December - Clinton Presbyterian Church
Transcription
December - Clinton Presbyterian Church
December 2015 Clinton Presbyterian Church From the Pastor Dear friends, Our Mission Clinton Presbyterian Church is a welcoming congregation called to share Christ’s love. Vision We will live out this mission through: Inspiring Worship, as we praise and glorify God, Engaged Discipleship, as we grow deeper in our faith, Nurturing Relationships, as we love and care for one another, Transforming Mission, as we embody God’s love in service to the world, Faithful Stewardship, as we express our gratitude to God. As we move swiftly from Thanksgiving celebrations to the busy-ness of December, all around us are books and magazines that promote how to have a stress free Christmas, how to make this the perfect celebration. Perhaps those attest to the pressure we feel to make Christmas a joyful time; we want to sweep the less desirable things of life under the carpet and hide certain parts of our lives away in closets. So it is that as we prepare for Christmas, setting the space to create memories with family, seeking for a moment of joy, remembering times past, we also hear the call of the prophets: prepare the way, God is coming. It can feel daunting and a little judgmental, but it is also a chance to say to God, we’ve tried hard, but we messed up again. We don’t always get it right, and we need you in our midst to show us how to live, and how to love. We need you to remind us that you are there in the messiness of life as well as in the good times. That, after all is one of the enduring messages of Christmas. God has entered, and continues to enter into our midst. This message is so important that we celebrate it yearly: God enters into the chaos and busy-ness of our everyday lives. God came in the form of Jesus who was born in a barn, surrounded by the messiness of life. I doubt it was the birth Mary anticipated or wanted for her sweet baby boy, it’s certainly not the birth we would expect for God, but it was how it came about nonetheless. The love and wonder of God can be found in the perfect family celebrations as well as in the in the more chaotic moments. My prayer for you is that no matter what is happening for you this season, you might experience the wonder, grace, and intense love that came in the form of a little baby boy, born in a stable in Bethlehem so many years ago. May we always remember that God comes into the messiness of our lives, and loves us. See you in church, Tracey Clinton Presbyterian Church 91 Center Street, Clinton, NJ 08809 908.735.5029 ● www.clintonpresbyterian.net December 2015 | 1 A huge thank you to all that came to shop at the Alternative Gift and Fair Trade Holiday Bazaar. It was such a wonderful time to put our faith into action by supporting our brothers and sisters near and far. What an awesome experience of generosity and fellowship. Thanks to everyone who helped with our Thanksgiving basket project this year – those of you who donated food and cash for groceries, those of you who helped pack boxes on November 15, our Sunday School kids who made wonderful cards for all the boxes, those of you who made soup for lunch on the 15, those of you who went to ShopRite on the 21, those of you who donated turkeys, and all of you who helped deliver the baskets. Thanks also to Joe Collalillo at ShopRite who gives us an annual discount on the purchase of food for our baskets. We delivered to about 50 families here in Hunterdon County and thanks to the generosity of this congregation; we have helped to make a happy Thanksgiving for many of our neighbors. This is a huge project that takes many hands and drivers to get it done! Many thanks to you all for stepping up to help in so many ways. With heartfelt thanks from your Mission Ministry. December 2015 | 2 Ins ng wa Wor shihipp Fait hfpir ul i Ste rds Advent Vespers Join us on Wednesday evenings (December 2, 9 & 16) during Advent for a service of prayer and reflection. Take some time apart to refresh your soul. 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary Sermon series: Christmas at the Movies Join us on Sundays throughout Advent as we take a look at the meaning and message of Christmas through the lens of Scriptures and some popular Christmas movies. It promises to be a lot of fun! Why not watch the movies ahead of time with friends or family and bowl of popcorn? December 6 A Charlie Brown Christmas December 13 How the Grinch Stole Christmas December 20 Elf Breakfast & DIY Nativity This year the Nativity will be presented during a church-wide Advent breakfast after service on December 20th. Children will be volunteering to fill various roles. Emails will go out to the parents to make sure their children can be there that day. December 20 at 5:00 pm The holiday season can be difficult for many reasons. It can be hard to come and worship God joyfully because of the loss of a family member or a friend, the end of a marriage, illness, loss of work or other trying change. This year we will offer a quiet meditative worship service that makes time for remembering, time for sharing our hurting places with God, and time for preparing our hearts for the coming of Christ. All are welcome. See the next page for a DIY Pageant Mad-Libs! Our Children’s Choir will be helping to lead worship at the 5:00 pm Family Service on Christmas Eve. 5pm Family Service As a congregation we will retell the story of Christ’s birth with the angels, the shepherds and the sheep. 