The Blawenburg Beacon Newsletter for the members and friends of the Blawenburg Reformed Church

Transcription

1 The Blawenburg Beacon Newsletter for the members and friends of the Blawenburg Reformed Church Partnership with Griggstown Starting Sunday, April 8th! Early Spring 2018 March 16, 2018 This spring we will begin a new chapter of our church s story as we begin a partnership with the Griggstown Reformed Church (GRC). For the Blawenburg Reformed Church (BRC) this partnership moves us towards a more faithful financial arrangement while allowing the church to retain me, Pastor Jeff, as your minister. For GRC the partnership fills their need for a part-time minister. This Issue Includes: Pastor s Greeting Administration 1 2 Worship 4 Life-Long Learning BVS Hospitality Mission Proclamation The partnership we have agreed to is a four-month test. It will begin on Monday, April 2nd and end on Sunday, July 29th. Between April and July both our churches and I will work to understand if the partnership can be a long-term arrangement and continue past July. Under the four-month test, I will be leading worship at both churches each Sunday morning. BRC will worship from 9am-10am and GRC will worship from 11am- 12pm. This is a change for BRC; rather than worshiping at 10am we will worship one hour earlier at 9am! After worship I will have time to greet the congregation at coffee hour before leaving for GRC around 10:30am. We are hoping that the earlier worship time will be attractive to younger families, some of whom appreciate earlier services on Sunday mornings. The first Sunday of this new arrangement will be Sunday, April 8th, which is the first Sunday after Easter. Beyond Sunday morning worship, I will be dividing this time according to a onethird and two-thirds arrangement. Two-thirds of my time each week will be spent working with BRC. One third of my time will be spent working with GRC. I will offer pastoral care for both congregations and I will lead consistory at both churches. For BRC I will also continue to teach Bible studies (Tuesday mornings at 10am and Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm) and work with our ministry teams, though at a lesser capacity compared to full-time ministry. I will have office hours at both churches each week and will be available by appointment on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Mondays and Saturdays will be my days off and I will be always on call for pastoral-care emergencies. There certainly is disappointment in not being able to continue in full-time ministry together. However, we are grateful for the opportunity to partner with a sister congregation. Members of GRC have already joined our Tuesday morning Bible study and we anticipate that there will be other crossover opportunities that will strengthen and enrich both congregations. Upcoming Dates and more 16 I look forward to seeing what unexpected blessings God may have in store for us through this partnership. Please pray for our church, for our staff, for our consistory and team leaders, for GRC, and for me and my family as we all engage in this period of change and discernment. (Continued on page 2)

2 The Blawenburg Early Spring Beacon 2018 Page 2 ADMINISTRATION SECTION BRC Mission Statement The Blawenburg Reformed Church is a covenant community of God s people united in Christ through the Holy Spirit. We commit our gifts to worship, hospitality, life-long learning, serving those in need, and proclaiming the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. (Continued from page 1.) Please also continue to support our church with the gifts God has called you to share. The church needs your gifts, your involvement, and your prayers more than ever! Pastor Jeff Run With Rotary! Sunday, April 22 - Have you signed up? It s that time again! Time to sign up for the Run with Rotary event. Last year we participated in this event for the first time. Thousands of people from our local area gathered in Skillman Park that Sunday morning and we had a team of twenty-five people complete the one-mile ramble. Margot was number twenty-six, but rode in her stroller for the mile. Our team also won the Most Spirited team award, which was a great honor. This is a great event. It raises money for local and international relief work. This year there is a special focus of raising money for SHIP in Somerville, NJ. SHIP will use the donated funds to help purchase a new mobile soup kitchen and disaster response vehicle. This year a team from our church will again participate in the one-mile ramble which takes place at 10am. If you would prefer to run the 5k event go for it, but most of our teammates will ramble. Our Blawenburg Church team is registered on the Run with Rotary website. Find the registration at Runsignup.com/Race/NJ/Skillman/RunWithRotaryNJ. Where it asks for your team, select Blawenburg Church. The registration fee is $15 for the one-mile ramble. Lost and Found Can you claim these items? For Your Planning Convenience Beacon material is due to Karen (blawenburgchurch@gmail.com) and Barb P. (bjpmay1998@aol.com) by the date of the deadline. Also, if anyone would like to contribute photos for future Beacons, we welcome them. Deadline Date Publication Date April 23 April 30 June 1 June 15

3 The Blawenburg Early Spring Beacon 2018 Page 3 Happy Birthday, Emma! ADMINISTRATION Continued On February 9th, folks gathered in the Clancys home to wish Emma Tufano a happy 80th birthday. Lay Recognition Dinner March 9th Joe Pavlicek was honored for his service to our church at the annual RCA Lay Recognition Dinner held at the Imperia in Somerset last Friday, March 9th. The theme of the night was Let Your Light Shine. Joe is cheered on by his fans.

