Tower Tidings

Tower
Tidings
Creating Pathways to Discover New Connections in Christ
VOLUME XLIX
March 2016
PW Goes to the UN
11
Tisket a Tasket
Got an Easter Basket?
7
Building Renovation
Update
8
NUMBER 3
Easter Sunday March 27
What would you do with $20,000?
4
Lots of Dates to Remember
15
The Pastor’s Corner
The Reverend Dr. David Smazik
If we agree to be at a certain location at a certain time, we count on
various systems to work together to allow us to fulfill our commitment.
Many of those systems are the intricate ones that make up our bodies
and allow us to live and move. Some systems are external ones with
which we have to contend. I could compile an endless list of things that could go wrong and
prevent us from following through. But on a typical day, we have faith that a number of variables
will function within an acceptable range to allow us to do what we say we are going to do.
Faith is an integral part of our daily lives; we make assumptions about and trust in many
unseen things. The writer of Hebrews defines faith in that way: “Now faith is the assurance of
things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1 NRSV) But we sometimes
struggle to apply that same definition in other dimensions of life. I distinctly remember the first
Neurophysiology class in my Master’s program. After an intense introduction to the subject,
my professor ended the lecture with the following: “If you study the extensive intricacies of the
brain, many of which are still being discovered, and you do not believe in a Creator, you have
not been paying attention.” Sometimes we lose focus.
I believe one way of understanding Lent is as a time to refocus our attention, to pay
attention, to how the loving presence of God was manifested in the death and resurrection of
Jesus. Much of our daily lives is faith-based: we trust in a multitude of things we do not see.
We have not seen the cross. We have not seen the resurrection. But if we refocus our
attention, we can trust that the power revealed in those events is present and actively at work
within and around us, in intricate and substantive ways, and in ways yet to be discovered.
I hope we can join the apostle Paul in saying: “For in Christ we live and move and have
our being…” (Acts 17:28a) Whether we are making a trip to the grocery store or moving through
the various seasons of our lives, we are people of faith – assured of things hoped for with
the conviction of things not seen. Our very being exists in a present, active and eternal love
relationship with God. May we give special attention in our Easter celebration this year to the
reality of God in all of life, seen and unseen!
Daily Lenten Devotional Guide
This year's PCM devotional guide is "Be Holy," issued by Presbyterians Today. Everyone is
encouraged to follow this daily guide, whether or not you choose to attend the PCM study.
Pick up your copy during Lent at the church or office.
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Moments
By Angela Rines, Director of Youth
and Young Adult Ministry
From baptism to adolescence to adulthood, our hope is that faith is a priority. As we
continue to look for ways to foster Sticky Faith in the young people of our congregation,
each month we will feature upcoming events and new ideas for connecting with our
youth.
For faith to stick, a youth needs 5 adults regularly and personally invested in their
life. How can we be ONE of those FIVE adults in the lives of the youth in our
congregation?
Sticky Faith Events
February 19 we had our Annual Chili Cook-off, and it was
a great opportunity for all generations to connect together
as a church community and to show support for our youth
as they prepare for summer mission trips.
Coming up April 1, we have ALL CHURCH BOWLING.
Last year’s event proved to be a hit for all ages, and we
are hoping many more come and join us. Save the date,
mark the calendar. Details and registration at
www.pcmorristown.org/bowling.
Sticky Faith Ideas
As we celebrate Easter this month, many of our college
students will be home on Spring Break or for the holiday.
Take a moment one Sunday to greet a college student,
catch up on what they have been learning while they are away, and welcome them back
to their church home.
Each week our youth gather around tables for dinner at our Wednesday evening
programming. If you love to cook and would like to provide a meal, this is a great and
easy opportunity to connect with our youth! Contact Angie Rines to sign up!
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SANDY
RELIEF
Day-trips
Continuing to Help
Our Neighbors at the
Jersey Shore
Because of a generous donation of $20,000 for Sandy Relief, our church is able to help with the
continued rebuilding of the bay shore area by the following:
$9,000 - A plumber will be hired to do the plumbing necessary before the insulation and
sheetrock can be done in a home. The resident, an elderly lady, has been waiting
many months for this step in restoring her home.