11pm Candlelight Communion Service Come and be lifted in joy through Word and Song as we welcome the Christ child and usher in Christmas Day at this candlelight service. Children from preschool through 5th grade who love to sing are welcome to join the choir. The children will begin learning the songs during Sunday School, but there will likely be one additional rehearsal, time & date TBA. Please let Gary Ross know if your child would like to participate – [email protected]. December 2015 | 3 Do-it-Yourself Announcement for CPC's Do-It-Yourself Christmas Pageant! In preparation for our Do-It-Yourself Christmas Pageant on December 20, we have a Do-It-Yourself Announcement! Just fill in the blanks below, transfer your answers into the announcement below and read aloud! Enjoy...and see you on the 20th! 2 Nouns: __________________________________________________________ Exclamation: ________________ Holiday: ____________________ Adjective: ___________________ Name: ______________________ Noun: _______________________ Name: _______________________ Plural Noun: ___________________ Names of 2 people from CPC: ____________________________________________ Adjective: __________________________ Noun: ______________________________ An Elder or a Deacon: __________________________________________________ Noun: ______________________________ Plural Noun: _________________________ Exclamation: ________________________ Tis the Season! From mistletoe and _________________ to ________________ and our Christmas Eve service...we’re so ________________ for the ________________ season! This year we’ll be having a DIY (do it yourself) Christmas Pageant and you are invited to attend! It’s such a _______________ time of the year. We can’t wait to see ________________ dressed up as a _______________. And maybe this year ________________ will be an angel! So put your ________________ on and join ____________________________on December 20th in Fellowship Hall. Enjoy some ________________ breakfast casseroles and ________________. If we’re lucky, maybe _______________ will make their delicious _______________. Don’t miss out on THE event of the season. Mark your __________________ and see you on the 20th! It’s going to be ________________! December 2015 | 4 Enga ge d Disci ples hi p Sunday School Schedule for December December 6 Normal class schedule December 13 Normal class schedule December 20 DIY Nativity & Breakfast – No Sunday School December 27 No Sunday School January 3 No Sunday School January 10 Sunday School resumes High School Retreat to Lake Champion “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.” Matthew 25:35 Wagon JAM Challenge November brought the Pre K-5th grade classes a mission challenge – the Wagon Challenge! The children exceeded their goal of collecting 50 items of food in the wagon. The food was used to fill the Thanksgiving baskets for families in need. The children not only helped pack the boxes with food, but also made a Thanksgiving card for every box! They worked very hard but had a lot of fun at the same time. Nothing cures the winter blues like a weekend at Lake Champion. This retreat is always a highlight among our high school students, and this year promises plenty of fun. Our youth will enjoy ziplining and other fun activities by day, while they enjoy comfortable warm cabins by night. The retreat is held from Friday, January 22 - Sunday, January 24 and the cost is $135 per person, which includes transportation, meals, and all activities. Sign up information will be distributed soon at youth group meetings and Sunday School classrooms, or contact Paul Morrissette at [email protected] for more information. The Clinton Christmas Parade will be held on Friday, December 4th at 7 pm All children grades Pre-K to 5th are invited to ride in CPC’s parade float. Please arrive at CPC by 6 pm as Center St. will close at 6 pm. Pizza will be served to the children and their families at 6:15 pm. If you have a Santa hat, wear it! As always, please join us after the parade for Cookies and Cocoa. See page 7 for more information. Please RSVP to Joanne at [email protected] to let us know if you and your children plan on coming. We need a head count so we can order