THE TOWER First Presbyterian Church 37 Church Mall, Springfield, NJ

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1 THE TOWER First Presbyterian Church 37 Church Mall, Springfield, NJ VOL. 71 NO. 01 SEPTEMBER 2018 HOME COMING/RALLY DAY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 th Welcome Back and Ice Cream Social We will kick-off our fall season with a joyful worship service on Sunday, September 9 th. There will be an Ice Cream Social following our celebration. Worship services will, of course, be at the usual 10:15 a.m. Don t miss this special morning. Churchtime Sunday School and Nursery will begin on Sunday, September 9 th. SUMMER 2018 Once again this summer The Presbyterian Church in Springfield was a busy place to be! The Parish House was alive with little voices for our vacation Bible Camp in late June. The children experienced Bible stories, songs, movies, crafts and, of course water activities on the lawn. It s always exciting when children learn more about Jesus and God s love. We thank Lisa Guida for the organization and supervision of Bible camp along with Pastor Vicky, Lynn Doll, Nancy Hennessey, Raffaela Conetta, Gloria Southward, Andrew Guida, Michele Faraone and Carol Kaiser. Also in July, 16 members and friends car-pooled to the Hunterdon Valley Playhouse to enjoy a terrific lunch (the dessert buffet is always amazing!) and a very funny musical entitled Nunsense. It was a great afternoon together. While Pastor Vicky was on vacation in August, Rev. Brooks Smith and Rev. Jeremy Campbell preached for us on those 2 Sundays. Special thanks to Dawn Clarke who took care of announcements and acted as liturgist both Sundays. Our summer music is always inspiring as several of our choir members and guests bring us special music each Sunday. We thank Sue Gieser for being our pianist through the month of August while our Liliya was on vacation. As always, summer 2018 was the perfect blend of worship, fun, planning, and rest.

2 Shipwrecked Rescued by Jesus June 26-28, 2018 Our VBC helpers, Andrew and Michele, enjoying some time with our youngest campers, Emme and Leo. Our Vacation Bible Campers learned that Jesus rescues us in times of trouble, self-doubt, worry or feeling powerless. God s promises are what anchors us all! Our 2018 Campers included Aiden, Alyssa, Karon, Charles, Zara, Juliet, Tommy & Bridget.

3 A MESSAGE FROM THE PASTOR Even though I have certainly not mastered new technology, I keep trying! Part of the problem is that I m not fond of machines especially ones that talk to me! I am terribly annoyed when a phone call is answered by a machine, and it takes so much time to reach a human voice. Some time ago, I read that everyday gadgets are wising up, talking to one another and making life (hopefully!) easier for us. So, while I was on vacation, Richard and I invested in a smart TV and an Echo Dot. Supposedly, I will be able to say, Alexa, turn on the TV to channel 7 and the TV will miraculously give me ABC news at dinnertime. Evidently, it can even be hooked up to other machines and I can use a voice command to turn them on. (If only Alexa could help me find my missing keys then it would be perfect!) Needless to say, it s going to take me a long time (and possibly a couple of teenagers to tutor me) before I figure this all out! But the idea behind all of this is that the whole house can be part of a network. Did you know that God has always wanted us to be part of his network? God text messages us from the Bible and asks us to stay connected to the wisdom God offers each one of us. God challenges us to be a part of the full complexity of this world and plug into a network of Christians who are exploring what it means to be people of faith in a fast-paced, high tech, multicultural community. I believe God wants us to be wise and connected to be knowledgeable about God s will and God s way. In Proverbs 1:23, God says, I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you. That really isn t anything cryptic or mysterious. Instead it is as clear as the words of the Bible and as obvious as the life of Jesus Christ. God calls each of us to learn about God s ways and love. It s a lifetime journey. We can begin or continue at any age. But I believe it s especially important for us to help children learn about the fundamentals of God s love and the Lord Jesus. (after all, that s what we promise as a church family when each baby is Baptized.) As we begin our new program year, I hope that you will seize the opportunity of coming to church and Bible study. Learning more about God s love will not only help us be wise and connected, it s guaranteed to open up your heart and fill you with joy. Yours in Christ, Pastor Vicky

4 MEMBER NEWS Beatrice Roth (right) is happy to announce the birth of her Great Granddaughter, Leela Dyson on May 27, Pictured to the right is Leela s visit at three weeks old. May the whole family enjoy many blessings together! Farewell, but not good-bye On June 7 th, Elder Jean Sim (left) was presented a memento from the Congregation to wish her farewell in her move to Delaware to live closer to family. Jean s quick wit and no-nonsense personality is already missed by all, and especially Pastor Vicky. Jean s 53 year membership has been a blessing to her church family. Thank you for your prayers Lore Ullrich extends her heartfelt thanks for all the prayers, messages, cards, phone calls and visits to help her through her recovery from knee surgery. Her rehabilitation is slowly improving, and she is looking forward to seeing her church family and friends in the near future!

5 1 Frank Spital 2 Nancy Kalb 4 Sada Weber 8 Debra Kensicki 12 James Wills 17 Jennifer Kensicki DeTrolio 17 Andrew Guida 18 Barbara Reifsnyder 19 Russell A.Werner, Jr. SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS: 21 Kyle Doremus 24 Monica Skolnick 25 Dirk Schobel 26 Raffaela Conetta 26 Josie DeTrolio 27 Madeline Kotch 29 Bernard Chelis 30 Ryann Dubiel Nickerson PLEASE NOTE: BIRTHDAYS ARE PROVIDED FROM OUR MEMBER DATA BASE. (MONTH AND DAY ONLY) IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS MISSING FROM OUR NEWSLETTER, AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE INCLUDED, PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE WITH YOUR INFO. CHOIR RESUMES- SEPTEMBER 6 TH The adult choir rehearsals resume on Thursday, September 6 th in the Chapel (building next to the sanctuary) at 7:30 p.m. Come and join our Choir Director, Liliya Khobotkova, as she begins a new season of music at our church. Liliya invites anyone interested to come to rehearsal. There are no auditions! All that is needed is a willing heart and a love of singing. If you ve been thinking of joining the choir, now is a great time everyone is beginning new music together! SESSION AND TRUSTEE MEETING DATES IN SEPTEMBER The Session Board will meet on the second Monday in September (9/10) and the Trustee Board will meet on the 2 nd Wednesday (9/26) There are full agendas for both meetings, so please plan to attend.