$5,000 - Plumbing and electrical supplies will be purchased for a retired man who can
do plumbing and electrical work himself, thus stretching his resources as far as
possible.
$2,000 - A woman who has been using a microwave and hotplates will be able to have
electrical work done in her kitchen which was destroyed.
$4,000 - Dumpsters will be rented and brought to a home which needs to be
demolished. During Spring Break, there will be college students available to help
with the demolition.
Thanks be to God for Gateway Church of Christ which steadfastly remains committed to helping
restore the homes of so many victims of Super Storm Sandy. And thanks be to God for those
individuals in our church who have kept those people in and around Union Beach in their
prayers and on their hearts.
Please join us on workdays: March 5 and 19. Sign up at www.pcmorristown.org/Sandy.
Contact: Marnie Kaller [email protected]
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Stay tuned for details on how
to get rid of your outdated/
non-working electronics and
support a worthy cause!
The problem many of us face when it comes to implementing ways we can better care for
the earth is that we just don’t have time to do so. It takes time to recalibrate our lives to ensure
that our routines are not having a negative, hurtful impact on others or the world in which we
live.
Many of us reading this newsletter use gas-powered vehicles to help us accomplish the things
in life required by our demanding schedules. Rebecca Barnes-Davies, PCUSA Associate
for Environmental Ministries, offers a practical way(*) to recalibrate our thoughts on transportation:
One of the three most influential environmental choices you make as an individual is
your mode of transportation. Lessening our dependence on fossil fuel transportation is
one step that is critical to curbing climate change. We should make choices, when we
are able, that are good for our own health and the health of the world.
The Blondie comic strip every so often would show Dagwood either rushing out the door
to meet his car pool or in the car with three other people on their way to work. Yet
carpooling seems less prevalent than it used to be. With busier lives, more
individualized work schedules, and multiple destinations often planned for one trip,
people tend to resort to driving their own vehicle for independence and convenience.
However…we might find that a little short-term inconvenience now will go a long way
to alleviating the long-term “inconvenience” caused by…predicted outcomes of climate
change.
*Look at the schedule of your regular activities – work, school, church, and
leisure - particularly those you do on a fairly predictable basis, either daily, weekly, or
monthly. Consider if anyone who lives nearby also participates in any of those activities.
Propose trying to carpool a few times to see how it works…
If we could each do this one more time than we have in the past month, we will have
recalibrated. And together we will have made a difference!
Green Faith Mission Statement: We strive to nurture a holistic understanding of creation
and our need for a comprehensive congregational response that will engage growth in our
relationship to God, creation and our neighbors.
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Adult Education March Schedule
Sunday Morning Seminar
Sundays from 8:45 - 9:45 am
March 6 at the Parish House
Dr. Kate Ott, Assistant Professor, Christian Social Ethics, Drew University
Theological School - Sex and Faith
March 13 in the Chapel
Mickey McDonnell - PCM Lenten Study: The Presidential Providential
Debate Season
Dr. Kate Ott
Parent Lecture Series
Sundays from 8:45-9:40 am
Parish House
Light refreshments
The lecture series covers topics of interest to parents:
Navigating social media; adjusting to middle school; healthy dating/
relationships; drugs, alcohol and how to talk to your kids about them.
Contact: Judy Ebrahim, [email protected]
Erica Hartman
March 6 Dr. Kate Ott, Assistant Professor, Christian Social Ethics,
Drew University Theological School - Sex and Faith
March 13 Erica Hartman, District Supervisor of Technology Integration, Morris School District If You Give a Kid a Cell Phone...
Faith on Film
Sundays 4:00 pm
In the Chapel
April 10 - Brooklyn
A classic tale of an immigrant torn between love of family
and her home in Ireland, yet yearning to make a new life in
America. Set in the early 1950s. Rated PG-13.
Adult Education
Details and schedules for
programs can
be found at www.pcmorristown.org/AdultEd. Contact: Alexandra Mead,
Director of Christian Ed, [email protected]
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Easter Dinners and Baskets for Families in Newark
For more than 15 years, we have provided meals and baskets to 30 Newark families
for Easter. Please leave items in the Parish House kitchen on the table by the window and
mark them NEWARK. Many of you receive "free" hams or turkeys; frozen ones can be left in
the PCM Parish House freezer and fresh ones in the refrigerator, marked NEWARK. Monetary
donations should be payable to Jane Nast with "Newark families" in the memo box. We can
also use help assembling over 125 baskets! See logistics, below.
