Join us for our Outdoor Family Christmas Festival on Dec. 5 at 4:00 pm.Learn More About Us Ministries Serve Connect Media Giving History of MDPC Future of MDPC: Our Strategic Goals Beliefs and Mission Our ECO Affiliation Work at MDPC Welcome to Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church (MDPC), nestled in the heart of Memorial on the west side of Houston. Find us at the corner of Memorial Drive and Blalock. HISTORY OF MDPC On Sunday, January 9, 1955, seventy persons gathered in Memorial Drive Elementary School, beyond the then western city limits of Houston, Texas, to hold the first worship service of Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church. The church grew rapidly from that modest beginning as the surrounding area filled with new families. Membership rolls passed 500 in 1957; 1,000 in 1960; 2,000 in 1965; 3,000 in 1969. These numbers reflected the community response to the new congregation led by Dr. Charlie Shedd. The fourth anniversary of the church was celebrated by 1,044 worshipers in a new building built on six acres at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Blalock. The present sanctuary was added on in 1972. New classrooms and a chapel, parlor, kitchen, and fellowship hall were added in the early 1990s. A remodeling of the sanctuary, office space, and many classrooms, along with a new church life center, were dedicated in 2002. In 2012, the 18-month Good Housekeeping Campaign was launched, providing for the enlargement of the Sanctuary chancel, media upgrades, more classroom space, creation of a community gathering space (The Nook), and development of the Columbarium. FUTURE OF MDPC: OUR STRATEGIC GOALS In 2017, MDPC staff and elders (lay leadership) worked to develop 12 Strategic Goals spanning all our frontline and support ministries. These goals were updated in 2018, are designed to focus our current mission statement and keep us on track as we broaden our reach for Christ. Review the Strategic Goals The Program Team is in the process of developing an updated version of goals, ones that will involve our membership as well as staff. Look for these to be rolled out toward the end of the 2021. BELIEFS AND MISSION Even as a large church (4,000 members), Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church is known for its warmth, generosity, and dedication to the ministry of Jesus Christ. Presbyterians are distinctive in two major ways: We adhere to a pattern of religious thought known as Reformed Theology and trace our history to the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. Our heritage, and much of what we believe, began with John Calvin (1509-1564), whose writings crystallized much of the Reformed thinking that came before him. Some of the principles articulated by Calvin remain at the core of Presbyterian beliefs, such as: The sovereignty of God The centrality of Jesus Christ The authority of scripture Justification by grace through faith The priesthood of all believers Our knowledge of God and God's purpose for humanity comes from the Bible, particularly what is revealed in the New Testament through the life of Jesus Christ. Our church government stresses the active, representational leadership of both ministers and church members. “According to Calvin’s theory of church government, the church is a community or body in which Christ only is head and all members are equal under Him. The ministry is given to the entire church and is distributed among many officers. All who hold office do so by election of the people whose representatives they are. The church is to be governed and directed by assemblies of officeholders, pastors, and elders chosen to provide just representation for the church as a whole.” (Source: Britannica.com) Prayer for Every Member, Every Day Our major policy decisions as well as our everyday lives are guided by prayer, MDPC’s Partner in Prayer ministry fulfills the commitment made by church founders that every member be prayed for every day. Hundreds of volunteers annually commit to pray for approximately 10 people on our rolls each day. Dollar-For-Dollar Giving In obedience to Christ's teaching, we are committed to radical generosity. Since MDPC’s inception in 1954, we have strived to balance money spent each year on church operations with money given to those in need. This works out to millions of dollars going directly to missionaries, mission agencies, and mission partners, both in our community and around the globe. These “Dollar-for-Dollar” funds are allocated by MDPC Outreach Ministries, which annually reviews funding requests, visits ministry locations, and provides physical and prayer support to the 140+ organizations we support. OUR ECO AFFILIATION MDPC has been a member of ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians since 2016. The Presbyterian leaders who envisioned ECO (founded in 2012) desired to have a foundation of Essential Tenets to provide both unity and mission, and a denominational structure that was less bureaucratic and more nimble—adapted for effective ministry in the 21st century. ECO is made up of both large and small churches, and these churches are grouped into regional “presbyteries” to coordinate ministry and mission. There are over 380 congregations in ECO, and each one affirms the centrality of Jesus Christ, the authority of God’s Word, and a missional commitment to engaging the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. WORK AT MDPC People are our number one asset at MDPC. If you are currently seeking employment, we invite you to learn about our: Work Environment – Chapel, prayer room, basketball gym, lockers, showers, soccer field, courtyards, lunch service, library; local attractions include a jogging trail and Memorial City Mall Benefits of Employment – Insurance, 403B, FSA plan, holidays, personal days, tuition reimbursement, mission trip allowance, educational leave of absence, counseling services, substance abuse programs, sabbatical leave, recreational class discounts, childcare discounts For more information on employment opportunities and benefits at MDPC, please contact Karen Winship at kwinship@mdpc.org or call 713-953-2552. View Current Employment Opportunities ©2021 Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church | Houston 11612 Memorial Dr. Houston, TX 77024 713.782.1710 webmaster@mdpc.org Our StaffMP Staff LoginFacilities CalendarOutlook Web AccessOfficer Resources Join us this Holiday Season Get into the spirit of the season with MDPC! We have something for everyone to enjoy this holiday season. View Holiday Events