4 The Blawenburg Early Spring Beacon 2018 Page 4 We commit our gifts to WORSHIP gathering as a community to celebrate God s presence among us! Children s Sermon: Humming Birds and Eagles, February 4th Boy Scout Sunday February 11 Kyle presents the Children s Message Scout Master John E. Devine, Jr. Scout James telling what scouting is. Scout John tells what scouting means to them.

5 The Blawenburg Early Spring Beacon 2018 Page 5 WORSHIP Continued Upcoming Worship News Maundy Thursday Join us in Fellowship Hall at 6:30pm on March 29th as we celebrate the Lord s Supper around the table together with a short meaningful worship and discussion time, followed by a soup and salad supper prepared by the Worship Team. April 8 th Marks New Worship Time 9 AM! We have chosen this earlier worship time to accommodate the start of our trial shared ministry with the Griggstown Reformed Church. In order to allow time for Pastor Jeff to enjoy fellowship with us briefly after church and still be able to get to Griggstown in a timely manner, there are some areas where the Worship Team asks for your cooperation for this to happen. Announcements that are printed in the Bulletin will not be repeated during Welcome and Announcement time in church unless they need particular and timely reinforcement, so please pay attention to those printed as well as those in your e-news on Fridays. Make sure to get all your announcements for Friday and Sunday into the office by Thursday morning. If the need for an unanticipated announcement arises, the information to Jeff or request ahead to be called on Sunday for a special announcement. Use our Fellowship time to catch up with people and to ask any questions about announcements or prayer concerns. The next area where we can help the service proceed in a timely fashion involves our Passing of the Peace. We would like to keep it where it is, but we ask that you limit your exchanges, both in length and in area to those close to your pew and then return quickly to your pew, being respectful of Pastor Jeff s call for the Children s Message. Worship Schedule for March May March 18 th Jeremiah 31:31-34 and John 12:20-33 March 25 th Psalm 118:1-2, and John 12:12-16, Palm Sunday, Come join the procession! March 29 th John 13:1-17, 31b-35, Maundy Thursday, Communion and Supper March 30 The church will be open for prayer noon 3pm. April 1 st - Isaiah 25:6-9 and Mark 16:1-8, Communion & Easter Sunday, Celebrate our risen Lord! April 8th - Luke 24:13-49, Road to Emmaus, First 9am worship service at BRC April 15th - Luke 24:36b-48, Jesus appears April 22nd - Matthew 25:1-13, Parable of the Virgins, Run with Rotary, Worship at 5pm BRC April 29th - 1 John 4:7-21, God is Love, Kyle preaching at BRC, Pastor Jeff leading GRC services Celebration Singers resume. May 6th - Acts 1:1-11, Ascension, Communion May 13th - Acts 1:15-26, Judas and the Apostles May 20th - Acts 2:1-21, Pentecost May 27th Isaiah 6:1-8, Isaiah s Heavenly Vision

6 The Blawenburg Early Spring Beacon 2018 Page 6 WORSHIP Continued We have a tradition of filling our sanctuary with an abundance of assorted potted flowers on Easter Sunday daffodils, lilies, hydrangeas, hyacinths, tulips, etc. If you would like to purchase plants, please fill in the form below and return it to the church office, along with your payment, by Sunday, March 25. You may mail it to or leave it in the church office or on the table in the back of the sanctuary. As with Christmas, we will have a page in the Easter bulletin dedicating the flowers however you wish. All flowers you purchase may be taken home following worship. Thank you! BRC EASTER FLOWER ORDER FORM Please complete by Sunday, March 25 Name Phone Quantity x $15 = Check Enclosed (payable to BRC) Cash Enclosed Dedication From: In honor or memory of (please circle one):

