbyterian Church focuses on worship, fellowship and outreach. We gather for worship in our New England Carpenter Gothic sanctuary, an historical landmark, which is 138 years old. At present we offer two Sunday services; an informal early Eucharist service, a later traditional program with monthly communion. Other services include Maundy Thursday, a Seder Supper, two Christmas Eve services and a New Year's Eve prayer vigil.
Fellowship includes coffee hour or soup lunches, yearly Founder's Day dinner, Pentecost picnic, celebration of the Transfiguration, and retreats for both men and women. Numerous formal and informal groups gather for work and prayer. During Advent we host a Messiah Sing-a-long under the direction of local professionals. We have several Bible Study groups, adult study groups, a children's Sunday School, and a book and video library.
We reach out to both residents and visitors by providing a site for many weddings, musical performances, senior lunches, and for other civic groups such as AA, Al-anon and the Boy and Girl Scouts. Deacons minister to the sick, the lonely, the children, the elderly, the poor and many homeless throughout the community. MPC also sponsors a life counseling program. We help support missionaries around the world. We operate a preschool open to the community. In serving the entire community, we hope we are a Christian witness to them. We envision our church as a beacon on the Mendocino Coast.
Mendocino is a center for the Arts, a tourist destination, and a retirement community. Our congregation's talents come from this basis. The congregation's principal gift is its warm and caring spirit, shown best in our hospitality to the many vacationers, guests, and members who worship with us. Our talented, educated members contribute in many ways. The choir loft is filled each week with many voices, accompanied by a new Allen digital organ, donated by our faithful organist. Members of our congregation have blessed us by creating nationally recognized stained glass windows, a hand carved cross, rich liturgical banners, and handmade liturgical ware.
Other members do God's work through community outreach. One hosts and cooks a gracious meal each month, serving those in need. The Deacons serve both parishioners and community members with monetary assistance and flowers, gifts of clothing and food to the homeless, and over 100 baskets of food and toys to needy families at Christmas. We reach out to the larger world by donations to a Ukrainian orphanage, Mission Aviation Fellowship, a Central American organization called Seeds of Learning, and other organizations and special ministries. Members have founded and nurtured a men's ministry that includes men from other churches on the coast. Docents greet visitors to the church on summer Saturdays to offer tours of the historic sanctuary, and tell the stories from its past. We are a welcoming and serving congregation.
The key issue of our reformed Christian church is how to impart Christ's vision of the Kingdom of God to the un-churched members of the community, the country, and the world. By our example and our love, we hope to open people's eyes and hearts to the Good News of the gospel, without being judgmental and dogmatic. We know that most people are loved into the arms of God and very few are debated in.
The majority of people living on the Mendocino Coast do not attend church. For some, it is apathy. Some do not feel comfortable with our worship style. There are also strong and vocal groups from other religions and philosophies who are bold about their anti-Christian leanings. Because we meet and work with them daily, it is too easy to be quiet about our own faith.
We are anxious to grow closer to Jesus so that we can broaden our witness. We do have many local groups and organizations utilizing our facilities. We provide physical and emotional support for those who suffer and are in need. We are also in the early stages of broadcasting on our own radio station. And yet, we have neither a youth group nor a young adult group. Our challenge is to find new and innovative ways to attract and nourish young families and teens so that they too can learn about God's love.