6 LUNCH AND A MOVIE RETURNS! - SEPTEMBER 12TH You are invited to attend our first Lunch and Movie of the fall season on Wednesday, September 12 at noon in the auditorium of the Parish House (37 Church Mall). The Outreach Committee will provide a delicious lunch, followed by viewing the movie The Greatest Showman, starring Hugh Jackman. As you may know, this recent movie is about the life of P. T. Barnum. It s an original musical that celebrates the birth of show business and tells of a visionary, who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation. Fasten your seatbelts for an entertaining, enjoyable movie! Come and join us for a great afternoon of wonderful food, fellowship, and a fun film. Please feel free to invite friends and neighbors our Lunch and Movie series is open to all. Please call the office (973) to let us know how many will attend. MEN S FELLOWSHIP The Men s Fellowship will meet on October 20th. Look for details in the next Tower. PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN SEPTEMBER 19 TH The next meeting of the P.W. will be on Wednesday, Sept. 19th at 1:30 p.m. in the Parish House. We will be planning job placements for the Flea Market. All are encouraged to attend. Anyone who would like to come is welcome. Looking forward to seeing everyone. Gloria Southward, President BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS- SEPTEMBER 30TH We will have our annual special service for the Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, September 30th at 2 pm on the Parish House lawn (37 Church Mall). This date is one week earlier than usual, and coincides with the Springfield Fall Festival and Car Show. Seniors, families, singles, and children are encouraged to bring their dogs, cats, birds, lizards, rabbits, fish, tortoises and turtles and other well-behaved pets. After a brief service of worship, there will be individual blessings for each animal present. We will also observe a moment of silence during the service for animals who unfortunately endure inhumane, unethical treatment. We are delighted to continue this annual service at our church Parish House to honor the great bond and relationship between people and their pets. This is a community event and all are invited. This event is free and open to the general public. Human and animal snacks provided!

7 INDOOR FLEA MARKET The Presbyterian Women will conduct an indoor flea market again this year on Saturday, October 27th in the Parish House. Any member who may be interested in renting a table should call Gloria Southward. Tables (8 ft long) will be rented for $25 each.(see reservation form below). Gloria will be working very hard to expand the publicity for this event, to draw more shoppers in. Donations of household items, new or gently used giftware and jewelry will be accepted in the office for the Flea Market and Holiday Boutique beginning September 5th. NO CLOTHING WILL BE ACCEPTED. (Please do not leave items anywhere else- the stage must be kept clear). Please call the office for additional information Flea Market: Springfield Presbyterian Church Parish House 37 Church Mall Springfield, NJ Time: 9am 3pm Saturday, October 27, 2017 Set-up time: 7am Food and drinks will be available Cost: $25.00 per 8 table provided. Star Ledger and local paper advertised or your money back. Venders are not permitted to sell food. The church reserves the right to prohibit the sale of inappropriate or manufacturer recalled items. In fairness to all vendors and customers, please agree to No packing up before 3pm We ask that after you unload your items that you move your car to the church parking lot on the corner, to leave parking near the Parish House for the customers. Please fill out and return with your check to: First Presbyterian Church, 37 Church Mall, Springfield, NJ Make check payable to First Presbyterian Church with Flea Market in the memo section Name Address Phone What kind of items you will be selling Signature Paid_$ for number of tables* *Once payment and form are received, you will receive an ed confirmation if one is provided.

8 On June 7 th, Scholarship Committee Chair, Lynn Doll, and Rev. Ney presented the First Presbyterian Church Community Service Scholarship to Jonathan Dayton High School student, Holly Wilson at the Senior Awards Night. (right) The Presbyterian Women (PW) organized a trip to Hunterdon Hills Playhouse in July and enjoyed the musical Nunsense. Pictured are part of the group that attended.

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11 HAS YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION CHANGED? In this age of technology, many of us have and cell phones. If you have changed your address in the past year, or would like Pastor to have a cell phone contact number for you in the office files, please send an to the office, or leave a message on Linda J s voic , so we can update our records. Also, if you would like us to have an emergency contact in our records (children or friend to call if you become incapacitated), please provide that, as well. We do not share this information with other members without your permission. Past storms have affected town-wide power. Having an emergency cell phone number for these occasions would allow us to reach out to you. Please use the form below if you prefer to send it in the mail or through the collection basket: Name Please update my contact information: Address: Home Phone # cell # Send the Tower Newsletter and announcements to my address - yes/no Emergency contact & relationship to you: Please place a * next to information you do not wish to be shared outside of office. Please call the office (973) or FirstPCOffice@verizon.net should any of your contact information change throughout the year. Thank you!

12 THE FIRST CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AT SPRINGFIELD 37 CHURCH MALL SPRINGFIELD, NJ stamp PLACE LABEL HERE SAVE THE DATES FOR OCTOBER EVENTS! 10/11 Lunch and Movie - Noon 10/27 PW Indoor Flea Market 9am-3pm