“Thanks for all that you do
year round for the needy families
in the inner city of Newark.” Jane Nast
Easter Dinners
Please bring Easter dinner
donations to the Parish House
kitchen by March 24.
ITEMS NEEDED:
Easter Baskets for Children
hams
turkeys
eggs
bread
butter/margarine
canned vegetables
macaroni & cheese
Stove Top stuffing
cake mix and icing
cooking oil
juice boxes
cereal in small boxes
Jell-O
small cans of fruit/puddings
Parmalat milk
peanut butter
jelly
aluminum roasting pans
Please bring donations to the PCM Parish
House kitchen by Saturday morning, March
19. If you can help assemble, join us that
day at 1 p.m. in the PCM Parish House
basement to assemble over 150
baskets. Bring the family if only for an hour
or two. Kids love to help!
ITEMS FOR BASKETS
We need lots of baskets!
NO grass, stuffed toys or animals or candy!
medium/large plastic eggs
juice boxes
puzzles
nuts
pencils
peanut butter
jewelry
granola
clay
crackers
Play-doh
little bottles of bubbles
baby food
crayons
diapers
colored chalk
diaper wipes
balls
baby wash
games
Q-tips
coloring books
cotton balls
Contact: Jane Nast
[email protected] (c) 973-580-9013
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Building Renovation Update
from the Capital Renovation Committee (CRC)
Parish House Phase 2
Construction is now over 65%
complete, and the Parish House is a
busy place with a number of different
trades involved in the push to finish
the renovation. As has been the
case since construction started, the
Parish House is open, but access is
limited. The ramp door is the
entrance; the main door is for
construction access only. If your
errand can wait or you can
accomplish your mission via email or
phone, please consider that option.
With the final new structural steel beams in place over the parlor and the joists and decking
above the parlor completed, the conversion of the previously unused second floor attic into the
multi-purpose fine arts room, offices and storage spaces began. Wall and ceiling framing is
nearly complete, rough electrical work has begun, and HVAC equipment is being installed.
The elevator shaft was completed in late December, all of the elevator components were
received in mid-January, and Otis Elevator personnel were on-site to begin elevator installation.
At that time, Otis discovered that they had made the main hydraulic
cylinders that drive the elevator too short. Unfortunately, having to make new ones (combined
with some delays associated with the fire suppression system discussed below) has pushed the
project completion date back into late April or early May.
Fire suppression system installation in the basement
is now 95% complete. First floor installation, a task
complicated by the need to work around the schedules of
the church staff and Nursery School, is 80% complete.
Final approval of the second floor system design was set
back by issues related to the final design of the proposed
Phase 3 renovations to the gym. Now that the Phase 3
design has been finalized (see below), the second floor
fire suppression system design has been submitted for
final approval. In the meantime, the system piping is
being fabricated and cut to length so that installation can
be started immediately upon approval.
New sprinkler heads popping
out all over the first floor.
Final architectural plans are posted in the church
Narthex and progress in photos is presented on the
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Narthex monitor as well as in the Photo Gallery on
the church website (search for Renovations).
Please review the plans and photos to fully
understand modifications.
Parish House Phase 3
As Phase 2 construction heads into the
finishing stretch, we are moving forward with
Phase 3. We have an ambitious plan that will
make the second floor classrooms more flexible in
their use and will turn the current gym into a major
multipurpose area as envisioned in our Feasibility
Original South Street Church ceiling
Study three years ago. Drawings and
details to be exposed in Stage 3.
specifications were completed and bid packages
were sent out to multiple contractors with responses due by the first week in March.