7 The Blawenburg Early Spring Beacon 2018 Page 7 We commit our gifts to LIFE-LONG LEARNING providing spiritual growth opportunities for all. Tuesday Morning Bible Study meets at 10am in Fellowship Hall. Come join us as we read and discuss scripture for the upcoming Sunday message and take time to pray with one another. Coffee and an occasional treat will be provided, like birthday celebrations! Wednesday Evening Bible Study meets at 6:30pm. I would like to remind you that I meet with a small group of folks from church every Wednesday evening. Typically this small group meets at the parsonage. The evening begins at 6:30 with a time to catch up, followed by Bible study and prayer. If you would like to learn more about scripture and get to know some friends from church a little better, do consider joining the Wednesday evening group. I send out s each week with information about the study; and if you would like to join us, revjeffknol@gmail.com for more information. Pastor Jeff The Fishy Business of Forgiveness: Diving into the Theme of Forgiveness in the Book of Jonah Join me in this challenging, two-part intensive on the theme of forgiveness in the Book of Jonah! As we reflect on the prophet s struggle to forgive, we will begin living more deeply into our own stories of forgiveness. What does it mean to love those who actively seek to harm us? Should we even engage in such a project? Why? All of these questions will be critically examined in the context of biblical reflection, theological insight, and contemporary research on conflict resolution. Along the way, we will discover whether grace, hope, and redemption can flourish in the presence of our enemies. Part I Forgiveness in the Book of Jonah will trace the theme of forgiveness along the contours of the biblical text. Part II Forgiveness in a Broken World will apply biblical insights using Marshall Rosenberg s Nonviolent Communication (NVC) process. This workshop will take place on March 18 th and 25 th from 11:30-2:00 p.m. in the CW Center. If possible, please register via the sign-up sheet so that I can get a headcount. Please contact me at (440) or kyle.dipre@ptsem.edu. Lunch will be provided. - Kyle Dipre Mary and Martha Book Group In early January, the group began a study of Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life, : Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships (Nonviolent Communication Guides) by Marshall B. Rosenberg, PhD. Due to various calendar conflicts, the next meeting is on April 26 at 6:15pm at the home of Bernice Van Nostrand. In May the group will meet on May 24. The first summer meeting will be on June 28. All women are welcome to join us for a planned pot-luck supper, thoughtful and lively discussion, and prayer time. Support our church by shopping via smile.amazon.com and choosing Blawenburg Reformed Church as your charity.

8 The Blawenburg Early Spring Beacon 2018 Page 8 LIFE-LONG LEARNING Continued New Members Lunch On Sunday March 11th Pastor Jeff and other church leaders met with those who are interested in joining our congregation. CROSSROADS XXXIII Reformed Church Women in the Regional Synod of the Mid-Atlantics present GIVING VOICE TO THE VOICELESS: BUILDING COMMUNITIES OF HOPE The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD s favor has come. [Luke 4:18-19, NLT] Keynote Speaker: Rev. Vanessa Wilson, JD Legislative Advocate and Healing Communities Trainer REGISTRATION FORM Registration deadline is March 21. $5 surcharge AFTER DEADLINE. April 13-14, 2018 Harvey Cedars Conference Center, Long Beach Island, NJ Friday 7:30 PM - Saturday 5:30 PM Supper Check in Friday 4:00-7:00 PM No registration after April 2. Payment must accompany registration. Make check payable to: CROSSROADS For more information, please us at: crossroadsconferenceforwomen@gmail.com (Please put CROSSROADS in the subject line.) OR Contact: CLAUDETTE REID at

9 The Blawenburg Early Spring Beacon 2018 Page 9 Blawenburg Village School PO Box 153, Blawenburg, NJ info@blawenburgvillageschool.com Karen Hill, Director How BVS Students Spend a Winter s Day Playing with clay. Going for a walk. Kids Night Out

10 The Blawenburg Early Spring Beacon 2018 Page 10 We commit our gifts to HOSPITALITY caring for those in our congregation and the greater community. Let them eat cake! Patiently waiting for cake! Former and current Scout Masters with scout parents On my honor, I will do my best. To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight. Annual Easter Egg Hunt On Sunday, April 1st the annual Easter Egg Hunt will take place after church. Meet Barb Van Liew and Nancy Meyer on the steps of Cook Hall for directions.