enough pizza. December 2015 | 5 Enga ge d D isci ples hi p “Friends come and go like the waves of the ocean, but the true ones stay, like an octopus on your face.” What friendship and fellowship we developed through CHAOS in November! We had a great month full of Wolverton Wednesday’s and Sunday nights. On Wednesdays we do manage to get (a little) homework done – but who needs homework when there’s fun and conversation to be had! Pop by and join us every Wednesday from 3:30 – 6:30! Last Wolverton Wednesday of 2015 is December 16. Men’s Breakfast & Bible Study Come enjoy breakfast and get a jump start on Sunday’s sermon! We are using the preaching text for the following day for the basis of our study. Join us when you can. No preparation needed. Upcoming dates – December 5 and 19 at 7:30 am in Fellowship Hall Sunday night CHAOS is always SO. MUCH. FUN! Our first November CHAOS we had our Totally Tube(sock)ular Flannel Fest Outdoor Movie Night! Winter came early with our indoor sock snowball fight to benefit The Relief Bus. Our middle and high schoolers donated 120+ pairs of socks to help those we serve in Newark and New York City!! WAY TO GO, everyone!! Afterwards, we bundled up and watch Disney & Pixar’s “Inside Out” on the big screen – lots of popcorn, apple cider and laughs ! Women’s Morning Bible Study Tuesday mornings in Fellowship Hall 9:30 – 11:30 am Next study starts January 2016 Women’s Evening Bible Study Meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday evenings in the Wolverton building. All are welcome to join us. See the newsletter for more details. Get in touch with Tracey if you would like more information. [email protected]. Upcoming dates – December 2 & 16 @ 7:30 pm after Vespers Service It’s the time of year to serve and help others – and our CHAOS Crew is always willing to do that. We were His hands and feet the weekend before Thanksgiving, delivering baskets to those in need. How fun is it to serve our God together!! Stay tuned for an AWESOME night… December 13 CHAOS & Sunday Funday Christmas Party!! Watch your email and social media for details! Make sure to follow us on Instagram (We changed our name!): @cpc_chaos See you ‘round the church, Maggie December 2015 | 6 N urt uri ng Rela tions hi ps Deacon Notes Advent is a season of waiting, expecting and hoping. We are reminded to slow down and remember God’s greatest gift: Jesus. It’s not easy to take time to wait during the hustle and bustle of the holiday. We pray you can find comfort ,joy and peace in remembering the beauty in waiting this Christmas. Thank you to all that came to shop at the Alternative Gift and Fair Trade Bazaar. It was such a wonderful time to put our faith into action by supporting our brothers and sisters near and far. It was an awesome experience of generosity and fellowship. We hope to make this an annual event and look forward to more wonderful gifts to buy next year. Family Promise participants were welcomed at Bethlehem Presbyterian Church on November 8 for the last time of the year. Thank you to all that came to help provide meals and company to the homeless. If you are interested in being a part of this important ministry, please contact Ino Sowder or Sharon Rosenberg. Please come to the Table of Well Wishes in Fellowship Hall after worship to sign cards for our church family members to offer encouragement, sympathy and celebration. This is a wonderful way for others to know we are praying and caring for each other. We are always ready to assist others with prayers, meals,or rides when needed. If you are willing to help Jack Sherrerd with a ride to church or Fernando Perez with a ride to PT, please contact Jeri Twigg (735-4182). If you are interested in making a meal for Doris Cramer, please contact Martha Roth (730-9408). If you know of anyone in need of assistance, please let any deacon know. Help Needed for the Float The Connections Team is working hard preparing for this year's Christmas float. We are looking for help putting the float together on Friday, December 4 at 4:30 pm in CPC’s Parking Lot. No experience necessary! We will also need help disassembling the float after the parade 8:30 pm. ALL are welcome to join in this fun project to reach out to our community! Please contact Jill Prakopcyk at 908-310-4765 or [email protected] for more details. Wanted: Cookies for Cookies & Cocoa after the Parade We will also need many hands for setting up Fellowship Hall, making & serving of the cocoa and clean up afterwards. If you would like to contribute a batch of your favorite cookies please bring in to the kitchen anytime between 9 am and 3 pm on Wednesday, December 2, 9 am and 3 pm on Thursday, December 3 and any time after 4 pm on Friday, December 4. If you would like to help in the kitchen on December 4, contact Sharon Rosenberg at [email protected] or Ino Sowder at [email