For this third and final stage of the Parish House renovation, our architects have developed
a design that will make major historical features of the old South Street Church visible and
useful yet again. First, the existing blackened ceiling will come down. This will uncover the
clerestory windows on both sides to provide daylight into that part of the building. This will also
expose the large, elegant green rosette which was part of the old sanctuary chandelier. On the
South Street side of the building, the part of the stained glass window which stretches from the
floor to a new ceiling in the gym will be exposed. At the opposite end, a new wood and
tempered glass partition is planned that will mimic in its design the many arches that were
prevalent in the original South Street Church sanctuary. In implementing this final project, and
indeed as we did in the Kitchen and Zone A projects, the CRC is doing its best to make the
building safer, greener, more functional, more historic, and more welcoming than at any other
time since it was converted to a Parish House in the middle of the last century.
Feel free to ask questions of the Capital Renovations Committee: Nancylynne Alessio, Jim
Allison, Larry Behrendt, Rick Bye, Walt Fleischer, Kevin Hubbard, Dick Kaller, David Krimmel,
Alexandra Mead, Marilynn Hummer, and Dave Smazik.
the help desk is back!
Blog
Visit the HELP DESK after services on March 13
and April 24 for assistance with that annoying tech
issue you can’t seem to solve. Bring your phone,
laptop or tablet. We can help with email, Facebook
or Twitter, phone apps, exchanging photos,
navigating the PCM website...
...and, this year, we’ve added a PCM financial
authority to the team who can answer questions
about making donations to the church.
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March Youth Events
High School
Johnsonburg Retreat
March 11-13, Cost $100
Theme: Finding your Core Purpose.
What gifts has God given you to
share with the world?
2016 Summer Youth Trips
Middle School Mission trip
This summer our middle school students
will be serving in Harrisburg, PA with
Youthworks. We will spend the week
serving with various community
organizations, and in the evenings we will
have opportunities to visit Hershey
Chocolate Factory, share in a community
cookout, and visit the downtown. It should
be a fun filled week of serving together!
High School Mission trip
July 31—August 5
Cost $250
This summer our high school students
will be participating in the RISE summer
mission trip in upstate New York. We
will spend the week making homes
safer, warmer, and drier. Past projects
have included roofing, porch building,
post hole digging, dry walling, and
painting. In the evenings we will have
fun activities, including a night at a farm
and dinner in Corning. Watch for two
required training dates for all
participants, coming soon!
1st trip payment of $100 due March 16
Forms and final payment due May 11
July 10-16
Cost $250
For all youth events please contact:
Angie Rines [email protected]
1st payment of $100 due March 16
Forms and final payment due May 11
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SAVE THE DATE
Presbyterian Women’s
Yard Sale for Mission
Saturday, June 25 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Items can be dropped off
beginning June 1
Call Sherry Guthrie 973-543-6523
with questions.
Did you know?
For two weeks in March, the UN Commission on the Status of Women turns the focus of
the United Nations towards women and gender related issues worldwide. And Presbyterian
Women will be there! Presbyterian Women representatives will be participating in design
strategy workshops, caucus meetings, networking events and working as informed
lobbyists at the conferences themselves!
Every year, representatives of member states gather at the United Nations headquarters in
NYC to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and
formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and advancement of women worldwide.
Presbyterian Women will be there to join their voices with those that are working to eliminate
violence against women and girls, promote economic equality, institute fair marriage laws,
empower women and grant access to education. Please keep these women and men in your
prayers as they work to improve the lives of all of God’s children.
If anyone would like to know about what the circles or Presbyterian Women are doing, please
contact Sherry Guthrie [email protected].
SAMARITANS: Twenty years ago this year, Helen Kingsbury started the PCM Samaritans program. Through this valuable service, members call to arrange for a volunteer to drive them to
appointments, fix a meal, help them with accounting, fill out forms, or even write letters.
If you have need of a Samaritan or would like to join the ranks of our volunteers, please call
Sue Woodruff, (908) 879-6638.
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Spring Cleanup
Saturdays
April 16 and May 7
9am to Noon
Church on the Green
Are you ready for
spring? Join us as we
clean up our church
grounds after the long
winter.
We are scheduling two cleanup dates this
year because we have additional cleanup tasks
to perform at the Church on the Green and the
Parish House. Signup for either or both dates
at the What’s Up table or online at
http://pcmorristown.org/cleanup.
