Second is continuing its strong partnership with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. Recovery teams are on the ground. Second has sent $5,000 to PDA and is asking the congregation to prayerfully consider making a donation to match this donation. Make checks payable to Second Presbyterian and indicate on the memo line"Hurricane Relief" or donate online.

Second will also be sending Hurricane Buckets that contain cleaning and recovery supplies. Assembly instructions can be found below or in information racks.

Cleanup Buckets

Watch this video to see how to assemble a cleanup bucket:

Please purchase all liquids in plastic bottles. Send only new, unopened materials. Put all items in the plastic bucket, packed securely to avoid damage during shipment, and seal lid with packing tape.

1 — 5-gallon bucket with resealable lid*

5 — scouring pads

7 — sponges, assorted sizes

1 — scrub brush

1 — pkg. cleaning towels (18 reusable, like Easy Wipes®)

1 — box dry laundry detergent, 50-78 oz.

1 — liquid concentrated household cleaner (like Lysol®), 12 oz.

1 — bottle liquid disinfectant dish soap (like Dawn®), 24-28 oz.

1 — 1 pkg. clothespins, 48-50 Clothesline, two 50 ft. or one 100 ft.

5 — dust masks

2 pair — latex gloves (like Playtex®)

1 pair — work gloves

1 — 24 to 28 count roll heavy-duty trash bags (30-45 gallon, remove from carton)

1 — bottle insect repellant (pump, drops or lotion; not aerosol), 6-9 oz.

*Some local fast-food restaurants are willing to give pickle buckets (or other 5-gallon buckets with re-sealable lids) or offer them for a small fee. These can be washed out and used for the cleanup buckets.

The Beecher Singers Collaborate with the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra.

Reformation at 500

• Saturday, September 23, 7:30 PM
  Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center
   
• Sunday, September 24, 4 PM
  Eugene & Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center

Christ lag in Todesbanden, BWV 4
Johann Sebastian Bach
with music by Telemann, Buxtehude, & Mendelssohn

Tickets may be purchased through the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra website at IndyBaroque.org/Concerts.  There is a $5 discount for general admission tickets which brings the price down to $15 if you use the password “Reformation” with a capital R.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 11 AM, ROOM 356

Progress Report to the Congregation
If you missed the Listening Project progress report in August, join us for another opportunity to learn about the findings of the congregation-wide survey and the plans under consideration for short-term program/ministry improvements.

The Listening Project 2017 seeks to provide our church leadership, the Pastor Nominating Committee, and prospective pastoral candidates with an accurate picture of who we are as a congregation and to identify near-term opportunities and longer-term strategic issues.

The Project began this spring with the distribution of a comprehensive survey to the entire congregation. Nine hundred fifty-one members participated! In response to open-ended survey questions, we received 7,700 individual written comments!

Key findings from the Survey:

• Second’s traditional worship style and music program are key reasons respondents cited for attending, joining and remaining at Second Church. Overwhelmingly, respondents reported their satisfaction with the worship experience at Second. That said, there were clusters of respondents with differing preferences in worship style and music program.
• There was strong agreement on today’s congregational identity. People reported having a clear understanding of Second’s mission, vision, and core values/principles. They also are comfortable with Second’s identity in light of their personal theological, social, and political views. However, there were also clusters of respondents with differing opinions on the way forward.
• Respondents expressed high satisfaction with their personal faith development and a sense of support from the Second community of faith. Over 90% strongly, or somewhat, agreed with the statement: "being affiliated with Second has made a difference in my spiritual life."
• Membership growth challenges and retention risk are on respondents’ minds.
• Numerous opportunities were identified for near-term program/ministry improvements.

At a Congregational Summit on June 10, one hundred sixty-eight members came to hear and discuss these key findings. Small group discussions generated sixty suggestions for near-term program/ministry improvements (actions of a non-strategic nature that happen before the new pastor arrives). These included ideas to improve recruitment and programming for new members; increase our efforts at hospitality; expand adult education offerings; make the website more “user-friendly;” add different styles of music; further mine the survey results for additional insights; and many more.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 7 PM, INDIANA WAR MEMORIAL
SCREENING AND PANEL DISCUSSION

Why does the most important public theologian of the 20th century matter even more in the 21st?

Panel discussion will feature:

• Tim Swarens, Opinion editor and columnist, Indianapolis Star
• Raymond Haberski, Professor of History & Director of American Studies, IUPUI
• Dr. Lewis Galloway, Senior Pastor, Second Presbyterian Church
• Rev. Marilyn Gill, Executive Director, Indiana Christian Leadership Conference.