protected]. We will be having Santa and Mrs. Claus in Fellowship Hall after the parade for pictures AND a fun photo booth with props! Receive the great love and perfect peace of Jesus this Advent season. Steve Battaglia, Bill Harclerode, Laurel Kelly, Jan Kreutel, Linda Pustai, Lonnie Little, Wendy Morrissette, Sharon Rosenberg, Martha Roth, and Jeri Twigg Deacon of the Month for December Linda Schipmann-Pustai December 2015 | 7 Omar, Vicki and Madelyn Ahmed Both Omar and Vicki were born and raised in Hunterdon County, in fact they are high school sweethearts. They are excited to raise their daughter, Madelyn here. After college they got married and bought a house in Clinton. Even though they didn’t land far from home, Omar and Vicki are enjoying traveling and being outdoors, especially when their dog, Shelby, can tag along. The Ahmed’s are looking forward to spending more time with the growing family at CPC. Chris and Deirdre Blaus Chris is native to New Jersey and has lived in Hunterdon County since he was 11 years old. Deirdre grew up in South Carolina and has lived in Hunterdon County for the past 4 1/2 years. They have been married for 3 1/2 years and have a 4 month old daughter, Margaret Mary. She brings them more joy than they could have ever imagined possible. When not spending time with their family, Chris is a machinist working as the 4th generation in his family business. Deirdre works in hospital administration for the Robert Wood Johnson health system. In their free time, Chris and Deirdre enjoy hiking, biking, yard work/gardening, cooking, and any outdoors activity. Andrew and Megan Kvarta The Kvartas recently moved to Pittstown from Pennsylvania in July. It was a very busy month for them as their second child, Jack, was also born. Big sister, Ava, loves her new little brother, but isn't so happy about sharing her toys. Andrew works for the state of New Jersey and Megan is a special education teacher in Pennsylvania. They have really enjoyed getting to know everyone at the church. “CPC has really welcomed us with open arms and made us feel like part of the family.” John Roth John is the proud father of daughters, Rebecca and Phoebe, and husband of Martha. He currently works at The Medicines Company in drug development. He is an avid cyclist and lover of playing guitars. December 2015 | 8 Annual Congregational Meeting January 10 immediately following worship Please plan on joining us for this important gathering as we begin the New Year together as a church family. Team Chairs are asked to submit their Annual Reports to the church office no later than December 13. This year the Christian Education and Worship Ministry teams will be making Advent Devotionals available for both families and adults. We’ll have these booklets available for you by the last Sunday in November. December 2015 | 9 Tra nsf ormi ng Missi on Christmas in Philly On Sunday, December 6, we will be escorting Santa to North Philly as he visits the kids from the June Mission Trip Bible Clubs. The jolly guy will be spreading Christmas cheer and handing out candy canes, mittens and gloves. Since Santa usually has a busy December, he could help from CPC students and parents. We will leave the church at 12 noon and return late in the afternoon. There will be a box in the back of the Sanctuary for donations of candy canes, mittens and gloves… Santa is on a tight budget this year. Please let Dave Kelly or Jill Prakopcyk know if you can join us. Thank you and Merry Christmas! Help us make the season joyful for those who serve us in ministry. We will be collecting donations for the Christmas Joy offering at the Christmas Eve services. The funds raised go directly to the Presbytery which distributes them to retired people in ministry and to Presbyterian colleges. Students who plan to enter ministry or become missionaries will benefit. You will find special envelopes for the Christmas Joy donation in the pews, or you can simply write "Christmas Joy" in the memo on your check. Please put your envelope/check in the collection plate during the service. Your Mission Ministry team thanks you for helping those who help spread the good news of Jesus Christ to our world. Mission Volunteer Opportunities The Relief Bus on Saturday, December 12 Over the years, CPC has served with the Relief Bus. The Relief Bus outreach consists of two former school buses that have been converted to mobile resource centers that go out to the poor and homeless in NYC and Newark. Volunteers serve food, pass out clothing and befriend the poor and homeless in these cities. Relief Bus staff also provide social services referrals and spiritual support. We will be serving with the Relief Bus on Saturday evening, December 12 at Port Authority. We need eight volunteers to join us that evening. Please contact Dave Kelly if you have any questions or you’d