Our church grounds rely on volunteers for
care, and we need your help at our annual
Spring Cleanup Days. We will clean out landscape beds, rake, prune, and mulch to make
the grounds beautiful again. There is plenty to
do for all – men and women, boys and girls,
young and old.
Hiking Club
Saturday, April 2, 9:30 am – Jockey
Hollow (2-3 mi, easy) – Come hike
through the fields and woods of
Morristown’s National Historic Park. We
can choose between several excellent
trails of varying lengths.
Sunday, April 24 2 pm – Castle Point,
Oakland (4 mi, moderate) – This loop
hike runs along the shore of scenic
Ramapo Lake and then climbs to the
ruins of Van Slyke Castle and an
abandoned stone tower.
Look for details in your Churchmail
in the weeks before each hike. Check
out our webpage www.pcmorristown.org/
hike for a complete list of planned spring
and summer hikes and to sign up for email blasts specific to our hiking club.
Contact: Sarah Green
[email protected]
We’ll meet at the Church on the Green at
9 am for job assignments. Bring gloves, rakes,
pruners and shovels if you have them. But
most importantly bring your faith and fellowship!
Coffee and breakfast treats will be provided.
Contact: Craig Valenti (973) 285-9535,
[email protected].
Rain Date: May 14th
Patricia and I wish to express our heartfelt Thank-You for your many prayers, get-well-cards,
phone calls and visits during Ernst's serious bout with pneumonia that required emergency
admission to Morristown Memorial Hospital followed by Kessler Rehab in Chester--17 days in
all. We learned about the fragility of our bodies and the tenuousness of our life ... one
second changes everything! But most of all we experienced what it means to be part of the
community of faith of our congregation and be lifted up in the cloud of prayers of the faithful.
It is impossible to thank all of you appropriately. May the Lord and his Grace be with all of us
every day of our lives.
Love and Blessings to each and everyone,
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Pat and Ernst
The Presbyterian Church
Nursery School
Our school participates in the Labels for Education program
sponsored by Campbell’s. We are grateful to our church members
who already collect proof of purchases on behalf of the Nursery
School. We earned some valuable equipment this year like new
scooters for our gym, new playground balls and new markers. All
items are getting lots of use this year.
Collecting the proofs of purchase from participating Campbell products
is easy and helps us get free merchandise. Please save the Labels for
Education symbols on actual products. Please drop off “point” item labels or
lids at the Parish House. Some of the products eligible include Campbell’s
soups, SpaghettiO’s, Prego pasta sauces,
Swanson broths and canned poultry and Pepperidge
Farm breads, cookies, crackers and frozen products.
The following products are worth 5 points: V8 Splash
Beverages (save the lids), Goldfish crackers and all
Campbell’s Microwaveable Soups.
We had some fun in the snow last month but we are
hoping that the spring comes early to PCNS this year!
For a tour of the school or for more information, please
contact Jeanne Mueller at 973-540-1114 or
[email protected].
What’s Up in Christian Ed?
with Alexandra Mead
The Sunday School continues our look at the miracles of Jesus as we enter into the Lenten
Season. We will not have Sunday School on Palm Sunday or on Easter Sunday.
On Palm Sunday we would like the children to gather in the Chapel prior to the 10:00 am
service so that they can parade into the church and sing a hymn that they have been learning.
On Easter Sunday please join us for a joyous worship service at 10:00 am. All of the
children’s choirs will be singing with the adult choirs.
In Midweek we will be spending time “Looking for God in Surprising Places, Even the Church”.
Please read bible stories with your children. I have great resources in my office if
you would like to stop by and borrow a book or get some ideas. Hearing stories once a
week in Sunday School is not enough. Learning the stories together builds a foundation
of faith that your children will benefit from for a lifetime.
Contact: Alexandra Mead, [email protected]
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Session Highlights
January 2016
by Wendy Doidge, Clerk of Session [email protected]
1. Session approved the 2016 Budget. Every effort was made to create a conservative,
realistic budget.
2. At the January Newton Presbytery meeting, the body voted to concur with two Overtures
that will go before the 222nd General Assembly this summer in Portland, OR. The
Presbytery of San Francisco, seeking divestment in fossil fuels, submitted Overture 12.