11 The Blawenburg Early Spring Beacon 2018 Page 11 We commit our gifts to MISSIONS serving those in need both locally and around the world. Our First Update From Our New Global Mission

12 The Blawenburg Early Spring Beacon 2018 Page 12 MISSIONS Continued 2017 Shoebox Update The Samaritan's Purse shoeboxes from November, 2017 were delivered to Malawi, Burundi, and hard to reach areas. [Note from Samaritan's Purse website: Many children who live in nations that are difficult to reach with the Gospel are able to hear about Jesus Christ through specially packed shoebox gifts designated for hard-to-reach areas. In restricted areas, these shoeboxes provide a platform for local believers to share Christ in a safe and culturally sensitive way, and allow ease of entry through customs.... For the safety of our ministry partners living in these restricted areas, we cannot divulge the names of the countries.] Again, thank you for making children smile. The Missions Team

13 The Blawenburg Early Spring Beacon 2018 Page 13 Mission Continued GET READY TO GARDEN! Spring is in the air and that means it is time to garden. Even if you don t have a green thumb you are invited to work alongside the ladies of Crawford House as we prepare and cultivate a working garden at their home. We will be meeting the second Monday of each month at 6:30pm, April through September. Our first meeting will be April 9, and then again on May 14, June 11, July 9. August 13 and September 10. If you think that you might be able to participate on any of these dates, please contact Ethel now (home) or (cell). Thanks! Cabbage-Vegetable Soup Sausage-Bean Soup Annual Crawford House Soup Making Each year we invite the residents of Crawford House for a soup making lesson and invite members of the congregation to join in the fruits of their labors. This year the ladies also make salad and apple cake. Many thanks to the Mission and Hospitality Teams for organizing this event. Spring Baskets Thank you to everyone who volunteered to fill spring holiday baskets for the Montgomery Food Pantry. Items are due in this Sunday, March 18th and will be delivered later in the week.

14 The Blawenburg Early Spring Beacon 2018 Page 14 We commit our gifts to PROCLAMATION spreading the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. RUMMAGE SALE NEWS Planning for Rummage Sale 2018 is well underway. The dates this year are Friday, April 20 (9:00am 6:00pm), and Saturday, April 21 (9:00am 3:00pm, when all items are half price). We are in need of many hands to make this event happen. This year we do not have the use of Memorial Hall, so the sale will take place in Cook Hall and on the adjacent grounds outside. Cook Hall is a great place for the sale, as it has been in past years; however due to less space, we are limited in prep time. Items may be dropped off beginning Saturday, April 13 from 9:00 to 5:00, and continue on Sunday, April 15 from 1:00 to 3:00, and Monday and Tuesday, April 16 and 17 from 9:00 to 5:00.We are happy to receive jewelry, linens, household items, books, clothing (adult and children s), clothing accessories, shoes, games and toys, and items that would be suitable to sell outside such as small furniture and sports equipment. PLEASE DO NOT BRING ELECTRONICS OF ANY KIND. We will also have a bake sale again this year and welcome your homemade treats. You can donate cookies, candies, breads, cakes and pies, as well as jams and jellies. Please place cookies in packages of six. We need volunteers to help with the set-up, work on both days of the sale, and come in at the end and assist with clean up on Saturday afternoon. Because of the time constraints, we will be working furiously beginning Friday, April 13 to get ready for the sale. Watch for a sign up poster in Cook Hall which will enable you to indicate in which area, and when you can help. The Missions Team has designated 20% of the proceeds to Crawford House to assist them in combatting the problem of substance abuse. The remaining 80% will go to the restoration and renovation of church properties. With everyone s help, we anticipate a huge rummage sale success again this year. Any questions may be directed to our co-chairs: Jean Beachell (cell) or Ethel Terhune (cell). Thank you. Men s Community Breakfast The rescheduled date of the Men's Community Breakfast is this Wednesday, March 21st. The breakfast will be held in Fellowship Hall. Please let Joe know if you are coming so we can plan the food accordingly. jpavl1999@aol.com