like to volunteer. (908) 391-6372 or [email protected]) Thank you for supporting the Relief Bus! December 2015 | 10 Fait hf ul Ste wa rds hi p Session Round-Up Children Adrienne Hodulik reported that the ministry discussed VBS and volunteers. They also reviewed the “Keeping Our Children Safe” Policy which is in draft form. Connections Mark Holmsborg reported there was progress being made on the float for the Christmas parade. Finance Pledges looked good; we are almost at $200K as reported by Bill Kreutel. Mission Dave Kelly said that the Thanksgiving Basket assembly was completed and the baskets would be delivered on Saturday, November 21. He reminded everyone that the Giving Tree was up and people were already taking down the gift tags. On Saturday November 28, there will be a group of people going to Safe Harbor in Easton, PA. They will be making and serving lunch to the homeless in that area. Dave urged anyone interested to see him. Finally there will be a group of people going to Philadelphia to hand out mittens, gloves and candy canes to the same area that CPC services in June of every year. New Business Tom Brankner and Bill Kreutel each made presentations to the elders on the 2016 Capital Budget. Some material was handed out and the elders were urged to read it and be prepared to develop a final capital budget for 2016 at the December meeting. Pastor Tracey urged the session to be mindful of participation in Sunday service when they are in town. She also reminded them of the ornaments on the giving tree and asked them to take some ornaments. Personnel Rich Prakopcyk said the ministry was developing a plan for pulpit supply and pastoral coverage when Tracey is gone for maternity leave next year. The ministry has developed a “Keeping Our Children Safe” Policy which is currently being reviewed by the Youth & Children’s Ministries. This policy will then be reviewed by Session. Session The session approved Rich Maslanka to join the Property Ministry. They approved taking Mary Kayler off the rolls. Session also approved the baptism of Margaret Mary Blaus on December 13. She is the daughter of Christopher and Deirdre Blaus. Finally they approved the use of Fellowship Hall by the All Children’s Theatre for two weeks in late August, 2016. Worship Judy Beck reminded everyone that the Hanging of the Greens would be after service on November 22. The same day the outdoor nativity scene will go up. December 2015 | 11 December Birthdays 3 4 5 6 7 9 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 24 25 26 29 30 31 Ryan Twigg, Bill Warner Fran O'Reilly Mary Kayler Sarah Klepper Gregory Cocchiola, Lora Pelose Dennis Kotopoulis Gillian McCaffrey Christopher Bittenmaster, Link Heffner Alvin Peterson, Gail Saltvedt Tanner Dugan, Mollie Little, George Milligan, Hilary Vogel Thea Henry, Jason Krushinski, Karen Kursar Eric Madurki Victoria Ahmed Rich Jackle, Sandy Kotter Jessalyn Peters Evie Lebron, Gianna Madurki Holly Giordano Kim Perez, Bill Sowder Tanner Heffner Keely Marsh Melissa Bieksha, Marisa LaValette 26 27 28 31 Steve and Nancy Hovey Ralph and Gwili Marsh Scott and Sandie Lundeen Colin and Jessica Bruno Our Boy Scout Troop 121 November Theme: Communication The Troop will be taking over the care of the church grounds and lawn. The Troop hosted a hike for Webelos to Tripod Rock Faithful Stewardship December Anniversaries Poinsettia Order Form The annual camping trip was held; the troop went to Washington D.C. Questions - contact Lisa Miller, Charter Representative [email protected] or 730-8004 Deadline for ordering is December 17 If you would like to order a Poinsettia Plant in memory or in honor of someone, use the form below. Your plant will be used to decorate the sanctuary during the Christmas Season. Complete the order form below and return it to the church office. Orders will not be filled unless a check is included with the form. Check should be made out to Clinton Presbyterian Church, 91 Center Street, Clinton, NJ 08809 ($15.00 for each plant). Please do not place it in the offering plate on Sunday morning. I would like to order ______ plant(s) at $15.00 per plant for a total of $_________. ________ pink ________ red ________ white Name ______________________________________________________________ Address ____________________________________________________________ Phone ________________________________ Email ________________________ In honor of In memory of _____________________________________ The Property Ministry requests that when possible, congregation members avoid using the outside steps by Fellowship Hall (near the lift) until they can be repaired in spring/ early summer 2016. Cold weather prevents us from executing the awarded contract during below 32OF days. When using these steps, please proceed with care and do not enter the cordoned off areas. December 2015 | 12