The second Overture was from the Synod of the Northeast, which seeks to individually
commission Ruling Elders.
3. Session discussed the make up of this year’s committees, structure and schedule.
THE CHURCH STAFF
Ministers
The Reverend Dr. David Smazik, Senior Pastor
[email protected]
Communications Coordinator
Deborah McComber
[email protected]
The Reverend Sarah Green, Associate Pastor
[email protected]
Administrative Assistants
Mary Jo Hashagen
[email protected]
Children’s Ministries
Alexandra Mead, Director of Christian Education
[email protected]
Julie Hess and Kristin Stuek
[email protected]
Music Ministries
Matthew Webb, Director of Music
[email protected]
Sextons
Kristo Pango and Viktor Muskaj
Presbyterian Church Nursery School
Jeanne Mueller Director
[email protected]
(973) 540-1114
Julie Ramseyer, Director of Children’s Music
[email protected]
Youth and Young Adult Ministries
Angela Rines, Director
[email protected]
(973) 538-1776
Business Administrator
Jennifer Ayanian
[email protected]
FAX: (973) 538-7879
[email protected]
www.pcmorristown.org
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March Dates to Remember
March 3
March 3
March 5
March 5
March 6
March 6
March 6
March 8
March 9
March 9
March 9
March 10
March 10
March 12
March 13
March 13
March 13
March 13
March 15
March 16
March 16
March 16
March 17
March 17
March 19
March 19
March 20
March 24
March 24
March 25
March 25
March 27
March 30
March 30
March 31
March 31
March 1
Lenten Study – Vern Verhoef
March 1
April Tower Tidings deadline
March 2
Worship in Chapel
March 2
Midweek
March 2
Ekklesia, Middle School Youth
March 2
Lenten Study – Mickey McDonnell
March 2
Koinonia, High School Youth
Lenten Study – Alexandra Mead
JAM
Sandy Relief Work Day
Lenten Study – Mikey Knotts
Parent Lecture Series/Sunday Morning Seminar
Faith on Film “Imitation Game”
Check website
Confirmation Class
calendar for
Lenten Study – Vern Verhoef
most recent
Worship in Chapel
scheduling
Midweek/Ekklesia/Koinonia
information.
Lenten Study
Lenten Study – Alexandra Mead
JAM
Lenten Study – Mikey Knotts
Daylight Savings Time
Parent Lecture Series
Sunday Morning Seminar
Confirmation Class
Lenten Study – Vern Verhoef
Worship in Chapel
Midweek/Ekklesia/Koinonia
Lenten Study – Mickey McDonnell
Lenten Study – Alexandra Mead
JAM
Sandy Relief Work Day
Lenten Study – Mikey Knotts
Palm Sunday
Lenten Study - Alexandra Mead
Maundy Thursday Worship with Communion
Good Friday Worship in Chapel
Good Friday Worship
Easter
Worship in Chapel
All Church Bowling Event
Midweek/Ekklesia/Koinonia
April 1
Bible Study – Alexandra Mead
www.pcmorristown.org/Bowling
JAM
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The Presbyterian Church in Morristown
65 South Street
Morristown, New Jersey 07960-4138.
Periodical postage paid in
Chester, New Jersey.
65 South Street
Morristown, New Jersey 07960
Please let the church office know if your address
or membership status has changed.
Fresh Traditional® Worship
Sunday Mornings
March 6
7:45 am Worship with Communion
8:45 am Education Hour for Adults
and Children
10:00 am Worship with Communion
March 24
MAUNDY THURSDAY
8:00 pm Worship with Communion
March 25
GOOD FRIDAY
12:00 pm Worship
8:00 pm Worship
March 13
Daylight Savings TIme
7:45 am Worship with Communion
8:45 am Education Hour for Adults
and Children
10:00 am Worship with Baptism
March 27
EASTER
7:45 am Worship with Communion
10:00 am Worship
March 20
PALM SUNDAY
One Great Hour of Sharing
7:45 am Worship with Communion
10:00 am Worship
Wednesday Morning Bible Study
10:30 am and Wednesday Noon
Service in the Chapel
March 2, 9, 16 and 30
All are welcome
www.pcmorristown.org
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