This event is a partnership between the Center for Interfaith Cooperation and Spirit and Place.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 3 PM, SANCTUARY

Music of Beethoven & Schubert

Jean-Louis Haguenauer, piano
Austin Hartman, violin
Adriana Contino, cello

Free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Music and Fine Arts Department: SecondChurch.org/MFA, MFA@SecondChurch.org, or 317-253-6461, Ext. 309.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2017, 11:15 AM, MCFARLAND HALL

WEDNESDAYS, 6:30-7:30 PM, ROOM 356
(SEPTEMBER 27-NOVEMBER 8)

Theology was central to the reformation of the church in the sixteenth century and continues to be a major influence on the church in the present day, shaping our understandings of Christian faith and the mission of the church. This class, led by Theologian in Residence Dr. John Franke, will provide an overview and introduction to the basics of Christian theology and consider the significance of these ideas for the everyday life and the future of the church.

BEGINS SEPTEMBER 10
 

WEEKDAYS DURING SCHOOL

The bright students and motivated teachers at nearby Greenbriar Elementary School need some helping hands to read with children, help in the classroom, go on field trips and host PTO events, like book fairs and Grandparents Day. Sign up to help every week or once in a while.

Contact Jan Millholland for more information.

September and October 2017 
Third Graders and their families are invited to a special season of learning, celebration and service. 

Register Now for Worship and Communion Lunch and Learn

Register for the Welcome to the Table Celebration

Third grade is a special year. At school, students have learned to read. Now as third graders they are reading to learn. At church they have learned the stories of the Bible. Now as third graders they are ready to live them out with their community of faith.

At Second we mark this year in four important ways:

1. They learn more about Worship, as they share in this intergenerational centerpiece of our life together.
2. They learn about the Lord's Supper, in preparation for being "Welcomed to the Table" in worship on World Communion Sunday, October 1.
3. They receive a new Bible, a full New Revised Standard Version, just like the one we have in the pews at church. With their new Bible they can read the stories and wisdom of our faith in church and at home.
4. They lead worship by:

• serving with their families as element bearers. During the 11:00 worship service, third graders and their families participate in the processional by carrying in the cup and the bread for the Communion Table.
• singing in the Carol Choir at 11:15. Third graders learn songs to share with the congregation in worship. (Learn more about children's choirs.)
• presenting Bibles to babies at Baptisms. Third graders pass on the Word of God that has been shared with them.

At school, third graders are stepping into a season of owning their own learning. At church, we invite them to own their own faith as we walk with wonder beside them.

We hope you and your third grader will step whole-heartedly into this year of welcome to worship and sharing in Communion as they grow more fully into the shared life of our community of faith.

Please plan to join us for all the steps on this journey. Every piece is important. We hope you will make every effort to attend each one!

• Sunday School: During September third graders will participate in a special worship rotation.
• Worship: During September third graders will have special activities to do in worship and at home to share their learning with their families.
• Choir School: Children leave from worship to share in music making with peers.
• Worship and Communion Education Lunch and Learn: September 24, 12:15-1:45
• Welcome to the Table Celebration, Bible Presentation and Communion: October 1, 9:30-12:00

Please register separately for each event.

Worship & Communion Lunch & Learn: September 24
A time for learning together about worship and communion. 

Register Now for Worship and Communion Lunch and Learn

Welcome to the Table Celebration: October 1
Third graders and their special guests (parents, siblings, grandparents, special friends) enjoy brunch  and a time to share stories of communion. Third graders receive Bibles. 

Register for the Welcome to the Table Celebration

Start your weekend at Blind Owl Brewery (5014 E 62nd Street Indianapolis). Join us for some conversation and a beverage!

September 22-24, Brownstown, IN
 

Register Now

YoungAdults@Second will gather at Pyoca Camp and Conference Center in Brownstown, IN, from September 22-24, for a weekend of fellowship and renewal. Cost for the retreat is $75/person if you sign up before August 15th, and $90/person after. Registration includes food, lodging, and all activities. Partial financial assistance is available upon request.

Contact Lake Fellows Anna Owens or Joshua Stanley for more information. Registration for this event closes Monday, September 18.

• Volunteers needed the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays each month (September-May).
• No experience needed. All necessary training provided!
• Serve on facilitator teams for children or adults.

Help plant and tend the community garden at Second. A garden guide is onsite Tuesday and Thursday 9 a.m. to 12 noon and Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Or you can stop by anytime and follow the notes left in the garden box.

Details Here