15 The Blawenburg Early Spring Beacon 2018 Page 15 PROCLAMATION Continued BLAWENBURG CHURCH S BLUE POMEGRANATE LAUNCHES FIFTH SEASON APRIL 12 Indie rock group The B Zero B Project will be providing the musical entertainment for the evening. This three member group plays a unique blend of their own original music. Featured local artists will be on hand to show and promote their work, which includes paintings, drawings, sculpture and photography. This is a great opportunity for us as a church to use our space to celebrate local artists and musicians. Doors open at 7:00pm in Cook Hall. Light refreshments will be served and admission is free, but donations are encouraged and go to support the musicians, the artists, and the work of the church. For more details, go to or to For more details, go to or Facebook@BlawenburgChurch Spring Season: April 12, May 17, June 21 Do You Love History?? What about Life Without Electricity?? Come hear Author and Educator David Cochran speak on Early Life in the Village of Blawenburg and Blawenburg Reformed Church. Designed for all ages - elementary students through adults! Date- Sunday April Enjoy Refreshments, Food & Good People before and after the talk! Somerset County Historical Society Address- 9 Van Veghten Drive, Bridgewater NJ Website- Somersethistorynj.org Please Phone #- (732) pr@somersethistorynj.org Funding for the Somerset County Historical Society is provided, in part, by the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State through the State/County History Partnership Program Grant and administered by the Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission. Copyright 2018 Somerset County Historical Society - All Rights Reserved.

16 The Blawenburg Early Spring Beacon 2018 Page 16 OFFICE HOURS MON 8:30 to 1:30 THUR 8:30 to 3:30 FRI 8:30 to 11:30 The Blawenburg Beacon is a publication of Blawenburg Reformed Church 424 Route 518 PO Box 266 Blawenburg, NJ blawenburgchurch@gmail.com Pastor Rev. Jeff Knol VP of Consistory Ethel Terhune Church Administrator & Beacon Publisher Karen Larsen Weekly Events Tuesday Bible Study 10:00am AA 7:00pm Wednesday Bible Study, 6:30pm Saturday AA 8:00pm Beacon Editor Barb Pavlicek Sunday Worship 10am thru Easter, April 8th 9am begins Summary of Dates (See articles for more information.) Plan Ahead March March 18 Worship 10:00am Sanctuary Faith Workshop 11:30am CW Center March 19 Consistory 7:30pm CW Center March 21 Men s Breakfast, 7:30am, F ship Hall March 22 Church Cleaning Night 7:30pm Sanct. March 24 Church Cleaning Day 9:00am BVS Open House 10:00am March 25 Worship 10:00am Sanctuary (Palm Sunday) Faith Workshop 11:30pm CW Center March 28 Wed. Evening Bible Study 6:30pm March 29 Maundy Thursday 6:30 Fellowship Hall March 30 Good Friday March 31 Scout Training 9am-4pm F ship Hall Scout Bd of Review 7:00pm CW Center April Apr. 1 Easter Worship 10:00am Sanctuary Easter Egg Hunt 11:00am Church Grounds Apr. 2 Properties Team 12:30pm CW Center Apr. 3 Missions Team, 11:45am CW Center Boy Scout Exec. Comm 7:30pm CW Ctr Apr. 6 Game Night 7:00pm Apr. 8 Worship 9:00am Sanctuary Apr.12 Moms Club 10:00am Fellowship Hall Blue Pomegranate 7:00pm Fellowship Hall Apr. 15 Worship 9:00am Sanctuary Apr. 16 Consistory 7:30pm CW Center April 20 Rummage Sale 9:00am Fellowship Hall Kids Night Out 5:30pm School House April 21 Rummage Sale 9:00am Fellowship Hall April 22 Run with Rotary 10:00am Worship 5pm Sanctuary April 26 Mary & Martha 6:15pm Bernice s April 29 Worship 9:00am Sanctuary SHIP Luncheon 10:30am Parking Lot May May 1 Missions Team 11:45 CW Center May 2 Men s Breakfast 7:30am May 3 May 4 National Day of Prayer Moms Club 10:00am Fellowship Hall Game Night 7:00pm HAPPY BIRTHDAY! March 8 Katie Connolly 12 Colby White 16 Sharilyn Tel 18 Byron Gurzo 19 Joe Pavlicek 20 Allison Clancy 24 Cheryl Soos 26 Ray Liao 29 Dot Dorey Pam Wanner April 1 LaFerne Keller 2 Katie Mueller Doug Hill 25 Jacque Parmele 26 Sarah Tel If anyone would like to contribute photos for future Beacons, we welcome them. Please send photos via to Barb Pavlicek and Karen Larsen by the date of the deadline. (See p. 2.)